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[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 1]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 5,395

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

People talking, kids crying, people coughing and mothers begging, as distress and hopelessness filled up every heart, and there was nowhere else to go.

She looked around, feeling out of place. Her mother was by her side, stiff as a statue and eyeing everyone around her as if the smallest movement might attract the attention of a dangerous predator. Unknowingly, she caught herself mirroring her mother's actions when a soft vibration startled her. She was soon comforted that it was only her phone buzzing in her pocket and nothing more. Bringing it out, she read the new text, and the usual cheerfulness of her best friend, Baekhyun, welcomed her.

Get completely checked up and punch that nasty cough right in the face!

She didn't have a chance to write a response when another text came in.

Don't you dare stand me up today. We have a lot to catch up!

And I have a surprise for you ;)

That managed to bring a smile out of her because there was no need to catch up as he claimed. As hectic as their normal life was, Baekhyun forced her to meet at least once a week. He would pester her for days if they didn't.

She texted back, assuring him that she would be there as soon as she was done with her appointment. The thought brought her back to the real world, where everyone was patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for their turn to see a doctor.

Making the mistake of looking around the waiting area, the uneasiness took over her again and reminded her of all of the excuses she had to skip a doctor’s appointment. First of all, the unnerving crowd alone was scary enough to stay away from a hospital but this time, as much as she tried, there was no other choice.

The other reason was more complicated and delicate than just being uncomfortable in crowds because going to a hospital meant speaking with strangers and she avoided approaching people she didn’t know. She even struggled to talk to her family doctor that pretty much watched her grow. Maybe he wasn't even the right person to take her case but he knew her and she knew him. If someone knew about her particular discomfort and understood how to handle it, it was him.

However, her fear and condition couldn't outweigh the seriousness of her current state and the main reason why she was in the hospital in the first place. She'd been having an ongoing cough for several months and after using almost every remedy available, her parents finally managed to convince her to get a specialized check-up. The doctor ordered blood samples and a few days later, there she was, seated in the waiting room of the general hospital.

In an ideal scenario, she would’ve been doing this by herself as the responsible and capable adult she was but her anxiousness didn’t allow it. Her mother was there and even if she didn't need to guide their way throughout the sterile and monotone hallways of the hospital for something as simple as a doctor’s appointment, it was incredibly comforting to have her around.

“Kang Gyuri.” A nurse called out loud and her mother stood up like a sprint.

“That’s us.” She mumbled with sudden haste that couldn’t be anything else but desire to leave the place as soon as possible.

Gyuri followed her mother silently and the nurse proceeded to make the general checkup. She didn’t mind that part of the appointment. No speaking was required for that and she followed the nurse’s instructions carefully until she was seated at the doctor’s desk in a heavy silence and with her mother just as silent by her side.

The old man came in not long after and he greeted them with the same familiarity as he always did but Gyuri noticed the hesitation. She caught the few seconds of vacillation and effort it took him to raise his eyes and look at her. Quite discreetly, he managed to avert looking straight into her. 

“So Gyuri, now tell me how have you been feeling since your visit last week?” He asked, grabbing the expensive black and gold stricken pen her parents gave him as a present not that long ago and ready to write down whatever she was about to say. “Did the antibiotics and painkillers work?”

“I don’t know.” 

“How come?”

And that was what she hated the most out of the doctor’s appointment, the explaining. Gyuri found it almost painful to put her discomfort into words, to say them out loud and on top of that, to make absolute sense of the mess within her. She wasn’t even entirely sure if anyone was capable of covering all the complexities of what was happening inside her body. 

She started with the fact that she had been feeling almost the same except for the sharp chest pains weren't as bad as before and noticed as she said that, that Dr. Kim held the pen softly between the fingers of both of his hands and wondered why he wasn't scribbling down. That was odd. That wasn’t part of the process of a medical appointment.

Gyuri continued nonetheless by explaining the difficulty she had to breathe every once in a while and when she mentioned that a new symptom had shown up, it was when she couldn’t ignore the doctor’s expression. He looked conflicted and somehow, distressed.

“What’s the new symptom?” He asked although he looked like he didn’t want to know.

“It feels like my senses are sharper, somehow.” She wondered out loud and not entirely sure if she was making any sense, “now I have a sweet tooth for food.”

With a nod, the doctor finally wrote something down but it was short. For a second, Gyuri thought she saw the word unsuccessful written down in her chart but the doctor brought another sheet out, this one with what she guessed was her blood results.

“I don't know how to say this,” he started, placing the pen reluctantly over his desk as if he was letting go some sort of lifeline. “We found some anomalies in your blood levels, Gyuri.”

“What kind of anomalies?” Her mother asked in a surprisingly steady tone.

“There are traces of chlorophyll in your bloodstream when you shouldn't have any and I'm so sorry to be the one to say this so bluntly...” The old man managed to say before his voice broke, “but you have the Hanahaki disease.”

The small consultation room was suddenly quiet just like everything else inside Gyuri. Her mind was completely blank in a split second when her mother’s seemed to be overrun by a sudden sense of guilt.

“This is my fault.” She said with a shaky voice.

“Don’t say that.” Dr. Kim added.

“This is all my fault.” Her mother said, now sobbing.

“That’s not how it works.” Dr. Kim affirmed and then looked at Gyuri.

“But no petals…” She muttered, her brain trying to come to life and make some sense of what was happening.

“The flower petals are only in the last stages of the disease.” The doctor explained. “You haven't shown any signs that the roots are that deep into your system yet.”

“What are my options?”

“Not many, you know that.” The doctor said with some difficulty, “As a doctor, I’d suggest getting you admitted, run some more tests and make you feel as comfortable as possible whereas as a family friend, I’d say, go home and live to the utmost while you can.”

“How long?” Gyuri asked, knowing she didn’t have to elaborate for the doctor to understand what she meant.

“If nothing abrupt happens, my guess is,” he paused, his brows furrowing, “6 months, at most.”

Gyuri nodded, aware of everything and nothing at the same time. Just as the doctor said, she knew her life was done for and suddenly flooded by a horrible feeling of devastation, the rest of the appointment went by as a blur.

She managed to get herself together when she was walking through the hospital’s parking lot. So far, she was moving by sheer instinct and being her mother’s quiet sobbing by her side, the only thing ringing loudly on her head.

“Mom, I'll be fine,” she said with a firm tone that took her by surprise.

Even though Gyuri didn't quite believe it herself, she had to make her mother stop crying for a moment and get her thoughts in order but her efforts of assurance only made her wail harder.

“Who is he?” She demanded, holding her by the shoulders. “Tell me who it is!”

Suddenly, Gyuri felt her body again. She felt the soft and ever-present buzzing in the center of her chest and the pain of her mother’s fingertips dipping into her flesh in absolute distress to find the truth and a culprit. Seeing her mother that desperate was unnerving.

“Who's the bastard that's breaking your heart!?” Her mother begged.

Gyuri smiled. 

Mother Nature seemed to have some wicked sense of humor. As twisted and creepy as it was to smile at that moment and to her mother’s absolute distress, she shook her up more but Gyuri couldn’t feel anything else but a sudden wave of relief coming over her. It wasn’t hard to conclude who it was. There wasn't anyone else that she could be that attached to to the point of getting heartbroken. She wanted to laugh at the prospect of her being that blind to not see this outcome. 

“Baekhyun, mom,” she said, almost fondly, “Who else but Baekhyun?”

And his name was a trigger. 

Gyuri winced as soon as she said his name and the relief she felt just an instant before was replaced by a sudden pain that coursed through the deepest parts of her system as if the acknowledgment of the genuine cause of her disease could set off something inside her body.

Her mother paled at the confession and Gyuri saw the anger taking over her expression. Now she knew who was responsible and it didn’t matter how many times she claimed in the past that she loved him like a son, from that moment on, Baekhyun was an enemy she needed to get rid of.

“Don't tell him anything about this,” Gyuri added before her mother could fall into hysterics. “It’s not his fault.”

“Not his fault?” Her mother scoffed, “He took advantage of your friendship...”

“And I want to be alone.” Gyuri interrupted, starting to feel lightheaded. “I’ll see you later.”

Her mother protested. Her body battled back as well, but she forced herself to walk to the bus stop, and with every step, Gyuri did her best to remember every breathing and grounding exercise she could. Eventually, she was almost running because if she didn’t leave that hospital as soon as possible, none of the exercises would help and she would end up collapsing right then and there.

As she waited in the line and memories flowed by her mind, Gyuri placed a hand over her chest expecting to feel her rapidly beating heart but now, she was particularly aware of the faint stinging that went from one side of her chest to the other like an anxious caged animal waiting to be released.

Never in her wildest dreams, she’d find herself brave enough to ride public transportation alone and almost a decade later, there she was, ready to take the bus as if it was nothing and it was all thanks to Baekhyun.

"Ay, you’re not a little girl anymore.” He nagged as they waited. “How have you been commuting to school all this time?"

"My parents drive me there.” She replied softly, looking around suddenly intimidated by what they were about to do.

"What about the dates?” He turned to her, looking genuinely concerned. “Your parents dropping you off makes it a child’s play date..."

“I don’t have them,” Gyuri mumbled back, annoyed at the unnecessary roast, “you know that.”

“You don’t have them because you don’t want to,” Baekhyun said as he pulled his wallet out, “You’re quite pretty.”

Gyuri found herself smiling as she remembered that day. She felt her heart fluttering all over again at the memory of how flustered she was when he said that and while she was getting on the bus, she felt the ghost of his steady hand holding hers as reassurance.

That simple memory was only the first of the many moments she treasured about her friendship with Baekhyun. Gyuri scurried her way into the back of the bus, finding a spot standing near the door. After a while, the bus came to an abrupt halt, making all the standing passengers stumble; one of them, a guy her age, dramatically fell into a girl on the nearest seat. The guy stood up as fast as he could, apologized to the girl, and nothing much happened after that, but her mind brought up a moment from way back then. 

Gyuri had been the girl in the seat many times before. Many times shoved and pushed around and was unable to speak up when she was uncomfortable. She recalled one particular day when the bus was full and getting jostle was unavoidable, even if she was on her seat. Whenever it happened, she would simply focus on the city passing by through the window and ignore the rest of the world around her. That day, however, a familiar voice broke her out of the stupor.

“Yah! You’re hitting her in the face with your backpack!” Baekhyun said out loud, shoving a guy away and taking his place right next to her seat, somehow guarding her.

Gyuri chuckled at the memory. She must have looked like an idiot, looking up at him from her seat, probably admiring him as if he was a knight in shining armor.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Baekhyun mumbled under his breath without even looking at her, clearly upset. 

It was easy for him to say that but she was already riding the bus, confined in a small place with dozens of unknown people and fighting the urge to get out of there at the earliest opportunity. Raising her voice wasn’t necessary when she was already doing something miles away from her comfort zone. She was doing enough.

“People will stop pushing you around the moment you speak up, Gyuri,” Her friend added.

However, Kang Gyuri didn’t fall for his nagging and not even his outgoing and sometimes annoying personality. She fell for his comfort; for the little gestures, the softness in his voice whenever he addressed her, and the tenderness in which he touched her.

“I’m sorry.” He said, softly dropping an arm around her shoulders as they walked through the university entrance. “I said that harshly for no reason.”

Gyuri recalled what those words made her feel. She remembered how thrilling it was to feel his soft squeeze on her shoulder or the bright smile he gave her before dashing away to his friends. She finally acknowledged the unquestionable pang of sadness that was about to burst and barely paying any attention to her surroundings, Gyuri was surprised by her hastiness and found herself getting off the bus, gasping for fresh air. 

As she tried to walk away from the memories, her hand trembled as it went around the rim of her watch, making it difficult for her to follow the pace and control her breathing. She was fully aware that she had to stop walking for the exercise to be effective, but she needed to run away. She couldn’t even keep track of how many times her finger went around the clock and was on the brink of losing it for good that she forced herself to stop to focus all of her attention on her wristwatch. 

It hurt her chest to place her finger on the 12 and slowly go around the rest of the numbers. She was finding it too hard to settle her heavy breathing but the moment Gyuri noticed the familiar building of her favorite bookshop across the street, it was only then that she finally could grasp her bearings and hold her ground against the panic. 

With her eyes glued to the building, she managed to properly finish the first circle of digits after god knows how long and then the second and the third and so on until she calmed down.

She looked around, surprised that she was conveniently just a few blocks away from her meeting point with Baekhyun, and prompted with an impulse she didn't know where it was coming from, Gyuri walked to the bookshop. 

The three-floored bookshop was one of the only public places she visited frequently, and that never failed to make her feel like one with society. She was another common and ordinary person whenever she was in there, but for the first time, not that day and probably, not ever again. 

The moment Gyuri crossed the entrance door and stepped into the maze of bookshelves, she felt lonelier and more alienated than ever before. Suddenly, that place not only brought a wave of countless memories she shared with Baekhyun. It also shoved into her face, like a sarcastic joke, the crude reality of her fate.

It had been over eight years since the breakout. Eight years since the first person dropped dead in a pile of flower petals in the middle of the street, somewhere in Europe, and the first victim biography was still a bestseller. Eight years into it, and the sickness was still somehow a trending topic.

The news about the strange and tragic event spread out like fire around the globe, plaguing every television and every social media feed, and just a couple of days later, similar cases happened in other parts of the world. A couple of months and thousands of deaths later, it was discovered that a disease was the cause of all those casualties. 

A morbid fascination about it reached its peak when unreciprocated love was the only source of infection. If hundreds of thousands died of heartbreak, thousands more did out of the burden of being the cause; and in a matter of weeks, the suicide rates spiked, and soon after, the entire world fell into subdued chaos.

When most people were still debating if it was right to label the phenomenon that affected the entire world as an actual disease, the Japanese, who had the highest death toll, were the first ones that dared the rest of the world to address the problem head-on and gave it a name. That was how the Hanahaki disease was what everyone everywhere in the world ever talked about, and apparently, it had been like that for almost a decade.

Gyuri let out a resigned sigh as she walked away from the Hanahaki section, trying to find some comfort among the pages of a normal book but to no avail, she always found herself back to that section. Her mind reeled with all the information she had been fed up with the disease for years. She didn’t need to read more about it. She had lost count of the pile of books she read and the essays she wrote about it during her student years, and yet, the most haunting fun fact about the subject was that once diagnosed with Hanahaki, you were as good as dead.

The curse was essentially a death sentence, and it was scary to realize that all she could think of, no matter how hard she tried, was that after eight years since the outbreak, it was a disease without a cure, and so far, no one had ever survived. 

Except, for that one American woman. Gyuri grabbed her biography and wondered, just like the rest of the world, how in the world she survived. It was still a mystery, and as some claimed it was all a scam, some others believed she was some sort of prophet. As divided as the public opinion was about her, it gained her fame beyond any measure. The woman that somehow found a way to fight back the disease and win the battle against the impeccable flowers, became a celebrity overnight. Ironically, she was murdered in her penthouse a couple of years later because of a nasty affair.

Maybe that woman's life wasn't the best example of success, let alone the source of hope she needed, so Gyuri placed the book back in its place and found herself lost and clueless. For the first time in her life, she had no idea of what she wanted to read. Overwhelmed by the countless titles, a part of her wanted to buy them all so she could find an answer to her suffering. She sought for a small glint of hope that she might have the guts to fight the disease back, but the longer she kept on looking at the shelves of hundreds of books, all with the promises to save her life, the more miserable she felt.

There was one book, though. A book that didn’t mock her. A title that, for some reason, reflected quite perfectly what was going on inside her. As if pulled by an invisible string, Gyuri reached for the book.

“The Loneliest Flower.”

Just as in that known case, there were also urban legends of survivors but none as popular as the rumors about D.O. Even the gender was a mystery to the world, but the most common belief was that the writer was a male and his novel became a worldwide success in a matter of days. Gyuri remembered reading his book in class, and for some weird reason, she always felt a weird predilection over it. Decided and somehow defeated, she braced the book close to her chest and walked to the checkout.

Opening the door of that place was always a dreadful task. Most of the time, Baekhyun was by her side, and the first one to go in but some days, she had to do it herself. Gyuri breathed in, braced herself, and nudged the door open. Suddenly, as soon as she stepped into Baekhyun’s favorite restaurant, every scary thought seemed abruptly amplified by the thousands.

The sounds of countless chirping voices, loud waves of laughter, clattering cutlery, the smell of meats grilling, and fresh loaves of bread coming out of the ovens blasted against her senses and, invaded every single one of her thoughts.    

Gyuri hated the place. 

Baekhyun was always looking for new and trendy places to eat around the city, and while Gyuri found that particular restaurant too crowded for her liking, it turned out to be his favorite. The only reason she kept going there was their -four dishes and three beverages- long menu. The employees were also kind enough to respect her shyness. They even took the trouble to memorize her order and were always willing to help her speak the least possible.

She couldn't understand why Baekhyun liked it so much. The long shared tables were one of the details she hated more than anything. The layout forced her to ask if any empty chair was taken or sit shoulder to shoulder with a total stranger. Baekhyun seemed to be delighted by the prospect of being surrounded by people and quoting him, getting the chance to meet cute girls.

Checking her watch, Gyuri realized she was late just by a couple of minutes. When she looked around, Baekhyun was nowhere to be found. He was late as well, which only made the place buzz louder with voices and people moving. He not only was the cause of the ever aching scorch deep inside her chest but also left her all by herself in a place full of people.

She couldn't do stuff like that normally. People scared her. People were weird and loud, and she always struggled to cope well with socializing. That was why he was her friend; Baekhyun was her voice. He did all the talking. Not her. Never her; especially in places as busy as this, never her.

Gyuri bobbed her head to the beautiful girl with blonde bangs that always greeted her with a friendly smile and instantly headed towards the back of the place. The tables there were secluded and empty most of the time, and that day was no exception. Except for one guy and a bunch of college guys, giggling at the screen of one of their cellphones; there were enough spaces available for her and Baekhyun to eat comfortably. 

Ignoring the annoying and noisy group, she observed the lonely guy. He was focused on the food on his plate, not paying attention to the fuss on the other side of the table. His fingers gripped tightly at the ciabatta sandwich in his hands as his jaw moved rhythmically in every bite. The chairs around him were empty, and as absorbed as he seemed to be with his sandwich, she wasn't going to sit in front of him under any circumstances. That could only incite him to start a small talk she wasn’t willing to follow.

Not giving too much further thought to him, she made a beeline to the chosen empty chair but halted when the guy looked up and his eyes, his big brown eyes, found hers. Seemingly uninterested, he went back to his sandwich, and Gyuri approached the table only to find the guy, looking at her again; this time, he seemed to be observing her just as thoroughly. 

He bobbed his head at her, followed by a tiny twitch of his lips that Gyuri took as a weak attempt of a smile. He went back to his food without paying more attention to her, which was more than alright with her.

Silently, she sat down and waited for Baekhyun like she had been doing for years now. However, something was different. Now that she knew what that ache was, she could feel it everywhere. It was creeping swiftly in the most hidden parts of her body, taking over everything she was and painfully suffocating her ever so slowly.

She didn't want to believe that Baekhyun could be the cause of her pain. If anything, he would do anything to assure her safety. It had always been like that since they met on their first day in high school. Her heart fluttered, remembering every time he smiled at her, whenever he held her hand steadily and protected her from anything that scared her. 

Without any control, she found herself smiling at the memory of the many songs he sang to her just because he loved to sing. It was precisely the sound of his voice that moved the ground beneath her. His voice was so smooth and sweet that she could almost taste it in the back of her throat. Baekhyun's voice had such a strong timbre, and yet, it was so mellow and sweet; that it shifted her surroundings, distorted every sound, and made her insides churn and twist.

“Eat this.”

Gyuri snapped her eyes open. Taken aback to find herself breathing hard, she realized she was almost wheezing and leaning over the table as she gripped the edges so hard her hands hurt. The noisy group of guys next to her was silent, stealing nervous and pitiful glances at her. She sat up straight, beyond mortified, but the tenderness of the voice that spoke to her first attracted her attention once more.

“Here.” Gyuri heard that voice and looked up to a hand that pushed an opened small tin can closer to her.

The can was filled with squared and colorful candies. Confused, Gyuri looked at the owner of that hand, and she stared back dumbfounded. The man that not long ago was eating a ciabatta sandwich, was now looking at her with his big and dark eyes. At first, his stare seemed to be harsh, but the longer she kept on holding his gaze, the softer and understanding his expression turned, until the back of her eyes stung.

“It’s overwhelmingly sweet, right?” He whispered, and the way his heart-shaped and plump lips moved was pleasant to the eyes. “Right on the back of your tongue that you can actually taste it.”

Gyuri gulped instinctively, and just as he described it, a thick layer of something sweet coated the back of her throat. Unable to hide her shock at his guess, she found herself nodding and blinking rapidly to hold her tears back. It was comforting that the stranger did not seem to care about her falling into hysterics. He calmly nudged the can closer.

“You need sugar.” He added just as softly, “Eat them, and you will feel better.”

Gyuri moved as quickly as possible and took one candy straight into her mouth. She had never liked licorice candies before but now, as she closed her eyes and focused herself on controlling her breathing, she found the taste agreeable, almost soothing even. She could sense his attention on her, and when she dared to look at him, his thick brows were slowly easing up as she calmed down. 

“Better now?”

She nodded. With that, the man gave her a small smile and turned his attention back to his sandwich. She kept staring at him, quizzical and wondering how he knew exactly what she needed. 

“I know the feeling.” He said under his breath but without taking his eyes off the sandwich. “Something is growing inside you, eating you up, and drying every drop of life out of you and infesting everything in its curse.”

The burn behind her eyes intensified, getting almost unbearable when she realized how truly lonely she was. The certainty in his voice and the understanding in his every word made her see it more clearly. No one near her, not her parents or even the doctor, could ever fathom the feeling as he just did. They would never have a clue of how it felt like; yet, a lone stranger described the sensation with a few words.

But it wasn’t just his words that resonated within her. It was something in his voice; something that was just as soothing as the candies she kept rolling around her mouth. This stranger's voice had something different from all the voices around her.

Her parents were her parents; their voices made her feel at home. Their voices meant safety and comfort. Baekhyun’s voice was a whole different thing by itself. His voice was like thunder that resounded over everything disturbing and scary around her but this man's voice was special, and it was weirdly reassuring that she could find it so instantly necessary and precious even if she couldn't tell why.

The man stood up, and Gyuri closed the tin can, pushing it back towards him, grateful for the little piece of lifesaving help. He waved a hand with a timid smile that lighted up his face in a pleasant way, and she wondered just how much more handsome that stranger would look like fully smiling.

“Keep the candies.” He said, “you will need them.”

Gyuri tried to smile, touched by his generosity, and he stared at her longer than necessary before giving her another smile that didn't reach his eyes, and he was gone after that.

Slightly dazed and dumbfounded, Gyuri stayed in her seat, playing with the tin can in her hands, but there were no signs of Baekhyun. Not a single text and not even a call, and the uneasiness started to kick off again as she looked around the restaurant. She was alone in a noisy place, alone with her thoughts. She found herself alone with the ache and the longing, the confusion, fear, and the hopelessness. It almost felt like he purposely left her there to suffer. 

After what felt like an eternity later, and as if her entire body knew of his proximity, she looked at the restaurant's door. At that exact moment, she saw the man that stole her heart coming in, and she wasn't aware until then just how much relief his presence could bring. The sight alone of his beautiful face, of his white smile and sparkling eyes, should have been enough to ease the pain momentarily, but it didn’t. At least not entirely.

Baekhyun was there, but he wasn't alone.

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 12]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 2,120

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1 | Part 8-2 | Part 9 | Part 10-1 | Part 10-2 | Part 11-1 | Part 11-2

Baekhyun was running.

Something within him made his body move so fast as if the world might end if he didn't, but the moment he turned around a corner and found Gyuri’s parents sitting on a bench, he froze. As if the sight of them clutching at each other was a wrench thrown in the corks of his entire being, Baekhyun found himself voiceless and unable to move.

“Omma,” Baekhyun called her in a painful squeak. “What's going on? Where's Gyuri?”

At that moment, they all heard a clash of metal and a scream, followed by the foulest of curses. A nurse staggered out of the room, pulling her blood-dripping surgical mask off to reveal her face, looking as pale as a ghost.

“Today’s a very bad day.” Gyuri’s mother said it absently.

The nurse pulled the surgical gown off as if it were on fire and cursed her way to the office. More metal clashing came from the room, but they all stayed in their spots, frozen in surprise and shock, and yet Baekhyun forced himself to move.

“She told us not to tell you.” Her mother whispered, her eyes lost somewhere far away, as a painful cry erupted through the atmosphere.

“Not tell me what?” Baekhyun asked, slowly getting closer, “What happened?”

“She’s sick.” Her father said from his seat, wincing as another scream filled the hallway. “She caught the curse.”

“Was it me?” Baekhyun asked.

And that was all that came out of his mouth.

That was all he could think of.

All he was strong enough to say.

Suddenly, several alarms went off, making everyone flinch, and a group of young doctors rushed into the hallway as the nurse explained what happened. Baekhyun and Gyuri’s parents watched them prepare, dressing up in surgical gowns, when another painful scream teared the tension in the place and everyone reacted. Baekhyun was the first to reach for the door when a male nurse got in the way and an impossibly handsome doctor zeroed his full attention down on him, making him back off.

“Dr. Kim, why don’t you give Baekhyunie a moment?” Her father said,

Finally getting up from his seat, he stood in the middle of the hallway, slowly but deliberately standing between the doctors and the newly arrived. Baekhyun noticed the endearment in his voice and faltered under the sudden attention and recognition glimmering in everyone’s eyes. They all seemed to know him when he had no idea who anyone was.

“Jongdae, gear him up.” The handsome doctor in the front ordered, still observing him.

Everything happened so fast that Baekhyun followed every instruction without making a sound. He just let the nurse wrap him up in a similar blue gown, a hat, gloves, and cover his face with a face mask, then pulled a transparent face shield over his head.

“I’ll be right behind you.” The nurse said, letting him through the door.

Baekhyun stiffened, unsure of what to do. His first instinct brought him there, but once inside, all that confidence was long gone. He didn’t even know what he was supposed to find there, much less any clue as to what to do. He gave a hesitant step when the realization of the dreadfulness in front of him started to sink in.

The place looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Baekhyun saw several metal carts with all of their surgical instruments spread across the floor. The nurse behind him reached for the closest cart, tipping it straight, and started to get the contents back in place. Baekhyun kept going further into the room and stopped at the sight of a hospital bed covered in red. A few steps further in, and he found a trail on the floor that he couldn’t figure out if the reddish color of the substance spreading across the floor was blood or something else. An overwhelming sweetness filled the air, making him gag, and he cursed when he tried to cover his mouth, only to bump his hand into the face shield. The sudden movement made his entire head spin while panic rose in him, knowing that he could pinpoint that smell right away and associate it straight with Gyuri, but there was nothing he could do to stop it from reaching his nose. He could smell it, even through the layers of gear, and his stomach churned in disgust. It was Gyuri’s scent amplified to a thousand, and his entire body reacted against it. Baekhyun ignored it all—discomfort and nausea—and followed the trail of flower petals, blood, and stomach juices till another door, where he finally could hear the faint sound of her sobbing.

“Gyuri…” He said, his voice steadier than he expected, even behind the layers of gear. “It’s me, Baekhyun.”

He didn’t get an answer, but the wailing that he heard through the door made his throat twist in a knot. He could feel the pain in her voice, and the desperation in her cries was almost palpable. He stood by the door, stricken by shock, when a loud thud on the other side burst him out of his stupor. In that same surge of instinct and emotion, he slammed his shoulder against the door, which gave little to no resistance. 

He stumbled into a bathroom, but there was nothing that could have prepared him for what he found there. A sterile and open washroom. The white, cold floor was stained with bright red blood and flower petals that pooled slowly yet nonstop across the tiles.

The thick red trail that Baekhyun had followed from the bed meandered through the room to a corner behind the blurry screen of the shower, and he could see the small figure cowering in the corner. He called her name, taking a hesitant step closer, and the shade behind the screen squirmed.

“Go away," she begged. 

“I’m coming closer.” He said, giving another step.

“No!”

“Gyuri, it’s me.” He whispered, almost begging.

“No,” Gyuri cried. "Please don’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want you to see me like this.”

Baekhyun came closer. He was close enough to look around the blurry screen, and he found her there, shuddering against a corner. He just stood still, but nothing in him registered that it was Gyuri herself. It couldn’t be her. He refused to believe that the wounded body belonged to her.

It was trembling too much.

It was thin.

Too thin. 

Too fragile. 

It was not her.

It couldn’t be her.

It had been only a few days since he last saw her. She was fine. Looking a bit off, but fine. He remembered the fire in her eyes. Her strong voice and the resolution in her words. She was angry. She was furious at him. And she was alive. Gyuri was alive.

There was none of that fire left now. 

All that was left of her was the weakness in her whimpers and the pain in her voice as she cried. The flimsy hospital gown she wore barely managed to cover her body and the damage the curse inflicted. Spike-like things protruded from her back, splitting it open, as the blood trickled down her skin with every tremor. The tips of her delicate fingers and toes were bruised with the darkness of the disease that ran through her veins, slowly taking over her flesh.

Gyuri looked over her shoulder, and when she found him there, she recoiled even more into herself as a new spasm contracted her body into a painful fit. She wailed, desperately trying to cover her head with her arms. She was begging him to leave. The horrible, dark, and twisted mass growing in her back, whatever it was, started to twitch with every breath, making her scream. And still, even in her pain, she kept begging him to leave. She cried for him to save himself when she was breaking apart.

“Fuck this.” Baekhyun mumbled, pulling the face mask off.

If it bothered him, he didn’t show it as he moved again, possessed by something raw and unstoppable. He removed every piece of gear from his head and reached for her. He cursed the instant he touched her cold skin, and when he tried to pick her up, Gyuri fought back. She tried to push him away, but there was no strength left in her bleeding hands. She wriggled in his hold, and Baekhyun whispered to her everything that came to his mind to calm her down, but the more he tried, the more she twisted.

“Hey, it’s me.” He said, throwing all the caution aside to wrap his arms around her in a hug, “It’s alright, I’m here now.”

He hugged her tight as she cried harder and harder. All the while, he never stopped talking to her, and for the longest time, he thought it would never stop. After a while, Gyuri finally started to calm down. She had stopped fighting back. Her small hands held into his shirt in a tight fist, and her small and broken body wasn't trembling anymore.

For a moment, Baekhyun was scared to move, afraid that if he did, she might start fighting again. However, he felt her body relax, and her cries mellowed to the tiniest of sounds. It wasn’t until her fingers uncurled from her hold that he dared himself to loosen up and cradle her mangled figure with the utmost care. Yet again, he was not ready for how light and fragile she was, and a chill ran down his spine when her head lolled back and he could finally see her face.   

It wasn’t Gyuri. 

But it was Gyuri. 

She looked like her, but at the same time, she didn’t. Her eyes were so bloodshot they were almost black in their entirety, and the same bruised lines that had spread through her fingers were now stretching across her jaw. Her features were different; her cheekbones were higher and her lips were so chapped, they were bleeding, or maybe it was all the red juices dripping down her chin. He couldn’t tell anymore. All he could see was a small smile spreading across her face.  

“I love you, Baekhyun.”

Her confession came out softly. It was merely a whisper. Yet it was so definitive and final that it was loud enough for the curse to react. Her body twisted in his arms, and for a split second, Baekhyun thought something pulled her heart deeper, making her curl into a ball. He held her close to his body, struggling to let the fit pass without panic taking over. He felt so powerless while her entire face scrunched up in pain, and all he could do was watch. Thankfully, as soon as the spasm started, it ended.

“You silly genius,” he chuckled, because that was the only way he could find to stop himself from breaking apart. “I love you too.”

Gyuri went still. Her impossibly black eyes looked at him, and despite all that, he could still see the warmth glimmering in them and a whole mix of conflicting emotions going across her expression. She was confused and taken aback, as if she could not believe him. 

“I thought you knew that already," he said, smiling and pushing her hair off her face.

Baekhyun wished he could say more—that he meant it and was sorry, that he should have seen the signs and been more careful. There were so many things he wanted to say. So many things he wanted her to know, but no matter how much he tried, no words came out of him. Even less when she reached out to touch his face. Her fragile hand touched his cheek, only for him to realize he had been crying all along, and despite it all, she tried to dry up his tears. The gesture overwhelmed him. He brought her closer, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead before apologizing, but the coldness of her touch was gone. Her hand had dropped, and her eyes were now closed.

“No,” he said, patting her cheek to wake her up. “Gyuri, don’t do this. Don’t die on me. Not yet.”

Her eyes stayed closed.

“Gyuri, you can’t go.” He said, bringing her body closer to his, “Not when I’m here. Not when I love you.”

Gyuri didn’t move.

He tried to stir her awake, to make her open her eyes, but only the black swirling roots of the curse responded. He watched the darkness spreading across her skin, stoppable and brutal, and he found himself screaming his head off for help. He just screamed for someone to help. For someone to help her.

For someone to do what he couldn’t do.

To save Gyuri.

Angst Pure angst with this one. Short but painful. Sorry, not sorry but we're reaching the final stretch of this story. What are your bets on Gyuri and Baekhyun? I would like to hear your theories about what will happen so leave your comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts. And once again. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this painful story. Bye

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 11-2]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 6,074

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1 | Part 8-2 | Part 9 | Part 10-1 | Part 10-2 | Part 11-1

Warning! This is Part 2. If you haven't read Part 1, go back to catch up.

---> Read Part 1 Here <---

Junmyeon sent him to his room to clean himself and rest. Being alone with his thoughts was the last thing Kyungsoo wanted, but the instant he saw his reflection in the mirror, he knew why the doctor was so adamant. But not only the tiredness visible in his stance made him shiver, but the most haunting one was his blood-splattered clothes. He looked miserable and terrifying. Ignoring the exhaustion, the writer washed himself as instructed and went back to the office. 

A new white coat stood in the middle of the office, and Kyungsoo could recognize the guy anywhere. The moment the newcomer turned around, the dimpled smile that flashed across his face infected him somehow. The writer felt glad and relieved to finally see him, and he even found himself smiling for the first time in days. He almost ran to him and hugged him, unaware of how much he needed that simple hug.

“I didn’t know you missed me that much.” Yixing chuckled, hugging him back just as much.

“I’m just glad that you’re here now.” 

“Junmyeon put me up to speed,” Yixing said, guiding the writer to another small office that functioned as a meeting room. “You should’ve called us sooner, Kyungsoo.”

“I know.”

“Hopefully, we can get some answers,” Junmyeon said, coming into the meeting room with a stack of papers he dropped into Yixing’s hands. “Results are starting to come in.”

“I’ll get to it.” The new doctor said.

Giving Kyungsoo a quick smile, he walked away, leaving the writer with Junmyeon as he set up a camera and a microphone for the interview, and Jongdae prepared everything to take blood samples. The writer braced himself and sat down, ready to do exactly what he had avoided for years and answer every question, no matter how hard, how uncomfortable, or how much he swore to never talk about it. He now had the chance to help Gyuri, and if that meant opening up about the time he suffered the most, he, for all the things he felt for her, would. 

Two hours later, after several vials of blood and answering an unending list of questions, which Kyungsoo tried with all of his might to answer truthfully, he and Junmyeon came out of the office and found Minseok waiting. He didn’t say anything. He simply handed him a water bottle and a cookie, which made him chuckle. The writer found the cookie amusing, but as his friend walked next to him, Kyungsoo realized just how much that little gesture meant to him. They came back to the main office and found Yixing at his desk, buried in piles of documents.

“I've never seen an invasion this slow.” He said, letting out a sigh.

“Why is that?” Kyungsoo asked him, “Why is it taking so long?”

“Because it might not be one-sided love after all.”

The writer shuddered, someone behind him gasped in surprise, and someone else in the room asked if it was even possible, but other than that, everyone stared at the doctor in disbelief. The silence that followed after the initial shock was staggering, and no one dared to say anything.

“I have a theory,” Yixing said, his face shifting in a serious expression, “but I’ll be sure once I get the results.”

“You're saying Baekhyun is in love with her too?” Jongdae was the one who finally asked, “Not only that, but is he keeping it to himself as well?”

"It can't be,” Junmyeon wondered to himself. “There's no precedent for a case of that kind.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions yet.” Yixing said, chuckling nervously, “As I said, it’s still a working theory.”

“If they love each other like you're suggesting, why was she the one who contracted the disease?” Jongdae asked again, “Why isn't Baekhyun also sick?”

"How do you know he isn't?" Yixing asked back, his nervousness shifting into a smirk.

“I was suggesting the possibility, hyung.” The nurse whined, not entirely amused that the doctor would play along with his questions, “Why isn’t he showing symptoms? It's beyond me.”

“I have a question,” Minseok added out of nowhere, and everyone looked at him. “If you suspect her case isn’t entirely one-sided love, what about the suicides? Did anyone investigate the loved ones who killed themselves? Has anyone run any proper hanahaki tests on the suicide victims?”

Once again, the silence in the room was deafening while Yixing and Junmyeon looked at each other as if they had lost an unknown battle. Kyungsoo observed the different reactions and wondered why the doctors suddenly looked so gloomy.

“Why would we?” Jongdae added under his breath, sitting in front of his computer, and started typing almost furiously.

“I don’t get it.” Kyungsoo asked, confused, “Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because South Korea had the highest rate of suicides even before the outbreak,” Junmyeon muttered. “Of course, no one tested anything when flower corpses started to pile up in the streets.”

“I’m checking the research archives to see if there’s a match.” The nurses piped in, going full into his research assistant mode.

“Yixing and I will go to the viral facilities to see if there are any recent cases...” 

A loud alarm buzzed in the office, making Kyungsoo and Minseok flinch. The doctors ran towards the door, and even Jongdae left whatever he was doing and almost jumped over his desk to follow them to the only place that would require all of them so urgently at the same time.

Gyuri.

That was Kyungsoo’s only thought. 

Gyuri.

Something was wrong with Gyuri.

Gyuri.

He followed the others, and soon after, he could hear her screams.

He could hear Gyuri screaming.

She was screaming in pain, and he found himself sprinting towards the room when someone stopped him. The female nurse in charge of bathing Gyuri was already dragging her mother out to let the doctors go in and do their job. He got the smallest of glimpses of her before the door closed in his face. The glimpse of her violently twisting in the bed that she dropped to the floor.

Then nothing.

Just an empty hallway and the sound of her pain. Next to him, her mother held onto him, sobbing uncontrollably. He could hear his friends inside the room throwing codes and orders around, calling medical terms that meant nothing to him, but above every other sound were her cries for help. And those screams went on for so long that it felt like an eternity, and he lost track of time.

“She’s fine for now.” Junmyeon informed Gyuri’s mother when he finally came out, but there was no hint of relief in his expression. “However, the stem keeps growing and piercing through her skin, so this won’t be the last time she’ll go into shock because of the pain.”

The doctor explained more things that flew right above the writer’s head, and he just stared at the door as the memory of her desperate screams kept piercing through his mind. Gyuri’s mother went into the room as soon as Yixing and Jongdae came out.

“We need the chemist.” Dr. Junmyeon said.

“Jongin? Why do you need Jongin?” Kyungsoo asked, the name snapping him out of the horrid memory while still replying in his head.

“Agreed, but I thought Kai had been off the grid for months now.” Yixing added, “We don’t have the time.”

“If the disease is advancing as slowly as you suspect,” Junmyeon said, getting significantly annoyed, “and if we don’t get a chemist like him asap, we might as well be torturing her.”

“Alright, I’ll find him,” Minseok said, his phone once again already against his ear. “Chanyeol, I need you to find someone and bring him in as soon as possible."

Kyungsoo watched his editor leave the hallway, giving his assistant more instructions on how to find Jongin, and that in itself was alarming. Then he watched the doctors get immersed in a conversation he did not understand. All he had left to do was stay rooted in his place, afraid that if he moved an inch, the sound of her screaming might return and burst everything around him into absolute chaos. 

He fought the horrible thoughts away, recalling all the times he had seen her somehow healthy. Those good days where her face seemed to shine, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkled full of life, and in those quick moments, he could swear he saw mischievousness in her expression. The writer held on to those memories until he heard his name. Someone asked him something, and he flinched at the sudden contact. Taken aback and shocked to find himself in the now-dark hallway, Kyungsoo looked around to find Gyuri’s father next to him. He had his heavy hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him as if he were afraid to even touch him.

“Hey kid, Are you alright?” The man asked.

The question snapped him out of his reverie, and even though he was still confused by the sudden darkness around him, he nodded. He apologized and informed Gyuri’s father that his wife hadn’t left the room since the episode. That alone brought everything back, like an avalanche. Even though there were no more screams coming out of the room, he would never forget the sound of them.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Her father asked again, “You look a little sick.”

Kyungsoo pushed the uneasy wave of anxiety down his chest and apologized again. He assured Gyuri’s father that he was fine, but the man seemed to be more perceptive than he first thought, and his furrowed eyes narrowed harder on him. 

Feeling unnecessarily exposed, Kyungsoo excused himself and walked away, checking the hour and realizing the sun had set already. He went into the office to see his friends, but the stiff silence he found there made him hesitate. Junmyeon, Yixing, and Jongdae were there, each of them working at their respective desks and so focused in their tasks that neither of them noticed the writer coming in. 

The tune of the main entrance’s lock played around, announcing someone was arriving, and that made Junmyeon finally look up. Still in silence, he simply stared at the writer as if considering him, and Kyungsoo felt the need to ask if there was something wrong. Two voices coming through stopped him: one the writer recognized belonged to Minseok, and the other he wasn’t so sure who it belonged to. Suddenly, the owners of said voices came in, and the stiff atmosphere in the office lit up almost immediately.

“We found Jongin,” Minseok announced, “and this kid was waiting outside.”

But the newcomer looked nothing like a kid. A young man, tall and handsome in a near impossible manner, stood in the middle of the office and greeted everyone. However, if Minseok insinuated he was young, the guy did not behave like the youngest person in the room. The attitude and confidence he exuded belonged to someone who knew the way people perceived him.

“Sehun?” Junmyeon asked, looking at the young man with confusion, “What are you doing here?”

“Dr. Zhang asked for some additional tests and told me to bring him the results myself.” The young man explained, pulling a folder out of his bag.

Yixing got off his seat and practically ripped the folder out of the guy’s hands. They all watched him read through the results as Junmyeon, seemingly confused, kept asking to be put up to speed with what was going on. The young man ignored the questions and took a seat next to Minseok before introducing himself to Kyungsoo as Oh Sehun, Junmyeon´s new resident and assistant, and then Yixing cursed under his breath in Mandarin, which alerted everyone in the room.

“What is it?” Junmyeon asked, getting impatient.

“I sent some samples of the crusts to test.” Dr. Zhang said to himself, going back to his desk, “And I’m afraid my theory is correct.”

He clicked and typed stuff on his computer and was about to start explaining himself when his attention fell on Kyungsoo, and he stopped. Whatever he was planning to say wasn’t something he could say in his presence. Then he looked over at Junmyeon, and he was also looking at the writer with a certain glint of determination in his eyes.

“In theory, we shouldn’t discuss the case with you,” Junmyeon said to the writer. “However, since you agreed to be part of the research, I think we can find some leeway to share our findings.”

“In that case, I’m afraid my suspicion was right.” Yixing started, turning the projector on. “There was one special case: The Crying Blossom Lovers.”

Walking to the center of the office, where a rolled screen was set, and pulling it down so the image could be clear, Yixing prepared himself to explain. Everyone in the room paid attention to the slide projected on the screen and read the description of the picture of a colorful and lush willow tree.

“Cherry blossoms on willow trees?” Nurse Jongdae read out loud, “That’s not a thing. Cherry trees and willow trees are two different species of trees altogether.”

“Hear me out.” Yixing agreed, taking a moment to gather all of his thoughts, but the sudden excitement could be seen taking over his entire posture. “Two years into the outbreak in Japan, a woman and a man fell secretly in love with each other, but due to their families' different backgrounds and social standings, they could never be together. Long story short, she was the first to die, and he died days later. What’s interesting is that their bodies didn't turn into the common flower corpses we all know.”

With all that said, Yixing changed to the next slide, which showed two pictures of seemingly similar trees. They all observed the pictures in silence and disbelief. Kyungsoo saw Junmyeon stand in his place, completely frozen in shock. Minseok next to him squirmed, and after a minute, Jongdae let out a tiny curse. The writer himself stiffened once he noticed the details in the pictures. At first, to the untrained eye, both trees looked like completely normal trees with sturdy trunks, with their braches hanging low due to the weight of countless and beautiful flowers. And then, there were faces. He saw, in each trunk, as if someone had carved the shapes of sad faces. One was more masculine with sharper features than the other, but both of them appeared equally miserable. They had their eyes closed, and the natural lines and texture of the bark in the trunk made it look like they were shedding silent tears, making them look even more tragic.

“They turned into the cherry willow trees.” Yixing said in a whisper, admiring the pictures with a pinch of fascination, “They are the only ones of their kind. No one paid attention to the trees because they were thought to be simple wisteria trees widely known across Japan. Until one spring, they saw the sakura blossoms. To say that local botanists were shocked is an understatement.”

The silence and the shock remained in the room as the doctor changed the slide to a different picture. It was a closer look at one of the faces. The features were softer and more delicate; her lips were slightly parted, and Kyungsoo thought he could even see her eyebrows furrowed in pain.

“She was the willow tree.” Yixing explained, chaging to the next slide with a picture of the other face, “He was the cherry blossom.”

“What is it, then?” Junmyeon finally mumbled, admiring the picture, “Unconfessed love?”

“That’s my working theory.” Dr. Zhang replied.

“Why does nobody know about this?” Kyungsoo asked, his eyes growing darker and darker.

“Her family happens to be one of the most powerful in Japan, conglomerate giants.” Yixing said it with a sad shrug.

“I’m assuming he wasn’t that well off.” Someone added it with a grim tone.

“They spent a great deal of money to make everything disappear.” Yixing kept on explaining, “Even chopped both trees down and exhumed the bodies. No one knows where they are now.”

“How did you get your hands on all of this, then?” Jongdae asked.

"Oh, you don’t want to know.” The doctor replied with a playful wink and changed to the next slide. “Anyway, I managed to get some lab results from that case. That’s why I ordered some extra tests from Gyuri’s crusts, and this is how they look next to each other.”

“They’re the same.” Junmyeon wondered out loud.

Kyungsoo had been listening with all of his attention and stared at the new image on the screen but could not understand a single thing. All he saw were points and lines, codes, and words that once again meant nothing to him. 

“So you’re saying Gyuri will turn into a one-of-a-kind tree, and Baekhyun will follow sometime later?" The nurse asked in disbelief. 

“It's a long shot, but these lab results are too much of a coincidence,” Yixing said, leaning back on his desk, as if the idea were too heavy. “Or she might just be one of those one in a billion cases that don't follow the prognosis as we know.”

“Or she could be something entirely different,” Junmyeon said, and the determination in his voice gave Kyungsoo a chill.

The writer looked at the picture again and felt the queasiness in his stomach. Something heavy moved inside of him at the sight of that heartbroken, carved-like face in the tree. It was just a matter of time before that face would be the one he was so desperate to save. Gyuri would turn into a tree, and her misery would be so engraved in its core that it would come to the surface and be preserved there for years. And it was all because of her unconfessed love. He felt his heart sink. His entire body might as well have started crumbling when the thought came to him. He suddenly felt like the biggest idiot. The answer had been in front of him the whole time.

“Kyungsoo?” Junmyeon asked, and the writer was holding his head in his hands, struggling to keep himself straight. “Are you alright?

“I’m an idiot.” He said, recalling every single moment he had shared with Gyuri, "You said unconfessed love, right?”

The doctor agreed, and the tension increased in the room as everyone looked at the writer with expectation. In another situation, Kyungsoo would have struggled to speak his mind, but everything in him reeled in the wake of a new discovery.

“He never had the need,” Kyungsoo added, hardly looking at anyone in particular. “He doesn’t have to confess his affection for her because he has shown it ever since they met. The answer was right in front of me all this time.” He said, finally feeling himself crumble under the weight of that thought, “She kept telling me, over and over again, how much he cared for her.”

“Kyungsoo, we need to test him as soon as possible.” Junmyeon said with an urgency that brought him out of it.

“I know,” the writer said. “I’ll bring him in.”

He meant it. He would bring the guy to be tested, but nothing in him followed. He stayed in his seat, letting it all sink. A part of him was aware of the urgency of rushing out of the villa to get the guy, but he could not find the strength to move. He stayed there, refusing to believe that he might’ve had the answer all along.

“What an idiot..." Jongdae mumbled under his breath.

The small babble brought everyone’s attention to him. Kyungsoo was too distraught to even feel offended by it, but they all waited for the nurse to elaborate. However, Jongdae barely registered that everyone was expecting an explanation.

"Oh, don’t mind me.” He said, flustered to notice the silence in the room, “I just had a silly idea.”

Yixing leaned back on his desk again, and Junmyeon returned to his spot at the front of the room, observing the nurse with his utmost attention. Jongdae shrank behind his tiny desk.

“It’s really stupid.” He mumbled.

“If we will work with Dr. Zhang’s new idea, we might as well hear it.” Junmyeon conceded, crossing his arms over his chest in expectation. 

“Who knows,” Yixing added, getting more comfortable propping himself over the desk, “maybe it’s worth looking into it.”

Jongdae let out a sigh.

“It feels like it was so long ago,” he started, looking at no one in particular, “but do you remember those studies from the Royal Horticultural Society about plant behavior way before the outbreak?”

As if something seemed to click on the doctors brains, Junmyeon and Yixing looked at each other. Even the young assistant Oh, seated next to them, made a sound of recognition, and Kyungsoo just stared at them, lost.

“It was proven that a plant changes depending on its environment,” Jongdae explained exclusively to Kyungsoo when he realized the doctors got his point. “They tested it on two tomato plants; one grew better and faster when it was complimented...”

“The other died faster when it got bullied,” Junmyeon mumbled to himself.

“I was thinking that maybe,” Jongdae kept on, “the disease behaves the same way, but on a bigger scale...”

As if that turned on a switch on the doctors, Yixing and Junmyeon set on in motion, hurrying to their desk with that glint of determination in their faces that even Kyungsoo knew something big had shifted and changed.

“What are you doing?” The nurse sprung from his seat, panicking, “No, stop, it is a silly idea.”

“You’re a genius!” Yixing said, getting his stuff ready.

“No, I’m not.” Jongdae whined, sulking in the middle of the room as he watched his superiors get busy at their desks. “It can’t be, hyung!”

“Why not?” Kyungsoo was the one to ask.

“It makes sense,” Junmyeon said, running to the printer as it started spitting prints. “Maybe the disease isn’t as complex as we believe it is.”

“It explains why people die when they get rejected," Yixing added.

“Hyung, that’s a very simplistic way to see it." The nurse interjected, stomping his feet in a tiny fit, “It doesn’t answer how it is contracted.” 

“No, but it can buy us some time to keep them alive to find more answers.” Dr. Kim said, smiling at the nurse and making a sign for assistant Oh to join him, and both of them rushed out of the room.

“Brilliant, Jongdae,” Dr. Zhang pitched in, also leaving in a rush, “Absolutely brilliant!”

The office was silent once again, and letting out a whine, Nurse Kim turned to Kyungsoo and Minseok with a pout on his face.

“I swear I was just being dumb.” He said it as if apologizing. 

Once the nurse returned to his work and Minseok immersed himself on his tablet, dealing with the management of his business, Kyungsoo tried to remain still, although it was quite impossible when the heaviness in his chest kept growing and growing. He left the office, fighting off the anxiety, because now he had a mission. Junmyeon gave him a task, and it pushed him through despite the heaviness when the familiar voice of his friend and editor made him pause.

“Are you alright?” Minseok asked with a level of precaution in his voice.

It was a tone he hadn't heard from the editor since the old days of his curse. Kim Minseok was genuinely worried and unsure of the heaviness piling on his chest; Kyungsoo had no answer for him. He wasn’t sure if he was making it up, if it was really there, or if it was only his own anxiety taking a toll on him.

“Be blunt and honest, like you've always been.” The editor asked, “Are you in danger?”

“I don't know.”

Minseok nodded, most likely to hide the shudder or to stop himself from showing any distress in his body, but Kyungsoo saw it. He noticed the fright in his eyes, only because he had seen it before. 

“Be careful,” Minseok finally said. “You might've survived the first time, but I don't think you can dodge the same bullet twice.”

Aware of those words and yet still in a complete daze that steered his body, Kyungsoo drove all the way back to Gyuri’s house in Seoul. It was a long shot, but he had no clue where else to start. He could’ve asked Minseok to get the address. He didn’t know how, but he knew the editor had contacts and strings spread all over the city, and finding an address was an easy task. But he wanted something to do. He wanted something to pour all of his energy into other than just stand helplessly in that room with her. Almost mindlessly, he drove to the house, and just as he expected, the red car was parked there.

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if that in itself was a good thing or not. It shouldn’t have been that easy. He wished it would’ve been an arduous quest to find the guy. That way, it would’ve been easier to blame him for everything, but finding him there, waiting for her, just made it all harder. The guy got out of his car as soon as he parked right behind him, and Kyungsoo observed him for a moment. He desperately wanted to find something wrong with him, but Gyuri had always been right about him. He did care for her. At least he cared enough to approach his car with almost threatening intent. Baekhyun hesitated when the writer got out of his car and instinctively looked over the other door, expecting to see Gyuri get out as well, but when it was evident that he was alone, his expression changed.

“Where is she?” Baekhyun walked to the writer as menacingly as he could.

Kyungsoo remained silent, watching the guy get closer and closer, demanding to know where Gyuri was. It wouldn’t matter if he tried to explain. Baekhyun was far beyond any civilized conversation. He recognized the same frustration in his eyes that he felt in his chest. He knew the desperation to do something, so he let the guy vent until he threw an arm at him. He was fast enough to dodge it, grab Baekhyun by the arm, and pull him forward to make him stumble and have an opening to go behind him. It was easy to get the guy in a chokehold. Especially when his legs gave up on him and Kyungsoo had him against his chest and his arms tightening around his neck. Baekhyun tapped the arm directly constricting under his chin several times, and Kyungsoo let him go. Baekhyun dropped to the ground, gasping for air and stumbling, and got back to his feet.

“Yah! What’s wrong with you?" He said, coughing, “You almost killed me!”

Ignoring the overly dramatic reaction, and in an effort to avoid the noisy neighbors that started peeking through their windows, the writer walked to him. Baekhyun backed away, cursing at him if he tried to pull that trick again, but shut up the moment he was close enough to grab him once more. Baekhyun let out a yelp when Kyungsoo put his hand on him and then grabbed the back of his neck.

“Yah, yah, yah!” Baekhyun yelled as Kyungsoo dragged him around the car. “Let me go!”

“Get in the car.” Was everything the writer said and practically dropped him by the door. “Now.”

Without saying more, Kyungsoo got in on his side of the car and was mildly grateful that the guy didn’t oppose more resistance and got himself in the car, albeit cursing very passionately under his breath.

“So I was right after all,” Baekhyun said, rubbing his neck when the writer drove out of the neighborhood. “You’re an abusive asshole.” 

Kyungsoo ignored him.

“Where is Gyuri?” The guy kept talking. “Is she alright? Did you hurt her? Come on, stop being such an ass and answer me.”

Kyungsoo kept ignoring him. He tuned him out of his mind and kept driving with a purpose, and one purpose only.

“Woah!” Baekhyun said, loudly and dramatically, "And I thought she was quiet, but you, you take the cake on infuriating quiet people.”

“Is that why she likes you?” He asked. “Nah, she wouldn’t fall for a boring accountant. And even less for a shy one at that.”

“Now stop being all brooding and cool and tell me where she is. Did you kidnap her?” Baekhyun asked again but looked at him, his eyes widening in alarm. “Wait, are you kidnapping me?”

The writer ignored him, and taking the hint that he wasn’t the chatting type, Baekhyun started humming a song—the catchiest hit pop song he could remember. As he expected, Kyungsoo looked at him in disbelief, but as soon as he did, Baekhyun sang louder, enunciating every word of the silly lyrics to perfection as if out of spite, and Kyungsoo let him.

There was no point in arguing with the guy, no matter how annoying he was. He had to admit he had a great singing voice, and it was no wonder Gyuri found so much comfort in it. Even he found himself feeling soothed by his voice, especially when he seemingly changed genre and emotion. Baekhyun wasn’t singing to irritate him anymore; he was singing to himself. Kyungsoo looked to the passenger seat and found the guy looking out of his window, staring at the scenery with a frown on his expression as he let the melodies coming out of him flow through his chest with ease. 

Some time later, as Kyungsoo drove nonstop, the sudden silence distracted him, and when he looked to his side, he found Baekhyun fast asleep. The seatbelt kept his head from hitting the window, and the tiredness was more than evident as he noticed the dark shadows under his eyes. As much as he wanted, Kyungsoo couldn’t find the guy remotely threatening.

He reached to turn the volume down so the music wouldn’t disturb the guy’s sleep but caught himself before doing it. He chided himself for caring for a split second and turned his attention back to the road ahead of him and the imminent chaos that would erupt.

A couple of hours later, he pulled into the gravel road that led to the villa, making Baekhyun jolt himself awake. The guy blinked several times, taking in his bearings, but the moment he looked at the writer, everything seemed to click in his mind.

“Where are we?” He asked, fidgeting in his seat, “You really kidnapped me, didn’t you?”

“We’re almost there.”

“How reassuring.” Baekhyun mumbled.

Leaving the subject to rest, he watched the forest slowly pass by his window, and the writer drove in a heavy silence that was practically unbearable.

“What is this place?” Baekhyun asked, recognizing Gyuri’s car in the parking lot. “There’s no way you’re an accountant. Either that or you work for very bad people.”

Kyungsoo wanted to laugh. He found Baekhyun’s quibs amusing, and for a split second, he felt the chuckle raising up his chest, but he would never give him the satisfaction. He couldn't let himself feel even a sliver of sympathy for the guy. As he stood in that moment, for the sake of his own heart, he couldn't afford to soften to him. It was hard enough as it was to let this guy, who was slowly killing Gyuri, win him over so easily.

“Has anyone ever told you you look like a penguin?” Baekhyun added, with a curious pout.

Luckily for the writer, they had arrived, and he had no need to stay in the car any longer and entertain the endless tirade of quick jokes and nonsensical questions. He got out of the car and made a beeline to the main entrance, suddenly feeling that same pressure weighing on his chest.

“Yah, penguin poop!” Baekhyun yelled.

Kyungsoo froze, not realizing that the guy was right behind him, asking questions. He hadn’t heard him. His entire attention was solely focused on what was behind the walls of that place, and Baekhyun must’ve sensed the gravity of the situation. The easy-going air around him was gone, and Kyungsoo couldn’t ignore him anymore.

“Gyuri is here.” He said.

It was a harmless statement. Just as it was, it could mean a number of things, but both guys felt the graveness of what it really meant. The shock that flashed across Baekhyun’s face was enough for the writer to know that he knew more than what he led on. He hesitated, his mouth opening and closing, wanting to say something, but Kyungsoo knew the feeling too well. If he asked, if he let those words out, it would only make it real.

“Don’t make her wait.” He said, sparing him from the burden of asking.

The writer started walking again, going into the villa, and when he looked over his shoulder, he found Baekhyun following close by, looking at nowhere in particular. His entire presence felt shifted off and frightened. If he had any annoying quibs left in him, the atmosphere of the place certainly squashed all of them.

They crossed the foyer as Baekhyun followed the writer in an awkward silence, but Kyungsoo couldn’t blame him. Something was wrong. Something must’ve gone wrong at the time he was out because the air not only felt heavier but the shadows were darker. The silence was quieter than ever, and for a second, he feared the worst. Something went terribly wrong while he was gone.

“Why are you doing all this?” Baekhyun asked as if he could sense the change in him, “I thought you hated me.”

Kyungsoo stopped dead in his tracks. The genuine worry in his voice, the eerie air around them, and the gut feeling in him made it impossible for him to continue. Suddenly, the pressure on his chest felt heavier with every breath, and the question loomed over him with a weight he never imagined could be that real. The worst part, the longer he thought about it, was that he had no immediate answer to it.

“That way,” he said, pushing the words out, pointing to the end of the hallway that led to Gyuri’s room. “She’s waiting.”

Whatever attention Baekhyun had on him, the guy forgot about it all and sprinted off, running to her. Kyungsoo was left alone in the darkened hallway, and the ground beneath him started to shift. The walls moved, slowly closing down on him, but all he could hear was that damned question.

Why are you doing all this?

His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and everything around him darkened even more.

Why was he doing all this?

He asked himself, and he knew the answer to that. He had a million reasons why at the tip of his tongue. He felt the thump getting so violent he could even hear it, and way in the back of his mind, a known voice was letting out a curse. Someone was running, his soft footsteps getting closer as everything around him kept closing in on him.

“Because I know what it's like.” He said under his breath, “To suffer alone and without any hope.”

“I know you do,” Minseok said next to him, pulling him up. “Hang in there.”

The editor’s voice brought him back to his senses, and he found himself on the floor, cowering against the wall as he clutched a hand over his chest, afraid that the roots might suddenly sprout out of him. He gasped for air, trying with all of his power to let the words out, but he couldn’t find a way. The words just kept on piling up in his mind, so loud and so heavy with meaning that all of them, as a whole, made his head spin.

Because I like her more than I dislike you. 

Because I know that she needs you more than she needs me.

Because I care enough to stop her from making the same mistakes I did.

Because I can’t let her be gone, filled with regrets.

“I won’t let her.” Kyungsoo gasped out loud, while everything around him started to go dark. “I can’t let her do that.”

Because I love her.

I love her.

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 8-2]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 6,585 Status: Trigger Warning

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

I added the trigger warning just in case. It was the first thing I wrote about this chapter and I just love what that interaction means for the characters in the story, but I also understand some might find it disturbing to read. That being said, be aware that this is a heavy chapter

Spinning.

Spinning out of control.

She was spinning, and tumbling around, slipping out of a horrible desert and back into semi-consciousness. She couldn't stop the tumbling and the throbbing for dear life until she opened her eyes and felt her mouth full of sand. But Gyuri wasn't in a desert, and her tongue wasn't covered in sand. She was just lying in bed in a blindingly white room, with a pounding headache, a disgusting thirst, and what she guessed, for the first time in her life, a nasty hangover. She tried to blink off the tumbling sensation but gave up when she sat up and felt her queasy stomach. 

Gyuri noticed that she was wearing different clothes than the ones she had the day before and panicked. She couldn't remember changing and looked around for answers when she noticed the curled-up body tucked in blankets next to her. She felt all the warmth in her leaving her body in absolute terror of what she couldn't remember. Tugging the blanket, she discovered a mop of tangled hair and then Anna's impassive face under the hairy mess, snoring ever so softly. Gyuri deflated back on the bed in absolute relief but instantly regretted it when her world spun around her.

"Drink all that water and get some food, for goodness sake," Anna mumbled with a groan without moving an inch from her position.

Gyuri felt too unsettled to feel mortified and without arguing, she dragged herself out of bed to find at least half a dozen water bottles on the nightstand beside the bed. Some more were empty and scattered on the floor, and wondered how she managed to drink all that water. She had no recollection of doing it whatsoever.

Grabbing a couple of bottles, Gyuri left the room, squinting at the bright morning light seeping through the windows, and went to the kitchen. She wasn't thinking. She was too hungover to think about anything but felt her stomach drop when she found Kyungsoo washing dishes and food sizzling on the stove.

He must have felt her presence in the room because he looked over his shoulder and muttered a quick greeting before resuming his dishwashing. Grateful that Kyungsoo wasn't observing her, Gyuri walked over to the kitchen island and settled on one of the stools. She was opening one of the water bottles when she noticed that the writer finished the dishes and was now observing her quite intently.

“Why do I still remember stuff?” Gyuri asked before gulping half the water down in one go.

“You didn’t drink nearly enough to blackout,” Kyungsoo explained, and he busied himself back on the stove.

"I don’t know which one is worse.” She added, feeling her head pounding. “Did I say anything embarrassing?”

“You told me your biggest secret.” He said, placing a bowl of soup in front of her.

It took Gyuri a couple of seconds and quite some thinking to recall what secret he was referring to but when it finally clicked on her, she froze in her seat and felt her mind suddenly becoming clear. Her eyes opened wide, scared of what it could mean because she remembered many things, but clearly not as much as she wanted.

“Did we…sleep together?” She mumbled.

“No.”

A wave of relief came over Gyuri, and she swore to never get drunk again. However, that didn't erase the mortifying notion that she blurted out such things in his presence, and struggling to meet his gaze she dug into the soup. She welcomed the feeling of her stomach calming down, but Kyungsoo stayed still in front of her, fiddling with his fingernails as if deep in thought.

“I didn’t write it down," he said after a while, "but I made sure it happened before it was too late.”

“I guess I’m not that weird after all,” Gyuri replied after stuffing her mouth with food.

Kyungsoo shook his head, making a funny face, and was about to say something when Anna came into the kitchen and embraced Gyuri in a big tight hug. Surprised and taken aback by such a display of affection, Gyuri stayed still, looking at Kyungsoo for any explanation or cue of what to do next, but he simply observed the scene with a smile on his face.

"You look rough," Anna said, tightening her arms around her, "which means it was a good drinking night."

Everything happened so quickly that it was hard for Gyuri to follow, but the moment Kyungsoo placed a bowl of soup next to her, Anna let her go, and for a split second, she could swear they exchanged a meaningful stare. They didn't say anything, but the grave looks in both of them made her wonder if something happened. Their silent exchange ended when Minseok joined them with his hair all in disarray and still wearing his pajamas. Anna sat down and dug into the bowl with passion while Kyungsoo placed a third bowl for his friend. As soon as they were all set and eating, the writer brought a pan, still sizzling with marinated beef, and placed it in the middle. To her absolute surprise, Kyungsoo had a slice of meat on his chopsticks and was ready to feed her. Gyuri almost choked on whatever she was eating but leaned forward, opening her mouth nonetheless, and felt herself blush. The meat was delightful, but it was the gesture itself that had her smiling. The giddiness didn’t last for long. She couldn’t even bask in the feeling when she watched Kyungsoo doing the same to Minseok.

"What about me?" Anna asked when she opened her mouth, but Kyungsoo only nudged the pan closer to her.

"You have your own hands," Kyungsoo said with a deadpan expression that made Minseok chuckle.

Gyuri practically deflated in her seat. She nagged herself and wanted to slap her face at the ridiculousness of hoping that Kyungsoo would ever do something as intimate as feeding her when they were not even that close. Kyungsoo invested all of his attention into whatever he cooked and was more than happy to share it with the people around him, no matter who they were. She really wasn’t that special and hated herself for thinking she was.

“Is there anything wrong?” Anna asked, noticing her sudden silence.

Shaking her head, Gyuri resumed her breakfast, gulping down not only her food but her feelings as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only embarrassing moment she had to endure during breakfast because her hosts invested themselves in getting her up today with all the silly things she said and did the night before. 

It wasn't all bad. Gyuri found herself chuckling at the stories of her silly drunken antics. For a moment, she thought about Baekhyun. She wondered what would have happened if he happened to be around. She pictured herself telling him the stories of her first drinking night, and she knew he would pester her for not inviting him. She lost herself in the fantasy of what could be but was brought back to reality by the editor asking her something.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Minseok asked again, and Gyuri simply stared at him as if caught up like a deer in headlights.

"She's probably too hungover to want to go on a hike, honey," Anna said, winking at her.

"She can sweat it out up there." The editor added. 

The idea alone made her shudder, and they all quieted down by her reaction. Gyuri wanted to apologize, but the sudden attention and, she wasn't so sure if she was correct about it, the look of endearment on their faces stopped her. They were all looking at her.

"I'm not feeling that well," Gyuri ventured to say.

Minseok was ready to say something about that argument, but Anna was faster and dragged him back to their room as they bickered back and forth about whether to go out hungover or not and left Gyuri and Kyungsoo all by themselves in awkward silence.

"I guess I will have a shower," Gyuri said when Kyungsoo cleared off her empty dishes.

With her stomach full and not as queasy as before, Gyuri excused herself from the kitchen and hid in her room for as long as she could. She took a long shower, hoping for the hot water to wash the hangover away, and then devoted herself to the tediousness of applying cream all over her body. She was done after a while and tried to just hang out around the room, enjoying the toiletries available but was also aware of how awful it would look to her hosts if she stayed locked up in her room. 

Checking her reflection in the mirror, Gyuri encouraged herself before going to the living room to find the person she was trying to avoid silently sitting on the couch. She took her time and felt her cheeks suddenly flaring as she recalled the embarrassing things she said. Gyuri had to push those thoughts aside and greet the writer, but he didn't move. She cleared her throat, hoping it was loud enough for him to hear, but once again, he remained unfazed. Walking around the couch, Gyuri realized Kyungsoo had his headphones on and was watching what looked like a movie on his tablet. However, the moment she came into his peripherals, he noticed her presence, and a smile spread across his face.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, removing his headphones.

"Fine."

"How's the hangover?" He kept on as he got up from his spot, but Gyuri was ready to leave the cabin.

Gyuri thought she was feeling good enough to handle the embarrassment of her drunken mishaps, but once she had his attention on her, she could feel her head pounding louder and her face burning hotter. She schemed her escape. She could hide in the garden for a good while. A part of her wanted to believe that he wouldn't mind.

"The shower helped," Gyuri replied, already heading to the door to get out of the place, but his voice stopped her.

Kyungsoo called her and walked around the coffee table toward her. She froze on the spot, not knowing why she felt more out of place at that exact moment than ever. All she could do was blame it on the annoying headache, the disgusting rotten taste that never ceased to come up her throat, and the clamminess and stinky texture of her skin. Maybe she was too hungover to think straight and misinterpreted the caring and almost loving expression on his face. She must have because it wouldn't make any sense for him to be so kind, handing her a bottle of a hangover remedy. She thanked him for it, and feeling as if her entire body might light up on fire, she excused herself and left the cabin.

The bright sunlight hit her face, and Gyuri let out a sigh. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath and filling her lungs with fresh air, made a beeline for the garden. She found the place just as peaceful as she recalled the previous day and settled on the chair under the tree. Instinctively, she pulled her phone out of her pocket to check for new messages. There was none. Cursing under her breath, she stared at the name on the screen, debating whether or not she wanted to call him. The most hurt and selfish part of her heart kept reminding her that he was at fault. Rustling noises made her snap back to the present, and Kyungsoo came into the garden carrying a small portable table.

"You bolted out before I could give you any of this," he said, just as softly as ever, as he set the table next to her. "But I promise you'll feel significantly better."

Gyuri noticed the glass of water, the hangover pills, and a strawberry parfait perfectly placed on the small table and she just stared at the items at a loss for words. An overwhelming swelling burst on her chest in a way she couldn't control, and tears broke out from her eyes. Gyuri cursed, rubbing the tears off her face, but Kyungsoo was already opening a packet of tissues for her and placing them next to the glass of water.

"I'll leave you alone now." He said, hesitantly looking at her as if he wanted to do something else, "call me if you need anything else."

Kyungsoo walked away, and Gyuri tried to say his name, but her throat tightened up in an unknown burst of emotion. She watched him disappear as more tears fell, and grabbing the tissues, she cursed at herself as she tried to reject the image of Baekhyun smiling at her out of her mind. 

Gyuri observed the things on the table, and she felt her mouth watering as she imagined the sweetness of the strawberry ice cream on her tongue and the sugar easing up the growing curse on her chest. She desperately wanted Baekhyun to be by her side. She wanted him to bring those things and take care of her. However, as fast as those tears fell from her eyes, a darker and more twisted thought took over her. She wouldn’t be in a such predicament if Baekhyun cared about her in the first place. If he loved her, she wouldn’t have to fight the primal urge to gulp down that strawberry ice cream to relieve the ache at the core of her heart. She wouldn’t be crying by herself in a stranger’s house that took pity on her, wondering how it would feel to have the man she loved so damn much wrap his arms around her to comfort her.

There were ways to relieve the pain. That much she had learned from Kyungsoo. She reminded herself of that truth. She had tools on her own, she told herself. Gyuri slowly regained control over her emotions, swallowed the hangover pills, and reached for the strawberry parfait. It was homemade. Kyungsoo must have made it himself, and whatever was on her making her lose her wits so easily backed away. She might not have Baekhyun by her side, but there was someone who at least cared enough to make her a cup of natural strawberry ice cream. Sitting back comfortably on the chair, Gyuri dug into the cup. She felt her body relax almost instantly as the sweetness soothed the desperation that took over her so suddenly, and finished the whole thing in no time. 

Gyuri lost track of time, seated in the peaceful garden, thinking about nothing and a million things at the same time. The sun started to fall. The day was ending, and countless birds were settling on the nearest trees on the other side of the fence. She basked in the moment as the beautiful harmony of countless chirps and songs filled the air around her. Then, she heard the voices of her hosts at the front of the cabin and knew that the time on her own also came to an end.

***

“Are you ready to have some delicious meat?” Anna greeted her with a wide smile.  

Gyuri was still at the threshold when Anna reached for her hand to pull her along. She looked at the woman, excitedly going over all the food and snacks they had ready for dinner, and Gyuri glanced over where Kyungsoo was standing in the kitchen. He was chuckling at whatever Anna was babbling about, and then their eyes met. She saw his expression change from amused to a disarmingly gentle smile that made everything make sense. Gyuri felt herself blush at the realization and listened to every instruction with the utmost attention. She shoved her latest breakdown into the deepest parts of herself and focused entirely on enjoying her time. She deserved it. She desperately wanted it. She needed it.

An overnight campfire.

They planned an overnight campfire in the garden to watch the sunrise, and Gyuri struggled to keep the tears at bay. Before she could succumb to the wave of emotions again, she set herself in motion, letting the excitement and happiness infuse her entire body with energy. She helped Anna to set up everything on the low table on the deck as Minseok worked on the grill next to it. Gyuri took a moment to observe the couple settle everything perfectly for their night, most likely, oblivious about the reason behind it all. If she wasn’t already so enchanted by how nicely they welcomed her into their life without any reservations, she for sure felt an immense amount of affection for them.

Not long after, Gyuri found herself genuinely enjoying the moment. She was seated at the wooden deck, with a can of carbonated juice in her hands, and sharing chips with Anna as Kyungsoo grilled the meat with Minseok assisting him in whatever he needed. As if Gyuri wasn't a new acquaintance but a long-time friend just catching up with their latest shenanigans, Minseok kept telling funny stories of their adventures together. She almost choked on a snack when Minseok told the story of one of their cookouts during a winter night and how the wind blew the meat off the grill. She laughed out loud, clearing up her throat when she noticed the change. The air was heavy and still, and looking up at the sky, she couldn't help but say it out loud.

"It will rain soon."

"What? No." Anna added, looking up at the open sky as well. "I checked the weather and the probability of rain was super low today."

Suddenly aware that the good mood dipped, Gyuri scolded herself for making everyone look up at the sky for the signs of rain as she announced. She wanted to hide in embarrassment for ruining such a moment and braced herself for the weirded-out stares or something of that sort. However, not dwelling too much on the comment like her anxiety convinced her they would, her hosts resumed their conversations, and Gyuri let out a sigh of relief. She looked over where Kyungsoo was by the grill and observed him still looking up at the sky. He found her stare and looked at her with a glint of curiosity and fascination that made her blush. Gyuri wished she was drinking beer so she could blame the alcohol but her internal babbling was interrupted by the unmistakable smell of wet soil. That distinctive scent of the first droplets of rain reached her nose, and before she could say something, Anna gasped next to her.

"Did you feel that?" She asked, looking up and wiping something off her cheek.

There was no warning. After a few droplets here and there, rain poured down cold and heavy. Anna cursed, jumping off the deck. Minseok giggled as he ran away but went back for his girlfriend as Kyungsoo grabbed as many pieces of meat off the grill. Smiling to herself as the raindrops hit her head like marbles, Gyuri gathered as many things as she could from the table and ran to the cabin.

Gyuri just could not tell if she was crying from laughing too much or if her face was wet from the rain. She was on her way out of the cabin to help rescue the rest of the food when she slipped on a wet spot and went sprawling to the floor. She burst into laughter and heard Anna cursing and laughing as she slipped on the wet floor as well, and then, deep giggles and a beautiful smile were the only things she was aware of. Kyungsoo reached out to her, holding her with his strong grip and helping her up. He asked her if she was alright and unable to stop the giggles erupting from her chest, Gyuri nodded. 

The amusement of the situation faded away when Gyuri felt him closer. Holding her breath because of his closeness, she looked away when he wrapped an arm around her waist to help her stay steady and away from the wet spots on the floor.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, finally letting her go.

Still flabbergasted by the gesture, Gyuri nodded. Kyungsoo meant to go out and bring more stuff to the cabin when Minseok came in, almost slipping on the same wet spot Gyuri fell.

"Don't, there is no point going out," he said as he gave Kyungsoo whatever he managed to save from the rain, "everything is soaked by now, including the coal so we can't use the grill anymore."

No one seemed upset by the news. Still giggling to themselves, they all reunited by the kitchen island, dripping wet and shivering. Minseok laughed, grabbing a bowl filled with soggy chips. He asked who was the genius that brought it in instead of anything else more worth saving when his girlfriend cursed at him. 

"Those are my favorite chips," Anna said, snatching the bowl off his hands.

"Alright love," He said, winking at her, "I'll let off the hook because of that."

Anna made a face at her boyfriend, and as the oldest in the group, Minseok wasted no time organizing everyone with a glint of determination in his eyes that gave Gyuri chills. So far, Kim Minseok had behaved so ordinarily normal that she kept forgetting that he was the force behind the biggest editorial powerhouse in the country.

"We won't let that meat go to waste." He said as a matter of fact. 

And just like that, he put everyone to work. Anna cleaned the floor as he and Kyungsoo dried everything up in the kitchen, leaving Gyuri with the only task of changing into warm clothes and drying her hair so she wouldn't get sick. As the youngest, Gyuri couldn't do otherwise and sheepishly went to her room to do as told. by the time she was back, the floor was clean, and Anna had retired to her room to change her clothes as well.

Gyuri came to the kitchen, hopeful that either Minseok or Kyungsoo would let her take over what they were doing. Minseok looked over at Kyungsoo, and with a smirk, he told Gyuri what to do and left the room. She was drying up the lettuce leaves and putting them in another bowl when she felt Kyungsoo looking at her.

"I don't think I've heard you laugh before." He said, but when she looked at him, he was already turning around to season the meat on the counter.

"The whole thing was funny."

"You should laugh more," he said, pausing to look at her, "You look prettier when you do."

Gyuri went silent. She knew she should feel her cheeks flaring, but what she was feeling was far from that. It wasn't a burning embarrassment that would force anyone to recoil and hide. What she felt was a comfortable warmth that spread across her limbs and only managed to make her smile more. In a way, she even wanted to hear him say that once again. 

"How on earth did you know it would rain?" Anna said, coming in and breaking the spell between them, “What are the odds of getting a storm out of nowhere?” 

“You said it wouldn’t rain,” Minseok said as he came after Anna, still rustling his wet hair with a towel.

“The forecast said it!” Anna said as she stared at the pouring rain falling outside the cabin. “Unbelievable! What a bunch of liars.”

Gyuri stayed quiet, smiling as Minseok relieved her of the kitchen duties and sent her to relax next to his girlfriend on the couch. She neither complained nor dared to say anything about the rain, considering how baffled her new friend was. It didn't take long for her and Anna to be snuggled under cozy blankets in the living room as the guys prepared dinner. Kyungsoo focused on grilling the meat while Minseok prepared the drinks. No matter how much Anna insisted on helping in the kitchen, the editor refused.

“Well, not gonna lie,” Anna said as she took a sip of her beer, “This is nice.”

“That’s because you’re not moving, darling.” Minseok retorted, giving Gyuri a cup of hot punch.

She gave tiny sips at her drink as Anna talked and talked about everything she had found to love about being back in her homeland until it eventually stopped pouring outside. Minseok and Kyungsoo joined them with their food and found themselves talking the night away as the pitter-patter of the rain enveloped them in a comfortable atmosphere. Although, as nice as it was, something was looming over them. Gyuri noticed the quick and worried glances her hosts threw outside. Anna, in particular, kept looking through the windows with furrowed brows, but it seemed like the sky wasn't over with its wet tirade. Gyuri checked the time and realized what kept them so distracted. The sky wasn't clearing up enough to see the sunrise, and the worst part was that it would never clear up. They all moved to the porch where Minseok and Anna stopped pretending, staring at the landscape around them, whispering about how bad their luck must've been to get such rainfall when they needed a clear sky. As time went by, it was certain the rain outside would not stop.

The sunrise never came. 

They all waited in silence, looking at the horizon as if by some miracle, the clouds would move away to let the sunlight shine through but it never happened. Anna was the first to give up, turning to Gyuri, and blatantly stared at her as if she could see the deepest parts of her soul. Gyuri recoiled under her eyes and meant to ask if there was a problem, but she barely managed to let out a squeak.

“Are you drunk?” Anna asked instead, and Gyuri shook her head. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not getting that drunk ever again,” Gyuri muttered, feeling her cheeks burning, which only made everyone chuckle.

“Nah, I just need you to be sober enough so I can sleep with my boyfriend.” She said so unceremoniously that Gyuri panicked for a second.

She looked around, expecting to see scandalized expressions from the guys, but all she got was an excited smile from the editor. Kyungsoo seemed particularly unfazed by the comment. 

“Have a good sleep,” Gyuri replied with an unsure inflection in her voice. 

With a playful wink, Anna kissed her forehead and left the porch, closely followed by a skipping Minseok that looked ten years younger than his actual age. Gyuri simply watched them disappear inside the cabin, leaving her and the writer alone. She noticed the shift in the atmosphere. She would welcome the silence, the freedom to stay quiet in his presence. Now, there were so many things she wanted to say. She needed to apologize first and foremost, but whenever she tried to bring a word out of her mouth, she didn’t even know how to begin. Gyuri cursed because that awkwardness was created by herself and her alone.

"It didn't go as planned." Kyungsoo said after a while, his eyes still locked on the horizon, "I'm sorry."

Gyuri looked at him, baffled. He had nothing to apologize for, so she forced it out of herself. If there was a moment when she needed to throw her shyness aside, that was the moment, and by no means she wanted to miss the chance.

"Hang out with my friends all night long to watch the sunrise together." Gyuri said wish number four out loud, "I say this counts as a completed wish."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "We can try again some other day." 

"Thank you."

Gyuri whispered, looking at him as the notion weighed on her in a way she was not prepared for. She desperately wanted to express herself better, to convey what she felt but found herself as if under the spell of his kind smile, she just could not find the right words.

"I'll go to bed," she said instead.

With her face now feeling like it was burning in embarrassment, Gyuri left the porch before Kyungsoo could do anything that would make herself embarrassed any further. She let out a sigh, weighted with tension, and reached her room without any incidents. Feeling suddenly exhausted and confused, she laid down and stared at the wooden ceiling above her, wondering if what she was feeling was normal or not. She couldn’t tell anymore. Her stomach moved weirdly inside her body, and she rubbed her tummy as if that could ease the sensation. It didn’t. Whatever it was, it kept moving around, and she did not like the feeling. 

Not knowing what else to do, she went to the bathroom and took a deep breath before lifting the toilet’s lit. She leaned forward, not dwelling too much on it, and stared at the white toilet bowl. For a second, she didn’t know what to expect. She just followed her gut, and as she observed the impassive water, her body finally reacted. She wouldn’t be able to stop it even if she tried. Nothing hurt, and there was no warning. Gyuri felt the warmth coming up her system and then red pouring out of her mouth. There were no gag reflexes, no battling against the curse, and more strangely, no pain. No burning. Nothing was tearing her skin apart.

Gyuri felt her eyes watering, and the moment the flow of flower petals stopped, she stood up straight. She cursed under her breath, taking in as much air as she could into her lungs when her stomach churned again. She almost missed the toilet, spilling her stomach juices over the edge. The sight of the slimy dark-red contents of her stomach sent her into a state of desperation. All she could feel was the panic taking over as tears finally ran down her face. She fell to her knees when the flower petals stopped, and gripping for dear life to the toilet, she tried to take a deep breath, but as if that was a sign for her body to react, her stomach contracted, and she threw up again and again.

After what felt like an eternity, and as suddenly as it started, her body stopped shivering, and her stomach settled. Relieved to have a break, Gyuri backed away from the toilet and closed her eyes, trying to regain some of her self-control by counting. She was good at that, and she held unto that fact. She started from a hundred as she whipped the snot off her face, and by the time she reached the fifties, she had calmed down enough to rub the tears off her eyes as well. 

“Fifty-one.” She muttered to herself.

Gyuri looked around the bathroom, and her entire body trembled. There wasn’t that much of a mess as in her previous episodes, but seeing the red bile dripping from the toilet and spreading across the floor was too much for her to handle. She felt her stomach revolving again, and in a desperate effort to stop, she covered her mouth. 

“Fifty.”

She froze on the spot. 

“You have to keep counting.” Kyungsoo said, from the other side of the door, “forty-nine.”

Gyuri had stopped breathing by that point. She was too embarrassed and scared to react, even if she felt her chest about to explode.

“Forty-eight.” He said, despite her silence, “What’s next?”

“Go away,” She managed to gasp, but her body contracted again the moment she did that.

“Forty-seven.” He said instead.

Feeling more tears rolling down her face, she choked on her own words, unable to breathe and control the spam on her body.

“Gyuri, you can’t stop.” Kyungsoo ordered, even though his tone was gentle, “Forty-six.”

“For…” Gyuri tried even if it hurt her throat, “...ty…”

“Five.” He finished for her. “Forty…”

“F-four.”

“What’s next?” Kyungsoo asked, and he had never sounded so close and so calm. 

Gyuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath once again, hoping she could manage to gather herself together. She tried to focus on the cadence of his voice. She visualized him sitting next to her, close enough for her to feel the rhythm of his breathing so she could follow.

“Three,” She mumbled, reminding herself to exhale as much as she could, “Forty-three.”

“Keep going.” He added, and even though he couldn’t see her, Gyuri nodded before taking a deep breath.

“Forty-two.” She exhaled.

Gyuri heard him hum, and that little sound was enough for her to keep going. She kept counting, one number after the other, as she took deep breaths, filling her lungs with oxygen.

By the time she whispered number one, she was fully calmed, albeit exhausted. However, despite the tiredness, Gyuri reached for the handle and pulled the door open to find the writer sitting on the floor by the door. The light was off, which meant he had been sitting in the dark, talking to her through the door, and there were many things she wanted to tell him, but they just sat there in silence.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." She whispered after a while, "I was angry when I said that. I just don't know what is happening to me. This damned thing is making me…" She said, choking on her words, suddenly upset, "I feel like I'm losing my mind all the time."

Kyungsoo turned his head toward her, acknowledging her words but kept his eyes on the blackness of the dark room. He remained silent, as usual. His nonjudgemental silence gave her a chance to order her thoughts.

"I guess I was upset about what you said," Gyuri said, closing her eyes so she wouldn't shy away from what she needed to say.

"I shouldn't have."

"You had to," Gyuri added, pulling herself together, "You give me clarity, not just about what is happening inside me but in everything else, and I think that's why I got so angry when you just pointed out something I'm trying to ignore. Sometimes we all need to be called out on our crap." She explained, finally looking at him, "I'm sorry."

The writer nodded, accepting the apology, and when he finally moved to look at her, Gyuri saw nothing coming out of his eyes and wondered if it had to do with the darkness around him.

“He’s lucky that you love him." 

"Is he though? He didn’t even do anything.” Gyuri mumbled, realizing just how ridiculous the situation was. “He was just being his dumb self, my best friend, and I was stupid enough to fall for him.”

Gyuri found herself smiling at the idea. She smiled at the knowledge of how easy it was to fall for someone that felt so comfortable with her presence and lost herself imagining how different things could be if Baekhyun saw her as something more than a friend. She stopped before her imagination took over and found the writer was observing her. His eyes moved all over her face as if looking for something, and the attention made her realize she might have looked horrible and disgusting. Gyuri looked away, but all she could see was the aftermath of her miserable situation. She tried to get up, although her legs barely worked. Kyungsoo was next to her in the blink of an eye, helping her up. Too conscious of her state and the disgust she felt oozing off her skin, she covered her face, hiding the traces of what came out of her insides, and looked around the small bathroom for a hairband but was still too dazed to know for sure where to look. 

"I got it," Kyungsoo said, coming closer.

Stunned, or maybe still a bit hungover, dizzy, or even excited, Gyuri stayed still, looking at him through the reflection of the mirror as he brushed his fingers through her hair, pulling it all back. He didn't have to say anything. He gave her a nod, and Gyuri just followed the indication in silence.

She washed her mouth and then, on an impulse, her entire face and suddenly feeling beyond filthy, her neck all the while, the writer kept her hair from falling over her damped skin. Once done, she leaned back to find him looking at her, and Gyuri didn't know what to do next under his gaze. 

Kyungsoo finally let her hair fall to reach for a towel and hesitated before giving it to her. Too many different thoughts crossed her mind as she stood before him, holding the towel close to her chest and unable to move. Time slowed down to the point of stopping altogether, except for him and his figure coming closer and closer. His arm reached out for her, and she watched him leaning closer. All Gyuri could do was admire him, getting so close she thought could feel his heartbeat in the air around him.

His fingers never touched her skin, although she desperately wanted him to. She saw his hand brushing her hair, and instead of putting the strands behind her ear, she felt the subtle tug. She jolted at the sensation, only to notice that Kyungsoo pulled a dried flower petal off her hair. They stared at the deep red smudged petal breaking under the pressure of his fingers, and whatever excitement she felt was suddenly crushed just as easily as that petal. 

"I'll clean the rest." He whispered, dropping his arm.

Kyungsoo got himself out of the way, and feeling too hot, Gyuri practically bolted out of the stuffy bathroom. It was still raining outside, not as hard, but soft enough to calm her nerves. Gyuri wanted, desperately, to step out into the open and let the cold raindrops suffocate the fire she felt on her skin.

No one had ever looked at her like that. She replayed the moment in her mind and she wasn't even sure if she saw what she thought she saw. All she could think of was the intense look in his eyes, the sensation of his fingertips gracing the skin on the back of her neck, and the closeness… especially the closeness. He was so close she could see the stubble on his chin, the faint blemishes on his cheeks, and his wild brows. His lips. Gyuri had to close her eyes and breathe in and out, but too bothered by the thought, she let her arm out in the rain and let the towel dampen until she felt the frozen water droplets start trickling down her arm. 

Frustrated with herself, she wrung out the towel desperately and draped it over her face as if that could take the confusion away, but of course, it didn’t work. It only managed to clear her thoughts, and snapped her back to whatever happened the night before. She must’ve said something. There was no explanation as to why Kyungsoo would lean over so close to her. He just wouldn't do that. She refused to believe that. 

She remembered fragments of it. She could recall the same closeness that had her reduced to a bundle of nerves and the urge to say something important. There was something she wanted to tell Kyungsoo, and she could remember him asking about it. His expression shifted at the question, and his eyes stared straight into hers with a hopeful glint. He might've even been smiling a little bit, and his voice rang with a sudden expectation.

"Do you?"

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 3]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 4,393

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

Gyuri was exhausted. She felt shattered and filthy, as if there was a layer of sage and mud over her skin. She desperately needed a shower, a comb to fix the mess off her hair, and something close to bleach to wash off the sugary aftertaste of her tongue. She wanted her bed so bad, especially as she walked herself home, lost deep in her thoughts, and she came into her house to find her parents in a hug. 

It wasn't a rare sight to her. They always thought they were discreet with their displays of affection and thought she never caught them, but she did. She grew up admiring the shared and secret smiles and the stolen kisses every morning before her father left for work quite sweet. The giggles and lighthearted conversation late at night when they talked about their day were just the sign of another good day in their family. She was used to the displays of affection. However, the silent tears they were shedding were out of the ordinary.

The sound of the door shut brought their attention back to her, and no force on earth could ever help her prevent her eyes from filling with tears as well. Her father was crying and unable to contain a sob; he walked to the threshold to wrapped her in a tight hug. 

“My pumpkin.” He cried, and the tightness of his arms around her shoulders broke her into pieces again.

Gyuri cried and cried. She let the fear take over her body, her mind, and her feelings. Caving into it, she let in the dread to devastate and destroy every hint of hope and peace she ever had. As she found herself in both of her parent's embraces, she just wanted the curse to take her body away and, to be over with it. She didn’t care. She did not even want to care anymore.

Her parents barely let her go, not even stay away from their sight for a second except for when she took a shower and got ready for bed. Gyuri ended up spending that night in their room like she always did when she was a little girl and was scared about the smallest of things. Feeling minuscule in the world and lost and gone in the dark, she cried herself to sleep between them as they cried along with her.

She must have been too drained to have any dreams or nightmares, although it wasn’t a peaceful night either. Waking up around midday, feeling just as tired, Gyuri came out to the kitchen to find her parents waiting at the table. There were cups of tea served, her father was reading the newspaper, which meant he must have asked the day off, and her mother seemed lost in her thoughts. They looked disheveled and out of place, just as she felt.

“Good morning.” She whispered, coming close to the table, and their heads turned around to her, their expressions visibly relaxing.

“Finally…” Her mother breathed out in relief, standing up, “we were getting worried.”

“Are you hungry, sweet pumpkin?” Her father said, setting the newspaper down and focusing on setting up her set of dishes on the table.

In a matter of minutes, Gyuri was seated in between her parents, having a late breakfast, and she couldn’t remember that last time she had a meal. Her father had to remind her a couple of times, stifling a laugh, that she had to slow down and take it easy if she didn’t want to choke. 

As lighthearted as the atmosphere was for a moment, it turned heavy when she finished her food. Gyuri wasn’t entirely comfortable about talking about the diagnosis yet. However, she was aware that her parents needed it. They needed to have something to hold onto.

“How do you want to handle all this?” Her father asked as he poured more tea into her cup, “your mother filled me in about yesterday’s appointment and Dr. Kim’s suggestions.”

“He even gave us some pamphlets.” Her mother added, reading through one with a deep and unconvinced frown.

“I threw up petals yesterday.” She confessed, and if the house felt already heavy and stuffy, it suddenly was even quieter, still, and desolated than before. “I guess I don’t even have six months anymore.”

Both of her parents lowered their heads, probably to hide their pained expressions, but she could hear their desolation. Listening to her mother’s muffled sobs and witnessing the subtle tremble in her father’s shoulders was more heartbreaking than she could ever imagine. Gyuri had nothing else to do but stay still, gripping her cup of tea, and waited for her parents to grief as she shed her fair amount of tears in silence.

“What do you want to do?” Her father asked after a while, sniffling as he wiped his tears.

“I don’t know.” She admitted, offering a napkin to him. “Can we keep it between us? At least until I figured it out.”

“Absolutely, pumpkin,” her father beamed, forcing a smile.

“Does that include that man?” Her mother asked, and Gyuri noticed the spite in her voice.

“Do you mean Baekhyun, mom?” She retorted, amazed at how easily her sentiments towards the guy changed.

“Pumpkin...”

“He can’t know,” Gyuri stated, her voice strong and steady, despite the mess inside her.

From all the questions and doubts, the fear and anxiety, one thing was not open to debate, and that was that Baekhyun could not find out about her illness. He couldn't know about her suffering, and even less, her eventually gruesome death. If she was sure of something, it was that she could never inflict that kind of burden on him, even if he was inadvertently responsible for her pain.

“He can never know.” She decided and stood up before her parents could protest. “I’ll be in my room.”

Gyuri locked herself in her room, in turmoil and reeling with questions and doubts. Despite all she knew, she had no idea what to do next. She wasn’t even entirely sure of how she was feeling most of the time, let alone having plans for the last months of her life.

Feeling her mood somber again, she opened up her laptop to indulge herself in the arms of the internet and its fatalist disposition. She lost track of time, jumping from patients' stories forums to medical journals with the latest results on vaccine research and then to blogs with reviews on the edge technology procedures. She paid particular attention to the Gardener Ritual, which was essentially a root removal surgery developed by Japanese scientists. The more she read and dug around about it, the more convinced she felt about how hopeless her situation was.

Surgery did not work. The roots could be successfully removed, but there was proof that the recovery stage was even more painful than the actual disease. However, it only took a glance of the beloved one to make the roots grow back again, faster and more lethal than before. In a blink of an eye, all the effort and money were thrown into the garbage. Gyuri didn’t even have the small fortune needed to get the procedure done. Surgery was not an option.

Some other theories seem more feasible. Gyuri could simply confess her true feelings, but it was proven that it only triggered the disease, and people ended up dropping dead right that instant. It was like shooting herself on the chest, hoping she would miss the heart. Confessing was not an option either.

Irritated, Gyuri shut her laptop closed and sulked in her chair. Thinking about everything and anything, she realized how angry she was at herself. She was beyond annoyed for not managing to compartmentalize her fear effectively and just focus on herself to enjoy what was left of her life. So what was she supposed to do? She had heard people talk about conquering the heart of that special person, but she couldn't wrap her head around that idea.

She has always been fidgety and almost mute, fighting her anxiety most of the time. It didn’t matter how kind and sweet Baekhyun was; he would never see her as anything else other than a little sister that needed his constant help. Gyuri didn’t have the guts to just fully and head on confessing her love for her best friend. She wasn't even his type. Baekhyun liked…she didn’t know for sure, but he dated only pretty and dumb girls. He had always been attracted to outgoing people that would keep up with his antics, unlike her.

Gyuri perked up. All of a sudden, she had an idea, as though a lightbulb appeared above her head. She had been too preoccupied with her situation, worried about the pain, considering all the possible cures for the damned disease, and Baekhyun’s taste in women that she didn’t realize the implications of what the ciabatta man said. 

If he was still alive after six years of catching that nasty curse, it meant he was outliving the disease. Plain and simple. Gyuri rushed out of her room to find her purse and everything else she had with her the previous night.

“Mom, where is my purse!?” Gyuri asked out loud, skipping the last two steps of the stairs, suddenly feeling unexpectedly excited.

“I put it back in your closet.” Her mother replied from the laundry room, “and the sandwich is in the fridge.”

Gyuri halted. She didn’t order a sandwich. She barely made it out alive of that place, let alone have time to order anything. Something minuscule in her chest softened when she opened the fridge and found the same paper bag the ciabatta man placed in front of her before leaving the restaurant. She couldn’t even recall carrying it back home.

The memory of the familiarity and comfort she felt from that man only made her rush back to her room, frantically looking for the book. Gyuri found herself smiling when she finally found it on one of the shelves of her closet.  

Sitting back at her desk, she threw the bag away, and almost as if it was sacred, placed the book in front of her. After a moment, she opened it to find the man's phone number on the first page, right below the dedication, and the words filled her eyes with tears. 

“To the ones the world seems to choose as undeserving of love.”

Never such a short sentence felt as accurate as of that one. Life indeed judged her and ruled her as undeserving. That simple notion shattered her heart into pieces, and looking at the several notes she wrote down and placed all over her desk, she realized she had to give up. 

Maybe he had an answer. Perhaps he had a tiny bit of hope to share with her, but the possibilities of her beating the curse as he did, were impossibly scarce. She realized then, staring at the digits of his phone number on the page of her book, that she didn't even know his name. He was a stranger, and how could she possibly expect him to help her out of this.

The doorbell of her house rang, and Gyuri almost jumped off her chair. Neither she nor her parents were expecting any visitors, but suddenly aware of the time, a sense of fear dawned on her. On instinct, she grabbed her phone, and not only did she get a new text, but found at least a dozen of unread messages, all from the same sender.

Why are you ignoring me?

Gyuri read the text, shivering at the meaning of that question as she went downstairs because she had one valid reason that was more than enough to want to avoid him. As if the dread of her fate wasn’t enough, she noticed the house was unusually and unsettlingly quiet, and that could only mean one thing.

Baekhyun was there.

Gyuri didn't have a chance. She couldn't even prepare herself to brace the situation. The man itself, the one that had her heart in a twist, found her in the living room, and her entire body reacted. Her every cell leaped, throbbed, and exploded just to see him.

It scared Gyuri that in a blink of an eye, she took in on every small detail about Baekhyun. She could tell that he was just out of work because he was wearing sneakers, baggy pants, and an oversized hoodie, and his hair was still somehow done.

Almost as if she had forgotten about the ever-present buzz of the curse in her chest, she heard it turning up as she did the smallest thing like just staring at his face; his pretty face that was. It went even louder when she saw the stricken lines across his expression and his thin and rosy lips pressed together.

Baekhyun had known her and her parents long enough to read the room and give them space. He knew when he had to step back and let her family work it through, even if it wasn’t something that happened often. This time, he looked back to the kitchen, nervously as if he was expecting something to happen, and then looked back at her sheepishly. 

“Is there something wrong?” Baekhyun asked quietly. He sat on the couch, making himself at home as usual. Although, for the first time since forever, he looked genuinely uncomfortable. “Your parents seemed a bit shaken, especially your mom.”

“Family stuff.” She muttered, still watching him from the same spot at the stairs.

Her heart was pounding. Her head ever so slightly spinning just to see him there. The sting was acting out again, flickering a little, coming and going from one side of her chest to the other, ready to burst through her mouth. Gyuri was afraid of making the slightest movement and triggering a symptom in front of him.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asked, looking at her from the couch, and Gyuri had to look away.

The worry in his voice was palpable. The seriousness in his eyes and the subdued precaution in his movements were also genuine. This was the Baekhyun she fell for. The Baekhyun that took care of her. The one that worried about her wellbeing, the one that felt so close to her, she could call family.

Just to think about that, the sting buzzed harder, and Gyuri placed a hand over her chest, trying to help her heart to calm down. She still felt shattered and disgusted from the first coughing fit. She could not afford another one so soon and by no means in his presence.

Slowly and eyeing him as if he was a dangerous animal ready to attack, she walked around the couch and sat down on the other side, as far away from him as possible. In a matter of minutes, Baekhyun was sprawled over the couch as he watched a variety show. On any other day, he would have his head laying on her lap or they would simply share one of the pillows. None of that was happening that day. She was stiff and putting all of her strength in seating straight so the tip of his toes wouldn’t even brush her thigh. Gyuri couldn't dare herself to let any of that happen ever again.

Time went by, and eventually, Baekhyun moved around and was suddenly closer to her. His head was dangerously near her reach. She just stared at him and had never been that self-conscious and aware of him before. He was lost in whatever was happening on the screen, munching on sausages and cheese sticks only God knew how he produced out of nowhere. She just looked at him, chuckling at the lame jokes or mimicking the dialogues. As she kept on admiring him in silence, she remembered the first time they watched a movie together.

Gyuri wanted to slap herself on the face at her obliviousness. Now that she knew exactly what was creeping around her heart and lungs, she felt like an idiot for not noticing before.

Baekhyun had always been the one to initiate the contact aside from her parents. He was the one that hugged her for the first time and leaned into her, resting his head on her quite regularly. He was the one that pouted to her so they could snuggle on a winter movie night. She could vividly remember the way he ruffled her hair, the few drunken kisses on her cheeks, and every time he held her hand.

More than anything, she remembered her bashfulness whenever he was at her place. He would pout and throw tantrums because she never allowed him to be that close to her, let alone snuggle. At first, she told herself it was all appropriateness and decorum, even shyness, but that was all a lie. She watched him laugh loud enough to choke on one of the sausages and then realized that it was all proper infatuation. She saw a smile spreading on his features as he chuckled at himself and his dumbness, and she just knew she was already lost.

She never thought Byun Baekhyun could be the one that could have her reduced to a lame bundle of nerves and giddiness. Gyuri found herself smiling, and the longer she looked at him, the more she felt the sting softening. She could barely feel it at all, so she embraced the alleviation, as risky as it could be.

Gyuri lost herself admiring her best friend, his perfect profile, as his delicate hands kept pushing cheese sticks into his mouth. Not wanting to let her mind wander around that particular part of him, she distracted herself with his hair which looked different. She could see the highlights that weren’t there naturally and the several shades of brown perfectly done.

“Your hair is different,” Gyuri said to herself, her fingers instantly reaching out for a strand.

“Mina insisted I would rock the highlights,” He said casually, “do you like it?”

Gyuri’s arm froze just in time before she could touch his hair, and a rush of irritation spread across her body, covering her limbs and mind. The pain was back and thumping against her rib cage. She didn’t even have a clue of who Mina was, but the dreadful wave that her body fell into was enough indication that whoever that was meant soreness to her core. She had to look away and focus herself on something else other than the pain. 

“Are you sure everything is alright?” He suddenly asked without drawing his eyes off the screen, but she knew well enough that his attention was on her, “You've been weird lately.”

“I’m fine.” She retorted, suddenly annoyed and practically boring holes in the center of the screen.

“Was it the grumpy little man that upset you?” He asked, and she glared at him, rolling her eyes at the annoying smirk displayed on his face. “How was the movie?”

“What movie?”

“The one you guys went to see...” He wanted to know, and this time, the smugness was gone and replaced by something she couldn’t tell what it was, “How come you never told me about him?”

Assuming that Baekhyun’s observation had to do with something the ciabatta man mentioned the day before, Gyuri remained silent and made a mental note to ask him about it later. She played along with that, and refocusing on the screen, she shrugged innocently but deep down, her heart broke a little more. 

Just like he never mentioned he was dating again, Gyuri desperately wanted to ask the same and reproach him for keeping that piece of information from her. Just to think about it made her stomach churn and her head spin, despite her efforts. She didn't have it in her to be like that.

“How was the doctor’s appointment by the way?” He changed the subject.

Baekhyun tried to sound cool, but she could recognize the edge in his voice even with the variety show blasting through the screen. Gyuri refused to fall into that sound even if everything in her desperately wanted to look around and just stare at him and his touching interest.

“It looks like you still have that nasty cough. I hope the new meds can get rid of it.” He pointed out, “Is that why your parents look tired?” 

As if the question itself made him realize something, Baekhyun sat up. Crossing his legs, he positioned himself closer so he could look at her better and not miss a thing.

“Is everything alright?” He asked again, leaning ever so slightly to observe her intently.

Gyuri cowered under his piercing gaze as his eyes went around her face looking for the truth. While he stared at her so thoroughly, she had to gather every ounce of willpower to lie. Although she wasn’t expecting it to be so hard and even more so, so painful. If she was expecting to keep him in the dark about her impending death, she had to try really hard. 

Gulping the knot that threatened to come up her throat, Gyuri managed to nod in response, and Baekhyun simply squinted his eyes at her, not entirely convinced. She would normally try to convince him with a well-thought and articulated argument. But as things were revolving inside her chest, doing something as simple as opening her mouth meant a high risk of uncovering the truth. She couldn't afford that.

For what felt like the longest seconds in history, Baekhyun gave up, and with a nod, he laid back down on the couch again. Gyuri almost let out a sigh of relief. She managed to dodge his worried questions, but the uneasiness oozing off him was more than obvious. For starters, he wasn't comfortable anymore. His phone resting on his chest kept buzzing every few seconds, making his leg bounce more in impatience.

For the entirety of the runtime of the tv show, Baekhyun ignored the device that didn’t seem to stop buzzing. She knew he wasn’t paying attention to it nor to whatever was going on on the screen. Her best friend being there simply to watch some random variety show was only an excuse to be at her place and dig around. He was insistent, and whatever the ciabatta man told him the day before wasn’t enough to satisfy his curiosity.

“I have to go.” Baekhyun said, standing up as if the couch was on fire, “I have to pick up Mina.”

As in daze and taken aback by the abrupt end to the visit, Gyuri followed her friend as he walked back to the front door. He was leaving just as suddenly as he arrived, which was out of the ordinary. Baekhyun never missed the chance to spend as much time as he could at her place, especially if it meant staying for dinner.

“Will you ever tell me what's going on?” He suddenly asked, turning around to look straight into her eyes.

“Tell you what?” Gyuri squeaked, genuinely taken by surprise and standing on her toes as she barely managed to stop her momentum and crash against his chest. 

She heard the buzz of his phone on his hand, and that made him resume his way to the door, but Baekhyun wasn't ready to leave yet. He opened the door and halted there, looking at her. Gyuri realized then the importance of this peculiar visit.

Her efforts and the ciabatta man's lies were not enough to fool Baekhyun. She wasn't nearly as good as she thought to hide her symptoms and afflictions in front of him, and of course, he was there, ready to offer his hand and help nonetheless.

“You know you can always talk to me, do you?” He added, reluctantly stepping out of the house, just waiting for her to open up. “If you ever need help.”

Gyuri nodded, unable to do more and not wanting anything else but for him to finally leave so she could breathe again. However, everything turned for the worst when he leaned closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The world was suddenly upside down.

His fragrance. His warmth. The safety of his embrace. Gyuri felt it all just as overpowering as she felt having her face pressed so softly, so delicately, and so shielded against the crook of his neck. The sensation of his hand on her back was so steady and firm that for a split second, she forgot herself.  

"Call me if anything happens." He whispered before letting her go.

Baekhyun gave her a small and comforting smile, and just like that, as soon as he showed up, he was gone. Gyuri closed the door, and the world around her instantly seemed to collapse and crush her along with it. She heard her mother’s trembling voice calling her and her father's closeness amid her dizziness.

“I’m fine,” Gyuri replied with a croak, not realizing how hard it was to breathe, let alone talk.

Her father was holding her, barely keeping her straight and standing on her feet. Her mother showed up in front of her, tears falling down her face as she struggled to open the tin can the ciabatta man gave her the day before. 

“How are you feeling, pumpkin?” He asked, handing her a couple of candies.

“It’s fine.” She lied, her insides twisting again, “I’m fine, I just need to rest.”

Gyuri was far from alright. She needed a lot more than just rest, but she wasn't strong enough to acknowledge that yet, at least not her parents, and untangling herself from her father's grasp, she forced her legs to go to her room. Gyuri mumbled empty promises as she muted her mother's cry and ignored her father's protests. Almost blinded by the tears, she finally reached her room.

Locking the door behind her, Gyuri fell to the floor, letting the pain take over again and squash her heart until she had no more tears to shed. She dragged herself to her desk and grabbed the book. Rubbing her hands against her eyes to stop the tears from falling and the sting from spreading, she saved the number on her phone and wrote the text that hopefully could take some of her pain away. 

He cares too much.

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 2]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au Type: Series Word count: 2667

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

Baekhyun was there, and he had his arm around the waist of a woman. A girl, Gyuri was quick to correct herself because said girl couldn't be that much older than her, but somehow she looked a lot more like a woman than her.

She felt something shift inside her, tightening ever so softly around her heart, and her hand went straight to her chest, only to realize that she couldn't do anything against the sensation.

“I'm so sorry! You should have ordered something while you waited.” Baekhyun grumbled with a subtle and quite remorseful pout.

But none of those words, no matter how genuine they were, were registered by Gyuri. With her eyes locked in Baekhyun’s tight hold around the girl’s hand, and his delicate fingers intertwined through hers. That was everything her attention could see.

“By the way, this is...” Baekhyun started happily, letting the girl’s hand go to nudge her forward as if he'd decided Gyuri wasn't paying enough attention to what he was saying. “...Do you remember I told you, right? 

He didn't tell her. 

Gyuri merely stared at Baekhyun, racking her brain to remember if he ever said anything about any woman, and he didn't. He always made it feel like he confided in her, but she realized that was all a lie. 

He did not.

“She finally agreed to go out with me,” Baekhyun announced, smiling shyly and his cheeks turning rosy in an instant.

Everything inside her suddenly split up. A part of her was utterly mesmerized by the sight of his flushed face. She couldn't deny the bashful glint in his eyes as he admitted it. The other part, simply breaking apart. 

Her heart throbbed, and her eyes watered, but all those feelings were weak to the twist and churn her stomach did, that she had to cover her mouth, afraid of throwing up. The bodily response against the sight was so sudden, Gyuri had to close her eyes to keep herself together.

“Can you believe this girl?” Baekhyun kept on, either not paying attention to her reaction or not caring at all, “She says I'll annoy her to death.”

The back of her throat itched, making her cough instantly as if she was choking on something, and it didn’t matter how much Gyuri tried to clear it and stop the coughing fit; her stomach kept spasming until she felt something coming up. She began to breathe harder, almost wheezing because whatever it was, it was getting stuck in the middle of her esophagus, plugging her pipes and preventing her from getting more air into her lungs.

“Woah! Are you alright?” Baekhyun asked, finally forgetting about his whiny rant.

It didn’t help Gyuri though, hearing the genuine concern in his voice only made it worse. That question alone made her cough hard enough to gag, and she realized there was no hope. He cared. She might have irremediably fallen for him because he genuinely cared.

“There you are,” A deep, unwavering, and yet soft voice echoed amid her pain. “They forgot to pack your sandwich.”

In the blurriness of her tears, Gyuri saw a brown paper bag, which she recognized was for take-outs, getting placed in front of her, but it was the voice that stopped the fit for a fleeting moment. It wasn't just the gentleness of his voice but also how his manly hand landed straight against the middle of her back, rubbing steady circles that somehow managed to ease the cough.

Gyuri didn’t have to raise her eyes to know the ciabatta man was back, as she would never in a lifetime forget a voice like his, but she did anyway, and she found him there. It was the moment he kneeled next to her and to her eye level that stirred Baekhyun up from the surprise.

“Who the hell are you?” Baekhyun shot with a scowl.

“A friend.” Gyuri saw the man answer as she fixated on the movement of his mouth.

“She doesn't have any friends.” Her best friend defended. 

Gyuri closed her eyes again, feeling the piercing on her skin just about everywhere in her body, and amid the fogginess of her pain, she heard Baekhyun gasp at the hurtful meaning of his own words.

“I'm an asshole.” He added, and even if she couldn't even look at him, she knew he was talking directly to her. “You know that is not what I meant.”

“You’re an hour late, and we made plans.” The ciabatta man added.

His voice was steady and stripped of any emotion, and when Gyuri looked at him, he was back on his feet and offering her his hand. She didn't know what came over her nor why she did it, but she took his hand and held onto him for dear life.

Baekhyun gasped. 

Gyuri was sure she saw his eyes going wide in surprise for no other reason than she was holding the hand of a man that wasn't him, or her father. The frown that showed up on his features was unmistakable, and somehow, upsetting him made the pain even worse. The pressure thumping against her ribs was getting stronger with every second she stayed in his presence. 

Suddenly shivering, Gyuri coughed one more time and felt her skin getting covered in goosebumps. Wheezing and staggering as her surroundings shifted once again, she choked on something. 

“What the hell?” Gyuri whimpered as she spat out something slimy off her tongue.

She went still. For a split second, Gyuri thought she was choking on her own blood, but her eyes blurred with tears when she realized she had a single, bright red flower petal all smudged and stuck to her hand. 

Gyuri couldn't stop the certainty of her fate take over and crush her. She lost all strength and collapsed, but a strong arm was around her just as fast and supporting her as she moved forward. The pain creeping its way through her body was so sudden and so sharp, it made her gag again, and not even when she clasped her hand over her mouth was enough to stop the ample flow of nauseating beauty that came out off her.

The arm secured around her body managed to lead her to a lonely alley and held her trembling figure as she convulsed over a corner, throwing up and choking on the beautiful bright red flower petals.

“Don’t fight back.” He whispered.

The authority and confidence in his voice had no room for discussion, and her body followed the instruction of its own will, and she was suddenly limp in his arms as the flowers kept on overflowing from her mouth to all the surface of the floor.

What happened at the restaurant was all blurry in Gyuri's mind, and she couldn't certainly tell how long it had been since then. All she knew was that she was crying as silently as one could, that she wished someone could just rip her heart out and that she felt beyond embarrassed that someone might see her in that state.

She didn't allow her mind to wander farther away from those thoughts and focused herself on the ciabatta man, on the tight hold of his arm around her waist that kept her together in one piece, the fact that he never let her go and that he was leading her somewhere.

It was after a long while when Gyuri regained control of herself and was aware of her surroundings. She was seated on a park bench with her knees up to her chest. She'd stopped crying at some point, and the man was still there. 

He had his hands on his lap and was just as silent as she was breaking down. Not prying into anything, he just sat there, seemingly enjoying the fresh air. He would steal a few glances at her every once in a while, and when she coincidentally met his gaze, he finally moved to open up a plastic bag and bring out a water bottle and wet wipes.  

By just seeing him place the items in the gap between them made Gyuri realize how disgusting she felt. She was suddenly aware of how thirsty she was, how irritated her throat felt, and how gross the overpowering sweet aftertaste of the flower petals was that she had her stomach churn once again. As if he could read her mind, he opened the water and wet wipes for her.

Once she concentrated on rinsing the aftertaste off her mouth and cleaned her tear-stricken face, she realized where she was exactly. The man brought her there, but little did he know. That particular place was like another cruel nail piercing through her heart. 

That was one of Baekhyun’s favorite parks. He usually dragged her up there every once in a while to walk and exercise. Of course, they never exercised as intended, but the conversations they had there were the ones Gyuri remembered the most.

“What are your plans for the future?” He asked one day as they walked side by side. “I've been meaning to ask you for a while now.”

A new set of tears fell down her eyes at the memory. Back then, she was proud of her confident reply and the hopeful list of all the things she wanted to do. The picture looked way somber now. Suddenly, all of her plans seemed tiny and ridiculous, but that wasn’t what he thought then.

“As expected, my lovely Gyuri is the one with everything sorted out,” Baekhyun said, letting out a sigh. “I want to be like you when I grow up.”

A new wave of commotion invaded her when she remembered that day. She could feel, all over again, how proud and weirdly happy she felt hours later when Baekhyun dropped her back at home; of course not before spending a couple of hours more seated in his car, just talking about their lives and their hopes in the future.

Her cell phone buzzing in her pocket brought her attention back to the gloomy park, and when she fished the device out and unlocked it, she found several missed calls and a few unread messages, all from Baekhyun.

In one text, he demanded to know what happened. In another one, he kindly asked her to explain if she left because she was upset with him. In the third one, he only asked if he did anything wrong, and finally, the last one was a short apology. He didn’t mention what exactly he was apologizing for, but the apology was there.

“That's the problem.” She muttered to the man sitting next to her, while the one that had her heart in a twist; practically nagged her through the screen of her phone. “He does care.”

“Is he worth it though?”

Gyuri’s head snapped up to look at the ciabatta man. The harsh tone didn’t match the selfless care in which he had been helping her out, but the seriousness in his expression was as clear as water. Was Baekhyun worth her life?

She didn't know the answer to that. The ciabatta man talked about letting her life and aspirations slip right between her fingers because of a man. Apparently, she loved that man enough to be the case, but she wasn't entirely sure. Dying for a beloved one seemed like the epitome of romanticism, but now that the threat was real, she didn't feel that fond of the idea.

Just like he had been doing before, the ciabatta man didn’t pry any further. The two of them stayed in heavy silence as people around them, unaware of the tragedy of her situation, kept walking around, drinking coffees, holding hands, running with their pets, and laughing as if the world wasn’t falling apart.

“Why are you reading this?” The man asked after a while, pulling her new book out of the bag.

Gyuri shrugged. It seemed lame to her to accept that she hoped to find an answer in D.O.’s words, so she just stayed quiet as the ciabatta man read the back of the book with a furrowed crease on his thick brows and a sort of annoyance that was interesting. It picked her interest, but she wasn’t brave enough to dig into that. Knowing that particular piece of information felt too personal for her to ask, even if he had already seen her in the worst situation possible, so she went for something she felt the right to know, like the true motivation behind his help.

“Why are you helping me?” She asked instead, studying the perfect profile of the man, “We are strangers.”

The truth behind her own words hit her like a brick. They were strangers. She never talked to strangers. She didn't even know his name, and she was talking to him. Stuff like that never really happened before, at least not if Baekhyun wasn't around.

Realizing her new situation, she felt her throat clasping, and she opened her mouth to soften the blow of her rude question, but what came out of her was nothing but a soft screeching sound like it always happened when her anxiousness got to the best of her. At least the sound was loud enough to catch his attention.

“Are you alright?” He asked, looking at her with a renewed interest.

She nodded, and even though he didn’t look convinced and hesitated for a second, the man nodded and diverted his gaze away. Gyuri found the consideration having a weird effect on her, and her throat relaxed in response almost instantly.

“You don't seem like the type of person that deserves this kind of pain.” He added, bringing a pen out of his coat.

A fancy pen, Gyuri recognized, just as fancy as his coat and the overall bearings of the man, and she just observed him open the book and scribble something down.

“My phone number.” He said as he closed the book and put it back in its bag.

Gyuri blinked at the book store's bag when he gave it back to her, and for an instant, she wanted to hold his hand again. She felt the urge to reach unto the safety and steadiness of his warm skin.

“You can call me if you ever have a hard time with this.” He continued, letting the bag go and standing up, ready to leave. “As I said, I know the feeling.”

Gyuri wished she could speak freely to him and couldn't do anything else but stare at him, waiting for him to take the hint that she was listening. Gladly, he seemed to be smart enough to read between the lines of her silence and, more importantly, to be willing to oblige, even for a second.

“She was a schoolmate,” he started, “but of course, she liked someone else.”

The ciabatta man said with a shrug, looking like he gave up a long time ago, and there was nothing Gyuri could say about it. Unreciprocated love was all the same to everyone. You loved someone that didn’t love you back, and that was it. There wasn’t anything intricate about it. It didn’t matter who you were, the cause was the same. The outcome was still also the same, and the heaviness of that notion squeezed her heart just at the same time as the ciabatta man turned around to walk away.

“I’m scared.” She sobbed, reaching out for him and grabbing his hand, stopping him from leaving, “Aren't you scared of dying?” 

Gyuri felt herself breaking down again as tears rolled down her face, and the pain stinging in her chest pulsed with every emotion. She was at a loss of anything to hold into for safety. Other than his warm and soft hand, she had no other option but to plead to him for an answer.

“How are you not scared?” She asked.

“I was," he replied, putting his hand on top of hers, " I was scared six years ago.”

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 11-1]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 6,403

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1 | Part 8-2 | Part 9 | Part 10-1 | Part 10-2 | Part 11-2

Warning! Once again, I'll leave another big chapter split up in two. So, part 2 will be posted right after this one. Enjoy the pain!

“Hyung, help me, please.”

That was the last thing she heard. The fog slowly lifted, and all she wanted was to talk to him. To tell him that she was alright. That she was awake. Gyuri took a deep breath and opened her eyes. 

Her eyes did not open. She struggled as if someone had glued her eyelids together. She tried to rub whatever was keeping her from opening her eyes, but something rough scratched the skin around her eyes, making her wince. She tried again, whimpering in desperation, until that voice and that warmth she had become so dependent on reached her.

“Wait a second,” he said in a gentle tone she found so assuring. “I’ll do it for you.”

She relaxed just a little, waiting for him, unable to see what he was doing until something hot rubbed her eyes. She let out a little squeak, taken by surprise by the sudden heat. He was gentle, removing whatever kept her eyes closed, although she disliked the sensation of pealing something off her skin.

Once the surprise of waking up was gone and she waited patiently for the writer to work around her eyes, she finally noticed her own lack of movement. She tried a tiny bit of movement, aware of how much it hurt before, but nothing in her body seemed to get the signal. She couldn’t move. There was something heavy on her back, hindering any type of movement.

“I’m almost done.” He whispered, noticing her squirming in discomfort, “Gyuri, calm down.”

“Where—“ She wanted to ask, but her throat hurt with a coarse burning.

Before he could clean her eyes completely, her desperation got the best of her, and she snapped her eyes open. The sunlight blinded her momentarily, making her wince again, and everything around her was suddenly dark. He called her name with a tone that infuriated her more, and the more he did, the more she could feel his hands touching her, trying to calm her down.

“You’re safe, Gyuri,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re safe now.”

As if his words had some sort of power, whatever panic had her on edge disappeared, and she was finally aware of her body. It was his closeness that seemed to help her settle, his lips peppering her skin with the softest of comforts, and his hand pressing hers against his chest where she could hear his steady heart.

Gyuri eventually calmed down, engulfed in his embrace, and for a moment, she wanted to stay like that forever. It was the instant that she tried to move again that brought her back to reality.

“Am I dead?”

“No.”

And then silence. He pulled away, taking all of the comfort with him, and the dark and round eyes that found her were even worse, if that was possible. She saw his jaw clench and blink. Kyungsoo was there, and once again, he was the witness to her lowest point.

“You have to tell him.” He said, “Gyuri, Baekhyun needs to know.”

Gyuri flinched at the words. The sweetness that just minutes earlier could’ve saved her from doom was now dry and gone. He didn’t even look at her in the eyes, and she stared at him dumbfounded, wondering if she was actually dead. A living Kyungsoo would never say such a thing. He would never meddle in her business about the curse. He never had.

“He knows something's wrong.” He kept on, his fingers anxiously fidgeting with her hand. “He's looking for you and is bombarding your parent's phones with calls and texts. He won't stop until he knows.”

If she wasn’t dead, she must’ve been dreaming because the words that came out of his mouth couldn’t be true.

“Don't make them lie for you.” He begged in a whisper.

She wasn’t dreaming. The strength of his hands holding her let her know. The warmth of his skin was too overwhelming for her mind to simulate. So the writer himself, Do Kyungsoo, was indeed asking her to do the very first thing she decided to avoid. He, the one who had been with her from the beginning, was meddling. He was trying.

She pulled her hand away, making him finally look at her, and for an instant, a hint of anger flashed across his eyes. He stepped away, and what she saw rattled her core. He looked exhausted, his clothes splattered in blood. So it hadn’t been that long since she collapsed.

"Don't," she croaked, refusing to believe that he would even ask.

“Gyuri, you have to.”

“No.”

“He doesn't hate you.” He argued back, his eyes glistening. “Why would he spend an entire hour knocking at your door and waiting for you or your parents to come back?”

Gyuri shook her head, unable to talk and feeling her eyes watering. He asked again. He pleaded under his breath, his voice cracking, and she refused once again. She felt her face burn in anger. If she didn’t tell Baekhyun before, what made the writer believe she would tell him now that she was a step away from her impending doom? 

Did she say all that out loud? She didn’t know, but his face was twisted in frustration. Kyungsoo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. What she never expected was for him to change. The Kyungsoo who opened his eyes was a much harsher and less patient man. His eyes hardened, looking at her with nothing but emptiness, and Gyuri shivered at the coldness that followed his words.

“Just know that you’re killing him just as slowly.”

With that, he pressed the red button on the panel board next to the bed. The buzz of an alarm distracted her, and soon the room buzzed with activity. Her parents came in, gushing over her, crying, and showering her with love. As horribly upset as she felt, she just couldn’t push them away. She bit back the annoyance and let them shed their tears in peace.

Once the mood settled and her mother stopped crying, Gyuri heard someone come into the room. She was lying down on her side, so she couldn’t see who it was, and when the male greeted everyone present, she couldn’t recognize the voice. Then she saw the man in the impeccably white coat show up in her peripheral vision, and the face was awfully familiar, but Gyuri couldn’t tell where it came from.

“Hello, Gyuri,” The man said with a tender white smile that was charming. “I’m Dr. Kim Junmyeon, and I’ll be looking out for you from now on.” 

That name rang a bell in her memory, and she observed the doctor as he walked around the bed where she was lying, trying to connect the dots. It was not until he stood right in front of her and bowed his head to her that Gyuri finally recognized him. He was beautiful. She always marveled at how handsome he looked on the brochure but never thought he would be so overwhelmingly beautiful in the flesh. She even wondered if she was still dreaming.

“Wait, you’re the researcher.” Gyuri pointed out, struggling to keep the astonishment out of her voice, "You’re the head of the Korean WHO division and the youngest doctor in the entire organization.”

“I see you did your homework.” He said this, trying to keep his smile small and not blind her with his beauty.

“It was one of those days.” She replied with a shrug.

Gyuri meant to make it sound lighthearted, but the doctor barely smiled in response. He nodded in agreement, probably highly aware of what she meant, and pulled a light pen out of his coat instead and held it in front of her eyes.

"Where am I? What's this place?" She asked as he directed her to follow the light left and right.

"A precaution." Dr. Kim said, turning the light pen off and putting it back in his coat pocket. "Kyungsoo got this place in case the disease came back for him. He got all the equipment and staff ready on standby."

The doctor gave her a meaningful look. He knew just how crazy what he said was, and Gyuri heard her mother gasp in surprise. If her parents didn’t know already, they knew now. The secret was out, and she felt bad for the writer. He just kept giving out parts of himself and the privacy of his life to accommodate her wellbeing.  

“How are you feeling?” The doctor asked, his polite smile going away.

And she hated everything about that question. She couldn’t even tell where she was exactly, and she was expected to tell the kind doctor how she felt. She didn’t know. She had never known for sure, and it was so hard to come up with the right words that Gyuri got so worked up that a machine started beeping out of control.

“Relax,” he said, placing his hand gently over her shoulder. “There are no wrong answers to this; just tell me how you feel. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense right now.”

The doctor’s word helped. She relaxed, but not enough to actually bring out an answer from her, and seemingly aware of that, Dr. Kim never lost his patience. His entire posture remained serious yet gentle. Gyuri suspected that there was nothing she could say that would make the doctor stumble.

“Are you in pain?” He asked, and she nodded. “What does it hurt?”

“Everything.”

“What about your back?” He said, looking away from her face to her back, making her feel self-conscious of what she couldn’t see, “Your parents told me they heard it snap.”

“I can feel my legs.” She said this, focusing all of her attention on her legs.

“You can?” He said, with a curious pout, “Can you feel this?”

Dr. Kim disappeared from her view for a moment, and Gyuri felt a pinch on the sole of her foot. She automatically jolted in surprise, making her and the doctor chuckle.

“I can move my toes too.” She said, wiggling her toes, which earned a pleased smile from the doctor.

“Well, that’s good!”

“I felt something break, though.” She wondered, trying to move her torso, but once again, she couldn’t.

“That should have been your back, but you just proved me wrong.” He said and for a split second, she watched as his eyes furrowed in worry. “We took some x-rays while you were unconscious.”

Gyuri didn’t like the tone in his voice. It was the same expression the other Dr. Kim had when he delivered the grave news of her diagnosis months ago. She watched the young doctor pull a white frame equipped with wheels out and place it in front of her. He placed the x-rays up on the screen and lit them up, revealing part of her squeleton.  

“This is what came up.” The doctor said, pulling a rolling stool in between her bed and the light frame, “It was impossible to tell if there was any damage to your spine.”

She suspected as much. Gyuri wasn’t knowledgeable in the slightest when it came to the human body, but she knew what a normal squeleton should look like. What the x-rays were showing wasn’t normal. Not only the white and whirling lines that had sprouted through her body were as unseatling as the white mass that went from her hips up to her shoulder plates. Whatever that was, it couldn’t be normal. Something had invaded her torso, and it made sense why she couldn’t move.

“What’s on my spine?” She asked, watching the x-rays in disbelief.

“It is not on it.” He said, sitting closer to her, “That is your spine.”

Gyuri had no chance to react. She heard her mother, somewhere in the room, burst into tears and her father comforting her. It was just as bad as she thought, and she couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down the side of her face. She never thought she would stay alive to see something like this happen to her body, and a wave of desperation urged her to move. She tried to get up, to stand up, and to make sure it wasn’t real, but the doctor stopped her, assuring her that he was there to answer her every question.

“Just tell me, no lies.” She said, her voice trembling in fear to hear the answer, “What’s exactly happening to me?”

“Are you aware of the several types of flower corpses?” He asked.

Gyuri has seen the pictures. On one of those bad days, she just let her sadness take her to a dark and morbid place as she watched hundreds of pictures of corpses. She’d seen the ones that had the stem protruding from their mouths, or the mounds of flower petals and juices. 

“Which one am I turning into?” She asked, trying her best not to succumb to the desperation while her mother kept silently crying in the background, “By the dahlia flowers that invaded my house, I’m assuming I’ll be covered in some kind of ground bush, right?”

“It’s more complicated than that.” The doctor said, getting himself more comfortable in the small stool, although his expression remained just as serious, “You have a variant of the Hanahaki disease that is extremely rare. The stem won’t come out of your mouth as any other case does, nor will you throw up so many petals that you’ll disintegrate or get covered in grass.”

“What are you trying to say?” Her mother asked, finally coming closer to where the doctor was talking to Gyuri, “What will happen to her?”

Dr. Kim brought out a tablet and showed Gyuri the gallery with what looked like hundreds of pictures of her back. The bruises were gone, and her breath got stuck in the knot in her throat at the sight of her skin split open, red, bleeding, and alive, and the rough edges of something dark protruding through her flesh right between her shoulder blades. No wonder she could barely move.

“What you see there are crusts covering what is growing from your back.” The doctor explained, "We believe this is the stem of the plant you're turning into, and it will be quite a painful transformation.”

Overwhelmed by the news, Gyuri turned the tablet off and handed it to the doctor. She noticed in the motion that her knuckles were not just hurting with the scratches of her own nails; the wounds were bigger and more horrible. The very same thing that was growing on her back was now also sprouting through the skin of her hands. That was what hurt her eyes when she tried to scratch them open. 

“Your joints hurt, right?” The doctor kept on with the explanation. 

“It feels like they’re glued to each other.” She replied, trying to move her fingers, although she found it harder than she thought.

“They kind of are.” Dr. Kim agreed, taking her hand in his to point out the scabs around the rough edges of the wounds. “Your ligaments are hardening and will eventually become sapwood. Your skin isn’t just drying up. It is solidifying into bark.”

Everything went still. As if sensing Gyuri needed a minute to put her thoughts together, the doctor stayed quiet, observing her reaction, and she appreciated the brief break. She needed it as her brain went overboard with the recollections of everything she had ever felt in the last few months. Finally, every symptom—the stiffness in her back, her knees and heels hurting and stopping working out of nowhere, the insane amounts of moisturizer and body cream—made sense.

“I’ll become a tree, you say.” Gyuri finally said out loud, letting the idea sink in.

“Essentially.” He agreed, giving her a small smile full of emotion.

“I’ve never heard of that before.”

“That’s because your case might be one in billions.” He said, looking at the x-rays with a frown, “I’ve never heard of a case like yours registered since the breakout.”

“Wow, so it turns out I’m actually special.” Gyuri chuckled at the irony of the entire situation, but the comment had the opposite reaction, making her mother burst into a crying fit again. “Mom, I’m joking. Don’t cry; I was joking!”

“That’s not something you joke about.” Her mother argued back, but her father was by her side.

“Why don’t we let our pumpkin talk to the doctor alone?” He said, embracing his wife and slowly walking away.

Gyuri and the doctor watched her parents leave the room as her mother kept on complaining about her lack of seriousness. As much as it hurt to see them suffering, a part of her warmed at the immense love she felt for them and their well-meaning concern. Then she caught the doctor observing the x-rays again, and she couldn't come up with an accurate read on his expression.  

“What do you need then?” She asked, bringing his attention back to her, “You’ve been studying this disease your entire career, and I happen to be a one in a billion case. I’m extraordinary, am I?”

“That’s right, you’re extraordinary.” He said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and be at her eye level. “But I’m more concerned about making it less painful.”

“Thank you, but I’m dying already.” She said, thinking in all the moments she wished everything could be over. “Whether you do a couple of experiments or not, I’ll die either way.”

“I’m sorry.” Dr. Kim said it with genuine concern.

“Don’t be. I am the fool who fell in love.”

“Falling in love isn’t foolish, Gyuri.” He said with such seriousness that Gyuri felt exposed under the doctor’s eyes. 

“Tell that to my heart.” She laughed, trying to deflect the intensity of his words, but regretted it instantly when her chest hurt. “Will it help anyone?”

“Any sample from you would give us new clues to follow the main strand of the disease.” He said, sitting straight, that it felt like the doctor was getting in a better mood just by talking about it. “That might be the key to finding a way to stop the cellular corruption, or at least an answer to how it actually works.”

“What did Kyungsoo’s samples tell you?” She asked, her mind feeling more and more alive as time went by. "Oh, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked."

"Don't worry," Dr. Kim said, waving his hands, and Gyuri just looked at him in absolute awe at the brightness of his smiling face and his eyes turning in the smallest crescent moons. “I wasn't on the case; I was still a student back then, and he didn’t let them take any samples.” 

“Why?” She wanted to know.

Gyuri wasn’t sure if it was alright to ask such a question. The young doctor was suddenly lost in his thoughts. He crossed his legs, and she was sure she could almost hear his mind working at full speed.  

“Back then, no one had the right equipment to run any proper test, except maybe for the Japanese.” He said, his hands resting on his knees, and for a split second, the man looked a lot younger. “And not even them. People were dropping dead like flies, and no one knew where to go. If you wanted a shot at getting tested, that meant submitting your name to the long waiting lists in the hopes of getting a chance. He didn’t want any of that.”

“It does sound scary.” Gyuri mumbled, remembering the chaos reigning on those days.

“It isn’t like that anymore.” Dr. Kim added with a proud smile, “You’d be surprised by the number of tests I can run right in this complex just with a tube of your blood.”

“Let’s do it then.”

Something in the atmosphere changed. The young doctor sat up straight again and looked at her with a curious glint in his eyes that made Gyuri wonder if there was something wrong, but at the same time, she had never been more sure of anything in her life. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, “Are your parents aware of what you want?” 

“They’re not exactly happy, but yeah. They’re okay with it.” She replied, recalling that her mother just burst into tears not that long ago but knew she ultimately wouldn’t object to her wishes. 

“You’re extremely brave for doing this.”

“That’s not something people tell me often.” She chuckled, making the doctor smile with such an immense amount of compassion that Gyuri had to look away. “But it’s fine; I guess it won’t hurt more than it already does.”

“We’ll do our best to make it as comfortable as possible,” Dr. Kim assured, finally standing up and making a sign somewhere behind her back. “This is Kim Jongdae; he’ll be your nurse, and I’ll leave you to him so he can explain what will happen from here on."

As if on cue, a young man stepped into her view, pushing a cart, and with a wide smile across his face, he introduced himself again. Gyuri felt suddenly out of place. She thanked the doctor, but he was already walking away, and she stumbled on her words when the nurse asked her something. 

"Are you comfortable with me being around you?" He asked, working on the fluid bag hanging next to the bed, "I'll have to give you a bath eventually."

Gyuri couldn't hide the surprise or the embarrassment burning in her cheeks. She was so taken aback by the sudden prospect of a man giving her a bath that she felt her words getting stuck in her throat, which only managed to make the young male nurse chuckle in amusement.

"Don't worry about it; there will be a female nurse around for that." He said, pulling the rolling stool next to her bed, "I'll be too busy assisting Dr. Kim anyway."

The relief was instant. Gyuri couldn’t hide it, and the sigh of relief felt louder than ever. The young nurse looked at her from his clipboard and subjected her to the biggest pout she had ever seen. The little noise of disbelief was adorable, and even his brows moved as if on their own, making the nurse’s entire face contract.

“Your loss," he said, holding on to his pout. “I give very good sponge baths.”

The nurse sulked in his place, and Gyuri couldn’t help it; she chuckled at the pout and the almost childish little whine. It was impossible that someone older than her could look so adorable on command. 

“There it is! Such a beautiful smile.” He perked up, mirroring her smile, and said, "Now I’ll explain some of the equipment that we'll use with you."

As if by magic, Gyuri felt calm and relaxed in the presence of the new stranger who would take care of her. She felt at ease enough to welcome his every explanation and even snicker at every other little joke the man threw at her for the next hour.

***

Kyungsoo left the room on a whim. He stormed out, angry and frustrated, but he had nowhere else to go. He had been sitting in his car in silence for God knows how long, trying to find an excuse good enough to make him leave the premises he had prepared so long ago for a situation like this. He had everything ready for an eventuality of this kind, but he wasn’t the patient this time. He wasn’t the one withering away in a bed in a room of the secluded villa deep in the countryside. He had defeated the curse. He was safe, but why didn’t he feel like it?

He wanted to leave to gather himself, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. There was no place he wanted to be as much as he wanted to be there, holding her hand. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and walked inside the villa, back to her.

He reached the hallway to his room, a room that was designed to be his when the time came, and ignoring the dreadful feeling in his chest, he kept walking. When he finally reached the room, he halted, watching Jongdae collect more blood while Gyuri read something from a clipboard. He heard her ask if the bone marrow biopsy hurt as much as she imagined it would. The nurse explained, admitting that it was a very uncomfortable procedure.

“You can’t do it.” He said, bringing their attention to him. “Don’t do it.”

“Kyungsoo…” Gyuri called him with such softness that he almost stopped.

“They’ll turn you into a lab rat.” He said, as he walked around the bed to see her face.

“I’m already a freak; I might as well do something good about it.” She added, handing the clipboard back to the nurse.

“Don’t do it.”

“Like you didn’t do it back then.” She asked, making the writer and the nurse freeze in their spots.

Gathering all of his equipment, nurse Kim apologized and left the room, pushing the little cart that suddenly made so much noise that it was unbearable.

“Kyungsoo, I want to do it.” Gyuri explained, looking away from him, “I just want to bring something good out of all of this.”

“It will be painful.”

“I’m in pain already!” She raised her voice, looking at him with a fiery glint in her eyes, but as soon as the outburst happened, she settled back and said, “Nothing will change my mind.”

He didn’t know what could break through her determination, and his jaw clenched and his fingers worked themselves, picking the nails in frustration. He might be quiet and look collected, but Gyuri looked at him, and he knew she could see the storm brewing in his eyes. The tension in his jaw and the impatience in his hands were hard to miss.

"What?" She asked, seeing right through him.

“I can’t see you suffering.” He finally said.

“You’ve seen me suffering for months now." She said, finally softening and looking a lot more exhausted and spent than she looked just seconds before, “Out of everyone, you’re the one that has seen me at my worst. What's different now?”

“I don’t want you to do it.” He pleaded, closing the distance between them to grab her hand. “Please, don’t do it.”

“Ok, tell me why, and I’ll think about it.” She said, looking at their holding hands with a hopeful expression, “Maybe if it’s a good reason, I'll change my mind.”

But he had no good reasons other than his own selfishness. All he wanted was for her to stop suffering. He would give his entire fortune to ease her pain, and signing up for the research program was totally against that. She would die in the worst of pain, and he couldn’t stay there to witness it. His face must’ve expressed every doubt and concern because her hands slipped from his to his face, and as small and delicate as they were, her touch felt surprisingly strong and steady.

“I’m sorry.” She said.

Not only her eyes, but her voice was so soft and filled with understanding that Kyungsoo flinched in response. He knew there was nothing he could say to persuade her. Just as she bravely tackled every challenge head-on, she would face her end with her head high.

Kyungsoo stepped away from her. He wanted to be angry at everything and at her, at her damned goodness and her seemingly blind faith in Junmyeon, but the resolution in her eyes did not falter for a second. He staggered back, refusing to believe that was all he could do to convince her.

He left the room again, torn between what he wanted and what he knew she needed, and burst into the main office, ready to fight the only person he could blame for this. Of course, he was still working to find a cure. If someone could find it, it was him. What angered him the most was his calm demeanor. The doctor didn’t even flinch when he came in and seemed to be waiting for him.

“What did you tell her?” He said while walking to the doctor.

“Kyungsoo, calm down first.” Junmyeon said, walking up to him as well.

“What did you tell her?!” Kyungsoo snapped at his calmness, throwing his hands at him, but someone pulled him back before he could even get any closer.

“It is what she wants.”

“You don’t know what she wants!” The writer yelled, trying to free himself.

Whoever had him in the tightest of locks pulled him even farther from Junmyeon while another door burst open and Minseok ran in, alarmed.

“What’s going on?” The editor asked, assessing the situation.

“Kyungsoo, she filled out the forms to join the program months ago.” Junmyeon said, never looking away from him.

“This is what you always wanted.” Kyungsoo ignored everything around him and focused all of his anger at the doctor, saying, “To become the famous doctor who found the cure. At her expense!”

“You brought me here!” The doctor finally snapped, “You kept calling me, and not once did I reject any of your calls, no matter how many times you hung up on me. I’m here for you!”

Realizing that he had lost control of himself, Junmyeon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Kyungsoo seemed just as taken aback by the sudden burst of emotion from the doctor that he had stopped struggling against whoever was holding him back. The doctor made a small sign and the hold loosened, giving Kyungsoo the freedom to move, and then he heard nurse Kim apologize before letting him go for good.

“Believe it or not, as much as I want to push this research forward,” Junmyeon explained slowly and as easily as he could. “I know she’s suffering, and I want to relieve that pain, foremost.”

Kyungsoo scoffed in response, but the doctor remained calm and kept on with his explanation.

“That’s right, and just as I respected your wishes to stay out of your case, even if it meant saving lives,” he said, and Kyungsoo noticed the editor squirm in his spot. “All I’m asking is for you to do the same; respect her wishes.”

“Minseok,” Kyungsoo said, without even looking at him, “Yixing should be arriving anytime soon. Make sure he comes here quietly and straight from the airport.”

The reaction on Junmyeon’s face indicated to him that he had crossed a line, and when the writer looked over his shoulder, he found Minseok staring at him with his arms crossed over his chest and his head cocked to one side. He wasn’t visibly angry, but he knew well enough that his words did not sit well with his oldest hyung. He regretted it almost immediately.

“Drop that tone with me.” Minseok warned him, his eyes twitching in anger.

“Hyung…”

“Don’t.” The editor stopped him, and Kyungsoo felt the smallest he had felt in years. “You’ve been treating me as a simple employee on your payroll; I might as well start acting like one so you won’t have to worry. If she’s the asset that’s making you write again, I know how to handle tough situations quietly, Kyungsoo. I have a business to protect too.”

Minseok had already pulled his phone to his ear before Kyungsoo could even begin to apologize. He still tried. He called him again, but the editor exited the room while he spoke to his assistant, leaving him behind with his regret.

"We're your friends, Kyungsoo. We always have been,” Junmyeon added, looking at him with his characteristic kind smile, “so don't push us away, not again."

“I’m sorry.” That was all he managed to say.

Kyungsoo left the office, his entire body feeling heavier, and went to the only place he felt remotely better, even though it had wrung all the warmth out of him lately. He came back into her room. She was silent and deep in thought, her slender fingers absently picking on the crusts of her other hand. She stopped when he came into her view, and he wasn’t brave enough to speak first. At least not while she looked at him the way she did. Her eyes bore into him, almost piercing through his soul, and he wondered if he would be strong enough to see the light slowly fade out of them.

“Don’t look at me like that.” He said in a whisper.

“Like what?” She asked, her eyes observing him thoroughly.

“As if I’m wounded.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re pitying me.” He said, finally holding her gaze.

“I’m just wondering how lonely and bad you must’ve felt then that you thought that letting it all go was the only course of action.” She said, looking away as if it were rude of her to do so, “It doesn’t make any sense.” 

“I just want you to stop hurting.”

“Then why!?” Gyuri fired up, almost sitting up in a surge of anger that startled him. “Why do you keep trying to make me tell Baekhyun!?”

Kyungsoo found himself jumping back, afraid of her. Afraid of her pretty face twisting in rage, her once sweet and caring eyes went wild and bloodshot. Gyuri propped herself on her hands, as if getting ready to pounce on him, when her body contorted, and as soon as the anger took over her, the violence disappeared, and she brought a hand to her mouth. She gagged a couple of times, making Kyungsoo flinch when flower petals and red juices poured out of her. He just stayed there, horrified and unable to react. It was not until the curse gave her a split second of a break that she looked at him and called his name in the smallest of whispers, yet it was loud enough to bring him back to action. Kyungsoo finally found the will to move and went to her, holding her small frame and moving her body so she wouldn’t choke on the petals. He didn’t have to push the red bottom again; every machine connected to her body started to blare in alarm, and he just had to wait for help to arrive.

It took longer than he thought. Kyungsoo cursed under his breath when his feet started slipping from all of the fluids that kept falling from her mouth. And for what it felt like minutes later, Junmyeon and Jongdae came into the room, dressed up in full surgical gowns and face masks that looked more like they were brought out of a zombie movie than real life. He urged them to help, but they hesitated, looking at him, frozen in their spots.

Gyuri contorted again as a new wave of flower petals gushed out of her, making Kyungsoo struggle to keep her steady, and with that, the doctor and the nurse started moving again. Jongdae was next to Gyuri, pulling a bucket out of nowhere, and held her in place while Junmyeon approached the writer with caution.

“Kyungsoo, you can smell it, right?” He asked, and although his voice was muffled by the face mask, it was obvious there was a hint of urgency in it. “Can you smell the stench?”

The question distracted him. It caught his attention enough to look at the doctor searching for an answer to such a question when he realized that he was standing still, looking at his own hands covered in flower petals, while the nurse took over holding Gyuri.

“It smells like her.” Kyungsoo said to himself, watching the petals tint his skin bright red.

“The gastric juices are toxic in large doses,” Junmyeon explained, grabbing him by the arms and gently pulling him away from the bed. “They can be poisonous enough for a grown adult after prolonged exposure.”

“Hyung, it just smells like her.” The writer said again.

“Listen to me now; I need you to stay here, alright?” Junmyeon said, still slowly dragging him away from Gyuri, “Did you hear me? I need you to stay here.”

Feeling lightheaded, Kyungsoo nodded. Satisfied with his answer, Junmyeon gave orders away and let him go, leaving him in the arms of someone else who nudged him forward. He couldn’t look away from his tinted hands, trying to find another smell other than her scent, but that was all he had. Her perfume. Her flower petals stuck to his skin, and as horrible as they were, they all smelled like her.

The writer lost track of time. He was seated in the office, but he had no recollection of how he got there. He only managed to gather himself when Junmyeon was back. With his surgical gown and face mask gone and looking beyond worried, Kyungsoo watched him explain something to Minseok. That was when he realized the editor, most likely, was the one that brought him there and kept him company while they stabilized Gyuri back to normal.

“She’s fine.” Junmyeon said to him when he was done talking with Minseok.

The news seemed to release a chokehold around his entire body, and Kyungsoo felt like he could breathe again. He closed his eyes, letting the immense amount of relief help ease the sinking feeling in his chest, but the doctor, bringing a chair closer, stopped it. Junmyeon sat right in front of him, and the worried look on his face scared him.

“I know I promised you years ago that I wouldn’t ask again, but this is a development no one has ever seen.” He started, and everything in him sounded serious. “Would you let me interview you on the record and film the session for research purposes? I swear, it is all kept in anonymity.”

“Would it help now?” Kyungsoo asked, trying to rub the red tint off his skin, “If I decide to let you test my blood, would it help her somehow?”

“I don’t know.” He said, “How long has it been since the last time you threw up petals? 4 years? Probably more, which means there might not be any traces of the disease in your blood anymore, or maybe there are, but there’s no way to know until we analyze it.”

“Do it.” Kyungsoo said, looking the doctor straight in the eye, “Take whatever you need.”

“Kyungsoo, are you sure?”

“Take whatever you need to save her.”

---> Keep Reading Here <---

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 4]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 6,503

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

“Why are you so…annoying!?” She grunted, “How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Gyuri groaned, kicking the air under her desk and almost pulling her hair out in frustration. Taking a deep breath, cracking her knuckles, and focusing herself back on the task, Gyuri read the string of complaining messages once again. She set herself to explain the client the same thing again for what it felt, the trillionth time.

A few years back, her father settled a small room of their house as her work office, and that was the most excited she had seen him. He took the project to set up that space to her liking very seriously. Her father went from being a painter to a craftsman. He also repaired any electricity issues or whatever she needed him to fix to make that room the most comfortable home office in the world. Gyuri never missed the chance to shower him with praises. However, sometimes even the familiarity of her safe space wasn't enough to fight back the stress of dealing with other human beings.

Despite her explanations, the client started complaining again. She deflated on her seat, wondering if she could just curse at him. Gyuri was pondering the possibility of doing it and getting a complaint about her performance because, at this point, she didn’t care anymore. She had been logged in the session with him for almost 3 hours and yet, didn't make any progress. For the last two years, the man kept demanding upgrades on his website way above the budget of what his basic package could cover. In all that time, whenever he requested to talk to her, Gyuri could not make him understand that.

Looking at the clock on the other side of the room, she just tried to calm herself down. She was lucky enough to have supervisors that weren’t that strict overall. They didn't care that much about her office hours as long as she covered a 40-hour quota every week, although she set herself a clocking in time. Some days, depending on her mood, she stayed in her pajamas all day, but most of the time, she changed her clothes. It didn’t really matter to anyone, but somehow, it gave her some sense of belonging. It made her feel like she was a functional nine-to-five office worker.

It was pouring down outside, she hadn't realized. The sky was grey, the temperature kept dropping, and Gyuri made a decision. She closed all the tabs and programs and signed out without even saying goodbye to the client. Her temples and the back of her head pulsed in an imminent headache, and just a minute later, her work phone started whirring on her desk. She didn’t have to look at the screen to know the client was calling her. She let it buzz like always until it stopped, and when she grabbed it, it was to find another missed call from the nine the same client had made on that day.

Letting out a tired sigh at his obnoxiousness and insistence to talk to her, but Gyuri never talked to clients. She avoided it at all costs, but she texted the man nonetheless, apologizing for going offline so suddenly. She excused herself, saying it was due to a power outage. Rolling her eyes at the new string of messages, she assured him that she would keep working on his website as soon as she had power again. That was obviously a lie, but he did not need to know that.

Gyuri simply turned off the phone and practically leaped out of her seat to get ready. The gloomy weather looked like the perfect chance to lift her spirit, relax a little, and be done for the rest of the day, and she lost no time to put her favorite raincoat on. Once zipped up, she twisted her body left to right, rubbing her arms on the sides of her body. She loved the swish-swish sound the fabric produced whenever she did it and made her squeal a little in happiness. Without fail, finally wearing one of her favorite pieces of clothing always filled her heart with joy.

She tried to wear her raincoat as regularly as possible. It was bright green if you look at it from an angle. If you look at it from a different one, it glimmered blue, and sometimes you could see purple gleams, and some other times, yellow ones, and the more she moved, the crazier the colors were. Somehow, Gyuri still had it hard to believe she had something as fashionable as an iridescent raincoat. That simple garment was too hip and high-end for her. It definitely wasn’t something she would wear, but it was the kind of crazy colors she liked and wished she was edgy enough to wear more often. 

Gyuri grabbed her rain boots, her purse with her phone, wallet, a simple lip balm, and the tin can with just a couple of candies left in it, and that was it. She thought about taking her watch as well, but the pouring rain was pleasant and soothing enough that she considered there was no need for it.

“I’m going out mom!” She yelled, skipping down the stairs, carrying her rain boots, and heading out when she heard her mother hurrying up to her.

“Where are you going?”

“To get some coffee.” She replied, grunting as she pushed one foot into the boot, “Maybe even go to the bookstore.”

“Do you have money?” Her mother asked, already pulling her coin purse out.

She meant to argue. She didn’t need her mother to give her pocket money to go out, but when Gyuri looked at her, she seemed to be out of herself. Whatever made her mother hesitate, she brushed it off as fast as she could, cleared her throat, and pulled a couple of checks off her purse.

“Here, get yourself a nice dessert. Something really sweet.” She said, but Gyuri noticed the frailty in her voice.

Her mother slipped the checks in one of the pockets of her raincoat. Before Gyuri could say anything, she walked away to the kitchen, leaving her at the entrance, completely taken aback. 

After the dreadful day of the news, the mood at home calmed down to a certain degree. Although they didn’t openly talk about her problem, Gyuri noticed the sadness and apprehension in how her parents handled themselves around her. Whereas her mother kept cooking, making all of her favorite dishes, and randomly giving her pocket money. Her father’s grieving process was a lot more heartbreaking.

It had been only a week, and she couldn’t dismiss it anymore. Her father would come into her room after dinner and just sit down and talk to her. He’d bring out a random topic he read in the newspaper or something that happened at work, and just like that, they would jump from one subject to another. The discussions always went from a well-articulated debate on social media regulations to laughing at some silly meme he asked her to explain. Every single time, their conversations came to an end in the same way, and that was with her laughing.

“You must be tired.” He’d say, after a while and before pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, “Have a goodnight, pumpkin.”

Her father would leave with a forced smile on his face, and Gyuri pretended she couldn’t hear him break down outside the room even if it crushed her heart every single time it happened.

Gyuri never mentioned anything to them, and she knew they didn’t mean to overwhelm her with the attention, but there was so much she could handle before feeling like she was going to explode. When the weather decided to mirror the heaviness in her heart, she couldn’t help but go out and try to make the most out of it.

The bus ride to her favorite coffee shop was almost uneventful until she felt her phone buzzing and her mood sank when she saw a new text from Baekhyun. She ignored it, burying the phone deep in her purse, but found it impossible not to think about it for the rest of the ride. No matter how much she tried to focus on anything other than him, he remained on her thoughts.

It seemed like Baekhyun gave up on his efforts to find out what was going on with her, which she was mildly grateful for. A week later, apart from the usual texts he sent her to share his favorite memes or a new favorite song, nothing much happened at that end. However, their weekly hangout coming was enough to make her a bundle of nerves, and she couldn’t formulate a plan to skip it without making him suspicious.

Arriving at the bus stop a few minutes later, Gyuri jumped out to the rain, and the rhythmic pitter-patter of the raindrops against the hood of her raincoat made her so happy. She had it almost impossible to stop a smile from spreading across her face.

She liked the rain. 

Most of the time, Gyuri felt guilty for finding it amusing when she saw people struggling with their umbrellas. Somehow, it cheered her up. The rain also made people quiet. When everybody was immersed in their rush to locate some shelter and avoid the chaos, Gyuri always found herself pleasantly lost in its music. When most people ran away from it, she embraced the stillness and the peace. The rain muted every scary noise and stopped people from forcing her to talk.

The rain granted her the possibility to be out there, feeling carefree and alive. It allowed her to hum to herself without worrying if anyone could hear her voice, jump into puddles, feel her nose getting cold, and her fingertips numb. 

She lived for rainy days.

Immersed in looking down to the ground and the satisfying and perfectly chaotic patterns of the raindrop splatters and ripples on the floor, Gyuri's happy self-absorption came to a stop. She bumped against a body, making her step back in surprise. 

“Sorry.” 

She heard at the same time she mumbled her apology, but even the music of rain was a lull in comparison to his soft voice. Gyuri looked up to find the ciabatta man, staring at her just as surprised as she was. However, the first thing she noticed was that his eyes under his black cap had a sad glint to them. What were the odds of running into him in such a big city?

“How are you feeling?” He asked, showing a very tiny hint of a smile.

Gyuri was not sure. She was happy for the time being in that exact moment under the rain but thinking on something further than her immediate mood felt treacherous. She didn't bother to give him more than a shrug. 

“Do you want a coffee?” She said instead, trying to ignore her looming anguish.

He helped her. He essentially saved her life and stayed with her when she felt desolated. Gyuri owed it to him, but she didn't know how to repay such kindness. A cup of coffee had to do for now.

“I was on my way to get one, actually.” He said, and his small smile got wider. “Do you mind?”

The ciabatta man pointed out somewhere in the opposite direction of where she was walking to, and Gyuri found herself gladly turning around and joining him on his way to the coffee shop. That simple action felt liberating somehow, and she genuinely smiled for the first time, probably since the diagnosis, and that felt invariably better. She even felt comfortable enough to let out a chuckle when he arranged his umbrella to cover her as well, despite her having her raincoat on.

“I've realized that you're still a stranger.” She said after the first block of a silent walk.

“Do Kyungsoo.” He said unceremoniously, and even his name, with that deep voice of his, had a nice ring to it, “What about you? You're also still a stranger.”

“Kang Gyuri.”

“Nice to meet you.” He replied.

After the polite and discrete introductions, they kept walking side by side in a comfortable silence under the rain. Somehow and out of nowhere, Gyuri had the urge to explain herself to the considerate stranger. 

“About the other day, he wasn't lying.” Gyuri started, focusing herself on the curtains of rain falling in the street, “I don't have any friends.” 

Gyuri never thought that saying that out loud would have such an effect on her. It was a sad admission. She always pretended it didn’t bother her, but it did. She did not have friends. The only one she got was going to be the cause of her death.

“I have problems talking to people.” She admitted with a sigh.

“You don’t seem to have problems talking to me.” He pointed out, and Gyuri had to agree.

She looked at him, wondering how on earth was so easy to articulate words in front of him. His proximity felt comfortable, and the noticeable lack of judgment in his eyes was reassuring.

He grabbed her hand, and she noticed right away that her nails were different. The pinkish and natural tone of her skin was suddenly tinted with a yellowish tinge. Red swirls spotted them and looked like blood bruises under her fingernails, making her hands look sick.

Gyuri realized then why her mother faltered earlier that day. Bringing her hands closer to her face, she had to come to terms that her body was finally outwardly caving into the disease. 

“At least they aren't fuchsia.” He grumbled, and Gyuri couldn’t hold the snort that came from the bottom of her chest.

“Your nails were bright pink?” She asked, amused just to imagine him with bright-colored fingernails.

“Do you want to get them done?” He said, looking over his shoulder to a nail salon across the street, “I painted mine when the bruising showed up.”

“I would never guess you as someone so versed on the subject.” She said, and her comment was received with a small and lopsided smile, “What color did you use?”

“Nude.”

“Of course.” Gyuri chuckled, “I’ve never gotten my nails done before so I guess I can go wild for once.”

With a nod and without letting her hand go, Kyungsoo pulled her forward to cross the street. Once on the other side and as he held her hand, Gyuri openly stared at him, unable to utter a word. He should have let her hand go already. Although he didn't, the warmth of his skin was so pleasantly comfortable around her numb fingers that she simply tightened her hold onto it. 

They came into the small salon, and she stood still at the entrance, waiting for Kyungsoo to manage his umbrella. Her eyes wandered around the place to find a spot to hang her raincoat dripping with water when she was welcomed by a lady. She had such a kind and wrinkled smile that Gyuri found so heartwarming, and that was already prodding her to a rack where she could leave her coat.

“Good evening,” Kyungsoo greeted once he settled his umbrella in a corner, “We don’t have an appointment.” 

“Oh don’t worry,” the woman smiled, offering them both to sit, “my next two appointments have been canceled because of the rain.”

Without even realizing how easy and fast everything was happening, Gyuri was suddenly seated in front of the lady. She placed her hands over the table, and it didn't occur to her that her hands might be ugly or weird, but the woman paused when she saw them. She had seen sick hands before, and it showed in her reaction. The lady got over it quickly and placed a gentle hand on top of hers, in a comforting way Gyuri found quite soothing. 

“What color would you like?” She asked.

Gyuri let out a tiny squeak. She hadn't even assimilated the situation she was suddenly in, let alone make a decision so fast. She could go safe and do the same as Kyungsoo. She could get her nails nude and plain, but something tiny in her head screamed at her. Gyuri felt suddenly bold.

“Like your raincoat?” The woman asked when Gyuri looked over her shoulder to observe her coat hanging by the entrance, and she nodded, “Nice choice!”

The woman smiled brightly at the garment and was genuinely excited to get everything ready. In less than an hour, Gyuri was walking out of the salon with her hands upright. She stared at the iridescent gradient on her nails as her fingers seemed to sparkle with glimmers of green, blue, and purple just like she wanted. Gyuri couldn’t believe just how pretty her hands looked.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Kyungsoo asked as he walked by her side, still holding the umbrella for her.

“I work from home.” She replied mindlessly and absorbed with her new nails, “I needed a break.”

“What do you do?”

“Tech support. I’m a web developer.” She mumbled, “What about you?”

“I'm unemployed.”

She stumbled, forgetting about her nails for a second, and stared at him dumbfounded. Gyuri quite shamelessly scanned him from head to toe and was about to point out that he didn’t dress like an unemployed person. However, she looked at him better and had to reconsider her first impression. His style consisted of black trainers, simple jeans, a black jacket, a black cap, and nothing else.

“It’s by choice.” He chuckled, catching her in the middle of her not-so-subtle inspection, “I also needed a break.”

“That's good,” Gyuri said, ignoring the embarrassment of getting caught and wishing that he wouldn't believe she was that bold, “By the way, where did you get the candies? I'm running out of them already.”

“I can take you there, it's not that far.” 

***

“How much should I take?” Gyuri asked, weighing candy sacks in each hand. 

Just like Kyungsoo said, the candy shop was a few blocks away from where they were. But what felt beyond anything she could imagine was that Gyuri was practically spending the evening with a man she just met. Granted, they both seemed comfortable in spending that time in silence and if he ever decided to start a conversation, she found it easy to engage with him.

They were at the candy shop, and Gyuri was over the moon with the number of designs, shapes, and flavors they had; and she couldn’t make her mind of what to buy. She observed that Kyungsoo was capable of entertaining himself just by looking around and time to time, suggested to her to try something.

“How long did it take you to go through one of these?” She asked again, pondering if buying such a big sack of rock-hard licorice-flavored candies was just too much.

“A couple of days.” He answered softly and stood next to her without being able to hide the gloom in his face.

“That’s a lot of candies…” Gyuri muttered, suddenly worried and the bags that didn't feel as heavy, in a blink of an eye, were a lot lighter, “How many do you get now?”

“I don’t.” 

Gyuri let out a sound. Of course, he wouldn’t if he had survived the disease already. He didn’t need them to grasp to the least possible hint of relief anymore. He was free of relying on such tiny things to stay alive. She felt, even if it was faint at first, a wave of despair ready to take over her but was determined that she had to try and push it back for as long as she could. Or at the very least, keep it at bay while she was still with Kyungsoo. Gyuri kept her mind on the trail of the task and asked the employee for two sacks of candies, one with fruit designs and the other with cutesy and adorable drawings of dragonflies.

“If you don’t need them then why do you still carry them around?” She asked discreetly as they both watched the employee add more and more colorful candies to the scale.

“Sense of security,” Kyungsoo added just as softly.

She couldn’t blame him. She had felt it too. She felt the safety all over her body just by knowing she had that small tin can in her purse and the sensation of almost instant ease when she put the candies in her mouth.

“May I ask something?” She said, gathering all of her bravery, “Did you survive the disease?”

Kyungsoo froze on his spot. She saw his jaw clench and going rigid as if the simple question was painful and unrequited. For an instant, Gyuri started to regret it and nagged herself for the intrusion. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He said under his breath, stepping away from her, “Not here, at least.”

It was hard to gather if the question offended him somehow but Kyungsoo left the store and waited for her outside, and when she came out, they resumed their walk to the coffee shop in silence. If Gyuri had any other questions, his reaction made her reevaluate her approach. The last thing she wanted was to upset the only person in the world that fully understood her situation but also seemed willing to help her out.

“Screw it,” she muttered to herself, skipping forward, “What do I have to lose anyway?”

Decided and determined, Gyuri saw the small pools of water on a set of stairs in front of them. With a sudden surge of audacity, she ran down into them, splashing water around her. She felt her cheeks burning and a tiny hint of embarrassment coming over her, but it wasn’t nearly as mortifying as she thought it would be. Maybe that was what being outgoing was all about; just going for it no matter how scary it was just to see that it was not as bad.

She looked over her shoulder and found Kyungsoo standing at the top of the stairs, observing her silently. Nothing was showing on his face but a complete and perfectly blank expression. 

“What’s the point of having rain boots if you’re not going to jump into puddles?” She added, trying to ignore the self-consciousness as she concentrated on showing her boots to him.

“Cute,” He added as he walked down the stairs with a smile that Gyuri was sure had finally reached his eyes. “I like your raincoat.”

“I love it,” she agreed, grinning as she moved her arms around so the colors and the swish-swish sound of the fabric would change with her movements, “I’m like a dragonfly.”

A deep laugh drew her attention off her silly dance. The sound was so soft, short, and yet so deep and so genuine, it felt so distinctive of Kyungsoo. She was so engrossed staring at his adorable and round face scrunched in an entertained laugh that she found interesting the expression just lasted for a couple of seconds. 

“What?” She asked, slightly taken aback when he joined her.

“It suits you.” He added, giving her a beautiful and easy smile that confused her before he walked away.

Snapping herself from the daze, Gyuri caught up with him, lost in her memories. Back then, Baekhyun made a face when she showed him the iridescent raincoat on the shop's display window. She remembered his expression vividly and his lack of comments when she tried the coat on before buying it. He didn't say anything mean about how she looked with it, but also, nothing good, and right next to her was someone that happened to find her cute making a fool of herself with it.

A few blocks later, they arrived at the coffee shop, and they went in. Gyuri approached the counter only to stagger back a little when she realized that Kyungsoo was behind her, looking at the menu from a distance.

“What do you want?” He asked when she joined him and let a couple go first and order before them.

“I’ve never come here so I wouldn’t know…” She wondered, reading the menu, “What’s good?”

“Everything.” He replied, glaring and then squinting at the menu board, “Although chocolate is their specialty, they bring it from Mexico. It’s really good.”

“Hot chocolate then.” 

“Dessert?”

“Will you be getting anything?” Gyuri asked, approaching the counter to get a better look at the cakes, and Kyungsoo followed her.

“Same as you.” He said as they read the dessert menu together.

“The cheesecake looks good.” She pointed out the gigantic slice of cheesecake behind the glass, and with a nod, Kyungsoo went to the checkout to order.

Gyuri watched him approach the employee at the counter. She simply stared at his back as he paid and weirded out about the whole exchange. She started to wonder what kind of power and charm he had that she didn’t freak out like she would have whenever she visited a new establishment.

As if realizing that she was in an unfamiliar place full of noisy people, Gyuri looked around, and she just knew. She was convinced that the stares and whispers weren’t real. She was aware that her mind tended to play tricks on her when she was in public and made it feel like every rude glance and every conversation was about her. However, she struggled to convince herself that the prettiest girl behind the bar wasn’t judging her from afar.

Another employee whispered to the pretty girl as they gave glances at Gyuri's general direction. After that, she couldn’t just find a reason good enough to ignore them. They were positively talking about her. In a lame effort to shield herself from their judgy glares, slowly and as unsuspectedly as she could, Gyuri hid behind a column and patiently waited for Kyungsoo.

He was back in no time with a vibrating pager in his hands, and almost sighing out in relief, she followed him further into the shop to find a place to sit. She observed him as they waited and tried to come up with a sensitive plan to approach the subject again. However, as much as she focused her mind only on him, the attractive employee behind the counter with pale skin and pitch-black hair kept capturing her attention.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked, looking over his shoulder, following her gaze.

“I was just thinking. That girl over there.” She said absently, prodding her head to the pretty girl, “Isn’t she gorgeous?” 

Noticing the sudden attention from her and Kyungsoo, the girl seemed to be caught off guard and ducked behind the counter. Gyuri snorted at her reaction, sometimes her mind didn't play tricks on her, and they did judge her.

“Do you like girls?” Kyungsoo asked, bringing her back to the conversation at hand.

“Most unlikely, I like Baekhyun and I know for a fact that Baekhyun is a man, so…” She admitted. It took her a couple of seconds to realize what just came out of her mouth, “Don’t get any weird ideas.”

For some reason, that only made Kyungsoo find her slip even funnier. His cheeks went up in a conceited chuckle that totally meant he was indeed thinking the worst of her.

“I’m just certain he has a...” She added, “...a penis.”

Gyuri felt her face flaring in embarrassment as she tried to fix her blunder. But the longer she kept talking, the worse everything sounded, and Kyungsoo finally cackled, thoroughly amused. His shoulders even moved in restrained laughter.

“Don’t. Do not be a perv,” Gyuri warned, thinking as fast as she could to explain her poor choice of words as she raised the vibrating pager at him. “He fell asleep watching a movie, he was wearing sweatpants and he got it hard in his sleep. That’s it.”

He laughed again, and the deep timbre of his voice came out just as soft and short as the first time, and any trace of embarrassment vanished almost instantly. Gyuri simply watched him sitting there, chuckling softly and unbothered as the tips of his ears peeked out of his cap with an unusual red tint. 

It was an amusing incident indeed. Gyuri was grateful that Kyungsoo took it as such but remembered why she kept that particular memory buried deep, deep, and hidden inside her. Almost instantly, every single and dangerous thought came to the surface of her heart with all of its power. Despite all of her efforts for months, she just couldn't ignore them anymore.

“From that day on, I started to wonder what it would be like to…you know,” She mumbled, unsettled to admit it out loud.

“Sleep with him?” Kyungsoo asked, completing the sentence for her, and she had no other choice but to agree.

Gyuri felt the weight of that confession instantly, and the implications of accepting that her body desired her best friend in a very lustful way crushed everything she believed in. It was humiliating to acknowledge that she was that weak. It felt like a joke that something as natural a sex could weigh that much on her feelings for Baekhyun that she had to hold her head, afraid of it splitting in half out of frustration.

Kyungsoo wasn’t laughing anymore. She couldn’t sense him moving, but she was too flustered and embarrassed to even open her eyes and let their gazes meet. There was so much judgment she could take in a day, and seeing it in his eyes, would nudge her off control. 

“You love him and everything about him,” He assured, “never be ashamed of that.”

Gyuri sat up straight and just gaped at the guy seated in front of her. Kyungsoo wasn't even talking directly to her. He had his eyes lost in the pouring rain outside the coffee shop, but there was a tiny trace of remorse in his voice. One thing she could tell was that the guy delivering those words wasn’t only the ciabatta man that selflessly helped her out but a Hanahaki Disease survivor.

“Did you get the curse because you...” She intended to ask but hesitated when he looked at her, attentively, “...you slept with her?”

“I don’t think it works that way with sex but I bet it is just as dangerous.” He said, “Have the two of you…” 

Gyuri shook her head instantly and almost furiously at the prospect of getting intimate with Baekhyun. She could feel her cheeks blushing just to think about it, even if she couldn't afford to let her imagination wander in that scenario.

“He’s my best friend and my social skills are close to nonexistent.” She explained with a shrug, “This is the closest I’ve ever been to a date.”

“A date?”

Gyuri panicked and looked at him when she heard him, barely aware that she was the one that said that particular word first and he was just repeating it. As if on cue and saved by the bell, quite literally, the pager started buzzing loudly over the table. Kyungsoo left to pick their order up, giving her the time to calm her nerves and remind herself to control her mouth.

She did not have much to do to distract herself. Gyuri overheard the couple that came in after them, sitting a couple of tables away. By the tone in their voices, she could assume the argument was nowhere close to being solved. Thankfully, Kyungsoo was back, carrying a tray with their drinks and a massive slice of cheesecake decorated with ice cream, strawberries, and whipped cream.

“Is it true then?” She asked again as they dug into the cake at the same time, “Did you beat the curse?”

“I think so.” He said before getting the first mouthful.

“How did you do it?”

“I'm not entirely sure.” He started, chuckling when she grabbed a huge chunk of cake, “I was just waiting for it to happen but then I realized she wouldn't care any less if I died for her. She would not shed a tear for me.”

“Was she mean to you?” She asked, and Kyungsoo shook his head.

“She didn’t even know my name.”

Gyuri halted. As if what he said meant nothing, Kyungsoo took his chance to take a piece of cake to his mouth, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She felt guilty because at least Baekhyun was close to her. At least he knew her well and would care enormously if she just dropped dead one day.

“What happened then?” She asked, not sure if it was alright to keep going.

“I guess it was the anger.” Kyungsoo proceeded, placing his spoon down and nudging the rest of the cake to her, “I was angry at her and my strong feelings for her so I started letting it all out.”

Getting startled by another nudge of the plate, Gyuri got another spoonful of the cake as Kyungsoo leaned back on his chair. He seemed to get himself comfortable despite the nature of their conversation.

“I let my hatred for her take over every other feeling.” He explained, looking at her straight into her eyes, “At some point, I even wished she could be dead and when she did die a few years ago, I felt nothing.” Suddenly, the cheesecake lost its appeal. Gyuri couldn't find it in herself to eat more, especially when Kyungsoo kept sharing his story. “At first I thought there was something wrong with me so I went to the funeral house and I wasn't even sad. I should have died of heartbreak right then and there but I didn't. I suppose, replacing that blind love with something equally strong is the answer but I can not be certain.”

“But I can't hate Baekhyun.” Gyuri admittedly said, breathing out in resignation, genuinely considering the idea, “As annoying and clingy as he can be, I can’t just hate him one day. He would be pestering me the moment I start to get myself distanced from him. He will notice something is wrong, and...”

A glass broke.

It all happened before any of them could react.

There was a whimper and a scream. People gasped. There were several screams, more astonishing gasps, and curses. Then there was a cry, and Gyuri heard it all. She saw it happen right in front of her. She saw the tears and a pair of hands begging, but her eyes were glued to the flower petals falling to the floor. Her attention was on the man dropping into his knees, clutching his chest in pain. She could hear the woman’s cries as she covered her nose and stepped away from him, and yet, her eyes could only see the pastel pink flower petals falling from his mouth. But everything turned into chaos when the sound of cracking bones resonated through the air.

The man’s back broke. He twisted in pain, screaming at the air above him and piercing everyone's ears with his agony as his eyes widened out in terror. His body trembled violently once again, and to everyone’s shock, they all saw the roots taking over the skin of his neck. His screaming was cut off by the gagging, and Gyuri heard herself whimper at the sight of something crawling out from his mouth.

“Don’t look.” She heard Kyungsoo whisper, and everything blacked out. 

Her eyes were covered, and the familiar safety of his hold shifted her around as she cried. Gyuri was aware that she was walking and that her body barely managed to stay upright. Kyungsoo kept whispering to her ear as he pressed her head into his chest and his arms held her tremblingly figure.

“That’s what is going to happen to me?” She asked, gasping for air. "That will happen to me?"

Gyuri felt her body falling, only to find herself sitting down with Kyungsoo's help. She was crying, or so she thought because a gust of freshness and humidity hit her face, and when she opened her eyes, she realized they were out of the coffee shop. 

“Breath, Gyuri,” Kyungsoo ordered, kneeling in front of her and taking the cap off so she could see his face, “What do you need?”

“My watch.” She cried, gasping for air and rubbing a hand over her naked wrist, “I forgot my watch.”

“Would my watch work?” He asked, showing his wrist to her.

Gyuri’s mind instantly gave her a hundred reasons why it wouldn’t work. The rim of Kyungsoo's watch was too thick, and the border was sharper than the rounded and worn edges of her watch. His was wider than hers. It even looked heavier than hers. However, she knew it was imperative to calm herself down before falling into a full-blown panic attack, so she forced her body and nodded.

Without any hesitation, Kyungsoo took his watch off and put it on her wrist. He placed her other hand on top of it and stayed there, in front of her, waiting patiently.

“Gyuri, you have a watch now.” He reminded her when it looked like she forgot how to breathe for a second, “what do you do with it?”

“I count.” She cried.

That was right. Gyuri needed to count for the exercise to work, and just by saying it out loud somehow set her brain to focus on the next objective. She traced the rim of the watch as she usually did with hers. It didn't work at first that she had to stop.

“Why don't you look around and tell me what you see?” He insisted, his tone still calm and gentle and never looking away.

Gasping for more air, Gyuri started again. She traced her finger around the rim and somehow noticed that Kyungsoo's watch was sharp and cold to her skin but felt solid and stable as a rock. After a couple of rounds to it, she dared herself to look around to discover they were right outside the coffee shop, seated on a small bench next to the entrance and shielded by a canopy.

“There’s a green bus there.” She started as the bus passed by the street while her finger went around the rim of the watch. “A red helmet. A store's fallen blackboard there. A black umbrella over there.”

“Keep going,” Kyungsoo encouraged her, “what else do you see?”

Gyuri closed her eyes. She was aware that fixing her attention on someone wasn’t the best idea. She shouldn't use a person to ground herself, but she couldn’t help it. The more she looked around, the harder it was to evade it. He had been quite a constant in her fight to overcome her pain that all she could do was to look into his big and round, brown eyes. His round and symmetrical face. His thick brows. The faint shadow above his lip. Oh, and his big and plump lips.

She let it ground her nonetheless. She held onto it.

“I see you.”

[kpopimagi]

Should I post A Flower Under The Rain here? 🤔

I realized I only shared the link to AFF but never really posted a chapter here. Should I? Would anyone be interested in reading it here?

[kpopimagi]

I started writing chapter 11 of AFUTR and I’ve been staring at the same sentence for a full 5 minutes, trying to come up with a coherent description of feelings.

And I hate it. I hate describing stuff. Describing feelings in particular are a pain in the butt. I don’t like it when I need to describe how a character is feeling because of I don’t do it, my brain can’t keep up. It just won’t come up with more sentences. I’m stuck there.

Help

[kpopimagi]

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!

THIS IS STRAIGHT OUT OF AFUTR!!!!

You can’t fool me!!! This is him!!!!!

This is Writer Soo!!!!!

Writer Kyungsoo watching the rain fall!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 9]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 7,243

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1 | Part 8-2

Her phone kept buzzing, and at any other moment of her life, she would have been annoyed out of her mind but everything was different. Her phone and her heart felt so alive. Gyuri smiled at the animated emojis on her screen and wondered if Kyungsoo was smiling as well. It had been a week since the trip with him and his friends, who were her friends now. The idea alone was a completely new concept to her. Anna embraced her as an equal, and even if Gyuri wasn't sure if Minseok thought the same, they welcomed her in their group chat which was basically only the two of them mothering Kyungsoo and bickering about the smallest things. She didn't mind. It was amusing to witness and wait for the writer's dull text asking them to shut up for once.

They were planning on spending the weekend somewhere else when the screen went all black, and his name popped up, blinking in an incoming call. For a moment, Gyuri couldn't remember the sound of his voice or what it made her feel, and instantly regretting the excitement, with a hand on her chest, Gyuri answered the call.

"Hello…" Baekhyun said.

Gyuri said the same with the tiniest voice and feared the worst when she heard him sigh on the other side of the line. Although she was happy to hear his voice again, she also noticed the hesitation.

"Yah, Kang Gyuri," he finally snapped, and she almost smiled because she missed that about him, "I didn't want to call because I'm still angry at you, but it's almost my birthday."

All the giddiness and happiness Gyuri felt evaporated into thin air, and her stomach dropped to the floor. Letting out a silent curse, she jumped off the couch where she was watching a drama with her mother, and her entire body moved on its own accord in a burst of dread.

"You forgot!" He gasped over the phone.

"I did not." She lied, running to her room.

"Liar," Baekhyun said as a matter of fact, "You're still in your pajamas."

"How do you know?" She mumbled, in shock, and regretted it instantly.

The frustrating noises he made had her rolling her eyes. She smiled at his whining, looking around her desk for the monthly calendar. She searched every drawer and through every bookcase, but the floral calendar was nowhere to be found.

"You told me," He said after a while and with renewed interest, "No, you forced me to save this day for you."

"I know," Gyuri replied, giving up and collapsing on her bed.

"You said you would take me somewhere." He added, and she nodded even if he couldn't see her, "But you never called again to set the time or anything."

"I know, Baekhyun," Gyuri finally said when the sadness in his tone was impossible to ignore, "We have to be there at four so we can see each other there at..."

"At 1." He interrupted her, "I'll pick you up at 1, and we'll have lunch together. It's on me."

Defeated, Gyuri agreed, he ended the call, and she stayed there, frozen in disbelief that she could have forgotten about her plans. She had an excuse. On one of those bad days, she went on a cleaning rampage, removed all the floral items from her room, and threw away every calendar and journal she owned. Gyuri meant to have everything in the garbage but her mother, just as silent and stoic as she could be, picked everything up and religiously put them away into boxes.

Gyuri went downstairs and opened one of the boxes. The first thing she saw was the floral desk calendar. She flipped through the pages, and just as Baekhyun said, she had the date in a big circle and exclamation marks. He was right on the date.

"Did something happen?" Her mother asked, coming into the room. "Was it Baekhyun?"

Gyuri nodded, showing her the date on the calendar. The realization took over her expression. If her mother wanted to object to her plans, she kept it to herself.

"I completely forgot about it," Gyuri admitted. "How could I forget about something like this?"

"You've got more than enough to deal with lately." Her mother said, "Don't beat yourself over this."

"But I had been waiting for this day for months," Gyuri whined in frustration.

"What will you do?" Her mother wanted to know.

"Should I go?" Gyuri asked instead, knowing quite well that one more wrong move could be her last.

"Only if you feel ready to do so." Her mother finally said, and Gyuri didn't have to look at her to know she was holding her tears.

"But what am I going to do?" She asked, her eyes watering, "I threw the tickets away."

"I picked them up," her mother said, in the most focused tone she had, "and put them in one of these boxes."

"Really?" Gyuri asked, and a tear finally fell down her cheek.

"Don't worry," Her mother said with a proud smile, "If you want to go, we'll find those tickets in no time."

Gyuri couldn't understand why she felt so overwhelmed but ignoring the urge to bawl her eyes out, she followed her mother's instructions. They spent the next hour looking through all the storage boxes until they managed to find the tickets. Gyuri hugged her mother and ran upstairs to get ready.

However, getting ready to hang out with Baekhyun felt like a task Gyuri was not ready to tackle. She had no idea what to wear, not that it mattered because it wasn't a date. Going out with Baekhyun had never been a date, even if she kept dreaming it was. She didn't even like how she looked anymore. She looked off, not terribly sick yet, but she felt icky and disgusting as if Baekhyun's hand would stay stuck on her skin if he ever dared to touch her. Everything about herself just felt off. She kept going in and out of the shower, not feeling entirely clean and almost finishing an entire bottle of body cream. Her mother's nagging about running through a monthly supply of cream in less than a week finally made her stop and realize there was nothing she could do about her skin anymore.

Gyuri got herself ready in her everyday clothing, nothing fancy or special, just plain Gyuri. When she was ready and came down the stairs, she found her father coming into the house with a worried expression that made her halt. Her mother must've called him at work, afraid of their daughter not coming back home alive.

"I forgot about the exhibition." He said, pretending he hadn't rushed home, "At what time are you leaving?"

"He's picking me up at one," Gyuri replied, her eyes watering again.

"Good, we have some time left then." Her father said with a relieved sigh, "Honey, can you bring us some tea?"

Gyuri noticed her mother was crying in a corner, and with a small nod, she disappeared into the kitchen.

"You fought so hard to get those tickets, might as well use them, right?" He asked as he sat on the couch and patted the space next to him.

"Right!" Gyuri said, holding back the tears but still sitting next to her father and hugging him.

"It would be a shame for them to go to a waste." He added, embracing her in a tight hold that made everything inside Gyuri finally feel alright.

Her mother was back with three cups of tea, and before she could sit far from them, Gyuri reached for her hand. She sat next to her, and while holding her mother's hand and resting her head on her father's shoulder, Gyuri spent that time with her parents in silence as they waited for Baekhyun. When he arrived, Gyuri felt at peace. She had no more tears to shed, and still holding her mother's hand, she stood up.

"We'll be waiting for you here, pumpkin." Her father said before pressing a kiss on her forehead, "You know that, right?"

"I'll be back," Gyuri assured them even though she wasn't sure if she would survive to see them again.

Her mother gave her the tightest hug ever, and with a small smile, she finally let her go. Gyuri left the house, smiling at them, hoping it really wasn't the last time she would see them again. However, all that hope faded away when she turned around and saw Baekhyun coming out of his car, looking as handsome as ever, if not maybe even more than before. He was smiling as usual, and his fashion was just as simple as hers, but she had never found him any more attractive.

It was in vain to ignore the awkwardness. Baekhyun tried to hug her just like he usually did whenever it had been a long time since they saw each other, but her startled reaction made him back away, shocked. Gyuri smiled, trying to rub off the weird gesture and the mix of sudden pain and instant relief she felt all over her insides. She got into the car and took a deep breath.

There was just one other person she needed to talk to. She thought it was better to do it face to face at first, but then realized that she couldn't bear to see the pity in his eyes in her last moments. Saying goodbye through a text didn’t seem that much of a bad idea after all. She might not even make it out alive of that car for all she knew, so a text was all she had.

Kyungsoo… I’m going out with Baekhyun. And I think you might be right…

Wait

I won’t hold back.

Gyuri

No

Don't

Thank you.

Whatever the writer wanted to say was better to tell her himself because her phone started buzzing. His name appeared on the screen, and the time she hesitated to answer was enough to catch Baekhyun’s attention. He leaned closer to look at her phone as if he was just looking at a random video playing on the screen. Gyuri knew the action was more of a natural reaction, he did that a lot, but the moment he saw the name, he went rigid on the spot. Baekhyun backed away again, pretending he hadn't seen anything compromising.

Embarrassed, Gyuri ignored the call and diverted her attention from Baekhyun. However, the phone started buzzing again, and even though Gyuri would never ignore Kyungsoo, she knew it wasn’t a good idea to explain herself on the phone in her best friend’s presence. Baekhyun stayed quiet as he drove away and when he was about to say something, her phone started buzzing for the third time. Gyuri silenced the device and buried it deep into her purse.

“So this is what it feels like…” Baekhyun mumbled, or at least that was what she thought she heard.

“What you said?” Gyuri asked, still ignoring the buzzing phone.

"Will you finally tell me where we are going?" He asked instead.

Time seemed to stop when Gyuri looked at him with one hand on the steering wheel, looking as boyfriend-is as ever. She noticed that his hair was neatly done and was wearing accessories, and he only did that on special occasions. Gyuri couldn't help herself but smile when she saw the watch she gave him on his birthday many many years ago on his wrist. Suddenly, nothing else mattered when Baekhyun looked like he made a conscious effort on his looks to hang out with her. As if she wasn't at risk of getting engulfed by roots, Gyuri embraced the pleasure filling her chest. She had nothing else to lose anymore, and feeling rather playful, Gyuri refused to answer his question.

"It's a surprise." She said.

"I need to know so I can drive us there, you dummy," Baekhyun whined with a playful pout, making her heart skip a beat.

"Just don't leave the city," Gyuri said, ready to make the best out of that day.

“Alright then," He said, and after a while, he broke the heavy silence between them, "So how are you?”

Gyuri knew it wasn’t a simple pleasantry just by the tone in his voice. He wanted to know for real, and even if he was focused on the road ahead, his eyes were intense and searching for an answer. There was only one thing she could say. 

“Fine.” 

Baekhyun glanced at her, unconvinced by her reply but kept driving in silence. Gyuri realized that enjoying his company wholeheartedly wouldn't be as easy. At least not when she found herself so aware of his attention, of his eyes always looking at her so closely and him just generally gravitating towards her like there was no one else around them. At times, she had to reprimand herself for being so dumb. That had always been their dynamic. He was acting like he always did. Baekhyun had always felt comfortable around her, and he never failed to let her know that, and that was one of the many reasons she fell for him.

Gyuri had learned over the years to love whenever he observed her reaction to the food he ordered for her. She could feel her heart melting at the satisfied smile on his face when she let him know that the food was delicious. She loved that they could talk about nothing and everything and had to remind herself to look away several times. She caught herself admiring him as he attentively listened to everything she was telling him, and one time she had to stop herself from reaching out to touch his round cheeks. She couldn't really help herself but bite her lip when he just kept putting the best pieces of meat in her bowl. She loved his familiarity, the lack of judgment, and pretenses whenever he was with her. He didn't try to be anyone else but himself when they were together. 

Baekhyun was naturally caring, and now more than ever, she wished she could tell him everything. Gyuri tried, more than once, to let the words come out and let him know but failed every time. They came out of the restaurant, and as they settled in the car, Baekhyun looked at her expectantly. Her imagination went wild for a split second. Two different scenarios were playing in her mind. On one she confessed her feelings, and on the second one, which was wilder, she imagined him confessing his feelings, but of course, that wasn't it. He chuckled and prodded the answer out of her.

"Where to now?" He asked.

"Just go to Gwanghwamun." She mumbled, pushing every dumb fantasy aside.

With a smile on his face, Baekhyun started the engine and drove away. However, Gyuri looked out of the window to hide the embarrassment. She was just letting her hopes dominate her every thought when it was all further from the truth. Baekhyun didn't have those sorts of feelings for her. His familiarity wasn't anything other than a friendly inclination, and Gyuri felt stupid for thinking otherwise. She blinked the forming tears away along with all the idiotic feelings that had her reduced to such a lame wreck.

"No way…" Baekhyun mumbled.

It was halfway to their destination that it seemed to down on him. Gyuri could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he put the pieces together and smiled when he looked at her for confirmation, and with that, her sadness was forgotten.

"Are we going to the Museum of Modern Art?" He asked, holding tightly onto the steering wheel, "You're kidding me."

Too satisfied with herself, Gyuri pulled the tickets out of her purse and showed them to him. Baekhyun let out a dramatic gasp, and when they stopped at a red light, he grabbed one of the tickets and admired it with absolute fascination.

"How did you do it?" He asked, "They sold out in seconds."

"Because I'm that good," Gyuri said with a smug smile as she snatched the ticket off his hands, making Baekhyun cackle.

"Damn right you are," He said, fumbling with his phone, “and you know what? This moment deserves our fun song."

For a split second, everything was suddenly alright. Their favorite song blasted through the speakers as Baekhyun drove them through the city, singing out loud and looking at her with the brightest of smiles. Her heart swelled in delight, and it was impossible not to get back in time and remember one of their first interactions. Gyuri recalled the exchange as if it was yesterday. 

It was her first year at college, and although most of her lessons were kind of alright, she hated the shared lectures with other majors. People with different objectives and inclinations enclosed in the same space gave her a headache, and programming 101 was no exception. Her programming skills were already above the curriculum, but she had to take that lecture, and she dreaded the day the professor announced a teamwork assignment.

The entire lecture hall was filled with disgruntled noises and whines, and Gyuri would’ve joined if it wasn’t for her anxiousness. She would have to work with a stranger, and she felt her heart rate speeding. What if she had to work with a finance major student? The soon-to-be stock market programmers were obnoxious snubs, and the idea alone made her shutter.

“Kang Gyuri.” 

When the professor called her name, she flinched. Silence filled the hall, and Everyone looked at her, and she tapped her finger on the face of her watch at the rhythm of every dreadful second as she stood up from her seat. Half of the students’ names were on a bowl, written on paper, and she had to pick one. She would find the name of one annoying classmate to work with for the rest of the semester.

“Fingers crossed, and I get to be her partner.” A guy behind her said.

“She’s so stuck up, I'd hate to be her partner," someone else chuckled, "but I wouldn’t mind passing this lecture with a perfect grade.”

“You’re not that lucky, man.”

Ignoring the conversation, Gyuri walked down the stairs, still counting to mute out the whispers that raised with every step she took towards the front. However, either her muting tricks were ineffective, or people around her didn’t care if she could hear them because she could still hear them all.

“I bet she throws you under the bus if you don’t do your part…”

“Please, God, let me be her partner…”

“Poor bastard that gets partnered up with her…”

“She’s the best, man.”

“I saw the programming of her scholarship project, and it’s incredible…”

“Nah, I don’t need that kind of pressure in my life.”

Gyuri reached the desk and stared at the bowl. She reminded herself that at least she didn't have to handpick her partner, and could always blame her luck. She put her hand inside the bowl and grabbed the first piece of paper that touched her fingertips. She could hear silence taking over as everyone held their breath. Her heart skipped a beat as she unfolded the paper and read the name. She recognized it right away and never considered how awful art majors could be as assignment partners. The guy had a reputation, but all she could see him as was an annoying burden.

"Byun Baekhyun." She whispered to herself.

The collective reaction in the hall made her flinch again. Some whined while others cursed, and she even saw paper balls fly across the hall in protest. Ignoring the ruckus around him, the professor wrote down their names on a list and called the next student forward, leaving Gyuri alone to go back to her seat and deal with the disgruntled atmosphere of her classmates.

As she made her way back, she realized one thing: She was now the class's least favorite person. Girls hated her guts for pairing up with the most popular guy, and others who weren't smitten with his outgoing demeanor were miffed that they weren't paired up with the supposedly brilliant programmer. Either way, she hated her luck.

Byun Baekhyun was the type of person she avoided at all costs. People like him always forced her to talk and ended up mocking her if she didn't. Granted, she didn't even know the guy, so she would not dare to judge him. Maybe he wasn't like that at all, but it was difficult to know when she only knew him from what other people had to say about him. The guy was beyond handsome. She had heard the rumors of the first-year programmer that would give any idol a run for his money. Gyuri doubted he was as good-looking as all the female student body claimed. After all, most programmers were disheveled nerds, herself included.

"Good luck with that," a guy said with a chuckle.

It was the nagging that came after that caught Gyuri's attention. She was used to hearing those kinds of expressions, jokes, and rude remarks, but no one ever dared to stop the tirade once it started. Someone shutting someone else up was something she didn't hear that often, and Gyuri halted, looking at the source of that unusual exchange. One was obviously making fun of the other, and she froze at the contrast of their attitudes; her new teammate had an unamused expression plastered on his face. The other, who she recognized as quite a ladies' man, patted his back with a chuckle. She found the interaction strange.

They must have sensed her staring and when the guys looked back at her, she felt her blood rushing to her face. Gyuri had to give it to everyone she ever heard gossiping about Byun Baekhyun. They were right. He was indeed handsome. His face was small, his skin was pale, and his hair framed his features as if someone spent hours styling it for the cover of a fashion magazine. Then, against all expectations, Baekhyun smiled at her. It wasn't the brightest of smiles, but small and restrained like he was embarrassed about getting caught chiding his friend. Not that it mattered to her, and realizing that staring any longer would make her future interactions with him weirder, Gyuri went to her place and focused back on the class.

Once everyone was paired off, the professor went over the requirements of their final project and what they needed to accomplish. Gyuri wrote everything down, put her stuff away, and was about to bolt out of the hall at the end of the lecture when Baekhyun showed up right next to her.

“Should we have lunch together?” He asked, wriggling his hands in front of him in a nervous gesture that didn’t quite fit him. “You know, to talk about the project.”

Gyuri would’ve answered in some form, but once she noticed the attention of several classmates focused on them, she just couldn’t do it anymore. She didn’t even try. No sound would come out of her mouth even if she tried, so she nodded instead. Unable to handle the pressure of not even answering the guy apparently everyone wanted to be friends with, Gyuri left the hall as fast as she could and hid in the safety of the nearest bathroom stall until her next class.

Usually, it would only take a few minutes for her nerves to settle, but the expectation of meeting with Baekhyun had her on the edge for the rest of the day, and it got worse when she arrived on the third floor of the library. She enjoyed studying there, where the desks were among the bookcases and where people were generally required to maintain silence, Gyuri really liked that, but as soon as she stepped into her favorite section of the studying area, she halted and let out a sigh. 

Baekhyun was already there, scrolling through his phone and eating small sausages. He was sitting alone at a table, but when she looked around, she could see several girls staring at him, some others peeking from the top of their books, and some others blatantly walking by the table to have a better look at him. Gyuri found it interesting that he paid no attention to anyone. If he was aware of the subdued commotion around him, he was stellarly good at ignoring it. She wondered if by any chance, he was so used to it that he didn't care anymore and if that was the case, she instantly admired him for such composure. She could never do that, and letting out a sigh, Gyuri gathered every bit of her will and approached the table.

Without any idea of how to proceed to engage with one of the most popular people in the vicinity, Gyuri went for the safest option. She just placed her backpack on the table and sat down in complete silence, taking Baekhyun by surprise. He cursed under his breath, but as soon as he realized who startled him, his entire demeanor changed. Suddenly, he wasn’t as confident as he seemed to be.

"I've seen you usually sit here to study after lunch," he said after stumbling on his words to greet her.

Gyuri was going through her backpack when the observation made her stop. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the idea that someone like him would notice such an insignificant detail about her. She wanted to look at him and study his expression, but her anxiousness stopped her, so she just pulled her lecture notes out instead and started to work.

Baekhyun stayed quiet for the most part. He would ask something every once in a while and fidgeted in his seat, unsure if he could talk to her openly. She could see the struggle and discomfort and wished she could just tell him there was no need to be that formal with her, but she kept scribbling down what they needed to do. Suddenly, a phone buzzed on top of the table. It distracted Gyuri, and Baekhyun apologized before grabbing it. Not wanting to make their time any more uncomfortable than it was already, Gyuri brushed it off as nothing and kept working on a diagram, but a loud noise startled her.

Baekhyun gasped loudly, making Gyuri flinch, and in the rush to apologize, he choked on his own spit or maybe a piece of sausage. She couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, he started coughing. His face became increasingly crimson as he massaged his chest to open his airways. He not only interrupted her work, but disrupted the quiet atmosphere of the study hall, and drew an incredible amount of attention to himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said once Gyuri handed him a drink, and his cough finally subsided, “Why am I drooling so much?”

Gyuri couldn’t help herself. She chuckled at his helplessness as he mumbled apologies and nervously tried to put some order around him. Knowing that someone as popular as Byun Baekhyun could become flustered, as she did most of the time, gave her some measure of comfort.

“Aha!” He said, all the embarrassment was suddenly forgotten, “So you do smile.”

The roles reversed. Gyuri was the one feeling her face burning in embarrassment. Baekhyun observed her with a smile, but unlike her, he didn’t make fun of her bafflement. As if he could read her mortification, he changed the subject.

“Sorry, I just got excited,” he said, showing her his cellphone, “do you know Hideo Kojima?”

The name didn’t ring a bell, but the expectant glint in his eyes was astonishing. Whoever that man was, he was important, and her lack of response was enough for Baekhyun to know that she had no clue what he was talking about, and just as he did before, he gasped dramatically.

“You don’t know,” he whispered loudly, and Gyuri found it amusing that she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, “oh my friend, prepare yourself to get your mind blown.”

Gyuri had forgotten about the rush of emotions she felt that day when Baekhyun sat next to her, with his laptop in hand, and spent the next couple of hours sharing with her something he was so passionate about as if they were the closest of friends because after that day, they became just that, and she didn’t even know why. For some reason, he seemed to enjoy her company so much that he was always around, and now that she thought about it, that might have been the beginning of her downfall.

She looked at him, years later, just as excited and passionate about the same subject as he was that day, but now, she was part of that small portion of his life. Baekhyun was driving with a smile as he sang mindlessly along the beat, and pride swelled in her chest. She mentally patted herself on the back because just like he said, she managed to get tickets to one of the most awaited exhibitions of the year. If she wasn’t that close to Baekhyun, she wouldn’t even know the whole thing existed.

They arrived at the entrance where people stood in long lines, and neither of them realized their tickets had some sort of VIP benefits until a staff member led them to an exclusive area built outside the museum. They got their tickets scanned and bracelets placed on their wrists before a waiter welcomed them with drinks to a waiting hall set up and decorated thematically with props from Kojima’s games. Baekhyun couldn’t stop mumbling to himself just how amazing everything was as he took a sip of his drink and urged Gyuri to take some pictures of him sitting on a European armchair, which was from his favorite horror video game. She agreed wholeheartedly and snapped as many pictures as possible, even if he wasn’t posing anymore. She did it just for the delight of getting more pictures of him, and by the time they finished their drinks, a guide introduced himself and let them know it was time to enter the museum.

Gyuri and Baekhyun joined a small group of a dozen people and followed the guide to a dark room. Someone pulled a curtain down, letting the darkness and coldness engulf them all, and just then, they could hear the creepy ambiance music. Gyuri was sure she heard Baekhyun let out the tiniest excited squeal when she just shivered in apprehension. She was starting to feel the pressure on the center of her chest when she was suddenly enveloped in a warmth and scent she was so familiar with. Baekhyun had slipped an arm over her shoulders and drew her closer with so much affection she just stayed still, not knowing what to do.

“Thank you so much,” He whispered. "Best birthday present ever.

The tour began, the guide started with his welcome speech, and with a soft squeeze of her shoulder, Baekhyun let her go to follow the group into the first hall. Gyuri was left behind, downright stunned in her place and with her heart twisted in pain and pleasure, all rushing through her body. He didn’t even register that she wasn’t moving and reminding herself that the gesture meant absolutely nothing to Baekhyun like the way it meant to her, Gyuri took a deep breath and followed the group.

The exhibition was just as amazing as she imagined it would be. Halfway through the first room, she realized that whether or not she knew who Hideo Kojima was, she would have appreciated the show. The man was a genius, just like Baekhyun told her all those years ago and it didn’t surprise Gyuri that he was practically a goner the moment they crossed the dark and creepy entrance hall. She couldn’t blame him. The place was covered not just in video game artwork and concept designs, but also contained hundreds of items from Kojima’s own collection. There was so much stuff on every wall that Gyuri struggled to know where to look at first and wondered if Baekhyun had the same issue.

Looking around the hall, searching for the man that had the entirety of her wrapped so tightly around his little finger, she found him standing in the middle of the room, frozen in amazement. Gyuri walked around to join him, and the expression on his face was something she never wanted to forget. His eyes glimmered as he admired a white space suit set up behind a glass case. Very few times she’d see him so dumb-struck that even his mouth hung open in absolute wonder. Gyuri snapped a few pictures of him from a distance before following the tour guide toward the next hall. It was only then that Baekhyun joined her, whispering nothing but compliments about certain pieces as he looked through the pictures he just took with his phone. And the tour went on like that for the next couple of hours until they reached the final section which was a curated library.

Gyuri was immersed, flipping through the pages of Kojima’s private diary. She was utterly fascinated by the way the man expressed himself that she just knew Baekhyun would love to read it. She called him, but he was already heading for the exit, leaving her behind. Taken aback and wondering if he was truly leaving without her, she called him again. He glanced at her over his shoulder quick enough for Gyuri to notice that he was talking over the phone and his eyes flaring in anger. Whatever twisted his expression made her heart sink, and she found herself instantly worried. Something must have happened. That could be the only reason he would look so agitated, and Gyuri followed him toward the exit. She kept her distance, giving him privacy, but every time she saw him rolling his eyes in annoyance, she fought the impulse to get closer and do something. She kept telling herself that all she could really do was wait and be there for him.

“Is everything alright?” She asked as soon as he hung up.

“Yeah,” He hesitated, still looking at his phone as if it could come to life at any moment, “It was Mina. She’s just being unreasonable.”

Gyuri felt like the biggest idiot in the world. The immense love she felt for the guy was too blinding at times. It was so overpowering that it tricked her mind to wander off into her fantasies in which she was the most important person in his life. She wasn’t. He had a girlfriend. Baekhyun wasn’t hers, but she couldn’t let him notice her disappointment.

“I hope everything is alright.” She said just as a mere courtesy.

“She said we shouldn’t be friends anymore.” He said, finally looking at her.

The resignation in his eyes twisted the roots in her heart, and she had no idea what prevented her from losing control of her emotions. She felt the twist. The buzzing pain grew louder and sharper, and she knew she should’ve been terrified to feel it deepen its roots through her heart, but she wasn’t even scared. She also knew that the soundness of mind taking over her wouldn’t last that long.

“I should go back home.” She said, looking down at the round tips of her shoes.

“Gyuri, wait,” he stopped her, “I told you, she’s being unreasonable.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble with her.”

Gyuri wasn’t looking at him when she said that, but she heard him let out the longest sigh. For the first time since she got diagnosed, she did not run away from him, although she wanted to. Gyuri knew she would be safe if she left, but an unbearable longing to be next to him made her stay.

“You’re not getting me in any trouble, so stop worrying about it and let’s go, I’ll take you home,” Baekhyun said with such a softer tone that Gyuri had to look at him. “I always take you home, remember?”

Gyuri recognized the intent behind his voice. She had fallen for it long ago and craved it when she was the most scared. Baekhyun always spoke to her like that when he wanted to reassure her that everything was alright. She had learned to identify the genuine care dripping in the deepness of his voice, and she let it take her away. She could never run away from him when he showed himself so worried about her so Gyuri followed him back to his car.

Despite his efforts to calm her down, the tension between them was heavy and uneasy. It was impossible to ignore the obvious crack in the wholeness of their friendship, and Gyuri started to regret not running away like she first intended to. She wouldn't be locked in the car with him and all that made him so incredibly alluring if she weren't so blinded by this twisted love.

"So, what are you up to?" Baekhyun finally asked.

"Nothing important," Gyuri lied, looking away, "Just work and such."

"What are you talking about?" He said, and even though he kept his eyes on the road, she knew the reproach in his voice, "You quit your job a few weeks ago."

Gyuri felt the chills running all over her body, and only a tiny sound came out of her mouth. Baekhyun didn’t push her further into giving him an explanation, but she almost wished he would. His silence was worse. She looked at him, expecting to find a scowl on his face, but he seemed just as calm.

"I ran into one of your colleagues." He said, his voice turning just slightly harsher but still trying to keep it soft, "You might remember her. Her name is Suyoun."

Of course, Gyuri remembered her. The girl was her direct subordinate, and she pretty much had to handle all the workload alone after Gyuri submitted her resignation. That was why she worked hard to leave everything as organized as possible. Poor Suyeon didn't deserve to deal with her mess alone. Also, she was the only one Gyuri talked to constantly, and she might have cried a little when she bid the girl goodbye at work.

"Imagine my surprise when she asked me if you were alright," Baekhyun added, and the sarcasm in his voice wasn't just simple sarcasm, it was full of something else, "apparently, you just requested your leave of absence and submitted your resignation letter out of the blue."

“I needed a change.” Gyuri lied.

“I’m calling bullshit.” He replied, “You are the only one in our entire generation that got into your first option job, and you like it so much you even excel at it.”

“I guess people change.”

"They sure do." He conceded although he didn’t sound at all convinced. "So, how are things with the accountant?" 

Gyuri was surprised that he dropped the subject so easily but couldn’t feel relief about it because she realized he didn't even bother to remember the writer's name. In a way, she wasn’t even surprised by such a passive-aggressive move. It was such a Baekhyun thing to do when he didn’t like someone. However, she couldn’t dwell on that when memories from the past weekend rushed to her head. Despite all the pain and craziness the curse hurled at her, most of what she remembered of that trip was pleasant.

"All good." She said, trying to push aside the memory of his presence in that bathroom and his intoxicating closeness.

"Are you sure?”, He asked, glancing at her, “Because you're blushing."

“I’m not blushing.” She mumbled, taking a deep breath.

Gyuri was blushing. She could feel her face burning at the memory of fingertips brushing over her skin, but she would never admit that to Baekhyun. Not like she could ever keep anything from him because the guy was just too perceptive. He gasped, looking at her, probably imagining the worst.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean with nothing? You wouldn’t be blushing like that if nothing happened,” Baekhyun argued back, pulling the car over to the front of her house.

“I’m not blushing.” She said through her teeth.

Sensing that Gyuri was about to lose her temper, Baekhyun killed the engine and called her with a condescending tone that was about to make her snap. Thankfully, they were right outside her house, and that was her way out of the situation. She was unbuckling her seatbelt when she felt him positioning himself to have a better look at her. Gyuri had seen that posture many times before whenever they spent hours talking in his car. Baekhyun would sit like that to talk and gossip with her about whatever came to their minds, but that day, for the first time, she would not let it happen. Gyuri opened the door and scrambled out of the car, leaving him shocked in his seat and looking at her as if she had just smacked him in the face.

“I’ll tell you some other day.” She said.

“Sure.” He replied. 

Even though he smiled at her, she knew Baekhyun did not fall for it. The gesture never reached his eyes, and the moment she closed the door, she saw, through the smoky tint of the window, how his entire expression and demeanor fell apart in disappointment. Gyuri couldn’t let the urge she felt shift her determination. Knocking at the window, she waved her hand and smiled as genuinely as it was physically possible until there was a smile on his face. It fascinated Gyuri how effective that was because Baekhyun waved back at her, now with a small yet genuine smile. He drove away, and she watched the car disappear around the corner, relieved to have survived. 

As if she was taunting fate with that thought, she found herself suddenly frozen in fright. She trembled as chills ran through her entire body and recognized everything about the sensation only because she had experienced it before. Gyuri had smelled that scent before. She turned around, standing right before her house, and the place that had always felt like the safest place on earth was suddenly darker, bigger, and scarier. 

Gyuri reached the door, desperately wanting to get in, and cursed under her breath because she was sure the smell definitely came from her house. She called for her parents and felt tears clouding her sight as her hands trembled so much she couldn’t even unlock the door. In her mind, perhaps that faulty perfume might disappear once she was inside. She tried again, and again but the door did not butch as if the building was actively keeping her out and exposed. The idea alone of staying out ripped every bit of strength off her legs, and she gasped for air when the door finally moved, and she collapsed into the strong embrace of her parent's arms. She closed her eyes shut, held unto them for dear life, and let them take her to safety. She could hear the panic in their voices as they tried to calm her down, but all she knew was that that smell wasn’t going away and that she wouldn’t survive the night if it didn’t. Little did she know that it was all the beginning of the end.

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 8-1]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 6,865

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

It had been years since Gyuri felt so agitated that she went to bed early due to the excitement and was even more relieved that it was a nightmare-free sleep. She even let out a tiny squeal at how energized and rested she felt as she got ready, and she was more than ready to go half an hour before the settled time. Gyuri was all geared up, almost giving tiny jumps of impatience around her house as she waited for Kyungsoo to arrive. She was too hopeful and thrilled for her parents to refuse the invitation. If she wasn't mistaken, they seemed quite relieved, even if that meant having her out of their sight for the entire weekend.

“Aren't you forgetting anything?” Her mother asked for the tenth time as she inspected her suitcase again.

"Nope, so if Baekhyun calls…?” Gyuri asked in return, and the question made her mother stop her inspection with a grimace.

“You’re out on a camping trip from work.” her mother replied.

“He won’t buy it,” her father added from the couch, “You have never gone to one, and he knows that.”

“I know,” Gyuri grumbled, knowing perfectly well that her father was right. 

Baekhyun knew her too well, or at least she wanted to believe he did. And it didn't matter how much she wanted to keep him away and oblivious to her situation. A tiny and hidden part of her wanted him to try harder, to be his usual stubborn self and bring the truth out of her. Even if she didn't like the sensation in her chest and it was a constant nuisance, she wanted Baekhyun next to her, aware of her pain and willing to comfort her. Gyuri figured the curse wouldn't hurt as much if she had his arms around her and his gentle words constantly reminding her that she was much stronger than she thought. Suddenly upset, Gyuri had to fight back the urge to grab her phone, call him and apologize for being such a crappy friend. However, her internal rambling stopped when she heard a car pulling over by her house right on time.

"He's here." She mumbled to herself, almost tripping over her suitcase as she ran to open the front door.

Gyuri was ready to greet the writer when her smile fell for a second. While packing the night before, she wondered if Kyungsoo would wear his thick-framed glasses or would wear the ugly khaki pants and more silly stuff like that. However, when she opened the door, Gyuri never imagined a luxury car parked outside her house, without any signs of him but an unknown woman in the passenger seat.

"Hello," the woman smiled as she jumped out of the car, "My name is Anna."

Gyuri recognized the name right away. Kyungsoo mentioned his closest hyung, Minseok hyung, the famous editor, would tag along with his fiance. She would have struggled not to make any sound if the notion of meeting the girlfriend of the most famous bachelor in the country did not feel like a wrench in the cogs of her brain. No one in the entire world knew about her existence, except maybe for their families, Kyungso, and now her. Gyuri just found herself so starstruck by the gorgeous couple that she only stared at them as they introduced themselves. She was not ready to have someone as famous as the notorious editor greeting her politely and reaching out to help her with her backpack. If she wasn't startled enough by the situation as it was, her parents' reaction added to her anxiousness. Her mother gasped the moment she saw the editor, probably recognizing him. Her father immediately took over putting her luggage in the car, much to Kyungsoo and Minseok's bafflement and making the atmosphere a thousand times more awkward and tense. Thankfully, her mother dragged her father back into the house, and in a matter of minutes, they were on their way to the weekend trip to the mountains.

Still too surprised by the new experience, Gyuri limited herself to sitting still in the back seat. She took in the atmosphere of a close circle of friends she wasn't part of in complete silence and wondered if she was ready to socialize like a normal and functional human being. She tried to be smooth about it, but her attention kept dragging to Kyungsoo sitting beside her. He looked as relaxed as she had ever seen him, and she couldn't help but stare at him as he chatted with the others. Gyuri thought he talked to her a lot but soon realized she was mistaken. Right next to her was a talkative Kyungsoo, recalling past road trips with a pleased smile as he looked outside the window. Minseok and his girlfriend added to the stories, making the writer laugh in amusement. When Gyuri wasn't puzzled by the writer, Anna was a complete mystery herself. She was talkative and had a strong character which made it easy for her to take charge of the conversation. Without realizing it, they were all chatting and singing along as Kim Minseok drove them out of the city.

They arrived at a small country town at the bottom of a mountain a few hours later. The editor drove through the narrow roads to reach the cabin in a small plane at the top of a hill. By the time he stopped the car, Gyuri wasn't sure if she was more mesmerized by the beautiful sight of nature or utterly drawn by Anna's charismatic personality. Gyuri liked her sense of humor and was low-key envious of how articulate and easy-going she could be. It only made sense that a Korean woman raised abroad could be so exceptional and confident that even the intimidating editor seemed softer and more agreeable next to her. As if pulled by a string of her brightness, Gyuri jumped out of the car, followed the woman to the cliff edge, and stood by her side as they admired the small town below them. 

"I like this place so much." She mumbled to herself after taking a deep breath and then turned to Gyuri, taking her by surprise. "But I love that you're here."

"What?" Gyuri asked out of pure confusion that someone could find her discreet presence that enjoyable so fast.

"Kyungsoo bought this place long ago but doesn't bring anyone." She explained, "I'm glad he decided to bring you so I won't be the only woman again."

Gyuri couldn't add anything to that observation because Anna draped an arm around her shoulders to steer her away and into the cabin as the guys sorted themselves with their belongings in the trunk. Not wanting to be a nuisance as the youngest of the group, Gyuri focused on staying out of anyone's way and following every instruction thrown around. She helped Kyungsoo carry the suitcases through the narrow hallway that took them to the back of the cabin and froze when they arrived at the small resting area that connected the three big rooms and the bathroom. When he asked her to pick a room it was the moment Gyuri realized just how big the place was and wondered if it could even be considered a cabin.

"Minseok hyung and Anna usually stay here," Kyungsoo explained when they came to the main room that almost consisted of all the back of the cabin.

Gyuri panicked for a second when she observed the king-sized bed in the middle of the room and wanted to facepalm herself because of her naivety. For some dumb reason, and due to her lack of social experience, she thought she would be sleeping with Anna but was suddenly brought back to the reality that they were all grown adults spending the weekend together.

"I usually take the room with the balcony," Kyungsoo said as he left to show it to her across the resting area, "so I don't have to listen to them at night."

Quite baffled by that information, Gyuri walked in, looked around the room, and enjoyed the sunlight shining through the sliding doors that led to a small balcony facing the green hills. The view was beyond beautiful, and as if he could read her mind, Kyungsoo opened the balcony doors and let her out. The sound of nature surrounded her instantly, welcoming her to its arms. She felt the morning breeze on her skin, and her ears caught on the soft and lively chirping of birds. Everything was accompanied by a weird and peaceful silence she had never experienced before.

"You can take this room," Kyungsoo said after a while, startling her off her absorption.

Gyuri refused and apologized, ready to leave in the search for the remaining room no one wanted but Kyungsoo stopped her by grabbing her suitcase and placing it on the bed. He opened the closet and showed her a set of clean towels, sleepers, and various toiletries, as he explained that she was free to use anything she found there.

"You really don't want to hear them at night." He said with a small smile, and she noticed no hints of shyness on his face as if whatever they did at night was a common occurrence, "I'll take the one right across."

"You don't have to."

"You're my guest now," Kyungsoo said, finally setting everything down on the bed to look at her, "of course I do."

Feeling her cheeks blushing, Gyuri blurted something out and bolted out of the room to bring the rest of the suitcases and place them in their respective rooms. Not knowing what could make her feel so flustered around the writer, Gyuri pretended to be solely focused on the task and prayed that Kyungsoo wouldn't look at her like that again. Unfortunately, she was done too soon and hesitated to join the others as they chatted in the kitchen. She heard the editor laugh, and it reminded her that this was a completely new setting for her. That instantly made her feel her energy plunge and her anxiety skyrocket. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to walk to the kitchen, and once there, almost made her body feel like she had walked for hours.

“This is exhausting,” Gyuri said under her breath as she sat on the couch.

“Why don’t you take a nap?” Anna suggested, snapping Gyuri out of her reverie, “It will be a while until we all freshen up and prepare lunch.”

"I'm fine," Gyuri said, standing up, ashamed of herself for saying that out loud and letting an unnie manage everything alone.

"Lies," Anna said with a snort as she pulled some veggies out of their bags.

"Don't try to argue," Minseok added with a defeated pout, and his girlfriend handed him the veggies, "you won't win, Gyuri."

Gyuri did not know what to do. She looked at Kyungsoo seated in the living room, but he wasn't even paying attention to what was happening as he scrolled through his phone. Fighting the anxiousness crawling up her throat, Gyuri just stood there, paralyzed.

"Don't sweat about it," Anna said, and Gyuri found the woman looking at her with a kind smile, "You look tired. Go ahead and rest a little."

Unable to refuse, Gyuri excused herself and left the kitchen. She was walking through the hallway when she noticed just how exhausted she was. Her back started hurting again, and her eyelids felt heavier with every step. Fighting the sudden wave of sleepiness, she came into the room and observed the bed for a second, but too tired to do anything else, she crawled up to it and pretty much passed out.

The absolute silence woke her up. There were no laughing or animated voices chatting, not even music playing. Suddenly scared, Gyuri sat up, feeling groggy and out of place. She looked around the room, observed the green scenery out of the balcony doors, and gathered her bearings. However, confused by the lack of voices, she checked her phone, and a sense of embarrassment made her jump out the bed. It had been a few hours since they arrived, and she slept it through without a care. Still rubbing the tiredness of her eyes, she wobbled through the hallway as she thought of an explanation for her rudeness and a way to make up for it.

She walked into the living room to find Kyungsoo in there. She greeted him, partly embarrassed that she slept through the day but noticed him calling a hyung over the phone that he had pressed over his ear. Kyungsoo flinched in surprise at her sudden appearance, and mirroring the surprise in his expression, Gyuri apologized as she made signs for him to continue with his call. However, he put the phone down and hung up, although the person on the other side of the line was already speaking.

"Did you rest well?" He asked, and the phone in his hand started buzzing.

"I'm sorry," Gyuri said, embarrassment taking over, "I should've set an alarm clock or something."

"It's better that way," Kyungsoo added, fumbling with his phone to reject the call, "Minseok hyung would have dragged you out for a hike otherwise."

Gyuri made a face. Just imagining herself walking up the mountain trail made her skin crawl and her knees protest. Said reaction didn't get missed by the writer. Kyungsoo chuckled, finally leaving his phone on the coffee table and making a sign for her to follow as the device started buzzing again.

"Wanna see the garden?" He asked.

"Your phone…" She said, pointing at the vibrating cell phone, but Kyungsoo was already nudging her out of the cabin.

Giving up, Gyuri followed him to the front yard. She noticed dozens of clay jars on the floor. Kyungsoo explained the agreement with the closest neighbor to keep an eye on his property in exchange for lending some unused space in his yard to store the jars of fermenting kimchi and other pastes. Gyuri found the story interesting. She hadn't thought about Kyungsoo as a particularly social person and found it hard to picture him interacting with the neighbors, but at the same time, it made an awful lot of sense as they walked through the jars until they reached a wooden fence. 

Kyungsoo sled the weathered latch to a side and pushed the gate open to let her in. Gyuri gasped, surprised at the small yet well-designed garden beside the cabin, and wandered in, delighted to find herself surrounded by so much green. She couldn't tell just how many different types of shrubs, bushes, and herbs the writer was growing in such a place. Gyuri even let out a sound of absolute wonder when she found a small tomato plant in a corner. She also noticed the lack of flowers, but Kyungsoo didn't say a word about it, and she wouldn't ask either. She understood the reason better than anyone. 

Suddenly, everything was perfect. Gyuri couldn’t ask for better weather conditions to be out in nature to stretch her legs and fill her lungs with fresh air. At least that was what she hoped for, but she was just too tired to do anything else, and thankfully, Kyungsoo didn’t seem to mind. He even looked thrilled to stay behind with her and keep each other company as they walked around the garden.

"There's more?" Gyuri gasped again, "Just how big is this place?"

She stood there stunned when she reached what looked like the end of the garden, only to discover a small passageway hidden by unruly crawling plants that led to what she guessed was another garden. Looking over her shoulder to get an explanation from the owner, Kyungsoo simply shrugged and resumed whatever he was doing to one of the plants. Chuckling to herself, Gyuri followed the winding path made of flat stones and entered what felt like a secret garden with a small pond by the corner on her left, a wooden deck at the other side, and a couple of rocking chairs placed exactly under the shade of a tree that still had many years to see the best of it.

“What are you going to do?” She asked when Kyungsoo joined her, pulling a pair of gardening gloves on, “I’ve never seen you as an outdoorsy kind of guy.”

Gyuri couldn’t get an answer when a gust of wind swept around the enclosed garden, and the unmistakable scent made her stop and almost recoil. Kyungsoo seemed to pause for a moment as well. With his eyes closed, he took in the fragrance around them, and she saw the change in his features.

“I guess you can smell it too.” Kyungsoo pointed out.

"What is that smell?" She asked as chills ran down her spine. 

However, as afraid as Gyuri suddenly was, something compelled her to move and follow the writer. He walked around the wooden deck to the far back of the garden, and then she froze in absolute terror. Almost hidden and squeezed between the fence and a wooden post, a rose plant rose lush and healthy and almost as tall as she was. 

“Minseok and Anna don’t seem to mind,” he started, grabbing the gardening scissors, “so I guess it’s something only you and I can smell.”

Gyuri processed the information with renewed interest as they stared hopelessly at the plant, and it suddenly clicked in her mind. She observed the plant, the fresh green, the new twigs covered with sharp thorns, and the three lone bright pink roses fully bloomed and proud of their beauty. 

"This was her favorite flower." Gyuri meant to ask, but she was sure of her assumption.

She wasn't expecting any particular reaction out of the writer, much less an actual answer but it was clear she guessed right by the way he clenched his jaw and his brows furrowed.

“Are you going to cut it off?”

“I try,” He added, disheartened, “every time.”

Gyuri wanted to say something else, something to comfort him in a way, but Kyungsoo was already on the move, and what happened next made her stagger back in surprise. When Kyungsoo snapped the first twig with the scissors, she thought she felt it on her skin. The sensation was weird and painless, but when he cut off a second one, her skin was instantly covered with goosebumps. Gyuri felt the sharp edge of the scissors right on her flesh and almost tracked the trajectory along her arm when he snapped another twig. It didn't hurt, and she saw the hairs at the back of his neck standing up with every cut. Kyungsoo must have felt the same but was too preoccupied with getting rid of the plant once and for all that she left him there and sat down in one of the chairs.

The smell started to fade with every one of the scissors snaps, and Gyuri closed her eyes, taking in the relief slowly washing over her body. She raised her head to the sky, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight spreading across her skin and the fresh air moving her hair around. She rocked the chair back and forth, along with the sounds of rustling leaves and Kyungsoo cutting and shoveling the soil of his garden. She found the sound of him working extremely comforting, and when she dared herself to look at him, even if he was wearing his ugly khakis, she couldn’t deny the manliness oozing from him as he pulled a handful of weeds all the way out from the roots. Smiling to herself and feeling lighter than the wind, Gyuri slowly drifted into a slumber soon after and didn’t dream of anything else but green, sunlight, and working hands.

A small thud snapped her awake, and she sat up, unfamiliar with her surroundings but a pair of big eyes looking at her just as startled. Kyungsoo had dropped a spoon, and Gyuri noticed the whole cooking set-up on the wooden deck. Realizing that she had fallen asleep again, and for several hours it seemed by the clean and rose-less look around the garden, Gyuri covered her face in mortification.

"You hadn't had a proper meal since we arrived," Kyungsoo explained with an apologetic shrug. "I thought you might be hungry."

Gyuri nodded, too embarrassed to speak, and tried with all her might to convey her apology with her expression but it seemed like Kyungsoo didn't care that much. He chuckled, waving the spoon at her, signaling her to get on the deck with him. She practically jumped from the chair and joined the writer, suddenly aware of her growling stomach. Kyungsoo was right, she was starving, and her mouth watered when she sat down, and the smell of kimchi noodles reached her nose.

Gyuri pulled her phone out to check the time, and not only the shock of just how many hours she'd spent sleeping made her wince in mortification, but the lack of text messages uncomfortably twisted her heart. Suddenly, everything else got forgotten, knowing that Baekhyun hadn't even tried to reach her. She opened her messaging app and refreshed it a couple of times just to be sure any messages were still floating through cyberspace. When nothing came through, she then checked the wifi signal. Everything was working just fine. Baekhyun simply did not try and feeling frustrated, Gyuri locked the phone and dropped it under the table, far away from her sight.

The silence caught her attention. Gyuri raised her head to find Kyungsoo observing her small fit, but other than blinking a couple of times, he remained silent and prepared a bowl of noodles for her.

“Where’s Minseok and Anna?” She asked after a while.

“There’s a small waterfall not that far,” Kyungsoo explained without taking his eyes off the stove, “they like to hike.”

It was so annoying. Baekhyun didn't like to hike, but he was fond of long walks, and it bothered her that that was all she could think about. If Baekhyun were there with them, he would have insisted on walking down to the village to get snacks and drinks. They would've stopped midway to take pictures and sit down for a while to talk and rest, even if the walk wasn't that demanding. 

"Here." His deep voice brought her back to the present.

Kyungsoo was handing her a bowl of steaming noodles and apologizing under her breath Gyuri grabbed it. She placed the bowl in front of her and stared at it for a while, knowing for sure that Baekhyun wouldn't like to eat something of that sort. He didn't like spicy food, and in her mind, she could listen to his complaints as if he was squirming next to her, as noisy as he ever was at the table. Frustrated, Gyuri grabbed her phone again, not believing that he wouldn't have tried to reach her by now. It hurt her that she didn't mean that much to him, and she would end up apologizing first.

“You should tell him,” Kyungsoo said once again, bringing her back to reality only to discover that she was on the verge of tears.

Trying to compose herself, Gyuri dropped the phone again, but it was in vain. She was upset already and having the writer observing her made it worse. She was like an open book to him,  and Gyuri couldn't bear it. It was humiliating, to say the least, and pretending that she didn't care, Gyuri dug into the noodles, burning her tongue in the process.

“You’ve been checking your phone every two minutes.” Kyungsoo added, grabbing her hand to stop getting more burning noodles, “If he knew, he would be sitting here with you.”

The writer might have, as well, poured the entire bowl of hot noodles to her face and it wouldn't hurt her as much as his words did, but the sudden anger running through her veins wouldn't let her be the victim of this conversation. With her pride wounded, Gyuri squirmed her hand out of his hold and dropped the chopsticks on the table.

"And what makes you say that?" She asked with a harsh tone, foreign even to her. "How bold of you to assume he would care about me if I confessed my feelings."

As if she had smacked him in the face, Kyungsoo leaned back, staring at her at a loss for words. His mouth opened to say something, but then he closed it. The silence around them was unbearable, but Kyungsoo beat her to it. He pushed his glasses up his nose before he decided to keep going.

"I think he would." He said with a soft tone that only made her anger flare.

"Stop it!" Gyuri snapped at him, feeling tears falling down her face, "Stop pretending to know how he would feel about me. You don't know him."

"He can't be that bad of a guy if you love him this much." He added.

Gyuri stood up as more tears fell, her heart twisted, and her anger blinded her judgment. She wanted to scream, to hit something and tear her heart out of her chest, but all she could do was run away. It angered her that that was her only option, and letting someone witness that fatal flaw made her entire body tremble in despair. She jumped off the deck, ready to run and hide when Kyungsoo called her name. The softness in his voice irked her, broke her, and bothered her to no end. 

“Do you have any clue of how embarrassing it is?” She snarled at the wild grass beneath her feet, too embarrassed to even look at him.

“I do.”

The reply felt like a bucket of freezing water over her head. The anger she felt out of nowhere was gone just as fast as it took over her, but she couldn't backtrack on her words and actions anymore. Of course, he knew. If anyone in the world could understand what was happening to her, it was him, and Gyuri was too ashamed to think properly. Feeling her throat closing up in misery, she stormed out of the garden, angry at herself for getting emotional over something so insignificant. Her surprise was caught up in a squeak when she slammed the gate open and found Minseok and Anna holding each other in a tight embrace. It wasn't a compromising position other than that they had been making out, and Gyuri had interrupted them. They only chuckled, startled to see her almost running into them. Gyuri quickly lowered her head, letting her hair hide her face. She bowed, trying to avoid questions, and ran into the cabin. She locked herself in her room, but the silence was still too loud for her ears as her mind replayed every one of her actions.

Gyuri hadn't realized.

She recalled every time she checked her phone, glancing at it to check if she got any new messages. It was an insignificant detail, even to her. She thought no one was looking. Most people never minded her presence. She was unnoticeable most of the time but not to Kyungsoo. He just called her out on something so small and so simple she felt more tears falling down her cheeks.

Knowing that Minseok and Anna were back, Gyuri went to the bathroom and stared at the pitiful and tear-streaked face looking back at her in the mirror. She wanted to wash her face, suck it up and keep going, but she kept replaying Kyungsoo's advice to cry it out. She would if she was in her house with the only company of her parents, but couldn't afford to be weak in a place she wasn't familiar with.

Decided, Gyuri washed her face. She rubbed every inch of flesh, frustrated and angry, hopeful that that would erase any trace of tears and swollen eyes. Soon, all the frustration she felt shifted from one subject to another, and after she tried her best not to look like a mess, Gyuri returned to the kitchen.

However, she didn't know how to behave. She was just as quiet as ever, but somehow, she could feel the stares and not-so-subtle glances from the others. From time to time, as she helped Anna to set everything up for dinner, Gyuri reminded herself to ease her expression, but whenever she found the writer looking at her, she could feel the anger spiking instantly. 

Gyuri could only stare at him in disbelief as that would be the very first time since she met him that Kyungsoo ever meddled in her decisions about what to do with Baekhyun. The writer crossed a line she wasn't aware existed, and even less comfortable about him crossing it.

The atmosphere was simply off around them, and Gyuri was aware of how petty she was acting, but the moment they all sat down on the deck, she was just too upset to care. Anna tried her best to lighten up the mood. She came up with the most interesting drinking games, and Gyuri poured herself into each of them, caving in the heat spreading through her skin and burning cheeks.

She felt at ease, light, and free and as if her problems were nothing. That was before both she and Kyungsoo practically hollered their answers at the same time, making Minseok chuckle in amusement. Anna was delighted with the coincidence and ordered both of them to empty their glasses in one go. Kyungsoo was reluctant to do so, but Gyuri did it gladly, wanting to burn the anger with the alcohol and let her inhibitions take over.

Unfortunately for Gyuri, that wasn't the only coincidence. They were so alike. Gyuri stared at Kyungsoo, wondering how they could think in the same numbers, the same answers to almost every question, and react just as slowly in every single game and dare. She was too mad to find those details interesting or riveting. If anything, it only managed to annoy her further as Anna and Minseok made fun of them. 

"I think you two are meant to be together," Minseok mumbled in amusement as they couldn't come up with a loser on a simple match of rock, paper, and scissors.

The comment made Gyuri snap. She felt her cheeks flaring, her entire face burning up in embarrassment, and too mortified to give him the reason, she just slapped Kyungsoo's hand away.

"There, I lost." She said, pouring more soju into her glass and guzzling it down like water.

Angry at herself, embarrassed by the situation, and ignoring something else bubbling inside her, Gyuri poured another drink. She heard a giggle next to her, someone calling her name from somewhere else, and saw a hand trying to take the bottle out of her grasp, but no one would stop her. For the first time, she felt invincible, and no one could stop her.

***

They all witnessed Gyuri drown her sorrows fast and recklessly. Kyungsoo tried more than once to take a drink from her hands. Anna simply admired her, pointing out how adorable she was as Gyuri giggled and swayed from one side to the other off the beat of some old song Minseok was singing.

Kyungsoo had stopped drinking a while ago. He made up his mind when he tried to stop Gyuri and call it a night, but she glared at him and drank another glass out of spite. He let her and limited himself to watch her as she poured one glass after the other. He had to remind himself that it was all part of her wishes. She wanted to get drunk, and so far she was doing great. Gyuri hadn't had anything to eat and she kept mixing drinks that he was sure would eventually hit her with the nastiest hungover. He had to smile at some point. Gyuri was stubborn, and despite describing herself as someone shy and mellow, she always took on every task head-on and without reservation, even this one.

His chain of thought came to a sudden halt when Gyuri swayed dangerously to one side and lost balance, almost falling face-first to the surface of the wooden deck. Kyungsoo was fast enough to reach for her. Holding her head gently in his hands, he prodded her back straight, and Gyuri kept mumbling the song as if nothing happened.

"Gyuri, I think that's enough." He said as Anna giggled.

It wasn't a surprise that Minseok hyung was just as drunk as Gyuri. It was partially his fault. He encouraged her, drinking along, celebrating every glass, and always pouring another one for her. However, as a seasoned drinker, Minseok Hyung was easier to handle. Eventually, he would just stay still, acting cute to anyone around him. He was leaning over his girlfriend, resting his chin on her shoulder and smiling at her. Anna was giggling at whatever he was muttering to her ear. Gyuri started to fall again, and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Kyungsoo knew it was time to take her back into the cabin.

What Kyungsoo never expected was to get so flustered by her closeness. Gyuri noticed his presence and looked up at him with a hint of curiosity he couldn't decipher. She smiled at him, and as if she wasn't mad at him anymore, Gyuri wrapped her arms around his neck. Taken aback, Kyungsoo laughed, struggling to untangle himself from her unexpectedly strong grip, and once free, he draped one of her arms around his neck and lifted her off the deck. Gyuri let out an adorable squeal as he guided her around the garden. Thankfully handling her through the cabin wasn't nearly as bad as Kyungsoo had first imagined.

“I figured you would have gotten drunk with Baekhyun before,” Kyungsoo said softly.

“Baekhyun is a wimp.” Gyuri spat out.

Although Gyuri meant to sound harsh, she seemed to struggle to put that expression on her face and was frustrated at her lack of control over her own body. She swayed so hard that her balance went off and almost dragged Kyungsoo to the floor along with her. Not that it mattered to her because she kept on with her rant about Baekhyun.

“He said he didn’t trust himself if the two of us were drunk.” She added with a scoff, and then a dangerously adorable pout took over her entire face, “Kyungsoo, am I really that boring?”

“I don’t think he meant what you think,” Kyungsoo replied.

“Wanna know a secret?” She said, changing the subject entirely, and Kyungsoo looked at her, only to realize that she was too drunk to understand the implications of her own words. 

“You already told me your biggest secret,” Kyungsoo added as he steered her through the small waiting area and then to her room.

“That was nothing.” Gyuri added, “There’s a bigger one.”

She waved her free hand so dramatically that she hit the closest wall with a dry thud that even Kyungsoo jolted in response. He asked her if she was alright, and when he let her go to check her hand, Gyuri seemed unfazed by the incident.

“I really really want to get laid before I die.” She said.

Gyuri collapsed into the edge of the bed and bounced into the floor with a loud thump. Kyungsoo was by her side on the floor in a flash, and she complained with a glare, followed by an accusatory pout. However, neither of them knew how exactly that happened. To Kyungsoo, she was too drunk to stay up and fell, and to Gyuri, he deliberately dropped her there. 

“Preferably with my secret admirer.” She kept on, curling into a ball on the floor. 

There was a silence in the room that was a bit too uncomfortable for Kyungsoo. It took him too long to decide what to do next when he felt a source of warmth, perfume, and alcohol so close to him it made his head spin.

“I was hoping to have my first time with Baekhyun but that’s never going to happen.” Gyuri said as she got extremely close to his face, “You could take your chance if you want.”

Kyungsoo looked at her, completely stunned. Flabbergasted, he might say, and he didn’t know what to do until he saw her hand moving closer and closer to his face. As if snapped back to reality, he grabbed her wrist as gently as possible and meant to remove the watch.

“No.”

“You will do.” Gyuri insisted, almost whispering, “You’re handsome.”

The writer had his fingers working through the strap of her watch when he forgot for a split second what he was doing. She was giggling. The sound of her so close to him caught his attention. Gyuri stared at him as if she had sobered up, and he froze under her scrutinizing gaze.

“What?” She asked, her face decorated with a bright and curious smile, “Are you surprised I like you?”

“Do you?” He asked instead.

It was her reaction that told Kyungsoo that Gyuri was still too drunk to grasp the meaning of what she was talking about. The playful smile disappeared just as fast as it showed up, and she shrugged in defeat, making him realize that he should take everything that was happening with a grain of salt.

“I’m not telling you.” She said with a pout.

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

Anna snapped the door open, making them both jolt in surprise. She came into the bedroom followed by a stumbling Minseok. Thankfully, neither of them seemed to notice that Kyungsoo stepped away from Gyuri and turned around to hide his blushing cheeks from them.

“I’ll take care of her.” He mumbled.

“Really?” Anna chuckled, reaching Gyuri and getting ready to pick her up, “Are you going to undress her and put her pajamas on too?” 

Kyungsoo froze on his spot, feeling not only his cheeks but his entire head burning. Anna noticed his reaction and clicked her tongue at him in disapproval before she pulled Gyuri up and helped her sit on the bed. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Anna mumbled and left Gyuri to nudge Kyungsoo out of the room, “As much as I like you both…"

“Like me?” Minseok whined with a gasp, getting into the way, “We’re getting married!”

“I don’t want you brutes near my new friend,” Anna pressed, pushing them both through the door, “Skedaddle you two. Out!” 

Before Kyungsoo could say anything, Anna closed the door at their backs, leaving them in the resting area in awkward silence. Minseok kept whining under his breath but then looked at the writer with a cocked brow. The sudden attention had Kyungsoo feeling self-conscious, and he made a beeline to the hallway out of the area, but the editor was fast enough to stop him.

“Where do you think you’re going? You have to make some stew.” He said, blinking rapidly as if he was trying to get rid of something in his eyes, “You have to tell me who she is and why you two are suddenly joined by the hip.”

“We already had dinner, hyung.” Kyungsoo said, chuckling in disbelief.

“Yeah, but I’m not sober enough to have that conversation.” He replied, wobbling his way out to the kitchen.

Minseok and Kyungsoo talked about nothing really important as the writer cooked a quick and simple serving of instant noodles. He placed the pot in the middle of the kitchen island and let his hyung dig in as he screwed the cap off a soju bottle for himself. As soon as Minseok was halfway through the noodles and he stopped swaying back and forth on his stool, it was when Kyungsoo proceeded to tell him the full story of how he found Gyuri and of the odd urge he felt to do something for someone that was suffering what he suffered years ago.

“When I look at her, I remember how it felt,” Kyungsoo said when he finished his story.

“Or she’s just your new muse.” Minseok added, pausing when the writer shot him a glare,  “No, it makes total sense now, Kyungsoo. You haven’t touched your laptop in years, and there was no force on earth that could bring a written word out of you. Suddenly, in a matter of days, you gave me the first two chapters of the next book. She’s inspiring you.” 

“That’s not it,” Kyungsoo said, but Minseok chuckled.

“Just be careful not to get too attached.” The editor mused, but the writer was too confused.

He was taken aback not by the words he just heard but by the disinterest in the way Minseok delivered those thoughts. Kyungsoo watched his friend slurp the rest of the noodles into his mouth as if he had nothing to eat for months and the overly nonchalant and pleased noise that came out of him as he nudged the empty pot in front of him.

“Don't look at me like that," Minseok said with a stern look on his face, "Just remember that not everyone survives this shit as you did.” 

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 7]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 7,433

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 8-1

Gyuri opened her eyes and stared at the droplets of rain falling from the edge of the rooftop tiles. She closed her eyes again. Then she realized that the setting wasn’t familiar. Looking around, she finally recognized the wooden handrails floors. Finally more awakened, she felt a cushion under her head and a very particular scent all around her. It took her a couple of seconds to realize she had a coat draped over.

“How long have I been asleep?” She asked, sitting up and as seamlessly as she could, fixed her hair, “Did I snore?”

“You looked tired,” Kyungsoo said with a chuckle as he observed her.

He didn’t say much after that, and pretending she wasn’t aware of his attention on her, she nodded and rubbed the tiredness off her eyes. 

“Here,” Kyungsoo called her as he placed a newly brewed cup of tea on the table, "Drink this. It's getting cold."

Gyuri looked around. The rain began to dim, and suddenly conscious of how cold she was, she moved closer to hold the small porcelain cup between her hands.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” She said, letting the steam and perfume from the tea go from her numb nose to the core of her chest, “Promise me we will come again.”

He nodded with a small smile. Feeling a bit self-conscious of his strangely comforting gaze, Gyuri diverted his attention to any other subject other than herself. She asked about the tea ceremony, and he obliged. That way, they spent a considerable time talking about it as Kyungsoo explained the process to her while digging into the assortment of overly sweet desserts. Eventually, it stopped raining. The sky cleared, and all Gyuri could see was a beautiful sea of countless tiny stars that twinkle brightly all across the night vault. That astonishing sight brought her back to reality, and Gyuri grabbed her phone to discover it was dead. She had been out all day and knew her parents would be worried about her.  

“I think it’s time for me to go home.” She said, ready to remove the coat from her legs when it dawned on her.

Almost panicking, she held the coat up with both hands and apologized for having such an expensive piece of clothing all over the floor. Without a single trace of annoyance on his expression, Kyungsoo assured her it was alright. As much as she enjoyed his company and found peace in his presence, Gyuri had to go back to her life, even if she didn’t want to. She ignored everything that kept bubbling in her chest and every argument her brain brought up to convince her to stay there and tried to stand up, but her legs refused to work.

“I’m driving you home.” He said, noticing her struggle.

Even though he didn’t comment on her current predicament, the embarrassment was too much for Gyuri to handle. She locked her eyes on the leftovers of the overly sweet desserts she realized became her favorites and tried to ignore everything else.

“Here.” She heard Kyungsoo say and saw him offering his hands to help.

Gyuri accepted the help, and if she wanted to describe them, she would say they were gentle. His hands weren’t too big or too small, and not even too rough or too delicate. They were just big and manly enough for him to hold her tiny hands perfectly within his and make her feel safe just by a single gesture such as holding her hand. The hold felt so strong and so steady, Gyuri stared at him when he pulled her up. She must have gasped in surprise because her body felt stiff whenever she tried, but when he helped her up, maybe he miscalculated his strength. Perhaps she wasn’t as heavy as he expected because the momentum did its work, and Gyuri couldn’t stop her body from moving until she fell into him.

She was suddenly fully awake and somehow confused because nothing was stinging inside her chest, and her throat wasn’t acting out. Those two symptoms would have been the signs of her bafflement and the blaring alarm that she was way too close to the writer. Her shyness should have kicked in. Practically chest to chest, his hands immediately let her go and went to her waist, holding her up. Gyuri couldn’t tell for a moment if her legs didn’t work due to exhaustion or the closeness. She was too shy to pretend she was cool about it, so she looked away. She tried to find a fixed point around them that could be more interesting than the handsome writer that kept looking at her with an intense expression. She didn't want to think about what could make her cheeks feel burning as hot as she felt them then. Seemingly taking the hint, Kyungsoo let her go little by little as if making sure she was strong enough to stay upright. Even though he looked like he was willing to help her walk back to the car, she dismissed it and stepped away from him and the warmth of his entire body irradiated. Pretending she was alright but just a bit sleepy, she tried to stretch her limbs. All of her bones cracked when she did. She wasn’t sure if he heard, but when she discovered him staring at her with his eyes uncommonly wide open in surprise, all she could do was chuckle.

The chuckles didn’t work. Kyungsoo didn’t laugh or smile like the other times she managed to make him emote. Still, Gyuri smiled again, trying to downplay what happened. The last thing she wanted was to Kyungsoo to worry anymore, but nothing seemed to work. Too embarrassed to look at him and as if she had done something wrong, Gyuri grabbed her stuff and left the private booth. The writer followed her closely, and without exchanging a word, they got into the car. 

As soon as Kyungsoo started driving, Gyuri fell asleep once again, almost immediately, lulled by the mellow music and the movement of his soothing driving. It felt like she just closed her eyes because Kyungsoo woke her up, and although his voice was as gentle as ever, she detected the edge in his tone. It only took her a look over his shoulder to know what could make him sound that way. As if compelled strangely, Gyuri snapped out of it and got out of the car. Moved by a fight or flight response, she wanted to hide at first, but then, the anger dripping off that particular voice paralyzed her.

“Kang Gyuri!” Baekhyun said, her name coming out of his throat with so much raw emotion, she had to step back. “Why on earth aren’t you answering your phone!?”

“It’s dead,” she explained in a tiny voice, “My phone is dead.”

That same instinct that made her feel so small before Baekhyun, went away when Kyungsoo appeared right by her side. Almost as if his mere presence infused courage into her body, she realized she did not owe him an explanation of any kind. Gyuri ignored Baekhyun and walked around him while Kyungsoo also walked between them, blocking the view with his body.

“It's alright.” She said to the writer.

“Why the fuck wouldn't be alright?” Baekhyun demanded to know, following them close by and his tone beyond offended by Kyungsoo's interference, "Why are you even here?"

“Gyuri, what's going on?” Her father asked.

She felt her heart sink. Her legs faltered a little when she saw her parents coming out of the house, probably wondering what was happening outside. It wouldn’t be the first time they witnessed the chaos and racket that was Baekhyun, especially if he was drunk. They knew what to expect of a situation like that but for some weird reason, Gyuri felt shy about them seeing him making such a fuzz and completely sober. It simply made everything worse and she just wanted to disappear.

“Nothing.” She muttered, feeling her cheeks burning in mortification, and turned to the writer who looked a lot more composed than how she felt, “Kyungsoo, it's fine. I can deal with this.”

“Are you sure?” 

The question was loaded with genuine concern, although she recognized it wasn't condescending at all. Kyungsoo genuinely wanted to know if she was ready to handle the situation on her own. The look in his eyes felt oddly fortifying, so she nodded.

“Don’t fight back.” Kyungsoo whispered, as softly and discreetly as he could, “Remember to let it flow through you.”

That simple gesture resonated like a rumble of thunder. The writer didn't just give her an innocent piece of advice. She didn't realize it at first, but the moment everyone around her called her name in different tones, she understood why. He had leaned closer to her to whisper those words. Panicking for a split second, she looked at her parents with the leftovers of a smile. Aware of how that looked like, she acted as if Kyungsoo’s closeness was nothing out of the ordinary.

“It’s nothing.” She said, trying to assure them, “Baekhyun is just leaving.”

“No, I’m not.” Her best friend said with a scoff, “Whatever his name is, can leave.”

“He’s leaving already,” Gyuri pointed out and did her best to seemingly walk the remaining distance to the gate, “so it’s time for you to leave as well.”

“I’m staying for dinner, Gyuri.” Baekhyun added with a condescending tone that made Gyuri give him a look, “Don’t look at me like that, I’m practically family.” 

“But you are not.” She said under her breath, controlling the urge she had to yell her frustration at him.

“Kang Gyuri.” She heard her father snarl.

She didn’t even dare to look at him. Gyuri knew the sternly frowning she would find at her display of annoyance. He saw how she rolled her eyes and her frustration-filled tone in which she grunted at Baekhyun, and he would never, ever let her be rude to anyone. Not even to Baekhyun.

“I’m just tired.” She mumbled, feeling weak all of a sudden.

The ground beneath her feet shifted, and the first thing she did was to reach the closest person near her. Gyuri held onto Kyungsoo with the little strength she had left and reminded herself not to fight it back. Blinking the dizziness of her eyes, she let her father grab her as she listened to her mother send Baekhyun off behind her. Slowly, her sight focused again, and her feet felt stable enough to stand by herself when she was suddenly aware of the silence. Gyuri looked around to find her parents just staring at her as if she had grown a second head, but as soon as Kyungsoo let her go, she gathered her thoughts straight.

“This is Kyungsoo.” Gyuri said, “He works at the bookshop.” 

“Well, he was also leaving, right?” Her father asked.

Kyungsoo instantly chuckled, his entire face blushing, and Gyuri couldn't help herself but smile when her mother chuckled as well. Then, the awkwardness filled the atmosphere when she hit her father on the arm and pulled him inside the house as she stole curious glances at the writer.

“No wonder she goes to the bookshop every week, she likes the book boy.” Her mother whispered to her father. “Can’t blame her, he is so handsome.”

Gyuri had to cover her face due to the mortification and waited for the teasing. However, it never arrived. She peaked through her fingers to see if Kyungsoo was waiting for the exact moment but realized that he seemed lost in his thoughts.

“Why did you lie to them?” He said, as serious as ever.

“I promised you I would keep the secret.” She replied as if it was the easiest thing to do. “Prepare yourself though, they might invite you to dinner one day.”

For what it looked like, Kyungsoo found the idea mortifying because his entire face blushed, and seemingly embarrassed, he lowered his head, hiding in the shadows of the night.

“Thank you.” He mumbled, although Gyuri suspected there was more behind his words, “and try to get some sleep.”

“I’ll try.” 

***

Just like Kyungsoo said, and as if his words were a command, Gyuri slept for almost two days straight. Her parents were ready to call someone for help when she just sat up in her bed and let out the deepest and longest yawn she could remember. She felt alright. It was a strange feeling to have when she could also feel that thing inside her body, apparently dormant and waiting to act up. She stayed there, taking in everything about herself and wondering what to do about it when her cellphone buzzed with a notification.

The date on the screen made her heart skip a beat, and jumping out of her bed, Gyuri fell straight into the floor with a loud thud. She whimpered out loud, rubbing her knees and feeling all of her limbs as stiff and aching as if she was eighty years old. However, she didn’t have the time to dwell too much into it, and pushing herself off the floor, she ran to her office and got to work. Hours later, after sending emails, arranging documents, and printing the rest of the pamphlets she needed, Gyuri came downstairs with the bundle of papers pressed against her chest. She found her parents having a snack in the kitchen and looked at her with a clear sign of relief, but their faces changed quite dramatically.

“Can we talk?” She asked.

They didn’t respond, and bracing the papers closer to her chest, Gyuri went to the living room. She sat down on the floor and waited for them to get to their places on the couch. The silence was heavy, and she went over and over again on the appropriate words to bring up the subject in the best possible way and when she couldn’t find it, she just went straight to the point.

“There’s no easy way to say this,” She said as soon as they sat down as well, “but this is what I’ve been working on these past few days.”

Gyuri placed the papers over the table and wasn’t strong enough to see her parent’s expressions twisting in pain. She knew she would break into tears if she did, so she focused on the task, but her father’s voice struggled to stay steady.

“You shouldn’t have done it alone.” He said.

“I’m not doing this.” Her mother mumbled as her voice broke as well, ready to leave the room.

“It’s going to happen, mum.” Gyuri said with a sigh and not affected by the reaction, “Sooner rather than later.”

“The doctor said six months…”

“I can....” Gyuri interrupted her, placing a hand over her chest, “...feel it, right under my skin.”

Things had changed. The curse wasn’t a simple buzz that acted out every once in a while anymore. It was real and tangible. If she pressed her fingers into her flesh, she knew it wouldn't be bones but roots she could feel slowly moving through her. Gyuri got used to the feeling, but it was still there. 

“I’ll make tea, then.” Her mother said.

Neither Gyuri nor her father stopped her as they both knew she needed the small break to compose herself. Even if no one wanted to admit it, they all needed a breather before tackling such a depressing subject.

“I could’ve gone with you.” Her father whispered after a while as he rubbed his eyes.

“I know, but I didn’t want you to worry,” Gyuri said with a small smile.

She meant to say a joke after that to lighten the mood when her mother came back with a tray of treats and cups of tea for everyone, and she was glad at least her mother was willingly considering to talk about the situation.

“First of all, I didn’t want to spend all my time working, so I resigned.” Gyuri started, pulling a paper from the first folder and with the same tone she would at a work meeting, “I still have a shit-ton of days off.”

“Watch your language,” Her father said, but beyond that, he just grabbed the paper and read it with care.

The quick nag made Gyuri snort, which made her mother chuckle as she kept serving the cups with tea. For a split second, she was glad they could have that conversation with the best spirits.

“Anyway, that means I’ll still get paid for the next three months.”

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Her father said, still reading, “You can’t have that many days off. Unused vacation days get forfeit after six months.”

“What are you talking about? My daughter is a model employee,” Her mother nagged, with an offended expression that made Gyuri smile.

“That’s settled with the company, and so is everything concerning my bank accounts.” Gyuri went for the next folder, “I’m leaving it to my mom if you don’t mind dad.”

Whatever good spirits her mother had, they left her body right that instant. She just stared at the bank booklet in front of her when Gyuri insisted, giving it to her, but her mother refused to open it. She was expecting that kind of reaction.

“I was thinking you could go to Taiwan,” Gyuri said.

“And what am I supposed to do there by myself?” Her mother asked, a tear finally falling down her face. 

“Remember that variety show we like so much. You know we wanted to try the... wonton noodles.” She explained.

“The wonton noodles.” Her mother said as another set of tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Maybe you can finally steal the recipe on my behalf.”

“I will.” Her mother replied with a smile Gyuri knew took an inhumane effort to display. 

“I also settled everything for the car as well, dad.” She continued, keeping her tears at bay with all her might. “You just have to sign the papers.”

With a muted voice, her father agreed. Gyuri looked at her parents for a moment and smiled at them. Glad that they were taking the matter better than she ever expected. She felt like hugging them, but at the same time, she knew that would break the tiny bits of control and composure they all had, including her. She had just one more issue to settle and the hardest one so far.

“There are no options for someone like me,” She started, bringing out the last folder, “I have to be cremated.”

From the moment she got the diagnosis, she started her own research and began to formulate a plan of action. It wasn’t an easy task, especially when she felt beyond hopeless. But all the options, as limited as they were, always led to the same solution, and all she could do was to stare at the picture of the young and handsome doctor.

“What is it?” Her father asked, breaking her chain of thoughts.

“I can’t donate my organs.” Gyuri started, and she struggled to control her voice. “But there’s a program…research...”

“Absolutely not,” her mother said, standing up, “I’m not letting you get dissected.”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Gyuri mumbled, feeling her composure finally crumbling into pieces, “I may not even be eligible for the program.”

“And why is that?”

“I have to be tested first,” She said with a small voice as she pushed the pamphlet with the doctor’s picture and his contact details, “Here are the numbers. This is the only thing the funeral house doesn’t cover, so you would have to do it yourselves.”

Then it happened, in a blink of an eye, the graveness of the situation toppled over her. By saying those words, Gyuri realized just how little control she had, how limited her options were, and how flimsy her entire existence was. 

“I can’t even choose if I can be of use or not.” She mumbled, rubbing her eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

“If this is what you want, pumpkin,” Her father said, reaching for her hand, “We will make the call.”

Gyuri nodded, glad that her father was on board with her wishes. She knew her mother would take a lot more to convince and observed her trying to stay collected. 

“Everything is in here,” Gyuri said, closing all the folders and piling them up altogether.

“If you won’t be working anymore,” Her mother said, still holding back her tears, “Then you can be useful and help me carry the groceries.”

That last remark made her father break into a chuckle and then into a burst of laughter. Her mother had always been like that. She always masked her feelings by doing housework, and this time, it wasn't the exception. Still, in brand with her character, she even nagged her father for making fun of her. Suddenly, Gyuri couldn’t help but smile as she watched the adorable banter between her parents as they left for the kitchen.

After that difficult conversation, everything finally settled down at home. Gyuri would get up early every morning to help her mother prepare breakfast. She would join her running errands and always regretted whenever her mother started to brag to all the neighbors how much of an excellent daughter she was. As much as she hated the embarrassment she felt when it happened, Gyuri enjoyed every second she spent with her. One day, just like she had been doing lately, Gyuri spent the evening with her father. She was watching tv with him when her cellphone started ringing over the table, and her first thought was Baekhyun. After the argument outside her house, he practically ghosted her. Not even a text, nothing. The thought alone of Baekhyun finally calling her made her jump off the couch to grab the phone. She was ready to accept the call when the name she saw on the screen made her stop altogether, even her brain.

“Who is it?” Her mother asked, joining them.

“It’s Kyungsoo,” Gyuri whispered as she stared at the device in her hand.

He had never called her. Kyugsoo was as good a texter as he was with conversations, short and simple. He had barely answered any of her texts before, let alone call her over the phone. Gyuri tried to think of a reason for him to call, but nothing came to mind.

“Well, answer!” Her mother nudged her, “Why aren’t you answering?”

“Hi!” Gyuri chirped a bit too animatedly when she finally did.

“I’m back.” He said, and for a moment, Gyuri didn’t know what that meant. “You told me to call you when…”

“When you are back!” Gyuri ended the sentence, suddenly remembering that embarrassing moment of weakness, “Right! How was it?”

“Can we meet?” He said instead.

"Yes!" She practically yelled and covered her mouth immediately afterward, "Yes, I would like that."

Gyuri managed to say the last part more calmly, but everything in her was too ecstatic to stay still. She went straight to her room, leaving her parents stunned while Kyungsoo gave her the details.

“I’m going out!” She yelled from her room when she hung up.

“I’ll drive you there.” Her father said.

"Nonsense." Her mother added.

Gyuri had to chuckle when she heard her mother nagging him, and the bicker between them did not end while she got ready, but she was too excited to care. She could only think about taking a shower and being out of her house as soon as possible. She was looking at herself in the mirror when she had to pause for a second. She had nightmare-free nights and was sleeping well. However, her skin still looked a bit too unwell for her liking even if she had been using more moisturizer than usual. In a sudden urge, she practically bathed herself in products once again. She rubbed and spread the cream all over her body from head to toe until she felt as soft as possible, hoping to get a bit more of a healthy color on her skin. At the same time, she nagged herself for all the time lost and basically jumped down the stairs when she finished. Gyuri ignored the sulk in her father’s posture and ran out of her house to the subway station. 

The bus stop was closer, but the train would take her faster to her destination, and she found herself bobbing her head to the rhythm of the music playing on her headphones. She even closed her eyes and took a deep breath, making her lungs feel open and her chest light. Gyuri knew the signs of harmony when everything felt alright with the universe and had no plans of ruining such a good feeling. She was so excited that the twenty-minute ride felt like an eternity, and she kept looking at her phone in case Kyungsoo texted her to call their meeting off. He never did. His only text was to reassure her that he would be waiting. She practically ran up the stairs of the train station and looked around for Kyungsoo and just as he said, he was there, waiting for her with his characteristically small smile.

“You look much better.” He said after his silent greeting. 

“I feel better.” Gyuri could only agree, “Today is a good day.”

Kyungsoo said something else with a smile that showed his teeth, and Gyuri halted for a second, watching him. He looked soft. Everything about him was so soft, from his face to his hair and his cheeks. His cheeks in particular seemed soft for kisses, and when she caught herself thinking that, she looked away. Gyuri didn’t even catch on to what he said and was too embarrassed to ask, so she just followed him. Just as quietly as most of their interactions have been, they started walking in comfortable silence. Although, she wanted to talk. She wished to ask him how his trip was. She wanted to know if he had a good time with his grandmother and if he was planning on leaving again. Looking around to distract herself from her curious mind, she started to wonder what the objective of meeting him was. Not that she was complaining. Gyuri enjoyed his company. She liked it when he asked questions and even more, how much attention he paid to her answers. However, if she wanted an answer, she forgot about the question soon after as they kept walking around. Time just flew by so fast as they walked by one store after the other or when they made a quick stop for Kyungsoo to treat her something to eat from a food stand. Most of that time, they would just ignore everything else around them as they chatted, exchanging questions until her knees started to feel stiff. Gyuri kept looking at him for an answer, but he seemed lost in their surroundings.

"What are we doing here?" She finally asked while finishing her fish-shaped bread.

Gyuri had to ask when her heels started to crack a little with every step, and not even the quick snack worked to refuel her energy. The question finally made Kyungsoo stop, but he looked around as if searching for something.

"You wanted to get designer's clothes," he said, still looking everywhere else except her, "so we're shopping."

"We are?"

"Have you seen anything you like?" Kyungsoo said, finally looking at her.

Baffled and amused, Gyuri blinked at him, wondering if he was joking, and nothing in his expression gave the impression that he was until it dawned on her. She realized what he was talking about, and she couldn’t believe he remembered something as small as that. She smiled, her tiredness suddenly forgotten, and a new influx of excitement ran through her body. Letting out a tiny squeal, she nodded, and Kyungsoo followed her around as they went back on their tracks to a fancy clothing store that caught her eyes. She saw one particular dress on display, and it was her favorite color, but also she imagined it felt like a dream to wear. Never in her wildest dreams did she picture herself wearing it, but she wanted to try. She dreamed to dress up like a celebrity for once.

Gyuri came into the store and froze in an instant. Kyungsoo by her side stayed just as still, and she looked around, wondering what to do next. She saw an employee noticing their presence and making a beeline to them. Gyuri panicked and walked to the racks of clothes in the search of the dress that promised to make her look like a star. It was hard to miss when the bright yellowish-green was on display inside the store and right up front of all the new arrivals of what looked like a wonderfully colorful new collection. Gyuri saw the bright pinks, the deep purples, and vibrant yellows of all the garments and stopped in full wonder at how pretty every dress was.

"The green one?" Kyungsoo said, observing the dress with interest.

Gyuri grabbed the garment, and just as she thought, the fabric was more than exquisite. She looked around for a piece her size when she saw the white label with black capital letters, and a chill ran across her body. Of course, she would like something as fancy and expensive as a Valentino. She brought the tag out and chuckled when she saw the price.  

"Do you have enough?" Kyungsoo asked as he witnessed her reaction.

"I do," She said. "I won't take any of it with me, so might as well spend it."

Saying it out loud did something to Gyuri, and she wasn't expecting to feel so alright with it because it was one thing to talk about her will with her parents and another completely different, to open up to Kyungsoo about it. Especially how easily it came to her to admit it.

"I settled all of my belongings last week." She explained.

The writer limited himself to nod. Gyuri wasn't sure if she wanted him to say anything. She didn't even know why she said it out loud, and knowing that she made the atmosphere awkward, Gyuri grabbed the dress. On her way to the changing rooms, another dress caught her attention. She basically halted in the middle of the store as if hypnotized by the garment. Even if it wasn't as colorful and elegant as the Valentino she had in her hands, she grabbed the dress and resumed her way to try them on. In the hassle of being in a place she wasn't familiar with, Gyuri ran over a girl and almost made her drop the dresses she had in her arms. Gyuri apologized, and mortified to no end, locked herself inside the first booth she could find. Not wanting to dwell too much in that incident, she tried the green dress first, and the fit was simply perfect. The fabric felt delicious over her skin, and it made her feel slim, tall, and sophisticated. But the moment Gyuri looked at herself in the mirror, every single insecurity she ever had, came out stronger than ever. The dress was still beautiful, but she felt out of place in it.

"You're not there yet, Gyuri." She mumbled to herself.

She slipped off the fancy dress and hung it aside to grab the other one. Gyuri didn't recognize the brand, but by the price in the tag, it was expensive enough to be worn only by the rich. She stared at the navy blue tulle dress, covered with clusters of golden glitter, and started to wonder if it was even worth it trying on. As soon as the thought came into her mind, she rejected it. She wouldn't be doing it if it was easy, so she tried the dress on without any more hesitation, and the difference was staggering. Gyuri stared at the reflection and couldn't believe her eyes. She loved that the dress fit her like a second skin and above her knees which made her feel pretty and sexy at the same time. Then, she almost gasped in delight when she twirled around, and the skirt moved, making the fabric sparkle like the night sky covered with thousand tiny stars. She had to remind herself to look away from the mirror and decide what to do other than dance around the tiny changing room.

Gyuri opened the door, and the first thing she saw was the girl she ran over trying out a yellow floral dress. She couldn't help but observe the girl as she looked at every angle in the full-body mirror and the unmistakable look of disdain on her face. However, she couldn't see anything ugly on the scene playing in front of her. The dress fit her well, it looked good with her skin tone, and in all honesty, Gyuri quite envied her body shape to fill up the garment so well. But as if giving up, the girl let a sigh out, and her entire posture fell apart in defeat at whatever she was looking at in the mirror, and Gyuri saw herself staring. The girl turned around, realizing someone was watching her. When they looked at each other, both girls gasped, caught up in the moment of embarrassment, and hid in their respective changing rooms. 

Back in the safety of her booth, Gyuri stared at her reflection and knew the feeling way too well. She had felt it so many times before it was painful even to think about it and started to wonder if she looked just as scared and uneasy as that girl did. That was all it took the intrusive thought to root in her mind, and too shy to ask Kyungsoo like she first thought, she brought her cellphone out and snapped a couple of mirror pictures for her mother. Her reflection kept looking at her with a scornful look as if judging her, and Gyuri made her mind. She changed back into her clothes and came out, decided like never before. She just wanted to be kind to somebody, just as Kyungsoo was to her that terrible day. That simple action kept on changing her life entirely, and she wanted to do the same. Maybe not as dramatically as the situation she was currently in, but she had to start somewhere. 

“I found the one,” Gyuri said, meeting Kyungsoo back in the lounge of the store.

"Are you done?" Kyungsoo asked.

"Shoes." She mumbled, looking at the changing rooms, "I need shoes."

Seemingly not catching on to her hesitation, Kyungsoo agreed and pointed out the shoe section, inviting her to follow him. She did, always looking over her shoulder in the hopes to see the girl show up and go that extra mile. However, she never did. Gyuri started trying out one pair of shoes after the other, stalling as much as she could to wait for her to the point of getting worried. Maybe she missed her chance to give that little extra boost of confidence to someone that looked like really needed it.

Giving up, Gyuri picked a pair of blue low-heel shoes and followed Kyungsoo to the checkout. She stalled, however, still hoping to see the other girl. She was so anxious about what she wanted to do that the total of her purchase was barely registered in her mind until she finally came out. Gyuri observed her pretend she was looking at other garments when she put the dress back in the rack. She had seen that hesitation and anxiousness before, and she knew she couldn’t let her go without saying it out loud. She would have loved to have someone do that for her. Putting her wallet back into her purse and thanking the cashier, Gyuri took a deep breath before securing her bags in her hands and went for it.

“You looked very pretty in the yellow dress,” Gyuri said, hopefully, loud enough for the girl to hear.

Everything happened so fast the poor girl looked at her as if someone smacked her in the face. But it happened, Gyuri saw the biggest and most beautiful smile spreading across the girl's face before she covered it with her hands. The girl thanked her nonetheless, doing a full-bow, and even though she couldn't see her face, Gyuri could hear her little giggles. Feeling satisfied with herself, she smiled back and pretty much rushed out of the store as she dragged Kyungsoo along with her.

“That was nerve-wracking,” Gyuri said. 

She ignored the trembles in her body as they walked away as fast as they could, and Kyungsoo offered his hand in support. He couldn’t help himself but laugh when Gyuri grabbed his entire arm instead and laid her head on his shoulder, leaning on him.

“I’m tired.” She mumbled with her eyes closed as he drove them through the sidewalk.

“Should we stop for something to drink then?” He asked, and she just nodded in response, “What do you want?” 

Gyuri didn’t have a chance to answer when she almost lost her footing by Kyungsoo halting all of a sudden. She looked at him, weirded out by the sudden stop, and found him standing in front of the window display of a store. She joined him, looked at the clothes, and got beyond confused. Without saying anything, Kyungsoo went into the store. Gyuri followed him but stared at him in disbelief when he approached the discount racks. She observed him looking through hangers in an absolute state of concentration, and she almost gasped in horror when he finally brought out a pair of khaki pants, and as silent as ever, he went straight to the changing rooms. Gyuri looked around the place, which seemed more like a storehouse, with every single corner filled to the rim with off-brand clothes and the handwritten signs announcing their incredible sales. For a moment, she felt out of place holding her snobby high-fashion shopping bags. In a couple of minutes, Kyungsoo came out, and to her absolute disbelief, he grabbed another two pairs of pants of the three for two sale section. Gyuri watched him go to the checkout and wondered if she missed something. As far as she knew, Kyungsoo was disgustingly rich. Granted, he never flaunted his fortune it was easy to tell that he was more than well off and him, buying clothes on sale, was something she was not expecting at all.

“You’re cheap,” Gyuri said.

Kyungsoo put his wallet away with an amused nod before he left the store, carrying the plastic bags with his khaki pants inside. Gyuri had to go after him, wondering if what happened was real or not, but forgot about the subject when they arrived at the coffee shop and her energy plunked to the floor. The moment she sat down, she felt everything hurt. The pain in her back was killing her. Her legs almost yelled at her in relief, and she just closed her eyes while Kyungsoo ordered, and all she could think of was about getting home and laying down. 

“You did it,” He said, sitting down in front of her, “Was it number seven?”

Gyuri might have been dozing off and sat up straight, taken aback not only at the writer suddenly showing up but confused at whatever he said. She stared at him, lost on what he meant, and she wondered if she missed what he was telling her. She was debating on asking him to repeat himself or not when he seemed to catch on her confusion.  

“Wish number seven of your list.” He said with a chuckle, giving her a pen with the coffee shop's brand on it, "Your bucket list, do you have it with you?"

Suddenly awake, everything finally made sense, and Gyuri rummaged through her purse. Completely blown away that she left it sitting there forgotten, she brought it out and spread it open over the table between them. She scanned the paper, looking for the wish he just mentioned, and he was right.

7. Compliment a stranger

“You ought to cross a couple out,” Kyungsoo said, pointing to the first couple of wishes. “How many of these have you done already?”

Gyuri was still too out of it to respond and just stared at the piece of paper in disbelief. She shook her head. Instead of agreeing with her, Kyungsoo grabbed the pen out of her hand and flicked her head with it. Although it was very gentle, she could only stare at him completely flabbergasted.

“You kept me awake the whole night the other day, and that was number one.”

1. Talk all night on the phone

Gyuri read the wish, and she suddenly remembered the night in which she discovered who he was. She felt her cheeks heating up at the memory of how comfortable she felt listening to him and how well she slept that night. In an urge to distract herself from the feeling, she grabbed the pen again and crossed that wish out as well. Then the one that brought them there in the first place, and wondered how on earth did he remember that one out of her ten wishes.

2. Get a designer's dress and shoes

“What’s number nine?” He asked, absently staring at the list, “Tell my biggest secret to someone I trust.” 

“I’m not telling you.” She said, and Kyungsoo gave her an unamused look, “That’s why it’s called a secret.”

"Does Baekhyun know?" He asked.

Gyuri stared at the writer as his eyes focused on the paper as if there was a lot more in it than it seemed at first glance. He looked too preoccupied with the subject, thinking to himself deeply.

"He would laugh at me," Gyuri confessed with a pout. "I'd say he would even nag me about it because it's stupid."

Kyungsoo stayed quiet for a while, and she waited for him to say something but to her surprise, he did something she had never seen him do before. He leaned over the table, bringing one hand to his mouth. His fingers fiddled with her fingernails as he bit the other one in a nervous fidget.

“Who do you trust more than him?” He asked carefully.

“It’s not about that. It wouldn’t be there if it was something easy to achieve.” Gyuri explained, “If I'm ever drunk, I might tell you.”

“That must not be that hard to do,” Kyungsoo chuckled, “If it’s wish number five.”

Gyuri deflated on her seat, feeling lame. Kyungsoo was right, once again. Getting her drunk wouldn’t be hard at all, and she felt compelled to explain why. 

“It’s embarrassing to be drunk in front of my parents,” She said, fiddling with the pen in her hands, “And I wouldn’t trust myself to be like that with Baekhyun. Who knows what I might do?”

But Gyuri had the images in her mind already. She could see it vividly, throwing herself at her best friend, her arms around him and kissing him. In her imagination, she would touch every part of him, and he would do the same. In her fantasy, he wanted her just as much.

“What are you thinking about that is making you blush this much?” He asked, a tiny smirk showing on his face.

“Oh, shut up.” She whined, covering her face in embarrassment, but that made him chuckle.

“What is it?” He insisted.

“Get flowers from a secret admirer.” She mumbled, feeling her face blushing. “That’s it. That is wish number nine.”

"That's..." He began but hesitated.

"Lame?" Gyuri finished the sentence for him.

Their order showed up on the screen, stopping Kyungsoo from saying whatever he had in mind. He just gave her a meaningful look before standing up to pick up their drinks, but he was back in no time, and Gyuri noticed the difference in his face. His eyes seemed to sparkle, and a small smile kept on creeping across his expression. He placed a drink and a dessert in front of her and moved his phone out of the way. Suddenly, he looked beyond focused, and Gyuri couldn't be sure why she noticed it. Maybe it was because he leaned over the table as if he was about to tell her a secret.

“I thought of a way to do some of these in one go,” he said, looking her in the eye, and Gyuri felt a wave of excitement rushing over her, “and I have a plan.”

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 5]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 10, 205

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

Everything was overwhelming. 

Still, too out of it, Gyuri simply limited herself to letting Kyungsoo take her away from the coffee shop. As soon as she felt remotely better, he stopped a taxi before the police and agents from the National Health Service could take anyone into custody for questioning. They always did when someone died of the Hanahaki disease in a public space. Luckily, he managed to close the taxi’s door just in time the first ambulance arrived at the site. 

 After a silent ride with Kyungsoo, she arrived home, but the moment she closed the front door behind her and saw her parents watching television in the living room, Gyuri felt a lot better and grounded in a reality she knew was safe and secure. However, drained to even talk, let alone try to pretend she was all fine, she excused herself, saying she needed to lay down for a bit.

Although she felt like she hadn’t slept for days, something was bothering her, and taking the watch off her wrist. Gyuri realized how heavy it felt and the longer she looked at it, the more she noticed how refined and expensive it actually was. Kyungsoo must be a careful person, Gyuri decided, considering how well taken care of it was. 

She flipped the watch around, and for a second, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. As exhausted as she was, her mind must’ve been playing tricks on her heart and her faith because the name she saw engraved in the back of the watch couldn't be true. That name wasn’t even real. It was only a pen name, and it was a legend. A mystery no one knew the face of. A tear fell down her cheek as her finger traced the capital that held so many of her hopes. A capital D and a capital O.

Gyuri wanted to laugh. Suddenly, his reply of being unemployed by choice seemed like the funniest yet unintentionally sarcastic joke ever. Because one of the reasons that made D.O. so mysteriously fascinating to the entire world was the fact that he never wrote a second book. That brought many to think it was all a scam, and the writer died like everyone else with the curse did.

Opening her laptop to do some research, Gyuri wondered how on earth she was supposed to start. She wouldn't be the first to try to find out his identity, but the cold watch on her hand reminded her that she had a clue that no one else might have. Gyuri simply typed D.O. watch on the search engine and hoped for the best. She could’ve never imagined getting thousands of results, and she just stared at the articles, utterly stunned. She even found the official website of the Swiss watchmaking manufacturer that made the watch that happened to be a special edition gift given to the writer as a token of their appreciation. That book was, after all, the greatest source of hope in the middle of such worldwide dispair.

Clicking faster than ever, Gyuri navigated through the website. She read the articles and then compared the watch in her hand with the one in the pictures. Her breath trembled, and her heart dropped to the floor when she saw the estimated price of the watch. She had been carrying almost 4 million dollars on her wrist, and she wasn't even aware.

Her cell phone buzzing somewhere in her room stopped her anxious train of thoughts, and when she found it, she wished she could ignore the texts on the screen but knew better than to ignore Baekhyun. Staring at the device for a while, Gyuri tried not to read too much between the lines. 

Most times, Baekhyun would pick her up whenever they hung out, except for very few times when he had previous commitments before seeing her. He always made an effort. Her best friend tried to work his activities around to spend quality time with her. It was an engraved part of him and their relationship.

However, when he set a time for them to see each other at some random park, she couldn’t stop herself and feared the worst. Luckily or not so, her answer came a few seconds later in a whole minute and a half audio message, and she wasn’t entirely surprised when she listened to it.

“I was wondering if Mina can tag along tomorrow if that’s alright with you?” His voice asked with genuine and nervous hesitation. “If you don’t feel comfortable about it, don’t worry.”

Gyuri knew that the last part of his message was also honest. If she wasn’t comfortable yet, he wouldn’t force it. However, something did not feel entirely alright. Not trusting her voice enough to reply with an audio message, she replied with a simple text that she wouldn’t mind.

Taking the watch with her for safekeeping, Gyuri laid down in her bed, aware of how tired she was but at the same time, afraid of even closing her eyes. She debated if she should reach out for that one person that became a kind of a lifeline. It felt selfish of her to even bother him any further when he had done so much already, but she couldn’t help it. 

Gyuri stared at his phone number, deciding if she could call him instead of sending a text. Because truth to be told, his replies so far had been extremely short. Closing her eyes, she made up her mind and pressed the button. Surprisingly, he answered the call almost right away, and greeted by his low and monotonous voice, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“Is everything alright?” He asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Are you free tomorrow?” She cut to the chase and facepalmed herself in embarrassment. “I’m seeing Baekhyun tomorrow and he wants to bring his girlfriend along.”

“He’s bringing her along?” He asked as if making sure he understood the situation. “Do you want me to go with you?” 

“I’m so sorry,” She blabbered, suddenly mortified, “now that I think about it, it’s very silly.”

“I’ll go.” 

Gyuri closed her eyes, smiling to herself at the amount of relief his short reply infused into her whole body. She had to remind her giddy mind to calm down. 

“Can we see each other first?” She asked, begging the watch in her hands for him to accept.

Kyungsoo merely hummed in agreement, and somehow that simple answer made her body finally relax. Gyuri curled up in her bed, and too tired to change her clothes, she pulled the covers over herself. Once she settled between the bedsheets with the watch in one hand and her phone in the other, she couldn’t think of anything else to add to end the call.

“You must be tired.” He added after a long while as if he could read her silence, and suddenly aware of the exhaustion, she nodded even if he couldn’t see her. “Is it because of what we saw today?” 

His voice was as soft as a whisper and stripped from any judgment. Although it was more than obvious he already knew the answer, Gyuri still replied with the smallest voice she could muster. 

“I’m still scared.”

Kyungsoo hummed, and somehow, Gyuri didn't need more. Just by knowing that someone knew her struggle was more than enough. However, from all the responses she could expect from a conversation of that type, a sudden chuckle wasn’t one of them. Especially not from someone like him.

“I’m not good at these kinds of things,” Kyungsoo eventually said, more to himself.

Gyuri chuckled as well. It was amusing to her that he said that while he also happened to be the man that spoke to the entire world about hope. He didn’t even have to say anything comforting when she found his silence strangely reassuring. 

“What do you like to do in your spare time?” She asked in a way to ease his awkwardness.

“I like to cook and watch movies.” He replied, quite animatedly, although his tone was still soft.

“What do you like to cook the most?”

Gyuri wanted to know out of genuine curiosity but it was as if that simple question turned on a chat mode on him, and she closed her eyes and smiled to herself as she basked in his voice. Especially when she asked how he prepared a particular dish and he would talk about that and all the different Korean dishes he liked. From time to time, Kyungsoo would ask if he should stop and let her sleep, but Gyuri would let out a soft sound every time to show him she was still listening, and he would start again. Eventually, his voice mellowed more and more until she couldn’t hear him anymore and fell into a peaceful slumber.

***

The dreadful day finally arrived, and there was no way Gyuri could skip it. The more she tried to come up with an excuse to cancel her weekly hangout with Baekhyun, the worse the sting in her chest got, and she realized she couldn't just lie to him without her heart twisting in response.

Despite everything, Gyuri was unexpectedly excited and even dressed up a little bit more than usual. She wore the expensive watch on her wrist and spent most of her bus ride constantly pulling the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it and overall thinking that someone was watching her and planning a whole heist to cut her arm off and steal the small fortune dangling in her tiny wrist.

Without any incidents other than her nervousness, Gyuri arrived at the coffee shop. She spotted Kyungsoo from a distance, already waiting for her, sitting at a table by the window. Ignoring the rush of giddiness and excitement she felt, she hurried inside.

As soon as she crossed the entrance, as if getting hit by a truck, Gyuri suddenly realized who she was about to meet and felt utterly unprepared. She even regretted having the book in her purse, naively thinking she could get his autograph or something of that sort. Pretending she hadn’t seen him yet, Gyuri made a beeline to the counter to order a drink.

Amid a mess of thoughts and self-awareness, she only asked for a water bottle, and her voice was caught up in a squeak when Kyungsoo himself showed up by her side. Unable to fully look at him as a sense of starstruck admiration paralyzed her body when she suddenly noticed his smart and expensive looks, the feeling of his heavy watch on her wrist, and his attentiveness even in the smallest of things. Gyuri didn’t even have the time to react when he pulled his wallet out to pay for her drink, and all the giddiness was soon replaced by remorse. 

Once seated by the same window he had been waiting, she looked around, wary of everything and everyone in their near vicinity. As unsuspiciously as she could under the table, Gyuri took his watch off and slipped it across the table.

“Are you crazy?” She said, leaning over so she wouldn’t raise her voice that much, “How can you give me that so easily?”

“I get nagged if I don’t wear it often.” Kyungsoo replied with a small and amused smile as he grabbed the watch and observed it as if it was made of plastic, “I don’t really like it.”

“Still, what if I’d lost it or got it stolen?” She whispered out loud, feeling a weight over her shoulders being lifted as he put the watch on with a smirk.

The sudden confidence exuding off him caught Gyuri off guard, and she just stared at him, admiring him in a different light. For a split second, he seemed to glow in a very healthy and lively way that made her start to wonder a million things. Like, for starters, how manly and classy he actually looked without his glasses and how effortlessly handsome he was. 

Gyuri also wondered how on earth she managed to become friends with one of the most famous personalities in the modern world. She even shared a freaking slice of cheesecake with him. She carried around his four million-dollar watch and was now sitting in front of him once again. Kyungsoo happened to be the only survivor of the outbreak. He was like an undefeated hero, and unable to believe her luck, she found herself speechless. 

“You are him, aren’t you?” She whispered, stunned and scared and excited by his reply, “You are The Love Survivor.”

Kyungsoo lowered his head, but Gyuri didn’t miss the tiny twitch in his brows and the pout on his lips at the nickname some people had for the writer. However, and against all of her expectations, he nodded. It was a subtle nod, and in what looked like a nervous fidget, he scratched the back of his neck.

“I just wrote it down,” He said, his voice monotone as if he was talking about the forecast, “I wrote my pain and frustration down.”

Gyuri leaned back on her chair, mind blown at the confirmation, and the noise of awe and wonder that came out of her, made him look up and smile. It was such a tender and childlike expression that somehow felt like he threw a wrench into the works of her mind. He just seemed to find her reaction to the whole revelation somehow comical.

“Do you want to hear the story?” He asked as if the story of his journey to write one of the most successful books in the last decade was not that interesting.

“If you feel comfortable telling me, I would love to.” Gyuri said, trying not to sound that eager, “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go.”

Kyungsoo chuckled again, which Gyuri started to realize fit his face and tone very well. She looked at him, taking his time as he chewed on his lower lip, deep in thought.

“A friend of mine kept a close eye on me when I contracted the disease. He wanted to know how I was coping with it and I showed my diary to him.” He started, a bit too straight to her liking, “Back then, he was starting his career as an editor.”

Gyuri perked up. She instantly knew who he was talking about. The entire world knew about D.O.’s infamous editor slash manager. Some people were convinced he was the author in disguise but in every single interview, Kim Minseok was calm and collected and all dandy to deny any rumors. He was the public face of the book, and he knew how to capitalize on it with his charms and good looks.

The man was one hell of a charmer, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was considered one of the most wanted bachelors in Seoul. Gyuri couldn’t argue with the masses; the man was genuinely pretty. He was also cute in a particular way but sweepingly and disarmingly handsome to everyone, men and women alike.

“He didn’t say anything but his eyes sparkled,” Kyungsoo kept on with his story, almost fondly at the memory. “He denies it to this day but he saw the potential.”

“That’s it?” Gyuri thought out loud before she could stop her mouth, but the twitch on the corners of Kyungsoo’s lips let her know he wasn’t offended.

“One day, I had a bad episode.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing his attention to something in the table between them. “It was so bad that it almost finished me. I was ready to give up when he just pitched me the idea of leaving a legacy behind.”

Gyuri felt small. She felt herself shrinking in her seat, and when Kyungsoo finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, she felt utterly exposed before him.

“I was running out of time,” he explained, “I knew the next coughing fit would be my last. I felt it ready to burst out of my skin so I did it. I amused him on his plan to publish my diary.”

“Is that why you don’t like it?” Gyuri wondered out loud. “Because it is your diary?”

“I never meant to stay alive and see it published.” He said, glaring at one bookshelf near them, and amongst all the books, she could see the spine of a copy of his book, “It’s my heart opened to the world.”

“If it counts,” she said, realizing she had to forget about the book in her purse for good, “I believe it’s terrific.”

“Why do you like it?” He asked instead, leaning closer to the table as if he was genuinely curious to know.

Gyuri didn’t need some time to think about it. She knew the answer just as well as she knew the story and what it made her feel. It was a no-brainer for her.

“I love,” She started, thinking of the best way to word it, “I really love the spark of hope at the end, even if it’s not clear if it is real or not.”

For a second, nothing around them mattered. All Gyuri was aware were Kyungsoo’s eyes on her. If he wanted to say anything about what she just said, he didn’t elaborate. He just stared at her face, and when such attention felt quite unbearable, and almost as if she was getting saved by the bell, she heard the soft buzz of her cell phone in her purse.

To her annoyance, they left the coffee shop to meet Baekhyun and his girlfriend in the specified place, although Gyuri felt like ditching them. Kyungsoo was far better company than them, but the sudden halt on the writer's strides made her almost bump into him. She chuckled at first, but the amusement wore off immediately when she found him facing her. Kyungsoo scratched the back of his head with one hand. His eyes fixed at some point away from her and his lips pursed in a wry face.

“About the book,” He said, his shoulders dropping, “don’t tell anyone about it.”

Kyungsoo gave her a wan smile that Gyuri didn't particularly like and then simply walked away. However, whether or not she could keep his secret safe, the thought alone of him asking for her discretion made her feel sick to her stomach. The sensation she had been pushing back since that long phone call the night before became too strong to ignore.

“I’m so sorry.” She said loud enough for the people walking around them to look at her.

Suddenly aware of the unwanted and judgy stares, Gyuri just ran up to Kyungsoo, who was looking at her, taken aback. Once she caught up with him, she recognized the uncomfortable heaviness of her actions.

“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you.” She apologized, closing her eyes in the hopes of the earth under her feet opening and swallowing her whole, “That has never been my intention.”

Gyuri heard the sound that came from him but other than that, he remained silent. When she opened one eye to see what she thought would be an upset glare, all Gyuri found was him just staring at her, and she was determined to make things right as the guilt continued to weigh her down.

“Back then, when we first met, you literally saved my life and I am grateful to the bottom of my heart.” She confessed, “But I feel like I keep taking advantage of your generosity.”

“You’re not.” 

That ripped her eyes off from the round and lustrous tips of her favorite shoes. All she could see were those dark and round eyes in front of her. She kept looking at them but found nothing but understanding and an unmatched lack of prejudice in them.

“You have no obligation whatsoever to do any of this.” She added, looking around the buzzing crowd around them.

Kyungsoo opened his mouth, but that one voice that made her heart soar and ached at the same time called her name. Gyuri’s entire body snapped back to the only reality it seemed to know and that was completely and unquestionably ruled by Byun Baekhyun and his incomparable need of attention. 

She turned around and cursed under her breath when she finally saw him approaching, all dressed up. Gyuri knew him well enough to know that he’d put effort into his clothes as she just gaped at him, at the well-fitted jeans, the belt, the tucked-in shirt, and the dark overcoat. This date must’ve been a special occasion for him, considering that he was even wearing dress shoes. Baekhyun didn’t do that. She could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he wore something different than sweatpants and his ugly white shoes.

Baekhyun called her again, greeting her from afar, already raising his arms. However, his smile faltered when he saw Kyungsoo by her side just as much as her heart twisted when she saw Mina walking right behind her best friend and flashing a huge smile at her.

The sting in the middle of her chest was suddenly back. The thought alone of having Baekhyun touching her in any way made her skin crawl in anticipation but not in a good way. As if her body not only longed for him, it also reminded her of the pain and the agony, and she felt forced to step aside. Gyuri stood slightly closer to Kyungsoo to protect herself from the pain and the motion was almost unperceivable, but Baekhyun still noticed it. Gyuri couldn’t be sure what hurt her more if the frown on his handsome face or the yearning burning in her heart. Forcing a smile, she ignored it all to embrace the horrific and painful certainty that the closer she stayed to Kyungsoo, the further she kept Baekhyun away.

The introductions were brief, or at least that was how it felt to Gyuri. Like it happened when they first met at the restaurant, she barely managed to even look at Mina. She was just too pretty and too perfect, with her big eyes, perfect smile, and perfect skin that was soft and white as milk. It made sense that Baekhyun liked her. He would be an idiot if he didn’t. 

“Why are there so many people?” Kyungsoo wondered out loud.

Gyuri had been so out of herself, trying her best to mute Mina’s perfect and melodic voice that she hadn’t realized that they were surrounded by people. Lots of people. She looked around, getting lost at the sea of faces passing by so fast and so unbothered that she felt the anxiousness taking over. Gyuri latched onto the closest thing she could reach, which happened to be Kyungsoo’s arm, and when she peeped at him, he looked just as clueless as she was. 

“Crowds,” Gyuri said under her breath, trying her best to stay calm. “I hate crowds.”

She soon found the only logical explanation for the chattering and menacing crowd moving in every direction hanging from a tubular structure. Gyuri just couldn't believe how ridiculous the entire situation was. 

“World Human Statue Festival” Gyuri read the colorful banner that welcomed them and wished she had ditched them as she wanted in the beginning. “Who thought this was a good idea?”

"I've been wanting to come," Mina added, excitedly pulling Baekhyun by the arm, "I bet you will love it!"

With a fond chuckle, Baekhyun smiled at her and complied, letting her guide him through the crowd, leaving Gyuri and Kyungsoo behind as if they didn’t even exist.

“Does it make me a mean person if I don’t want to talk to them?” Gyuri asked as she stared at her friend’s figure disappear.

A part of her strongly wanted to run after him, to keep an eye on him and make herself noticed to him. Thinking in that way was a ridiculous idea, and attempting to contain her heart, she looked at Kyungsoo, who simply shook his head in agreement to her question. Letting out a relieved sigh, she made a beeline to the entrance line for the event.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Kyungsoo asked, standing next to her as someone pressed a stamp on the back of their hands. 

“He won’t let us,” She retorted in annoyance when they found Baekhyun laughing at something his girlfriend was telling him. “Trust me. He is that annoying.”

Although he didn’t seem to be as bothered as she felt, Kyungsoo nodded and walked silently by her side. They wandered around the park in awkward silence, following the couple that seemingly hung out as if they were alone.

Baekhyun was so absorbed by his perfect girlfriend that he didn’t notice when Gyuri and the writer fell behind and took a different path. It was only then that she started to enjoy the event. She had to swallow her pride and accept that just like Mina said, she was kind of liking the festival despite the overwhelming amount of people around them.

Every track of the park was flanked by human statues standing on wooden platforms. For the first couple of minutes, Kyungsoo and her, just admired them in silence until a random kid ran from somewhere behind them. They watched him drop a few coins in a plastic cup placed in front of the platform of one of the statues. As if it was a machine, the statue moved, and Gyuri felt Kyungsoo jolting in surprise by her side as the person in costume high-fived the kid. When she looked at the writer, his eyes were wide in awe, as a big and nice smile spread across his face.

“Do you have change?” She asked, realizing every statue had a cup for coins near their platforms and got suddenly excited to see them all move.

“We should buy something.” He suggested, already bringing a few checks out of his wallet.

“This is so exciting.” Gyuri giggled to herself when Kyungsoo strode away to the nearest food stall.

Gyuri felt her legs slowly come to a halt and her smile disappear when they found Baekhyun standing in front of a statue that twirled and motioned him to do the same. He did as told, and the statue clapped, delighted but only to show him how to twirl the girl next to him. If it was her, Gyuri would’ve stepped back almost immediately and hid behind someone. Of course, Baekhyun chose someone that played along. Mina laughed, letting Baekhyun twirl her around just like the statue wanted.

“You don’t have to torture yourself,” Kyungsoo whispered as they watched the couple smile at each other.

“It isn’t that it’s not me, don’t believe me that shallow.” She explained, trying to rub the pain off her chest as she followed Kyungsoo away from the impromptu dancing show. “I've just never seen him like this and that hurts.”

Kyungsoo simply gave her a look that felt full of empathy that managed to comfort her before he told her to wait for him on the nearest bench. Not wanting to think about anything, Gyuri followed the instructions and waited for him, fixating her eyes on the tips of her shoes.

Minutes later, Kyungsoo was back and holding a huge strawberry milkshake in his hands and Gyuri’s first reaction was to wince just to imagine the amount of sugar that thing had. She could feel her tastebuds protesting even before actually taking a sip. However, not wanting to be rude, she grabbed the drink, thanked him but hesitated for a second. 

“Don’t think about it.” He said, leveling to her eye level and gently nudging the drink towards her, “You need sugar."

Unsure, Gyuri did it, bracing herself for the sugar rush to punch her in the face, but it never came. The strawberry milkshake was as bland and tasteless as water, and the more she sipped and drank, the hardest it was to believe that she couldn't taste the slightest bit of sweetness.

"It happens when you feel uncomfortable," Kyungsoo explained.

“It's like the candies," She made the observation, grasping the calmness and sense of security in his voice and knowledge.

Kyungsoo nodded, giving her a small smile but their little moment was interrupted by Mina’s voice demanding a strawberry milkshake as well as she remarked, with a sting of jealousy, of how much of a thoughtful date Kyungsoo was. Gyuri didn’t care in the slightest about Mina’s rambling. All Gyuri was aware of was Baekhyun's scowl as his eyes went from her to Kyungsoo and the fact that he was still in front of her with one knee on the ground.

Like it happened on that first time they met at the restaurant, Kyungsoo ignored the glares and without explaining himself to anyone, he held her hand securely in his and helped her up. Gyuri heard him say something, she saw his lips move and gesture somewhere but every single cell in her only registered the sound of Baekhyun’s voice, the evident pout in his face, and the confusion taking over his expression.

“...But you don’t like strawberries, Gyuri.” Her friend mumbled as they walked past them and left him at the mercy of his demanding girlfriend.

That was partially true. Gyuri didn’t eat strawberries at any given chance as they weren’t her favorite fruit, which altogether was far from her not liking them. However, Baekhyun decided that she hated them just because he had never seen her eat one. Gyuri thought about that logic and found it so dumb that her grasp around the milkshake cup tightened in a wave of annoyance she didn't know where it came from.

“We have change now.” Kyungsoo interrupted her internal rambling and showed her a handful of coins.

Forgetting about the turmoil inside her, Gyuri found herself smiling only because Kyungsoo seemed beyond excited. His big and brown eyes were wide in wonder and eagerness, and the excitement in him was so contagious that she wasn't planning on spoiling the experience for him.

“This one is from Mexico.” Gyuri read out loud as Kyungsoo admired the mariachi painted in dusted black and gold. 

She dropped a few coins on the cup, except the statue didn’t move immediately as some others did. Gyuri just stared at it, hopeful that it would do something at some point, but nothing happened. Disappointed, they were about to leave when a Mexican tune started, and the statue lowered his sombrero to salute her. Then it took a proud stance, and to her absolute delight, it started dancing. She heard Kyungsoo by her side gasped in awe as the guy danced in perfect balance on such a small surface. 

A couple of minutes later, the statue ended the dance with a bow and flashed a dashing smile back to Gyuri. The writer was the first to start clapping, and she followed right away, just as amazed. The mariachi winked at her, and Gyuri immediately felt her cheeks flare but not before she did the same back at him. The statue chuckled, flashing a huge, unbelievable white smile at her.

“Kyungsoo, take me away,” Gyuri mumbled, pulling his arm, “take me away before I spend all of your money on him.”

Laughing, Kyungsoo dragged her away while still slightly in a daze by the flirty mariachi and as soon as she was out of danger of falling for a stranger, he left her behind in the search for the next statue.

Still giggling to herself, Gyuri finished her milkshake and caught up with the writer, who was standing still in front of a statue. She joined him and almost let out a sound of amazement. The next statue was an old man in what looked like a wool blazer, standing next to an old accordion-style camera on a tripod. Gyuri was sure the camera was obscenely and comically huge. 

Kyungsoo was the one that dropped the coins into the cup, and as expected, the statue started moving. The cameraman gushed over the writer as if he had found the most handsome man ever. Gyuri couldn’t help but giggle at the embarrassment in his face, but that only caught the statue's eyes. She instantly froze under the sudden attention and felt her heart skip a beat when the cameraman made dramatic hand movements for her to move closer to Kyungsoo.

Gyuri could feel him stand next to her, and she was too startled to do anything else but watch the statue going behind the camera and make a face at them. Kyungsoo chuckled when the cameraman made movements more vehemently for them to stand closer to each other. Between the soft chuckle that came out of Kyungsoo and the sudden chain of events, she felt her cheeks heat up when he took her hand and drew it through his arm, placing his hand on top of hers.

The statue clapped, delighted, and ran back behind the camera. Before the picture was snapped, Gyuri dared herself to look up at Kyungsoo. She found him softly smiling at the camera, and his head tilted closer to hers in a stance that felt way too intimate for the kind of relationship they had.

Ignoring the sudden thrill and warmth feeling spreading through her skin, she looked forward to the camera and smiled. She never expected a flash coming out of the camera and even less to see the statue coming over to them, handing them an actual instant picture of them together.

Kyungsoo let her keep the picture, and awkwardly, they wandered off in different directions though they kept on finding each other in the crowd. Acting as if nothing had happened, they just smiled at each other before resuming their way to admire the rest of the statues.

Eventually, Gyuri heard Kyungsoo calling her name. His voice was unexpectedly loud, and he was smiling brightly as if he had just discovered the coolest thing ever. She joined him, infected by his excitement, and once by his side, she found the statue was just as amazing as his expression. A man was riding a bicycle with a leather bag hanging crossbody over a vest, a postman worn-out hat on his head, and an envelope in his hand. Gyuri immediately knew what he was portraying.

“You should see this one,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he slipped a few coins into her hand. 

With an excited nod, Gyuri dropped the coins in the cup by the wooden box, and flashing a huge smile, the statue started pedaling, reciting what sounded like a poem in a foreign language. Once done, the statue blew a whistle. To her surprise, it jumped off the bicycle to give the envelope to her as it showed a gentle smile. Kyungsoo nudged her forward, and she mirrored the smile the mailman gave her and even more when it bowed in a very theatrical manner. After that, the mailman went back to his bike, brought out another envelope of his leather bag, and froze again.

“That was so cool.” She mumbled, slightly in a daze.

“Is there anything in the envelope?” Kyungsoo asked as they walked away to another statue. 

“Of course there isn’t,” Gyuri snorted, “Can you imagine how many letters he must have printed if he’s just giving them out every time someone gives him a coin?”

“It's not empty.” Kyungsoo pointed out, and Gyuri had to concede that the envelope felt thicker.

They just stood there, in the middle of the square, as Gyuri opened the envelope to find a folded piece of paper inside and her heart softened at the words written. It happened to be one of her favorite excerpts of D.O.'s book, and she couldn't help but feel strangely comforted. However, the moment Baekhyun and Mina found them, the sting in her chest twisted uncomfortably.

Gyuri shut her mouth tightly, exasperated. Not entirely sure if it was at Mina’s antics or the effects she had on Baekhyun and subsequently what his reactions did to her heart. She firmly believed Mina wasn’t ill-intended but just as smitten with Baekhyun as Baekhyun seemed to be with her, and there wasn’t much Gyuri could do about that.

As if the curse was alive and aware of her mind, something twisted in her chest when she caught Baekhyun beaming a smile at his girlfriend, completely captivated. Gyuri had to force her body to look elsewhere and walk away even if she could feel something creeping under her skin. 

With tears threatening to fall, she rummaged through her purse, searching for the candies tin can and focusing on her breathing as she practically ran away from the pain. By the time she managed to get some candies into her mouth, she was coming into a pop-up gift shop and was closely followed by Kyungsoo.

She halted for a second, aware that she ran away, leaving the rest behind and that that could have made Baekhyun grow suspicious of her. Mortified of her cowardice, she evaded Kyungsoo’s eyes when he stood before her. He just observed her in silence, and without saying anything, he went further into the shop, pulling her softly by the arm.

Gyuri let the trinkets distract her, and his steady presence by her side calmed her down and gave her something to hold onto. Without realizing it, the squirming inside her heart stopped, and she found herself smiling at an absentminded Kyungsoo grabbing some cutesy turtle toys. She just observed him bringing the small toy closer to his face and glaring at the turtle as if he was in a staring contest against it. Then he placed it back on the shelf and moved on.  

“For being such a best seller worldwide known author,” Gyuri pointed out, and he looked at her taken aback, “you don’t talk much.”

The reaction was immediate. Gyuri saw his cheeks rising as his ears got red, and his eyes avoided looking at her. As if wanting to hide his embarrassment from her, Kyungsoo covered his mouth, but not before Gyuri heard his muffled laugh and saw his smile. 

“Cute.” She observed.

She felt unexpectedly proud of herself for bringing such a riveting expression out of him that she had to look away to calm her nerves down. Thankfully, something in the corner of her eyes caught her attention.

“I’m not cute.” He insisted, and she could see how hard he was trying to placate his smile.

“I beg to differ.” Gyuri added, “We have to commemorate this moment.”

She grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him towards the stall that caught her attention and where a photo booth was installed. Gyuri felt his resistance almost immediately as soon as he realized where she was taking him. She kind of had to give it to him that he tried really hard to stop her. Kyungsoo came to a stop, planting his feet to the ground so that she had to grab his arm and pull him into the booth.

“Why are you making me do this?” He asked as she handed him some random props for the pictures.

“It’s fun.”

“Stop.” He insisted, grabbing her arms when she tried to put some kitty ears in his head.

“Amuse me,” She persisted, not really expecting him to cave in so easily.

Kyungsoo actually did it. He caved in, dropping his hands in defeat. He kept the kitty's ears on and faced the camera, looking positively mortified. In a blink of an eye, the machine started snapping pictures, and it was a silent shoot as they stood in different poses while the lights flashed in front of them.

Just like it happened with the first picture, they remained awkwardly quiet as they returned the props to their place. When they stepped out of the booth, it was to find Baekhyun right outside, reaching out for the pictures that slipped out of the machine. In a blast of sheer instinct, Gyuri slapped his hand away.

“They are mine.” She said.

Not strong enough to see the hurt in his eyes, she just grabbed the pictures and walked to Kyungsoo. She gave him a look to let him do the rest of the evasive maneuvers, but it didn’t exactly work as Gyuri wanted. Minutes later, they were all seated at a small table. They ordered drinks and snacks as if they all got along as the best friends Mina and Baekhyun pretended they were. 

“So, what do you do?” She heard Baekhyun ask as soon as he was settled in front of him.

Gyuri went stiff in the wake of the question. She never thought about that as she was mindful of keeping the secret to herself. However, it never crossed her mind the possibility of Baekhyun asking such questions. It was harmless curiosity and normal considering the setting, but Gyuri felt uneasy nonetheless.

“Accounting,” Kyungsoo replied nonchalantly, almost ignoring Baekhyun as he busied himself with the snacks. 

Gyuri stared at Kyungsoo, taken aback by his lack of excitement in his reply. She wasn’t the only one that noticed it because Baekhyun simply waited for him to say more but after a long and painful silence, an annoyed scowl deepened on his pretty face.

“That’s it?” He pressed, unconvinced.

Kyungsoo nodded and, feeling her jaw drop, Gyuri kept staring at him, shocked. He was too modest. Kyungsoo wasn’t just the best-selling author in Korea. He was still on the New York Times Best Sellers list and had been granted countless awards. There was even a heated debate on whether or not he applied to win a Pulitzer as his nationality was still unknown and some thought he was probably American due to the fighting nature of the book's protagonist. Gyuri found that rumor ridiculous but not as absurd as the one that claimed he was a runner-up for the Nobel Prize in literature. That last one sounded too crazy for her and yet, Kyungsoo showed himself a bit too modest.

With a nod, Baekhyun changed the topic. He wasn’t interested whatsoever in whatever Kyungsoo could add about the subject and shifted his attention to his girlfriend. Other than the music playing around the dining area, the silence at the table felt heavy to Gyuri until a tune she knew picked her ears.

It was one of those catchy songs that could be heard everywhere she went, and the lyrics came to her mind. She started mumbling them, swaying from one side to another as her body relaxed at the melody, and she caught herself right on time. Baekhyun was singing the lyrics to himself too, and she found herself bobbing her head along with his voice. Suddenly aware of what she was absently doing, she noticed the stillness next to her.

“I like the song.” She muttered when she found Kyungsoo staring at her.

Feeling her cheeks burning with the embarrassment of getting caught doing something so silly, Gyuri snatched a corndog from Kyungsoo's plate and stuffed her mouth with it. Baekhyun, on the other hand, pulled his phone out to shazam the song, but the music was too faint and the sound of the crowd around them too loud to get the name of it. 

Silently, Kyungsoo grabbed the phone from Baekhyun's hand and walked away. He would have stood up like a sprint and gone after the writer if they weren't all so stunned to watch Kyungsoo climbing up on one of the benches. They saw him raise his arm towards the speaker, placing the phone right in front of it. 

Seconds later, he was back with the artist’s album on the screen of the phone. Feeling fuzzy inside, Gyuri grabbed the device and meant to look for the song on her phone, but when she pulled it out of her pocket, she found the pictures with Kyungsoo as well.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him.

With the song completely forgotten and careful to not crumble and damage any of them, Gyuri placed both pictures over the table and the fuzziness in her chest got stronger and more pleasant.

“Can I keep one?” He asked, looking at the pictures with renewed interest.

Gyuri observed them for a split second before deciding that she wanted to keep both pictures. She had a nice couple-like snap of Kyungsoo looking like a dashing boyfriend and an overly cutesy image of the writer with cat ears and a filter of rosy cheeks, red lips, and sparkling eyes. She couldn’t get rid of any of those pictures.

Shaking her head, she grabbed both pictures and pressed them against her chest. It never crossed her mind how strange it could be to have his attention on that particular part of her body. Gyuri tried to convince herself that Kyungsoo was simply staring at the pictures in her hands. Her hands were just conveniently pressed against her chest, but nothing beyond that.   

“Give them back.” He said in a serious tone that made her reconsider her decision.

“She said she will keep them,” Baekhyun added although his words were barely registered either by Kyungsoo and Gyuri as they kept glaring at each other. 

“Why do you want them so much?” Gyuri asked, curious to know.

“You look pretty on them.”

Kyungsoo spoke in such an unceremonious manner that the silence that came after his answer was deafening. The fuzziness was too much to handle that Gyuri couldn't help but smile. She felt a tingle on her skin in a sensation she had never felt before. The sting in her chest shifted somehow as if it retracted and cowered at his words, and she kind of wanted to do the same out of pure giddiness.

“That was so smooth.” Mina mumbled to herself, and somehow, that managed to bring Gyuri back to her senses.

“So do you.” She retorted back, ignoring the heat she felt on her cheeks, and lifted her arm, holding the pictures far from his reach. “I’m keeping them.”

The quick motion made her gasp, and she could feel her face burning because she couldn't tell what actually startled her. She wasn't sure if it was Kyungsoo's suddenly leaning over her to grab the pictures or the hand clasped around his arm, preventing him from getting any closer. Gyuri couldn't really tell. What she could grasp was the uncomfortable silence that came afterward when they all looked at Baekhyun. They were all surprised not only at the sudden action but at the visible irritation on his face, and the tension became unbearable when Kyungsoo stared back at him, unfazed.

“Baek, I want coffee,” Mina chirped over animatedly.

If Gyuri hadn't been aware of the murderous glint in her friend's eyes, she would've found Mina's tone annoying. However, she was only trying to distract her boyfriend. Gyuri had to admire her composure because she managed to make him let the writer's arm go.

“These waffles go so well with coffee.” Mina pressed, smiling at him.

“She doesn’t like having people touching her,” Baekhyun muttered in a huff as he stood up and walked away.

Mortified, Mina apologized, forcing a smile before leaving the table as well to follow her boyfriend into the crowd and leaving Gyuri behind fully made into a nervous wreck. The silly excitement and giddiness of everything Kyungsoo did was nothing compared to what a single display of emotion from Baekhyun could do to her heart.

The sensation of the pain crept through her flesh. The pressure on her chest, and the realization that no matter how much she tried to engage with anyone else other than Baekhyun was hopeless, made it impossible for her to stay still. Just like she'd been doing lately, Gyuri ran away.

She bumped into numerous people as she tried to get some air into her lungs. Her body felt like it was about to collapse just at the memory of his angry eyes and furrowed brows, and what she needed was an isolated place to hide. She needed to find a safe place even if everything around her seemed to spin out of control.

Somehow, she found a small and dark gap between some booths, and Gyuri didn't even care to check what they were selling on each of them. She just hid there and let the darkness engulf her, but she didn't even succeed to calm down in that small hiding spot when she heard someone whine.

“Back off…” The girl warned, and as if in a sudden overdrive of adrenaline, Gyuri was ready to come out of the shadows, “You seriously need to back off. She’s clearly uncomfortable.”

The last sentence made her stop. To Gyuri's annoyance, she recognized that voice that she had to lean closer to the wall until she finally heard Baekhyun retort. 

“How would you know?” 

“You’re making it weird not just for her," Mina pointed out in a more mellowed tone, "but for everyone else too.”

“Are you jealous?” He asked, and Gyuri could sense the disbelief in his voice.

“Baekhyun, sweetheart, she is just as nice and adorable as you described her.” Mina explained with a soft and caring tone that made Gyuri wonder if they were talking about her. “And I’m not jealous of your friendship with her but you might be ruining her chances with your attitude.”

“What attitude?" Baekhyun shot back, confirming what she thought, "She’s the one that's acting all weird.” 

Gyuri winced in pain. It wasn't even the sweet and condescending tone in Mina's voice but the fact that Baekhyun was talking about her behind her back.

"That dude is getting all handsy with her and she's letting him, and..." Baekhyun argued, his voice rising in frustration, "And she never does her nails.”

"They're dating, why wouldn't she want to look pretty?" Mina asked, and even from a distance, Gyuri could hear the amusement in her voice. “Sometimes, something as small as getting our nails done can make us feel prettier.”

“She’s already pretty.” Baekhyun retorted, and whatever Mina’s reaction was, it made her friend chuckle.

Gyuri thought she heard Baekhyun whisper something that had his girlfriend giggling in response, and she knew that was her cue to leave. She stepped out to the light, and afraid to even look around and find him doing something that might hurt her more, she went back to the food court where Kyungsoo was patiently waiting for her.

“What happened?” The writer asked.

“I heard them.” She gasped, collapsing in the chair next to him and realizing until then that she was on the brink of hyperventilating.

“Breathe.” He whispered, his hand softly rubbing slow and soothing circles against her back. “Focus on opening your lungs.”

She had been too upset and shaken to even think to try. However, her body seemed to listen to Kyungsoo well and without any resistance. Gyuri managed to calm down with the help of his gentle hands, his soft voice reminding her to breathe, and his overall, soothing presence. In a matter of minutes, she could finally take a deep breath that filled her lungs with something close to relief.

Her efforts were in vain though. Baekhyun and Mina were back, both of them looking at her and Kyungsoo as if they had grown a second head. Mina with curiosity and a hint of mischief, and Baekhyun, well, he was just bluntly glaring at the writer.

After that, everything went downhill for Gyuri. Mina insisted on walking down a trail of lights and flowers that apparently, was the must-look spot to get beautiful couple pictures to post on social media. All Gyuri wanted was to stay away from Baekhyun. She desperately wanted to alleviate the sting deep in her chest and breathe normally but she found herself witnessing the owner of her heart holding someone else's hand.

"Kyungsoo, I can't do this," was all Gyuri could mumble before the ground under her feet moved, "I can't breathe."

Something was bubbling up in her chest, coming slowly up her throat. Terrified to start throwing up flower petals in public and especially in front of Baekhyun, Gyuri turned around and got away from there with Kyungsoo's help.

“Where’s your watch?” He asked as soon as they found refuge on a nearby bench.

Gyuri desperately fumbled through her purse, but her hands were shaking too much. She could barely keep the watch in her hands without it slipping through her fingers that Kyungsoo had to help her put it on as fast as possible.

“You have tools,” He said, firmly, looking straight into her eyes and squeezing the hand she had over her watch, “and you know how to yield it, remember that.”

It was harder said than done. Gyuri understood what Kyungsoo said, and she meant to do as told but whatever was boiling inside her body had utter control of her. In a blink of an eye, some overpowering predilection compelled her to do the opposite. She looked aside to see where Baekhyun was and what he was doing, but Kyungsoo was fast enough to stop her. His hand cupped her face and, as gently as ever, turned it back to him.

"I can't hold it anymore, Kyungsoo," Gyuri stuttered, feeling her eyes watering because of the familiar itchiness in the back of her throat. "He will see it."

“You can cry if you need it.” He added, quite tenderly, and Gyuri almost fell for that.

“No, he will notice it.” She begged. ”I can’t let him see it.”

“I won’t let him see you like that," Kyungsoo reassured her, bringing her closer to hide her face from Baekhyun, “I promise.”

Shaking her head and refusing to let her body take over, Gyuri sat up straight, swallowing the pain down. If she let it happen, even if it was just tearing up, she would never stop. She couldn’t let Baekhyun see her struggling. One single tear would send him fussing over her, thinking that Kyungsoo did something to hurt her.

Gyuri opened her hand, and Kyungsoo poured a handful of candies, which she instantly threw into her mouth. Just like that, with the faint relief those candies brought, she focused everything on her to calm down until Baekhyun and Mina found them. Unable to look at her best friend, Gyuri stared at Mina instead, only to notice that she was possessively holding onto his arm.

“Are you alright?” The girl asked, genuinely concerned.

“I’m just tired.” She replied, trying her hardest to smile.

“I think we’re calling it a night,” Kyungsoo added, standing up.

Just then, Gyuri felt his absence. She stared at his back, realizing how close he had been. How firm his arm had been around her shoulders. She was so immersed in her breathing, commanding her mind to take charge and numb her heart that she hadn’t realized that Kyungsoo never let her go. It was then that she missed the warmth of his hand on her cheeks and the safety of his caring presence so overwhelmingly close to her.

Embarrassed in a way, although Gyuri couldn’t tell why, but she avoided her friend and followed Kyungsoo down the path to the exit. As she left the couple behind, she suddenly heard Baekhyun come to life, whining. Mina told him to calm down and knowing that whatever expression he had on his face would destroy all the self-control she had so hard to get, Gyuri covered her ears and caught up with the writer.

“I want to go home.” She mumbled, throwing the last couple of candies left on the tin can. “I’m losing it.”

Kyungsoo only nodded and kept walking, pointing to somewhere far away from where they were, but once again, Gyuri heard Baekhyun behind her, calling her. She had to close her eyes at the sound of his voice saying her name with such urgency. However, her good manners got the best of her, and they had to stop their escape.

“We were thinking about getting something to eat after this,” Mina said, smiling through and through, seemingly excited. “Like a true double date.”

“Gyuri needs to be home,” Kyungsoo explained, as calm and polite as possible.

“Did something happen?” Baekhyun asked directly to her, and the only thing Gyuri could do was to shake her head. “We can drop you off.”

“I’m taking her back home,” Kyungsoo added, and the surprised gasp Baekhyun let out finally made her look at him.

The itchiness came back in a rush, although her heart swooned at the severity of his expression. He didn’t look that happy. While Baekhyun could lose his temper easily in a childish way, sometimes, he knew how to control himself. She could see the genuine annoyance in the tiny yet unmistakable frown on his face as his eyes glared at the man standing next to her but whatever he was thinking, he let it slide.

“Hey, are you sure about this?” He asked her, once again as if he was giving her another chance to make the right choice. “Your house is on my way.”

“It’s fine.”

That was all Gyuri could say before her throat closed up. She forced a small smile through the pain and waved a hand to Mina, just to not come off as rude even if she didn't want to, and then followed Kyungsoo down the street.

Still in a daze, coughing and feeling lightheaded, Gyuri came to her senses once inside Kyungsoo’s car. For how long did they walk? She didn’t know. Gyuri couldn’t even tell how she got inside the car or how long Kyungsoo had been driving in silence. It took her a couple of seconds to gather her bearings and recognize where they were at that moment. As if knowing her surroundings was some sort of relief, the coughing fit was over, and she felt her windpipe open. Finally able to let out a big sigh, she closed her eyes, exhausted.

“That was taxing, even for me.” Kyungsoo added after a while and rubbed his hands over his eyes as they waited during a red light, “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry.” She pouted, finally having a clear mind to think, “You know, Baekhyun isn’t that much of an asshole, normally or like, most of the time and...”

“Don’t...” Kyungsoo interrupted her, his voice still leveled and relaxed, “It is not you who has to apologize.”

“But you don’t know him.” Gyuri defended her friend.

Uncomfortable with the way the writer could disregard what she had to say, Gyuri couldn't stop the harsh tone in her words. The annoyance bubbled inside her just to look at his stupid, calmed face and his unfazed attitude, and she was ready to throw hands at him, figurately. The writer beat her on that.

“No matter how much you love him.” Kyungsoo replied, “But Your unconditional affection for him doesn’t give him any right for you to apologize for his faults.”

Gyuri felt her face burning and her blood boiling. She wanted to curse at him. She needed to raise her voice and prove why he was wrong in his assumptions. She desperately wanted to say so many things, and yet, her eyes stung with tears. Just as fast as her anger flared, she recognized that that kind of feeling scared her. It annoyed her that she could get bothered by something so little and insignificant. Annoyed with herself, she just crossed her arms and looked out of the window, ignoring his annoying and calm poise until they arrived at her place.

Silently and still upset, Gyuri meant to get out of the car as fast as she could but when she was about to open the door, Kyungsoo called her with the softest and most tender voice she’d ever heard.

“Just cry it out.” He said, looking at her, and she noticed that despite the stuffing silence that almost drowned her, the look in his eyes was still gentle.

“Why do you always tell me to let it go and cry?” She asked, halting for a moment, “I’d assume that fighting back a disease meant, well, fight it back.”

Gyuri saw the change in his features. The gentleness faded away, and his face gave her nothing. He just stared at her. He blinked a couple of times but other than that, he was just so hard to read that she had to wait for him to explain himself.

“Resisting only makes the roots find a weaker spot,” He explained, after a while, “It will kill you faster.”

The last sentence was merely a whisper, and Gyuri couldn’t help it. The anger was all gone and forgotten and replaced by the very same fear that had been haunting her since the day she found out she contracted the curse. She wanted to cry and bawl her eyes out so she could just get rid of the horror once and for all. 

“Yeah, that makes sense." Gyuri hesitated to say before opening the door, and moved by a sudden wave of regret, she brought the pictures out of her pocket and left them in the cupholder between them, "Good night."

[kpopimagi]

A Flower Under The Rain [Part 6]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au  Type: Series  Word count: 8,518

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 7 | Part 8-1

He tucked his hair behind his ear, and it was such an innate characteristic of his beauty that no one else could have a more fitting trait. He smiled, looking straight into her eyes while beautiful memories plagued her dreams. Her body was suddenly flooded with emotions, the heat burned her cheeks, and the hopes of love deprived her of air to the point of waking her up. Terrified that someone was literally sitting on her chest to suffocate her, the more and more she tried to breathe, the tighter the chokehold in her throat was. Gyuri opened her eyes, confused to discover that she was blind. She tried opening them, again and again, only to realize her eyes were already open, but everything around her was pitch dark. In an attempt to move, she was suddenly aware that her body felt heavy and sticky, and as if tied down to the bed, it didn't matter how hard she racked to free herself; she just couldn’t. 

Gyuri screamed and cried for help, but all her efforts got stuck in her throat. Light stormed on around her so suddenly that she had to blink the tears off and find herself surrounded by the familiarity of the pastel-colored walls of her room. Her father was first to come running inside to pull her out of bed and hold her, facing the floor to pat her back. The gagging was instant, she coughed and gurgled as her father kept patting her back in an attempt to help her breathe, but it wasn’t working. Her lungs felt frozen, they hurt, unable to get more air, and her line of vision blurred with even more tears. Amid the scorch in the center of her chest, she heard an apology, followed by a hard struck between her shoulder blades, and then it burned her. Whatever was stuck on her lungs burned its way out of her body, and she suddenly had a red blob of flower petals fall from her mouth to her hands. She dropped it, disgusted at the pulsing heat emanating from it and the way it fell apart, trickling down through her fingers. With the knot in her throat suddenly gone, she gasped for air. However, as soon as she did, the coughing started again. No matter how much she wanted to stop, Gyuri ended up throwing up more bright red flower petals until the floor around her was soon covered with them.

Never, in her entire life, had Gyuri yelled at her parents. There was no scenario in her head in which she could be angry enough to violate them in such a way, but she wasn't herself then. The surge of unexplainable urgency and desperation that took over her body was stronger than anything she had ever felt before. Just by listening to her father's gags and seeing her mother covering her face was like a fuse that sent her in an almost rage-like frenzy. Gyuri squirmed her way out of her father’s hold, kicking and choking as flower petals made her gurgle and tremble in pain. With a burst of strength she knew was not natural, she practically yelled and pushed her parents out of the room. 

“Go away!” Gyuri cried, shutting her bedroom door on their faces and locking it before collapsing to the floor, “Leave me alone.”

That only made her parents cry harder. Her mother fell into full-blown hysterics, desperately banging the door and her father, as calm as he could, tried to stop her. Gyuri could listen to them on the other side, and consciously ignoring their pleas, managed to make her bawl her eyes out in misery. Eventually, they stopped, and so did the coughing. Her breathing leveled out, but Gyuri had no strength left to move, so she stayed there, spent and defeated. The moment she noticed her pajamas stuck to her skin with a substance that left a red tint smearing everything it touched, caused her to cry even more. The first episode and its symptoms felt mild and like nothing compared to the brutal rush of sweetness that she just went through. Suddenly, the disease felt as grave and as threatening as it came. From the thirst and the disgust palpable on her tongue and skin; to the guilt of her horrible screams against her parents and the terrifying trail of stomach juices and flower petals she left from her bed to the door and the most haunting one, to the echo of her mother, begging her to let her in.

Exhausted, Gyuri couldn’t find the strength to move but realizing that the noises on the other side of the door were practically nonexistent, she stood up even if her legs almost gave out under her weight. Utterly disgusted by the scene in front of her, she was driven by an unknown urge and grabbed the first thing that came to her mind to clean the revolting mess on her bedroom’s floor. Pulling a bedsheet, she cleaned the surface, getting as many flower petals as she could under the fabric. Her stomach churned at the sensation of the soft petals getting stuck to her skin and leaving that sickening red tint behind as if the curse wanted her to see just how powerful and dominant it was. She noticed one petal stuck to her wrist, and as she tried to get rid of it, she’d found a couple more over her arms. Tears fell down her cheeks again as she tried desperately to get every single petal off her skin but when she realized she even had them stuck to her neck, to her chest, and even on her stomach, she couldn't bear it any longer. Staggering her way to the bathroom and stumbling into the shower, Gyuri practically ripped her clothes off and scrubbed every inch of her body, desperate to get rid of the red stains that seemed to be engraved into her flesh. After what felt like forever and until she felt clean again, she came into her room to find what looked like a murder scene. By the time she finished mopping and scrubbing the floor, the sky outside her window wasn't pitch black anymore, and her body screamed at her for rest. She eyed her bed for a moment but falling asleep felt like a trap. She wasn't safe in her dreams anymore, and she focused on something different.

As tired as she was, Gyuri's mind was suddenly reeling. She had an idea and knew people did that particular thing and the simple thought of actually doing it felt like an overly romantic idea. Now that she was considering it, it seemed too dark all of a sudden but she felt compelled to do it. Decided, she sat down by her desk, pulled a memo pad, and ripped off a page. She had made up her mind to do it but by the time she had a pen in her hand, she simply stared at the empty page with her mind suddenly blank. For a moment, and it was so fast but the blank page looked beyond scary. It wasn’t exactly the emptiness of that sheet of paper that mirrored what was inside her, that scared her. She hadn’t realized before but as she looked around her desk, most of the stationary placed around her were all flowered-themed. Chuckling at the irony, she could only agree that the cute flowers printed everywhere were only fitting for her situation but regretted it quite instantly.

After the coughing fit, her body ached. Her chest hurt, and her throat throbbed even by doing something as simple as swallowing. Gyuri could picture her lungs being all bruised up on the inside and had to repeat to herself that focusing on writing down that list might be helpful even if it scared her to death. Letting out a deep breath that made her wince, Gyuri put the pain aside and held the pen tighter between her fingers to force it out of herself. She wrote her bucket list. A shortlist of her biggest dreams, and she couldn't stop her tears because most of those wishes involved Baekhyun in some way. Or at least, she would’ve loved to have him there with her, even if it was to mock. If she ever wanted to do something special, she'd always picture him around. Writing that list down was just the beginning. Gyuri stared at the 10 things she wanted to do before dying and couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of doing them without Baekhyun. It was a soft knock on her door that broke her out of the dreary stupor she had been in and Gyuri felt out of place when she noticed the sunlight drifting brightly into her room, welcoming a new day.

"Pumpkin?" Gyuri heard her father ask behind the door.

"I'm fine." She replied, rubbing the tiredness of her eyes, "Just leave me alone, please."

It broke her heart that with a very disappointed voice, her father complied and left her be. She recognized, however, that it wasn't a good idea for her to be alone at that particular moment. She didn’t even want to think about talking. Sleeping was out of the question and any interaction with her parents felt way too dangerous so Gyuri did the next closest thing to functionality, and that was working; she invested all of her energy into it. With the bucket list figured out, and still feeling numb; Gyuri locked herself in her small office. She had her eyes glued to the screen, busy on countless tasks, typing and clicking almost obsessively and nonstop. She might not have had any plans for the future, but she decided it was enough of all the brooding and started to tie all the loose ends she had left. From that moment on, she worked and worked until the days started to blend together. Except for the occasional trip to the bathroom, she rarely left the room while her mother insisted on knocking every now and then to check on her and leave a tray of food. Too busy and too tired to even reject her mother’s attention and her possible nagging, Gyuri tried to eat everything. It was the day she fell asleep on her chair, and the images of Baekhyun smiling at her snapped her awake, that she decided it was best to leave the house for a while and clear her head. She tried to stand up from the chair, but her body felt stiff. She sat there for a moment, feeling her eyes aching from the lack of sleep, and her hands couldn’t stop trembling; however, she had a mission for that day. She could try to rest after that.

Gyuri got ready to go out, searched for the papers she needed, and printed all the documents she had been working on the last few days. She tried her best to leave the house without her mother noticing but before she could open the door, her mother asked where she was heading. That simple and harmless question got on Gyuri’s nerves. It bothered her to treat her parents so badly, but she needed to be alone. She was too tired to give explanations and to have an answer for everything. Gyuri just wanted to be alone.

"I need to run some errands," She explained shortly and left the house in silence. 

However, the fresh air didn’t sit quite well with her. Irritated even by the humidity in the air, she hesitantly checked her phone. After almost a week of ghosting pretty much everyone she knew, Gyuri got overwhelmed with the number of texts, missed calls, and various notifications that blared at her from the small screen of her phone. Putting the device away, she took a deep breath and started walking, but the prospect alone of moving her legs and going down the street to the bus stop made her muscles ache. The ride was just as torturous as she thought it would be, that even her favorite music annoyed her. Gyuri had to keep reminding herself that there were issues to solve and get sorted out before it was too late. Blinking repeatedly to ease the brief burning behind her eyes, Gyuri braced herself and headed to the main building of the company she worked at to deliver her resignation letter. After that, she stopped by the bank to fix her savings account and leave all of the funds to her mother. Then, she went to the car dealership to leave her car to her father. 

Gyuri chuckled to herself. Years ago, she’d bought a car thinking she could handle the nerves to sit behind the wheel, but she failed. She wasn’t even a bad driver; everyone else was, and that made driving too anxiety-inducing, so she let her parents use it. They didn’t complain about it. After all, that car was basically theirs, so leaving it to them was only logical. Getting all the paperwork ready was fairly simple and the easiest part. Bringing the subject to her parents, Gyuri predicted not so much. She let out a sigh as she stepped out of the car dealership and for a split second, felt like dropping to her knees to cry her eyes out. Running those particular errands happened to be a lot more depressing than she first anticipated. She barely had anything to her name. She didn’t have a legacy to leave behind but a laughable amount of savings and a car that had some annoying technical issues, and that was it.

That was all she had.

Gyuri had to shake the dark thoughts aside if she didn't want to break down in the middle of the street. Maybe she didn’t have anything important to leave to her parents but what she could do was to leave everything ready for them.

“Leave no loose ends.” She said to herself out loud.

Feeling a tiny bit better, she braced herself to go to the last stop and practically, the hardest one of her errands. She felt uncomfortable from the moment she wrote the email to make the appointment days before and even more than dreary when she finally arrived at the entrance of what would be her future funeral home. Gyuri had a couple of options to check, but by the time she came in, it was impossible to not feel lightheaded. The employee was kind, maybe too kind for her liking and all she could do was smile whenever a new feature was shown. When they reached the model bedroom, as if driven by her tiredness, Gyuri propped herself up the bed and laid down. It was comfy. It was nice, firm, and comfy, and Gyuri caught herself almost smiling when she realized she was on the bed where her parents could rest during their mourning if they needed it. Jumping out of the bed as if it was burning, Gyuri thanked the employee and left the place with a handful of pamphlets in her hands, and decided that she wasn’t strong enough to handle the rest of the appointments for the day.

Exhaustion was catching up to her, making her feet heavy and her back so stiff and contracted that Gyuri had a hard time walking to her next destination. She refused to sit down and rest because she knew she wouldn't keep going if she did, so taking a deep breath, she headed to the closest coffee shop to get a double americano with five spoonfuls of sugar, and that left the barista dumbfounded. As she sipped her drink, she texted the only person that would never dare to mock, pity, or wouldn't even burst into tears at the sight of her list. She begged to the heavens for him to not be angry at her for going all M.I.A for almost a week and thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case because Kyungsoo replied to her text as if he had been waiting to hear from her. Gyuri stared at the screen of her phone and realized his fast reply actually managed to make her smile. He sent his location without even asking why and gulping down the almost blunt coffee, even if it burned her throat, she jumped into the next bus, excited to get to meet him.  

Maybe it was the fresh caffeine running through her system, maybe it was the excitement mixed with the exhaustion; she couldn't tell what it was but Gyuri felt generous. She spent all the bus ride searching for the nicest bakery shop around and once she found it, she spent a good deal of time picking the best assortment of french pastries and cookies. Gyuri almost skipped her way to the meeting point with Kyungsoo when she finally got her bearings, and all the rush and giddiness started to fade away, quite rapidly. She had been too absentminded with the immediate task in hand but now that she knew who he was, the obvious sophistication of the place made sense. Aware of her clothes, her sickly looks, and overall presence in such a fashionable place, Gyuri came to a full stop. She texted Kyungsoo, hoping he wouldn't make her wait that long because the people around her were staring at her. She could feel their eyes on her and her shabby self. Closing her eyes to remind herself that most likely, it was all in her mind and the crowds walking past her weren't even aware of her existence; Gyuri pushed the thought aside to focus on something she could control and that was the reason why she was there in the first place.

Kyungsoo had done so much already that her small gift couldn’t be compared. She centered all of her thoughts on the words she would say to properly convey what she had stuck on her chest since the beginning. However, as polite as he could be, he was taking too long and feeling more out of place than a fish out of the water; she looked around, desperate to find him. Growing more anxious by the second, she finally saw him coming out of a building, and he was smiling. It was such a small and pleasant smile that fit his face. However, that smile seemed to disappear with every step he gave closer to her until his entire expression was grave and concerned. He asked something, but Gyuri was so transfixed by the rosiness of his cheeks and the healthy glow of his skin that she didn’t catch on to him moving closer to touch her. 

"What?" She mumbled under her breath as his fingertips brushed her cheek and the warmth they spread across her skin was so nice and pleasant, she instinctively leaned further into his touch.

“I asked," He asked again, tilting her head up, "When was the last time you slept?”

As if he slapped her back to reality, Gyuri realized she probably looked like death. Utterly embarrassed, she stepped back, rejecting his gentle hands even if her body craved for his touch. The severity of the situation rushed over her, making her think that what she was thinking in doing, was an absolute mistake.

“I can’t,” she muttered, mortified to show herself so weak, “I can’t sleep without choking on flower petals.”

“You should’ve called me.”

Nothing in his voice or his expression felt insincere. If anything, his tone was genuinely worried. However, not shameless enough to hold onto his words, Gyuri distanced herself further from the comfort of his company. By doing so, she saw a figure that felt ominously on guard, and focusing her sight, she recognized the face in an instant. If not everyone, a vast majority of the population in the country could make out those features from a distance. Suddenly, she felt exposed to the big, cat-like eyes, the perfect brows, and sharp expression that could only belong to someone as devastatingly handsome as him. She had seen that face on the covers of many magazines and she had to look twice to confirm that Kim Minseok, the infamous editor, was outside the same building Kyungsoo came out of and looking not at all subtly at her, and with what it looked like genuine interest.

“You’re busy.” She mumbled, blushing under the gaze of that man.

“I’m in a meeting,” Kyungsoo nodded, looking over his shoulder.

Gyuri felt herself burning in mortification, and the sudden realization of her self assortment made her almost sick to her stomach. Kyungsoo was a busy person. Not just that, he was an important person that must be busy all the time and she kept on showing up and interrupting his life as if she had any sort of right to his company when she was still the poor stranger he helped in a restaurant. 

“I’m sorry.” She said, bowing the whole 90 degrees.

“Why?” He mumbled.

His eyebrows furrowed deeper into his expression, and Gyuri couldn’t even think. Where to begin? She had to close her eyes to calm down, take a deep breath and remind herself to stick to her original plan which was to make amends for the things she could control.

“I was a bit of a jerk to you the other night, and I didn’t even apologize.” She explained, feeling her determination not as strong as before, “You made it bearable, even enjoyable, so thank you.”

Without giving him any chance to react and make things even more awkward, Gyuri practically shoved the gift unceremoniously into his hands. That wasn't how she envisioned her good deed in her mind, but it had to be enough if she didn’t want to bail altogether.

“Thank you.” Kyungsoo stumbled at his words, looking positively flustered and staring at the fancy cookie box in his hands.

Once again, his gentle smile was back on his face, and it was impossible not to mirror it or not to reciprocate the kindness and smile back at him. As if he had some sort of power and everything in her wanted to avoid and ignore her condition, Gyuri pushed every dark thought aside, at least for a second.

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” She asked.

“I will be visiting my grandma.” He explained, his smile fading quite fast, “but I'll be back by the end of the week.”

“I should be going then.” She said, forcing a smile, “Thank you again.”

Gyuri was out of her mind. She knew it the moment she bowed her head and was aware of how rude that came out of her but the disappointment filling her heart was too much to bear. She even forced her legs to take her away from him, but not giving her a chance, Kyungsoo grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

“Gyuri, why are you here?” He asked without a hint of irritation in his voice.

“Call me when you're back.” 

Most likely ignoring her lack of manners, Kyungsoo didn’t look fazed by her words. She tried to sound calm and easy with a smile on her face but he didn’t drop his arm nor say a thing. He didn’t even look away and that made the little control she had, evaporate into thin air. Her eyes watered again, and giving up on her efforts to look strong, she rummaged through her purse to find her list and handed it to him. Finally letting her arm go, he grabbed the folded piece of paper and read it in silence. Nervous to even look at him and his judgment, Gyuri stared at her shoes, waiting for what he had to say. 

“What's the meaning of this?” He asked.

“I thought that maybe you could help me with it.” She explained, sniffling and rubbing the moisture off her eyes, “I understand that you're busy so don't worry.”

Just as silently as he managed himself, Kyungsoo folded the piece of paper. It didn’t matter what she tried to tell herself, Gyuri grabbed the list as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Gyuri could’ve never imagined that his rejection would hurt her that much. She just felt so utterly dumb for thinking that someone like him would agree to something as silly as helping her to fulfill her bucket list.

“Why are you crying?” She heard him ask gently, although she might have imagined there was a hint of tease in his tone, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t.”

“Call me.” That was all she blurted out as soon as he tried to brush off her tears.

Mortified, to say the least, she pulled away, bowed again, and left the place as fast as she could, without looking back. Determined to ignore everything around and within herself, Gyuri put her earphones on with her favorite music blaring at her as she just walked all the way back home. However, the walk started to feel nothing as therapeutic as she first thought. Her every step felt heavy, her back was stiffer than before and the longer she walked, the more torturous the walk felt. It was hard enough to keep her head from thinking too much about what happened with Kyungsoo, but from time to time, when the ache wasn’t that overpowering, she caught herself walking with her head low and staring at her feet. Gyuri kept reminding herself to look up, to push the tiredness aside and make it home.

After what felt like hours and hours of walking, her legs started to tingle uncomfortably, and that wasn’t anywhere near to the gentleness and warmth of Kyungsoo’s touch. Too tired to fight against her mind, she openly recalled the feeling. The memory alone of his hand on her cheek made her cheeks warm all over again with a pleasant fuzziness that only his mere fingertips could wake in her. Gyuri was so immersed in her memories about the writer that she suddenly recognized her bearings. She was walking the remaining couple of blocks to her house and she came to a full stop when she recognized the car parked outside by the entrance. That red car was so familiar to her that she could recognize it even miles away, and that same thought made her knees feel as weak as ever because it only meant that Baekhyun was home and waiting for her. However, Gyuri wasn’t ready to face him yet. She was too exhausted and drained to even properly formulate a coherent sentence. She thought about turning around and going somewhere else, but he was already coming out of the car, and smiling brightly at her, just like in her dreams.

He was back to his usual fashion; oversized clothes and ugly sneakers and his hair, quite unkempt and simply over his forehead. For a split second, it annoyed her. It bothered her that he wouldn’t even try to look a bit better for her just like he did with Mina when she had to remind herself that Mina was the actual girlfriend and not her. Gyuri had to shake her head to get rid of the ridiculousness of that thought.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, trying her best to not look at him as she reached the gate.

“Skipping work I see.” He pointed out.

Gyuri hated the amusement in his tone and almost snickered at the comment. She didn’t have a job anymore but she couldn’t mention that piece of information without having him interrogating her about it. She simply rummaged through her purse, looking for her keys as an excuse to ignore him.

“Gyuri, I know you like the back of my hand.” He said as he came closer, “Your boss is getting too indulgent if he’s letting you be offline at this time.”

“I had a meeting.” She mumbled, and she wasn’t exactly lying.

“Were you crying?” He asked out of nowhere, only for her to realize how close he actually was.

Baekhyun was right by her side and Gyuri froze on the spot, taken aback, and she could only curse at him in her mind. She hated that he knew her so well, that he could see through every mask and facade she tried to pull. Her eyes watered again in frustration, and her anger shifted from him to herself, and her incapability to stay unfazed under his gaze. Her body and her instincts noticed his reaction. Just like he knew her, Gyuri knew Baekhyun like the back of her hand, and the way his body shifted and his entire essence softened at the vulnerability of her state. Surprisingly, he did the most Baekhyun thing to do.

“I’ve been feeling like getting something good to eat.” Baekhyun changed the subject, diverting his attention from her and leaning against his car. “It’s been a while since we went to a new place.”

Unable to believe he wasn’t fussing over her, and her emotional slip, she stared at the beautiful man in front of her as he held his chin in a pensive manner that was adorable in a certain way. She was frozen there, admiring his consideration, and a huge chunk of her heart, adoring his attention.

“What about something warm and nice, something like a beef stew?” He kept on, and the moment his eyes found hers, she realized something big. “It’s on me, what do you think?”

Baekhyun smiled but said smile never reached his eyes. He stared at her, intently and thoroughly, and Gyuri had to give up. He knew. His searching eyes saw it all and just like her, he looked like a man on a mission.

“You either get in the car,” Baekhyun started, his eyes fixed on her and his tone not as gentle as before, “or we’ll stay here in the middle of the street until you tell me everything about the asshole that is making you cry.”

Writing her bucket list, arranging everything for her funeral, and even asking for Kyungsoo’s help felt like a trivial task compared to what Baekhyun just suggested. Feeling a thrill going down her spine at the possibility, and as if controlled by another invisible force, Gyuri went straight to the car and got in. The weariness grew when she thought she heard him chuckle which wouldn’t be new to her. He always managed to have his way but never in her life, she felt as wary and exposed as she felt there, waiting for him to walk around the car. Gyuri couldn’t keep avoiding him forever, she was aware of that. Eventually, she would have to confront him, to talk to him and not to succumb to his voice; to touch him and not melt in an instant, and to look him in the eye and not die trying. Unable to utter a single word, Gyuri ignored the commotion happening inside her heart and lost any focus on anything. She felt her body succumbing to the shivers of the possibilities of what could happen next. 

“You are hiding something from me,” He said out of the blue as he turned the engine on and drove away.

“No, I’m not.” She lied bluntly, although it burned another bit of her heart.

Baekhyun made a face, unsatisfied with the answer but didn’t go any further when his cell phone buzzed with a text. Right in front of her, Gyuri saw his attention and entire expression shift at whatever was on his screen, taking her chance, she also grabbed her phone. As swiftly as she could, she frantically wrote the texts that felt like her last words.

Kyungsoo? He wants to talk. He knows. I know he does. This might be it. I can feel it

Are you ready?

No

Where are you?

“Start talking.” Baekhyun snapped her out of her agonizing texting.

In a moment of panic, Gyuri shoved her phone under her leg, afraid that Baekhyun might snatch it from her as he usually did. He eyed her suspiciously but remained quiet, waiting for her to talk. But what could she say exactly? She couldn’t tell him the truth without breaking his heart, and lying was by far worse. Gyuri stayed quiet for so long, Baekhyun kept stealing glances at her until he had to call her name out loud.

“What do you want me to say?” She argued, genuinely lost and without a clue of what to do.

“About this new guy.” He started. “What's up with him?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean with nothing?” He retorted, clearly annoyed, “Who the hell is he? Where did he come from? What does he want?”

Gyuri fell quiet again, thinking about Kyungsoo with every question her best friend asked and a part of her wanted him so badly to be more than just a charitable soul that took pity on her one day. She wanted to say he was a friend. Damn, she wanted to have the freedom to say that maybe, he could be more than a friend one day.

“Are you two dating?” Baekhyun asked and Gyuri shook her head. “Is he telling you to keep it a secret?”

Her head snapped around to look at her friend in disbelief at the suggestion and she felt an unnatural urge to defend the man, and that made Baekhyun's expression change.

“Why would he ask that?” 

“Kang Gyuri! You have to be kidding me! You got yourself in an abusive relationship, didn’t you?” He gasped dramatically and effusively even if what he was saying sounded beyond ridiculous, “You just can’t see it yet.”

“And yet, you are the one that forced me into his car to scold me over nothing,” Gyuri gave him a disgruntled look, just overall weirded out by his attitude, “He’s a good friend of mine that has been there for me when I need it.”

Cursing under his breath, Baekhyun parked the car and it took a couple of seconds for Gyuri to realize why. As soon as she realized how that came out, she knew she was done for. Her chances of coming out alive off that car were suddenly reduced to none.

“When you needed it?” He asked with a tone that sounded so foreign to her, “Are you listening to yourself?”

For a split second, Gyuri tried to ponder on her words but just as fast as the thought was planted on her head, she had to remind herself of her situation. She was aware of what she said, the way she said it, and what it meant to her. As much as she loved Baekhyun, as in right then and there, if he knew the truth, he could easily kill her with just a couple of sweet words or a heartfelt compliment.

“But I am your best friend.” He mumbled as if he had to convince himself about that particular affirmation.

As if she wasn't even there, Baekhyun started babbling to himself about the strength in the bond of their friendship, and by that point of the conversation, Gyuri decided it wasn’t worth it to keep going. Especially when she wanted Baekhyun to stay oblivious of her condition so she would only leave him to stew in his assumptions. Struggling to break the seemingly flattering spell Baekhyun had on her, Gyuri searched for a grounding point outside the car. Whatever it was, it had to be strong enough for her to ignore the softness in which he kept reminding her of all the great moments they had spent together. When she found the object, some random and perfectly rounded bush, she stared at it and only it, and ignored everything else.

“I mean, you’ve been going out a lot with him, right?” He changed the subject to her suspicious relationship with Kyungsoo, “It’s obvious by the way he touches you.”

Her grounding bush wasn’t working because no matter how much she tried to ignore him, she listened to Baekhyun. She had to hold back the tears as he kept ranting about how sketchy and boring the writer seemed to be.

“Fine,” he paused for a moment, softening his tone, “let’s say he isn’t a manipulative jerk. Do you like him?”

The question distracted her from her emotions for a moment and let her indulge herself on actually, considering the prospect of feeling a certain way about Kyungsoo. Everything in her instantly wanted that possibility. She wanted to have the chance of liking him. Kyungsoo wasn’t just polite. He was nice, caring, and gentle. He was handsome as well and on a very surface level, she did like him, so she nodded. Baekhyun instantly groaned in annoyance.

“Well, don’t. It’s too dangerous.” He ordered, anxiously tapping his delicate fingers on the steering wheel. “If you're too nice with him, you’ll mislead him and he might catch that nasty curse.”

As if he had dropped a bucket of ice-cold water over her, Gyuri looked at him, horrified. Her breathing stuck in her throat and the deadly hold on her heart tightened, making her wince. Gyuri couldn’t hold back anymore and tears fell down her cheeks. So she caught that curse simply because Baekhyun was nice to her.

“You can’t be that nice in times like this.” He added, pressing his lips together in an awkward smile filled with resignation, “Do you want to have that weight on your conscience?”

Gyuri got out of the car, pain coursing through her chest as the sweetness took slowly over the atmosphere. Almost dropping the tin box, she managed to open it and get a couple of candies into her mouth. Still walking, she pulled her cellphone out and sent her location to Kyungsoo. She never stopped walking as she tried to breathe deeply and massaged her chest to stop the knot from getting in the middle of her throat. Of course, Baekhyun went after her, although she wished he wouldn't. He called her, his voice felt so desperately sorry and worried that she had to stop her escape. She had no power over her heart whenever he said her name in that way but another part of her, the part that wanted to live a little longer took over.

"Yah, where are you going!?" Baekhyun nagged her with his beautiful face scrunched in annoyance, "the beef stew place is that way."

Those exact words and the flimsy and brief relief the candies gave her body, were what she needed to fight pain and for a moment, it seemed like Baekhyun noticed the change in her attitude. 

“Baekhyun, I’m bound to get friends of my own,” Gyuri said and had to scrape every bit of courage she could to say the next thing. “One day, I’ll find someone I like enough to date and fall in love with and hopefully…” she choked on her tears, “hopefully, that someone will love me back just as much.”

Very few times, she’d see him as still as she did at that moment. He was just looking at her, his arms fell to the sides of his body and nothing in his expression gave her any clue of what was going through his mind. His silence only encouraged her and wondered if she was petty enough to bring the subject up.

“I don’t need your permission to go out with my friends,” She decided to keep on, holding on to the strap of her purse as if she could die if she didn’t, “just like you don’t need my permission to date.”

“That’s different.” He finally said under his breath as his brows furrowed.

“How’s so?”

As if the question slapped him in the face, Baekhyun looked at her, stunned. He opened his mouth to answer the question but it looked like he couldn't work his words out.

“How is it different?” She insisted, her voice breaking.

That set Baekhyun in motion and Gyuri recognized right away that maybe she shouldn't have pressured him to answer. She couldn't help the mess of feelings bottling up inside her anymore and apparently, neither did Baekhyun because his face changed. He walked up to her, and his glaring eyes were scary and the menacing stance of his entire posture made her step back instinctively. The action didn't go unnoticed by Baekhyun and it felt like it only managed to fuel his anger.

“It's so annoying when you get all emotional.” He spat, making a face, filled with disgust, and walked away, leaving her behind.

Blinking the tears away, Gyuri took a deep breath and turned around, walking away as well. By no chance, she wanted to risk the possibility of dropping dead in the middle of the sidewalk and become another number in the long list of poor souls that died out in the open. She refused to be part of the sick show and found a place to sit. She breathed in and out, with her hand over her watch, she worked herself to calm down while she waited for Kyungsoo. She texted him her new location, even though it wasn't that far from where Baekhyun parked and waited patiently for the writer to arrive. She closed her eyes, struggling to hold back the mess of emotions the recent conversation brought up. Thankfully, in a couple of minutes, a brand new car pulled over, and she bolted to the door, bawling her eyes out as soon as she got into the car.

What she didn’t know was that Baekhyun came back for her. Just as fast as her words made him snap, he realized how mean and hurtful, and how much of an idiot he was for talking to Gyuri in that way. He was angry at himself. At first, he was angry at her for putting him on the spot, and then, he was just scared to death of hurting her and ruining everything. He was just a couple of blocks away when he realized he had to go back. Baekhyun cursed under his breath when he turned around and found himself stuck up in the traffic. He wasn’t even that far and it would’ve taken him less than a minute to go back but he could barely move forward. He could even see the spot he parked at first, and rubbing his face in annoyance, he gripped onto the steering wheel, begging for Gyuri to wait for him but he wasn’t as lucky. She wasn’t going to wait for him and he understood it when he saw her from his car. He could see her from a distance, waiting and looking around as if expecting something or someone to arrive. Suddenly taken over by an emotion he couldn’t pinpoint, Baekhyun saw in disbelief, a car parking near his best friend and her getting into it without a single trace of hesitation.

***

Gyuri had been too out of herself, sobbing as quietly as she could, that she hadn't paid any attention to where Kyungsoo was taking her. She wondered when he would start to get annoyed by her helplessness and the constant need for someone to come to her rescue.

“Where are we?” She asked, not really that interested in the answer but forwarding the appropriate question in that type of social setting.

As if suddenly awake of a deep slumber, Gyuri sat straight when Kyungsoo parked the car in an almost empty gravel lot. When she leaned forward the dashboard, she finally saw the traditional building rising behind the stone walls.

“Tea.” That was all Kyungsoo said with a smile, before getting out of the car.

By all means, Gyuri didn’t mind. A cup of tea felt like an excellent idea, and jumping out of the car, she followed him to the gate where he pulled a rope tied to a bell. Soon after, a woman in uniform opened the gate and let them in. Gyuri almost gasped in awe as the woman led them further into the hallways of the traditional house. Kyungsoo exchanged a few pleasantries with the employee until they arrived at the door of what seemed like a private booth. The woman slid the door open and Gyuri finally gasped out loud. Kyungsoo let her step in first to the booth, which was more like a small pavilion built just above a pond. The rest of the house was set up with small booths flanking the rims of the pond and in which she could see people chatting their time away. Gyuri simply looked around, astonished and taking in the beauty of such a peaceful place.

“How on earth did you find this place?” She asked as she leaned over the wooden railings to find koi fishes swimming around.

“I took on the tea ceremony as a hobby last year.” He explained as they settled themselves at the small table in the middle of the pavilion.

As soon as they were in front of each other, the atmosphere was awkward. It wasn’t as if Gyuri didn't feel comfortable around him. She felt incredibly safe in his company that she didn’t mind the silence between them, but what made her squirm on her spot was the way she looked. Self-conscious of her bloated eyes, messy hair, and overall unkempt look, Gyuri nagged herself. Even though she knew Kyungsoo wouldn’t dare to point it out, she felt just as ugly as ever. Thankfully, as if nature knew of her struggle, the sky darkened and in a blink of an eye, started raining. Much to Gyuri's delight, and Kyungsoo's amusement, she couldn't help herself but to crawl to the edge of the canopy and put her hand out to the rain.

“Why do you like the rain so much?” Kyungsoo asked as he started to prepare the tea.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She asked instead and Kyungsoo simply shrugged at the question. “It’s like music.”

If Gyuri thought the writer would question her reasoning, he didn't. Kyungsoo simply nodded and he slouched his back just a bit to wait for the infusion to be ready. She found herself mirroring his posture and accommodated herself more comfortably by the railing to watch the rain pouring over the pond.

“The world seems to quiet down when it's raining.” She said, closing her eyes to let the sounds surround her, “Soft enough to be comforting but also loud enough to wash away my fears.”

“It’s usually associated with solitude.”

“Yeah, you can say it is.” She agreed and looked over at him to see if there was any trace of judgment in his eyes.

Not that Gyuri could check because Kyungsoo was already pouring the tea in the cups. Gyuri observed every of his slow and methodical movements with attention and was awed by his patience to follow the procedure. Once the two small porcelain cups were filled, Kyungsoo pushed one closer to her.

“Why would you like that if you don’t want to be alone?” He asked as if he was just still talking about the weather, “It's on your list.”

Disarming every single one of her arguments, Gyuri felt small. Kyungsoo was right. Every single one of her wishes involved other people. Her bucket list was about connecting with people and getting close to them.

“It isn't an option for me,” She replied, grabbing the cup with both hands and bringing it close to her face.

Gyuri hoped that such a small and delicate porcelain cup could work as a shield big enough to hide her insecurity from the writer but by the way he just stared at her, she knew she couldn't. 

“Who made you believe that?” He whispered.

By the worry in his voice, Gyuri felt her eyes filling with tears and looked away, trying to find an answer. No matter how much she tried to come up with something clever and confident to say, she didn't have anything. She simply stayed quiet, lost on the rain splatters on the pond and hoping that Kyungsoo wouldn't try to pry further into it 

“Maybe that's why I like it so much.” Gyuri added after a while, trying to divert the conversation to a more pleasant subject, “I can enjoy it all by myself.” 

“For someone who claims they can't talk to strangers,” Kyungsoo added, also staring out to the pond with a renewed interest, “you express yourself very well.”

“You’re a good listener.” Gyuri added with a chuckle, “Give yourself some credit.”

She had the best of intentions with her observation and never meant to embarrass Kyungsoo in any way, but the blush that flared his cheeks was surprising. He didn’t smile widely and brightly as he usually did when she said something funny. As if her words resonated deeper than she intended, he seemed to take them at heart and lowered his head to bring the cup of tea up to hide the smile on his lips. Suddenly, as she observed the writer, Gyuri remembered what Baekhyun asked and she wished her attention wasn’t so consumed by him. She wouldn’t be that tired. She wouldn’t feel so done with everything, and as if in some way sadness could actually crush her in real life, she felt her body give up. She felt too heavy and aching to even try to fight the sensation that she had to leave the cup aside and lay down on the floor. It wasn’t appropriate for the place, but Gyuri was too exhausted to care. When her spine felt like it could snap at any moment, the hardness and evenness of the wooden floor were like the most comfortable surface on earth and Gyuri felt her body appreciate the rest.

“Kyungsoo,” Gyuri started, slowly and carefully of her following words, “You asked me if he’s worth it.”

There was no other sound around them other than the rain. Gyuri could see him staring at her from the corner of her eye, and she had it easy to put everything inside her in order. She had it clear. Yes, Baekhyun could be annoying, headstrong, and short-tempered. But it was that same stubbornness that made him the most loyal, loving, and trustworthy person she’d ever met, sometimes he just happened to be too dumb to put two and two together.

“He is.” She whispered as tears fell by the sides of her face. 

As if saying those words could activate something in her, Gyuri felt herself crumbling into pieces and she let it take over. The roots that were wrapped around her heart switched and she felt them advancing. It wasn’t a new feeling, she’d felt the sting of the roots piercing through her flesh before but this time, as she lowered every barrier like Kyungsoo had been telling her all along, it didn’t hurt. She felt it, yes but there was no pain and she realized he was right. She had to stop fighting it back, however, as much as she didn’t want to feel pain anymore, she was more afraid about everything coming to an end so soon.

“He is worth it.” She repeated to herself in a small effort to overcome the fear, “I just don’t want to die...yet.”