“Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s on the phone for you,” Sehun calls from the other side of my closed bedroom door one day.

“Uh, sure?”

Byun Baekhyun has never rung here before, not ever. Kai is usually the one to ring, or Baekhyun just turns up unannounced.

“Uh, hi?” I whisper into the phone after I snatch it from Sehun.

“Hi.”

Awkward silence.

Chanyeol, every silence that involves you ends up awkward.

Thanks.

“So…”

Byun Baekhyun has apparently lost his use of Korean.

I try to breathe normally on the other end of the phone so I don’t sound like one of those axe murderers that breathes heavily into phones to freak people out before he murders them.

I sincerely hope it’s working.

“Chanyeol, I was wondering if you wanted to come shopping with me today?”

Breathe in and out, slowly. Not too loud. Don’t scare the flawless Byun Baekhyun.

Park Awkward Chanyeol, he asked you a question.

Wait, what did he ask?

“Chanyeol?”

“What?”

Baekhyun repeats louder. 

“Do you want to come shopping with me today?”

I giggle.

“Sure.”

“Cool, I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes, alright?”

I nod.

“Alright?”

People cannot see nods over the phone, Chanyeol.

“OH! Yes!”

Byun Baekhyun chuckles and hangs up. When I return the phone to our living room Sehun gives me a smirk.

“What was all that girly giggling about?”

I decide to ignore him and go get changed out of my pyjamas, but I end up stubbing my toe on one of our many walls.

Walls do not like me.

It feels really strange shopping with Byun Baekhyun. There are lots of people following us and snapping pictures of Baekhyun and I, but this is not the most awkward part.

No, the awkward part is the shops we go into.

We walk along the side of the shopping centre that I never go on; everything is just too expensive and I have absolutely no money whatsoever because all my money is spent on Byun Baekhyun posters and our internet bill (Sehun makes me pay this because we always go over the limit).

And who’s fault is that?

“Chanyeol, what do you think of this top?” Baekhyun asks.

He drags me off to the change room.

“Try it on!”

The shirt is white with a massive print of the Eiffel Tower on it. I like it but I’m put off when I see the price tag.

“Come out and show me!” Baekhyun calls from the other side of the curtain.

“Uh…” I stumble out of the change room.

“Wow, that’s really nice!” Baekhyun says with a grin.

“We’re buying it!”

The day continues in very much the same way. Byun Baekhyun dragging me into clothing stores, Byun Baekhyun making me try on clothes, Byun Baekhyun buying these clothes just for me.

“Are you sure?” I ask every time we stand at the checkout.

“Of course.”

A fangirl walks in and asks for an autograph, asking for Byun Baekhyun to sign it.

“Who is he?” she asks, pointing to me.

“That’s my boyfriend.”

I blush profusely.

Wow, that's the first person that willingly recognizes that you’re a person in their life.

Sehun does too!

Have you seen the way he walks three feet away from you. Everywhere you go?

Why must you make my life seem so pitiful?

That's what I’m here for.

Apparently news spreads around rather fast. Soon, fangirls are not only taking pictures of Byun Baekhyun, they’re also taking them of me.

Me!

Like I’m someone famous or something.

In the next shop Baekhyun leaves me in the change room to find more clothes. I do not realise I have been followed until it is too late.

“So, I heard you’re going out with Baekhyun Oppa?” a girl asks.

I nod reluctantly. She’s glaring murderously at me.

“Let me get this straight, Byun Baekhyun is mine!” she yells at me.

I cower like a scared dog in a thunderstorm.

It takes a few seconds for me to realise that she has slapped me, hard across the face. I feel tears stinging in my eyes.

.

She continues yelling, getting all up in my face. Making a scene.

If there’s one thing I truly hate it is being the centre of attention, because I am bound to make a fool of myself.

And I do just that.

I try to move away from her to find Baekhyun, but I accidentally trip over and pull down a curtain of two from the change rooms, revealing several half people.

Everyone gasps. I turn beet red.

This is not good.

“You, going out with Baekhyun?” the girl asks incredulously.

“You’re such a freak!”

More voices start yelling at me.

“ert!”

“Weirdo!”

“Loser!”

I want to shut them out. Too loud.

I think back to my childhood. I thought I had gotten better at this.

Chanyeol, I think we should go.

Thanks brain.

I book it to the doorway and run to the nearest bus stop leaving Baekhyun far behind. I don’t know if he’s realised.

I decide to spend the rest of the afternoon crying into my pillow in a bout of self-pity.

“Chanyeol!”

Byun Baekhyun rushes towards me and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug.

“I’m so sorry!”

I let myself cry into his shirt, making small and disgusting sniffling sounds as I sob uncontrollably.

“Do you think I’m a freak? Do you only feel sorry for me? Why do you even hang around me? You’re so cool, you’re famous, and I’m a freak!”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun yells. His voice is loud and angry, a scolding tone.

“You’re not a freak!”

Byun Baekhyun begins crying too, he kisses my forehead.

About half an hour later Sehun brings in some tea because he thinks the stuff makes everyone feel better.

Byun Baekhyun stays the night, sharing my single bed. He pulls the blanket up over the both of us and wraps his arms around me, resting his head on my pillow.

“I love you Chanyeol.”

I am left wide-eyed as I listen to Baekhyun’s slowing heartbeat as he drops into dreamland.

“Love?” I whisper.