Heartstrings

Chapter Seven: The Calmness Before The Storm

The girl raised softly curved arms, the golden bangle jangling to the rhythm of the mounting beat. Her perfect brown locks dancing with the air along with the red skirt decorated with beautiful flower patterns. A plain white crop top slipped down her shoulders showing off her collar bones and slim built. She looked complete and gorgeous, just like all the other girls Baekhyun had drawn on his sketchbook. But still there was something missing and Baekhyun couldn't tell what.

Was it the color of the skirt? The hair?

Maybe if he cuts the skirt short, it will look much better than-

"Put a choker around her neck. It will look great." Baekhyun almost dropped his pen as he heard the soft voice. Standing behind him was someone who he had always wanted to be. Beautiful and rich, smart and talented, perfect. Baekhyun prayed, no, he begged every day to be in Seohyun's place so that he can receive even a little of the love she was being showered by Chanyeol.

But who was he kidding?

"This looks nice, thanks, Seo." Baekhyun smiled as he stared at his design. The choker definitely gave it a better look.

"Can I see your it? Your designs?" Baekhyun handed her the sketchbooks with nervousness and self-consciousness creeping into his heart. His designs were nothing like hers. They were simple and unglamorous, boring and uninteresting while Seohyun's designs screamed perfection and trend. She wasn't an A-list designer for nothing. The celebrities, the high officials, even Chanyeol and his family asked Seohyun to design clothes for them. They said she was the best in the whole country and Baekhyun thought the same as well. She was just perfect in everything she did. She never had to try for anything, whether it be fame or love. She had it all while Baekhyun had nothing with him. Even if he tried hard by pushing his limits, he could never be able to achieve a single good thing.

And so he hated her.

He hated her sweetness, her smile, her politeness, everything. He despised Seohyun to the limit where he could push the girl off a building if he'd be given a chance to. Who asked her to ruin the dreams he had seen with Chanyeol? Who gave her the permission to steal away his best friend, his true love from him? Because of her, he couldn't have Chanyeol. It's her fault that he has to let go of the love of his life, that he was now bound to live alone forever. He was hurting inside, crying, screaming and breaking because of her. It should've been him and Chanyeol spending all those nights together like married couples are supposed to do. It should've been them to plan romantic dinners and lunch dates. It should've always been him to whom Chanyeol will come back to and kiss and say those three magical words.

Not Seohyun. No.

Baekhyun hated her so much but then again, it only made him feel more imperfect. Seohyun made him see how flawed and unworthy he was of the things he desired to have. Every time Baekhyun had wanted to hate her, her honesty and kindness had always conquered his heart making things harder for him. Why did she have to be so good and kind to him? Hating her would've been much easier if she was a bitch as he had imagined her to be.

However, she wasn't.

"I heard you guys are working with 8 seconds. Are these designs for that?" Baekhyun nodded quietly. Seohyun didn't reply and moved on to the last sketchbook with the same passive face as before. He knew they were not good and lacked the glitz. It would've been better if someone else would've drawn it because when Seohyun didn't like it, what were the chances that Sulli will even look at it?

"These are good. I envy Sulli so much for having a designer like you." Seohyun's words made Baekhyun's eyes wide in surprise. Was he really listening to it right?

Did she, Kim Seohyun, the top designer of the country, just appreciate his work?

Really?

Baekhyun didn't know what to answer with. He had expected Seohyun to say how unworthy his work was and how incapable he was. He was ready to listen to her tell him why he should just probably get out and do the fashion industry a favor. He was prepared to hear anything but this. This admiration literally got him at a loss for words.