Miss No Label

   C H A P T E R  E I G H T   

POV:

        "Whoa." I uttered as I got out of the bedroom and almost bumped at Krystal, who was right at the door, obviously about to enter just as I went out.

        "I'll go now, Lay. Bye!" She waved her hand and smiled excitingly, making me wonder where she was going.

        "You're going out?" I questioned.

        "Yes." She nodded. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm going to school."

        I rolled my eyes at the overly workaholic student in front of me. "It's Saturday. No school."

        "No classes, but school is always there. Anyway, I got to go. Bye." She waved again.

         I took a grip of her wrist, not too tightly but just enough to keep her in place. "Do you really have to?"

        "Of course." She replied. "I need to go to the library, burry myself in thick books and work on some papers. I can't let my partner do everything alone."

        "Partner?" I repeated. It sounded too aloof. I did not like how she used the word. "Who is that partner, huh?"

        Instead of a response, all I got was an awkward smile from Krystal, followed by a wave of a hand. "Got to go now, Lay."

        I did not let go of her wrist and repeated my question. "Who is that partner of yours, Krystal?"

        "B-Baekhyun oppa." She replied in a low tone.

        "Who?" I asked, hoping I heard her wrong.

        "It's because Baekhyun-oppa is really nice, smart and responsible." She reasoned out, forging the awkward smile she makes whenever I question her. "Plus, he's such a gentleman." She teasingly winked, making me scoff sarcastically. She was obviously trying to pull some tease on me.

        "Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is he that amazing?"

       "Aigoo." She laughed and poked my left cheek - something that usually soften my spirit up but with an exception to that moment. "Is the stubborn Lay jealous." She continues poking me cheek, and then my nose in finale. "Don't worry. You're still the most adorable, like a cute little rabbit." I eyed her, rejecting her attempt for the so-called aegyo she makes. 

        "Stop that." I demanded. "You must be kidding. I don't get jealous." I defended myself.

       "Okay okay." She held her hands up as I let go of her wrist. "Chill." She said, still with a teasing expression. "But seriously, I need to go now. Bye, cute rabbit."

        "Don't call me that. It's gross." I eyed her, yet still not making her stop grinning. "And I'm coming with you."

       "You're what?" She asked, dilating her eyes in question.

        "You heard me." I snapped. "I don't like repeating what I just said."

       "Baekhyun-oppa!" She screamed as we headed to the school's main building, where Byun Baekhyun was waiting for her.

       I can see the shock in his expression when he saw me tag along with Krystal. I purposely initiated walking with her, holding hands, to indirectly tell that man that Krystal was taken - that Krystal was mine. 

       "Seriously, do you have to scream?" I asked in a low tone.

       Krystal however, did not mind what I said and continued waving at Byun Baekhyun.

       "Sorry to keep you waiting, oppa. I have a moron kind of rabbit with me here." She said, poking my arm with an effortlessly adorable expression, almost making me forget the bad mood that I was in. 

      "Don't call me that." I mouthed her, making her giggle. She was such a tease.

         She ignored my threatening glare and laughed it off. 

         "Yes. That will do." Baekhyun said as he inched closer to Krystal, looking at the book Krystal was showing him. Did they have to be that close? Space, Byun Baekhyun. Do you know what space is? I mentally expressed my bad mood.

        "I'm not sure about this, but I remembered Prof. Kang talking about..." Krystal continued to blabber some jargon, but I observed Baekhyun from where I was. He was obviously eyeing on Krystal. She was my property and nobody had to eye on her like some burglar who wanted to make her some possession. I loudly sighed and crossed my arms, making it obvious that I was bored and pissed. 

        They both looked at me as I did, and I saw the nagging stare Krystal threw on me. "I already told you, Lay. We're doing a paper that will take so long to finish. You can go ahead if you're bored."

        "I am not bored." I clearly and firmly insisted. "I was just trying to breath through the thick atmosphere." I declared, giving an unusual emphasis to the word 'thick'. 

        "I think I can handle this by now, Krystal. I can just email you the remaining subtopics." Baekhyun said. In my perspective, he was trying to appear as the 'good man' who puts the best foot forward. I mentally cursed him. 

       "I insist, oppa." Krystal said. "I'm not in a hurry. Let's just go back to where we were. Was that page 125?" 

       "Page 125, yes." Baekhyun replied.

         It was already 8 in the evening when they finished. I almost dozed off at the very library of the university. They were talking jargons, with which I could not comprehend. "Finally." I let out as a soft response. 

        "Glad we finished it, oppa. It's because you're really a genius." Krystal told him.

        "It's both our efforts, Krystal. Sorry to keep you up on a Saturday." He apologized. "Sorry to keep you waiting so long, hyung." He turned to me. 

       "No worries." I said, trying to look cool despite my hot head. "It's my pleasure to keep this little tiger company." I said as I messed Krystal's hair.

       "And the little wild rabbit must be bored." She threw back, earning a glare from me.

       "Anyway, I better get going now. Be home safely." Baekhyun greeted.

       "Seriously, Lay. I did not like how you acted a while ago. You could have offended Baekhyun-oppa with your impatient behavior." Krystal nagged while I was driving home.

       "I also don't like how you made the both of us spend the whole Saturday, burrying ourselves with those thick old dusty books, plus that Byun Baekhyun who looked at you like he's going to steal you." I blurted out, not conscious of what words actually came out.

       "Steal me?" Krystal raised an eyebrow. "From who?"

       "From me." I said, since I realized I blurted everything out already anyway. There would be no point in keeping my madness in. Anyway, I thought it would be better to let her know that she's mine.

       "I didn't know I was yours." She said, almost sounding pissed. "I seriously hate your bipolar tendencies, Lay. One moment, you're pissed and rude. Then, in a snap, you turn into a sweet man. Then at another blink of an eye, you're cold. Seriously, Lay?"

       I smelled the obvious and vague air of a booming arguement. I pulled the car by the street, stopping it with a deep sigh. The last thing I wanted that night was a boiling arguement with Krystal.

       "Look, I apologize for my impatience." I said, holding on the steering wheel tightly, as if needing some support. "I just hated what I was seeing."

      "Why? What were you seeing?" She questioned, obviously mad at me. She raised her voice at me, arousing my pride.

       "You and him. I hate seeing you with him or any other man." I blurted out loudly. 

       "I don't understand you, Lay." She said, softening a bit and looking at me with an unreadable expression. "You always tell me that you don't like labels. What is this now, Lay? Are you saying that we're unlabeled but you make me yours?"

        I was strucked silent by her words. She was right. I was probably insane. 

       "Krystal." I uttered as I held her hand to mind, bringing it close to my chest. All it took was a touch of her hand to make me surrender. "We don't need those labels. Just don't forget, you're mine." I told her. "I know it's confusing, but trust me, can you?"

       We were in a blanket of long deafening silence, and I was helpless to say anything. My story was not yet ready to be revealed, and her heart was not yet ready to risk for me. I knew I was ready to suffer any pain for Krystal. Only her. Yet I was certainly not ready to see her in pain because of me. That was not part of my plan for us. 

       Silence. I always loved peace, yet the silence that surrounded us that cold night was threatening to me. I have never let go of her hand on my chest, and I was relieved that she never struggled to let me go.

        Long hours of silence. Maybe that was enough to cool us down.

        "Is my little tiger still mad?" I voiced, hoarsely but trying to sound warm.

        She looked at me and shook her head. "I'm not mad. As what I told you, I'm just confused."

        I nodded my head and kissed her palm in response.

        "You're really something, Lay. You're giving me goosebumps." She said as she shivered by my sudden affection.

author's note

Hello everyone :)

How was this chapter so far?

Please do comment.