AN: I wasn't able to proofread the previous chapter. Feel free to tell me if ever I committed any mistake. Here's another update for today! I hope you'd enjoy it and share the feels with me. Kekeke~    xx

[Byun Baek Hyun’s POV]

Han Na and I are both quiet as we made our way back to the practice room. We stopped in front of the doors, thinking and worrying about the same thing. 

“Would you like to go in first? I could wait here for a few more minutes,” I offered, knowing it would raise more suspicions if the members would see us coming back together.

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay.”

I nodded and opened the door, letting her enter first. Our lunch break had already started and the boys are sitting on the floor, feasting on the food Han Na prepared this morning. 

“Ya! You two. Where did came from?” Kris hyung spoke, sounding exasperated.

“I already told you, oppa, I went to the rooftop to call mom,” Han Na answered. Her voice still sounded a bit off but nevertheless, it’s better than before. 

“And what about you, Baekhyun? Any explanation as to why you left us like that?” Kris spoke again. The other members remained quiet, their eyes flashing on different directions. The mood inside the room felt heavy. The hyungs must really be so mad about what I did. 

“Uhh... My... My stomach suddenly ached so I had to rush to the restroom. You know how my stomach works, hyung,” I answered but my words sounded wrong even to my ears. The members won’t believe this. I’ll be screwed.

“And that actually took you hours?” Suho hyung demanded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Wow, they must be really mad at me right now. I felt burdened. I don’t like it when the hyungs scold me like this, especially in front of everyone. I took a glance at Han Na. She's staring off into space again which in other words mean that she’s here with us but at the same time, she’s not. 

“Do you really want to hear the whole story, hyung? I’ll be glad to tell but I warn you, it will be a bit nasty,” I replied. The two leaders glared at me but decided to let the issue drop. 

Kyungsoo spoke this time, “But why are you two together?”

Hatred flared up inside me. Why does he always insist on including her every single time?

I shrugged. “We bumped into each other on the way here.”

The day progressed after that. I went back to practice after receiving quite a scolding from Nick while the members remained to have a bit of temper around me. I didn’t mind them. My whole attention was centered on Han Na. If she had been quiet and weird these past few days, those were nothing compare to the quietness she had right now. She seems so lost and so far away. I can almost see the walls she built up around her. No one can reach her, not even me.

We went back to the dorm and had our dinner like we usually do. The members noticed Han Na’s unusual behavior and permitted her to skip cooking for us tonight. She headed straight to her room without even eating.

I stayed up in bed and waited until 2:57 before I stood up. Some part of me already knew that she wouldn’t be in the kitchen and so I headed straight to her room. I stopped just as I reached her door. 

I leaned my head and sure enough, she’s still awake... crying. I ached to enter her room, to comfort her again, but I know I ought to give her space. This isn’t something I could help her this time around. She had to face this alone.

I didn’t leave her but rather stayed there, standing outside her door. I listened patiently as her cries slowly turned to sobs and into nothingness. It took me almost two hours to ensure she had already fallen asleep. I went back to my room and sprawled on my bed. It was only when the sun began to rise that I finally got to sleep.

***

[Sol Han Na’s POV]

“Aish!” I shouted in exasperation as the ice pack fell on my bathroom’s sink for the nth time. I woke up early today to sneak downstairs and grab some ice cubes for my red and entirely swollen eyes. I’ve been crying for far too long last night and sleeping after that didn’t do me any good. I heard that using cold press on eyes would relieve its puffiness and so that’s what I’ve been doing for the past few hour.

I stared at my reflection on the mirror. At least the puffiness went down a bit. It’ll sure be fine later. I took a bath and headed downstairs. I was greeted by Kyungsoo cooking in the kitchen.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at me before going back to chopping the onions. 

“Uhh... Good morning, oppa,” I replied and continued, “You’re up early.”

He smiled again but this time not taking his eyes away from the chopping board. “I didn’t thought you would be up early. You were quite weird last night, are you okay now?”

I hadn’t missed the way he emphasized the word weird. I almost rolled my eyes. Of course, they would notice. I’ve been pretty much out of myself yesterday. But I’m fine now. 

“Yes, oppa. Sorry for having you worried,” I said. I’ve just realized that I’ve been acting so cold towards them these past few days. I made a mental note that I shall make it up to them. 

“It’s okay. What happened to you anyway?” he asked and I gulped. This has been the question I’ve been dreading about. I’m so tired of having to lie at them. But I don’t want to bring the issue up again. I promised myself I would put it all in the past. I have to move on. 

“Homesick,” I answered plainly. “I kept worrying about my dad. He’ll be having his heart surgery soon.” Now this isn’t a lie. Mom told me during one of our conversations that the CEO had been keeping contact with them and that Dad is slowly preparing for his surgery. 

Kyungsoo believed this. He nodded and spoke, “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

I gave him a thankful smile. I moved beside him and watched as he chopped the carrots with an undeniably sharp skill. “Can I help?” I offered.

"Sure.” He put the knife down and moved sideways, giving me enough space to continue chopping. “Wait,” he said, stopping me from touching the carrots. He washed his hands on the sink and moved onto the kitchen drawers. He opened one and grabbed my apron. I began calling it mine since I was the only one who hardly ever used it. “Turn around,” he ordered and I obeyed, facing him. He carefully insert the apron around my head. “Now, raise your hands,” he ordered again as he slowly slip the apron’s laces around my back and tied it into a knot. He was leaning close to me that I can already feel his breath against my face. I haven’t even noticed that I was staring at him until our eyes met. He drew back, clearing his throat. 

“Finish chopping that, please. Then continue with the ham,” he continued as he took one of the pans from the cabinet and placed it on the stove. He put a small amount of oil and preheated it.

“What are you going to cook, oppa?” I asked, my eyes scanning the prepared ingredients on the island table. Somehow, it looks familiar to me. 

“I’m going to try to recreate your fried rice. See if the members could differentiate it,” he answered, a huge smile glued on his face. 

“I knew it,” I said and began to laugh.

Kyungsoo began cooking and soon enough, everything was finished. He took a spoonful of his dish and raised it just a few inches from my mouth. “Here, have a taste,” he said.

I opened my mouth and tasted it. “Hmmm...” I murmured as I slowly chew. I kept nodding my head in amazement. “It’s delicious. It almost tasted the same, oppa.”

Kyungsoo beamed, taking another spoonful of the food and placing it inside his mouth. He nodded in agreement. “You’re right. The members won’t be able to tell the difference.”

We high-fived and prepared everything for breakfast. We moved everything to the living room since there’s where we eat ever since the EXO-M members arrived. Once finished Kyungsoo left to wake the members up. 

I sat on the couch. Just act normal, Han Na. Act normal, I reminded myself. 

It didn’t took long for Kyungsoo to gather everyone up because suddenly, Sehun and Tao came running down the stairs.

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