Part 7 ⧫ Prerequisite

pre·req·ui·site

/prēˈrekwəzət/

noun

A thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist.

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It turned out that Baekhyun had came onto the balcony for peace and quiet. Like me, he had accidentally stumbled across the place, though unlike me, he had been trying to take a break from people in general (and unfortunately, he crashed into me there. I could almost imagine his disappointment, and frankly, it was kinda funny to think of it now). Not that I blamed him. Having at least six to ten people follow one on a daily basis maybe wasn’t enough to drive one crazy, but it was definitely pushing the limits.

We separated to different classes after lunch break ended, but for once, our goodbyes were pleasant. He had waved at me, still grinning, before disappearing down the hallway, swallowed by the masses of students. The last time I had said bye to him, I remembered him slamming the door in my face - something I didn’t want to go through again.

Chanyeol, who had mathematics with me, dropped into the seat next to mine - one that belonged to Kim Joonmyeon - and grinned spontaneously at me.

“He looked super happy,” Chanyeol announced. He didn’t need to say Baekhyun for me to know who he was talking about. “I mean, he practically fled from class as soon as the bell rang just to avoid all the people. He left his lunch behind, and he rarely skips meals. God knows where he went for lunch break. But wherever he went, he was super happy when he went to get his binders for his class. He said he sorted something out with you.” Chanyeol beamed at me. His smile was so bright it could be considered actually blinding. Forget Baekhyun - Park Chanyeol was the bipolar one out of the two. Half the time he was immature and happy and acted like a toddler, and the other half of the time he was serious and had the maturity of a twenty year old man.

“Uh, yeah?” I tried. “We did?”

“That’s good,” Chanyeol mused, more to himself than to me. “What exactly did you do? I haven’t seen him so… genuinely glad in a while.”

“Uh…” I trailed off, unsure of how to explain the whole thing to Chanyeol. Oh, it’s simple! I punched your best friend in the face and yelled at him for a while then played the pity card and started crying! It’s the remedy to make someone happy. One hundred percent guaranteed that they’ll be happy after it happening! Oh, I forgot to mention -- your parents have to die in order for this to work. Both of your parents. You know what? Don't actually try it. Not worth it.

I would’ve laughed at myself if I had really said that, mostly out of embarrassment. Instead, I managed in a meek voice that came out even smaller than I imagined, “That’s… really nice…?"

I probably would’ve continued humiliating myself (horribly) if I had had the chance to continue to speak. I really had no idea what to say - I hadn’t really meant to cheer up Byun Baekhyun, and I wasn't really aiming to do so. I had just wanted, at the time when I had blurted everything out, to get my feelings down. It was a rash, unthought-through action that I barely put any thought into, which had somehow, miraculously turned Baekhyun’s day around. I also had no idea how to reply to Chanyeol’s previous comment, seeing that what had happened was more or less because a mistake on my half. Thankfully, I didn’t have to reply… or just yet, at the moment. Chanyeol, I had learned, didn’t give up easily.

Behind us, someone cleared their throat. I was almost tempted to hug Joonmyeon out of thankfulness and relief when I saw him standing behind Chanyeol, a bundle of books and binders in his arms, staring sternly at the taller boy who currently occupied his desk. Chanyeol didn’t look alarmed, just smiled at the other cheerfully.

“May I help you?” he asked, in a rather waiter-sque voice.

“You’re in my seat,” Joonmyeon stated back calmly. “Can you please move and go back to your own?”

Chanyeol glanced at me in a mock, help! way and I pretended I didn't see him, though it was hard because I had been vigorously looking between Joonmyeon and Chanyeol the whole time.

“May I sit here?” Chanyeol asked finally. “Just for today?”

Joonmyeon set his books down on the desk, pushing Chanyeol’s aside, and ran a hand through his hair, which was dyed a dark brown. “No,” he said in the same calm, steady voice. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to go back to your own desk.”

If Park Chanyeol was ever going to ask for something from me, I noted to myself to never ever look him in the eye — or even look at anywhere remotely close to his face. He stuck out his bottom lip like a two year old about to cry who had gotten rejected a cookie, and that in itself was enough to make me give in, if I had been Joonmyeon. Not to mention the fact that he did have a baby face, and when trying, he looked impossible to say no to. Fortunately, Joonmyeon wasn't as stupid as I was because he picked up Chanyeol’s belongings.  “Where does he sit?” he asked me. “Class is about to start soon.”

I pointed dumbly towards the desks near the back row. I heard Chanyeol grumble something that sounded a lot like traitor under his breath, though Joonmyeon didn't waste a moment to walk back and set Chanyeol’s stuff on the only left empty desk before walking back. “Your stuff’s back there,” he announced. “Again, class is about to start soon.”

“You’re no fun, hyung,” Chanyeol whined, but he obliged and got out of Joonmyeon’s seat.

I froze. Hyung?

“Get out, Yeol.” Chan?

Joonmyeon, for the first time since I had seen him today, smiled. He reached over and ruffled Chanyeol’s hair in an almost affectionate way, like an older sibling would do to a younger, pulling the said boy out of his desk and giving him a gentle push towards the back of the room. I watched in dumbfounded silence as Chanyeol stuck his tongue out at Joonmyeon childishly, flashing the older his signature wide grin before retreating back to his own desk, just as the teacher entered the room.

I tried to start my brain up again, but it simply couldn’t and wouldn't respond to my commands. Chanyeol called Joonmyeon hyung? As far as I knew, Joonmyeon had been at the school since freshman year, which meant… well, he probably some kind of history with Chanyeol. There seemed to be so much about him, about Baekhyun that I didn’t know -- just when I thought knew them, there was something else that I had utterly no idea about.

It wasn’t a huge surprise that I spent the whole class reminiscing what happened today, but it was rather surprising when I found myself unconsciously smiling at what happened this afternoon. If tragedy could be described a good miracle, then for some reason, I would describe it that way, today.

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