A visibly listless Chanyeol was cleaning the glasses at the bar counter while being engrossed in his own thoughts.

Sighing, he would take a glass and proceeded to wipe a particular spot over and over for a few minutes. He would then go to the next one, repeating this process whilst staring down at the glasses.

“Penny for your thoughts?” a voice asked.

Chanyeol screamed as he nearly dropped the glass he was cleaning – which he fortunately managed to catch in time. He looked up to see that it was Jongin. “Oh, it’s you Kai. You startled me.”

“You look distracted. I’ve been standing here for some time and you didn’t see me,” Jongin remarked.

“I’m fine.”

“Jin-jja? From what I know about you, you look like you’re having boy problems. Is it due to a certain Baekhyun guy?”

“Ah! Ssi-kkeu-reo-wo!” Chanyeol rebuked. “It’s not like you’re not having any problems of your own. You still have unresolved issues with Joon-myun hyung.”

“Hyung!” Jongin protested before he retreated quickly into silence, pretending to look afraid. “Fine, I get it.”

Jongin then disappeared from Chanyeol’s sight.

Chanyeol sighed as he looked at his watch. It was about six. Should he give Kris a call and call the plan off? Would their plan even work? Maybe it isn’t a good idea. What happens if things become awkward and nasty like the time when Baekhyun kicked up a small fuss at Kris’ bakery?

……

It was a few days after Baekhyun’s tantrum when Chanyeol finally returned to help at Kris’ bakery. He had been feeling apologetic and embarrassed at the entire incident but a concerned Kris gave Chanyeol a call and said he was short of manpower and asked Chanyeol to come down to help out. Although Chanyeol initially tried to decline Kris’ request, the urgency and earnestness of Kris finally broke his resolve and he soon found himself in Kris’ kitchen working on rolling out the dough for pastries.

However, Chanyeol wasn’t paying attention to his work or the surroundings. When he finally did, Chanyeol found a warm, strong pair of hands on taking control of his hands, and helping him shape the dough.

“Kris…” Chanyeol spluttered as he turned round to meet with a bright smile from Kris.

“Looks like someone has forgotten what he has been taught,” Kris teased. However, it came out sounding rather serious. “Looks like you have to relearn your basics Park Chanyeol.”

“Mi-an-hae,” Chanyeol quickly apologised as he quickly turned away to avert Kris and started to gather all the shaped dough together. “I was just feeling distracted. I still remember the basics. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine by myself. I’ll do a proper job this time round. You can go get yourself busy at the shop front.”

“Does my presence make you feel uncomfortable Chanyeol-ah?” Kris asked.

“Ani…” Chanyeol quickly brushed off Kris’ concerns.

“You’re lying. Are you still feeling bad over the scene which your friend created? If you are, then I want to tell you that you don’t need to beat yourself up because of that or feel apologetic towards me. I’m not angry with either of you. No harm was done. My business wasn’t affected or anything,” Kris reassured Chanyeol.

“Thank you. I just don’t know how to…”

“Face me?”

Chanyeol nodded. “He made accusations against you – like you using me. And he said that I like you. You must have felt uncomfortable by that – about a guy liking you … since we’re both guys.”

Chanyeol’s voice trailed off.

Kris laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t feel uncomfortable at all. And I would be honoured if that was true – about you liking me,” Kris confessed.

“What did you say? You don’t mind? ...But why?”

Kris then turned Chanyeol around so that they would come face to face with one another. Gazing deeply into Chanyeol, Kris said earnestly, “Because I really do like you, Park Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol began to feel his breathing becoming rushed and his cheeks getting hot. “What? You like me? How? When?”

“I don’t know. Maybe from that time you…intruded into my life. I don’t know. I just do,” Kris said as he drew Chanyeol in for a hug before letting him go quickly. “But I know,” Kris continued sadly, “that you only have eyes for that friend of yours and you won’t be able to see me.”

Stunned by Kris’ sudden confession, Chanyeol could only mumble his apologies for not knowing Kris’ feelings repeatedly and causing Kris to be hurt.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know how you feel. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.”

Kris patted Chanyeol on his back. “I’m all good. You don’t need to apologise to me or anything. It’s not like you sent me mixed signals or led me on with my feelings or anything and then dumped me. It was just one sided on my part.”

Chanyeol cried out, “And I’m all the more apologetic. Because I know it to like someone one-sided…and because I can never reciprocate your feelings in the same way.”

“Hey Chanyeol, I’m really fine,” Kris assured Chanyeol as he tried to put on a smile. “I’m glad that I’ve told you what I feel. And that’s enough for me.”

“But I feel bad!” Chanyeol exclaimed. “You’re a great guy Kris. I wish I could just give up on him and accept you instead.”

“But you won’t and you can’t. And I won’t accept you even you do so unless you’re absolutely sure that you have totally let go of him. I don’t want to be a rebound.”

“I’m so sorry, Kris.”

“Stop apologising. I know I stand no chance because I could tell that both of you are meant to be together,” Kris said.  

Chanyeol let out a cynical laugh. “It’s never going to work out. He’s straight. How would he be able to fall in love with me? And he seems to be oblivious that I like him despite the many hints.”

“He probably hasn’t realised that yet. You’ve known each other for many years and are so close to one another…both of you have become too used to one another that the feelings can become muddy. You’re unsure if it is friendship or something deeper like love. But I’ve seen how jealous and possessive he was over you that day. No one would behave that way to someone who is just a friend to them,” Kris reasoned.

“We’ve always been together,” Chanyeol sighed. “It’s just that I’ve been neglecting him a little lately as a punishment for him going out with the girl.”

“That’s the problem. Both of you are always together that he has probably taken you for granted and doesn’t realise your importance,” Kris continued. “And having two guys as parents and living with a bunch of gay guys doesn’t really help much either. It’s normal and natural to him. He doesn’t have to struggle with his feelings. It probably blinds him to the fact that he is in love with you.”

“But I don’t think he’s even in love with me.”

“How do you know?” Kris challenged. “Could you think of any instances when he cared for you?”

“I don’t know. We’re like normal friends,” Chanyeol mused. “He only likes to watch movies with me. He only likes to sleep next to me. He’ll get worried when I get sick. He always makes an effort to surprise me on my birthday. He bought me a guitar for my last birthday. He would get medication for me when I’m ill. But that doesn’t mean he loves me.”

“Then I guess we just have to find out,” Kris said with an evil glint in his eyes.  

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Here's an update. I hope it's okay even though it might be a little short. 

I know there are some KrisYeol shippers out there. I hope I didn't break your hearts with this chapter. And of course those non-KrisYeol shippers can rejoice, but you have to admit, Kris has been such a great guy, right?

So what do you think Kris' plan is? Would it help BaekYeol or only end up splitting BaekYeol further.

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My other fan fics

KyuMin: Almost a love story

KyuMin: 60 Days 

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