Chapter Three: Boreum

I feel like I’ve been thrown back into my high school years. It’s deja vu. Dad’s in his leather recliner, pointing at the soccer game blasting at top volume on the TV; Chen’s whiny voice ringing in the air at every goal; Baekhyun pacing back and forth, waiting to combust at any moment at the players; and mom nagging my every action in the kitchen. 

“Don’t over salt it, sweetie.” Just like high school. Yup. Soon, the salt is snatched from my grasp and I’m nudged to the side with a single motion of mom’s hips. 

“Mom, I know what I’m doing.” I insist. I reach for the salt again, but she dodges my hands.
 

“We have a special guest today, Boreum, can’t send him home with food poisoning.” Mom responds, putting her hands to work on the side dishes.
 

“It’s just Baekhyun, he’d compliment your cooking even if it was a frozen meal.” It’s true. If my mother could have Baekhyun as her child, she’d trade both Chen and I in a heartbeat. He was polite and knew how to charm all the adults growing up. A neighborhood favorite, you could say. 

“I think Sangun is here. Go help her bring the kids in.”  She pushes me out of the kitchen as she always does. You burn eggs once and you’re banned from the kitchen for the rest of your life. Of course.
 

“Your family is here, Chen.” I announce as I slip out the front door. He’s too engulfed into the soccer match to fully respond though. Men and their sports. 

“Doyun!” I call out, a smile dancing on my face as I open my arms. A ball of warmth bounces it me in a fit of giggles.
 

“Auntie Boreum!” The little girl squeals. Kim Doyun. First grandchild of the Kim family. Spoiled beyond control by all. 
 

“Hi Boreum.” Oh Sangun. Chen’s wife. My sister-in-law.  She’s the epitome of an elegant woman. She’s tall, always wears her onyx hair in a neat low ponytail, and works as a private school teacher in Gangnam. She’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but she’s not exactly the carefree type that I thought would end up with my mess of a brother. They were complete opposites if I was being honest, but I guess they balance each other out well. I mean, they’ve been married for four years and are going strong.
 

“Hi Sangun, do you need help bringing anything in?” I ask, seeing that she has her arms full with the two year old. Kim Jung Hoon. The first grandson in the Kim family, also spoiled beyond control.
 

“There’s a box of fruit in the backseat. It might be heavy, I can get Chen to get it.” Sangun explains as she makes her way up the stone pathway.
 

“It’s fine, I got it. I doubt you’ll be able to tear him away from the game anyway.” I insist, already making my own way to their silver sedan.

Turns out Sangun was right. It was heavy and I definitely was overestimating the strength of my bean pole arms. I could easily just run back inside and dump the task on my brother’s lap, but that would mean I’d have to embarrassingly admit I’m weak in front of Baekhyun. So with a huff of air, I tighten my grip on the bottom of the cardboard box, lifting it out of the backseat. Unfortunately, it seems that with every step I took farther away from the vehicle, the box of pears would gain another five pounds. Now, I may not be good with numbers and science, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works. Six frantic steps and desperate gasps for air later, I’m almost convinced to give up and just leave the box in the front yard, but the weight is swiftly taken off my arms. 

“I got this, Bo.” Baekhyun chuckles, his eye smile completely catching me off guard. Where did he even come from? Wasn’t he inside watching the game? I mutter a bashful thanks as I follow behind him back into the house. Great, now he thinks I’m weak, which clearly I am, but still.

I let out a loud sigh that I’ve been holding in since running around downstairs. Now, I lay flat against the mattress of my bed, staring at the ceiling, recollecting my thoughts. 1) Baekhyun is downstairs. 2) My family is probably embarrassingly exposing my life to him at this very moment. 3) Baekhyun is downstairs. 

Exasperatedly, I run my fingers down my face, a groan escaping my throat. I hate this. This is worse than high school. At least in high school I could blame it on being a naive little high schooler crushing on someone like Baekhyun. But now? What excuse do I have? It’s been a whopping seven years and yet one look from him and I feel like sixteen year old Boreum again. 

Knock! Knock! 

Slowly, I turn my head to face the door, waiting for mom or Chen to pop their head in, but they don’t.

“Come in,” I call out. It must be Sangun. She’s the only one who doesn’t just barge into my room like she owns the place. Bless her soul. 

“Hey,” Baekhyun softly greets. Clumsily,  I scramble to my feet. Why would mom send Baekhyun to come fetch me? Completely out of her typical hospitality making the guest do something. 

“Your bedroom hasn’t changed at all. Cute and girly.” Baekhyun comments, his eyes running across the pastel purple walls. I went through a phase of pastels in high school. I give a tight lipped smile. Cute and girly. I’ll just forever be Baekhyun’s best friend’s little sister. 

“It’s only because I’m broke and can’t afford to upgrade. I’m much more mature and y now.” As soon as the words leave my lips I scurry past him. Great going Boreum, you just told Byun Baekhyun you’re y.

“Eat, eat, eat.” Mom, in that neighborhood lady way of hers, encourages Baekhyun to dig in, barely giving him enough time to sit down. Conveniently, or not so conveniently, Baekhyun chooses to sit next to me. Choose wouldn’t be the right word, rather he had no choice as Chen was sitting next to his wife and the kids took up the other side of the table. Either way, being this close to Baekhyun has my heart racing against my will. 

“I’m not joking when I say I missed your food, Mrs. Kim.” Baekhyun compliments as he reaches his chopsticks for a slice of kimchi. 

“Eat all you want. I cooked all your favorites from when you were in high school.” Mom endearingly smiles at the man. She even goes as far as placing the best piece of mackerel on his rice for him. Like I said, if Baekhyun was her child, he’d be the favorite. Once Baekhyun, the guest of honor, finally begins eating, the rest of the table moves.

“So, Baekhyun, how long are you visiting for? Are you staying with your parents?” Dad interrogates in that typical manner of his that lies somewhere between aloof and caring. 

“I’m actually moving back for good, or at least if my business does well here, but I’m staying at my own apartment. It’s a quick commute to where my headquarters are going to be.” Baekhyun explains. Mr. and Mrs. Byun actually lived a few blocks away from us still. They were sweet people, but liked to travel a lot to their second home. I’m surprised they haven’t just up and moved already to the countryside. 

“Exciting, we’re all so glad you decided to come back.” Mom claps her hands. I’m sure she’s the most excited, if we’re being honest here. She can barely contain her questions and curiosity to eat a bite of food. Meanwhile, I sit in my spot silently chewing on braised tofu and listening in on the conversation that seems to involve everyone but me. I don’t mind though. If I talk, I’d probably embarrass myself, I guarantee it.

Longingly, I glance over at the plate of spicy samgyeopsal sitting at the end of the table. It’s my favorite dish, yet I haven’t reached for it. Why? Because it’s disastrously situated on the other side of Baekhyun meaning I’d have to reach in front of him or ask him to get it for me. Both were not an option and mom is too engrossed in her questioning to notice that I haven’t made a go for my favorite dish. 

“You’re not dating anyone, Baekhyun?” 

The question comes from mom, of course. That nosy woman. I can’t seem to deny that I’m not curious though. I mean, the answer should be obvious, right? Byun Baekhyun was perfection so he wouldn’t be on the market anymore. He couldn’t possibly be. I know Baekhyun always was bothered by the hordes of girls that flocked to him, but after seven years living abroad, he has to have found a couple relationships.  

“Nope. I just haven’t met someone that interests me.” Baekhyun shrugs his shoulders. I hate that my heart swells with a tiny bit of satisfaction from that. 

“Oh come on, seven years away and not a single girlfriend?” Dad pries into it more out of disbelief. 

“Don’t tell me you’re still stuck on that girl from high school?” Chen suddenly blurts out in suspicion. The slight tint of pink on Baekhyun’s cheeks gives him away. High school? Baekhyun never dated or even flirted with any girls from high school. Like I said, he found girls exhausting back then. 

“High school? That’s so long ago. You’re pretty loyal, Baekhyun.” Sangun retorts. This only causes his blush to deepen as he bashfully scratches his head. 

“Do we know her? If she went to the same high school, that must mean she lived nearby.” Mom points out. This whole conversation just makes my stomach churn. I mean, clearly, Baekhyun is allowed to have a crush on someone, it’s just that I would rather not know. Sometimes being oblivious is better. 

“Don’t even try to get it out of him. I’m his best friend and he refuses to this day to tell me who it is.” Chen exclaims with a laugh. 

“You must really like her.” Sangun concludes, mom nodding her head in eager agreement. 

“Since you’re back, you should try to find her and see if you two hit it off. You’re not getting any younger, Baekhyun. Don’t want to end up like my poor Boreum. We’ve been asking her to bring home a man for forever.” Mom suggests with a cheeky grin. Great, just what I needed. As if I wasn’t pitiful enough, my mom exposes my lack of love life like it’s not a big deal. 

“I’ll consider it.”  Baekhyun replies, his smile still shy at the topic. Suddenly, Baekhyun reaches for a piece of samgyeopsal, but instead of placing it on his own rice, it finds its way on my plate. I blink, taken aback by his action. My eyes flicker to his, which smile back at me, causing my heart to do somersaults. 

“It’s your favorite, you should eat some.”  Baekhyun states as he places another piece of pork on my rice. I purse my lips, doing my best to not smile like an idiot in front of everyone. 

This was why it’s so hard to not have a gigantic crush on Baekhyun. When I used to join Chen and him to study in the school library, he always made sure I sat opposite of the sun so I could see my laptop screen better. I had mentioned once how I disliked the glint on my screen. When the school had a fair, he made sure to bring me a funnel cake since I had been bummed out all week that I couldn't go. I had been telling Chen about having to miss out, but he had brushed it off as me being a baby, insisting that there’s always next year, I didn’t even realize Baekhyun had been listening in on it. Baekhyun’s always ridiculously considerate and remembers all the little things. That’s just how Baekhyun is. He made it hard not to have a crush on him.