“Aerin, I—“ The girl turned her head to the side at the voice and managed to stop him and hold Baekhyun’s hand with both hers. Aerin knew what Baekhyun was about to do. And no, she wouldn’t let him. She didn’t miss the pain flashing in his eyes for the change was too obvious, and she couldn’t help but felt her heart clenching.

The girl closed the distance between them, and Baekhyun saw how her eyes were filled with worries. She weakly shook her head, silently pleading for him not to leave. “Accompany me to my room, please.” She whispered only for Baekhyun to hear. He frowned, didn’t really expecting that from the girl. “Please, Baekhyun.” She pleaded, Baekhyun almost couldn’t catch it now.

“Fine, come on.” The couple took their steps to cross the room, not minding anyone inside.

“Aerin,” The girl heard that voice. The voice that used to be so comforting, but now only made the wound that was slowly healing start to crack open again. But no, she didn’t stop. Aerin acted as if she heard nothing. She only needed to go back to her room, and everything would be fine.

“Aerin.” It was Jongin now who called her, and of course the girl didn’t have any choice but to comply. She halted her step, still gripping Baekhyun’s hand who was standing on her side, silently asking for comfort because she really didn’t know what to feel right now. “That’s not very nice of you not to greet the guest.”

Sehun felt the piercing stare from the girl as soon as their eyes met, and he shuddered. It was so cold, those eyes. Sehun saw this pair of dark orbs once back then, and he had promised himself to give his all to prevent them from coming back again. And it was funny how he knew that he was the very reason on why those cold dark orbs were coming back. The girl only turned to the guest for some seconds before slightly bowing and turning her gaze back to her brother, avoiding his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I’m tired. And for whatever reason he’s coming here, I’m sure it won’t have anything to do with me.” She said softly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear as Junmyeon was also there inside the living room.

Sehun felt a tug in his heart at those words. He tried to keep himself composed, as if her words didn’t just affect him. Tsk, he wanted to mock himself. It was just words, but apparently it caused more pain than any weapon ever did. And Sehun shouldn’t be surprised that the words coming out next from her lips didn’t fail to crush his heart.

“And for the next time, I wish not to be associated with him anymore. If I may excuse,” she bowed for the last time and pulled Baekhyun up the stairs. The man only bowed slightly before quietly following the girl.

Baekhyun saw how Aerin let out a long sigh she didn’t know she was holding as soon as they reached her room. The man quietly closed the door, and when he turned back, the girl was still standing right before him. She was biting her lower lips and he knew she was trying to prevent her eyes from leaking. Baekhyun sighed before closing their distance and gathering her into his arms. “Ssh, ssh… it’s okay, Baby. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Baekhyun’s words instantly became a trigger for the tears and it spilled immediately. Aerin fisted her hands on the back of his shirt and buried her face on his chest. The man drew small circles on her back repeatedly with sometimes patting her head comfortingly.

It took her a while until her tears finally stopped, and Baekhyun was still there holding her close, patiently waiting until the tears subsided. The man felt her slowly pulled away before lifting her head to meet his eyes. He felt his heart clenched at the sight of tears on her pretty face. Baekhyun gently wiped the remnant of her tears with his thumb. “Ssh… you’re such a cry-baby, you know?” He cooed and smiled at her, trying to lift the mood. Baekhyun tried to ignore his own pain from witnessing how the girl still cry over someone else even when he was present.

But oh how Baekhyun should know that he was wrong. Because no, Aerin didn’t cry for Sehun this time.

The girl cried for the pain she caught flashing on Baekhyun’s eyes earlier. She cried because she was scared. Scared that Baekhyun would leave when they were only about to start their story. Her grip around his waist tighten as she went back to plant her face on his chest.

“Baekhyun…” She whispered, but yes Baekhyun still caught her voice and he hummed his response. “I’m sorry…” She said quietly.

This time it was Baekhyun who gently pulled her shoulder away, trying to face her. He tucked her hair behind her ears before caressing her cheeks. “Hey, what are you being sorry for? We both know what you’ve been through because of him, and you shouldn’t be sorry for your feelings. Your feelings and emotions are valid, so please don’t apologise.”

The girl shook her head, frowning. Her fear was actually true, and she needed to make it right before it went wrong. “No, I didn’t cry because of him.” Baekhyun thought he heard her wrong. But he remained silent, letting the girl continue what she was trying to say. “I was… scared. I was scared you would leave thinking you were only a rebound.” Aerin fiddled with his shirt nervously. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I am aware that it wasn’t really long since you witnessed how I broke down because of him. But I want you to know that what I’m feeling for you was genuine, and I don’t want you to think otherwise just because you see me freeze at his presence. I’m not going to lie, it was still hard to see him because I was reminded of the pain, but please,” Baekhyun saw her eyes started to glisten again. “Please don’t think that I only go to you because I want a replacement. I like you. And I want to try to make this work.”

Warm.

Baekhyun felt warmth washing through his body at the honest confession.

“Silly,” Baekhyun chuckled, responding to her train of words right away after he knew that she was done with the sudden spill of feelings.

Yeah, silly. It was both for himself and for her. Silly because she didn’t have to feel the need to explain herself to him just like what she did. Because she had every right to her feelings as she was her own person. And also silly for him, because for a moment he really thought that she still had some love for the other man. Silly because he was actually jealous for nothing. She might still have some feelings left for the other man, but Baekhyun should’ve known not to doubt her. Not when she just bared her feelings to him just like what she did earlier. Not when he knew how she was such a closed and unreachable person, and this actually came out from her own lips, only for him to hear.

Baekhyun’s hand went to caress her cheek, “How could you even think that I think of myself as a rebound? I know I am way much better than that you know,” The girl jutted her lips into a pout at his teasing, and Baekhyun couldn’t help but laughed. “But thank you,” his fingers went back to rest on her nape with his thumb gently brushing her cheek. “Thank you for telling me about what you feel. I never doubted you nor thinking that your feeling isn’t genuine. But you got me there, for a moment I thought that I still need to hold myself back because you still have feelings for him. And somehow it broke my heart a little.” Baekhyun grinned at her.

“I’m sorry,”

Baekhyun shook his head before pulling her into another hug. “Stop apologising, Baby. I’m glad we could be honest with each other like this,”

Yes, this was what she felt too. Being with Baekhyun was an obligation at first, because she knew he was the one going to spend the rest of her life with. But now being wi