Prologue: True love runs out.

Who is to blame when love fails?

Statistics never lie, but lovers often do. The sad truth has unsettled many love stories into complete oblivion. Most of the time, people choose to escape when things get uneasy. Nearly everyone’s ultimate back up plan is to run, and running away from love is a desperate measure whenever everything becomes vague.

As cliché as it may seem, sometimes running away is the simplest way out. And everyone wants the easy way out. Sometimes, running away signals a more dramatic outbreak, or sometimes it defies the truth, prolongs the agony or stores an insuperable amount of guilt. Breaking away from everything is the most painless way to hide the pain -- ironic isn’t it?

So Byun Baekhyun opted for the simplest decision, but it is not what his heart desired.

~~~

Baekhyun tells himself that Park Chanyeol is out of his league, that Park Chanyeol isn’t going to fall for him, that ignoring Park Chanyeol will be the best decision that he can make in his entire lifetime, that Park Chanyeol is an elusive dream that Baekhyun cannot possibly even try to reach, and that befriending Park Chanyeol means crossing an unfathomable sea that will probably cost him his life but when Park Chanyeol gives him a shy smile, arm outstretched and offering his hand for a polite shake during Chemistry, Byun Baekhyun forgets everything and stupidly replies, “Who, me?” in which Park Chanyeol releases the most beautiful laugh Baekhyun has ever heard, too pleasant to his ears, too delightful to his heart.

Uh oh, here comes trouble.

Park Chanyeol has an atypical characteristic -- his personality differs from what you see, and surprisingly, still, people are enchanted by him.

“I’m Park Chanyeol, and yes, I’m talking to you, Byun Baekhyun.”

And Baekhyun almost falls onto the floor from his seat because Park Chanyeol knows him, recognizes him, is talking to him and knows his full name. The Park Chanyeol.

Well, Park Chanyeol is handsome.

The description might need some tweaks and improvements though, because Park Chanyeol is not just handsome but exceptionally good looking, with the perfect mixture of sharp features and gentleness; everyone in the university wants to get in his pants or to remove his pants or to see him with no pants or better, the three combined.

Chanyeol’s voice is an impeccable work of art -- it’s like the perfect combination of coffee and milk, is deep and smooth when he sings but a little higher than when he speaks; Baekhyun was drawn to it the moment Chanyeol sang a few lines during a freshmen party. If Baekhyun could compare his voice to a dessert, it would be chocolate, sweet, tempting, and addicting. If eating chocolate is a sin, then it's a sin Baekhyun wouldn't think twice to commit over and over again.

It occurs to Baekhyun that he pretty much day-dreamed in front of his classmate and that it has been awhile since Park Chanyeol’s hand has been waiting for his own, so with much fumbling and Baekhyun doesn’t even know why the hell is he messing up, he reaches for it and -- good heavens-- Park Chanyeol’s hand is so soft. The number of people staring at them, clearly curious about the little moment happening, is growing incredibly fast.

And Baekhyun knows people are looking, and soon their little introduction will travel like lightning to the university paper's headlines: "Poor Man's Son Befriends Mr. Popular!". So he quickly removes his hand, partly because he doesn’t want to taint Park Chanyeol’s reputation -- as if it could ever be tainted -- and partly because the longer he holds Park Chanyeol’s hand, the redder he will become.

“Nice to meet you Baekhyun.” Park Chanyeol speaks again and the butterflies in Baekhyun’s stomach are going wild; his heart is rapidly pumping back and forth against his ribcage. This is the first time in two years he and Park Chanyeol will be in a class together, the first time that Chanyeol has started a conversation with him -- well, none of his block mates talk to Baekhyun aside from the times they need his help on homework and stuff, because apparently Byun Baekhyun is --

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Park Chanyeol laughs again, cutting Baekhyun in his trance. “Or do you just hate me?”

And Baekhyun is taken aback because not in a million years would he have the audacity to even think about hating Park Chanyeol, so his lips start to utter words in defense but in an idiotic manner. Good job Baekhyun, good job.

“Uhm, well, don’t, I, hate.”

Baekhyun joins debates and orations so he usually doesn’t have any problem with public speaking.

“I, well, uhm, Baekhyun, since, uhm Chanyeol is.”

Baekhyun joins spelling bees and he’s a talented speaker and this moment is once in a lifetime so Baekhyun probably needs to get his together right now -- “I don’t hate you,” he manages ing finally.

Chanyeol heartily laughs again. “You’re cute.”

And to Baekhyun’s surprise, feelings are escalating very quickly, he feels his stomach crying in pain and he wants to puke. He needs medicine but Park Chanyeol isn’t medicine, he is a drug.

The growing number of eyes focused on them is rapidly increasing, and Baekhyun wishes their Chemistry professor would jump out right about now because Park Chanyeol staring at him isn’t helping his current don’t mind me status. The murmurs of why is Chanyeol talking to him aren’t really helping his will be status too.

“Let’s be partners then. You can’t say no Baekhyun,” Chanyeol says while he grabs Baekhyun’s hand and he feels ticklish when the point of the pen touches his palm. It happens suddenly and ends abruptly. But the lingering feeling of Chanyeol’s touch still exists.

“That’s my number, text me so we can start to work on that project, okay?”

“O.o.kay,” Baekhyun blurts out with slight errors and hardships. Good job!

The Chemistry period ends and Chanyeol leaves Baekhyun in a mix of emotions ranging from horror, to joy, to confusion, to surprise. Baekhyun, only after a couple of minutes comes to the realization that the almighty Park Chanyeol’s number is written on his palm. He swears he will never wash his hand.

And his heart might have suffered a few ups and downs and will be encountering bumps along the way as the image as the moving image of Chanyeol winking at him loops forever in the back of Baekhyun's mind.

Then suddenly they are on a dining room and there's cheesecake and Baekhyun is handing him a slice. Soon, Baekhyun is holding his hand.

“Mr. Park Chanyeol.”

“Chanyeol”

“Chanyeol.”

And Chanyeol is transported elsewhere and he sees his seatmate gesturing for him to stand up and he does with half lidded eyes, wobbling knees, and a half awake brain. He recognizes Ms. Choi raising one eyebrow, but he doesn’t notice the fuming expression.

Chanyeol answers, “Uhm, what was the question?”

The class bursts into a fits of laughter because there wasn’t even a question raised to begin with, and though the room is clouded with noise, still Chanyeol’s mind is at a haze.

“Meet me at the principal’s office.” These are the last words Chanyeol hears before Ms. Choi storms out of the room.

Chanyeol is lost. He is really confused because one moment Baekhyun is flirting with him and the next thing he’s being asked to visit the principal’s office. What the hell is going on? His eyes desperately scan the room, searching for answers until he finds a dreadful one: he sees Baekhyun with those thick rimmed glasses at the front and their eyes meet for a split second. Everything is sinking in. Oh.

“Oh,” he says, as one by one all things begin to make sense. And then the light bulb…

“Oh,” he says more loudly this time. “It was a dream.”

“Again.”

~~~

Jongin treats him to a hamburger and added some fries after Chanyeol’s little trip to the principal’s office. The guy is asked to undergo a community service due to his continuous behavior in certain classes.

“So you’re telling me it’s Byun’s fault?”

Chanyeol can’t believe Jongin is asking him this question for the fourth time. Of course it was Baekhyun’s fault -- the guy could have put something on Chanyeol’s food so the latter will see Baekhyun in his dreams.

“I told you that Baekhyun guy must have done something tome that made me dream of him,” Chanyeol says in all seriousness.

“You do know how stupid it sounds.” Jongin gives him a questioning look. Jongin sees all the stupidity in everybody and wants to correct everything. He can't let this one pass. "Not everyone is going to fall for you because you're good looking"

Chanyeol heaves a depressing sigh because he knows it’s stupid too but what other possible reason is out there in the open? They say dreams are reality we long to come into contact with, but in Chanyeol’s experience, it’s the complete opposite. Why would he long for someone like Baekhyun, when he can have anyone he wants?

Most of the time, Chanyeol feels like a celebrity; sometimes even he feels more popular than some boy band who has just made their debut. And he wants to keep it that way. Chanyeol, truthful to his dreams, is a fine human creation like a perfectly tailored suit. Not only does he possess good looks, but money also isn’t really an issue because his father is the CEO of a multinational real estate company. Basically, Chanyeol is a perfect example of top quality jewelry.

So why would a first-rate gemstone dream of someone? He doesn’t even talk to Baekhyun despite being classmates since the middle school. Why of all people, is it Baekhyun?

“I hate him.” That’s all Chanyeol could ever come up with.

“I don’t want Baekhyun to appear in my dreams.”