It is the middle of Chemistry when I receive a text from Daehyun. In the days leading up to exams, classes are just a sore excuse of sapping students' time when we can be completing our own preparations instead of measly revision questions which I know are not going to be in the exams. Of course, this presumes that all of us are furiously studying, which is evidently incorrect based on the amount of background noises from trending Facebook videos filtering through my classmates' phones. Might I mention that I'm the only one who has a pen out at the moment. Even the teachers are bludging, casually taking out a magazine or a book, or doing who knows what behind their laptop monitors. They've done their job for the time being, relaying the year's worth of content, and it is now solely up to us to decide our performance next week. 

Daehyun

1:15pm - Need to seek ur approval on studying habits - not just talking about the team. U free on Thursday? There's a catch.

I turn around to Daehyun's seat at the edge of the classroom, noticing his textbook flipped open and a paperclip swirling around his fingers. He has his phone placed shamelessly on top of his page as he meets my pointed look with a wink. Daehyun and I had spent a few hours at the library two days ago, dedicating half the time to filling me in on months' worth of experience on ball plays, the other half on maths and chemistry. It was a trade back and forth; Daehyun guided me through ball drills and strategies while I showed him short cuts in solving equations. Ones I had also taught Baekhyun. We developed a joke where we ironically use 'catch' in the context of both basketball and maths. We now use the word to describe something that's trending or an easier way out.

I roll my eyes at Daehyun's grin and type a quick reply.

Sent to Daehyun

1:15pm - Not sure what you're thinking is worthy, really. But you're clearly distressed, so I'll come.

Daehyun

1:16pm - Just stressed, actually.

Sent to Daehyun

1:16pm - Or a damsel in distress?

Daehyun

1:16pm - ._.

We arrange to meet at a coffee place, but agree to leave before dinner. Daehyun doesn't like to stay in his school uniform, and is dressed in casual attire he keeps in his locker as I wait for him by the school boundaries. We settle comfortably in a quiet shop and Daehyun unrolls an A3 page marked with various diagrams. And so, basketball talk initiates, with more knowledgeable input on my part than the last time we sat down.

Halfway through our coffee, my phone lights up enthusiastically from an anonymous caller. I pause my question, switching my gaze to the device, before looking back at Daehyun as if to ask whether I should take it. He gives me a shrug, nodding his chin toward my phone.

Having a mysterious feeling I've been in this situation before, a person clicks into my head as soon as I pick up the call, their voice proving me correct after I greet the caller. 

"Hello?"

"Something came up, so you can't come to my place on Saturday. Do you want to study after my training tomorrow night?" Baekhyun had paused before he spoke, and as soon as I recognise his voice, my eyes dart to Daehyun in a not-so-subtle way.

"Uh, sure?" I say without thinking, not that I am able to under Daehyun's scrutinisation. I shift in my chair so I am no longer directly facing Daehyun, who still hasn't dropped his gaze. "Is something wrong?"

Silence answers me from the other end, and I start to wonder if he is forgetting to reply, or has thought he ended the call and left his phone lying around. "Baekhyun?"

Crap, my mind screams, and my eyes fly to Daehyun's, who is now leaning back in his seat. Daehyun wiggles his eyebrows at me, seeming to say I knew it.

I try to gesture that it isn't what it looks like, that there isn't anything going on between the two of us, that I barely even see him at school half the time except in the one class we share and in the cafeteria. That I don't even have his number and need to rely on him contacting me first, which he could do after Sehun rather irritatingly slipped him my number without my permission. But Baekhyun's sudden response throws the chance of trying to redeem myself in Daehyun's eyes out the window.

"Possibly." His voice is different this time round, and I know I don't know Baekhyun well enough to pinpoint what it is, let alone evaluate what is happening. He sounds tired, and I can almost imagine him running a hand through his messy hair in confliction. But for all I know he could be distracted with something more interesting and can barely remember to feed me replies.

"Okay," I enunciate after Baekhyun doesn't offer anything more. "Well, see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah," Baekhyun breathes, and ends the call just like that.

I stare at my empty phone, wondering if everything really is okay on Baekhyun's end. It offends me to think he was pouring his attention elsewhere while speaking with me, but I would have preferred it, if it came down to either that or a troubled Baekhyun. I hope he hasn't meddled with any of his girls and finally encountered drama, for even I, having never understood the prospect of relationships, can see this isn't a very healthy phase in this point of time. Exams are closing in.

"Is something the matter?" Daehyun shakes my thoughts away.

"I'm not so sure," I answer honestly. Tiffany has always said that Baekhyun keeps personal things to himself. Sehun comes as the closest to a best friend to Baekhyun and even he knows no more than half the things going on. I don't expect Baekhyun to share anything with me. We aren't even friends... I think.

"Hmm." Daehyun stirs his teaspoon in his drink with futility, seeming deep in thought. I wonder if the captain shares a special bond with Baekhyun. The former is friendly and playful, seeming a guy who can keep things quiet. He's also respected by Baekhyun. If this is the case, can Daehyun have some idea of what is bothering Baekhyun?

"Seeing him tomorrow, hmm?" Daehyun's sudden thoughtful tone immediately lumbers into the sly zone, temporarily crushing my suspicions of the two boys' friendship.

"It's, it's not like that," I squeak, cheeks colouring. "We're just meeting up to..."

"Meeting up to?" he prompts.

Does Daehyun know that I tutor Baekhyun? Well, he's about to find out now. "I'm helping Baekhyun study for the half-yearlies."

Daehyun is quiet, eyes on me as he processes this, before he dramatically gasps. "You two go on study dates?!" His grin stretches further. "God, Taeyeon, I didn't know you two were in this far! That brat hadn't told me anything! How long has this been going on for? A month or two?"

I stare at my friend, speechless.

Daehyun interprets my silence as encouragement for him to continue. "Get in, Taeyeon!" he practically whoops. "Man, I should've thought of study dates earlier. I was thinking how you two were possibly going to fit in each other's company - wait no, is that why you guys are already so close? Man, who hooked you two up? It's not in Baekhyun's nature to ask someone to help him with school work. I'm actually so surprised he agreed to even sit down and do some work."  Daehyun snaps his fingers, his mouth running like a motor. "You asked him, didn't you? Have you been interested in Baekhyun for a while? Offered him help but never said the word 'date', am I right? I must be."

"You are not," I roll my eyes, finally finding my voice again. "It's a long story, but neither of us really wanted this. I tutor him, because he needs the marks. We're doing this for our own benefits." As soon as I say this, I realise how bad I sound. My eyes widen. "I mean, I have my own motives, and Baekhyun has his, so we just meet up once a week." Well, that was hardly a better way to phrase it, good on you Taeyeon. Daehyun's eyebrows rose at "motives" and I cringe at the way he eyes me wordlessly. I don't tell him that one meet-up is about to increase in the coming week.

He clicks his tongue. "Don't deny there's something going on between you two. Sometimes, you need to accept the hard facts, Taeyeon." Daehyun then smiles genuinely. "I'm glad that you're able to do this to him."

Curiousity perks. "Do what?"

"Change him. Have you ever heard of Baekhyun being in a real relationship? Ever thought of it? I'm happy for the both of you."

"There is no relationship!" I groan, but replay Daehyun's words in my mind. Change him. Me? Change Baekhyun? In whatever way so?

I don't ask Daehyun this, but instead let him ramble on the prospect of our 'relationship', knowing that eventually we can peacefully return to our basketball strategies.

That night, I sit on my bed, looking at my phone, the realisation of not knowing where Baekhyun wanted to study tomorrow hitting me somewhere in the middle of dinner. Him having my number and calling me anonymously is really starting to annoy me. Inconsiderate, that boy is, or just adamant in not revealing his number.

Call me, text me, I will the intangible Baekhyun, but my phone stays blank and quiet. If he doesn't set a place tonight, then I will have to find him tomorrow at school, something especially inconvenient since we don't have our PDH lesson during the day - the only class I share with him - and I have no intention of walking up to his table at lunch. Maybe I will in fact, resolve to catching him during his basketball training. I need to collect some diagrams off Daehyun anyway.

Throughout the evening I couldn't bite back my worries about Baekhyun. No matter how many times I've convinced myself Baekhyun is barely a friend, or the memories of how unfriendly he's been treating me, rendering me in an extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing state, the crushing pyramid continues to build in my chest until I find myself desperately needing to know what is happening.

My eyes flicker to my phone for the hundredth time again, mind whirling around the friendship concept. And then it lights up.

I snatch my phone, eyes clinging to the 'Unknown' ID. It has to be him.

'Hello?'

I am met with silence on the other end, the faint buzzing of electricity making my heart thump louder and louder.

"Hello?" I say again.

I am starting to doubt whether it is Baekhyun over the line, or some menial miscall where the person is eerily failing to respond. Suddenly, my call ends and I am left staring at my blank screen in confusion.

"Well then," I say to my empty room, before my phone vibrates with a message.

XX-XXXXXXXXXX
8:23pm - Are you coming to our training tomorrow?

I squint at the digits, not recognising the number at all. I already had Daehyun's number saved in my contact list and I can't possibly have connections with anyone else on the basketball team... except the boy who's constantly been intruding my thoughts. But I just need to make sure who this person is before I give my answer, because what if it isn't Baekhyun?

Checking the number two more times, I hit the call button and wait. My heart leaps when the ringing stops short.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Why are you texting me?" I retort back, surprising myself.

A second passes. "Isn't it obvious I had something to ask?"

"You could've asked me when you called me just before."

"What call?"

This makes me short of breath. So it wasn't Baekhyun making that silent call. Perhaps someone called the wrong number.

"Never mind. I had to make sure this was your number, since you've been very kind with letting me know."

"You didn't have my number before?" Baekhyun's voice is laced with genuine surprise. I feel an urge to head out at this time of the night and catch the bus to his mansion, just so I can thump him on the head. And then I remember that it isn't Kai or Sehun's stupidity I'm dealing with here, but Baekhyun's.

"No," I strain the word hard as I can. "How could I possibly have your number when you keep calling me with a blocked ID?"

He pauses. "Oh."

God, I hiss in my mind. "But to answer your question, yes, I'll be there tomorrow night."

"Okay," Baekhyun answers rather bluntly, and hangs up almost immediately.

For the third time that night, I stare at my phone in shock, before grumbling curses at Baekhyun and throwing my phone on the bed. That boy drives me nuts sometimes.