A whole week passed by, and Friday was the first day Baekhyun reported to work after being at home for four days straight. He muttered an apology to his team members and switched on his desktop, after sparing a glance at Daya’s office and seeing the girl sitting inside, her head buried in work.

Eyeing Baekhyun and confirming he was absorbed in his work, Tiffany gestured the men of her team to gather around his table. “What do you think? I was right wasn’t I?” she asked in a whisper.

“Totally.” Taeyong muttered, jerking his head towards Baekhyun. “He’s staring at a blank excel spreadsheet right now.”

Donghae scratched his eyebrow in doubt. “So you guys want me to believe that he’s having a thing for Miss Jo?” he asked in a hiss. “But just as us, he too knows that she’s engaged to some rich heir.”

“It doesn’t mean that he won’t fall for the girl.” Kibum shrugged. “Tiffany noona and I saw it perfectly that at the dinner. His face turned paper white when Miss Jo entered the place looking all gorgeous, and when he had to read out the engagement news, I clearly saw his hands trembling.”

Tiffany nodded in agreement. “He ignored her the entire evening and vanished even before the event ended. And he called me next day to say that he’s down with a bad cold and will be on sick leave for a few days.” She sighed. “Poor boy...he must be struggling hard.”

“Taeyong are you busy right now?”

The youngest almost jumped, hearing Baekhyun call him over from his table. “Ah, no hyung, what’s up?” he rushed towards the assistant manager’s desk.

“Then can you take this to boss? I need her signature here.” Baekhyun held up a file folder in front of Taeyong’s eyes. “Me?” the younger male pointed towards himself. “Why me?”

“Take it. Please.” Baekhyun shoved it into his hands, and stood up to leave the office for a coffee.

“He’s head over heels for boss. I bet my entire salary of this month on it.” Kibum sighed, watching the assistant manager walk out of the office.

* * *

“The very first time I met you in town

You were wearing the lobster hat

I still make fun of

Yeah I was shy and you were a goofball

You made me look straight at the wall

You had the perfect smile

I wanted to make you mine...”

The Media Club of the faculty was getting prepared for their annual retreat, and the new members of the freshman year were preparing their performances for the retreat night. Daya too had written her name down the list for the accapella team, but all the work piled up in the office, thanks to the assistant manager who was on sick leave for nearly a week, she was stuck in the office leaving Jisoo to join the practices all by herself.

The dozen of girls in the group harmonized with the two base guitars being played by one boy and one girl from the same year as them, and were singing the cheerful lyrics of the song they had chosen.

“No one could ever

Take me to another world

Your voice is my love song

You’re the cherry on the top of the cake

You’re the reason for every move I make

So here’s my confession

Will you be my lover forever

You... we’ll be floating

In this world together

You... I will try for your love,

’Cause you’re the colour of my life...”

The auditorium was almost drowned in complete darkness except for the two or three spot lights they had set onto the stage, which supported in slightly illuminating the sea of empty seats in the audience where just two young men sat, towards the middle of the large hall, sitting apart from each other just by three red cushioned seats.

Johnny glanced sideways at the young lad sitting three seats away from him, elbow propped against the arm of the chair and chin resting on his palm.

Most probably around the same age as him, but definitely not on the same social tier as him. that silvery gray tint on his hair definitely needed more than ten folds of the amount of money an average perm with ordinary brown hair colouring needed, and the luminous blue NIKE logo on his dark coloured hoodie was original with no doubt.

A smile was dancing on his lips as he watched the girls bicker over which one out sang the pitch.

“Your girlfriend must be there.”

Johnny was kind of bored, and thought of initiating a conversation with the guy.

He turned around, the smile still not leaving his face. “Um...girlfriend, yeah. My fiancée, to be exact.”

“I see...” Johnny nodded, looking back at the choir, searching for a girl pretty enough to win over such a wealthy looking man like him.

“What about you? Waiting for your girlfriend as well?”

“Ah, no... Just my friend.” Johnny casually answered, rubbing his buzz cut head with a callused palm.

Girlfriend... I wish.

“Jisoo you need to focus more! It’s not that high and you sang the note perfectly well yesterday!”

The guitarist girl whined, hopeless gaze fixed on her batch mate.

“The thing is, we can’t make fools out of ourselves in front of the seniors on our first retreat!”

“I know... I’m sorry...” Jisoo bit her lip, staring at her phone screen displaying the lyrics.

How the hell am I supposed to concentrate when Jongin and Johnny are sitting together and watching me? Can’t I just teleport from here and reappear somewhere far from here?
Even Sahara would be better.

“I’m going to the restroom. Just give me two minutes and I’ll be back guys... okay?”

With that the girl ran out of the stage, making the two guys straighten up in their seats simultaneously in confusion.

A vibration in Johnny’s cargo shorts pocket.

“From; Jisoo

Johnny this is urgent. The guy sitting next to you CANNOT know that you came to pick me. so please... PLEASE return home as soon as possible... I’ll explain everything tonight. Dinner’s on me.”

Confused to the maximum, Johnny slowly stood up from his seat, staring at the guy who looked up at him as well.

“Why, are you leaving without your friend?”

“Yeah...seems like.”

He gave Jongin a curt nod and walked out of the auditorium, his mind jumping into all kinds of conclusions on his was back home.

“Why can’t I take you home?”

The twenty five year-old male was stomping on his feet with a five year-old’s pout, making the girl force back a chuckle and reach up to pinch his cheeks.

“Because some dancing majors invited us to have dinner with them Jongin. I can’t refuse when everyone’s going there can I?”

“You’ve been avoiding me a lot lately you know?” Jongin asked back, his childish anger being replaced by an actual disappointment. “I managed to push back the engagement date saying I can’t rush things during the same days my friend is getting married. But I can’t take it further than next month okay?”

Jisoo nodded, suppressing a sigh. “Just think about it Daya, the two of us will get engaged and m