*

Walking back and forth, back and forth impatiently in front of the door, Sehun looks up to the wall clock displaying 11:53. Baekhyun isn't home yet, and no matter how much he denies it, he's still worried for his best friend as fuck.

"Where the hell are you.." Sehun checks his phone for the umpteenth time, and still, gets no reply from Baekhyun.

Hearing a soft click on the door, Sehun quickly turns his head only to see Baekhyun who has his head ducked down low as he painfully and slowly limps inside the apartment. Sehun is ready to snap at him but Baekhyun almost collapsing on the floor makes Sehun swallow the anger in his throat.

"Where have you been?" Sehun quietly asks as he shakes gently Baekhyun's shoulders. "Did he fuck you again?"

"W-were you.. worried about me, Sehun?"

Sehun averts his eyes. "Just answer my question. Did he fuck you?"

Weakly, Baekhyun nods. "I'm sorry.. I couldn't.. refuse him."

"I can't believe you," Sehun sighs angrily. "You're still not listening to me."

"I'm sorry for making you worry but I'm okay, really," Baekhyun says with a forced smile on his lips. "I'm just... Sore. But it'll go away soon in a few days."

"You're so stubborn." Sehun leads Baekhyun to their shared room as he lets him sit carefully on the bed. Baekhyun winces when he shifts his weight to his ass, whimpering as the pain travels up to his spine. Sehun holds out his arm to allow Baekhyun to use it as a support.

"Careful."

"Thank you," Baekhyun mutters softly, adjusting his legs so that he is sitting comfortably on the bed. "And sorry.."

"This doesn't mean I've already forgiven you. I'm still mad at you."

"I know." Baekhyun smiles gloomily, placing a warm palm on top of his best friend's hand. "But still, I'm very thankful to you. Because you're always here to understand me and to take care of me."

Sighing, Sehun doesn't answer him when he stands up from sitting on the bed. Looking up to his best friend, Baekhyun follows Sehun's back with his droopy eyes.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll prepare the hot water," Sehun answers without setting his eyes at Baekhyun. He flicks the light switch of the bathroom and opens the faucet of the bathtub. "So you can have your bath."

Baekhyun smiles a little sadly. "Can you.. wash my hair?"

There's silence that stills for a moment before Sehun could find his voice. He audibly clears his throat and he mumbles, "Only if you keep your hands to yourself."

So that is how Baekhyun finds himself humming to a melody he only can hear while Sehun is sitting on top of the bathtub, his bubbly fingers buried into Baekhyun's shampooed hair. Baekhyun closes his eyes, letting Sehun to massage his scalp soothingly.

"Sehun."

"What?"

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I don't know."

Baekhyun grabs his rubber duckie and gives it a little squeeze. A loud quack quack can be heard throughout the bathroom accompanied by the splashing of water in the bathtub. Sehun gets the pink bottle of Baekhyun's strawberry shampoo and pours a generous amount on his palm, lathering it to put on Baekhyun's hair.

"I'm still me." Baekhyun cups the water and lets it fall within the holes of his slender fingers. "I'm still the Baekhyun who pooped on his pants on second grade, and the Baekhyun who fell on Mrs. Oh's tree on fourth grade because he wanted to pick that ripe apple to give it to the snob kid living next door."

Sehun stifles himself to smile at the memory. He reaches for the shower head and turns it on to rinse Baekhyun's soapy hair.

"I'm still the Baekhyun who told you he didn't like girls when he was thirteen, and the Baekhyun who told you he had a crush on you when he was fifteen," Baekhyun says, hugging his knees close to his soaked chest. "I'm still your best friend."

Sehun turns off the showerhead afterwards, grabbing a clean towel folded neatly on top of the bathroom cabinet. He uses it to dry Baekhyun's brown locks, ruffling it tenderly.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I.." Baekhyun breathes. "I just want to let you know that I didn't change." He feels Sehun's hand on the back of his neck. "Because I know there's a point in time when you felt like you didn't know me anymore."

"I'm still finding out that right now."

"You don't have to do that, Sehun. It doesn't mean that just because I'm like this, I'm now a different person--"

"Well, are you not?"

"Sehun.."

"It's like.. you are now with them. You're one of them. I just lost you, and I don't know who you are now, Baekhyun. We've grown apart since you joined the Student Council. And I'm not one to make you choose between me and them because I.." Sehun puts away the towel off Baekhyun's head. "I'm not that selfish to keep you just for myself."

"I'm--" Baekhyun plays with his fingers as he lets his salty tears fall from his eyes. "I'm a terrible person.."

"I can see you're happy with them. With him." Sehun says a little bit disappointed. "I am not Park Chanyeol. I will never be like him. And I will never be like them."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything when he chews on his lower lip to find the right words to speak.

"I know it's my fault that we've become like this, so I'm very sorry.. And if I were to choose between you and them," Baekhyun leans his right cheek on top of his folded knees, feeling a clench in his heart. "I would choose you."

Sehun's lips curve upward, brushing his best friend's damp hair with his fingers.

"I know you're lying to me."

"I'm not."

Sehun tugs Baekhyun's hair harshly, earning an ouch! from the boy soaked in the tub. "You won't choose your best friend over the person you like."

Baekhyun keeps silent after that.

*

"Where have you been!? The President's looking for you for the whole fucking week!" Jongin whispers to Baekhyun behind his thick Intermediate Algebra book as he nudges his elbow. "Luhan is being a fucking bitch because you're not dropping by in the Student Council room anymore."

"I'm sorry, I--" Baekhyun clutches his pen hard. "I-I was sick.."

"Why didn't you tell us, then? We are worried about you. I thought you got eaten by a shark or something," Jongin mutters, rolling his eyes slowly. "You should go there later unless you want the President to get angrier with you."

Baekhyun bites his lower lip. "Is the.. President really mad at me?"

"If you think distancing yourself from us for a whole fucking week is not maddening then no, the President is not mad at you."

Lifting his head up slightly, Baekhyun can see his Math teacher still blabbering about Quadratic Equations, and a little to the left Sehun who is looking at him with a blank expression on his face. Smiling sadly, Baekhyun mouths a let's go home together after class which Sehun returns with a curt nod.

"And who the hell was that?"

Baekhyun turns to Jongin, slightly annoyed. "We're classmates for already a year now and you're telling me you don't know him?"

"If he didn't try to get into my pants then I don't really know him."

"Is sex the only thing you can think of all the time!?"

"Why are you getting angry with me all of a sudden?"

"He's my best friend."

"Oh." Jongin clears his throat. "Sorry."

"Please tell them I'm not coming," Baekhyun says, looking at the blackboard full of equations which he doesn't bother to understand. "I'm going home with Sehun."

"You should tell that yourself."

*

"What are you doing here?" Luhan asks with an eyebrow raised as he crosses his arms over his chest. "And how did you even get here?"

"Because of Baekhyun. I'm waiting for him."

"Oh, okay." Luhan chuckles, clicking his tongue. "You know you're not allowed to be in here, right?"

"I know," Sehun answers, tilting his head to look directly at Luhan's interested eyes. "And I know all of your secrets. So don't even try to do something weird or else I'll report this to the Principal."

"Woah. I'm freaking scared as fuck," Luhan teases, shaking his head amusingly. "Nice try, dude. But you can't do that."

"I can. But I won't."

"I thought you're a shy boy, Sehunnie?"

"You've got your impressions wrong."

"Well, fuck you."

"Not interested."

Luhan steps near him, inching his face dangerously close to Sehun as if inspecting his features properly. He furrows his eyebrows when Sehun just stares at him emotionless.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Luhan turns his head to the voice of the newcomer, leaving Sehun to release the breath he was holding inside his chest. He wipes off his sweaty palms against the back of his pants as he tries to compose himself, because fuck it, why is Baekhyun taking so long?

"Why are you flirting with that guy?"

"I'm not flirting with him, Jongin. We're just talking."

Jongin turns to look at Sehun, eyeing him from head to toe. "I think I've seen him somewhere."

"He's Sehun, Baekhyun's best friend."

"Oh, yeah. Right," Jongin says, laughing a little, then he turns to Sehun, smiling. "Hey, nice to meet you, Sehun." He stretches his arm for a handshake. "I'm Jongin, Luhan's boyfriend."

Sehun doesn't take the offered hand. He just stares at it until Jongin shoves it back to his pockets. Luhan grins, shrugging his shoulders playfully.

"What the fuck? I'm introducing myself properly here. Did you leave your manners in your house?"

"No need to come out clean. I already know your antics," Sehun replies, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't worry. I won't bother myself to care."

"Fuck this guy!" Jongin shouts, glaring heatedly at Sehun as he pulls Luhan with him angrily. "Don't get near him, babe. I think he has a grudge on me or something."

"That's because he has a big crush on me! Isn't that cute?"

Clenching his fists by his sides, Sehun wants to leave immediately to save his crushed dignity.

*

"Where have you been?"

Baekhyun drags his sweaty palm across his lap, feeling the strong presence of the President overcoming the entire room with just the two of them occupying it. He misses the feeling of being close to Chanyeol again, misses his voice, his face, and even the scent of perfume he uses. He misses all of him.

"Why aren't you coming here anymore? Is there a problem?"

Baekhyun is not expecting this treatment when he faces the President. Being harshly shoved on the wall while Chanyeol's strong hand wrapped around his neck as he reprimands him is what he's anticipating more to happen, and he's quite thankful for not letting that to occur.

"There's none. I'm sorry for my absence. I'm just-- I'm thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

"My.." Baekhyun swallows the lump inside his throat. "M-my feelings for you."

"Why? Are you trying to prove something?"

Baekhyun slowly raises his head, looking at the President with his searching eyes.

"Are you getting back at me?" Chanyeol asks. "Because of what I did to you last time?"

"N-no, it's not like that. I'm not.." Baekhyun trails off, heaving a deep dejected sigh. "I can't do this anymore, Chanyeol."

"What?"

"I can't-- I can't continue being like this with you any longer."

Chanyeol stares at him, drumming his fingers against the table for the sake of the deafening silence between them. He notices Baekhyun's shoulders shaking up and down, seeing little droplets of water dropping on his lap. He closes his eyes shut in attempt to block the sight in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry.. I-I didn't mean to--" Baekhyun gasps, his voice quivering as he cries, "break my promise that I'll be yours until the end. I-it hurts for me to do it but.. but I need to-- my best friend needs me, and I don't want to lose him."

You won't choose your best friend over the person you like. Baekhyun closes his eyes, Sehun words ringing into his ears.

"So you can afford to lose me, then?" Chanyeol asks in disbelief, which makes Baekhyun hurt even more.

"I-I can't either. It hurts but--"

"Then don't," Chanyeol seriously says.

Baekhyun stays quiet, silent tears escaping to stream down his pale cheeks.

"If it hurts, then don't do it."

Standing up from his swivel chair, Chanyeol faces the window of the Student Council room. Baekhyun watches the afternoon sun glowing with the President's shadow, feeling the urge to stand beside him and watch the sun together.

"I'll treat you better," Chanyeol says after a long while. "Just don't leave.."

Baekhyun's mouth gapes a little, and he can feel his heart tightening inside his chest and breaking into smaller pieces.

"..I don't want to be left alone anymore."

*

To be continued.