"Are you gonna talk or do I have to beat it outta ya?"

We had to move to a less confined setting from the hallway to sit on one of the benches in the school garden 'cause he seriously looked like he was gonna faint back there and though strong I was, there was no way I could carry a six-footer without breaking every bone and muscle in my body. I arched a brow as he let out a deep breath. "A-alright," he began. "I'll speak." Of course he'll speak. He's already been caught.

Chanyeol turned his whole body towards me, taking a deep breath before looking up into my eyes. "I...always liked you, Am," he said. Uhm. I was taken back with his confession even though it was kind of already obvious from the moment I realised he was trying to drop his lollipop off in my locker. "Uhm, ok?" I replied as if it was a question. I honestly had no idea how else to reply anyway. "Why are you judging me?" He demanded in a slightly offended manner. "I'm not! " I insisted even though I actually was. Seriously, what is happening to the world? "Why is it such a difficult concept for you to understand that you're actually well-liked?" He continued, and at this I just puckered my lips and shrugged my shoulders. Me? Well-liked? LOL. "I dunno, man, maybe because I don't really fit the conventional definition of pretty?" I guessed, half-murmuring. "Amber, don't say that, you're beautiful!"

We both went beetroot red at that. After a few awkward beats and uncomfortably looking at anywhere and anything but each other, Chanyeol finally asked, "So, what do you think?"
"Of what?"
"Of my confession," he choked at the word 'confession'.
"Oh, riiight. Thaaat." Yeah, nice one, Amber. Make him feel even more like an idiot than you already have. I took a couple of deep breaths. I really didn't want to, but I knew I had to. Rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms together, I turned to look at my longtime friend in his big, pretty, hopeful eyes.

Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

"Look, Yeollie," I began. "I like you; I really do. I like hanging out with you and joking around with you, but that's where it stops. I like you as a friend, and only as a friend, and I think it would be unfair of me to beat around the bush and give you any false hope, so as much as it pains me to do this and hurt you, I know I have to. I want you to find someone who can give back all the love I know you have in you, because I care about you, Yeol. I'm really sorry."

Wow. Word vomit. Damn.

Chanyeol looked to the ground, his expression sunken, then looked up at me with a half-smile. "That's alright, Am," he said. "Honestly, I knew I had no chance with you this whole time, but I won't be able to forgive myself and move on if I didn't at least try, right?" he tried to pass it off as a joke, but I could see the sadness in my baby giant's eyes and it was crushing me inside. "I just...I was hoping, I guess, since you still had no one in your heart and no one really claimed it. But there's someone there now, right? So I respect that."

Uhm, what?

I think my utter confusion and stupefied expression gave it away because Chanyeol laughed a little. Like an actual laugh, not a forced one.

"You'll get it in time, Am," he said with a small, knowing smile. I wanted to punch him in the face for making fun of me, but then I remembered I just turned him down, so I held back the banter and decided to save it for later.

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Word count     648

(A/N) HELLO EVERYONE <3

Do you guys still remember me and this story?

Anyhow I'm so sorry for the almost 3-year hiatus. I've been so busy with school and pretty much focused on that for the entirety of my absence.

Buuuut I guess I don't regret it because I did well enough to get into law school ^_^

That's right, your girl is an oncoming first-year law student in a couple of weeks! YAY!

I hope you enjoy the short chappie x