“Let’s talk somewhere else” Chanyeol suggested, although Nayeon couldn’t shake the feeling that much like usual, it wasn’t really much of a suggestion at all.

Her laugh was slightly forced as she subconsciously gripped the edge of the copier a little tighter, “I’m actually trying to figure out how to do this, right now. I’m the class assistant so I can’t right now” She said, once again glancing back at the teachers who one by one seemed to leaving.

“Then we can just talk here, right? I’m sure the room will empty out soon enough” He replied, his voice carrying slightly louder so that the room would hear it.

With that the last of the teachers stood up and grabbing their coffee, left. Nayeon jumped at the sound of the door closing shut behind them. She felt Chanyeol move behind her and reach around her. Her heart raced with what she realized seemed eerily like fear. She had never been afraid of him before, even when he seemed to push things a little too far, she had never felt like this. He hadn't been at all scary when his advances had been wanted, but as she found herself more and more unsure about what exactly she wanted, she found him more intimidating. Inexplicably she found herself frozen as he quietly pressed a few buttons and copies began to pour out. His hand rested freely on her arm, holding her in place between the copier and him. She said nothing, merely standing in place as he waited in the silence.

“Are you not going to say anything?” Chanyeol asked finally.

She opened to speak and found that for a minute, nothing could come out.

“I…” She began, finally finding some semblance of her voice, “I have nothing to say” She said, finally sure that her voice wouldn’t shake.

She removed his hand from her arm and meant to escape the square he had boxed her into but found herself unable to when he blocked her way out with his arm instead. She turned to face him, surprised by the proximity in which Chanyeol was in.

“Never heard of personal space?” She muttered under breath, starting to feel some edges of frustration seep in. 

That earned her a smirk.

“Who needs personal space from their girlfriends?” He asked, a confident smile on his face.

“Wh… when did I say I’d be your girlfriend?” She asked quietly.

A rather concerning look crossed Chanyeol’s face. Something too quick for her to accurately catch and identify, but something that worried her despite the fact.

The door slammed open, Nayeon found herself all sorts of relieved when she peered over Chanyeol’s shoulder to find Baekhyun standing there. He seemed just slightly breathless as he walked in and Nayeon couldn’t help, but notice the air of anger around him.

“Nayeon, when I told you to come make copies, did you take that as a suggestion to come and socialize with your friends” He asked, his words clipped as he approached them and without a moment of hesitation reached past Chanyeol and pulled her out from him.

“When you said you’d be a class assistant I expected responsibility” He said angrily, as he walked past Chanyeol and grabbed the copies she had made.

“I apologize” Nayeon said, breathing much easier now.

“Let’s go set up the classroom now” Baekhyun ordered heading towards the door.

“Sorry teacher, looks like I distracted my girlfriend a little” Chanyeol said, and Baekhyun stopped in his tracks.

He hesitated a moment before turning around.

“I’m not—” Nayeon tried to interrupt, before Chanyeol continued.

“I don’t think we’ve met, my father is the director of education in the district. We’ve made so many donations to the school, you could practically my family’s built it” He explained, a cold laugh following it as he extended a hand out arrogantly.

Baekhyun didn’t miss a beat, taking his hand in a firm handshake, “I know exactly who you are Chanyeol, but thanks for introducing yourself” He replied calmly.

A shadow crossed his face briefly before nodding.

“Well, I’ll let Nayeon get back to work then” He said, placing a hand on her arm briefly, “I’ll see you later” He promised.

 He walked past them both, the only clue to his anger was the rattling of the door as it was thrown open and slammed back onto the wall. Nayeon found herself staring at the open door far longer than she should have.

“Let’s go back to the classroom” Baekhyun said, his tone far gentler than it had originally been.

Nayeon blinked and looked up at him, feeling better just by his presence and his alone. She nodded as he allowed her to lead the way. She walked past the still empty hallways feeling better knowing that he was there. The stack of copies he had handed to her were still warm in her arms and she found it comforting to hold tightly. Baekhyun saw the tension in Nayeon’s shoulders as she walked down the hallway. She turned and only when he closed the classroom door behind them, did she appear to relax.

“I’ll go put these on your desk” She explained, already moving towards it.

Baekhyun stalled for a moment, feeling like he should say something. He had been on his phone when he had heard the two teachers walk past the classroom commenting on how fast they wanted to get out of there once Chanyeol walked into the teacher’s lounge. His mind quickly pieced together the fact that the copier was in there and along with it, Nayeon. He had tossed his phone onto the desk and ran down there as fast as he could.

Despite many times of telling himself that he wouldn’t get involved in her life, he found himself unable to do it. He had felt the atmosphere and had almost tasted her fear as he saw the relief in her eyes at his entrance. He hadn’t missed and sincerely doubted she had even realized that when he had pulled her away from Chanyeol, she had automatically gripped his arm tightly. He knew for a fact, Chanyeol hadn’t missed it and he pulled his arm away when he went to shake his hand. There was a menace in that boy’s eyes that he found himself surprisingly unsettled by. The stare of someone with too much power, much too young.

He glanced back at Nayeon, who stood still, her eyes transfixed onto his desk. It was only then it struck him, his phone. More specifically, who he had been looking at on his phone. He crossed the room quickly, snatching it out from her view. She looked away and cleared .

“I didn’t mean to stare at your phone” She whispered.

Baekhyun knew what must be running through her mind and part of him wanted to explain, but he knew it was useless and unnecessary. It was none of her business anyways. In fact, it was probably better if she misunderstood.

“Please go ahead and write the plan for the day on the board” He said instead, handing her a piece of paper with the class’s study plan and she said nothing, turning around and doing as she was told.

~~~~~~~~~

The end of the day rolled around much faster than he would have liked and already Baekhyun found himself unsettled at the idea that Nayeon had to go home. Well not that she had to go home, but more so that she would probably run into him. But before he had a chance to say anything, the bell rang and he saw as Nayeon shot up and raced out, calling out a quick good bye to Yuna before leaving.

It went on like this for the following week and Baekhyun found himself more and more concerned, but unable to do anything. Their mornings were silent, brief commands given on his part and Nayeon following along without a hint of stubbornness. It was worrisome, but he said nothing. He was so concerned with maintain boundaries that he hadn’t stopped to think that with every passing day, he might’ve just been missing the chance to repay the favor from so long ago.

Chanyeol had come by a couple of times, but she always found herself too busy to leave the classroom each time and Yuna seemed to be a good buffer. Still, he couldn’t help but find himself to be a little worried about her.

It wasn’t until the next Friday, when he found himself stuck at his desk long after everyone had left, that his classroom phone went off startling him. After all, who would be calling at nearly 6pm?

“Hello?”

“Baekhyun?? I mean Mr, Byun! It’s Mrs. Kim, Nayeon’s mother I just wanted to know if there was any chance you knew where she had gone to after school?” She asked in annoyance, “That girl, I swear is always getting herself in trouble!”

“I… is she not at home?” Baekhyun asked.

“No and I’m so worried! I talked with Yuna and she says she hasn’t heard anything from her. I’ve tried calling her, but still nothing. I know she’s been staying late at school helping you out this past week, so I was hoping maybe you kept her a little later than usual?” She asked.

Baekhyun felt his heart sink, she had been lying. She raced out of here faster than any of the students at the end of the day and somehow didn’t make it home until later? If Yuna truly didn’t know where she was, then what was she doing?

“She… might’ve stayed back and done some cleaning. I’m still at the school I’ll pack my things and help look. I’ll call you back if I find her?” He said quickly, packing up his things as he spoke.

“Thank you! I swear that girl is going to get a big scolding when she gets home!” Her mother replied, before hanging up.

Baekhyun nearly threw everything into his bag before closing up the classroom behind him and heading towards the parking lot. He caught himself nearly tripping down the stairs as he raced down not knowing where he would even begin to search for her. He nearly made it out when he heard the echo of running footprints from another hallway. He wouldn’t lie, he was a little nervous, thoughts of ghost stories in the back of his mind as he followed the sounds. He made a sharp turn and felt the breath knocked out of him at the body that raced into him, sending them both onto the ground.

Pain radiated around him as he opened his eyes. He stared up at a breathless Nayeon above him. She glanced down, her face reddening almost instantly. A quiet moment passed between the two as they took each other in.

“S-sorry” Nayeon said finally, much to his embarrassment, being the first person to look away and climbing off of him rather clumsily.

He sat up on the ground and stared up at her, “Where on earth have you been!”

“I… fell asleep”

“What?!”

“Fell asleep?! Where?!” He yelled, inexplicably angry at her despite knowing full well he was just angry at himself more so than her for worrying so much.

“Here” She explained quietly.

“Here?!”

“The… equipment room clears out before school ends. I’ve been wanting to go home a little, just until… people clear out”

Baekhyun found himself about to yell again, at her stupidity for making people worry when he went silent. She didn’t want to run into Chanyeol and like usual, he had been too much of an idiot to help her.

She was scared.