PART THREE
"I   N E E D  Y O U"
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"Do you love him?"

Chanyeol didn't think that such a phrase could cause the huge ruckus currently in his brain—but he figured it wasn't the question, rather, it was the answer.

"No."

The moment he heard Baekhyun say that word, he was reminded of everything the people around him had said.

Be careful of Baekhyun, they warned. He's just going to break your heart, they said.

He can trick you once, so why not twice?

He should've listened to them before he went and got himself stuck.

"Stuck" meaning in love with Baekhyun.

He should've ended it before he realized he was in love with Baekhyun.

~

"What do you mean...?" Wendy questioned slowly, taking careful steps to the couch next to the one Chanyeol currently sat on. "You... You heard Baekhyun say that he didn't love you?"

Chanyeol didn't say anything for a while, bent over with his head in his hands. He thought back to the text he had sent Baekhyun ten minutes ago, the one that was complete bull but was needed: "Sorry, emergency came up."

The only reason he would've ever left without a word was because of the fact that he started crying a few seconds after hearing Baekhyun's answer. It was a stupid reason, but he remembered standing just at the bend of the corner, having hidden himself when he saw Jongdae and heard what they were talking about. At first, he was only wanting to give Baekhyun privacy, planning to leave after he had quickly hidden—but that entire plan went down the drain when he heard his own name.

Curiosity overtook him and he ended up standing there, up until the point where Baekhyun said "No". He even stayed a few seconds after that just to see if Baekhyun would burst out laughing and say his true feelings (if they were even true), only to hear silence. When another employee passed him and opened his mouth to ask him if he was okay—it wasn't normally perceived as okay when someone had tears streaming down the side of their face—Chanyeol only shook his head and quickly left the scene.

Now, he was at Wendy's place, confessing to her all of the doubts that he had regarding Baekhyun and what he had heard.

"Where is that Baekhyun kid—I'm going to ing beat him up," Wendy said, standing from her place when Chanyeol finished explaining it all.

The male quickly grabbed Wendy's arm, stopping her from legitimately going a floor down and camping out until she met Baekhyun.

"Don't... He's probably tired."

"Are you kidding me right now?! Are you seriously defending him after he broke your heart a second time?" Wendy questioned, incredulous, "When I met you, you were still head over heels for that boy—what the hell, Chanyeol! He doesn't deserve your feelings."

Chanyeol let out a deep sigh, knowing now that what Wendy said was true.

He spent countless years pining after Baekhyun, loving Baekhyun, and then regretting Baekhyun. It was pitiful, but it was difficult to get over his first love. He remembered the way Baekhyun had looked when he first met him—he seemed so untouchable, like a jewel showcased in Le Louvre.

Then, by some miracle, he got a taste of what it felt like to be with Baekhyun. It was what Chanyeol had expected with any other person, but since it was Baekhyun, everything was different.

When Baekhyun had left the first time, he also left behind the feeling of bitterness—but worst of all, he made sure that Chanyeol's mind would be riddled with memories, recollections, and thoughts about only him.

And then Chanyeol got him back.

Oh, how Chanyeol wished that he hadn't taken Baekhyun back.

Was it even worth it? Taking Baekhyun back only to lose him again?

It was sickening how Chanyeol knew, more than anyone else, what it felt like to be the object of Baekhyun's affections—to be the one who received his lazy morning kisses and his laughter whenever he got tickled; the one to feel Baekhyun's fingers intertwined with his own and the one to see the way Baekhyun's head would tilt back, his jaw dropping with a flutter of his eyelashes whenever Chanyeol touched him just right.

Was it really worth getting a taste of how it felt to be loved by Baekhyun, only to figure out that he was being played all along?

Chanyeol had found the answer himself, after experiencing first-hand what it felt like to be tricked twice:

It wasn't.

~

That's how Chanyeol found himself there, two weeks after he started avoiding Baekhyun. His phone rested in his hand as he scrolled through the notifications he had gotten for the past week or so. There were around ten texts from Baekhyun, asking him if he was okay and if he wanted to come over to cuddle, but he dismissed them all, not bothering to click on them in case the dreaded "Read" sign would pop up on Baekhyun's phone.

There was a time, a few days ago, that Chanyeol had decided to go out at around 8 or 9 PM. He had put on some casual clothes and brushed his hair back, deeming that he looked good enough for some partying at a nearby club. He was in the midst of putting on his shoes when he heard footsteps come and stop at his front door. He didn't move for a few seconds, anticipating a knock or the lock turning if it was Wendy.

Instead, all that Chanyeol got was silence, and then a few more shuffling steps. At that point, he had finished putting on his shoes, stepping quietly up to his door and turning on the little camera monitor on the wall that he never used.

It took a while for the little camera to work but when it did, he had seen a mop of familiar brown hair, which soon backed up to reveal the face of the person that had been on his mind this entire time.

He stopped breathing at that moment in time, watching as Baekhyun stared at what seemed to be the number on his door, his lips forming a tight, unsure line. His hand even reached up, ready to knock on Chanyeol's door, but that's when Chanyeol watched as the projected image of Baekhyun quickly retreated, his footsteps light until he was out of view.

After that, every day, Chanyeol would make sure that he left the place before 8 PM.

It made him angry because he was still so in love with Baekhyun, but the evil thoughts in his mind twisted reality so much that he believed Baekhyun was trying to get in contact with him to continue his sick plan, even if there was a chance that Baekhyun truly did return his feelings.

He thought that Baekhyun didn't want him to run away because he needed someone attractive and rich (he was being egotistical) to stay by his side to impress his friends and family. He thought that Baekhyun was just using him as a face for his boyfriend.

So Chanyeol decided that he wouldn't run away.

This time, he decided, Baekhyun would be the one running away.

~

"Let's break up, Baekhyun."

The way Baekhyun's entire façade had crumbled at the words had Chanyeol feeling a pang of guilt in his heart; the shorter's eyes clearly filling with tears.

The brunet had turned to look out the window, trying to hide his appearance when Chanyeol already knew he was crying.

"Can I... Can I ask why?"

Baekhyun's voice was soft and careful, so unlike his usual self that Chanyeol had the urge to wrap him up in blankets and tell him about all of the things he loved about him—but he didn't, because he came here to end things with Baekhyun.

It was unfair that Baekhyun had broken his heart twice, but since the shorter hadn't known about the second time, Chanyeol thought that he should see what it felt like to have his entire plan folded onto himself.

He was almost about to chicken out and run away without another word, but when he remembered everything Baekhyun had done before—

"You're not enough."

"I was inexperienced, and I needed a loser to use so that I could find someone better than... than you."

"I don't like you Chanyeol... I never have."

—he stayed rooted in place, the word leaving his mouth before he could think about things longer. His explanation would be clear enough with a single word.

"Payback."

Baekhyun's frame seized up and it was like Chanyeol watched a fire explode into flames right in front of him, his ex turning to glare at him.

Baekhyun's stare was nothing short of betrayed, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion but his eyes showing that he understood everything that had happened.

"What?" Baekhyun had asked, only to make sure that Chanyeol wasn't going to suddenly take back his words.

He didn't.

And it was strange; how that word was supposed to make him feel better—feel superior, yet he didn't feel anything but heartache.

Baekhyun laughed, his eyes flitting to the ceiling so as to keep the tears from falling but it happened anyway, his words shaky but filled with so much anger that Chanyeol knew was earned.

The brunet had paused in the middle of his speech, as if he was finally taking the information in that Chanyeol was playing with him the entire time (at least, that was how Baekhyun perceived it and Chanyeol wasn't planning to tell him differently) and he finally lost it.

"I can't believe you! You bastard, you jerk, you said—" The way Baekhyun had choked on a sob alarmed Chanyeol, and he was suddenly wondering why Baekhyun was acting like this is he didn't really have any feelings for him. "You're a ing liar."

"And you aren't?" Chanyeol replied, remembering all of the times Baekhyun had tricked him—ten years ago and a few days back.

"That was ten years ago! Ten ing years, Park! You lied to me! You said you'd forget—you said you forgave me and you... you said that you were okay being with me again."

Yes, Chanyeol thought, I did say that.

And he felt terrible, for breaking a promise like that, but he was never really over it.

After being in love with Baekhyun for so long and realizing that everything was in vain, he never really got over it. Could anyone have gotten over something like that?

"...Did you really have to go this far? Isn't it enough to know that I wanted you back even after all these years? I want you so damn much." Baekhyun wiped at his tears, and Chanyeol had the extreme urge to get out of the room. He couldn't hold back his feelings any longer. "Isn't that enough?"

It was enough.

It was enough, but Chanyeol couldn't bring himself to admit it.

So he turned, making his way to the door as Baekhyun's small sniffles filled the empty air.

"You were right about one thing."

Chanyeol put his hand on the doorknob, turning it and opening it wide enough to slip out.

Everyone's an once in their life.

It was a quote that Chanyeol had told Baekhyun when they were snuggled up on his bed, reassuring him that everything ended up fine. Chanyeol had hoped that he was an back when he was small and clueless, but it seemed that fate had a different plan for him all along.

What even was fate? Wouldn't fate just be the result of all actions—the consequence and the brunt of it all? Was it possible that fate was something that could've been controlled, but people deluded themselves into believing that their actions weren't the ones to blame but rather some superstitious lie?

But Chanyeol knew he couldn't blame fate for this one. It was all his doing.

And when he remembered how Baekhyun had looked so broken, his eyes glassy and his fists shaking... he hoped he wouldn't regret it.

third part!! i hope you guys are enjoying it so far, and it'll make me really happy if y'all recommend this story to others even if it may not be worth it :v

thanks for readingggg