Baekhyun:

I turn around, letting Chanyeol go up to lessons on his own. I march down the sidewalk in a huff and hail a cab back to my apartment.

'What was that all about?' I wonder to myself. It's all turned into a big, fat mess. I feel betrayed by Chanyeol's unwillingness to discuss the situation. We've always been open with each other. We've always been able to talk about anything, no matter how heavy the subject matter.

It's not until I exit the cab in front of my apartment building that I realize my messenger bag is still in Chanyeol's car. And unfortunately, that's where it's going to stay because I am taking an indefinite break from him.

I don't know what goes on in his head, I can't even begin to guess. But today, he seemed mad. REALLY mad. And, even though I'm not sure exactly why, I decide that it doesn't matter.

I did the right thing with my apology. And if he doesn't want to accept it, that's on him, not me.

I can't avoid him forever, obviously, but I need a break from the heaviness surrounding us, surrounding our friendship. At least until our next media appearance in three weeks. It's a Christmas Special. I think about Christmas without Chanyeol, and get choked up.

I'm naturally a happy person, but as the days go on, all I do is sit at my window, singing "The Flame" quietly to myself, hoping but also dreading that Channie's car will show up here at any moment.

I hear his voice in my head, "Stay..." which just makes me want to see him all the more badly.

But him saying that in the first place is why I left that day. So why do I crave to hear him say it again? I'm so confused! How does he know my dreams? How does he know what I want more than anything? How does he know what I want better than I do?...

After a full week of staring out my window, I'm sitting there, dozing off while humming our song, and Chanyeol's Mercedes swings into a parking spot along the road in front of my building.

I sit up, fully awake now, but feel conflicted. I go to my front room and wait at the door for him once more. I wait for a knock that never comes. I've slid down to the floor, on my knees, my forehead pressed against my front door.

After what seems like a very long time, I stand up and go to the road facing window in the living room. But when I look out, I don't see Chanyeol's car.

'Perhaps I wanted it so badly that I manifested the image of his car that was never even there,' I think to myself. I sigh, lying my head on the window sill. I sit there, staring longingly at the spot where I imagined Chanyeol's car, contemplating what my next move should be and I decide to walk down to street level and investigate.

I put on a sweater and shoes and go to open my front door. But when I open it and look down, I see my messenger bag, along with an envelope on top with my name written on it in swirly script.

'So he really was here... but he didn't knock...' I sigh. My mind starts racing with the thoughts of all the terrible things that could possibly be in that envelope. My mind automatically jumps to the worst possibilities. Chanyeol's anger... the ending of our friendship... his resignation from EXO! I'm not sure I even want to look inside it.

But I still pick up the bag and the, rather heavy, envelope, my mind racing with ideas. But nothing prepares me for what is really inside it. I break the seal and pull out a thick bunch of papers and a flash drive. I go to my living room chair and plug the flash drive into my laptop while carefully unfolding the papers most of which is sheet music, along with a handwritten letter:

"Baekhyun, please review this sheet music and practice singing your verse of "The Flame" lyrics. I have spoken to our creative team about the song and they have greenlit the project. We will have a studio recording session on December 17th and they want us to perform it at this year's Christmas Special along with other stops on our media tour, and possibly an MV, depending on how the first audience to hear it reacts to it. They have also added a keyboard into the mix, which you will be playing to accompany my guitar. Enclosed you will find the sheet music for the guitar, the keyboard/piano and the vocals as well. Please practice your parts, which I have highlighted and which are recorded on this flash drive. I understand if you don't want to, but you are welcome to come over to use the studio to practice on my keyboard since we have less than two weeks time to perfect this song before we must record and perform it. Otherwise, I'm sure the studio will let you use their instruments, since this is now an official project. Thank you for your time. Any questions, feel free to contact me."

-Park Chanyeol, Lead Rapper, Exo, SM Entertainment

So formal. Is he really that mad at me that he's treating me like a stranger? I decide to call him and ask to, in fact, use his keyboard and practice the song with him in person. Although not impossible, it's very hard to practice a duet without your singing partner.

So, I pick up the phone, go to my contacts and click on "Park Chanyeol." A picture of him mid laughter shows up and that's all it takes. I want to see him, I NEED to see him. I click on his picture and listen anxiously as the phone dials his number...