"Kris!" Chanyeol shouts, calling for the attention of the senior who was at his locker down the hall.  He waves, grinning when he catches Kris' attention.  Kris turns away, ignoring the shout and grabbing his history textbook from his locker.  They had agreed on actually going home together that day, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.

Chanyeol scowls, opening his mouth to holler the name again, until he feels a hand wrap around his wrist.  He turns, suddenly pushed up against a locker, getting the wind knocked right out of him. Chanyeol winces, glaring at the perpetrator.

"J-Jongin!"

Jongin gives him a tilted smile, moving in closer into his personal space.  His hands holding and simultaneously pinning Chanyeol's hips against the row of lockers.

“Listen, I know you like Kris or Wufan, whatever his name actually is.” Jongin whispers, tilting his head to whisper into Chanyeol’s right ear.

“W-what?” Chanyeol stutters, ears turning red.  He watches as Kris’ gaze strays towards them, feeling Jongin’s hands  tighten their grip on his hips.

“Let me help you.” He shifts, lifting his left hand to play with a wisp of Chanyeol’s copper coloured hair.  Jongin’s right hand trails down to tuck something in his back pocket, patting his then moving away.  Chanyeol gapes, watching as Jongin struts down their school’s hallway smirking at Kris.

Chanyeol slips his hands into his back pockets, feeling around to find a piece of paper.  He holds it up to the light, squinting to read the light scrawl.

‘I’m in a similar situation. Call me if you’re interested: 1-212-1994.’

“What does it say?” Chanyeol jumps, startled as he feels the sudden grip Kris’ hand has on his shoulder.  Chanyeol shakes his head, slipping the paper back into his pocket.

“Nothing. He was just playing around as usual. ” Chanyeol shrugs, looking away from Kris’ doubtful stare.  Kris nods, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  “Whatever, you ready to go?”

//

 

Chanyeol has known Kris since he was eight.  He knew him as Wufan--a hyung who lived next door, who was cool despite the weird accent, and odd quirks (such as Kris’ great dislike towards his ferrets).  Kris was someone he looked up to.

Even after the two years of separation without contact that they had to face when Kris had to temporarily move to Canada when Chanyeol was ten years old. They had patched it up; it took three months, but they got over it.  They've gone through it all.  All these events and probably ones he forgot about, are the reasons why Chanyeol can safely say that they are the best of friends.

Except, he's not so sure anymore.

The occasional trip they had to the beach along with their other friends was probably when he came to this realization. 

Chanyeol had been talking to Sehun, who was too sensitive to the sun, insisting that he stay under the shade a faraway tree provided. 

Chanyeol, who felt guilty, stayed behind, making a motion to Sehun when Kris beckoned him and decided to stay with the younger.  They had been talking about the newly updated 'Talking Tom' app and all its new features when Kris had appeared.  His plain, white t-shirt, and dark blue swimming trunks clinging to his body like a second skin, hair mussed up and wet, a childish grin on his face.

He looked...y.

"Why don't you guys come closer to the beach?"

Chanyeol's heart had thumped, and he found himself looking down, playing with the sand, watching as it sifted through his fingers. He felt his cheeks flushing and he quietly muttered 'It's okay, I'll come later hyung.'.  Sehun had agreed hesitantly when he saw the shade, a tree closer to the beach had provided, leaving Chanyeol with Kris.

"You sure, Chanyeol-ah?"

"I-it's fine, really..I don’t want to... I-i mean it's, ah, I'm too laz-"

"I'll keep him company, don't worry hyung." Jongin cuts in, plopping down to the empty space beside him.  Chanyeol sends him a grateful look in return, as Kris shrugs, walking back towards the beach.

//

What Jongin had done back then was also probably the reason why Jongin had become his closest friend after Kris.  So when he was unknowingly ambushed in the hallway by Jongin, with a piece of paper indicating some sort of plan tucked in his back pocket, he was intrigued.  

Chanyeol was planning to ask Jongin about it after school, but then remembered he had dance practice.  He passed his time by attempting to do his homework, spending most of it staring vaguely at his illegible writing.  When 8:00 PM, had flashed across his alarm clock, Chanyeol dialed the familiar number, sitting down on his bed.

It rings once, twice, thrice, before Jongin actually answers the call.

"Yo."

"The hell was that dumb ? I already have your number, if you wanted to talk, could've just said so, instead of assaul-"

"Chanyeol, shut up." Jongin cuts him off in a pleasant tone.  "Let me talk, wait a second.".  A few shuffling noises, and a faint screech of a chair filter through the phone.

"Yeol?"

"Still here. What do you mean by 'I have the same problem'?"

"That I have the same problem, what else could it mean?" Jongin snorts.

"I mean what problem? I have no problems."

"We both know that you do, stop lying to yourself. I meant your problem with Kris."

"W-what?"  Chanyeol grimaces, his right leg absentmindedly shaking.

"I can practically hear your shaking leg. That weird habit you do to show that you’re lying. Do you know what the 'Push and Pull Cycle' is?"

Chanyeol crosses his legs to prevent his right leg from ever telling the truth again.  "Yeah, I mean it's basically when someone plays hard to get, or they get really clingy right?"

Jongin makes a disapproving noise, "Yeah, sure, basically. Do you know why I'm asking you this?"

"...Because you wanted to start a new topic of conversation?"

"No," Jongin sighs, frustrated.

"It's because your relationship with Kris is at a constant cycle of push and pull, with the same people doing the pushing and pulling."

"It's no-"

"Think about it Chanyeol, hasn't Kris been blowing you off lately? Canceling plans? Ignoring you?"

"...Yeah, so?" Chanyeol pauses, thinking about how many times Kris had blew off their plans, ignored him in the halls and how he barely acknowledged him at all during the past few weeks.

"This is because you're 'pulling' too hard, Chanyeol-ah. He's used to you making the effort. Even when you guys first met it was like that. You approached him firs-”

“He was my neighbor! and I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for my mom.” Chanyeol argues indignantly.

Jongin ignores him, continuing his explanation in a louder voice.

“You're the affectionate one; the clingier or the needy one in your relationship"

"I still don't know how this applies to us... I mean I thought this thing was meant for couples."

"These cycles also happens in platonic relationships and besides you don't really want to be just friends with Kris, right?"

“N-no! He’s my b-”

“Right?”

"He's my best friend. That's it." Chanyeol grits out,

"I've known that you liked him since the day you dyed your hair the color it is now because of Kris, don't ing lie to me." Jongin replies, in a clipped tone.  Chanyeol winces, it’s bad enough having one of his closest friends ignoring him, he didn’t want Jongin to be pissed.

Chanyeol bites his bottom lip, before carefully muttering.  "...Okay, yes I like him. But it's not like I can do anything about it."

"It's called 'Push and Pull' cycle for a reason, right?.  This time, it's your turn to push him away." Jongin reasons.

"How can I do that? I thought I was the needy one?" Chanyeol whines, tugging his hair in frustration.

"Go out with me."