Chapter 11

Snow. Sora watches as the miniscule white specks float downward from the sky outside her kitchen window. As the snowflakes hit the window they disappear, joining the collective puddle at the bottom of the windowsill. Sora had been locked up in her apartment all day since her professor had cancelled lecture last minute. She didn’t mind it though. She could watch the first snow peacefully from her kitchen. Not to mention, hiding away from the endless whispers of campus was a great perk of staying home as well. Several days had passed by, but the judgmental glances and quiet voices were still in an uproar. It’s like they didn’t have anything better to mutter on and on about.

Ding!

Sora is pulled out from her daze by the high-pitched notification.

Byun Baekhyun: Where are you?

Leave it to Byun Baekhyun to completely ruin her peace. She presses her lips together, contemplating whether to reply to Baekhyun. She was quite comfortable sitting in her little apartment alone, did she need him to come barging in? Truthfully speaking, being caught running around with Baekhyun wouldn’t help the rumors.

Kang Sora: I’m busy.

After pressing the send button, she realizes that Baekhyun wouldn’t accept that type of response. He proves her right, it only takes a couple of moments before another text messages scrolls across her screen.

Byun Baekhyun: No rainchecks today, sweetheart. I’ll be there in 20 😉

Sora sighs, when does Baekhyun ever allow rainchecks?

Sora doesn’t know what she expected when she opened her door, but a fully groomed Baekhyun in a black formal suit with a shopping bag in his hands was not it. Sora’s lips part, searching for words to say, but she’s at a loss. Byun Baekhyun was stunning. Handsome on a whole new level, but she wouldn’t give him the pleasure of admitting it. Who knows how much bigger his ego would get from a single compliment? Unfortunately, she doesn’t have to say a single word, because he can read her face like an open book. He smirks, quite satisfied with her response.
“This is for you.” Baekhyun hands her the bag as he strolls into her flat as if it’s her own. Sora’s brows furrow in confusion as she glances down and sees a peek of silky emerald fabric through the tissue paper.
“Baekhyun, I’m not going to wherever you have planned.” Sora firmly declares as she sets the bag on the coffee table. She crosses her arms, staring the male down, who has made himself comfortable on her couch. Hearing her firm stance, Baekhyun jumps back to his feet, towering over her small frame when he stops right before her. Sora curses her rapidly beating heart as he closes in on her, his subtle cologne enveloping her senses as his chocolate irises seem to bore into her own. This was yet another side of Byun Baekhyun standing before her. Charismatic, dominant, and strangely alluring.
“Do you have other plans?” Baekhyun questions, knowing very well that the homebody wouldn’t. Her silence only confirms it. He picks up the designer shopping bag by its handles and hands it over to her once more.
“Great, then get dressed.”

Sora peeks her head from her bedroom doorway, her cheeks flushes slightly as she nibbles her bottom lip. This was a bit embarrassing. How could she ask Baekhyun to do this? She nervously glances between the silky fabric of the dress and the male lounging in the living room. Said male seems to sense her fleeting looks and lifts his eyes to lock with hers.
“Um… C-Can you help me with s-something?” Sora’s voice is quiet and shy. Without questioning, Baekhyun rises from his seat and makes his way over to her bedroom. His eyes take in the elegant dress that hugs Sora’s subtle curves. Sora’s face only reddens more when she feels his eyes drinking her in.
“I can’t reach the zipper.” Sora shyly explains, pointing her finger over her shoulder. Realizing what she said, Baekhyun clears his throat.
“O-oh.” The confidence that was dripping from him earlier is not in the room anymore. Sora quickly turns around, revealing her to Baekhyun. Hesitantly, he reaches his fingers out, touching the cold metal zipper. Baekhyun watches as her pale skin disappears behind the fabric.
“Thanks…” Sora murmurs as she runs her hand through her hair.
“We should get going, we don’t want to be too late.”

Sora blankly blinks at the huge ballroom laid out before her. She could see the people moving about, chattering in small circles in expensive gowns and tuxedos. Most were older than them from what she was assuming and they talked with hearty laughs and fake smiles. There were waitstaff circling around the ballroom, platters of hors d'oeuvres balancing on their palms, misery painted on their faces as they wait for the event to come to an end. The atmosphere already seems suffocating to Sora.
“Is this another wedding?” Sora asks, looking to Baekhyun for an answer. When her eyes fall upon his expression, she feels a slight chill run down her bare arm. It was like his warm brown irises were replaced with clumps of dirt.
“B-Baekhyun?” She calls out his name, trying to get his attention. He blinks, registering his name on her lips.
“You can call it something like that.” Sora can feel the electricity run up her arm when Baekhyun’s fingers gently entangle with hers.
“Just follow my lead, sweetheart.”

It doesn’t take long for Sora to realize that this wasn’t another wedding crashing adventure. The carefree and fun Byun Baekhyun wasn’t the one leading her through the tangle of humans. This one was serious and confident in his steps. The same Baekhyun that momentarily appeared in her living room earlier this evening. Sora shrinks away from the curious and confused gazes of party goers. This was bad, worse than the stares at school, but why? Sora silently stays attached to Baekhyun’s waist, not exactly why he insisted on her presence. Baekhyun stops as random old men greet him, their graying eyes filled with puzzlement when their eyes go from Baekhyun to Sora.

“Ah, Baekhyun, it’s been a while since you’ve come around.” A man heartily greets Baekhyun.
“Hello Mr. Lee, I’ve been busy lately with school, but I made it out tonight.” Baekhyun politely replies. Sora scoffs under her breath, only enough for her and Baekhyun to catch. Byun Baekhyun barely went to school with how many times he liked to go MIA.
“And this is?” A man raises a brow, looking to Baekhyun for an explanation.
“My date, Kang Sora.” Baekhyun answers without wasting a moment. Sora awkwardly smiles as she bows her head slightly. What else could she do?
“Date?” The man appears even more confused by his response. That same conversation occurs another twenty plus times as Baekhyun jumps from one circle to another, introducing Sora as his date only to receive confusion and awkward smiles in return. Was she not on par with these businessfolk? Was Baekhyun out of her league? Was that the reason that made it hard to believe that she was his date? She couldn’t blame them though. Sora is startled by the cool fingertips that gently pat her hand. Her face heats up when she realizes she was tightly gripping Baekhyun’s arm.
“S-sorry…” The apology fumbles from her lips.

“Baekhyun,” Unlike the other polite and hearty greetings Sora heard tonight, this one is cold and stern. The voice was like a cold brick being pressed against her skin. Immediately, she feels Baekhyun’s muscles tense beside her and his hand that had been tenderly guiding her becomes stiff. She glances up at Baekhyun face, noticing the clench in his jaw and the taciturn glint in his eyes. She followed the rough voice to a familiar looking face. She had never seen him before, that’s for sure, but he did oddly remind her of someone. The deadly expression on the man’s face sent chills down Sora’s spine.
“Baekhyun you made it,” The woman beside him nervously greets. Mrs. Byun, Sora connects the voice to her vague memory beneath Baekhyun’s sheets. Meaning… Mr. Byun. Sora shrinks further away when she feels the agitated glare of Mr. Byun falling on her. She begins to slip her hand away from Baekhyun’s arm, but the male doesn’t budge, refusing to let her escape.
“Father, mother.” Baekhyun finally responds with a solid nod.
“Who’s this?” Mr. Byun interrogates, his eyes pointing at Sora’s presence.
“My date.” Baekhyun simply answers, not bothering to share her name. Sora notices the clenched fist at Mr. Byun’s side and the concern pooling it Mrs. Byun’s expression.
“Follow me.” His old man commands, turning on his heels towards the corridor. Baekhyun inhales before letting out a huff of air. His eyes look down at Sora before he speaks.
“I’ll be right back, stay with my mom.” Sora can only nod, worry dripping from her own eyes as she watches Baekhyun follow after his father. Should she follow him anyway? What if something happens? Honestly speaking, she didn’t like the idea of Baekhyun leaving her alone or that his father looked like he was going to combust any moment now.

“What’s your name, honey?” Mrs. Byun’s sweet voice pulls Sora out of her thoughts.
“Will he be okay?” The question pops out before she realizes that it wasn’t an answer to the woman’s question. Mrs. Byun smiles at Sora, her eyes turning into crescents like how Baekhyun’s do.
“Don’t worry about Baekhyun, he’ll be okay.” She assures Sora, but it sounds more like she was assuring herself more than anything.
“I’m Kang Sora, Baekhyun’s… Friend.” Sora introduces herself formally. At the mention of friend, Sora sense the slight relief in his mom. Was Mrs. Byun relieved that she wasn’t anything more than a friend? Again, Sora couldn’t argue against it. What kind of mom would want their son, heir to the fortune, to be running around with some nobody college student?
“What a beautiful name. Baekhyun doesn’t really bring his friends outside of the boys around much.” Mrs. Byun says.
“Well, we’ve only recently became friends. We go to the same university.” Sora lets out an awkward chuckle.

“Mrs. Byun!” A high-pitched voice approaches the two of them. Instantly, Sora wants to dig herself into the ground. Could this night get anymore uncomfortable?
“Yuri, you look beautiful as always!” Mrs. Byun’s face lights up as she opens her arms for a hug. They were definitely close, that’s for sure. Sora should take this time to run away before being caught by the redhead, but where would she even go?
“Ah, Yuri, this is Baekhyun’s friend. You guys go to the same university, so I’m sure you know each other?” Mrs. Byun gestures to Sora. Just what she needed, a personal introduction to Yuri, her worst nightmare. Yuri can’t hide the annoyance that radiates in her eyes when she sees who it is.
“Ah… Kang Sora, strange seeing you here?” Her lips are smiling, but the malice in her voice says otherwise.
“I’m just doing Baekhyun a favor.” Sora replies, her lips being forced into a friendly grin. At the mention of said boy, Yuri’s eye twitches. She wasn’t the best at hiding her emotions.
“Sora, here, is quite popular on campus.” Yuri exclaims, turning her attention back to Mrs. Byun.
“She’s always the talk of the town.” She adds. Sora’s cheeks begin to burn again being reminded of all the rumors that are currently flying around her name these days. Yuri leans over to whisper something into the lady’s ear, immediately resulting in a nervous glance from Mrs. Byun. Great.
“Baekhyun and I are really just friends, I-”

Sora’s words get cut off when she feels a warm hand wrap around her nervous, cold ones, yanking her away and back through the crowd of dresses and suits. She glances over her shoulder, seeing a last glimpse of Mrs. Byun and Yuri. Then she looks forward, her eyes watching the soft, brown hair of Baekhyun’s as he pulls her along. Sora’s feet are barely able to keep up with long strides and it doesn’t help that she’s wearing a long dress with heels in the snow.
“Baekhyun, slow down!” She calls out, slightly out of breath. At the sound of her voice, he listens, turning around suddenly to check on her. Sora lets out a small yelp when she collides into his chest.
“I don’t think you should have stormed out like-” Again, her words are cut short. Her concern shifts like a light switch, when she sees the blood on his skin.
“B-Baekhyun,” Unconsciously, Sora raises her hand to gently trace the new cuts on his skin. He winces as she touches his fresh bruise.
“Let’s go home.” Sora whispers.

For the first time, Sora is the one deciding where to go.

Here's another chapter update for you all! Also, I came to shamelessly plug my new short story featuring Baekhyun called When the Stars Align. It's about a renown wedding planner, Seo Nari, being tasked with her most challenging wedding yet, her first love's, Byun Baekhyun. 

Please show both Opposites Attract and When the Stars Align a lot of love <3
Your comments and excitement are what keep me returning to writing even when I feel like I'm out of creativity :)