Within These Shadows || Park Chanyeol/Do Kyungsoo || Book 1

40

June, 2019

"What is it Kyungsoo-ya? Say it already!" Chanyeol poked his best friend who was sitting at his table in their dorm room. He was trying to look through some documents for his thesis research, but couldn't find the necessary data he required. And that frustrated him even more than the other things that bothered him; currently Chanyeol being one.

"Geumanhae (stop it), Chanyeol-ah. Stop bothering me." Kyungsoo's brow was furrowed deeper than ever.

"Fine, I'll stop, on one condition."

"What?" Kyungsoo kept his documents down and looked at his best friend with annoyance.

"You have to tell me why you're being this way for the past one week."

"What way?"

"You're sulking without even sulking!"

"What!?" Kyungsoo had completely turned around from his table this time, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"What I mean is, something is wrong, but you won't tell me what. You're suffering all on your own and not sharing any problems. What is it that's bothering you, DO-ya? You know you can talk to me about it." Chanyeol's voice softened.

DO sighed; Chanyeol was right. He could talk to his best friend about anything and everything. And he did want to tell Chanyeol about the thoughts on his mind; just didn't know how to say them out loud.

"Did you...ever have a fight with Mae?" Kyungsoo asked, cautious about his questions.

"We did have a fight once, but we sorted out real quick. Why?"

"How'd you sort it out? Like, who said sorry and all?"

"We both did. Actually what happened was-wait. Did you and Jay fight?" Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at DO.

"It's not really a fight, just disappointment." Kyungsoo sighed again.

"Disappointment? Did Jay do something? Or did you do something?"

"How do I say it...?"

Kyungsoo sighed. He actually didn't know what to say that would clearly explain what he was feeling. He wasn't entirely sure himself why he was so upset with Jay, that he didn't talk to her properly for the entire week. Not like she was talking much either; she was always running off to meet Ju Hwan after class or disappearing without saying anything. He had no idea what really was happening.

"I just...feel like...I'm not important enough." Kyungsoo looked down at his fiddling fingers, a habit he had caught on from Jay.

"To?" Chanyeol asked.

"To Jay."

"Why would you feel that way?"

"Because..." DO remained quiet; he didn't want to say it was because of some other guy. This was not some competition; and yet he wanted Jay to notice him.

"Because?"

Kyungsoo sighed; if he really wanted help and wanted to get this off of his chest, he needed to come clear about everything.

"Because of Professor Lim." Kyungsoo let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

"Professor Lim? You mean Mae's cousin?" Chanyeol was confused.

"Yes."

"But why?"

"He always comes in between me and Jay. I mean, when he first came, I had planned to have lunch with Jay, but he came in and took her and Mae to lunch. Alright, I accept that they were meeting after a long time, so it was okay. However, a week ago, I asked Jay to go with me to the animal shelter I do volunteer work at. But she cancelled it again for Professor Lim. Said, she had a meeting with him or something." Kyungsoo let out his frustrations. "And this whole week, she kept running off to meet him after class. She barely talked to me and didn't even notice that I was upset with her!" He let out a huff.