My mind was floating everywhere. I have no idea what to do. Why do I feel like I betrayed Baekhyun somehow? My conscience is killing me. I feel guilty, I knew that. The more I avoided hurting him, unknowingly I already did. Ugh... What a selfish friend am I! I wanted to call him but I don’t know what I will say to him.

“Paging Ye Eun~ah!” Ye Ri was repeatedly waving her hand in front of my face. We just got to the new place her parents will live from now on.

“Huh… did you say something?” I uttered, back to my senses.

“What’s wrong with you today? You keep spacing out. Are you waiting for someone’s call?” She kept on talking. “You’ve been checking your phone since we’re on our way here. If mom sees you like that, she won’t stop bugging you for sure.” We were now in front of a gate of a house – a mansion with a touch of native old Korean house style. Ye Ri pressed a buzzer on the gate. “Mom it’s us… we’re here now!”

A moment later, the gate opened and Ye Ri’s mother greeted us. The realtor was there too when we got inside. He toured us around the house. I think it was bigger than they have before. It’s too big for just the two of them. Since we told them that we planned to go back here in Korea and stay for good, his father thought about going back, too. So, when his company gave him a promotion, he immediately called a realtor friend to look for a house he could buy and ordered to fully purnished it. The house was beautiful but I haven’t focus much on appreciating it. My mind was still somewhere else.

“Could you girls just live with us?” Ye Ri’s mom trying to insist. We were now in a restaurant having our lunch.

“Mom, we talked about this already.” Ye Ri replied out of patience. “The answer is still NO.”

“Come on Ye Eun~ah…” She turned to me like pleading to say yes.

“I-I-I’m so sorry Eomma,” I hesitantly said as I looked down.

“Aigoo yeobo, enough with that… they are big enough now to live by themselves. Besides, Ye Eun has her own family here,” her husband reprimanded her. “You must be both excited for your grand opening?” Ye Ri’s father said again changing the topic. “How’s all the preparation doing?”

“Everything is okay now. We are just waiting for the day, Dad.” Ye Ri replied after a sip on her drink. 

“That’s good then… You have time to come with me and meet a friend of mine and her son.” Her mother stated. She had it again, her match-making obsession for Ye Ri.

“Mom!” Ye Ri uttered with the ‘please-not-again-mom’ sound to it. “We are interested with somebody right now, so there’s no need for you hooking us up.” She looked at me with back-me-up kinda glance to it. I know Ye Ri said that only to silent her mother.

“That’s right eomma… we’re just settling our business first before focusing on it.” I added.

“You can’t fool me Ye Ri~ya…” her mother uttered not believing what she said. “I’ll just stop if you introduce a boyfriend to us… you too Ye Eun~ah.”

It’s true that I’m actually interested with someone right now, so I’m not worried about Ye Ri’s mother. I have Suho to introduce to her. The only problem is I’m not ready yet or it’s better to say that I’m not sure with the relationship yet. I’m sure that Suho likes me but I just want to hear from him that official question asking me to be his girlfriend. I haven’t consulted it with Ye Ri so she didn’t know, even Matthew oppa. I didn’t tell anyone about us, well except for Jibin and Baekhyun who found it by accident. I don’t know how long I will be silent about this. 

The following days, I was back in the coffee shop. I’m back with my cheerful smile, covering my worries and anxiety. EXO made time to come by even for just a little time. But Baekhyun was not with them. He never came. I haven’t seen him since the night they came to our house. I have sent him a couple of messages but he never replied to any of it. He even kept ignoring my calls. He was surely avoiding me and it pressing me down more. I can’t leave things between us like this. He was too important for me to just lose him like this. But I don’t know what else to do.

“What should I do Jibin~ah?” I asked as I buried my face at my crossed arms above my curled up knees. We were sitting in our wooden made bench-like swing outside our house. It was already late at night. Tomorrow is the runway show for the opening of our apparel, yet we were still fully awake. I was more worried with Baekhyun than thinking of how the event will turn out tomorrow.

“I think you need to give him time Noona.” He said with sympathy as he gently patted my back. Somehow, I feel like crying at that moment. I’ve been covering my troubled feelings these past few days to everyone. And with that simple gesture Jibin did, those feelings wanted to burst out all of a sudden. I can’t control it. My chest was beginning to hurt. “I guess he’s having a hard time dealing with his feelings. You know how much he loves you, right?” I heard him uttered again… that’s when I brokedown.

That’s it… that’s what bothers me. I can’t give him the same love he has for me, and I feel bad about it. Why can’t I just choose him?

The next morning…

Something cold and moistured thing was placed over my closed eyes. It was two sliced cucumber. I was thinking how on earth I have cucumber on my eyes when I realize that the sun was up by now. When I look at the clock on my side table, I was surprised. It was twelve noon already.

“OH SHOOT!” I blurted out as I hurriedly got up to take a bath and fixed myself for work. The runway show is later this evening and I’m suppose to be at the office now doing some last minute preparation or something. “Why didn’t you wake me up? Ye Ri’s going to kill me for this. I’m so late!” I said to him as I got out my room and seen him setting the table for lunch.

“She won’t, and don’t bother to come to the office now. I already called her this morning. I told her you’re not feeling well a little and have to rest so you can attend the event later.” He said after pulling a chair for me to sit on.

“You put cucumbers on my eyes.”

“Yes. Your eyes are swollen from crying last night, so I thought it would help out alittle to relax your eyes.” He sat across the table. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine… thanks a lot.”

I feel a bit lighter now. Jibin helped me realized many things last night. But I have to set aside it for awhile. I have to focus myself for the show later and the grand opening tomorrow.

I still went to the office after lunch. I have to keep myself busy to forget my current problems for awhile. Surely, I would see them later but I don’t want to think about it right now. I have to focus and just worry about it later. When I got there, everything was already done. Matthew and Ye Ri were about to leave.

“Why are you here? Jibin said you’re resting.” Ye Ri said as she walked towards me.

“I’m okay now.”

“You sure?” she asked again. I just nodded. “Well then, you are coming with me. We’ll be grooming ourselves for the show. I’m so excited.”

That evening… 

Matthew oppa was the one welcoming the guests along with Mr. Lee Sooman, while Ye Ri and I were at the backstage checking and getting the models ready. I took a peek from behind the stage. A lot of people attended the night of our show. The event hall was full packed. I don’t even know most of the guest that came. I felt suddenly nervous. I wandered my eyes around looking for something familiar. Then, I caught sight of Jibin sitting beside his father and my boss at the cafe. Next to him was Choi ahjussi and his family. Then a pat in my back startled me.

“What the heck are you doing here?” Ye Ri muttered. “The show will start any moment now. “Mind helping me out back there?” she said again gesturing his thumb over her shoulder.

“Sorry!” 

I followed her back to the dressing