Why would you want to bring something between us? 

There’s nothing between us.

The morning struck eight and no one had gotten the chance to see a single shade of blue in the sky, as the clouds were draped like a fluffy blanket all over. Filled to the brim with rain and painted in dark hues of gray, hanging just above Baekhyun's head, it wasn't far-fetched to say that the weather reflected the turmoil going on within the man. His thumb aggressively pressed the red ‘end call’ button after a pointless fight with the lady who was saved as a simple ‘Jinhee’ and nothing more on his phone. Curses spewed from his lips and although he was alone in the car, the insults remained underneath his breath. Baekhyun brought two gentle fingers to his head and massaged his aching temples. 

Though what he was about to see next would have awakened a new set of anger, a different one. 

The office was calm when Baekhyun cooly walked through the glass doors, the flow of who had found a good rhythm in their words floated in the air along with the aroma of coffee, and his taste buds immediately longed for the bitter black drink on his tongue. His ears had become so used to the constant noise of clicking against mouses and keyboards that he wouldn’t even realize he was hearing it. However, today there was one specific noise filling his head. Soon-ok’s voice speaking on the phone by her desk seemed so loud in his ears, and yet she was talking in normal tones. As the name Sehun rolled down her lips the man found himself grumbling irritatedly upon remembering the scene from the night prior, his anger once again awakened.

“I’m so, so sorry Soon-ok,” Sehun had cried for the hundredth time after telling the girl how something bad had happened at work and he was needed. She understood his situation and therefore couldn’t be disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to drive her to the hospital just this once. 

“Hey, hey,” Soon-ok hushed Sehun gently when she noticed how the guilt in his voice was getting unnecessarily heavy. “Sehun, it’s fine, really. Don’t worry.” She assured warmly, letting the man hear the serenity in her voice in hopes that he would believe her and calm down. On the other side was Baekhyun settling on his desk next to hers, silently listening to her conversation. 

“I’ll just take the train, it’s not far.” She concluded and smiled when Sehun sighed in relief. Baekhyun’s brows puckered into a frown as he started the computer. He couldn’t really detect what she and that Sehun guy were talking about except for the fact that she had now lost her ride to a place she was supposed to visit. The man let out a little chuckle underneath his breath while he thought, serves you right.

Despite the mockery he made out of her in his mind, Baekhyun was quick to react when Soon-ok sprung to her feet and hurriedly shrugged on her jacket before walking to the exit door, the sound of her heels nicely clicking against the floor gradually became fainter. His eyes followed her figure suit while he furiously tried to fight the urge to go after her, drawing blood from his lip with his drilling teeth. It only took him a glance at her seat, finding out that the stupid woman had forgotten her bloody purse. 

“Oh, for ’s sake.” He growled out loudly, drawing attention from Minseok and Chanyeol at the other side of his desk as he angrily snatched Soon-ok’s purse from the chair and stormed out of the office, headed to where his car was parked. The colleagues looked at each other with matching expressions, question marks hanging above their heads. 

The man was deep in his thoughts, his orbs almost unfocused as he walked with long and quick steps. It wasn’t like he was worried about her, not at all. 

After all, they were rivals-

Baekhyun was startled when his shoulder suddenly collided into another, earning a yelp from the other person. Eyes widened with worry, his hands had automatically flown to hold the shoulders in order to steady the shorter girl.

“I am so sorry!” Baekhyun fretted and didn’t even give the girl the chance to open before he had already walked past her as if nothing had happened. Her glossed cherry lips pressed into a thin line before she threw a look over her shoulder, only to find the handsome lad already out of her sight. The girl sighed with dissatisfaction, disappointedly picking a strand of her long hair between her fingers, inspecting the impeccable shine of it.

“He didn’t even blink twice to take my beautiful self in,” She all but whined to herself and resumed walking towards the office. Soon enough though, the girl heaved a breath and straightened her shoulders, quickly twisting her beautiful lips into a smile.

“Next time.” She encouraged herself.

***

“What the hell am I even doing?” Baekhyun sighed in huge disbelief, letting his head collide roughly against the back of the seat of his Mercedes. Eyes endlessly tracing their way to the woman’s purse on the other side. The engine was powerful when with a twist of his hand, his foot left the brake and the car started rolling swiftly. Without wasting any more time, the man drove in the direction Soon-ok had left. It hadn’t been hard to spot her as she hadn’t gotten far in those heels of hers.

Why did he even bother to follow her around? What would he gain? They had nothing to do with each other. it was a constant reminder, an echoing sound that like a fire alarm gradually grew louder the closer he got. He needed to step back, but why had it been so hard recently? One glance down at the purse and the familiar noise of tapping rain against the roof of his car was enough for him to sigh defeatedly, giving in the urge to look after her once again. Soon-ok was his rival. That was strictly and only why. He only wanted to play fair. That was solely the reason he was doing this.

It didn’t take long for Baekhyun to catch up to the woman who was helplessly trying to cover herself from the cold rain. Ever so subtly, he slowed the car down right next to her, which caused the wary Soon-ok to halt in her steps with a frown on her face, eyeing the unknown car with a threatening glare. Without much thought, Baekhyun found himself drawing down the window while gesturing for her to get in, but if had Baekhyun ever considered himself to be stubborn, then Soon-ok was even more so. Her icy glare screamed refusal to whatever was about to leave his lips as she raked her eyes over him judgingly. He rolled his eyes.

“What the hell do you want?” She spat, still angry from their previous argument, which Baekhyun somehow had already forgotten about.

“It’s raining, don’t be silly.” he gritted through his teeth, but Soon-ok didn’t budge. 

He sighed, “You forgot your purse too.” To his dismay, the woman only extended her hand, wanting to take it, leaving Baekhyun completely flabbergasted and questioning himself once again, what the hell was he doing and why had he deliberately put himself in this situation?

“Well?” She prompted impatiently after the long silence. Baekhyun didn’t want her to walk under the rain and so couldn’t find it in himself to give her the purse, but it wasn’t like he could say that to her either.

Suddenly, the noise of thunder resounded and that was all it took for the woman to leave her spot underneath the rain and quickly get into the car. Purposely slamming the door close, making Baekhyun want to scream.

“I’m not thanking you because I did not ask for this.” Soon-ok initiated while angrily fumbling with the seatbelt, gradually growing more frustrated when it wouldn’t settle. At some point, Baekhyun’s hand covered hers in a tight grip, stilling her frantic movements.

“Stop being so aggressive with my car,” He gritted and without letting go of her hand, clicked the seatbelt into its place. His scent as always intruded her senses with its annoyingly fresh and musky fragrance, calming her despite the raging emotions towards the male.

“Byun Baekhyun,” She then called, contrasting her previous mood with seriousness. The male sank into his seat with an exasperated sigh as he placed his large palms on the wheel.

“What?” He shot annoyedly.

“Why did you come and get me? You hate me, and I hate you, remember?” Soon-ok spoke calmly and Baekhyun asked himself the exact same question.

“Because I’m angry at you.” His lips moved before he even knew wanted to say. “We have to talk.” He continued, prompting her to lift a surprised brow. 

“But first,” He stole a glance at her, “Where to?” His orbs lingered on her wet hair.

Soon-ok scoffed and nonetheless gave him the address to her hospital.

“So what exactly have I done to you?” She asked with incredulity in her voice once they were on the driveway. She couldn’t help but notice the way Baekhyun’s fingers tightened on the wheel at her question. Teeth drilled into his lip, he knew he was going to sound so dumb. But it was all he had.

“Didn’t you say you were single?” He started right off the bat, “Then who was he?”

The reaction was genuine when Soon-ok let out a taunting fit of laughter and crossed her arms on her chest, a little too tightly, she noted when she felt her bosom sting underneath her pressure.

“Haah- Byun baekhyun, are you in love with me or something?” As she uttered so, the male looked extremely speechless and offended but soon his expression morphed into a smirk as he let one hand off the wheel to clasp two gentle fingers around her chin. The pad of his thumb caressed her lower lip slowly before settling back on her chin. “You would like that, wouldn’t you, Soon-ok?” Baekhyun murmured, his voice sounding somehow heavy and gruff. Having him call her name like that felt extremely odd and all she could do to fight the feeling was swat his mischievous hand away. 

“What the , Baekhyun?!” Soon-ok snapped with disgust and Baekhyn joyed over his turn to smirk, mirth and satisfaction coated his sinful lips. However, the mischievousness quickly was replaced by an almost intimidating kind of seriousness, a shadow suddenly casting down his face.

“Listen, Park.” He murmured darkly. “I know that we share a mutual hate, but what makes you think you have the right to use me, lie to me and make a fool out of me?” It all felt surreal and hard to grasp for Soon-ok, the fact that Baekhyun was suddenly talking about his feelings- even if in an accusing manner. 

“I’m not your taxi driver.” His hands tightened around the steering wheel, veins surfacing underneath his honey-like skin, knuckles a faint red as they strained and the sight sent Soon-ok’s throat gulping down. The statement did not sit well with her, she was aware that the situation in the latter’s head was a misunderstanding, but she still couldn’t stand him making assumptions like that- and accusing her of being a horrible person.

“No, you listen, Byun.” Soon-ok fought back, “You know nothing about me, firstly.” Her eyes met his through the rearview mirror. Angry they were, menacing even as they pierced right through his that wavered at the truthful statement. His mouth pressed into a thin line, the air leaving his nose thick.

“Look,” She sighed, softening her features, and suddenly she seemed so tired and it struck him. “Whatever is going on in your sissy head, you’ve got it wrong.” She breathed heavily, her words held no further emotions...Almost as if she had already grown tired of him, not caring what he would do with her excuses. Whether he believed them or not, she wouldn’t care.

 For some reason he did, he did believe her.

“I don’t know why you are always here when I’m in trouble, and as much as I hate to say it, I appreciate your help. But it has been your own choice to help me every time, so don’t go whine about any taxi . I never took advantage of you.” Her voice gradually turned lower and lower. Baekhyun did not say another word, Soon-ok had not given him any real reason to believe her, and to his dismay, there wasn’t a single part of him that knew how he could win this argument when he felt no reason to question her again. 

They were just rivals, and true rivals play fair. That’s why he had let her into his car, demanding those things. That was what he told himself.

The pregnant woman slumped in the car seat, closing her eyes for a short moment, breathing soundly to fight the incoming headaches, missing the thoughtful gaze Baekhyun’s orbs drank her in with.

The rest of the car ride was spent in heavy silence, their previous conversation still coated the air floating between the two who refused to acknowledge each other. They both knew that this couldn't go on for long. Especially since the silhouette of the hospital was now, second by second, becoming grander, clearer as Baekhyun drove with a permanent concentrated frown puckering his brows. Soon-ok could only think about how she was barely making it in time for her check-up, deep down wanting to hurry the male, but decided against it so that she could avoid bickering with him. After all, he was driving her instead of spending this precious time on his projects that would assure him a win against her. Despite the looks of it, Soon-ok only now came to realize how soft Baekhyun might've actually been. 

With him pulling all of these stunts he was making sure that none of them were ahead of the other, and it didn't make sense that he wouldn't take advantage of her pregnancy to get ahead of her. The more she tried to make the situation make sense, the more confused she felt. Eventually giving up, the woman threw a glance at the driving rival. The car always felt so foreign, its walls and fabrics impregnated in its fresh scent, a fragrance decorated with tones of rain and musk, reminding her of the many times he had pulled her to his chest whenever she had for any reason stumbled.

Suddenly the woman felt her body reacting in a way it hadn't done in a very long time, she couldn't believe she was feeling heat gathering on her cheeks because of the scumbag sitting right next to her. This was not happening, it was absolutely ridiculous. The expression on her face kept shifting between horrified and offended because how dare her cheeks to blush like that? For him to see in broad