Following your encounter with Baekhyun you returned to the party visibly distressed, you tried our utmost hardest to spare a smile but the thought of Baekhyun regretting the kiss left you feeling dejected. After the guests left Mrs Byun addressed the boys to help her clean the house

‘I’ll help’ you chimed in believing cleaning will at least help occupy your mind

‘No, the birthday girl shouldn’t help’ Mrs Byun responded as she was picking up pieces of party poppers from the floor, you see Dae Jung discreetly walking behind his mother trying to avoid helping but she instinctively grabbed him by his collars and pulled him backwards

‘Don’t think you can escape this boy’ she scolds him her grip on his arm firm

‘Ommma you’re too mean’ he whines stamping his feet immaturely

‘All your brothers are helping! Speaking of your brothers where is Baekhyun?’ she asks scouring the sitting room, concern flooding her face

‘He disappeared...is he trying to escape cleaning as well’ she says thoughtfully then changes her expression into a scowl

‘If he is then i’m going to take away that PS3’ she remarks threateningly, Minsook, Hyun Su and Dae Jung immediately screamed ‘no’

‘Noooo you can’t take away the PS3 why do we have to suffer for Hyung actions’ Minsook wails suddenly

‘Then you better ask your hyung to come home’ she warns pessimistically

‘But you know how he hates me’

‘Your brother doesn’t hate you’ she reassures

‘No he does! Then why is he always teasing me?’

‘Minsook, Hyung hardly communicates with you let alone teases you.... anyway he told me you annoy him too much’ Hyun Su chimes in snootily

‘What?’ Minsook’s face fell

‘I’m not annoying if anything you’re annoying’

‘Let me refresh your memory, who’s the one that spilt milk on Hyung's sound equipment the other day’ Minsook hurriedly ran to Hyun Su’s side trying to cover his mouth with his hand

‘Oi get off!’ Hyun Su scolds

‘No one knows that hyung it’s suppose to be a secret’ he mutters quietly but loud enough for you to hear

‘I may just tell him’ he replies menacingly

‘I’ll tell mum you have a girlfriend then’

‘What I don’t have a girlfriend!’

‘But you soon will anyway I saw that tutu you brought for her as a present AND I read the card’ he replies evilly trying to suppress his snigger

‘YOU DID WHAT!!!!’

‘AHAHAHA hyung what kind of guy buys a girl a tutu? Shes not three anymore’ he laughs more trying to stifle his laughter but failing horribly as he eventually burst out laughing

‘Dear Mina, its your birthday but I don’t know what to get you, I really don’t know what girls like so I bought you a ballerina tutu which  I saw girls wearing on a catalogue and thought it would suit you’  Minsook tries to narrate what the card says through memory

‘I never wrote that you loser....JUST SHUTUP!’ Hyun Su shouts, face displaying a mixture of hate, anger and embarrassment

You try to hold back your own laughter as the scene before you was to funny to digest however the mention of someone’s name brings you back to your original troubled mood.

‘Oi Ommma’ Jae Suk shouts from the kitchen

‘Oi?’ Mrs Byun looks at him through narrowed eyes

‘I mean mummy’ Jae Suk looks at her guiltily

‘What?’

‘Baekhyun hyung just texted me saying his going to crash at his friends house for awhile’ this immediately made her eyes shoot out from their sockets

‘Is she a girl or a girl?’

‘Huh? Do you mean is she a girl or a boy’

‘Yes same thing!’ Mrs Byun replies stubbornly

‘It’s a girl’ Jae Suk replies apologetically but with a teasing tint to his eyes

‘I am going to ship that boy off to a foreign country! How dare he go to a girls house and sleep with her?! doesn’t he know he can get her pregnant?!! I am not raising that child as my grandson...his not even wearing protection’ she rants going slightly off topic, she then grabs the nearest phone quickly while Jae Suk looks on with a giant smile covering his face until he realises Mrs Byun was seriously calling Baekhyun

‘Baekhyun how dare you go to a girl’s house and sleep there!! Didn’t I teach you well? Didn’t I teach my children to love first then get married then have children? Oh lord where did I go wrong’ she rapidly talks through the phone, Jae Suk eventually grabs the phone of his mom

‘Omma I was kidding his not with a girl I was just teasing you...who knew you were going to go all mental’ he mutters the last part eyes extremely wide with fear

‘You were kidding with me?’

‘Ah pheww’ she says in relief her facial muscles relaxing before her fiery mood reignites

‘How dare you lie to me!? Didn’t I teach my children better?’

‘Omma I’m sorry ‘he say's cowardly bending down on his knees with his hands placed together in a begging manner

‘Just don’t joke like that with me again’

‘Araso~’

‘But he is staying with his friend – AND before you say anything it’s a boy  ...his staying with Suho’

During all this you didn’t have the energy to laugh at the scene in front of you as the mention of Baekhyuns name left a negative yet positive feeling to rush through your body

‘Why does he make my mood feel so deflated? Yet make me feel in high spirits when his around?’ you inwardly ask yourself feeling uneasy, you then comprehend that the only reason to why he may be staying over at Suho Oppa’s house is because he wants to refrain from seeing you and truthfully you didn’t want to see him as well, the awkwardness would be too much to handle

--

Baekhyun stayed over at his Suho’s house for two days before deciding to come back, he told his mum earlier that he’ll be back by noon however you wanted to avoid him as much as you can therefore decide to go shopping or even watch a movie otherwise just go with the flow. Chanyeol left you his number before he left your birthday party so you decide to call him up in hopes that he will accompany you

*Phone ringing*

You start to feel nervous as talking on the phone wasn’t one of your specialties, scared that you will stammer or make a fool of yourself you quickly practise what you would say

*Hi its _______ I was hoping you want to hangout since I have nothing to do? We can go watch a movie or just shop?’ you practise before you hear a deep voice on the receiver

‘Hi’

‘It’s me ________’

‘Oh hey’ he lightly chuckles ‘What you up to?’

‘I was just heading out and thought if you want to brace me with your presence?’

‘Brace me with your presence?’ he repeats after you while chortling

‘I would love to brace you with my presence, where do you want to meet up?’

‘You want to meet up at Hongdae?’

‘Sure’ he replies

__

After half an hour or so you meet up with Chanyeol and see that his messy usually unkempt hair had been straightened making him look more handsome than usual

‘He looks nice’ you inwardly thought then he suddenly embraced you in a bear hug

‘How’s my favourite girl?’ he beams at you, you blush as result

‘I’m great’ you smile back trying to not break out into a huge grin, you then stare each other awkwardly before finally speaking up

‘Oppa lets go watch a film? You say after clearing your throat to cut down the uncomfortable behaviour

‘Yeah lets does that, I’ve wanted to watch happy feet 2 for quite awhile’ he says cheerfully, you couldn’t help but repress a giggle

‘Is it because you’re always so happy?’ you ask while bumping your shoulders with him lightly

‘It may have something to do with that’ he replied with all two sets of teeth showing

‘Oppa your cute’ you absentmindedly say before biting your tongue and internally saying ‘oops’

‘You think I’m cute?

‘I find you cuter’ he replies smiling with his eyes brightly only earning a blush from you

---

After finishing watching the movie you both engage in a long conversation while eating at the local mall Cafe

‘ So _______ Suho Hyung told me that Baekhyuns staying at his, do you know why?’ you suddenly felt unable to talk

‘I mean he kind of just arrived at Hyung’s doorstep, Hyung doesn’t even know what happened’

‘Ermm I-I-I don’t know’ you reply mumbling through your words

‘Oh’

‘Its just unlike him to come and stay at Hyung’s house cause normally he hates going to peoples houses to visit so I’m thinking something major must have happened in order for him to sleep over at Hyung’s’

‘I don’t really know’ you stammer out                                   

‘He just told Jae Suk he’ll be staying over at Suho oppas house’ you reply trying to act like you don’t know the reasoning for his abrupt stay at Suho’s house

‘Oh, his not even calling me...to be honest I expected him to come to me if something goes wrong but he went Suho hyung so kind of makes me feel sad’

‘You’re sad because he didn’t come to you?’

‘ Awh you’re like a married couple’ you say cooing

‘Please don’t say we get he same teasing from the derp squad’

‘You really call each other derp squad?’

‘Actually no, were known as Exo to the rest of the university ...were pretty popular’ he says smugly

‘And that’s why you should be privileged that you’re in our gang!’

‘You’re acting too smug’ you respond with a light slap on his arm

‘But you should be privileged’

‘Okay I am...you happy?’ you reply cheerfully

‘Yep!’

‘Oh and when are you starting our University?’ he asks excitedly

‘Actually three days from now!’ you suddenly remember with a gasp

---

After two hours of just casually talking to Chanyeol you decide to go home, you were dreading it as it meant you had to finally face Baekhyun and the last thing you wanted to do was have another argument with him.

‘So I’m going to head this way bye’ you say to Chanyeol

‘No way I’m letting you walk home alone its getting dark’ you shoot him a smile of gratitude

‘Thanks oppa you don’t have to you know?’

‘No I want to and no problem baby lotion’ he winks at you

‘What baby lotion?’ you reply staggered

‘You smell of baby lotion’ he replies shyly

‘Oh’

--

As you were further walking home you notice a man around the age of thirty sitting down in the corner of a dark alleyway drinking what seems to be beer, as you and Chanyeol walked near to him he suddenly stood up with a devious grin plastered on his face

‘Oh look what we have here’ he replies approaching with unsteady steps

‘Isn’t she a beauty’ you squirm under his scrutinising gaze

‘And whose this’ he looks at Chanyeol who looked tense

‘Is it your boyfriend’ he says while coming closer, his breath reeking of alcohol

‘I have to go home’ you reply quietly and grab onto Chanyeol’s hand ready to drag him away

‘Oh you’re not going home yet’ he reaches out to grab you only to result in Chanyeol holding onto his arm firmly before it lay in contact with yours

‘Let go of my girlfriend’ he threatens sternly

‘Ahahah you think I’m scared of you?’ he replies while trying to make his posture intimidating

‘let me and my girlfriend go we have no business with you’ as your both about to head of you notice the guy swinging his arm to hit Chanyeol so as a quickly reflex duck down pulling onto Chanyeol, this led the stranger to stagger for awhile before refocusing his attention on you

‘Come on sweetheart come with me’ he extends his arm at you

‘Get lost’ you hiss and with that grab onto Chanyeol hand and run, you hear the man running back after you but soon look behind to see him slow down and slump to the floor, he was clearly too intoxicated

‘My heart’ you put a hand to your chest                                                          

‘That was so scary’ Chanyeol blinks with wide eyes his mouth turning into an O shape

‘You were scared? You looked so brave though?

‘Its acting’ he reassured you

--

As you neared home you realised your hands were still interlocked with Chanyeol’s, however you made no effort to remove it, as you were a road away from the house you notice a dark shadow in the distance you squint your eyes virtually closed and realise that its Baekhyun, consequently quickly avert your gaze to the ground, Baekhyun eventually notices your presence and lets his eyes focus on your face before they travel down and linger on your enveloped hands with Chanyeol

‘Ayooo Baekhyun’ Chanyeol suddenly shouts out forcing you to remove your gaze from the floor and readjust it to Baekhyuns face.

Baekhyun looked at you both with no expression although you could see that he was trying to fight back a scowl

‘How comes your both together at night?’ he replies questioningly

‘We were on a date’ Chanyeol replies chirpily and you didn’t bother to correct him

‘A date’ his eyes momentarily expand before they calm down

‘’A date ‘he repeats this time whispering while his stare was locked on the floor

‘I’m going to head in’ he finally mutters

‘Waitttt’ you abruptly shout out, he turns around with a fierce look causing you involuntarily gulp

‘How comes your home so late ‘you say mustering up your best courage

‘Because I want to’ he replies bluntly before letting his gaze linger on your interlocked fingers with Chanyeol again

‘I’m going in’ he says and rushes inside without bothering to hold the door open for you

‘His really moody these days’ Chanyeol looks at the direction Baekhyun was with a sigh

‘He was never like this...in all honesty his mood started changing just over a month ago’ he says abstractedly .You already realise it was you who led Baekhyuns mood to change which made you feel saddened as you never knew your presence in someone’s life could trouble them that much

‘Anyways I’ll see you in three days time at university baby lotion’ he replied with a flick to your nose

‘Please don’t call me baby lotion’ you plead

‘Ermm what's your name?’ he feigns forgetfulness

‘Oh its baby lotion’ he replies jokingly

‘Okay bye, don’t let Baekhyun put you in too much of a bad mood he can be nice you know’ and with a wave he disappears from your sight as you reluctantly traipse back home

--

When you enter your room surprise fills your expression as you realise Baekhyun wasn’t there, instead you notice that his blanket and pillow are missing so decide to go ask Mrs Byun who was in the kitchen what’s happening, you notice the sitting room lights were turned off which was unusual at this time nonetheless peek your head in and notice Baekhyun sleeping on the sofa which was turned into settee –bed

‘So his going to avoid me furthermore’ you think inwardly and quickly leave the sitting room to retreat back to your room

Baekhyun was half asleep however his hearing immediately alerted him awake as he heard the sitting room door silently open, he then saw a shadow loom the floor and at once realised it belonged to you although pretended that he still asleep, he realised his breathing was hitched thus placed a steady hand on his chest trying to calm down his rapid heart beat and as a result quickly took in a breath and exhaled it continuously and stopped as soon as he was sure you left

*She doesn’t realise the effect she has on me and I hope she never knows I can’t begin a relationship with her when I know there would be a quick end* he thinks before going to sleep