The Names I Call Chanyeol || Chanbaek

Teacher Park

Song to listen to when reading this chapter: Two Voices by Morrie

Unlike other kids his age, Baekhyun wasn't so excited about the first day of school.

Don't get him wrong, he loved meeting new people and learning new things. In fact, school itself seemed like an adventure to him. The reason why he was afraid to go to school was because his best friend wouldn't be going with him. Although Jongdae lived nearby, he was going to a different elementary school in their district and the thought of having to be away from him made Baekhyun a little too upset.

On the morning where they left, he was throwing a tantrum before he was even out of bed. It continued all the way to the front entrances, and Baekhyun's mother had to carry him the entire way. It was nearly impossible to leave him behind until he laid eyes on the class before him.

Baekhyun had never seen so many kids his age in one place and at the prospect of new friends, he basically threw himself out of his mother's arms, going immediately to the table with the most kids crowding around it.

After becoming friends with three of them, he completely forgot to say goodbye to his mom. He quickly became acquainted with Oh Sehun, Do Kyungsoo and Kim Sooyoung, thus launching him off into what could be considered a "popular kid" school life.

Baekhyun became the most well-known student in his class, and he slowly got closer to each person despite who they were, where they came from and what they were named.

All of them except for Park Chanyeol.

It turned out that he didn't move that far away, and that they were now attending the same school. It also just so happened that they were put into the same class. It could have been a chance for them to rebuild their friendship, but Baekhyun was strangely upset and he wasn't interested.

Thinking back on how they used to be, Baekhyun remembered that who Chanyeol was was a clingy crybaby, he came from a house that moved on too fast and his name was one he was unable to pronounce. Baekhyun wasn't interested in becoming his friend, not when he had so many other kids surrounding him already. To add on, they were all 100% cooler than Chanyeol - in Baekhyun's mind, anyway.

To be truthful, Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol might have changed. In terms of appearance, there were already a couple of differences that he could point out.

Chanyeol had gotten himself some round glasses that didn't complement his face and stuck too close to his eyes. He was a bit taller, but not as tall as Baekhyun yet and his cheeks weren't as dumpling-like anymore.

Those were the first things Baekhyun noticed about Chanyeol as soon as he saw him in the corner of the room and he was determined for them to be the last.

They were strangers again and because Baekhyun had become the popular kid, Chanyeol was a stranger to everyone.

No one bothered to talk to him because Baekhyun didn't. No one bothered to learn his name because Baekhyun didn't. No one bothered to look at him because Baekhyun didn't.

While Chanyeol was alone with his home packed lunches, Baekhyun was constantly surrounded by people.

He laughed louder than everyone else and stood up when no one else would. Everyone looked up to him as if he were their leader and they were following him into the unexplored corners of the world. Baekhyun was enjoying his newfound life and often found himself thinking:

Is Chanyeol seeing how much fun I'm having?

Because Baekhyun didn't know it at the time, but he only went that far because he knew Chanyeol could see him. He didn't know it, but he wanted Chanyeol to see how good he was doing after Chanyeol had left him behind. He didn't know it but Baekhyun had actually missed Chanyeol and now wanted to show him that he didn't need him.