If someone asked Baekhyun whether he regretted breaking up with Eunbin that time, in all honesty, his answer was no, he did not.

He was mature enough and could see how toxic and unhappy their relationship would be if he insisted on. Before the damage could grow worse until there was no turning point, he chose to take a step back. And another. And another one.

No matter that he could see how desperate Eunbin was trying to reach him again, he wouldn’t take another step forward anymore. She was too precious for him. He didn’t know who would break who later if he never ended things off with Eunbin, but either way, it was better for that stayed as a question without answer.

Let her see him as the bad guy. Let her see him as the villain. Baekhyun didn’t care, because what mattered the most had always been her.

But perhaps, Baekhyun was a bit short-sighted at that time. He was prepared for Eunbin’s worst look after their end relationship, but he didn’t expect that destruction he caused would be so bad. Her pain and sorrow were for everybody to see, including him. There were also her so-called friends who amplified her loneliness.

Irene and Jongin, sometimes even Chanyeol, Nayeon and Junmyeon, again and again tried to persuade him to return to Eunbin’s side. She was breaking apart. Even a blind person could see it. But Baekhyun wasn’t strong enough. He didn’t believe in himself that he could handle her. Until at one point, he had enough and banned his best friends to ever mention Eunbin’s name.

Blessed his ears and mind, it finally stopped.

Although a shadow sometimes went rampaged at the forgotten corner, Baekhyun ignored it. He had always been good at pretending. He was great overlooking the hints of fight when he was still with Eunbin that some fights never surfaced. He was splendid at convincing himself that he wasn’t annoyed how Eunbin kept attacking Jennie as he kissed her for a distraction. He was flawless showing his unexpressive face before Eunbin. He was perfect living all these years looking as if he had never ever missed his ex-girlfriend.

While Eunbin stayed breaking. And breaking.

Eunbin and her friends left the beach house first thing in the morning. Jongin and Nayeon had been kind enough to wake up early to send them while Chanyeol and Jennie were still knocked out. Baekhyun woke up early too.

He stood still at the porch. His eyes were adamant staying on her to catch her attention. He looked like he didn’t dare to get close to her. When Eunbin couldn’t stand the staring anymore, she raised her eyes to meet his in the end.

A relief smile adorned his face that it became too much for her to stand. It looked so bright compared to his fallen face yesterday. Felt like sand gathered on her tongue when she remembered that she had caused it.

When she was about to avert her gaze, Baekhyun surprisingly said with a voice loud enough and tone so calm, “Eunbin, I’ll see you later.”

She shivered. First, because he called her by her first name. Damn it. She needed to really get used to that. Second, because of the ‘later’ he spoke was dripping with promise.

Jongin and Nayeon at the side flashed knowing smiles.

When Nayeon reached out to hug her, she whispered into her ears, “No matter what decision you make, I’m on your side.”

Eunbin felt a light tapping on her temple. She turned to find Soojung waved her hand at her, asking her to make space for her on the sofa as she was lying down.

They were at their shared-apartment now. Eunwoo had offered to have lunch together, but the two women shook their heads in decline. Eunbin didn’t feel that hungry, so she skipped a meal while Soojung had their leftover ice cream as her lunch instead.

“Thinking of Baekhyun?”

Soojung had caught up with her story. Eunbin managed to talk with her when Gayoung was away for taking shower yesterday.

Eunbin cleared . “There’s nothing to think about him.”

Soojung casted her a sidelong glance.

“Fine,” she finally admitted, pouting.

“So? What do you think?”

“Think about what?”

“You two.”

Eunbin turned her body until she was fully facing Soojung. “I don’t understand. Do you want me to get back with Baekhyun?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want. What do you want?”

Surprisingly, but at the same time also not, she couldn’t seem to answer.

“Eunbin…” Soojung’s eyes softened down.

“I don’t get you. Don’t you hate him?” Soojung had been honest in expressing her anger towards Baekhyun that night after Jackson’s party.

Eunbin inwardly sighed. Everything was freaking started after Jackson’s party. Perhaps she should start thinking to stop going to parties. Soojung had been kind to pull her into more socializing and go to several parties, meeting new people is the fastest cure to move on she said, but Eunbin thought that ever since she started that, her life wasn’t as peaceful as before anymore. And no other men had caught her attention.

Actually, she had a feeling that Jungkook seemed to be interested with her. Unfortunately, Baekhyun had taken most of the spaces in her head these days that she couldn’t focus at Jungkook.

Soojung snorted. “I don’t hate him. I was just really angry at him at that moment. And I wish I can. It’ll be easier if only he has the usual most university men’s boy attitude, but Baekhyun doesn’t. He’s actually really decent man… with flaws… like any other humans…”

In the end, even Jung Soojung fell into Byun Baekhyun’s charm.

She leaned until half of her weight was on top of Eunbin. The latter protested at her heaviness, but Soojung just giggled. She hugged her and said, “The past is in the past, Eunbin. You two have certainly grown out of that phase physically and mentally, but not your feelings.”

“I know,” Eunbin whispered. Now feeling contented for her friend’s closeness as comfort.

“I know that you still want him,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner. I’m just glad that Baekhyun is really a good man and I think a second chance for you two is worth to try.” Soojung turned to Eunbin and affectionately tapped at her forehead. “From the way I see, it’s not complicated at all. Your case is actually very simple. But it’s you who overthink and make it complicated.”

In general, humans always loved to complicate the simplest stuff.

When one craved for a cake, one should directly eat it. But no, mostly you would think of the calories, or think about the diet you had been through so had, or think what your family members would comment. With all these thoughts jumbling inside your head, they started to hurt your head and you started to feel dispirited… Hu – mans.

Of course, you couldn’t take it that easy when it came to feelings. Commonly, feelings itself was already so complex.

Though Soojung truly believed that Eunbin’s case was especially simple. They two still wanted each other. Eunbin was a lovely woman and Baekhyun was also a decent man. He wasn’t problematic and neither was his background. He didn’t sleep around or did drugs or other bad stuffs. His reputation was incredibly good.

Despite what he did to her in high school, Soojung actually thought it was for the best. If not, Eunbin wouldn’t be the woman she was now. So, it wasn’t necessarily bad. And besides, she knew that he hadn’t purposely meant evil towards her.

Soojung had inspected this deeply and it was the only reason why she gladly agreed if one day Eunbin let herself open up to Baekhyun.

But something held Eunbin back and she didn’t know what it was as her friend seemed reluctant to speak out.

“What?” she shot when she looked at the face Eunbin make.

“Didn’t you say you want me find someone new? And now you support me to be back with Baekhyun?”

The way she talked was so sassy that Soojung had knocked on her head before she knew it. Eunbin yelped and hissed in pain as she rubbed at the sore spot. Soojung rolled her eyes at her.

“I’m not telling you what to do. I’m just giving you advice. If you truly don’t want to get back with Baekhyun, then go find another man. As long as you’re happy with what you decide, Eunbin, I’m happy for you too,” she rambled.

It was so obvious that Eunbin wanted to choose Baekhyun.

Eunbin quieted down before she snorted at her friend. Decisions to make was the last thing she wanted to do.

On Tuesday, two days after Eunbin and Soojung returned from the beach, they had a surprised visitor right before lunch time. Eunbin opened the door and Baekhyun’s grinning face greeted her.

“Holy crap!”

She almost dropped the glass in her hand.

Soojung saw him too and actually choked on her chips. “W-water!” she coughed as she ran to the water dispenser.

Eunbin stared at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?” she gasped.

“I told you that I’ll see you later,” he replied innocently.

“And?”

“And here I am.”

“You’re mad!”

Baekhyun laughed before he finally revealed the real reason he was here, “I actually come to tell you that my mom and dad are in Seoul. They’ve invited you for lunch.”

“You’re making that up,” Eunbin deadpanned.

Baekhyun grinned as he leaned against the wall. “I’m not. You can call them if you don’t believe me, but…” he trailed off and Eunbin swore she saw a wicked glint flashed in his eyes. “You can’t or you’ll blow our cover,” he finished.

She inwardly swore. She didn’t realize until now that she needed to hide from a lot of people. She needed to keep from her other friends that she had ever been in a relationship with Baekhyun, and she needed to keep from their parents that they actually hadn’t reconciled.

“I swear to God, Baekhyun, if you dare to lie to me—”

Baekhyun raised three fingers to the sky and announced, “If I lie to Park Eunbin, I’ll fall down out of here and crack my head op—“

“What the hell?!” Eunbin squealed so that he wouldn’t finish his stupid oath. Lie or not, that was such a damned, foolish thing to even say it.

His lips curled into a warm smile when he noticed the worry in her eyes. He would like her to keep doing that, no matter how small and spontaneous it was. Because from this, his heart could beat in peace knowing that Eunbin still thought about him.

Baekhyun glanced down at her and asked, “Don’t you need to change? We need to meet them in,” he peeked at his wristwatch and continued, “Less than 30 minutes actually. I hope you’ve taken your shower?”

Eunbin blushed. “I have!” Thank God she had. “You should’ve called me,” she complained, about to go into her room.

Baekhyun shrugged. “I was afraid that you won’t pick up my phone.”

She sighed because he was probably right.

Even though Soojung and Nayeon had directly and indirectly told her that it was okay to give him another chance, Eunbin was still hesitated. Besides, they got this wrong. Baekhyun didn’t need the chance. She did, but she was still unwilling.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he shouted from the door because she had made her way to her room and just left him there.

“No! Wait freaking outside!”

“Oh, come on! I’m sweating. It’s 38 degrees outside,” he whined.

A slammed door was the only answer he got.

Baekhyun dragged his gaze to Soojung who was in the kitchen and had been silent. His eyes were silently begging.

She sighed and asked, “You’re not lying that your parents are in Seoul?”

“I’m not. Do I need to call my mom to prove it to you?”

Soojung rolled her eyes and waved him in. “Have a seat,” she offered.

Baekhyun had been dying to be invited inside, but when he finally got the opportunity, he felt like a robot when he stepped in. It wasn’t his first time to be in a woman’s apartment, but his muscles felt tense.

He guessed because Soojung was inside and he remembered she shouted at him that day. And this was also Eunbin’s apartment.

Awkwardly, he dropped his on the sofa.

Soojung passed by him and dropped, “Don’t touch anything,” before she disappeared into Eunbin’s room.

Perhaps the universe took pity on him. Or perhaps the universe decided to help him after he stopped deceiving himself. Or perhaps it had been fate all along.

Eunbin, I’ll see you later.

It wasn’t just a casual goodbye, but a promise.

But Baekhyun knew that he couldn’t just go to her apartment and ask her out. He would definitely get kicked out. He also couldn’t text or call her, knowing well that the young woman wouldn’t even bother.

He had done a lot of thinking, but he couldn’t find any excuse to make Eunbin have no choice but to meet him.

Then came the call from his dad last night, telling him that he and Baekhyun’s mother would be coming