Before You Know It | BAEKHYUN

07

As May approached, so did the midterm examinations. Students shuffled through the school corridors with evident tension, to the library and to their classrooms, but not Nam Hyora. She graced the halls with carefree skips to the cafeteria, smiling at the haggard students she passed by and giving the occasional high fives to those she was particularly close with.

Why stress over exams when you're just gonna die eventually?

Descending from the stairwell, she caught sight of Byun Baekhyun holding a bunch of papers in his hand, his eyebrows furrowing as he concentrated on the material. She smirked, quietly approaching him.

When she got close enough she poked him on the waist, making him jump up with a rather girlish shriek.

She laughed at his face. "Scaredy cat!"

He fixed her with a glare, but he just looked like an angry puppy.

"You surprised me!" he retorted. "That's different."

"Whatever," she said with a playful smile. "What are you reading anyway? You look so engrossed in it."

"Just a bunch of previous math quizzes. I have to review them all if it means I pass the midterm exams."

"Ew, boring," she said. "Enough studying! You look like you're not learning much of it anyway."

He frowned. "Hey, that's mean."

She ignored him. "I'm going to the snack bar. Come on, let's go and relax your brain for a bit."

Without waiting for an answer, she walked past him and skipped down the hall to the cafeteria with Baekhyun in tow.

There weren't much people when they arrived, and the only students that were actually there were all holding a book with one hand and a spoonful of food in the other. Hyora held the grimace that was threatening to appear on her face. How could anyone bear to study while they eat?

"Strawberry milk please," she said as they arrived at the counter, "and honey butter chips."

After paying, she turned around to find Baekhyun standing idly by, looking as if he was waiting for her.

"Aren't you going to buy anything?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm still full from lunch earlier," he said, followed by a nervous laugh.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but Baekhyun looked away and went to look for a seat. She followed him, sitting across him who had started reading his papers again.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" she asked as she tore open her bag of chips.

He lifted his eyes at her. "Like I said, I'm still full."

"It's been a couple of hours since lunch. Go get a sandwich or something."

"Seriously, I'm okay," he said, smiling a little. "You can stop worrying over me now, Hyo."

Her heart skipped a beat with the mention of her nickname, but she continued to press him.

"You're not one to skip on food," she said, "especially when we're in the cafeteria. Did you forget to bring money or something?"

"No, I just... don't want to eat."

She arched a brow. "You're not telling me something. What is it?"

Baekhyun heaved a sigh, massaging the sides of his head. Hyora continued looking at him, urging him to speak up with her unrelenting stare, and knowing her, she wouldn't back down so easily.