Like Night and Day

Compounds

The reason for Chanyeol's absence during the meal wasn't something that Baekhyun sought an answer for, but it was in the back of his mind as he left through the back doors of the dining hall to step out into the soft, drizzling rain. Kyungsoo followed him as soon as the brunet left the table, but he was unable to walk out the door as the teachers and advisors pulled him aside to speak about activities and schedule. Pulling the hood of his jacket above his head, Baekhyun walked down a trail, cemented by dark gravel, and passed several courts activity areas.

He spotted a small park near the camp entrance that consisted of a swing set for four, monkey bars, and a sketchy slide that seemed to lead off a ledge. Walking over, Baekhyun went to take a seat at the set, but saw that just ahead of the playground meant for the younger campers, he saw the creek that ran through the camp. There was a border, a little border that was meant to deter anyone from climbing over and getting hurt, which would cause the camp a shit load of trouble. However, Baekhyun changed his mind about the swing and carefully walked to the edge, crouching over and slowly ignoring the fence, bypassing it.

There was a slight slope, made slippery because of the mud and rain, so with his hands, Baekhyun gripped the roots of the large trees that stuck out. His feet slipped a few times, and he cursed when he accidentally grazed his knee against the dirt wall. There was a small, sardonic thanks muttered underneath his breath when his feet suddenly touched the rocky bed of the small creek. During rainy seasons, Baekhyun knew that the rocks wouldn't even be visible.

Fixing his hood, he took slow, large steps closer to the water, cautious not to accidentally choose a rock that would give way. Twisting a foot was not something ideal in that moment. By the time he reached the water, little dots began to turn his jacket into a darker shade as the sprinkling continued on.

He couldn't exactly figure out why he decided to go out his way to get dirty and risk twisting his foot just to stand by a bunch of chemical compound. Maybe he walked there to think, but he could think anywhere in the world—he could've thought at the swings—but he chose the water for some reason. Historically, water had always been used for purification rituals, so perhaps that fact was the one-point reason.

A ring came to his ears as the sound of his name penetrated through his introverted focus. He didn't want to turn around knowing that there would be the physical reminder of his stubbornness bearing down on him with big, brown eyes. But it never stopped; the voice kept calling and eventually, Baekhyun looked.

As athletic as Chanyeol was, Baekhyun suspected some sort of clumsiness to be a genetic aspect of his family's genes. Where he was lucky to have caught himself using the tree roots, Chanyeol, on the other hand, lost his grip, rolled down the muddy slope and hit the rocks.

"Idiot." Rushing over as quickly and carefully as he could, Baekhyun went to aid the fallen giant who had sat up and seen him running closer. His hood had fallen back and the brunet had to squint with every drop of rain that hit him right in the eyes. When he reached Chanyeol, he's breathing was obscure, and it hadn't occurred to him how fast he ran to the troubled player until he was standing over him almost out of breath.

Holding out his hand, Chanyeol gave the brunet an opportunity to help him up. "Dear god, please tell me you didn't fall down like I did," he groaned as Baekhyun clasped his hand on his and pulled him up. Then, like a senior suffering from back issues, Chanyeol bit his lips as he straightened up, bending extra backwards to fix it. "That was a surprise. I wasn't planning on falling down and getting dirty like that."

"No one does," Baekhyun replied as he watched the male look at all the brown spots on his pants and shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Chanyeol replied in a hazy tone before lifting his gaze to the face that was kept on him. "What about you?"