It was Wednesday morning when Baekhyun was constantly calling me earlier. When I got up to answer his calls, he ended it abruptly. So I moved as fast as I can and travel to our school an hour early compared to the time that I'll leave house. He's not answering my phone calls and it's worrying me a lot! He won't bug me at 4 am if it's nothing. I called in their house before leaving and no one answered. I just realized that auntie must've been out of town again. Was Baekhyun stressed? But the last time we met, he's all bubbly and happy so I don't think he has problems!

"Hey, have you seen Baekhyun?" I've asked Yeri when she bumped with me. It's still early but people here in our school were already busy! Kim Yeri is our Treasurer by the way.

"Oh. Chanyeol sunbaenim!" She bowed and I nodded. "Baekhyun sunbaenim is inside our headquarters I think! That's where I lastㅡ" I didn't let her finish her words when I pulled her for a hug and I just shouted her my Thank You before rushing to the place she said.

-

-

It was dark here but I know he's here. I can hear his breathing from afar and his sobs. He's crying himself alone in the darkness. Baekhyun is sad again.

"Hey. . . Baek. . . Where are you?" I asked, my hand leaning on the switch of the light. I know he's here. I know he's just torturing himself alone with sadness that's why the lights were turned off. He once told me that darkness gives comfort to him whenever he feels sad and bad. In times like this, he told me he prefers to be alone because he grew up like that. But now that he got me on his back, I'll never let him live with that kind of life anymore.

"Please leave me alone," he said in between sobs. I know he's near to me so I opted not to make a move anymore because I might step onto him.

"I'm here. You don't have to beat yourself in sadness alone," slowly pushing the switch, my eyes adjusted after looking into a complete darkness to seeing a place covered in white. There I saw him. Sitting on the left corner of this room while hugging his knees. His eyes were already reddish because of his cryings. I quickly ran my way towards him and pulled him for a hug. He tried escaping from my arms but he failed so he rested his head on my chest and continued on sobbing. "Just go on. Pretend that I'm not here. I'll wait for you to calm down, Baek."

I don't know if it's the righteous thing to do but comforting Baekhyun made him cry even more. Maybe he's really like this. He's still adjusting on having someone beside him whenever he's sad. He used to knock himself alone with sadness. He said he doesn't usually open up with his mom, he'd rather let sadness consume him than telling auntie who's always been busy with her work and businesses. That's when the thought that their bonding is inseparable compared to Mom and I was crashed. After all, they're just like those other broken families whose got their relationship tainted but I'm glad that Baekhyun's not the rebellious kind of son. He stayed with his mother. About his father, I don't know if he's still in speaking terms with him. I don't really ask him personal matters like this, he's just surprising me at one moment we're still talking about things around and in one time, he's already opening up the wound that's been long cured but still not fully healed yet.

"You know what?" I started while playing with his fingers. Baekhyun seemed to calm down a bit when his hand automatically held mine and gripped it gently. I cannot hear his sobs anymore, just few hiccups because of the cryings he made. "I have this cousin who shared the same fate with you. She's a fruit of broken family that's why I've gotten protective of her. But sadly, we have to leave the province and stay here in Seoul because Mom got a stable and good job here. I was hesitant on leaving her because I know that I've been her comfort zone but I have to. Just like you, she finds comfort in darkness. But there's a different story here. She prefers to lock herself alone inside a dark bathroom. She sleeps inside their bathroom. Auntie made her a comfortable bed inside their bathroom because she can't sleep at peace on her own room. One day, she told me that it's because she hid on a bathroom when uncle was finding for her. Her dad used to beat her up and the only place that time she thought of hiding at is the abandoned public bathroom nearby their house. She tried getting treated for it by some psychiatrist but her mind and body's going against it so we opted on letting it be like that."

"I don't even know what's the connection of telling you this thing and the thing I want you to know but that's not important anymore. What's important now is that you have me. If you needed someone to lean on, just feel free to call me or better come in our house. Mom will surely love it having you there. Sometimes, I think Mom treats you better than me, her real blood and flesh."

Baekhyun chuckled and for the first time, he faced me. Although his eyes were still puffy from the cryings, at least, I made him smile a bit. "I get that a lot. Some said they're jealous of me because I can effortlessly hook their mom's hearts just by existing," he laughed again and I find it music to my ears.

"I'm glad you're smiling now," I said out of the blue and when Baekhyun glanced away, I felt like I ruined the mood for him. "Well, I don't want to see you sad. . . That's why."

"I won the presidency."

My eyes bawled in excitement. "Really?! Wow! Congratulations, Baekhyun! You greatly deserved it!" I was shaking him continuously when his eyes started to water once again so I immediately stopped. "Why are you crying again?"

"Nana lost because she had failing grades in the past and it's a requirement to at least have a grade of B as the lowest in order to be eligible of running for it," I stayed in silence because I know this is not the main reason why he was crying hard like that. "Chen was the most affected one with that news. He wasn't allowed to run for the presidency because Nana got it and then what? Her application will just get forfeited because of some rules she broke? Chen have decided to transfer to other school today and he told me not to talk to him anymore. I feel like I'm back during that day when my parents got separated."

Chen is like the Suho in my life to Baekhyun. I may have not seen him personally, I may have not known Baekhyun for so long, and I don't have to. Because I know how does it feels like to be left alone. I was left by my best friend but Baekhyun? He was left twice. By his dad and now by his best friend. There are things that's making me want to protect him even more. I think I'm not really in love with this person beside me.

I am deeply madly in love with Byun Baekhyun.

-

-

"Are you sure you'll be fine here alone? I mean, Baek. Come on! You can come with me!" I insisted for the last time. Baekhyun asked me to bring him home after he calmed down and I did what I was told to do. I was planning on staying over the night with him but Mom called saying I should fetch Sandara in the airport because she's going to stay in our house for one year. Auntie sent her daughter here for an exchange program. I was surprised at first because knowing Sandara, she won't like it sleeping on other household's bathroom. Yes. It was her, the one I'm telling Baekhyun earlier.

Baekhyun waved his hands as he comfortably lay on the soft mattress behind him. "You're not my nanny. I didn't befriended you to be my guardian. Don't worry. I'll be fine here. Go and fetch your cousin. You might be late."

"Are you sure you're fine here?" I asked again. It just doesn't feels right leaving someone who has been emotionally hurt today alone. I wanted to watch him for the next days. Mom sometimes can be a bummer into my life!

"For the last time, giant. I am good. Go away," Baekhyun dismissed by hiding his face below the blanket. "Just make sure to lock the gate and the main door before leaving. I'll just sleep all day. Have a safe trip!"

"You have me as your #1 emergency contact person, right?" But I got nothing as an answer. "Hey, Baekhyun!"

"What?! Leave! I want to sleep already! You're being noisy here!" Chuckling, I stepped near his bed and pulled the blanket away, only to be welcomed by his pouting face. "What are you still doing here? Didn't I told you to go already?"

Not minding his whines, my lips automatically made its way and landed on his warm forehead. My action made him taken aback and so do I. I just know that being this close to Baekhyun these days is not helping at all. It's hard to prevent my growing feelings for him. You can't blame me. "Call me if anything bad happens, okay?" Lightly tapping his cheeks, my hand gripped on his, assuring him that I'll be always here for him.

"O-okay. . ." He stuttered. One of the rare times that Baekhyun seemed to be a tamed fox.

-

-

"Where were you? I'm already here! Jeez! You've always been a pain in my ass, Dara!" I shouted on the line because it's been two hours since I arrived here at the airport yet she's still not showing up. Before Mom told me what she wanted me to do, Sandara already arrived in Incheon and imagine? I was two hours late yet still, she's inside the airport? How possible is that?!

"Wait, okay?! I'm still talking with a colleague," I've heard someone's voice and I couldn't be wrong about that person. I know him. "Well, Jiyong, it was nice meeting you here. I guess we will sea each other often since I'll be studying in your school?"

"I think so. Do you have someone who'll fetch you? I can give you a ride if you don't," this bastard!

"Naaaaaah! I have my cousin with me. He's already fuming mad because of waiting for a couple of minutes so I gotta go. See you!" I didn't heard Jiyong's annoying voice anymore but I can clearly hear sound of latching lips so it infuriated me even more. "Hey. Chanyeolㅡ"

"ㅡdid you just let that bastard kiss you?!" I asked in disbelief. I know Sandara's better than this! I'm a hundred percent sure that she's aware that Nana's Jiyong's girlfriend. My cousin. . . She likes Jiyong eversince the first time she laid her eyes on him. She fell for him after stalking his Instagram account so I'm sure that studying here will benefit her much. She will surely love it here.

"What's wrong with that? Besides, it's a normal thing nowadays. Don't tell me you haven't kissed someone aside from auntie in your life?" I instantly blushed on her remarks because it's true. "Ah. I can see you from afar. I won in our argument once again, right?"

"Shut up!" I glanced away when I saw her striding to my place. "Come here as fast as you can. I still have to check on someone else."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Instead of feeling surprised that Sandara appeared next to me without my notice, my cheeks started to burn in red with her question. "Ah. Finally. You've found someone who'll melt that heart of yours?"

"What were you saying?" Rolling me eyes on her, I opened the door and sat inside and it didn't took her long to get in, too. "Fasten your seatbelt. I'll drive faster. I have to be home before it gets dark."

Dara did what I told her but that doesn't stopped her from the intriguing questions she has for me. After sighing for a couple of times, I gave up. I will loose nothing if I'll answer her, right? "So, what's the name of the unlucky guy?"

"Baekhyun and for your information, he's not unlucky just like what you're saying. He's lucky for having me," Dara nodded with that. One thing that she never questioned about me is how handsome I am. Of course, good genes runs in our blood so questioning our physical appearances is never a thing in our clan. "But please. Try not to cling onto him the moment you see him. Baekhyun's kinda emotional these days and he's not used of having noisy people around him."

But that's where I've gone wrong.

It's been two days since Dara stepped in Seoul and I must say that Baekhyun liked her existence so damn much. He even forgot about me whenever Dara's around. I thought he'll not like her because she's like a machine gun when she's talking but guess what? I saw something on Baekhyun that I never thought I'll see on him. Okay, Baekhyun is a talker. Noisy. Nosy. And has a loud voice. I never thought of it, really!

"So, Dara. . . How do you think of that guy?" Baekhyun asked and the moment I heard it, my world stopped revolving. I looked around and followed Baekhyun's finger and there I saw someone who's not familiar with me. "He's Min Ho. A senior that I always look upon."

"Well, he's hot and cool. But meh, not my type," I unconsciously nodded at my cousin's remarks. "But! I also believe that you'll never like him if he's not a potential."

"What?!" Baekhyun blushed. I understand that it was kinda hot in here but Baekhyun never blushed because of the hotness in the Soccer Field. "Am not! I didn't said that!"

Dara chuckled and I felt her nudging me behind. She's surely enjoying this entire teasing and making someone jealous thing. "It's already understandable! You won't look upon at him and react like that if you don't like him!"

"Am I too obvious?" Baekhyun surrendered, placing his both palms on his cheeks. Dara nodded with it. "It's embarrassing!"

"It really is!" I said out of the blue making other people look at our direction, maybe I'm jealous that's why I grabbed my things and firmly held on the strap of my bag before leaving the two of them. Sandara chuckling while Baekhyun being clueless at my sudden outburst.

A/N: Advance Happy New Year! 🎉🎊💙