the boy next door » baekhyun

ix

BYUN BAEKHYUN.

"Hi," was all that came out.

I attempted to breath out the anxious feeling I had in my stomach, but I failed. Oh well.

"You're a guy," Ha-yi pretty much whispered, which made me chuckle a bit.

She's adorable.

"You didn't know?"

"I mean," she started, "I wasn't exactly s-sure if you were, or if you-"

"It's okay. I understand," I cut her stammering short.

Silence again.

We were way too shocked, I guess, so we didn't know what to say to each other.

"I'm glad to have talked to you again, night owl," I said, without thinking.

Shoot.

You're an idiot, Baekhyun.

"Again? W-what do you mean?" She asked.

Crap. Crap crap crap.

What the hell am I supposed to say now?

"Who are you?" Ha-yi murmured.

No.

I pressed the end call button, and turned off my whole phone as fast as possible. I tossed it over onto my bed and let out a sigh.

Sorry, Ha-yi.

I can't tell you.

At least, not now.

—-

PARK CHANYEOL.

"Uh, sorry, but I have to be somewhere else right now. Next time," I waved goodbye to Ha-yi and turned the opposite direction to where she was going.

I'm really sorry Ha-yi. But Baekhyun needs me.

Especially after what he had told me.

I ran through the now empty corridors, as everyone was at the canteen eating their lunch. I decided to go to the old wing of the school. He has to be here somewhere.

And I'm right.

He was slumped down in one corner of the long corridor, blending into the darkness of the badly-lit area. His head slowly lifted up as he noticed my presence, but his expression darkened in confusion at the sight of me here.

"Baekhyun," I breathed and took a seat next to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, still frowning.

"I came to see you," I replied.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why? It's because I need to spend as much time with you!" I raised my voice.

Baekhyun sighed, lightly shaking his head in denial.

"I don't need another person pitying me. Go," he kept his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him.

I scoffed at his remark. "How could you say that? You don't want company? Care? You have freaking-"

"I know!" He shouted, sadness evident in his eyes, as tears were already welling up in them. "You don't need to remind me," he sniffed, and pulled his knees to his chest.

It hurts me so bad seeing him like this.

I pulled him into a comforting hug, patting his back with my hand, before he pulled away and looked up at me, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Go to Ha-yi. She needs you," he whispered.

"How can I leave you like this, Baekhyun? Are you in your right mind?" I poked his temple. He's insane.

"I assure you, I'm fine. Please. Go to her for me," he closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall we were sitting in front of.

I let out a sigh and stood up. "If that's what you want."

I walked down the corridor and turned right at the end of it, in the direction of the canteen.

—-

LEE HA-YI.

"Chanyeol?" I frowned at him taking a seat in front of me in the canteen, his food in hand, and with his usual smile on his face, very unlike the weird attitude he had just a while ago.

"Hi Ha-yi," He muffled through his sandwich.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I was confused. Really confused.

He just nodded as a response, as his mouth was pretty full.

"Where did you go just now?"

He continued to chew his sandwich, and after he swallowed, he replied, "Sorry, another friend wanted help with his homework."

Tch, as if.

But I just nodded and continued to eat my own lunch, which was home-cooked bibimbap. Delicious.

Anyway, something was definitely up. Maybe he was hiding something from me?

A surprise?

Hah, sure.

The sad thing was, that at that moment, I never knew what was in store for me.

—-

I barged into the front door of my home after walking home from school, finding Hwan-soo on the living room's sofa. He was happily stuffing his face with dried seaweed, watching Running Man, hysterically laughing at every joke on the screen. How nice.

"Ha-yi!" He cheered, his mouth full of seaweed.

I ignored him and put my bag down onto another sofa near him. I was pretty starving, so I went to the kitchen to get myself a packet of seaweed as well.

As I walked into the living room, my brother called me over.

"Ha-yi, I heard your phone beep," he pointed over to my backpack on the other sofa.

"What's the big deal? It's just a-" I paused as I saw him raising an eyebrow at me. "Oh, crap!" I exclaimed.

I ran over to my bag and took my phone out, seeing the message on the screen.

It must be him.

Someone: sorry about yesterday. i had some things to do. maybe.. we can call later?

My heart raced at the sight of his text.

He wants to call me again.

Hwan-soo must've noticed my unreadable face. "Yo, what'd they say? Their name?" He called out.

I shook my head. "But did I tell you I found out that they're a guy from the call yesterday?" I grinned, and his eyes widened.

"I knew it! I told you!" He repeatedly jabbed his finger at me. I just rolled my eyes as a response and looked down at my phone again.

Will you tell me then, 'someone'?