'The obstacles that you face aren't always easy.'

"Baekhyun!" the male slammed his locker shut and shouldered his bag as his name was bellowed. It didn't sound that close by but he still looked down the hallway where many other students were conversing or rummaging through their own lockers, grabbing what they needed for their next set of classes. Nonetheless Baekhyun knew who it was before they even broke around the corner. 

"Baekhyun!" the deep shout of his name came again just as their figure finally burst into view promptly creating a beeline through the throngs of students, coming straight for him. Those nearby surveyed the loud disruption and most of them actively rolled their eyes when they saw Chanyeol barrelling down the hall with a wide grin on his face.

His messy, black hair blew against his forehead given the speed he was running at, like a pack of wild wolves found him particularly appetizing and were chasing after him. The bag he carried on one shoulder was already close to falling off and his open sweater flapped at his sides but the universe wasn't always kind and as it were the taller all of a sudden tripped and fell just a few feet in front of Baekhyun; instant laughter and snickers rung out from bystanders. 

Baekhyun quickly hurried over to the giant and grabbed a hold of his arm to try and help him up. Chanyeol's backpack now hung off his forearm and one side of his open sweater slipped off a slender shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, Yeol, are you okay?" Baekhyun voiced his surprise and worry although the shorter shouldn't be. His best friend tripping over air was sadly something that occurred regularly and between their group of friends it was almost a routine.

"Ow" Chanyeol whined softly and rubbed his forehead, readjusting his bag strap to once again rest on his shoulder. He looked up at Baekhyun with a small pout before giving a sheepish smile and scratching the back of his neck with embarrassment; averting his gaze. Baekhyun felt warm at the endearing gestures coming from the male in front of him. The smaller sighed before flashing Chanyeol a smile, lifting a finger to poke the other in the same spot he had been rubbing to who gave Baekhyun another pout that stirred an urge within him.

"You klutz" he said simply. 

Chanyeol then laughed and a wider smile broke out on Baekhyun's face witnessing his tall friend's gleaming demeanor. Even after his laughter died down the grin never removed itself from Chanyeol's soft features and as if suddenly remembering something his face switched into that of realization and then of excitement, already brushing off the embarrassing mishap he had not seconds ago. That was his friend's best trait, the ability to swallow his mistakes and pick himself back up and Baekhyun envied that part of Chanyeol; to just be himself.

Baekhyun's chest warmed familiarly at the sight of Chanyeol's toothy smile and sparkling eyes, it was a sensation that had grown stronger and stronger since the moment he could comprehend the reasons one why just seeing this male brought him inexplicable joy. 

Chanyeol wordlessly brought his bag to his front, ping the top part and then searching through it's contents before letting the bag swing back to his side while he held up a white envelope in front of his face. In that moment Baekhyun's smile gradually fell at the sight of the crisp white paper object, a familiar dread filling up from his stomach to his chest.

"What's this?" the smaller asked but in truth he already knew what is was, Baekhyun has seen the same thing multiple times before and it always ended badly resulting in his giant friend locking himself in his room with mountains of tissues on the floor, barely eating and drowning in tears.

"A confession letter, silly" Chanyeol was still looking at him happily, lowering the envelope. "I thought I told you a few weeks ago that I had a serious crush on one of our seniors?" his smile fell to a shy one and his big brown eyes moved to the floor then back to Baekhyun's now expressionless ones as he said this out loud. 

"Oh? I must not have remembered" the smaller commented in a neutral tone bordering on bitter before he started walking down the hall towards his class that was about to start soon. Baekhyun heard Chanyeol laugh, not taking note of his friends change in behaviour.

Chanyeol draped an arm over Baekhyun's shoulder and pulled him closer while leaning down a bit in order to send a sweet smile his way that quickly had the smaller males heart hiccuping in his chest. Baekhyun turned away so that the taller wouldn't be able to witness his flushed appearance. This was not healthy; the slightest smile, the slightest look and the slightest touch sent the older into a frenzy, their own friends we're aware of Baekhyun's feelings despite his attempt at subtlety and even poked fun at him about it but the one person he wanted to notice them most was painfully unaware. 

"You have such bad memory, Baekkie. Even when we were kids" Chanyeol stated, his arm still around Baekhyun while they turned a corner. "Anyway, the senior I'm talking about is Minho" Chanyeol informed and with that Baekhyun visibly stiffened. 

The smaller wasn't sure if he had heard right; he hoped he had heard mistakenly. Minho was the captain of the schools drama club, the same one that Kyungsoo happened to be in. He was handsome and very popular amongst the student body and within his circle of friends but rumor served that Minho wasn't as nice as everyone thought, Kyungsoo himself described him as curt, obnoxious and strict; entitled at worse.

"Minho?" Baekhyun asked and Chanyeol nodded giving him a confused look upon seeing the others reaction. Maybe something in his features or voice gave away his skepticism or even hurt because the taller then asked, "Baekkie, is something wrong?" Chanyeol's pretty eyes roamed over his face but the smaller just shook his head. 

"Yeol? Are you sure about this?" Baekhyun questioned with a nervous laughter. The rumors of Minho have been circling since they entered the school as freshmen but no one outside of those that were close to him knew if they were real or not but Baekhyun trusted Kyungsoo and another part of him, the part that ached for the male beside him wished he would change his mind and say no; that this was all just a joke and that he wasn't going to go back to doing these confessions only to get hurt and inadvertently drive knives into Baekhyun's chest. 

"Of course!" the taller said unhinging from his friend's side, leaving a cool breeze to blow where his warmth had been. "He helped me pick up all those printed papers I dropped when I tripped over my feet once, it was the first time I met him face to face. We've talked a few times after that and he even brought me out for coffee more than once as well" Chanyeol explained.

Baekhyun watched his long time friend, the person he had overwhelming feelings for, smile dreamily as he talked about the male and his chest tightened uncomfortably. Why couldn't it be him who Chanyeol spoke about like that?

"But the rumors say he isn't as nice as he makes you believe. Even Kyungsoo sa-" Baekhyun tried to dissuade his friend but Chanyeol just waved him off, finally arriving in front of Baekhyun's class.

"Rumors are almost always wrong plus I really like him, Baek" Chanyeol placed a big hand on the small males shoulder. "I've been going to the drama room a lot to watch him practice, also I think he likes me too. Minho always smiles when he sees me and makes time for me, he even laughs at my jokes". 

I do all that, Baekhyun couldn't help but think. Coming down from his daydream, Chanyeol met his best friend's eyes fully and his big brown ones glistened, "so I'm going to place this letter in his locker and confess to him after school" the taller looked so proud of himself but Baekhyun couldn't bring himself to smile with him, he never could. Each time he only ended up wishing that one day he could receive one of those letters.

Just then the bell rang loudly, piercing through the smaller males melancholy and the many hallways, bringing in last minute stragglers who rushed past Baekhyun to get into the classroom. Chanyeol backed up and shot two thumbs up at the him who unwillingly did the same, the smaller watched his giant friend turn around and run back in the opposite direction and out of sight before sighing heavily and entering his class. 

Baekhyun had a really bad feeling settling over him. He remembered the first time Chanyeol did something like this, Baekhyun and the others had supported him but that was before the smaller got way to deep into his feelings for his best friend and was still confused.

It started when Chanyeol had written a letter to a classmate he had befriended and began to really like back when they were in middle school. The giant had confessed only for that boy to cut all ties with him completely and avoid him like the plague. Chanyeol had acted as if he were fine but never showed up to school for a week after that until Baekhyun went to find him at home wallowing in sadness and his parents trying their best to console him. Baekhyun had wanted to ruin the kid but the taller didn't let him; said he'd much rather forget about it.

After that, every so often Chanyeol developed a crush and everytime it ended with avoidance or name calling; once he confessed to a boy who spread around a rumor that Chanyeol was an 'STD carrying ' and for months people all around school kept their distance and whispered behind his back. Baekhyun knew his friend had a hard time back then and had honestly thought Chanyeol's impulsive confessions were over after so long of not ever seeing another letter, until today. 

Baekhyun just didn't want him to hurt anymore, Chanyeol's been through enough especially when most students already saw you as a weird specimen. The older sighed and let his teacher's words wash over him, not absorbing anything while he worried about his friend and that stupid envelope.

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

"Have any of you seen Chanyeol? I wanted to ask him to help me with my math homework tonight" Sehun asked, walking to the front of the school with the others. 

"Haven't seen him since this afternoon" Kyungsoo offered, "he rushed out of out last class so quickly I couldn't catch him". The male had a few textbooks in hand whilst he sipped on the bottled caffeinated drink he got from the cafeteria vending machine.

"That guy is always running somewhere, he should join the track team" Jongdae sighed with his hands folded behind his head.

"Wouldn't he just trip over his own feet?" Sehun chuckled and the other two joined in.

All five of them were very good friends; Sehun and Jongdae having met Baekhyun and Chanyeol in sixth grade and Kyungsoo befriending the group their freshman year. They've been an inseparable bunch since then, like all five of them were destined to become friends their whole life given how much they clicked with on another.

The three males stopped laughing and looked over at Baekhyun who had been walking beside them quietly, clutching the straps of his bag tightly. "Yo! What's wrong?" Jongdae poked his head and Baekhyun glanced to his left, escaping his daze as if just noticing them. "Huh? What?" he asked.

"You've been silent since we stopped by your class, is something up?" Kyungsoo questioned with a raise of a brow. Baekhyun sighed, for the remainder of the day he couldn't think of anything other than Chanyeol and that letter and if by some miracle he hadn't gone through with it but knowing the taller, he has.

"Chanyeol is-" but before he could finish someone dashed past and bumped Baekhyun's shoulder effectively causing him to stumble forward a bit. He looked in the direction of where they went and saw a big crowd forming out in front of the school, his eyes widened at the scene. Baekhyun kept staring and his breath caught when he unmistakably caught a glimpse of familiar messy, black hair in the midst.

"What's going on out there? A fight?" Sehun wondered, him too looking outside. 

"Chanyeol is confessing again" Baekhyun blurted out, his eyes still trained on the crowd and simultaneously the others all whip their heads towards him with wide eyes. "He's confessing to Minho, he said he'd do it after school" he relayed.

Jongdae and Sehun would surely know the scale of what was going on and why there was unbeatable worry in Baekhyun's voice but Kyungsoo hadn't witnessed all those events, the smaller had merely just told him about those times when the younger had caught him watching Chanyeol one day, informing him that he was wearing his feelings on his face. The older has since learned that the male was quite perceptive.

At the time Baekhyun just admitted to liking his friend but that it unearthed sadness and thoughts on how the other would probably never notice or reciprocate the way he felt about him and that's when Baekhyun also somehow delved into the story of the dreaded letters. 

"Do you think that's why there's a crowd? Did you see him?" Kyungsoo asked and Baekhyun nodded, "I think so". 

"This doesn't look good at all" Sehun stated, "come on, let's go" he ran ahead and the three hurried after him. They pushed through the double doors, the noise of the crowd becoming more pronounced. The four friends try and hack their way to the front just when they heard yelling, they couldn't quite make it through but when they peered in between bodies the scene in the middle became visible. 

"Ha! You think I would ever like you!?" Minho, in all is dramatic exuberance, laughed harshly at a stunned Chanyeol who stood there amongst everyone at the receiving end of the seniors taunting. Baekhyun's chest clenched while murmurs passed through the crowd, some asking what was going on, others making jabs at Chanyeol. 

"B-but you smiled whenever you saw me and took me out for coffee many times and laughed at my jokes. Isn't that why you always made time to talk to me?" Chanyeol voiced hesitantly and Baekhyun felt his stomach erupt into that of guilt. He should've stopped him, he should've pestered him more not to plant that letter and confess. The look of sadness on his friends face felt like his fault. 

"That's called being polite, you dumb " Minho laughed and a handful from the crowd also joined along, Chanyeol looked around him like a lost puppy and Baekhyun bared his teeth and clenched his fist. 

Chanyeol was regretting this as everyone's eyes bared down on him like they were clawed hands sinking into his face and back; keeping him there, rigid and feeling afraid. He had waited for Minho out front like he stated he would in the letter and when the senior came his stomach was twisting with nerves. Minho had smiled and walked over and Chanyeol gave himself a short pep talk before he opened his mouth to convey his feelings hoping that this time would be it, the first time anyone would ever reciprocate them and not just shun him; luckily the senior hadn't given the taller any inclination that he was that type of person but what he hadn't expected was the older to make a scene and cause those already walking around outside to come over and see what was going on. Now watching the disgusted face of his crush, the giant felt his stomach twist in knots and disappointment.

Minho stalked up to Chanyeol smiling mischievously before he bent a little and gripped the sides of the tall males pants and yanked it down. A collective gasp ran through the crowd, including Baekhyun as Chanyeol now stood there in only his boxer briefs and after a beat of silence those surrounding the two males started pointing and laughing. Chanyeol's face turned extremely pink while he tried to cover himself.

"What's wrong, ? Isn't this what you wanted me to see? To touch?" Minho continued to provoke. Chanyeol went to hurriedly pull up his pants but Minho shoved him with force so that he stumbled back and fell to the ground. Chanyeol glanced up woefully at the senior from where he sat, pants around his ankles and exposed in front of everyone. Baekhyun was shocked at what he was seeing but he aggressively pushed past those who still stood in his way to get to the front.

"Minho stop!" Baekhyun shouted, Sehun and the others falling in line beside him. Everyone looked their way, a confused murmur weaved through the crowd while they walked towards Chanyeol who looked completely humiliated.

"You're going to far! What was the meaning of calling so much attention to this? If you didn't feel the same you could've just said so" Sehun said with a deep frown on his face. 

"Awe, are you guys his friends?" the senior mocked before snapping his fingers. Suddenly hands grabbed at their arms and pulled them back, Baekhyun was alerted and looked behind him to see one of Minho's henchmen.  

"Hey! what they hell?!" Jongdae exclaimed and they all struggled along with him. Minho smirked, clearly showing his true colours but it didn't seem like those around cared because they kept chanting for a fight. This was so wrong and Baekhyun was just feeling a hollow pit of anger in his stomach. 

"Fine. You can watch me reject him then" Minho said going over to Chanyeol who was just getting to his feet only to be kicked back down.

"Your ing disgusting, liking a man" the drama captain spat and the crowd jeered and mocked. Minho gripped at Chanyeol's face roughly, bringing it towards him. Baekhyun was trying his hardest to break free of Key's hold, the look of hurt and betrayal imprinted in his best friends features was making him sick, "let go of me, bastard!" he shouted. 

"Your just a ing gay who wants to my , aren't you" Minho spoke darkly, aggressively pushing Chanyeol's face from him before he lifted his hand that formed fists and punched the taller who yelped in surprise and held up his arms defensively. 

"Stop! Leave him alone!" Baekhyun shouted. His chest was squeezing unbearably seeing Chanyeol spit out blood while everyone was encouraging the scene to continue..

Minho got up from over a slumped Chanyeol and Baekhyun could see a bruise already forming on his face. The senior proceeded to grab a cup of coffee from a random student in the crowd and walked back toward Chanyeol. The taller kept his face pointed at the pavement looking drained. Minho didn't give him a second glance before the older opened the coffee lid and poured the contents all over the giant. 

"There, the in you has been beaten and washed away. Next time you'll think twice; as if anyone would ever like you. You're disgusting, remember that". Minho stated icily and dashed the cup to the ground, "and no, I won't be your boyfriend".

When the senior turned to leave, only then did his crew let go of the four friends who instantly ran straight for Chanyeol; worry etched in all their faces. Baekhyun dropped to his knees in front of him, quickly shoving Chanyeol's pants up to where his met the pavement and then took his face into his hands, gently moving it to the side to check the darkening bruise. Chanyeol's shirt was stained with coffee and the front of his hair dripped with the liquid.

"Chanyeol I'm so sorry this happened, I should've been here sooner" Baekhyun said tearfully. 

"That stupid bastard! The next time I see him I'm going to pummel him into dust" Sehun commented angrily. "Count me in" Chen agreed.

Kyungsoo was squatted by the taller rubbing his back gently. The crowd had dispersed and Baekhyun felt nothing but disgust; they didn't care at all. Chanyeol's head dipped once Baekhyun released his face so that his bangs fell over his eyes and didn't look at any of them.  

"It's okay, I'm fine" is all he said.