Word Count: 1340

Outside in the university gardens, Baekhyun was seated on a bench; the large tree behind him swaying, its leaves rustling gently as the wind blows. Everything seemed peaceful but Baekhyun’s mind was far from it. It was filled with different thoughts, worries, flashing memories.. his surroundings just a blur to him. He was holding onto his sketchpad, pencil idle on top as if about to draw. He wanted to draw but how can he when he can’t even form a clear image of what he wanted to put on paper.

In a moment, his mind went blank as if all his thoughts were selected and then deleted. His surroundings suddenly turning from a passing blur to clarity.

There were couples here and there, walking to and fro the buildings. Some of them were holding hands, some were laughing, one couple was joking and pushing each other, a few sat scattered on the fields. Students littered the areas – fashion students or just fashionable rich students based on the designer clothing they were parading, students who sat idly doing whatever, students sleeping on their backs on the grass basking at the sunlight and the peaceful atmosphere. There were different groups of friends – friends who were quietly talking to each other, friends who were laughing heartily the sounds filled the air, friends who were joking around. And quite a far distance away from him, just outside the building’s entrance, was Team E.B., his friends in secret.

Baekhyun sighed in both defeat and longing. He watched the people around him and could not help but feel envious. He wished he had the financial capability to buy whatever he wanted, buy a humongous amount of clothes so he could stop worrying if people noticed that he did not follow that ‘one month rule of no repeating’. He longed to be able to hang out with a group of friends and laugh his heart away like the groups he’s seeing. He had friends, don’t get him wrong, but weren’t on his –let’s hangout after class and get to know each other more list–. He avoided those in fear of further lying his way through his status.

He turned to where Team E.B. was standing and hanging out – Tao back hugging Junmyeon as he tried to use him as a shield from Jongdae’s attempts of catching him. Minho and Jongin engaging in what seems a serious talk at first but then Jongin is bursting out laughing and slapping his hyung as he said something funny. And Chanyeol, he was standing behind them leaning against a tree; his usual blank self watching the others around him.

Pinches of pain started hitting his chest. Feelings of heartache and longing and envy mixing… it hurts. He too wants to be there standing within the group, laughing with whatever they were laughing about. He too wants to be able to openly greet them along school halls or just.. every time he bumps into them anywhere in the campus. He too wants to sit with them during breaks.

As his eyes focused on Chanyeol, the heartache grew. He longed his presence; to be able to hold his hand, initiate skinship out in the open without having to worry of the people around him. He wanted to scream to the world that he made Chanyeol, the ‘blank prince’ member who never smiled of the oh so famous Team E.B., smile that one time in his penthouse.

He wanted to do all that, but no. They couldn’t even say hi nor wave each other a greeting because no one knew. No one knew they knew each other. No one knew they were far more from students who go to the same school and were actually a group of close knit friends. No one.

It boggles his mind how Jongin and Kyungsoo are able to even keep their relationship, getting stronger as the days pass despite it all being a secret. How are they able to stop themselves from pouncing