from afar | baekyeon

Chapter 6

September 2015

Completing his solo dance practice, Baekhyun felt a rush of excitement when the practice room's door swung open, revealing the woman whose absence he had been acutely aware of. A bright smile lit up his face as he greeted her, his longing and happiness evident in his eyes.

He wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel, his intentions of a warm embrace thwarted by his sweat-soaked state. "Hi," he chimed, his voice filled with warmth and genuine affection as he met her gaze.

Her response was a simple smile and a return greeting. "Hi."

Baekhyun was about to offer her a seat to watch him practice, his eagerness to share his progress with her evident, but a change in her demeanor caught him off guard. "I need to talk to you..." A seriousness lingered in her expression, unfamiliar and making him slightly nervous.

"C-Can't it wait? I'll shower first, I'll be quick," he stammered, his excitement evident as he dashed toward the practice room's shower. A quick kiss on her forehead was his reassurance that he'd be back soon, and he disappeared into the shower.

His shower was rushed, his desire to be with her once again outweighing any inclination to take his time. The anticipation of reuniting with her fueled his haste.

As he emerged from the shower, a soft smile tugged at his lips at the sight of her still waiting on the couch. He approached her with a sense of comfort that she was there, but he couldn't help but notice the difference in her demeanor. Her sudden rise from the couch and the tension in the air intrigued him.

Nevertheless, he couldn't resist the urge to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a tight and comforting embrace. "I missed you," he whispered, his eyes closed as he held her close. The past month had been a blur of busy schedules, and now that they were together, he wanted nothing more than to savor the moment.

Words flowed from his lips, interspersed with tender kisses that he placed along her neck. The familiarity of her scent and the comfort of her presence enveloped him in a sense of bliss.

"Are you in a hurry? Do you have other commitments after this?" he murmured against her skin, his lips leaving gentle trails of affection. His heart swelled with the emotions he had been bottling up during their time apart. The longing he had felt was now replaced by a deep and undeniable desire to cherish every moment with her.

But it didn't take long for Baekhyun to notice that she wasn't responding to his embrace in the usual way. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he released her, a sense of unease beginning to take root. "I-Is there something wrong?" he queried, his voice tinged with concern as he held her hands, attempting to meet her gaze that kept shifting.

"Baekhyun, let's break up," the words hit him like a thunderbolt, a sharp jolt that cut through the air and left him speechless. His wide eyes locked onto her downcast gaze, struggling to process what he had just heard.

"W-what... What are you talking about?" His voice trembled slightly as he grappled with the abruptness of her words. He couldn't fathom how a mere few moments ago, they were sharing an embrace filled with longing, and now the ground beneath him seemed to crumble.

"Babe, are you tired? J-Just take a rest, we'll talk tomorrow. I'm free--" Baekhyun's voice wavered as he attempted to reason, to delay the reality he was beginning to grasp. But she cut him off, her chuckle sending a chill down his spine.

"I'm tired, yes, I am so tired... So let's end it here," she reiterated, the words like shards of glass between them.

"W-what-- Did I do something wrong?" Baekhyun's voice broke, his grip on her hands tightening in a desperate attempt to hold onto what he feared was slipping away.