Byun Baekhyun, a freshman at Seoul University, always falls asleep in the corner of his campus' library after midnight.
One night, a curious guard wakes him, and Baekhyun is stunned. No one ever cared about a sleeping student in the library after ho...
Baekhyun looked at the two of them curiously. "Um, guys? Am I missing something? Do you two know each other?"
He was terrified. What if it was like those cliche-y romance books? Chanyeol's was probably Kyungsoo's ex of some sort. Or something. Baekhyun would have have expected as much. What if they still had something? That would be so awkward. What if Chanyeol still liked Kyungsoo? What if it was mutual? What if... Baekhyun couldn't stop the stream of panic that was invading his head. He almost screamed.
But both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo snapped out of their staring contest and laughed. "Yeah, we know each other," Chanyeol grinned, holding up his fist. Kyungsoo gave it a slight bump.
"Man, you should have seen your face!" Kyungsoo laughed. Baekhyun hit him in the arm, and Kyungsoo recoiled harshly. "Ow!"
"Did you think we used to date or something? You looked horrified. We were high school buddies." Chanyeol chuckled, tightening his grip on Baekhyun, who pushed him away. (Just once, and never again, he thought.)
"Whose idea was that!?" Baekhyun glared from Chanyeol to Kyungsoo.
Chanyeol pointed at himself, earning another punch. In the exact same spot.
"Damn you!" Baekhyun huffed, stomping into the cafeteria.
Chanyeol smiled fondly at Baekhyun as he stomped off, still rubbing his arm. "He sure hits hard, doesn't he?"
"Oh yeah. Doesn't look like it either. He looks like a little fuzzball of fluffiness." Kyungsoo paused. "Are you two dating?" he inquired.
"Sort of. I haven't really officially asked him out." Chanyeol scratched the back of his neck.
"I'm glad... wait, don't take it like that! Trust me, the two of you look good together. I meant, I'm glad that it's mutual and that Baekhyun has someone to look out for him, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it. He opens up so easily. I was a little scared."
"He's like that. A little too trusting. He's like a little kid. Too innocent. I'm sure he understands that the world is dangerous. But you never think stuff like that is going to happen to you until it actually happens."
"Everyone's like that."
"Some are more aware than others. I don't want to say that Baekhyun's been too sheltered, but I can't put it any other way. He knows how to work hard—he's not pathetic—but, he's not ready for the real world, I guess. If something bad were to happen, I don't think he'd take it that well. And I feel horrible saying this. I'm his best friend, after all. And his only friend. Maybe that's part of the issue. He's lonely, and tries to make friends too quickly. He... comes on too strongly—and people run away. They get scared." Kyungsoo sighed. "I'm relieved to have part of the burden of caring for him all the time removed. I love him and all—platonic love, don't worry—but I need a bit of a break. I can't explain all of this to him. I don't want him to feel like a burden."
"He's too... optimistic?"
"Sure, I guess. It's not that bad of a thing, in a way. People these days are too pessimistic anyways." Kyungsoo looked up. "Am I talking too much? People tell me that I talk too much."
"It's okay. I can listen." Chanyeol and Kyungsoo walked into the cafeteria, with Kyungsoo pouring out his worries as he got food. When Baekhyun came into earshot, he clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence and let Chanyeol do the talking.
When he saw how caring and protective Chanyeol was over Baekhyun, a great weight lifted from his heart. As he was talking to Chanyeol, it had just dawned on him the extent of his concern. Maybe he'll be okay.
After that talk with Kyungsoo, Chanyeol was extremely cautious about Baekhyun and anything that had even the slightest thing to do with Baekhyun. If it had gone on longer, Baekhyun himself might have picked out on the strange behavior of it wasn't for Kyungsoo pulling Chanyeol aside and shaking him.
"Idiot! You're not helping! You're just making him more sheltered!" Kyungsoo hissed.
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Chanyeol shrugged.
"Look out for him!"
"I have been."
"Chanyeol, you can't be scared to let him stumble and fall every once in a while. As long as he doesn't walk off a cliff!" They watched as Baekhyun helped a student pick up his books quite cheerfully. They watched as Baekhyun made small talk with the student, who seemed eager to get going, but didn't want to appear rude.
Oh, what was one going to do with Byun Baekhyun?
Chanyeol supposed it was a quirk. He stood out in that way. Where Chanyeol had his height and ears, Kyungsoo had his eyes, Baekhyun had his (overly) friendly demeanor to make up for a physical trait. But because people often see what is on the outside, it takes something a lot brighter on the inside to out do the physical aspects, especially in this day and age.
Everyone had quirks that helped them, but also something else that stopped them and leveled the playing field a bit.
Junmyeon was the smartest kid in the entire school, but you could often find him second guessing himself and saying that he wasn't all that bright. In the grand scheme of things, he may not be, but for all that mattered, he was. The more you know, the more you know that you don't know. Right?
Chanyeol knew many people that had the talent to do many things, but with so many things to do and only less than twenty-four hours in a day, they never had the time to perform each to their full potential.
Chanyeol's height meant that he could reach high places and always win in a game of keep away (especially with Baekhyun) but it also meant that he was more uncoordinated, desks were too small, clothes shopping was a chore, and other problems.
Kyungsoo's eyes... eh. He must have gotten lucky. They were mostly neutral.
Baekhyun was different though. A lot different. Kind, but too kind. Alien-ish, almost. He was so many different things jumbled up into a mess that was somehow perfect. That didn't make a whole lot of sense when you really analyzed it, but as soon as you took a step back, everything was clear. As long as you ignored the small details.
Chanyeol would be content just studying people and taking their traits apart one by one for the rest of his life. Just to make up for what society often neglected.
Needless to say, Chanyeol fell asleep with a running mind that night.
- § -
Hurrah for the all-over-the-place-doesn't-make-a-whole-lot-of-sense chapter!
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