Track 15. NIKES by Frank Ocean | ♩ 

December 6, Monday night.

“Mom, did the twins eat dinner yet?” Rara walked towards her lab coat that was hanging on a chair. She reached for her necklace inside the pocket—one that held her engagement ring. She was talking to Ahreum on the phone, checking up on the twins. 

She had just finished doing her hair and make-up. Right after she got off duty, she headed straight to the mansion to meet the Other Baekhyun so they could go to that dinner together. It was going to be held at a restaurant located inside a hotel, meaning other than food, there were other services and entertainment available. 

“Limit their use of gadgets, Mom.” Rara said. “And encourage them to read, especially Bomi. I’d rather have her stay up all night reading than using her phone—” Rara halted immediately at the sensation of someone touching her arm; she attempted to turn around but that was the purpose of holding her, to keep her still as the Other Baekhyun zipped up her dress. 

Rara opened to say something to him, but nothing came out. He took the necklace from her hand and put it on her. For a while, she forgot that she was talking to her mom on the phone, who was now worried because she wasn’t answering back.

“Yeah, I’m still here, Mom.” She eyes the Other Baekhyun cautiously, and he stared back before mouthing, ‘You’re welcome?’ with a cheeky smile. Rara rolled her eyes and muttered ‘Whatever’. “Yes, I’m fine, Mom.” She said. “Anyway, I gotta go. Okay. I love you, too.” 

“I already know you have a really beautiful back.” The Other Baekhyun said, walking towards her. He stood before her and wore his coat coolly. “No need to dangle it. I’ve seen it like a million times.” He grinned. “Though I wouldn’t mind seeing it a million times more.” 

“Please.” Rara blurted out, theatrically rolling her eyes. “It’s a force of habit.” And she didn’t say that just to taunt him, but it was the truth. That’s how comfortable she was with Baekhyun; she forgot this one was the total opposite. 

“Shall I do the buttons of your dress shirt every morning, too?” He leered at her. “Even though I’ve already memorized what you look like upfront, too.” 

Keep calm. Rara raised an eyebrow at him, and straightened his coat and tie, completely catching him off guard. “No, thank you.” She raised her hands as if she were about to surrender. “I have two hands in perfect condition to do such task.” She turned around and started walking towards the door. “Well, aren’t you coming? We’re gonna be late.” 

The Other Baekhyun snickered and trailed behind her. Like I was the one delaying our departure. He thought. Bossy, as always. 

“I don’t think I’ve met these guys before.” 

“You haven’t.” The Other Baekhyun pushed the door open for her. “That’s why I brought you along.” 

Two men were introduced to Rara—Choi Hyunsik, who had also brought his wife, Hwasa. And a bachelor named Bang Jaeho. Both were in their mid-thirties. 

At the dinner table, the men talked about topics that concerned their field of work, and that left the wives looking for their common ground.

“Rara-ssi, what do you do for a living?” Hwasa asked. “Or are you a housewife, like me?”

“I’m a doctor.” Rara smiled. “I’m still studying to be a neurosurgeon.” 

“My, what a noble pursuit.” Hwasa complimented. “And do you have children?”

“Yes. Twins.” Rara replied. “Bomi and Rin are both in their third year of junior high school.” 

“Really?!” Rara wasn’t surprised by how stunned Mrs. Choi was by the fact that a youthful-looking person like Rara already had two kids very well on their way to becoming an adult. It was a common reaction. “You’re telling me that you work at a hospital in the morning, you’re also studying for a specialization, and you also take care of your husband and kids?” Rara chuckled. Yes, that’s about it, Mrs. Choi. “Baekhyun is one lucky guy.” 

“Yes, he is, isn’t he?” Jaeho said, from the edge of the table. He was looking at her in a bothersome way; Rara didn’t intend to get on her high horse but she noticed that he kept glancing at her direction the second the Other Baekhyun introduced her to him—and it seemed like the Other Baekhyun was oblivious to the fact that another man had been feasting on his wife through those malicious-looking eyes; Baekhyun would have immediately noticed those brooding glances that threatened to burn a hole in his beloved mate’s skin and will probably make up an excuse to go home. But then again, this wasn’t the Baekhyun she knew.

“I’m lucky to have him as my husband as well.” Rara stated with a small smile. The Other Baekhyun turned to her and smiled back, with underlying tones of teasing but ultimately gave off a pleasant vibe to the other people around them.

“So, I assume that Baekhyun must have gotten a place at Park & Co. through you, Rara-ssi?” Jaeho asked boldly, his eyes not leaving hers. “After all, you are the sole daughter and sister of the owners of the corporation.” He added. “Or was it through your brother?”

What impudence! Rara thought angrily. She was surprised that this man had the balls to ask her such a thing. Was he implying that Baekhyun had landed a job at Appa's firm because I was the connection? Or that Chanyeol tipped Appa to let him in? Rara could feel the hot bubbles boiling inside of her. I’ll show you. “Yes, Chanyeol and I were supposed to inherit Park & Co. together, but I had different plans. You will find that my presence is often absent in that building. Unbeknownst to me, Baekhyun had already been working there for years, along with my brother. So no, Baekhyun didn’t get into Park & Co. through me.” Out of the corner of Rara’s eyes, the Choi couple who sat opposite to her and the Other Baekhyun had tensed at the authority in her tone. “So I must say you’re quite brave to make such an erroneous assumption, Mr. Bang. If a mistake of this caliber had been reported in a patient’s history, I might have killed an ill person because of your carelessness.” The tone of her voice was sharp, and yet she managed to beam at him. “If anything, my recommendation would have been unnecessary in terms of securing Baekhyun a place at the company. In fact, it was I, who, unexpectedly, needed Chanyeol to introduce me to the person sitting right next to me, which you would now know as my husband.” 

The Other Baekhyun looked at her with mixed emotions—amazement and wary. She really loves Baekhyun. Before he could utter a word, Hyunsik called for the waiter to serve dessert to alleviate the tension. However, there was still a bit of angry silence enveloping Rara as soon as the waiter departed and so the Other Baekhyun chuckled and casually said, “I love her.” He ‘clumsily’ swung his hand towards the empty glass on his side, knocking it over the table,  knowing Rara would try to catch it. 

They both bent downwards to catch the glass and in the end, the Other Baekhyun had caught it first, and Rara had held his hand instead, being a second too late with her own reflex.

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