Sulli still came to work. Baekhyun didn’t transfer anything. She didn’t expect him at all. After seeing her cry, she figured out he might want to see her cry more. They continued their professional work, not exchanging words if they didn’t need to. It was on a Friday afternoon, all the other employees are already leaving. Sulli decided to stay working for a few more hours because there is nothing much to do at home, at the same time it will be a free Saturday for her.

Baekhyun watched her the whole day. He is not used to seeing her so strong than before. He decided to wait until she decides to go home, too. Seven pm, Baekhyun noticed her packing her things. He got out of his office, and walked in front of her desk, pushed away a stack of papers, and sat on the glass desk.

Sulli stared at him in disbelief. “Choi Jinri… You used to be the number one in our class. Why is it now, you are working for the number two?”

Sulli hated him. Partly because of the reason that he always competes with her when they are in the university and partly because he rejected her on the first time she swallows her fears and stepped up to him. “I am not Choi Jinri.” Sulli continued packing, and Baekhyun continued bugging her.

“I know. Choi Jnri doesn’t even look good, nor does she have a great body to see. She is not even related to the Chois. She is just a nobody. Am I right?” Baekhyun smiled, he likes seeing her pissed.

“I can’t disagree.” Sulli is done packing and is now facing him.

“Then why would my beautiful assistant work overtime the way Choi Jinri I know would do?”

“I just finished packing my things.” Sulli shrugged.

Baekhyun could see that she is done and is ready to go. But he doesn’t want her to leave just yet. “Perhaps, are you still in love with me?”

A slap landed on Baek’s cheek. He felt a stinging sensation as he stared at her. She is staring back at him, her eyes are b not with tears, but with anger. “Don’t you remember you are not talking to Jinri? It’s Sulli.”

Baekhyun could only stare as Sulli stride her way past him, carrying her bag, not forgetting to turn off the lights before leaving Baekhyun completely alone in the department. He was amused, not of the fact that he got slapped by the girl he rejected when they were in high school, but of the fact that he was blind, too blind, to notice her in front of the desk for two years now.

Just before the elevator doors shut completely, a hand forces it open and there entered the Byun Baekhyun that she hated the most. He just stood there in front of her as the elevator brings them down. “Leaving so soon?” Sulli didn’t look unfazed by the intimidation he’s bearing. When she didn’t answer him at all, he took a step forward, closing the space between them.

“If you are not Choi Jinri, you wouldn’t decline if I would invite you to drink with me, would you?”

“Of course not.” Sulli would not, but she wanted to know what is going on his mind. Of course it is something to make her suffer, she is certain of it, but she will not let him threaten her.

“Let’s drink then. It’s all on me.”

Sulli didn’t want to spend any second with him. It was hell when she entered his car. Having to be able to breathe the same air would be a blessing to Jinri, but not to her. It suffocates her. It is slowly killing her. Every word that they exchange eats up her pride.

It was the first time Sulli entered a bar. She never liked the sound of the word, or the colours that came into her mind upon hearing it. And it was just the same in reality. She hated the neon lights illuminating, she hated the loud music booming all over, and she hated the smell of booze and money at the same time.

The guards greeted Baekhyun as if he was a regular costumer, and her assumptions were correct when they were escorted to a VIP room on the second floor of the bar. It was an agreeably large room. There was a sofa set at the back of the room, a jukebox few steps from the door, and a mini fridge on the other side. Baekhyun let her step inside first, and she went towards the jukebox to set the mood, and Baekhyun closed the door and locked it, and went straight towards the fridge.

“What is your genre?” Sulli asked, but she need not. She was selecting a couple of jazz when Baekhyun plainly spoke the word. She tried to think how she knew about it, but decided not to for they would only bring her bad memories.

“Soju?” Baekhyun asked, turning towards her.

“Who wouldn’t?”

“Choi Jinri.” He said, and took a bucket of soju and ice and two shot glasses.

Sulli watched him pour the clear liquor in front of her. Probably showing her that he had no intention of poisoning her, contradictory with what is on her mind. Perhaps he had other means of ending her life in this small room.

“What do you want from me?” Sulli asked—no, demanded.

“You are a smart girl. I want you to listen to me, just like how you listen to the teachers when we were young.” Baekhyun smiled at his own joke, but it wasn’t amusing at all to Jinri.

“I no longer listen.” Sulli said.

“Then just stay here. As long as you’re here.” Baekhyun said.

She hated the fact that she couldn’t refuse him. In anything, she couldn’t refuse. It is one of the many reasons she became his assistant. She is both good in her job and at trying to please him. She didn’t know if she ever becomes successful on pleasing him, but she had been working in the company for two years now. But even on extreme cases, she would be there as long as she doesn’t go home.

For hours, Sulli waited and listened, even though she doesn’t want to. She hates him, but at the same time, part of her had not. He was the first person to make her heart flutter. He was her first love. You could not just forget your first love that easily. She will keep him company, until he decides to go. She will listen to him, until he stops talking. And she will be his driver, if in case he becomes too drunk to drive.

Her heart was silently breaking when she had to hear all the words that came out of his mouth. He told her his war, his own story, as they drowned themselves in fermented rice. He told her how much he hated his family, and how he suffered as a boy in pursuit of perfection. He told her his issues with his father, and how badly he wanted to leave them. He told her everything that would earn Jinri’s sympathy. But she was not Jinri anymore.

“Why don’t you leave them if you hate them so much?” She asked, although knowing the answer, before pouring soju onto her glass for the nth time. She knew she was not drunk yet, but she could already feel the heat all over her body. It is slowly burning her.

“You really are not Jinri anymore. Jinri is a smart girl, she would know why I can’t leave them.” Baekhyun smirked. He never knew Sulli had high alcohol tolerance. She could even compete with him, just like how she used to in academics. He was about to get drunk, any minute now, but she was still sober enough to act as if Choi Jinri had disappeared in her system.

“Why do you keep on bringing her up?” Sulli hated it when her name leaves his lips. She hated every single time Baekhyun pronounces her name, and the painful memory that comes in package with it and his voice. “I’m sorry, Choi Jinri. But I don’t feel the same way. I really am sorry.”

“You are almost drunk now, Sulli. I’m going to tell you a secret. But you are not going to remember this tomorrow, so it’ll be fine.” Baekhyun said. He scooted next to her, making himself comfortable beside her. His arms are almost resting around her shoulders if it wasn’t for the soft leather behind her.

Sulli tried to appear comfortable with him sitting next to her, almost invading her privacy. She looks him in his orbs. They are looking back at her with an intensity that she was familiar of. It was the same intensity as when they were in college. “Since it’s not me, so it’ll be Chanyeol? Quit it, Choi.”

“I hated my father the most because he is greedy. You are not supposed to be working for me. When he learned that you have no name in business, he offered you a high paying job. I hate it.” Baekhyun whispered against her ears, closely, that Sulli felt his tears fell on her skin.

“Why would you hate it?” Sulli asked, teasing him, knowing how much he hates the competition going on between them.

Baekhyun stared at her, as if trying to take all as much air as he can before the words come out of his mouth. “You wouldn’t believe it, but I love Choi Jinri and I miss her right now. I made a fool out of myself for pretending that I don’t like her, pretending to believe that she is my rival, pretending to be dauntless when my best friend got her. I was a jerk for hurting you, and I wanted to kill myself because the last thing I wanted to see are the tears coming out of your eyes.”

The first time she cried was when she first tasted the pain of rejection. It was Baekhyun’s fault, and for everything that happened after, it was his fault. Sulli lets go of the tear that formed in her eye as Baekhyun cried, confessing his buried feelings for her.

“Why are you saying these?” Sulli didn’t want to hear him any longer. She doesn’t want to believe them, thinking that he would probably be playing with her heart. If he loved her all this time, why would he hurt her in the most painful means? She grabbed her purse and was about to leave when Baekhyun stopped her.

She wanted to hurt him as much as he does to her, she wanted him to feel all the pain and sorrow she felt, she wanted him to know how much she has to suffer whilst loving him. He didn’t deserve her in so many ways, she could break free from his grip, but she stayed and listened, one more time. “I know you are Park Chanyeol’s. But you are not Choi Jinri anymore. Is it possible that Sulli could be mine?”

Baekhyun stepped towards her, his free hand firmly rested on her nape, getting authority, while the other gently pulled her in, tasting her sweet lips for the first time. Sulli melted into his touch. His lips are as soft as she had in mind when they were younger. Baekhyun pulled away to look at her, she was startled, he knew, but she doesn’t show it. He pressed his lips onto hers once again. This time, it was his turn to be surprised when he felt her kissing him back.

The warmth blaring on her eyelids woke her up. With her eyes closed, she felt an arm around her. Suddenly fearing for the worst, she opened her eyes to find a peaceful heaving chest in front of her. Her eyes travelled up, finding the man’s familiar features. Realizing what may have happened; her heart beat fast for a moment only to find her clothes still in contact with her physique. She crawled her way up in pursuit to see the man’s face, lightly shifting over the bed.

Feeling the small movements beside him, he pulled her ever more closely, fearing that she would leave him. He heard her gasp lightly at the reaction, but her voice died upon realizing who he is. Their faces centimetres apart, Sulli took a deep breath whilst gazing up at his beautiful face. She wanted to wake him up, get out of his embrace, and scream at his face, but suddenly recalling what happened the night before, she melted, remembering the sets of kisses that transpired between them.

Then Byun Baekhyun opened his eyes, and suddenly they gazed into each other’s eyes. Sulli reddened immediately, and was about to speak when Baekhyun placed a kiss on her forehead, completely taking the words out of her mind. He s his hands around her, leaving no space between them, whispering, “Five more minutes,” then she closed her eyes and calmly dozed off in his arms.

Author's Note: Hello to everyone! I'm sorry I was not able to update in the last 48 hours because our family went out of town, but I'm back now! I might update another chapter a few hours from now, too, because I feel that I really owe you guys big time. I hope you liked this chapter! Oh, and thank you so much to those who subscribed, upvoted, and commented, you guys made me happy! :)