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“What?” Baekhyun was the embodiment of disbelief, staring at Chanyeol in shock. “You like me? Why didn’t you- I mean, I thought you liked Sehun, for christ’s sake- if you’d told me you liked me I wouldn’t have gone all crazy over Kyung-”
A step to their left made Baekhyun stop in his tracks. Chanyeol turned, not expecting to see Kyungsoo, hurt evident in his eyes as his hand loosened around the door knob. “Well,” he said, letting go. He smiled politely at Chanyeol and glanced at Baekhyun. “I don’t think I was supposed to hear that, was I?”
“Kyungsoo, wait.”
“You left this in my car,” he said, placing something down on the table beside the door. “I thought you’d want to keep it, but maybe I was wrong. Nice seeing you, Chanyeol. Bye, Baek.”
Before either of them could move, Kyungsoo had left, the door closing softly behind him. In the silence it sounded like a slam.
Baekhyun was frozen in place. Chanyeol put a hand on his shoulder, regret pooling in his stomach. “I…”
“I’m sorry, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said, moving away. He quickly went to the closet and pulled out his coat. “I have to… I have to go after him.”
“Yeah.” There was a lump in his throat. “Yeah, I get it.”
Baekhyun looked at him with pleading eyes as he put the coat on, opening the door. “Just stay here? I’ll be quick, okay? I need to figure this out. I mean, fuck- everything is a mess-”
“Don’t worry about me. Just go after him.”
One last hesitating glance before Baekhyun nodded and left, not bothering to close the door behind him. Chanyeol could hear him running down the hallway. He stared after him for a while before finally moving to shut the door, his head a mess of disappointment and regret and guilt that he couldn’t control.
As he went to go sit on the couch and wait, it occurred to Chanyeol that he hadn’t seen what Kyungsoo put on the table. It wasn’t quite curiosity that made him look, but either way he walked slowly there to take in the object resting gently with the keys in Baekhyun’s basket.
A ring.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Kyungsoo repeated it in his head as the tears pooled in his eyes, taking off his glasses to wipe his face on his sleeve. Stupid. He shouldn’t have listened to their conversation. He didn’t have to know any of it. He should have continued liking Baekhyun in ignorance, pretending like Chanyeol wasn’t a factor stronger than he was.
No, it wasn’t his fault. The anger that forced its way into his blood was hot and fierce, a sensation he’d never experienced before. It was better that he knew it now, wasn’t it? That Baekhyun was just playing with him, or maybe that Baekhyun genuinely thought Kyungsoo was the second best choice after the one he really wanted. Kyungsoo couldn’t win against Chanyeol. Not with looks, not with personality, not with the fact that Chanyeol knew Baekhyun for forever and Kyungsoo was just, would always be, an outsider. Hadn’t he been at a disadvantage from the start? And yet, somewhere along the way, he’d thought that maybe he had a chance. That maybe Baekhyun could choose him after all.
Stupid.
He wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand and didn’t even bother to check both sides of the street as he crossed, fumbling to find his keys in his pocket. It was okay. He’d left with grace, no one saw him like this, and he could move on without a trace left behind. He was opening his door when he heard it, the thudding against concrete behind him.
“Please,” Kyungsoo whispered, closing his eyes for a brief moment before moving to sit down.
Baekhyun’s grip on his wrist was firm. “Kyungsoo,” he gasped, catching his breath. He must have ran to make it there in time. “Wait.”
“It’s fine, Baekhyun,” he said impatiently, shaking him off. He couldn’t face him now so he didn’t, grabbing the handle of the door to shut it before he could hear more. But Baekhyun was faster.
“Just listen to me, Soo.” He stopped it from closing and took another breath. “I don’t know what you heard, but-”
“Look, I get it. I’m your second choice. I’m always… I don’t care, it’s fine.”
“I didn’t mean that. Kyungsoo, please look at me.”
“I don’t want to,” he whispered. The tears were back again, but he didn’t want to wipe them and acknowledge that he was crying.
“Then listen. What I was talking about with Chanyeol, it wasn’t what you think.”
“Then what was it?” Kyungsoo burst out, finally turning to look at him. His expression crumbled the instant he saw Baekhyun’s face, and he shrunk in on himself. “I don’t care anymore, Baekhyun. I don’t want to hear anything. You don’t even have a real answer to give me. Why are you even here?” The last question was nearly a beg. He pulled on the door once, twice, until Baekhyun finally backed off. “Just go to Chanyeol. Choose him. I can’t- I can’t do this half-ass shit anymore.” There was nothing left to do but close the door, and he started the car without looking back.