☁☽  Cry for Love

Pairing: BaekhyunxOC
POV: Baekhyun







Going back to the apartment after a weeks days of avoiding it, I stared at the paper in front of me as I sat on the couch. Tonight, I decided to finish the song I had been working on for months. I was down to the last verse and I didn't know why I felt the need to finish it here. Maybe because everything, every corner of this place reminded me of her. However, being here would mean recalling every possible memory I had of her. 

***

Finishing my shift tonight, I head out of the locker room of the café where I worked part time. I was checking my phone inside the pocket of my backpack when I passed through the counter. Nearing to the door, I turned my head to the right throwing her a quick eye.

She was seated alone at her usual spot. Head tilted down to her sketchbook just like some other days. Her jet black hair, fell behind her shoulders displaying her beautiful face. I could feel the corner of my lips lifting but had to dismiss it when she suddenly looked up and met my eyes. Feeling a bit embarrassed as she caught me staring, I looked away fixing the round specs above my nose. I hurriedly reached for the door handle and got out.

Stepping out of the café, I instantly felt the chill seeping through my skin. It was already late fall, so the winds blew colder now. Tugging the strap of my bag closer, I walked ahead taking the way to the nearest bus stop. As the distance between me and the café grew, my head was ruled by the last person I laid eyes on.

I had known her since High School but never really gotten close to her. She was one of the cool kids, always surrounded by guys who wanted to catch her attention. I couldn’t blame them though, she’s got the face that would make you hold your breath whenever she entered the room.

I guess I was one of those guys. One who had a crush on her, one who would gaze at her when she wasn’t looking. Who I wasn’t though, was the guy who had the nerve to act on my feelings. She was too pretty and popular for someone like me, I used to tell myself whenever I had the slightest guts. 

Transferring to a different school in senior year somehow came as a relief. Maybe I could forget about her. About the girl who made my heart flutter every time her beautiful lips spread into a mesmerizing smile while she talked to her friends or the way her long, shampoo commercial worthy, hair would sway when she walked past me in the hallways.

Recalling it all now, I couldn’t help but laugh at my younger self.

I thought I’d successfully gotten rid of that childish crush I had for her until she walked inside the café one afternoon about a month ago. I could perfectly remember how stunned I was to see her again after a few years. I almost swallowed the words I had to say to get her and her friend’s order when realized who she was. There was something in the way she looked at me that time that kinda made me thought that she recognized me too.
 

Since that day, she became a regular in the café, mostly alone. Whenever I could, I would take the chance to glance at her. However, aside from getting her orders and other job related stuff, we never talked. The guts to approach her were thrown out of the window when I saw a luxurious car waiting for her outside the café. That very moment, I was reminded of how different our worlds were. How wealthy her family was and how economically unstable mine was. And the tiniest hope budding inside me burst like bubble when Seungmin, a familiar guy from High School, waited for her outside the café one afternoon leaning against his limited edition car.

Nothing’s changed, I just knew she was out of my league even until now.

Arriving at the bus station, I found it empty. The busy streets of Seoul somehow eased up already. Checking my watch, I’d have to wait for about eight minutes more for the bus. I remained standing on my spot when I felt someone joined me. Turning to check who it was, I immediately had to hold my breath.

It was her. I didn’t know how or why but of all people, it was her.

She was standing on the other end of the bus stop, panting as if she had been running before she looked at me with glaring eyes. It confused the hell out me, so I ended up checking if I was indeed the recipient of her angry stare by making sure that she and I were alone. My gesture, however seemed to annoy her more as I heard her scoffed. She shoved her misplaced hair away from her face with her hand, the other clasped her sketchbook. She was undoubtedly mad at me and I didn’t ing know why.

I knew I shouldn’t be thinking how pretty she looked in an obviously expensive outfit but it was as if every cell in my brain could only focus on the exact thing. That skirt that reached a few inches above her knees made me feel something and I just had to look away before she acuse me of being a ert. Because I was not. But damn, she looked amazing, the beret on her head made her seem like someone who came out of an Ad poster.

“Are you stupid?!” She yelled all of a sudden, sounding really pissed.

My jaw dropped.

“What?” I blurted out, blinking my eyes unable to believe that she just yelled at me.

The next five seconds was us just staring at each other with entirely different reactions painted on our faces. I was both startled and confused while she stared at me with an apparent anger.

“I guess…” She paused to swallow, her eyes never leaving mine. “I guess you’re really stupid.” She added firmly.

“Excuse me?”

It was all that I could verbalize, trying not to be distracted by the way her hair slightly moved with the wind.

“Yes, you are because if you’re not, then you should’ve…” She paused and shut her eyes closed for a bit as if this conversation was tiring for her. “My god, nevermind.” She shook her head as I watched her turn around and started to leave.

What the hell? I thought in my head. However, my body seemed to have known better than my ability to talk. I took hurried steps towards her and the next thing I knew I was already holding her wrist which made her stop walking. With the skin contact she turned around and fixed her attention to my hand on her wrist.

Realizing what I was doing, I immediately let go of her. Though the loud beating coming from behind my chest reached my ears, my thoughts lingering on how smooth and warm her skin was against mine. This was the first time I ever held her.

We were still standing in a close proximity and her sweet, floral scent was slowly taking over my senses.

“I’m sorry.” It took another second for me to come back to say. “I-I didn’t mean to…” I stuttered sounding so incompetent.

She’s right, I must be stupid.

“You didn’t mean to what?” She asked, her tone challenging.

Being able to look at her face this close was ruining my state of mind. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown, her cute little nose and rosy cheeks seemed to beg me to touch them. However it was her lips that almost made me lose it. Those pair of peach lips that were slightly parted at first before she hid the bottom by biting it.

Oh my ing , I cursed in my head.

“Why are you so mad at me?” I said almost breathless unable to think properly. “Did I do something wrong?”

I watched her eyebrows furrowed as she shot another dagger look at me. I wondered if she was aware of how breath-taking she looked even when she was mad like this.

“I mean…I mean why are you here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take this route before.” I tried to elaborate, wanting to sound casual but I was aware that it turned out uncool instead.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a bit before she stepped toward me. I didn’t have time to back off anymore as she shoved her sketchbook to my chest. The force she exerted was a proof she was still pissed. Confused, I opened it, unable to prepare myself of what I was about to see inside.

What.

I was staring at a sketch that exactly looked like me. The details and everything, it was perfect like she had memorized every part of my face. It was like staring at myself in the mirror. I had always known that she was good at sketching and painting. What surprised the hell out of me was my face on a page of her sketchbook.

I slowly looked up to meet her eyes for a second. I grew more baffled. I didn’t want to assume that she drew me because she liked me. That’s honestly ninety percent impossible.

“Why am I…how.” this. “Why am I on your-”

“Am I not pretty?” She intercepted.

I could only gulp and blink my eyes like a complete moron in front of her right now.

“Am I not your type?” She went on, her eyes piercing through mine.

I swallowed once more, my heartbeat racing again.

“Am I not pretty?” She asked once more, this time sounding a bit hurt.

That evident tinge of pain in her tone made me panic.

“No.” what did I just say?

She looked at me once more, her lips forming into a subtle downward curve.

“No, I mean…yes.” I tried to clarify. “Of course, you’re pretty.” I held my breath as I met her eyes. “You don’t really have to ask me something so obvious.”

“Then why are you ignoring me?”

I shot her another baffled look. Me? Ignoring her? Did she want my attention?

“I don’t quite follow you what you’re talking about…” I just had to stop talking when I heard her took a deep breath.

She looked so stressed out now, her fingers fidgeting on the strap of her designer bag. I wasn’t gonna lie, I also felt a bit pressured. It was obvious I did something wrong but didn’t know what it was exactly. I didn’t really want her to think of me as a jerk or something. I just wish she could stop being vague and just tell me already.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say. I don’t know why you’re so mad at me right now. Maybe if you can tell me then…” I reasoned out but got interrupted when I saw her open to speak.

“How many more days do I have to spend in the café?”

My forehead creased, what she said didn’t help at all.

“How many glasses of Iced Americano do I still have to order before you finally talk to me?” Her chest was heaving as she talked breathlessly, her frustration evident both in her tone and expression.

Talk to her? I blinked my eyes twice. What? I feel like a total moron right now.

“How many times should I lie to my parents telling them I have a project to finish just so I can have an excuse to see you? Or…or how many times do I have to tell my friends that I’m not available to hang out with them because I have something important to do just so I could hear your voice in case you take my order?”

She. She had been hanging out in the café because of me? How was that possible?

“How long will it take you to finally notice me and ask me out Baekhyun?” She bit her lower lip for a moment as if regretting what she just said.

For real, she should stop doing that to her lip or I’d end up punching myself.

“Are you telling me you have been going to the café because…” I tried to process everything in my head. “Because of me?”

My hands fell to my sides, her sketchbook still held by my right hand. I couldn’t believe it. For a moment, I was so scared she’d open and tell me she was joking. I could only stare at her, dumbfounded. This wasn’t the first time a girl confessed her feelings to me but it hit different because it’s her.

“Oh my god.” She suddenly sighed, covering her face with her hands. “I sound so pathetic.” She said as soon as I could see her face once more.

Her face was red even under the light post at the bus stop.

“You know what forget it.” She announced before she stepped towards me and grabbed her sketchbook from my hand.

No, I rattled internally right away.

“Forget what I said.” She told me, unable to look at me now. “Just… oh my god, I feel so stupid.”

I awkwardly tried to reach for her but she stepped away.

“I’m sorry…I’m just a bit surprised. I didn’t know I mean, I haven’t really thought…”

“Please stop.” She held a hand, signaling me to stop talking. “Maybe you haven’t really thought of doing it, oh this is so embarrassing.” She added before she turned around to walk away.

I watched her cross the pedestrian lane and took the route across the street. My eyes never leaving her profile.

What if she I never see her again? What if she never visits the café again? What if I never get the chance to talk to her again? What if she never gets to know that I noticed her a very long time ago? These questions flooded my mind.

She just openly confessed to me and it sure was a lot to take in but what the hell was I doing still standing here? Balling my hands into fists, I continued to watch her leave.

I couldn’t believe the girl I was secretly head over heels with in High School was the same person I just talked to. I felt my feet wanting to go and follow as I convinced myself that this was okay. The whole debate in my head only lasted for a few seconds. The next thing, I was crossing the street…running after her.

In just a matter of time, she was just meters away from me.

“Hey.” I called, sounding a bit hesitant. “Hey Sera.”

She stopped on her feet but didn’t turn around, giving me the opportunity to stop next to her. I waited for her to meet my eye, giving me that weird feeling behind my chest. I could smell the scent of her shampoo once more and her perfume and I didn’t think I smelled something this great before.  I watched how her lashes moved when she finally looked at me.

“You still remember my name?” She asked sounding surprised, unblinking.

I nodded despite being hesitant to admit it.

“I never.” I tilted my head down for a bit. “I never forgot it.”

We shared a whole thirty seconds just staring back at each other. I watched how her brows relaxed before formed into the most beautiful curve. Damn she’s so beautiful, my brain was about to malfunction.

“How could I ever forget you?” I said, not giving it much thought.

The smile on her face disappeared, giving my sanity time to recov