Valentine's Day
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Valentine's Day
Staring: Nam Woohyun x Jang Hyunmi
Words: 5,491 words
Genre: Romance, Angst, Crack
(Set somewhere in the timeline of Crescendity AU)
Staring: Nam Woohyun x Jang Hyunmi
Words: 5,491 words
Genre: Romance, Angst, Crack
(Set somewhere in the timeline of Crescendity AU)
This was it. Today was the day.
Valentine’s Day.
Woohyun may have sprayed too much deodorant from his most recent purchase—the standard musk scent with a hint of soft vanilla—two of her favorite smells combined together, based on some insider’s information. May have purposely put on the red checkered blouse she once complimented looked good on him—also because he overheard her saying she’d wear something red for the special occasion. And may have thought of a few lines to say without seeming too eager, even if it was the only thing he had thought about the previous night.
All day long, he waited and waited for the fateful moment. But everytime he heard a girl giggle, or found a wrapped up chocolate on his desk, it turned out to be from someone else. Every year, he’d receive enough chocolates to give him diabetes, but this year, it didn’t matter. He only wanted a certain one.
Woohyun slumped his shoulders, exiting the first period class without any progress. Heart shaped balloons and red slingers decorated the hallway, because the school had way too much budget to spent on unnecessary stuff rather than use it on clubs that actually needed money. Everywhere he looked, there were numerous reminders of the season of love, and the romantic possibilities today brought.
“H-here! I got this for you!” He heard a familiar voice from the side. Out of curiosity, he decided to sneak on someone else’s more successful love story. Well, well, seemed like Heejin was no longer being shy shy shy.
“Oh, thank you,” Minseok spoke, happily receiving the small wrapped up gift from the girl whose face blushed as red as the balloon behind her. He unwrapped the paper to reveal the gift, and froze.
“I… I made it just for you…” Heejin said shyly.
“Um, thanks.”
Minseok, like any normal human being, wasn’t sure how to respond when he received a chocolate in the shape of a gigantic broccoli. How did she even make that?
“It’s broccoli dipped in chocolate. I froze it overnight,” Heejin said, proud of her odd creation.
This was the moment when Woohyun knew the two were perfect for each other. Because instead of showing disgust, Minseok smiled at the brocholate as if it were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life, too precious to eat.
“Thanks, Heejin.”
Woohyun swore the two were about to lean in and kiss if Heejin hadn’t spotted him while she was just seconds away from touching Minseok’s lips. She immediately stepped back, her face growing impossibly redder than before.
“W-Woohyun, hi,” she greeted awkwardly, biting her lips on a coy smile. “Have you met Hyunmi yet?”
“No. Why? Is she looking for me?” Woohyun asked, perhaps sounding a bit too eager. He managed to keep his face as composed as possible, which probably failed considering Minseok stifled a small laugh.
“No, I just thought my cousin would give you a chocolate considering… You know.”
Their position as leaders of the choir club? Their history of working together? The entire club thinking they were dating? Him constantly hinting his biased favoritism toward her?
“Oh, I wasn’t even thinking about it. In fact, I didn’t even remember today was Valentine’s Day,” Woohyun lied, keeping his cool.
Heejin and Minseok’s eyes awkwardly trailed to the themed decoration all around the school, a banner with the text ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ even written in big golden letters right next to him.
“Riiight. I’m sure she’ll give you one, though. She even gave me something this morning,” Minseok casually announced, not knowing the revelation disheartened the two people in front of him. “I.. I mean, as a friendly gesture.”
“Of course,” Woohyun said, maintaining the firmness in his tone to conceal his utter disappointment. There was hope. If Hyunmi gave Minseok a chocolate, surely she’d give one to him, right?
“I have an extra one from my failed batch. You can have it if you want,” Heejin offered in the nicest and kindest way possible that did not match the content of her offer. Not only was she offering a failed product, she was trying to give him a consolation gift. Was this a sign that Hyunmi wouldn’t give him anything?
“I’m good, thanks,” he sobbed a little, breathing out. She was too pure and genuine to mean any harm. “Alright, go continue your smooching. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
Woohyun strolled away as the two were too baffled to put up a protest. He entered his second period class, knowing full well that Hyunmi memorized his entire schedule and seating arrangement per subject.
“In case I need to call you for an emergency meeting,” she had said, but really, who was she trying to kid? Maybe she was a little stalker-ish with her affection, but Woohyun didn’t mind. He liked the attention. He liked knowing she was a little possessive over him.
But even as he entered the classroom, his desk remained empty. Perhaps, she was preparing a big surprise for him. Then again, Hyunmi wasn’t the type to make grand gestures. Could she have forgotten?
“Here.”
A small box thudded on the table next to him. Woohyun turned to see Sungyeol, one of his fellow classmates who had been dozing off before class, groan as the present hit his head.
“What the hell, Yeon?” he raised his voice at the girl in the black hoodie who avoided his glare. He picked the box up to throw it back, only to realize what the contents could possibly be. He even shook it, double checking. Then he opened the box, and his eyes shimmered with amazement and hunger. “Did you make this, Yeon?”
“N-no… I was craving some chocolate, but bought too many ingredients so… Might as well… It’s just some leftovers,” The girl named Seongyeon said, inhabiting a clear I-like-you-but-won’t-ever-admit-it complex. She was just like a pineapple, tough on the outside, but a softie on the inside.
“Oh! Dark chocolate! My favorite!” Sungyeol yelled, taking another bite before he swallowed the previous one.
“Really?”
“Nope, but it is now,” Sungyeol declared, finishing another piece in one bite.
Smooth. Woohyun nodded in approval. The pick up line pro bono course he started seemed to be helping his friends with their love endeavors. The two most unlikely people to display a hint of affection ended up taking part in the Valentine’s Day tradition.
If these two could do it, surely Hyunmi would to. It wasn’t like her to be late. In fact, she’d probably hand him the chocolate yesterday if she could, because of her punctuality and all. But she valued the romantic tradition too much to break the rule—another thing she valued, rules.
“Stop looking at us,” Seongyeon barked at Woohyun who was lost in his thoughts. She was about to throw another box of chocolate, but Sungyeol quickly screamed—yes, the boy actually screamed like a maniac—and rushed over to take the box from her hand.
Woohyun didn’t know what was sadder. The fact that Seongyeon wanted to hit him with a box of chocolate, or the fact that he’d allow it just so he’d receive something. Maybe Heejin’s brocholate offer wasn’t that bad after all. The name he coined for it was quite genius.
***
By the time third period was about to start, he noticed two familiar faces in the hallway. Hana and Jisoo, two members from the rivaling choir club called Bs. Why were they here?
“I wanted to give you this,” Hana said, fetching a small plastic wrapper with adorable heart shaped chocolates inside. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Woohyun groaned inwardly. Did they travel all the way here to shove the lovey doveyness in his face? Cause if they did, he’d never felt more miserable.
Jisoo looked surprised, happily accepting the gift. “Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes. But it was my first time, so I hope they taste good,” Hana said, anxiously fiddling with her fingers.
“They’ll taste good because you made them,” Jisoo said casually, plopping a piece into his mouth, smiling at the girl who bit her lips in anticipation. “And it tastes extra sweet cause I’m with you.”
“Aaaaah, I’m so happy you like them!” Hana squealed, retrieving two more plastic wrappers from her bag. “I actually wanted to give one to Hyunmi and Maerin. They helped me a lot since we were making them together until late at night. Then we decided to have a sleepover.”
Woohyun’s eyes sprung open in realization. Hyunmi did make chocolates. Surely she didn’t make them for Minseok to eat. Maybe she offered failed batches to Minseok the same way Heejin offered hers to him. There was hope for him.
“Nah,” Jisoo said, taking the two presents from Hana’s hands. “I need these more than they do.”
Hana grinned bashfully, glad that Jisoo thought the chocolates were soooo gooood.
***
By fourth period, he happened to have a class with Maerin and Taemin. Woohyun wasn’t sure whether Taemin would receive a chocolate from Maerin considering the way he had hurt her in the past, claiming they were just friends despite behaving like an old married couple all the time.
Considering the fact that Taemin was calmly chewing on some chocolate bar, he had nothing to worry about. But Maerin was sulking. Why?
Upon a closer inspection, he saw an orange giftbox wrapped up like a candy peeking out from her bag. Oh God, the chocolate Taemin was eating in front of Maerin was someone else’s. How dared he?
“Taemin, where did you get those from?” he demanded.
“From Hyunmi. Didn’t you get some?” the boy answered, easily flinging another piece of precious made chocolate in his mouth.
The revelation made Woohyun huff a breath in annoyance. In one swooping motion, he snatched the plastic wrapper from Taemin’s hand, something he wanted to do with Minseok as well. But this time, he’d have a legit excuse.
“No, I didn’t. So I’d appreciate it if you stop showing this off to me,” Woohyun said, unconsciously mashing his lips into a pout. “Valentine’s Day chocolate should be special and meaningful. You should only accept them from the person who means the most to you.”
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Maerin nodding along to his romantic ideals. Poor girl was too afraid to give her chocolate in fear of another rejection. Even if Woohyun couldn’t attain his own happiness, he’d help someone else attain theirs.
“That’s the only one I got though. I don’t usually receive a lot of chocolates,” Taemin said, reaching his hand out to the ones Woohyun confiscated.
“The quantity doesn’t matter as much as the quality does, right Maerin?”
“Oh,” Maerin gulped, caught offguard. She saw Woohyun cocking his head toward her bag, and was smart enough to understand his meaning. Somehow, there was a sense of trust and security when it came to Woohyun, so she wholeheartedly did as she was advised and carefully placed the candy wrapped giftbox on Taemin’s desk. “I… I made this for you… But if you don’t want to eat it, I… I can take it back.”
“No!” Taemin said, preventing her from taking the gift away by grabbing her hand. “Quality over quantity, right? There’s no other chocolate that could top this one.”
Maerin bit her lips to stop herself from making a derpy smile, too overjoyed to control her facial muscles. Luckily, she hid her expression by looking at Woohyun, mouthing a silent “thank you.”
Woohyun looked at the stolen chocolate in his hand and sighed. If he ate this, at least he’d have tasted Hyunmi’s chocolate. But these weren’t meant for him. It didn’t feel right. He may be desperate, but not to this extent.
***
During lunch time, he spotted the others at their usual lunch table. Nearly every guy had that plastic wrapped gift with the signature blue ribbon sitting in front of them. Nearly every guy received the gift he had anticipated the most today.
“Who are you looking for?”
Woohyun turned around, his lips immediately curving into a gleeful grin at Hyunmi’s sight. He nearly mouthed the word “you” to her. The fact they really did wear matching red outfits delighted him.
“What if I were looking for you?” he asked in his usual flirtatious manner he’d reserve only for her. Of course, he’d hide the truth behind his humorous implication.
“You found me. What’s wrong?” she asked, oblivious to his dilemma.
Woohyun guessed he could give out hints. He felt like the girl in their relationship, but perhaps he needed to speak the female’s language in order to get to her head and heart. “Just a little tired. Guess I could use some sugar, or something sweet.”
The glint in Hyunmi’s eyes changed, darkening. “Didn’t you get a lot of chocolates from girls, like usual?”
He really wanted to believe there was a hint of jealousy in her tone. But maybe it was his desperation playing tricks on him.
“Have you been paying attention to me?” he asked, the statement a bit clingier than he imagined in his head. He knew she wouldn’t say a direct yes, but perhaps, she’d played along like she always does.
“N-No! It’s just that many girls have a crush on you, so it’s only reasonable for you to get a lot of chocolates.”
“Does that include you?”
The words spewed out before he had the chance to filter them. Damn, it sounded more pathetic and insecure than his usual feigned confidence. If Hyunmi was as observant as she was when it came to him, she’d know this wasn’t a cheesy pick up line, but an actual wonderment. He wanted and did not want her to answer it at the same time.
“Do.. Do you want me to be included?” she carefully asked in return.
Woohyun couldn’t help but chuckle, loving this back and forth bantering with their endless questions, both waiting for either one to succumb to a confession first.
“Who knows,” he replied just as vague as always, shrugging. “But just so you know, despite the chocolates I’ve received, I made up my mind to only eat from the person I like. Don’t wanna give false hopes to others, you know.”
“How noble.”
He nodded, eyes trailing to her hands. He was ready to receive his gift, anytime now. Anytime. But as seconds passed, she merely offered him a sheepish smile and asked him to join the others for lunch.
Maybe he should’ve elaborated some more. The regret sunk deeper and deeper as they resumed class. This time he had a class with Seulyi. First thing she did was drop a huge chocolate bar on his desk that was very ambiguously shaped like a…
“Seulyi! Shame on you!” Woohyun spoke, shaking his head.
“What? No! This is a banana!”
“Why does it look like a... “
“Right, I added two oranges next to banana,” Seulyi answered, seriously blank to the r-rated chocolate she had created.
Woohyun was so embarrassed to be seen with it that he slowly shoved it away from his desk. On second thought, receiving no chocolate was better than receiving this kind of art.
“Hands off! This is for Myungsoo,” Seulyi said excitedly.
Poor, poor Myungsoo.
“How did you even managed to carry this around the entire school without anyone judging you?” Woohyun asked.
“They do judge, I just don’t give a fudge,” Seulyi replied coolly. But her ice queen exterior melted at the sight of Myungsoo entering the classroom. No, not melted, but broke.
“Oh my God, oh my God, how should I give this to him?” She hyperventilated.
“Start with the banana and two oranges explanation,” Woohyun muttered, propping his chin against the palm of his hand. He wasn’t even surprised to see Myungsoo holding Hyunmi’s gift in his hand. But the way he took such care of it like it was a precious antique did annoy him. Myungsoo looked way too happy, perhaps mistaking it as something else than a consolation gift. Let’s hope Seulyi’s banana and two oranges chocolate would outdo that.
“How? How do I say it?” Seulyi whined, her body beginning to tremble at Myungsoo’s sight.
“Hey, Myungsoo!” Woohyun waved him over. “Seulyi got something for you.”
Woohyun grinned as Seulyi cursed him under her breath. Her fault for requesting his help.
Myungsoo’s eyes perked up with interest, hopping over with a wide grin plastered on his face. It was impossible to miss the humongous chocolate sculpture placed in front of him. His mouth fell open in disbelief.
“These are—”
“A banana and two oranges,” Myungsoo interjected, even uttering an amazed wow under his breath.
“Yes!”
Woohyun frowned. If Minseok and Heejin showed their perfect compatibility by being sweet and sacrificial for the other, Seulyi and Myungsoo were compatible in a sense that defied a person’s average intelligence. Plus they were both erts. The fact that Myungsoo didn’t see anything wrong with this was just questionable.
“Thank you! This looks really big though.”
“Yeah, I tried to make it realistic.” Seulyi bit her lips, looking up at him from her fluttering eyelids. “I made it thinking of you.”
“Thank you.” Myungsoo dropped Hyunmi’s chocolate on the desk and went for Seulyi’s questionable gift, much to Woohyun’s delight.
Myungsoo actually looked touched and honored at this gift. Woohyun commended Seulyi for outdoing Hyunmi’s consolation gift. Hopefully, Myungsoo would finally see how great of a match Seulyi was for him.
***
By the next class, Woohyun had stopped hoping altogether. Maybe he was expecting too much. Maybe she found the entire chocolate loving tradition silly after all.
On his way to the next classroom, he was sure he spotted the girl among the crowd. Despite her short height, he could easily single her out. She had this aura that always pulled his eyes toward her. And for one second, their eyes met. Woohyun grinned, as he always would when he saw her, but she threw her gaze away from her. She frickin looked away.
Woohyun’s jaw dropped. Maybe… Maybe she didn’t see him. That was a much probable explanation than being blatantly ignored. So he pushed his way through the crowd to prove himself right. But from up close, he saw her with a guest.
“She made something for you too, so even if you’re allergic, just accept it,” Hyunmi told Sungwoon, the latest addition to their choir club.
“You didn’t have to tell me that. I’m an appreciative guy, you know,” the guy boasted, pumping a fist against his chest. “Wait, if you knew I was allergic and you knew she was making chocolate for me, why didn’t you stop her?”
“She told me about it this morning when she was looking for you,” Hyunmi rolled her eyes. From the corner of her vision, she saw Eun approaching, her cue to leave. “By the way, I can’t find MJ. Have you seen him?”
Sungwoon tsked, shaking his head and wiggled his finger with a smile. “Hyunmi, he’s right behind you.”
“Oh.”
“HI!” MJ yelled with a loud nasally voice, because everything he said was yelled using a loud nasally voice.
Woohyun watched as Hyunmi pulled MJ away, hand too overly friendly wrapped around MJ’s arm. He swore, once they start dating—whenever that may be—he’d have a word with her about her distance with other boys. He was about to follow when he heard Eun’s soft greeting, nearly hiccuping at the sight of her crush’s presence. This was too interesting to miss.
“Eun! What a coincidence, I did not expect you here!” Sungwoon said, way too staged to seem natural.
“Hi… I, um…” Eun stammered, fiddling the obvious heart shaped box in her hand, struggling to find an opening line. A monologue performance she could do, but talking in front of her crush? Nope.
But Sungwoon patiently waited, smiling as he watched her try her best to make an effort just for him. He could lend her a hand, and thus pointed at the box. “Is that for me?”
“Um… Y-yes.”
“Thank you! No one has bothered to give me chocolates so far, so this would do,” Sungwoon said, taking the box from her hand.
Eun’s eyes widened as Woohyun slapped his forehead.
“This would do?” She asked, her voice broken with disappointment. Was her present just something he could tolerate? Not something he could enjoy?
“W-what? No, I mean,” Sungwoon cleared his throat, awkwardly looking at anything but her. “It’s too embarrassing to admit I’ve been waiting for this.”
“But you just admitted it.”
“Therefore I am embarrassed.”
Nice. Sungwoon even added a red blush to validate his own words. Woohyun was proud to see the boy’s clever comeback. Well done.
***
By final period, he walked in on something he’d rather not see. He knew all about Hyunmi’s extravagant lets-give-every-guy-a-Valentine-chocolate-except-for-Woohyun regime, but to see it happen in front of his eyes confirmed just how much it stung his heart.
“Just take it,” she shoved the gift in Kibum’s hand.
“Did you make this yourself?” Kibum asked, no tone of amazement, just pure fear and skepticism.
“Hah, do you think of yourself privileged enough to receive my homemade chocolate?” Hyunmi asked, always showing her malicious side with Kibum.
“Oh, thank God. I didn’t wanna die yet.” Kibum breathed out in relief, earning an annoyed push from his friend.
“It won’t kill you. Besides, even if I made chocolates myself, it won’t be for you anyway,” Hyunmi said, her voice muttering softer.
“Oh no, who’s the unlucky guy?”
Woohyun threaded closer into the classroom, unable to hear the rest of the conversation. He accidentally bumped against a table, catching both Kibum and Hyunmi’s attention as they leaned away from their rendezvous.
“Hi,” Woohyun decided to wing it and played it cool, taking a seat behind Hyunmi. “What are you guys up to?”
“Nothing,” Kibum said, purposely eating one of Hyunmi’s chocolate, just to see Woohyun’s reaction. As expected, the guy flinched, knowing whom those chocolates were from. Reading Woohyun’s jealousy was too easy sometimes.
Woohyun was oblivious to it, focusing on the fact that Hyunmi hadn’t even turned around to greet him. He probably wouldn’t be getting any consolation chocolate either. The one he snatched from Taemin was still in his bag, and he toyed with the idea of eating those instead. The chocolate Hyunmi purchased for everyone but him, which was a strange move from the frugal girl anyway.
***
Woohyun still had soccer practice after school, and with every passing minute, his hope completely diminished. He had to stop hoping. That way, he wouldn’t be disappointed going home empty handed. Yeah, he’d made truce with that.
As for the rest of the practice, he made so many mistakes that the coach placed him on the bench. He was too distracted to try and charm his way back to the field.
“Yerin!”
Woohyun turned around, though he wasn’t the one being addressed. There was only one person who could call out to Yerin with such desperation and affection at the same time. The curiosity in him wanted to see what became of Chanyeol’s fate. Surely Yerin wouldn’t have given Chanyeol a chocolate when even Hyunmi didn’t give him one.
“I need to make a confession!” Chanyeol stated out loud, scaring the girl a little who backed off from him. She seemed a little reluctant to listen to his confession. “Hyunmi gave me chocolates.”
Oh, come on. Woohyun was ready to flip a table if he could, but he would only end up lifting it and putting it down again because of its weight. But this, this was absurd. Was Hyunmi just toying with him?
“That’s good,” Yerin said, sounding so genuinely happy that it broke Chanyeol’s heart.
“No, I told her I only wanted to accept a chocolate from you, so I didn’t take it,” the tall boy confessed.
Woohyun wanted to do a standing ovation right then and there. This was the exemplary behavior everyone should’ve followed. He began seeing Chanyeol in a new light, his dedication suddenly no longer foolish, but admirable.
“You should’ve though. I couldn’t get you anything,” Yerin spoke honestly. “I’m broke.”
“I know,” Chanyeol acknowledged with a serious nod. “That’s why I bought a chocolate for you to give to me.”
Yerin frowned as Chanyeol actually took a heart shaped box from his bag, with a huge ‘Will You Be My Valentine’ card attached to it. He handed it to Yerin and smiled. “Now give it to me.”
Yerin blinked her eyes, unable to comprehend Chanyeol’s logic. Unsurely, with her eyebrows seamed together, she stretched her hands out to Chanyeol. “Here…? For you…?”
“Oh,yes!” Chanyeol yelled, hugging the box which he had bought using his own money with such excitement. “Thank you.”
Yerin wasn’t sure whether she should feel sorry or worried about him, but ended up smiling at this ridiculous scenario. She really did want to give him a chocolate, even if it was an obligatory one, but she was really broke.
“I’ll give you an actual one next month,” Yerin said.
“No, next month it’s my turn to give one to you,” Chanyeol protested.
“Okay, then I’ll give you a chocolate for you to give it back to me again, deal?” Yerin played along with his logic, stretching her hand for a handshake.
Chanyeol grinned from ear to ear and took her hand. “Deal!”
Woohyun sighed helplessly at the sight, turning his attention back to the soccer field. Even the most hopeless guy, Park Chanyeol, managed to make this romantic day work to his advantage. Why couldn’t he do the same?
“So you haven’t gotten a chocolate either, huh?” Wonwoo asked, a fellow soccer team member who always occupied the bench, because he was too horrible to play an actual match.
Woohyun didn’t usually confide in him, but the word ‘either’ indicated their possible comradery, two pathetic guys with the same fate. “Did you?”
“No. My girlfriend goes to another school,” Wonwoo said. “That’s why I’m going over there to surprise her later. I can’t wait around for something to happen. I need to make it happen.”
Woohyun had a moment of epiphany right then and there, hope making a sudden return. Maybe he could go to Hyunmi and shamefully ask for a present. Would that be too desperate? But he was desperate. Would she still like him despite his desperation?
“Wonwoo!” A female voice shouted.
Wonwoo dramatically turned around, his expression contorting to that of an actor from a tragic drama, staring longingly at his lover, the tall metal fence separating them. “Seollin!”
Woohyun gasped, not expecting his girlfriend to be the musical prodigy Jin Seollin. He watched as Wonwoo got up, nearly tripping over the stairs, and ran outside to hug his girlfriend.
“What are you doing here?” He asked.
“I came to see you, and give you this,” Seollin said, flinging the gift in her hand.
“Oh! I can’t believe it,” he cooed, and the two ended… crying?
Woohyun blinked his eyes and looked away, giving them some privacy. Maybe he could try this out. Take the initiative, seek her out, and then figure out his next step. Alright, Woohyun made up his mind.
“Did you come here all by yourself?” He heard Wonwoo ask as he walked further into the distance.
“No, I came with Hana, Jisoo, and Baekhyun.”
***
It was unlike Hyunmi to disappear from school. He looked at every possible places: the art room, the choir room, the dance studio, and even in the photography’s dark room, but she was nowhere to be found. Had she really gone home without giving him anything?
Until he walked out of the building, hearing distant chatters from around the corner. One he easily recognized as Hyunmi’s, but the other?
“I didn’t expect you’d come here today.”
“And that’s a problem because…?”
The voice belonged to a male, one Woohyun didn’t recognize. He wanted to take a peek, but couldn’t risk being busted again. Based on his attempt to eavesdrop on Kibum earlier, he wasn’t exactly the stealthiest person around.
“Because I didn’t get you anything,” Hyunmi said.
Great. A stranger came over for a visit and Hyunmi felt bad for not getting him anything. Woohyun had been there all day long, and she did not seem to mind.
“Really?” There was amusement in the boy’s voice. “Are you doing the ‘I didn’t get you anything’ skit so I’d be surprised when you suddenly give me chocolates, like last time?”
They had history together?
“That was three years ago, Baek. Surely I’m more original than that,” Hyunmi laughed. “For real, I got nothing.”
Woohyun’s eyes widened.
Baek? As in Byun Baekhyun? Chanyeol’s ex roommate who moved to join the Bs? The guy whom, according to Kibum, could’ve dated Hyunmi if only he’d ask her out before leaving? The guy whom Hyunmi at one point in her life used to have a crush on?
“Alright, how about you accompany me for dinner then?” Baekhyun asked, very casual, very smooth, proving their closeness.
“Like a date?”
“Nope, just two friends hanging out wearing a fancy attire. We’ll sip on a glass of champagne, but since you don’t drink, we’ll just pretend your glass of water is white wine,” Baekhyun painted the night out for them, and she laughed. “Or, we could do anything you’d like.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Just for the weekend. Hana, Jisoo, and Seollin are all here anyway, so I tagged along, hoping I’d get to see you,” Baekhyun said, the grin imminent from his voice alone. “Unless, you already have Valentine’s plan with someone else?”
“No. Valentine’s Day is about the girl giving something out to the guy. So I doubt he... I mean, anyone would ask me,” Hyunmi said.
Baekhyun may have missed the implication, but Woohyun didn’t. Was she secretly hoping for him to ask her on a date? Was he supposed to?
“And here I am breaking the status quo. I’m asking you to be my Valentine friend, not date. I’ll even pay,” Baekhyun kept trying persistently, even knowing Hyunmi’s weak point.
“What do you mean you’ll pay? You still owe me for the PUBG add ons you asked me to buy the other day.”
“Right. Well then, I’ll clear my debts today. Come on, you can’t reject the guy who came all the way here to see you.”
Woohyun sighed, feeling like he had invaded private territory, witnessing a scene he shouldn’t have. Clearly, this Baekhyun guy was worth more than consolation chocolates. If he wasn’t a close friend of Hyunmi’s, he was something more. Woohyun did not want to linger around, feeling his heart shatter at every smile, laughter, and memories she shared with someone other than him.
So he walked away.
***
Playing at the soccer field by himself was always a good way to unwind his stress. He really thought they had something special, but his one sided ardor may have clouded his judgements. She was simply nice to everyone, and he was just another person to be nice to. Their interactions probably didn’t mean as much to her as it did to him.
He grew so frustrated to the point he couldn’t even make a proper kick. So he stomped his way back to the bench, drinking a bottle of water, the very same liquid Baekhyun and Hyunmi would go on pretending to be some fancy white champagne. He shouldn’t have eavesdropped if he knew it would shatter him this much.
He bend down, searching for a towel from his duffel bag, when a red paper bag appeared in front of him. Woohyun looked up, surprised to see Hyunmi. He couldn’t help the tumultuous beating in his heart, all anger forgotten.
“Hyunmi? What is this?” He asked dumbly, the corner of his lips lifting into a smile.
“It’s for you,” she said quietly, wetting her lips. “Since I got chocolates for everyone…”
Woohyun’s hope fell, knowing what this was. “A consolation chocolate.”
“Consolation chocolate?” She frowned and chuckled. “No, I’m being a good leader and gave thank you chocolates to our choir members.”
Woohyun blinked, “You paid for all of them?”
“I used the club’s money.”
“Of course.”
He laughed, and she did too, and for a second everything seemed alright. But he was done making assumptions. “So, is this a thank you chocolate too?”
She did not reply, only eyeing the bag between them. So Woohyun took the cue to retrieve the surprise. It was a circular red box with a golden ribbon tied around it, so perfect that he knew she had untied and tied it numerous times again just to get it right. This was certainly different from the plastic wrapped thank you chocolates the others received.
“Surely you can’t expect me to give you a thank you chocolate,” she finally spoke, bashfully facing the ground as she absentmindedly kicked the air. “You’re worth more than that.”
Woohyun peered at her in surprise. This wasn’t their usual exchange of ambiguous words. She was blatantly making an indirect confession, one which dissipated every doubt and fear Woohyun felt that day. He had it all wrong.
“I mean, I really tried to follow the recipe as precise as possible, but I think they scammed me, so it might taste a little weird. The weird blob of shape is supposed to be a heart, but—”
Woohyun didn’t know what came over him as he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She abruptly stopped her chatters, every word caught in , but not once did she push him away. He buried his head against hers, breathing out shakily. How could he possibly compose himself if all he wanted to do right now was to hold her tight and not let go?
“I’m sure it’s perfect,” Woohyun whispered, smiling as he embraced her tighter. “I'm just really really happy I got a chocolate from you.”
Hyunmi stayed quiet, raising her hand to pat his back in gentle motions. “Did you think I’d forget about you?”
“Well, when nearly every other guy received a chocolate from you and you refused to even look at me, it was hard to come up with other conclusions.”
“Sorry, I was nervous,” Hyunmi admitted. “I wanted to save the best for the last.”
Woohyun chuckled. It was that clever mouth of hers that persuaded more than half of the club members to join. Whatever her reason, she could come up with numerous excuses and he would gladly fall for them over and over again.
“Well then, that calls for quite a celebration,” he let go without stepping back, remaining close. He dared himself to ask a question, hoping she hadn’t already agreed to Baekhyun’s invitation. “How about dinner tonight, just you and me?”
“Where?”
“Anywhere you want.”
Hyunmi faked a long wonderment, to which Woohyun scoffed at, amused. “You know I’ll go anywhere with you.”
Woohyun couldn’t help his lips from stretching into a wide grin. With the red paper bag in one hand, his other hand subtly threaded his fingers with Hyunmi’s, and they left the soccer field.
“So about your noble intention of eating only the chocolate from the girl you like…” Hyunmi began, daring him to make his own indirect confession.
“Hyunmi, I made that rule just for you. Why do you think I’ve been waiting for this all day long?” Woohyun asked, holding the red paper bag in his hand.
She laughed, and he squeezed her hand in his. They weren’t a couple, but they weren’t just friends either. One day, Woohyun would ask her the fateful question, but for now, he’d focus on the here and now, enjoying Valentine’s Day with the one he treasured the most.
Fin.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY GUYS!
Excuse the sloppy writing. I just got a random idea cause I wanted to write something for Valentine's Day, plus it has been so long since I wrote a fanfic. So.... Yeah, hope you guys enjoyed this! XD Thought it would be fun to write from Woohyun's perspective for once.
Don't forget to stream and watch Infinite's latest comeback, CLOCK!
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