Chapter 2 (1/3):

“Did you understand what the professor was talking about today?”

“Of course!”

“… Tell the truth, Chanyeol.”

“… No, I fell asleep…”

“Mhm,” Baekhyun hummed cheerfully, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as they walked out of class. “I know, you were snoring and leaning on my shoulder,” the shorter boy said teasingly.

“D-did I?” Chanyeol mumbled, turning his head away as he felt the red blush creeping up his face.

“My shoulder’s sore from supporting your head,” Baekhyun whined, dramatically flexing his arm. “You better give me massages for the next month.”

“O-of course! I’ll take lessons… I-I’ll go to classes, I’ll make sure you get the best massages in the wo-”

“Chanyeol, I was joking.”

“…Oh.”

“Unbelievable. We’ve been friends for almost half a year and you still can’t take a joke,” Baekhyun pouted, latching on the Chanyeol’s arm and tugging at the giant’s sleeve. “I thought we were good friends?”

Baekhyun missed the way the tips of Chanyeol’s ears turned bright red, even redder than his face, and the way the taller boy used his other hand to cover his face to try and muffle the incoherent squeaks of adoration that threatened to leave his mouth.

The shorter boy wasn’t wrong. After Chanyeol’s disastrous method of initiating a conversation (aka failed confession) the two did in fact become closer. In the half-year they were friends, Chanyeol discovered that his crush had very little close friends, basically making him and Kyungsoo his only two.

Unfortunately, what came with the friendship also came with knowledge about his crush’s love life.

And the smaller boy had a very complicated love life.

The Baekhyun that Chanyeol had the longest crush on. The angel that caught his eye from the moment he walked into the stupid coffee shop. The boy with the softest smile, the cutest expressions, the sweetest laugh. Had one very bad habit.

Some might even call it a kink.

Baekhyun only likes smart people.

Chanyeol was doomed.

Baekhyun had a habit of going around, signing up for private tutoring lessons, sleeping with the tutor within a week, then repeat the cycle again. From the short amount of time they’ve known each other, Chanyeol’s heard too many recounts of Baekhyun’s one-night stands. And it frustrated Chanyeol to no ends that his crush was telling him about all the guys he’d slept with when he himself was so head over heels for him.

Seems that despite Chanyeol’s poor attempts, Baekhyun only saw him as a friend.

He should be thanking his lucky stars, shouldn’t he? Not every person could go from total stranger to close friends with their crush in just half a year.

Chanyeol didn’t know if he was lucky as hell or the unluckiest bastards alive.

“Chanyeol? Are you listening?”

“Huh?” Chanyeol snapped his gaze back down to his friend. Baekhyun had let go of Chanyeol’s arm, instead letting his fingers brush over the sleeve of his sweater. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

“I was talking about the study abroad program to Beijing. The forms are due soon, and it would be a good opportunity for our major. Are you interested?”

“Oh. Uh,” Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck unsurely. “Sorry, Baek, I don’t think my grades are high enough to get in. You’re a lot smarter than me, you should do it.”

Baekhyun’s face fell at Chanyeol’s response. “It would be nice to have someone I know come with me,” he mumbled quietly, looking down as he bit his lips. Chanyeol almost immediately agreed just because he didn’t want to see that crestfallen look on Baekhyun’s face. “I’m sure with some tutoring you can get your grades up. We can sign up for the next session in a few months.”

“I-I don’t know, Baek, you know me. I’m really stupid.”

“Nonsense,” Baekhyun smiled brightly. “I can help you! Trust me, with the number of tutors I’ve been with, I’m sure I can tutor you myself.”

And there it was. A sharp pain pierced through Chanyeol’s heart as Baekhyun continued chatting. At this point, Chanyeol was so deep in the friendzone he wouldn’t be surprised if Baekhyun started telling him who he was going to sleep with next.

Wait… didn’t he tell Chanyeol that he was getting tutoring sessions from a senior just last week?

…

The two walked down the halls as Chanyeol continued with his inner turmoil. They had just finished their last class and had plans to meet their friends for a late lunch. Jongin and Kyungsoo were as gross as ever, and despite the on and off relationship between Jongdae and Minseok, the two were having a good month and amazingly still together.

“Do you know what you want to do after we graduate, Yeol?”

“We still have a year, Baek, can’t we just enjoy these few months before we get thrown into the real world?”

“I know, but…” A dreamy smile slipped across Baekhyun’s face. “I guess I’m just ready to grow up. Be an adult and make a living for myself.”

“Not me,” Chanyeol shook his head childishly. “I don’t really know what I want to do after we graduate. I’m not even sure where I would work.”

“Oh, Yeollie, you’re so cute,” Baekhyun cooed, petting Chanyeol’s face fondly (the taller boy felt his heart skip a beat). “I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Maybe if you stop falling asleep in classes you can—”

Baekhyun suddenly stopped talking, his eyes growing wide behind his thick-framed glasses. He quickly let go of Chanyeol’s arm and fumbled with the baseball cap he always wore (“I don’t want my hair to be a distraction in class,” Baekhyun had told Chanyeol a few months back), tipping the lid lower to cover his face. Confused, Chanyeol looked up to see what got his attention.

It was a professor. One of the professors from their major. Chanyeol didn’t really go to the faculty office often, but he remembered this professor from his freshman orientation. His name was Kim… Kim something…

“Professor Kim,” Chanyeol greeted politely (playing it safe and hoping he got the name right).

“Park,” the professor greeted back. “I haven’t seen you in my office at all these few years. How are your academics?”

Chanyeol winced. “They’re… decent.” If solid B’s and C’s were decent, then sure, his grades were decent.

His teacher probably sensed his lie. He pursed his lips and gave Chanyeol a stern look. “Park, if you’re hoping to get into a good career after graduation, then you better start taking your education more—”

A cheerful jingle interrupted the professor, shocking both men out of their conversation. Chanyeol turned his head and saw Baekhyun jump at the sound of his ringtone, fumbling through his pockets to grab his phone.

“Hello?” Baekhyun answered quietly, his soft voice barely audible.

“Baek?” Chanyeol heard Kyungsoo say over the phone. “Where are you guys? We’re still meeting for lunch, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, we’ll be there soon,” Baekhyun replied quietly. “See you in a bit.”

“You okay? Why are you talking so quietly? Are you guys in the library?”

“It’s… complicated. I’ll tell you later,” Baekhyun whispered before hanging up quickly. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he tugged Chanyeol’s sleeve and muttered, “Yeol, we should go.”

“Baekhyun?” Professor Kim said disbelievingly. “Byun Baekhyun?”

“Junm—Professor Kim,” Baekhyun replied monotonously. “I’m sorry, but we have prior plans, so if you’ll excuse us.” He grabbed Chanyeol’s arm and brushed past the professor.

“Wait.” Professor Kim grabbed Baekhyun’s forearm tightly, a sense of urgency and desperation in his voice. “Can we talk?”

Baekhyun froze at the professor’s touch. Chanyeol could feel his crush’s hand tighten around his wrist. He could feel a slight tremble coming from his friend as Baekhyun chewed his bottom lip nervously.

“I have to go,” Baekhyun whispered, gently prying his arm out of Professor Kim’s grasp, letting go of Chanyeol’s in the process. Even without Baekhyun’s hand on him, Chanyeol could tell he was shaking. “Goodbye,” he breathed, not sparing the teacher another glance before leaving the building.

“What’s up with Baekhyun?” Jongdae asked curiously, one arm thrown carelessly around Minseok’s shoulders and the other tapping away at his phone. Minseok was also on his phone, not really listening to the conversation. Jongin was sitting across from them, sighing forlornly, pining over Kyungsoo, who left to walk Baekhyun to the bus station.

“I don’t know,” Chanyeol mumbled, phone also at hand as he tried to decide whether or not to text his crush and see if he was okay. “We ran into our professor and he just kinda… tensed up. Got real quiet afterwards. It was super awkward.”

“I’ve never seen him like that,” Jongin pitched in. “Usually he’s really talkative and happy, but today he just seemed kinda… depressed.”

“Isn’t he your friend?” Jongdae asked. “Has he told you about anything that would make him this upset?”

“I guess we’re not that close,” Chanyeol replied bitterly. His best friends shut their mouths abruptly; Minseok slapped Jongdae on the back of his head for asking something so insensitive.

“What are you guys moping about?” Kyungsoo was back.

“Soo!” Jongin cried happily, throwing himself onto the smaller man. “I missed you!”

“Nini, I’ve only been gone for ten minutes,” Kyungsoo mumbled, patting the top of Jongin’s head lightly. The tan boy replied by nuzzling into his neck.

“Get a ing room,” Jongdae groaned while Chanyeol crumpled up a used napkin and tossed it at the couple.

“Shut up,” Jongin stuck his tongue out at his best friends. “Don’t hate just cuz my relationship with Soo is the most stable out of us three.”

“Shush!” Jongdae gasped, clasping his hands over Minseok’s ears. “Minnie and I have taken a few breaks here and there, but we love each other very much.”

“Hear, hear,” Minseok mumbled from the side, still not paying attention to the conversation. Jongdae looked over at the older man fondly, leaning in and turning his cheek towards Minseok, expecting a kiss. When Minseok didn’t oblige, he turned back and whined, pouting as the barista continued to ignore him.

“Whatever,” Jongin scoffed. “At least you’re better than Chanyeol. Six months and he still hasn’t manned up enough to ask Baekhyun on a date.”

“Sh-shut up!” Chanyeol stuttered, face heating up as his friends snickered. “There just hasn’t been a right time.”

“Sure, you guys have almost all the same classes, when you’re not with us you’re with him, hell, you guys even hang out on the weekends. You’re basically dating already!”

“Shut up, Jongdae. It’s complicated.”

“What’s complicated, you not being able to ask your crush out? You, my friend, are afraid of rejection.”

“How was Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo, desperate to change the topic. “Did he get on the bus alright?”

“Instead of asking me, you should just walk him from now on,” Kyungsoo replied teasingly, playing along with the rest of their friends.

“Kyungsoo, not you too!” Chanyeol wailed in betrayal. His friends all laughed as Chanyeol grumbled to himself.

After a few more minutes of random chattering, each person bid farewell as they all decided to call it a day. Minseok needed to go back to his coffee shop and Jongdae was planning on going with him. Despite Minseok’s original rejection, they walked away arm in arm; Chanyeol even saw Minseok lean over and plant a small kiss on Jongdae’s cheek.

God, he was so ing jealous.

“Hey, Jongin, do you mind if I talk with Kyungsoo for a bit?” Chanyeol asked as Jongin and Kyungsoo gathered their bags.

Jongin squinted at Chanyeol suspiciously. “Why…” he asked cautiously. He gasped. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna try to steal Soo just cuz you and Baekhyun aren’t working out!”

“Nini, shut up,” Kyungsoo hissed, smacking Jongin over the head. “You go ahead, I need to talk with Chanyeol anyways.”

Jongin looked beyond betrayed, but he reluctantly complied, grabbing his bags and sulking away. He made sure to throw Chanyeol a dirty look, and after all their years of friendship, Chanyeol was absolutely certain that look read “try anything funny and you’re dead.”

“Sorry about Jongin,” Kyungsoo apologized after said person was finally out of earshot. “I spoil him too much.”

“Trust me, I know,” Chanyeol snorted. He had too many memories of Jongin getting everything he wanted just because he was the youngest of their trio.

“I’m assuming you wanted to talk to me about Baekhyun.”

“Yeah… he was really out of it after he met that professor. He called him Jun something, do you know who he is?”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips, throwing cautious glances at the puzzled giant. “Park Chanyeol, you have to understand,” Kyungsoo finally started, looking at Chanyeol in a way that was almost begging—pleading him to listen without judgment. “Byun Baekhyun is my best friend. We’ve been through a lot together, and we always tell each other everything that’s happening in our lives. Hell, Jongin waited for weeks before he was comfortable enough to introduce me to you guys, and I told Baekhyun the night we became official!”

Chanyeol nodded. He may be dumb, but he was no stranger to strong friendships. He grew up with Jongin and Jongdae, and even if they didn’t tell each other everything, they always knew they could go to each other for support and comfort.

“But,” Kyungsoo said hesitantly, “while I pour my heart open to him, Baekhyun doesn’t always tell me everything.

“A few years ago, before we were even students… he came over to my house saying he was in love. He said he had met this guy on campus and they just clicked and he was going to meet him for dinner later that week. I felt happy for him… I was happy seeing him happy. A few weeks later, Baekhyun told me they were dating, and I couldn’t be happier for him! But when I tried getting him to tell me more about this guy, he just smiled at me and said, ‘Sorry, Soo, I can’t tell you now, but maybe one day I’ll introduce you to him.’

It was a pretty normal relationship… it was a long one, the longest that he’s ever had. He would always disappear after classes, and I just assumed he was going to see him. I tried asking him a few more times if he would just tell me who the mystery guy was, but he would just smile and say, ‘Can’t tell.’

But then… two months into our junior year… something happened. Baekhyun never told me what it was, but I know it wasn’t good. He came over to my house, like before, but this time he was sobbing his eyes out, bawling and screaming something I couldn’t understand. I just held him for the rest of the night as he cried and cried and cried… When he finally stopped, I asked what happened, and he smiled again, and said, ‘We broke up.’

I… still don’t know the exact details as to what happened… but I know whatever it was made him want to grow up. He went from complaining about wanting more weekends and vacations to studying and working harder to become an adult… to graduate and go into the adult world. And that’s when he started sleeping around with all those tutors. But he’s always been like that… before this mystery guy, his longest relationship was a week and a half…”

Silence fell between them as Kyungsoo looked down, guilt washing over his face as he divulged the deep, dark secrets that Baekhyun had entrusted him with. Chanyeol’s head was reeling; he tried making sense of the story Kyungsoo had just told him, trying to understand all the information he was just given.

Baekhyun had his heart broken.

Baekhyun liked sleeping around.

Baekhyun was immature, like he was.

Baekhyun wanted to become an adult as quickly as possible.

There were so many contradicting qualities to his mysterious angel, and just trying to understand it all made Chanyeol’s head hurt.

“I don’t know… if the guy you guys ran into was his ex or not… but whoever he was, it isn’t good. Baekhyun’s a strong person. To see him that shaken up… I don’t like it,” Kyungsoo mumbled. “And I can’t even do anything to help him.”

“Don’t say that, Kyungsoo, you did the best you could,” Chanyeol replied immediately.

“What kind of friend am I? I never ing knew the guy’s name,” Kyungsoo spat bitterly.

“Don’t beat yourself up over this, Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol murmured as he pat his friend gently on the shoulder. “You said it yourself. Baekhyun is strong. Just show him that you’re here for him, that we’re all here for him. It’ll work out, I’m sure of it.”

Kyungsoo gawked at the taller boy in amazement. “Park Chanyeol, in the few months that I have known you, that was the smartest thing I’ve ever heard leave your mouth.”

“Oh my god, you, I’m trying to be a good ing person and this is what I get—”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Kyungsoo snorted, throwing Chanyeol a grateful look. “I tried my best. I signed him up for that coffee class cuz I was tired of seeing him drown himself in schoolwork. College is supposed to be fun, we’re supposed to be living our lives before being thrown into the real world… but he wants to skip out on all those moments and become an adult as soon as he can.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Chanyeol said softly. “And when he’s ready, he’ll tell you.”

“Or you,” Kyungsoo smiled humorlessly. “These days, I don’t know who’s closer to him, me or you.”

“I couldn’t compete with you, Soo,” Chanyeol laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll always be his best friend, no matter what happens.”

Kyungsoo beamed. “Thanks, Chanyeol.” He sighed and shouldered his bag. “Well, I should go before Nini starts worrying. Don’t want him calling the cops again.”

Chanyeol’s face darkened when he remembered that particular incident his youngest friend had caused when Kyungsoo went home to grab some papers he had forgotten. “You don’t think it’ll show up in my records, do you?” he groaned.

“Not sure,” the shorter boy laughed as he waved goodbye.

“By the way!” Kyungsoo called back while Chanyeol packed his things to leave as well. “I totally support you two, you’d look cute together!”

For the hundredth time that day, Chanyeol’s face turned bright red.

“In other news, it’s still too early to be putting away those coats and scarves, as—”

Click.

“Did you see that? What a seamless pass between—”

Click.

“Ahjusshi, I love you!”

Click.

“I’m gonna become the King of the Pirates!”

“Oohh! One Piece!”

Chanyeol settled on his small couch, cracking open a cold can of Coca-Cola as he excitedly watched the rerun of his favorite anime. It was near midnight, but considering his long week and no class the next day, he deserved this little alone time. His small apartment wasn’t much: one room, one bath, a small kitchen and a living room acting as his study and dining area. The coffee table was old, cracks forming in the wood, but he could never imagine throwing it away. It was his parent’s farewell present to him when he first moved out of their home to go to college.

Letting out a refreshed and content sigh, he laid back into the comforts of the cushions. Not a second passed when his phone suddenly rang; he almost dropped his drink when the shrill sound ripped through his small living room, disturbing the monologue some villain was giving. While he managed to keep the can from tipping, he felt relief that nobody was there to hear the very unmanly shriek that left his lips.

Why was his ringtone so ing loud? He always made sure to turn it off before class, and the last time he had his phone out was when Jongdae took it to message Jongin about—

Oh.

ing Kim Jongdae.

 “Who the calls this late at night,” he grumbled before cheerfully answering “Chanyeol here,” without checking the caller ID.

Loud music and background noise was the first thing that answered him. He almost went deaf from the sudden blast of sounds that erupted through his speaker.

“Hello?” he tried again.

Again, just loud noises. There was laughing mixed into the noise this time, laughter that sounded much too familiar.

“Yeeoooollll~”

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked incredulously. “Where are you? It sounds like you’re at a concert, why’s it so loud?”

“Yeollie, yeollie, yeollie~” the husky voice he loved sang back, his nickname slurred and almost lost to the loud music.

“Baek, are you… are you drunk?”

“Baekhyunnie was saddddd. Baekhyunnie… Baekhyunnie went to th-the bar to drink. B-but Baekhyunnie drank a lottttt. Like. A lot, a lot,” the caller slurred from the other end. He stopped talking abruptly and started giggling stupidly. “Yeollie, Baekhyunnie is sleeppppyyyyyy.”

Chanyeol immediately jumped up from his couch, concern drowning out all his other senses. “, Baekhyun, where are you right now?”

“B-bar,” Baekhyun mumbled, then laughed and loudly sang, “Bar bar bar! Bar bar barrrr!”

“Okay, Baek, don’t move, alright? I’m coming to get you now,” Chanyeol ordered, already rushing around his small apartment to grab a jacket. “Which bar are you at? Do you know?” he asked worriedly, shoving one arm through the sleeve, juggling the remaining fabric and his apartment keys with his spare hand while keeping the phone pressed to his ear with his shoulder.

“Baekhyunnie drank too muchhhh,” his friend sang, still laughing stupidly. “B-Baekhyunnie tries not to drink c-cuz Junmyeon-hyung s-said it was childish to… to drink too much. And Baekhyunnie is an adult. A-adults don’t go to b-bars.”

“Whatever you say, Baek, now tell me where you are.”

“Wait,” his drunken crush gasped. “B-Baekhyunnie’s at a bar! B-Baekhyunnie isn’t an adult anymore!” His drunken cries quickly turned into wails. “I-I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay, Baekhyun, just tell me where you ar—“

Click.

Dread filled Chanyeol’s body when the cacophony was replaced with a dial tone.

Baekhyun hung up.

And Chanyeol had no idea where he was.

I'm a pathological liar I'm sORRY

BUT HERE'S THE REST OF THIS LITTLE BDAY STORY LMAO

ENJOY DAUGHTER DEAREST