Love Again | Baekhyun

17 | Love Always

/TW : Brief mention of s*icide/

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun asked in worry, knowing she must've hurt her ankle from that fall.

"I'm sorry, Sarang-ah." The man that she was dancing with was now crouching down next to Baekhyun, putting a hand on her shoulder. Baekhyun had to hold himself back from briskly telling him off.

"Oh, it's okay, I'm fine oppa." She answered, addressing the other guy. There was that word again, oppa. It bugged him when she called random guys by that term. Like her predatory neighbor, and now whoever this guy was. "You should go back.. But can you tell Jun oppa I'm gonna sit this one out?"

"Ah.." The man glanced at Baekhyun unsurely before turning to Sarang again, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sarang nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm with my.." Baekhyun looked at her, their gazes locked in the same wordless uncertainty. "..friend."

Wow.

Friend.

"Alright." The man stood up and left them alone. Baekhyun helped her out of both shoes and held them in one hand before holding her elbow with the other, carefully helping her up to her feet. The word 'friend' echoed in his head.

Friend. Not on his damn watch.

Sarang looked up at him with those mesmerizing eyes, the soft makeup only making her look more ethereal. "Baekhyun, what are you doing here? I mean.. How did you even.."

"Let's get you a chair first." Baekhyun let her hold onto his elbow as they walked, not towards the lined up guest chairs, but towards a further part of the garden where a bench was tucked between a pair of trees. He wanted to talk to her and he needed some privacy for that.

Sarang limped beside him, clutching onto his arm with every step. Even barefoot, struggling to walk like this, she looked straight out of a fairy tail in her silky satin dress.

"Chanyeol sent me your brother's wedding invitation." Baekhyun explained once she had sat safely on the bench. He set her shoes down on the ground and sat next to her. After speeding through the streets all the way from Seoul, it was just a little disappointing to arrive to Sarang dancing with someone else and calling him a friend. "I take my eyes off you for a second and you're already dancing with another man." He joked, shooting her a smile.

Sarang looked at him for a moment but averted her eyes, her hair swaying in the summer breeze. "I think a second is an understatement."

Baekhyun could see the tired hurt in her eyes. How much had she been calling him, thinking he purposefully ignored her? "Sarang, I know it sounds.. out of reach, but it's the truth. I was at dinner with everyone and Chanyeol brought you up. That's when he told me what you said when you went out drinking together. I didn't know you called. Hell, I was waiting for you to call. I swear, I checked my phone every damn minute hoping to hear from you."

She turned to him, listening patiently, beautiful as ever. Even after all those painful moments waiting for her to reach out, even after the brewing bitterness, he was still just as in love with her as their last night together. No, he couldn't be just friends.

"I promise I would never just ignore you like that." He added. Baekhyun wanted to reach for her hand, but he wasn't sure if this was too soon, so he just looked at her hoping she'd believe him.

Sarang was silent for what felt like a long time, looking troubled before he could see her faintly nodding. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I didn't believe you. I just.. thought you hated me."

"Never." Baekhyun blurted hurriedly, pulling her gaze back to him. "I was hurt and frustrated, but I never hated you. Not for a second." Baekhyun couldn't be sure, but he thought he could see the slightest hint of smile in her eyes even though her lips were hidden behind a mask.