[CONTENTID1]Stage Two[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2] Anxiety [/CONTENTID2]
[CONTENTID3]

Dahyun bit her nails and moved her feet nervously. She was sitting on a swing, waiting for her best friend in a park. That park was full of memories for them, they literally grew up there. It was also the place where Baekhyun promised to take care of her no matter what. She could clearly remember that day.

"Give me your money!" A boy pushed the little girl and she fell on the ground. He was one of her classmates, and sadly, he and his friends loved to bully the weak students. "Are you deaf?!"
"I think she wants to disobey us..."
"I won't give it to you! I need it!" She sobbed. 
The other boy smirked and knelt down in front of her. "Listen, Choi Dahyun... you are a nerdy quiet girl, no one cares about you," He grabbed her by collar. "So, what will happen if we kick and hit you till death? Nothing!"
"I'll tell my parents!"
"Who?! You mean that employees in my dad's company? Right, go tell them..." The boys started laughing. "You have no one, poor little Dahyun."
"I won't give you- ah!" She shut her eyes when he raised his hand to hit her.
"Good girl..."
With trembling lips, the girl took out her wallet and he grabbed it from her. "Give her back the money," They turned to the speaking boy and stopped laughing.
"Baekhyun..." She bursted into tears. "Baekhyun..."
"Leave her alone," The twelve-year-old boy frowned. "You have no rights to hurt her!"
"Oh... really?" He chuckled. "Listen Byun, I just wanted her money, and she gave me-"
"Shut up! That's hers, you bastard!"
The boy walked to him after putting the wallet in his pocket and grabbed his collar angrily. "Who are you calling a bastard?!"
"It is obvious," He whispered. "I'm talking to you, Jung Hoseok."
Just when he finished his sentence, the boy kicked him in the stomach. Baekhyun closed his eyes in pain, but pulled himself together immediately. He walked closer and punched him in face. "How dare you?!" Hoseok shouted before hitting him again, making him fall on the ground.  "How dare you?" Other boys ran to him and started to kick him as he protected his head by his hands.
"Don't hit him!" Dahyun cried. "Stop! Don't hit him!"
"Stop!" A policeman shouted, running to them. Seeing him, they ran away. He got to the left children. "Are you ok, young man?" The officer helped him stand up. 
"Yes," He touched his back. "Thank you sir," He bowed his head.
"Thank Heaven, you got to be careful," He said before leaving them.
"Dada," He walked to the crying girl. She was too scared that she couldn't stop it. "Dada, don't cry." 
"Are... are, are you ok?" She sniffed.
He nodded. "I am," He put something in her hands. "Your wallet."
The girl wiped her eyes. "Wow... thank you," She smiled. "I was really scared."
"Never feel afraid, I will protect you from anything, ok?" He hugged her tightly. "I will take care of you till the day I die."
"Promise?" She whispered. 
"Promise."

"Dada?"

She raised her head and smiled at the sight of her best friend looking at her from a far. "Baekhyun!" She ran to him and took his hands in hers. "This is crazy! Did you know about his feelings for me?"

"No," He said as they started walking. "He told me a day before confessing to you."

She hid her cheeks. "God... it was really embarrassing! I wonder how sunbaes have been dating for eight years when others were looking at them."

He smiled at her cuteness. "They don't care. They are too in love to give a what about others..."

Dahyun nodded. "I envy them."

"Envy? Why? You will be dating soon," He nudged her jokingly. "What will you be wearing for your first date?"

"First date?! What are you saying, Baek? We haven't talked after that crazy confession. I mean, he doesn't even have my number..."

He smirked. "You sure?"

Her phone buzzed all of the sudden. She took it out of her bad and gasped. "It is Jin! Oh my God! Oh my heart! What to do? What should I do, Baekhyun?!"

"Dada, keep calm!" He chuckled. "Just see the message and read it for me. I'll help you, ok? I'm here for you."

"Ok..." She bit her lower lip and touched the notification. "Hello Miss Choi, This is Seokjin. I just texted you, so you'd have my number."

Baekhyun closed his eyes and cursed him mentally. It wasn't the thing he told the younger to write. "Well, just that?"

"No, there is more," She breathed out. "I wanted to know what you think about me. Will you give me a chance?"

"Ok..." He smiled. "Now write you'll give him only one chance, because you don't know him much."

She looked at him, unsure. "Ok..." She mumbled. "Wait," She raised her head. "Who gave him my number?" Baekhyun covered his mouth and laughed. "Was it you? Yah! Byun Baekhyun!" She grabbed his shirt while laughing along. "Yah! Baekhyunnie!" 

"Yeah... yeah," He said. "Now, what are you going to wear?"

"I don't know..." She pouted, letting go of his shirt.

"Let's go shopping then," He took her hand and started running.

"Hey! Stop!" She laughed. "Baekhyun!"

●

"For a first date, it is better to wear something simple," Baekhyun whispered as he walked in the shopping center. "Did he answer?"

"Yes," She replied. "He wants us to meet  at a cafe."

He nodded and walked to a shop. "How about these?" He pointed at a white coat and a pink dress. It was simple, yet beautiful. 

"Oh... is it ok for a date?"

"It is..." He pushed her inside the store.

"Yah!" She said with widened eyes. "How could-"

"Sir, she wants to try that pink dress..." She turned to the shopkeeper. 

"Of course," He smiled. "My daughter will help you."

A girl walked to her. "This way please."

Baekhyun put his hands in his pockets and walked around. He sighed. There were times Dahyun helped him for his dates. He owed her so much that doing those things weren't something special. And... his dates... he had dated more than five girls. For a boy in his age, it was acceptable, or maybe too much? Though his relationships ended easily. It felt like he didn't like them at all. He was done after two months. His longest relationship lasted for eleven months, which was with a senior named Kim Taeyeon. She was now a top soloist and... had probably forgotten all about him. That sometimes made him think, maybe he was the problem. 

"Baekhyun?"

"Huh?" He looked at her. "Wow... pretty. Pretty!" He showed her thumbs up. 

She tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "A hundred percent..." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a mirror. "See?"

She smiled, staring at her reflection. "Thank you..."

He turned to her. "What...?"

"I... I am happy to have you in my life," She mumbled. "Thank you for coming to this world."

"Ah..." He rubbed his nape shyly. "It wasn't my choice to be born, but... um, you're welcome."

●

Baekhyun stopped his car in front of the cafe Seokjin had told him. "Ok... go."

She looked at him and bit her lower lip. "A-Aren't you coming with me?"

He chuckled and unfastened his seat belt. He moved towards her, took off her pink barrette and fixed her hair again. "Why should I?"

"It's, it's a little bit awkward to... um, you know it is my first time... can't you be there with us?" She tilted her head, trying to use her cuteness to make him agree.

"No. If there is one thing in this world that I don't want to do, that is definitely third wheeling."

"But Baekhyun!" She stamped her foot down, making the car shake.

"Don't be a kid, Dada..." He took her hand in his. "You can do it. I believe in you."

She pouted. "What should I do there?"

"Let him lead the conversation but," He paused. "Do you remember the things I told you?"

She nodded like a little girl. "I do!"

"Ok then," He squeezed her hand. "You will be fine."

She nodded, unfastening her seat belt. "I'll go now..." She whispered. "Will you come to take me home?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

"Yes?" He rolled his eyes. "No?"

"Seokjin will take you home, got it?"

"But..." She covered . "Should I trust him and give him my address?"

"What is wrong with you, Choi Dahyun?!" He shouted, hitting the roof. The boy looked at her, she was scared. "Aish... I'm sorry, Dahyunnie."

"You... didn't need to shout."

"I said I'm sorry, but he already knows where you live."

formed an O in realization. "You are right..." She opened the door. "See you tomorrow."

Baekhyun nodded, smiling. "Fighting," He waved and right after watching her enter the restaurant, he started the engine. 

●

Baekhyun was laying on his bed, staring at the roof. "What are they doing right now?" He whispered. 

"Stop worrying Buddy," Kyungsoo sat on the edge of his bed. "Instead, you got to help me."

"Why do you need my help? If it is about our courses, you better ask Dahyun or... Jisoo sunbaenim," He said with eyes closed. 

"It's not about uni, it's about Wan and I. It will be our second anniversary in two weeks," He pouted. "I want to surprise Wannie, but I don't know what to do..."

He looked at the younger. "Haha, you look cute when you pout- ouch!"

Kyungsoo hit him with a pillow. "I am being serious with you and you are joking?!"

"It... was not a joke," Baekhyun whispered. "Anyway... what are your plans?"

"I told you I don't know," He paused. "But celebrating it with you guys will be fun and memorable. In our first anniversary, it was only the two of us."

"Right, right..." He sat up. "But-" The bell rang. "Who's that?"

"Must be Chaeng and Chanyeol..." He left the room quickly to open the door. 

Baekhyun sighed. What was he going to do with his life? He had never celebrated anniversary with a girl. His relationship had never lasted till a year. And there was Kyungsoo, celebrating his second year with Seungwan. Chanyeol and Chaeyoung had passed a year already. Jongdae and his girlfriend were together since high school. He was happy that he had Dahyun to celebrate November 11th, though now she wasn't single either. He felt lonely.

"Baekhyun!" Chaeyoung called. "Aren't you coming?"

He stood up and walked out of the room. "Hey guys," He greeted them. "How's your studies going Chaeng?"

"Fine," She grinned.