If this is love, I’m willing to go the distance with you
Shining tears, my heart can’t bear to see you hurt
Whether it’s for a second or til forever, I’m certain of my direction

Don’t Go – EXO

Chanyeol didn’t have the time to think, and now he couldn’t. Not with the soft lips that kissing him roughly and needy and with the teeth that bit his lower lips. He also didn’t have time to think about why Bomi was drenched in front of his door and why now she’s in his arms. She balled her fists in Chanyeol’s wife-beater, tugging him to bend down closer to her. Chanyeol almost giving up the idea of thinking and just gave up, but then he felt the cold palms under his shirt, pressing into his side and that’s when Chanyeol opened his eyes wide.

“Bom—” he tried to break the kiss, finding his consciousness and pushing her shoulder as gently as he could. “Bomi, stop— What…?” Chanyeol blinked when he saw Bomi’s face, because the trail of tears was clearly visible even though her face was wet from the rain.

“… I’m sorry,” she blurted out as soon as their eyes met, trying to hold back her tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Hey— Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Chanyeol pulled the girl into his embrace. “It’s okay,” he said again when Bomi struggled a little in his arms.

“N-No! I-It’s not okay! I’m sorry, it’s my fault…,” Bomi said to his chest and her shoulders began to shudder. “I’m sorry…,” was all she could say.

“Ssshh, sshh, it’s okay,” Chanyeol Bomi’s back. “It’s not your fault…,” he put his chin on the top of Bomi’s head. “It’s okay…” He let her cry, not knowing the reason behind her cry or why she’s here right now, but Chanyeol decided it’s not the right time to ask.

When he sensed her a little bit calmer, Chanyeol looked down to her face, “Why don’t you take a bath first? You can change into my clothes…” Bomi looked like she wanted to refuse, but Chanyeol spoke again, “Don’t be stubborn now, ‘kay?” He smiled when Bomi nodded.

Chanyeol prepared the hot water for Bomi, and he gave her towel and also the same shirt she borrowed before. Bomi mumbled a barely audible thank you before she went in into the bathroom.

The tall boy felt the situation was eerily familiar when he slumped down into his couch and ruffled his hair – it felt like that particular morning once again when Bomi woke up on his bed and then changed into his clothes in the bathroom while Chanyeol waited. But there were no tears that morning.

Chanyeol realized his wife-beater was also wet from Bomi, so he changed his shirt before walked to the kitchen to make hot chocolate. Bomi looked like she needed it.

He was looking for cookies – Chanyeol hoped Sehun hadn’t eaten them all the last time he visited – when his ears picked up the sound of a ringing phone. His eyes stumbled on Bomi’s tote bag that lied on the floor near the door. Chanyeol glanced at the bathroom’s door then decided it wouldn’t hurt just to check. He opened Bomi’s bag carefully, the phone still ringing all the way when he did so. He found the phone, and he stared at the screen which revealing the caller.

ㄷㄱㅅ is calling

Chanyeol tilted his head, reading the letters in the screen. DKS? He frowned. Then, … Do Kyungsoo? … Bomi was out with her friends… Something must have been happened between her and her friends? Maybe now Kyungsoo and Seyeon are looking for her. Chanyeol was about to pick up the phone when the phone stopped ringing. But five seconds later it rang again, different caller this time.

“Bomi?” Seyeon’s voice sounded panic when Chanyeol picked up the phone. “Bomi where are you?”

“… Um, Seyeon, it’s Chanyeol.”

A dead silence followed Chanyeol’s words. He could hear some noises from the other line, someone that the voice Chanyeol didn’t recognize asking, “Is Bomi picking up? Where is she?” then another one that sounded like Kyungsoo, “Is that her? Tell her I—” Chanyeol couldn’t hear the rest of his words, seemed like Seyeon walking away from her friends.

“… Bomi is in your place?” finally Seyeon spoke again, whispering, and Chanyeol felt the tense in her words.

“Um, yes… She came in crying… She’s taking a bath now—I mean, she’s wet, ugh, drenched, I don’t do anything,” he quickly explained. “She just kept on saying sorry…”

Seyeon didn’t say anything again for a moment.

“… Chanyeol, can I ask something from you? Can you... can you make her stay in your place tonight?”

“W-What? Seyeon—”

“It’s already late, and it’s raining, and… And there are our friends in our house…,” Seyeon sighed, “I don’t think Bomi wants to see them right now... I think she needs to be alone… Well I know she’s not alone if she’s with you, but… Please? I can trust you, right?”

“Seyeon, what happened?”

“… Not now, Chanyeol. Bomi will tell you herself… I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“It’s fine…,” Chanyeol mumbled.

“And… If there’s anyone asking… Bomi is staying at Minah’s house tonight. … okay?”

Chanyeol swallowed down his question. “Okay.”

“Thank you,” this was the first time Chanyeol heard Seyeon genuinely thanking him.

“Yeah… No problem.” Chanyeol ended the call and put the phone back to Bomi’s bag. Whatever happened, it had something to do with Bomi’s and Seyeon’s friends from junior high, and since they’re staying at their house, it wouldn’t comfortable for Bomi to be there, but Seyeon didn’t want her friends – or someone, specifically, presumably Bomi’s ex-boyfriend – to know that Bomi was in a man’s place.

He went back to mindlessly watching the TV when Bomi finally got out from the bathroom, wet hair and wrapped in Chanyeol’s clothes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Chanyeol got her first. “I made you hot chocolate. Come drink now before it’s cold,” he grinned, signaling her to sit beside him.

“Chanyeol, I—”

“I can sleep in the couch,” again, Chanyeol cut her. “I won’t do anything, I swear. It’s already late, besides, don’t you hear the pouring rain outside? Just sleep comfortably here for tonight, tomorrow I’ll take you home.”

Bomi looked down, staring at her feet, but then she slowly nodded. “… I’m sorry for troubling you.”

Later that night, the room’s only lightened by the seep of light from the city-lamps outside and Chanyeol lie on his couch with his hands crossed under his head, staring blankly at the ceiling while listening to the sound of Bomi’s silent cry when she thought he’s sleeping.   

Chanyeol woke up with a smell of coffee, something else that he couldn’t name it right now (but whatever it was, it smelled good) and an image of Bomi’s back in his kitchen, cooking. He was still in the middle of focusing his mind when Bomi turned around, spotting him getting up, and the girl smiled at him. “Good morning,” was all she said, but Chanyeol felt a truck just hit him in his lungs, a little bit to the left.

Chanyeol touched his chest and furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn’t pinpoint the pain, so he chose to ignore it.

“Morning…,” he mumbled back, his voice was even deeper because of sleep. He stretched and scratched his head, and from the corner of his eyes he saw his reflection on the TV. Holy , his bed hair was terrible. He jumped off the couch almost immediately and went to the bathroom.

The mirror in his sink was steamed and his blurry mind wondered why. The next thing Chanyeol realized was his bathroom was wet and smelled like his soap, as if it’s been used recently.

Bomi was already wearing her own clothes.

Chanyeol the faucet and splashed his face with cold water. He stared at his own reflection in the mirror.

It’s real, his object of affection just spent a night at his place.

Bomi stirred the coffee in his hand with wandering mind. She put the coffee in the dining table along with breakfast she made, and when she finished with the preparation, she looked around the flat. It’s funny, a little bit ironic actually, because everything started here and here she was, seeking comfort in the place that started it all. She felt ashamed of herself, and she definitely had to apologize to Chanyeol.   

She exhaled and glanced at her phone, now already ran out of the battery. Thankfully she managed to text Eunji, Jongdae, and Sungyeol before, saying sorry she couldn’t say goodbye properly to them before they went back home.

Bomi looked up when she heard the bathroom’s door opened. “Hey… I use your kitchen without your permission,” she said to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol shook his head to show that he didn’t mind. He noticed that his bed was already been tidied up. He cleared his throat and walked to the dining table – the table he barely used. “… you cook?” he asked when he saw omurice, fried sausage, and kimchi were already prepared, along with coffee, milk, and a glass of water.

“Um, I don’t know if you want coffee in the morning or...,” Bomi didn’t finish her words. “You eat breakfast right?” She tried to confirm her knowledge of Park Chanyeol.

Chanyeol nodded dumbly. Oh yes he ate breakfast, but usually it would be a simple breakfast in the form of cereal and milk, or bread, or left-over from the previous night, not in the form of proper breakfast prepared in the dining table, and definitely not accompanied by anyone. He pulled a chair and sat down with Bomi.

They ate breakfast together rather quietly, Bomi was deep in her thought, what should she say to Chanyeol, how to explained her behavior last night, while Chanyeol had something else on his own mind. One of them was, he really liked the idea of waking up with someone cooking breakfast for him.

But soon the plates and the glasses were empty, and Bomi was about to stand up and cleaned up the table when Chanyeol held her back. “What are you doing? I’ll wash the dishes, you already cooked.”

“But you let me stay the night,” Bomi protested.

Chanyeol waved his hand away and gathered the dirty dishes before Bomi could race him. “Go watch a TV or something,” he lightly nudged Bomi’s shin with his foot.

“Yah,” Bomi glared at Chanyeol’s foot and the boy just laughed. However she complied and sat down on the couch, although she didn’t watch the TV, instead she stared at Chanyeol’s back.

Bomi couldn’t decide whether Chanyeol’s kindness was a blessing or not.

She should apologize. She should give him some explanation, anything. She should tell him… Should she tell him about Kyungsoo…?

“Hey Bomi,” Chanyeol’s voice snapped Bomi back. By now Chanyeol already decided what he would do with his piece of mind. He dried his hand on a hand-towel hang near the sink. He turned back to face Bomi, a wide, mischievous smile on his face, “What do you say if we skip class today?”

“You do have a license, right?” Bomi asked again for good measure, a frown was formed on her forehead when she stared at the big black motorbike on Chanyeol’s flat’s parking lot.  

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Yes, I do. You’re not scared, are you?” he asked in a mocking tone.

“Of course not,” Bomi said defensively, though she still couldn’t tear her gaze away from the bike. She never rides a bike before, and although half of her mind was curious, the other half was obviously worried. Was it safe, what if they got into an accident, would she get broken bones, what would Sunggyu said if he knew his sister rides a bike—

“Good, cause I don’t want my effort convincing the neighbor Hyung to lend me his bike goes to waste,” Chanyeol grinned and stepped up to Bomi, putting a helmet to Bomi’s head. He took a step back to admire his work, “You look like a biker! Woow, lady biker!” he cooed.

At this remark Bomi couldn’t help but chuckled.

“Uwaaaaa!”

“It feels nice isn’t it?” Chanyeol half-shouted over his shoulder to Bomi, who straightened her back to feel the blowing wind to her face from the opposite direction while they ride on the road.

“Look upfront!” Bomi hit Chanyeol’s helmet and made the boy yelped.

“That’s hurt! Can I increase the speed?” Chanyeol wanted to laugh because just a minute ago Bomi was doubting the idea and his driving skill, but now the girl clearly enjoyed the ride with the motorbike, even daring to not holding on onto Chanyeol.

“Yes! … But be careful!” she added.

“Alright!”

“Wooooooo!!!!” Bomi shouted even louder before laughing happily. “But Chanyeol,” she leaned to him, “Where are we going?”

Chanyeol only smirked under his helmet. “You’ll see!”

“A batting cage?” Bomi raised her eyebrows when they finally stopped, Chanyeol helped her putting off the helmet. “Why?”

“Aish, you’re asking too much, seriously, trust Oppa!” Chanyeol patted his own chest playfully. He took Bomi’s elbow and dragged her with him into the building.

“I can’t hit though,” Bomi said when Chanyeol pushed her into one cubicle.

“Then we’ll set the machine to the slowest one. Just come here, we come to play, I don’t care if you’re … Not that I expect anything from you,” he snorted, grinning when he earned a poke in the ribs as the result. “You stand here…,” Chanyeol guided Bomi by the shoulders, placing her in the batter position, “… At least you know how to hit right? I’m not here to shoot a romantic scene, I won’t hug you from behind to teach you.”

This time it was Bomi’s turn to roll her eyes. She the bat at Chanyeol’s stomach, “But don’t laugh if I can’t hit the ball!”

“You’re ready?” Chanyeol asked before turning on the machine. He saw Bomi nodded, getting ready into position. “Here it comes!”

“Ugh!” Bomi swung the bat and missed the first ball. She frowned, discontent with her own ability. She also missed the second, and the third, and the fourth, and she grew impatient. “See, I can’t do this!” she yelled at Chanyeol, purposely letting the fifth ball go.

“Imagine the ball as something that you hate!” Chanyeol just grinned, still beaming with optimism. “… or someone!” he encouraged.

Bomi focused her attention back to the batting machine that throwing up balls one after another. Something that I hate? Or, someone that I hate…?Bomi narrowed her eyes when the next ball came.

She swung the bat as hard as she could, and this time the side of her bat met a resistant force from the ball when the two collided.

“That’s it!” Chanyeol shouted and clapped his hands.

“I did it? … I did it! … Auch! Aah, it hurts!” she was jumping in her place when the next ball flew over and hit her head. “Did you see that, did you see that?” she asked Chanyeol, ecstatic, while rubbing her head in the place she got hit.

“Who said you can’t do it? It’s easy, right?”

“Um!” Bomi turned back to the machine and hit another ball. “… Yeah! Bring it on!” she shouted loudly, startling the other visitors and making them turn their heads toward her direction.

Chanyeol smiled to himself when he saw Bomi successfully hit the balls now, and his smile was growing even wider when Bomi turned to him and proudly tell her accomplishment, even though Chanyeol saw it all with his own eyes. 

In the end he paid for another cage and played too beside Bomi’s cage, making a small competition between the two. 

“Oh, that’s so refreshing!” Bomi said when they walked out from the batting cage, her face gleamed of sweat, but now she looked much better than this morning – or last night, obviously. “I don’t know that hitting balls can be so fun! I wonder why? The satisfaction? Ah, did you see when I hit the ball and…”

Chanyeol didn’t answer, only grinning while listening to Bomi’s chatter. Well, he’s not really listening, actually, he just enjoyed Bomi’s voice and looking at her sparkling eyes when she talked.

“Park Chanyeol! Are you listening or not?” Bomi hit Chanyeol on the arm to take his attention.

“You are really abusive, Bomi,” Chanyeol grunted, rubbing his arm.

Bomi laughed. “So, so, what’s next? Where are we going?” she already put on her helmet and asked curiously.

“Again… Trust Oppa, alright?”

Bomi looked up until her neck stretched. “… we’re going to do… that?” she looked at Chanyeol who stood beside her.

Chanyeol also had his neck stretched, and he rubbed his nose before answering, “Maybe this is not a good idea after all…?” He looked down at Bomi. “Baek and I always talk that someday we’ll do this… But that kid is afraid of height, actually…,” then Chanyeol went back to look up, “… and now I think I’m afraid too.”

They heard a loud shrieking scream that sounded like someone being tortured when someone bungee-jumped from the 50-meter-high tower in front of them.

“… Should we try it?” Bomi unconsciously stuck out her tongue a little. “It looks fun.”

“Fun…,” Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows, re-evaluating his way of thinking and his poor choices in life.

“We’re already here,” Bomi reminded him. “And later you can brag to Baekhyun-ah…”

Chanyeol his lips. “… you’re right about that.”

“Okay then!” Bomi grabbed Chanyeol’s hand, and for once, this time it was Bomi’s turn to dragged Chanyeol before the boy could have a change of heart.

Thankfully, they could jump right now even without making a reservation, and after paying for the fee, they were ushered to a room where the employees checked their weight and helped them putting on the safety vest and other tools.

“We can still turn back,” Chanyeol whispered in Bomi’s ear when they took the lift to the top of the tower – since it was a glass-door elevator, they could see all part of the park and the lake around the tower and with the increasing height suddenly the tower looked higher than what they saw below.

The employee that accompanied them heard Chanyeol’s remark and smiled sympathetically – they must not the first customers who changed their mind.

“Let’s see it first?” Bomi offered, and Chanyeol nodded quietly. They reached the top in no time, and the gush of wind hit them as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. “Woaaa… It’s no joke!” Bomi said when she peeked over the fence. “It’s really high!”

“Yes… I can tell…,” Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows, standing nowhere near the edge of the tower and leaning closely to the wall behind him instead. Chanyeol seriously wondered why he even thinks about doing bungee jumping with Bomi in the first place. It’s just that its always on his list, and somehow he thought it would excite Bomi – and take her mind away from whatever it was that troubling her.

And least it seemed his plan worked, because now Bomi was busy tugging his arm, “Look, look! Waah, it’s seriously so high! Do you think we’ll survive if the rope snaps?”

“Please don’t talk like that right before we jump,” Chanyeol said wryly. If only his mind wasn’t focused on how the lake down there looked so far away he would have noticed that his fingers were interlocked with Bomi’s.

“Do you want to jump alone?” one of the employee asked them. He looked at the tight grip Chanyeol gave to Bomi, and he smiled, “You two can jump together too if you want, a lot of couple do a couple-jump here.”

Chanyeol’s eyes made a slight twitch when he heard the word couple.

“What do you think?” Bomi turned to Chanyeol.

“Ugh. Have a pity on me?”

“Hahaha… Okay, we’ll do it together!”

“Alright. Please come here so we can hook the rope on you,” the employee said.

While Chanyeol was being prepared, Bomi walked to the edge of the tower and looked down. She laughed when she saw how high they were. “It’s really no joke!” she shouted to Chanyeol. The boy just grimaced, not even able to speak now.

“Now, please stand here and hug each other,” the employee instructed them. “And don’t let go until you’re in the boat below, understand?”

Both Chanyeol and Bomi nodded.

Chanyeol made the mistake of his life when he decided to peek over from the edge. “Oh God,” he whispered, quickly retreated to his place, his face was pale and his mind definitely not in the place.

Bomi laughed and rounded her arms around Chanyeol’s waist. “Let’s do this and brag to Baekhyun.”

The boy wrapped his arms around Bomi’s shoulder tightly. He swallowed down, not even had the time to be nervous about hugging Bomi when he had a mental breakdown like now.

“How do we do it?” Chanyeol heard Bomi’s voice asking the employee – he had his eyes closed now.

“Just fall down to the side,” was the answer.

“Chanyeol,” Bomi called softly and Chanyeol opened his eyes, looking down at her. “… you okay there? It’ll be over in flash.”

“… y-yeah, sure…,” he took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

“On the count of three?” Bomi pressed her head to Chanyeol’s chest after she saw him nodded.

Chanyeol swallowed for the last time. “One… two…”

“THREE!”

And then they fell together.

Bomi stared up at Chanyeol in front of her and smiled to herself before sipping her ice vanilla latte. Chanyeol noticed her stare and stopped raking his hair, “What?” he said, his face was still a little bit pale but slowly his sanity was back.

After having his whole life flashed in front of his eyes in one jump, Chanyeol decided to calm down in a nearby café, and judging on how out of the world Bomi laughed after they reached the boat after the jump, it seemed Bomi needed some time to gather herself too.

“No,” Bomi shook her head, biting on her straw. “I still can’t believe you make us jump.”

“Me? It was you who make us fall!”

“Hey, you’re the one who brought me here!”

Chanyeol scrunched up his nose. “Oh, right.”

“But it was fun,” Bomi grinned.

“Yeah, it was.”

“But I don’t want to do it again.”

“Me neither.”

Chanyeol could hear Bomi humming softly on his back, now that they’re on the road after spending two hours in a karaoke café screaming their lungs out. He discovered a new side of Bomi today when the girl rapped and danced comically. Quite strange that Chanyeol just thought those traits made her even more charming.

“Are we going home?” Bomi asked, her chin on his shoulder.

“Hmm, why?” Chanyeol noticed the subtle disappointment in her question.

“No… It’s just that… Today’s been great… I feel like I’m going back to reality if we go back home…”

Chanyeol glanced at the rearview mirror to take a look at Bomi’s face. “… I have one more place in mind,” he said then, eyes back on the road. “But it’s nothing exciting as the previous.”

“Where to? … Trust Oppa,” Bomi answered herself when Chanyeol only cocked his head to the side. “Right.”

Chanyeol took them to a park, a little bit in a higher side, and after climbing up stairs they reached the highest area; a smaller park surrounded by fence that faced the city – they had a handful of city’s view from that place.

“Woaah,” Bomi immediately rushed to the side that faced the city, “… It’s so beautiful!” she smiled widely when turning to Chanyeol. “How do you know this place? I’ve never heard of this park before.” She looked around at the small park, and there’s only a few people there – a couple with their son and an elderly man.

“Hey, I’ve been living in this city for three years, okay,” Chanyeol followed Bomi and rested his hands on the fence.  “A friend told me... It’s nice, right? It’s always quiet here, and the view is great… I always come here if I need to think… or if I need some time alone, when I miss my family, anything,” Chanyeol shrugged.

“So, is this like your secret place or something? You said you’re not shooting a romantic scene, but this is exactly what the men do in romantic drama,” Bomi teased, nudging Chanyeol in the side.

“Well it’s not exactly secret, the members know I like to come here,” Chanyeol said his defense. “Sometimes I even come with them.”

Bomi bobbed her head several times, eyes went back to adoring the view in front of them. The twilight was not there just yet, and the burst of orange in the sky was giving a serene feeling. Down there the city was busy as always, some city-lamps were already lightened up, making visible lines in between the building. They could hear distinct sounds of honking cars and the traffic, and the low conversation and laugh from the small family behind them. And then, the autumn wind that blew right at their necks.

Bomi shuddered a little and hugged herself, tightening her jacket.

“Is it cold?” Chanyeol inched closer to her side.

“It’s okay,” Bomi whispered quietly, didn’t want to disturb the calm atmosphere around them. “… Thank you,” she mumbled, looking at anywhere but Chanyeol. She knew Chanyeol’s good intention towards her when he dragged her around the city all day. 

Chanyeol glanced down at Bomi. He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”

“… I thought we still have a chance…,” Bomi suddenly said, and Chanyeol knew that she didn’t mean ‘we’ as in Bomi and Chanyeol. “I guess I was being stupid.” She chuckled grimly. “But I’ve loved him for so long, I don’t know how to stop. And at some point I realized that he can’t entirely push me away... He can’t reject me, but that doesn’t mean he can accept me either… Doesn’t mean he still love me. If he is, it’s not the same…,” Bomi shook her head. “He doesn’t love me enough to ask me to stay.”

“Sometimes letting go is another form of love…,” Chanyeol said carefully, fully aware that he didn’t know the whole situation.

Bomi glanced at Chanyeol and smiled weakly, “… maybe.”

Chanyeol looked at Bomi from the corner of his eyes. He kind of knew that Bomi still couldn’t forget her first love so it’s not a shock to him, but it didn’t mean that he’s completely fine either.

“I always want something like a closure,” Bomi spoke again. “Apologizes? Explanations, reasons… Properly saying goodbye? Like I said… I don’t know how to stop. How do I know that it’s the end if there’s no closure?”

“… There’s no… real closure in life. You can’t. I mean… Even though you hear his reasons, there’s no guarantee that you will understand.”

“I guess so…,” Bomi said. “Well, now I know… Actually, we had the talk before. It would be a perfect closure, if only it all stop there. Of course it’s not.” The wind blew again, and Bomi lowered her neck into her jacket’s collar, trying to block the wind that way.

Chanyeol nudged her and gestured for her to sit on the bench behind them, under the tree, less exposed to the blowing wind. Bomi complied and both of them walked to the bench.

“So…,” Chanyeol rubbed his hands together and blew on them, “… are you okay now?”

Bomi huffed. “… I will.”

Chanyeol nodded.

Now that she had voiced out her feelings Bomi felt better, but she knew there’s another thing that she had to explain to Chanyeol. She played with the hem of her shirt, finding difficulties in saying what’s on her mind. “… Chanyeol,” she called, and the tall guy responded with a short hum. “About last night…,” Bomi swallowed, flustered and embarrassed. It was stupid for her to come to Chanyeol, she knew, and she’s not proud of herself for doing so. Clearly she didn’t think straight last night, or thinking at all, for the matter.

“Ah, yeah,” Chanyeol put his hands on his coat’s pocket. He snorted. “I know.”

Bomi looked at him, worried on her eyes.

“Look,” Chanyeol scrunched up his nose and he stopped for a moment to think for the words to say, “I may look like this… but I’m not stupid. Something happened last night between you and your ex-boyfriend, and you ran to me…” He shrugged. Chanyeol could put two and two just alright.

“I’m sorry,” Bomi whispered.

“I can’t say that it’s fine because it’s not. But truthfully, it’s not that bad either,” he winked when Bomi peeked at him. Bomi blushed and quickly looked away, making Chanyeol chuckled. But then his laugh gradually disappeared, “… just don’t do something like that again,” he said quietly.

“I won’t,” Bomi nodded but she still wouldn’t look at Chanyeol.

“That’s good,” Chanyeol grinned and ruffled Bomi’s hair to make her less tense.

But it had the opposite effect on the girl. “Why are you not mad at me?” she asked, rather upset and frustrated. She was upset at herself for being ignorant, but she was also upset at Chanyeol because he didn’t show any kind of resentful towards her.

Chanyeol looked down at the ground and kicked an innocent pebble near his shoes. “What for?” he asked back, and out of the corner of his eyes he could see that Bomi grew impatient. Chanyeol sighed. “Bomi… I admit, I don’t feel really good knowing the reason you come to me is because you had… whatever it was with your ex-boyfriend. But you said sorry,” he shrugged. “And you won’t do it again, right?” this time Chanyeol threw a look at her.

Bomi nodded hesitantly, wondering if it’s really alright for Chanyeol to forgive her just like that.

“Then I don’t see the problem,” Chanyeol smiled.

If anything, Chanyeol’s smile just made Bomi felt even worse, but she didn’t say anything about it. She silently made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t be so reckless again and did anything that could make that smile disappear.  

Suddenly Chanyeol stood up and cupped his hands in front of his mouth. “YOON BOMI YOU BABO!!!” he shouted so loud that it startling Bomi at first – the girl looked around and saw the couple looked at them weirdly. “PARK CHANYEOL IS NOT STUPID!!!” Chanyeol turned his head and grinned at Bomi.

Seeing his action, Bomi quickly jumped and stood beside Chanyeol, copying hm, “PARK CHANYEOL… YOON BOMI IS SORRY!!!” she shouted to the city. Then, after taking a deep breath, “YOON BOMI SWEARS SHE’S NOT GOING TO CRY BECAUSE OF HIM ANYMORE!!!”

Chanyeol smirked playfully when he added, “… BUT SHE CAN KISS ME ANYTIME!!!”

“Yaah!” Bomi hit Chanyeol’s arm hard – when she glanced at the little family, the mother was covering her son’s ears while giving them the judging stare of the year. 

Chanyeol still half-chuckled when he shouted again, “YOON BOMI, FIGHTING!!!”

“… PARK CHANYEOL!!!” Bomi shouted and Chanyeol raised one eyebrow, interested in what else Bomi wanted to say. Bomi looked at Chanyeol earnestly, and she shouted loud with all she had, “… THANK YOU!!!”

• And this is me, shouting to all of you who reading this, "THANK YOU!"
• Special thank you for HummingBirds, daeyoung_homi, LeeAfiqah98, teletubbies_98, sooswifty, ayarra, and hanjjag for the upvote!!! Big hug!!!
• Happy birthday, Duizhang!