Chapter 22: Equilibrium

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Behind the mask and the power Byun Baekhyun had over countless people, his presence was covered with a thin veil of insecurity very few could see.

When Byun Baekhyun walked into the lecture hall, his eyes, dark and sad as ever, locked with the football player's, and he gave him the same smile he'd given him countless times before. It was warm and familiar, yet still so distant and afraid. A hint of longing lingered for a moment before Baekhyun continued on to take his seat, casually greeting the people next to him—maybe even borderline flirting.

Yet, it was all uncommitted.

The makeup that covered his tired eyes and the ironed clothes that hid his bruises from the world weren't enough to fool Chanyeol.

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Jongin had scratches on his back. Chanyeol could only take wild guesses as to what the cause could be, but the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Forcefully, he shut the locker door in front of him and threw the towel over his shoulder.

He'd always been jealous of the other men Baekhyun chose to take to his bed, but before, he had simply put up with it. It was clear Baekhyun's intentions and prerogative were too concrete to tear down and make any exceptions for those who could be different from the rest... but the circumstances had changed.

Looking over his shoulder, he watched as Jongin began to dress. Clenching his jaw, Chanyeol glanced over to the exit on his left, knowing full well it was in his best interest to just walk away and forget about everything; the scratches, the anger, and the curiosity. But he cursed underneath his breath when he dismissed all logic and began striding over to the bench where Jongin sat.

"We need to talk." His voice was low and aggressive but gave no indication that the latter should feel threatened.

Pulling his shoes on his feet, Jongin snorted. He kept his focus on tying the laces rather than give his teammate his full attention. "About what, Park?" he said, uninterested. "Is this about the game on Friday?"

Chanyeol ignored the question, only gripping the strap of his duffle bag even tighter. "Are you the only person involved with him?"

Jongin leaned back, looking up at the looming giant over him. Then, he scoffed, as if ridiculing the question altogether. "Would it make you feel better or worse if I told you?" he retorted. "Last time I checked, don't you have a boyfriend? Why're you so worried about who he's ing when your own boyfriend told him to stay away from you?"

Chanyeol stood still, unnerved by the mention of Kyungsoo's own actions. "He what?"

"He told Baekhyun to stay away from you," Jongin repeated, putting his hands on the bench. "But since you asked, as far as I know, yeah. I'm the only one involved with him. There is some other guy on the team he meets with, but he cut him off recently."

"Jeonghwa."

"Sounds like you've been sticking your nose into business that isn't yours," Jongin commented, keeping his eyes steadily on Chanyeol's. "I thought you moved on."

"I have."

"Then what're you doing here, asking me about Baekhyun's business?" Jongin's eyes were emotionless and pitch black, yet he saw right through the lies Chanyeol had