Archive of Our Own

“Don’t you get tired at all? We are always on the same routine,” Ms. Kim can’t help but to facepalm in front of the two students who just got another mark of late for their morning classes.

Said teacher rests herself stressfully on her velvety red high chair, a color nicely complimenting the wooden table separating the three of them inside the musty room. Despite being a middle aged woman with no children, Ms. Kim sits prim, composed, looking exactly like she knows what she’s going to do, her attire perfectly resembling what should be worn in order to prevent a dress code. (In short, she dresses pretty old and ugly, according to Baekhyun.)

A stern look rests on her face but Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun are already so used to it they don’t find it that scary anymore. In fact, as they get to know her, they found out that she is actually a kind person who usually lets them off with a warning even if they are late all the time.

However, a glint is present in her eyes right now telling how she wouldn’t let them off that easy today. Ms. Kim already looks so fed up even though they barely got through the morning.

She opens and mouth, then closes it again, pursing her lips together to form a straight line. Chanyeol and Baekhyun should prepare themselves because there is indeed scolding. Possibly a lot.

“Don’t you have something to say?” Her eyeglasses slips to her nose as she looks at them from beneath.

The sudden break of silence unexpectedly sends Chanyeol into small laughters that Baekhyun had to kick him soft on the shin underneath the office chair to suppress it. He eyes him. Stop laughing, you look horrible.

Chanyeol regains back his composure. “We’re sorry. We wouldn't be late again. We promise.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Ms. Kim sighs and removes her eyeglasses, massaging her temples to ease a growing headache. “Because for your 20th late, you’ll be rewarded with community service.”

“I think I still have about,” Baekhyun counts on his fingers. “5? 6? lates left,” Baekhyun innocently mutters under his breath, unaware of who could hear him. That sends Chanyeol into small fits of laughter again.

Ms. Kim stares at them incredulously, hoping to think of a reason that would finally make them shut up and listen. “And I will phone call your parents for them to be aware of the situation.”

As if they’re programmed, Chanyeol and Baekhyun both sit upright immediately. That action made Ms. Kim a lot more satisfied.

“We’re sorry, Ms. Kim. It really wouldn’t happen again.”

Clearly skeptical, Ms. Kim leans in closer to them and the boys instinctively leans back, not wanting the teacher to get any closer to them. “Is that clear?”

Chanyeol gulps and Baekhyun nods. “Yes.”

She sighs and for the first time, picks herself off the chair as she reaches for her box of tea from behind. The boys watch with cautiousness whatever she is doing, then goes to look at each other next. Chanyeol whispers with his eyes that is surprisingly easily understood by Baekhyun. Is this our cue to leave?

“You don’t know how hard your parents work just so they could afford you the most prestigious school in this small town, containing the best facilities and experienced teachers in all of—”

That statement is ridiculous for some reasons because first of all, they sell overpriced food in their canteen. Second, the said teachers hardly attend lecture so what’s the point of this pep talk, brag to their faces how they are doing well and unappreciative people like Chanyeol and Baekhyun should at least acknowledge it?

“Point is,” she opens the bag of tea and takes out one packet, seeping it over hot water in the most displeasing neon pink mug the duo had ever seen, “you should appreciate well enough how your parents work just so you could be secured with an education that would surely take impact when you grow up. Taking this for granted just because you reason you woke up late is never good nor should be deemed acceptable as well.”

Baekhyun could feel himself turning guilty over the words she had just said. A familiar glint passes by Ms. Kim’s eyes as she stares in satisfaction as the both of the kids sit uneasily on the office chairs, wincing like they have realized something. The only sound that could be heard is her stirring her mug in circles. Then she stops. Her tea is done sipping.

“Now, off you go!” She shrugs them off which made Baekhyun stand instantly off his seat. He hears shifting on his side and he sees Chanyeol bowing in front of Ms. Kim, so he stands straight before doing the exact same thing.

Baekhyun couldn’t explain how glad he is that he could finally be away from the impending blow of another round of guilt. In his opinion, Ms. Kim’s talk was a little bit too exaggerating on his part, but it sure did hit something close to his heart.

They turn their backs at her, preparing to leave.

Suddenly away from the teacher, Baekhyun bites his lip as he does all but acknowledge the presence of a giant.

Because, you know, the truth is, even though he hates to admit it, Park Chanyeol is far from looking horrible at all.

Yes, he was once under Chanyeol’s spell. Keyword: was.

The spontaneous, colorful fireworks left Baekhyun a long time ago. But he could never deny how there are still random sparks of flames inside his heart that never fails to makes him a little hazy.

He remembers the foreign-yet-familiar feeling starting the moment he first saw Park Chanyeol’s most dazzling smile, two years ago.

Baekhyun used to long for Chanyeol’s small attention every day. Hearing his voice could easily make him whip his head at the speed of light in his direction. Every harmless spill of Chanyeol’s name from his mouth makes him crazy red, like he said something illegal at the age of 10 (“porn”). Gladly, no one noticed it because who would think Byun Baekhyun already has a crush on Park Chanyeol, the transferee, when they are barely two weeks in on class?

He couldn’t blame his past self because sporting a huge crush on the new kid is actually a lot of fun. He hardly imagines himself two years later, about to walk back towards the classroom with Chanyeol’s hands occasionally brushing on his arm, the fireworks he once felt now gone, but a small settling feeling remained instead.

Baekhyun had learned to convince himself how his once huge crush on Chanyeol is already blown away by time.

A small laughter snaps him out of his reverie.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll still be late.” Chanyeol snickers next to him.

“We would,” Baekhyun agrees before looking up, only to see the giant staring back at him.

Baekhyun smiles, yet immediately focuses his attention back to the path, ignoring how his heart made a little leap. “Why are you even late, anyway?”

“I woke up late. Because.... I was… watching anime.”

It’s a ridiculous answer but also very Chanyeol. Although Baekhyun woke up at 5AM which gave him about two hours to prepare for classes, he lost track of time and accidentally watched ten Vine compilations on YouTube. Again, very Baekhyun. How different could he be compared to Chanyeol?

There is silence. Just like that, the conversation ends.

Once in a while, they would bump to each other, considering how clumsy Baekhyun gets when it comes to a thing he normally does everyday, like walking. He appreciates Chanyeol discreetly helping him a little, blocking his arms when Baekhyun almost trips as he tries to avoid clashing with the person in front of him.

Pretending he didn’t notice Chanyeol’s subtle acts of help, Baekhyun focuses his attention on the noise he could hear from his surroundings instead. Busy feet walking from one room to another, tired people traipsing the same hallway as them.

When he can’t catch up with Chanyeol’s huge strides, the giant would slow down so they could be in the same pace again. Sometimes, Chanyeol would overestimate and slow down to the point that he is already behind Baekhyun, so he would go faster just to catch up with him again.

As they get nearer and nearer to their classroom, Baekhyun realizes how it also gets harder and harder to breathe.

He lets Chanyeol enter the room first, reusing another one of his stupid excuses to get away from everyone especially him. He walks with heavy heels back to the opposite direction, entering the bathroom they have walked past by earlier.

The quietness of the desert place allows him to ponder aimlessly as he stares at his reflection on the mirror. He starts from his messy, disheveled hair, to the bags under his eyes. From the crooked collar by his neck, until where the mirror cuts his own reflection a little below the torso. He feels his absolute worst even though it’s still so early in the morning.

It takes him a full minute to calm his mind.

He slaps himself softly on the face, convincing himself to think of just… something. Something as random as the peanut butter baby vine, just so he could take his mind off a certain person he doesn’t want to think of ever again.

(It must be a mistake. By experiencing just that, the explosions he once felt slowly inch their way up his stupid and dumb heart again?)

“Chanyeol! Do you want me to get in trouble?” Baekhyun hisses and pulls his chair away from him, bringing himself closer to the window than he already is.

Baekhyun becomes hot headed. Right now, he could only think of getting through the day with little to no interactions with Chanyeol as possible. Of course, seeing now, Chanyeol had just to mess that up.

Immediately abrupting his small laughters, the giant pouts when Baekhyun shrugs him off.

He leaves the paper he was doodling on lying on his desk, inching his chair a little bit closer to Baekhyun. Maybe it stops at that, Baekhyun thinks, but then Chanyeol starts poking his shoulder with the end of his pencil continuously to displease him. Baekhyun closes his eyes, sucking in a deep breathe.

Congratulations, Chanyeol, because annoying Baekhyun like that works, apparently. Not a minute after, the smaller snaps at him, obviously annoyed. “I would get in trouble!”

“Don’t act like you’re the only one getting trouble, Baekhyun. I am also on the edge right now! Come on, don’t live in the past and just let it go. Ms. Kim won’t call our parents! Ya. Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun. Why don’t you want to talk to me? Don’t you love me anymore?”

He is not living in the past and he is just thinking about the future! “Fuck off. I never loved you.”

“But,” Chanyeol continues pouting. “I love you.”

Realizing how the giant keeps messing up with him, the smaller rolls his eyes before taking out his phone from inside his pocket to lure Chanyeol out. He didn’t bother finding a discreet position where he would be blocked from the teacher. They’re at the back of the class anyway, so how could he, Mr. Han, even catch them from behind his thick eyeglasses?

After receiving no comebacks, to Baekhyun’s delight, Chanyeol humphs and continues to draw more of his nasty drawings mocking their lesson, human anatomy.

He feels so bored right now but when talking with Chanyeol during classes, he’s not just risking his grades on the subject, but also a phone call from the teacher to his parents. Not just because they are late, but they are doing something annoying again.

He remembers how the same teacher, Mr. Han, almost caught them on their last lecture because everyone in class was busy listening to him blabbering something about a very important anatomical part while Chanyeol and Baekhyun were hidden from everyone, laughing about it. Even if they are at the back, their exceptionally loud chatty voices would definitely stand out. It was horrible. He doesn’t want it to happen ever again.

A few minutes after Baekhyun whips his phone out, he is already chatting with Sehun on the phone, telling him about his unfortunate experiences whenever he’s with Chanyeol. Baekhyun is ranting how even though he had once sported a huge crush on him back then, that doesn’t mean Chanyeol doesn’t irritate him now.

Oh Sehun is Baekhyun’s friend alongside Jongdae. He belongs to a younger batch and transferred schools a year ago, so Baekhyun only has the chance to talk to him on the phone and meet with him occasionally when they both please it.

A few minutes later, their topic diverted from how annoying Chanyeol is to the younger telling him stories about a Chinese student a year older than Baekhyun. He plays soccer, and Sehun would often stay after class hours just to watch him practice. Sehun already asked him out a couple of times but Luhan always rejected him. Sehun didn’t let that deter him, so now, he’s hopeful that maybe Luhan is starting to like him back.

“I mean, we are already going on friendly dates.” Sehun types.

“Are you sure they’re friendly?” Baekhyun types back, biting his lip as he tries to hide a smile. He sees a chat bubble forming, most likely Sehun typing furiously, trying so hard not to assume anything and tries to convince Baekhyun that it is, in fact, only a friendly date.

“It is! I swear to Jesus. I know it’s friendly, because I still don’t wipe spilled ketchup on the side of his lips when he eats.”

Baekhyun snorts at the incredulity of his message. “Do you really identify dates like that? You’re hopeless.”

“I’m not! Besides, Jongdae told me real dates involves rubber.” Baekhyun feels his eyes widening as he reads what Sehun has typed. “And lots of oil.”

“He told you that?!” Baekhyun fumes and made a mental note to make sure Jongdae actually gets it. He really isn’t as naïve as Sehun to not know that rubber is condom and oil is lube. He flushes at the lewd thoughts. He’s so gonna make sure Jongdae gets it.

“Yeah and he wants me to hit it nice and fast as soon as possible, but when I asked him what that means, he replied a full blown HAHAHAHAHAHA.”

That bitch. Maybe hitting him with a newspaper a couple of times isn’t enough of a scold. Maybe he needs to hit him with metal instead.

Baekhyun prys his eyes off the screen and silently bore holes on Jongdae’s head. Unlike him, Jongdae has the nerve to listen, heck, even participate on their lesson. That made Baekhyun believe that Jongdae indeed loves human anatomy.

He is so focused on shooting lasers at Jongdae’s head and only went back to chatting Sehun when his phone vibrates a couple of times on his hand. He notices that he isn’t the only person actually seeing the notifications flash multiple times across the screen, but also a certain giant next to him.

“Who’s ‘number one Hun’?” Chanyeol reads as he twirls a pencil on his hand. Baekhyun covers the screen and hides it from Chanyeol’s direction, sending him off a judging eye. Chanyeol raises his hand so as to surrender and went back to drawing. Baekhyun unlocks his screen again, finding a couple of “Hyung where are you?!”, “Did the teacher catch you?!”, “If he did, then I’m sorry!”

“Don’t fucking listen to that Jongdae bitch.” Baekhyun types, ignoring dozens of Sehun’s messages of apology.

“Why? Is there something wrong with rubber, oil, and hitting it nice and fast?”

Baekhyun pinks as he reads it. “Oh my god, don’t dare say that. Everything!”

The subject ends with Baekhyun convincing Sehun that Jongdae is a shit person to ask for advices, and him actually twisting Jongdae’s ear so hard after lecture, it actually hurts.

Holy shit. Baekhyun really hates the school canteen.

“The city stores sell them cheaper, so why the sudden overpriced drink?” He complains. No, he states. He is already so pissed off but he doesn’t let it show.

The canteen worker scoops what looks like a blob of meat onto another person’s tray. Baekhyun is already preparing to go home, but there are still people at his school who stays for their after school activities remaining for the day. At this hour, the premises still remain a little bit crowded.

The worker visibly scoffs at him, putting her hand over her waist. She points at Baekhyun using her large spoon. “You, kid, have no rights of questioning how we compute our prices for selling. Don’t you know how far we travel from the city, then back here, just so we could get you your precious drink? Have you ever thought about the water we drink just so we could regain our energy back? Have you—”

Just to make her shut up, Baekhyun unwillingly slaps a bill on the counter and he doesn’t even need to wait for the change, because there isn’t any.

In huge strides, he walks past the canteen towards the large gates of the school, scoffing to himself when he heard the lady mutter a “why make a huge fuss when you are going to pay for it, anyway?”

He stabs a straw onto the drink the moment he left school. Playing with the straps of his backpack, he walks towards the direction of the town plaza, hoping that seeing the scenery could cool his mind from the interaction.

Another reason why he stops there occasionally is because the workload tends to overcome him recently.

Going to the town plaza isn’t a hinder to his schedule. As a night owl, 5PM is still really early for him to start functioning. Unless of course, he wants to get job done early.

Cherry blossoms line the pathway, pinks are scattered everywhere he looks. He takes a sip of the drink and lets himself be comforted by the lovely breeze. It’s not too hot, but not too cold either. Soft rays of sunlight are peeking at him through the leaves.

He smiles, admiring how the sun makes everything shine around him. It’s rare how Baekhyun could experience this kind of calmness inside of him. He continues to admire the scenery more, but then everything turn black, he almost shrieks.

“What the hell?” He screams as he tries to struggle off the attacker covering his eyes. There is a growing pain of fear budding from the center of his chest but he did his best to act a little more calmly.

The attacker laughs and it erases the fear out of Baekhyun’s heart, replacing it with irritance. Just that, and he already knows who the annoying attacker is.

“Happy Friday, Byun! But why do you look like you aren’t happy?” Chanyeol asks him.

Oppositely, the giant carries a very huge smile on his face and in crescents his eyes form.

It pisses Baekhyun off for a couple of reasons: one being Chanyeol is holding him by the shoulder and he’s so tall that Baekhyun kept looking up at him, and two, why he suddenly can’t seem to breathe while doing so.

—Because of his fear, probably. It’s just because of fear. Since Chanyeol almost killed him with shock earlier, right? That’s why he can’t seem to take his breath back.

“How would you even know if I’m happy or not?” He asks to cover his flusteredness.

The breeze grows strong and it stings his eyes but instead he focuses on how it blows Chanyeol’s hair into soft and messy ruffles.

He really is irritated, maybe Chanyeol took Baekhyun's expression the wrong way. But it also took Baekhyun in surprise when Chanyeol reaches out his index finger and places it just on the corner of Baekhyun’s lips. “They turn droopy.”

Shocked with the sudden interaction, Baekhyun can’t seem to find his coherence as he stares at Chanyeol’s eyes. Baekhyun’s pretty sure he glows a little too red right now, so he prys himself away from Chanyeol and ignores how his warm touch still lingers on his otherwise cold skin.

“Where are you off to?” Baekhyun asks him instead.

Chanyeol’s eyes lit up again and he clasps his hands together. He looks like a happy puppy that had just received his treat. Baekhyun imagines his tail wagging around right now.

“The town plaza. Have you tried the famous lemonade?”

“What lemonade?” Baekhyun asks out of curiosity. He really just visits the plaza for fun, maybe bought a few snacks before but never a lemonade. Hearing it is quite new to him.

Chanyeol looks at him incredulously, already close to yelling “uncultured swine!” in front of Baekhyun’s face. Sensing it, Baekhyun shrugs as a sorry. But then his eyes go wide in protest when Chanyeol starts to drag him, making him almost stumble on invisible stones.

“How could you not know that! Oh my god! You are so behind everything trending in school, I just—”

“And you are overreacting,” Baekhyun cuts him off, “it’s just a drink!”

“No, it’s not just a drink!”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes as he watches Chanyeol’s hair almost bursting into flames out of intensity. He is just so passionate on whatever the hell this special lemonade is all about, it’s actually concerning.

Chanyeol would’ve made him laugh in disbelief, but Baekhyun focuses his attention elsewhere, like the boring roots of trees growing out of the soil, just so he wouldn’t feel the large hand wrapped around his small wrist.

Chanyeol continues to drag him around the small plaza, with Baekhyun protesting when they walked past his favorite bench. He wants to slap Chanyeol’s hands now but he just feels so restricted. It is supposed to be a fun alone time, what on earth just happened?

He is surprised that the famous lemonade is actually coming from a very small store. Baekhyun turns guilty as Chanyeol places their orders, exclaiming that it’s his treat. He feels a little indebted to him now that he has barely enough money left to pay for his own, but the treat excites him that he didn’t think twice before accepting it.

He internally cries as he remembers how he consumed chocolate earlier. I’m sorry, stomach.

“See that person?” Chanyeol says randomly, pointing at someone who has ice cream on his left hand, the leash of his dog on his right. He seems like a few years younger than Baekhyun, but he knows he’s studying at their school because he also has the same school uniform on. Living on a small town has pros and cons, and seeing about half of the people you know the moment you walk out your house lies somewhere in the middle. “Later he would trip and fall, then he would go crying because he scrapes his knee. Don’t ask me, I just know.”

He’s so noisy. “You just can’t keep your dumb thoughts to yourself, huh?” Baekhyun says when a certain memory comes flooding in his mind. “I remember when I was young, I also used to scrape my knee all the time so thank you, for reminding me of my clumsiness.”

The seller hands them their drinks so Chanyeol and Baekhyun stand up, walking side by side like they did before on the school hallways. The bright cherry blossoms are now painted with different shades of orange, and the sun setting is starting to look like a large clementine on the tangerine sky. The people around them are slowly dispersing but there are still some who stays to watch the sunset.

As he walks, Baekhyun starts to notice how more and more people seems to be leaning onto each other. There are a few passing by them with their hands linked on to one another. Some are resting on the bench, their hands draped over the other.

It clicks on his mind what these people are.

Lovers.

Baekhyun tries not to notice. Are we really walking in a path full of them?!

Dozens of steps and hundreds of accelerated heartbeats later, Chanyeol and Baekhyun found a cozy spot on a bench just in front of the dancing fountain. The perimeter of the area is lined with a few glowing lamps, and the both of them stayed until the first batch of stars appeared on the night time sky.

Baekhyun rests his back on the bench and he can’t help but to sigh. The calmness visits him again and it’s weird that he feels a lot safer handling it when he shares it with Chanyeol, the guy who is just casually looking around the place with a smile.

He feels so much lighter. Much, much lighter than he feels like when he’s alone.

Maybe it’s because he feels happy that someone appreciates the serenity of the town plaza as well as he does. Baekhyun closes his eyes. Or maybe he just feels happy when he has a friend like him to have around by his side.

“You told me something a few minutes ago, that you used to scrape your knee as a child?” Chanyeol starts, reviving their forgotten conversation from earlier, “because I suddenly remembered something just now. I used to scrape my knee too.”

Baekhyun’s eyes stay closed. Even though Chanyeol grows noisy again, the light feeling on his chest is still there. He ignores how it soon grows into flutters in his stomach. “Not just that, really. My whole back was bruised because I fell out of our tree.”

Baekhyun opens his eyes and exhales sharply at the sudden story. Chanyeol just had to ruin the tranquility, right? He looks at him furiously.

“It’s been a while since I felt light, Chanyeol. And that story just took all the relaxation out of me. What on earth were you doing? Why did you fall out of a tree?”

“Well, we were playing. I was a child. Do not judge me, I can sense it. But Baekhyun, believe me when I say that it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life! I was X-rayed to make sure nothing was broken, but they did an operation on me when I barely turned 7.”

Baekhyun could almost punch him. “You are so stupid. So you did break your entire back?”

Chanyeol facepalms. “Not the entire back, idiot. Do you hate me so much you wanted me dead? I think it’s minor. I don’t remember much. Just somewhere near the uhh… middle.”

Somewhere near the uhh... middle could cause you paralysis on your lower body, says Baekhyun’s poor knowledge of Science and the skeletal system. Anything damaged in a person’s body just gives him creeps and it might not show it right now, but Baekhyun almost grows worried for Chanyeol.

“You need to be careful. All the time. And to think I call myself clumsy…”

Chanyeol looks at him with wide eyes. “It was years ago! Don’t worry!” Just to clear it again, Baekhyun is not worried. “I had enough scolding from my mother when I survived the operation and I don’t need anymore of yours. Besides, I’m already fine.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at the statement. “No you’re not. You never carry heavy books to school. It has something to do with the accident, right?” He asks, his eyes travelling from Chanyeol’s face to the black object cradled on his lap. “And you always have that light drawstring bag wherever you go.”

Chanyeol’s eyes stares at his bag for a second, then he grins so big like he realizes something. He sees how Chanyeol is taking advantage of the darkness to cover his large smile. Baekhyun pretends he doesn’t notice it. “Are you’re stalking me?”

“Why the fuck would I stalk you?” Baekhyun bellows. “Besides that, I am also not observant. It’s just something I always notice with you everyday. When you have a weird seatmate that reasons he left his book at home and resorts to just peeking over your shoulder to take a glimpse of a lesson in Math the entire duration of the subject, you would notice something’s different with that.”

Chanyeol pouts. “Damn. To think I was actually close to convincing myself that you have the hots for me.”

Baekhyun spat out his lemonade, slapping Chanyeol on the shoulder afterwards. “Disgusting!”

Chanyeol laughs as he nurses the pain with his hand.

There is something itching in Baekhyun’s mind, telling him that maybe he should take advantage of the comfortable situation to break the ice and just tell him about it. His heart is beating so fast inside his ribcage, but it wouldn’t matter anymore, right? That was years ago, right? He doesn’t feel anything anymore… right?

Or that’s what he thought?

“I’m sorry Chanyeol. I may have said disgusting but, two years ago, I may have sported a huge crush on you.”

The abruptness of what he just said stops Chanyeol from laughing, unable to say something for a few seconds. He just gapes at Baekhyun with wide eyes, lips trembling. “What?”

“What?”

They stay silent after that and Baekhyun couldn’t do anything but smile awkwardly. His anxiety is starting to eat him alive right now, and all he wants to do is cower under his bed and stay there for the rest of his life. Fuck.

“Is that true? Is that really true?”

Fuck them… fuck it. He started this, he should finish it.

“Yes. I don’t know why I said it so easily. I’m sorry for the sudden confession, but I already felt comfortable saying it because time passes, and then without me noticing, my feelings just stopped. You know?” Like how my heart is feeling right now… “I mean, you are so in love with Kyungsoo all I could do is stare. Thinking about it now, it makes me feel embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed that you had a crush on me?” Chanyeol mutters silently, his voice strained as he looks at Baekhyun with pain.

Baekhyun’s breathing hitches. He grows cold and his insides feel weird. Why on earth is Chanyeol looking at him that way? “Not because of that, Chanyeol. But I just realized how I acted so immaturely… Well, I think it was infatuation. So I couldn’t blame myself on that.”

Feeling no interests on the rest of the explanation, Chanyeol rattles his lemonade cup nervously on his hand.

In stutters, Baekhyun catches him saying, “When did you stop liking me?”

Suddenly, Baekhyun feels like he didn’t remove a problem. In fact, he thinks he created another one instead. Why would Chanyeol even ask that? The Chanyeol that Baekhyun imagined would just shrug it off, and laugh saying he’s garbage and he doesn’t deserve to be loved. But Chanyeol is showing emotions? In front of Baekhyun? In a situation like this?

It creates endless flutters in his stomach. Is feeling this supposed to be right?

“I didn’t really keep track but, I tried to distract myself to avoid you countless of times,” Baekhyun starts. Suddenly his heart drops when he looks at Chanyeol’s almost pained expression and he doesn’t know the reason why. Like, is this real? Because he feels like there are meanings hidden behind Chanyeol’s words...

Then Baekhyun clenches his fists. Stop it, Baekhyun. It’s the reason why you had fallen in love with him in the first place, with those crazy and unreal scenarios you created on your head.

“But, why did you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you stop liking me?”

“Why did I?” Baekhyun asks himself, thinking of the reasons why he wanted to forget about Chanyeol, more so the reason why Chanyeol is so interested that he shows no shyness in asking. “Oh, well, because…”

A ring from Baekhyun’s pocket shocks the both of them, making the ever so sensitive Chanyeol leap in surprise. Baekhyun’s eyes widen as he retrieves it, immediately standing up from the bench he is itching to get up on since earlier.

“Oh, shoot, Chanyeol. It’s 5:45. I need to go home ASAP I have curfew at 6:30 oh God my mom’s gonna kill me—”

He is about to sprint towards the street but Chanyeol immediately grabs hold of him, Baekhyun grows irritated at the sudden intrusion. “What?”

“Why did you stop liking me?” He repeats.

Chanyeol just wouldn’t let go of it! Now Baekhyun is regretting even telling it to him.

Baekhyun sighs, exasperated. All he could think about it getting home, quick. “Because Chanyeol, I clearly see how in love you are with Kyungsoo as the months pass by. I don’t want to ruin that. And, I think, he may be in love with you too. So make a move, and I’ll get going! I need to eat my desserts later!”

Baekhyun runs off, leaving a Park Chanyeol deprived of his coherency at the same exact place he left him. In a few minutes time, Baekhyun is hopping on the bus, tapping his foot in impatience as he wishes it would rush immediately so that he could go home.

The moon follows Baekhyun as he travels, watching as he takes his shoes off and as he sits on the dining area just a minute before 6:30.

At the other side of the town, Chanyeol thinks, as he stares at the moon with sparkling eyes, that maybe Baekhyun is right. The young boy with droopy eyes isn’t so observant after all.

“So how is my favorite puppy catching up with all the things that he needs to do?” Jongdae asks him one serene afternoon, sitting in front of him, resting his face on the both of his hands.

Baekhyun hisses and throws him a tissue paper at the greeting, Jongdae luckily avoiding it with a laugh before he throws in another one of his queries. “So what happened last Friday? According to a reliable source that isn’t Sehun, someone saw the both of you chasing each other like lovers on the beautiful town lights of the plaza, yes? Is that correct?”

“The last time I check Chanyeol and I were just walking—”

Jongdae’s eyes sparkle as he claps his hand enthusiastically. “So it is true, then! How did that date go? Rubberized?”

Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows at the mention of the word rubber as he twirl spaghetti on his fork. “It’s not a date. And you’re disgusting. Shut up. Just eat.”

“So do I smell ChanBaek now? See? Taste? Touch? Hear? Is the royalness of my favorite couple finally coming back?”

Baekhyun flashes back to two years ago when this is how Jongdae would act whenever he and Chanyeol would talk with each other. He sighs and absentmindedly stabs the spaghetti noodles instead of eating it. Jongdae watches him with uncertainty, still sporting his Cheshire cat smile he is known for.

“Well if you really want to know what happened... Last Friday, I kind of confessed...? That I once had a crush on him.”

There is silence.

“Wait, you confessed? Wait… you had a crush on him?! What the fuck?!”

Several heads whip at their direction when Jongdae had the audacity to yell that in a public place such as the school canteen. Baekhyun looks at him like he’s a madman, already coming up with different excuses he could use to deny Jongdae as his best friend when people would come and ask him if he knows who he is.

“What’s wrong with that?” Baekhyun says, watching Jongdae pull his hair in different directions before munching into a mouthful of spaghetti inside his mouth.

“How come I never know that you had a crush on him?! Did Sehun know?! If he did then why did I not know?! Do you hate me?”

Baekhyun eats passively, pointing his fork at Jongdae who is already full on punching the table with his fists, their plates and glasses already jumping and water is already spilling. “Because I know that would happen.”

“But Baekhyun!” Jongdae whines again, leaning on to him and shaking his shoulder, Baekhyun couldn’t do anything but stare at him for how crazy he is acting. “I’m your best friend, why didn’t you tell me?! I would’ve kept that as a secret, you having a crush on—”

“Shut up!” Baekhyun covers his mouth when Jongdae got close to almost yelling Chanyeol’s name.

Baekhyun massages his temple, a growing headache forming. For God’s sake, can Jongdae please let him eat in peace before bugging him the rest of his life? “Okay Jongdae. Can you please sit down now? I’ll tell you everything. But promise me, you’ll react calmly.”

In an instant, Jongdae is back on his chair and his hands are on his lap, making him look like an obedient puppy. “Okay.”

Baekhyun stares at him for a while, observing if there are any violent vibes coming out from him but Jongdae just stays static. So he starts talking. “First of all, Sehun knows.”

“I knew it! Selfish bitch!”

“Oh my god!” Baekhyun yells back with the same intensity and threatens to throw Jongdae the fork he is holding. Jongdae sits back again afterwards and pouts when he sees Baekhyun’s face already reddening in anger, fumes coming out both his nose hole and ears. “I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.”

“Bitch!” Baekhyun exclaims, fixing his hair before getting back to the story. After a few seconds of closing his eyes and calming himself as Jongdae patiently waits, Baekhyun sighs. “Sehun knows, and he has been the one giving me advices on what to do when I’m struggling.”

“But why Sehun? He’s younger than you.”

“But why not, Jongdae? I’m dumb. Sehun’s a nerd, and he’s an achiever.” Baekhyun bites back sarcastically, growing more annoyed and annoyed as Jongdae continues to interrupt his story. “Can you please let me finish telling it now? Please?”

“Okay. I’m sorry. Continue.”

“I didn’t really know what I was thinking that time, because I knew it was stupid already developing feelings for someone I barely know. But I can’t help it, can I? He captivated me.”

He sees Jongdae rolling his eyes at the statement and he takes a mental note to take care of that later. “It was hard to avoid the budding feelings. I mean, there were plenty of people like you over analyzing everything we do when we were finally starting to become friends. My naïve self may have thought back then, that we were the perfect pair.”

Jongdae whispers, “Well, I think you still are.” Baekhyun ignores him.

“But what you didn’t know is how Chanyeol was also sporting a huge crush on Kyungsoo that time. It was hard to ignore, at least for me, but I did the best I could do to forget about him even if we are so close, even if people like you are making me believe. Because what can I do if I was happy with him, had a huge crush on him, if he doesn’t return the feelings back?”

“Then you should’ve risked confessing.” Jongdae tells him.

“I can’t.”

“I can’t too. I can’t believe it. Your confession to him is two years late. What about the possibilities?” His friend absentmindedly tells him without thinking how it could sting. Baekhyun just stares.

“I have plenty of worries, Jongdae. Stop making them worse.”

“Okay whatever, but what did he tell you?”

Baekhyun fidgets at his seat, remembering well how Chanyeol had reacted last Friday. As if on cue, Chanyeol, together with his friends Junmyeon, the student council president, and his younger brother, Jongin, Sehun’s old friend, enter the canteen each holding a tray, sitting on the table in front of Baekhyun.

He grows confused because Chanyeol hadn’t reacted when he saw him, but it did look like he is having a deep conversation with the both of his friends. Baekhyun wonders. Are they also talking about this?

“Last Friday, he asked me numerous times, on why I stopped liking him.”

Jongdae’s eyes widen and he looks like he’s gonna explode literally if he doesn’t scream but Baekhyun takes advantage of his fast reflexes and places a hand in Jongdae’s mouth before he could utter a single sound. Jongdae thrashes around and flails, almost falling to the ground if Baekhyun wasn’t holding him down with his other arm.

“Can you please calm down? You are acting so obvious! Don’t look, but they are just behind you!” Jongdae whips his head instantly over his shoulder and Baekhyun could only run a tired hand in his face, losing all the will it takes to calm Jongdae down. Thankfully, neither of the three noticed Jongdae’s sudden reaction so he thinks he’s safe. Jongdae asks him again what he replied.

“I don’t know. I told him what I told you. That he was so in love with Kyungsoo so I started to forget him.”

“What did he say?”

Baekhyun refreshes the memory then grows quiet, “I… didn’t hear about it. I left him before he could answer, because I’m on curfew.”

Jongdae clicks his tongue, sensing Baekhyun’s immediate discomfort. “You should’ve stayed to hear him.”

“I told you already, I have curfew, Jongdae. Stop making me feel guilty again. But thinking about it now, maybe I should have. Maybe I could’ve gotten his answer, if only I have stayed.” Baekhyun mutters and Jongdae leans in to pat him on the back. “I’m sorry. You know I tend to be really insensitive. But that’s okay, favorite puppy. I’m sure there are still plenty of times you could ask him about it.”

Baekhyun doesn’t answer, because he doesn’t know when will come the time he is so comfortable with Chanyeol again that he could open such a bold topic back without hinting he had been curious for a while. A few minutes pass by and neither he and Jongdae speaks, they just continue to eat. The silence isn’t really awkward. In fact, Baekhyun is thankful for it because it allowed him to somehow rest from the exhaustion of talking and explaining.

After a few minutes, the bell rings, indicating the start of the afternoon classes.

The same bell ends the classes four days later.

Baekhyun can’t believe he’s talking to Chanyeol again, so normally, like the confession a week ago was all a dream, like he’s messing it up with reality, like it didn’t really happen.

They both stand in front of the classroom doors but separated in a way the people inside could also pass through. Baekhyun is listening to how Chanyeol is excited to go home for his mother’s cupcakes, but soon enough, the younger’s voice slowly drowns in the background and everything turns into a blur for Baekhyun.

All that is steady and alive left is Chanyeol’s sparkling eyes, and his billion dollar smile as he tells his endless stories.

The hallways are noisy and the constant shuffling of feet continues to go on and on but Baekhyun doesn’t mind. Even though the smaller isn’t actually listening much, he nods occasionally throughout the duration of the story to avoid being rude next to Chanyeol. He doesn’t particularly want this conversation to end. In fact, he missed the certain giant. Chanyeol being embarrassed of him the whole week is noticeable so it’s quite pleasing for him to be back on his usual self again.

When Chanyeol began asking him what he’d be doing after school, that’s where he starts paying more attention to their conversation.

“Well, it’s been a habit but I think I’d visit the plaza again today,” he wishes Chanyeol didn’t catch that little stutter when he said the word plaza. His mind reminded him of the sudden confession seven days ago and Chanyeol avoiding him the week after but to his surprise, Chanyeol nods understandingly.

“Oh right. I heard there’s a dance. Baekhyun would dance?” Chanyeol teases him.

He rolls his eyes at him. “No I won’t. I think I’d just stay for fifteen minutes, just so I could clear my messy mind.”

Baekhyun wonders. Chanyeol has already gotten over the confession, right?

Without thinking how it might bother Chanyeol’s plans, Baekhyun asks playfully. “Do you want to go with me? I mean before you go home if that’s fine with you—”

“Hey, Chanyeol hyung!” Jongin greets and approaches the both of them on the hallway, hugging a soccer ball to his chest.

It still feels a bit weird, seeing Jongin without his best friend even though it’s been a year already. After all, that friend would usually cling to Baekhyun after he and Jongin part their ways.

Baekhyun smiles uneasily and the playfulness from earlier suddenly vanished. There’s that feeling again. The feeling of being small next to the people around him.

“Jongin.” Chanyeol returns the greeting and Baekhyun slowly scratches his arm in awkwardness as he watches them converse.

He could feel the tanned skin boy staring at him, his words, however, directed to Chanyeol. “We’re going for a booze later, do you want to come?”

He doesn’t know why, but his stomach suddenly sinks. Of course, not that he is expecting Chanyeol would go with him again this time, but he’s sure even though he is friends with Chanyeol, he would still choose his best friends. That isn’t meant to be salty, but it sure does sound like it.

He feels his breath hitching and his hands balled themselves into fists inside his pockets. Oh my god, Baekhyun, what is happening with you?

Baekhyun could feel an awkward laugh escaping from him.

“I’d love to, but,” Baekhyun feels an arm snaking on his shoulder, pulling him closer. “I believe I have already made plans with this midget.”

Alarmed, Baekhyun turns to his side and then immediately regretting he did because he shouldn’t have seen how Chanyeol is looking at him with a grin. He feels his world stopping in its tracks.

Baekhyun wishes he didn’t stare afterwards. He should’ve have averted his gaze instead. He thinks it would be safer.

A glint passes on Jongin’s eyes and… is that a small smile Baekhyun sees?

“That’s better!”

What?

“Then I’ll go now! Baekhyun hyung,” he bows a little and Baekhyun just nods, still a little bit dazed of the weight on his shoulders.

Soon enough, he could feel Chanyeol pulling the both of them away from the scene.

“Why won’t you go with them?” Baekhyun hears himself asking before he could even stop his own mouth.

Well, he’s curious. Maybe Chanyeol did tell Jongin about what happened because catching Jongin looking at him like that, it’s as if he knows something.

Okay, and when he said ‘that’s better’, that part is confusing. What’s better? Chanyeol spending his after school hours with Baekhyun instead? Why is that better?

He really feels something is going on but he doesn’t press on it. He somehow hopes though, that Chanyeol semi-embracing him would give him his answers.

“Why? Do you want me to go with them instead?” Chanyeol asks him.

“Why not? I mean, they’re your friends, right?” Baekhyun replies back, indirectly hinting that he wants him to answer his unsaid questions.

But to Baekhyun disappointment, he receives nothing.

They stay silent for a while, and it wasn’t until they reached the end of the gates, with Chanyeol turning them around in a corner, that the silence was broken.

“If going to the town plaza makes you happy, Byun Baekhyun, then why wouldn’t I go with you?”

Baekhyun feels himself panicking over his words. In it goes to his box of unsaid questions again. What is Chanyeol thinking for him to say that, without any form of hesitance in his tone?

Baekhyun feels hot inside, and then cold. It’s as if every ounce of breath was taken away from him. Then he feels the heartbeats beginning to thump unwelcomingly on his chest, and he knows it wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon.

He feels like pausing then and there, his mind already making up excuses that would allow him to back out in this mess that he created, but then he decides to go with the flow. Ha, those words mean nothing, really. He’s just overthinking. Chanyeol is a friend.

—A friend he had confessed his feelings with a week ago.

It’s still embarrassing, that’s why he’s feeling like this. Baekhyun pinks.

They have been walking for minutes already on that position but he feels no numbness on the heavy weight on his shoulder that is Chanyeol’s arms.

Soon enough, they reach the town plaza. Baekhyun secures them a spot (even if he doesn’t even like that bench) and ushers Chanyeol away immediately after sitting, throwing him his pocket money, enough to buy the both of them a drink so Chanyeol has no reasons to refuse. He figures he needs to be away from the giant as soon as possible, because he feels like turning into a puddle every time he’s next to him, out of agitation.

He isn’t really thirsty, and he isn’t really planning to stay for a long while here too because he still has something to do once he goes home. He wishes he could create an opening later that would allow him to run off again. Man, he can’t wait to go home.

Once alone, Baekhyun roams his eyes around the place. People are wearing their suits and cocktail dresses and it’s obvious enough they really did create whole effort to look good tonight considering this is a semi-masquerade ball, and people are required to have their dates.

Well he’s here so maybe Chanyeol’s his date.

No, he’s not! And I want to go home! He whines inside his head.

For the first time, Baekhyun doesn’t feel really light. Even though this place is breathtaking, the heaviness inside of him didn’t really vanish. He hates being stuck in a situation so stuffy (and he blames them all to Chanyeol).

He can’t help but to admire the place though, because it really is mesmerizing. The plaza lights glow in their prettiest color, and they seem to shine everywhere Baekhyun looks.

He could see Chanyeol approaching their spot a few minutes later. He keeps looking at the surroundings with two punches in his hand, dazed, Baekhyun fears that he would trip on invisible stones because he’s been bobbing his head left and right endlessly, peeking through the trees to see the magnificent surroundings.

Baekhyun catches Chanyeol a little later in full view, with his eyes glossy and his mouth a little parted. They lock gazes for a second before Chanyeol breaks out to the most stupefying smile.

He doesn’t know why, but Baekhyun feels enchanted as his lips reach high towards his own cheeks too. He can’t deny it at this point. Chanyeol is mesmerizing. He makes Baekhyun feel stumped with just a little glimpse on the windows of his soul, the most beautiful pair of eyes Baekhyun had stared at that day.

Chanyeol is like a wanderer in his own little world and he looks so innocent, Baekhyun feels like he is the one who is supposed to be guiding him. Yet here he is, staring at Chanyeol from his spot, looking like he is the one who got lost instead.

“They really went full preparation mode this time. I mean, last year’s dance wasn’t even as pretty as this and I think it’s nothing comparable. Like, I tried to ask the vendor where they got enough money to fund this but he threatened to kick me out. Luckily, I have charms so I told him that maybe I know someone who could kick him out instead. Obviously, it was a joke, I never asked him. Here’s your punch by the way.” Chanyeol finishes, offering a huge cup to Baekhyun.

“Jesus, you really feel the need to talk that much don’t you? And what’s with this large cup? Are you planning on overstaying?” Baekhyun says as he reaches the drink his hand, scooting a little to the right to give Chanyeol a spot to sit on.

“Wait, you mean I shouldn’t use all your money to buy two large drinks?”

“What the fuck do you mean with that how much did I give you—”

Chanyeol raises a hand and hands him what’s left on the money he gave him earlier. “I’m kidding! Don’t blame me, those were the only cups they had. But I also bought myself an egg tart with your money, if you don’t mind.”

Baekhyun is about to ask him if he bought something for him to snack on too but when he turns his head to the side, Chanyeol is already crumpling the wrapper that came along with his tart, munching happily. Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him in response. “Sure.”

Silence ensues them, and they did nothing but watch as the busy people traipse the place. A minute later, Chanyeol unexpectedly places a cookie on his lap. “Kidding again. Of course I bought you one too. Please don’t be mad at me?”

Baekhyun looks at the treat on his lap for a few seconds, a little too late suppressing the smile that is forming on his lips. “I’m not mad.”

He unwraps it and takes a little bite, “This is super sweet though.”

“Wait, I could get you another one. I’ll use my own money—”

“No need, I think it tastes perfect. Thank you.”

He takes full bites until eventually, he finishes all of it.

Baekhyun could feel a stare coming from his side and he knows exactly who is doing it. His heart begins to beat fast again, the lump on his throat getting bigger and bigger as time passes.

—Until he swallows up his anxiety by asking him what’s going on instead. “Chanyeol, you could just speak up, you know.”

But Chanyeol keeps staring.

“I’m sorry but, look, I don’t know much about what is happening right now, or anything going on really except the fact that this place is obviously fascinating. Seeing how calm and collected you are, it makes me feel dumb next to you because you are really good at everything and you probably know much about what to do and I feel so stupid knowing nothing. But can I have this opportunity to dance with you? Because I just really want to. I hope you don’t mind.”

Obviously taken aback with the sudden useless word vomit, the compliments, and the fact that Chanyeol asked him to dance, Baekhyun doesn’t even notice how Chanyeol forcefully yanks him off his seat and drags him towards the dance floor unsolicitedly. He almost bites Chanyeol off to pry himself away but his grip on his arm is warm and inviting, all he could do is to give in.

He makes him feel all sorts of emotions right now. His mind is all over the place. Is this what Chanyeol mean when he told Baekhyun that the elder is calm and collected?

The giant settles them in a place a little bit away from the center. Baekhyun could only stare incredulously as Chanyeol coughs, all the reds starting to gather on his ear. Observing that, the smaller grows embarrassed too, probably because they are the only people here who are dressed in their freaking school uniform. Then confusion replaced the bashfulness in Baekhyun’s face.

“Why do you want us to dance?” He asks him curiously.

Instead of answering, Chanyeol boldly takes a step closer to Baekhyun and holds him by the hand, slowly guiding him to sway, disregarding the upbeat music, while everyone’s doing the exact opposite thing.

Baekhyun panics, his anxiety resurfacing before yelling out, “whatever we are doing doesn’t even match the song!”

“I told you, I know nothing about this!” Chanyeol loses his poise and yells back because the piercing music keeps on cutting off their conversation. “And if I do then, what the hell, Baekhyun, it is still not the first dance I imagined I would be having with you!”

Baekhyun freezes in his spot. “Wait, the first dance you... imagined?” Baekhyun asks out of confusion as he stares at Chanyeol in disbelief.

The giant closes his eyes and belatedly sighs, holding Baekhyun by the shoulder and smiling at him, pulling him closer to his chest, allowing Baekhyun to hear his uneven heartbeats without any forms of restriction.

“I know this is absurd, or even feels like I am assuming a lot of things but… why do I asked you to dance with me?” he said it in whispers but Baekhyun could hear it clearly, and he could feel his heart jumping out of his own chest at the proximity of their bodies. Both their heartbeats sound louder than the music, and right now, Baekhyun couldn’t think of anything more than just staying like this until the night ends.

What’s happening is kind of weird. But he likes it.

“I asked you to dance with me, Byun Baekhyun, because I feel like both of our nights wouldn’t be complete without it.”

They are clearly doing everything wrong. From how Baekhyun is biting his lips because all he could think about is how he would explode if he gets any nearer to Chanyeol, to their hands clasped together on Chanyeol’s chest. How Baekhyun doesn’t want to look up because then he’d witness how endearing Chanyeol probably looks, and how their feet aren’t doing a great job on keeping them standing throughout the duration of the song.

But he feels right when he disregards the wrong signals and leans in closer, looking up, smiling at the giant looking like an absolute angel from above. He’s pretty. The scattered light decorates Chanyeol’s hair so as to look like they’re sparkling.

He has no words for the emotions inside him, especially now that Chanyeol looks like a movie he is streaming on 1080p, HD.

Baekhyun’s eyes glow as they do the job of telling the words for him, and although he is trying so hard, he decides not to wear his whole heart on his sleeves.

Baekhyun did all he can to prevent his emotions from spreading all over his face, but God, every damn time he’d catch a glimpse of Chanyeol, no matter how hard he tries to conceal his feelings, they would just show.

It’s terrifying. It’s great. It’s also the most annoying thing he had experienced in the entire world.

Chanyeol smiles at him and Baekhyun’s heart relapses. He makes sure to smile him his most sweetest smile back, hoping it would have the same effect to Chanyeol.

He swears it’s over. Heck, he even confessed it to Chanyeol seven days ago.

So what is happening right now? Can someone explain it to him, why he’s suddenly feeling this way again?

It’s as if they were the only people existing in the world right now, how Baekhyun feels like he is flying. Chanyeol guides Baekhyun on the dance floor slowly, both of them experimenting as they take careful synchronized sways.

But his eyes do sting right now, why does he suddenly feel like crying? It’s like he is on the top of the world, and he wouldn’t be coming down anytime soon.

Then he asks himself like it’s the first time. Is this how people fall in love? Like, running in circles, continuing despite knowing how it would never end? Feeling things so absolute, like growing fire, having no exact reasons to extinguish it as it burns your whole body? The spark of lightning, or electricity, as they continue to flood and travel on every single vein?

He bites his lips. Is he falling in love again? With Chanyeol?

Is he falling in love again with the same person who didn’t catch him the first time?

He hangs his head low and bites his lip harder than before, thinking of happy thoughts that would stop his tears from escaping. But, for God’s sake, happy thoughts, how could they possibly exist when his greatest happiness is just in front of him? What more could he ever ask for, when all he could think about is him?

This is really wrong. And this is really, really bad.

A few days ago, he’s sure they’re gone, but now the thought of how the feelings merely rested continues to bug him.

Because why is he acting like this then? As if he didn’t fall out of love in the first place?

He could feel his anger bubbling, because now it looks like Chanyeol is leading him to a place somehow dead end. How easy it is for Chanyeol to play with his feelings like that? Is he a toy? But why, why, why does he hate himself more that he let time fool him in thinking the fireworks already left him? The reason why he did the (probably most) stupid mistake of confessing to Chanyeol without any plans, his suddenness also surprising him?

He’s sure that’s the reason why Chanyeol is acting like this. Maybe he’s feeling guilty for what happened years ago, so now he’s making up, leading Baekhyun on.

If that’s the case, then it’s a really wrong thing to do. Especially if Chanyeol isn’t there to wait for him at the end.

He feels a hand holding him by the chin, lifting his head up.

There goes his sanity, lost together with the tears that clouded his vision. A pair of caring eyes stare at him with utmost confusion.

“Why are you crying?”

Baekhyun could only shake his head in response as he pulls his hand away from Chanyeol to wipe his own tears. The taller stops him from doing so, leaning in lower so he is on level with Baekhyun’s line of view.

“What’s wrong, Baekhyun?”

At this point, everything?

He goes quiet, allowing time to do the job of stopping him from crying. They do a few more sways, until Baekhyun grows tired and anxious, all he could think about is running away.

—But fearlessly, he asks Chanyeol. “What else do you want to say last week, when I told you I already forgot my feelings for you?

It is like a weight lifted off his chest, asking that. He is lying if he says it isn’t the thing that had been bothering him for days now.

Baekhyun anxiously waits for Chanyeol’s answer, not at all minding the butterflies he feels when Chanyeol leans his forehead onto his, not at all minding the lovely eyes that keep on staring and staring and staring.

God, he’s drowning—

“My answer?”

—And he likes to think that maybe Chanyeol’s willing to save him.

“I don’t want you to forget about your feelings, Baekhyun.”

His chest thumps loudly again, unsaid questions keep flooding and flooding until they’re all what clouded Baekhyun’s mind.

He looks at Chanyeol, but gone is the annoying seatmate with a mass of messy hair and an endless chattering mouth. The person who he always ends up in trouble with, the guy he confessed his feelings to a week ago.

All he sees now is the person he fell in love with…

And with a loving stare like that, it seems like he’s going to catching him?

He closes his eyes as he lets out an airy laugh.

But Chanyeol, what you said wasn’t enough.

I certainly need an answer more than that.

Baekhyun’s thoughts last Friday were probably just because of his impulsiveness, he thinks, trying to convince himself. Because why the hell would he be in love with Chanyeol right after he confessed he had fallen out of love with him again?

Chanyeol answer kept lingering on his mind, and now he regrets even asking that stupid question.

The roaring rain is the only thing comforting him on this hour. He’s been thrashing around his bed for a while now because even though he denies it, it’s all that he could think of.

Placing meanings on Chanyeol’s subtle words is easy because the sentence screams how it’s all about Baekhyun. Chanyeol being in love with him? Showing weird signs all of a sudden? Right after he confessed?

Out of all the things wrong he thought about that day, the only thing that’s right is him saying how he certainly needs more answer than that, because he really does.

This is the first time he has ever been so bold to anyone, and that person returning back the same intensity of boldness? It does weird stuff to him. He hates to admit it, but King Chanyeol’s entirety is pretty much what’s ruling his entire kingdom of a brain right now.

Thrashing around becomes a very tiring thing to do a few minutes later, so Baekhyun stares at the ceiling instead. Without forewarning, his mind drifts off to the part where they both remove each other from the hold, feeling like they have already said enough for the night yet still have plenty of more questions to ask judging by the atmosphere of uncertainty never leaving their side.

The song changes so Baekhyun prys himself away from Chanyeol, laughing as a useless attempt to feel calm and collected. He stands up straight, using his fingertips to wipe the tears gathering on the corner of his eyes. “I’m sorry about that. I tend to be overdramatic at times.”

“It’s okay,” Chanyeol mutters. “I figured it out. But it’s really rare to see you cry. I think it’s the first time. Have I been really bothering you?”

“I… I really don’t like crying.” He bites his lip, hoping Chanyeol wouldn’t point out how he didn’t answer his last question.

Because he doesn’t really want to, or maybe he hadn’t found the answer to that just yet. Has Chanyeol been bothering him? Or is it the overthinking he made inside his head that has been bothering him?

There he realizes how Chanyeol is just a friend.

If friends are fast beating hearts next to each other or finding it hard to catch your breath like you have just recovered from running a three-floor flight of stairs, then a friend Chanyeol really is.

Maybe he did fall out of love, when Chanyeol had showed him nothing.

—But now that he’s showing him something, he feels like falling in love with him all over again?

He directs all his feelings towards the pillow he has been punching every time a certain giant shows up unexpectedly on his head. He punches and punches, until he imagines soft features again, a mess of a hair tousled effortlessly yet so perfectly, pimple marks and pink cheeks he could see on a distance that close, the nose mole which adds more to the attractiveness, and the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen.

His muffled screams are barely heard when he did it the same time the thunders roared outside. Baekhyun debates himself whether he should talk to Sehun despite the late hour because he always tell the best advices. But he thinks he’s busy with Luhan, so maybe not.

Instead he dials a number. It is a few minutes of his finger hovering across the screen until he finally rings it.

Kim Jongdae.

“Mom, I’m leaving!” Baekhyun yells as he goes out of the kitchen without missing a glance at the living room clock. “Shit,” he whispers to himself, the voice of Ms. Kim ghosting him like fragments of unwanted memories he never wants to go back to.

Well, technically, it’s still particularly early and even though Baekhyun waits for 15 minutes before he actually leaves home, he’d barely be late. Barely. But, he figures out it’s not the case here, because there’s actually a huge blockage on the main road that is the only way for him to go to school, considering how there are not so many routes on this little town. So if he doesn’t run now, if he doesn’t set foot outside the house, his mother would really get that call that Ms. Kim was telling him about in the beginning.

“Wait, Baekhyun!” his mother calls him again. He turns back, his hair whipping at the same time with him. “What?!” he asks, irritated.

“I know you don’t want to be late today, but I wouldn’t want you to go with an empty stomach too so, here, take this,” his mother smiles at him caringly as she hands him a packed sandwich and a milk carton as a drink.

“Thank you, Mom.” Baekhyun mutters as he extends his hand to reach them, feeling a little bad that he snapped earlier. He turns to the door again to exit, but he hears his mother calling him yet again.

“I’m really proud you’ve changed now.”

Baekhyun smiles before he closes the front door. Ms. Kim’s advices actually made sense, and Baekhyun remembers every single one of them as he stares at the neighboring houses outside his home.

A few minutes later, Baekhyun trudged his way towards school, being extra careful walking on the main road clouded with busy honking cars, uninformed and unaware. He doesn’t even dare to think how a tree would block the expanse of the said road, but the thunderous rain yesterday as he is calling Jongdae is probably a huge part. No one got hurt, luckily.

After that hellish walk, he rents a bicycle for a day, then goes to school after because he had already missed the bus that he usually takes.

“Stop teasing him about me,” Baekhyun hears the first time he enters the classroom.

Even though the place is already crowded and everyone has someone to talk to, his voice seems to stand out, still.

Far back the room, he sees Chanyeol sitting on his table instead of his chair and Junmyeon leaning close to the wall next to the window. The student council president seems to be talking to Chanyeol about something, and he remembers what happened a few days ago in the canteen. Baekhyun can’t help but to wonder if they’re talking about that again.

He promised never to be late again, so here he is, standing dumbly in front of the classroom with no one acknowledging his presence because they are too busy chit-chattering. He wonders what the duo at the back is really talking about but then again, he convinces himself that he doesn’t really care.

He roams his head around, looking at all his busy classmates, until he got a view of Do Kyungsoo, sitting ever so pleasantly and perfectly in front of everyone else.

He’s the reason for everything two years ago.

Everything that’s still fresh on my mind, Baekhyun thinks, strangely.

Kyungsoo is still so admirable, clad in his uniform free of even the slightest creases and his hands that rest gracefully on the top of his desk. He seems to be bobbing his head on whatever he is looking at. Baekhyun later found out that it is Jongdae, drawing circles on the blackboard. Kyungsoo is counting off what Jongdae is drawing inside his head that’s why he’s nodding. It is kind of cute.

He acts so subtly, maybe this is the reason Chanyeol fell in love with him.

“Jongdae, what are you doing?” Baekhyun asks, both heads turning to look at his direction.

Out of panic, Baekhyun stares at Kyungsoo first and he is actually surprised that the latter returns back not just the gaze, but the smile. Baekhyun is a bit skeptical at first (considering how he had felt small next to the perfect being that is Kyungsoo two years ago, so there must be something evil beyond it) but he finds it really genuine and actually endearing, so he returns it back.

When he diverts his attention to Jongdae, however, the latter is sporting a smirk, so Baekhyun frowns.

He ignores him, walking nonchalantly towards his desk with his head hanging low because he’s trying hard to whisper his beating heart to calm down, it’s only Chanyeol, until he hears a loud thud that made him whip his head towards that direction.

The next thing he could hear is Junmyeon’s infectious laughter, then his own secret chuckles to himself because of the position Chanyeol is currently in.

He has his lower back and butt straight flat the floor, both his feet are high up on the air. Instead of Baekhyun helping, he just keeps on giggling to himself, finding the situation a little too funny especially when he is also hearing Junmyeon’s laughter on the background.

“Are you alright?” Baekhyun asks him breathlessly a few seconds later, watching Chanyeol get up by himself.

The taller shrugs to avoid his question yet he winces in pain afterwards. He feels a little bad for Chanyeol who is obviously disgruntled, yet it doesn’t stop him from looking a little cute in Baekhyun’s eyes. Junmyeon stops hitting his knees a little bit later, helping Chanyeol get up by his shoulder.

“Sorry Baekhyun, it seems like he found it quite a shock to see you approaching.”

“Junmyeon.” Chanyeol warns with a gritting teeth.

Baekhyun’s eyes widens. “What do you mean by that—”

“Baekhyun!”

Another familiar voice makes Baekhyun whip his head towards the direction, and he sees Jongdae jogging over to him slowly. He is reminded of all the things he said to him one rainy night, and he can’t help but to feel embarrassed yet again because he says the most stupidest and corniest things when he is so confused. (Thanks, Chanyeol.)

He could see at a split second Jongdae eyeing Junmyeon something, but it seems like his imagination has been playing with him for quite a while now, so he ignores it. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it—” in all it’s rudeness, Baekhyun is cut off the second time around, but now it isn’t because of Jongdae, but the bell ringing indicating the start of classes.

Jongdae could only wink at him. “I’ll tell you later. Promise me you’re mine, and mine only.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes but laughs. “Whatever.”

Junmyeon smiles and Chanyeol sits back his chair expressionlessly, Baekhyun could feel a dark aura surrounding him.

Later he found out that Jongdae drawing circles on the board is actually for a class activity. As absurd as it sounds, Jongdae is the class president. Next to him is Junmyeon, the class vice president, Chanyeol’s friend, also the president of the student council. Baekhyun can say both of them does a really good job on handling things in class well, often working together to get the class functioning properly as, well, a class. Baekhyun admires his best friend for that. Even though he riles Baekhyun up so much, he is actually proud that Jongdae manages angering him yet keeping everything together in order at the same time.

The day passes in a blur and the next thing Baekhyun becomes aware of is him thinking how Chanyeol rarely talked to him that day, and remembering how he needs to meet and talk to Jongdae after classes.

He is on the way to the school library to meet up with Jongdae, but a pair of large eyes and heart shaped lips stops him in surprise.

Baekhyun smiles at Kyungsoo although he feels the slightest panic, and a drop of his stomach. “Is there anything I could help you with?”

“Not really,” Kyungsoo tells him. “But I need to talk to you,” he roams his eyes around and Baekhyun just stands there uneasily, hugging a class folder securely on his chest. “Privately.”

He gulps, mind wandering off to Jongdae. Did he say anything to Kyungsoo, that he is one of the reasons why I kept on holding back years ago? That bitch.

He already has a slightest idea that that’s what they’re going to talk about, and frankly, he doesn’t want to speak about it. But even though he wants to shrug Kyungsoo off, his feet listens to his mind’s curiosity, which explain the reason why he can’t seem to stop following him wherever they would be going.

Kyungsoo secludes them both in a corner of a quiet hallway and places a finger on Baekhyun’s lips when they hear footsteps. Baekhyun’s panic worsens. He feels his anxiety coming, especially when Kyungsoo asks the question he had in mind.

“Are you also in love with him?”

He could feel his brain getting fuzzy, his hands growing clammy as his heart loses all its hope with just a single sentence. He doesn’t understand what’s happening to him.

“Also? What do you mean with also? Are you sure you are talking to the right person?”

Please. He might be talking to the wrong person.

“No, I’ve been meaning to talk about it with you.” Kyungsoo stares at him straight in the eyes. “About Chanyeol. Are you also in love with him?”

Kyungsoo said also again.

Baekhyun could feel all the colors draining out of his system. He can’t answer that directly, his fear grows and grows inside of him.

Two years ago, this was what happened. Baekhyun knowing that Kyungsoo returned back Chanyeol’s feelings. (Minus all the confession Kyungsoo is currently doing, therefore confirming whatever is bothering Baekhyun's thoughts.)

Baekhyun that time was merely observing, never hearing about it directly unlike today. In turn, his feelings started increasing ten folds. You know, the ache. “Oh, wow. I have always known you feel that way about him.”

“What?” Kyungsoo whispers with wide eyes, “you have no idea what I’m talking about?”

Baekhyun stares at him, obviously isn’t understanding one bit of what’s happening. Isn’t Kyungsoo confessing to him how he has feelings for Chanyeol? Why is he suddenly acting like he knows nothing of what Baekhyun is talking about?

He decides to let go of the worries in his heart. It’s the fourth time around he’s confessing. Not with Sehun, not with Chanyeol, not with Jongdae, but this time, with Kyungsoo. And he’s going to tell him just because he wants to escape and finally meet with Jongdae. (Then, he could go home. Thank God.)

“If this is the answer you have been meaning on getting, then yes, I was absolutely in love with him. Was, Kyungsoo. Two years ago, then I finally stopped.”

All because of you.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrows.

“That’s not the version I heard with Jongdae.” So I’m right that that bitch has something to do with this. “Look, I’m here to help you.”

Why does Kyungsoo care? “I’d be honest with you, Kyungsoo, but I really don’t need help. You’re in love with Chanyeol, and he’s in love with you, so maybe just get it together, will you? I don’t want to be involved in this anymore. Please, just stop bothering me.”

Kyungsoo could only stare at him incredulously as he lets his heart out. Doesn’t Kyungsoo understand? He really doesn’t like talking about this. “You got it all wrong!”

“In what part was I wrong with that?” Baekhyun asks him.

“I—you’re just like Chanyeol! You are absolutely so fucking stupid, just like him!”

It’s amusing, to see Kyungsoo getting riled up like that. Baekhyun’s panic goes away when he watches Kyungsoo explode because it is rather cute than terrifying. He, however, cares about his life more, so he decides it’s best to stay expressionless and avoid commenting about it.

But how dare him compare him to that… that prick.

“I can’t believe you actually said tha—”

“Look, Baekhyun, you got it all wrong.” Kyungsoo tells him, looking at him straight in the eye. “I was never in love with Chanyeol. I am, however, in love with his friend, Jongin.” Kyungsoo tells him.

Baekhyun chuckles like it is the most obvious thing he has ever heard. “Of course you are in love with Chanyeol! It is present in your eyes—wait, what?”

Jongin? What’s Jongin got to do with all this?

“I said I like him,” Kyungsoo tells him, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks, “and he told me he likes me back.”

Wait. Baekhyun doesn’t really understand. Just a few moments ago he is so sure Kyungsoo is talking about Chanyeol, but then he tells him it’s about Jongin? What is happening?

“I don’t understand, Kyungsoo. Chanyeol and you—”

“—Were nothing really special,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, it even looks like he’s disgusted. “I know he’s infatuated with me two years ago, but it has always been one-sided on his part. I’m pretty sure you are also aware of his said feelings towards me, since you were really close back then, since I observed you look at me with jealousy, since you had always been in love with him up to this day,” what the fuck. “But believe me, it stays like that. Eventually, I became a little fed up. A few months after him crushing on me,” why does he keep saying italics? “I decided it’s enough. I straight up rejected him. Then, a while ago, Jongdae and Junmyeon—”

“You rejected Chanyeol.” Baekhyun repeats. “I think I need to rewind. What’s it about Jongin again?”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “I was in love with him for the longest time, even before Chanyeol came—”

“And Chanyeol?”

“I rejected him, because I feel nothing towards him.”

“And Jongdae?”

“I overheard him talking to Junmyeon earlier. It seems like Chanyeol told Junmyeon that he is planning on confessing to you.”

Oh. Chanyeol is confessing to him—what.

Did he hear that right?

“Stop joking, it isn’t funny. I know Jongdae already told you about this, but when I told that bitch about how I feel about Chanyeol that day, it was because my thoughts were so messed up and I wasn’t thinking straight. I am really over him. I hope this removes your doubt towards me. I even told Chanyeol how I was once in love with him. Keyword again since you must’ve missed it the first time: was. I mean, I was a dumb kid back then—”

“Even a lot more dumber now.” Kyungsoo blows a raspberry, tuning out of Baekhyun’s rambles.

“Look, how simple is it to let it go?!” Baekhyun’s voice is already rising.

“Not that simple,” Kyungsoo tells him, his voice a lot even drier. “Especially when you keep holding it back, yet it’s evident how you have never fallen out of love with him.”

Baekhyun is caught off guard. Who is Kyungsoo to doubt him? “I fell out of love, Kyungsoo.”

“Okay, let’s say you did, but what about all this?” Kyungsoo gestures to the entirety of Baekhyun, “why are you sugarcoating all your words, Baekhyun? And why are you crying?”

He touches his cheeks. He swears he didn’t feel it getting wet.

“The reason why I’m telling you this is that, I don’t want you to hold back anymore. You held back two years ago, when you thought it’s already over, you held back while you’re moving on, too occupied to notice what a certain person is feeling like when he’s next to you, and you are holding back now, while you are too busy trying to convince yourself that you forgot about everything, when you still feel everything about it.” Kyungsoo looks at him. “It seems like you’re too busy telling yourself how it’s over, again and again, you didn’t hear what your heart really wanted in the first place.”

Baekhyun’s throat feel dry because of that. “Jongdae told you that much?” And where the hell did Kyungsoo get the information that Chanyeol is feeling like that next to him?

Kyungsoo stares at him incredulously. “Really? That’s all what you’re going to say?”

Baekhyun places and hand over his chin. “And... why are you being so kind to me?”

Kyungsoo smiles. “I just want you to get this happy ending, Baekhyun, especially now that I’m getting mine too. Besides, that’s what friends are for, right?”

Baekhyun sniffs and Kyungsoo frowns at him. “Oh my god, stop crying.”

Baekhyun continues sniffing.

“I just realized, Jongin’s right. You tend to be really over dramatic.”

Baekhyun stops faking his sniffs. “Wait, how did he know about that—”

The song changes so Baekhyun prys himself away from Chanyeol, laughing as a useless attempt to feel calm and collected. He stands up straight, using his fingertips to wipe the tears gathering on the corner of his eyes. “I’m sorry about that. I tend to be over dramatic at times.”

So Chanyeol was telling Junmyeon and Jongin about him all the time, and Jongin in turn, is telling it to Kyungsoo.

By now, he thinks he figures out already who told Kyungsoo the information that Chanyeol is falling in love with him when he’s too busy trying to move on to notice it.

Chanyeol’s such a stupid son of a bitch. Everything falls into place now. He could feel a smile creeping off his lips.

Kyungsoo could only wink at him. “I think you already know by now.”

Baekhyun runs. Fast. As fast as his legs could take him.

He figures out later that Jongin and Jongdae did a set up.

The both of them thinks how it’s finally time for Chanyeol to confess to Baekhyun, so they did a set up.

It would really just be Chanyeol and Baekhyun, alone in the library later that day. Junmyeon and Jongdae are probably out of school right now, enjoying their milkshakes while Baekhyun and Chanyeol would be suffering alone.

Those fucking bitches.

Before he even enters the library, he knew that he would see Chanyeol alone on a table. He peeks in a little just to see him frowning impatiently, his foot tapping the floors as he keeps on glancing at his Rolex to the large library clock at his back. Baekhyun figures, enough ogling for one bit! and decides to enter the library.

“Fucking finally, I have been waiting here for 15 minutes already. I thought you already ghosted me—Baekhyun?” Chanyeol says in stutters, obviously unaware of what’s happening. “But I thought Junmyeon would be meeting me here, and I—”

“Jongdae told me he was going to meet me here too. I think it was a set up.” Baekhyun chuckles, pulling up a chair to sit in front of him. Chanyeol visibly stiffens at his action.

Well, maybe Kyungsoo is really smart then, that he noticed before Baekhyun himself how even though he acts like being with Chanyeol means nothing, he is feeling everything but that.

Chanyeol grows fidgety in his seat because of nervousness, Baekhyun thinks, and he would actually laugh right now if he doesn’t see himself two years ago now as he stares at Chanyeol. “Yeah… a set up.”

Baekhyun hides a grin and taps his foot on the floor below. “So… how are you?”

Chanyeol smiles at him awkwardly. “I think I’m feeling fine?”

“Wrong answer.”

“How would you even know?!” Chanyeol yells back.

Baekhyun shrugs. “Because I was told you wanted to say something?”

Chanyeol reddens and he turns quiet.

It is the most quiet Chanyeol has even been, Baekhyun thinks as he watches Chanyeol plays with his fingers on his seat. He sighs as he watches him dart his eyes from left to right, probably thinking of ways on how he could escape.

Good luck to him, but Baekhyun won’t be letting that happen.

“Someone told me how I shouldn’t hold back, so I asked you that.” Baekhyun bites his lip. “So I think, you shouldn’t hold back too?”

Chanyeol laughs, a little bit shaken. “Well then, why don’t we start with you, little Mr-I-Know-What-To-Do-In-Every-Situation.”

“I also don’t know what to do now, so I am waiting for you,” Baekhyun’s introvertedness is showing already, having talked to a lot of people today and he’s beyond exhausted of all his emotions. He feels no guiltiness as he passes on all the responsibility of confessing to Chanyeol.

What Chanyeol said next took all the air left in his lungs. This time, he really caught him off guard. For real.

“Someone told you that I should tell you what? That I love you?”

He knows that already. But it feels a whole lot better when Chanyeol is the one spilling it off his lips. “I started loving you, I think when Kyungsoo rejected me.”

Baekhyun’s eyes turn into slits. “When did he reject you, though? I don’t remember anything about that happening. You were always so happy.”

“I also don’t know why I didn’t feel really sad. It just passed… like a really normal day.” Chanyeol explains to him. Baekhyun listens.

“I have always been scared since you confessed, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol tells him. “That I lost my chance. That you don’t want to be with me anymore, the same way I wanted to be with you.”

Chanyeol breathes. “But then Junmyeon told me that Jongdae told him that you told Jongdae that—”

“What did that bitch say?” Baekhyun says in between gritted teeth.

“That you were still in love with me too, despite you confessing you already fell out of love. I thought it would take long before I could properly confess but I’m here, you’re here, so…”

“I never told him anything about being in love with you!” Baekhyun suddenly yells in disbelief, Chanyeol is taken in surprise. “I just told him that… Friday made me so happy because I got to spend it with you.”

A smile creeps its way back to Chanyeol’s face. “Isn’t that like, the same thing?”

“No, it isn’t.” Baekhyun tells him. “It gets close, but never the same thing. Stop smiling at me like that!”

He debates whether he would give Chanyeol a knack on the head, or tell him about all the misfortunes he had experienced. Or just plain stare at him dumbly, like he used to do because he couldn’t get enough of him, because he’d rather be lost on his eyes instead.

He decides to go for neither those.

Instead, Baekhyun finally stops holding back, starts giving in, closing his eyes, leaning on towards Chanyeol, then finally capturing the distance between them using his lips.

He isn’t too sure if Chanyeol is aware of what is happening right now, because judging himself on what he’s currently feeling, he most certainly feels like he had already lost his mind a few seconds ago.

Baekhyun didn’t imagine his first kiss just being like that, an awkward clash of two dry lips with little too air that they can’t even continue.

But even though his heart hurts and his lungs hurts so much more, the first dumb kiss becomes so worth it, especially when he feels Chanyeol smiling halfway through it.

There are plenty of things he wants to say right now, make Chanyeol understand what kind of emotions the giant made him experience, how he cheesily and endlessly compared Chanyeol’s eyes to the stars above, shining and twinkling so beautifully, yet so blinding, so far, it’s almost impossible to reach—

I love you, too.

He could feel his own lips tugging upward halfway their kiss too.

—but he thinks this is fine for now.

There was really an attempt, to forget about Chanyeol. Baekhyun has been doing it for the past two years now.

But as he gets to breathe normally after the end of it all, Baekhyun’s glad he failed it.

Kyungsoo sips on his milkshake, watching how Chanyeol’s eyes smile at him as he approaches him, straight fresh from the bathroom. Knowing Chanyeol, he probably didn’t even wash his hands. Ew.

“Heyo, Kyungso—”

“I am not in love with you.”

For the moment there, he almost felt sorry for the devastated look that flashes visibly onto Chanyeol’s face. He looks like a kicked puppy, on the verge of crying, a little too sad when he’s been barely invested on the likes of Kyungsoo.

“Why would you say that suddenly, Kyungsoo? I mean I—”

Kyungsoo takes another sip, shrugging. “I am not in love with you. However, I am in love with your best friend, Jongin.”

Chanyeol places a large hand over his chest. “Y-you… you are in love with him? Not me?”

As if on cue, a little boy with pretty pink hair approaches the room, taking small, cautious steps, peeking with his head first inside the classroom to see if there are any teachers present.

Sensing how the room is empty with authorities, except for Junmyeon standing in front, currently scolding the supposed class president who is chewing gum and has his feet raised up the teacher’s desk, he blows a sigh, rushing over to his seat with heavy feet.

“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol calls him enthusiastically as he sees him.

The person next to Kyungsoo immediately lights up, his previous sadness replaced with sudden glee. It’s as if he didn’t get rejected, Kyungsoo thinks. He really is an absolute idiot not to notice his own feelings.

What came next isn’t really a surprise. Kyungsoo has barely counted to ten, and the next thing he becomes aware of, is how suddenly he is left alone on his seat again.

He watches how Chanyeol becomes a little too noisy around Baekhyun, how his eyes seem to light up like he’s watching a thousand fireworks uncover before him. Kyungsoo’s sure that Baekhyun is experiencing all those too, but he isn’t a little too obvious just like Chanyeol. Baekhyun has always been hiding his feelings well.

Kyungsoo knows absolutely no reason why Chanyeol thinks he is in love with the likes of him instead when clearly, whoever Chanyeol’s been looking for, has just been always next to him.

The doe eyed guy stands up from his seat and goes to the trash bin, throwing his cup empty of the sweet drink. After he finishes doing so, he feels a tall figure looming over him, slam dunking whatever he was holding at the bin, too fast enough for Kyungsoo to even notice.

“Good morning, Kyungsoo hyung!” Jongin greets him with a wide smile, waving enthusiastically before running off to the other side of the room again. He really moves too fast for Kyungsoo to even notice.

He figures the younger had been bribing Junmyeon, his brother, with money, so that he wouldn’t tell their mother what he’d been doing. (What was it?)

“Jongin, hurry up! We’ll be late!” A voice from the other side of the room calls.

“Wait up, Sehun!” Jongin yells back, almost slipping on his way to the door. “Junmyeon hyung, I love you, I’d die for you, I will forever be thankful for you. Really, thank you! I owe you on this one!”

“Wait! I’m not yet done talking—”

And just like that, Jongin’s gone, taking all of Kyungsoo’s breath along with him.