Chapter 32- A First Friend

            It was late at night, but Chanyeol was still fixing the car that he was previously working on before. He usually didn't work this late, but today was different. He was a bit frustrated and couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Baekhyun earlier that day. He kept on thinking about the favor that Baekhyun asked even though he already told him that he wasn't going to help. Because of these thoughts that kept on repeating in his mind, Chanyeol tried to keep himself busy from thinking about it by working on fixing his car. However, it wasn't working at all.

Chanyeol then slid himself out from under the car, and remained seated as he let out a sigh of frustration. Why did he keep thinking about this? 

"No Park Chanyeol. You already said that you wouldn't help," Chanyeol said to remind himself. 

He then began to grab tools to continue on fixing the car, but it just made him more frustrated because of how hard he was trying. No matter how hard he was trying to forget about this, he couldn't. 

"Aish!" Chanyeol said as he threw the tool in his hand onto the ground. 

He already said he wasn't going to help Baekhyun. He shouldn't help him in fact. So why was he still thinking about this when it was already clear in his mind? Chanyeol then stood up and the t.v. There. That should do to keep him busy. However... It just made things worst. 

"Happy to be on Happy Together! Hello!.... We all have close friends... Myungsoo, with whom are you close?" Yoo Jae Suk asked. 

Are you serious?! The show that just had to be on television when Chanyeol turned it on was Happy Together where it was a best friend special?! 

"Aish!" Chanyeol said again as he turned off the television. Why was this happening to him?

Chanyeol was cursing in his mind because of all this coincidence. All he wanted to do was just forget about the favor that Baekhyun asked. That's all he wanted! But suddenly... Something came across Chanyeol's mind.

Bestfriend special... Bestfriend... 

And before he knew it, Chanyeol realized why he couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Baekhyun earlier. Afterall, it was his old bestfriend who was asking for a favor... Afterall, it was his first friend who was asking for a favor. 

[Flashback to years ago when they were still in middle school]

A group of boys were outside in the soccer field and getting ready to play soccer. The team captains were taking turns to pick classmates that they wanted to be on their team. After a couple minutes of picking, there was only 3 students remaining. 

"I want Kyungsoo," Xiumin said who was one of the team captains. 

"I'll take Jongin," Sehun said who was the other team captain. 

Now, there was only 1 student left. 

"Whose team does he go to?" Yixing asked who was on the same team as Xiumin. 

"Not mines. I don't want a fatty on my team," Xiumin replied, causing his teammates to laugh hysterically. 

Baekhyun stared at this leftover student that everybody was laughing at for being "fat". 

"Yo Sehun. Let's take him," Baekhyun suggested. 

"What? No!" Sehun yelled. 

"Come on man! I think he'll be good," Baekhyun continued. 

Sehun took a moment to stare up and down at this chubby leftover student that nobody wanted on their team. 

"Fine," Sehun groaned. 

"Chanyeol! You're on our team!" Baekhyun yelled as he waved to him. 

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun in shock. It was his first time being invited to join a team unlike other times where he had to watch on the sidelines or beg others to take him in. 

"They're actually taking him!" Xiumin laughed. "How nice! Guess this will be an easy game!" 

Xiumin then lead his team to their side of the field where they would be starting off. Meanwhile, Sehun's team was already accepting their loss and defeat just because they allowed Chanyeol into their team. 

Instead of being happy to finally be accepted for once, Chanyeol felt a heavy burden on his shoulder. Should he even play? Why was he invited to be on this team if they didn't look too please to have him? Just then...

"Come on Chanyeol," someone suddenly said as he gave Chanyeol a small slap on the arm as encouragement and walked past him. 

Chanyeol turned to see who this person was, and saw that it was Baekhyun. 

"What position do you usually play?" Baekhyun asked when Chanyeol caught up to him. 

"I- I don't know... I don't really play soccer enough to have a position... Or know them," Chanyeol said softly as every word got quieter. 

"What was that?" Baekhyun asked. 

"I said I don't really have a position or know them," Chanyeol repeated with his voice a little higher this time although it was still hard to hear. 

"Come on man. Speak up. Nobody's going to take you serious if you speak that low," Baekhyun said. 

Chanyeol was taken aback by Baekhyun's word. Although it was a bit harsh, it was partially true. 

"I said I don't really have a position-" Chanyeol said with his voice louder this time.

"I know I know. I heard it the first time. Just wanted you to speak louder next time," Baekhyun said. 

Although Baekhyun's words seemed a little harsh, Chanyeol decided to take his words into consideration and use it as an advice. 

"Anyways, you're tall so maybe we can use you use. I'm an attacker on the right side, so you can stay on the left side and we can work together," Baekhyun said as he gave Chanyeol a pat on the shoulder before taking his position in the field. 

Chanyeol didn't know what to say or do. It was this first time where he actually felt included for something like this... Or at all. 

"Yo Baek. What is he doing?" Sehun asked when Baekhyun took his position near him. 

"Who? Chanyeol? He's a left midfielder," Baekhyun said.

"What? Are you serious? What about Chen who was originally there?" Sehun asked in disbelief. "Who said he can be-"

"I did," Baekhyun interrupted before Sehun could finish his sentence. 

Sehun then went silent as he thought about what Baekhyun said. Baekhyun... Put him there? Why?

Meanwhile, the game was about to start and Xiumin's team was filled with confidence. They were surprised to see Chanyeol in the fields, but they saw this as a chance to win. Chanyeol was an easy target and the blackhole of the team... Or at least they thought so. 

Although the game started off slow and Chanyeol had a hard time grasping the game, he began to slowly improve. His team got frustrated everytime he missed a ball or failed to defend, however, those frustrations slowly went away. Chanyeol was playing better than they thought. He was playing way better than they thought actually. However, there was someone who was behind all of this that was encouraging and pushing Chanyeol throughout the game, and it was none other than the person who suggested him to be on the team. 

"Yo Chan!" Baekhyun yelled as he ran fast with the ball before passing it to Chanyeol who was able to receive the ball in return. 

And within a split second, Chanyeol scored a goal for the team, causing his teammates to scream for joy. Meanwhile, Xiumin's team was in shock about what just happened. Chanyeol scored? 

And for the remainder of the game, it was mainly Baekhyun and Chanyeol who lead their team to victory. They didn't realize it at the time, but they worked well together. 

And that was how their friendship began. With the kindness and encouragement of one came the unbreakable friendship between 2 for the next few years. 

[Flashback ends]

Chanyeol was leaning against the counter with his at the very edge of it as if it was a seat. He couldn't help but think back to the very first time he and Baekhyun talked. It was Baekhyun who approached him first and taught him to speak up. It was Baekhyun who suggested to have him on the team when nobody wanted him. It was Baekhyun who made him feel like he wasn't being judged. And it was Baekhyun who became his first friend.

So that's why Chanyeol valued his friendship with Baekhyun greatly a few years ago, and even now. That's why he always stuck up for Baekhyun and apologized for his foolishness. That's why he couldn't stop thinking about Baekhyun's favor when he already said he wasn't going to do it.

~End of Chapter 32~