We've spent every living, breathing moment together for the past 9 months.. Now that we're apart, I can barely remember who I am anymore.

I need you. But I can't have you.

---

"Kim Taeyeon! Focus!" Chanyeol snapped, hitting his friend's head with rolled-up Chemistry notes. "In case you forgot, the exam is next week," he added matter-of-factly.

"Yah! I know, I know. I just can't seem to concentrate.. I have so many things on my mind," Taeyeon said defensively. Why she was feeling this way, she knew. But she couldn't bring herself to tell any of her friends about it. To her, saying it out loud would only further validate it.

The atmosphere of Class 4A was still and quiet, what with its two occupants lost in their own thoughts. Taeyeon's dark eyes stared ahead as her mind was in a far, far away place- of flowers and rainbows and the boy whom she loved, while Chanyeol's stared at her.

Chanyeol wondered what coud possibly be bothering her at the most important time of their academic lives. He had an inkling as to what was going on, but he didn't have enough evidence to prove it. Seeing Taeyeon detached at such a crucial moment also irked him. The college entrance exams were around the corner- nearer than that. The exams were practically under their noses. It would pain him if Taeyeon's grades slipped just because she couldn't get it together during the final lap of the race, knowing that she had worked so hard all throughout the year. Taeyeon was someone dear to him, and in that moment, he knew he had to get to the bottom of this.

"That's it," he said raising his voice as he stood up from his chair abruptly. The sound of his chair being dragged across the floor awoke Taeyeon from her daydream. "Pack your things, we're going home," he instructed, much to Taeyeon's confusion.

"Why? But we're not done with-"

"What's the point of spending hours on this if none of it is going into your head?" he blurted out frankly. He didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. It sounded alot less blunt in his head.

Taeyeon's facial expression turned dark. Not only did she have to deal with an aching heart, her best friend was acting up too. Great. Now I've lost Chanyeol, too. She said nothing in response and started shoving her books and papers into her backpack haphazardly. She felt like a child being scolded by her mother; a feeling she hated. 

Once she was done, Chanyeol warmly wrapped an arm around her back and led her out of the classroom. He had to try his best to show that he wasn't actually angry at her. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was ganging up against her.

"So you wanna tell me what's going on?" he broached the subject gently. He didn't want to screw this conversation up; these were uncharted waters he was treading in.

"I'm fine, Yeol-ah," Taeyeon brushed his question off, knowing where his questions were intended to lead to. "You don't understand and I can't explain."

"Don't shut me out, please," he pleaded. She had been distancing herself from all of their friends. Hyoyeon and even her best friend Tiffany were cut off for pressing Taeyeon for answers.

 Tell us what happened.

What's going on with you?

How irresponsible can he be? He can't just leave you hanging like this.

Chanyeol was the only one left.

"Taeyeon-ah, let's talk about it," he tried once again. "You can't keep bottling it up like this. Sometimes you just gotta let it out."

"Chanyeol, please," she shrugged herself from his arm wrapped around her. She turned to face him and stared straight up at him.

"Has it ever occured to you that I don't like discussing what happened, because it hurts talking about how my boyfriend left me at such an important time in my life?" She looked at him defiantly, her head spinning and her insides burning for finally speaking up like that. "Hmm? Has it?"

Her words cut Chanyeol like knives, leaving him speechless for a few seconds.

"I understand what you're feeling, but to cope with your pain, you have to talk about it!" Chanyeol reasoned exaperatedly. "You know I'll always be a listening ear. Don't do this to yourself, Taeng- especially not at a time like this."

Tears welled up in Taeyeon's eyes. This was too much for her to take. She certainly didn't want to burst into tears in the middle of the school hallway. With a heavy heart, and a clouded vision, she turned her back to Chanyeol and ran through the hallway, out of Soonshin High.