Y/N

I was sleepily laying down on the couch while admiring Sehun as he stir his cup of hot choco in his hand, he was seated on the couch just across me. All those slow dancing got me exhausted, the weather makes me feel sleepy, and I wanted to sleep away the emotions I felt from the happenings earlier.

"Baekhyun hyung... Didn't want to treat you like that," Sehun suddenly spoke amidst the peaceful quietness lasting for a while now.

"Huh?"

"The reason why he used to try kicking you out of your job was because he didn't want to be rude to you any longer," he paused to take a sip on his drink. "He was trying to spare you from those."

I frowned. "I don't understand, Sehun. How is kicking me out from being his manager going to spare me from his attitude?"

"Because Jian told him she didn't like you." he expelled a sigh.

That manipulative , he coaxed him to hate on me when we're getting closer to the friendship stage. Was it when I fainted after saving him from the falling lighting? It was the time I noticed that he's being rude to me again.

"And the reason why he suddenly wanted you to stay now that you're the one trying to leave is because when you were away for days to spend time with your family, he realized that..." Sehun bites his bottom lip, seemingly reluctant on continuing with what he's going to tell me.

"That what?"

"That he can't do things on his own and you're the best at handling his schedules." then he grinned widely, a forced one. "There's more to those words, but I want him to personally tell you that and not me."

Though I'm curious and wanted him to just tell me instead, I slightly rolled my eyes and pouted to show that I'm uninterested to whatever is that. "What's the point of telling me those anyway? He was so blinded that he could hurt me despite knowing that I like him." I bitterly muttered.

Sehun chuckles at my sulking face. "I just thought of telling you. If you have your side of the story, Baekhyun hyung has it too. But I'm on your side for this one." he smiles at me with assurance, I trust his words. "I just don't want to see my favorite pair of idol and manager trying to avoid each other. Watching you two in your daily childish fight is kind of entertaining."

Even I, don't want to avoid him...

I fell asleep on the couch not long after that conversation and before closing my eyes, Sehun held my hand, telling me about how it comforts him holding on to someone he relies on. It was comforting and warm.

When I woke up, I was already on my bed. The covers were up enough to keep me warm and the lights were out just like what I preferred. Murmurs could be heard from outside the room and since I'm always light-headed moments after waking up, I ignored those deep voices and laid still.

Deep voices?

I pushed the blanket aside and quickly made my way to the door to press my ear on it and eavesdrop. When I recognized the voices, I sighed in relief. I thought someone had broke in and held me captive but then I remember Sehun saying that he'll just leave after having dinner with me. I opened the door of my bedroom and the people I had in mind comes into my view.

"Hi!" Chanyeol immediately beams upon seeing me. "I bought dinner and drinks for us." he says, raising the paper bag in his hand.

A small smile was all I could ever send him as a respond.

Chanyeol's cheerful expression altered into a soft one as he placed the paper bag on the coffee table, walks up to me and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"If you feel like no one's on your side, I'm here, and Sehun too." he glances back at the latter.

The thought that there's more than one person siding with me, melted my heart and made my eyes teary to which Chanyeol quickly notices. He lets out a soft chuckle before reaching for my face with his hand and carefully brushes his thumb on my cheek to wipe the tears away. I stared up at him with my tear-filled eyes and childlike pout tugging my lips. He softly laughs at the sight and pulls me to a hug, my face instantly meeting his chest and he keeps it in place by sneaking his hand to the back of my head while I encircled my arms around his waist.

"But Baekhyun is your friend." I mumbled against his chest.

"We may have known him longer than we have known you, but that doesn't mean we're instantly taking his side. We took your side because we know the truth about Jian, too." I drew some distance by leaning my face away, only to look straight on his eyes with confusion spreading across my face. They knew about Jian's secret too? All this time, I thought they're hating on Jian because I told them that I don't like her and that they're obligated to feel the same as they are my friends.

Sehun answered in behalf of Chanyeol. "You might ask but we kept it a secret it from him too, knowing how straightforward he would think if he's blinded by anger." he bobs his shoulders. "We may not like Jian but we also don't want Baekhyun hyung to do something to her for what she did."

Right, considering how he never thought of the hurtful words he spat right in my face.

The sound of Chanyeol's stomach grumbling, cut my thoughts short.

"Enough about that, let's eat!"

We ate dinner together while talking about their busy schedules and my own busy schedules as a manager. And since Chanyeol brought soju with him, we thought of drinking too. After eating and resting for a bit, we proceeded to the living room, sat on the floor surrounding the coffee table, and prepped the shot glasses and drinks. For the first few seconds since we're seated and SeChan started pouring some of the drink in their glasses, I wasn't thinking about the consequences of this, not until that comes into my mind.

"Wait!" before I could finish my sentence, Sehun and Chanyeol had already downed their glasses of the alcoholic drink. "Oh no!"

"What?" Chanyeol asked as he refilled his empty glass with the drink.

"Now that you two drank, who's going to drive you home? I don't know how to drive."

They silently spared each other a glance as if they seemingly realized a crime they never know about.

"We can take the cab." Chanyeol grins, then downing his second glass.

"Hyung, remember we're trying to avoid being spotted and our managers shouldn't know we're not home, that's why we brought our other cars with us here."

"Oh," he twinkled his eyes, slowly putting down his glass on the table. Seems like an idea suddenly struck him when he jumped from his seat with his forefinger popping out. "I know! We can ask Baekhyun to drive us home tonight and we'll just come back for our cars here tomorrow."

"Genius!" Sehun commented and raised his own glass to do cheers with his hyung.

I could just shake my head at the sight of them happily drinking. These cuties.

Allowing SeChan to drink could cause chaos just like the last time they did, months ago in Japan where I ended up carrying Sehun on my back. Not wanting for that to happen again, I had to set some restrictions for them as they still have their schedules and rehearsals tomorrow. I let them drink as we talk and eat and I had few glasses but knowing my low tolerance, I had to stop.

Chanyeol's a little tipsy now, I took his glass away from him while chuckling at the sight of his pink cheeks.

"What are you going to do now?" Sehun asked so suddenly, catching my attention.

"What do you mean?"

"You are Baekhyun hyung's manager, you'll have to see him tomorrow." he reaches for his glass and encircled the tip of his forefinger on its mouth. "I think you're still not ready to see him." he added.

I looked away from Sehun and my eyes found the main door of my apartment. "I'm not going to any of his rehearsals, only to the online concert in two days."

"Just remember though, we'll be right here with you."

Sehun and I shared a moment of softly smiling at each other.

After resting for a bit, SeChan decided to leave. They're not that drunk and could still walk on their own but I just had to make sure they'll knock at his door to ask him to drive them home. I can't let these stubborn go behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.

I leaned against the doorway with my arms crossed as I watch them take steps towards the unit across my apartment. Seeing the door of his place, though it didn't have any difference compared to what mine looks, recollections of the events earlier came across my mind. I realized that I still don't want my eyes to catch a glimpse of him, I'm mad and disappointed at him right now.

Just when Chanyeol was about to press the doorbell, I stopped him by gasping hard. "Wait! Let me go inside first."

He turns back at me. "Why?"

"I don't want to... See him."

Both of them innocently blinked at me for a second, then it seems like it dawned into them what my words meant.

"Right," Chanyeol muttered. "It's a good night then."

"Yup. Good night, boys." I waved a hand, then stepping back inside my unit and waited for them to wave back at me before closing the door.

----

The sun has been up, I should be getting ready for today's schedule which is rehearsals for the upcoming online concert. But now that I think about it, the reason why Sooman can't fire me is because I know about Jian. He had put all his trust on me regarding that matter. He's keeping me for it, so I think it's fine for me to not do my job as his manager as long as I work under SM for the sake of what I know.

And that's how I decided to just stay home today. Drinking with EXO-SC last night (although I wasn't really intoxicated by the alcoholic drink) I found myself an excuse for me not to see him as I'm still mad and hurt from everything about yesterday. I told the boys that if ever he would ask for me, they should tell him I'm drunk that's why I can't show up for today's work.

I have been rolling over my bed, left to right and vice versa. The bed's too comfortable for me to leave it but I'm also kinda worried that I can't come to work, it's like separation anxiety from something you're really fond of. Waking up and checking his schedules first thing in the morning had changed my daily life.

I never thought that hunger could be the only reason for me to get off my bed. And since SeChan came over yesterday, all the foods I had in store were wiped o