A month later, you find yourself with Sehun as the both of you follow the orientation group. It is the first week of university and it is just a week of getting familiar with the facilities. Sehun has already garnered a small group of squealing girls that dies every time he smiles at them or speaks to them. You about him but he ignores you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. He isn't actually in the same orientation group as you are but he decided that he didn't really need to follow rules.

"We can meet Baekhyun hyung later and have dinner together," Sehun suggests.

You hum in agreement, appearing to look calm and collected as usual. Baekhyun and you had met up a few times after that little date. It is unnerving because every time you see him or just hear his name, your heart starts beating wildly and you can feel yourself getting nervous. It had been so long since you liked someone and you are not sure if this was a symptom that said that you like Baekhyun. You don't like the feeling though because it makes you feel as if your emotions are revolving around him.

You try not to make your emotions rule over you though. Because you know how messy it could get. But you haven't met him for a few weeks already and you didn't want to be the one initiating a meet-up. Sehun texts Baekhyun about the plan and he receives a reply almost instantaneously. The three of you are having dinner together. You are slightly twitching with nerves because you haven't met him in so long. Although, you are also a little excited that you are going to see him.

To keep yourself from thinking about Baekhyun, you start teasing Sehun again. His crush on you has faded after you made your stand clear to him that you only see him as a close friend whom you cherish a lot. And it is enough for him. It is actually more than enough to know that you actually treat him as a close friend and on top of that, one that you keep close to yourself. He still protects you like he is your knight in shining armor and you don't mind it. He is an amazing boy and sometimes you wish that you weren't so closed off and that you could have seen him as more than a friend.

"Sehun-ah, I think you can go be an idol," you nudge him when you see that the majority of girls are on your side of the group.

"Can you shut up already?!" Sehun groans, slumping and leaning his weight on you.

But you're not the only one who teases because apparently, the girls are slightly intimidated by you. Especially when you whisper to Sehun while eyeing them like you are talking about them. Well, you are talking about them, but they just assume that you are talking bad about them although all you do is annoy Sehun.

"I'm getting lesser fangirls, can you get away from me?" Sehun scoffs even though his arm is around your shoulder, keeping you there.

The day goes on like this; you teasing him and vice versa. When the both of you are waiting for Baekhyun at his car, you feel your heart palpitating like it is going to leap out of your chest. But you manage to hide it successfully since Sehun is still talking to you about how Tao and him met up yesterday to play basketball. You are glad that your friends are getting acquainted. It is amazing that they could make friends so easily while you, on the other hand, take so long just to accept people into your list of acquaintances.

"Tao's accent is so cute!" Sehun is gushing like a girl and you give him a weird look. "What?"

"Sehun, tell me," you put a hand on his shoulder as you look at him seriously. "Are you gay?"

"What— No!" The indignant boy shouts across the car park, causing some passers by to look over. "How did you— Why would you— How?!"

You laugh because seeing a flustered Sehun is amusing. You shrug, "You sound really happy when you talk about Tao oppa."

"Really?" Another voice that doesn't belong to you nor Sehun asks. The both of you turn around to see a grinning Baekhyun and your heart stops for a second too long.

You blink repeatedly as you watch the boy fist bump Sehun. Fortunately, you recover just before they are done talking. Baekhyun smiles at you and you feel like something is off. Or maybe you just haven't seen him in so long, everything looks different. Like how he looks more handsome, how he radiates with joy and how his smile seems to make you want to hug him. Baekhyun ruffles your hair and moves to unlock his car.

Baekhyun insists for you to sit in front since you are a girl and Sehun doesn't disagree. The three of you pile in and while Baekhyun starts up the car, you guys discuss on what to eat. The younger boy wants Japanese, so Baekhyun starts driving to a place where they always go to for Japanese food. Baekhyun glances at you and then at Sehun through the rear view mirror as he asks how the first day of orientation was.

"Sehun is famous," you tell Baekhyun. Before he can ask, you explain because you know that he will ask. "The girls in our group are starstruck by our boy's good looks."

Sehun groans loudly while you and Baekhyun laugh. To add to your misery, the younger boy says, "Yeah, and our girl made friends."

Baekhyun glances at you, looking really shocked. He wants to confirm as he ask, "Really?"

"No," Sehun smirks and you stretch behind to smack his arm. "The girls are scared of her face."

"Not my face!" You shout in annoyance. "Just my... glare."

"Glare?" Baekhyun repeats, slightly laughing. "How do you glare at—"

"You know," the boy behind describes offhandedly. "The glare she gave us before we knew each other."

You throw the boy a death stare until Baekhyun exclaims, "Oh! That glare..."

Your mouth just gapes at the both of them. You had thought that Baekhyun would at least side you on this one! You cross your arms and sit back in your chair. The two idiots are still laughing at you. Baekhyun and Sehun talk for the rest of the ride while you listen without any input. When you have reached the place, all three of you get off. Sehun tugs on your arm, doing aegyo to try to relieve your anger. It only makes you more irritated. He knows it though because he grins before pulling you into a sidehug.

"Ugh, you're so annoying," you grumble.

You sit next to him while Baekhyun sits on the other side of you once you have gotten a table. Baekhyun smiles politely and all of you start examining the menu. Sehun and you are bickering because he isn't sure what to get. So, in order to shut him up, you tell him that you will get the other one so he can share it with you. He is delighted and hugs you out of happiness. You glance at Baekhyun and notice him scrolling through his phone.

"Are you ready to order?" You turn to Sehun, not really wanting to look at Baekhyun at the moment.

"Yeah," Sehun nods, lifting his hand to call for the waitress.

Baekhyun looks up, flashing his radiant smile at the girl and she blushes. He banters with her and you frown. Looking at Sehun, you see that he has the same expression as you do. The both of you just look at each other in question, wondering what is going on with Baekhyun. Sure, he had always been a cheeky boy who teases and jokes people, even strangers. But he had never been one to be flirting with a girl he doesn't know. But what do you know? You remind yourself that you hardly even know the boy.

When the girl has left (after approximately 23 minutes without sending in your orders first), Baekhyun turns his attention back to you guys. Sehun nudges your thigh with his under the table and you think you know what he means. Baekhyun is different. He seems different and he acts different. But you say nothing, merely listening to Sehun talk to Baekhyun. You don't say much the entire time because you are slightly uncomfortable with how you feel like you don't know Baekhyun.

"Hey cupcake, eat your sprouts," Baekhyun scolds out of sudden. You look up at him, slightly confused. He lifts his eyebrows and points his chopsticks to the bean sprouts that you have set aside from your food like it is going to contaminate your dish. "It's good for you, so eat it." You make a face because you really do not like bean sprouts. He sighs, "It's for your own good, cupcake. They're not going to harm you." You frown because he never calls you 'cupcake' twice in a row before. And to be honest, you miss him calling you 'kitten'. When Baekhyun mumbles something really softly, you cannot help but feel really out of your mind.

"When will you stop acting like a brat?"

He must have thought that you were scowling at him but him misunderstanding you isn't the only reason why you feel your fists clench really tightly under the table. Your head snaps to Sehun's hand when you feel him enveloping your fist as he unfolds your fingers. Then he grasps onto your hand tightly. You pay attention to his face and you see that he looks slightly irritated. Feeling him make soothing circles on your hand with his thumb, you calm down slightly. However, that anger and hurt is still broiling within you.

Not only that, you feel something else. But you don't know what it is. It's like even though you are filling your stomach with food, you feel like your stomach is empty. Like your soul has flown away. You silently thank Sehun for keeping you teetered even though it may not be of much help. Swallowing that weird lump in your throat, you blink and compose yourself as well as you can in your state of mind. You take a sip of water, trying to calm yourself down, only to have yourself feel like vomiting.

Trying your best not to just leave the table, you forcefully finish your meal and your bean sprouts. With the help of Sehun, of course. Since he was going to share it with you when you ordered it. Sehun tries to engage you in their conversation but you don't see the point in it if Baekhyun sees you as a brat. When you guys are paying for the meal, the same waitress comes back and takes the bill from the table. She did not care that Baekhyun's friends are here when she openly gave him a piece of paper with her number on it though. You wonder if girls these days are as open and confident as she is.

"I'll give you guys—"

You cut Baekhyun off when you guys have left the restaurant, "We'll go back on our own. Thanks."

With that, you hold onto Sehun's forearm and pull him away. You don't say goodbye to him, just like before when you guys had just met. Sehun shouts a greeting though and you tug on his arm harder. When Sehun has finally turned back around, he brings his hand to your waist, hugging you close to him from the side. He knows not to talk to you when you are mad and you are grateful that he is so familiar with you. Because as much as you are angry, you do not want to give Sehun a treatment that he doesn't deserve.

"I'm craving for ice cream, cupcake," Sehun murmurs shyly. "Can we?"

You nod and he steers you to the closest ice cream place. He gets a cone for each of you, his being fudge brownie and yours being butterscotch. Leaving the place, the both of you sit on a bench along the pavement, waiting for your driver to get here. It is relaxing to eat something cool when summer is here. You don't feel that calming sense that you are supposed to be having though. You feel so hurt, so angry, so...

Heartbroken.

It's like you are angry and sad at the same time. For as long as you can remember, you have always been avoiding emotions. And this time, this is just eating you up. You feel like you have been shot in the chest by your younger brother, someone whom you really cherish and love. Is this the consquence of opening up yourself to someone? After all those years of building up those walls, staying safe behind your fortress, only to have it torn apart by someone who claimed to want to know you and to understand you?

You can't believe you were so stupid, to actually believe in Baekhyun's words. And you hadn't even known him for long! It might have made sense if you actually opened up because of Luhan and Tao, since they are your longest friends. Or why not Sehun and Jongin, who will never hurt you no matter how much you bruise them up? Why the has it got to be Byun Baekhyun?

Author's note:

I'm sooooo so so sorry for updating only now;;; I know this is a short chapter but I don't wanna make this chapter too long because I know it will turn out to be wordy if I continue! The drama will start here, so prepare for a lot of feels.. It'll probably go on for a few chapters, probably until 17-18. Because as much as I wanna try angst, I'm a fluff writer;;;;

Anywho! I'm in Singapore and it's SO humid...I'm missing Melbourne's weather already...

Those who are reading 'His Dark Side', please wait a little longer! I'm going to work on my next chapter right now!! ^-^; Sorry for the long wait..

Till next time
xoxo