“All I ever wanted was to live at your side.”

D.O – Tell Me What is Love

Jongdae hesitated for a moment, before finally handed a cup of hot chocolate to the girl beside him. Staring from people’s gazes, Jongdae knew they might judge him – thinking that he broke up with her and because she couldn’t handle it, so she ended up crying like crazy.

She still sobbed when she took the cup. She nibbled her lower lip and tried to exhale as much oxygen as she could, wishing it would help her, wishing it would make the pain go away.

“You okay?” Jongdae managed to ask.

She shook her head.

“Still want to cry?”

She nodded lightly.

“Need a shoulder?”

She glanced at Jongdae, who acted as cool as he could.

“I can provide a shoulder and stupid stories to enlighten your mood.” Jongdae informed.

“But your shirt will drench with my tears…”

“It’s summer. I only need to stand under the sun for thirty seconds and I promise you it will dry right away.” Jongdae even smiled.

Bomi snorted on his stupid joke.

“But I’m serious. If you want to, you can lean on here…” Jongdae leaned forward to the younger. “… It’s okay, really.”

Bomi hesitated for a moment, before finally gave in and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jongdae smelled really nice, even he was already sweaty because the weather, he still managed to smell so nice.

“Chanyeol is stupid.” Jongdae said lowly. “He’s really stupid for not seeing such a nice girl you are.”

Bomi didn’t respond him.

“I’ll talk to him, okay? I’ll try to convince him.”

“No. You don’t have to.” Bomi shook her head. “I’m okay, sunbae. It hurts, I admit, but I’ll be okay. It’s just because I have never experienced this before. It’s okay, sunbae, I will be okay.”

Jongdae nodded lightly and asked the younger to drink her chocolate because it was getting cold. Jongdae sighed mentally, thinking what the possible reason was so Chanyeol rejected her. Bomi had everything, like seriously. She was pretty with her long brown hair, she was pretty when she was laughing out loud, she was cute when she was annoyed, and she was adorable when Jongdae found her was sending secret glances to Chanyeol.

Bomi asked her about something and it woke him up from his reverie. Jongdae only smiled at her, wishing his smile was enough as a response.

Eunji blinked repeatedly, before she gained her consciousness. She slapped Baekhyun’s back of head and said, “Yah! How dare you asking a girl something like that!”

Baekhyun hissed and replied, “I was only wondering!”

 “Wondering?” Eunji raised one of her brows, “Are you crazy?”

Baekhyun didn’t expect that answer. He expected his arms or his face to be slapped – because he knew his question was the kind of personal – or anything, but not that kind of question.

Of course, of course, Baekhyun was losing his mind when he braced himself to ask her. But no, he was offended when Eunji asked him like that. Was asking her to be kissed crazy?

“Seriously, sunbae, I think you need to check yourself to doctor. You’re losing your state of mind.” Eunji rolled her eyes and walked off.

Baekhyun fastened his steps and tried hard to maintain his playful smile. “Come on, gangster, admit it, you’re also expecting that question.”

Eunji halted and glanced at her ice cream. “I’m not expecting anything from you, sunbae. Like seriously. Why are you being so confident pretty lately?”

Baekhyun smirked, “Maybe because you said you had that possibility to like me back?”

Eunji flushed pink. “I seriously plan to take the words back.”

“Sweetheart, do you think you can pick up the water that already spilled?” Baekhyun smirked happily at the flustered younger. “You can’t take your words back, boo. You admitted that you may like me, and I’m so happy about it.”

“You’re sick.” Eunji muttered.

“Sickly in love with you? Well, I can’t doubt that,” Baekhyun chuckled and quickly walked off before Eunji hit him again.

“YAH BYUN BAEKHYUN!”

***

When they arrived back at the building, the showcase hasn’t started yet. Eunji sighed in relief and glanced at her wrist watch. It wouldn’t take long time, right, for using the bathroom?

“Where are you going?” Baekhyun asked when Eunji turned to her left instead went straight.

“I want to go to bathroom, sunbae, you can go in first.” Eunji suggested, even though she has already known what the answer would be.

“No way for leaving you alone.” Baekhyun then followed her steps and they halted when they found familiar figure was leaning his back against the wall, looked down at his cell phone.

“Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo jerked up and — why does he look scared? — smiled at her, “Hey, Eunji.”

Eunji suddenly forgot her need to go to bathroom and instead she walked to Kyungsoo, “You’re here for Yonghwa oppa?”

He nodded. “Mm-hm. I think all Seoul High students got the invitation, your brother is really cool.”

“You’re coming alone?”

This innocent question made Baekhyun glared at dumbfounded Kyungsoo. And it was like already set like a on Korean dramas, a female – well who else if it wasn’t her – and she was stunned, like seeing a ghost.

Baekhyun facepalmed frustratingly. Of all days, why today?

“Oh! Minah!” Eunji smiled widely and waved her hand to the anxious female that slowly approaching them. “Hi!” She greeted innocently, “Are you coming with your friends?”

“Oh, well…” She stammered, “… I… Uh… Yeah…”

It was Baekhyun’s cue to the rescue, “… Eunji, are you going to bathroom or not? Jongin texted. It’s almost starting,”

“Oh! Right! Bathroom! Forgot!” She mentally slapped herself because of her stupidity, then she rushed to the bathroom, leaving the relieved couple and annoyed Baekhyun.

“You,” Baekhyun sounded stern, Kyungsoo looked at him, “I’d punch you two if I see you two in front of her again.”

Minah nodded, Baekhyun could tell she was trembling, and her boyfriend also nodded in understanding. “We’ll… We’ll be going, sunbaenim,” Minah then dragged Kyungsoo away of that spot.

Baekhyun ruffled his wavy hair roughly. This was so much harder than he thought, he swore. When Eunji walked out, she blinked confusedly seeing there was no sign of her friends anymore. “They left,” Baekhyun told, “Their friends are coming so they left to meet them up,”

Eunji nodded in understanding then said, “Okay then. Let’s go, sunbae,”

The after party was crowded with family and friends. Even though Jung father wasn’t able to come because of his job out of town, he sent his son a wreath, congratulating him for his successful debut.

Baekhyun was standing with a glass of soda on his hand, chuckling at how dumb Jinwoon was forcing Yonghwa to take a picture with the wreath along with Seohyun, when Taeyeon slowly approached him. Baekhyun rolled his eyes and was about to move when Taeyeon said, “Are you that scared to meet me?”

Baekhyun knew he was challenged, so he decided to stay still. “No, I’m not,” He replied coolly.

“I can see that…” Her tone was playful. If only they were not in this kind of situation, Baekhyun would laugh at his dumbness. “So…” She started, “How are you, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun drank up his soda and looked at Taeyeon, “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious…”

“Well, I’m okay, really am. I am always okay before you come, noona.”

“Ouch, little Baekhyun is good at sarcasm now,”

“Well, you’re the one who taught me,” Baekhyun shrugged as he fixated his eyes on Eunji, who was smiling and grinning. She was screaming, angry because her brothers were messing with her hair.

“You really do like her, don’t you?” Baekhyun turned and saw Taeyeon was smiling fondly. “Have you ever asked her out?”

Baekhyun looked at Taeyeon, confused where this conversation would go. “I have, twice.” Then he blinked, “Why the did I tell you this?”

“Twice?” Taeyeon raised her brow, “And how did they end?”

Baekhyun huffed, “Your point is?”

“Just answer me, will you?”

“The first one was a mess. It’s all your fault.” Taeyeon seemed calm, “I was pissed off and I said something harsh to her, and it took days for her to finally forgive me… The second one was done pretty well… It’s just a repaid date for me, because I failed the first one.”

“So you never asked her out properly?”

“Well…” He stopped, “Are we having heart to heart talk now? Because, honestly, noona… I really can’t trust you with anything…”

Taeyeon chuckled, “I know…”

“And you even said you wanted me back…”

“I know…”

“We shouldn’t do this at all, you know…”

“Are you sure?” She sounded suggestive, “I’m pretty close with my cousin, just for your information…”

“Jinwoon hyung is also close to her,”

“But would she tell her love story to him? To our coldhearted bastard, Jung Jinwoon…”

Baekhyun put his hands against his chest, “So? What’s your point?”

On another hand, Jongdae was still looking at Bomi, who tried to act casually when Chanyeol smiled at her or at least asked her to do something. He knew that she was still hurt.

Jongdae clenched his fists tighter and nodded, he has decided to do something, so he approached the younger with a grin and asked, “Bomi, do you want to go somewhere after this after party finished?”

Bomi needed few moments before she finally nodded and said, “Okay, where are we going?”

***

After the party finished, Jung brothers asked Baekhyun to return their baby sister home first because they still wanted to stay there, and the curfew for students was almost reaching, so they decided to leave the first.

Baekhyun was oddly quiet, Eunji even needed to make sure that she went home with the noisiest Byun not something else, if you know what she meant, Baekhyun answered her shortly, like not wanted to be asked, so Eunji was a bit annoyed with his attitude. If he could act like an , why couldn’t her?

So when Eunji entered her house, she didn’t bid him goodbye, she simply left him, not until Baekhyun suddenly called her name.

“Eunji,” Baekhyun called, stopping her to walk in to her house.

She turned around and raised one of her eyebrows at Baekhyun, “Yes, sunbae?”

“Ugh…” He mentally cursed at himself. “Are you mad at me?”

Eunji gaped, whoa, this was new… “No,”

“You didn’t say goodbye…” Baekhyun said, his hands shoved deep inside his varsity jacket pockets. Why did he sound like he was complaining? It’s just a goddamn goodbye, Baek! Get a hold on yourself, you .

“You acted weird. I thought you’re irritated at me because my brothers asked you to walk me home… Which I understand because you’re also tired—”

“— No!” Baekhyun cut her off. “No! Not irritated… Not acting weird… I’m… Just have no topics to talk… Sorry…” Baekhyun scratched his nape and continued, “… But really, I am not… Not angry, not weird…”

“Are you sure?” Eunji raised a brow.

“Sure. A hundred percents sure,” Baekhyun grinned quickly at the younger, trying to seem like normal.

“Okay then,” Eunji shrugged it off, and as if Baekhyun has read her mind, he went closer and reached out for her forearm, stopping her to walk in. Eunji turned around and with her cocked eyebrow, she stared at Baekhyun questioningly. Why did this guy act so weird tonight?

“Do you… Do you have plans tomorrow?” Baekhyun asked, unlike before, he seemed a bit nervous.

She pouted, thinking what she would do for tomorrow. She had nothing to do actually, because her father would be busy with his works, Jinwoon would leave early for extra courses – finals and Suneung are coming – and Yonghwa would start his promotion with his band since tomorrow. So, no, she would have nothing to do tomorrow. She slightly shook her head at Baekhyun.

The older nodded and then he took a deep breath before said, “You… Uh… Do you want to go out with me?”

Eunji widened her eyes in surprise.

“… I’m asking you to go on a date with me… Do you want to come?”

Whoa, Eunji’s mind went, this is his first asking me properly, since well, the first one was being asked with force and the second one was a repaid date for the failed one.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy, you know…” Baekhyun grinned to assure her. “We can go wherever you want, I’ll let you lead.”

Eunji looked at Baekhyun, before let out a soft whisper, “Why? Why should I go with you?”

Baekhyun gulped and he looked nervous, oh gee, if only they weren’t in this kind of situation, things would be different. She would laugh at him, saying how cute and stupid he looked right now. But Eunji wouldn’t deny the fact that this nervous kind of Baekhyun looked so adorable. He looked like a stray puppy, wanted to be brought home.

Eunji really felt her heart raced faster than ever. Shoot. Ever since she told him about her feelings, the possibilities, Eunji thought it would be hard to stay around the male for any second longer. And heck, being invited on a date properly like this also made it harder for her to think straight.

Baekhyun was fighting the urge to force the younger to agree, because Taeyeon said he had to be smooth and relaxed. He had to ask nicely instead proposing with a threat like he used to. He swore if Eunji agreed, he would go to church more often, listen to his mother’s scolding without arguing back, and even more! He would be gladly become Baekbom’s best man on his marriage later without complaining. Just please, let her say yes…

“… There’s a new bookstore on the town,” Eunji said, filling the silence, “… And I’ve been wondering to go there, but I have no company to go with…” She left her tone hanging, her gaze was fixated on the wavy haired male.

Baekhyun smiled. That sounded like a yes, didn’t it? “… Okay,”

“What time will you pick me up?” The younger asked, taking out her cell phone, “Since the holiday, I at waking up in mornings, so I think I’d set up an alarm.” She pouted at her cell phone then stared back at Baekhyun, “10 sounds good?”

He nodded like a puppy, ugh how cute, “10 then,” He grinned from ear to ear, Eunji thought her lips would be tired for grinning like that, but it stayed and somehow made her happy. She liked it. He grinned like that because of her. “You should go in before it gets colder,” Baekhyun said, “I’ll go. See you tomorrow, Eunji…”

She nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sunbae,”

And Baekhyun left, still with that from ear to ear grin.

Bomi was puzzled when the older was asking her to come with him to go to Han River. Right now, Jongdae was busy playing with origami paper, made an origami boat. When he was finished, he stood up and gave her the boat.

“What is it?” Bomi asked confusedly.

“A boat of your sadness,” Jongdae answered and he saw her eyes widened, “I know you’re still hurt and I won’t say something like it’s okay, Bomi, everyone got their heart broken at least once, you shouldn’t think about it, you can move on and find someone better or those s like those… So I asked you to come with me tonight, so you will sail your broken feeling and start a new page.” Jongdae explained decently and Bomi could see he meant it.

So Bomi obeyed. She took the boat and closed her eyes, putting the boat to her chest and whispering something. She opened her eyes and Jongdae was still there, smiling reassuringly at her.

Bomi sailed the boat and watched as it went away bit by bit. And she felt her heart was better bit by bit.

“You know…” Jongdae said, making the younger turned her head to fully stare at him, “Our hearts are just like that origami boat,” He sighed, “We won’t know where it will lead us, maybe sometimes it would be tossed away, maybe it would be drowned, or maybe it would be torn. I don’t know, you also don’t know. None of us know where our hearts would lead. But the point is, Bomi… You have to be sure. You have to be sure that your origami boat would stop at the right dock.  You have to be sure that after all the scary possibilities I’ve just told you, there’s a chance to find the right one for you.”

Bomi was amazed. She was amazed on how Jongdae emphasized such a small thing like that into a deep, meaningful thought.

She was hurt, yes, by Chanyeol’s rejection, and how that male could act like nothing has just happened between them, but somehow, Jongdae was there and it was enough. He was there and he tried to make her smile again.

For Bomi, it was a good way to mend her heart.

For Jongdae, it was a good sign to start.

***

Baekbom almost spurt his milk when he saw Baekhyun was already rise and shine, sitting on his seat, having his breakfast with a fond smile plastered on his face. Something had to be happening.

“Eomma,” Baekbom called, interrupting their chats, “What day is today?” He asked a random question.

“Thursday, why do you ask, Bom?” His mother asked back.

He took a deep breath and looked at Baekhyun, “Are you possessed?” and he got a smack on his head as a response, “No, this brat isn’t possessed.” He jutted his lips, “You’