Baekhyun’s  back bends a little—he tiptoes—and observes left and right, not wanting to be seen by their neighbors trespassing his other neighbor’s backyard. It was midnight, and he just became sixteen years old as of now, but he knows nothing about love other than holding hands and fluttering hearts, but it doesn’t stop him from confessing. A spade in his right hand, and a time capsule pressed to his chest with the left. He knew that his crush (which he declares as his love, actually) only recognizes his existence through coincidental meetings when going outside their houses, but that doesn’t stop him either. He knew that this time capsule will, in fact, be capsulated for a very long time; it may even stay buried for eternity. But that’s not what matters. What matters is, Baekhyun is trying his hardest with his profound courage to confess through a letter. He arrives at a spot where the lawn seemed to have lacked grass. He starts to dig.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun opens the cab’s window, breathing the fresh air of Bucheon, which he mostly missed after several months in Seoul. His parents are waiting for him; he’ll be twenty-one tomorrow, after all. He secretly wished another was anticipating for his return, sitting by the neighbor’s porch, legs crossed, eyes circling, trying to calm his self. He has many wishes for such a simple birthday he had planned. The sky shared his sentiments as it gave a bluish black appearance, no stars present.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun was walking home—his backpack slung on both his arms, as his hands tug on its strap. It was a very tiring day, and he wished it could end with a pleasant evening. He thinks about his neighbor, Chanyeol, whom he believed was also a high school student, maybe the same age as his. He smiles and anticipates passing by the other male’s house. He imagines him standing by their porch, and as he passes by he will call Baekhyun’s name. He doesn’t even know if Chanyeol was aware that his name was Baekhyun. He could only hope that the other was secretly spying and ogling him too. And in three seconds, he passes by their house and sees the other.

Chanyeol doesn’t see him, but Baekhyun does.

Chanyeol doesn’t smile, but Baekhyun does.

Because, Chanyeol was fast asleep on the rocking chair by the porch, still clad in his uniform with his tie loosened. He smiles because how can Chanyeol be so adorable? He approaches the open gate, and tried to contain himself when he was at such a close proximity with Chanyeol. He bites his lip as he leans in front of Chanyeol’s face, almost about to…

“W-What the…?” Chanyeol says. Baekhyun leans back in shock because… He just saw Chanyeol eye to eye. His large eyes are most definitely amazing. He feels his heart skip a bit.

“Hi! I’m Baekhyun, your neighbor!” Baekhyun was exalted and giddy. He offers a handshake which Chanyeol took after a few seconds of processing. Baekhyun was so jumpy after the handshake (because he would point out that Chanyeol’s hands perfectly fit his), that he didn’t notice that Chanyeol was a bit startled and scared of him.

“So… You’re Chanyeol, right? If you wanna know how I knew well actually it’s a long story and I don’t want to bore you plus I really have lots of things to ask you. Let me start with ‘you look so cute when you sleep’. Oh that was not a question, wasn’t it? How about, how old are you? Which school are you currently attending? Though judging from your uniform I may say you…”

Baekhyun’s continuous banter made Chanyeol’s head spin. He never knew someone could even speak so spontaneously and without pause. Chanyeol was simply looking at him as he talked about Harry Potter and how it made his eye-bags grow. It was random topics jumping to another, and even though Chanyeol tries his best to listen, he couldn’t understand.

“… and our neighbor actually adopted a black cat. I was scared to death because oh my goodness what if he was like McGonagall or something that uses cats as a part of their rituals or something? Ugh. Anyways, let’s be friends?” Baekhyun offers a hand once again, and Chanyeol shakes it and nods—still unsure of what the other was saying.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun arrives ang takes his luggage out of the cab’s compartment. As it sped away, he was left looking at the façade of their happy home, and how nervous he was that he was back. He finally starts to walk, dragging his suitcase, feeling his heart beat hardly because what are the chances to meet him? He doesn’t think he’s ready, after several months of no contact. He rings his doorbell, and his heart trembled as he saw by the ground a pair of shoes which seemed all too familiar. He raises his head one… two… three…

It was just his brother.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun sighs. He was getting tired of their routine. It was everyday that they’d walk to school as if lovers, but end up labeled as friends. Chanyeol treated him so nicely that he was giving him false hopes. He wants to end his suffering. He wants to confront Chanyeol. They were walking home in an awkwardly quiet atmosphere. Baekhyun took the opportunity and squeezed Chanyeol’s hand to stop him from walking.

“Is anything wrong?” Chanyeol asks him.

“A lot of things are.” Baekhyun says. He doesn’t want to say more because when he does, it’s only him talking.

“Go on…” Chanyeol obliged him.

“What are we? That’s a start,” Baekhyun asks and Chanyeol doesn’t reply, shock evident in his face. “I don’t know if you notice, Chanyeol, but everyday I try my best for you to notice me. And you do… Just not the way I expect you to.” Chanyeol was clueless. “I don’t know if it’s just me, but you never noticed how much I wanted to confess to you, how much I have loved you through the days you’ve decided to put a barricade between pure sweetness and love. I was sweet not just because I was your friend, Chanyeol. I was sweet also because I wanted you to love me. And apparently, you’re too blind to notice what I was doing. And maybe even purposely, you tried to return my sweet gestures. It just hurts to see us bond like how I wanted us to but cannot even be what I wanted us to be. I’m so confused and I just… I love you… Even before I introduced myself to you that day… Dammit Chanyeol why am I the only one speaking say something, anything whatever that is I can—”

Chanyeol’s lips speak through kisses, that, Baekhyun can conclude. While his argue about every single thing by voicing everything out, Chanyeol expresses his emotions through smiles, biting of lips, and like right now, a kiss. Chanyeol pulls back.

“I love you too, Baek.”

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun was greeted by his parents. His mom hugged him, thanked him for finally coming back home. His dad simply ruffled his hair and smiled at him. He checks their large pendulum clock, and sees it was half-past seven. He was just in time for dinner.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun was outraged. He was so frustrated that he ruined his hair which he styled for half an hour. He was having a fight with Chanyeol again, and he feels wanting to escape the dilemma. It seemed that Chanyeol’s past was persistent in making its way to the present. And Baekhyun was simply frustrated because Chanyeol has nothing to do with it and he was jealous. But today was different. Today was most certainly, unaccounted for.

“Baek…” Chanyeol pleaded as he hugged Baekhyun’s back, taking the suitcase from Baekhyun’s hand in the process. “That was completely nothing… Kyungsoo initiated it… I’m sorry…”

“And I just have to discover it through Sehun, don’t I? How pathetic do you think I really am? I’m not some puppet you could order around!” Baekhyun’s tears started to brim down his eyes. “I’m already your fiancé, Yeol. You can’t just do things behind my back anymore.”

“But I need you, and you know so well that you do, too.” Chanyeol begs.

“I do. But I have to think about it for a while. When I get back, you’ll get your answer.” Baekhyun frees himself from the hug and walks out the door, leaving Chanyeol drowning in his tears of regret.

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun checks his wristwatch. Fifteen minutes before his birthday. He trudges to their old backyard, seeing their well-maintained lawn as well as a few pots of plants here and there. Then his eyes shift to the other side of the fence, the lawn seemed to have improved, but he notices that a part was left deserted, no grass covering the pile of earth. He does not tiptoe nor bend his back. He simply looks if someone was there, and enters. He sees a shovel by the back door, and uses it to dig. He sees that the capsule was still intact. He grabs it and opens it. He grabs an unfamiliar piece of paper.

 

Dear Baekhyun,

It has been months, how have you been? I have not been okay lately. I have been uncertain of things lately. Especially when everyday I start to miss you more. Nothing could ever cover up my mistakes but I just wished you’d stay with me and try to solve the problem out. You said we could have a second chance, can I hold on to that? Can you not fall in love whilst trying to forget me? I don’t know why you left, whether you’re running from me or you want to move on already. And I don’t need to know why—I don’t deserve to know why. It has been long, but still, I’m sorry. Would you ever come home to hug me and tell me, ‘Chanyeol, let’s work this out.’ I’ll probably not live to see that day but I’m already dying to see you again. When will that be, Baek? I still love you. I miss you. I want to know if you’re okay. I want to make sure you are. I want to protect you, Baek. Please. Come back and let me make that happen. If you ever read this, look around you. The place has improved so much, right? It was our dream ever since to grow flowers at our backyard. I wanted to fulfill our dream, even if it means having to do it by myself. I have always imagined us bonding here, but I was stupid. I’m sorry, stupid Chanyeol couldn’t make it work for the both of us. Ahh, it seems I’m running out of paper. I have had so many drafts that this was my last shot. Sorry if it’s messy. I don’t know when you’re going to read this but I believe I still love you by then. I always do. For eternity, Baekhyun. Take me, I’m still yours.

 

Baekhyun’s tears flowed freely, as he held on to the paper with his heart pumping so hard he thought he was gonna have a heart attack. He stays frozen in his spot, unsure of how to react. Who was he kidding? He still loves Chanyeol.

“Caught you.” A pair of arms wrap around his waist and he feels as if it was raining tears because he was wet with it. “Happy birthday, Baek.”

Baekhyun faces Chanyeol. “Ya! What happened to my letter? How did you find out about this? Why are there still no flowers here? You seem to have grown taller! What about the big bags under your eyes? Your stubbles are appearing! You should really—”

Talking was Baekhyun’s way of saying how much he missed someone.

Kissing was Chanyeol’s way of saying, ‘Shut up, I missed you too.’

 

Dear Chanyeollie,

Hi! I’m your neighbor, Baekhyun! You probably don’t and won’t know me any time sooner but I want to introduce myself to you through here. I’m Byun Baekhyun, it’s my birthday today, May 6. I was born in 1992, how about you? I wish you could tell me. Tell me, pleaaase?

Enough of the introductions, I know this sounds sudden, but I think I like you. Like, really like you. You just look so adorable. You also look so squishy that I wanted to squeeze you so your large eyes would pop out. Ahihi, you might think I’m crazy but it’s true.

Sincerely, your Baekhyun.

PS: For eternity, forever. Would that be enough for you to realize I exist? I’m willing to wait. ^_~ Take me, I’m already yours.