*

"I'm sorry for suddenly showing up in your school like this," Yura says, smiling at Baekhyun. She looks around the cafeteria packed with busy students, "Are your classes done already?"

"Yes, I don't have any more classes left. If you're looking for Chanyeol sunbae, he's at that building on the second floor---"

"No, I didn't come here for him. I actually came here to see you. Please sit down first. I promise this won't take long."

Baekhyun nods, "Okay." Then he takes off his backpack and places it on the table beside him, before he sits down in front of Chanyeol's sister. "Shall I get you anything to eat?"

"No, thanks. I'm on a diet right now," Yura laughs, and Baekhyun can notice she's going back to being cheerful and glowing again. "So, I won't beat around the bush, Baekhyun. The reason why I'm here is to give you this."

Staring down at the money and the credit card outstretched towards him, Baekhyun gives her a questioning look.

"I want you to go shopping with Chanyeol and buy him a new phone," Yura says, "It's really hard for me to reach out to him if doesn't own a phone especially now that he's back to studying again. I also don't wanna always bother you and ask you where he is."

"B-but you don't have to give me this," Baekhyun says shyly, pushing back to Yura the money she is giving to him, "I could just use my own money to buy him a new phone..."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"But I also want you to buy him new clothes, new underwear, new shoes, new watch, new gadgets and new stuff he would happen to like, though."

"Oh."

"Eat with him too and watch movies together," Yura further rambles, and Baekhyun eyes the money and credit card he has just almost declined. He wants them back, "Since you've been with him for a long time now, you already know his preferences. Right?"

"Yes," Baekhyun answers, snatching the cash and card from Yura's hand again, "Leave everything to me!"

"Thanks. I know I can always count on you," she chuckles, patting Baekhyun's hand, "You're the only person I can ask to take care of Chanyeol in place of me whenever I can't do it because of my responsibilities as a wife and a mother."

"Don't worry, Yura. I'll look after Chanyeol sunbae and take good care of him just like what he did to me back in New York," Baekhyun says firmly, "And I promise to help bring back good memories to him."

"That's good to hear then. Now I feel at ease," Yura replies, standing up to prepare to leave. "Right, before I forgot." She opens her purse and hands a square white envelope to Baekhyun. "I think you still need to see this..."

Baekhyun takes the clean envelope, inspecting it, "What is it?"

"Apparently, it was an invitation for my Mom's upcoming birthday which unfortunately, she wasn't able to experience anymore. She was supposed to give you one," Yura smiles sadly, and Baekhyun can feel there's a slight pain in her eyes, "I'm sorry if I had looked through it, I didn't know it was for you. I just saw it in her drawer when we were moving stuff back in New York."

"I'll open it when I get home," Baekhyun stands up as well, bowing at her a little, "Thank you."

"Enjoy your date, okay?" Yura says, "Drive Chanyeol home tonight, and here." She throws him car keys which Baekhyun instantly catches. "Use my husband's car. Just don't fuck in there."

"We won't!" Baekhyun furiously blushes, "And we still can't!"

*

They've just finished shopping and they're now at the phone store.

"Here. Try using it."

Baekhyun hands Chanyeol his new android phone after the sales lady takes the card to swipe it for the payment.

"And what's the password again?" Chanyeol asks, scratching his not-even itchy head. Baekhyun already taught him the basic functions of the phone but he already forgot it. It's too complicated. 

"0614," Baekhyun says slowly, "But you can also use fingerprint scanner or face unlock to open your phone."

Chanyeol chooses to just type in 0-6-1-4 on his device to unlock it, "And how do I make a call? I forgot it again, Baekhyun. I'm sorry..."

The sales lady eyes them judgmentally while Baekhyun only ignores her.

"Look here. First, you have to tap on this icon," Baekhyun kindly instructs as he holds the sleek phone inside his hands while Chanyeol listens attentively. "Then your contact list will come out like this, okay? You just need to choose from here who to call. Scroll down a little and tap on the names. You can see their numbers on the details."

"Oh, now I know! Where can I view the settings, then?"

"That? Here. You can also check the memory of your phone and the storage..."

Chanyeol amusingly stares at Baekhyun's slender fingers tapping on the phone screen with ease, and he can't help admiring how pretty they are typing and pressing random spaces on the device.

"Do you get it now?"

He just nods at Baekhyun although he doesn't even understand a single thing about Baekhyun mentioning RAM, ROM, megapixel and all that technical stuff. He just wants a phone so that he can play games and watch Youtube.

"Do you remember? Of course you don't, but I'll just tell you anyway. You gave me a phone as a housewarming gift," Baekhyun suddenly says as he smiles wistfully, "But I lost it the day I got to New York, so you ended up buying me a new one, and that's the one I'm still using until now."

"Wow. I must've been thoughtful," Chanyeol says, "And rich."

"I told you that before, but you said you weren't the one who's rich. It was your parents who were well-off."

"It seems like I always gave you presents. I wonder what you also gave me in return."

"Well," I gave you my heart and my body, "It was me who gave you a gift first. I gave you a card."

Chanyeol chuckles, "A card?"

"Yes, I gave you a card as a graduation gift!"

"What does it say?"

Baekhyun thinks for a while, "I wished you happiness."

Happy Graduation to my most favorite sunbae in the world. I wish all the best for you. You will always be in my heart.

"Now, I'm really curious," Chanyeol mutters, "I'm gonna find it in my stuff."

Looking back to the phone, Baekhyun explores it one more time.

"I'm saving my number as your speed dial number one," he says as he chuckles under his breath. He long-presses #1 on Chanyeol's dialer, making his own phone inside his pocket ring, "So if ever you wanted to call me, it's gonna be just one tap away. You understand?"

"But how about my sister," Chanyeol mutters, "Isn't she supposed to be set as my speed dial number one?"

Baekhyun clears his throat, looking away.

"W-what I'm saying is! It should be alphabetical. My name starts with 'B' that's why I'm the first on your speed dial." He points at the screen. "And clearly, Yura should be the last."

"Oh! Now I get it," Chanyeol hums, nodding his head while he fumbles with his phone aimlessly, "But how do I take a picture?"

"Give me that," Baekhyun steals the phone from Chanyeol's hand and accesses the camera app. Going to the front cam, he quickly snaps cute pictures of his pretty face with different poses, aegyo, hand gestures, winks and finger hearts until he saves 30 photos of them under two minutes. "There."

Chanyeol just blinks at him, "It's now full of your pictures..."

"Exactly! So when you have nothing to do, just scroll through the selcas that I took. I'm giving those away for free just for you," Baekhyun says proudly, "Oh, and if you're too lazy to go to the gallery, just look at your beautiful wallpaper."

"You mean this?" Chanyeol states, showing Baekhyun the wallpaper of his phone which is actually Baekhyun's picture doing a peace sign.

"Yes. That one."

"But I just wanted the default..."

"What," Baekhyun crosses his arms over his chest, "you don't like seeing my face on your phone?"

"No! It's nothing like that," Chanyeol mumbles, "I just feel shy looking at it..."

"Why?"

"You're just too pretty in this photo I'm afraid I won't stop staring."

Baekhyun hears something in the distance and he realizes it was just his heart beating erratically. He soothes his chest as he chokes in his own saliva, turning his back away to hide his flushed face from Chanyeol.

"Baekhyun, are you okay? Hey! Wait for me!" Chanyeol worriedly says, following the smaller male running out of the store, "What's the matter? Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine," Baekhyun answers dismissively after he recovers from his blushing state. Chanyeol is just too honest, he won't even consider how his heart would take in every compliment he'd say, "You know what, let's just have lunch. You said you'd treat me to lunch, right?"

"Of course," Chanyeol grins, "So. Uhm, do you like pizza?"

"Are you kidding me?" Baekhyun says, making Chanyeol flash a worried look on his face, "That's like, my favorite!"

Chanyeol feels relieved. "Really?"

"Yes. We used to go to a lot of pizza places back in New York," Baekhyun answers, "But anywhere is fine as long as I'm with you." He laughs, casually slapping Chanyeol's arm which shocks the male a bit, "And as long as you're paying, of course."

"But my sister is actually the one paying, though," Chanyeol says, now familiarizing to himself Baekhyun's hand clutching on his arm as they walk at the mall. It must be a habit for Baekhyun, he always holds him close as if he would get lost and it's kind of endearing, "It's her card that we're using and I feel guilty."

"Anything free is delicious! Trust me."

Baekhyun is actually right because when Chanyeol finally tastes the barbecue chicken pizza and pepperoni pizza served on their table, it feels like heaven. So this is how a pizza tastes like, now he remembers again the delicious flavor of it landing on his tastebuds.

Waiting for Baekhyun to come back from getting extra tissues, he wanders around the restaurant they chose to have lunch at. Beside their table is a young boy with his Mom. It seems like they are happily celebrating his birthday because of the cake on their table and the birthday hats on their heads. A tiny smile makes its way on his lips, watching the boy blow out his candles after the mother claps her hands.

Baekhyun takes a seat on the chair in front of him, tracing where he is looking at so fondly.

"It must've been amazing to have a mother," Chanyeol says out of the blue, "It's just sad that I don't remember my Mom."

Baekhyun tenses a bit while he chews his food.

"Yura said that Mom and I haven't been on good terms when she was still alive," Chanyeol continues as Baekhyun only listens in silence, "She just died a few months ago, and I know I have to be grieving but why can't I feel anything? Have I been really a bad son to her?"

"No, don't say that," Baekhyun slowly shakes his head, "You've made up with her before she passed away. I'm sure she's happy now wherever she is."

"But still... I feel guilty for not feeling hurt about it."

"I'll get hurt for you and I'll grieve for you... I'm here to take your pain because you've already suffered long enough now... So please don't worry yourself about it anymore."

Chanyeol looks seriously at him, "Why... would you do that for me?"

"Because I," I love you, "I care about you."

Realizing that Chanyeol has been just staring at him for what seems like an eternity after he said those words, Baekhyun audibly clears his throat and grabs the last slice of pizza, shoving it inside his mouth greedily.

"Oh god, this is so delicious! Can I just have this!?"

Chanyeol then gradually smiles handsomely, seeing Baekhyun stuff his face with food to his heart's content.

"Baekhyun."

"Hm?" Baekhyun drinks his iced tea. "What is it?"

"There's sauce on the side of your lips."

And as if it's on automatic, Chanyeol leans closer and reaches out his hand to wipe the unintentional mess on Baekhyun's mouth using his thumb. It's just a simple and clichèd gesture, but the butterflies in Baekhyun's stomach can't help fluttering wildly especially now that Chanyeol is beaming at him with his radiant toothy smile.

Baekhyun pretends not to be swayed by it although he is close to squealing hard right now. "Thanks."

"Wait, I remember doing that a lot of times!" Chanyeol exclaims after he ponders for a short while, "Does my memory serve me right?"

Baekhyun laughs, "Yes, and you'd always tell me I was a messy eater." He gets a tissue for himself after he lets out a loud obscene burp. "Oops, sorry about that."

Chanyeol finds himself staring dumbly at Baekhyun in front of him who's licking his lips in a slow manner.

A vivid memory from just the other day flashes back into his mind.

Baekhyun suddenly notices Chanyeol's silence during their meal. The other male has just only been halfway on eating his pizza when he starts to fidget nervously and refuse eye contact. Baekhyun has already mastered Chanyeol's body language, so he knows now that whenever Chanyeol acts like this, it only means one thing.

"Do you want to say something?"

"I..." Chanyeol starts, "I've been meaning to ask this to you but I didn't have the courage to say it..."

Oh god. Baekhyun has to hold his breath inside his chest, because shit. Is this Chanyeol confessing once again? Is this him asking him out!? Is Chanyeol falling for him the second time!?

OMG, Baekhyun, calm down. Keep it cool. Act natural, Baekhyun mentally tells himself as he tries hard not to hyperventilate.

"Yeah?" He casually says, "What is it?"

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol looks at him straight in the eyes, "Do you already have a boyfriend?"

Fireworks bursting in the sky. Angels from heaven singing. Rainbows and unicorns floating. Those are what Baekhyun sees and hears after the question has been dropped.

Smiling sweetly as he chuckles softly, Baekhyun puts his hair behind his ear like a girl, "You're asking if I already have a boyfriend?"

"Uhm," Chanyeol clears his throat, "Yes."

If Baekhyun is going to say No, then technically he would lie because Chanyeol is his boyfriend, right? They didn't actually break up, right? But if he is going to say Yes on the other hand, it would make Chanyeol think he is already dating another person since he doesn't remember anything yet. Shit. This is harder than he thought. What is he going to answer?

Chanyeol patiently waits for his reply, "Baekhyun, we promised to share each other's secrets, right?"

Right.

"Yes," Baekhyun answers truthfully, "I'm already dating someone."

"I see." Chanyeol only nods, "Well, do I know him?

Baekhyun smiles brightly. "Yes, you do."

"Is he one of your friends?"

"Yes, I guess, he's one of them."

"Is he handsome?"

"Of course!"

"Is he," Chanyeol coughs, "Tall?"

Baekhyun slaps the table hard, "YES!!!"

"Is he Sehun?"

"WHAT."

Chanyeol sets his eyes downcast, "I happen to see you two kissing the other day. I'm sorry if i haven't told you about it... I came back to the university to check up on you, but I accidentally saw the two of you doing it." He stands up and bows his head. "I'm sorry..."

If there would be a rock hanging by to somewhere then Baekhyun wishes he'd just be fallen and crushed underneath it. Letting out a super dejected sigh, he frowns and takes a sip of his water quietly.

"Did you perhaps," Baekhyun asks warily, "Remember anything when you saw it?"

"Yes," Chanyeol replies, making Baekhyun's eyes widen, "It wasn't the first time, right? I remember witnessing it before but it was not clear. You two were kissing at a playground..."

Baekhyun clenches his fist, "Chanyeol, look---"

"Why do I feel like this," Chanyeol touches his chest as he glances at Baekhyun, "I don't understand why my heart feels so heavy... Do you think I'm sick?"

"No, you're not," Baekhyun furiously shakes his head, worriedly looking at Chanyeol, "Listen, there's nothing going on between me and Sehun. Sehun is not my boyfriend. I don't like him that way. I don't have romantic feelings for him and I didn't develop something towards him either. I only see him as my lifetime friend, nothing more."

He holds Chanyeol's hand like he was begging. "And whatever you saw the other day, it doesn't mean anything, okay? I was just helping Sehun sort his feelings out. I didn't even kiss him first! He kissed me first and I'm sorry for not pushing him away! I was just trying to be a good friend to him, I promise. I'm not lying! Please believe me!"

"But why are you explaining..." Chanyeol mutters, obviously surprised at Baekhyun who's now looking like he's about to cry, "Why are you... apologizing to me?"

"I just... Don't want you to get the wrong idea," Baekhyun mumbles, quickly wiping the tears that managed to escape his traitor eyes, "Why the hell am I crying over this... It's embarrassing..."

Chanyeol studies Baekhyun's face, and he finds it really adorable especially when Baekhyun is sniffing his nose like a puppy. There must be something wrong with him because he was just feeling heavy a little earlier but now, he suddenly feels entirely different seeing Baekhyun cutely rubbing his eyes.

"Why is he like this," Chanyeol says with a laugh as he pulls Baekhyun out of the restaurant. Baekhyun drags his feet and follows Chanyeol to stick beside him again like a glue.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No," Chanyeol mutters, shrugging, "But you just told me earlier you were already dating someone?"

"Yes, I do! But!" Baekhyun flails his arms in the air in panic. "He doesn't know he's my boyfriend because he's--" He looks around the mall, coincidentally seeing a standee of a famous band member outside a cosmetics boutique, "He's actually an idol." He points at the handsome standee while laughing creepily. "Yeah! That was him."

"Oh," Chanyeol mutters, and a surge of relief flows into him for a certain reason. "I see!"

"Yes."

"So uhm. You're single."

"Technically.... yes."

"Okay."

"But why are you asking?"

"Nothing! I was just curious."

Chanyeol walks ahead fast with a smile on his face, leaving a frowning Baekhyun behind.

"Hey! Tell me the reason!" Baekhyun chases after him, following Chanyeol who is now falling in line at the cinemas for popcorn. He has already bought movie tickets online this morning. "Chanyeol!"

"I said it's nothing!" Chanyeol hands the lady some money in exchange for a box of cheese-flavored popcorn and a large drink while Baekhyun still pesters him. "I was just really curious!"

"Oh really," Baekhyun mutters, still not letting go of the topic until they're already seated inside the cinema. He elbows Chanyeol and whispers into his ear, "But you told me we should be honest with each other, right? I just told you a secret yesterday, don't you remember?"

Chanyeol side-eyes him.

"I told you that my ideal type is someone tall." Baekhyun leans in closer purposely. "So tell me your secret, too."

It's the first time Chanyeol is feeling this kind of sensation and he guesses it is what they call blushing. He swears his face is obviously red although it's dark inside the cinema.

"Wait. Are your perhaps blushing right now?"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

Baekhyun snickers, "Tell me, do you have a crush on me?"

"No!"

"Admit it!"

"FINE! I DO HAVE A LITTLE CRUSH ON YOU BUT THAT'S JUST IT SO PLEASE DONT TELL MY SISTER OKAY SHE'S GONNA TEASE ME AND I HATE IT WHEN SHE DOES IT."

"I--"

"That's just my," Chanyeol mumbles, "secret."

The movie begins rolling and Baekhyun is just staring blankly at the animated screen with Chanyeol beside him happily munching his popcorn.

He peeks at his face, "Uh, Chanyeol..."

"What is it?"

"Say, why do you have a crush on me?"

"Because you're nice to me," Chanyeol answers after thinks for a while, "You're beautiful and smart, and also because you have pretty hands."

The brighter-than-the-sun-Chanyeol-induced-smile never leaves Baekhyun's face until the movie is finished, until he drives Chanyeol home, and until he goes back to the mansion that night. He's just too happy that he can't contain his feels anymore so he's all too smiley even just spacing out into nothingness, that Kyungsoo and Sehun have to ask him worriedly what has just happened to him.

"Chanyeol sunbae said he has a crush on me because I'm nice, I'm smart, I'm beautiful and I have pretty hands," Baekhyun says dreamily while giggling to himself, that he almost crashed into a plant while walking to the kitchen. "Aahhh... It feels good to be alive..."

Kyungsoo just glares at him, "Congratulations."

Sehun only shakes his head and smiles, then he turns to Kyungsoo. "Hey, have you seen Luhan?" He glances down on his phone. "He just texted me that I should go and meet him."

"Isn't he like, in the living room?" Kyungsoo says.

Sehun looks over at the couch, seeing the older waving at him. "Right." Walking towards him, he plops himself on the space across him with his arms crossed over his chest. "Hey, what's up?"

"I'm good," Luhan grins at him, "How about you? Did you miss me?"

Sehun coughs and rubs his nape, "I'm seeing you everyday. Why would I miss you."

"Well, I have something for you," Luhan says, then he opens the lid of the large box on top of the table, showing Sehun its content. "Tada!"

Sehun's eyes practically widen as he peeks inside the box, seeing something white and fluffy like cotton curled into a ball. It twitches, and Sehun feels like crying.

"Do you like it?" Luhan says, "You want that, right?"

"B-but why would you give me a puppy?" Sehun says, feeling his heart suddenly soft at that cute little puppy, "And that Bichon puppy, out of all...."

"I just thought it was my fault you were feeling awkward around me and I felt really bad," Luhan shrugs, "I used the voucher to buy it."

"But how about your toys?" Sehun asks.

Luhan snorts out a laugh, "Nah! Who cares about the toys when I'm about to have something more realistic than that."

"Are you really giving this to me?" Sehun says, carrying the lovely puppy who won't make a noise inside his arms. He touches its soft head, "Hyung?"

"Of course!" Luhan smirks, "He's all yours now."

"What do you want?"  Sehun asks, raising an eyebrow, "I know you want something in return. I can feel it."

Luhan lets out a wild obnoxious laugh it echoes around the house. He stops guffawing right away and wears his prettiest grin before he looks at Sehun in the eyes.

"I'll share Jongin with you."

Sehun stares at him. "What?"

"Go out with me." Luhan says, "And be my third boyfriend, Sehun."

*

To be continued.

(A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!)