Kris POV

 

        After that short incident, Chanyeol kept on trying to be my friend. I don’t mind really but sometimes, I would wonder if it was doing him any good. His friend, Luhan, was giving me weird stares when I don’t reply to any of Chanyeol’s antics. It didn’t bug me at the start but it reached the point that I could feel his gaze boring into my skull.

 

“Luhan, just spit it out. If looks could kill,I would’ve been dead by now.”  I remarked during lunch.

Sehun eyed his boyfriend curiously while Chanyeol stopped whatever joke he was saying.

“I’m just not used to it.” Luhan admitted, looking between me and Chanyeol.

“Not used to what, hyung?”  Chanyeol asked for me.

“I’m not used seeing someone withstand your derpy charm.”

I was about to retort but Chanyeol patted my back while grinning. “Kris is awesome that way. It’s fine. It’s actually a challenge for me.”

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Challenge huh? Do you think you can stand me?”

He smirked. “I’m not a happy virus for nothing.”

“Kris hyung, don’t you find the troll amusing at all?” Sehun stared at me. Ever since I sort of lead Chanyeol to the hospital, this kid’s been looking at me like I’m some kind of idol. He would always call me Kris hyung never just hyung or Kris even when I insisted.

“I do find him amusing, to some extent.” I smirked playfully at Chanyeol who was scowling at my answer. “And Sehun, you can just call me hyung or Kris. I don’t mind honestly.”

Luhan scoffed. “No chance of that, Kris. Sehun thinks you’re the ideal hyung.”

Chanyeol pinched Luhan’s cheeks. “Don’t tell me little Luhan hyung is jealous of Kris?”

“I am not jealous! Get your hands off me you troll.” Luhan slapped Chanyeol’s hand away. Sometimes, it’s really hard to believe that Luhan was slightly older than me.

 

     As expected, a childish fight grew between the two of them which mostly consisted of cheek pinching and a bunch of silly name calling. Sehun joined them afterward after Luhan called him a useless boyfriend for not backing him up.  I just watched them while thinking. If Chanyeol and I hadn’t become friends, I would probably be by that alley, thinking about suicide again. Some things that Chanyeol said or rather screamed did get to me. Maybe there were people who had it worse than me but it doesn’t mean death isn’t a good option for me too.

 

          My dad and mom were divorced before I even understood what being a family was. I lived with my dad right now if you could call it that. The condominium we were staying at was mostly me and the maid. Dad’s probably somewhere in Africa or Egypt. He was always somewhere else. My mom on the other hand was a totally different matter. For me, I don’t have a mother. I found out that they separated because she had an affair and was pregnant with the other man’s child. My dad was willing to forgive her and accept the child as his own but no, my mom wanted out. So she left. As far as I’m concerned, my dad is the only family I have.

 

“Kris? Ayo, Kris!”  Chanyeol’s deep voice snapped me out of my reverie.

I blinked, trying to get hold of my bearings. “Uh, yeah? Sorry, I was spacing out.”

“I’d say.”  Chanyeol looked at me worriedly.

“I was just thinking, Chanyeol. It’s nothing.” I sighed.

He rolled his eyes and handed me a napkin. “Tell that to the can you just tortured.”

 

     I followed his gaze to my right hand. I was crushing the can of Coke I drank earlier. Some of its contents were dripping down my hand and I quickly wiped it off. Sehun and Luhan were just watching me, probably waiting for an explanation. I didn’t give any. Let them think what they want. Chanyeol’s stare was the hardest to ignore. He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn’t voice it. His eyes stayed glued to my right hand during the whole time. It was mildly embarrassing.

 

“I’ll talk to you after class, okay?” Chanyeol grabbed my arm as the four of us headed out the cafeteria.

“Chanyeol, you really don’t have to.” I muttered.

“Just wait for later.” He muttered back then went to his class.

 

       After saying goodbye to Sehun, Luhan and I headed for our class. We were actually classmates and I never noticed. Another sign of how aware of my surroundings I was. The walk to our  classroom was quiet.

 

“Hey, Kris?”  Luhan finally talked as we rounded the corner.

“Hm?”  I asked.

“Chanyeol’s really worried about you. Don’t be too hard on the kid.”

I sighed. “He shouldn’t worry about me.”

“Well, he already is. You probably noticed how Sehun admires you too.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, why is Sehun like that?”

Luhan rubbed the back of his neck and looked across the field. “He had a hyung our age. Sehun thought the world of him.”

“Where’s his hyung now?” I wasn’t usually this curious but something about Luhan’s tone intrigued me.

“His hyung died in a car accident. He was driving home after some party and it was raining and he was drunk.”  Luhan shook his head. “Sehun wouldn’t believe them when they told him the details. Jihun was perfect for him.”

I bit my lip while I took it all in. “Poor Sehun.” I slowed down my steps. We were already near the classroom. “You were with Sehun already back then?”

Luhan nodded. “I’ve been with Sehun for three years now, ever since I came to Korea. Jihun and I were friends and he was the one to introduce me to his dongsaeng. He was my best friend too. I felt devastated by what happened but Sehun needed me to be strong for the two of us.”

“That’s . . .amazing of you.” I mumbled. I remembered thinking how childish Luhan is despite of his age. What a silly assumption that was.

“I told you this because I already trust you. Chanyeol’s been my friend for a long time now and I trust his judgment.  He didn’t become friends with you just because he pitied you if that was what you were thinking. Sehun was very excited too. “Then Luhan looked at me seriously. “I hope you don’t disappoint them.”

I swallowed thickly, making a promise I wasn’t sure I could keep. What Luhan told me was a very private and personal thing for him and his boyfriend. It meant a lot. “I promise not to.”

 

       Luhan smiled brightly at me and went back to his normal sunny self. Despite what I had promised him, I wasn’t sure if I could be as open to them as they expect me to be. That would take a lot of getting used to. I put my head on my hand and pretended to listen to whatever the teacher was saying but my thoughts were all about Chanyeol.

 

           I’m going to be honest here and say that ditching Chanyeol came to mind, a couple of times actually. Maybe I could postpone this talk of ours for some other day when I would be ready. That probably would be never though and Chanyeol will just end up mad at me. Before I could even go out of the classroom, Luhan bounced, as in bouncing, to me and reminded me of my talk with Chanyeol. He informed me that Chanyeol’s class might be dismissed a little late so I better wait for him by the school gate rather than the hallway. 

 

“Kris hyung, hi!” Sehun waved enthusiastically as Luhan and I walked out of the room.

“Hey, you could greet your boyfriend first you know.”  Luhan pouted as he grabbed Sehun’s hand.

“I’m sorry, baby Lulu.” Sehun cooed in an overly sweet tone that my face automatically formed a grimace.

“I’m still here you know.” I muttered.

Sehun blushed and bowed. “I’m sorry, Kris hyung.”

I smiled. This Jihun dude was lucky to have him as a brother; the kid’s adorable. “No need to apologize, Sehun.”  I ruffled his hair.

He beamed at me. Maybe I shouldn’t have ruffled his hair. His smile looked like it hurt. “Kris hyung’s being nice to me now! I’ll do an even better job of being a dongsaeng!”

Luhan laughed. “Okay, Sehunnie, you be a good dongsaeng to Kris okay? We better head out though. The bakery I told you about might close down if we don’t hurry.”

 

        I walked with them to the school gate then they left running since they were in a hurry. I leaned against the gate and waited for Chanyeol to get there. A couple of minutes passed and I was getting impatient. I have never been good at waiting anyway. I tapped my foot while staring at the sky. It was almost dark. What was their class doing?

 

“I didn’t know that the school gate was going to be featured in a magazine.” I looked down and saw Chanyeol beaming.

I rolled my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You look like some kind of model,posing like that.”  He skipped to my side. “Did I keep you waiting too long?”

“Yeah, why’s your class dismissed that late?”

He looked embarrassed and looked away. “I, uh, had to ask my teacher for some extra credit work. I’m falling behind class.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “What class? Maybe I could tutor you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were smart.”

He got me there. Only the teachers knew I was one, if not the most, of the smartest students they’ve had. “It’s nothing.”

He grinned at me. “Yes,it is! Anyway, let’s get going!”

“Where exactly are we going?”

He walked on ahead and ignored my question.

“Hey, Chanyeol!”

He finally looked back at me. “Yes, Kris?”

“Tell me where we’re going.”

He smirked at me. “Oh don’t you know,Kris? We’re going to your place.”

I think my jaw fell open since Chanyeol suddenly burst out to laughter. “My place?! Why are we going there?!”

He shrugged. “I want to see it.”

“Just because of that? Chanyeol. . .” I rubbed my face in annoyance. “You can’t just go to someone’s place because you want to see it.”

His face suddenly turned serious. “Would you rather we talk out here in the streets? I’m fine either way.”

I looked back at him. It didn’t look like he was going to change his mind soon. With a sigh, I finally gave up. “Alright, we’ll go to my place. Just don’t tell anyone else about it, okay?”

 

         His wide creepy grin came back and he bounced off ahead. I wonder how he knew where I lived. He probably asked them at the secretary. It’s sort of creepy in a way. I was about to ask him about it but he was telling me something that happened in his class that day. I didn’t respond much but he still kept on  talking. Talking with Chanyeol was easy. Even if I don’t say much, he still kept on going and it actually cheered me up. I found myself laughing at some silly remark he made. It was actually very comfortable. He stopped when we reached my building.

 

“Well, here we are.”  He said while looking around.

I couldn’t help but smirk.  “You know you make it seem like we’re at your place rather than mine.”

He grinned at me. “We’ll go to my place next time, deal?”

I found myself nodding. “I’d like that.” I was surprised at how sincere my words were.

 

         We walked in the building and rode the elevator to my place. He was surprised when I pressed the floor for the penthouse unit. I guessed he only knew my building. Like before, he started telling me about his classmates. Then he suddenly drifted to Luhan and Sehun and his expression sobered.

 

“You know Luhan hyung and Sehun were my first friends. The others thought I was too weird and hyper so they didn’t like me.” He frowned. “I actually thought I wouldn’t have any friends.”

I wanted to say something that would make him smile again but I’m not sure if I can. “Hm, well, Chanyeol, you are weird and hyper.”  His face fell even more. “I like you though.”

 

   Wait, did I just say that? I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Great job, Kris. Make the situation more awkward. I couldn’t face Chanyeol so I was pretty much staring at the walls of the elevator. Crap, Chanyeol wasn’t saying anything either. I suddenly felt a weight against my back and shoulder and I turned my head to see Chanyeol hugging me.

 

“Thanks, Kris. I like you,too.”  I could feel him smiling.

I didn’t know what to say or do so I awkwardly patted his back while murmuring. “G-good to know.”

He laughed but he kept his hold on me. “We’re going to work on your responses. Don’t worry.”

I pushed him away and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right.”

 

    He just kept on laughing until the elevators opened. We stepped out and headed to my unit. I stopped before opening the door and slowly faced him. There was a reason I haven’t brought anyone here.

 

“Erm, my place is . . . sort of big.” I admitted quietly.

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“I mean . . .” I scratched the back of my neck. “It occupies the whole floor.”

His jaw dropped open. “Are you serious?!”

His face was so funny I can’t help but laugh. “You’ll see.”

 

        I opened the door and stepped in. Luckily we had a cleaning lady that comes twice a week so the place was pretty much in good shape. Since my dad travels a lot, our furniture came from all over the world. I laid down on the longest couch and watched as Chanyeol took it all in. His eyes were sparkling as he looked around.

 

“So, what do you think?” I couldn’t help but ask.

Chanyeol ran over to me and jumped on the couch. “This place is so awesome! How could you live like this?! Are you a millionaire?!”

I smiled at him. “Thanks, because of my dad’s work and give and take a million.”

“What does your dad do?”

I shrugged, mildly uncomfortable with the topic. “He travels. Let’s leave it at that.”

He nodded in understanding and sat down comfortably.

“Anything you want to eat? I’m a pretty decent cook if I must say so myself.”

His eyes widened. “You can cook?!”

I nodded while feigning hurt. “Do I look like I can’t?”

“Well, you don’t look like you can.”

 

       I smirked and pulled him to the kitchen which pretty much looked like a five star restaurant’s kitchen. Boy, Chanyeol was going to get surprised. Wow, I’m actually looking forward to cooking something. He hovered by the counter as I prepared chicken alfredo. He was actually quiet and just watched me the whole time. When I was done cooking, Chanyeol grinned brightly and stared at me.

 

“Is there anything you can’t do?”  he asked playfully as I served the alfredo.

“I can’t dance. That’s one.” I grinned. I was smiling too much with Chanyeol.

He laughed. “Dude, we’re the same. Can you rap?”

“A little here and there. What about you?”

“I’m not half bad.” He took a bite of the alfredo and moaned at the taste. Aish . . . “This tastes amazing! This is the best food I have ever tasted! I’m sorry,eomma, but it’s true!”

I laughed at his reaction. “Your eomma’s crying right now.”

He stuck his tongue out and continued to eat. “Hey, what about your mom? What does she do?”

 

     I choked on the food I was chewing while Chanyeol patted my back. He ran to the fridge and got me a glass of water.  I hurriedly gulped it down and tried to say that I was fine. Chanyeol didn’t look convinced at all. He even looked like he was going to cry.

 

“I’m so so so so sorry, Kris.” Chanyeol bowed.

“I’m okay,Chanyeol. Don’t worry about it.”

He continued to frown. “But . . .”

I tilted his chin up and smiled at him. “I’m fine.”

He blushed but kept my gaze. “Y-yeah.”

I let go of him and looked up at the ceiling. “My mom and dad are divorced. My mom left us before I went to school. She tried talking to me recently but I don’t want to. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive her for what she did.”

“I see.”  Chanyeol said in a shy voice I didn’t know he was capable of. “I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious.”

I sighed. “It’s fine.” He still looked troubled. “It actually felt good admitting it to someone.”

His signature grin came back on his face. “You can tell me anything, Kris.”

“You can tell me anything too, Chanyeol. Well you already do.” I chuckled.

 

          We ended up watching a movie after dinner. We even did some homework together which mostly consisted of me tutoring him. This kid, he said he was behind one class only. He continued to fret over the math formulas on his notes so I gave him some short cuts I’ve discovered. He nodded at me gratefully and tried the problems again. After homework, I ordered pizza since I was too lazy to make it myself. We didn’t notice how much time had passed until Chanyeol jumped up.

 

“Holy crap,is that the time?! Eomma’s going to kill me! Kris, what do I do?!” Chanyeol started flailing.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost 2 in the morning. “Do you have a curfew,Chanyeol?”

He nodded. “It’s at midnight. I won’t have a place to sleep in!”

I mulled it over. “Look, call your eomma and say you’re going to sleep over at my place.”

“Really?! You don’t mind?!”

I smiled. “I have the extra room anyway.”

“Thank you!”  Chanyeol jumped on me and hugged me tightly. Wow.

“Yah, let me go!”

“What? No,you’re too cuddly!”

“I am not cuddly!”

“Yes you are!”

 

          With all the extra room I have in my place, Chanyeol and I ended up sleeping on the floor since we continued arguing. Though the floor was hard and cold, it was the best sleep I’ve ever had.