He is leaning on Sehun's locker when I finally find him, a flawless smile on his face as he remarks at something with Tiffany's boyfriend. For a minute, I stay behind the corner, just watching him converse with his best friend, paying delicate attention to the way his brown eyes stay focused.  

"You can do it, Taeyeon. Just walk up to him naturally," I whisper to myself, then consider my words. "Naturally." 

Stepping away from the shadows, my eyes stay on Baekhyun, even when I will my hardest for them to look somewhere else. My heart pounds louder than when I watched Paranormal Activity 5 with Tiffany in her silent pink room. 

At first, Baekhyun doesn't look up to see me treading towards him until I am a few steps away, and well within earshot.

"That day was not a fine one," Sehun is saying when Baekhyun's grin starts to falter. "How did we even end up there in the first place?"

Baekhyun doesn't seem to hear Sehun's question, for he pushes himself off the locker as I come to a stop behind Sehun, who still hasn't realised Baekhyun isn't paying attention anymore. 

"Bro?" Sehun turns around, following the former's quiet gaze, almost knocking me over. "Agh!" Sehun screeches, surprising both of us with his high-pitch. Sehun clutches his chest, his face mortified at the sight of me, while I collide painfully into the locker in shock. "Jesus, Taeyeon, I thought we were alone!" 

"Well, hello to you too, Sehun," I growl, tenderly pressing the side of my head, grateful I don't feel a bump forming. Yet. My eyes flicker towards Baekhyun, who probably had the slightest jolt at Sehun's squeal but is now recovered with a visible smirk on his face.

"Nice one, princess," Baekhyun laughs and punches Sehun in the arm. 

"You saw her coming, didn't you?" Sehun scowls at him. "No wonder you were staring at her for so long." 

At this, Baekhyun's grin disappears, and my headache is forgotten. 

"Yah!" we both holler, and I bring my hand up to slap him while Baekhyun leans back to swing a harder punch. Sehun springs away from our reach with lightning speed, thanks to his soccer reflexes. Baekhyun is able to perceive Sehun's rapid retreat and lets his arm drop. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for me, and I swipe uselessly at the air, expecting a body to take my hit. I only have time to gasp at the empty air before my own momentum sends me tumbling forward, my eyes shutting closed as I brace myself for the impact of the hard cold ground. 

It takes me a long second for my brain to register the sturdy arms clamped at my sides, lifting me up gently. I peek out from my eyelids at the amused expression of Sehun, who's folded his arms across his chest as he watches me. I glance up into Baekhyun's shocked gaze, the close proximity catching my breath and making my knees weak. My brain sends sirens about, body frozen as our eyes don't break away from our locked position.

Baekhyun loosens his hold, and my legs, not yet prepared, fail to hold my weight. I collapse somewhat dramatically, held breath rushing out in one spluttered choke. As quickly as he let me go, Baekhyun stops me from falling again, strong arms enclosing my frame. 

"Were you that desperate for me to leave?" Sehun groans in front of us, making me realise he is still there. In a flash, he whips out his phone and the unmistakeable click of the camera confirms that Tiffany, Hyoyeon and Kai will never let me escape their teasing again. By now, my face has probably reached its maximum range in exploring the shades of a tomato. 

Baekhyun doesn't seem to appreciate this either because he immediately lets go with a growl and takes a threatening step towards Sehun. Our friend scurries away with a gleeful laugh, swaying his phone in the air as a taunt. I am still frozen on the spot even as Sehun disappears from the corridor, taking his annoying cackles with him, and know that my feet won't be working for a little longer. Baekhyun turns back to me. His scowl has never been so deep. 

"You didn't have to fall," he grimaces, his hands reaching for his brown locks. My eyes naturally follow his movement and I find myself stupefied at how incredibly soft it looks. A stark contrast to the hardened glower on his face. 

You're staring, my brain informs me, and I hastily shake my thoughts away. "I'm sorry," I say unsurely, contemplating whether I should thank him for grabbing hold of me before I humiliated myself. It seems to be a habit now, I realise, constantly tripping and rendering myself speechless. I don't think I've ever made a fool of myself so many times in the span of the past few weeks, which all of these times were mostly spent in Baekhyun's presence. 

Taking one look at his infamous scowl, I know that Baekhyun isn't interested in my gratitude. He must be angry for having a photo taken by his best friend with me in his hands, angry at me probably, for falling clumsily in front of him. I'm sure Sehun wouldn't go sharing that photo with the whole school, things are usually kept within our small circle, but Sehun does have his soccer team, as well as relations with the basketball team... 

And it would surely anger the countless girls swooning at Baekhyun's feet. Math equations, I can handle. Chemistry formulas, piece of cake. But ten groups of girls who woud follow Baekhyun to the edge of the world without even a promise of a handshake? I am out of here. 

"I will make sure he deletes it!" I squeak and hurry in the direction Sehun headed, phone already unlocked in my hand. 

But of course that sneak doesn't pick up, not even after six calls. So I'll have to switch it up. 

"Tiff," I huff, eyes searching the trees in case he is lounging around somewhere in the school courtyard. 

"Tae! This is really good timing, I totally forgot to tell you at lunch that the other day I saw these really cute mini-"

"That's great Tiff, but I really need your help with something." I have to check the student carpark because, damn, if he escapes by car, I am really done for. 

"Did you leave a book at my place or something? Because I'm telling you right now I am not going home just yet. It can wait, right? You didn't let me finish, there're matching bracelets in the store I'm in right now that would look so cute on you, and so cute on me, and - wait, you know what? Scratch that, I'll buy them after our exams, as a sort of celebratory treat - oh and that reminds me! You need to help me with Literature because I am seriously so peeved with Ms Park right now, she keeps saying I need to rewrite the essay but as if-" I was going to wait until Tiffany let me talk again, but by now I swear Sehun has already made it to the next city and back.

"Tiffany!" I try not to shout but make sure my voice is louder than her's. It stuns her. "I'll help you with your essay soon, but right now your boyfriend has run off somewhere and he's ignoring my calls. Can you find out where he is?"

"What happened? He's probably on his way to the gym right now."

"Gym, got it." 

"Has he done something?"

"Yes," I answer, switching directions and picking up my pace. "He took a picture of... of something that Bae- I mean... something I don't appreciate, so I'm hunting him down and making sure it doesn't go anywhere-"

"Ooh, hold on, I got a text from Sehunnie. Oh, it's an image."

"Don't open it!" I yell, probably blowing out Tiffany's eardrums, but by the way she doesn't even give a grunt in response, I know she's got her phone safely away from her ear and is probably tapping into the message. "Damn it Sehun, damn it damn it."

It is inevitable that the picture will circle to the others, but I was hoping I could catch him before he sends it. A futile goal, but I at least did try. It's only been ten minutes since it happened, and it's already too late. So much for that apology to Baekhyun too.

"What is this?! Taeyeon?! What are you... what am I looking at... oh my god when did this happen?" 

Now it's my turn to jerk my head away from my phone, my right ear blocking from Tiffany's outburst. Karma, which I shouldn't even receive as Tiffany didn't seem to hear my shout from before. 

"It's not what it looks like!" I say for the third time in a week. Is it strange that I notice this detail?

"You need to give some serious explanation girl, you told us there was nothing happening, but look at this. Look at it Taeyeon! I don't think I've ever seen a picture of Baekhyun hugging someone, let alone hugging my own best friend! God I knew you were hiding this from us. We all did, actually, and now I have proof. How did Sehun even manage to take this. Is this at his locker? Taeyeon? Hello? Can you hear me?"

I've sat down on a bench, giving up on my trip to the gym. A small voice at the back of my mind is saying that I should probably practice running more. I'm not ready to head home yet, with Tiffany speaking so rapidly to me and to herself. I simply absorb her words knowing this is only the opening act of a storm that is surely about to hit through text messages and calls tonight, and physically at school tomorrow. Oh, boy. I would like to hope that Sehun hasn't sent the photo to Kai or Hyoyeon yet - I don't want to think about any other recipients - but I know that Sehun wouldn't spare me an ounce of sympathy. The only reason I haven't been bombarded with Kai and Hyoyeon's messages yet is because they've lost their phone somewhere in their school bag, or in their homes. I've never been more thankful for their idle interests with phones, even if it only gives me a short break.

"What are you even doing?" Tiffany continues, and at this point I don't think she would have realised if I suddenly fainted on the street with the call still going. "Why are you leaning into Baekhyun? You look like you were falling. Since when did you trip over your own feet?" I almost laugh bitterly at her speculation. I can't quite figure it out myself. "And Baekhyun looks surprised - wow, now that's something. That's a foreign expression for me right there, I still can't believe how Sehun managed to catch this - god, he is so amazing!" 

"I beg to differ," I speak up, and Tiffany just laughs. 

"Just wait until Kai sees this. He's going to flip."

-

I trod heavily inside the quiet coffee place, significantly glad that it is in the opposite direction to Kai's house. They're probably all holed up in his mancave, situated at the back of the house, jeering at my absence on this fine Wednesday afternoon. The purpose of skipping out on today's hangout is to attend my duties as a tutor, or so I told them. Which isn't a lie. I am just happy I can escape their grasps for the time being, as I am afraid I'll faint soon from their constant teasing delivered yesterday and today at school. I had done my best in preparing myself for this torture after my call with Tiffany, but Kai being the incredible person he is always finds the correct buttons to push my limits. And shamelessly enjoys it. Rascal. 

Sitting at a small round table with a white cup steaming to the side is the very source of my turmoil itself, both mentally and emotionally. Mainly mentally. Baekhyun is staring down at an open book - an open exercise book - flipping his pen in his left hand. He seems to be focused on, what I can identify as I approach him, his essay, and that is a very rare sight to see. 

He finally notices my presence when I scrape a chair back, planting my bag and coat on it. 

"I don't know what coffee you usually get, so I didn't order one," Baekhyun speaks up as a form of greeting, successfully making me drop my phone in surprise.

"Ah, that's okay."

I already had my morning coffee at Xiumin's before school, but feeling drained from Kai's endless snickers and Tiffany's sly looks earlier, I decide to go for another round. 

"Want me to take a look at that?" I ask, pointing at his exercise book. 

Baekhyun nods, sliding his work over. He lets me read for a short while, before interrupting when I reach his second paragraph.

"What do you think of my mum?"

I glance up, blinking rapidly as a physical contemplation to whether I heard him right. "Sorry?"

"What do you think of her?" he asks again, eyes seeming curious more so than exasperated. 

"She's nice?" I reply after hesitation. "Elegant, gentle, and very approachable."

Baekhyun processes this, still staring at me, before asking, "Has she seemed needy before?"

I think back to my first meeting with her, when I first stepped into the Byun's household, as well as the afternoon meet-up we shared with my mother. She was kind all those times, but I don't really know her at all. If she is an old friend of my mother's, and my mother intends to help her with good intentions, then I can only trust my mum to treat Ji with as much respect as I can. What Baekhyun is asking though is too difficult of a question to answer from my scarce inferences. 

"Not really," I say slowly, watching his reaction. "Why?"

His gaze lingers, before it slackens and he slumps in his seat, disappointment starkly sketched across his features. "Don't worry about it."

And there it is again. The brushing off when it comes to mothers asking for my help without letting me know the back-story. 

"Are you really going to think I'll let this drop?" I find myself snapping. Baekhyun jumps at my abruptness and gives me a look of surprise. Even I am a little shocked at how loud I was. I hope the other customers aren't taking an interest in us. 

"What are you talking about?"

I gape. "You're asking me? Seriously? Will I always be kept in the dark, be told what to do, be asked questions, but not get any answers for myself? This give and take relationship - not just with you -, it's slowly driving me insane. And the worst part is that I was bribed into teaching you, sacrificing my time in preparing work to tutor. Bribed for my freedom, and things have honestly been just so crazy since all this started."

I am a little out of breath after my small outburst, my eyes piercing Baekhyun's enlarged ones. A lot of emotions passed through his face whilst I was venting out my frustration. Confusion, recognition, irritation, anger. The latter emotion is clearly intensifying the space between us, our thunderous gazes aimed at the other menacing enough to split the very roof above our heads. 

"I didn't ask for any of this either," Baekhyun spits, noisely standing up and grabbing his bag. "I guess I'll do us both a favour and end it right now. There's only half a week left anyway." 

There is so much hostility in his tone that it momentarily leaves me stunned and unable to fathom the fact that he's already gone, until my brain finally decides to catch up to reality. Turning in my seat, I stare at the front door, out at the darkening streets, and back at the door. 

"Oh no," I grumble, placing my hands on my head as I lean onto the table. Even if he recognises what little time we have until the exams arrive, there is still a lot of theory he has to brush up on for a passable grade. And in our case, Baekhyun has to ride beyond 80% or I have no idea what will happen should this not be achieved. Will Mum be disappointed in me? Will Ji be disappointed in Mum, in me, and in Baekhyun? Will Baekhyun be disappointed?

None of this would have happened if I just kept my temper in check. Usually I am successful in constraining my anger, my parents have pounded tolerance for my past seventeen years, and it looks like that's not the only trait that has changed in me...

I open my eyes to see a neat exercise book still splayed out in front of me. He must have left it behind. Sighing, I place it into my backpack, eyes tired as I notice the untouched textbooks I had planned to open today. There is a lot of content I have yet to run through with him, and I have no idea how he is going to manage the exams without all of the coursework learnt. I silently hope that he will realise this, even if it angers him to approach me, but I know better than to invest in fragile things like that with Baekhyun.