“Ugh.”

Sehun pushes the phone into my face as he plants himself on the end of my bed.

Rude.

“I don’t. Can’t.”

Brilliant Korean, Park Chanyeol. Just brilliant.

Thanks, but I couldn’t care less.

“You’re going to have to talk to him about it sometime. Do you realise how much he’s annoying me about it?” Sehun slaps me on the back.

I groan.

“Shut up, Sehun.”

“Seriously Chanyeol, sort yourself out. I have a life too.”

“No way.”

Sarcasm.

“Just because you have a problem with having doesn’t mean you get to ruin my life about it. I mean I really couldn’t care less, but Baekhyun keeps going on and on about it and it's starting to REALLY piss me off.”

I scowl and bury my head further into my pillow.

“I’m not awkward."

Condescending stare.

Wait, rewind. Chanyeol. Not awkward. Ha. Ha ha. HA HA HA HA HA!

"Uh OK so maybe I am. But like, he has all those weird pictures of me and it was unnerving and then he read my mind and I just kind of ran away.”

Sehun rolls his eyes and continues to press the phone into my face.

“You’re no different to Baekhyun, you know that? Well yeah, he’s famous and you’re not, but you’re both guys, and you’re both a little… well odd.”

See, someone agrees with me.

Shut up, brain.

“You have no idea how weirded out I was when he asked me to take those pictures of you, Chanyeol,” Sehun continues.

“It was then that I realised you were perfect for each other, I mean your wall was covered in his face, and whatever that website is-“

“Tumblr?” I cut in.

“Yeah. That can’t be any worse than what he did.”

I think about it.

“But still…”

“No buts. Just call him.”

Sehun, what a persistent little you are.

Easy Chanyeol, he’s only trying to help.

I know but still.

Just call him.

But I-

Now.

“Fine.”

I rip the phone out of Sehun’s hand and punch in the buttons slowly. I press the phone to my face.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Baekhyun. I’m really sorry about this I’m just it was awkward and I’m awkward and I didn’t know what to do with myself so I ran and freaked out and it was confusing and I’m REALLY sorry and can we still you know, uh, that? But like, I totally understand if you think I’m spastic and don’t want anything to do with me anymore because my reaction was weird and I just ran through half of Seoul in my underwear and mentally scarred maybe twenty kids under five but-“

“Are you going to order a pizza or not?”

Um, what?

Excuse me?

What does pizza have to do with anything?

“What?”




















“This is Corner Store Pizza. I think you’ve got the wrong number sir.”

“Oh.”

I hang up, blushing profusely as I throw the phone away from me. Sehun is rolling on the floor laughing his off.

“Oh my God Chanyeol, you’re such a fail.”

“But I didn’t know…?”

Don't tell me everyone reads minds now!

You put the phone on speaker you idiot.

Oh.

“What do I do?” I squeak.

Sehun grabs the phone off me and puts in the correct number, handing it back to me.

“Try now.”

I shoot him a glare that he flicks off with his usual poker face.

I really don’t know why Luhan finds that face so attractive. Half the time he’s stone-faced, emotionless and expressionless, the other half he’s scowling at you like he wants to kill puppies or murder you in your sleep.

“Hello?”

“Uh, Baekhyun?” I stutter into the phone.

“Chanyeol?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Awkward pause.

I really don’t know what to say.

Say something.

Like what?

I like… beans?

Beans?

Before I can make an even bigger fool of myself or make the situation twenty times more awkward, Byun Baekhyun starts talking.

“I’m sorry, Chanyeol. I really should have asked you if I could take those pictures beforehand. But, you’re really beautiful, and I just wanted you on my wall because well... I really like you and all.”

I blush.

Byun Baekhyun is being awkward.

I thought only I was capable of being awkward.

Sehun rolls his eyes and looks at me with condescension-laced eyes.

“So are we good?”

I blush again.

Sehun gags like he wants to vomit all over my almost invisible clothe-covered carpet.

“Uh, yeah.”

“I’ll take you out tomorrow night to make it up to you. Let’s go to a theme park. It’ll be nice, I promise.”

Byun Baekhyun sounds really cautious and careful, like he’s treading water.

It’s a side I’ve never heard from Baekhyun.

It’s weird.

Byun Baekhyun is jittery.

Something happened.

“Uh… OK. Let’s do that. But first, what’s wrong?” I ask.

“I think I love you Park Chanyeol.”

I've heard this before from Byun Baekhyun, but there's something different about the way he's saying it now. There's clarity, need. Like, he's handing me his heart.

Is that… a strangled sob I hear on the other side of the line? A sob?

I can’t tell.

Byun Baekhyun hangs up before my mind can speculate further.

Sehun just stares at me blankly.

I can feel the weight of Byun Baekhyun’s words on my shoulders.

Am I the cause for his tears?