+ thirty four

Narda was feeling really tired and weak, and she had no desire to go anywhere. She wanted to crawl into her bed, sleep for a few hours, and then return to the hospital to visit Nari. But she had her responsibilities to attend to. Even back home, Narda hated calling off work because she hated having to look bad with her boss. She hardly missed a day unless she was really sick. But this time she didn't want to miss because it was only her first week at work. She didn't want them to think that it would be a regular thing for her to call out sick.

So she got in the shower, changed into her work uniform, and headed out of the apartment. She had pulled her hair back into a messy pony tail and ate an orange on the way out to make her feel better. As she left the building, she walked out without her purse, her cellphone, and her keys. She didn't realize it until she stepped outside, the door closed and locked behind her, and it started raining.

"Me lleva la chingada." Fuck me, she groaned in Spanish, throwing her head back and looking up at the sky.

She reached for her purse which was supposed to be at her side, and nothing. But she didn't lose hope. Maybe she would have her keys in her sweater pocket. Again, she turned up empty handed. The last resort was to get her cellphone out and call Chanyeol for help. He had a spare key to the building and to her apartment. But just as her bad luck would have it, she didn't have her cellphone either. She grabbed the doorknob to the building's entrance and tried to pull the door open. But it was no use.

Narda was caught outside in the rain with only her train and bus pass in her pocket. 

"At least I remembered to bring that." She muttered bitterly to herself. 

She stood by the door to the entrance, hoping for the possibility that someone would leave the building and open the door for her. But time was ticking and she needed to get to work. The rain was also picking up and was beginning to soak through her teacher's uniform. There was, what she thought, a pause in the rain falling from above. But she was mistaken. It had actually been someone behind her, shielding her from the rain with an umbrella. She didn't have to turn to look at him because she could see him through the reflection in the door.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

But instead of saying anything to him, she turned on her heel and started walking down the street. Minseok had long since gone into the building with the food for the other EXO members and Baekhyun had stayed outside to help Narda. The two boys had spotted her--Minseok having seen her in her struggle first--and he encouraged Baekhyun to rush to her aid. He knew well that she was dating Chanyeol, and that Baekhyun was still interested in her. But this had nothing to due with a petty fight between best friends for the love of one girl.

This was about helping a girl who was stuck outside of her apartment, in the rain. At the risk of falling ill if she walked to work in the rain like that. So Minseok took the bags that Baekhyun was helping to carry and went into the building alone.

Baekhyun watched Narda running off for a moment before he reacted and followed after her. As he caught up, he used his umbrella to shield her from the falling rain. She tried to pick up the pace, but she was so tired that she was unable to. 

The scene reminded both of them of a few weeks back when he chased her down the street and she ran away from him. But this time he wasn't nearly so willing to give up as easily. He saw that she was much less cold and distant towards him since their conversation in Busan, after they had returned to the hotel. She no longer looked at him with resentment, nor did she cut off his sentences, unwilling to listen to anything he had to say. She was slowly coming around. Slowly becoming his Narda again.

Maybe if he fought for her, this time he would win.

"What's wrong, Guti?" He asked her, a pout in his words. She didn't want to turn around because she didn't want people to see them talking. They would accuse her of violating her restraining order when he was the one approaching her. There was a whine in his words as he added, "I thought things between us were better. I thought we could at least be friends."

"Not as long as you have a restraining order set against me." She reminded him, not stopping in her stride, nor did she even turn to face him. The slightest glance could send the media into a frenzy as it often did when an EXO members was seen around a woman. "I don't want any trouble."

Baekhyun had been meaning to drop the restraining order against her. But with everything that had happened in the last few weeks, he just hadn't gotten around to it. Now he realized it was something absolutely necessary if he wanted to have Narda back in his life. He couldn't even be anywhere near her because she would get in trouble for it.

He followed her with his umbrella all the way to the train station, which was a ten minute walk from where both of them lived. As the two walked--her in front of him, and him holding an umbrella over her head to shield her from the rain--the scene was enough to capture the attention of people around them. Many of them recognized him as being Baekhyun of EXO and got their cellphones out to take pictures and video. Not everyday would they see someone like him out and about, but especially trying hard to earn the affections of a girl.

Narda appeared more and more frustrated and desperate for him to leave. But she continued to ignore him as she waited for the train to arrive.

"Please just go." She practically begged him, biting down on her lip nervously.

She could feel the glares on her back from a sea of fangirls, but she ignored it and tried to appear confident in herself.

Baekhyun finally heaved a sigh and nodded. He easily slipped out of his coat and set it over her shoulders before turning to leave the station. Narda held her head down as a hand moved up to grip his coat, holding it tightly around her shoulders, more for comfort than for warmth, since it was already dampened by the rain.

Just when she thought things had been getting better, there she was about to be involved in another scandal.

-

Just as she suspected, the pictures and video reached the media and people were talking about her yet again. When Chanyeol woke up from his nap later that morning, his phone was buzzing with the gossip rumors online. He scrolled through the internet, watching the clips and pictures, each one of them causing a prick in his chest. He wanted to be the one who was there for her. Instead it was Baekhyun. Always Baekhyun. 

He waited for her at her apartment until she got home from work, in a solemn mood. As soon as she opened the door and he saw just how tired she looked, his expression relaxed dramatically. There were bacgs under her eyes, her hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail, and her lips were dry and bit pale. After donating blood, she had worked herself too hard at her job when she needed to get rest. 

The faintest hint of a sad smile touched her lips and she guessed why he was there waiting for her. "I'm guessing you saw the pictures and video of Baekhyun walking me to the train station." 

"It looked more like he was chasing you to the train station." Chanyeol said bitterly, with a shrug of his shoulders.

That made Narda crack a bigger smile.

"Chan, our relationship has been beautiful." She began with a sigh, and she walked over to the couch where he was sitting. She let herself fall onto it a bit too harshly, her legs practically giving out beneath her. But both of them knew they needed to have that talk right then. If anything, it was long overdue. "But I've been thinking a lot these last few weeks...about us. I know that you love me so much, and I've wanted to love you that way too. I tried. Believe me, I really tried."

Chanyeol felt a lump in his throat and his heart started beating quicker. It was either that, or it was the feeling of his heart shattering into a thousand pieces. He didn't have to be a rocket scientist to guess what was coming next. 

He said nothing to her, and instead let her finish.

"Everyone seems to like us together--our friends, your family, my family even." She said to him, her eyes avoiding having to meet with his because she didn't want to see the amount of heartbreak reflected in them. Narda didn't want to hurt his feelings, and she was afraid that in order to avoid that, she would end up telling him what he wanted to hear. But she needed to be honest with him and with herself. "But what good is that if I'm lying to myself? I don't want to hurt your feelings, and that's why I think I shouldn't lead you on. I'm so sorry..."

Chanyeol sniffed from beside her, and he cleared his throat to avoid sounding shaky. But his words were desperate, and he would say anything to keep her by his side.

"Guti, don't leave me." He begged her, sounding every bit like a little boy despite his deep voice. He tried to make a compromise with her. "Why don't you date the two of us? Like that drama you and Nari like so much. I wouldn't have a problem with it." He had made a reference to Felices Los Cuatro, the same way Nari did. But he had taken her by surprise because he was dead serious about his proposal. If he wasn't going to have her all to himself, he was at least willing to share her.

Any attention and love from her, if even a speck of it, was enough for him.

Narda gave a shake of her head. "It wouldn't be fair to you or Baekhyung. Besides, I think a relationship should only be between two people."

"Please Guti." He tried again.

"I'm sorry, Chan." She refused. Her eyes burned with tears as the thought escaped her lips, "I understand if you hate me and don't want to see me again."

At that, he quickly shook his head and he took her hand in his. "I would never hate you."

She nodded gratefully.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, until he finally spoke up again. There was curiosity, and hurt, and jealousy in his words. "So you're going back to Baekhyun now?" He wondered, though a part of him felt that it was obvious. If she was leaving him, then it likely meant she and Baekhyun fixed things and were getting back together. It was the very thing he head feared the most and the very thing she assured him wouldn't happen.

Narda replied to his question with a shake of her head. "Baekhyun and I aren't getting back together. I just want to be alone for a while."

"Was is too burdensome dating me because I'm an idol?" He asked her another question.

A tired sigh escaped her lips. 

"Don't think about this too much." She gave him a word of advice. "I just hope that you can find someone who will love you and treat you better than I did."

Again, he was all too quick to reassure her. "No one could have loved me better, Guti."

The two sat in the living room in silence for several more minutes, and he asked her if he could hold her hand, as her boyfriend for the last time. She complied and they remained there until she cuddled into his embrace, seeking comfort as a friend now and not as a girlfriend. To him, it was all the more important and he swallowed the tears that wanted to roll down his cheeks. They were pulled from their final embrace as a couple by Chanyeol's cellphone ringing. It was a call from Kyungsoo who had an update for them about Nari.

-

i had been writing so much about chanyeol and narda together as a couple that i actually kinda felt sad breaking them up. but guess whaT? it had to be done because we needed to make way for guti to be sexy free and single.

so that baekhyunator could jump back into the scene. as of now, its not official that buti is happening, nor is it confirmed that they are back together. but i mean, narda is single now, and baekhyun is only dating taeyeon for publicity so technically it doesnt count and he could break up with her any second.

i was almost about to give up on writing this chapter tonight. but i forced myself to finish it because i didn't want to interrupt this flow of ideas.

thank you for reading. stay tuned for tmore.

-clary