“Is he okay?” I asked Kyungsoo for the umpteenth time as he leaned over Baekhyun, checking his head.

“He’s fine,” Kyungsoo said, straightening up and brushing his hands on his pants to get rid of the flour that stuck to them when he carried Baekhyun. “He’s just out cold.”

I heaved a sigh of relief, stepping away from the corner where I had been standing and fretting while Kyungsoo checked on Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo had barged into the door when he heard my scream, and between the two of us, we had managed to transport Baekhyun’s unconscious body to Kyungsoo’s parents' office at the back of the shop. We gently laid him down on one of the plush leather couches before I retreated to the corner and begun pacing, my heart hammering against my chest as I constantly glanced at Baekhyun’s unmoving body.

“He’ll be awake in a few,” Kyungsoo continued as I took a seat next to Baekhyun’s body.

His face was pale, all colour drained. His mischievous smirks, playful smiles and the merriment in his eyes were gone, erased and replaced by a serene expression that made him look child-like, young. I reached up and brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes, lip trembling slightly.

This had been my fault; none of this would have happened if I had controlled my temper and stopped myself from trying to throw the sponge at him. He wouldn’t have backed away and slipped, and I wouldn’t have missed hearing his voice again.

“Do you want something to drink or to clean yourself up with?” Kyungsoo asked from behind me. He had been observing me quietly.

“No, I’m fine,” I told him, reaching out to gently take Baekhyun’s hand.

I felt his fingers move in mine. My head snapped towards his face, and I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw his eyelids fluttering open. He squinted at the brightness of the light, and then groaned.

“Baekhyun, thank goodness,” I said in relief.

“What happened?” he questioned hoarsely as he tried to cover his eyes with his right hand.

“You scared me out of my wits. That’s what happened,” I huffed.

Baekhyun’s bleary, unfocused eyes turned to look into mine. “Yoora?” he asked wonderingly.

“Who else, you idiot.” I bent over him and began to gently check the back of his head for bumps or bruises, worried despite that I was sure Kyungsoo did a thorough search before. I checked his forehead too, brushing his hair out of his face and gently prodding his scalp.

Baekhyun stared at me the whole time.

“You’re good. Nothing that wouldn’t go down,” I said, leaning back and sighing in relief. “Can you get an ice pack, Kyungsoo?”

 He nodded and left the room, leaving me alone with Baekhyun.

“You slipped when we were washing the dishes,” I explained to him. “Knocked your head on the floor and went out cold. How could you be so clumsy?” I tried to joke.

The usual Baekhyun would have replied with one of his snarky remarks, somehow finding a way to blame me that he had ended up unconscious on the floor. This Baekhyun didn’t say anything; he did nothing but stare at me.

“Guess you must have hit your head really hard, huh?” I said. “Usually you’d have said something by now.”

Baekhyun opened his mouth, but then, Kyungsoo returned, holding an ice pack on one hand and a glass of water on the other. He handed the ice pack to Baekhyun and the water to me.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling up at him while Baekhyun gingerly set the ice pack on the side of his head.  

“Do Kyungsoo! Are you here?” a voice called from the front of the shop. It was male, and I somewhat recognised the tone.

“In the office,” Kyungsoo yelled.

A few seconds later, a handsome boy appeared at the door. He had tanned skin, with dark hair and matching dark eyes. He was tall and he walked with a dancer’s grace, light and quick. The only thing that marred his seemingly perfect face and form is the cocky curl of his mouth, the overconfident aura that seemed to emanate from his very being.

“What happened?” Kim Jongin asked as he took in the scene. We must have looked like characters in a cartoon show; Baekhyun and I, covered in flour while he held an ice pack over his head, Kyungsoo, dressed in browns and whites, standing over us watchfully.

Jongin immediately forgot his question when he spotted me. “Yoora,” he said happily, striding into the room.

I eyed him warily. Jongin was notorious as a player, and his good-looks and charm had drawn a good number of the female population into liking him. He had been on numerous dates with countless of girls and had been pining to take me out for months now ever since he had his sights set on me. I had no idea why he was so interested; I supposed it was because I never gave him a chance and was one of the few girls who didn’t worship him.

“Hi,” I said tentatively.

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” he said, stopping in front of me and giving me one of his million dollar smiles.

“No one’s supposed to,” I said flatly.

He ignored me. “I’ve been trying to catch you in school. Do you want to go out some time?”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend, Jongin?”

Jongin waved his hand dismissively. “Girlfriend? Nah. Anyway so how does Friday night –”

“She said no,” Baekhyun suddenly interrupted, his voice dangerously low and cold. “So back off, Kim Jongin.”

Baekhyun had risen half way up from the couch. His eyes were narrowed, murderous as he glared at Jongin. Jongin looked taken aback at first and so was I; Baekhyun had never spoken this viciously. Then, Jongin’s eyes began to narrow and his jaw locked. I could sense the hostility emanating from the both of them. The air had suddenly gone bone-chillingly cold.

It felt as if words were being exchanged by those looks alone, the hardness of their eyes and the coldness of their expressions forming a secret, silent conversation that I couldn’t understand. I watched helplessly, the fear building in me. My gaze worriedly shifted between Baekhyun and Jongin, silently pleading at them to stop. Baekhyun looked like he was ready to hit Jongin, and the latter had his fists curled to retaliate.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jongin backed away from me with painfully slow steps. He kept his eyes on Baekhyun like how one would hold the gaze of a snake.

Kyungsoo sensed the dissention and quickly jumped into the scene.

“Yah Jongin, your PSP’s in my bag. I’ll get it for you.” He placed a hand on Jongin’s shoulder and began to lead him out of the door, shooting a final look in my and Baekhyun’s direction before letting it shut completely.

“Since when did you get so hostile?” I asked once we were alone.

Baekhyun averted his gaze from the door and lay back down. He ignored my question. “You shouldn’t be around him.”

“As if I would want to. You know I don’t like him.”

“Good. ‘Cause I don’t either. Stay away from him.”

“Aren’t we being a little overprotective,” I said, trying to make a joke out of the situation. In all honestly, I had no idea where this was going. “Baek, I can take care of myself.”

“Whether or not you can is a different story,” he snapped, his eyes flashing angrily. “Just listen to what I say and stay away from him.”

I was taken aback by his tone and hostility. Baekhyun had a way with getting people to do what he wanted, but his manner of persuasion wasn’t through force and enmity. I nodded meekly, speechless to say anything.

What was wrong with him?