I lock the latch and sink down to the floor. I touch my cheek cautiously and it burns really bad. The scene is branded in my mind, more disturbing than the physical pain itself. I choke back on my own tears and a little hiccup makes its way up my throat. I just lean on the wall of the toilet cubicle. Right now, hygiene is somehow the last thing on my mind as I hug my knees as tightly as I can, trying to stop the hyperventilating. How long has it been? 10 minutes? 15? An hour? Maybe not.

The door swings open with the unmistakable sound of footsteps. The girl has just stopped running and she tries to catch her breath for a while before breathing normally again. I press my lips together so she won’t notice my presence. Naturally, I get another surprise of the day.

“Kimmy? It’s me.” A gentle male voice surprises me.

“Baekhyun?” I croak.

“Yeah, will you let me in?” he asks with a hint of urgency in his voice. I keep quiet for a while and he doesn’t barge in, thankfully. Baekhyun is the last person to do anything like that.

“This is the girl’s room, Baek,” I remind him, my eyes b with hot tears again for some reason.

“I know, Kimmy. I read the sign outside,” he chuckles. I feel my willpower crumble just like that and I reach to unlock the latch. Standing outside my little unruly cubicle…is Baekhyun. My savior. He sighs and sits next to me, stretching his long legs all the way across to the other end.

“What are you doing here?” I ask abruptly.

“Nothing, just making sure you’re okay,” he mutters.

“I’m fine,” I say quickly, rubbing my eyes really hard. Why aren’t they going back to normal, I thought angrily.

“I’m just making sure,” he repeats, as he looks me in the eyes. His serenity is written all over them and it makes me sad again. Why can’t people be more like him? The next thing I know, I just completely break down in front of him. He must have seen this coming because after the words leave his lips, he pulls me into his strong arms, shielding me from whatever the outside world has in store for me. He makes shushing noises and rubs my back gently as I sob shamelessly into his uniform. He is patient. He is listening. He is there. At that moment…that’s all I really know. He whispers words of reassurance to me and doesn’t stop.

“It’s okay, Kimmy, I’m still here.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

“I’m still here.”

“You still have your real friends.”

“I’m still here, Kimmy.”

“Lauren, Kai, Kris, Luhan and I still love you. That’s all that matters right?”

“I’m here for you, Kimmy.”

When I start calming down, I remain in his protective embrace somehow thinking that it actually makes things better. Doesn’t it? I don’t know, but when he starts singing to me, I lose all doubts in my head.

“Baby don’t cry tonight, after the darkness has lifted. Baby’s don’t cry tonight, it’ll be like nothing ever happened. You will never become a bubble, in the end you don’t have to know. So, baby don’t cry, cry, for my love will protect you,” he croons as he brushes my hair softly. His melodic voice sooths my mind as it echoes through the undeserving stage of the female’s restroom. I know he is in the music club, but I have never heard him sing other than just humming in class. The beauty of his voice captivates me, so mesmerizing that I forgot about what just happened. When he finishes, he is puzzled by my silence.

“Kimmy?”

“Baek?”

“Yeah?”

“Your voice…” I can’t even begin to describe it in words. It’s the way he sings to me, pulling every emotion to the surface of my being, including divine joy and content. He doesn’t know it, but he probably dazzled everyone who hears him sing. And to think…I never even knew…

“Sorry, I didn’t,” he starts apologizing but I cut his words.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Really? You think so?” Excitement and pride begins to swell in him.

“Yeah… did you make the song yourself?” I am beginning to be more and more drawn towards him. Baekhyun and his aura…is alluring. I am starting to think that even silence with him is more precious than time. When he doesn’t answer right away, I turn to see his handsome face, inches away from mine. A slight tinge of red gives him away and he grins sheepishly.

“Y-yeah. Do you like it?”

“I love it, Baek,” I give him a warm smile and his eyes twinkles with joy from my approval. How can he not see it himself that he is amazing?

“Thank you, Kimmy. I’m glad it made you feel better. Are you okay now?” he asks with a smile, yet I can see the worried lines etched on his forehead. He lifts his hand to touch the red patch on my cheek and I flinch slightly from his cold touch but my skin soon adjusts. He stares at it with a blank expression on his face, which turns to a fast flicker of emotions. Sad, angry, confused and then angry again. Am I right? Seems like I won’t ever get to know.

“Baek, I’m fine,” I place my shaking hands over his and put them down. Now that I think about it…doesn’t Baekhyun have better things to do than hang around here?

“Don’t you have class?” I ask. My voice is starting to return to normal.

“I only had music practice, but they don’t need me anyway,” he coughs nervously, his eyes looking away from my searching ones.

“Someone needs to learn to lie better,” I start to giggle and he laughs along easily.

“Sorry, I don’t like to lie,” he admits.

“Sorry, I kept you here and wasted your time. You should go back to your class or music practice now,” I say, not daring to look at him. I start tracing invisible lines on the white tiles to distract myself as I wait for him to say goodbye and leave.

“Sorry, I wasn’t there earlier. I could’ve…” he stops and shakes his head, seeming to think better of his word. He knows he couldn’t have done anything anyway.

“Kimmy, let’s go. I’ll take you to your room. You have no more class right?”

“No. Okay,” I agree. He starts to stand up and holds his hand out and I take it as he pulls me up. We both brush our uniform off the million of germs that might have possibly rested there. I start to walk toward the sink and look at my atrocious reflection in the mirror. Against all odds, my hair is still smooth going down and curled at the end, around my elbow length. Maybe Baekhyun has magic brush fingers, I thought. My eyes are lips and red and my nose is slightly splotched too. On my left cheek…is the mark of shame. I start to run the water and wash my face quickly before drying it with the paper tissue that Baekhyun has so kindly handed out to me.

“Ready?”

“Yep.” I jolt a little as Baekhyun slips his hands around mine and leads me out the stuffy room. I have to constantly remind myself that this is his friendly gesture. Baekhyun is always nice to everyone. That’s his reputation in the student body and why can’t this be just another one of his nice guy moment? I try pushing him out of my mind. He told me…he had another girl in his mind.

“Kimmy… do you ever feel so… isolated? And ignored?” he suddenly asks.

“Hm? You feel that way?” I ask. My heart falls as I thought, who would dare ignore him like that. Who can’t give him the attention he wants? I clench my fist.

“Sometimes. But anyways, I have no right to expect anything from her anyways. I’m going to sleep now, Kimmy. I’ll walk you back? It’s not safe outside at this time.”

His words are still hovering somewhere at the back of my conscientious mind. Baek…is just my good friend. I love him like he’s my friend…

“Baek,” I stop in my tracks and he turns back to me with a questioning look.

“Yes, Kimmy?”

“Thank you…for being there,” I smile. He flashes me a profound smile.

“Always here for my friends, Kimmy. And I told you I’d be your angel,” he winks playfully and I laugh. He continues to lead me to my room. Not before passing by a certain classroom though.

“Kimmy!” A shout echoes through the empty hallway, previously filled with only our footsteps. I turn back in surprise to see a blonde head coming out of a classroom. Luhan puts on a little speed as he jogs to me and he slows down when we are in such a distance that I can see his face and he can see mine clearly. He…looks a little sour at first, his eyes drifting to my hands in Baekhyun’s. Baekhyun instantly lets go of me and before my hands can even fall back to my side, Luhan’s face returns to normal and he engulfs me in one of his trademark hugs, forcing me to bury my face in his clavicle area and inhaling his usual cologne scent.

“Kimmy, are you okay?” he asks me with an apparent distressed voice.

“Yes, Lulu. I’m fine. Baekhyun is taking me back to my room.” My words come out a little muffled as my face is still stuck on his clothes.

“Yes, Luhan, if you don’t mind, I think Kimmy wants to go back to her room now. And…I’m taking her there,” I hear Baekhyun’s voice behind us. Luhan releases me and he takes a good look at my face, noting every little detail with his sharp eyes. Of course, they turn dark at the sight of the mark. He swallows once and his lips twitch.

“No, Baekhyun. I’ll take her. Don’t worry about it,” he takes my hand in his and turns me so we are both facing Baekhyun now. A faze of uncertainty passes across Baekhyun’s face and something else…I can’t quite put my finger on it. The silence between the two boys…is not good. A second feels like a long minute, thick with tension and uncomfortable kind of silence. Baekhyun’s eyes flicks to meet mine and then Luhan’s. And then…almost forcedly… he smiles at Luhan.

“Okay. Take care of her. I’ll go ahead then. Bye Kimmy, bye Luhan. Thanks,” he says graciously and nods before heading off in the other direction. I open my mouth to thank him again but he avoids hitting my side as he strides swiftly, away from us. Is he…irked by something I did?

Luhan does not seem to be affected by it. He turns to me and surveys my face again, touching the spot himself as Baekhyun did. He winces and I look at him weirdly.

“Lulu… are you okay?”

He puts his hand down and starts walking me to my room.

“Yes. Although I might have to commit murder tonight,” he mumbles. This quiet version of him is rare to witness.

“Why?”

“Because obviously, the person just harmed the face of a beautiful girl,” he spits. I flinch from his rough tone that I am not used to. He sensed my movement and turned back with a gentle face replacing his angry expression.

“Sorry. I’m just…yeah,” he trails off. His eyes drops to see our hands intertwined and he looks up again to give me a smile.

“It’ll be okay, okay Kimmy? I’m here for you. So is Baekhyun and your other friends,” he grins and I can’t help but return his smile. That’s my Luhan back.

“I know. Thanks Lulu,” I bounce forward to keep up with his step. Soon enough, we stop in front of my room. Luhan’s eyes wander around the flyers surrounding my doorway, sneering down at me everytime I pass through it. His expression darkens.

“I’ll take it down later,” I wave it off like it’s nothing but Luhan proceeds to reach out and start tearing them all off. I can’t stop him so I just watch in silence. It doesn’t take him long. Soon, everything is clean again, as usual…I missed the sight of it this way.

“There,” he grins, satisfied. The flyers are crumpled and strewn all across the floor around us, but I don’t care.

“Lulu…” I am touched by his sweetness as per usual.

“Have a good rest, Kimmy! I’ll see you tomorrow!” he starts walking away, one hand in his pocket, the other waving to me as he walks backwards in the direction we came from.

“Bye Lulu,” I wave exaggeratedly and watch him break into a laugh before I unlock my room and enter my safety zone.