"I was willing to find a way to turn back time and make it up to you, but you somehow managed to turn to a new page for us and everything just feels so new again yet so right."

Sehun eventually stays overnight since dinner ended later more than usual due to Mom’s talkativeness. Dad tried to stop her from talking too much to Sehun, but she didn’t let him. She went on and on in asking about his future plans after hearing dad open the topic about him leaving for Paris to come after his mom—which I had supplied with some facts since dad already let everything slip away from his lips and I just wouldn’t let mom think bad things about Sehun because of it. Stupid old man.

Sehun looked at me in disbelief all the while that he was trying his best to answer mom, saying that he’s planning to just go there to visit his own mom, spend some time with her and her soon-to-be husband, and then go back. He knows it’s hard to be away but he considered what I had said and basically saw the good in it. There’s nothing wrong in trying, right? As long as words wouldn’t be broken.

When mom finally left him alone, dad began his litany to Sehun, saying how he should just continue taking care of me well, that he should spend some time with him so they could bond, and that he’s going to remember every word he said and he’ll watch him with hawk-like eyes no matter where he goes. This made Sehun cringe. He’s probably worried that my dad would install a 24/7 CCTV everywhere he goes, or that he’d hire a personal investigator to follow him, or perhaps just stalk him on his own. I don’t know what got into his mind, but maybe it’s close to that. They talked a bit more in the living room after that when suddenly mom shooed them away in the dining area just because it was time for her to clean up.

Anyway, the only thing happy through the night that happened other than Sehun being here is that Soohyun gave up the polaroid she took of us. Well not until she had finally bragged about it to my parents and Seojoon. It was embarrassing as hell, and even though mom and dad weren’t supposed to be too happy about it, I’m appalled that they were.

The night goes deeper and just as my parents and siblings finally retires to their own beds—well except for Seojoon who stubbornly refused to separate from Sehun and fell asleep on his side, I’m left sitting on one end of the couch with Sehun sprawled all over it, his feet dangling off the other armrest since he’s too long to fit in right, his head laying on my lap, and with a comforter keeping him warm from the cold (and another one I had provided myself with since he just wouldn’t share his). Apparently, he had insisted me on staying with him for a while. But the ‘for a while’ he talked about turned to minutes and then hours.

“Sehun, aren’t you going to sleep?” I asked, a little bit annoyed of his stubbornness.

He looked up at me with a pout and shook his head, “Can’t.”

“Just want you here with me now.” He says and then reaches for my left hand to give my knuckles a kiss, so warm and gentle.

“Can’t you just stay a little longer?” He asked, eyes closed, his voice muffled by my knuckles over his lips.

I sighed, feeling a little sympathetic towards him. “Alright, I’ll stay for a while, alright? But I’ll get to bed later with Seojoon. Staying here would get him sick.” I told him, almost chided.

He immediately shifts to his side and wraps his arms protectively around Seojoon who snuggles closer to him in his sleep. “Okay look, I’ll just warm him up then with my body so he wouldn’t be cold.” He says persistently, and then looks up and smiles at me cheekily.

“What a brat.” I muttered and leaned back on the seat. “Well, if you want me that bad here then suit yourself. Don’t ever let go of him or else—“

“I get it!” He says and smiles even wider. I only sighed.

He then lifts his arm that was under Seojoon’s head, so he can still hold my hand. I wanted to protest but he had already intertwined our fingers, and seeing him smile so boyishly at me just made me completely wordless. Maybe, I should just let him be for tonight since mom and dad are already upstairs anyway.

“You told your dad, didn’t you?” His words immediately snaps me back from my own reverie.

I looked down at him and met his eyes, “Yeah.”

“Was he actually mad when you told him?” He asked again.

I leaned on the cushion behind me and closed my eyes. “No. In fact he made fun of me.” I told him and then giggled when I remembered how much dad and I interacted like kids.

“Eh?” He questions, sounding confused. “But why would he?”

I shook my head tiredly and smiled a little. “Nothing much.”

“You’re not saying something I should know, are you?” I shook my head in response and just started massaging his scalp.

I just can’t see the point of even telling him how much upset I was because of him and his carelessness since I feel better now, and besides saying so would only worry him more. Not like he may not have had a clue about it, but it isn’t like me to give too much fuss about something that I don’t see so much as a big deal, now.

“Anyway, can I ask you something?” He asked, putting my mind back to alertness.

“What?” I asked, leaning the side of my head down on the rest of the couch.

“Well—“ He pauses, “I never actually knew Chanyeol had a thing for you, not until he hinted about it this evening during dinner. Is what he said the reason you went to the washroom?”

I chuckled, feeling a little flustered with his sharpness at seeing the littlest of details. “So, you managed to catch on, eh?” I started.

“Sort of, since he was already giving it all away when he just kept staring at you. I would have actually torn his eyes out had he not been my friend since I didn’t like the way he looked—“

“Gee… why are you too envious, huh?” I told him as I poked his cheek a little. He looked back at me and then furrowed his eyebrows cutely.

I chuckled upon seeing the expression on his face, but didn’t try to go around the bush even further. “I was too young and too stupid to let myself choose only one of them.” I told him as I stared at nothing.

“Chanyeol’s a really nice guy, you know? He isn’t hard to like, nor was easy to hate. When he actually confessed to me I didn’t know what to think or do so I confided to Luhan about it. I had not thought so much about seeking for his help as a bad thing since they are friends anyway, and I didn’t think Luhan would be angry because of it. But then suddenly he was.” I gulped down the lump that was stuck in my throat as I reminisced that very day that made things a little different between Chanyeol and Luhan.

“Then one day, he came storming towards Chanyeol and he ended up hitting him square on the face while telling him to stop from bothering me. I’ve seen everything spiral in front of me in horror. I never expected that to happen. I didn’t want that to happen.” I shook my head. “But the worst was to see Chanyeol not even fighting him back. He yielded to Luhan as if he was really guilty of what he was accused of even if he wasn’t. It was so bad. So bad that I just wish it was only a nightmare, but it wasn’t.”

I bit my lip as I tried to stop myself from tearing up at the memory. “I don’t want anything bad happening again between them