Like Night and Day 32
Chapter 32
Black and White
By the time Baekhyun clocked out of work, the sun had gone down. He stepped onto the streets after saying good-bye to the old man and the older co-workers. Jihoon was one of them. As Baekhyun found out, the man was three years older than him. Taking a break from college, it seemed fitting for a music major to take up a job with something that involved music even if it meant only stocking and keeping inventory of merchandise.
Baekhyun treated all his new co-workers the same, always at an arm’s length away to a point where they were only close enough for workplace comfort.
The shop was fairly far from his house, but Baekhyun preferred to walk rather than riding his bike to and from work. Walking in the night usually gave him time to think; however, the thoughts that visited him weren’t too bright and happy on any subject that came to mind.
Turning at a corner to head down a street full of neon lights and visiting people, Baekhyun stopped when he looked up from the ground and saw Chanyeol standing not too far from a cupcake store. As soon as he noticed him, he saw the boy smile, raising the brown bag in his hand up in the air.
It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Chanyeol to meet with him after his hours were done, but it was uncommon for it to be unannounced. Baekhyun thought nothing of it, shaking his questions away with every step that closed the gap between them.
“You look tired,” Chanyeol commented, tilting his head to the right. “Rough day?”
Shaking his head, Baekhyun let the giant intertwine their fingers together before walking down the street again. “No. There were just a lot of boxes and number crunching today. Kind of boring, but I shouldn’t complain about something I get paid for to do.”
“When you get home, you should treat yourself to a nice bath or something. I got you that cherry scented candle jar a while ago. Have you used it yet?”
Baekhyun yawned. “Yes. It smells nice, but I don’t know. I think I’m going to take a quick shower and go to sleep right after.”
“That’s good, too,” Chanyeol reasoned. Then he remembered the bag he was holding. “I stopped by the bakery just before they closed on my way here. The rolls are still kind of warm. Are you hungry?”
“Not particularly,” Baekhyun responded. Nonetheless, he took the brown bag from Chanyeol’s hand. “I’ll see if I can do anything with these when I get home.”
“Butter them up and just eat them.”
“I think the carbs will go straight to my ass if I did that,” Baekhyun said, laughing softly when he looked up and saw Chanyeol’s face. “I’m guessing you wouldn’t be too opposed to that.”
“Not really,” the giant said with a shrug.
Weaving around people going in the opposite direction, Baekhyun tried his best to keep around the same pace as Chanyeol. The feat wasn’t easy especially with their different leg lengths, but Baekhyun managed.
Once pedestrian traffic ceased, Baekhyun noticed how Chanyeol wasn’t as talkative as he usually was. Curious, as they walked by an empty children’s park, Baekhyun stopped, pulling Chanyeol from his quiet state.
“What’s wrong?”
Baekhyun raised a brow. “Isn’t that my line?” he asked, giving a half smile. “Why’re you so quiet tonight? Did the physics homework make you depressed?”
Grinning, Chanyeol shook his head as he pulled Baekhyun closer to him and kept them walking at a slow pace. “No. I think I actually did good without you this time.”
Snorting, Baekhyun looked at him, feigning disappointment. “Sounds like you don’t need me coming over anymore.”
“No! I’m still terrible at it, I swear,” Chanyeol refuted. “Honestly, if I ever stop needing you for homework, I’d go out and break a leg or something just so you’ll come over to hang out with sad, injured me.”
“I’d probably kill you for intentionally hurting yourself.” Kicking a stone on the path, Baekhyun hummed. “You never told me why you met up with me tonight.”
“Can’t I come and pick you up after work?” Chanyeol asked.
“You can, but you and I don’t exactly live near one another,” Baekhyun explained, “so I don’t like the thought of you having to go through a lot of trouble just to walk me home.”
“I’m your boyfriend.”
“I don’t really consider that a reason, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun glanced up. “If something was bothering you so much that you needed to see me, you can talk to me.”
Chanyeol’s face was stoic, lips thin as he shrugged indifferently. “It’s… Well, it’s not really important. I just needed to see you really badly.”
“But why?”
Furrowing his brows, Chanyeol squeezed the brunet’s hand. “Do I really need a reason, Baek? I wanted to see you. That’s it. Okay?”
Drawing back from the tone of Chanyeol voice, Baekhyun gaped. He stopped walking, pulling his hand from the boy’s hold. “Tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Tightening his jaw, Chanyeol ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to see you so I came.”
“You sound upset.” Baekhyun stood still as Chanyeol turned around to face him. “Why can’t you talk about it?”
“Because there’s nothing--”
“You’re lying to me.” Baekhyun tried to soften his voice as he looked up and locked eyes with the jock. “Is it because it’s something I wouldn’t be able to understand?”
Baekhyun could see the way Chanyeol looked tense and conflicted despite the way the boy tried to brush the feelings off as nothing. When Chanyeol said nothing, he felt a sense of disappointment. Even when the basketball player put both of his hands on his head and pulled him in for a forehead kiss, Baekhyun kept his eyes on the ground quietly.
Kyungsoo had done the same, shutting him out with briefs promises of being told another time. It was the assumption that he couldn’t handle being told anything that bothered the brunet, but he was weak. He didn’t want to push, but he knew he had to.
“Chanyeol, why can’t you tell me right now?” he asked softly as he rested his forehead against the giant’s chest. “I want to help you.”
For a moment, Chanyeol threw his head back and glared against the park’s street light before exhaling, wrapping his arms over the brunet’s shoulders. “Believe me, Baek, seeing you and being with you helps me out a lot.”
“But what’s bothering you?”
“Just…” Chanyeol paused longer than he had anticipated. After a few seconds, Baekhyun raised his head up at him. “It’s just that people make mistakes… and they do things for stupid reasons. You understand that, right?”
“Yeah,” Baekhyun said nodding, satisfied with the small progress. “We’re human, aren’t we?”
Looking down at him, Chanyeol gave an apologetic smile. “Well, my mistakes caught up with me, and I don’t know how to deal with it just yet. It’s hard figuring out what to do.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Baekhyun said in an attempt to cheer the latter up. “I’ll be here with you, anyhow.”
Chanyeol looked at him. “Will you really?” he asked softly.
“Sure.” Baekhyun nodded. “If not, then what’s the point of being your boyfriend? We might as well break up.”
“No, no, no,” Chanyeol said, desperately shaking his head. “I don’t want that.”
“Then just like how you expect me to tell you things, I expect it to work the other way around, too… Okay?”
It took a second, but then Chanyeol nodded. “I get it.”
“Good…” Baekhyun leaned in. “You should deal with whatever’s bothering you as soon as possible. I’m not the best person to say this, because even Ihaven’t followed through with this, but it’s not good to drag things…”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, Byun Baekhyun. I know.”
-
-
Kyungsoo was the last person Baekhyun expected to see at his house, sitting outside on the porch when he arrived with Chanyeol by his side. Stopping just outside the small property gate, Baekhyun looked back at the giant who held his hand and saw the cheery expression that was once there vanish within seconds.
Pursing his lips, Baekhyun turned his back from Kyungsoo and reached up to pull Chanyeol’s attention down to him. It took a slight nudge for the boy to finally withdraw his eyes from the seething student body president and onto his boyfriend.
“Chanyeol, look at me,” Baekhyun said quietly. “Thanks for walking me home.”
“It’s not a problem.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” After giving Chanyeol a kiss on the lips, Baekhyun let his hand linger on the male’s cheeks for a few seconds before dropping it. “Don’t make that face, Yeol.”
“I’m not making a face,” Chanyeol muttered.
“You don’t have to worry about Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun assured him. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”
Nodding, Chanyeol swallowed. “Okay. Love you.” Reluctantly, he let go of the brunet’s hand. “I’ll text later if I’m still awake.”
“Sounds fine to me. Bye.”
“Bye…” Taking a step back, Chanyeol raised a hand in goodbye. Then he looked to Kyungsoo and waved, though the gesture was not kindly returned. “I’ll get going now.”
“Careful on your way to the bus stop,” the brunet reminded him as Chanyeol began walking.
“Good-night, Baek.”
“Night…”
In silence, Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol began disappearing from his view. It was only when the basketball player turned the corner that Baekhyun finally opened the gate to his house and walked down the short pathway to meet Kyungsoo on the porch.
So much time had passed since the last time Kyungsoo stepped foot in his house, but Baekhyun had no reluctance in embracing him. The way his arms wrapped over his shoulders and the way he buried his face in the curve of the male’s neck surprised Kyungsoo who stood frozen for seconds before responding, putting arms around Baekhyun’s waist, holding onto him tightly.
They said nothing, but Baekhyun could feel Kyungsoo shaking. He smelled faintly like cigarettes and Baekhyun cringed at the thought of him beginning to care less and less about his discretion.
Baekhyun pulled away first, resting his forehead against Kyungsoo’s. He smiled before withdrawing his arms from the male’s shoulders, dropping them by his side.
“I’ve missed you…”
Kyungsoo scoffed. His grip on Baekhyun’s waist tightened, but he pushed him away ever so slightly before letting go. “I don’t like this… emotional side of you, Baekhyun. It makes me uncomfortable, but I’ve missed you, too.”
Baekhyun walked to the door, unlocked it, and pushed it open. “Come on in.”
After Kyungsoo stepped inside, it felt like old times as if nothing had changed between them all. Baekhyun’s mother seemed surprised to see that it was Kyungsoo walking through the door and not Chanyeol, but she was just as overjoyed, welcoming him with open arms before asking if he wanted anything to eat. He kindly passed her on her offer.
In his bedroom, Baekhyun took off his jacket and put it on his bed. Kyungsoo took the chair in his study area and sat down, waiting for the brunet to finish his business, pulling out his cellphone to answer a message that had rang just moments before. On a hunch, the president knew who was on the other end.
Once Baekhyun settled down, sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, fingers wrapped around the cell phone Kyungsoo’s eyes had been fixated on, the air around them began to feel heavy. Breaking the silence, Baekhyun looked at him and asked, “What brings you over here?”
“I wanted to…” Kyungsoo stopped. He leaned back, folding his arms. “I wanted things the way they used to be. Why? Should I have set up an appointment to come here?”
Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun smiled. “No. You know you’re always welcome here. You’re like a second son to my mother, anyways.”
“That woman is too good for this world.” Kyungsoo paused, turning his head to the window. “It might be shallow of me to say, but I actually came here to use you as my punching bag for the night. I needed someone to gossip with, and we haven’t exactly dipped into the topic of what’s running around the school’s rumour mill these days. It might be a good time to catch up on the latest--for you, at least.”
It sounded like the old Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun was eager for the chance of being normal with the boy across from him once again. Reaching for a pillow, he made himself comfortable, fluffing it before putting it against the wall and leaning against it.
“Well, what’ve you heard lately?” Baekhyun asked, brows raised. His interest was genuinely pricked.
“For starters, I finally managed to convince that god-awful soccer team to stop using the field after hours,” the president said, blowing out a breath. “Jongin is an ass to deal with.”
Baekhyun hummed. “Haven’t you two gotten along recently?”
Kyungsoo gave him a look in silence. Then he shrugged. “Not particularly.”
“I bumped into him once,” the brunet said, leaving out the details of Kyungsoo’s cold attitude the night he saw Jongin. “He was looking for you.”
“When was this?”
“You were working one night,” Baekhyun responded. “I told him which store you worked at.”
“Hn.” Cracking his knuckles, Kyungsoo licked his dry lips. “So that’s how he knew.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. He doesn’t bother me nowadays besides the constant text messages…” The president’s voice trailed off for a second. “Sometimes I regret giving him my number, though at the time, I gave it to him under the impression that he’d use it for business related things concerning the field usage, but now I feel like I’m under twenty-four hour suicide watch. He’s always asking me how I’m feeling as if I’m one event away from throwing myself in the Han river.”
“Maybe he cares for you now,” Baekhyun quietly suggested.
Shaking his head, Kyungsoo muttered, “Bullshit.”.
He picked up a pen from Baekhyun’s desk and began twisting its head off, dismantling the object. “Have you seen my ex lately?” Kyungsoo asked without glancing up. “The former vice president of the student council, I mean.”
It took a moment for Baekhyun to register the words. He had never truly interacted with the girl, therefore his visual memory of her face needed time to resurface. His most recent sighting of her wasn’t pleasant, especially with her lips on the basketball star who was now his boyfriend.
Bobbing his head, Baekhyun acted indifferent. “No.”
“Well, I saw her come into the store just a week or two ago,” Kyungsoo went on, setting aside the pen’s spring component. “Her stomach's huge now. In my opinion, she might need to get another ultrasound. That woman might be having two. She needs all the luck she can get if she’s looking to push two little illegitimate demons out of her underage vagina.”
Looking over at Kyungsoo, Baekhyun tilted his head, curious. “Is her boyfriend still with her?” he asked, almost feeling a sense of pity for the girl.
Snorting, Kyungsoo laughed. “Boyfriend? No. Well, for clarification, before she got pregnant, yes. He was with her. Then she got pregnant with another bastard’s seed of life and then she didn’thave a boyfriend. However, plainly, yes, the boyfriend she has now is still with her. It’s the same boy who knocked her up.”
“The dad’s from another high school, isn’t he?”
“You’ve seen him before,” Kyungsoo said, eyeing Baekhyun carefully. “At the time, you probably didn’t know it.”
“When?”
“Do you remember that time you decided to go to a game and we won? Chanyeol kissed her.”
“He didn’t kiss her, Soo,” Baekhyun said. “It was the other way around.”
Shrugging, Kyungsoo brushed off the comment. “What ever the biased eye sees, I suppose.” After taking the ink tube out of the pen, he stopped. “Anyways, he was the captain of the other team--her boyfriend slash baby daddy.”
Looking down, Baekhyun drew his brows together in thought. “She cheated with him, didn’t she?”
“That’s how the logic goes,” Kyungsoo said nonchalantly. Then, he placed the ink tube back inside the empty pen shell. “I saw them getting some late night snacks at the store, like I said. He was with her at the time. They’d be a cute couple if they weren’t, you know, irresponsible.”
“I feel sorry for her ex…”
“I wouldn’t feel sorry for too long.” The pen took no more than thirty seconds to put back together. “He’s almost as worse as her, to be honest. She kind of clings to her current beau for a sense of protection. It’s awfully hard for a young woman to be single and pregnant, so she’s keeping a tight hold on her man for now. Her ex, though… He’s an interesting one.”
Baekhyun’s cell phone vibrated, but the brunet ignored it for a second to asked, “Why?”
“Rebounds don’t just happen in basketball. Did you know that?”
[ Park Chanyeol ]
I’m on the bus now. Are you sleeping yet? Get your rest. I’ll know if you went to sleep early or not tomorrow. I know these things. Crafty boyfriend skills, I guess.
Seeing the way Baekhyun smiled at his phone caught Kyungsoo’s attention. The boy was distracted. Kyungsoo frowned. “Baekhyun, you’re making me feel neglected. If you’d rather talk to him, then maybe I should just--”
Shaking his head, Baekhyun put his phone down and sat up. “No. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to leave.”
“But I don’t have to stay if you don’t want me to.”
“I do. I’ll answer him later.”
It wasn’t the most satisfying concession, but Kyungsoo accepted what little victory he could win. Sitting more comfortable in his chair, he continued on. “As I was saying, rebounds are more than just leather basketballs bouncing off the backboard and being caught by another player.”
“Right… So you’re saying the ex had a rebound relationship.”
“Or ships. People can be sluts sometimes, especially men. Biologically, men are wired to have as many partners as possible. It’s their job to spread their genes as well as the legs of willing partners, might I add.” Kyungsoo gripped the pen in his hand. “I suppose people are more conservative nowadays, but nonetheless, the ex has become quite the playboy. The rumour is that he’s just, I guess, looking for something to heal his stupid little heart. He’s kind of like Goldilocks, trying one person first, and then onto another, and so on.”
“And?” The cellphone in the brunet’s hand buzzed again.
[ Park Chanyeol ]
Is Kyungsoo still there?
“I think it’s sad,” the president said plainly. “He’s not looking to move on, he’s looking to replace what’s gone. And the people who he dates? They’re all just replacements. Objects to his satisfaction. That’s what a rebound is.”
“But that doesn’t make him a bad person. At least, not entirely.” Baekhyun avoided the temptation to check the text message. “It’s in our nature to want to feel complete. It’s what everyone searches for whether it’s within them or in the hands of another individual.”
“Yes, but Baekhyun, you don’t understand how much of a bore this guy was before my vice president--ex, I mean-- got fucked too hard into impending motherhood. He wouldn’t even touchher. A prude, actually. It’s probably why she was attracted to another man.” Setting the pen down on the table, Kyungsoo glanced at Baekhyun’s focused eyes. “He used to keep to himself. I didn't even know why they were together, at the time. She was always being a loud mouth. I hated her. Anyways, ever since she ran along with the baby daddy, I guess her ex gets as much sexual and romantic experience he can get from the people willing to indulge him with… favors. They say he’s caught up trying to be the person my former vice president wanted. A ‘man’, apparently.”
“So, the guy’s damaged.”
“That’s interesting of you to say,” Kyungsoo said, grinning. “I agree. He’s damaged.”
Taking in a deep breath, Baekhyun laughed, running a hand down his face. “It’s funny how complicated life can be. It’d all be easier if things were simple.”
“If things were binary, yes…Life would be simpler. It’s why I prefer to see things in black and white.” Again, the cell phone vibrated and Kyungsoo looked down at it. “Chanyeol. He’s interesting, isn’t he…”
“Yes,” Baekhyun replied quietly.
“I thought so…” Kyungsoo glanced to his right and stared at the pen he had just dismantled minutes ago. Then, with grace, he picked it up and placed it in a holder. “I hope you didn’t mind me playing with your things. I like to take things apart and put them together again in a way that I like…” He heard another buzz. “You better answer him, Baek. If not, he’ll think I’m taking you away from him…”
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