The execution of the following step of Operation Baekhyun (pronouncing the full code name was too much of a mouthful) proceeded on the next day.

Soojin and I were both in the library, books propped up in front of us as we conversed quietly behind them. We kept our voices low, barely even a whisper as we murmured a quiet discussion regarding the school queenka, who was spending her supposed study time by texting the varying amount of boys she kept in contact with.

“She annoys me to death,” Soojin said to me, rustling the page a little as she pretended to read it. “She thinks she owns this place and is living in some delusional world where she thinks she owns Kris too.”

Kris was the star basketball player in our school, as well as the team captain. He was popular amongst the girls, but he didn’t spend his time beguiling young ladies and then throwing away their hearts when he was done. In fact, I’d say he was the most level-headed athlete I had ever come across, and wasn’t so easily tempted by the power that his position entitled him to. He was respectful and loyal, and wasn’t so easy with trusting people. I had seen him to be on close terms with only one guy, and that was his best friend, Tao, the president of the martial arts club who specialises in wushu.

I snorted. It was a famous fact actually, that she entertained fantasies involving her and Kris, despite the fact that the guy had never really looked at her and couldn’t be bothered to give her his time of day. “Well, I hope Kris will get a girlfriend and show her up.”

Soojin chuckled. “Should I volunteer? I’d love to dethrone her. Let her claw her way back up the social ladder and struggle to find people who actually care enough to be her actual friends, instead of puppets who are just sticking with her for the perks of hanging out with a rich girl. Besides, Kris is hot.”

I grinned.

To be honest, I was really beginning to like this girl. Although we were still on fragile ground when it came to friendship, we were opening up to each other fast. Soojin’s posse of friends apparently weren’t fans of the library, a little trivia Baekhyun had learned and taken advantage of when he planned the next step. I, being the one responsible to execute the mission and as key point of the whole operation, had been forced to comply when he literally shoved me into the library doors with no specific instructions besides the understood task of getting her to befriend me.

As of now, I think it’s safe to say that I had successfully gotten her to like me. I never really expected that the mutual hate for the school queenka would become a catalyst to further the bond between us, but I wasn’t going to deny a good gossip session. As much as I love Baekhyun, he was after all, a guy.

I suppose it was the right time to redirect the topic on the subject of boys now, since she had conveniently given me an opening.

“You like Kris?” I asked conversationally, flipping the page of my book to make it seem that I was reading.

Soojin shrugged. “He’s good-looking and all, but I don’t really fall for guys I don’t know. Maybe one day, if Kris ever decides to talk to me.”

Looks like Baekhyun has to step up his game. We gotta move this operation on fast.

“Do you have eyes for anyone?”

Soojin tapped her chin, glancing upwards as she pondered over the question. “I do notice a lot of guys, but to the extent of wanting to date them... nah, not yet. Although I do admit, besides Kris, Luhan is definitely certified eye-candy.”

My heart leapt at the mention of his name. “You know him?”

“I just saw him around. He’s a social butterfly; he sorta talks to everyone, so everyone likes him.”

“Really?” I asked nonchalantly. Well, there’s no harm in finding out a little bit of information on him while I’m at it. And besides, Baekhyun wasn’t here to chide me for getting off topic. “Which class is he in?”

“Class 3-1,” she replied. She glanced at her watch and sighed in annoyance. “I gotta go. I promised my friend I’d go home with her.”

 I nodded and waved at her, watching as she gathered her stuff and left.

Well, that went better than I expected. Besides the required information that I was supposed to gather on Baekhyun’s behalf, I also found out little titbits about Luhan –my now officially certified crush.

“So are you sure that she doesn’t like anyone?” Baekhyun asked for the umpteenth time since I told him the fact.

I rolled my eyes in frustration. “Yes, Baekhyun. She has no crushes as of yet.” I decided not to mention the potential feelings she might harbour for Kris if he ever decided to take interest in her, not to mention the little discussion about Luhan.

Baekhyun grinned to himself, and I saw the slight bounce in his step. We were walking home together, as we always did, since Baekhyun had postponed his jam session with Chanyeol to hear the full report from me. He was lucky that Chanyeol was an agreeable guy and was oblivious enough to not ask too many questions.

We took the usual route, crossing through the shopping district of the city before hopping on a bus to our neighbourhood. The sun was undeniably cheery, smiling down at us as if mirroring my best friend’s mood. Traffic was considerably lesser, so we didn’t have to endure shrilling honks and humming engines as we walked down the sidewalk.

He started humming a tune under his breath and I suppressed a smile. Baekhyun was an overall cheerful guy but I had never seen him this happy. Although I dreaded the following mission he was going to force me into undertaking, I couldn’t help but feel happy for him.

Baekhyun had only liked one girl before, and that was years ago and he didn’t even get a chance to confess to her. Love seemed to have become a foreign topic to him ever since then, and I worried if he was ever going to demolish those walls around his heart to look for another girl who might like him. Despite that it took him years to, I was glad that he finally did.

“Hey,” I said, nudging him on the side. “You better make a move fast. She’s pretty; there’re bound to be others who want her.”

“I know,” Baekhyun said, turning to me with a dazzling smile. “But I have you to count on.”

“I’m not Superwoman, Baek,” I said with a sigh. “I can’t control her feelings; you have to make her fall for you yourself.”

Baekhyun’s smile turned softer and he reached out to gently pat my head. “Hey, no worries.” His eyes sparkled when he caught sight of something in front of us. He grabbed my hand and dragged me towards it. “Come on,” he said as he pushed open the door to Baskin Robbins. “Let’s get some ice cream, all on me.”