“Baekhyun! Hurry up! Mr. Kim might be around here somewhere!” Frantically tugging at his best friend’s sleeves, Chanyeol made the small guy hurry with whatever  it was he was drawing on the wall.

“Shut up, Chanyeol. Your sissy crying will get us into trouble.” The older guy scolded Chanyeol with a shushed voice as the giant crouched on the ground.

Baekhyun continued spraying here and there. After a couple of minutes, he was finally done; he turned to Chanyeol, a creepy smile hanging on his lips. 

Upon making eye-contact with the petite male, Chanyeol felt the hairs on the back of his neck stood. He didn’t like the way Baekhyun’s eyes were glinting with mischief and the way those lips curved into an evil grin.

“He’s going to like this, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun praised his own work and then chuckled.

Chanyeol stood up. The sun was setting low on the horizon and it provided them a dim orange light just enough for the tall one to see what Baekhyun did to huge wall.

“Oh my God.” Chanyeol squeaked.

He wanted to run away from the picture that was staring back at him.

In front of him was a hand drawn portrait of their dance teacher, Kim Jongin, doing an arabesque without anything covering his body. The picture was perfectly drawn that nobody would ever get it wrong. One look and you'll know it was really Mr. Kim.

Standing there, mouth agape and eyes wide with shock, his arms hanging limply on his sides, Chanyeol felt like the whole world would crumble under his feet. 

Wrapping his arms on Chanyeol's shoulder, Baekhyun whispered, “Now, he’s not going to mess with you again, Chanyeol. He’ll learn his lesson”

Millions of butterflies started to flutter their wings inside of Chanyeol’s stomach.  The warmth coming from Baekhyun’s hands and the hot air coming from Baekhyun’s mouth hitting his cheeks was enough to send Chanyeol into a spiral of unnecessary thoughts.

Baekhyun had always been very protective of Chanyeol. He won’t let anyone harm his best friend.

Earlier that morning, Mr. Kim had scolded Chanyeol for not getting the dance steps immediately, causing delay to everyone. He told Chanyeol to just “ off” the side if he’s not going to dance properly. The tall, lanky boy,  just bowed his head in apology and took in everything Mr. Kim said.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, shot death glares behind the young teacher’s back. Fist closed tightly, mouth pursed into a thin line, Baekhyun wanted to attack his teacher and make him learn his own lesson. But, that’s not a choice at the moment because he didn’t want to ruin his good school records by tackling his own teacher, so he thought of another plan. 

After the dance class, he pulled the giant on to the corner of the hallway and laid out his plans for revenge. Chanyeol was scared but there was nothing he could do because it’s Baekhyun. And when it’s Baekhyun, he just can’t say no.

So, here they were, facing the wall, and “adoring” the sweet revenge that Baekhyun had planned to give Mr. Kim.

“I- I- I’m scared, Baek.” Chanyeol stuttered.

“Hey! I’m here. Don’t be scared! I’m superman didn’t you say? I’ll keep you safe, Yeol.” He winked and gave Chanyeol a pat on the head. “Now, let’s get out of here before that of a teacher comes in and bust us.” The older man held Chanyeol’s hand and interlaced their fingers before pulling the younger one out of the room.

But sadly, before they could even take a step out of the dance studio, footsteps were heard accompanied by a smooth humming.

The room was located at the end of the hall so obviously, the footsteps were moving towards their direction.

Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol inside one of the cabinets that were used for storage of costumes and ballerina outfits. They compressed themselves inside one of the empty cabinets but not before the dumb giant bumped his head on the corner of the cabinet and groaned loudly in pain. Hands flew to where his mouth was.

Sweat formed on their foreheads, trickling down the sides of their necks, and formed a pool on the hollows of their collarbones.  Their position inside the small cabinet wasn’t really helping because they were too close for comfort.

Facing each other, not even a strand of hair could fit in between them, Baekhyun's hand was still on Chanyeol's mouth.

Hearing the studio's door open, Chanyeol felt his knees buckle. He wanted to just run outside and apologize to Mr. Kim - To just beg the teacher for forgiveness and promise he won’t do it again – although he wasn’t the one who drew on the wall – that he was wrong to have succumbed to his emotions and he’d dance well in the future.

Baekhyun threw him a worried look, probably understanding how the giant felt at that moment. Placing a lean finger on his own lips, he signalled Chanyeol to keep quiet.

 “Who the did this to my beautiful wall?” A voice roared inside the room dramatically.

“.” Baekhyun murmured, his face contorting, beads of sweat visible on his forehead despite the lack of light inside the cabinet.

Chests heaving up and down, the two boys felt helpless at the moment. Nervousness was eating up every single rational thought inside their brains, leaving them dumb and useless.

The sounds of the footsteps were getting nearer and nearer to where they were hiding and  the other cabinets were being forcibly opened.

Baekhyun made a face that translated to Chanyeol as, “WE ARE SCREWED.”

The younger felt numb, though.  I need to act fast, he told himself. Think Chanyeol.

He was running out of time. Act fast Chanyeol! He scolded himself.

 Turning to Baekhyun, he saw the small guy had his eyes closed and  was murmuring something.

“Are you… praying?” Removing Baekhyun's hand that was covering his mouth, Chanyeol asked innocently in a whisper.

Locking eyes with Chanyeol, “Yes. I pray to God that he’ll save us from this. Or, give us a valid reason to give Mr. Kim as to why we’re here.” Came the smaller guy's frantic answer before he resumed  praying.

DING! A light bulb lit above Chanyeol’s head signaling an idea.

Upon hearing the cabinet door next to theirs was slammed shut, and realizing that their cabinet's door will be opened next, Chanyeol pulled the petite brunet into a kiss. Just in time when their cabinet door was swung open by a very angry Mr. Kim.

Shock was written all over their faces as the three of them looked at each other. Mr. Kim’s cheeks were tinted a bright pink because of the scenario he had witnessed.

 Baekhyun’s shock was for a different reason, though. Falling into a daze, he let his long, lean fingers travel majestically to where Chanyeol's lips touched his.

“What were you two doing?!” The teacher asked them, both hands on his waist.

Baekhyun was pulled back to reality by the teacher's voice. Unmoving from their position, he tried to reason out with the dance instructor, “We- uhm- we were,” Stammering with his words, he let his  deep brown eyes roam around the small cabinet in hopes of finding a good alibi.

“We were making out. Sir.” Chanyeol interrupted with defiance in his voice that he surprised himself and earned a look from the small guy in front of him.

Mr. Kim pulled them out of the cabinet and completely forgot about his wall.  “Do you think this is a motel?! This is a school for god’s sake!”

Chanyeol could see smoke coming from the teacher’s ears and nose as the thick lipped, young, dance professor continued to yell at their faces about school rules and punishments.

He looked at Baekhyun from his peripheral vision and saw that the guy was spacing out. “Oh my god, Did I scare him?” He asked himself and scrunched his nose in the process.

 "What is wrong with you Chanyeol? You idiot. And you really thought that was a good idea to kiss him!” He closed his eyes as his hands went up to hit his own head a couple of times before realizing that there were actually other people in the room.

His vision was met by 2 pairs of eyes looking at him with confusion the moment he opened his eyes. An awkward silence lingered in the air. "Sorry." he muttered.

“You were not even listening! Hah! I’ll see the two of you in the principal’s office tomorrow.” The teacher pointed his long fingers at the boys and marched out of the studio completely forgetting about his 'gorgeous' portrait on the wall.

Chanyeol heaved a sigh and heard Baekhyun chuckle. He counted the seconds because he knew what was coming next. 1… 2… 3… as if hearing him count inside his head, the chuckles turned into laughter. He smiled to himself for knowing Baekhyun too well.

 He gave the little guy a look of relief and was surprised by the view that greeted him – damp hair because of sweat, eyes that were forming little crescents behind the black-rimmed reading glasses, and slender shoulders shaking along every note that came out of pretty pink lips.
 
A beautiful sight. That’s what Byun Baekhyun was.

“You really kissed me! Eww.” Baekhyun said in between laughs, interrupting Chanyeol's train of thoughts.  Giving the tall male a gentle punch on the shoulder, he added, “I will never let you do that again!”

Grinning from ear to ear, Chanyeol arched his back so his face was only inches away from Baekhyun’s; he fixed the glasses that were perched on the petite male's nose. “Yah! I did that to save your pretty .” He said before pouting.

Baekhyun blinked rapidly due to the very close proximity of Chanyeol's face. He could feel the giant's warm breath on his face and that was enough to make him lose focus.

“You should be grateful Mr. Kim didn’t suspect us of drawing that beautiful portrait on the wall.” Chanyeol's voice was all defensive and tried to hide the trembling in it. He was really scared about what happened. Wait. No. Scared was definitely an understatement. He was ing terrified.

Waking up from his trance, Baekhyun shrugged off the emotions that were filling his brains with a small sigh and pushed the giant away by poking him on the forehead. “Oh, yeah! Sorry I forgot. You were the hero today so, how about some ddukboki, master? My treat.” Baekhyun offered cheerfully and patted his own chest.

The next day, Chanyeol couldn't keep still on chair because his was hurting from all the spanking they've received from the disciplinarian that morning. Fussing around his chair and angling his bum, he scratched his head in frustration because no matter how he sat, his was still whiny.

Also, there were notices all over the bulletin boards calling the students' attentions to find the culprit responsible for the drawing on Mr. Kim's wall. Baekhyun just laughed at the notice when they passed by earlier. He even commented, "But that portrait was perfect! Don’t you think, Yeol?" 

Looking to the small guy's direction, Chanyeol wondered if the said boy's was whiny too since they both received the same amount of hits. Surprisingly, Baekhyun was super fine! He was focusing on studying something (or someone) different instead of taking care of his .

Chanyeol couldn’t help but scrunch his forehead because of Baekhyun’s weird actions.

Baekhyun’s smile was wide and his sparkly eyes were directed to the cute, squishy boy, in front of the class who was doing a report on “How Love Works: The Science of Love.”

Baekhyun cradled his face on his hands and his elbows were resting on the table.  A dumb smile was playing on his lips as he studied the baby-faced male who was busy explaining things like Oxytocin and Serotonin and how love is all in our head, not in the heart.

Imaginary hearts started to float out of Baekhyun’s head when Chanyeol turned to face his seatmate, again. Anger boiled up inside him and he wanted to hurl his breakfast because the hearts looked extremely disgusting for him. The churning in his stomach won’t stop. He angrily popped each and every heart with his fingers like they were bubbles while the love struck puppy beside him continued to study his own subject of affection.

Frustrated and annoyed by the lack of response from his friend and from all the hearts floating around Baekhyun, Chanyeol started drumming his finger on the desk.

A couple of seconds passed, “Yah! Giant! Stop that.” The small guy snapped out of his daze and turned to Chanyeol with a deadly glare.

“Hah! I knew it would work!”  Chanyeol yelped triumphantly, ignoring the stares that were shot around them. Being with Baekhyun all throughout these years had taught Chanyeol basically everything he needed to know about the guy. Everything – yes, and that included how to get Baekhyun’s attention.

“Shut up or I’ll -” Whatever it was that Baekhyun wanted to say was cut off by the school’s bell signaling the end of class. He sprung out of his chair and grabbed his backpack. Marching towards Kyungsoo, a wide, and love-filled (or idiotic as what Chanyeol would say.) smile was plastered on his face.

Chanyeol was confused and before he realized what his best friend was doing, it was already too late. Baekhyun had already put his own plan into action.

“Kyungsoo-yah, will you sing with m- me at the School’s f-festival?"  Baekhyun asked Kyungsoo, voice shaking due to the nervousness.

The fool even stammered. God. Chanyeol was scoffing on the side. He wanted to facepalm himself because of the scene. It hurt his eyes like staring directly at the sun. He just wanted to storm out of the room so he won’t be blinded by Baekhyun’s smile towards their other classmate. He prayed for God to just take him away right now. Not sure of his own reasons though, whether he was angry because Baekhyun invited Kyungsoo or maybe he just hated the cheesiness. Yeah. That’s it. He hated the cheesiness. Nothing more, nothing less.

 Silently, he was also praying that this Kyungsoo – the class president and also the best singer in their music class, next to Baekhyun, of course – would reject the puppy’s offer.

He started laughing on the inside when Kyungsoo remained poker-faced in front of Baekhyun.

You wish, Baek. His heart screamed.

He felt a little evil because of the things running inside his brain – like how to strangle Kyungsoo, or how to make that guy say no to Baekhyun - and he couldn’t help but feel a little hopeful because IF he succeeds, he’ll be the second choice.

Second choice. Ouch. Sulking at the thought, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for Kyungsoo’s answer. He’s gonna deny the invitation.  Fighting the urge to rub his palms together as a signal of his victory, Chanyeol pursed his lips and curled his toes in anticipation. Maybe the heavens are helping me.

Chanyeol was wrong. The heavens were helping Baekhyun because the boy with eyes like that of an owl suddenly smiled and blurted, “Oh my gosh! I would love to, Baekhyun.”

The world crumbled beneath his feet. Ew mwey gesh ey wed lev tee bekhyen. Chanyeol mimicked Kyungsoo’s reaction inside his brain. He was like a kid who felt cheated out of a game. Scrunching his eyebrows and pouting his lips, he grabbed his backpack and strutted towards Baekhyun.

The two small guys exchanged their numbers so they could text each other for future “practices”. Chanyeol winced. Practices? More like dates. He sulked.

“C’mon Chanyeol! Let’s walk Kyungsoo to his next class.” Baekhyun suggested cheerfully and helped the other small guy with his books.

I do not want to go!!! Go on your own with that owl! A storm was raging on Chanyeol’s insides and he really had no idea why he was acting like that.  He wanted to punch himself for being so irrational. Hiding all his emotions at the back of his head, he smiled and said, “Oh, sure!”  Before taking big strides to catch up with Baekhyun.

------

The rest of the day was spent with Kyungsoo. They walked around the park talking about school stuff and music and how Baekhyun was proud that he met Chanyeol. Baekhyun kept on blabbering about their misadventures when they we’re still in elementary and how Chanyeol’s mom would cook for him and kiss him on the cheeks whenever he’d bid goodbye. A proud smile was curling Baekhyun’s lips. Nudging Chanyeol at times, Baekhyun felt like his giant of a friend was spacing out. The giant would just hum whenever Baekhyun asked for his opinions. Maybe he’s tired.

Hours passed but Baekhyun didn’t notice because he seemed to be too in love with the said owl – as what Chanyeol observed. The small guy didn’t even care that he was dragging a giant along beside him. Baekhyun just kept talking and talking but Chanyeol didn’t want to listen because something weird was happening inside him. Annoyed by Baekhyun’s non-stop talking to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol chose to be silent. He didn’t mind the nudges Baekhyun sent his way. He only wanted the day to be over. 

Chanyeol wanted to rip his eyes out whenever Baekhyun would insinuate skin ship with the milky-skinned owl. A slight pat on the back, a tug on the arm, or a shoulder bump, Chanyeol was annoyed by all of it. At times, he would consider pulling Baekhyun away from the beautiful owl but he realized he lacked reasons to do so. The hours dragged. It was one long minute after the other. Relief flooded him when Baekhyun asked if he was angry and pulled him, and Kyungsoo, towards the ice cream shop.

Baekhyun bought him his ice cream and the three of them sat on the stools outside the store. The sun was almost setting down and it was kind of nostalgic. Turning to face Baekhyun, his eyes squinted immediately because of the scene that unfolded before his eyes. Baekhyun was wiping Kyungsoo’s mouth with a tissue napkin, not minding him.

Yeah. Why would he mind about you Chanyeol? He angrily chomped on his Dubyeol Dutch ice cream – which had become his new favorite – talking to himself about stuff like, “eww mey gesh bekhyen, yer gerges.” And “eww mey gesh bekhyen, yer veys es byetefel.” He didn’t care anymore as he continued to devour his ice cream one bite after another. 

A series of “Oh my god!” and “!” spilled out of Chanyeol’s mouth as squeezed his eyes shut. His brain was throbbing in pain because of brain freeze. His mouth was agape, tongues out, as he fanned himself with his hands hoping to ease the pain in his head. Dropping his head on the table, Chanyeol groaned angrily, why are you so stupid, Park Chanyeol?

Laughter echoed across the street when Baekhyun realized what happened to his dumb best friend. The crisp sound of Baekhyun’s laugh mixed with the steady blow of wind, made Chanyeol feel somewhat relieved of the pain.

He wanted to smile if not for the constant throbbing inside his head. Sometimes, all he needed was Baekhyun’s laughter. And his beautiful face. And his hands to hold him. And his voice. And just Baekhyun. Only Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo’s deep laugh was enough to wake up Chanyeol from his daze. He flipped his head up and saw Baekhyun grinning from ear to ear. The other small guy was giving Chanyeol his heart-shaped smile while his eyes emitted pity towards the giant.

“Yah! You were supposed to that, Chanyeol. Not chew on it!” Baekhyun excused himself from Kyungsoo’s side and went to pat Chanyeol’s back. “Are you, okay?” He asked with a playful grin on his face.

“Do I look okay to you?!” Chanyeol snapped and glared at his friend. His head was cradled between his palms.

“I’m sorry. Wait.” Baekhyun stood up and went inside to ask the waiter for a warm glass of water, the smile not leaving his lips.

Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was smiling at Chanyeol brightly which only made his head hurt all the more. When his best friend came back, Chanyeol was already resting his head on the table, eyes closed. The pain had gently subsided by the time the warm water arrived.

The day dragged on and Chanyeol was on his silent mode again as they left the ice cream parlor.  Not wanting to push himself into a decent conversation with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun,  he letHis brain wander elsewhere.

Walking Kyungsoo to his home and bidding the beautiful owl goodnight was only a few of the things he obliged himself to do because Baekhyun wanted him to. The small guy asked Chanyeol to go on first and that he’ll catch up cause he needed to get the lyrics from Kyungsoo. The giant agreed with his mouth but not with his heart.

Inside his brain, the scenes kept on replaying and he wanted to scream. There was a sad feeling creeping up to his chest and was gnawing at his heart. The churning in his stomach wouldn’t stop despite being full. Yah. Chanyeol, what is wrong with you? Are you jealous right now? His own brain chastised him as he walked on the sidewalk slowly.

Why would I be jealous? I’m not. I’m just hungry again.  Trying to convince himself, Chanyeol kicked the pebbles that were scattered on the street, hands on his pocket.

What if you’re in love with him Chanyeol? He asked himself. Oh my god. I hope I’m not because… his mind wandered off to the day they drew – no, Baekhyun drew – on Mr. Kim’s walls.

Running, hiding inside that hot cabinet, the look on Baekhyun’s face; all of it came rushing inside Chanyeol’s brain. The musky scent of Baekhyun tickling his nose and making him lose his focus. The warm feeling of having Baekhyun pressed against him was something he'll cherish forever.

Then, he remembered how sweet Baekhyun's lips were and couldn't help but smile at the thought. Obviously he wanted more than just a kiss but that was impossible because he couldn't even tell Baekhyun that he's jealous of Kyungsoo.  So you were really jealous?

“Ugh! Shut up!” He suddenly screamed.

“YAH! Are you crazy? Who were you talking to?” A familiar laughter-streaked voice asked from behind him.

Chanyeol was too busy talking to himself that he didn’t even realize that Baekhyun has already caught up with him. “Uhm, the mosquitoes. They we’re buzzing in my ears too loudly. So I asked them to shut up. Heh! Heh!” He reasoned out, a nervous laugh giving him away.

Baekhyun’s crisp laughter echoed across the street, again. “Idiot.” He said to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol didn’t mind the comment. Smiling to himself, he realized that his world seemed to be more at peace when Baekhyun was beside him. They walked side-by-side in comfortable silence as the warm summer air blew on Chanyeol’s long brown locks.

Chanyeol decided to break the dead air between them. “So, uhm, you and Kyungsoo? You never told me you liked him before.” He asked. There was a little strain in his voice because he didn’t want to sound desperate in front of his friend. FRIEND.

Baekhyun’s cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink and Chanyeol was stunned by how adorable his best friend looked. A shy smile painted Baekhyun’s lips as he started to spill his story.

“Uhm. It just started a couple of days ago. Or has it been a week? I’m not sure. He went with Mr. Kim to the dance studio. I was curious why that monster would bring an angel to his office so I followed them. I don’t trust that monster so I went there as Kyungsoo’s back-up. Who knows? That jerk might have tricks up on his sleeves. So… yeah. Then, it turned out; he was helping Mr. Kim learn an old Korean song. I listened to him sing and I was like wow! You should hear his voice Chanyeol, it was smooth as cream and deep like it would really reach you heart and engulf it with warmness. It was really beautiful.” Baekhyun eyes sparkled as he went on and on about Kyungsoo. But, Chanyeol didn’t really listen to him.

The taller guy felt like the world suddenly made no sense. Slowly, he felt like the world was weighing on him. Like, the world was conspiring against him. Everything inside his heart was nothing but chaos. He wasnted to throw a knew he couldn't act irrationaly infront of Baekhyun.

He realized, nothing made sense because one day he was kissing Baekhyun and the next, his best friend was snatched away from him.

-----------

Days passed and the things between Baekhyun and Kyungsoo seemed to escalate to another level.

Baekhyun, as usual, being his warm and bubbly self, wanted to drag Chanyeol along with every date he takes Kyungsoo to but the giant would deny the invitation.

Chanyeol, lying to his friend about having to practice for the school's festival, would always walk home alone every afternoon, back hunched as if he was carrying the world.

Suspicion was never in Baekhyun’s vocabulary so he would let Chanyeol go, bidding him goodbye at the school's gate before running off to where Kyungsoo was.

Every night, Baekhyun would call Chanyeol and tell him how the date went and not leave out a single detail. They were best friends so there’s no use in keeping secrets from each other.

They were one soul, Baekhyun suggested. A soul that was divided into two bodies.

We are one Chanyeol, so you have to bear with my blabbering. The small boy said one night. Chanyeol obliged.

Baek is right. We will always be together. I will always be by his side. A sad smile appeared on his face when the small guy would yawn on the other end and tell him goodnight, sleep well, and I LOVE YOU. Chingu-yah.

Days turned to weeks and Chanyeol would only see Baekhyun during Mr. Kim’s dance class and during science class. He wanted to sulk and tell Baekhyun that he’s jealous because they were never the same anymore. That Baekhyun didn't have time for him because Kyungsoo's got all of the said boy's attention.

But the world knows, he couldn’t because he knew Baekhyun would just smile and would never suspect the meaning behind his words. He wouldn’t, because he knew Baekhyun would just pull him into a bear hug and tell him, “but, I love you the best!” without really meaning it. Without knowing how shaken Chanyeol's world gets whenever Baekhyun would say those three words. 

So, in the end, he would sit in the corner and watch Baekhyun and Kyungsoo dance together.

Kyungsoo was so much more better the he will ever be. Good voice, good looks, good dancing skills, and good brain. I could never compete with that, he'd always say to himself.

I'm awkward, I'm too tall, I'm not smart. Slumping his back, Chanyeol would walk out of the room, go home, and wait for Baekhyun's call.

---- 

The school’s festival was fast approaching and Chanyeol couldn’t decide what song he should sing.

He sat on the sofa, one Saturday morning and strummed the strings of his old guitar, a pen resting between his lips. He hummed all the songs he liked but the melodies just don’t sound the same without Baekhyun’s voice.

All throughout high school, Baekhyun has always sung with him at School festivals so it was kind of new for him to sing and play alone. Frustrated by the way his brain refused to cooperate; he set his guitar down and stared blankly at the pen now on his hands.

Inside of him, his heart was running wild and he didn’t know the exact reason.

Feeling weak because he was Baekhyun-deprived for days and phone calls just don't cut it, Chanyeol let his head rest on the sofa and slowly, he closed his eyes. 

“When you feel weak, music will soothe you. And if you’re frustrated, try to write a song. Since, you’re a musician, Chanyeol that should work. My dad told me that.” A cheeky 12-year old Baekhyun appeared beside him and made him remember the words.
 

Chanyeol's eyelids flipped open in reminiscence. “Hmm. Should I try?” He grabbed the notebook on the table and scribbled some words.

You quietly greet me
without a word, you turn around
All day, my heart is filled with only thoughts of you
what do I do then?

Picking up his guitar, he started to pluck on the strings, the music soothing his entire being. Every note creating a wonderful tune as it collided with the lyrics.

He entitled it, “Greetings”, because every day Baekhyun would greet him happily without knowing the effect it brings to Chanyeol’s heart. Everyday Baekhyun's smile would lighten up Chanyeol's world and he'd fall hard every single time.

Each and every word of the song was dedicated to the beautiful, Byun Baekhyun.

Somehow, Chanyeol was happy that his heartbreak has brought him something beautiful.

Later that night, Sehun, his younger brother barged into Chanyeol’s room. “Hyung! Is Kyungsoo and Baekhyun hyung dating?” The young boy asked as he sprawled his body on Chanyeol’s mattress.

“I saw them strolling at the park today. Where were you? You should’ve been the one walking on the park with him. They don’t fit each other. Both of them are short. And that Kyungsoo’s eyes are like really big and. Ugh. I don’t want Kyungsoo for Baekhyun-hyung. I'd always thought you to would end up together. Tsk.” Almost running out of breath, Sehun said the words as if he was reciting a litany – straight and clear. 
 

Chanyeol wanted to give his brother a hug but that would be really cheesy and he hated cheesy.

“It’s not always first come, first serve Hunnie.” He commented maturely, not raising his head from his book.

“But, he was yours from the beginning!” Sehun protested, bouncing up and down on Chanyeol’s mattress.

“Baekhyun had already chosen, Kyungsoo. Let’s respect that.”
 

“Okay. But, hyung. Consider this. What if Baekhyun was just waiting for you? What if he was just scared to tell you how he felt? Maybe he was just trying to divert his attention away from his feelings. Do you really want to just walk away without trying?” Sehun lectured him.

The words struck Chanyeol like arrows. “Since when did you become such a smart-?”

Sehun raised his right eyebrow and pouted his lips.

Chanyeol heaved out a sigh. Letting his head fall to his desk, he pondered Sehun’s words. Would you really give up without a fight? He asked himself.

Chanyeol was lost in thought until Sehun cleared his throat and added, "You won't lose anything if you'd try hyung. Who knows? Maybe this was everything Baekhyun wanted."

Considering his brother's suggestion, Chanyeol muttered a proud, “Okay! I’ll try my luck.” and placed a hand on his chest. “Thank you. Smart-.”

Eww. Cheesy.  He cringed when Sehun exited the room.
 

--------------

 

The school festival has started and Chanyeol didn’t see any trace of Baekhyun. He received a text from the small guy last night that he’s got something for Chanyeol after the performance. The giant was excited because he also had something for Baekhyun. A confession. Feeling a little giddy, Chanyeol strolled towards the backstage to set up his guitar.

“Of course. I can do well without you, you know.” Chanyeol lied and stuck his tongue out. He could sense an awkward air between them but he tried to set that aside. “And stop patting my head because I had a really hard time styling that.” Checking himself in the mirror, he held Baekhyun’s hand to avoid the small guy from touching his head.

Baekhyun felt sad at Chanyeol’s word even if he knew that the giant didn’t mean it. Turning on his heel, he took his hands away from Chanyeol’s grasp and muttered, “I’ll go buy you water, okay?”

Sadness engulfed him as soon as Chanyeol was out of sight. A distance has grown between them since he started dating Kyungsoo. Chanyeol distanced himself away from Baekhyun, and the pretty brunet wasn’t happy about it. Things had changed so dramatically that it caught Baekhyun off-guard.

They stopped hanging out, messing around town, and the occasional dinner dates. It was like they were strangers again only, they still knew each other’s name.

He was sad because he wasted too much time with messing around and denying his feelings that now, he had nothing left. He was irrevocably and utterly in love with Chanyeol. Of course, he liked Kyungsoo but Chanyeol was on a different level. What he felt for Kyungsoo was more like, infatuation because of the said boy’s good looks and seemingly perfect aura.

Obviously, his feelings for Chanyeol would show and Kyungsoo noticed it. A calm confrontation happened and Kyungsoo decided to let Baekhyun go. He said he couldn’t let Baekhyun throw his life away because that’s how he loved him. And when you love someone, you want what’s best for them so, they decided to stay as friends.

Kyungsoo helped him plan his confession for Chanyeol.

But that wasn’t the only problem Baekhyun was facing, graduation was only a week away, and he hadn’t told Chanyeol about that audition thing for Paris Music University that he’d passed. A Guilty feeling washed over him when he realized he didn’t ask Chanyeol for plans. Ugh. You are such an idiot, Baekhyun.

 Lately, he had been very busy keeping his feelings away from his giant of a best friend that he couldn’t really think straight. And also he’d been really busy restraining himself from kissing the lips that had been his first kiss, too. Chanyeol’s soft lips. He could still feel them upon his own.

Atleast you kissed him, Baek.  A sad smile followed his realization and he heard the announcer call out the participants of the talent show. He ran to the cafeteria and bought 3 bottles of mineral water. 
---

There were a lot of performers for that night - A song, then a dance, a poem, a song again, and so on. Then came, Baek and Kyungsoo’s turn. They sang the song; “A friend’s confession” and Baekhyun couldn’t help but relate a little to the message of the song. A standing ovation was given for their wonderful performance.

Chanyeol’s stage came next and he couldn’t help but tremble in fear. Baekhyun held his cold hand when he met Chanyeol on his way down the stage. “You can do this” I love you. But the last three words didn’t come out.

“G- Good E- Evening, everyone.” Chanyeol stuttered as he took his seat on the high stool in the middle of the stage, his eyes roamed the crowd in search for his best friend. Panic started to rush through his veins when he realized the little guy was nowhere in sight.  This is it, Chanyeol. He breathed deeply and decided to start his confession right there and then. Baekhyun would be able to hear it from the huge speakers.

“This song,” He started. “Was created for someone really special to me. Every day, I would always wake up feeling giddy at the thought of seeing that person again. I hate the weekends because by then, I’d have to make up excuses just to see that certain person. But every time we’re together, my heart would feel as if a marching band was parading inside. Sparkling eyes, white skin, beautiful lips, long eyelashes, that person is perfect. But that’s not the reason of this confession. I’m confessing because that person makes me happy. Makes me contented with my life. So, that person, I hope you would listen to this song well because this is for you.” He decided not to mention the name or the gender because he wanted to surprise Baekhyun.

The first note came out of his guitar beautifully and he closed his eyes. Memories of Baekhyun flooded his thoughts and he was inspired to sing from his heart.

Today as well, you greet me
You look at me and smile brightly
All day, my heart is filled with only thoughts of you
What do I do then?

Are you dreaming the same dream as me?
Are you wandering, looking for me too?
I probably can’t turn back time
Today as well, you greet me

You quietly greet me
Without a word, you turn around
All day, my heart is filled with only thoughts of you
What do I do then?

I see you far away
Why do I see such sad eyes?
I linger for a while and I face you, who sees me

Are you dreaming the same dream as me?
Do you feel the same way as I do?
I probably can’t stop time
Like that, we…

Today as well, you greet me.

Loud cheering and the deafening sound of applause and whistling commenced as Chanyeol hit the last note on his slender guitar. He smiled to himself. Although he was a bit sad because he couldn’t find Baek, he was sill proud because finally, he’d get to tell Baekhyun his feelings.
 

-----------------------

As Chanyeol stepped up the stage, Baekhyun went to the men’s room to calm himself down. Too much anticipation was flooding his heart. Relax, Baekhyun. He told himself. He was about to go back to the stage when he heard Chanyeol confessing to somebody. In front of the whole school.

A tear fell from his eyes while his feet stayed planted on the floor, unable to move. He blinked. Once, twice. Trying to swallow the lump on his throat, he tried to stop the tears from falling out of his eyes. But only to no avail because after a few minutes, the tears fell like waterfalls from his eyes.

Knees feeling tired and weak, Baekhyun slumped down on the floor and let the sobs flow out of his lips. Chanyeol’s singing was the soundtrack of his pain.

He sobbed at the sadness of his fate. Maybe we weren’t really meant to be together. He let his tears fall to his heart’s contentment and when the he heard the loud cheering signaling the end of Chanyeol’s performance, he washed his face.
 

“Baek?” Chanyeol called out to the figure sitting on the bench under the cherry tree.
 

Smiling widely, he gestured Chanyeol to come over, “Hey! Come here.” Baekhyun patted the space beside him. He looked up at the night sky and it was a beautiful sight. A black canvass with lots of glitter in it. He would always tell Chanyeol that back when they were still young. He smiled.

“A black canvass with lots of glitter in it, huh?” Reading the brunet’s mind, Chanyeol smiled at the stars. They used to sleep under the stars when they were young. An activity they never had the chance to do when they went to high school.
 

“So, what’s the surprise?” The giant blurted as he seemed to be too happy about getting his confession done.

Baekhyun seemed to be contemplating. You are a coward Baekhyun. What the hell is wrong with you? Not wanting Chanyeol to see through his vulnerability, he lied. “Well, Kyungsoo said yes!”  Baekhyun pretended to be really happy about it. “I’m really happy Chan, finally! ~ He even said he’ll go to the same university as me! That’s pretty awesome right?!” That’s two for you Baekhyun, you liar. Why don’t you tell him about Paris?! Mentally chastising himself, Baekhyun tried his hardest not to show Chanyeol his true emotions.
 

Chanyeol was stunned. He was utterly speechless. Breathing came in ragged parts as he tried his best to maintain his composure. “Really? Wow.” He pretended to be genuinely happy but of course, how can you be genuine when you’re pretending? His left eye twitched. A sign that he’s lying but he kept that side of his face away from Baekhyun. “I’m happy!” Hugging Baekhyun tightly, Chanyeol found the perfect spot to hide the pain in his face away from Baekhyun. “Hehe! Finally.” He faked a laugh.
 

Baekhyun wanted to breakdown in front of Chanyeol but no, he doesn’t want pity from his best friend.

“Hey, so uhm, who’s the lucky girl?” he patted Chanyeol’s back. “You naughty boy, you didn’t tell me you like someone.” They were both the world’s greatest pretenders.
 

Chanyeol's ears perked up at the news. Lips quivering, Eyes wide, he tried his best to keep still. It was so sudden. He just couldn't believe Baekhyun left without any warning.

Tears were threatening to fall on the sides of his face.

Without any words spoken, He stood up and walked away from the graduation ceremony. People looked at his direction. Including Kyungsoo, who could only offer a sad stare behind Chanyeol's back.

(The night of the festival)

Kyungsoo's eyes were filled with confusion as he locked eyes with the older male who was standing in front of him.

'What was that?' he asked calmly.

'He loves someone else.' That was all it took before Baekhyun slumped on the ground, sobbing his heart out.

'No. Baekhyun. You must've misunderstood.'

Baekhyun was silent and continued sobbing.

Kyungsoo was sad to see Baekhyun that way but he could only offer him a pat in the back. They were like that for a minute and when Baekhyun calmed down, his eyes were already puffy and red.

'I'm sorry Kyung.'

'No. Don't be. I know you love him so much, Baek. But why are you doing this? Why don't you fight for him?' Concern was written all over the younger guy's face.

'I passed the audition for that Music University in Paris. They might give me the result before the grad day. If I pass, I need to be in Paris for 2 years. I haven't even told Chanyeol. I'm such a coward. Also, I told him we're officially together.'

'What?!' Kyungsoo's eyes grew two times their original size. 'Baek, Why?!'

'I don't know. When I heard his confession a while ago, all my courage just ran away. I don't want to get hurt.'

'Baekhyun. You should've asked him. It could've been you.' A sad streak of tone came out of Kyungsoo's mouth.

'It's too late Kyung. I might be leaving. He'll be hurt when he'll learn about that. It's good that things turned out this way.' Standing up, Baekhyun dusted himself and nodded a sad goodbye to his friend.

--------------------------

Under that cherry tree, the one where he and Baekhyun always shared their lunch together, Chanyeol spent his hours, shedding sad tears of regret.

Why didn't he tell Baekhyun? He should've just spilled it out. He shouldn't have cared about Baekhyun and Kyungsoo being together.

Now he just lost all his chances.

He was so frustrated with himself, so he decided to let it all out.

'YAH! BYUN  BAEKHYUN! YOU STUPID BOY! DIDN'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVED YOU?! CAN'T EVEN TELL ME YOU PASSED AN ENTRY TO THAT UNIVERSITY?!'

He cried his heart out at the thought of not meeting Baekhyun for two years. Or maybe forever.

'Shut up you stupid giant.' a small voice came from behind Chanyeol.

Turning his head, his heart almost leaped out of his chest, and his tears flew non-stop at the sight of his best friend.

'Baek!' Sprinting towards the small guy, Chanyeol yelled, a big smile, despite the tears, plastered on his face.

Baekhyun couldn't help but cry at the sight of Chanyeol running towards him, as if his life depended on it. Well, it kind of was.

They almost fall down when Chanyeol's giant of a body collided with Baekhyun's small limbs. It almost hurt, the longing they have for each other, the days they spent without hearing each other's voices.
 

'I missed you so much! Why didn't you tell me?!' Chanyeol asked, not letting go of Baekhyun.

'I'm sorry Chanyeol. I was hurt because you were confessing your feelings to somebody and I was too selfish. I'm sorry.'
 

'You're really stupid! That was YOU! I love you Baekhyun. There was no one else.' Not wasting any time, because he feared he might, Chanyeol spilled out his feelings.

Heart racing and mind blanked out, Baekhyun didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled Chanyeol's face and kissed him with all his love for him.

It was a sweet kiss. A kiss of reconciliation and deep love. A kiss filled with love and not lust. A kiss, meant to be shared only by the two of them.

When they finally pulled away, Chanyeol asked, 'But, didn't the principal say you were leaving?'

Baekhyun's eyes were sad. 'Yes. They're waiting for me at the airport.'

Chanyeol was dumbfounded. No words came out of his mouth.

'I couldn't just leave without seeing you Chanyeol. I know we just started but will you wait for me? I love you, Chanyeol.' Eyes pleading, Baekhyun asked the giant in front of him.

Chanyeol doesn't want to say goodbye to Baekhyun yet, but he can't afford to be selfish. Love means wanting what's the best for the person and he wants everything best for Baekhyun.

Intertwining their fingers together, Chanyeol squeezed the smaller guy’s hands lightly. Locking their eyes, Chanyeol placed a peck on Baekhyun's lips. 'I love you too Baekhyun. And I want you to be the person you can be. Please, just promise me you'll come back to me.'

'Yes Chanyeol. I promise you.'

Sealing their promises with a kiss, Chanyeol was happy.

They drove to the airport and walked towards the departure area hand in hand. Bidding their farewells, Baekhyun tiptoed to kiss Chanyeol long and deep before turning his back at him to enter the boarding areas.

Chanyeol was weary but he's contented. At least he's got Baekhyun’s heart now.
 

6 months later, Chanyeol found himself boarding the same plane for Paris after passing the Scholarship Examination for Baekhyun's University.

Finally.

----