Luckily for Baekhyun he wasn’t the only one who had arrived late as his geography teacher arrived only seconds after he had taken his own seats. He was a tall, thin man with a curve to his shoulders that made him looke somewhat like a rat. This resemblance was enhanced by his large front teeth and long, thin, hooked nose. His usually pale, alabaster skin was today flushed a deep red, from exertion. He was known for his sharp temper and love of making students miserable so it was not a surprise when his small, watery eyes scanned the room looking for a late or sloppy student. Baekhyun had been able to get out all of his books whilst he had been wheezing and catching his breath so the teacher’s eyes went past him. They landed on the boy two seats to the right of Baekhyun who had his shirt ever so slightly untucked. If there was anything the rat hated more than tardiness, it was sloppy uniform. Baekhyun felt sorry for the boy and prepared for the yelling that was to come.

At break he met Kyungsoo and Suho at his locker as usual but found himself constantly looking around for someone. Kyungsoo and Suho noticed his distraction.

“Why don’t you just go and look for him?” Asked Suho as Baekhyun was staring down the corridor over his shoulder. The question snapped him to attention.

“What? Look for who?” He feighned innocence and Kyungsoo raised one eyebrow in a mocking arch.

“That giant rapper you’ve been looking around for for the past ten minutes.” Kyungsoo said, “Grow some balls dude, you obviously want to talk to him.” The truth was that Baekhyun didn’t want to talk to Chanyeol, because he was scared of what he might say. Yet at the same time he needed to know what Chanyeol really thought of what he had heard the day before. He glared at Kyungsoo and gave him a friendly punch to the stomach. Kyungsoo tried to get him back but Baekhyun was lithe and slipped out of hie grasp, taking a few steps down the corridor.

“I’ll see you guys at lunch then.” He said with a smile. Suho was smiling back whilst Kyungsoo was giving him evils, promising with his eyes that he would get him back later. Baekhyun just laughed at his friend before turning and walking down the corridor.

Baekhyun decided to start his search at Chanyeol’s locker. When he arrived Chanyeol wasn’t there, however another familiar face was. “Hey Kai.” Called Baekhyun. “Have you seen Chanyeol?” He asked in a much quieter voice as he reached his friend. Kai’s eyes widened slightly in understanding but he shook his head.

“Sorry I haven’t seen him since before school.” He tapped a tanned finger against his lip as he thought, “Though I might have heard him mention something about practicing this morning. Maybe you should try the practice room?” He suggested. Baekhyun nodded his head lightly in thought, that was possible. He thanked Kai and was turning to leave when another thought struck him. He turned back.

“Hey Kai, can you do me a favour?” Kai looked surprised for a moment before a cocky smile settled on his face.

“Of course I can.”

“Great.” Baekhyun sighed in relief hoping his desperation looked real. “See I think I left my favourite jumper in the back stage room after the performances and you know they’re rehearsing for some recital thing in the main hall today at break and lunch. Well because I have to leave straight after school, would you mind picking it up for me?”

Kai smiled, “No problem hyung.”

“Thank you.” Baekhyun gushed, “Make sure you get there straight after school before they shut up the room.” Baekhyun gave Kai’s arm a quick squeeze before waving and heading off for the practice rooms. Now all he needed to do was tell the same lie to Kyungsoo and hopefully they might realise that they both liked each other. He knew that he shouldn’t meddle like that but he just wanted to see the two of them happy.

Baekhyun had been looking down at the ground as he had walked towards the practice room, his mind on Kyungsoo and Kai. He noticed movement and looked up, all he saw was a shock of fluffy auburn hair disappearing around the corner of the corridor ahead. He dismissed this as he strode into the practice room. It was empty, no Chanyeol, no awkward conversation. Baekhyun sighed and was about to leave when he noticed that Chanyeol’s guitar, usually propped up against his chair was lying half on and half off of the chair. The pick was resting on the honey wood rather than wedged between the strings at the top as it usually was. It seemed as though someone had been using it and had just chucked it down really quicky, like they were in a hurry. He then remembered the auburn hair, retreating away from the practice room. Had Chanyeol been there and left. Had he left because Baekhyun had been coming down the hallway. Baekhyun  pushed his eyebrows together and wondered if Chanyeol was avoiding him. He decided to leave that idea until he had more proof of it.

He glanced at his watch and saw that he onlt had 5 more minutes until his next lesson. He diecided to try Chanyeol’s locker one more time, surely he ha to go and get his books, right?

He rounded the corridor that Chanyeol’s locker was on. The locker was at the other end of the corridor which was filled with bustling students. Shoving the last of their food into their mouths, grabbing books from lockers and rushing around as teenagers do. Baekhyun ignored all of these people as his gaze landed  on one boy who had one hand on his locker door, the other grasping three books as he pulled them from the metal confines. The boy looked up and his melting, liquid caramel eyes met Baekhyuns for a moment, what seemd like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds. He then dropped his eyes to the floor letting his books fall back into his locker as he rammed it shut and locked it with lightning speed before he disappeared around the corner again. Baekhyun was now alost certain that Chanyeol was avoiding him. The dull weight of rejection pulled at Baekhyun as he made his way to his class. Was the idea that he was gay that repulsive that Chanyeol would even leave his books? He sighed heavily as tears threatened to spill over, he pushed them away. He could take it, he told himself as he strode into statistics.

Lunch was more of the same. He told Kyungsoo the same lie he had told Kai which was me with a little more resistance than the first time. Kyungsoo had grumbled about it but eventually agreed to do it. Baekhyun had known that he would, because no matter how much he complained, Kyungsoo was a good person. After having wolfed his lunch down in the first ten minuted Baekhyun left again in search of Chanyeol. He was determined to talk to him. He wouldn’t have thought that it would be possible to be avoided three times and blatantly ignored twice by the same person in the time left of lunch. He was wrong. By the end of lunch he was seething. He was in love with a homophobe, what the was that all about? He was angry at Chanyeol, not for his opinion, which was evident by his evasive actions, but by the fact that he couldn’t just come out and say it.

After school he walked the short distance to Kyungsoo’s house and let himself in. The anger that he had still been holding onto ebbed away as he walked through the hallway to the kitchen. The smell of burnt toast wafted towards him. How did she manage to even burn toast? He stepped into the kitchen to see her leaning over the toaster. She was wearing a different apron today, she had many aprons and Baekhyun thought that it made her feel more competent at cooking. Today she was wearing one of those retro 50’s housewife styled aprons. It was blue with a woman on the front holding a toster and a fake smile. The caption said ‘If it fits in a toaster I can cook it.’ Oh how wrong that statement was when it came to Mrs Do. A gleam of metal shone from  Mrs Do’s hand and Baekhyn leapt forward, pulling back her hands with his own. She looked up flustered before a smile settled on her kind face. Baekhyun took the knife from her and put it down beside the toaster. “I’ve told you before not to put metal into the toaster. You could get electrocuted.” He reprimanded. A guilty smile lit up her face as lines fanned out around her eyes which had a mischievous sparkle.

Baekhyun was not tall by any means, he didn’t like to admit it but he was actually rathe short. But the woman next to him was at least a foot shorter, and all the more adorable for it.

“You know you make me feel so tall.” Teased Baekhyun, as he hovered a hand just above her head. She swiped at the hand and let out a tinkering laugh as she put the burnt toast and a pot of tea on the table. Baekhyun sat down as Mrs Do grabbed a foot stool from under the sink and placed a few feet from its home. She walked up to the top of the foot stool and reached up to open one of the top cupboards. She had to stretch onto her toes to pull down what she was after from the very top shelf. It appeared to be a pack of biscuits. Baekhyun smiled at the woman, sighing at the thought that if he tried to help she would shoe him away as she had done on countless occasions before. She opened the packet and the chocolate biscuits spilt out into a bowl next to the plate of toast. Once she had poured them both tea she settled into her cushion adorned chair opposite the long bench he sat on. The bench stretched the entire length of the vast wooden table and was useful when the Do family had a lot of guests and not enough chairs.

“So,” She began, plump face resting in her small hands. “How was your performance? Kyungsoo told me that you were paired with that boy you like.” Baekhyun nodded, Mrs Do knew everything about everything when it came to Baekhyun, the main reason being, he told her, because he trusted her.

“Yeah, Chanyeol.” Mrs Do motioned at him to continue. “Well, now don’t tell Knyungsoo this.” Mrs Do put a hand over her chest and saluted. A laughed bubbled from Baekhyun and he knew that she wouldn’t tell him. “Well a few days before the performance his mum was in a car accident and I found out and visited her. In fact I am going to go visit her later. But anyway I told Chanyeol not to worry about coming to the performance. He didn’t arrive so I had told the judges that we wouldn’t be able to participate, but then he arrived so suddenly and…and his mum is out of her coma and it was so dramatic.” Baekhyun flopped down onto the back of his bench let out a puff of air. Mrs Do’s eyes were wide and he mouth open.

“Wow, that’s really, wow.” She said. “And it is impossible that you didn’t sing well. I am glad that his mum is okay.” A soft understanding smile spread across her lips.

Baekhyun leaned into his hands, elbows resting on the table. “I have gossip about your son.” His eyes twinkled  mischievously as he raised a single eyebrow. Mrs Do shuffled closer, a grin plastered onto her face.

“Ooo please go on, you know I love gossip, especially about Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun smiled at that.

“Well today I found out something and I may have interfered because of it.” Baekhyun began, “You know Kyungsoo likes someone called Kai? Well – I assume you know you can’t tell Kyungsoo or anyone this – this morning Kai told me that he likes Kyungsoo and not to tell him. Both of them are gay and both of them think that the other is straight. So I ied to both of them to get them to meet each other at the back stage room at about…” He glanced at his watch, “They should be there now. I asked both of them to collect my jumper which isn’t actually there. I know that nothing will probably happen today, but I am determined to help them.” Mrs Do’s eyes were gleaming in delight.

“My Kyung-ah really is an idiot.” She chastised, “Now lets think up another plan.” They discussed ways of getting the two of them together for the next half an hour. Mrs Do even convinced Baekhyun to sing his composition to her. After a while though Baekhyun had to leave. He didn’t want Kyungsoo to be suspicious of why he was there, especially since there would be no jumper to find. As he left the bubbly Mrs Do he headed off towards the hospital. He didn’t know why he felt such a strong need to visit Chanyeol’s mum, but he did, so that is what he did.