Bittersweet Rivarly

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It was the middle of the school day, four months into the second half of the school year.

Sitting at his usual table Park Chanyeol munched on his potato chips as he waited for his friends to appear.

Caught in a daydream, Chanyeol did not realize that his friends were already invested in a very serious conversation when they sat themselves down next to him.

He blinked back to reality at the sound of his friends' voices.

"Hey--"

"You think you can get his attention?" Sehun pointed his fork at Kris.

"Who--"

"Honestly speaking, you don't look like his type." Jongin stated. "I bet he likes guys that can actually dance."

Sehun nodded in agreement with Jongin. They were both dancers after all.

"What does that have to do with it?" Kris scoffed.

"It means we have the ability to perform , fluid movements in alternative situations." Jongin sipped the milk carton on his tray, a suggestive smirk on his lips.

"Well, I'm tall and handsome. I'm sure he likes a guy that would be able to protect him and has looks that match up with his. Unlike some people..." Kris eyes Jongin and Sehun up and down.

"If anyone matches up with him. It would be me." Jongdae interrupted with a small smile before taking his spot next to Kris.

"His laugh is loud like mine. We are the same height and we have the same sense of humor."

"What sense of humor." Kyungsoo mutters. Everyone turns their attention to him.

"You don't even like him why are getting involved." Jongdae hissed.

"Who says I don't." He remarks, nonchalantly.

All eyes are on Kyungsoo while he continued to eat his food as if he isn't being watched.

"So, you do?" The boys leaned in, waiting for his answer.

"No but it was sure entertaining to watch you guys sweat at the idea of another competitor." He smirks.

"I almost thought it was game over for all of us." Sehun dramatically places his hand over his heart.

"Besides I'm already interested in someone."

Jongdae chuckles, "Seriously? Who?"

"A ing idiot."

"That narrows it down." Jongin thinks aloud. "The only idiots I know are you guys."

"We can't be idiots. Baekhyun likes smart people."

"Wait, Baekhyun?" Chanyeol finally speaks up, breaking the silence that he has been keeping since this ridiculous conversation about some guy intrigued on his lunch.

"Yeah."

"Wait...you used to be friends with him." Sehun points at Chanyeol.

Although, Chanyeol didn't like the word used to. Sehun wasn't wrong. He used to be friends with Byun Baekhyun.

The reason behind their separation was the typical one of longtime friends drifting apart.

"What does he like in a guy?" Sehun asks.

"I don't know." He knew Baekhyun did like boys since he came out to Chanyeol in the 8th grade but the specifics of what he liked in a guy were unknown to even him.

"How can you know nothing? You guys were friends for a long time, how about his past relationships?" Sehun and the others had their eyes set on the taller boy in interest for any information on the guy they liked.

Chanyeol sighs, "He never dated anyone. I'm sorry but I don't know anything else."

The table suddenly turns quiet. Everyone goes back to eating their food with the sound of food packages opening.

"I got it!" Sehun snaps his fingers. "What if Baekhyun is waiting for someone to sweep him off his feet. He hasn't found the right guy yet maybe-"

"I'm the right guy for him." The four say in unison.

"No, I'm the one!" Jongin declares with a childish pout.

"I am." Jongdae states.

"I doubt either of you shorties is." Kris challenges.

"Wanna bet, Tree?"

"Tree?" The blonde guy laughs. "That's the best you got."

"Guys--"

"When I win a date with Baekhyun, the rest of you have to back off." Kris says with confidence.

Jongdae scoffs and rolls his eyes, "When you win? You mean if you do."

"It's a deal." Sehun cuts in with a mischievous smile then looks around the table. "If one of us gets Baekhyun to go on a date then the rest of us have to back off."

"Every man for themselves." The four exchange glances.

"This definitely won't go well." Kyungsoo mutters.

It won't. He knows that Kyungsoo is right more than Chanyeol likes to admit.

When lunch ended and they were heading back to class, Sehun pulled Chanyeol to the side.

"I know you know more than you let on." Sehun quietly says.

"I don't." Chanyeol tries to whisper back.

"Keep telling yourself that." Sehun replies smugly.

"Okay, what is it that you want to know?" Sehun is beating around the bush and Chanyeol just wants him to get to the point.

"Nothing, nothing at all..." The younger eyes him with mischief.

"Really?"

"I already know what I need to know, Park." Sehun leisurely stuffs his hands into his front pockets and walks ahead of the taller guy.

Chanyeol blinks a few times at Sehun's back then lightly shakes his head before he soon follows after Sehun.

Typical Sehun. He always alludes to knowing more than he does. It's his knack to get people to reveal more.

But Chanyeol wouldn't say it works. Maybe it did on the weak minded but not on him.

He could see what the brat wanted was for more information on his former best friend and to have an advantage.

And Chanyeol already knew he didn't want to be a part of their war of hearts.

He wasn't going to open that Pandora's Box.

His friends are on their own on this.

"Please tell me."

"No." Jongdae has been nagging him since last night through text for him to answer questions about Baekhyun.

Right now, they are meant to be studying for their biology quiz but Jongdae had other plans.

"Chanyeol, come on." He continued in a harsh whisper. "Tell me what his favorite movie is."

"Figure it out for yourself." Honestly if he likes Baekhyun so much he should be asking him rather than asking Chanyeol.

"Why when I can ask you."

"Because I won't tell you..."

"Fine..." Jongdae lets out an exasperated breath. Seemingly, giving up faster than Chanyeol thought. His friend usually won't take no for an answer.

For the rest of the time they are at school, Jongdae doesn't say a word. Not to Chanyeol, not to anyone. Jongdae's loud whining and deliberate sarcasm is missing in action during class and lunch.

With him and Jongdae having most classes together as partners, the taller can barely endure this new unbearable silence. It hasn't even been a full-on day, maybe only four hours.

Even though, Jongdae is annoying most days. That's the thing Chanyeol likes about him, he is unapologetically annoying.

It's part of his charm and he is sick of this.

Jongdae needs to stop this nonsense.

"So, if I happen to tell you what movies Baekhyun likes will you stop being so annoyingly quiet. "It's honestly creeping me out."

Jongdae looks up from his phone.

A smile automatically spreads across Jongdae's lips, one side twitching slightly up. "I thought you would never ask."

This guy is something else.

Chanyeol glares at him then heaves a sigh of relief. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts together, sorting through his forgotten box of memories of his friendship with Baekhyun.

"From what I remember, Baekhyun has always liked comedy." He reminisces.

No matter how stupid and illogical the movie would be he always enjoyed them.

Chanyeol didn't care for those movies but somehow, he was able to tolerate watching them with his friend.

After all, how can he object to something that brought a smile to his friend's face.

"Why do you like watching these movies? They ." Chanyeol asks once the credits of the movie start to roll. Baekhyun punches Chanyeol's arm.

"Hey!" Chanyeol shouts. "It's an honest question." He defends himself.

"I doubt it." Baekhyun mutters then turns to his taller friend, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why do you watch sci-fi? They ."

The taller chuckles, "Because it's an escape."

"Exactly, life is serious enough, Chanyeol. Comedy brings fun back into it."

"Even when it doesn't make sense," He raises an eyebrow.

"Because it doesn't make sense..." Baekhyun smiles.

Chanyeol breaks from his memory when he notices that Jongdae is leaving him behind. "Hey, where are you going?"

"See you tomorrow." Jongdae says over his shoulder. "And thanks." He rushes off to who knows where.

"What happened to not getting involved?" Kyungsoo suddenly appeared beside Chanyeol, giving him a mini heart attack.

"I'm not!"

"Well I guess you have been from the very start, so it won't matter either way."

"Why do you say that?" Chanyeol asks even if he knows the answer.

"You know Baekhyun or used to." Why does everyone have to say used to.

"Your knowledge helps them get close to him and possibly get a date with him. Basically, you're the author of Byun Baekhyun for These Dummies." Kyungsoo sums up.

He didn't want to be the freakin' author.

Chanyeol internally groans.

"The thing is though those idiots don't even consider the possibility that Baekhyun might already be in a relationship or maybe even like somebody." Kyungsoo says as he watches Chanyeol intently.

"What makes you think that?"

"He is a likable guy and with the amount of people that like him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already dating someone."

Dating?

Chanyeol couldn't imagine it.

After all, they are just high school students. In the matter of relationships, people don't entirely take them seriously. He couldn't count how many times he has heard of people going out one minute then breaking up the next.

He knew Baekhyun hoped for more than that.

Baekhyun wouldn't date or like just anyone.

"I would be careful if I were you." Chanyeol snaps out of his thoughts. "Jongdae might be our friend but he can be a real pain in the ."

Jongdae being a real pain in the is the reason he is once again caught in the middle.

Is Kyungsoo ever wrong?

The following day, it wasn't hard to notice that Jongdae had help when he was suddenly chatting Baekhyun up, making him laugh and smile.

Jongdae hadn't talked to him before so the others immediately knew something was amiss.

Jongin, Sehun, and Kris set their eyes on Jongdae when he finally joins their table with a bright smile on his face.

At first the others don't say anything only silently eating their lunch until Kris decides that's not enough for him.

"What were you two talking about just now?" Kris starts, asking the question all on their mind. "You and Baekhyun..."

Jongdae knew exactly what Kris was talking about without the "You and Baekhyun" part but he couldn't deny liking the sound of it.

"About when our first date will be..." The air around the four becomes extremely heavy.

"You're joking." Jongin said with a deep frown.

"Of course, I am." Jongdae chuckles at the expense of the others. "At least for now..."

"What did you do to Baekhyun? Suddenly he is talking to you when just yesterday he probably didn't even know your name." Jongdae maintains an easy smile despite the mini insult from the jealous blonde.

"You could say it was divine intervention." He remarks.

"It was Chanyeol." Sehun rolls his eyes, obviously annoyed of the unnecessary back and forth between the three.

"He told you something about Baekhyun, didn't he?" They shift their attention onto Chanyeol. Their intense stares burning holes in him. He knows he probably looks completely guilty right now. In all honesty, who else would it be?

"He did." Jongdae threw him under the bus.

"That's against the rules." Jongin shouts causing everyone in the cafeteria to fall silent and stare at their table.

Chanyeol really wants to hide at this very moment. None of them try to speak until the attention diverts.

"There are no rules." Jongdae points out.

"It's still an uneven playing field." Sehun retorts. "You used Chanyeol to get ahead of us. Now, we have to even the odds." Jongin and Kris nod excessively along with Sehun's idea.

Chanyeol notices the frown etched on Jongdae's lips.

Then Sehun's determined gaze is on Chanyeol and an extremely uncomfortable feeling begins to stir in the pit of Chanyeol's stomach.

"That means Chanyeol has to tell each and every one of us something about Baekhyun."

"W-wait-"

"And he will." Kyungsoo declares, giving the taller boy the 'shut up and do it' look.

"Soo.."

"I told you." Kyungsoo mutters as he shakes his head, "Idiot."

After leveling out the playing field between Jongdae, Kris, Jongin, and Sehun, Chanyeol thought this would put an end to his involvement that none of them would try to talk to him about Baekhyun again but he was exactly wrong.

Individually without the others' knowledge, they would corner Chanyeol about Baekhyun.

From school to his house to the restroom, the restroom is where Chanyeol drew the line.

It was getting out of hand. And it got worse with each passing day as the countdown to the end of the semester continued. The desperation and frustration led to Chanyeol's friends to be constantly on his .

It was to the point that the taller schoolboy had to hide from his friends in the library. He didn't usually spend time in the library during school time since he normally liked hanging out with his friends. Lately, it was hard to enjoy their company when you have too much of it.

There's a first for everything.

He sighs to himself, his shoulder feeling extremely tense. He is currently sitting on the ground with his back against the side of a bookcase.

Chanyeol thought about studying while he is here but he instead decided to be unproductive and put on his earphones. When the music starts to enter his ears, he closes his eyes and drowns in the colorful sounds.

Once the song finishes out and it's silent, Chanyeol hears someone nearby mutter a curse. He hears some movement then a curse again.

Chanyeol pauses his music before it can continue. The last thing he wanted right now is for someone to discover his hiding spot.

Chanyeol peeks out into the row to see a short dark-haired guy struggling to reach a book on the second highest shelf.

"Why the do they always place the books this high up." Baekhyun said in an exasperated mutter. He at once recognizes that it is Baekhyun. He could from a mile away.

Chanyeol watches his old friend battle against his inevitable height, contemplating whether to help him out.

He would always help him out whenever height was a factor even if Baekhyun wouldn't want it.

But he is also taking a risk. He could be potentially found out.

"Need help?" Chanyeol voices out then Baekhyun freezes.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." Chanyeol gets up and walks over to his old friend. Baekhyun moves to the side to allow him to get the book for him.

The taller boy reaches his arm up and tips the book slightly over in his direction to grasp onto it.

"Here it is." He hands it over to Baekhyun.

"Thanks, but I didn't need any help."

He expected that response from Baekhyun. He hasn't changed a bit. "I know but I'm not doing much anyways."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything.

"Well, I will get back to...it." Chanyeol starts walking back to his spot.

"How've you been?" Baekhyun suddenly speaks up. The taller looks back over his shoulder.

"The usual." Chanyeol fully faces Baekhyun. He stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Falling over my big feet. And you?"

Baekhyun lightly chuckles, "You've grown out of that. And I still have my horrendous taste in comedies...according to movie critic Chanyeol."

They smile at each other dismissing the appearance of longing flashing through both their eyes.

"Chanyeol?" An awfully familiar deep voice breaks the brief reunion.

Chanyeol's smile falls as his eyes widen and his whole body goes rigid.

"Sorry, I have to go." He quickly explained to a very confused Baekhyun.

"Where-" He starts but Chanyeol is already hurrying away from him.

"Oh, Baekhyun." A guy as tall as Chanyeol approaches him. He knows that he is one of Chanyeol's friends because he has seen them around each other. So why is he hiding from him?

"Kris, right?"

"Yeah..." Kris coolly leans his body against the bookshelf. Although, it was intended to be a smooth move on Kris' part, the tall blond accidentally knocks the books off the other side.

The blonde moves away from the shelf and runs his fingers through his hair, "I'm him."

Baekhyun almost wants to laugh at how similar he and Chanyeol are. Are tall people always this clumsy?

"Were you the one calling for someone just now?" He instead asks.

"Yeah, I was looking for Chanyeol. Have you seen him by any chance?"

Baekhyun doesn't know why Chanyeol would hide from Kris but he must have a good reason.

The shorter guy shakes his head, "Nope."

"Damn, where is-"

"Maybe he stayed in class."

"Maybe..." Kris thinks to himself. Eventually, the blonde shifts his eyes up at his crush. The thought of his seriously uncool moves makes him want to bang his head against a wall. At least no one else saw him. He would never hear the end of it.

"Thanks." Kris gives Baekhyun his rare smile before he hurries away for Chanyeol.

"Why did you cover for me?" Chanyeol finally reveals himself from his hiding spot. Baekhyun didn't have to lie for Chanyeol yet he did.

"Old times' sake," Baekhyun settles with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm guessing you have a good reason for avoiding him."

The taller boy nods his head slowly.

The very reason was standing right in front of him. Byun Baekhyun is the one that his friends want to get close to. He's the one they would risk their friendships to have by their side.

It's a bittersweet circumstance.

"What? You are looking at me all strange."

"I-I make strange faces all the time," Chanyeol quickly says without thinking.

"Very true," Baekhyun teases him.

The taller schoolboy pitches the bridge of his nose. He laughs while shaking his head. "I walked right into that."

He did.

"I should get to reading. Enjoy your match of hide-and-seek with Kris."

"We aren't playing hide-and-seek." He retorts.

"Whatever you say," Baekhyun waves him off.

Chanyeol seats himself comfortably back into his spot with a different feeling than he had earlier.

It's about midnight when Chanyeol locks his phone and sets it down near him on the bed. His eyelids are heavy from the days before and ahead. He turns onto his side falling into his thoughts, he lets it wonder.

A memory with Baekhyun fades in taking over his sleepy mind.

"Why didn't you ask for help?" Chanyeol comes up behind Baekhyun as he struggling to get a book. Their fingers thread together when Chanyeol manages to reach it.

"Because I'm prideful..." Baekhyun turns to face Chanyeol, clearly annoyed that he interfered.

"Wouldn't want you to get hurt..." He teases with a lopsided smile forming on his lips.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and snatches the book away from his friend, "I'll rather hurt myself than my own pride."

"Are you sure?" Chanyeol looks into his eyes with a playful glint in them.

"O-of course, ..." Baekhyun blurts out suddenly taken aback by Chanyeol's blatant flirtatious attitude towards him.

"Doesn't seem like it to me." Chanyeol whispers in a lower octave than usual.

Chanyeol notices Baekhyun's tongue peek out to wet his lips. He knows that it's his friend's nervous tenancy.

"Chanyeol..."

The taller blinks down at his friend, "Yeah...?"

"Don't you know the concept of personal space?"

"Well it's--" Baekhyun presses his palm against Chanyeol's chest, making him back away.

"It wasn't a question, idiot."

There is a deafening silence between the two friends.

"Anyways...ask for help next time..." Chanyeol trails off as he rubs his nape.

Baekhyun nods his head and slowly moves his hand away from his friend's chest, "Sure, whatever."

Before Chanyeol can even question this memory that was tucked away deep in his heart, he gives in to the comfortable arms of sleep.

His lips lift slightly into a sad, sleepy smile then fall away, "Whatever..."

Chanyeol escapes to the library after class. Although, it wasn't an easy escape since Jongdae was always by his side with them being in the same grade with the same class. It took both plan A and B for him to finally get away. At the mention of studying, Jongdae immediately waved him off without any hesitation and left him behind.

"Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Chanyeol mumbled to himself.

Once Jongdae's figure disappeared around the corner of the hallway, Chanyeol hurried away to the library. He quietly entered the expansive room with a warm light filtering through the tall glass windows. At a few of the tables, there were students scattered around, some wearing earphones while staring down at their books, and others speaking in hush tones to friends seated next to them.

Chanyeol scans the room to find the row that he was in yesterday. He quickly walks over and finds his spot.

"Back again." A voice says.

Chanyeol glances up to see Baekhyun standing by. His old friend is wearing a comfortable smile with a book in hand.

"Yeah, back again." Chanyeol replies then sets his eyes on the ground.

"The game must be tense." The taller snaps his head up at Baekhyun.

Does he know?

"I would think Kris would've found you by now." Baekhyun chuckles.

However, Chanyeol silently breathe a sigh of relief.

He must be losing it to think that his former friend might know.

"Mind if I sit?" Chanyeol nods.

Baekhyun sits opposite of Chanyeol. He fits in perfectly unlike Chanyeol, who has to bend his knees. Thankfully, it isn't extremely uncomfortable for him.

Chanyeol pops an earphone in his right here ear. Baekhyun flips the pages of his book open. The atmosphere is drenched in awkward silence. Neither of them says anything as they dive into their own thoughts, trying not to show how uninterested they are in their activities.

Chanyeol closes his eyes and forces himself to focus in on the music playing. While, Baekhyun tries to read one sentence without forgetting what he was just reading. However, it is difficult for both of them.

"Do you still compose music?" Baekhyun breaks his silence while the awkwardness remains.

The taller looks up at Baekhyun, "Not often. Time to time I do when inspiration comes."

"That's good. I'm glad you still do."

"Recently...I did write something new. I have it on my phone, do you want to hear it?"

"Sure." Chanyeol fumbles with his phone. On the outside, it might seem like showing his music is no big deal to him, but he feels extremely nervous. Although, he likes his musical content. He is unsure if others will feel the same way.

Chanyeol finds the song in his musical app gallery. He plugs his earphones back into his phone. The taller hands his right earphone to the latter across from him. Baekhyun scoots closer to place it into his ear. He quickly glances at Chanyeol and nods for him to press play.

The song is only about two minutes long. Those entire two minutes Chanyeol tried to distract himself from what Baekhyun's reaction might be. It was even harder to determine what that might be because he couldn't see the latter's face at all.

The taller doesn't ask immediately once the song is finished instead, he wants him to say something first.

"I really liked it."

"Really...?"

Baekhyun nods and smiles, "It's not too over the top and your voice sounds great with the piano."

"Thanks..."

"When you are finished with the song, can I hear the rest?"

"Actually...I have a full version."

"What? Why didn't you show me it?"

"Because there are some parts, I'm not sure whether to keep or change."

"Maybe I can...help? I don't know much about music as you do but I can try, if you want?"

"Yeah, no, that would be nice."

Baekhyun moves from his side to Chanyeol's completely abandoning his book. Then he puts Chanyeol's earphone back into his ear, "Alright, show me what you got."

The days in the library continue like this. Every day at lunch, Chanyeol and Baekhyun meet in the library in the usual spot. Together, they listen and talk about music.

Baekhyun doesn't know many musical terms. Chanyeol manages to understand what he is saying.

Sometimes, the two go off topic and talk about random things unrelated to music. Sometimes, they would quietly eat and exchange their food without a single word needing to be spoken.

Unbeknownst to them, the gap between them is slowly disappearing. Leaning a bit closer, there were incidents of contact. Their shoulders would accidentally brush, their hands would accidentally touch, and knees would accidentally knock.

One instance was when both Chanyeol and Baekhyun were fully invested in a video of some guy playing the horror game called Until Dawn.

"Have you ever played Until Dawn before?"

"I heard about it, but I barely have any time to play games. My mom is on me about grades. I play League of Legends sometimes." Baekhyun quietly explains. "Have you played this?"

"Nope," Chanyeol keeps his eyes on his phone. "I prefer watching other people play them."

"Oh, that's right," He nudges Chanyeol as he looks at his side profile. "You don't like horror games." He teases.

The taller tries not to react to Baekhyun's teasing and rolls his eyes instead, "You aren't even watching."

Baekhyun finally decides to go along with Chanyeol and watches the video.

"I don't trust Josh." He expresses his inner thoughts wholly, "He's acting kinda strange."

"How can it be him? He is literally at the cabin. The guy can't be in two places at once." The latter argues in a low tone.

"Point taken unless he has an accomplice," He raises his forefinger.

The two continue to watch the plot unfold while trying to contain both of their laughter when the guy playing makes a decision that seems to backfire for the worst.

Despite the tense music playing in the background of the game, Chanyeol watches intently as one of characters is running in the ominous woods for his girlfriend. In the game, the girlfriend suddenly appears creating a classic jump scare moment.

Chanyeol jumps in his spot. The taller of the two, jumps in fear in his spot. Thankfully the jump scare wasn't too intense to the point of making him yelp.

"You really are a scaredy cat..." Baekhyun whispers close to his left ear. The taller looks over to Baekhyun. He is surprised to find that him and Baekhyun's faces are only a few inches apart from each other. Chanyeol is at a loss of words as he stares at the latter's soft features that contrast from the smirk on his lips.

A blush begins to crawl up his neck at the realization that Baekhyun's upper body is also pressed against his left arm. When did they get this close?

He gulps, "I-I'm not...I'm just in touch with my Spidey senses."

The knowing smirk on the shorter schoolboy's lips gradually transitions into a smile. The taller just stares at Baekhyun unsure of what to do with himself as his veins fill with a rush of adrenaline like he is high on sugar. He was caught between wanting to remain close to the shorter or move slightly away from him.

In the past, he wouldn't have given their proximity a second thought. Heck, he used to sleep next to the boy when he slept over at his house. Why does he suddenly feel anxious now?

"Just this once..." Baekhyun leans in a bit further. "I will believe you...Park." Thereafter, Baekhyun turns his attention back to the video still playing.

It was like before yet at the same time it wasn't.

Smiles bashful, chuckles more private, and gazes more prolonged.

The dynamic was a bit different but neither of them seemed to mind it.

Amid their time together, Chanyeol would pause and wonder how long this would last.

How long they will last.

Just the thought of their relationship reverting to them living separate lives made Chanyeol question why it happened in the first place.

"Mom, did you ever wonder why I don't hang out with Baekhyun anymore?" Chanyeol found himself asking as he helped his mom put away the clean dishes.

His mom slowed her work, a thoughtful expression gracing her features.

"Sometimes..." She glances over at Chanyeol. "But its normal for friends to drift apart."

"That's what I used to think." He says under his breath.

When they finished putting the dishes away, the taller headed up to his room.

Closing his door, he drops down onto his comfortable bed and throws his arm over his eyes.

Now that he thinks back on it why did they drift apart?

They were friends for years. They were like brothers.

And he slowly went away. Baekhyun started hanging out with Junmyeon and Minseok more than him. Chanyeol started hanging out with Kyungsoo and the others.

The taller did try to keep in contact with Baekhyun. He texted him sometimes about hanging out but the shorter would answer back with a really vague, "I'm busy."

Chanyeol tried to resist the urge of calling or texting Baekhyun. If he was busy, he didn't want to risk bothering him too much.

Next thing he knew, he was no longer talking or hanging out with Baekhyun anymore.

Neither of them said anything to each other not at school or the phone.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun used to be friends.

So, he settled for the usual story, they drifted apart. It was easier to say and think.

Harder to feel.

It was a lie to say that Chanyeol wasn't hurt by Baekhyun's rejections to hang out. He was upset with the situation, with himself, and with Baekhyun. Most of all, he missed the latter's bubbly and over-the-top personality.

Luckily, his new friends were around when they stopped talking.

Chanyeol lets out a heavy sigh, his shoulders fall. The unpleasant memories and emotions weighing down on his spirit, "It was a long time ago..."

You mean two years ago...

The schoolboy's head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes.

"Who are you kidding..."

"You're really quiet today."

"Just tired..." Chanyeol couldn't sleep well with all the on his mind. He spent most of the night trying to remember where things took a turn in their friendship. 

All that thinking only made him increasingly confused. At that point, Chanyeol thought about just being straightforward and asking Baekhyun but that would only open the possibility of a hurtful truth or worse a realization that he didn't want to be around him, all over again.

"You look like your head is about to explode." Baekhyun's light melodic chuckle fills the quiet spot. "Why are thinking so hard?"

Baekhyun's laugh slowly fades away.

The taller closes his eyes and breaths out a sigh, the question on his mind since last night finally sliding off the tip of his tongue.

"Park...?"

Chanyeol opens his eyes and lifts his head up to look at an awaiting Baekhyun. The ends of his lips are slightly down in a frown. His stare is full of concern and his brows are pulled in at the center.

"Why did we stop being friends?" The question is subtle and swift. It is easier for him to say than he expected.

Baekhyun's features gradually soften except for his frown.

"What you mean is why I stopped being friends with you." He explains with a tight smile and his eyes downcast.

"The reason is actually simple. At first, I didn't know it...how different we were from other friendships. I thought it was normal to feel so close to you until I found myself..." Baekhyun glances over at Chanyeol for a split second before he quickly diverts his eyes back onto the ground.

He thought that Baekhyun wasn't going to continue as the two boys resort to complete, utter silence. The nervous hum in Chanyeol's body increasingly grows with the ever-extending silence. Chanyeol peeks over at the shorter boy to an undeniable look of conflict across his face. Baekhyun's eyebrows are pulled together at the center. His lips are pressed tightly together, and his eyes are unfocused as if in deep thought.

It was a rare sight to see Baekhyun so unsure of himself, to be lost.

Was his curiosity worth putting Baekhyun in this kind of state of mind?

"Baek, it's okay. You don't have to-"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "I do. You deserve to know."

Once again, silence falls onto them. Chanyeol is about say something when the latter begins.

"I...I-I wanted to hold your hand, hug you, and...kiss you, everything a normal friend shouldn't be wanting, I wanted. When I realized that no matter how hard tried that these feelings might not ever go away, I knew I couldn't be friends with you anymore. It was my fault. I didn't want to burden you with my feelings."

"I would've rather you burden me." Chanyeol expresses honestly. No matter how difficult it would've been, he selfishly would've rather had Baekhyun by his side. The taller looked down at his lap. "All this time I thought I did something wrong."

"Instead, I did. Even now, I'm still wrong. Chanyeol, I... I still like you."

Chanyeol's eyes instantly widen, unable to comprehend the image of a red-faced Baekhyun openly confessing to him, him.

He likes him.

The guy at the center of his friends' rivalry likes him.

No. Baekhyun is more than that. He is Chanyeol's first friend. A longtime friend that bought out a side of himself that he wouldn't have known without Baekhyun being a part of his life.

His best friend likes a tall, clumsy schoolboy that is a major scaredy-cat, a nerd for science fiction, and has a burning passion for music.

Baekhyun likes Chanyeol.

"I'm sorry--"

Chanyeol snaps out of his thoughts at once when he hears those two words exit Baekhyun's mouth. "Don't be sorry for having feelings, Baek." The taller shakes his head vigorously, "Never be."

Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol in disbelief.

"How can you say that so easily?" Baekhyun found himself asking out loud.

"Because it's true."

This wasn't the reaction he was expecting from the taller. Although, it wasn't out of character for Chanyeol to be understanding. He should've expected it from years of knowing him. But Baekhyun always seemed to forget that quality of Chanyeol when he thought of what his reaction might be if ever found out.

Baekhyun let his fears get the best of him and his belief in Chanyeol. His fears painted Chanyeol as a type of person that would disregard Baekhyun entirely for his feelings. He can't believe that he allowed himself to think badly of Chanyeol. After all these years, he still knows the taller. This is him.

And he isn't going to let the taller schoolboy down again. No matter how hard it will be, he will try his best for himself and this newly rebuilt friendship, "I'll try."

Chanyeol nods his head with a soft smile spread across his lips, "Good..."

The next day, Chanyeol and Baekhyun are unable to hang out during lunch because of a group project that Baekhyun is working on for history class.

Chanyeol sits in their usual spot for about twenty minutes until he decides that maybe seeing his friends won't be so bad.

He would be lying if he said he didn't miss spending time with those obnoxious idiots and Kyungsoo.

After all, it could be very much possible that his friends might've moved on from their competition.

Chanyeol enters the cafeteria to the wonted loud chattering and the aroma of pizza in the air making Chanyeol's stomach growl.

He searches for the table in the wide room decorated with their school colors.

To Chanyeol's surprise, only two of his friends are sitting at their lunchroom table. The taller sees Sehun shift his eyes to him as he approaches. Kyungsoo is still talking until he notices that Sehun is no longer paying any attention to him.

"Yo." Sehun waves at the taller.

Chanyeol slides his body into the spot directly in front of the two.

"Where've you been?" Kyungsoo asks after he finishes eating the chip in his mouth.

"Hanging around..." The taller doesn't give the duo a chance to wonder about his vagueness so he asks, "Where are the other three?"

"Probably making embarrassments of themselves." Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "They were arguing about who is better than the other two, blah blah blah. One thing led to another and they left to race each other on the track field to see who is the fastest."

The taller shakes his head. Kris, Jongin, and Jongdae are really letting their ego get the best of them.

Chanyeol looks at Sehun and furrows his eyebrows, "How come you're not with them?" Last time he checked Sehun was also interested in winning over Baekhyun just as much as the others.

Sehun crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs, "I'm over it. Baekhyun is cute and all but there are other fish in the sea."

The taller stares at the younger surprised by this s