My brother is the most erratic person in this world. In high school, there was a time when he danced on the punch table during the winter ball. And I’ll even do you one better—I was there and watched in horror as he kicked over the punch bowl. It shattered in front of the principal’s foot, and Chanyeol merely hung his head back and laughed.

It baffles me to this day that he’s an established attorney.

My phone buzzes on my nightstand, and I squint at the caller ID, my eyes heavy from sleep.

“What the hell? It’s like two in the morning.”

Chanyeol’s voice is distant when he says, “I missed you, baby sister.”

“I’m not your baby sister. We’re the same age.”

“What are you doing?”

“Well, I was sleeping. And now, I’m not so you’d better have good ing reason for waking me up at this ungodly hour—“

“I’m just checking up on you.”

“I’m a fully grown adult woman.” He proceeds to slur some words together, and it suddenly comes to me. “Oh my god, are you seriously drunk right now?”

“No, I’m not drunk,” he argues. I can imagine his half-lidded response with that stupid dimpled smile. He’s absolutely drunk. “How are you doing?”

“Stop changing the topic.”

“Answer my question—“

His voice fades into the distance when someone beside me shifts. The someone being my boyfriend.

My heart quickens when I hear Baekhyun murmur a question, half-asleep.

“Jesus, are you with someone?” Chanyeol questions in disbelief. “Since when?”

I gulp. “It’s been a weekend.”

“Oh, okay,” Chanyeol murmurs in relief. “I thought you were keeping things from me again. You know—like before?”

Did I mention that there was someone who hated Baekhyun’s guts beside me? That was my dear brother who doesn’t know the truth.

“I’ll tell you everything soon,” I plead my case. The guilt comes back full force. It materializes into something solid, and it feels like a rock crushing my chest. This was why I stayed away. I didn’t want the people closest to me to express anger or disappointment toward me. I didn’t handle confrontation very well, and I didn’t want to see Chanyeol look at me with those eyes. The same pair that scoured me across from the graduation stage.

Lucky for Baekhyun, he was able to avoid Chanyeol’s wrath because they lost touch.

Now? We were connected by more than coincidences. The truth was so complicated and long-winded. I didn’t know where to start.

I definitely wasn’t going to start at 2 AM.

“You sound well,” Chanyeol notes, breaking my train of thoughts.

My smile wobbles. “Yeah, I’m doing really well. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” It was only a half-lie.

I stare at Baekhyun who sleeps blissfully ignorant beside me. This—us—felt so easy, but in my mind, it was anything but easy to comprehend.

“Good,” Chanyeol musters, sniffling like the sap he was.

I snort. “Dry those tears. I’ll see you when I see you next, okay?”

“Shut up. I’m not crying.”

“Good night.”

I love Chanyeol, but when I look at my blissfully ignorant boyfriend sleeping beside me, I couldn’t help but feel like an impending decision was due soon. A painful lump settles in my throat, and I swallow it, trying to imagine the least damage I can do. But in all of those possibilities lay a spike trap that I’m not ready to step in.

###

Simon is angry. It’s one of the few times he’s expressed any rage since the merger so I’m not sure what to make of this sudden outburst. He’s usually a clown in disguise. The bad kind.

“Would either of you care to explain to me why Lennox Clay called my office and screamed at me for what went on during what was supposed to be a civil meeting?”

Seulgi is in our office. So is Sabrina. She’s trying her best to diffuse the situation, but it’s currently going downhill.

Seulgi frowns, observing Baekhyun and me with skeptical looks. She knew that we were petty, but it was only to one another. I’d never actually thrown a fit at potential clients in the past when we worked together.

Simon, on the other hand, is still really livid. “Hello? I asked a question.”

Sabrina chimes in, “it hasn’t been a full minute, Simon.”

“Well, it feels like a goddamn eternity, doesn’t it? All that money down the ing toilet. You might as well set fire to this building!”

Seulgi holds up her hand. “You’re overreacting. Lennox is one person.”

“He’s scum.” The words come from Baekhyun who hasn’t uttered his first words since three people barged into our office in comedic, consecutive order. Did I mention three separate times?

Simon snarls, “coming from one encounter? You met him once. You can’t determine a person’s character from one impression.” Times like these are when I find myself envying Simon. Either for his blissfully ignorant self or the way he chooses to live in his own head half of the time. I wonder what it’s like to be so self-absorbed that you think you can do no wrong. It must take a whole lot of heart and self-confidence.

The second part I had. Not so sure about the first.

I shake my head. “Takes one to know one.” Of course, the comment had been under my breath but it was caught by the person sitting beside me.

Baekhyun laughs. It’s so out of place that all three people blink at him in wonder. I, on the other hand, truly appreciate an ally in this situation. Even if he’s biased for being my boyfriend.

Simon runs an unsteady hand through his hair, letting out a restrained breath. He seems like he’ll erupt like Mount Vesuvius any second now. “Are you—laughing—in this serious ing situation?”

“It’s not that serious, Simon,” I tell him fixedly, deciding at this moment that none of this was worth fussing about. The money that we could’ve made. Sure. But if we came across every ordeal with that mindset, we wouldn’t have had a hand in discovering no-name authors and in turn, giving them an opportunity to pave their way to success. “Frankly, Lennox Clay should be buried six feet under. He’s married yet has a looser than a cannon. He propositioned me.”

Okay, so I might’ve exaggerated. I didn’t have to use that analogy, but it seemed fitting for the type of douchebaggery that I dealt with.

Simon rolls his eyes. “You did that to yourself. With that top? I imagine that it was warranted.”

His words go out my other ear. It should be ed up that I’m used to these sorts of comments.

But the person beside me doesn’t let that fly. Baekhyun slams his hands on his desk, glowering at the ridiculous man across from us and deeply contemplating how he could possibly make the man opposite from us regret his words. “Watch your ing mouth, or there’s not a doubt that I’ll wash it out for you.”

“Baekhyun, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” Baekhyun chokes out, treating me as if I’d uttered the most absurd thing he’s heard in ages. “He’s blaming you for something that’s clearly not your fault. Even if you had a sign that said ‘ogle my chest,’ maybe men who are the problem should learn how to control themselves rather than putting it off as a biological reaction,” Baekhyun snaps with his arms crossed and his eyes flashing, ready to jump Simon.

Simon’s gaze bounces between the two of us, his eyes shining with curiosity and irritation. “I’m still here.”

“Bummer,” my words tumble out blandly. “So what? It’s not like he’s the biggest feminist, babe.” The last word slips out of my mouth a little too quickly before I realize what I’d done.

I kid you not. Sabrina’s eyes were one centimeter close to bulging out of her skull. “Um,” she stammers, holding a hand up like she needs to process rocket science. “Am I missing something?”

Seulgi laughs in delight, clapping a hand together and leaning into her steps with interest. “Goodness. What did I walk into?”

Simon looks somewhat even more annoyed. “You’re screwing.”

Baekhyun feigns a smile, leaning forward. “Yes, in less barbaric terms, we’re seeing each other. Is there a problem? Unless any one of you would like to fight it out like gladiators for her.” He directs his eyes to each of the intruders; namely, the one that looks more disappointed than anything.

Sabrina and Seulgi shake their heads.

“I think it’s cute,” Seulgi notes. “I guess things work themselves out after all. Isn’t that right, ‘Brina?”

Sabrina nods, “oh yes, makes my job a little easier. In normal circumstances, I’d be horrified. The fallout and all. Of office dating. But—“ She considers carefully with a tick of her head. “I wouldn’t trade this for before. I think I might be able to make it home on time after all.”

I’m still horrified at myself for calling him babe. How the hell did I out myself so easily after I gave him the don’t-spill-the-beans talk in the car before work?

For my sake and yours, it went a little like this:

“Baekhyun, put me down!”

Yes, you heard me correctly. This man has thrown me on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes once again.

He doesn’t heed my words. Of course. If you gave him an instruction manual, he’d probably spit on you. Not that I wouldn’t mind if we got down and dirty after he spat in my mouth—

By the time I hear him pull open his car door, he’s already putting me in the passenger seat and pulling the seatbelt over my lap.

Baekhyun pauses, taking a look at his handy work with mirth. My glare heightens when he says helpfully, “the leather seat matches your complexion.”

“Don’t you dare equivocate right now,” I warn.

He smiles and proceeds to get into the driver’s seat. “Well, cerise, I don’t really see what the big deal is.”

“Gaslighting is my job,” I deadpan.

He laughs, deciding to entertain me a bit. “Oh. I would never forget that.”

“You can’t take me to work. People will talk. We decided to keep this a secret.”

Baekhyun momentarily glances back at me before he fixes his eyes on the road ahead. “We did?”

“Yes.”

“Why does it matter?”

“It’s embarrassing, Baekhyun.”

“What is? Being in a relationship with me?”

“Yes.”

“Ouch.”

“What? You wanted me to be honest.”

“Okay, fine. I honestly don’t care about disclosing our relationship. You can tell your grandmother’s neighbor or don’t. Up to you, cerise.”

“Fine,” I grunt, my eyes softening.

“Fine,” he echoes with a cheeky grin, resting his hand on my thigh.

I bite back a smile. “I hate you. This is cheating.”

“So call me a cheater,” he retaliates and proceeds to squeeze my thighs like they’re his personal stress toy.

I interlace our fingers and brush my lips over his knuckle, liking his attentiveness, and his eyes meet mine for a split second as he watches the sly curve of my lips.

“You’re so bad for me,” he murmurs breathlessly, painfully peeling his eyes from me and back to the road.

Despite my protest, he kissed me right in front of the entrance. Not even a chaste kiss to greet me for the day. No. He kissed me like it was our last day on earth. It was toe-curling and mind-numbing. Absolutely head-clearing. And there was most definitely more than a slip of tongue. And he didn’t get caught, yet I did?

“Well, Simon, I don’t really see the problem. Not to imply that there was a problem in the first place. I’ll say—this visit was a little unwarranted then. He was defending his partner’s honor from a disgusting man objectifying her. Do you see a problem?” Seulgi’s direct question was definitely coded to throw shade at Simon.

Finding himself caught in the middle of two expectant women, he shakes his head with a sheepish laugh. “No,” he stutters following up with a couple of wheezes of nervous laughter. “Of course not. I would never hint at anything like that. Well, then, if that’s really it, I’m just going to—“ He nods to the door.

Then, Simon proceeds to make a quick beeline for the door, and I’m almost glad he didn’t bother making any snide comments about us dating. Almost being the keyword. He’ll probably devise a plan in his office to make our lives harder by overworking us somehow more than before.

Seulgi and Sabrina smile amicably, waving to the both of us before making their own exits.

Baekhyun has the biggest -eating grin on his face after the last person exits, leaving the door shut. I sigh, fishing some bills out of my wallet. Then, I slap them on his desk without ever meeting his eyes.

“Don’t you dare say a word.”

I don’t think I’m ever going to live this through without him holding it over my head like some trophy. By which I was right. He did, in fact, boast about it and make kissy faces when he thought no one was watching.