Act Five

Geomeun Jinju Senior High School, five years ago

            At the second year of his Senior High School, there is a new boy. He is so pretty, with the skin so flawless and the small face. He is so adorable, no doubt about it. His hair is so fluffy that someone could mistake him as the cute puppy, at least for Chanyeol. His eyes would be cute, if only it didn’t appear as dark as the starless night.

            Sometimes Chanyeol would find him sitting by the corner, with other new kids who talk so noisy. At the other time, Chanyeol would find him stared at the sky from the only window in the room. Most of the time, Chanyeol would find him be alone, never once associated with the other. Even day by day, his lunch table started to be empty, and he has left alone, ignoring his food that he started to get thinner and colorless.

            Someone as pretty as he is, Chanyeol is not the only who find him attractive, but he is the last who still holds the same interest. And that day, when he finally collected all of his braveness, he put his tray on the table, not knowing the weird stares on his back.

            Or more like, he ignores them all.

            Chanyeol lifted his eyes to see the same age boy didn’t even look at him. At first, he is stunned by all the prettiness. He couldn’t help but to hold his breath and flustered. The boy is too stunning that even though Chanyeol knows staring at people this long could be inappropriate but he just couldn’t help it.

            At this close, Chanyeol can assume that the boy is not just pretty but he is so handsome. Up this close, the eyes are prettier, the hair is fluffier, and the skin is smoother. He could feel that his own heart skips a beat. The boy is- just too gorgeous.

“Hi” he stupidly greeted the man and cleared his throat as he didn’t get any reply “My name is Chanyeol. P-Park Chanyeol. Are you new here?”

            Of course he is.

            At the stupid question, the boy looked up, just stared at Chanyeol to confirm how stupid Chanyeol is. The tall boy is getting redder. First, he is embarrassed by his obviously stupid question. Second, because that boy in front of him is way too adorable for him to handle.

            But soon Chanyeol frowned. That boy looks prettier up close but his eyes-

            They are soul-less.

“Byun Baekhyun” the boy said, more than a whisper “-and I don’t find any reason why you should sit in front of me. Care to tell me?”

Chanyeol gulped at the coldness but he smiled as friendly as he could “Perhaps, we could be friends? We are in the same age anyway and-“

“-also with sixty other people who tried to sit with me”

Chanyeol widened his eyes, but not surprised.

The answer come spontaneously as Chanyeol remembers someone once taught him to be friendly “-and we are weird”

            Baekhyun lifted his eyebrows, surprised to hear Chanyeol’s words as Chanyeol smiled even wider to him. Yes, they are weird. Chanyeol took a spoon of his lunch and noticed that the other didn’t touch his lunch yet. So, he unconsciously takes a spoonful of Baekhyun’s lunch and feeds him.

“You are weird to be still alone after that sixty people comes to you and I am weird enough to be your sixty one guy”

            Ever since then, Chanyeol always came to his table and have his lunch together with him.

***

            Months have passed since they have their first lunch together, but they never had the same classes. Sport is the only extra-class they took together in the end of their second year. For Chanyeol, he just needed the class very much.

           But the thing is, Chanyeol has trouble in sports. He always did. Although he is tall and has good shaped body, but his muscles are all stiff. It helps him to run fast but obviously, didn’t help him to pass on the obstacle.

            Contrary from him, Baekhyun is shorter than him. Not that short, just the average height. He couldn’t run fast, but his agility is the one the teacher always proud of.

“You are so good at this, ever do any sport before?”

Baekhyun nodded “Fencing, sir”

The teacher smiled wider “That is why you are so good at this! You have a great agility” he nodded in proud then glared at Chanyeol “You heard that Chanyeol? Tall is nothing when you didn’t do any sport. From now on, I will pair you up with Baekhyun. Understand?”

            Chanyeol, as much as he would hype with the idea, but he is out of breath. So he only nodded aggressively and gestured an okay from his hand as he is totally agreed with the teacher. Whatever that can make him passed the grade and gets the scholarship.

            Well, spending time with Baekhyun would be a bonus, so-

            Why not?

Chanyeol smiled at the thought and looked at expressionless Baekhyun.

***

“You are an athlete” Chanyeol said in one of their silence lunch time out of the blue

            Silence lunch time, because after that first lunch, Baekhyun would always found Chanyeol put his lunch tray on his table but they didn’t talk much. Chanyeol did talk, but not Baekhyun. So it becomes silence lunch time.

But this time, Chanyeol surprised when he saw Baekhyun reacted at the word. It seems like something has attached his interest. Perhaps, the boy likes to do sport that much?

“I mean, you are good at it. You must be one of the professional. Fencing, eh? Not everyone do that sport. Oh, you must be rich!”

It supposed to be a joke, but Baekhyun answered it seriously with “Not anymore”

Chanyeol widened his eyes “Well, I see the reason why you plan to get that scholarship. At least you have been there once. Be happy with that!”

            Baekhyun didn’t talk again after that.

***

            Chanyeol is out of breath, no question needed, it is good that he could still stands on his two feet. Another month has passed but Chanyeol didn’t get any better.

“If you want that scholarship badly, why applied in sport? You are not even good at any of it!” the teacher scolded him

“But I want it!” Chanyeol insisted, he added “-and I am tall! I should be good at this”

“Yeah, I like the spirit but still-“ the teacher rolled his eyes and looked at Baekhyun “-said something to this stubborn guy, I hear that you two are becoming friends”

“We are n-“

“Yes, we are!” Chanyeol shouted “Sonsaengnim is right though! How could you? Tell me some secret, clearly need one here”

Baekhyun shut his mouth, looked at Chanyeol then to the teacher and said “You shouldn’t apply for the sport scholarship if you want it that bad, you can just apply to other department-“

Chanyeol is surprised at it and feels betrays after that, but Baekhyun hasn’t finished so he continued “-like music. You are good at it, Yeol. I heard you are playing variants instruments and it is go-“

He smiled. Why Baekhyun is so adorable? He heard him in the music room? That means before lunch. Did he follow him? And Yeol? Chanyeol couldn’t stop smile at the nickname. It sounds so familiar but the thing that flips on his stomach matters much.

“I know. But stubborn is my middle name, so- We are going to apply the sport scholarship together, who knows that we got the same school? Wish me luck”

            Chanyeol winked at him, before doing another lap. Unaware that Baekhyun started to get hot and reddened by the wink. The teacher looks at them deliberately before rolling his eyes and muttered “love birds” silently.

***

“So, how did you get here? I mean, did you have family from here? I search online and didn’t found any fencing school around only means one thing, that, you came from far far away from the Town!” Chanyeol excitedly said with full mouth

            Baekhyun only looks at the noisy boy in front of him and wondering when he will stops coming to the table. Well, it is not bad to have company. He does feel alone by each day.

“Ah, you didn’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. But I will tell you mine. I am all alone” Chanyeol said, he put his chopstick in the air and explained excitedly “Live in the orphanage just across the school. I know you are questioning aren’t I too old for orphanage but what can I do? I was sent here five years ago, I am too old for a pair who wants to adopt a child. Nobody is there to choose seventeen years old boy as their adopted child. So I am stuck there. That is why I need the scholarship badly-“

            Baekhyun knows.

            In fact, he already found out the third day Chanyeol comes to his table. That is how he knows that the boy likes to play music before lunch and after school. But the thing about orphanage is new to him, so he kept listening without he noticed.

            But Chanyeol noticed it so he continued with a smile on his face.

“Like you know, I am not rich. You can guess right away. I don’t wear any branded items. And I don’t care though. I am fine all by myself. The thing is- I plan this long ago. I will get the scholarship and went off this boring neighbor, there I will live independently and start a new life! Isn’t it awesome?” Chanyeol asked

“I will miss you a lot, but if you don’t mind, and I definitely don’t, just come with me-“ Chanyeol slapped the table hard and everyone started to stare at him “I mean, I propose to you Baekhyun-ie, let’s live together!”

            Baekhyun splattered his juice right on Chanyeol’s face as his face turned into tomato beef. The later laughed at the cuteness, took the tissue to clean up his face as he took another to clean up some on Baekhyun’s face. He smiled. The one that Baekhyun started to addicted with.

“Oh why so cute, my angel”

***

            It is the last class in the term, but Chanyeol didn’t come today. Baekhyun frowned and changed his clothes to the sport one as the time is ticking fast. He wonders whether Chanyeol is getting tired of him, and decided today is the day.

            As the teacher asked them to gather, he called Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol couldn’t come today”

            Baekhyun kept silence and wait for the teacher to continue.

“He has fever. A severe one. Poor him. I heard that he didn’t have anyone to take care of. The man in charge is out of the Town”

***

            He lazily opens his eyes. His head is spinning like crazy. Oh how he wished that he didn’t ran below the rain the day before. But he needs to go home fast and do the chores- he didn’t have much choice at the first place.

            But when he feels something wet and warm on his forehead, he started to frown. Did the kids do this to him? He smiled even wider. Sweet! He thought as he put the linen back on the water. He needs to wake up and do the chores, before that man is getting angry and force the kids-

            Chanyeol rolled his eyes and stood up. But he slipped on the floor and cursed right away. He turned around to see that he is not the only who cursed. Then, his smile becomes even wider.

“What do you do here, my angel?” Chanyeol laughed, helps Baekhyun to stand up as the man just sleep on the floor and accidentally made Chanyeol fell “-and out of all places, why you need to sleep on the floor” he laughed even wider

            Oh, how Baekhyun wished that Chanyeol couldn’t see his red face.

            But Chanyeol did, that is why his smile even becomes impossibly wider.

“The kids let me in” Baekhyun mumbled but started to hit Chanyeol as he yelled in angry “-and why didn’t you tell me that the orphanage is the bad one! I mean, they force you to do all chores, didn’t they?”

Chanyeol surprised to see flustered face Baekhyun, but he is even more surprise to see angry face Baekhyun “Well, I don’t think I need to tell you” he said carefully as the hit started to get more hurt “Ouch, yah Baekhyun, stop hittin