It’s Christmas Eve and Baekhyun, along with the other couples, is heading to Seoul Plaza to see the twenty meters tall Christmas tree. He pauses his walk to rub his arms as a cold breeze hit his petite body, his navy blue winter coat does nothing to keep himself warm. He blows hot air into his hands and rubs them, trying his best to get warmth as much as possible. As he’s about to resume walking again, someone bumps onto him from behind.

He turns his head only to see a girl bowing her head to him in apologize and a boy, whose arm is draped around her shoulders, also saying sorry. When he gives a small smile and nods understandingly, the couple bows one last time before continuing their walk to wherever they need to be.

Baekhyun watches the couple go and feels something pinch hard at his heart. He used to be like them; he used to have that particular boy holding him close when they were walking together—be it winter time or not. If only he wasn’t that stubborn back then, if only he gave him a chance to explain, he may still be able to have him by his side right now.

A bitter smile tugs on Baekhyun’s lips as he starts walking again to the direction of Seoul Plaza. Nine months have already passed but he still can’t move on; he’s still not over him although they practically never see each other anymore—because Baekhyun wanted it that way… which he regrets now, a lot.

The sparkling giant Christmas tree is already in sight but Baekhyun takes his time, trying to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere around him. He hums along as his ears catch a Christmas song he likes from one of the stores nearby; the same Christmas song he used to sing with him during high school. He pauses walking again, this time to look around, and notices that everyone around him seems happy and the lights on the streets also add up the joyful atmosphere of Christmas.

Baekhyun used to be as happy as them whenever Christmas Eve comes.

Taking a deep breath, he inwardly cheers himself up and trudges to the giant Christmas tree. Standing a few meters away, he realizes he can’t get closer to the sparkling tree since it’s already too crowded, so he immediately fishes out his iPhone from his pocket and takes a selca with the tree in the background.

He used to take bunch of selcas with him.

Shoving his iPhone back to his pocket, he turns around again and sets his eyes at the Christmas tree. With every spark from the tiny lamps around it, Baekhyun starts to think again about what he's done to the person he loved—to the same person he still loves. If only he had the courage to step on his pride and just dial his number up or even text—

Baekhyun’s iPhone vibrates in his pocket and he reaches for it, breath gets caught as he sees who is calling.

Park Chanyeol.

When they broke up, Baekhyun told Chanyeol to never call or text him again. He also said he never wanted to see Chanyeol’s face anymore.

Boy was he wrong. He misses Chanyeol, so so so bad.

So without further thinking, ignoring about his pride and all that jazz, his thumb swipes across the screen and he presses his iPhone close to his freezing ear. “Hello?”

“Oh, hi, Baek! Thanks for picking it up. I thought I’d be directed to your voicemail again.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes as he listens well to the deep, velvety voice he fancies. It never crossed his mind that someday he’d miss Chanyeol’s voice but now here he is, trying his best not to break down just by listening to the taller’s voice once again.

But one has their limits, too.

Tears finally freefall from his closed eyes because Park Chanyeol sounds happy, Park Chanyeol sounds fine somewhere out there, yet Byun Baekhyun longs to see him here so much it hurts.

“How have you been, Baek? It must be exciting to study at Seoul National University, right?”

Baekhyun broke up with Chanyeol with an accusation of Chanyeol having a new boyfriend at Yonsei University where the taller studies. It was too late when he found out that Lu