Chanyeol wishes he could have gotten up in a better mood, but when you wake up to an empty house day after day, it's kind of hard to wake up thinking the world is beautiful.

He gets it, he gets that it's because of him that his parents are struggling in the fist place. He just wishes he could do something to help them, considering it's his bills they're working for and he doesn't even have much of a chance of survival. Why should they keep fighting a battle they won't be winning?

If that's not all, his headaches are slowly becoming worse. His medicine does kick in after a while, but the brief period of pain that occurs before they start working cause for him to sigh in thought as he opens his locker. He had forced himself out of bed in order to get to school that morning all because of his headache and he immediately feels guilty because he would have left Kris alone to do the presentation if it weren't for Jongin calling him to make sure he was still attending the party.

Speaking of Kris, Chanyeol's leaning against his locker with one hand rubbing at his temple when Kris silently steps over to him. Chanyeol wouldn't have noticed him at all if it weren't for the fact that he looked down and saw a pair of shoes. When he glances up, there he is, just watching Chanyeol with a blank expression on his face. Chanyeol wonders what he's thinking, but he can't formulate a question with the pounding in his skull.

"Will you be able to present?" Kris asks, and a corner of Chanyeol's lips curve upward because Kris worries about him and even if he just asks about the presentation, Chanyeol knows that he's not needed to make a successful presentation.

"It's just a headache." He says in confidence; and he shuts the door of his locker, noting that down the hall Jongdae and Baekhyun are turning the corner. He's not sure if they'll mind that Kris is around since they're not exactly friends of the tall male, but he doesn't have time to think.

Jongdae does what he always does, zipping down the hall and latching himself onto Chanyeol's back. Kris glances up at Jongdae for a moment but he's otherwise uninterested, his focus quickly returning to Chanyeol. Chanyeol buckles for a moment, since he's not feeling too great, but he recovers quickly and tightens his arms around Jongdae's legs like he always does. He's not able to spin this time, however, because his gaze locks onto Kris's right before he does and there's that hardened look in his eyes warning Chanyeol to please not do something that can make him more sick.

"Chan!" Jongdae whines as he hits Chanyeol's back, and he drops himself onto the ground,

"You're not fun anymore."

"At least he's growing up unlike someone." Baekhyun says, his unimpressed gaze avoiding Jongdae's hurt ones to look up at Chanyeol closely and then to Kris.

"Are you waiting for him?"

So Baekhyun sounds a little rude, Chanyeol thinks, but after how Kris and Baekhyun interract typically it's not much of a surprise. It's not an excuse, of course, but Kris doesn't even seem to notice the hostility in Baekhyun's voice. If he does, he just doesn't care and Kris understands why he'd do that.

"I'll walk him to class." Kris replies with no explanation and all three boys stare at him in absolute confusion because they usually walk together and why would Kris of all people be wanting to take Chanyeol to class?

"We have a presentation."

And Chanyeol's disappointed because did Kris really only want to take him to class because of the presentation? Was he wrong about Kris wanting to get to know him better, then? Chanyeol nods slowly, blinking twice to clear his mind and try to force his headache to the back of his mind.

"Chanyeol!" Someone calls, and Chanyeol turns his head slightly to see Joonmyeon heading their way with Sehun behind him. Kris glances from Chanyeol to the pair that's coming closer and it looks as if he'd rather not be there, but the taller male makes no move to step away.

"Hyung?" Chanyeol asks hesitantly, because Joonmyeon's gaze is focused and there's no reason for him to be looking for Chanyeol typically.

"Did you forget that you're on the homecoming committee for the year? I bet you were going to skip out again, weren't you?" Joonmyeon asks accusingly, and Chanyeol chokes on his air because he had never signed up for something as time consuming as homecoming committee.

"Well, that's my cue!" Jongdae chirps and Chanyeol glares at his back as he drags Baekhyun away. Of course Jongdae would volunteer him for something as ridiculous as homecoming committee.

Joonmyeon seems to understand the situation immediately and sighs as he drags a hand down his face. Sehun just silently looks between them and then over at Kris and both he and Kris look at one another without turning away.

"Homecoming is in two months, right?" Chanyeol questions quietly, and Joonmyeon only nods. Chanyeol doesn't know how much time he has left because of his cancer, but he's sure that working the committee can help him keep busy until that day comes.

"Sorry, Chan. I just- no one else signed up and if you don't do it, we won't have anyone working on the committee this year and then the homecoming will be canceled and-" Joonmyeon cuts himself off and Chanyeol's amused as he nods.

"Sure. I'll do it." He shrugs, because there's really no reason to say no considering he doesn't have a job or a life outside of school. Plus, Joonmyeon has the weight of the world on his shoulders sometimes and Chanyeol always wishes to do just something to take some of that weight off of the elder.

Joonmyeon beams, then, and turns to run away before Chanyeol changes his mind. Chanyeol just raises a hand to rub at his temple again because wow, were his friends always this taxing on his mind? When he turns to Kris, the taller is still staring at a stoic Sehun.

"What are you doing here, Hun?" Chanyeol asks, because Sehun doesn't usually stick around this long when the others disappear as well.

After staring at Kris for another moment, Sehun breaks eye contact and his new target is Chanyeol. Chanyeol kind of regrets asking, then, because sometimes it's best that Sehun isn't disturbed from whatever thoughts are swirling in his head. Sehun digs into his backpack and pulls out a steamed bun. Chanyeol's a little confused but takes the bun anyway because it's like Sehun knew he didn't eat in the morning.

"I bought too many and couldn't finish them."

Chanyeol's grinning because of how adorable Sehun could be at times. It's a little obvious that he had gone back to see Luhan, because Sehun's drawn to people with bright personalities. But Sehun walks away and Chanyeol doesn't bother stopping him because well at least he got free food from Sehun. Kris looks at him with an unreadable expression and Chanyeol's speechless for a few moments, but when he remembers there's a bun in his hand, he rips it in half and offers one piece to Kris.

"You're kidding, right? I can eat these whenever I want." Kris deadpans, and Chanyeol shrugs again.

"Yeah, but isn't it a great feeling to share with a friend?" Chanyeol asks with an eyebrow raised.

Kris freezes, then, his shoulders tensing and his own eyebrow raised in question, like what he heard was absolutely ridiculous, "We're friends?"

"I- I thought so." Chanyeol mutters, and he feels stupid for even bringing it up because what would Kris see in an idiot like him anyway, and especially considering the fact that Chanyeol doesn't have much time in the first place.

There's no verbal answer from Kris, and Chanyeol fears that Kris is going to walk away because Chanyeol and his expectations make him want to laugh in a corner. However, Kris reaches for half of the steamed bun and turns in the direction of their class. He's not completely relaxed, of course but at least it doesn't look like he's completely disgusted by Chanyeol as they walk to class together. Chanyeol even hides his smile using the bun because Kris has crumbs on his face and even when Chanyeol motions to his face, Kris just stares at him in perplexity. He gets them right before they enter their classroom, and then it's kind of like they never attempted to become friends.

They're just classmates, now, partners in a project that they needed to do. A presentation that goes well, though he knew it would considering who his partner was. The teacher has nothing but compliments and Chanyeol's pleasantly surprised because the teacher's always unimpressed by presentations and what makes theirs so special? But of course he gets it, since none of his previous partners worked as hard as Kris did on this project with him.

"Good job." Chanyeol says as he sits down, glancing over to an expressionless Kris.

Kris chuckles, reaches over, and ruffles his hair as his response. It's a little strange to Chanyeol, but that's because he didn't expect Kris to be the kind to show physical affection. It has him grinning, though, and Chanyeol finds himself being curious again about what Kris actually thinks of him.

The day ends quickly after the presentation and Chanyeol's bombarded by his friends because they all want to make sure he's going to the party and his head is starting to ache again but Kris is still beside him.

"Why did you agree to go with me to the party?" He asks Kris as they near his friends, and Kris side glances him as his friends come to view. They're excitedly grouping up by Baekhyun's locker because the short guy is the life of their group.

"As much as I hate parties, I don't think you should go to one without someone who knows your condition going with you." Kris explains and Chanyeol wishes he'd just say he's going because of Chanyeol but of course that's asking for too much. Instead, Kris makes it sound like he's only around to keep Chanyeol out of trouble and Chanyeol doesn't like the thought of being treated a child but at the same time... why does it make him feel so strange to be taken care of so well by Kris?

"I'm glad you're coming." Chanyeol mutters, and he's being honest about this because if it weren't for Kris, he'd probably have long decided that having friends and keeping them close wouldn't be worth it. He is going to leave them soon, after all.

And though he's going to lose Kris one day as well, he decides he'd rather spend his remaining days getting to learn who Kris really was beneath his cool exterior.