Chapter Nine

Take mine, sweetheart…

Sora’s heart seems to ceaselessly beat against her rib cage as those words resonate in her mind. Her face burns with warmth as she relives the moment. The soft material of his blazer, his confident tone, his piercing gaze. Her stomach churns at the thought. Was she embarrassed? Guilty for being caught with Jongin? That wasn’t anything wrong though, right? Sora glances out the passenger window as the city’s night life flashes by in blurs of neon, allowing some type of distraction. She watches as the mirage of colors, people, and streets muddle together. The low hum of R&B music creates an atmosphere that makes it almost too easy to zone out and Sora does exactly so. She doesn’t even realize when the car comes to a stop outside of her apartment complex.
“We’re here.” The voice snaps her out of her trance. She looks to the driver side, blinking blankly at the male.
“Thanks for the night, Jongin. Dinner was great.” Sora sends him a weak smile. She wasn’t lying. She enjoyed the food and laughter. She didn’t even mind that he was the person sitting across from her all night. Jongin’s eyes scan Sora’s expression as he always did when they were together. He had become an expert at reading Sora after spending most of high school with her. After a moment, he decides to reply.
“It was my pleasure.” He nods with a carefree smile. He knew Sora and getting her to share her thoughts was harder than time travel.
“Are you not coming up?” Sora suddenly questions him when she realizes that he hadn’t parked in the resident lot. His heart flutters at the concerned expression that falls upon Sora’s face.
“I have to stop by my mom’s place.” Jongin explains. Sora nods as she unbuckles her seatbelt, getting ready to make her exit. She’s just about to slide out of the passenger seat when a warm hand embraces hers. She looks over her shoulder, a bit taken aback by the sudden contact.

“A clean slate?” Jongin’s voice is soft and timid. It’s only then does Sora realize she never really responded to his proclamation earlier. He doesn’t let Sora tear her gaze away from his. She gulps, not enjoying the pressure of having to give an answer on the spot.
“A-as friends.” She mumbles out. It doesn’t hurt to be his friend still, right? They had gotten along just fine tonight and truthfully speaking, she enjoyed spending time with Jongin. His aura was lighthearted and easy going. She could just relax being around him.
“Better than nothing.” He chuckles, releasing her hand from his.
“I’ll see you around Sora.”

It's been four days without a glimpse of Byun Baekhyun. Usually, she’d at least see said boy walking around campus with his posse of idiots, but his presence was nonexistent on campus. Sora would be lying if she said it didn’t feel strange. His ever-pestering aura was being slightly missed.
“Here you go.” Jongin slides a small cup of coffee from the vending machine across the table before sliding into the empty seat beside her. He goes straight to his open textbook, not sparing Sora another second of his attention. Jongin had pretty much made himself a normal occurrence in Sora’s life over the past few days. He would join her in the student lounge to study in between his research sessions, drop off side dishes his mom conveniently oversupplied, and even drove her back to the apartment complex whenever his schedule aligned. Jongin was naturally fitting himself to her mundane life and she couldn’t deny that his consistent presence was nice. Jongin had always been steady and consistent.

“Look at you two nerds.” Eunhae snickers as she joins the duo at the table.
“It’s called studying, you should try it some time.” Jongin jokes as he leans back in his chair to stretch.
“Pass.” She waves her hand in dismissal.
“By the way, don’t you have to get going?” She adds, tapping her wristwatch. Jongin glances at the time, silently cursing as he frantically begins tossing his belongings into this backpack. He leaves in a whirlwind of a mess, barely able to muster a goodbye to the girls.

“Now that pretty boy’s gone…” Eunhae chimes as she turns her gaze upon Sora.
“Hmm?” Sora hums, still writing down her notes.
“Guess what I just found out.” Eunhae prompts. Sora still refuses to look away from her work. Knowing Eunhae, the news could be just about anything from a new store opening to a murder case being solved.
“Byun Baekhyun is engaged.”

Snap.

Sora watches as the lead of her pencil rolls off her notebook and onto the floor. Did she hear that right? Byun Baekhyun? Engaged?
“W-What?” The word fumbles out of her.
“I overheard Lee Yuri going on and on about some bracelet that her fiancé gave her. Her fiancé: Byun Baekhyun.” Eunhae explains. An image of the annoying red head that confronted Sora pops in her head.
“I mean they were hooking up on and off, so I guess it’s not that surprising?” Eunhae continues to say her thoughts aloud, leaving Sora to ponder about it all.
“Not to mention, their parents are pretty buddy-buddy in the business world.” She adds.
“I guess you’re not too concerned though, you’ve got Jongin.” Eunhae teases with a wink. Sora’s face flushes at Eunhae’s statement.
“Jongin is just a friend.” Sora retorts. Eunhae rolls her eyes.
“It’s been less than a week and he sees you more than I do. Then again, you were just hanging out with Baekhyun last week and now he’s engaged.” Exactly. Baekhyun was unceasingly stuck to her side for the past few weeks. He wouldn’t disappear. But why? Why, when he’s engaged? Was that how he spent his free time? Bothering unsuspecting girls? Making their hearts race and then disappearing? Was she surprised though? He was friends with Oh Sehun.
“You okay?” Eunhae’s voice pulls Sora out of her thoughts. Sora realizes that she was clenching her hands into fists. Embarrassed by her unconscious reaction she starts packing her things.
“I’m fine. I forgot I have something to do today.” Sora lies as she zips up her bag.
“I knew it.” Eunhae crosses her arms, leaning back in her chair.
“Huh?”
“You like Baekhyun.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”

Sora is head deep into her TV drama, face mask painted, pop cans opened, and chip crumbs scattered across the coffee table. It’s been a while since she’s been able to just do nothing at night with classes and well, Baekhyun dragging her everywhere. At the thought of said male, Sora’s mind seems to linger away from the plot of the drama and back to him.

Ding!

Byun Baekhyun: Come down.

Her breath gets caught in at the message dancing on her phone screen. Byun Baekhyun seemed to always have the best timing. It was like he was inside her head, listening to whenever the Baekhyun alarm went off.

Byun Baekhyun: Now.

Sora doesn’t seem to question why Baekhyun was downstairs and asking for her. Before she knows it she has a pair of rubber slippers on and the elevator doors open to the lobby. She lets out a small yelp when she runs into a firm chest.
“Whoa, sweetheart. I know you’re excited to see me, but slow down.” Baekhyun’s teasing tone fills the elevator as he enters, guiding Sora back into the metal box as well.
“What are you doing here?” Sora questions him, turning to face him. His electric blue hair is no more, replaced by a shaggy pile of chestnut brown, softening the edginess that usually embodies Baekhyun. Sora’s eyes follow the light tracing of a bruise forming on Baekhyun’s bottom lip. She can’t stop the concern that erupts on her face, but Baekhyun ignores it as he asks what floor she lives on.
“Four…” She answers. He reaches over to press the button, unable to suppress the sudden wince of pain from escaping his throat.
“What happened?” The question slips out almost silently from her lips. He doesn’t give an answer though, as usual.

Baekhyun’s eyes saunter back and forth around the small living room, taking in the quaint and simple decorations. Just as he expected from Kang Sora. Sora’s face burns with heat again, but this time she knows for sure it’s because she’s embarrassed. Of all times for Baekhyun to barge into her apartment, it had to be tonight. She quickly tosses the empty cans into her recycling bin and brushes the crumbs into a small trash can, mumbling an apology for the state of her apartment. Baekhyun only chuckles at her flustered behavior.

“Can I spend the night?” If Sora was flustered before she didn’t know what she was now.
“W-What?” She stutters. Baekhyun doesn’t look at her as he toys with the small trinkets on her shelf.
“Can I spend the night?” He asks again, just as casually as the first time. Baekhyun winces again as he sets a book back down on the shelf. He’s only met with silence.
“I’m locked outside of my house and none of my friends are replying.” He adds as he comes back to couch and falls onto the soft cushion. Sora glances at Baekhyun’s arm, noticing the slight tint of color in the black dress shirt. Immediately, she leaves the room, taking Baekhyun by surprise. He’s about to call out her name when she suddenly emerges from the kitchen with a small box in her hands.
“You’re bleeding, Baekhyun.” Sora points out as she sits beside him.
“I’m fine.” He insists. Sora rolls her eyes, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.
“I said I wanted to spend the night, you’re moving a bit fast, don’t you think?” Leave it to Baekhyun to continue to even when he’s injured.
“Let me treat your wounds and then you can stay.” Sora barters. Baekhyun pretends to contemplate the idea, wasting time just to aggravate the girl.
“Baek-“
“Deal.” His cheeky grin dances on his face as he begins to his dress shirt. It only dawns now that Baekhyun is shirtless beside her in her leaving room when his pale chest comes to view.

Sora learns something new about Byun Baekhyun. He is a baby. Zero pain tolerance. After about the 50^th whimper of his, she throws daggers at him with her eyes.
“I can’t help you if you keep moving.” She huffs out, this close to defeat.
“It hurts.” Baekhyun pouts. That one simple action melts her heart into a goopy mess. She wanted to be angry at the boy, but it was hard to when he looked so pitiful and well… cute.

“So, your boyfriend doesn’t come by?” Baekhyun suddenly asks. Sora raises a brow. Boyfriend? As far as she knows she’s been single since high school. He must think Jongin…
“Your fiancé can’t open the door for you?” The question pops out before she knows it. Baekhyun’s lips curl into that smirk of his, not without eliciting another flinch.
“Someone sounds a little jealous.” His voice rings in that annoying tone of his.
“But I would rather sleep outside than be stuck in a house with her.” He adds. So, it’s true, he’s engaged. It doesn’t seem like good news though.
“Jongin is just a friend.” Sora says as she pours rubbing alcohol onto the cloth.
“That you chose over me. I thought we were closer than that, sweetheart.” He pouts again, blinking innocently at her. Sora’s insides seem to flip at his words. Was he jealous? He must be fooling with her again. Baekhyun knows how to use his words wisely. She firmly presses the cloth against his open wound, eliciting a yelp of misery from the boy.
“Could you be any less gentle?” He mutters with a pointed look. Sora only gives him a tightlipped smile.

“Scoot closer, you have a cut on the corner of your mouth.” She motions him forward and he obediently obeys. She begins dabbing the ointment on his cut, leaning in closely to make sure she’s doing it properly. She can smell the soft hint of mint gum on his breath.
“You’re in a gang and Sehun’s the leader, huh?” Sora interrogates him as she still tends to his wounds.
“You’ve got quite an imagination, sweetheart.” Baekhyun chuckles, lighting knocking his knuckles against her head. She frowns at his action, but he only sticks his tongue out at her.
“Then why are you always bruised and battered?” She asks, thinking about to their night at the university’s pool.
“I’m just a rebel.” He shrugs with a mischievous grin. Sora is unconvinced and he knows it.

“Done.” Sora sighs as she begins to move back, but Baekhyun’s firm grip wraps around her wrist, keeping her in place. Their eyes lock and her heart stops.
“I’m not engaged.” Baekhyun simply states. Sora is confused by the relief that floods into her chest. Why did it matter to her?
“I don’t really care, Baekhyun.” Sora replies, pulling herself away from him.
“Sure, you don’t.” Baekhyun smirks, leaning back into the couch cushions.
“I was just clarifying it. I don’t like rumors running around about me.” He shrugs his shoulders.
“That’s hard to believe since you seem to do everything that leads to rumors.” Sora scoffs, referring to his endless shenanigans he manages to drag her into. 
“Correction, I don’t like rumors running around about me… Unless they involve you.”

Sora returns to the living room with a blanket in tow. Baekhyun’s already snoozing the night away on the couch, his head propped up on a cheap décor pillow. She tiredly sighs as she sprawls the blanket over him, making sure his feet were covered as well.  She takes a moment to watch the rise and fall of his chest. Sleeping Baekhyun was even different. There were too many sides of Baekhyun that kept appearing, confusing Sora. How did she get to this point? Byun Baekhyun was knocked out on her sofa and she willingly allowed it.

Byun Baekhyun was an unending puzzle, just when Sora thought she could sum him up, another piece of the puzzle was presented. He was unsteady and inconsistent. Dragging her to crash weddings one day and MIA the next. He was a mystery. He would show up in her life all battered, but without any explanations. Why was he always budding into her life and why did she not mind it?

You like Baekhyun.