I glance up as the basketball captain calls the boys in, exchanging a few words and patting some of them on the back. Daehyun's words are too quiet from the bleachers I'm perched on, chemistry notes surrounding me. I sigh in disappointment. I told Daehyun that I'd be watching them train. However, I had given up so many self-study sessions to learn the strategies Daehyun was pouring on me in the past week that I hadn't realised I still need to brush up on my science.

Daehyun is cutting across the court just as I clip my school bag closed, sending me a warm smile. 

"Good practice?" I ask, stepping down the benches. 

"Great practice," he beams. "Good studying?"

"Horrid studying." I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. "I really was planning to watch you guys train, or the game at the end, in the least. But Chemistry is haunting me right now." 

He waves his hand in the air dismissively. "Exams first, your favourite basketball team later." 

"I don't even know your team." I roll my eyes. "Give me a little more time, to plan and polish a few more things. Are you going to increase the trainings after the exams?"

Daehyun nods. "Right after."

I tap my chin, humming. "Will two weeks be enough to be familiar with our new strategies?" 

"Perhaps we won't be completely practiced, but I'm hoping we'll at least improve from where we are now. There's not much we can do at this stage, the exams are really placed at an inconvenient time for us. I'm letting the boys off next Friday, but the following Monday we're back in here." Daehyun shrugs nonchalantly but I see dark eyebags underneath his eyes. It must be hard trying to stay on top of exam studies and captain duties. He shoots me a weak smile. "Maybe you can run through the team plays with me then?"

"Sure," I say, a little skeptical of giving a direct talk to the team. It'll be in a different circumstance compared to the last time I was up close to them, and even if I do want to help them out, I'm not sure I am looking forward to meeting them again.

Daehyun sees my uncertain expression and offers an encouraging smile. "It'll be fine. The boys know that you're helping us, and I've made them feel grateful for it since it's taxing your exam preparations." Having not convinced me yet, he sighs. "I'm telling the truth, Taeyeon, you don't have to worry. I'd pat your head right now, but sweaty palms." 

I nod, pushing his shoulder with my index finger. "Go change, Daehyun. And thank you."  

Baekhyun comes out from the changeroom, rubbing his face with a towel. Daehyun's passing me diagrams to glance over "only when you're taking a break from your crazy essays," when he notices Baekhyun stalking towards us. The latter is looking slightly uncomfortable under Daehyun's questioning gaze, dropping his eyes at the rolled sheets in my grip. 

"Let's go," Baekhyun mutters quietly, throwing me a short look, before bidding his captain a goodbye with an equally short nod. 

Both Daehyun and I stare at Baekhyun's retreating figure, before Daehyun elbows me, eyebrows almost darting off his forehead. "Is this another date?" he whispers and I smack his head with his own diagrams.

I spin away from him hurriedly, hoping he doesn't see my crimson cheeks. It doesn't dawn on me the kind of message I am conveying by running after the boy whom I should share little relation. I groan when I hear Daehyun yell, "You can't hide anything from me!" followed by the most delighted laugh.

Baekhyun turns back at that, frowning with question as he allows me time to catch up to him. Or maybe he's too confused to continue walking. 

"What did he say?" Baekhyun asks. 

"Nothing," I squeak, shocked at my voice's betrayal. I clear my throat, the blush uncomfortably staying on my face. 

Baekhyun grunts, clearly not buying it, but as if I would actually tell him what Daehyun meant. I can only hope the basketball members didn't hear their captain, or won't question it. 

As we exit the building, I am reminded of last Friday night, when Baekhyun could have possibly walked me home. Up ahead, the school gates are open for our exit, and a smile tugs at my lips at the memory of Baekhyun bidding a farewell.

"Is it okay if we study at my place?" Baekhyun breaks the silence. "I need to shower, and you can stay for dinner." 

I nod in reply. Mum knows that I'll be out tonight, and I think she knows that I'll be with Baekhyun judging by how I've brought all my books to school today. Which are currently weighing down my bag.

I follow Baekhyun into a side street where his chauffeur is patiently waiting beside the black car. I dip my head towards him in response to his bow, and he invites us in the car with his out-stretched arm. Baekhyun then steps back, his face seeming to hide from me as he reshoulders his bag. I'm confused as to why he hasn't climbed in the car before I realise his intention. 

"Thank you," I say to the both of them, though I try to make it look more like I am speaking to the driver as Baekhyun is still avoiding my eyes. Baekhyun slides in after me, dropping his bag at his feet.

I've only been inside this car twice, but the environment of it is all too familiar as I am again thrown back into memories. The party, a wild one, which Baekhyun dragged me along because of a rather inconvenient health assignment. Loud untasteful music, flimsy outfits, lots of alcohol. I shiver at the memory, the leather seat suddenly feeling too cold under me. 

The car ride to Baekhyun's mansion is quiet, soft tunes humming through the radio. I sit through the first ten minutes rigidly, Baekhyun's attention focused through his window. Eventually, I keep my gaze to my respective surroundings. My Saturday bus rides don't compare to a car's pace, and I don't realise that we've reached the mansion until the car comes to a stop in front of the main door.

Baekhyun shows me to a plain lounge room first, one I don't think I've been in yet, gesturing that I can leave my things temporarily to the side and curtly announcing his shower. He returns ten minutes later whilst I am leafing through a textbook and decides that we should eat first. 

"Anything particular you want to eat?"

I shake my head as I take a seat opposite him. We are in the same dining room as the last time I ate here, the curtains by the windows covering the dark of the night, light supplied instead by the chandeliers. Baekhyun leans back into his seat, drumming his fingers on the table after speaking into the black box inserted into the wall. I try to keep my eyes settled on my fingers instead of dragging them around the room, an obvious indicator that I'm doing my best to not look awkward. Because there really isn't anything to not feel awkward about, considering the fact that I'm eating dinner with Baekhyun, again. And it isn't even the second time. Which brings me the question of what he was doing that night I sat in a restaurant studying, silently eating across from me and then paying for my meal without my knowledge. 

I don't get to ask him this because without warning, Baekhyun starts humming. 

I startle at first, letting the softness of his tone sink in, before I realise he's humming the melody of a song, and not just anything random. And it's not off-tune at all. Although challenging without the words, I catch on eventually.

"Just tell me you don't want me
Tell me not to even dream about it
Tell me we won't ever meet again
Say it."

Baekhyun's eyes shoot up to mine as I join in halfway, with the corresponding lyrics. He stops humming and I decide to at least finish the lines before coming to a slow stop. 

For a moment, he blinks at me and I stare back, not sure if he is surprised or annoyed that I joined him. I feel the corners of my mouth subtly tug upwards.

He had been leaning on his arm sprawled on the table before I began. After a long round of staring at each other with no other audible sound in the room, he lifts himself into an upright position, not breaking eye contact. 

"That song's been in my head all day," he says softly, and I want to gasp out loud. Baekhyun actually spoke in a clear voice and it wasn't to deliver an insult.

This time, I let my smile spread across my face. I don't hold back with my voice.

"I'm lost right now
I'm in the same place
Waiting for you to hold my hand
Eh eh." 

Baekhyun snaps his fingers just as I finish, his index finger pointing upwards. "DAY6."

I nod in affirmation. "It's a nice song. A recent release."

Baekhyun eyes me, his face pinched moments ago breaks into an expressionless frame. Just as I am about to challenge this round of staring with 'what?', he cuts in. 

"Just one star
And you
That place was my long night
Though I hesitated to say I love you 
​There was no lie."

Baekhyun stops singing abruptly - and holy carbon monoxide, he can sing - and stares expectantly. Not that he had looked anywhere else whilst vocalising. When I don't say anything, he raises one eyebrow at me, and I don't know which is better - Baekhyun's endless gaze on me, or Baekhyun's endless gaze on me with an eyebrow raised.

Both are frustatingly attractive.

Wait, what? What did I just say?

"Well?" Baekhyun asks, temporarily breaking my train of shocking thoughts. 

"What?" I ask a little dumbly, not sure what he is expecting. Does he want me to continue the song for him? Are we playing a game?

He finally breaks the stare, only to roll his eyes and letting out an exasperated sigh. "It's 'Last Goodbye', AKMU."

I frown. "I knew that." 

Baekhyun throws me a funny look. "I don't think you did."

I didn't know you wanted to name the song and band, I huff in my mind. This time, it's my turn to eye him, and he stares evenly back. I find one in the back of my mind.

"The door is opening and you're entering
You're so pretty, so pretty
Slowly, slowly, you're walking to me
To me, no
To someone else."

"'Your Wedding', JUN.K," Baekhyun says, not missing a beat.

I nod, not masking my surprised expression. "Not bad." He scoffs.

"When the star opens its eyes, it shines on me
Oh hi you there, please see me
I'll climb the hill
Please save me, who is waving and smiling."

Forgetting where I am and who I'm talking to, my mouth falls open at the familiarity of the tune. My fingers start tapping at the table, running the lyrics over and over in my head. "Please save me, who is waving and smiling, please save me," I whisper over and over again, scrunching my eyes tightly. 

Across from me, Baekhyun fakes a yawn, and I glance up to see his amused smile. "Is this one too hard?"

I glare at him, not letting him have it. "No."

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and opens his mouth, no doubt to send more taunts with perhaps an insult as a bonus, when I beat him to it.

"'Galaxy', Ladies Code."

He shuts his mouth, looking at me warily. I grin. And then a song comes into mind, one that makes my insides melt every time I hear the melody, and I don't fathom the fact that it's not even a Korean song before the lines trickle off my tongue like a gentle waterfall. 

"Let's take our time tonight, girl
Above us all the stars are watchin'
There's no place I'd rather be in this world
Your eyes are where I'm lost in."

My eyes are still closed blissfully as I drag out the last note. When I open them again, Baekhyun is staring at me, eyes wide in surprise, probably at the fact that he was met with English words, and I'm not entirely fluent with the language. It's still a breathtaking song.

"Sorry, it just slipped out. I'll give you another one-"

"'Versace on the Floor'."

I stop at his interruption, blinking wildly. As my senses catch up to me, I speak slowly and try my hardest to contain my excitement, "You know the song?"

He's grinning, and I can't stop myself from thinking how amazing a bright smile looks on him. "It's Bruno Mars, of course I know." 

"I can't begin to express how in love I am with his songs," I find myself sighing longingly. 

Baekhyun nods in agreement, before cocking his head to the side, his genuine smile replaced with a thoughtful look. Albeit what he says next tells me that his expression is definitely staged. "You do know what the song is about, don't you?"

I stare blankly at him, my mind refusing to run the chorus at the moment. He takes it as a 'no' and there, comes his infamous smirk. 

"He's singing for you to take your clothes off and do things." 

I blink. "Oh." 

Baekhyun then stares at me funnily, before chuckling. "Does it only take one song to convince you to strip?" 

"I love it for the melody, it just happens to have an inappropriate topic," I scowl. And no, that makes me look way too flimsy. 

"Inappropriate?" he repeats, actually giving me a confused look. 

I roll my eyes. "Well, obviously it's no new thing for you, but others like to stay away from those ridiculous activities, so please don't bring it up with me." I hadn't realised how stern my voice came off, immediately stamping the playful vibe we somehow conjured. It's an uncomfortable subject for me, especially when I don't know if I'm talking about ness alone, or more than that. And it dawns on me that I've been forgetting the possibilities of what Baekhyun has experienced, finds enjoyment, and that Kai and I had always frowned upon people in our school who accept it as a norm. It is so different to the lifestyle to which I'm accustomed. Going wild at parties, playing around with each other doing things I hope I'll never know - how can people enjoy this? How do the girls whom pine after Baekhyun cope with themselves after he throws them away like ragdolls?

And Baekhyun himself, who's currently sitting opposite me - god, how did I even get myself here? From living my normal student life to being forced upon Baekhyun, stepping foot into his household more times that I would have ever imagined. Showering in his bathroom, with him inside the bathroom, and sleeping next to him in his bed - okay, that sounds like I've taken things to a whole new level. 

How did this happen?

Baekhyun doesn't say anything afterwards and we share no more looks. Timely, maids sweep into the dining room, placing dishes on our side of the table. I was feeling hungry before, but my recent thoughts have eaten up my appetite and I barely manage to finish a bowl of rice. 

After a wordless dinner, Baekhyun leads me back into the living room and mutters to collect my bag, before walking down a corridor and into our Saturday tutor room. If the beginning of a friendship was progressing before dinner, I've definitely kicked that chance out the door with my ending input, for his cold demeanour has once again returned. His lips have thinned, taking one small tug for it to turn into his favourite scowl, and he's avoiding my glances. I know if I drop a textbook or tuck in my chair too loudly, I would receive an hour of annoyed glares. 

I gingerly take a seat next to him, a little hurt that he has taken the seat opposite me, and begin with Literature.

-

Saturday goes by uncomfortably. Baekhyun had driven me home on Friday night, not offering any invitation for a simple conversation. Mum questioned my disheartened state as I heaved the textbooks into my room. I told her I was tired and promptly went to bed.

I clearly offended him before dinner, that is a given. I don't think I came off too harsh, but the same wasn't said through Baekhyun's closed attitude. All I stated was that I thought the shenanigans he participates with other girls were ridiculous, and he did it all the time. The second part isn't incorrect now, is it? I had merely put it my own opinion. What is there to get so worked up about? 

I groan when I remember that I won't be going to his house today, distinctly remembering the phone call while I was studying with Daehyun. I don't particularly want to apologise to him, but if he wants one, I'd rather him let me know exactly what he is offended about. I don't have to think twice to know that's not going to happen. 

Should I just apologise to him then? Say I'm sorry that my perspective hurt him? 

"Why should I apologise?" I ask no one while slicing tomatoes for lunch. "It's not as if I'm trying to revive a friendship." There wasn't one in the first place. 

I spend the day studying my notes, almost reaching the end so I can spend the last week before exams focusing on Baekhyun's improvements as well as his basketball team's game plans. 

-

"Okay, what is wrong?" 

I don't look up from rubbing at a stain. "What do you mean?"

"You're off today." Yuri crosses her arms, staring quizzically at me. "You've mixed up four orders, you almost broke a plate, you're muttering to yourself and making the customers think you're possessed. And your eyes look dead."

This time I do glance up, a small smile forming on my lips. "My eyes look dead?"

"See?" the younger girl shrieks, jabbing her finger at me. "You're half-smiling and your eyes still look dead!"

"What does that even look like?" 

"Like a sign that I shouldn't be surprised if my co-worker suddenly drops to the floor unconscious because she chanted the wrong spell."

I chuckle, trying to loosen up myself. "Alright, what supernatural novel have you been getting your head in now?"

"It's a series, and it's bloody amazing." Yuri nods with a gleam in her eye, before snapping her attention back to me. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me."

"You're only fooling yourself. Is it a maths expression because if it is, I'll gladly take my leave. But I heard a 'I'm so stupid' and 'he's so stupid' and 'what am I going to say' at least five times each today. No question about a girl holding fifty-two watermelons needing a calculation of speed and time matches that, Taeyeon."

I laugh, feeling guilty that I was too distracted this shift. "You're right, it's got nothing to with maths." Yuri's sending me a silent gaze, and I sigh. "Okay, fine, I'll tell you, maybe you can even help me out on this one."

She nods enthusiastically with the energy of a puppy. "Of course! Is this boy stuff?"

I grimace. "Not in that context - "

"I knew it! It's always that look when it comes to boy problems. So who is he? Goes to your school? Hot or not? Probably hot."

"Probably not," I immediately answer, cheeks flushing to which Yuri cackles as loud as ever. 

"You think he's so hot, don't even try to deny it." 

"What, how do you even know?"

She rolls her eyes. "The look on your face says it all. What happened?"

Giving her a final skeptical look, I fill her in on the details, from the beginning of the tutor lessons, to the eventful night two days ago. Halfway through my explanations, I am hit with the realisation that I haven't even revealed half of my thoughts and feelings to Tiffany yet. But the way Yuri's brown eyes are set intently on me with her chin resting in her hands, providing her full attention, makes me feel relexed without any guilt. I make a mental note to tell Tiffany everything later anyway, maybe Hyoyeon too.

"Then I snapped at him right before dinner was served. For no real reason. I think that's what made him rediscover who he's been spending his time with, a girl whose head is always in the books and clearly has no idea how to even develop a crush on someone." 

"Obviously that's not true," Yuri chirps, "you know that you do like him."

I frown at that. "I'm not sure if I do. I mean, I'll admit that I am attracted to him, but not necessarily like, you know what I mean?"

Yuri stares at me in confusion, digesting my sentence, before answering a nonchalant, "Nope."

"I don't know, it's complicated."

"How so? You either like him, or you don't." 

"I don't like him for the things he does, the way he acts around not just me, but everyone in general - wait, not everyone, he seems to act differently around others. He's mostly rude though. That's quite off-putting." 

My friend sighs loudly, swinging her work notepad nimbly with her fingers. "Everyone's got their own problems to overcome, you can't just expect people to act the way you think they should, or at least without telling them. Maybe this Baekhyun is particularly harsh because he's been through something that's made him this way. A friendship problem, maybe, a family one? He could be grieving or something, I don't know." Yuri looks up when I don't reply to this, a silence stretching out. I'm staring at her in awe, and she lifts her right palm up, questioning my gaze.

"Wow, wow Yuri," I finally find my voice, breaking through my shock. "That's just about the wisest thing I've heard all week." I'm specifically surprised that I hadn't thought of this myself. 

She shrugs. "There're heaps of people like that in my school, so you just learn to be careful around those you don't know well."

I shake my head in disbelief. "And you're a grade younger than me," I mutter quietly to myself. "So what do you think I should do now?"

"It really depends if you want to make it up to him," she thinks out loud, tapping her chin. "And you probably do. Go apologise tomorrow, catch him during lunch or something. See where you end up."

I visibly gulp. Usually I'm not in the position to make mistakes and resort to apologising, especially to people like Baekhyun. The sole thought of that makes my insides squirm in nervousness. 

"I guess I should..."

Yuri snorts, jumping down from the table she was perched on and treads towards the windows to pull down the blinds of the restaurant. "Since when did you start hitting on playboys?"