*

"Chanyeol!"

Chanyeol turns his head to where he thinks the voice is coming from, and right then and there, he sees Baekhyun approaching.

He stands up.

"Wait, don't leave!"

Baekhyun runs and grabs the President's arm to face him. Chanyeol didn't know Baekhyun could be this strong, or maybe he's just tired to fight right now. Sighing, Chanyeol pulls his hand, looking annoyed at the boy.

Who wouldn't get annoyed if someone has told you they love you yet you saw them kissing the person you least expected them to kiss. Chanyeol is done with this shit.

"What is it?" he asks, showing Baekhyun that he's getting bored. Baekhyun clearly sees it though, so the enthusiasm he has with him earlier has died down.

"What do you want to say?" Chanyeol looks at him sternly. "Nothing?"

"I-I'm just.." Baekhyun looks down to his feet. If he wouldn't tell this now, then when else? He has already decided he will ask him. He want answers which Chanyeol deprived him of. "I-I want.. I-I.."

"What?"

Baekhyun closes his eyes.

"What am I to you?"

He opens his eyes again, balling his fists by his sides. "I want to know what I am to you. I want to know what we are."

"What do you think it is?"

Baekhyun looks up to the President.

"You were my slut. But you quitted and broke up that relationship," Chanyeol says, eyes cold. "So, what do you think we are now?"

Nothing. Baekhyun hears his conscience tell him. Nothing. As expected, he would say that. It hurts like a bitch, but when is he even not hurting? What's new?

"Was it all I am to you?" Baekhyun asks, keeping his tears at bay to fall. "Just a slut? A fuck toy? A sex object?" He steps closer to Chanyeol, eyes demanding an answer. "Was that all I mean to you, sunbae? A slut? Why.. why are you lying!?" He pounds against Chanyeol's chest with his small fists. "WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH THAT YOU FEEL SOMETHING FOR ME, TOO!?"

"If I do, I already told you," Chanyeol mutters, head turned away but the crying Baekhyun in front of him. "I don't love you."

"Bullshit! That's because you couldn't tell me!" Baekhyun yells angrily. "And that's the problem with you! You're a liar! You're a fucking liar! I clearly saw it in your eyes! You never looked at me that way before!" He shakes Chanyeol violently. "You... you never said my name that way before... And your eyes.. you even cried! I know you never cried! I know you never begged!" He leans his head against Chanyeol's chest, still punching him and crying. "S-so why don't you just be honest with yourself and tell me that you love me! D-don't you know how I've been hurting because of you!?"

"Then just give up."

"I want to give up! I want to fucking give you up but I can't! I want to get back to reality and stop being so desperate but fuck you, Chanyeol! I can't stop loving you! I-I still-- I love you!" Baekhyun slowly slides down his knees, clinging desperately to Chanyeol's waist as he sobs. "I-I love you so much there's n-nothing left for myself.. T-that I started hating myself for being blinded by a bastard like you!"

Chanyeol doesn't say anything, and it angers Baekhyun more.

"I-I gave you all of me.. all that I have.. my body and my heart.. b-but still," Baekhyun sucks air sharply, gripping Chanyeol's clothes tighter, "still you won't even tell me how you feel.. Why?" He looks up to him. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you don't deserve me."

Baekhyun freezes.

"You don't deserve someone like me," Chanyeol says, voice steady, and he's thankful his voice isn't shaking. "I can't hold your hand that way, nor kiss you and hug you that way. I can't be that kind of person in your life. Don't you understand that? The thing we do is fuck, and that's what I can give you. Not the things that require love. I don't love, and I can't love."

"But you already did those to me.." Baekhyun mutters, shoulders shaking as he feels his heart clenching to squeeze blood so he could die out of pain. "Y-you already did those things to me.. Y-you never realized you were doing those things to me.."

"You're getting the wrong idea," Chanyeol mutters, stepping back so that Baekhyun can release him. Baekhyun slumps on the ground. "And if I did those, they were not intended. I'm sorry if I lead you on, but I don't feel that way with you."

Baekhyun hates him, really hates him for lying. "But why did you told me to stay?"

"Because I'm used to having you around."

He hears a breaking sound, and he realizes that was his heart being shattered on the ground. He clenches his fist until his knuckles turn white. "That's it?"

"Yes."

Baekhyun wants to laugh at his face.

"So that was it.." He smiles bitterly. "I was wrong then. You never cared for me until the end."

Chanyeol looks at him, and he can tell he feels pity and something else seeing Baekhyun like that. Baekhyun was his slut after all. He crouches on the ground and holds Baekhyun by the elbow.

Baekhyun pushes him away.

"Don't touch me!" Baekhyun shouts. "I might get the wrong idea."

Chanyeol lets him stand by his own.

"Baekhyun."

"What!?"

"Nothing," Chanyeol replies, turning his heel away. "See you tomorrow."

Baekhyun watches Chanyeol's back getting away, as he feels his heart sink.

He doesn't notice his nose is bleeding.

*

The Foundation Day has already started.

There are many students and visitors arriving from different prestigious schools. Expensive cars were parked elegantly by the parking lot as people enjoy themselves with the food, stores and performances in the amusement park theme inside the school. There are restos, shops, stalls, booths, boutiques, even rides everywhere keeping the place colorful and lively. Everyone in the Student Council is busy managing tasks that are assigned to them, and Baekhyun is really thankful he doesn't have to see Chanyeol's face.

Now that he's composed, he feels embarrassed remembering his sudden outburst the other day. He never thought he could shout and curse at the President like that, venting all his frustrations and pouring out what he feels for so long, to the point that his nose even bled.

Heck, he had to run to the infirmary to get cotton swabs to stick to his nose, and he could imagine how he looked in front of Chanyeol with blood oozing out from his nostrils.

He hates him, despises him, detests him. Why is he even still thinking about that person? He knows Chanyeol won't love him back, so he won't budge anymore. He had his fair share of forcing himself into Chanyeol and clinging to him like a koala, and he realizes it's now the time to let go.

He should let go. And do his job. And forget about the President even if it hurts because never in before he thought he would be doing this thing. Never in before he ever thought he would stop loving Chanyeol.

But this needs to stop.

If he doesn't love him, then okay, fine, he should move on. It's not like Chanyeol is the person out there who is only important to him anyway. There's Sehun, and Luhan, Jongin and Kyungsoo. He has friends. Friends who really care for him, not like the President whom he thought had cared for him even just once.

So all of what he said and did before were just an act. Those meant nothing. Those tender kisses and gentle words were empty. Those I miss you so much, Stay, I'm sorry, Thank you, You're beautiful, etcetera, were all fucking lies.

And Baekhyun is such a fool to believe that. Because he's in love.

"I said where is the restroom?"

"Ah! Th-this way, Ma'am," Baekhyun tells the annoyed lady, gesturing her to follow him. He sees Sehun laughing at him so he just rolls his eyes annoyingly.

He goes back at the information table he is assigned to after he accompanies the lady. Fixing his name tag, he also fixes his headdress. He wants to take it off because it's too hot wearing a goddamn headdress with bunny ears and he knows he really looks ridiculous right now. He snorts and lets it there as he puts a hand under his chin boredly.

"What's with the long face?"

Sehun sits by his side, and he is also wearing something on his head. It's a cat ears headband which does look cute on him. He looks like a catboy who doesn't get to sleep on his naptime.

"I want to get out of here and enjoy the festival," Baekhyun murmurs. "But since I'm an officer, I have to be stuck here and deal with annoying inquiring guests."

Sehun chuckles. "I have an idea." He pulls out a marker from his pockets.

"What are you doing?"

He gets the sign 'information area' and flips it backwards, scrawling CLOSE on the cardboard. "There."

"Are you crazy?"

Sehun shakes his head and pulls Baekhyun's wrist with him.

"Wait, Sehun! How about the visitors!?"

"Don't mind them, they would find their way once they're lost!"

*

So that was it. I was wrong then. You never cared for me until the end.

Did he really never care for him even once? Was that of a worst person he is? Was Baekhyun right when he said that?

"Chanyeol, the speakers aren't working on Area 9," Kyungsoo tells him over his earpiece, waking him up from his trance. "We need to replace it before the next performance in two minutes."

"Okay, I'll send a new one right away. For the meantime, just flash those commercial clips on the LCD."

Chanyeol calls for assistance and sends them to the area. Kyungsoo tells him after a minute that the technicians are already there to install the new sound system.

"Where is Jongdae and Minseok by the way?"

"They're supervising on the amusement park."

"Jongin and Luhan?"

"Jongin's with me. Luhan is out getting food for us at the mini resto because we're starving to death."

"Oh, okay, so," Chanyeol clears his throat, looking at the roller coaster with people stretching their hands in the air as they scream. "Where's Baekhyun?"

"I think he's with that Sehun guy, I saw them together on the information area. Oh, I have to go, Jongin's calling me."

The line goes dead.

Chanyeol fixes his bear ears beanie and walks off to the information area few meters away from his destination only to find it empty.

Where did he go?

"Hey, excuse me," Chanyeol calls one of the girl staffs. "Have you seen the guy sitting here earlier?"

"Who?" The girl furrows her eyebrows. "I mean, there are many people here. What does he look like?"

"Uh, he's this short," Chanyeol says, gesturing in level with his chest. "He has a brown hair and small eyes, he has a cute face and a pretty smile."

Fuck, what?

"Ah! That cute guy!"

"Y-yeah.." Chanyeol replies hesitantly, averting his eyes. "Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he went somewhere with his boyfriend. I think they went to the roller coaster," the girl says, blushing and smiling. "They even held hands!"

"I didn't ask you if they hold hands or something. Or whatever." Chanyeol turns to leave. "Get back to work."

Chanyeol scoffs. He didn't let Baekhyun, a Student Council member to play around and go on a fucking date just to leave his job and have the nerve to put a close sign on the information table. He is supposed to be working like everyone else. Hell, is he even doing his job properly since that Sehun guy came in meddling in his council duties?

"So there you are, you motherfucker." Chanyeol mutters, seeing Baekhyun falling in line in front of the ice cream stall packed with costumers. He has a purple dog-shaped balloon tied on his wrist, match that with a pair of bunny ears twitching on his head as he bounces on his heels like a child. He is holding a fluffy green cotton candy on his right hand.

He basically looks like twelve.

Chanyeol marches over, wearing a poker face. Once he's within reach, he pulls Baekhyun out of the line so that the other costumers would take Baekhyun's place.

"What the--" Baekhyun turns beside him and sees the President wearing bear ears beanie.

So he looks away. It doesn't suit him. Ever.

"Why did you do that, I was the next in line," Baekhyun murmurs, turning his body away, and the dog-shaped balloon hits Chanyeol square on the face.

Chanyeol swats away the balloon with his hand.

"Get back to work. You're not supposed to be here."

"And why not? I'm a student here in this school so I have the right to enjoy the Foundation Day." He glances at Chanyeol once before looking away again. "And don't even try to threaten me because you have nothing to hold against me. I am not yours nor all that shit now, so just leave me alone and forget that I said something to you about feelings and being in love with you because I am not."

Chanyeol stares. "Don't you think it's too late to say that?" He grabs Baekhyun's wrist, the one holding a cotton candy. "Come on."

"Get off me!" Baekhyun screams. "Ugh! I won't come with you nor get back to work!"

Chanyeol keeps on dragging him as Baekhyun peers over his shoulder, finding his best friend. He can feel Chanyeol's hand clutching his wrist tight, that every protest he makes won't even work.

But it's strange it doesn't hurt.

His hand is warm.

"Let go! Sehun's waiting for me!"

Chanyeol stops walking.

"Sehun is waiting for me to get back."

Baekhyun can feel the President's hand slowly loosening on it's hold around his wrist. He feels a sudden panic inside of him, that he wants Chanyeol to hold him longer, to feel his skin against his own.

Chanyeol releases his hand, and steps forward to leave when--

"W-wait."

Chanyeol feels a hand wrapped around his wrist, and just then he realizes Baekhyun is now holding him, stopping him to leave. Slowly, Chanyeol turns his head down to look at Baekhyun slender fingers curled around his wrist tightly, but not strongly.

"D-do you want to.. ride the ferris wheel together?"

Baekhyun lowers his eyes and stares at his own trembling hand attached to Chanyeol's. He feels his heart starting to race again, and to hell with forgetting about his damn feelings because it's impossible. Maybe tomorrow he could forget him. Just now, this once, he would hope again. Because no matter what he does, the President still makes his heart pound this fast and loud and it's really unfair. It's very unfair as to why does he need to suffer through all these things.

"Sorry. I'm not into heights."

Baekhyun tenses a bit. It's okay. At least he tried, and he promises himself he would never ask Chanyeol again about doing cheesy stuff like that, like riding a ferris wheel. Who is he even kidding here?

"But I would like to try the carousel."

Baekhyun snaps his head up, looking at the President with wide eyes. Chanyeol is staring at the glowing and shimmering carousel when he says:

"The horse looks fun."

*

To be continued.