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"Hey careful !! You will spill it all over my notes." chanyeol exclaims as baekhyun sets the drinks on his table with a loud thud.
The smaller boy huffs and takes a seat from across him. Chanyeol knowing that he can no longer study now shuts his notebook and give his full attention to the boy in front who is no doubt sulking if his whines are any indication.
"What did u do now baek?" he asks with an amused smile.
"Excuse me?? What did I do?? What do u mean? I didn't do anything? It’s all kyungsoo's fault. I'm gonna quit today.. infact right now"
There is a loud THANK GOD coming from the cafe counter and no doubt it’s kyungsoo himself.
Baekhyun scoffs loudly in his direction throwing his hands in mid air.
And chanyeol is unable to stifle his laugh which has the younger looking at him with a betrayed look but ofcourse Chanyeol cannot see it.
"I thought you were my best friend!" baek accuses with a sulking tone.
Chanyeol hardly controlling his facial expression exclaims "I still am."
"No. You are teaming up against me with that spawn of a devil" and he shrinks in his seat when there are loud bangs coming from the counter and few loudly murmured curses.
Baekhyun will deny when asked but he is scared of kyungsoo.
Not like it’s anything unexpected. Everyone knows it and kyungsoo specially enjoys this piece of information and loves to make his life hard.
"What happened? Tell me baek!" Chanyeol coaxes him into telling what's wrong.
"You know right how I am always working hard here. How i never complaint when i am told to do extra shifts or help in other stuff. But what do i get in return??? That kyungsoo is so petty and selfish."
"Baek baek baek. What actually happened?" Chanyeol asks in an exaggerated tone.
"I told him i want a day off and he screamed at me in front of everyone." and throw glares in the general direction of where the said boy is.
There is a fond smile on chanyeol face which baekhyun fails to notice.
"He must have had other things on mind or maybe the load is huge and he needs your help around here. You shouldn't be too harsh on him baekhyun.He cares for you alot and loves you like his own brother.Yeah he is a little hard to handle but he wouldn't have kept you
around if he didn't liked you."
"I know" he mumbles quietly.
"But he makes me so mad sometimes" he adds.
"I think that's kinda mutual baek"
There is a small proud smile on his face as if being proud of that feat.
"Do you remember that day when he made u do 1 extra shift at night and u kept b*tching about it." At this the other makes a face clearly annoyed at the use of words even if they were true.
"I don't know if u realized it or not but knowing you, you probably didn't." chanyeol adds & Baek tells him to hurry up & get to the point.
"If u remember that day u had failed your history test and had a huge fight with your dad. You were crying & so disappointed when u came in."
Baekhyun nods remembering that day.
"Yeah but what.."
Chanyeol cuts him mid-way and continues - "we all knew if you would have gone home too
soon that day. You would have either fought more with your dad or cried yourself to sleep.
So kyungsoo not without saying anything made u work extra to distract yourself and i am sure you didn't even felt sad when u reached home. Right?"
Baekhyun is at loss of words for once and is staring towards the counter contemplating things that are way above his level of understanding.
"Some people don't show that they care. You can't see their love on their face. You don't need eyes for it."
At that baekhyun makes a face because he never likes it when chanyeol says stuff like this.
"You need to feel it from your heart. And kyungsoo being kyungsoo does not even let a little bit of emotions out for show."
"How do you even know this much about love. As far as i know you have never dated anyone!!" the shorter asks curiously.
"You don't know everything about me, baek" and there is a teasing smirk on his face to which baekhyun just narrows his eyes in suspicion.
"Do u love someone yeol?" there is an unexplainable feeling in his chest when he thinks about the question he just asked & a possible answer to it"
Chanyeol just chuckles oblivious to the tremor in baekhyun's voice and adds "I'll tell you when the time is right."
"You and your cryptic answers" baekhyun says while making a face.
He doesn't realize though a downward curve to other’s lips and a sad smile.
Meanwhile kyungsoo storms towards their table with obvious anger but falters in his steps as he sees the look baekhyun is giving him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what!"
"I don't know like..like" kyungsoo stutter to find the right word
"I think 'puppy eyes' is the word you are looking for" chanyeol assists helpfully
And kyungsoo makes a face which is a mix of disgust and exaggeration.
Baekhyun is surprised on how chanyeol could possibly know but they have known each other since forever so it’s not something which is impossible to know.
Ignoring the look kyungsoo is giving him he asks "Do you really love me this much, Soo?"
And kyungsoo almost had a seizure but he quickly jerks towards the tallest of them and shouts point blank
"PARK CHANYEOL WHAT LIES HAVE YOU BEEN FEEDING HIM!!"
▫
⚪ FLASHBACK ⚫
"So Hyeri, eh?" baekhyun asks smugly when the professor turns around.
"What?" chanyeol responds absentmindedly.
"What what. Stop hiding it. I know everything" the smaller asks facing the other and fully letting go the pretense of hearing the lecture.
Sighing in defeat chanyeol stops taking notes & faces the other with a resigned expression.
"Honestly baek i've no idea what you are getting at? What ABOUT Hyeri you are asking even? Please be a little more specific. And for god sake lower your volume" the taller hisses the last part in a whisper.”
"You like Hyeri" Chanyeol eyes became more wider if possible at the other's remark.
"What the hell are you saying?" His voice booms over the professor who then reached his limit and threw both of them out of his class.
There is dead silence between both the boys. Baek doesn't know what he said wrong. And chanyeol is still fuming with repressed anger.Suddenly the taller grabs his backpack & hastily starts making his way towards the ground.
Baekhyun after a beat starts following him, carrying a bewildered expression on his face. Chanyeol takes long strides and does not stop for baekhyun to catch up.
▫
Baekhyun in his confusion does not see ahead and crashes into the taller's back as chanyeol suddenly halts in the middle of the ground.
Chanyeol loses his balance and is tripping forward when small but steady hands grab him mid waist.
"Oh my god. Chanyeol I'm so sorry!! Are you okay? You are not hurt anywhere, right?" he checks him up and down for any possible injury.
Chanyeol is breathing hard and not responding. He looks in pain and that has baekhyun cursing at himself for coming out on the younger like this.
"Wait" he finally responds, a little out of breath though.
He creates a distance between them, eyes closed and breath slowly becoming normal.
Baek was about to inquire again if the taller was okay or not when chanyeol opened his eyes, black still all he could see.
"Why..." he halts mid sentence as if trying to pick up right words "Why would you assume something that..that i like Hyeri? I thought.." and he suddenly stops, a part of his heart stopping with him.
"Because she likes you, she told me that herself" the smaller says half confused and half still worried about the other.
Chanyeol has never reacted to his words this strongly..EVER.
Not even when his jokes became unacceptable. Chanyeol always laughed them off. But this was no joke, he was telling the truth then why would the taller react so aggressively. That is something baekhyun is not able to comprehend.
"But what about me. I never said anything about liking her. Then why?" his voice is so small as if he is afraid of saying those words.
"I saw the way you behave around her. Okay." the older screams finally letting out his frustration.
"You are always smiling when she talks to you. And you blush chanyeol. BLUSH. Yesterday only when i arrived in the class you both were talking and when she whispered something to you, you blushed." his voice is getting louder by each word and it’s a good thing nobody is close-by to hear their shoutings.
"Baekhyun she was talking about..." chanyeol is interrupted by baekhyun again not knowing this sentence if complete could have changed their life.
"But i don't understand what's the big deal about me saying this. It’s obvious you both like each other. I don't get what you are getting so mad at."
Chanyeol looks at him with an unreadable expression and sighs defeated, head lowered and his body going lax. Finally not able to take it anymore he turns around and walks away.
Baekhyun too confused over the younger boy's behavior does not follow nor ask something. His gut is pointing him to go talk to the taller, to clear this confusion, towards something big he is missing but he just stands there unmoving for a long time.
~THE END~