He stumbles his way out of the board room with his head low and his eyes swollen. They're well into the school day when they decide to part, though the rest of the boys are reluctant after learning the truth about Chanyeol. He tells them everything, from when he first found out about his cancer up until the night before when he decided to tell them all what was going on. He doesn't say much about Yifan simply because he doesn't want to bring the elder into it, but he does mention that Yifan, or as they call him, Kris, has been with him through most of it up until that point.

Sehun's the only one who doesn't cry, though his head is bowed and Chanyeol can't actually see his face and confirm his observation. Joonmyeon, on the other hand, bawls for a good half an hour straight without hearing a word anyone tries to tell him in reassurance. Minseok himself has a few tears trailing down his cheek but is quick to pull the mess that is Joonmyeon into his arms. Joonmyeon doesn't even fight it, just clutches onto Minseok like he's afraid Minseok's going to disappear as well.

Baekhyun and Jongdae are silent the entire time the others are crying, because they already know about this, but they're also crying and rubbing on the back of each other's hand to give one another comfort. Chanyeol wishes they would stop crying because it makes him hate himself more, but they keep crying and that makes him cry in return.

Finally, Jongin and Yixing. Jongin doesn't cry much in public, from what Chanyeol could remember, but there were steady streams rolling down his face and the boy was shaking his head as if the whole situation were just a bad nightmare. He was gripping onto Yixing's hand, but Yixing stares at Chanyeol. He's crying, or there are tears forming in his eyes, but his gaze doesn't waver as he stares at Chanyeol. Chanyeol wants to ask why, but he can tell from his look that it's about Yifan.

Chanyeol's relieved to be out of that room simply because it means he won't have Yixing give him that look anymore. Chanyeol gets it, a lot better than Yixing thinks that he does. They're both afraid that Yifan's going to be devastated with Chanyeol's death. The both of them know that Yifan isn't a cold hearted strong person like he has others believe, and neither of them want a world in which Yifan returns to being alone. Chanyeol hates that he's thinking about it again after all that's happened between him and Yifan, but he wonders if maybe it's a sign that they shouldn't be together.

He doesn't bother going to class. It's only a few minutes until the lunch break, anyway, so Chanyeol shoves his hands into his pockets and makes his way up to the roof. It's raining today, so maybe he shouldn't be out here, but he likes the smell of rain and the fact that he can't tell the difference between raindrops and teardrops.

"You're going to catch a cold." Yifan's voice says in his direction, and Chanyeol throws a glance over his shoulder where Yifan is standing by the exit with an umbrella in his hands.

There's the slightest quirk in Chanyeol's lips because how did Yifan know he'd be there, but he's silent as Yifan joins him. He's a little disappointed that he can't feel the rain anymore, because he's not exactly done crying yet, but Yifan being near him is a great kind of feeling.

Yifan's just two steps away from him, but it feels like they're miles apart and Chanyeol's not sure if he's the one that's driving a wedge between them or if it's Yifan but there's a thud in his heart that tells him he can't pretend he can go on without Yifan in his life.

"Listen." They both say at once, and in surprise, Chanyeol and Yifan both freeze and turn to look at one another.

"You first." Chanyeol says with the slightest of grins, and though Yifan raises an eyebrow at him, he turns his head back to the city to watch the rain fall.

"I saw you and your friends today. I don't know what you were talking about, but I'm supposing it had something to do with me." Yifan starts out, and Chanyeol starts to fidget with his fingers because he's sure that Yifan's going to end things between them before they get even more serious.

"I just wanted to let you know, I'm not going to take it back. My feelings for you aren't going to change simply because you have cancer, Chanyeol, I'm going to stay by your side until the last damn second I have with you. If you want to get rid of me, you can try, but after years of being alone, I'm not going to let go of the only person that makes me feel welcomed again."

Chanyeol is left to stare at Yifan's side profile and he's crying all over again and wrapping his arms around Yifan's waist because what is he saying? Part of him is convinced that Yifan doesn't actually know what he's saying because if he did, he wouldn't say the kind of thing that breaks Chanyeol's heart.

"I don't want to lose you, Yifan." Chanyeol mumbles into the tall boy's shirt, and he can hear the thud of the umbrella against the cement as Yifan returns the hold.

"You won't." Yifan says like he's making a promise, and Chanyeol starts to smile again just slightly. There was no way he could guarantee that, of course, but just knowing Yifan didn't want to lose Chanyeol either was enough of a reason for Chanyeol to smile again.

It's silent between them other than the sounds of their heartbeats and the rain falling around them, but the silence doesn't last. Seeing as he's already weak because of his condition, it's easier for Chanyeol to get sick than most people, and he pulls away from Yifan in order to sneeze.

"What did I tell you?" Yifan says in bemusement, ignoring the fact that he's also drenched and could also catch a cold if he remains outside in this kind of weather.

Chanyeol just gives him a sheepish grin and takes a step int he direction of the staircase, "I guess I'll head home and dry off."

He expects for Yifan to follow him because Chanyeol doesn't actually have a way home other than by foot, and he's proven right when Yifan's expensive car blinks just before he can pass it. He raises an eyebrow at Yifan because he could at least say something about it, but Yifan is silent as he opens the door to his car and Chanyeol actually laughs.

"Sometimes I just can't figure you out, Yifan."

"Just get in the car." Yifan says in his monotone, and Chanyeol rolls his eyes as he enters. He doesn't want to have Yifan's car seats soaked through, but Yifan himself doesn't seem to care that they're both ruining his car seats.

For the most part, the ride is silent. Chanyeol is watching the school fade through the window and refuses to turn in Yifan's direction because he knows he won't be able to look away once he starts looking. Once they're a block away from the school, however, the car turns in a direction that's opposite from where Chanyeol lives. He raises an eyebrow at this and turns to Yifan, but the taller boy's lips are pressed together.

"Where are you taking me, Fan?" Chanyeol asks with his eyebrow raised.

"Somewhere we can dry off." Yifan answers, like it's that simple, and Chanyeol just rolls his eyes again because as endearing as Yifan is, sometimes he's a little frustrating.

"I get that, but where are we going to dry off?" Chanyeol tries again, but Yifan ignores him because there's no point in continuing this conversation when Chanyeol can just wait and see.

In the end, where they stop is at the front of the bakery Yifan manage, and Chanyeol just raises an eyebrow as Yifan turns the car off and steps out. Chanyeol gets why Yifan would go there, because the elder actually worked there and probably had clothes to spare, but why bring Chanyeol?

"I'll just go home-" Chanyeol begins to say, only cutting himself off because his tongue is getting heavy again and he knows there's no way he can get home on his own like this.

"My apartment is above the bakery, I have some spare clothes for you." Yifan says under his breath, and Chanyeol's eyes widen as he follows after Yifan's quickened strides. Yifan lived in an apartment? Not in a mansion with his parents since he's supposedly the heir to a corporation?

"Kris!" Luhan calls, the moment they enter the bakery, and he's absolutely surprised that the two of them are in the shop together right now when they should be at school,

"You're drenched!"

Oh, or maybe he was more surprised because they're bringing water into the bakery and Kyungsoo comes out from the back with a mop in hand and a resigned expression on his face.

"I can expect this from Lu, but really, Kris?" Kyungsoo asks, and there's a chortle of laughter that escapes Chanyeol's lips because it's fun seeing Yifan be scolded.

"We'll be upstairs. Call me if you need me." Yifan says, his expression calm like this is something he was already expecting, and he strides past both Luhan and Kyungsoo into the back room.

"At least he spoke to us today." Luhan says goodnaturedly, and both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol give him a look because that doesn't exactly qualify as speaking to someone.

Chanyeol just shakes his head and steps around them to follow Yifan, but is stopped when Kyungsoo places a hand on his elbow.

"Whatever it is you're doing to him, keep it up." There's an encouraging smile that comes along with his words that has Chanyeol smiling back at him because he knows he's not doing anything but if others are finding it easier to be around Yifan now, maybe they're finally giving Yifan a chance.

"Chan." Yifan calls, and he peeks his head out of the back room like he's lost Chanyeol out on the street somewhere. Seeing Kyungsoo's hold on his arm, his eyebrow is raised just slightly, but neither he or Chanyeol talk about it as they make the rest of the tread into Yifan's apartment.

Chanyeol was expecting heavy decorations and a room full of expensive furniture to match the expensive car, but there are barely any decorations hanging and the only furniture there looks old and worn out. He glances over at Yifan, but like he saw it coming, Yifan just shrugs and heads off into the bathroom. Chanyeol is too busy taking in the apartment to follow Yifan, and his eyes fall onto the largest picture frame hanging in the center of the room. In it, there are two people, and he figures it's him and his mother. He turns to stare in the direction Yifan had gone because even after all these years, he thought of her.

What about when he's gone too?