WARNING: Before you read this, I would like to warn you that this Chapter may have touched some pressing issues. I didn't intend to hurt or bash anyone. So please read with understanding. Thanks. 

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CL had been practicing with Suho and Baekhyun for several days already. For a girl like her, who doesn’t engage in random and funny conversations with guys, it was quite a rare situation that she enjoyed chatting with them. Because she is usually shy around boys, she only talked about stuff that she was comfortable with, like music and fashion. But with Suho and Baekhyun, it was different; she always looked forward to their practices.

The other 2NE1 members noticed the odd attitude of their leader. At their dorm, CL talked about them non-stop. She always tells them what happened during practice and how funny they were, especially Baekhyun. There was even one time when she laughed unstoppably and ended up on the floor while holding her stomach in pain from laughing.

“…and you know what, Baekhyun-sshi...” she continued telling Dara what happened at practice that day.

Dara interrupted her with a suspicious smile.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” CL asked, feeling a little annoyed.

“Nothing. I just noticed that you kept on talking about your practices a lot lately,” she answered.

“Why? Bom-unnie and Minji-ah do the same. Even you kept on talking about it!” she exclaimed.

“I know. But the way you tell it, it’s not CL-ish” she carefully stated.

CL raised her eyebrows. “CL-ish?”

“Yeah, you know. Not the usual you. I mean, you never talked about boys that much except for Teddy-oppa and Jiyong-ah. I can understand if you talk about them a lot. And by them, I meant Suho-sshi and Baekhyun-sshi, but you only talk about the latter!”

“What are you trying to say?” she skeptically asked.

“Chaerin-ah…” she tightly held her hand, telling her to be honest with her. “Do you like Baekhyun-sshi?”

“W-what? A-are y-you s-seriously a-asking me th-that?” she stuttered extremely. She can feel her face burning.

Dara affirmatively looked at her.

“Aigoo unnie! Don’t joke, okay?” she said with a very noticeably shaky voice. Her whole body started trembling. She kept on twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers.

“Aigoo! Chaerin-ah! You’re too cute!” Dara blurted out.

“WHAT?!” Her voice was in a high-pitched tone now. “Unnie! Stop thinking about other stuff, okay!”

“Just tell me the truth? I won’t laugh or judge you” she assured her.

CL threw her hands in the air and stood up. “Aish! I won’t stay here and chat with you. This is pointless.”

“Pointless? Really? It’s just a simple question. And if your answer is a no, you could’ve answered immediately, but Chaerin-ah…” she seriously looked at her. “…you still haven’t said no.”

CL’s whole face was flushed. Her heart was pounding crazily on her chest. She slowly sat down and put her face against her palms.

“Aigoo! Chaerin-ah! You funny little kid.” She cooed.

CL innocently looked at her. “Unnie, don’t tell other people, huh? And don’t tease or judge me. You promised!”

“Of course, I won’t.” She smiled, re-assuring her. “So, what made you like him? You’re Lee Chaerin! You only like hip hop and fashion!”

CL laughed frantically. “Really? Hip hop and fashion? You sound like, I should get a life!”

Dara laughed with her. “It’s true. You never liked boys that much. You feel very awkward around them.                      

“I know, right? But Baekhyun-sshi is different. He is funny and doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I don’t have a reason to be shy around him” she reasoned out.

“Hmm… you make it sound like Baekhyun-sshi is a very perfect guy.”

“Of course he is not perfect, but he’s different” she smiled sheepishly. “Unnie! Don’t tell anyone, okay? Not even Chanyeol-sshi!”

Dara replied with a sisterly smile.

It was Thursday and CL was scheduled to practice with her vocal partners. She arrived early, as usual, and did her daily routine; greeting everyone first and then heading to the studio to relax.

After a few minutes, she headed towards the practice room. The lights at the room were still off and she went in without turning it on. She settled her things at the sound booth and plugged her IPhone on the computer. EXO’s Miracles in December softly played on the speakers around the practice room. She sat at the sofa and closed her eyes.

Baekhyun didn’ notice CL coming in the room because he had his eyes closed and earphones on. But when he heard their song playing louder than 2NE1’s Missing You on his earphones, he looked up and saw a girl sitting by the sound booth. He smiled upon realizing that it was CL.

He walked towards her and lightly touched her shoulders.

“OMO!” she immediately stood up. “Baekhyun-sshi! You surprised me.  How long have you been here?” she said in a high pitched voice.

“Sorry. I think I was already here before you came in. I didn’t notice you, I just heard Miracles on December playing” he replied with his cute smile.

“Oh” she thought about what to say. “This song is really good.”

“Thanks” he replied.

After a few minutes of chatting, Suho arrived with Kris. Both of them stood up and greeted the two leaders.

“I wasn’t informed that we had practice, Kris-sshi” she confusedly stated.

“It’s because you don’t have a practice with us. Teddy hyung called me and Tao. He wanted to arrange our parts. He didn’t include you since you have practice with these two” he coolly replied.

“Oh. Really?” She felt embarrassed. Kris just nodded.

He left the room when Tao arrived and the people left behind started practicing right away.

Soon enough, lunch time came. Suho couldn’t spend lunch with them because he had to be on Super Junior’s radio show.

Since they had a lot of time on their hands, CL and Baekhyun went to a farther place to have lunch but they took some of the back-up dancers with them. They went to Se7en’s restaurant, Yeolbeong which is very popular among other celebrities.

They went inside and sat at the corner, away from the many diners. Baekhyun sat across CL while everyone else sat around, trying to hide them.

A waiter came, and they placed their orders.

The whole time, all of them were chatting and laughing. They looked like a bunch of college kids goofing around. That’s what they thought.

At a table not too far from them, 4 pairs of eyes were glued on the boy and girl at the middle facing each other as they listened and laugh at their friends stories.

“Yah! Isn’t that Baekhyun-ah?” said a thin girl, with long, defined face features.

“Jessica unnie, you’re seeing things again!” said another girl, who is much taller than her.

“No Sooyoung, I’m not. Look! That’s really Baekhyun-ah!” she replied.

“Unnie, are you sure that’s Baekhyun? But why will he be with 2NE1’s CL?” asked a girl that looked so much like her, but only younger.

“Krystal-ah! Seriously? First, your sister says it is Baekhyun and now CL? C’mon, why would they be together?” said the fourth girl with them. She was older than Krystal but younger than her the other SNSD members.

“Seohyun unnie! I think you and Sooyoung-uunie have to look closer! I think it’s really Baekhyun and CL!” the youngest was becoming hysterical.

They all looked towards that table and had their mouths hanged open upon realizing that it really was Baekhyun and CL with a bunch of unfamiliar people.

“OMO! I-it’s really them, but why are they together?” Seohyun asked.

“I think it’s for that Gayo performance?” Jessica answered.

“Oh. But they’re eating out? Are they really that close?” Sooyoung asked skeptically.

“Does Taeyeon unnie know this?” the youngest member of SNSD asked.

Months ago, Baekhyun and Taeyeon started dating, but it never got out of the public. Only people from SM knew it.

“Yeah, Baekhyun mentioned that they are practicing with 2NE1” Jessica remembered.

“What I meant was, does unnie know that they are close enough to hang out outside YG building?” she rephrased.

They all looked again at the two, this time they were keenly observing them. They did not leave until the other group was done.

CL was the last one to stand up. When they were at the door, Baekhyun held it open for her and waited until she got out.

“Thanks.” CL smiled at him.

The next day, CL was again scheduled to practice with the same people since Kris and Tao are still on the process of arranging their song.

“Good morning!” CL greeted Baekhyun and Suho who was already at the practice room.

“Good morning, CL-sshi!” Suho greeted back while Baekhyun just looked at her and nodded indifferently.

CL was surprised at his greeting, but she didn’t mind him.

Their practice went on smoothly. Aside from Baekhyun’s cold attitude towards CL, everything was much better than it usually were.

CL couldn’t help but be bothered by the change in Baekhyun’s attitude. “What’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?” she kept on thinking.

They day ended without an interaction between them.

Suho needed to leave immeaidately for another schedule. CL gladly bid him goodbye.

“I feel sorry for you. You have to att