Hard to Love - (chanbaek)

63

Baekhyun stared at his hands, watching him tremble nervously. He kept repeating the exact words over and over again... but were those words even right?

I need to tell them.

I need to tell them

I need to tell them-

But is that the right thing?

Will I get caught?

Will they get killed?

Daesung's words were loud and clear. Baekhyun knew that this was bad and that telling his friends the truth was breaking major rules, but...

They deserve to know.

He's been with half of them for almost all of his life. The people who have helped him through everything and who have stood by his side even as a toddler. The new friends who have shown kindness and helpful actions...

He trusted them.

He trusted them enough to tell them this important secret.

"Look... what happened that day-" He looked around, feeling a shiver run up his spine. His friends could obviously tell he was incredibly nervous. Whatever he was going to say was either true, or Baek was just an amazing actor.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone..." They grew confused. Why couldn't he tell them? Who or what was stopping him?

"That day after everything happened... some people came and cleaned up the place. Afterward, they took us to this house. They've been helping me and also treating my mom at the same time." Some of them were worried but also afraid. Baekhyun could see it in their faces. Some frowned, and some gasped in horror. These were the reactions he expected but also feared.

"Like a gang?" Kyungsoo was the only one who tried to find reasoning instead of letting his emotions interfere. They waited for Baekhyun to answer the question, and when he nodded slowly, they thought of the worst scenarios.

"Did they force you to do anything-"

"Are you in debt to them?"

"How do you know them?"

Baekhyun didn't think he'd be bombarded with questions, but it was logical for them to be confused or interested. He just shook his head and looked down. "No, they treat me really well. I know them because of my actual dad. I can't say much about them... but my dad used to be involved with dangerous people." His friends understood. It was already enough that he was opening up about a gang helping him. But to think that the people who gave him a hand were considered dangerous individuals... wasn't Baekhyun also a threat? Would Baek hurt them and have the gang cover it up too? They were silent... but Baekhyun wasn't as disappointed as he thought he would be. He knew they would react like this. He knew they would think of him differently.

That's why he didn't want to tell them anything...

"If we get on your bad side, will you tell them to kill us?" Jongdae blurted out, looking at Baekhyun. He didn't mean harm. He was just... worried. It was so much information, secret information too. Chanyeol looked at his friend while gritting his teeth. How could someone say that right now?

"Jongdae, what the fuck-" His anger got the best of him. He was ready to blurt out angry nonsense... but then he stopped. A small hand grabbed his sleeve, tugging it weakly. He heard a sniffle and looked to his left, already worried. Baekhyun was tearing up, his breathing becoming slightly uneven. He shook his head, making Chanyeol sit back down. "You guys can decide to still be my friend or not. I would never wish harm on you guys. But..." He stopped moving his hands and looked up at Jongdae. His stare was different. Even though he had tears in his reddish eyes... he was serious.

"You can't tell anyone about what I just said. It doesn't matter if I order it or not... they will kill you if you say anything, it won't be my decision to make." The sudden responsibility surged through them. One slip up, and they're targets to a gang... were they able to keep their mouth shuts? They didn't know themselves.

Jongdae and Jongin got up. They grabbed their things, ready to leave. Baekhyun looked at them with a sad smile.

I guess they made their decision...

"Hey! Where are you-" Xiumin was quickly interrupted.

"We still want to be your friend... it's just a lot to take in right now." Jongin looked around, feeling like someone was watching him. His eyes widened, and he felt goosebumps cover his arms. What if someone was listening? What if they are observing them right now? What if they just became targets? He looked around, sweating with worry. He didn't want to die... not now.

"We understand but wait-" Kris tried to reason, but... it was useless. Jongdae turned with an annoyed face, but they could tell his eyes were squirming with fear. "I just found out I could get murdered for saying a few words. Are you guys not stressed? Or scared? Give me time to think!" The pair rushed out, panic and worry written all over their faces. They wanted to stick with Baekhyun, but they needed to clear their head before making this decision.

Kyungsoo sighed before getting up as well. Baekhyun felt his heart crack.

Please...

Not you too.

He thought Kyungsoo would rush to the door, saying the same excuse as Jongdae and Jongin. Baekhyun looked down, not wanting to see his childhood friend leave. What he didn't expect was a sudden hug.

"You are so strong. I wish I could be as strong as you." Kyungsoo rubbed his back with a warm smile on his face. "I'm still with you, Baek. I know you don't mean harm. I won't abandon my childhood friend." He got up, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "I'm going to go find Kai. I don't want him doing anything stupid..." Xiumin hurried up, stopping him.

"Wait for me. I'm going to go find Chen." He pulled Baek into a hug and ruffled his hair. "I believe you. I'm on your side always." He rushed to the door before turning back to their friends. They waved goodbye and walked out. They took a step back inside the school, ready to find the worried pair while they slightly panicked as well. After they left, the rest began to get up slowly.

"We've got your back. We just need to process all this information as well." Yixing looked down, feeling bad. The red puppy eyes were staring at him with so much sadness. He hated seeing Baek like this. He wanted his eyes to glitter with happiness instead but, he needed to think carefully. Baekhyun nodded his head and gave them a thumbs up.

"Thank you. Don't worry. I'll wait for you all to think clearly."

They said their goodbyes and walked out the door. Luhan and Sehun sighed beside the main couple. Chan kissed Baekhyuns forehead, his hand rubbing his back in a comforting manner. The smaller let out a breath of relief.

"You did it." The giant said with a proud smile. The older glanced at him and nodded. Although the experience made him extremely anxious and stressed... he was able to tell them everything.

He did it.

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