I watched Kibum discreetly from the corner of my eyes as he got inside the cafeteria and sat on the table near the window. It has been two weeks since I last saw him.

I noticed how gloomy he looked. He slouched in his seat and covered his eyes with his hands, looking really stressed.

"What are you looking at?"

I jumped off from my seat, hearing someone's voice so close to my ear. I turned to see where the voice had came from, to realize that it was Baekhyun, bending down next to my ear. 

He smirked when he saw my surprised expression. 

"Baekhyun..." 

"Or may I say who are you looking at?"

I crossed my arms and gave him my what-do-you-want look. "Can you just---"

"He'll melt if you keep staring at him like that." He told me while pointing towards Kibum at the other corner.

"I'm not staring at him." 

"Really?"

"I'm not!" I rolled my eyes at him before turning back into what I'm eating.

"If that's what you say."

"Why do you care anyway..."

He sat down beside me, so close that when I turned around, my clothes brushed against his.

"Whoa!" Baekhyun's eyes bulged at my king-sized plate while he stared at his puny sized dessert. "That's not fair... the cafeteria guys are playing favourites. Oh, I like this." He took a spoonfull from my patbingsu and shoved it in his mouth.

My mouth was slightly ajar when I turned towards him. 

"Did you... just... took my food?"

Baekhyu grinned back at me and gave me a pat on my cheek. "It's delicious."

"You seriously need to get your coffin ready. Who knows, it might be your funeral tomorrow."

"I don't think so. I still haven't married, we still don't have our kids yet---"

"Mwo?"

"Huh? Nothing... you know Eunji, this patbingsu is really delicious.. and we both have the same preference over the toppings we want. I like this! And this too! It's so sweet! Especially the strawberry and this kiwi too!"

"Buy your own food will you! And... and... don't use my spoon! Give it to me!"

"It's been a while since I last had this. My nanny used to make patbingsu for me when I was still young. I still remember that one hot summer afternoon, I came from school and my nanny prepared one for me. It was the best I've had in my entire life!"

"You're the noisiest guy I've ever met in my life, seriously..." I muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

He cleared his throat and moved closer to me, closing what little distance was left between our seats. I nervously looked around and saw nasty looks thrown at me. I can feel the deathglares the girls on the other table are giving me. They were even whispering among themselves. 

"Hey... move away... can't you see those girls, they're like ready to strangle me anytime..."

"Why would they?"

I tried to move away but he sat again closer to me.

Suddenly, a girl walked towards our table. It was Suzy Bae, one of the most popular girls in our school. She smiled shyly at Baekhyun.

"H-hi... Baek... I can see that you are enjoying that dessert. Here, I bought a whole serving for you..." She blushed and shyly passed him the plate.

Baekhyun's eyebrows raised up. "It's okay... no need for that... I enjoy sharing my food with my girl." He said as he held my hand gently.

My eyes widened and the bean I'm chewing got stucked on my throat causing me to choke and cough. "What are you sayi---"

He glanced at Suzy once and smiled. "Thank you though, Suzy."

That Suzy girl replied with a frown and walked away.

"My food huh? It's mine! You... Byun Baekhyun... tell me... are you hitting on me?"

He bursted out laughing. "That's the silliest idea!"

"Good, because I'll hit you in the face if you do. Quit following me everywhere I go too." I snapped at him. 

"Why? Why can't I?"

"Because... because..."

"Because of Kibum?"

"Huh?"

I looked at Kibum from the corner of my eye and found him staring at me too. 

><

The bell rang.

I let out a sigh of relief. The class was finally over. Arching my back, I stretched and rubbed the back of my head before handing my paper to the teacher passing by. I grabbed my bag and practically shoved all my things inside when I heard a voice beside me.

"Eunji."

A familiar voice made me stop and I turned my head slowly. My breathing stopped when my eyes landed on his face.

"How are you?"

"Fine... you?"

"Not good... you've been busy I see..."

"The practice for the school musical takes all my time." I said as I looked away.

"Yeah... you got the lead role. I was there when they announced it. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

I gulped, feeling nervous. I tried my best to keep my stare straight. However, I could still feel his intense gaze on me.

"You've been avoiding me... If not for this class, I wouldn't have the chance to talk to you..."

I took a deep breath as I found the courage to look at his face. "Yes, I am."

"You've been also avoiding even my texts and calls... I miss you... so much."

I didn't know what to say to him, and honestly, I couldn't think of any reason at all with him being so close to me. 

"Hey... Eunji... are you listening?"

I stared at him blankly and said no word to him at all.

"Say something... please..."

My heart started to beat faster when he grasped my hand.

I pulled away from my thoughts immediately and pulled my hand back.

"... things will never be the same."

My voice was so weak that even Kibum wasn't even sure he heard me right.

"...what?"

I inhaled slowly before speaking again, this time a little louder. "Things wouldn't be just like the way it was. Now... if you'll excuse me, I have to go..."

I was to walk away when he pulled my wrist. 

"Please... don't do this. I don't want to lose you."

I stared at him right in the eye. He looked back at me with an unfamiliar expression in his eyes. I pressed my lips together, not able to find the words to give him. 

I swallowed down the knot in my throat and looked away.

"I understand... you don't want to lose your besfriend, right? But... please give me time first, Kibum... to move on..."

"Let me at least walk you home. It's late. It's not safe for you to---"

"No."

"Eunji..."

"Please..." I said hoarsely in a bitter tone without looking at his face.

"Is this about that boy? Baekhyun?"

I looked up and thought I saw a glimmer of hurt in his eyes, but I immediately figured out that it was just my imagination.

"No..."

"Then why?"

"Are you playing dumb? Are you blind? There's a crack in my heart right now... please give me the time to heal it first. Avoiding you... I'm doing it for myself..."

An awkward silence followed. Just when I was busy thinking of a reasonable excuse to get far away from him, suddenly, the excuse presented itself.

"Eunji!"

My eyes practically glowed in relief when I saw Baekhyun, standing in front of our classroom.

I immediately walked in fast pace towards him. Before I reached the door, I briefly looked back and saw Kibum's murderous gaze on Baekhyun. 

><

"I know what happened in the music room." Baekhyun gently said as we walked down the street.

I suddenly felt I wanted to cry.  "... you eavesdropped."

"No... I just happened to pass by and heard it all... it wasn't on purpose, I swear."

"That's all the same."

I felt Baekhyun was about to say something so I immediately looked at him straight in the eye and silently begged him not so say a word.

"You okay?"

You know sometimes, when you think you’re okay, but when someone asks you ‘are you okay,’ and you just burst into tears? That’s what happened to me. Baekhyun’s question tipped me over and I just lost it.

Before I knew it, I felt him put his arms around me. He began whispering words of consolation into my ears. He then said, “I’m sorry.”

“... so you heard how pathetic I was... with him...” I said through tears. I felt miserable as ever.

"You're not pathetic in my eyes." He leveled his face with mine and stared at my ugly red crying face. He held out his handkerchief and wiped the tear that rolled down my cheek. "I told you not to cry for someone who doesn't deserve your tears."

“Easy for you to say.” I managed to stutter as my tears calmed down and I wiped away the last of them, “You don't know how it feels."

"Maybe.. you're right... maybe I don't know the feeling of loving your own bestfriend... but I know the feeling of loving someone who doesn't even know you exist.  You know? I have this huge crush on a girl for four freakin' years and she hadn't even have the slightest idea. Not even a bit. I tried my best to let her know, though. What's worse is that I had to see her cry about having her heart broken... if it was only me..."

"That's sad... and impossible. For her not to know you? You're famous."

"Not for that girl."