Author's Note: I never thought I would ever continue it...so this just kind of happened... I honestly thought this is worthless... It's probably not worth your time... Short and awful and I wonder why I keep on writing ;n; Please take the warning seriously ;;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun didn’t know that there was winning or losing in loving someone.

 

He also didn’t know that being rejected because of someone else hurt a lot more.

 

When Baekhyun confessed to Yifan, he surely wasn’t ready to hear the reason why Yifan couldn’t be with him: someone named Junmyeon. Which was funny, because Junmyeon was someone that Yifan had never talked to. What was even funnier was that they had been lab partners for the whole year and they had decent conversations despite the fact that Yifan was scary and no one wanted to be paired with him—or even talk to him, for that matter.

 

Baekhyun didn’t know why he decided to confess after a basketball match; he knew it was an important event to Yifan—the taller male had been talking about it for weeks. Baekhyun believed that Yifan would have no problems winning because he was talented (his height supported that fact). His feeling was right—their university’s team won easily and Baekhyun had never seen Yifan that happy.

 

Yifan’s eyes widened at his awkward confession. He looked down momentarily at the ground with his brows knitting together before apologizing softly.

 

“I’m planning to confess to Junmyeon if I win this match, Baekhyun-ah...”

 

Baekhyun’s throat went dry.

 

“O—oh...”

 

There was nothing he could do except fake a smile and tell him that he wished...he wished that Junmyeon would accept him. Baekhyun turned around to hide his tears and accidentally bumped into someone—he could have been someone from the basketball team, too. He muttered a soft apology and didn’t even bother to look back when Yifan asked him to wait.

 

The male sadly pondered what was it that Junmyeon had that he didn’t. Was he not pretty enough? Was he not tall enough? Was he not...rich enough?

 

And was this Junmyeon pretty enough? Tall enough? Rich enough?

 

It saddened Baekhyun so much he was sure he would never recover from the heartache.

 

So when a tall, handsome male suddenly confessed to him out of nowhere, cornering him just as he stepped outside the restroom, Baekhyun turned him down. It had been a few weeks after his confession, but he didn’t think he would be ready to be in a relationship after everything that happened with Yifan. Besides, how could he date someone he didn’t know?

 

“Please give me a chance.”

 

Baekhyun was pulled out of his reverie the moment the tall male said that. He was a bit stunned to hear those words. Their eyes met and Baekhyun found himself melting under the stare.

 

“B—but I don’t even know you—“

 

“I’m Chanyeol.”

 

“But—but we’never talked—“

 

“We’ll start talking after this.”

 

“B—but—“

 

“Whatever it is, Baekhyun, it doesn’t mean love can’t grow.”

 

If Baekhyun was only a bit stunned before, now he was completely shocked. It was new to him; he was standing before a stranger, someone he didn’t know, but it was the first time Baekhyun had ever seen such a determined expression. It didn’t seem like Chanyeol—Chanyeol, right?—was willing to let him go; not until he said yes.

 

His mind drifted to Yifan.

 

Will Junmyeon feel like this? If Yifan ever has the courage to confess?

 

“I...” Baekhyun started to say, “I’m not sure...”

 

“Whatever doubts you have in mind, I’ll prove then wrong,” Chanyeol said firmly. “Please give a relationship with me a chance. You’ll never know until you try, right?”

 

Baekhyun’s mouth went dry. How could someone be this stubborn? “But—”

 

“Tell you what,” Chanyeol interrupted. “Give me a month. One month, and if I’m not what you want, you can end it.”

 

Baekhyun shifted his weight awkwardly and visibly bit his lower lip; he didn’t understand why Chanyeol was being so stubborn. It crossed his mind to tell the taller male that he hadn’t recovered from a brokenheart, but when he lifted his chin to tell him his conviction vanished because of how Chanyeol was looking at him; his expression was a mixture of worry and sincerity.

 

He felt like giving him a chance.

 

“Okay,” Baekhyun finally uttered.

 

Chanyeol froze and watched him in surprise. “O—okay?”

 

Baekhyun nodded, even though he still felt reluctant. “...One month?”

 

The taller male’s expression morphed from worry into relief as he buried his head on Baekhyun’s right shoulder. “One month.”

 

Baekhyun’s heartbeat picked up when he felt Chanyeol’s head on his shoulder and did nothing when the taller male wound his arms around his waist, tugging him closer to his chest.

 

Chanyeol was surprisingly warm.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun wasn’t even sure why he said yes to Chanyeol.

 

It was like they were dating based on trial and error. If after one month, Chanyeol wasn’t like what he wanted...then they would break up. But wouldn’t it just be easier if they got to know each other first before going on to the next stage of a relationship? Was it wise for them to gamble their feelings like this?

 

Baekhyun wondered why the thoughts didn’t occur to him sooner.

 

Nonetheless, it had happened and he had to go through one month of dating Chanyeol.

 

“Hey, Baekhyun-ah.”

 

Baekhyun was standing before his locker when Jongdae approached him. He simply smiled at his friend while he grabbed a few necessary items for his next class. “Hey, Jongdae-yah.”

 

“You know, there’s a freshman who keeps asking about you. God, I don’t think he can stop,” Jongdae whined as he pressed his forehead against the closed lockers. “I’m going to smash my head against the wall if he ask me one more time. Are you seriously not going to give him a chance?”

 

Baekhyun nervously shifted under Jongdae’s gaze.  “Uh...like—like dating?”

 

“Yeah...” Jongdae trailed off, wondering if it would be all right for him to say it; he did. “You know...since Yifan’s already with Junmyeon-hyung and all...”

 

“Oh,” Baekhyun replied shortly. He tried to distracted his mind by playing with the lock, forgetting what he was about to do. “In that case, I, uh... I’m already...taken.”

 

Jongdae gave him a blank look.

 

“Seriously?” A brief nod. “...and you told me nothing about it?”

 

“Well, actually, today’s only the first...second day.”

 

“You’re kidding me,” Jongdae deadpanned. “My best friend has been someone’s boyfriend for a day and I don’t have a clue about it. I am so gonna sulk at you but I’ll do that later because great, now I can tell that freshman that you’re unavailable and he will stop asking for sure! So, who’s the lucky guy?”

 

Baekhyun opened his mouth to say Chanyeol’s full name—only to realize he didn’t know it.

 

“...his name is...Chanyeol.”

 

“Chanyeol?” Jongdae frowned and he seemed thoughtful. “I’m pretty sure his name is familiar...what’s his family name?”

 

“...I don’t know.”

 

“...you don’t know.”

 

Baekhyun sheepishly looked down, the judgmental glint in Jongdae’s eyes not escaping him.  “Yeah.”

 

Jongdae eyed him with suspicion.  “You’re not making this up, are you? Oh wait—is he that basketball player?”

 

Baekhyun blinked. “...He’s a basketball player?”

 

Does he knowYifan then?

 

Jongdae scoffed. “If he’s the same Chanyeol we’re talking about, but I don’t think we have another person named Chanyeol here...so what, he’s been hitting on you for the past few weeks—months? And you were being so discrete about it so you couldn’t tell me?”

 

Baekhyun couldn’t bring himself to answer. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and started walking away. “I—I need to go to the class. Can we talk about this later?”

 

“Baekhyun.”

 

The male halted his movement upon his name being called. He slowly looked over his shoulder, only to find that Jongdae was giving him a warning look. He forgot that despite his cute face, his friend was actually very stubborn and scary when he got angry. Baekhyun sighed in defeat.

 

“Yes?”

 

“What is it?” Jongdae crossed his arms on his chest with a demanding frown and Baekhyun knew he wasn’t going to leave until he got an explanation. Funny because it somehow reminded him of Chanyeol. The name made his heart skip a beat and Baekhyun chewed on his lower lip.

 

“He just came...confessing to me yesterday.”

 

Jongdae’s frown deepened. “And then?” His best friend continued to press him for information; Baekhyun shifted uncomfortably.

 

“He just...confessed, okay? I turned him down—I really did, Jongdae-yah, but...but then he told me to try it with him for a month. And if after a month it’s not working out between us...then I can end it.”

 

Jongdae’s expression clearly showed that he disagreed with his decision.

 

“And you agreed.”

 

“It’s quite easy, actually,” Baekhyun quickly added. “All I need to do is just to make sure that everything’s not working and I’ll end it next month. He was just being so stubborn. He asked for a month and a month is all he’s going to get.”

 

“But isn’t it...cruel?” Jongdae ventured to propose and Baekhyun couldn’t reply. “It would be better if you just said no than to give him false hope like this,” Jongdae shook his head. “I don’t want you to hurt him—anyone for that matter, Baekhyun-ah.”

 

“I’m not, I just—“ Baekhyun almost groaned in frustration. “He asked me to give it a try, so if it’s not working, I’m not the one to blame, right?”

 

Jongdae looked unsure, but then he placed a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder as he stepped closer. “Okay. It’s just—well, in the mean time, try to avoid him...? If you don’t want to, then don’t. Don’t let him touch you—don’t let him do anything to you. You understand...?”

 

There was a moment of silence before Baekhyun gave Jongdae a calming nod.

 

“I understand...”

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun never thought that Chanyeol would make a good boyfriend; maybe he was wrong.

 

Their relationship was kept secret—or at least Baekhyun wanted it to be. He thought by keeping it quiet, Chanyeol would realize that what they had was temporary and it wasn’t going to last; that Baekhyun only accepted his confession because he offered him a one month trial period.

 

Which was why Baekhyun was surprised when he saw Chanyeol waiting patiently for him after class. Maybe because he shared a few classes with Yifan (although the Chinese male hastily dashed out of the class whenever the bell rang—maybe to meet his Junmyeon?).

 

It had been more than a month since his confession to Yifan and also more than a month since he started dating Junmyeon; the news spread like a wildfire and Baekhyun pretended he wasn’t affected by it—which was a complete lie because Baekhyun actually felt like crying. Baekhyun wished Chanyeol wasn’t there; but the other male was, standing across from the classroom door with his back against the wall, patiently waiting for Baekhyun. It was new to him—knowing that someone was willing to wait made something grow weak within him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt a bit scared because somewhere deep down inside, he didn’t want Chanyeol to try too hard for him.

 

Baekhyun’s feelings were a mess and he felt like telling Chanyeol he needed some time alone; but the moment he walked out of the class and the taller male sent him a kind smile in response, his strength disappeared and it was immediately replaced by something—something he didn’t understand.

 

“Hey,” Chanyeol greeted with a kind smile. “Are you done?”

 

Baekhyun’s heart stuttered at something as simple as that and he nodded.

 

Chanyeol took him to a movie for their first date. Baekhyun wasn’t sure if it was a date, but they were “in a relationship” and two people spending some time together outside class could be categorized as a date so...yeah. It was probably their first date. Either way, it was quite safe for Baekhyun, because it meant two hours (or more) of not talking and they had their eyes fixed on the screen the whole time. Chanyeol asked him what would he want to watch, but Baekhyun wasn’t that fond of movies and randomly pointed at a movie. It turned out Star Trek wasn’t that bad—despite the fact that he had never followed the movie in the first place.

 

Chanyeol was surprisingly loud throughout the movie.

 

Baekhyun never thought that watching a movie could be fun, but it was. Chanyeol made a sound whenever the plane crashed or when one of the characters got punched by another person; he laughed shamelessly whenever he spotted something funny going on in the scene; he even clapped his hands in excitement when the darkness had been defeated and Baekhyun sank lower in his seat because a few people were staring.

 

Chanyeol was different; compared to Yifan, that was.

 

Neither of them said anything when the movie was done. Baekhyun followed Chanyeol closely as they walked out of the theatre, his eyes were on the latter’s slender back. Chanyeol stretched out his hands and Baekhyun just realized how tall he was. He must have been spacing out that he didn’t realize Chanyeol had already turned around and smiled at him.

 

“Shall we?”

 

Baekhyun stared blankly at Chanyeol’s hand. It was extended toward his direction and Baekhyun swallowed nervously. Should he...? Don’t let him touch you if you don’t want to. Did he not want Chanyeol to touch him? He hesitated for a moment, and another moment, and yet another moment when finally Chanyeol drew his hand back and changed it into a gentle pat on his head.

 

“Did you like the movie?” Chanyeol asked as he motioned Baekhyun to start walking. The situation got a bit awkward as they walked side by side.

 

A simple smile graced Baekhyun’s lips as he nodded, telling Chanyeol, “It was good.”

 

“Really?” Chanyeol grinned. “I’m glad. Um...I wasn’t being too loud, was I?”

 

“You’re worried about that?” Baekhyun shot him an amused look. The taller male made a face in response.

 

“Are you kidding me? Of course I was worried. I mean, it’s our first date, but what if you fell asleep in the movie and everything ended up badly—“ He abruptly stopped when Baekhyun gave him a blank stare. “...nevermind.”

 

First date.

 

They continued to walk in silence before Baekhyun spoke up.

 

“...It was alright.”

 

“Really?”

 

Baekhyun nodded meekly. He wanted to say that it was his first date with anyone, so he didn’t really know how a first date was supposed to go, but overall Chanyeol was more than alright. Chanyeol broke into a dreamy grin and Baekhyun was about to say something more when all of a sudden, the taller male’s phone rang loudly.

 

Chanyeol immediately excused himself as he stumbled away to take the call. Baekhyun patiently waited for him as he played with the hem of his shirt. He stole a glance or two at the taller male and held his breath when Chanyeol turned around with an unreadable expression.

 

“Baekhyun-ah, I’m sorry...I need to go.”

 

Baekhyun silently wondered why Chanyeol apologized, but then he nodded in return before asking, “Is everything all right?”

 

“Yeah, it’s...Junmyeon,” Chanyeol said as he looked down to his phone. “We haven’t talked in a while and... I think he needs me. He doesn’t say it, but...I need to see him.”

 

J—Junmyeon?

 

“Anyway, I should go...and I’m really sorry.”

 

“It’s—it’s all right,” Baekhyun nervously stammered. Was it the same Junmyeon? But there weren’t that many people named Junmyeon, right? “Take care, Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun into a brief hug before pulling away and smiled. “I will. See you tomorrow.” He then waved a hand and turned around to leave. Baekhyun’s face was burning at the way Chanyeol hugged him, but he couldn’t help but feel empty at that, although his heart beat erratically in response to the sudden touch.

 

It was confusing.

 

What is Junmyeon to you, Chanyeol?

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Two days had passed since his first date with Chanyeol, and the tall male was nowhere to be found; Baekhyun assumed it was because he had a tight schedule. It gave Baekhyun some time to think about Chanyeol, but unfortunately, it all vanished instantly the moment he met Yifan.

 

Yifan nodded to him as he settled down on the empty chair beside Baekhyun. Baekhyun couldn’t help but admire Yifan’s gorgeous features. To be honest, he had been doing this since the first day they had been paired as lab partners. Even when everyone said he was scary, Baekhyun was still there. He felt lucky to be one of the few people who could get along with him.

 

Besides his boyfriend, of course.

 

Junmyeon.

 

The name brought bitter memories and Baekhyun grimaced to himself. Their lecturer was jotting something on the whiteboard and he couldn’t help but ask.

 

“Hyung?”

 

Yifan casually glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

 

“Just wondering,” Baekhyun whispered. “Did you get into a fight with...your boyfriend? Like a few days ago?”

 

Yifan frowned slightly at Baekhyun’s question. He directed his gaze at the lecturer before shifting it back to Baekhyun. “How did you know?”

 

Baekhyun’s heart sank. “Oh. I was just—just asking.”

 

So Chanyeol really did go to see Junmyeon...

 

Baekhyun ignored the confused stare Yifan sent him and stayed silence for the whole period. He felt weird knowing that Yifan and Junmyeon had a fight—which was probably the reason why Junmyeon called Chanyeol; the way Chanyeol responded to him so quickly bothered him.

 

But wait, why would he be bothered? He didn’t feel anything towards Chanyeol, right?

 

The class ended too slow to Baekhyun’s liking. He pretended that he didn’t hear Yifan’s voice—telling him to wait—and dashed outside. Baekhyun hastily turned around upon seeing Chanyeol across the hall and went to the opposite direction. He hoped Chanyeol wouldn’t see him; he wished Chanyeol wasn’t there.

 

He wished Junmyeon didn’t exist.

 

Baekhyun hid himself in the library. He started to regret leaving without acknowledging Chanyeol because of such simple matters...really, feeling jealous over things like that—what was he, seventeen? Baekhyun deadpanned at his own thought.

 

Jealous?

 

Baekhyun stared blankly at the thick, unopened books in front of him. Even though he ran away, he didn’t have the heart to completely abandon Chanyeol to go home. If only Baekhyun had his number, he would send him a text to not worry and just go home without him.

 

When he finally calmed down, it was already quite late in the afternoon.

 

Words couldn’t describe how surprised he was when he saw Chanyeol standing in front of the library.

 

“Ch—Chanyeol?”Chanyeol lifted up his face and smiled at him. God, why did he still have the strength to smile at him?

 

“Hi.”

 

“H—how did you...I mean, what are you doing here?”

 

“Well,” Chanyeol looked sheepish as he scratched his nape. “You always come here whenever something bothers you, so I just...figured I would wait until you calmed down...”

 

Baekhyun blinked in disbelief. How did Chanyeol know that?

 

“I saw you inside,” Chanyeol continued. “But if you went here without telling me, then you definitely didn’t want to be disturbed. So I just decided to wait.”

 

Baekhyun glanced at his watch and his jaw dropped at how many hours had passed since his last class. Did it mean Chanyeol waited for him that long?

 

“You could’ve just gone home,” he whispered. Again, something weird was building in him; something he didn’t understand. Was it sadness to find out that Chanyeol had been waiting? Or was it relief because Chanyeol was still there?

 

“I wanted to wait for you,” Chanyeol mumbled as he stepped closer. He stared at Baekhyun fondly before sweeping a few strands of hair from the latter’s forehead. “Are you okay?”

 

Baekhyun absently nodded. The way Chanyeol’s fingers brushed against his skin felt somewhat calming.

 

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for making you wait. Let’s go home...”

 

Chanyeol smiled.

 

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol had asked for his number and Baekhyun willingly gave it to him.

 

Baekhyun was never really a texting person, but there was something that bubbled in him whenever Chanyeol sent him a simple text consisting of a ‘good morning’, ‘good night’, ‘have a nice day’, or ‘have sweet dreams’—and before he knew it, his inbox was full with Chanyeol’s texts. Slowly but surely, Chanyeol took over of Yifan’s place in his heart. Baekhyun wasn’t sure because he hadn’t really admitted it, but Chanyeol was special.

 

Days passed by in a breeze and their relationship had almost reached fourteen days—no, Baekhyun didn’t count. He also didn’t mark the calendar and he certainly didn’t feel anxious for the final sixteen days.

 

Chanyeol took him to a lot of places: the department store to pick couple scarfs—because winter was near and Chanyeol just didn’t want Baekhyun to catch a cold; the coffee shop—because Chanyeol couldn’t live without his daily caffeine dose (Baekhyun thought it was unhealthy); a few restaurants—mostly to the ones that had free wi-fi so that Chanyeol could surf the internet.

 

Chanyeol, Chanyeol, Chanyeol.

 

Baekhyun managed to forget everything else when they were together.

 

“Baekhyun-ah?”

 

He snapped out of his thoughts when Yifan softly called out his name. Baekhyun cleared his throat casually. “Yes, hyung?”

 

Yifan looked extremely embarrassed for a second before shrugging and asking, “Do you know that new cafe across the station?”

 

Baekhyun recalled briefly and nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“Have you ever been there?”

 

“I only passed by a few times though. The place seems okay? It’s well lit and it’s pretty crowded. Why do you ask?”

 

There was a hint of pink in Yifan’s cheeks as he spoke. “It’s just that Junmyeon likes sweet things, and I just want to bring him there...you know, trying a new place or something.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Yifan facepalmed as he groaned, telling him, “I’m sorry to ask you such thing. Just forget about it.”

 

Baekhyun felt his heart aching slightly because Yifan looked genuine about his plan to take Junmyeon there. He could see that the love Yifan had for Junmyeon was deep, and it pained him to know that it wasn’t for him, that it was for someone else.

 

“Hyung...?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’m sure Junmyeon-hyung will be more than happy if you take him there.”

 

Yifan’s expression brightened and Baekhyun almost dissolved into laughter. “Do you really think so?”

 

Baekhyun smiled, Yifan’s insecurity endearing to him. “Yeah,” he nodded. “I do think so.”

 

Yifan waved him goodbye when the class ended and Baekhyun sincerely wished him good luck. He was gathering his things slowly and wondered if it was a natural thing to feel like that, to want their lovers to be happy. Yifan didn’t smile much, but the way his lips twitched at the thought of Junmyeon just showed how deep he had fallen for the male.

 

Didn’t Chanyeol treat him the same?

 

“Hey.”

 

Baekhyun looked up and acknowledged Chanyeol’s presence. The class was empty—everyone else had left. It amazed Baekhyun that Chanyeol was willing to wait for him everyday. “Hey...”

 

“Baekhyun-ah?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Do you know that new restaurant in the mall? I think it used to be a clothing store or something?”

 

Baekhyun tilted his head to a side, mumbling, “Is that store closed now?”

 

“Yeah,” Chanyeol shrugged. “My friend is working part time there and he said we should come and give it a try. He even said he’ll give us a discount. What do you think?”

 

Baekhyun said nothing. Should he? Or should he not? Chanyeol seemed to notice his expression.

 

“If you don’t want to, there’s always next time.”

 

No, Baekhyun wanted to cry. No, I didn’t mean it like that. He went pale because dammit was it that hard to express his feeling?

 

“...alright.”

 

Chanyeol smiled, although it looked a bit forced. “Okay then. I’ll just take you home and—“

 

“N—no, I mean, alright, let’s go.”

 

“Really?”

 

Chanyeol’s expression brightened—just like the one Yifan had earlier—and Baekhyun felt weird. He quickly dragged a hand down his chest, trying to rub away the sensation, but it wouldn’t go away.

 

Trying new things was definitely Chanyeol’s trademark in their relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun cringed internally when he saw the amount of people in the restaurant. Chanyeol looked around for a moment before waving a hand at one of the waiters; Baekhyun’s heart sank slightly because the male was really cute.

 

He approached them with a wide grin, greeting Chanyeol with a clap on the shoulder while declaring, “Chanyeol! You made it!”

 

“Minseok-hyung! Of course, who would miss a good discount?”

 

Minseok rolled his eyes and smiled at Baekhyun, saying to him, “Ah, you must be Baekhyun? I’m Minseok. Chanyeol has told me a lot about you.” Chanyeol let out a gurgling sound at that and Minseok laughed in a somewhat evil way. “Here, I’ll show you to your table.”

 

They were escorted to a small table in the corner. There was a ‘reserved’ sign on the table and Minseok snatched it away before gesturing for them to sit down and handing two menus to Chanyeol. “I’ll be back soon. Just browse through the menu first.” Chanyeol let out another sound when Minseok winked at him.

 

“Sorry about that,” the taller male mumbled in embarrassment. “I, uh, wanted to introduce you to my friends, but since we all have different classes, it’s pretty hard. I hope you don’t mind.”

 

Baekhyun gave him a small smile and assured him. “I don’t mind.”

 

“I’m glad, then,” Chanyeol grinned and then pointed at a certain food on the menu in Baekhyun’s hands. “This one is your favorite, right?”

 

Baekhyun gaped at him. “How did you—“

 

“I just knew,” Chanyeol interrupted him. “But maybe you want to order something else...?”

 

“No, I’ll—I’ll have that one,” Baekhyun stammered.

 

“Okay, then I’ll have this one,” Chanyeol replied and put away the menu, waiting on Minseok; it might take a bit because he was still taking orders from other tables. The taller of the two then plopped his arms on the table, and his stare was anywhere but at Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun examined the male in front of him; Chanyeol had a sharp nose, thin lips, and beautiful eyes. He had short black hair, broad shoulders and yet tall, slender figure—it was safe to say that Chanyeol was naturally handsome. He was somewhat like Yifan...but with a totally different personality.

 

Wait.

 

It wasn’t fair to compare Chanyeol to Yifan in every situation. Chanyeol was Chanyeol and Yifan was Yifan. Baekhyun grimaced to himself at the thought. His gaze went back to the taller male in before him and his lips curved upward into a fond smile. You’re...really kind, Chanyeol-ah. It faltered the next moment when Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

 

“Kyungsoo?”

 

Kyungsoo?

 

Baekhyun followed Chanyeol’s line of sight to a male; his heart dropped instantly because the person who named Kyungsoo was pretty. There was something gleaming in their orbs as their gazes collided and it hurt to see it.

 

“Chanyeol-ah,” Kyungsoo greeted with a shy smile. “It’s been a while.”

 

“Yeah. Are you alone?”

 

Why would you ask if he’s alone or not, Baekhyun helplessly thought. Why does it matter?

 

Kyungsoo nodded. “I’m just dropping by for takeaway. Minseok-hyung said he’ll give me discount.”

 

Chanyeol laughed. “He said that to everyone, huh? By the way, Kyungsoo, this is Baekhyun.”

 

Kyungsoo was about to say something else to Chanyeol when he noticed Baekhyun’s presence. He quickly changed it into a smile and bowed politely. “Hello, hyung.” Baekhyun reluctantly bowed back. “Well, I need to go,” Kyungsoo said but it was more addressed to Chanyeol than to him. “But it’s really nice to see you again.”

 

“Me too,” Chanyeol nodded. “Take care.”

 

“You too, Chanyeol-ah.”

 

Baekhyun didn’t want to admit it, but he felt kind of left out. They were probably friends, but there was something lingering when they talked... Baekhyun clenched his teeth tightly at the sudden irritation that washed over him.

 

“Okay, ready to order guys?” Minseok came back with a toothy smile and a notepad in his hand.

 

“We’re starving already,” Chanyeol pouted as he told him their orders. “You should give us the meal for free.”

 

“Sure, Baekhyun could go home and you could stay until my shift is over to wash the dishes,” Minseok snorted. “Oh, by the way, have you seen Junmyeon today?”

 

Junmyeon.

 

If Baekhyun was irritated, now he was miserable.

 

“I haven’t,” Chanyeol frowned. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Nah, I just need to talk to him,” Minseok shook his head. “He hasn’t replied to my text. I guess I’ll just call him later. Just wait for your meals then, okay?”

 

Baekhyun felt like crying after that because Chanyeol looked slightly distracted at the name.

 

For no reason he could think of, he just hated everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun didn’t feel like replying to any of Chanyeol’s texts, so he simply left his phone at home.

 

The male went to the university with a heavy feeling of not wanting to meet Chanyeol. He almost jumped when someone called out his name, but fortunately it was Jongdae. Baekhyun glared at him in protest and Jongdae smiled apologetically.

 

“I saw you walking with a tall guy yesterday.”

 

Baekhyun’s head snapped to face Jongdae, eyes wide with surprise.

 

“Who I’m sure is Chanyeol, because I never make a mistake,” Jongdae continued without preamble. “Who happened to date Kyungsoo, my classmate.”

 

Baekhyun froze. Kyungsoo?

 

“But I assume they’re over since you’re dating him,” Jongdae gave him a look. “Are you or are you not?”

 

“H—huh?”

 

“Are you or are you not dating him?”

 

It was the first time Jongdae had ever been this harsh; Baekhyun took a step backward. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, because he wasn’t sure. But...he said yes, right? So they were really in a relationship, right?

 

“If only you didn’t rush,” Jongdae said through his gritted teeth. “You would find out about this. I saw Kyungsoo crying a few weeks ago, Baekhyun-ah, what if—what if Chanyeol only asked you out in order to make him jealous?”

 

It felt like those words slapped Baekhyun across the face; he winced at the invisible pain. What Jongdae said made sense. Chanyeol’s stubbornness, how he waited for him after class—maybe Chanyeol wanted to show to everyone that they were dating. Thoughts of Chanyeol flooded his mind, but none of them were positive. Baekhyun pressed one of his palmsover his mouth to stifle his urge to cry; he had never felt so betrayed before.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae whispered as he reached for Baekhyun. “I—I really didn’t mean it that way. I just... I told you that I didn’t want you to hurt anyone, but what if...what if you’re the one that actually gets hurt?”

 

Baekhyun shoved all of his books inside his locker. He didn’t feel like attending class anymore. His world had been turned upside down the moment he found out about Kyungsoo. Baekhyun could hear the sound of his heart hurting and he told himself repeatedly that no, it wasn’t jealousy. It was just a feeling of hurt and betrayal for not telling him the truth. But what did he expect Chanyeol to tell him?

 

Besides, wasn’t he going to end the relationship after a month, which was eight days away? But then why did he feel so hurt?

 

Because you like him.

 

Baekhyun’s inner self started without permission. He gasped mutely to himself and balled his hands into fists.

 

“Baekhyun-ah?”

 

Baekhyun gasped audibly this time and caught Yifan’s worried stare at him. “Hyung...”

 

“Are you all right? You seem panicked,” the older man observed. The younger of the two took a moment to breathe and calmed down; when he did, he weakly shook his head as an answer.

 

“I’m all right, I just—I don’t feel good. I think I’m going to just head home.”

 

“Alone?” Yifan received a weak nod in return. “Baekhyun-ah?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but...rumor has it that you’re dating Chanyeol?”

 

Baekhyun instinctively grunted in response. “Not you too. What, are you going to tell me about Kyungsoo?”

 

“Kyungsoo? Who’s Kyungsoo?” Yifan blinked in confusion. “Uh...you don’t seem too happy about it.”

 

“It’s not that,” Baekhyun sighed in exasperation. “I just—nevermind.” It occured to him that Jongdae once said Chanyeol was a basketball player. “Is he on the basketball team with you?”

 

“Yeah, he’s a really good pointguard,” Yifan replied. “Well, now that you two are dating...would you mind asking him why he hates me so much?”

 

“Huh?” Baekhyun went blank. “He hates you?”

 

“Yeah. He hates me so much that he came to me the other day, asking to break it off with Junmyeon.”

 

If the news about Kyungsoo was like a slap across his face, then that news came as a punch to his nose. Something tugged on his heartstrings and it hurt so much that Baekhyun couldn’t think clearly anymore. Why did Chanyeol confront Yifan and tell him to break up with Junmyeon? Did he like him?

 

Did he really ask me out so that he could make them jealous...?

 

When Baekhyun was alone again, he sobbed weakly into his hands.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, Baekhyun completely ignored Chanyeol.

 

He somehow managed to dash out of classes before Chanyeol made it; he switched off his phone a lot lately and usually when he turned it on, there would be a large number of missed calls and texts from the taller male.

 

There were times when Baekhyun felt like he wasn’t being fair, but then the thoughts of Kyungsoo and Junmyeon appeared and he would pout in dismay. He thought that by neglecting Chanyeol completely for a few days, the latter would understand that it was over between them.

 

He was totally wrong.

 

Chanyeol managed to corner him right before his class; Baekhyun had nowhere else to run. He gulped thickly at Chanyeol’s dark expression and took a step backward. Chanyeol’s eyes flashed as he understood what the other male was about to do and snatched Baekhyun’s arm.

 

“If I did something wrong, I’m sorry.” Baekhyun’s shoulders flinched at how hurt Chanyeol sounded and he dropped his gaze. “Why have you been avoiding me?” Chanyeol desperately pulled him closer.

 

“Let me go,” Baekhyun’s lips were trembling when he said those words. If Chanyeol kept on holding him, he would cry any minute now. “Please, let me go...”

 

“No,” Chanyeol sternly replied and tightened his grip on Baekhyun’s arm. “I will not unless you tell me why.”

 

“You know why!”

 

“I don’t,” Chanyeol said in frustration. “Baekhyun-ah, please—“

 

“He’s your ex, right?” Chanyeol looked shocked and Baekhyun managed to pry his arm out of Chanyeol’s grip. He looked dumbstruck and confused, probably because he didn’t really understand what Baekhyun meant by that.

 

“Ex...? Are you talking about...Kyungsoo?”

 

Baekhyun sniffled and admitted, “You never told me about him. And—and you seem really close with Yifan’s boyfriend...”

 

Chanyeol dragged a hand down his face. “Baek, you ignored me six days straight for that?”

 

“Um,” Baekhyun paused. “I’ve been wanting to ignore you since our first date. When you got a call from Yifan’s boyfriend...?”

 

“His name is Junmyeon,” Chanyeol frowned and visibly tensed. “And don’t bring his name up.”

 

“Who, Yifan? If you can say his boyfriend’s name then so can—” Baekhyun tried to argue but Chanyeol cut him off.

 

“I don’t like him.”

 

I don’t like Junmyeon too, was what Baekhyun wanted to snap but he held everything inside.

 

“Junmyeon’s my friend, Baekhyun-ah. A really close friend.”

 

“And you think Yifan’s not my friend?”

 

“I said,” Chanyeol said dangerously through his gritted teeth and extended a hand to grab Baekhyun. “Don’t—“

 

“Don’t touch me!” Baekhyun cried as he tried to struggle away from Chanyeol’s grip, but the taller male was too strong for him. “Chanyeol, let go, that hurts—!”

 

“Hey!”

 

Both of them turned their heads to the source of the voice. Chanyeol’s expression dimmed when he realized it was Yifan.

 

“Is he hurting you, Baekhyun?” The Chinese male asked carefully with a frown.

 

“Yi—Yifan-hyung,” Baekhyun stuttered and yanked himself once again from Chanyeol. This time, he succeeded. “I—no, we’re...we’re all right. We’re all right.” Chanyeol didn’t struggle for him this time.

 

Yifan didn’t seem convinced. He observed the couple for another moment before nodding reluctantly. “If you say so...if anything happens, call me, okay?” The Chinese-Canadian male sent him one last look before walking away. His eyes were still fixed on Chanyeol, eyeing the latter’s movement cautiously.

 

Chanyeol bravely glared back.

 

Baekhyun sighed. “Chanyeol—“

 

“Let’s just break up.”

 

“Eh...?”

 

“I don’t know if you realize it, but we’re gonna be a month in a few days,” Chanyeol said bitterly. “I was so scared of what you think about me. About us. It just—it’s—dammit, Baek, you don’t know anything about me. If there’s anything you want to confirm then all you have to do is just ask.” There was a hint of desperation in his tone. “I never told you anything because you—“ Chanyeol snorted. “—you didn’t seem like you could move on from him. Then what’s the point in me trying?”

 

Baekhyun stifled a sob and whimpered, “What are you saying?”

 

“I’m saying that I can guess what’s your answer gonna be, judging from your earlier gesture,” Chanyeol waved a hand dismissively. “I really hate myself for saying this, but it’s been fun. Thank you so much for letting me date you this past few weeks.”

 

“Chanyeol, wait—”

 

Chanyeol didn’t even bother to look back and Baekhyun cried.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

It was supposed to be easy—when they reached a month, all Baekhyun had to do was to tell Chanyeol that they weren’t working and their relationship ended there. Just like that. It was supposed to be easy. But then why did Baekhyun find himself regretting everything?

 

“Stop crying,” Jongdae ordered softly.

 

“I—I don’t know how to stop these tears,” Baekhyun whined. “I just feel so sad, Jongdae-yah—“

 

“I don’t understand why you’re crying,” Jongdae continued carefully. “I mean, you were the one who didn’t want this to work in the first place. Congratulations, it didn’t. Then please, Baekhyun-ah, stop crying.”

 

Baekhyun slowly stopped sobbing. “I...” Jongdae waited. “I want it to work...” Jongdae raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. “I want it to work,” Baekhyun choked between tears. “I want us to work, Jongdae-yah...”

 

“Oh God,” Jongdae slowly said as he blinked in disbelief. “Baekhyun-ah... You like him.”

 

“I don’t know!” Baekhyun cried helplessly. “I don’t understand, but I...I don’t want to lose him... I don’t want him to leave...”

 

“Then tell him.”

 

“I’m—I’m scared.”

 

“Nothing’s gonna change if you don’t try, okay?”

 

Baekhyun wiped his tears with the back of his hand. He stared at Jongdae in fear. “What if he hates me...?”

 

“Have you guys kissed...?”

 

Baekhyun went silent at his question. His cheeks turned crimson and Jongdae gasped.

 

“He did...?”

 

“It—it just happened,” Baekhyun mumbled bashfully.

 

“Well, did you kiss back?”

 

“I—“

 

“Did you ever text him first? Did you ever go to his class?” Jongdae pursed his lips. “Did you ever show him that you like him too?” Baekhyun’s lost expression was enough to let Jongdae know. “Baek—“

 

“I never thought it would last more than a month,” Baekhyun interrupted. Tears were starting to form again in the rim of his eyes and he did his best to hold them back. “It’s just...his ex is pretty and everyone says Junmyeon is prettier than an angel, and I’m just...”

 

“Baekhyun-ah,” Jongdae firmly said. “Try telling Chanyeol all of this.”

 

“I—I can’t...”

 

“You don’t know that,” Jongdae said and groaned in annoyance. “Go and talk to him.”

 

“But—“

 

“If you don’t, I’m not gonna talk to you again for the rest of my life.”

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

It didn’t take long for Baekhyun to admit that he missed Chanyeol.

 

He missed how Chanyeol was always there for him after class. He missed how the taller male held his hand in the crowd, protecting him, guiding him, and taking care of him. He missed hearing Chanyeol’s genuine laugh.

 

Jongdae told him to try, but honestly, Baekhyun was really scared. He thought it would be better to just let Chanyeol go than to confront him and feel miserable in the end. His inner self thought so, but when Baekhyun found himself waiting outside Chanyeol’s class, he knew it was his only chance. He wasn’t comforted at all when Chanyeol left the classroom and remained expressionless when they made eye-contact. The latter remained completely poker-faced, and Baekhyun couldn’t read him. Was he angry? Was he irritated?

 

“Is there something you need?”

 

Baekhyun winced because Chanyeol sounded so casual and he felt like crying; coming and finding him was probably a mistake. Baekhyun wanted to turn around and run, but then he remembered their first kiss—his first kiss, too—and the feeling resurfaced within his chest and why he came.

 

“Y—yes.”

 

So he did what he wanted. He kissed Chanyeol softly, their lips meeting for a few brief seconds.

 

Baekhyun thought he would get rejected, but fortunately Chanyeol didn’t react at all; which also saddened him. He pulled away and Chanyeol’s poker face made his chest ache. Nonetheless, he smiled.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It—it hurts when you mention his name...” Baekhyun clutched his own chest as he looked down. “I just—I don’t want you to mention any other names... I don’t want you to think of anyone else when we’re together... Now that I think about it, it’s stupid for hating you and Kyungsoo just because you talk and you had something in the past... I mean, there’s nothing I can do about it and—“

 

Chanyeol leaned forward to hug him and rested his chin on the top of Baekhyun’s head. “It’s okay.”

 

“B—but I’m not finished yet—“

 

“I understand, Baek.” Chanyeol sighed against his hair and his fingers skittered on Baekhyun’s arms. The latter sniffed and returned the embrace. “Baek?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Does that mean I get another month?”

 

It got Baekhyun to smile. “Do you want another month?” Baekhyun mumbled jokingly against his chest.

 

“A week?” Chanyeol lamely suggested.

 

Baekhyun broke into a sincere smile as he carefully tiptoed to kiss Chanyeol once again. Their lips were glued for the longest time of his life and Baekhyun somehow loved the sound Chanyeol made as he pulled away.

 

“How about forever...?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Baek, can I ask you a favor?”

 

Baekhyun looked up from his book. “Yes?”

 

“Please don’t ever hate Kyungsoo.”

 

“Oh. Okay. Um...why?”

 

“He dumped me so I could be with you.”

 

Baekhyun blinked as he registered those words and gaped for a few seconds until he managed to croak out a small, “What?”

 

Chanyeol looked embarrassed and played with the end of the table cloth. “We were dating, but we weren’t exactly the dream couple. Minseok always said that there was something wrong with our relationship. I just didn’t know what...until you came.”

 

Baekhyun placed a hand on his mouth. “Me...?”

 

Chanyeol nodded. “I’d seen you a lot at our matches and whenever you came, I couldn’t help but think that Yifan was so lucky to have you. I thought you two were dating or something...” He paused momentarily. “And then it happened.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“I saw you crying the other day,” Chanyeol mumbled as he rubbed his hands together to get warm. “And a few days after that, Junmyeon accepted his confession. I hated Yifan because I thought he was an awful person to make you cry. I just don’t want Junmyeon to be hurt, you know?”

 

Everything made sense now.

 

Baekhyun slowly smiled as if to say he understood. His boyfriend—yes, his boyfriend—was still rubbing his hands and Baekhyun reached out to lace their fingers together. Chanyeol looked down at their linking hands and Baekhyun’s heart swelled at the fond gaze he had.

 

“Let’s start all of this properly,” Chanyeol suggested.

 

Baekhyun smiled in amusement. “Okay. Um...how?”

 

“Please go out with me, Byun Baekhyun.”

 

“But I already am.”

 

“Please give me a chance.”

 

“You already have it.”

 

“Please,” Chanyeol breathed as he leaned forward to press their lips together. “Don’t give your heart to anyone else.”

 

Baekhyun didn’t think he could.