Memories were made, then painfully wrenched away as they separated. What was once a valued friendship and vague romantic interest was now only something that he could see in his dreams. But by chance, they meet again, and struggle to pick themselves...
Baekhyun doesn't really know how he first met Chanyeol. He was just there. Maybe he had always been there, Baekhyun never really payed much attention.
It was sometime during their first year of middle school that the two became acquaintances. It was also during that time when Baekhyun was in this strange conflict of switching schools. He really doesn't know what happened, looking back to all those years ago.
Somehow, the two became close, close enough that Baekhyun really wanted to be around the giant. Close enough that he maybe started to develop a tiny crush on the giant.
No, more like a close friendship. That's all it was, he told himself. Just a harmless friendship. Nothing would ever come out of it, seeing that the brunet was shy to these sort of things. He once or twice thought that the giant might like him back too, but it was all wishful thinking.
He had transferred two years ago to the school he was currently at, the school where he first started become close to any one of his peers. Sure, he had friends at his old school, but it just wasn't the same. The brunet has long decided that he liked the students at his new school better anyways.
He was really good friends with Kim Jongdae, who was in most of his classes. Jongdae had been friends with Chanyeol since they were in grade school, and Baekhyun suspects that's one of the reasons that he became so close with the giant.
Slowly, Chanyeol had carefully eased Baekhyun out of the shell of safety that the brunet had cocooned himself into. It was the giant who brought him jokes and laughter, and let him be free for a while. That was, until work dragged Baekhyun back.
Growing up, Baekhyun was constantly told that he had to study hard, that he shouldn't waste time. He had to be in all the advanced classes that his school had to offer. That love could wait until after college and crushes were something that only happened to the wild ones. Electronics were a waste of time, and the brunet had long ago accepted that he was only getting a phone after middle school. Tiger parents, that was what the brunet called his father and mother.
Needless to say, no where in the near future was Baekhyun going to tell his parents how much of a confidant his tall classmate had become. The brunet knew that his parents couldn't tell one student from the next anyways. As long as they didn't meddle with his studies, Baekhyun's parents didn't really care.
Baekhyun had to admit, he was slightly envious at his classmates, who by comparison, got so much more freedom. But in return, he was idolized a bit too. Everyone wanted to know why he had near perfect grades. Baekhyun always smiled internally whenever someone mentioned that they wanted to be the brunet.
No you wouldn't, the brunet thought, you don't know what I have to go through in a day to get where I am. Who wants to memorize their times tables all the way to twelve at the age of three? And the phone that's pretty much a third arm to you? Consider that nonexistent. Of course, he never voiced these thoughts.
But growing up like that all his life, the brunet thought it was okay. He could survive with the workload, and any gossip he was mildly interested in he either got from Chanyeol, or eavesdropping on the so-called popular table.
But as far as being a study-freak, Baekhyun was never teased or bullied for it. The brunet suspected that it was because occasionally—more like on a daily basis—at least one person would come to him for help on some subject, asking a question about some worksheet that he would have most likely completed five minutes ago.
But lightning-fast working skills and good work ethics aside, the brunet took forever with projects. It was typically because he would go overboard with the art. Especially if there was drawing involved. And because he disliked doing projects in class, so most of the work was done at home. It usually took so long that his parents would start questioning him about it. Once—actually multiple times, but Baekhyun would rather not think about it—his mother had gotten so fed up with his pace that she threatened to rip the projects to shreds. Never once had she actually followed through with the threat thought, and the brunet was immensely grateful.
But that was his home life, and he didn't want to think about that.
Of course, school was a walk in the park to him, and it's pretty obvious why. It was so easy, in fact, Baekhyun actually preferred school to home life—at least he didn't have to deal with overly critical parents and pretend that it didn't hurt. It was very rare, but once or twice, he cried himself to sleep, simply overwhelmed by stress.
As a result, he was always trying to get on the good side of his classmates, remembering most of the details. In fact, he would read their first and last name together in the yearbooks so often, that he pretty much memorized it all. Along with some slight facts that he really shouldn't care about, like schedules (from comparing the classes he had with them and the classes that had honors at specific times, and then working backwards), and the occasional birthday.
He did so well in class that the teachers, as well as the students, never suspected that he had any home troubles. So it was crucial that he never slipped up. That he never broke the decent reputation that he made for himself.
But with Chanyeol, none of that mattered. The brunet could be himself. He could laugh freely, make stupid mistakes, do pretty much whatever he wanted. Of course, Chanyeol also had no idea of his home struggles either. He merely thought... well, the brunet really didn't know what he thought. It didn't matter. Chanyeol was a good friend regardless.
- § -
As mentioned before, this is semi-based on something that I went through. :l
Baekhyun's character and background will end up reflecting me as a person, and I've already started integrating that in.
Some parts will be exaggerated for effect (the love part definitely will be), but the basis is typically true.
For example:
I'll probably get my first phone in high school. :l
And yes, I did learn my times tables at three years old. It was not fun.
I do take forever with projects, and my mom has threatened to destroy them because I'm overly meticulous.
I'm not going to mention everything, so if you have a question, just comment it! I'll try my hardest to answer! :D
What do you guys think about this so far?
Vote, comment, do whatever! :D (I want to find a way to combine vote and comment, but 'vomment' sounds kinda gross.) :l
<3
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(I don't know what the update schedule is for this yet, it maybe twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) or only once a week (just Fridays). It'll depend on my work load!
