Sehun barged into Baekhyun’s room, accidentally slamming the door to the wall behind it and making the owner jump from his seat by the desk. Baekhyun stared at the wooden door and then scowled at the younger who grinned sheepishly. Kwang Soo appeared at the door a second later but unlike Sehun, he lingered hesitantly by the door until Baekhyun waved him in and he shut the door behind him.

“Hyung, where’s Chanyeol hyung?” Sehun asked, rushing towards the elder who backed away a little at the younger’s sudden enthusiasm.

“Uh… he has filming, I think. But he should be back soon. Why?”

“Urgh! And Ga Young noona didn’t come this morning, right?”

“My sister had some things to do today,” Kwang Soo answered, exchanging a brief glance with Baehyun.

“What’s up, Sehun?” Baekhyun asked before the younger shoved a picture under his nose, making him yelp. “What the– what’s this?” he asked, taking the photo.

“That’s Chanyeol hyung, duh.”

“I know that, but why are you showing me this? Why do you even have this picture in the first place?”

“I got it from Chanyeol hyung’s mom, but that’s not important. Look at the girl in the picture. Do you know who she is? Does she look familiar to you?”

Baekhyun stilled at this. Did he perhaps… found out? His gaze flickered to Sehun’s excited expression, and they stared at each other wordlessly for a few seconds before slowly, the younger’s face fell and he gasped in realization.

“You knew… you’ve known all along,” he pointed out.

“Well… Chanyeol is my best friend, Sehun-ah.”

“So you know that the little girl in the picture is Ga Young noona?” Sehun asked, wanting confirmation. Baekhyun sighed and nodded. “And Chanyeol hyung… he knew all along who she was since we moved here, didn’t he?” The elder nodded again. “Is that why they’re so close now?”

“No, Sehun. Ga Young still doesn’t know he’s Park Chan, her childhood friend.” Baekhyun quietly told him.

“Why not?” Kwang Soo asked, frowning lightly. “Didn’t he tell my sister?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“And why’s that?”

“It’s… complicated, Kwang Soo. It’s something between them.” Baekhyun quickly added when Kwang Soo looked like he was going to argue. “Chanyeol plans to tell her soon, but he’s just waiting for the right time.”

“Right time for what?” Everyone turned to the door and saw Chanyeol with his hand at the doorknob, having pushed open the door without the others knowing. He looked around the room in confusion. “Uh, what’s going on?” he asked.

Kwang Soo unexpectedly crossed the room and stood in front of him, and although Chanyeol was slightly taller, he couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated by the younger’s sudden aggressiveness. The younger managed to close the door behind Chanyeol before meeting his gaze again.

“Long time no see, Chan hyung.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened at that. “Kwang Soo-yah…”

“I didn’t recognize you because I was still too young when you left, but I remember you quite well from the times you’d come over to the house and play with Ga Young noona. It’s hard to forget you because noona is always talking about you, years after you left,” he continued when Chanyeol parted his lips. “And yet here you stand, as EXO Park Chanyeol, hiding the truth from my sister. My sister who is missing you like hell. Explain yourself, hyung.”

“Kwang–”

“Now.”

Chanyeol sighed and looked away. “I’m just waiting for the right time, Kwang Soo-yah.”

“Right time for what?”

“To tell her!”

“Why? Why can’t you just tell her now?”

“…I can’t,” Chanyeol whispered, looking away with hurt all over his face. “I just can’t. Not now.”

“If not now, when then?” Kwang Soo asked, sighing in frustration. “Hyung, you mean so much to my noona, and imagine how hurt she’d feel if she finds out that her best friend had come back but chose to hide his identity from her. She’s already fond of you as you are now, and imagine how crushed she’d be if you continue to hide the truth from her.”

“He’s right, Yeol.” Baekhyun said as he approached the duo, gently pulling Kwang Soo back so Chanyeol could have some space. He then handed him the photo that Sehun had shown to him and Chanyeol too it with his eyes wide. “Isn’t it better if she knew now than later?”

“Chan hyung, trust me when I say you should tell her very soon.” Kwang Soo said, and Chanyeol frowned when he caught something in the younger’s tone. “Noona has been busy applying for her Master’s degree lately.”

“What?” the EXO members exclaimed, all eyes wide in surprise.

The next words he heard almost made Chanyeol faint.

“Noona is going to continue her studies soon, hyung. She’s leaving for UK soon.”

***

Ga Young had spent her day with Doyeon, making her visa and collecting some documents they were going to need from their previous universities before having lunch at the city and spending a few hours shopping, and as she drove Doyeon home, the girl began asking her about her neighbours.

“Are they as flawless as they look on TV?” she asked in excitement, anticipating the answer.

Ga Young snorted. “They’re just humans like us, Doyeon. Your bias Sehun is a brat just like Kwang Soo,” she informed the other who squealed in delight. “Kyungsoo-sshi is a nice guy, always so considerate, and Baekhyun is very friendly and playful.”

“Ahh… of course he is, that adorable puppy!”

Ga Young chuckled at that. “Yeah, he’s a puppy alright. I met the other members once too,” she decided to inform the other who let out a scream, making her laugh.

“Are you serious?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Doyeon yelled. “Better yet, you should’ve brought me with you!”

“Hey, I didn’t know okay? Chanyeol called and asked me to bring something to him, and I didn’t know I was going to meet the rest of them too.”

“And how were they like? Tell me!”

“Playful and loud.”

“Specifics!”

“I can’t tell you the specifics, idiot. They were mostly working so I didn’t get to talk to them much. Oh, so apparently they nicknamed Chen-sshi ‘Chen-derella’ and made him buy them coffee,” Ga Young told her, giggling at the memory. “It’s kinda cute.”

“Oh my god, you lucky child. What did you do in your past life to deserve this!” Ga Young laughed as Doyeon pretended to cry. “Wait, so like you’re close to them, right?”

“Well… not all of them. Mostly the ones living next door.”

“Then why do you call Kyungsoo so formally? Isn’t he the same age as us?”

Ga Young didn’t know what to say about that. She didn’t even realize that amongst the four boys living next door, Kyungsoo was the only one she had been talking formally with although he was the one she’s most comfortable with.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I guess it’s because he talks formally with me as well.”

“Really? Wow, such a gentleman.” Ga Young smiled at that. “So, is he the one you like most? Or is it Chanyeol?”

“Chanyeol? What makes you think it’s either Kyungsoo-sshi or Chanyeol?” she asked, glancing at her friend briefly as she drove.

“Well, you spoke about Chanyeol a lot. Plus, you slept in his bed too,” Doyeon pointed out with a shrug, chuckling when Ga Young glared at her. “Anyway, I figured that you’re either really close with the guy or you like him best.”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Ga Young said, not wanting the other to misunderstand. “It’s just… I happened to be spending a lot of time with him lately. Bumping into him at the store, or left alone with him at home while the other’s working… you know, something like that.”

“Really?” Doyeon drawled with a smirk. “It’s not because you like him or something.” She immediately blushed at that. “Ah-ha, I knew it. You do like him!”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re red, Ga Young-ah. You like him.”

“Shut up, Doyeon. Of course I like him, just not in that way.”

The other snorted. “Sure it is. You like Park Chanyeol. Just admit it, okay?”

“No, I don’t. At least, I don’t think so.” Ga Young then sighed and removed her left hand from the wheel to rest her elbow against the door while she leaned her head against the palm of her hand. “He just… reminds me of someone. A lot.”

“Hmm? Who?”

“A friend. A very old friend.”

“What happened to your old friend?” Doyeon asked. She’s never heard Ga Young speak about any old friend so she’s very curious. “Wait, he’s alive, right?”

“Of course he is!” Ga Young screeched but then bit her bottom lip unsurely. “I mean, I hope so. I haven’t seen or heard from him for sixteen years now.”

“Wow,” the other mouthed. “Were you very close to him?”

“Very. We were inseparable. I cried like hell when he moved away,” Ga Young admitted. “Till this very moment, I can’t forget the day when I last saw him. He was crying too, and it took our parents ages before they could break us apart and for him to leave.”

“I’m so sorry, bae.”

She sighed. “It’s fine. It was a long time ago anyway.”

“You still miss him though.”

“I do. I think about him a lot. I just hope he remembers me too.”

Doyeon smiled at that. “I’m sure he does, bae.”

***

Chanyeol stared blankly at the wall across the room, ignoring the presence of the three other guys in the room as Kwang Soo’s words echoed in his ears. Ga Young’s… leaving? His chest seemed to tightened at that while a lump began to grow in his throat. He still couldn’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Hyung?” Sehun called him and placed a hand on his shoulder, lightly shaking him. “Hyung, say something. You’re scaring me.”

“She’s leaving, Sehun-ah…” he whispered, finally blinking although he didn’t look away. “She’s leaving me.”

“Not yet,” Kwang Soo assured him. “And she’s not leaving forever, hyung. But I think it’s better that you tell her before she goes.”

“When is she leaving?” Baekhyun asked, looking at the younger from Chanyeol’s right side. He had led Chanyeol to sit at the edge of his bed when the other looked like his knees were going to give up on him, not wanting him to fall onto the floor.

“In a month or so. Her application has already been accepted, you see.”

“Which university will she be going to?”

“Manchester.”

“Wow,” Sehun gasped. “She must be really smart.”

“She is,” Chanyeol unexpectedly chimed in, smiling to himself. “We used to sit in the living room with grandpa while he quizzed us on maths or science questions, and usually she’d beat me easily. She’s always been smarter than me, for sure. She actually likes studying.”

Kwang Soo nodded at that. “Yeah, she does.” He then sighed, wanting to go back to their previous topic. “Hyung, will you tell her? Please? There’s no way you could’ve ever failed her, hyung, but you will hurt her if you continue hiding from her.”

“I miss her.”

“And she misses you, too.”

“Hyung, isn’t she the reason why you insisted we use your grandpa’s house for our new dorm?” Sehun suddenly asked, tilting his head.

“Not really, but she’s one of it.”

“Then do something about this,” Baekhyun said, gripping his shoulder firmly. “Come on, Yeol. Pick up your phone and call her.”

Chanyeo glanced down at his phone in Baekhyun’s hand, feeling his heart beat crazily in his chest.

***

Ga Young was about to drive away from Doyeon’s house when her phone began ringing in her handbag, and she quickly fished it out to see Chanyeol’s ID on the screen. She frowned and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Ga Young-ah…”

She unconsciously smiled at the sound of his voice. “Hey, Chanyeol. Is there something you needed?” she asked. She heard some shuffling, and nothing else. Something’s wrong, she thought. “Chanyeol, are you there? Is everything okay?”

“Ga Young-ah… can we meet up? Th–There’s something I need to tell you.” Chanyeol finally said after a short silence.

Her heart began beating so fast in her chest, much to her own confusion. Was it because of the hesitation in his voice, or the fact that he sounds so nervous right now? “Uhm, you can tell me now,” she said.

“No, I need to see you. Meet me at the playground in half an hour, okay?”

“Playground? Which playground?”

“I’m sure you know, Ga Young-ah.”

She frowned but before she could say anything, the line went dead. Ga Young blinked at the device in confusion and wonder, and slowly she began to feel the anxiety creeping up her skin. Something’s wrong with Chanyeol, she thought and immediately threw her phone to the side to drive. I need to find him quick!

***

Chanyeol had been sitting on a swing at the playground for the past twenty minutes, having gone there the moment he asked Ga Young to meet him at the location. The sun had already begun to set, and the air was slowly getting chilly for him although he had put on a hooded black coat to keep himself warm. He kept glancing at the time on his watch, feeling his chest about to burst from anxiety and excitement.

Another ten minutes and he finally heard the sound of shoes quickly stomping against the grass and dried leaves, and his head shot up to see Ga Young running towards him. Her hair bounced beautifully on her back as she ran and when she stopped in front of him, she slightly leaned down and panted.

“Sorry I’m late,” she managed to apologize in between pants. “Did you– did you wait long?”

He shook his head, smiling in relief at the sight of her before standing up, easily towering over her figure. “You made it on time,” he said.

She smiled. “Thank God. What’s going on, Chanyeol? Did something happen?” she asked. “Why do you want to meet up here?”

“I wanted to show you something,” he said before pointing to the slides on his left. “I used to play here a lot when I was a child, did you know that?”

“…huh?”

Then he pointed at the swing he was just sitting on. “And this swing too. It was my favourite here in this playground.”

“What?”

Chanyeol suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her with him into a run, and she struggled to catch up with him. “Wa–Wait, where are we going? Chanyeol!”

“Just follow me,” he yelled back, gripping onto her hand tighter as to not let go. They ran for about a block and a half, and Ga Young panted hard as they come to a stop in front of a familiar building. “We’re here,” Chanyeol announced and she turned to him in surprise in confusion.

“What?”

“I loved eating the beef stew here,” Chanyeol said as he pointed to the ninety-year-old famous beef stew house that she loved. “I didn’t like it at first, but I was dragged here once when I was a kid and I immediately fell in love with the stew.”

What is he talking about? Ga Young wondered in confusion, her heart beating so fast in her chest. She was sure, however, that it had nothing to do with the fact that she had been running. “Chanyeol-ah, what’s going on? You're acting so weird!”

“There’s another place we need to go to,” he said instead, and she yelped when he pulled her into a run again. “It’s not far from here!”

Ga Young panted heavily and her muscles were beginning to protest, but she’s really glad she chose to wear shoes today instead of heels. She didn’t know what was going on nor did she understood what Chanyeol was trying to show her, but slowly her mind began to process what he had told her and she loosened the hold of his hand before slowing to a stop.

Chanyeol stopped running and turned to her. Ga Young was staring unblinkingly at the grey pavement, expression blank but there was a frown on her face. Chanyeol swallowed hard and took slow steps towards her, making her lift her head to him when his shoes came into her line of sight.

“Chanyeol…”

“One more place, Ga Young-ah,” he whispered. “Just one more.”

She let him take her hand again and began running after him, but instead of looking forward at the road, she kept her eyes on the back of his head. Thousands of thoughts came running into her mind at once, and plus with the fact that she was out of breath due to the running, she could feel her chest starting to tightened and her head getting lighter.

When he slowed to a stop, she finally looked away and frowned in confusion when she realized that they were in his courtyard. He wordlessly tugged at her hand and she followed him into the house, taking notice that they were the only one home.

“Chanyeol–”

“Shh, we’re almost there.”

Ga Young bit her bottom lip, her hand slowly beginning to tremble in his hold, as he led her up to his room and opened the door to let her in. She looked around in confusion, noting that there was nothing different from the last time she was there, and turned back to Chanyeol who had walked further into the room to retrieve a box from underneath his bed.

Since when had that been there?

“Chanyeol, what is going on?” she asked when he finally turned to her. “What do you mean about the things you’ve said in the playground? O–Or at the beef stew house? You made it sound like you’ve grown up here when you… when you didn’t.”

“I did,” he whispered.

“No, you didn’t." she argued. "I would’ve known because I’ve lived here all my life.”

“No, you started living here when you were six. You were born and raised in Incheon before this.”

She felt her eyes widened at that. “H–How did you know that? Did Kwang Soo tell you all this?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I…” Chanyeol sighed and placed the box he had been holding onto his mattress. “Ga Young, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while but I didn’t have the courage to. I’m sorry.”

What? “Tell me… what?” Ga Young frowned as he opened the lid of the box and took a white object out, and only when he turned it and showed it to her did she realized that it was a white stuffed animal. Her white stuffed animal. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp before taking a step back, staring at Chanyeol in surprise. “Wh–What is this? How did you… Who are you?”

“…it’s me, Bunny. It’s Chan.”

this chapter was horrible, I know. I'm sorry guys ;-;