Work Text:
TW: bullying, not too graphic; based off this
"Ex...excuse me."
Chanyeol jumped in surprise at the soft voice before turning around to see a rather fearful looking student in a school uniform looking up at him. He had obviously been crying - his eyes were red and puffy.
"Oh, hi!" Chanyeol replied, trying to sound as positive as possible, "can I help you? Are...are you okay?"
"This...may sound weird," the boy replied, being diligent to avoid direct eye-contact, "but c-could you...could you walk home with me? I-I don't live far, j-just a couple blocks..."
Ah.
Chanyeol nodded in understanding - this kid was probably being bullied and needed someone to scare the jerks off. This wasn't Chanyeol's first time acting as a quasi-bodyguard. Plenty of his female friends have used him to walk them home, walk with them from the bars and clubs...His tall stature was enough to keep people away.
"Sure."
The kid's eyes widened in surprise and relief, and he mumbled a series of "thank you's" before the two headed out in silence. Chanyeol was just taking a stroll around the town. His morning class had already ended, and his next class wasn't until 5pm.
"So, what's your name?"
Chanyeol looked at the kid curiously. If he was helping him, might as well make it believable. Luckily, the kid wasn't too freaked out to function.
"I...I'm Kim Jongdae," this Jongdae replied quietly, "I'm a student."
"Which grade are you in?"
"I'm in the third year."
"Oh?"
Chanyeol raised an eyebrow that comment - based on Jongdae's size and demeanor, he looked as though he were in middle school or the first year of high school. Definitely not his third year.
"I'm in my first year of university."
"That's really cool."
Jongdae cracked a small smile before looking down at his feet. Chanyeol was afraid the kid would trip, but it seemed as though the latter was used to this. The elder frowned.
"What's going on, Jongdae? Are you being bullied?"
There was no immediate reply, but Chanyeol wasn't a fool. He sighed sympathetically. "How old are they?"
Jongdae bit his lip and looked around nervously before replying. "They...they're in my grade...th-they follow m-me home...I..."
Jongdae looked like he was about to burst into tears, so Chanyeol did the first thing that came to mind - he put his arm protectively around the student's shoulder. He tensed immediately, but once he realized what was going on, relaxed immediately. Chanyeol grinned, a brilliant plan coming to his mind.
"Hey," he said moments later, "do you have a siblings?"
"I...I have a hyung, Jongdeok," Jongdae replied quietly, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as the pair turned a corner, "we live with my mom."
"And what's her name?"
"Why...why do you-"
"Just trust me, Jongdae."
The latter eyed Chanyeol suspiciously; he gave in, however, and provided the names. "Mi...Misun. Kim Misun,"
Chanyeol kept the information in mind but did not reply. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to execute his plan today, not ever, and-
"Kim Jongdae!"
Jongdae nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing his name called out. Chanyeol's ears perked up too, and immediately did he turn his head to see a group of boys in the same uniform as Jongdae, looking very smug and threatning. Chanyeol immediately sensed danger and discreetly but gently grabbed Jongdae's wrist, as if to say 'I'm here.'
"Look who it is, the man of the hour," one of the boys said, biting his lip obnoxiously and swaggering over Jongdae, who was practically shaking. The bully's eyes flickered up to Chanyeol's face before focusing back on Jongdae. "Look at this, little Jongdae's got a booooyfriend."
Chanyeol's nostrils flared and he fought back a growl and clenched his jaw. "Actually, I'm his cousin. You should leave."
"Get lost," the leader of the bullies snarled, using very rude banmal, "this is between us and Jongdae. We're his buddies from school, aren't we Jongdae?"
"Yeah, right, and I'm a flying pig with three heads," Chanyeol replied, putting as much sarcasm into his voice as possible, "please, who the hell would believe that? Come on, Jongdae, let's get home. Auntie Misun cooked my favorite, didn't she?"
"Y-yeah."
Chanyeol's grip on Jongdae's wrist tightened as he walked past the bullies, making sure to roughly shoulder-check the leader before leading the student away. The two didn't stop until the bullies were definitely out of eyesight and earshot. When the coast was clear, Chanyeol loosened his grip on Jongdae's wrist, and the latter collapsed to the ground in tears.
"Oh, Jongdae..."
Chanyeol wasn't sure what to do. He stared sympathetically down at the tormented boy before squatting down to wrap his arm gently around the younger's shoulder. There was nothing else he could do, really, and he felt guilty about that.
"They're...they're gone," he said in a quiet, soothing voice after a few moments, using his hand to rub circles into Jongdae's back, "they can't hurt you now."
"Th-they'll find an-another t-time," Jongdae sniffled in reply, wiping his eyes on his uniform jacket, "they always d-do..."
"Then let me help you."
Jongdae looked up at Chanyeol with wide teary eyes, and the sight broke the latter's heart a little. Still, he continued. "I don't have class until 5pm every day. I could, you know, stop by here and walk home with you. How does that sound?"
"O-oh," Jongdae replied quietly, "I...I don't wanna be a...a b-burden."
"Hardly!" Chanyeol replied in a more cheerful voice, smiling to reinforce his enthusiasm, "I...I want to help. I was never, you know, bullied, but it always pained my heart to see my classmates being tormented. I don't want you to have to go through this alone..."
"Why...why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because I'd like to think I'm a good person."
The two stared at each other for a few moments before Jongdae averted his eyes again. He wore a small smile, however, and after another few moments of silence, he spoke again. "I...that would be so kind of you...I just. I'm always afraid..."
"Please, it's no worry," Chanyeol replied kindly, sending back a bright smile, "I am always willing to help."
Jongdae cracked a real smile this time, and Chanyeol's heart flipped.
"I...I'm done around 3 o'clock each day," the younger explained, "could you meet me at the front, then?"
"Of course."
The two looked at each other and grinned. They remained silent and continued on their way for another couple of minutes before Jongdae stopped them in front of his family's apartment building.
"Thank you again," the aforementioned mumbled, bowing deeply to Chanyeol, "you don't realize who much this means to me..."
"I'm here for you," Chanyeol replied gently, patting Jongdae's shoulder gently, "I'll be at your school tomorrow at the same time, okay?"
Jongdae nodded, and Chanyeol's heart swelled.
Jongdae and Chanyeol met up the next day, the day after that, and then for many days after that as well.
After the third or fourth time walking home together, Jongdae's bullies seemed to slowly back down and not bother them. In the meantime, the two had begun to get to know each other better and better. They discussed their interests, their families, and their life stories. Jongdae was apparently the second son with an older brother. He loved cats, his favorite color was pink, and he loved playing terrible pranks on his friends. However, despite this mischievous behavior, he was a genuine and kind person who treated everyone well. He even laughed at Chanyeol's worst jokes.
Chanyeol, as time went on, began to feel more and more...protective of the younger - he was like a little brother, a younger friend perhaps. Occasionally, Jongdae would show up with bruises on his jaw or a slight limp in his walk, and it took an eternity of pleading on Jongdae's part for Chanyeol to not file a restraining order on the bullies on the younger's behalf.
"It is what it is," Jongdae had said as Chanyeol supported his lopsided walk, "just accept it..."
"But I can't just accept it," Chanyeol snapped back, apologizing quietly quickly afterwards for his tone, "just...I won't accept it. You deserve so much better, Jongdae..."
It both swelled and broke Chanyeol's heart every day he met Jongdae, and he constantly worried for the younger's safety and well-being. Still, he never broke his promise, and even on his bad days, he got himself out of bed because he knew that Jongdae had it worse than him.
The younger seemed to improve every week, however. Slowly but surely, his smile grew larger, his bruises faded, and his overall demeanor was much more positive. Jongdae explained that the bullies had stopped picking on him, rather opting for another kid in his grade. Though he felt guilty and empathetic towards the other kid, he couldn't help but feel relieved as well.
The two continued to meet everyday, however. They had become very close friends by that point, often going out to eat or study together later. Chanyeol watched Jongdae mature and become a happier, more confident person, and it made his heart swell.
Soon, the winter season quickly fell upon them, that made their meetings much more fleeting, with less talking and more walking. Still, it was something, and with the warm hug they exchanged at Jongdae's front door, Chanyeol's cheeks still burned hot in the freezing air.
On one particularly freezing day, Chanyeol woke up with a dreadful cough and cold - he had been feeling a bit under the weather the past couple days, but he simply took medicine and hoped he would be better the next day. Today, though, he felt absolutely terrible. After a few minutes of deliberation, he called off his evening classes, and almost instantly fell back asleep to a dreamless slumber.
It was 5pm when Chanyeol woke up, and his heart dropped when he realized that he had not made it to his and Jongdae's after-school meeting.
Fighting back the urge to throw up, he quickly prepared himself a cup of hot tea and grabbed his phone, praying that he didn't miss anything important. He unlocked his screen and immediately was met with a series of notifications.
4 missed calls
6 missed messages
3 new voicemails
Chanyeol inhaled sharply and closed his eyes to will back any tears that would inevitably form. Oh no. With a shaky hand, he dared to open his message archive, and all three were from Jongdae.
Chanyeol hyung, where are you? it's 3:15.. i'll be in the bathroom for now. call me when you've arrived.
hyung, it's getting late, are you okay?
you must be sick...i'm really sorry, i'll call.
i'm walking home now but i think i'll be okay. i just skri3ebsurue8gc. Irieejb. S
chanyeol hyung please answer...
He dared to listen to Jongdae's voicemails, and each one was more anxious than the previous. Jongdae seemed to have been walking home when the last voicemail was sent, and Chanyeol swore he heard voices in the background before the line went dead. His heart beated quickly, and he knew that something was wrong. Cursing under his breath, he dialed Jongdae's number and pressed "call" - he needed to make sure that the younger was okay.
Jongdae didn't answer.
So Chanyeol tried again. And again. And again. With each call, he was met with the obnoxious robot voicemail voice, and on his fourth try, he groaned out loud. After a few minutes of deliberation, he managed to get himself out of bed and to the bathroom. He cleaned himself up as best he could, popped a coughdrop in his mouth. and slung a medical mask over his mouth before dressing himself in nearly 6 layers of clothing. Chanyeol knew that going outside in his current state was incredibly irresponsible, but he needed to know that Jongdae was okay.
The walk to the younger's house seemed to take an eternity. Each step was like lifting lead, and his head was spinning from the cold and his illness. He had to rest a couple of times before continuing, feeling weaker each time he started back up.
Luckily, Chanyeol made it to Jongdae's family's apartment building in one piece. He walked over to the main gate before looking at all the doorbell buzzers. Since he never actually saw which building Jongdae went into, he scanned the names to find a familiar one. Finally, after nearly panicking, he saw small and neat handwriting: Kim Misun. With a breath of relief, he pushed the small button, and moments later, a woman's voice echoed through the loudspeaker.
"Hello? Who is this?"
With a quick cough, Chanyeol replied as clearly as possible, "h-hello, I am Park Chanyeol. A friend of Jongdae's. If he is home, may I come to see him?"
There was a dreadfully long pause on the other end, and Chanyeol waited anxiously before Misun finally replied, "okay. One moment please."
The main gate unlocked about 5 seconds later, and Chanyeol hurried inside before rushing up to apartment 24. He straightened his clothes as best he could before knocking twice on the door. Moments later, a rather kind looking lady opened the door, and her immediate reaction to seeing Chanyeol was almost comedic.
"Oh, you're so tall!" she exclaimed, staring for a moment before ushering him quickly. With a grateful bow, Chanyeol made his way inside the small apartment before shedding his winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, and shoes. Misun took everything into another room, and Chanyeol was left to admire his surroundings. Although the space was small, it was well-organized and tasteful in decoration. The single hallway was narrow, but once he made his way to the main room, it felt a little less cramped. There was a small staircase up to a loft, and there were other doors. Misun rushed back to Chanyeol and looked up at him with a crestfallen gaze.
"Jongdae is in his room," she explained quietly, "he's...well, just go and see him. He'll probably perk up a bit."
Misun's words pulled at Chanyeol's heartstrings, and after one final bow and 'thank you', he walked over to the younger's door and knocked softly a couple times.
"Jongdae?" he said quietly, "may I come in?"
There was no response, and Chanyeol looked to Misun for answers. She walked over to the door and slowly opened it for him, motioning for him to walk in. Chanyeol did, and when he saw Jongdae, his heart fell. The latter had a badly developing black eye, a split lip, and a gauze pad across his left cheek.
"Oh no..." Chanyeol whispered, willing back the tears forming in his eyes. As quietly as he could, he made his way to the side of Jongdae's bed. He seemed to be asleep, and when Chanyeol noticed the youngers's phone, he saw the notifications of missed calls, texts, and voicemails. Chanyeol also noticed the heated blanket that was covering his body, the thermometer on his bedside table, and the cough and cold medicine sitting next to it.
"Is he sick?" Chanyeol whispered to Misun, who inhaled deeply with closed eyes.
"When Jongdae came home, he was wet and cold. He said some bullies confronted him, poured water on him, and...stole his coat. He had to...walk home...he was freezing...my poor baby..."
Misun couldn't contain her despair, and Chanyeol lowered his head guiltily.
"I'm...I'm sorry," he said, voice barely over a whisper, "I...I was supposed to walk home with him...like every other time...I just woke up sick and fell asleep...I should have been there..."
"Oh, you're the one who walks Jongdae home every day?" Misun asked curiously. Chanyeol nodded. "Every day. Well...until now..."
"He is so thankful, you know," Misun replied in a more upbeat voice, a small smile forming on her lips, "he talks about you all the time, what you talk about, how awesome you are. Chanyeol, right?"
"Yes, I'm Park Chanyeol, first-year linguistics and sociology double major," he replied, smiling broadly when Misun gawked at him.
"Wow, so smart you must be!" she replied excitedly, smile faltering when Chanyeol fell into a fit of coughing. "Oh, dear, do you have a cold?"
"A little," Chanyeol replied after his coughing died down, "nothing unbearable..."
"I'll go and prepare some broth and tea for the both of you," Misun said, scurrying away before Chanyeol could say anything else. Moments passed before he finally turned his attention back to Jongdae, who had moved slightly in his sleep. Frown forming on his face, he lifted his hand and gently, so gently, stroked the younger's uninjured cheek.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he whispered, "I'm sorry you suffered. I'm sorry you were in pain. I'm sorry that I let this happen..."
His hand remained on Jongdae's cheek for a moment before trailing down to his small hand, lying peacefully at his side. Chanyeol gently held the younger's hand, rubbing circles into the palm, allowing thoughts to flow through his head at will.
Time seemed to slow down, and it wasn't long before Chanyeol began to doze off as well, succumbing to his own exhaustion. He wasn't fully asleep before he felt Jongdae's hand twitch under his own hand. He slowly opened his eyes and let himself reorient himself and his mind before focusing on Jongdae, who was squirming around in his bed. Chanyeol, who had been sitting against the side of Jongdae's bed, slowly turned himself around, and when his eyes landed on Jongdae, the latter was staring back at him through hooded lids and a small smile.
"Hi, Chanyeol hyung."
Chanyeol fought back the urge to just dive in and hug the younger tightly. Instead, he smiled sleepily. "Hi, Jongdae."
Their eyes met, and with a free hand, he reached up to trace small circles on Jongdae's uninjured cheek again. He felt guilt build up in his system again, and before he could even comprehend his emotions, he felt a few tears fall down his cheeks.
"Ch-Chanyeol h-"
"I'm so...so sorry..."
Jongdae's eyes were soft and forgiving, and he brought his own hand up to cover Chanyeol's.
"Don't," he said, cracking another small smile, "I'm okay..."
"But-"
"Hyung."
Chanyeol wanted to aplogize profusely, beg for forgiveness, express how much he cares for Jongdae, how much he wants to hurt the bullies who hurt him... However, seeing the pleading look on the younger's face, Chanyeol bit his tongue and didn't say anything else. The pair simply sat in a comfortable silence, and Jongdae simply continued to stare at Chanyeol with an unreadable expression on his face.
"I made it," he said moments later, after a long silence. Chanyeol tilted his head in confusion, and Jongdae continued. "The musical. I...I got the lead. B-Baekhyun, he- one of the bullies...he. He followed me after school with his friends and they...they yelled at me, pushed me around, and stole my..they stole my coat. Baekhyun, he- he poured water on me. To make sure I was too...too sick to sing anymore. They p-punched me, they beat me...they ran off with my coat, and I-" a deep breath, "-all that matters is that I'm home now..."
"Oh, Jongdae..."
Chanyeol couldn't contain his painful emotions any longer. He brought Jongdae's hand up to his lips and kissed the back of the hand a couple times before allowing himself to cry softly. He felt so sorry, so guilty about the incident. Of course, he didn't forget on purpose, but it didn't matter. However, he was also elated that Jongdae was okay. Things could have been a lot worse, and when his tear-stained eyes met Jongdae's, a smile formed on the latter's lips, and he said simply: "Thank you."
"B-but I didn't protect you and-"
"For being here now, hyung."
Chanyeol's eyes were wide, but when Jongdae smiled broadly once again, the elder couldn't help but smile as well. When Jongdae opened his mouth to speak, Chanyeol did not expect him to start singing - softly, a bit scratchy, but absolutely beautifully nonetheless.
"Everyday, I am thankful that you are with me.
My gift that God gave to me,
After today, I might act awkward again,
But today, I really want to say today-
So listen...
Jongdae's coughing fits prevented him from continuing his song, but Chanyeol could hardly be disappointed. Jongdae's voice was melodic and full of raw emotion, and the meaning behind his words made his heart beat faster and faster.
"You've changed my life for the better," the younger said softly, intertwining his fingers with Chanyeol's, "I couldn't ask for a better friend."
"I'll never let you down again," Chanyeol replied quietly, to which Jongdae chuckled.
"Don't make empty promises," he said, "just...let's be there for each other as much as possible."
Chanyeol nodded happily - he could definitely do that.
"Okay."
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A/N: Lyrics are from EXO's Sing For You