CHAPTER 20

R e v a l a t i o n s

“I’m really sorry for standing you up last night JongInah. I can’t explain it well enough, but I hope you trust me when I say it was an extremely unavoidable circumstance. I hope I can make it up to you.”

JongIn plays the voicemail about six times before he decides to send a text message to KyungSoo.

From: JongInah~

Sent: 06:36 AM

I believe you my wifey. I was just hurt that you didn’t even tell me you weren’t coming anymore. I waited for 4 hours. But that’s okay. You said you were sorry and all is forgiven. I miss you big time! T_T

From: My Wifey <3

Sent: 6:41 AM

Thanks! I promise to make it up to you! Chu~

JongIn slept with a heavy heart when KyungSoo didn’t show up for their date last night. He decided not to go to the younger’s dorm room as KyungSoo requested him to never appear at his doorstep unannounced. Something about time being away helps nurture something-something.

He keeps his phone and resumes his conversation with Sehun. They just came out of the Bubble Tea Shop and it clearly made his classmate happier. He scratches his own nape and breaths his anxiety away. He knows KyungSoo’s reason had to be valid and he promises never to ask him what it was. Afterall, a trusting relationship is the foundation of a good and strong one.

--

ChanYeol calls out to BaekHyun early in the morning. BaekHyun is supposed to ignore him but is surprised to see the cast he had on his arm. He immediately runs towards the taller male with a worried look.

“Oh my god Channie! What happened!?”

“I had an accident yesterday. That’s the reason why I wasn’t able to call or text you. I’m sorry Baekkie.”

“What are you talking about? That doesn’t matter! Does it hurt? What happened? Tell me about it!”

ChanYeol did just that, only exception is, he left out everything that had anything to do with a certain doe-eyed boy. BaekHyun starts apologizing for his incessant texting and pestering last night. He couldn’t get himself to look ChanYeol in the eye. He had thought that he was intentionally avoiding him.

“Let’s get breakfast Baekkie. My treat. For standing you up last night.”

“Silly, don’t worry about it. These things can’t be helped. Let’s go, I’m craving for a McMuffin and hash brown.”

--

KyungSoo and ChanYeol spent four more days together with their hour per day detention time. Though ChanYeol was already exempt from it due to his injuries, he insisted that he finish it. So they were both instead ask to just stay inside the detention room. They spend those times just talking about the silliest of things. Usually ChanYeol talking about his misadventures back in high school, to which KyungSoo will just reply with a snort, a short laugh or a snappy remark.

This is comfortable, KyungSoo thinks to himself. No wonder BaekHyun befriended this lanky giant with the weird ears. He always has this positive vibe around him that one can’t help but be infected with.

On their last day of detention, a Friday afternoon, ChanYeol starts.

“So I see you like Pororo. Any reason to it?”

“Oh that. Well yeah, eversince I was a kid I liked having anything Pororo. Sorta like my stress reliever. Whenever I see him, he just makes me smile.”

“That’s good. I guess it’s nice to have something to ground us once in a while and remind us that life’s too short to stress on things.”

“I surely regret leaving my big stuff Pororo at home though. That’s the only one I have, and it was given to me as a gift.” ChanYeol smiles at what KyungSoo just said, he recalls the night that he left the stuffed toy in front of the other boys’ house. He knew that KyngSoo was going to like it big time. He wasn’t wrong at all.

“Wow, you have one? Who’s it from, your parents?”

“No, it was from JongIn.”

ChanYeol’s eyes widen. He knots his brows in a way most unpleasant. That Pororo stuffed toy most definitely didn’t come from JongIn, unless KyungSoo was referring to a different one. But he clearly stated that he only has one.

“Oh. Uhm- that’s great. So he knows you like Pororo.”

“He does, and I guess he got it from the time when we went to a Summer Festival. That’s when I told him I like Pororo. And then that same night, he leaves a giant one in front of our house.”

That was me! I was the one who gave it to you! I always knew that Pororo was your favorite. It’s me ChanYeol, your bestfriend. Why won’t you remember me? I was the one who hugged you inside the Horror House. I was there to comfort you like I always did in the past.

 “Well that’s good KyungSoo. That’s—really good.”

“You don’t look well ChanYeol. Is your arm hurting again?” KyungSoo shoots a concerned look at ChanYeol. He’s been edgy everytime the other boy looks uncomfortable. He still feels responsible for the accident.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry.” But he isn’t. ChanYeol just wants to scream and shout. He wants to punch JongIn all over again for taking credit for his effort. He certainly has taken a lot from him already.

“I know I told you we’re not close or anything but, after this, do you wanna maybe grab dinner? That is if you and BaekHyun don’t have any plans. I mean, you’ve been going out with him almost every night after the accident,”What the hell KyungSoo? Why are you prying? “What I really mean is, if you guys aren’t going out tonight, maybe we could.”Okay KyungSoo you idiot, that sounded lamer. “I mean not go out as in out like a couple’s night out, but more of like a friendly out with friends and acquaintances sorta out. Yeah, that way.” Okay I’ll go ahead and die now.

ChanYeol can’t help but genuinely smile by the way the paler boy is almost engaged in a monologue. If he is to flatter himself, he thinks that KyungSoo is actually asking him out. How could he say no to this?

“No.”

“Uhm, yep. I figured as much. I knew you and BaekHyun had something already arranged. ‘Tis okay, I have to uh, go  and uh, meet JongIn anyway after this. Just forget I asked.” KyungSoo sounded nervous, but more disappointed if he were to be honest with himself.

“I mean no, BaekHyun and I don’t have any plans.”

“What?”

“So yeah, I would love to grab dinner with you Soo.”

There he goes again. He called me ‘Soo.’ Bi~bimp. Why do I feel like this whenever he calls me that? Damn it heart get a hold of yourself. It’s just ChanYeol calling you. Bi~bimp.

“Well, that’s great, I think. I know this great place where they serve ttekbokki, real cheap and deelish.”

“Super, it’s a date then.”

--

From: My Wifey <3

Sent: 06:09PM

Hey JongInah~ sorry I can’t make it later. School stuff. Kekeke~ I’ll text you tomorrow though. I get off work at five in the afternoon so we can spend the whole nigh together by then. :)

From: Channie~

Sent: 06:12PM

Hey Baekkiyah, something came up. I’ll take a raincheck okay?

Both of them casually slide their phone inside their pockets and walk side by side quietly. How is it that two people disconnected by misunderstandings, fateful encounters and disappointments, can be so at ease with each other that words need not be uttered in place of the comfortable silence between them? It’s as if this is an innate occurrence they have shared before.

To ChanYeol yes, this is exactly what he’s been praying for eversince he got back. The chance to get KyungSoo back and make up for the five years that they’ve been away from each other.

To KyungSoo though and to his conscious mind, this feeling is something new. He can’t help but push back the guilt that’s been boiling inside of him. Was he actually cheating on JongIn? With ChanYeol no less? He shakes his head violently and assure himself that this is nothing more than a friendly dinner.It’s not as if JongIn and I are exclusive.

ChanYeol notices how the other boy would shake his head just out of the blue. He finds this cute as KyungSoo looks like he’s debating with a voice inside his head again. ChanYeol stands in front of the smaller boy, looks him in the eyes, and places both his hands on KyungSoo’s ears to stop him from shaking his head any further.

KyungSoo’s eyes looks like it’s ready to pop out of its socket. The feel of ChanYeol’s touch shoots electricity to every part of his body. Plus the fact that the other boy is smiling wildly at him didn’t help at all. He pushes away both of ChanYeol’s hands before the other gets the chance to feel his ears burning with embarrassment.

“Ouch!” KyungSoo inadvertently shoved the casted arm of ChanYeol away earning a yelp of pain from the other.

“Ommo, Yeoli I’m sorry!”

~

“Soo? Are you okay now?” ChanYeol inquires. They were at a clinic and KyungSoo just tripped and sprained his ankle on their way to a band concert.

“Gwenchana, hyung.” KyungSoo can’t help but cry. He made his bestfriend miss the concert he’s been waiting for a long time now.

“Don’t cry. Please. Where does it hurt?”

“No! I’m sorry, I made you miss the concert.”

“This baby. I told you I don’t care. You’re what matters most.” ChanYeol’s eyes were reassuring. KyungSoo thought how can this 9-year old boy look this much comforting?

“Yeoli, I’m sorry.”

~

“What?” ChanYeol asks.

“I said I’m sorry.”

“Yes, I mean no. What did you just call me?”

KyungSoo stops and realizes he had called the other a nickname he isn’t familiar with, well his conscious mind isn’t familiar with. It must be something else then, a memory perhaps that is struggling to surface?

“Yeoli. I called you Yeoli. Strange, I mean I haven’t heard of that name before.” Yet the way it rolls in his mouth whenever he says it gives off this tremendously conversant and familiar intuit.

“Well I like it. From now on, call me Yeoli!”

--

They finish their dinner with the usual stories that ChanYeol had to say about almost everything he can think of. KyungSoo hasn’t laughed like this in a long time. Dare he say to himself that he never knew that he’ll be hooting like this anytime soon, especially now that the person causing this was the same one whom he never thought capable of making him laugh at all.

A strange feeling starts to creep in his chest. A warm sensation that causes him to be light-headed. He smiles a real unpretentious one for the first time in front of ChanYeol.  He maintains it as he unknowingly reveals the heart shape smile he’s been hiding from anyone he didn’t know personally.

“You know that tingly feeling when someone smiles the way you did just now? That’s common sense leaving the body. And when it does, anything’s possible.”

“Wha-what?”

ChanYeol shrugs, “I said, I like you’re smile.”

********************************************

Happy Easter everyone!

Here in the Philippines, it's known as Pasko ng Pagkabuhay.

Nothing to do with Easter eggs and bunnies. More religious than festive actually.

So here is Chapter 20.

I'm so excited to have KyungSoo get his memories back.

I don't know how he'll react when he realizes he knew ChanYeol all along.

kkk~

I have new subbies, thank you!

And please do leave comments.

Especialy to the ones who haven't said anything yet.

kkk~

Remember,

oosuɥɐɔ is love

BTW I just realized I have mobile readers.

You won't see italics on your mobile so starting from this chapter, I will color the italics gray.

:)

PS

Saengil chukahae Luhan!

 So manly~