“Go.” Kai whispers behind you. His hot breath tickles your left ear. He nudges you gently but you elbow him in return. “Go!”

“Will you just chill!” you whisper back, taking another peek down the hall from around the corner. Baekhyun is getting closer.

“Just go!” he exclaims and pushes you abruptly.

You fall forward and is about to fall flat on your face when someone manages to catch you in their arms. “Holycrap,” you breathe heavily, your face is really close to kissing the floor.

Kai peeps out from the corner, steps out revealing himself and sighs.

“Hey, are you okay?” It isn’t Baekhyun’s voice.

You pull yourself up immediately and see Chanyeol’s eyes staring worryingly at you. “Nooooo,” you push him aside to see what happened to Baekhyun. He was supposed to be the one in Chanyeol’s place. This is not how it is planned! “No! Where is he?!” you stomp your feet but your leg jerk up after the instant sharp pain you feel in your heel causing you to be unstable.

Chanyeol comes up and grab hold of you, supporting your unstable posture. “So does this means you’re not okay?”

You notice people walking pass you, giving you unwanted attention. The looks in their eyes; like wondering what you’re doing. You look like a mess. Well, you look like a mess after having the great fall of your life a minute ago. Your newly cut hair is a mess. The sweats dripping down your face didn’t make anything better. Your freshly worn make up is also a mess now. You guess your eyeliner must be smudged so you didn’t bother wiping your sweat with your sleeves because it will dirty it. You wouldn’t want to ruin this vintage blouse. It’s the first piece of clothing in your wardrobe that actually has a silky texture to it. It’s very smooth and you love it.

You look to him and sigh. You shake your head. “No. I don’t know. Don’t ask me anymore.”

You slowly walk to the side and positioning yourself on the floor. You take the pumps off your feet and set them aside. Never have you ever torture yourself like this for 19 years of your life and now suddenly, just one fine day, you decide to go all hell on your poor feet. This is Kai’s fault. No, this Baekhyun’s fault.

You bury your face between your knees, “It’s my fault.”

Why am I even doing this to myself, you ask deep inside. You recall your mum saying you shouldn’t change for anyone. This isn’t your initial idea, right, but you agreed to it. Kai didn’t mean anything bad. He was just trying to help. You. You let yourself get into this mess.

Kai comes near and sits down next to you. He gently nudges you with his elbow but you didn’t respond. “Hey, come on, tell me you’re okay.”

You look up at him. He sees the vulnerable look in your eyes. “No, I’m not okay.”

“You did say not to ask you whether you’re fine anymore.” Chanyeol says, sitting in front of you.

Great, now you just need another guy to sit at your left and judging from your miserable situation, people might even think it’s a gang .

“I look horrible, don’t I?” you ask, looking from Kai then to Chanyeol.

“Well—“

“—no!” Chanyeol cuts Kai’s line, putting a stop to whatever Kai has to say. You feel grateful Chanyeol actually did that because you really don’t have the will to have a tease war with Kai now. “I think you’re really really really beautiful today.”

Beautiful. He used beautiful.

You let out a small smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Even if you didn’t mean it.”

He straightens up and his hands seem like they’re moving uncontrollably. “No, no! I mean it! I think that y-y-you’re really really really—“

“---pretty.” Kai cuts in this time and reaches out to place Chanyeol’s hands down onto Chanyeol’s lap. “She gets it.”

“Beautiful,” Chanyeol corrects Kai.

“Annoying,” he scoffs and you shoot Kai a look. “What? Him, not you!”

You narrow your eyebrows. “It’s the same. It’s still mean.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says sarcastically and looks back to Chanyeol. “I’m sorry,” he repeats but sounding more sincere. “But I’m not saying sorry for making your Riley b-e-a-utiful. Not pretty, but beautiful.”

“What?” Chanyeol looks at you confusingly. “But what for?”

Kai sighs. “Well, you see, she likes—“

“—Miss Kim!” you covers Kai’s mouth immediately. Man, he needs to learn how to shut up.

“Miss Kim?” Chanyeol repeats after you, even more confused.

“Yeah, Miss Kim! I-I, uhm, I—“

Kai slaps your hands away from his mouth. “—she likes how Miss Kim dresses!”

“Y-yeah. Yeah! That’s it.” You nod in an agreeing manner. “You know how I said she’s pretty right?”

Chanyeol his head to the side. “Yeah, I do. But you’re not dressed like her.”

You look down at your outfit of the day. He’s right. He’s too observant. He’s too aware of what’s happening before his eyes. He’s not as blur as Baekhyun.

“Yah!” Kai exclaims suddenly and punch Chanyeol’s arm. “Stop it with your interrogation. She just wants to dress up and I helped her. End of story. Are we clear?” Chanyeol nods. “Good. Now go do whatever you’re supposed to do.”

Chanyeol turns to you from Kai, ignoring his last sentence. “Are you free now?”

Kai waves his right hand in front of Chanyeol’