Chapter Twenty-Three: Baekhyuna The Not - So - Loyal

Word Count: 1400+     

A/N: I know this chapter's super super super late, and I don't have an excuse. Life's been keeping my busy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)

♡♡♡

Baekhyuna, Channie, Layla and Suhonna left the house to go grocery shopping; Jonginna left the house to meet up with Taemin, and Tao and Kris headed upstairs. Apparently, Kris needed some “fashion” advice, and even if she’s a bit of a tomboy, Tao was a fashion diva queen.

Or at least when “clothes” involved her beloved Gucci. Lulu didn’t believe that Kris actually needed advice though, just look at her. She was pretty sure Kris just wanted to skip out on doing the dishes. The remaining of the girls stayed in the kitchen to help Sookyung tidy things up.

“Hey, Sehuna!” Since Lulu wasn’t paying attention (busy with arguing with Chen) Sookyung decided to take the chance and speak to the younger girl. “How about you and I bake some time? It’d be fun, just the two of us… erh… if you don’t mind, of course.” 

Sehuna replied, “No, I’d love to.” She’s always eager to learn something new.

“Wonderful. We’ll bake on some random afternoon when both of us are free then.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

“My eyes are burning!” Lulu furiously rubbed her burning eyes. 

“What happened?” Sehuna asked, she didn’t notice anything.

Lulu continues, “Chen sprayed some cleaning chemicals in them..!” 

“By accident,” Chen defended.

“No way! You always bully me.”

“By accident,” Chen repeated.

“Stop lying!”

“Hey, cut it out.” Minnie stepped in between her two friends. “Let’s go wash them, Lu. If you wait any longer it’ll get worse and we might have to go to a hospital.” 

“Fine…” Lead by Minnie, Lulu went in to the bathroom upstairs. She the water faucet and started to cleanse her eyes. Minnie took a deep breath, gathering the courage to speak up now that they were alone.

“We have a few issues we should talk about.” 

“How inconsiderate of you! I’m a little busy, you know.” Lulu growled. “Chen’s a little purpose. That moron totally did this on purpose.” 

“You’re always busy,” Minnie retorted.

“Did you see the guilty look on her face?” Lulu ignored what Minnie was saying. “I sure didn’t, because I can’t see a thing!” 

“It’s not going to work if you do it so aggressively! You need to be more careful and gentle,” Minnie lectured. “I know it burns, but you can’t be so harsh…” 

Lulu sighed and nodded her head in agreement, “You’re right. I’m sorry that I yelled at you. It’s not your fault. The one to blame in this situation is Chen. Such a pain.” 

“Chen already apologized, what more do you want from her? Sometimes the simplest apologies are the easiest to forgive.” Minnie leaned against the bathroom wall. “If Sehuna was the one who sprayed chemicals in your eyes, would you’ve been mad?”

“Sehuna’s…. flawless… She wouldn’t do such a thing, not even by mistake.” Lulu said.

“She’s human. All humans have their imperfections.”

Lulu rolled her eyes. “You don’t know Sehuna the way I know her. Now stop being ignorant and complaining all the time, you’re just jealous.” She turned off the water and Minnie handed her a towel. 

Minnie exhaled agin. It’s not her fault she’s not Sehuna, and what’s so good about Sehuna anyway? What can she contribute that Minnie can’t? She wanted to protest against Lulu. She wanted to yell at Lulu for always nagging about how she wasn’t good enough, but then the thought crossed her mind― was she good enough or no? Perhaps Lulu was right.

“Sorry, best friends aren’t supposed to argue about this stuff.  I’ll be more supportive in the future.” Minnie’s voice was shaking and she did her best to refrain herself from crying. Lulu didn’t even notice and continued.

“Nah, you’re cool, too. I like you, as well as the other girlies, just the way you are.” Lu grinned. “Actually, I’m the one who’s been a bad bestfriend!” Minnie’s heart rate increased, had she done right in speaking about her insecurities? “I haven’t told you about my revenge yet. This is classified as a secret, so you can’t tell anyone, OK?”

“Does Sehuna know?”

“Duh!” Lulu threw away the towel. “She’s highly involved, knows every single detail.” 

“That is….” Minnie bit her lip.

“That’s what?”

“Nevermind. I’m being silly.” Minnie’s smile was sad. “Now, tell me about that plan of yours.”

♡♡♡

“I want to sit in the cart! I’m not going if I can’t sit in the cart!”

“Channie, you’re not five anymore!” Baekhyuna groaned.

Channie had been protesting and refusing to go inside the grocery store unless Suhonna, Layla and Baekhyuna let her sit in the shopping cart. Suhonna and Layla were tired of Channie’s childishness, and Baekhyuna was simply embarrassed.

She even questioned herself why she had to pick such an immature BFF who would be nothing more but trouble for her. Lately, they had been spending less time together. They were drifting apart.

She’s not ignoring Channie or anything. Channie’s just stuck in the past where she and Baekhyuna were power puff girls who would compete against the world with their awesomeness, meanwhile Baekhyuna’s constantly advancing. It was un fair that she always had to hold back on stuff. Just because her best friend wouldn’t accept that they’re growing up, Baekhyuna played along, and she has reached her limit.

“Channie, we’re going without you if you don’t grow up. High school girls, especially seniors, don’t ride in shopping carts anymore. It was fine when you were in elementary, however, you’re not.” 

“The old Baekhyuna would have let me…” Channie murmured.

“Well, guess what Miss Sunshine, the old Baekhyuna’s dead. And in the real world, there are no magic powers that can bring people back from death. So stop being such a whiny little baby and grow the heck up.” Baekhyuna pushed Channie’s right shoulder. Channie staggered of the sidewalk and fell onto her , landing on the road.

“What… what… what’s wrong with you!?”

“What’s wrong with me!? What’s wrong with you!” 

“Baek.” Suhonna tightened her grip around Baekhyuna’s shoulder. “That’s enough.”

“It’s not. I am so freaking exhausted. Channie’s so annoying, I hate―”

“Stop that right now before you say something you’d regret.” Layla glared at Baekhyuna. “I know that Channie’s pretty childish sometimes, but she’s not stupid. She’s only innocent.” 

Layla went to Channie’s side and reached out a hand. “Here, let me help you up.”

“I hate you.”

“What?”

“I hate you, Layla. I hate Suhonna, and I hate Baekhyuna. I hate everyone!” Without accepting Layla’s help, Channie stood up. “I’m gonna go now. You guys have fun.” She turned around and stormed away from the parking lot.

“Don’t come back!” 

“Baekhyuna!” Suhonna glared at her. “You should be more polite to your friends.” 

“She’s not my friend.” The words slipped out of Baekhyuna’s mouth without much thought. “W-w-wait…! I didn’t mean that.” Her hands flew up in defense. “Sorry!”

Layla said, “You should go and apologize to the right person.”

“The two of you go ahead. I’ll fetch her.” She didn’t wait for them to say anything more, and ran away to look for her friend.

“Okay, hurry!” They shouted from behind her.

Baekhyuna ran as fast as she could. Her feet moved at a speed she didn’t even know she was capable of. She ran because her friend needed her right now. Her immature, moron friend, needed her and she couldn’t let that friend down. 

Nothing could stop her.

Nothing but Kim Jonghyun.

“Baekie! Baekie! Why are you running?” She heard someone shout.

She halted in her tracks. Was she so in love with her boyfriend that she even imagined his voice in the middle of the day? She heard him shout again and now she was definitely sure it was true. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him approach her with steady steps. He looked great, as usual. 

“You came back from that field trip today, didn’t you? I tried calling you and here you are, running around town.” She giggled, slightly ashamed. “Why were you running away? Or is that a secret? Cuz my lips are sealed.”

“I was…” she turned around, searching for Channie. “I was training, yeah. I need to stay fit you know. Bikini season might be over, but it’s never to early to prepare for next year’s.”

“I see.” He grinned. “I was hanging out with SHINee, without Tae, obviously. We were thinking about grabbing a meal at this restaurant Onew got a discount on. Care to join us?” He proposed.

Baekhyuna hesitated. What about Channie? She can’t leave her best friend! Or… well… it was Channie’s own fault after all. She’s a big girl, a very tall one indeed. There was no reason for her to get lost either. She’d go home later and Baekhyuna would talk things out with her. Then the problem would be solved, no? 

“I suppose I could, since I’m free and all.”