Baekhyun didn’t go straight home after Eunbin got in. He was in the car, planning to wait there until Soojung came home. Just in case. But the man didn’t expect she would come home way earlier. Eunbin had just gone in for ten minutes and he already spotted Soojung come out from the cab fifteen minutes later.

He got off the car and shouted for Soojung before the woman could go inside the apartment building. Soojung turned around so fast that her hair hit her face. Her face twisted in concern and urgent which made Baekhyun couldn’t help but to feel the same too.

“Why are you home so soon? Is Park okay?” Baekhyun asked, glancing at her and the building behind her as if he could see Eunbin from where he stood.

In a blink, a scowl took over her beautiful face. She glared at the older man and strode over until there were only a couple of centimeters between them. She poked at somewhere higher from Baekhyun’s left chest a couple of times.

“I trusted Eunbin to you, but then I received a call from her asking me to come home as soon as possible. What the ?”

Baekhyun covered his mouth then ran it down to his jaw as he looked to the side. He nodded at the building’s entrance and stared down at Soojung, “You should get to Park now,” he simply said.

But Soojung ignored him and still stay rooted on her spot. She crossed her arms.

“I know you dated Eunbin in high school.”

He flinched back and stared wide-eyes at her. Apparently, Eunbin had trusted her enough to tell her their past. Warmth spread across his center at the thought the young woman could still learn how to trust after her sad experience. He carefully regarded Jung Soojung. She had a fierce protective eyes for her friend on with challenging stance. Baekhyun just hoped that all this wasn’t just an act.

“After I saw how you lost control for Eunbin, I thought you’re a good man and gave you the chance to take Eunbin home alone. I expect you to comfort her or stay with her inside. But I can’t believe you’re just a man with pretty face. Why are you outside?” Soojung ranted. If her eyes could shoot laser, Baekhyun would be a barbeque right this moment.

Baekhyun brushed his hair back and averted from her pointed stare.

After waiting for a while until Soojung thought the man would never answer her, Baekhyun suddenly muttered, “I told Park I want to be with her again.”

“You what?!” Soojung snarled.

She waited for him to explain further that he didn’t just say to Eunbin, who had been through a rough night, what she was thinking right now. But as Baekhyun’s eyes were as clear as the night sky, Soojung scoffed loudly and stared at him as though he just grew a second head.

“I’m sorry. But was it Jaejoon or you who got hit? From what I witnessed, it was you who threw the punch, but somehow it’s your head that got messed up?” she rambled in a deadpan tone.

Baekhyun started, “I—“

But Soojung interrupted him, “How can you mess up Eunbin more after what happened with Jaejoon?”

At the mention of Jaejoon, she could see from Baekhyun’s rigid stance was singing with fury. His gaze got sharper and his jaw was clenched. But Soojung didn’t care a about it after he had been so inconsiderate with her friend.

She mocked, “You said you want to be with her again? After you kissed three women just a few hours ago?” She dragged her eyes up and down in distaste at the man who everyone seemed to want to get close to. Before she knew him as well as now, she could see why. But after that? She was out of the club.

Baekhyun’s eyes widened as his hand reached up to cover his mouth. As if it just flashed through his mind that he did do that and touched his lips as a remembrance. He glanced at Soojung and dropped back his arm to his side.

“It was just a game.” He didn’t want to admit that it sounded like he was whining.

Soojung ignored him and emphasized, “When one of the three was the biggest reason why you two broke up back then?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “Je-Jennie wasn’t the reason. We broke up because we fought too much and I couldn’t handle it.”

Soojung almost gaped at how the man still defended Jennie. Maybe he wasn’t outright defending her, maybe he just that stupid. How could he not see that Jennie was the main and biggest reason? Scratch that. Through her own understanding, it was Baekhyun’s impatience and Eunbin’s insecurity which were the reason for their break up.

But what fed Eunbin’s insecurity? They were those two fake friends and Jennie.

Soojung was damn sure that Jennie wasn’t that innocent.

As much as she wanted to lecture the man, she had a friend who needed her. She had been here with him, wasting time, too long.

She threw her hands to the air in exasperation. “No matter what, I don’t appreciate what you said to Eunbin after what she had been through,” Soojung said.

She bit her tongue before she could blurt out that she was actually rooting for him. But not like this. She almost slapped her own forehead. She knew Eunbin still yearn for Baekhyun and the man probably too. She arranged for him to take her home alone that maybe they could patch things up a little. Yet Byun Baekhyun had to be a freaking idiot, pushing Eunbin to the edge.

Maybe she should force Eunbin to see another guy. Setting up a blind date would be good.

Soojung had given up with Baekhyun

She glared at him as she turned around. “Go home, Baekhyun,” she said.

Baekhyun shifted his weight to his left and right, seeming not wanting to leave the apartment building, but Soojung’s glare was persuading enough that he started to move a little to the car.

Soojung stomped into the building. She blew away her bangs that almost covered her vision.

“What a useless pretty face,” she mumbled.

Eunbin woke up from the soft knock against her door. felt scratchy and her eyes felt heavy. She sighed as she touched her eyes with her fingers. She didn’t need a mirror to know that they had to be swollen like a golf ball now.

Soojung announced that breakfast was almost ready from behind the closed door. Eunbin made a loud enough voice for her to hear that she had woken up. At the sound of her soft padding feet gradually lessened, Eunbin fell to her back and stared at the boring white ceiling.

Soojung had been furious when she came home last night. Then she just knew that Baekhyun had actually never left. The fact tugged something at her heart, but she squashed it down immediately. Perhaps she was a bit thankful that she didn’t need to explain anymore as her friend had found out.

Eunbin had tried to be brave and proud that she rejected Baekhyun even though deep inside her heart, she knew how much it ached for the man. But through some point, her lips trembled and her words stopped in a choke. Lastly, tears started to build up on the corners of her eyes.

Her friend sighed as she rested her head against her knuckle. “You still want him, don’t you?” she had asked.

“Pathetic, aren’t I?” Eunbin sniffed.

Soojung sighed again. This time was heavier than the previous. “No, you’re just…” she trailed off. Her eyes couldn’t hide the sadness she felt for Eunbin. “You feel too deep,” she murmured.

Eunbin would stop, then she cried again. She stopped again. Thinking back her conversation with Baekhyun. And cried again.

Soojung had been an angel. She didn’t say much but either her arm or back as a show of comfort and support. A few times she would plead her to stop crying, but her words only made her to burst out louder.

In the end, Eunbin stopped because there were no more tears to squeeze out and her bones were so exhausted that she felt like a jelly already.

A couple of minutes before she fell into the darkness, she had heard Soojung asked, “If you still like him that much, why don’t you just agree to get back with him?”

Gently, Eunbin shook her head. “I’m scared. So, so scared,” she whispered. She might have caught her friend asking her another question. But she was too tired to answer already and her mind had gone black.

She was scared of herself, she answered to Soojung’s question last night in her head.

“Eunbin!”

There came the shout.

Not wanting to make Soojung wait any longer, Eunbin strained her body to sit up and sling down her legs from the bed to the floor. She opened the door and was greeted by delicious smell of egg, bacon, and butter.

Eunbin walked to the kitchen to find American’s style breakfast. Soojung loved this breakfast as it was simple, easy to cook, and delicious.

“Who needs a boyfriend when I have Jung Soojung?” she grinned as she eyed her plate.

Soojung made a face at her. “I don’t swing that way,” she said.

Eunbin laughed at that.

“Do you have time today? Jackson wants to take us out.”

Eunbin smirked at her friend, “You can go with him. I’ll stay here and don’t mind alone.”

Soojung threw a crumpled tissue to her way and she dodged, laughing at the way two red circle tints adorning Soojung’s cheeks.

She scowled at Eunbin and responded, “Jackson felt bad for yesterday and would like to treat you for lunch.”

Eunbin went still. Honestly, Baekhyun mostly took her mind now and she had completely forgotten about Jaejoon. It probably had to do with Baekhyun coaxing her to bawl her eyes out to spill out the horror last night. Though with the mention of the jerk made her skin crawl involuntarily.

She shook her head and smiled kindly, “That’s not necessary. It’s not even his fault.”

Soojung shrugged. “I’ve told him that a thousand times but he won’t budge.” She chewed at her sausage and swallowed. She added, “Nonetheless, I think going out for a fresh air won’t hurt.”

From the twist in Eunbin’s face, Soojung had made a guess that she probably didn’t even want to leave this place. That made her more resolved to take her out though.

Too bad that Soojung couldn’t join after all. A few hours later after they were done with their breakfast, Soojung’s sister suddenly appeared in front of their apartment front door. She fussed for Soojung to change her clothes quickly so she could accompany her to the salon and do nails. Her sister suspected that her boyfriend would propose tonight and would like her little sister to get pampering with her.

Soojung initially promised to slip out when she had the chance, so they rescheduled their meeting to the evening. But as Jackson was already on the way to pick Eunbin up at their apartment, came text message from Soojung that said that she couldn’t make it after all. Jackson was already too hungry to care, so he decided to take Eunbin alone.

Jackson flashed her his usual charming grin. “Hey, Eunbin. How are you?”

Eunbin chuckled as she put on her seatbelt. Then, she answered honestly, “Could’ve been better.” At the sight of Jackson’s guilty face, her eyes softened. “What’s with the face? It’s Jaejoon’s fault, not yours.”

The car started to move. Jackson stared straight ahead and his hold on the steering wheel tightened. “It was my party,” he muttered.

“I’ve let you to treat me dinner, so you better wipe that serious face. I want the happy, annoying Jackson back,” Eunbin whined.

A barely there smile etched on the corner of his mouth. Well, it was better than nothing. He asked, “Let’s eat at the mall? I need to buy some shirts too later.”

Eunbin gladly agreed.

Baekhyun had no idea how he found himself at the mall close to Eunbin’s apartment building, yet freaking far away from his own. It took him almost an hour to get here.

He pressed down the itch in his feet that wanting to walk to a certain person’s place. So he walked into the mall close by instead. He idly walked around, and went to some store and bought stuffs when they caught his eyes and if he could afford it.

Two hours and three paper bags in his hands later, it was already time for the dinner. He stared at the time and what were in his hands in disbelief.

Baekhyun decided to have his dinner here at the mall rather than bought the frozen lunchbox in the convenient store. He had eaten those way too much for the past few weeks.

As he was searching for a place to eat on the first floor of the mall which contained with several of restaurant. His eyes fell onto two familiar figures at a Japanese restaurant. He frowns, not liking the sight he was watching. Baekhyun let his eyes wander to find another person who would usually be with them to, but realized that she was nowhere to be found.

They were alone?

Baekhyun’s legs seemed to have their own mind as he walked to the table. He saw Jackson stood up from his seat while still talking to Eunbin. It seemed as though they sensing him together as they both looked up at him at the same time.

Jackson had on a pleasant surprise on his face.

Eunbin? The complete opposite.

“Baekhyun? Hi!”

“Hey,” he smiled back. His eyes bouncing to Jackson on Eunbin. “Just you two?” he asked through gritted teeth.

His hidden hostile tone didn’t go unnoticed by Eunbin. She frowned at him in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Jackson answered casually. “How about you? Are you alone? Or with Jennie?” he shot back.

And it was also didn’t go unnoticed by Baekhyun how Eunbin immediately diverted her eyes at the mention of his best friend. His conversation with Soojung with Jennie in it last night flashed back uncomfortably behind his eyes.

“I’m alone. Do you mind if I join you guys?” he asked.