“Hey, wanna play 21 questions?” Baekhyun asks his girlfriend, who’s sitting right across from him in the cafe they’re at. After Baekhyun and Aerin’s impromptu relationship-therapy session, Baekhyun aims to get closer to his girlfriend, and really get to know her.

“Why does that sound like a highschool party game?” Soojin jokes. “Like spin the bottle, sounds childish.”

“It’s not childish!” Baekhyun defends himself. When he and Aerin played this game, she didn’t question it further. “It’s just questions so we can find out more about each other.”

Soojin raises a brow, “Alright… sure. Kinda weird, but you ask first.”

“Your favorite color?”

“You don’t know?” Soojin asks him, “It’s pink.”

Baekhyun gets shy at her response; of course I wouldn’t ing know, you never told me!

“What’s your’s?”

“Red, but a dark red. It’s y, don’t you think?”

“Dark red? That’s the color of blood. You’re messed up for that.”

“What?! Burgundy is a hot color, you can’t convince me otherwise.”

“Well, it is your favorite color after all… but just saying. Why not blue, it’s soothing. Or green, because it’s earthy?”

“Okay, we’re asking questions here, nothing more.” Baekhyun says, firmly.

“Fine. My turn to ask, right?” Soojin says, and Baekhyun nods. “So, what did you see in me at first?”

“See in you?” Baekhyun asks to clarify. “Hm. I guess, at our first encounter, how nice you were. When you helped out Aerin even when she was a total stranger.”

“Right, because you abandoned her at a school soccer game!” Soojin recounts and starts giggling at the memory. “You were terrible, and to be honest, I don’t know what I saw in you.”

Baekhyun laughs after her; the sound of her light chuckles, accompanied with that smile--that one of a kind smile, made his heart flutter.

“So what did you see in me?” Baekhyun asks the same question right back to her.

Soojin takes a second, and looks up to the cafe ceiling as if it helps her think. “I liked how goofy you were. How carefree you are, and how you always manage to have fun.”

Baekhyun’s lips purse together; of course, he appreciated how thoughtful the answer was, but he was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t anything deeper than that. Was he not kind, approachable, creative, or brave? Was his fun spirit the only thing that shone through to others? “That’s it?”

Soojin thinks again before saying, “Well, you’re really hot.”

“Thanks,” Baekhyun says, and tries his absolute best to hide how dejected he is. “Uhm, babe, why don’t we just drop this game--tell me about anything new in your life.”

“Yes, I have so many updates to tell you about the Hyunah and Joohyun drama!”

Baekhyun places his chin in the palms of his hands, and patiently listens as his girlfriend shares her story. She talks and talks, and Baekhyun avidly listens. He doesn’t say a word, not daring to interrupt how enthralled she is.

When she’s done, Soojin conveniently gets a text from a friend. “Shoot, I have to be at my friend’s place in 15. Studying for our big exam in 2 days.”

“Cosmetology majors have exams?”

“Ok, dickhead. Yes, I still have exams--I still take the same core classes as you.”

“My bad,” Baekhyun apologizes for his ignorance. He takes her hand and caresses it softly, as part of the apology. Soojin turns to the side, signalling Baekhyun for a peck.

After his kiss, Soojin looks back at her boyfriend and sighs in content. “Thank you for listening to me, Baek. I don’t know any other person that would enjoy hearing me drone on and on.”

“Of course.”

Baekhyun walks her to her car. As Soojin lets go of his head to open her car door, she twirls around and meet eyes with him. “Baek.”

“Hm?”

“I love you.” The words fall gently out of . She looks to the ground, visibly shy that she actually said that out loud. Baekhyun is just as shy--but more shocked. He freezes in his place, and a million thoughts pour into his head at once.

He wasn’t 100% sure if he felt the same way, and every second that passed as he dwelled in his thoughts would just make Soojin feel worse and worse. Then and there, he grabs Soojin, places his hand firmly on her lower back, and leans in. Their heads move in opposite directions in synchronicity, and their lips delicately press against each other.

Baekhyun is the first to pull away. “Drive safe, okay? Text me when you get there.”

“Okay,” Soojin replies. She gives him a smile, before giving him one last peck on his left cheek.

Baekhyun watches as her car drives further and further away. Once he sees the car take a turn on to the main road, Baekhyun audibly sighs and kicks a pebble. “. That just ha