Word Count: 5284

‘love me like I love you.’

It was the creative photo he saw at the gift shop, the very same photo that the stranger he met bought. And on the card was a name he last expected to be linked to her of all people.

From: Han Yejin

Putting two and two together – the memories with Stranger, the familiarity he felt – he panics crazily; feeling a serious mental breakdown that he wanted to cry. It is not even due to the fact that Chanyeol’s ex-girlfriend sent a gift – no, that’s the least of his concern right now.

Stranger is the only person who knew his secret. Stranger is Park Chanyeol’s ex-girlfriend, the girl in the photos. Stranger is Han Yejin, the stranger he formed a friendship with.

His earlier anxiety increases tenfold at the revelation, feeling as if his fear might eat him up this very second. The what if’s begin to plague his mind; his fear overshadowing everything at the moment, the last conversation with Stranger and the kindness she has shown all throughout completely forgotten.

It is Yejin. Yejin knows. She knows. What if she tells? What if she reveals his identity? What if… what if…

The sudden change of Baekhyun’s behavior, a seeming far worse obvious anxiety than earlier had Yura concerned. Seeing the obvious shaking of Baekhyun’s hands as they held the frame and his shallow breathing, Yura approaches him and finds out the problem as she read the name written on the card.

“That girl.” She mutters angrily, taking hold of the photo out of Baekhyun’s grasp gently but with ire.

After Yura had left the photo, flipped and words out of sight in a corner, she holds Baekhyun’s hands in an attempt to soothe him – rubbing tenderly his hands with hers.

She figures the reason is due to the fact that the gift is from Chanyeol’s ex-girlfriend – a supposed past of his.

Maybe they have encountered each other before for him to react this way – a rather negative encounter – she thinks. Maybe she did something? Said something perhaps to have him in this scared state at the moment?

The possible scenarios infuriate her. After all Yejin has done to her brother, she still has the nerve to bother him. How thick is her face to even send such artwork. What is she hoping? Another chance? Bull.

On the other hand, Baekhyun thinks differently. The rubbing of gentle circles on his hands by Yura slowly calms him. Soon his earlier panicked breakdown ebbs away to mere fear, and when his thoughts finally clear he remembers the last time they saw each other.

Images of Stranger’s pained smile, the sadness reflected in her eyes that day flash through his memories. Their last conversation starts to replay and he remembers the pain in her voice as well as the odd relief she had.

“Remember the artwork I bought? At the gift shop where we met?”

“I’ll still be giving it as planned, now a meaningless gift to the person I love but no longer loves me.”

Baekhyun turns to look at where Yura placed the photo that was resting on the floor by the wall – its words unseen. That is her gift, it came from her. He remembers how confused he was, questioning her statement of ‘no longer loves me’; remembers how saddened he was then for how she sounded so sure that the person she loves no longer loves her back.

He loosens his grip on Yura’s hands and leaves her side to walk to the console table that stood by the back of the couch; the table that still held the turned over picture frame he once saw – untouched from the last time. When he looks at the photo, his heart ached as he saw the same pretty eye smile of the girl in the picture that Stranger had. They looked different, but their eyes and their smile are one and the same. It is her. She is Yejin.

“He loves that person way more than he loved me. I can see it from the way he looked at that person; it wasn’t the same as he used to look at me.”

‘I do hope to be able to say a formal goodbye to you’ was a line he read in her card. This was her way of saying goodbye to her past, a way to finally end things.

“They deserve each other more.”

“I’m glad though, that of all people, it had to be that person.”

The heartache he felt pained even more as he remembered her last words, he felt tears begin to prick his eyes. The person she meant was him. She was glad it was him, Byun Baekhyun. She was letting go of the person she loved the most to a stranger she once randomly met. Han Yejin was letting go of Park Chanyeol for Byun Baekhyun.

Baekhyun’s feelings were mixed; he did not know what to feel over the whole thing. He felt extreme heartache – it was painful to find out that the stranger he grew fond of, a friendship he held dearly, happens to be his rival over Chanyeol’s heart. It was painful to know that the sweet kind stranger, who took care of him despite the short time they have known each other, is the same person who ruined Chanyeol. It was painful to think that Stranger, who looked sad and hopeful when they met, is now giving up entirely just for Baekhyun. However, it was truthfully relieving to know that Stranger, now Yejin, is not opposed of his relationship with his ex-boyfriend, Park Chanyeol. But it also feared him for the simple fact that out of everyone he knew Yejin is the only person who knows of his true identity. Of all people to know, it is her.

“Baekhyun?” Yura calls out worriedly, even more so when Baekhyun turns to her with glassy eyes.

She did not know what to do. She has only met Baekhyun not too long ago and with the sensitive situation they are in right now with the unexpected package from his brother’s past…

“The Christmas tree is still not done.” She says the first thing that comes to mind – a hopeful distraction, and walks over to Baekhyun to once again turn down the picture frame in his hold. Thankfully, Baekhyun follows suit and they both quietly return to work.

This time, Yura watches as Baekhyun decorates the tree with a smile long gone, eyes still glassy. The skip in his actions earlier is replaced by slow movements. It’s funny, how a person’s happiness can affect another because now, she too lost the happiness she felt prior.

“Chanyeol introduced you as his lover.” She begins and notices how Baekhyun pauses. “Like I said earlier, you must be very special for him to do so.”

The confusion in Baekhyun’s eyes as he turned to her had her smiling.

“Never once has my brother introduced anyone as a lover, if you must know.” This had Baekhyun entirely stopping.

“Every one of his past he introduced as no one but a mere person he is in a relationship with – whether it be girlfriend or boyfriend. Not one had a lover attached to their names, not even Yejin.” She hands Baekhyun a golden star, nodding her head to the Christmas tree’s top for him to place the final decoration. “You are the only one he introduced as a lover, Baekhyun.”

For a moment, Baekhyun was distracted – both from Yura’s words and from the pretty star in his hold. It was made of small little shiny golden stars attached to each other to form a bigger bright golden star – he traces the little stars with his fingers admiring its details. Finally, he tiptoes to reach up above the peak of the tree, carefully placing the star in its rightful place. And he stares at it – watching the star shine beautifully above among the beauty below. Lover.

“So you shouldn’t worry about Yejin.” Yura moves to plug in the Christmas lights. “No matter what she does, I am very sure she’s never going to win over you.”

The Christmas tree lights up, its lights adding to the already beautiful Christmas display. Baekhyun stares in awe as he is once again, lost in thoughts.

It was quiet for another while, Baekhyun starring lost at the lighted Christmas tree while Yura watches him – his eyes still shining from unshed tears even more at the reflection of the lights, his charming smile never present.

“Do you know why Chanyeol broke Baekhyun?” She breaks the silence after some time.

Turning to her, Baekhyun answers with what he knows. “Because Yejin cheated on him...”

“Yes, but no.” Yura smiles bitterly at the answer – a detail everyone knows but the only one they know. “There is more to that than just cheating. My brother won’t break too far over a mere reason.”

“That was not the first time he was cheated at.” She leans against the couch, arms crossed as she looks at Baekhyun somberly. “We are the Parks, you know? Being used for fame and money, being sought after due to our name, hoping to fool us into believing it’s all true, and being left behind later is inevitable. That is not new to Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun stays silent, not sure what to reply and only stands idle on his place.

“Yejin is the only relationship that Chanyeol eventually took seriously, considering how long they even stayed together. Their relationship was far from perfect. For the four years they were together, they were like any other couple who went through a lot of fights and misunderstandings.”

She looks out the window, remembering her brother’s past with Yejin; Baekhyun not missing the sadness reflecting her eyes.

“But despite all that, he loved her a lot. He depended on her on a lot of things. She was his pillar of strength who stuck by him for every he went through those times.”

“So when he found out she cheated on him, of course.. it angered him. It was like a harsh slap to him that she wasn’t any different than the rest who’s only after him for their own benefit. But if that angered him, it wasn’t enough a reason to break him.”

“What broke him are the secrets that he found out one by one.”

She looks back at Baekhyun who was caught off guard by the sudden anger in her eyes; guilt starting to brew inside him at the mention of secrets for he has his own.

“One was the guy she cheated with who happens to be a close friend of his, used to at least.”

This had Baekhyun gasping in surprise, shocked of the least expected truth to find out.

“Bang Yongguk and Park Chanyeol…are friends?”

“Yes. They all went to the same high school.” Yura chuckles. “It’s funny ‘cause they have two entirely different personalities, total opposites of each other, yet they were best of friends.”

“While Chanyeol was still humble despite his pride, Yongguk was entirely prideful. While Chanyeol was still giving and understanding, Yongguk was a huge brat. He was used to getting everything he wanted, no matter how small or big it is he will get it. So when he did not get Yejin…”

“He resorted to ruining them…” Baekhyun trails after that Yura nods to.

“And then…there’s our mother.” She bites her lips, hesitant of this particularly detail as it involved family.

Staying silent once again, Baekhyun waits as he senses the hesitance. He turns back to the Christmas tree, playing with one of the ornaments in his hand to distract himself of the fear he started to feel once again. Mother.

“I know she loves us, but she has always been controlling. She wanted to make sure Chanyeol’s future was bright and according to her plan of success. It was the same with me but I ran away to avoid it all. Chanyeol on the other hand…”

“She wanted to make sure he wedded someone worthy of her standards and that’s where Yejin comes in.”

Pinches of pain shot through Baekhyun’s heart – the line he feared the most – a phrase he expected but nonetheless hurts.

“Both Yejin and Chanyeol were set for an arranged marriage.”

Shocked and hurt, he looks at Yura who was looking out the window, his grip on the ornament tight as his heartache grew for every new detail he finds out.

“Arranged…marriage?”

“Yes. The Han’s industry is set to merge with the Park Conglomerate as their children wed.”

“Sounds good, doesn’t it? Two big elite groups, two elite families merge as they’re daughter and son become one. Tsk-” Yura gestures with her hands, her voice held a sarcastic tone.

The grip Baekhyun had on the ornament tightens even more, his heart aching immensely as Yura practically spells out just how big their families are and just how nothing he is.

“They were set for an arr