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Waking up to your best friend’s stupid grinning face as he leaned way too close for comfort probably isn’t the best way to start your morning, but Baekhyun had grown accustomed to Jongin’s weirdness over the years. (Ever since grade school when he saved little Jongin from a flock of mad hens chasing after him, – don’t ask why – they’ve been joined at the hip. Or rather, the younger had made it his life mission to always stick to him.)

He wasn’t particularly delighted at being woken up early on a Sunday though, not when he had stayed up late last night binge-watching back-to-back-to-back episodes of his favorite dramas. Baekhyun groggily raised a hand and pushed Jongin’s face away from him. It was no use, because the younger only leaned back to annoy him. 

He groaned as he lazily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “You need something, don’t you?”

Jongin looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck before twiddling with his fingers. He reminded Baekhyun of a little kid asking for permission for something he knew he wasn’t allowed to do. But afterwards, Jongin just smiled up at him. Weird. 

Yep. Definitely needs something. I wonder what kind of I’m in this time. 

“Hyung, go wash up already then let’s have breakfast. You’re going to be late for the meeting with the student council.”

Oh, right. Meeting. Good thing Jongin reminded hi---. 

“Wait a second. What meeting? It’s ing Sunday, Jongin,” he pointed out. “And more importantly, I’m not part of the student council!”

“Hehehe. Hyunggg~~~”

“Don’t hyung me! What the hell did you do this time?” Baekhyun was suddenly up on his feet, tightly clutching a pillow and stance ready to chase Jongin so he could beat him up with it. Yeah, he was definitely awake now.

Like any other time though, he wasn’t able to catch the brat who kept running to avoid his wrath. Soon enough he had no other choice but to sit back down and wait for Jongin to explain what he wants from him. Again.

“Hyung, you know it’s time for that biannual charity drive our school holds, right? And every club and organization has to come up with a project or an activity to raise funds that’ll be donated to charity. Right?” Jongin starts, warily making his way to sit next to his hyung on the bed but putting enough distance between them in case Baekhyun starts hitting him. “Well, the student council is doing this thing called Send a Song Message. It’s like those serenade service during Valentine’s, where people can pay and request for a song to be dedicated to their friends or special someone.”

Except that it wasn’t really the season for Valentines, it was already the middle of April. 

And really, among all that Jongin had said, the only words that particularly stuck in Baekhyun’s mind were Send a Song Message. Because was that really what they were naming the project? Quite lame, if you ask him. He’s got other things to worry about though.

“Uhh, okay, great. Good for them. Pretty cliché but, whatever. But where exactly do I fit into all this?”

If they were going to ask Baekhyun to pay and make a song request, he’d probably have to think about it first since he had no one to send a song message to. Unless he could send it to himself? He was single as a pringle, and not quite desperate to get himself involved with someone at the moment. Duh, he couldn’t even have enough time to pamper himself and de-stress after the week-long exams except for staying up late on the weekend to stuff himself with pizza while watching dramas.

“That’s what I wanted to tell you, hyung,” Jongin slowly said, carefully assessing Baekhyun’s reaction. “See, the council is kinda short-staffed. They need some singers for the project, and… and, and Imighthavevolunteeredyoualready. Please don’t kill me!”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened when his bestfriend’s words finally sank in. “You did what?” Before he could even grab the pillow again, Jongin was already on the other end of the room and hiding behind his moveable clothes rack. 

“Jongin, I’m not even that good at singing!” He was totally a second away from pulling his hair in frustration.

“What are you saying? You almost always get a perfect score when we go to noraebang!” 

“That’s a totally different story! I can’t sing in front of other people, it’s embarrassing!”

“But you’re totally okay when you sing in front of me, though!” Jongin whined.

“Yeah, because I’ve been practically babysitting your clumsy since forever, why would I still get embarrassed in front of you about anything? I’m not doing this. End of discussion, Nini.” And honestly, he felt a bit proud of himself for staying firm in his decision. His moment of glory didn’t last that long, though.

“B-b-but,” Jongin’s lips quivered, rendering Baekhyun speechless for a moment. 

Now he’s doomed. How dare this brat pull that one on him? He perfectly knew Baekhyun couldn’t resist him when he’s being such a kid. “But hyung~~ Can’t you do this for me? Kyungsoo’s already so stressed because the event is this week and he’s still got so much to do. I want to help him out as much as I can.”

“Aha, so this is about Kyungsoo again? I knew it.”

Of course he knew it. His little Nini has been crushing on the boy for a year and a half now, and since then Jongin hasn’t stopped talking about how Do Kyungsoo is the smartest, cutest and most precious person he has ever known. (And he’s student council president! Isn’t he awesome, hyung?) It didn’t come as a surprise to Baekhyun when his best friend was first to volunteer when their student council announced that they were in dire need of new committee members. 

It was fun to watch Jongin experience and chase after his first love, until Baekhyun started getting dragged into everything that the younger could get him involved in. Like now, for instance.

“I really, really want to help Kyungsoo, so I thought maybe you could help me out in helping him, hyung. And he looked so happy when I said you could sing really well.”

“Great. You’re playing the knight in shining armor while you’re making me walk the plank.”

“Please, Baekhyun hyung? I already promised Kyungsoo I’d persuade you to do it.”

“Then tell him you failed. I’m not getting persuaded,” he blatantly lied, because he felt that he’d look like a pushover if he’d give in so easily to the younger’s whims. 

“Pleeeeaaaasseeeee?”

And then there goes the pouting, the whining, all combined with the infamous kicked-puppy-look. Deadly.

“Jongin---“

“Please, hyung~~ I’ll clean the apartment for a week! And, oh! And I’ll cook!” he exclaimed, hands clapping as if he just had the best idea ever. 

Baekhyun had no choice at this point. He mentally scolded himself for being weak to the tanned male’s antics, but really, what could he do? Jongin has always been dear to him like a brother.

“Goddamnit. Fine! I’ll do it. But you’re not stepping anywhere near the kitchen, I don’t want the place burned down to the ground.”

Jongin was already back by his side on the bed, waving his arms in the air as he did a little victory dance. “Yeeeey! I love you, hyung!”

“Shut up, kid. I swear, if you and Kyungsoo don't end up as boyfriends and later on husbands, I'm going to castrate you, you hear me?"

Jongin just laughed before practically shoving him towards the bathroom, now complaining about his morning breath. What a brat.

***

The day of the fundraising drive came, and everything seem to run smoothly. With granted special permission from the school board, lessons for the entire day had been cancelled and students were free to roam around and enjoy the activities prepared by the different clubs and organizations.

It was quite nice how everyone was willing to pay a few notes with the prospect of being able to help send orphaned kids to school. The university’s tradition of the biannual fundraising drive had started way back, the idea proposed by the university president himself. 

Baekhyun’s morning started with him sitting in the student council’s meeting room, getting his hand shaken by Kyungsoo who had been thanking him repeatedly for willingly participating in their project. Sitting next to him was his other friend Jongdae, who, as he found out, was also roped in by none other than Jongin. Unlike him, though, Jongdae seemed pretty eager to do his job. (It took no more than a few minutes for Baekhyun to realize that the reason for Jongdae’s enthusiasm might be the council secretary sitting across from them – Minseok – whom Jongdae is currently looking at with heart eyes.) Another singer for the project was Wendy, who gave Baekhyun a warm smile and a wave. They shared a few classes so they were on friendly terms with each other.

They already had quite a long list of people who wanted to request and dedicate songs for their friends, crushes or boyfriends/girlfriends, since the registration started a day early in order to make it easier for the singers who’d be running around looking for the persons they’re going to sing to. All that was left to do before officially starting the activity was to divide the group and give each of them their assignments.

Baekhyun was paired with (council vice-president) Yixing, who already had his guitar ready to provide him some acoustic accompaniment, and (committee member) Zitao who’d be responsible for locating the people they were supposed to ‘serenade’ wherever they might be. The Chinese male even had a walkie-talkie that he can use to contact the other committee members if ever they would need extra help.

“Ready to do this, Baek?” Zitao asked as he double-checked the list on his hand. When Baekhyun nodded, he clapped him in the back and motioned for them to follow him. “Let’s do this then. This way, the first one on the list is Park Chanyeol and I think I saw him enter the gym a while ago.”

Park Chanyeol is their university’s resident ‘cool guy’ – just your regular boy-next-door, really – smart, athletic, and good-looking. It was neither unexpected nor surprising that a lot of their fellow students like him. Baekhyun could totally understand them, as a matter of fact. He’d only shared one class with the taller male last semester, but he couldn’t deny that Chanyeol really has his unique charms. Appearance-wise he was definitely more than average, his boyish smile and wide eyes and cute elfish ears contrasting well with his intense gazes, tall stature, toned body and deep voice. 

He was quiet as they entered the gym where Chanyeol was supposedly at, and Baekhyun tried his best to calm his nerves when he saw that there were a couple of people sitting on the bleachers and watching Chanyeol do some dribbles inside the court. 

Great, now he’s not only going to serenade the campus crush, but he’s gonna have to do it in front of more than a dozen students. It’s not like the serenade was coming from him, but the pressure to do well and deliver the song perfectly was biting at him.

“The song is Sugar by Maroon 5, Baek. You do know the lyrics, right?” Yixing whispered from where he stood beside the singer.

Baekhyun knew the words, but he was praying that his nerves would not make him forget. He gave Yixing an uncertain nod, but the other just smiled at him. On his other side, Tao was handing him some sort of card, more like a love note, for him to read before the performance. 

“Okay. Let’s just get this over with, shall we? We’ve got a long list to go through today,” he said, talking more to himself than to his companions in an attempt to ease his anxiety. “We can do this.”

Once he took a step towards the court, Chanyeol caught his gaze and stopped practicing to observe what he’ll do next. In a matter of seconds they’ve had the attention of everyone else inside the gym as well. Chanyeol had a somewhat confused expression on his face when Baekhyun stopped a few meters away from him, but the singer just made a little bow and cleared his throat before speaking. 

“Hi. Uhh..I – We are here for the Send a Song Message project, Mr. Park. We will now deliver the song that was dedicated to you.” Baekhyun wiped his sweaty hand on his jeans. He finally looked at the note and started reading the dedication. “This one’s from Minah, who wants to let you know that you’re the man of her dreams and she’s liked you for quite a while now. Oh, and she included her phone number. I’ll give it to you maybe after the song, is that okay?”

But Chanyeol remained staring wide-eyed at him, so with an awkward attempt at a smile, Baekhyun just looked back at Yixing and signaled him to start playing his guitar. Knowing the fact that everyone was intently watching him spiked his nerves once again, but there’s no turning back now. Damn the things he does to help Jongin and his love life.

This is it. One song and you’re out of here, Baekhyun. it up and start singing.

The problem was, it wasn’t just one song he needed to sing in front of Park Chanyeol.

As Baekhyun soon discovered, most of the song requests they had to deliver were addressed to the giant. He almost ripped the list out of Tao’s hand the third time he was told that they had to find Chanyeol and sing to him – again. After the first song at the gym, Baekhyun quickly turned around and half-walked, half-ran out of the place in an attempt to escape. Nope, he did not mess up the song, in fact he remembered each and every word correctly and his pitch was nice and stable. But once he finished singing, Chanyeol still kept staring at him, as if in a daze. It made Baekhyun feel uneasy, so he murmured a hurried ‘thank you for listening’ before slapping the note with the requester’s phone number in Chanyeol’s hand and dashing away.

A few hours later and now they were at the sixth song request for the ever-popular Park Chanyeol, and Baekhyun really was getting more and more tempted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. An amused Zitao on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life. 

Already sensing the hidden joke, Baekhyun groaned. “Please don’t tell me it’s another song. I’m this close to ripping my hair out. And that stupid list too.”

Zitao could no longer hold back his laughter, confirming Baekhyun’s suspicion. all these people who kept on requesting songs for Park Chanyeol. He still hasn’t quite forgotten the intense gaze the tall male had given him right after he finished singing Charlie Puth’s Marvin Gaye back at the university garden. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it was just his gaze, but Baekhyun did not miss the ghost of a smirk that momentarily passed Chanyeol’s lips.

Granted, Park Chanyeol was capable of having the most captivating expressions once he had gotten over the shock of seeing Baekhyun in front of him over and over again in just a span of one morning. But if Baekhyun has to go through another one of these encounters, he might just die from embarrassment.

“Aren’t you curious what the song is this time, Baek?” Zitao teased while wiggling his eyebrows knowingly. A curious Yixing immediately appeared behind him, peering at the cursed list he was holding.

“I don’t even want to know anymore. Why the hell do I have to be the one to sing these dirty songs to Park Chanyeol?”

“Hold on, I’m not familiar with the guitar chords for this song,” Yixing piped in. “Sorry Baek, looks like you’ll have to sing this one without guitar accompaniment.”

Yixing really did look apologetic and Baekhyun could not even begin to complain. Even when he figured singing a cappella would just make it sound even more sensual. “What’s the damn song?”

Since Zitao chose to laugh at his misery again instead of answering, Baekhyun begrudgingly snatched the paper away from him. And really, perhaps today just wasn’t his lucky day.

Next song request: Love Me Harder – Ariana Grande, The Weeknd

***

“Howmshptofeyshpurrkeolnaaaw?”

“Sorry, Baek. I don’t speak alien. Come again?” Jongdae said as he patted the puppy boy’s shoulder in a supposedly comforting way. Said boy had been sulking and picking at his food the entire time they’ve been sitting at their lunch table, making Jongdae wonder what in the world happened for him to grumble like that.

“I said, how am I supposed to face Park Chanyeol now?” Baekhyun raised his head from leaning onto his arm before pouting. “I’m about to die in shame, Jongdae.”

He then proceeded to tell his friend about the couple of songs he had to sing to Park Chanyeol, and Jongdae couldn’t help but be amused by how Baekhyun’s face turned redder and redder with every detail he was sharing. Baekhyun can really be such a little sweetheart at times. 

“You poor puppy. I guess Chanyeol really is popular among the student body. If it makes you feel any better, I sang two songs for him this morning too. They were just regular romantic songs though,” he kept patting Baekhyun’s shoulder to comfort him. “But don’t worry about it, no matter how inappropriate some of the requests might be, those songs were from other people. You were just singing them to their recipient. It’s not like you’re the one sending the dirty message to Chanyeol,” Jongdae assured. 

Right. Jongdae has a point. He’s a genius, I should believe him. I shouldn’t overthink it.

But each time he would try to convince himself, his stupid mind would conjure the images of Chanyeol’s face, staring at him with something he could not quite understand. It kept sending shivers down his spine.

“You’re right, Dae. I’m being oversensitive about this. There’s nothing to it.” He finally smiled back at his friend who offered him a slice of his favorite strawberry shortcake as consolation.

“Don’t worry too much about it. Besides, I’ve had it worse. Did you know how embarrassing it was to sing Like a to Choi Minho? Requested by his boyfriend. I’ll strangle that little Taemin when I see him.”

The brooding look on his usually cheerful face made Baekhyun burst in laughter.

***

Right after lunchtime, Baekhyun parted ways with Jongdae to continue their serenading. Half of the songs written on the long list Tao was holding were already crossed out, meaning they had already been delivered. Baekhyun’s favorite would probably be when he sang Confession to Dara, one of their seniors. Whoever requested the song wanted to remain anonymous, but when Baekhyun finished singing, Dara went running up to one of the bystanders and hugged a man. Turns out it was her boyfriend, Jiyong, who had made the request and she knew right away because the song was what he had sang to her when he first asked her out on a date. (As explained by an overjoyed Dara while thanking Baekhyun for his wonderful singing.)

“Want some?” 

Baekhyun was busy wiping sweat from his forehead when Yixing reappeared beside him with a bottle of water. They had decided to take a short break after ending up at the farthest part of campus where the Sports Club’s mini carnival was situated, where they had to scour the crowded area to look for and serenade a certain Lee Taeyong. 

Taking the bottle from the vice-president, Baekhyun gave Yixing a grateful smile. He was parched beyond belief, but he did not seem to notice it until he felt the water sliding down his throat. Yixing had offered to buy him something to snack on while he waited on a nearby bench, but he had declined. 

“I heard from Jongdae that you weren’t able to eat a lot during lunch,” Yixing worriedly said.

“Oh, I just didn’t have much of an appetite today. I’m fine, though.”

“Hmm, if you say so, then I won’t insist too much. Just tell me or Tao whenever you need to take a short break,” the kind vice-president smiled, showing his gorgeous dimples and making Baekhyun suddenly want to pinch his cheeks. Then, as if remembering something, he reached into his hoodie pocket and carefully pulled something. “Here, Jongdae gave me this a while ago when I bumped into him on my way back from the restroom. He said he found this on top of your desk at the library when he was serenading someone in there this morning.”

It was a folded paper crane, and Baekhyun can’t help the smile that bloomed on his lips upon seeing the origami. His mind instantly flew back to the wooden box he kept under his bed, now almost filled with different-colored paper cranes that he had collected over the past months. He had no idea who was constantly leaving them on his designated study desk at the library, but he couldn’t bear to just simply throw the pretty things away.

“Who’s it from, by the way?” Yixing asked, to which Baekhyun just shook his head.

“I don’t really know. But it’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I’ve been getting these for quite a while now, and it oddly cheers me up every time. I like them a lot.”

Yixing didn’t question him anymore, and perhaps it was due to the loving way Baekhyun was gazing at the tiny piece of art in his hand. 

Just like all the other times, he felt warmth blossoming in his chest. He thanked Yixing before taking the origami and placing it inside the small backpack he was carrying. He couldn’t wait to add it among the others when he gets home later.

Zitao, on the other hand, was standing a few feet away from them and talking to someone on his walkie-talkie.

“The next person on the list is at the main building, where the Photography Club’s holding an exhibit. Good thing the other committee members saw him entering the gallery, or else I seriously wouldn’t know where to find him next,” Zitao informed the other two when he got back to where they were sitting. “You ready to go, Baek?”

“I guess. It’ll be a few minutes’ walk to get to the main building so it’s best if we start moving now. Who’s this next person I’m going to sing to, anyway?”

Tao sighed, not even bothering to hide his boredom. “Park Chanyeol. Again.” 

Baekhyun’s steps faltered upon hearing the now very much familiar name, and he had to pull himself together to catch up with his companions who seemed to not notice his brief moment of unease. Up until today he had no issues whatsoever with said male, since aside from sharing one class with Chanyeol the previous semester and hearing the other students gush and gossip about him, they weren’t exactly close acquaintances. Meaning there were no need for them to interact with each other – except that one time they were assigned as project partners. Even at that time, he managed to not feel too intimidated by the guy’s presence. But now? He wasn’t so sure anymore. After repeatedly being face-to-face with the much taller male today, he can’t help but notice the increasing amount of attention Chanyeol was directing to him. He’d look straight into Baekhyun’s eyes the entire time he’s singing, making the boy feel like the air is being knocked out of him. Then even after finishing the song, Chanyeol would still refuse to look away from his face, ignoring Yixing or Zitao’s polite thanks for his time that had been taken. It was actually starting to frustrate him.

“Seriously? But I just finished singing to him before we went here to look for Taeyong.” He sounded like he was complaining and he kinda felt bad about it. But really, how many more times should he appear in front of Park Chanyeol today?

“I know, right? This guy sure is popular since lots of students are willing to pay money just to dedicate a song for him,” Tao continued. “Maybe we should’ve just suggested selling Park Chanyeol’s pictures or something when Kyungsoo was asking for project suggestions. That way Baekhyun and the other singers wouldn’t get tired running around and singing for strangers.”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but fondly pat the younger’s head, feeling a bit touched with the underlying concern on his last statement. He felt the need to reassure Zitao (and Yixing as well) that he was perfectly fine and he did not mind exerting extra effort in what they were doing. It was for charity, after all. And for Jongin’s lovelife, for that matter. 

All throughout the time they spent walking towards the main building, Baekhyun had remained silent. Oddly, he still kept thinking about Park Chanyeol and their multiple encounters for the day. His mind kept replaying the one that happened not even an hour ago outside one of the empty lecture halls. Right from the moment they stopped the giant from walking away with his nose buried in a book, Chanyeol had once again set his eyes on Baekhyun and refused to divert his gaze elsewhere while waiting for the latter to read the details on the note he was holding. It might’ve been Baekhyun’s imagination, but the taller looked somewhat…hopeful? For what, he wasn’t exactly sure. But Chanyeol had a defeated look on his face after Baekhyun had read that the song dedication was from a sophomore girl called Yeri.

“Baekhyun, we’re here,” Yixing said, gently shaking his arm for good measure. He was lost in thought that he failed to notice they were already in front of the main building, which has been temporarily converted into a makeshift photo gallery. Not wanting to disrupt the quiet atmosphere inside, they decided that Zitao would come in, find Chanyeol and then invite him to step outside for the serenade.

When Zitao appeared with Chanyeol trailing behind, Baekhyun immediately ducked his head and stared on the ground. He wasn’t exactly sure why he did it, but he didn’t want to meet the other’s eyes. Yixing was the one who greeted Chanyeol and read the details of the song dedication. 

This time it was EXO’s XOXO that Baekhyun had to sing. No matter how uncomfortable he was, the song’s cheerful melody, with the lyrics sending an almost shy but longing message, was doing wonders to him. He figured that it might come across as rude and insincere if he kept looking away from Chanyeol, so from time to time he would chance a glance at him. He was right. Park Chanyeol had that expression again – openly staring at him as if he wanted to memorize his every feature. 

Baekhyun could feel heat slowly spreading across his cheeks, so instead he opted to direct his gaze and concentrate on Chanyeol’s forehead.

When the song finished, he bowed and once again thanked the taller male for his time. He was about to turn around and walk away when Chanyeol spoke. 

“By any chance, are there – I mean…do you still have songs to sing to me?” 

Chanyeol was scratching his nape, looking and sounding reluctant about his question. For someone who’s admired by almost everyone in the university, Baekhyun thought Chanyeol looked almost unsure of himself in that moment. 

Zitao was the one holding the list of requests, so he quickly checked if there were still upcoming dedications for him. “Hmm, there’s one more, but we’re not sure if there’ll be some last-minute requests. Are you going home now?”

“Ah. Not yet, but I’ll be at the rooftop later to…uhmm…study. I thought it’d be helpful for you to know where to find me.” Chanyeol explained. For once, Zitao was gratefully smiling at him for sparing him the trouble of running around to search for him later.

***

By the time Baekhyun reached the rooftop, he was already feeling lightheaded. There was a slight throbbing in his temple and little black circles were starting to appear in his vision but he tried his best to brush it off. His feet hurt from hours of walking around, singing his heart out to random people, and then climbing the flight of steps to where Chanyeol is right now. Curse the man who had designed a very large university but did not even think of installing elevators.

It had been quite a long day, and Baekhyun could only breathe a sigh of relief when Zitao informed him that this was going to be the second to last serenade he had to deliver. Good thing there were no last-minute requests that came in so he can go home once the fair is over. Or maybe he’d drag Jongin to their favorite chicken restaurant and make him pay for their meal as some sort of reward for his hardwork today.

They found Chanyeol leaning against the railings of the rooftop, book on hand and hair getting mussed up by the blowing wind. He looked almost like a character in a romance manhwa, a pretty boy adored by everyone around him. And once he caught sight of a panting, breathless Baekhyun, he stood straight and offered a good-natured smile.

“Hi.” Chanyeol greeted as he stowed his book away into his backpack lying on the ground.

“Yeah, hi,” Baekhyun returned, doing everything he can to normalize his breathing. “This’ll be the last dedication addressed to you for today. I’m terribly sorry if we had been appearing in front of you too many times, but also thank you for listening to each and every song. I hope we didn’t bother you that much.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.”

Baekhyun then proceeded to read the short note on the paper that Zitao handed him, informing Chanyeol that it was from one of their juniors who really admires him for basically everything about him. And who was also asking if it would be possible for Chanyeol to attend her upcoming birthday party. As her , preferably.

Baekhyun almost grimaced after reading the note, thinking the girl could’ve just approached Park Chanyeol to ask him personally instead of putting him through the trouble of having to relay the message. But all thoughts aside, he was here to sing, and that’s exactly what he’ll do.

“The song is Love Blossom, we hope you’ll enjoy it,” he bowed a little and ignored the fact that Chanyeol had that defeated expression on his face again, despite the smile he gave just minutes ago. 

Once he started singing, the words flowed out smoothly and steadily out of him. Yixing was strumming his guitar by his side, making him even more relaxed and composed as he sang. He had always enjoyed singing even though he was not keen on doing so in front of people, but today he couldn’t even remember what he was being nervous for in the first place. 

He breathed the last word of the song with ease and made his final bow. It was the last song he was going to sing for Park Chanyeol today, and he’s quite relieved that he made it through the entire ordeal. 

“Thank you for your patience today, Chanyeol-ssi. We, on behalf of the entire student council, hope you enjoyed the song requests that were dedicated to you. We’ll be heading first now. Bye!” Zitao cheerfully said, clearly looking happy that their tasks for the day were almost over. He unceremoniously shoved the list onto his pants pocket before proceeding to link arms with Yixing and drag him out of the rooftop.

“Wait, what about Baekhyun? Let’s wait for him,” Yixing appealed when he noticed Baekhyun still standing a few feet away from Chanyeol. Zitao seemed to not hear anything above his happy humming, still marching his friend away with him.

Baekhyun just smiled before waving them off. “Go ahead, Xing. I’ll be right behind you, just need to catch my breath for a minute.”

When he could no longer hear Zitao and Yixing’s footsteps, he took a deep breath and reached for his handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead. He really couldn’t wait to go back home and take a long, relaxing shower. It’s almost four o’clock, but he could still hear the bustling of students all the way from the grounds, clearly still enjoying the on-going fair. It was strange, though, how he feels like something was covering both of his ears, making the noise sound a little muffled as if he was underwater. The dizzying sensation was back too, along with the throbbing in his temple, and he seems to be sweating buckets despite the cool afternoon breeze.

Am I that tired from roaming the campus and singing to people all day?

If he remembers it right, he still had one last song dedication to deliver. In hopes that the dizziness would go away, Baekhyun shut his eyes tight and tried harder to steady his breathing. He did not even notice that Park Chanyeol was still there, and was now standing next to him with a worried look on his face.

“Baekhyun? Are you alright?”

No, his mind supplied. “I-I’m okay, don’t worry, Chanyeol-ssi.”

“Are you sure? You look a little pale. How’re you feeling?”

The swirling black spots in his vision were getting bigger and bigger now. “I just —I just need to…catch my breath…for a sec—“ 

Park Chanyeol’s panicked voice as he repeatedly yelled his name was the last thing his mind registered before he completely passed out.

***

When Baekhyun regained consciousness, he found himself lying on one of the beds in the school infirmary. He was still feeling a bit disoriented, and the strong smell of disinfectant that was prominent in the room was not at all helping. He slowly sat up, and was at least glad that he wasn’t as dizzy as he was a while ago.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

Startled, he turned his head to where the voice had come from and saw Park Chanyeol standing next to the door. Once Baekhyun had reassured that he was feeling better, Chanyeol sighed in relief and walked closer to the bed, dragging a stool along the way.

“You suddenly passed out while we were at the rooftop. I was the one who carried you here, I hope you don’t mind,” the taller explained as he sat down. 

Baekhyun had the urge to ask how Chanyeol had carried him – was it a piggyback or bridal style? – but he refrained from doing so. Even if the other had carried him like a sack of potatoes, that’s not really important, is it? “I really am grateful. And I’m sorry if I troubled you, though. You looked like you were busy studying at the rooftop before we came to deliver the song dedication.”

“It’s totally fine. Don’t worry yourself about it.”

No one spoke afterwards, the both of them seemingly not knowing what to talk about anymore. Since they’re not exactly closely acquainted, Baekhyun thought it might be awkward to just casually ease into another topic of conversation. Perhaps he should just express his thanks once again and finally head home so he can rest. He was about to do just that, when his stomach grumbled loudly.

A few more seconds of silence ensued, before Chanyeol suddenly burst into laughter and Baekhyun turned beet red in embarrassment. 

Once Chanyeol had managed to stop himself from snorting, he grabbed a plastic bag that was sitting on the bedside table and poured its contents on Baekhyun’s lap. 

“I wasn’t sure why you lost consciousness but I suspect it might be from either hunger or fatigue, since the nurse said there seemed to be nothing wrong with you. I bought these when you were sleeping,” Chanyeol picked up one pack of strawberry-flavored bread and offered it to Baekhyun. “Here, you should eat.”

The shorter male wordlessly accepted the treat, while still not looking at Chanyeol’s face in embarrassment. He was suddenly hyper-aware of the giant who was once again staring at him, even as he started quietly munching on the bread. 

“Aren’t you going to eat too?” Baekhyun grabbed the melon-flavored one and handed it to Chanyeol, who took it with a smile. He felt uncomfortable being the only one eating, let alone being closely watched as he did so. 

A few minutes of silence passed. Baekhyun kept stuffing his face as he tried hard to look down. In his peripheral vision, he could see that Chanyeol was still not taking his eyes off of him. When he couldn’t take the awkward atmosphere any longer, Baekhyun finally decided to make small talk.

Clearing his throat, he asked. “So, which one of the songs that I sang for you today was your favourite, Chanyeol-ssi?”

“I like all of them. You’re a great singer,” the man complimented, giving him a sincere smile. “And please, just call me Chanyeol. No need to be so formal.”

“T-thanks, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun murmured, testing and liking the way the other’s name rolled off his tongue. “For a moment, I kinda thought you were unhappy about my singing or something.”

“Really? Why would you think that?”

“To be honest, you had this disappointed look on your face every time I read the notes from the people who requested the songs for you.”

“Ah, about that,” Chanyeol stood up and held his hand out to him, and it took him a while to understand that he was asking for the empty bread wrapper he was still holding. After placing the trash into the nearby bin, Chanyeol turned to him. “I suppose I was just being too hopeful. Each time you appeared in front of me today, I anticipated you to say something I wanted to hear. I was getting ahead of myself.”

Something he wanted to hear? From me? What in the world could that possibly be?, Baekhyun wondered.

“And,” he fidgeted in his seat, wondering if he should further probe into it. He didn’t exactly know why he was starting to feel a little nervous. “What was it that you wanted to hear?”

While looking straight into his eyes, Chanyeol uttered, “That the song you were about to sing was coming from you. That you’re the one who’s dedicating it to me, not just the one delivering it.”

Baekhyun really thought he must’ve been hearing things. Did Park Chanyeol really just kind of confessed to him? Because if he wasn’t being delusional, it was safe to say that it was a confession, right?

He slowly blinked once, twice, thrice, and his trance was broken only when he heard Chanyeol chuckling. 

“Was that a confession?” Baekhyun asked, dumbfounded.

“Yes.”

“Holy .” He hoped he didn’t say this out loud, but it was too late since it made the taller male laugh even more, making his eyes crinkle in an undeniably adorable manner. Baekhyun couldn’t help but think that the guy is absolutely beautiful.

“But I’m not – I mean, we don’t know each other that well. Apart from that one class we shared back then, and that one time we were assigned as project partners, we never really talked that much.”

Chanyeol now suddenly looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck like a shy teenager. “Actually, I’ve liked you since then. At first I was probably just intrigued by you. Back then I thought, ‘how can someone look so beautiful even when he’s just sitting there, doing nothing but listen to a boring lecture?’ And you’ve never once paid attention to me, while everyone else was always trying to include me in every conversation. Then later the project was given, and I didn’t expect to be randomly paired with you. I didn’t even know how to react when you walked up to me and smiled, reached out your hand and said you hoped we’d get along. You looked so breathtakingly beautiful that I could feel my breath hitch and I couldn’t speak for a few seconds. I must’ve looked stupid. That day, I realized I wasn’t just intrigued anymore, I was beyond attracted and I wanted to know you more.”

By now, Baekhyun was sure his face very much resembled a ripe tomato. But it seems Chanyeol wasn’t done talking.

“I tried to get closer to you as we were working on the output. I planned to eventually confess, but I got a little scared that you might think that things were moving a little too fast. Or that I’m not being serious.”

He may not dwell too much on it, but Baekhyun hasn’t forgotten about those two-and-a-half weeks they spent together on that project. A relatively short time that consist of meeting at coffee shops, diligently discussing the best ways to go about the assignment. In between the serious stuff, however, the two of them would slip in a few jokes here and there, quickly jiving along to each other’s humour. Baekhyun remembered thinking how nice Chanyeol actually is, and how it was fairly easy to get into light conversations with him. At that time, though, he didn’t think much of it and assumed that Chanyeol was just being genuinely friendly with him. Nothing more. 

Somewhere deep in him, perhaps Baekhyun had known that he was slowly crushing on the guy. But he had to remind himself that this was Park Chanyeol he was dealing with, and he might only get hurt if he finds out he doesn’t stand a chance. It was easier to convince himself that it was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing, and once the project was finished, he went back to not paying mind to the taller male.

“Imagine my surprise when you stopped talking to me once we had the project graded. And then the semester ended, and after that we no longer had the same classes.”

Baekhyun gaped when he saw the taller male pouting. Because crap, I had no idea he can be handsome and cute at the same time. He could just melt to the floor right then and there. Before he could even stop himself, Baekhyun had already murmured a soft ‘sorry’. He had hurt Chanyeol in the way he acted in the past, and he felt extremely guilty. 

When the pout faded, a bright smile had replaced it.

“I was thinking that since you didn’t dedicate a song for me, then I’ll just be the one who’ll sing one for you. If you’d let me, that is.” When the still quite shocked Baekhyun failed to respond, Chanyeol added, “Please?”

“Uhmm…S-sure, go ahead.”

“I don’t have a guitar with me though, so I’ll just go for it and sing.” Chanyeol looked around for a bit, before grabbing a water bottle from the bedside and using it as a makeshift mic. Despite himself, Baekhyun can’t help but giggle.

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin,
If I can't help falling in love with you?

The deep and velvety voice that was coming out of Chanyeol’s mouth surprised Baekhyun in a pleasant way, sending little tingles down his spine. He vaguely wondered if this was how every person he serenaded throughout the day had felt, or if he was feeling particularly like this because it was Park Chanyeol singing to him. He didn’t want to admit, but warmth enveloped him. 

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you

It was over before Baekhyun had realized and in a few strides Chanyeol was already in front of him, leaning in and planting a soft peck on his forehead. His mind must’ve gone haywire, and all he could register was the fast beating of his heart. 

“It’s beautiful, Chanyeol. Thank you.”

“Well, not as beautiful as your singing, but I’m glad you liked it,” Chanyeol placed the water bottle down on the table again, and Baekhyun watched as he reached his hand into his pocket. When he took it out, the smaller male’s eyes grew wide. 

He really thought he’d had enough surprises for one afternoon, but this was icing to the cake.

Carefully smoothing the creases and fixing the wings, Chanyeol handed it to him. “This is for you, too.”

“Wha — You? It was you, leaving the folded paper cranes on my study desk?”

“Yes. But I assume you never opened any of them.”

Opened them? Baekhyun had always found the origami pretty, but he didn’t realize that he was supposed to open them. That would ruin the art, wouldn’t it? He wouldn’t be able to return it to its pristine, folded state. With encouragement from Chanyeol, he grabbed the orange-colored crane he was holding and slowly opened it.

I’ll be waiting for you at the rooftop after school. Please give me a chance.

Obviously, Chanyeol wasn’t in the rooftop to peacefully study. Even today, he was right there because he was waiting for Baekhyun to come to him. 

“Did all the paper cranes have the same message inside?” he asked, to which Chanyeol nodded. “You mean, from when I got the very first origami on my desk, you’ve been waiting every day at the rooftop?”

Chanyeol nodded again, pursing his lips before grinning at him. “I like you, Byun Baekhyun.”

And if Baekhyun was able to stop himself from falling further for him back then, how the hell was he supposed to do turn away from this now? No, he’s not even sure if he wants to.

“Chanyeol, I ---“

The wooden sliding door of the infirmary suddenly burst open with a loud bang, and the two startled males involuntarily winced at the sound. Kim Jongin dashed in with purpose, face pale in worry as a wide-eyed Kyungsoo trailed behind him.

“Hyung! Are you okay? Oh God, some students saw you being carried here by Park Chanyeol. What happened?” He quickly asked as soon as he got near where Baekhyun was sitting, leaning in to inspect if the older was hurt anywhere.

“Stop fussing over me, Jongin. I’m alright,” Baekhyun assured. “I just got a little lightheaded and passed out. I’m fine now.”

“Was it because you got too tired roaming around campus today? I’m so sorry, hyung. I’m the one who got you into this. I’m sorry!”

Before Jongin could panic and ramble further, Baekhyun had taken the liberty to slap him upside on the head, making the tanned male hiss in pain. “Stop overreacting, will you? I’m not dying, I said I’m okay now. You’re such a drama queen.”

“That hurt!” Jongin pouted as he rubbed the back of his head. 

Meanwhile, next to him, Kyungsoo was watching them bicker and only spoke when Jongin finally shut his mouth. “Are you really okay now, Baekhyun? I, too, feel sorry since you were doing it for the student council. Please tell me if there’s anything you need.”

“I really am feeling better now, Kyungsoo. You guys are such worrywarts.” 

“But hyung,” Jongin piped in again. “Your face is red. You might be having a fever!”

“I-I’m not!”

Too late, his gaze had already landed on Chanyeol, as if his eyes had been unconsciously searching for him. His face flushed even more. 

Kyungsoo, sharp as a tack, was the first to catch onto something. “We…interrupted something here, didn’t we?” He asked as he looked back and forth between Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

“Huh? Soo, what are you talking abou---oh! Hi, Chanyeol! You’re here!” Baekhyun could swear that Jongin and his cluelessness at times would be the cause of the premature greying of his hair. 

“Come on, we’re getting out of here. We totally ruined the moment.” Kyungsoo swiftly took hold of Jongin’s sleeve, then proceeded to drag him away as Chanyeol waved at them.

Just as they were a halfway out the door, Baekhyun had decided to call Kyungsoo. “Do you know why I agreed to be one of the singers for your fundraiser today?” The doe-eyed male stopped on his tracks, and Baekhyun continued. “It’s because Jongin pleaded with me. Because when he found out that you were having a hard time recruiting volunteer singers, he wanted to help you out as much as he could, and lessen the stress and the pressure you’re experiencing. He cares about you. You know that, right?”

Jongin could not believe his best friend was the one indirectly doing the confessing for him. He was not-so-subtly giving Baekhyun signals to stop talking, but the latter ignored him. 

I wanted Jongin to confess to Kyungsoo and be his boyfriend, instead I’m the one who got a confession from Chanyeol today, Baekhyun thought. If I don’t push Jongin, they’ll get nowhere.

Jongin looked like he was about to faint. But he wasn’t able to when Kyungsoo had spoken.

“I know that. Jongin’s really a great guy.” Then Kyungsoo faced him, flashing his gorgeous heart-shaped smile before continuing, “I’ve actually been wondering when he’d finally ask me out on a date, or when he’d have the guts to simply pull me in and kiss me.”

To say that the tanned male was surprised would be an understatement, considering the way he was opening his mouth to say something, only to close it again when no coherent words came out. He very much resembled a fish out of water, and Baekhyun saw Chanyeol chortling in amusement from beside him. 

“R-really? I…I…I ---” Jongin stuttered. “Wow. I…I…”

Perhaps Kyungsoo realized that it was better for him to take matters into his own hands, and in a split second he had already pressed his lips on Jongin’s cheek. “Why don’t you walk me home today? Let me just finish up my council duties and then we can stop by for ice cream somewhere,” he trailed off, linking his arm with Jongin’s and leading him out of the room.

That went unexpectedly well, didn’t it?

Long after Kyungsoo and Jongin had left, a comfortable silence settled between the two boys inside the infirmary. Baekhyun wanted to return to their previous conversation, but didn’t know how to ease back into it now that they’ve lost momentum. He wondered if he should just forget about it and try another day.

“So…where were we?” It was Chanyeol who initiated it, and Baekhyun almost audibly sighed in relief. 

This was it. It’s now or never. Brushing away all nervousness, Baekhyun steeled his resolve and smiled, “Chanyeol, I like you too.”

“This might sound unoriginal now, but can I walk you home? We can get ice cream too,” Chanyeol cheekily asked, and the smaller male burst out in laughter. 

Deciding to take a leaf out of Kyungsoo’s book as well, Baekhyun leaned in and placed a few kisses on both of the giant’s cheeks.

“We can even hold hands if you want to.”

***

END