“.....-ssi!”

The teacher’s stern voice snapped you out of your daydream, your attention turned back to her explanation.

“I’m sorry, professor,” You apologize.

It’s been like that the whole day.  You daydreaming, you getting scolded, you paying attention and back to daydreaming. 

“Is something wrong, dear?” The woman in front of you, who was your teacher for the class, asks.  “You were quite out of it, today,”

“No, professor.  I’m sorry for not paying attention,” You bow towards the sound of her voice and wait until you’re dismissed before you exit the class and meet Chen. 

“Jongdae, tell me I have a lot to do today,”

Chen stays quiet for a second before he answers, “Yes, apparently, you do,”

‘Good, it’ll take my mind off of things,’ You think to yourself.

You curse yourself for allowing your thoughts to distract you from reality.  But you can’t help it; the way Baekhyun’s smile twitched last night was very out of the ordinary.  You a breath through your teeth and chew at the insides of your mouth, completely deep in thought.

“Agasshi, if I may?” Chen quietly says.

“Yes?”

“Something has been disturbing you since we last visited your sister,”

“True.  How did you notice?”

“You don’t fiddle with my sleeve unless something is really occupying your thoughts.  I didn’t ask you earlier because, I didn’t want to be nosey,”

You slightly smile at his statement, only realizing the habit when he says so.  “Rare for you to use such an informal word, Jongdae-ah,” You say.  “I’m okay.  Thanks for worrying,”

When Chen starts turning informal, he must be really worried about you.  But somehow, you can’t bring yourself to tell him about Baekhyun.  You could, but you can’t at the same time.

Chen goes ‘Mm,’ with a concerned tone, not saying anything as if waiting for you to just tell him already.

“Really, Jongdae,” You assure him once more.  Even though it doesn’t seem like he was assured, the both of you decided to drop the topic.

The meetings and the interviews really occupied your day, gladly putting your mind off the matter of Baekhyun.  But as much as it is put away, it just keeps coming back.

When you can’t hold it anymore, you start.  “It’s Baekhyun, Jongdae,”

“What about him?”

“It’s, yesterday, he went “Guess who?” at me.  I thought we stopped the habit, but I let it pass, because I didn’t actually hate it.  And then,” You stop, the memory of Baekhyun’s twitch playing back in your mind.  “And then, when I asked him whether or not he was tired because he came straight from the airport to the house, his expression shifted, Jongdae,”

Chen knows how you detect expressions.  He thoughtfully breathes in and out, but stays quiet.

“It’s strange.  The shift; it was as if he was lying to me,” You add in. 

There is something else. 

Something else you notice, something else you’re wholly concerned about, but couldn’t put a finger on.  Something that would lead you out of your confusion, something that would give you the answer to the questions in your mind.

No, it wasn’t that you couldn’t.

It’s because you don’t want to.

It’s Baekhyun’s sleeve.