Chanyeol had gotten used to it. A daily routine, he would tell himself.

Step one: go to sleep.

Step two: dream of a random boy he'd never met before.

Step three: wake up with no clue of who said boy is, and never be able to make out the features that were just in his mind.  

Step four: go through the day, fall asleep, and repeat. 

It'd been like that as long as he could remember. Every night, he would dream of a boy with soft black hair and a softer smile, one with golden skin and sparkling dark brown eyes. He could tell the boy was shorter than him, that he smelled like honey, and that his laugh sounded like pure, uninhibited happiness. 

He could also tell that the boy wasn't real -- or at least he'd never seemed real. He was like a vague concept, slipping out of Chanyeol's mind the second he woke up. Chanyeol had tried to draw him so many times. 

He'd place a pencil and sketchbook next to his bed, ready for the next morning. He'd bolt awake, the beautiful face ringing through his mind, but as soon as he touched pencil to paper, the boy was gone.

Instead, a warm, comfortable blossom in his chest made Chanyeol aware that the boy wasn't really gone -- he just couldn't remember his face. The effect of the boy's smile hadn't left him yet, and he doubted it ever would.

--

Today is normal. Another day not knowing who the boy is, another day heading to school with watchful eyes, ready to spot the mystery boy at any time. 

The bus ride is uneventful, just a child who forgot his fare and a kind older lady who ended up paying for him. It makes Chanyeol happy to see that kind of kindness in the world -- he has a soft heart, according to Sehun. His younger friend always makes fun of how easily he's moved to tears, and the amount of faith he holds in the compassion of people. 

Chanyeol thinks that Sehun just needs to shut up sometimes. 

The walk into school is normal. Harsh November wind whips around him, causing his scarf to blow up into his face. He can feel his hair, still slightly wet from his morning shower, turning into loose crunchy curls. Is it already that cold? He sighs. A girl trips and catches herself by grabbing his elbow, then apologizes profusely. Chanyeol finds it cute. 

Once he's seated at his desk, he breathes a sigh of relief -- for making it to class, and for the warmth of the room. 

"Nice of you to show up!" Sehun taunts as he spins around in his chair. 

Sehun is his best friend, really, but Chanyeol is too tired for this. He stayed up late the night before to work on homework, meaning that he had to shower in the morning. So now his hair is crunchy and he's still sleepy. 

"Shut up. I'm about to die," Chanyeol responds with a yawn. Sehun smiles and cups Chanyeol's face with large hands. 

"My little baby is so tired," Sehun pinches his cheeks. "Did you finish that paper for third hour?" 

Chanyeol rolls his eyes because, yes, he did. He spent almost four hours proofing and editing and rewriting that paper. All because it had to be over 1000 words, perfect in grammar, and due the next day. 

"Of course I finished. I'm a good student!" Chanyeol pulls his face out of Sehun's grip, focusing on getting out his pencil pouch. He stops, frowning suddenly. "Also, I'm older than you. You're only here because your parents thought you were some kind of kid-genius and sent you to school a year early." 

"They were wrong. I'm stupid as now." 

Chanyeol can't help but laugh out loud at the look of complete seriousness on Sehun's face. His best friend really is smart -- but only when he chooses to be. And with Sehun's level of laziness, that's close to never. 

"You're smart," the older reassures. "Did you finish?" 

"No." 

Sehun's face is dead serious and Chanyeol worries for his grade. Good luck, he thinks. 

Just as he pulls out a pencil and a notebook, Sehun's friend Jongin rushes over to their desks. The tanned boy always finds out the school news and gossip before anyone else. Having a best friend for student council president and a father for assistant principal makes things easier to learn about. 

"Did you guys hear we got a transfer student? Apparently he just moved here, but he won't tell the teachers where he transferred from." 

Jongin's eyes are wide as he spills this information. Sehun, a natural gossip, seems extremely interested, even abandoning his phone on his desk in favor of making eye contact with Jongin. 

"Do you think he got into a fight?" He seems to rack his brain for more explanations. "Expelled? Got a girl pregnant? Killed someone?" 

Chanyeol scoffs. His mind tries to create an image of the new boy -- tough, tall, and well-built? Threatening? 

"I doubt he killed anyone, Sehun. He probably just doesn't want to bring it up. It might've been a bad school or something, and he's trying to avoid getting judged about it." Chanyeol points this out with a flick to his best friend's head.

Sehun recoils bitterly, swatting at Chanyeol's large hands. 

"You're zero fun," he chides. Sehun turns away from Chanyeol to resume the gossip with Jongin excitedly, and Chanyeol takes the chance to try and get rid of the crunchiness of his hair. 

As he runs his hands through the cold locks, the bell rings, and his homeroom teacher walks in holding his usual attendance folder. However, Chanyeol notices that something else is also in his hand -- a differently colored folder, one that's used for schedules. 

Is the transfer student in our class? 

Sehun turns around at a whiplash-inducing speed, making a face that ponders the same exact question.

Chanyeol shrugs, hoping that the empty seat next to him isn't chosen. There are three more empty spots around the room, and he desperately doesn't want a potential murderer-impregnator-expellee next to him, making Sehun curious and Chanyeol uncomfortable.

"Class, settle down," Mr. Lee starts, opening his folders. "As I'm sure you've heard, there's a transfer student joining us today. I'll let him introduce himself in a minute once he heads down this way. Until then, continue studying while I take attendance, okay?" 

The class makes a noncommittal "okay" sound and each friend group reconvenes to talk about the new revelation. Even Jongin looks shocked that the new, mysterious student is coming to their class. 

"Jongin, why didn't you tell us that?" Sehun shrieks in frustration. He seems panicked now. 

Jongin shrugs violently. "Kyungsoo didn't tell me! I don't think student council knew that yet. Just that there was a new--"

He's cut off by the soft sound of the classroom door sliding open. 

Everyone snaps their attention to the front of the room where a small boy is standing, back to the class.

They all watch as he slides the door shut softly, almost as if he's unfamiliar with what strength should be used to do this. The class is in shocked awe as he shuffles towards the podium, head down and books clutched so tightly that his knuckles are white. Everyone seems to be waiting for him to speak, to show his face -- to explain himself.

Chanyeol can't see much of his face, just a little of his left cheek and chin, but he knows there's something there -- something familiar. Something that won't go away. 

"Can you introduce yourself to the class?" Mr. Lee asks, bending to make eye contact. The boy shys away slightly before nodding. 

He turns to face the class slowly, and when he looks up his face is flushed, eyes wide and terrified. 

Something clicks inside Chanyeol. The face is so familiar. His features look as if they had always been in the back of his mind. It's the boy. 

They're both shaking. The boy seems too scared to speak, and Chanyeol cannot believe what he's seeing. He's just as he always looked, but somehow real life makes him glow more. He seems to glitter with every movement.

His soft hands and smile and eyes and the way he is blushing Chanyeol's brain is screaming how is he real this is a dream am I dreaming how is this real how is he real how is he real

The same soft hair turns to their homeroom teacher, mumbling a question. The same smile spreads -- this time out of awkwardness -- on the boy's face at the teacher's response. 

Chanyeol doesn't think he can breathe. 

"It seems he's a little shy. I'll introduce him instead," Mr. Lee smiles good-naturedly. "This is Byun Baekhyun, the new transfer student. Why don't you go sit down over there, Baekhyun?" 

Chanyeol vaguely sees his teacher gesturing towards him, and suddenly everything is too much. Chanyeol feels like screaming.

It's been so easy for him to brush it off as a weird recurring dream, but with this boy standing in front of him everything is different. He can't believe he actually exists -- he can't believe he didn't make him up. 

Baekhyun Baekhyun Baekhyun Baekhyun

"Chanyeol, raise your hand, please," Mr. Lee's deep voice breaks through his panic and he raises it automatically. 

School comes naturally to Chanyeol, even when it feels like breathing doesn't. 

He hears soft footsteps making their way over to him, light as a feather. He senses his classmates' eyes following Baekhyun and landing on Chanyeol. 

That's when he makes a big mistake; he looks up. 

Eye contact with the boy isn't like his dreams -- Baekhyun isn't smiling. He's walking nervously, face stoic and eyes sparkling. Baekhyun looks straight at him, almost through him, and Chanyeol can tell there's no recognition. It isn't two-sided. Chanyeol is the only one who has these dreams. 

Baekhyun looks away quickly and settles in his seat to the right of Chanyeol. The gentle scent of honey wafts over him. 

Chanyeol thinks he's lucky that he never divulged to Sehun about his dream, because now it'd be too much to explain. Now it wasn't just a weird, Chanyeol thing -- it was a real person with a real name. 

Chanyeol chances a look in the boy's direction. Baekhyun's hand is shaking and he's biting his lip, almost as if he's trying not to cry. Chanyeol can't tear his eyes away from his face. All of his features are the same as the boy in his dream.

Except, when Baekhyun turns to look back, there is no soft smile on his face. 

Instead, Chanyeol can see that his eyes are so dark brown that they look like almost black. The night sky, he thinks, his eyes look like the night sky, with stars and everything. 

Chanyeol averts his eyes as fast as he can, blushing to the core. 

I hope I'm dreaming.

---------------

um wow first chapter? this is awful? but i hav the plot planned (mostly) and ! we'll see how it flows!!!!! can't wait for them to interact more! i lov u if u try this fic out,,,, if u like it and want me to keep going, pls comment/upvote/anything so that i kno!!! hngngng im so nervous!!!!!!!!!!!!

i lov u guys bye im screaming