But Hyunju did not know that the reason as to why Luhan was at the library that hour was because he wanted to make sure that the girl was alright. Thanks to Baekhyun, he knew that Hyunju would be staying at the library 'til before it closes. Luhan knew too well that Hyunju would prefer working on her own that's why he was very surprised to see her with Kris.

 

Luhan had gone to the second floor of the library to watch Hyunju from a distance. He can clearly see where Hyunju was, yet the latter won't be able to see him because she was too focused with working on her project; a perfect place to secretly watch her with his disguise snapback on.

 

The hours passed and he noticed that Hyunju was growing tired and sleepy. So, he stood up and asked the librarian where the nearest vendo machine is.

 

"If you go to that exit, turn left and you'll see it." He said thanks before running to grab a can of coffee. To his surprise, when he came back, Kris was already seated across Hyunju.

 

 

"Look who's stalking." Luhan almost jumped when he heard Krystal whispered right into his ear.

 

"What are you doing here?" He said monotonously.

 

"Oppa, why are you so cold to me?" she pouted. "I just need to borrow books from this freaking room filled with books."

 

"It's called the library." He corrected, not even looking at Krystal and eyed the two laughing below.

 

"Whatever. But oppa!" She whined. "Can you please accompany me home? My driver is sick and I don't think I could go home safely."

 

"Get a taxi and text your mom it's plate number so she'll know which taxi to blame if they found you dead."

 

"Yah oppa!" she whined and whined that Luhan chose to ignore her completely. He was growing tired of everything that he became not only numb but also cold.

 

 

 

 

Krystal gave up on bothering Luhan yet still stayed by his side. Luhan did not bother her presence as he treated her like thin air. As time passed by, Luhan's balled fists clenched more at the sight of Hyunju and Kris before him. Glad that Kris did not bother laying a finger on Hyunju, or else the latter would find out his secret mission: protecting Hyunju from a distance. It was getting late and he was thankful for the coffee-that was supposed to be Hyunju's-he chugged down earlier.

 

 

"Oppa," Krystal poked Luhan's cheek but the guy did not want to move an inch and just switched his gaze to his side where he can barely see Krystal. "are you planning to have a sleepover here at the library?"

 

"It's none of your business. Just go home."

 

"But oppa-" Tired of the same situation, he decided to move at the first floor and hid between the shelves. He was obviously bored and decided to grab something to read from the tower of books on the floor. Suddenly, he heard footsteps nearing his way. Carelessly running to hide himself, he accidentally kicked the tower of books beside him, watching the books falling down the floor.

 

"Kris?" Luhan could only hear his heart pounding out of his chest. The sound of Hyunju's voice startled him as he saw her shadow inches away from him. His body was buried deep between two shelves that he can no longer breathe.

 

 

"Is everything alright?" Hyunju shouted once again but no one responded. Luhan watched her as she carefully returned the books to the shelves when the lights went out.

 

"No way," The girl muttered under her breath. Since Hyunju won't recognize him with the lights out, Luhan was ready to grab her hand and lead her to the nearest exit. His hand was centimeters away from hers when she shouted: "Kris!" The sound of Kris' name escaping from Hyunju's mouth was enough for him to freeze in shock; the feeling of need evident in her voice--she needed Kris and not him. He failed to grab a hold of her hand as his world turned silent. Only the sound of his heart breaking into pieces was the only thing he could hear, tears streaming down from his eyes were the only things he could feel and Hyunju's fading silhouette was the only thing he could see. Coldness started to embrace him and the burning smell of his heart followed accordingly.

 

 

 

 

 

With the lights turned off, the whole library turned pitch black so Luhan found no way on how to find them. He tried to find the way to the table they used earlier but Hyunju nor Kris was there. Luhan was about to find his way back to where he left his bag when he heard a beeping sound from a phone on the table. The screen lit up so it was easy for Luhan to see where the phone was. He recognized the phone as he lifted it up-it was Hyunju's. She probably left it. Her lock screen displayed a picture of young Hyunju and Luhan, laughing under the slide on the girl's birthday; when Hyunju first smiled after her father's death. The day Hyunju's mom obligated him to make Hyunju smile. To make Hyunju happy again. But look what he has done now.

 

 

Luhan sighed as he unlocked Hyunju's phone. Her phone was bombarded with notifications from her SNS. It displayed a picture of Hyunju and Kris, seated on the ground, sleeping with their backs leaned on the wall of the unlighted library. He did not want her to see it so he deleted every notification that came and turned its Wi-Fi off. Luhan placed her phone inside his pocket and searched the library for them.

 

 

He finally saw both of them and what surprised him was Krystal who was busy with her phone, in front of the two who was fast asleep. "Why did you do that?" Luhan asked tone serious.

 

 

"Did what?" She innocently asked as she kept her phone in her pocket.

 

 

"Don't act like you did nothing wrong. I know you were the one responsible for the commotion on the internet."

 

Krystal laughed sarcastically. "Oh come on. Why would you think that way?"

 

 

Luhan's knuckles turned white from tightening his clenched fists. "Just please. Remove it. Delete it."

 

 

Krystal moved her face inches close to Luhan's and stared right into his eyes. "Make me." She scoffed then ran away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The rays of the sun opened Luhan's swollen eyes as he dragged his upper limb away from the table he leaned on to sleep. The vibration of Hyunju's phone in his pocket felt like his thigh was used as a punching bag. He did not hesitate to look into the messages coming in. The messages were full of trash talks, foul words and even death threats. Without any doubt, he deleted them all. He wouldn't want her to read or see anything of it.

 

 

He took a deep breath as he leaned his head backwards and closed his eyes for a beat. Luhan almost jumped off from where he was standing when he saw Hyunju staring at him. Hiccups formed within him and he can't tear his gaze away from the girl. For the first time in a few weeks, they stared at each other again. If he could only ran to her, sweep her off her feet and hug her with all his might.. But the situation did not permit his wish. He felt himself gaping so he quickly cleared his throat. "Oh right," he took a step forward and handed Hyunju her phone. "You forgot your phone."

 

 

His fingers brushed against hers as Hyunju reached for her phone and it felt like he just got electrocuted. Luhan's heart dribbled on his chest and wanted to ask her: "Hyunju ah? Did you feel it too?" But of course, his heart turned speechless and flashed the girl a sad smile instead. But he smile quickly faded at the sight of Krystal approaching from behind Hyunju. "Oppa," he joyfully skipped beside him as if nothing happened last night. Nevertheless, Luhan kept his gaze on Hyunju but to his disappointment, she turned away as Krystal forced herself to link arms with him. "Hyunju ah!" He called but it seemed like Hyunju heard nothing.

 

 

"What do you think you're doing?!" He shouted right into Krystal's face. He was seriously pissed off.

 

"Can't I? For the student buddy, we're practically a couple. That includes Hyunju, right?" She smirked.

 

"What the hell are you talking about? You basically follow me around and that doesn't make us a couple, Krystal. Never will we be one. Keep that in your childish mind." He muttered as he threw her arm away and left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

Hyunju still had time to go home and at least take a shower before going to school again. Kris offered to drive her home but she refused the offer. "Baek?" she asked herself as she was approaching the guy in uniform in front of her house. She was right. She thought that something went wrong because the Byun Baekhyun she knew would never be up at this hour for nothing.

 

 

As soon as Baekhyun noticed her presence, he stood up and shot her a disgusted glance. "So it's true," he muttered, eyeing Hyunju from head to toe. "What is true?" she replied, curious as to why Baekhyun was acting that way. "Haven't you checked your phone?"

 

"Oh," she said, retrieving her phone from her pocket. She was surprised to see what's on her phone. "I never turn my Wi-Fi off but why-" Some of her messages were gone by then. She remembered Luhan with her phone in his hands. Luhan went through my phone?

 

All Baekhyun had to do was to hold up his phone to Hyunju's face and with that, she knew why Baekhyun was acting that way. His phone flashed a picture of her and Kris, sleeping at the library. It was evident that it was late at night when the picture was captured. However, Hyunju was unamazed to see it, yet shocked to see it being a hot topic in her SNS. She then wondered who took the picture and why do they have to post it on the internet.

 

"That you spent the night. with him. alone. at the library." Baekhyun finally replied as he brought down his phone.

 

"Is that what's bugging you early this morning?" She asked, unlocking the door.

 

"Well yes and I need an explanation and you are going to explain this instant and I don't effing care if we have to run late to class. Get it?" Baekhyun stated with a hint of disappointment and anger. At that moment, Hyunju almost felt like she was talking to her mom and not her best friend.

 

"Fine," she sighed, throwing her bag as she took a seat on the pavement-an act which Baekhyun followed. "I was working on my project at seven pm at the library when he came. He waited until I finish that we didn't notice the time so we got locked up in the library." Hyunju paused in a beat to examine Baekhyun and his accusing eyes but nonetheless, she went on with her story. "We tried to find an exit but obviously failed to see one. And what am I supposed to do at night? Sleep right? And so I did. We did. It's not like we did anything or something wrong."

 

 

"With his arm draped around your shoulder? Really Park Hyunju?" He scoffed with an eyebrow cocked.

 

 

"That," she said. "I did not know until I woke up and I, of course, immediately took his arm away from me. It's not like I'd savor the moment and ugh can we please stop talking about this? It's no big deal!" Baekhyun said nothing but nodded slowly, still contemplating on the story that had just been told to him.

 

"Now, can I take a shower and get dressed for school? Because I still have a goddamn story to tell you."

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

"Who took that photo anyway?" Hyunju asked as they took a seat in the bus. "I really don't know because tons of people were talking about it and claiming that they were not the one who took it. You're pretty much the hot topic at the moment." Baekhyun replied as he scrolled down to the comments under the picture.

 

 

"Such pricks. Don't they have a life. How come they had guts to call you a when they're themselves?" Baekhyun was totally pissed while Hyunju stayed still with zipped. She was totally unfazed with the matter because she's growing immune with her current environment. Death notes come and go in her locker day by day, corridors were full of whispers and gossips, that she learned to not even care a bit. As long as she knew that she did nothing wrong, those things won't bother her.

 

"You see," Hyunju uttered and Baekhyun quickly turned to face her. "A while ago, I saw Lu-Luhan and Krystal. They were at the library too." She added, not even tearing her gaze at her lap. On the other hand, Baekhyun's eyes grew wider and almost crashed his phone in his hands.

 

"I was thinking, maybe, they were the ones responsible for this commotion."

 

"I don't think Luhan hyung will do that. Maybe Krystal, but definitely not Luhan hyung." With that, a single tear slipped from Hyunju's eyes. Then followed by another, then another, then she realized that she was already crying.

 

"I don't understand why," she sobbed quietly in her seat as Baekhyun rested his head on her shoulder. "Why would they do that. I've done nothing wrong and set both of them free and yet…"

 

"Shh.." Baekhyun masseged the her back as he hushed her. "All I wanted was to forget. Everything. Everything that had happened that day. I wanted to forget that he even existed though my heart won't let me. Every time I see him, every part of me breaks. I just feel like giving up and control myself from still loving him but I couldn't. The more I see him, the more I love him and the more I love him, the more it hurts me."

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

Forgive me for taking so long. :[

Ninth grade's a bit harsh on me. So yeah, but I'll try to update as soon as I can. ^^

I hope that this 2,370+ chapter is enough to pay the almost-a-month of not being

able to update a chapter.

 

Thanks for subscribing and still sticking with With You! ♥