Chapter Text
Chanyeol and Baekhyun had been best friends for as long as they could remember. Their friendship had lasted so long that neither of them could remember exactly when or how they had gone from being just two little boys in the same preschool class to becoming a constant presence in each other's lives. They grew up side by side, went through the same awkward phases, shared secrets, inside jokes, and countless memories that, over the years, ended up blending into the memories of their own families.
They had always studied at the same school and, coincidentally, were always in the same class. They shared the same groups of friends, spent a good part of their days together, and knew each other's habits so well that they rarely needed to explain what they were thinking. Their parents were also friends, which meant that the families met frequently. They had traveled together countless times, attended birthdays, parties, and Sunday barbecues, in addition to so many other moments that became a natural part of that friendship. Chanyeol knew Baekhyun's house almost as well as he knew his own, and Baekhyun already knew where to find anything in his friend's house without having to ask.
For the two of them, being together never required effort; it simply happened. Chanyeol would show up at Byun's house unannounced, and Baekhyun would do the same, as if the doors between the two families had never needed to be closed. They shared snacks, schoolwork, complaints about teachers, and even the longest silences—those that weren't uncomfortable because the other's company was enough. At some point, that friendship ceased to be just a choice and transformed into a kind of certainty, something so constant that neither of them could imagine what it would be like to live without it.
Now, however, high school was coming to an end, and adult life was beginning to knock on the door with increasing insistence. There were college entrance exams, choices, expectations, and an entire future awaiting them, full of paths that might not lead in the same direction. The idea that everything would change was strange, especially since, for twelve years, Chanyeol and Baekhyun had grown up believing that they would continue to share practically everything.
But, if they managed to stay side by side for so long, it wouldn't be precisely when the world began to demand more difficult decisions that they would give up that partnership. After twelve years, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were more than just best friends. They were part of each other's history, part of their routine and memories, and perhaps even part of the future they couldn't yet see. Adult life might arrive with all its changes, responsibilities, and uncertainties, but there was one thing they both considered unquestionable: whatever happened, they would stay together.
Park Chanyeol was the typical athletic student who seemed born to excel. At seventeen, he was already captain of the school's basketball team, stood six feet tall, and possessed such natural charisma that it was hard not to notice him. He didn't need to try hard to get attention; simply walking down the hallway in his team uniform, with his tousled hair and that easy smile, was enough for someone to greet him, ask for something, or simply follow him with their eyes.
On the court, he was known for his skill and leadership. Off the court, he could talk to practically anyone, from the shyest students to the staff who had worked at the school for years. Chanyeol knew almost everyone's name, greeted teachers enthusiastically, and always found a way to make someone laugh. Perhaps that was precisely why he was so beloved: even being one of the most popular students, he never seemed to act as if he were above others.
His academic performance was also impeccable. His excellent grades accompanied a brilliant athletic record, and the future seemed to unfold before him with irritating ease: one of the city's most well-known teams had already contacted Chanyeol and expressed interest in signing him as soon as he finished high school. The possibility of becoming a professional player made his teachers proud, his classmates impressed, and his parents even more convinced that Park was destined for great things.
In the hallways, Chanyeol was greeted with compliments, jokes, and admiring glances. He made the students laugh with spontaneous comments and, without realizing it or perhaps realizing it very well, he drew sighs from girls and boys who observed him from afar. He was the darling of the teachers, the staff, and a good portion of the students. There was always someone commenting on a game, a high grade, or some funny situation he had gotten into.
In short, Chanyeol was the sensation of the school. The team captain, the exemplary student, the charismatic boy who seemed to get along with everyone and whose future was practically already mapped out. To those who saw him from the outside, it seemed that he had everything under control. And, in a way, maybe he did. But, among all the people who admired Chanyeol, there was only one who knew him well enough to see beyond the confident smile and the impeccable image he carried through the hallways: Baekhyun.
Byun Baekhyun was more reserved. While Chanyeol seemed to fill any room simply with his presence, Byun usually observed before getting involved, paying attention to details and carefully choosing when and what he wanted to say. He wasn't shy, much less antisocial, but he preferred the company of people he felt comfortable with and rarely sought the spotlight. Even so, those who truly knew him knew that behind his more discreet demeanor lay someone fun, intelligent, and possessing a much more striking personality than he let on at first glance. He wasn't one to tell just anyone about his life, especially his sexuality – which, even though it wasn't a secret, he didn't talk about much.
In his studies, however, discretion was impossible. Baekhyun was, without a doubt, the best student in the class. Always dedicated and organized, he managed to maintain high grades in all subjects, even when the rest of the class was already counting down the days until vacation. He was the type of student who truly paid attention in class, took detailed notes, and began reviewing the material in advance—a habit his classmates admired and, conveniently, took advantage of whenever they could.
On the eve of exams, his phone was almost never silent. Messages would start arriving one after another, usually accompanied by desperate requests and promises that, this time, the person would actually study in advance.
“Baekhyun, did you make a summary of your chemistry?”
“Can you send me your history notes?”
“For God’s sake, did you understand the math?"
He almost always helped, even while complaining that nobody should leave everything to the last minute. Deep down, he expected it; his summaries were known for being complete, organized, and easy to understand, and many classmates had probably passed some exams thanks to the explanations they received from him. Baekhyun pretended to be annoyed by his classmates' lack of planning, but he rarely refused to help when someone showed up asking for assistance.
Despite his excellent academic performance, it was in music that Baekhyun truly felt at home. He loved all forms of musical expression, from the sound produced by an instrument to the emotion of singing, dancing, or transforming feelings into lyrics and compositions. For him, music wasn't just a hobby or a skill to impress others; it was an essential part of who he was, a way to understand the world and express things he often couldn't explain with words alone.
Over the years, he learned to play the guitar, violin, recorder, piano, and bass. He also sang from a very young age and, at eleven, at the beginning of middle school, he began to dedicate himself to dance. Over time, he experimented with different styles, studying movements and developing an increasingly deep relationship with his own body and rhythm. Everything seemed to spark his curiosity, and Baekhyun was never content to learn just the basics. When he became interested in something, he truly immersed himself in it.
Now, with the end of high school approaching, he intended to enroll in a college focused on music. He didn't yet know exactly which path he would follow next, but he was certain that he wanted to build his future around what he loved. Perhaps he would be a musician, composer, producer, or find a profession that combined several of these passions. What mattered was to keep creating. Baekhyun was, without a doubt, a true musical prodigy.
That was just another chaotic afternoon leading up to an important exam and a game just as crucial. Chanyeol had been spending the last few days juggling intense basketball team practices with the subjects he needed to review, trying to find enough time to manage everything without compromising either. As captain, he knew his teammates expected him to be ready to lead the team on the court. As a student, however, he also needed to maintain the good performance he had always had, especially with the end of high school approaching and so many expectations placed on him.
That Tuesday, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the buildings when Baekhyun arrived at the court. The sound of the balls bouncing on the floor echoed through the gym, mixing with the coach's whistles and the players' voices. Some students still remained in the stands, chatting or watching the practice for a few minutes before heading home, but Baekhyun wasn't there to watch the game for entertainment.
He occupied the same spot as always, sitting in one of the rows closest to the court, with his backpack leaning against the side and several notebooks scattered on the bench. While waiting for practice to end, he reviewed some notes and organized the summaries he had prepared to study with Chanyeol later. He knew that routine so well that he didn't even need to ask when his friend would finish. He just had to show up in the stands, open his notebooks, and wait.
Every now and then, Baekhyun would look up from his pages to follow Chanyeol's movements. The boy ran from one side to the other, giving instructions to his teammates and trying to keep up with the team's pace, even after hours of practice. The concentration on his face was different from the relaxed expression he usually wore in the school hallways. On the court, Chanyeol seemed even more confident, as if every move had been rehearsed countless times.
Baekhyun watched his friend make a basket and heard some of the players celebrating. A discreet smile appeared on his face before he returned his attention to his own notebook. There was still a lot of material to review, and Chanyeol would probably try to convince Baekhyun to finish studying early as soon as he started to get tired. It was always like that.
Even with an important test and a crucial game approaching, the two had already found a way to cope with the rush. Chanyeol would dedicate himself to practice until the last minute, and Baekhyun would wait patiently to help him study afterward. It was a simple routine, built over years, but it said a lot about their friendship. After all, no matter how busy they were, they always ended up finding time to be together.
"Do you think Park would go out with me?" asked a girl sitting a few rows above.
Her voice caught Baekhyun's attention, who, until that moment, had been focused on the open book on his lap. He recognized the girl almost immediately; she was from the other third-year class and often walked through the hallways with the same group of friends. Baekhyun didn't know her name, but he had seen her a few times, mainly during breaks.
"He's never shown interest in any girl," she continued, leaning towards her friend. "Like, never ever. Is he waiting for someone specific? Or does he already have someone?"
“He must be focused on his studies, girl” the other replied, shrugging. “Or basketball… You know how busy he is. But it doesn’t hurt to try; when practice is over, go talk to him.”
Baekhyun lowered his eyes to the book again, trying to pick up where he had left off. He read the same sentence twice, but the words seemed to have completely lost their meaning. The girls’ conversation continued to echo uncomfortably in his head. Chanyeol was popular; it was normal for someone to want to date him. It happened frequently, and Baekhyun tried to force himself to get used to it.
A few minutes later, Chanyeol approached the bleachers, brushing the damp hair from his forehead as he searched for his water bottle. Practice hadn’t finished yet, but the coach had given a few minutes’ break, and he took the opportunity to walk over to where Baekhyun was sitting.
“When you’re finished, I’ll wait for you near the music room hallway,” Baekhyun said, without taking his eyes off the book.
The sentence came out faster than he intended. A strange pang rose in his throat, mixing a difficult discomfort with an irritation he preferred to ignore. There was no reason to feel that way. Chanyeol could talk to whomever he wanted, go out with whomever he wanted, and do whatever he pleased. Baekhyun had nothing to do with it.
Even so, he closed the book for a few seconds, as if reading had suddenly become impossible.
“Why?” Chanyeol asked, picking up the bottle and taking a long gulp of water.
Baekhyun made a discreet gesture with his head, indicating the girls sitting a few rows above.
“That girl over there wants to talk to you,” he explained, opening the book again. “She’s thinking of asking you out.”
Chanyeol followed the movement with his eyes, trying to identify who Baekhyun was talking about. When he noticed the girl watching the court, he looked back at his friend with an amused expression.
"Can't you ditch her for me?"
Baekhyun slowly raised his eyes, staring at him as if he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
"Shame on you, Park Chanyeol!" he exclaimed, indignant, but still keeping his voice low. "I'm not your secretary, nor your bodyguard. If you don't want to talk to her, talk to her yourself."
Chanyeol started laughing, resting one hand on the bleacher bench. His friend's exaggerated reaction seemed funnier than the request he had made.
"Okay, okay," he replied, still smiling. "I'll talk to her later." He took another sip of water before putting the bottle back in its place. "But wait for me at the exit of the court. Don't leave without me."
Baekhyun looked away, pretending to refocus on his book. The irritation he'd felt a few minutes earlier lessened, though he didn't understand why Chanyeol's simple request had made his chest feel a little lighter.
"I always wait, don't I?" he murmured.
Chanyeol smiled at the response and, without saying anything more, returned to the court. Baekhyun watched him walk for a few seconds before lowering his eyes to the book again. This time, however, it took him a little longer to concentrate.
The girls' conversation still lingered in his mind, but another phrase occupied too much space in his thoughts.
"Don't leave without me."
Chanyeol placed the bottle beside his backpack and, before Baekhyun could refocus on his reading, ran his hand through his hair, carelessly ruffling it. The gesture was quick and familiar, repeated so many times over the years that it should be completely normal. Still, Baekhyun felt his heart clench in a way he preferred to ignore.
"Hey!" he complained, pushing his friend's hand away and trying to fix his disheveled hair. "Can't you just shut up?"
Chanyeol just laughed. Then he turned and ran back to the court, leaving Baekhyun alone in the stands, muttering some low curses while running his fingers through his hair. He watched his friend rejoin the rest of the team and pretended to be annoyed only because Chanyeol had messed up his hair.
The truth was much more complicated.
Baekhyun would never admit it to anyone at that school. Not because he was ashamed of who he was, but because he knew that if anyone discovered his feelings, it would only be a matter of time before the information reached Chanyeol's ears. And that was a possibility he definitely didn't want to face.
He had understood that he also liked boys at fourteen. At the time, he was still trying to understand himself when he realized that the feeling he harbored for Chanyeol no longer seemed like just friendship. It hadn't been a sudden discovery or a dramatic moment where everything fell into place at once. It was something gradual, built in small details: the way his heart raced when Chanyeol smiled at him, the longing he felt when they went a few days without seeing each other, and the inexplicable discomfort that arose whenever someone showed interest in his friend.
At some point, Baekhyun had to accept that he was in love with his best friend.
The only person in the world who knew this was his older brother, Baekbeom. He had discovered it by chance, one afternoon that Baekhyun preferred not to remember in great detail. Chanyeol had started dating a classmate, and the news reached him as if it meant nothing. After all, Chanyeol was his best friend. It was natural that he would be interested in other people, and Baekhyun should just be happy for him.
But he couldn't.
That day, Baekbeom found his younger brother sitting on the floor of his room, his eyes red and his face wet with tears. Baekhyun tried to pretend he was just tired, but the excuse didn't last long. After insisting for a few minutes, Baekbeom heard a confession that Baekhyun never imagined he could say aloud.
"I think I'm in love with Chanyeol."
It was the first time he had admitted it to another person. And, after that day, Baekbeom became the sole guardian of that secret. He never pressured him to tell Chanyeol and never treated his feelings as something simple or fleeting. He simply stayed by his side, listening when Baekhyun needed to talk and trying to help him whenever the situation became too difficult.
The problem was that Chanyeol had never shown any sign of feeling the same way.
For years, Baekhyun had searched for any sign that might indicate otherwise. A lingering look, a different gesture, anything that suggested there might be something more than friendship between them. But he never found anything he could consider an answer. Chanyeol was naturally affectionate, fun-loving, and considerate of many people, and Baekhyun knew he couldn't turn every smile or casual touch into a promise that might never exist.
Therefore, he decided not to risk it.
Their friendship was too important to be jeopardized by a confession that might not be reciprocated. Chanyeol had been present in every phase of his life, knew his family, shared his days, and was part of memories Baekhyun couldn't imagine without him. The possibility of losing all that, or of their relationship becoming awkward and distant, seemed far more painful than keeping his own feelings to himself.
So, since realizing he was in love, he learned to be content with their friendship.
He learned to hide his discomfort when someone showed interest in Chanyeol. He learned to smile when his friend talked about other people and to pretend he didn't care when he saw him receiving attention. He learned to keep his feelings in the quietest places within himself and to accept that perhaps he could never have more than that.
And, most of the time, he succeeded.
But, sitting in the stands, his hair still tousled from Chanyeol's touch and the book open before him, Baekhyun realized that being content didn't mean ceasing to desire.
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When practice finally ended, it was almost five o'clock in the afternoon. The activity on the court was gradually decreasing, and the players were leaving in small groups, still chatting about the upcoming match. The sound of bouncing balls had been replaced by voices echoing down the hallway, the scraping of sneakers on the floor, and the clatter of lockers closing in the changing rooms.
Baekhyun stood near the entrance to the court, his backpack slung over one shoulder and his books pressed against his chest. He had waited the entire practice and now waited a few more minutes for Chanyeol to talk to the girl, exactly as his friend had asked. Although he tried to appear distracted, glancing occasionally at his notebooks, his attention remained focused on the inside of the court.
It wasn't long before he saw the two friends approaching Chanyeol. The girls seemed excited and exchanged knowing glances as they walked towards him. One of them was saying something, but Baekhyun was too far away to understand the words. Still, it didn't take much effort to imagine the subject.
Chanyeol listened attentively to the girl. For a few seconds, he maintained a surprised expression, as if he hadn't expected her to actually talk to him. Then, he gave a small, somewhat awkward smile. It wasn't a mocking or uncomfortable smile. It seemed understanding, almost gentle, as if he were carefully choosing his words so as not to hurt her.
Baekhyun tightened his fingers around the strap of his backpack.
He couldn't hear Chanyeol's reply, but he watched the girl lower her shoulders slightly before exchanging a few words with her friend. They both nodded, as if they had understood what he had said. Then, the girl smiled shyly, apologized for something, and walked away with her friend.
When they passed Baekhyun, the two continued talking in hushed voices. He didn't try to listen – and didn't want to. He also didn't ask what had happened. He just waited, pretending that the conversation hadn't aroused any curiosity. Chanyeol approached a few seconds later, his backpack slung over one shoulder and his hair still slightly damp from training. As soon as he reached his friend's side, he flashed a tired smile.
"Did I take too long?"
"I thought you were going to stay there until dark."
"Dramatic."
"You asked me to wait."
The answer came out simply, but Chanyeol seemed satisfied with it. The two walked together down the hallways, moving away from the gym as the school's activity thinned out. Most of the students had already left, and the building was beginning to acquire that strange tranquility of the late afternoon, when the classrooms were empty and the hallways seemed longer than during school hours.
Baekhyun walked beside Chanyeol, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. He still wanted to ask what the girl had said. He wanted to know why Chanyeol had smiled that way and, above all, what she had answered. But he wouldn't ask any of those questions. He didn't want to seem too interested. So, he continued walking in silence.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the music room. The room was empty, as Baekhyun had expected. It was one of the few places in the school where they could study without being interrupted, especially after the main classes, when only extracurricular activities were taking place.
"Did she really ask you out?" Baekhyun broke the silence that had accompanied them since they had left the gymnasium. He stopped in front of the music room door, searched for the key in his backpack pocket, and began to unlock it, trying to make the question sound casual. As if he were just commenting on something. As if he hadn't spent the last few minutes thinking about the conversation he had observed from afar.
Chanyeol, who was standing right behind him, let out a low laugh.
"Yes," he replied, a little awkwardly. "She asked if I wanted to go out with her after the exam."
Baekhyun finished opening the door and went in first. The room was quiet and partially lit by the late afternoon light, which streamed through the windows and spread across the floor. Some instruments remained stored in the corners, while the piano occupied a good part of one of the walls. It was a familiar place for both of them, especially for Baekhyun, who usually spent part of his breaks there.
"And what did you answer?" he asked, putting his backpack on the rug in the center of the room.
"You know I'm not looking for a relationship right now," Chanyeol explained, entering right after. "I have the exam, the match, the training... And I still need to decide a lot of things about the future. I don't want to start something and then not be able to give the person my attention."
Baekhyun nodded slowly, trying to hide the relief that had come before he could even control it. Then, he opened his backpack and began to take out the books, notebooks, and summaries he had prepared. He spread the materials out on the rug, organizing each one into small groups.
"Of course," he commented, feigning indignation. "You only care about studying and playing basketball. You don't even want to go to the movies with me anymore."
Chanyeol chuckled and approached, sitting down next to him on the rug.
"Don't talk like that, Baek…" he complained, using that whiny voice that always appeared whenever he wanted to convince him of something. "You know it's not out of malice."
Baekhyun continued looking at his materials, pretending to be too busy to react. But the simple nickname, said like that, made his heart skip a beat.
It was ridiculous.
Chanyeol had been calling him Baek for years. It wasn't something new, nor special. Still, whenever his friend pronounced the nickname in a lower, affectionate voice, as if it were an intimacy belonging only to the two of them, Baekhyun felt his chest tighten.
He would never admit it; he would probably die before telling anyone.
"Okay, okay," he replied, trying to maintain a serious expression. He picked up one of the notebooks and placed it on Chanyeol's lap. "Let's start quickly before I give up and leave you to study alone."
"You wouldn't do that."
"Want to bet?"
"No. You always end up helping me." Chanyeol tilted his head and smiled, as if he were sure he knew the answer.
"What confidence is that?" Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, pretending to be offended.
"Twelve years of experience," he smiled.
For a few seconds, the two remained silent. Chanyeol was still smiling, while Baekhyun tried to concentrate on the summaries scattered on the carpet. The answer should have been simple. Just a casual joke, based on the time they spent together.
But for Baekhyun, those two words carried much more. Twelve years.
Twelve years of friendship, memories, and silent promises. Twelve years in which Chanyeol was present in almost every important moment of his life. And perhaps that was exactly why Baekhyun could never distance himself, even when his feelings seemed too difficult to hide.
“Let’s review the math first,” he took a deep breath and pointed to the first page of his notebook.
“I’d rather run ten more laps around the court,” Chanyeol said, looking tired.
“Then you should have agreed to go out with the girl. Maybe she liked math.”
Chanyeol laughed, and Baekhyun finally allowed a small smile to appear on his face. For now, that was enough.
During the following hours, they practically devoured the books. They read entire chapters, made summaries, solved countless exercises, and tested each other’s knowledge until they started confusing answers they knew by heart. Baekhyun had prepared several flashcards and scattered them on the carpet, alternating between simple questions and others that seemed to have been created just to make Chanyeol suffer.
“What’s the answer to question seven?” Baekhyun asked, holding up one of the cards.
“The letter C.”
“Wrong.”
“But I’m sure I marked C.”
“And you marked wrong.”
“You’re so cruel,” Chanyeol let his body fall back, supporting himself on his arms.
“I’m trying to make sure you pass the test.”
“You didn’t have to like it so much.”
Baekhyun laughed and picked up another answer sheet, ignoring the complaint. Chanyeol continued answering the questions, even when he showed signs of tiredness or tried to change the subject to avoid a more complicated topic. Whenever he noticed that his friend was about to lose concentration, Baekhyun invented a new way to review the material. He asked quick questions, proposed small challenges, or turned the exercises into an impromptu competition.
At some point, they decided to take a break.
Baekhyun opened his backpack and took out the snacks his mother had prepared for the two of them the day before. Before traveling, she had left everything ready, knowing that they would spend the afternoon studying. Baekhyun's parents had traveled with Chanyeol's parents, something not uncommon for both families. While the adults enjoyed a few days out of town, the children continued their usual routine, meeting after school and spending time together.
They sat side by side, leaning against the wall, and began to eat while chatting about things that had nothing to do with the exam. They talked about the teachers, complained about the accumulated assignments, and shared some stories that had happened during the week. Chanyeol told a funny story from practice, and Baekhyun laughed so hard he almost spilled his juice on his notes.
Then, they talked about college, plans for the future, and the changes that would come when high school ended. The subject seemed too big to be resolved in a single conversation, so, little by little, they ended up shifting to lighter topics. They reminisced about trips they had taken with their families, discussed movies they wanted to watch, and started a completely unnecessary argument about which of the two was more stubborn.
Between conversations, they went back to their books. They reviewed the content, did more exercises, and continued testing each other. Time passed so quickly that neither of them noticed when the late afternoon light began to fade.
The room, which had previously been illuminated by the orange rays of the sun, grew darker and darker. The shadows of the instruments stretched across the floor, and the movement in the school hallways diminished until it disappeared completely. Still, the two remained focused, alternating between explanations, questions, and short pauses.
It was only when Chanyeol looked up by chance that he noticed the change.
"Look outside, Baek."
Chanyeol looked up and pointed to the window, trying to get his friend's attention. The room was completely different from when they had started studying. The natural light had disappeared some time ago, and the reflection from the lit lamps spread across the glass, preventing them from seeing much beyond their own outlines.
"What time is it?"
Baekhyun, who was still focused on the open book on his lap, slowly closed it and stretched. After so many hours sitting on the floor, his shoulders were starting to ache.
"My phone is right there next to you," he replied, pointing to Chanyeol's backpack. "Check it for me."
Chanyeol searched for the device among some notebooks and flashcards scattered on the carpet. As soon as he found it, he double-tapped the screen. The display lit up, illuminating his face and revealing a photo of Baekhyun sitting on the floor of his house, hugging his dog, Mongryong. The two were looking at the camera, and Baekhyun's exaggerated smile contrasted with the animal's tranquil expression.
Chanyeol stared at the image for a few seconds.
"This photo is so cute," he commented.
"Chanyeol."
"What? It's true."
"What time is it?"
He glanced at the top corner of the screen. The smile disappeared almost immediately: 7:48 PM.
"Holy shit," he exclaimed, lowering his voice slightly. "It's almost eight o'clock at night."
"Almost eight?" Baekhyun frowned.
"You heard."
The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for the two to begin to understand the problem. Baekhyun took the phone from his friend's hand and checked the time himself, as if expecting the screen to have shown something wrong. However, the numbers were still there.
He slowly raised his eyes.
"Chanyeol…" he began, with a serious expression "the school closes at six-thirty.”
Chanyeol stood still, still sitting on the rug. For a moment, he seemed to try to calculate how much time had passed since the end of classes.
“Maybe someone is still here” he said, although his own voice showed that he wasn't very convinced.
“The school has been silent for ages.”
They both paid attention to their surroundings. No conversations echoed through the hallways. There were no footsteps, doors opening, or the sound of students leaving the classrooms. Only the low sound of the air conditioning and some distant noises that seemed to come from outside.
Chanyeol stood up quickly.
“Put our things away. I'll see if anyone is still around.”
“Are you going alone? – Baekhyun followed the movement with his eyes.”
“It's just to the hallway. I'll be right back.”
“Don't be long.”
Chanyeol nodded and walked to the door. Before leaving, he looked back for a moment.
“And don't start putting everything away haphazardly. Your flashcards are already a mess.”
“Go find someone, Park Chanyeol.”
He chuckled softly and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Baekhyun began gathering his materials. He put away the books, stacked the notebooks, and separated the flashcards before putting them in his backpack. He tried to stay calm, but as the silence of the school became more evident, a strange feeling began to grow in his chest.
It was impossible that no one had noticed they were still there. Wasn't it?
Just as he had said, Chanyeol quickly returned, finding Baekhyun with one backpack on his back, the other held tightly against his chest, and a worried expression on his face.
“It’s all empty and dark,” he said, dejectedly, “they locked us in here.”