Forsaken

Part 10 (Chanyeol's POV)

The week Chanyeol had stayed away from everyone was everything he needed. Originally, he had planned to be gone for only a couple of days, but when it was time to go back home, Chanyeol knew he wasn't ready yet, so he booked his room for a few more days. He went off to a smaller city that he hardly remembered existed and locked himself in his nice, little hotel room. The only interaction with other people he had was when room service came to bring him his food. He shut off his phone, and he became his only companion.

He reevaluated everything; his thoughts, feelings, and emotions. He brought along his guitar and a notebook to write lyrics and to journal everything he wanted to say but didn't know how. By the time he left, he had filled the entire notebook, to the point that there was no blank space, even in the margins and on the covers. He came up with a couple of songs, from start to finish, and he was really excited about them.

Leaving the hotel room, he felt like a different person than when he went in. He felt more like his old self, and he couldn't wait to get home and see the other members. He missed them so much. The constant teasing between him and Sehun, the close moments he and Kyungsoo privately had, goofing around and laughing with Baekhyun. He missed them all for different reasons.

He missed you also, but he missed the friendship that the two of you use to have more. He definitely did not miss the relationship the two of you had now. When he went away, one of the things he had to figure out was what was going to happen between you and him. What did he want to happen, and what did he think was best for himself?

During his time away, he figured out that he just wanted to be friends with you, and he hoped you would be okay with that. He wanted to rebuild the foundation of the friendship you had and to work on all your issues over time. It wasn't something that needed to be dealt with right away or even any time soon. Your friendship with him was the most important thing right now, nothing else.

Did he still like you? Well, obviously. Those types of feelings don't just go away instantly. Maybe in the future, the two of you could have something, but not right now. Chanyeol wasn't ready, and he didn't think you were either.

It was amazing how spending time alone could remind you of so many things and help you reconnect with yourself. He felt refreshed and excited to go home, and that was when he knew it was time to go back. His first stop was to SM, to let them know he had safely made it back, and to catch up on anything he had missed. He didn't feel as stressed out as he used to when he walked into the building, and he took that as a very good sign.

His next stop was to Baekhyun's place. He called ahead to ask the man if it was a good time to drop by, and Baekhyun gave him the green light. Chanyeol headed on over, and that was where he was now. Standing outside of Baek's apartment door, about to knock. He hadn't planned out what he was going to say, but he knew it wouldn't matter. He wasn't nervous to talk to Baekhyun. He was just super excited to see his friend, and hopefully, the feeling was mutual.

When Baekhyun opens the door, a giant smile grows on his face, which Chanyeol returns. "Chanyeol, you're back!"

He nods as he pulls the shorter man into a tight hug. "I missed you, Baekhyun. Damn, it's good to see you."

Baekhyun pulls back and laughs. "Chanyeol, you were gone for a week, not a year."

He feels his cheeks burn in embarrassment. "I know man, but it was a long, eye-opening week... And I'm glad to be home now."

"Come in, come in." Baekhyun was saying, as he was pulling him into the apartment, so he could shut the door. "So, how are you?"

Chanyeol knew his friend was giving him a once over, almost as if he could physically see if Chanyeol was okay or not. "I feel good, Baek. Better than I have in a long time. I don't think I've felt this good since we went on tour."