Part XVII

Baekhyun

We didn't hear anything about Suho or Chen for pretty much the whole summer. School was out, so it wasn't like Chanyeol or I saw them on a regular basis anymore, and from what little Kyungsoo talked about it, things between him and his brother hadn't improved much. Most of me was relieved that that chapter of our youth seemed to be closed, but there was still plenty of room for worry. We still had one more year of school before we could escape them for good and there was no telling what senior year would bring or if they would come back with more of a vengeance than they had before. Part of me hoped I wouldn't have to find out.

But besides that, the summer treated me well. I got to spend a lot more time with my friends and with Chanyeol, and it seemed like they were getting more and more used to him each time he hung out with us. Chanyeol wasn't lying when he said he had a list of date ideas, as it seemed like we went on a different date every day almost. I wasn't complaining by any means, though. My dad was spending more of his free time looking for apartments, which meant I could be hit with the news any day, so I wanted to make sure I had enough memories with Chanyeol to keep me company when we left. Though, I don't think all of the memories in the world would have been enough honestly.

One day while Chanyeol was out on some college tour his dad's friend arranged for him, I was hanging out at Sehun and Kai's place. 

"Have you guys decided what you're gonna do after graduation?" I asked randomly while we were in the middle of some variety show.

"Of course, I don't," Sehun replied with a yawn. "I've been actively not thinking about it, no matter how much mom and dad bring it up."

"I think I want to go to college, but I don't know what for," I said, answering my own question. "I don't want to waste my dad's money or get all stressed out about entrances exams just to be undeclared, you know?"

"You should do something with art. You like that kind of stuff, right?" Sehun said as he tilted his head and looked at me. 

"Yeah, sure, but college is typically used for becoming more qualified for a job. What kind of job could I get with an art degree?"

"Lots. Graphic designer for one or something in marketing. Even like an art critic or something if you study art history. You could even design video games if you wanted to. That'd be cool."

I sighed and relaxed against the couch some more. "I guess. What about you, Kai? Have you made a plan yet?" He was staring at his phone, so his eyes widened a little in surprise when he first heard me.

"Not really," he replied. "My dance teacher thinks I should train to join a ballet company or audition to be an idol, but I don't think I want to do that. I've been thinking about getting my teaching certification and just jumping right to the part in my career where I teach dance."

"You'd be good at that." I nodded. 

Kai shrugged. "Maybe. All I know for sure is that Kyungsoo and I are moving into our own place together as soon as we can afford it," he said. Sehun and I both sat up in surprise.

"When did you plan on telling us this?" Sehun asked. 

"Soon probably. We had to make sure it was a realistic idea, you know, something we could actually do and not just dream about," he briefly explained.

"And how will you afford this?" I asked next. "I mean, I know you said you're interested in teaching, but rent isn't cheap these days. Just ask my dad."

"I know that, but I can find other work in the meantime and Kyungsoo said that if he talks to his parents, they might be willing to help out. Of course, we'd still have to hide then, but at least we'd be living together."

Sehun and I quietly exchanged looks. "So, you really think you two have got this all figured out?" Sehun said. "That you'll just move in together and everything will be all sunshine and rainbows?"

"I didn't say that," Kai said with a small chuckle, looking at him. "I know it'll be hard, but when we started talking about it...I don't know, it just made sense to me. I didn't really question whether or not I really wanted to do it."

"Which may be a problem, you do know that right? I mean, I'm no relationship expert, but spending a few nights together doesn't exactly give you the experience you'll need in order to live together full time," Sehun went on.

"Why are you of all people so against this?" Kai asked, lifting his head up off the arm of the couch more. "I thought you'd be happy. You'll get a room to yourself again."

"Sure, but for how long? Until you realize that no matter how much you like him, it's hard sharing a space with someone? I just don't want you going into this thinking it'll be like a honeymoon every day, only to disappoint yourself and him when you find out it's not."

Kai rolled his eyes and laid his head back down. "I'm not that idealistic, Sehun. I know it's gonna take work or whatever, but I think we can handle it. So just try to be happy for me, okay?" He brought his phone back in front of his face, and Sehun sighed as he looked at me again. 

I agreed with him because moving in together right out of high school did seem a little bit rushed, but I also wanted to believe that if any two people could make a relationship work, it was them. 

As for Chanyeol and I, I didn't know what would happen to us after high school. I knew his dad had some big list of top universities he wanted him to apply to, like most kids' parents did at our school, but we never really talked about it even after his visits. Of course, I hoped our relationship wouldn't just end up as some high school fling, but the fact of the matter was that our world--no matter how big and complicated it felt sometimes--was small compared to the real one we'd be walking into. There were more people and opportunities out there, more things to make us drift apart. Maybe that was inevitable, though. 

:::::::::::

A few days later after I had just finished cleaning off from the day, I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door before it opened.

"Hey, dad," I said with a smile. 

"Hey, kid. You got a minute?" he asked. I nodded affirmatively and he stepped inside, leaving the door not closed but cracked behind him. He came and sat on the edge of my bed, a soft but slightly distressed sigh leaving his mouth. "I have something to tell you and I have a feeling you won't be happy about it," he said.

It was my turn to sigh. "You found a place, didn't you?" I said before he could get anything else out. A guilty expression came over his face before he glanced away to nod.

"I'm sorry. I know you were just getting used to things here," he said, his eyes now back on me. 

"It's okay. I guess we had to leave at some point." I sat down next to him, keeping my eyes pointed at the floor.

"I already told Mr. Park and he offered to let us stay until you graduated. I really considered accepting it for your sake, but I didn't want to be any more indebted to him than I already am."

"I doubt he sees it like that, dad. I think Mr. Park is just genuinely a generous person who wanted to help us out in our time of need," I replied as I looked at him. "But I guess it wouldn't be right to stay any longer, would it? Since we're clearly no longer in need."

He hummed and nodded his head. "But this will be good for us," he said as he changed his tone of voice, letting out a big but short sigh. "I found us a nicer but still affordable place and I haven't sustained any more injuries, so I'll actually be able to pay the bills on time. Plus, you'll be able to go back to your old school and graduate with your friends."

I smiled, thinking that would be nice. But I could stop my heart from aching for Chanyeol. As horrible as his friends were, I felt bad for coming in and driving a wedge between them, so I didn't even want to imagine what having to go back to school with them would be like. I was scared for him and for us.

"Thank you, dad," I said after a moment of silence passed, placing my hand on top of his. "I don't think I tell you that enough."

He smiled and used his free hand to pat mine. "You don't need to," he said. 

He left not long after that and then after sitting there in thought for a while, I got up and started to go over to Chanyeol's room. But before I could even knock, the door opened widely and he looked at me. The expression on his face told me he already knew.

"I just wanted to come in and say goodnight, but I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he said. I chuckled, allowing a soft expression to come over my face. "So, you're leaving, huh?"

"Yeah, in a couple of weeks. He wants to leave me some time to get adjusted before school starts," I said. He nodded somberly, though he was very obviously trying to be brave. I stepped forward and hugged him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. "We'll be okay, right?" I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.

"Of course, it's us after all," he said as he hugged me back. 

"What about Suho and Chen and them? Won't it be hard for you and Kyungsoo to go back after what happened?" I asked, pulling back enough to see his face.

"I think getting a warning from the cops scared them enough for the year." He chortled lowly. "Besides, it was long overdue. I guarantee I wouldn't have talked to them after graduation."

"Alright, but you'll tell me if it gets bad, right? I know Kyungsoo will, but you should, too."

"I probably won't, but I've never been able to keep anything hidden from you anyway, so I won't be able to not say anything."

"You're absolutely right," I said, resting my head against his chest again. I felt him laugh as he stroked the back of my head a couple of times.

"We'll be okay. Don't worry," he said, the feeling of his voice vibrating through his chest and against my head giving me a sense of comfort.

We'd be alright.

Chanyeol

Two weeks passed quicker than I would have liked them to. 

I watched as they loaded the last of their stuff into the moving truck, standing in the same spot I did the day they had arrived but feeling completely different.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Park, including renting us the moving truck," Baekhyun's dad said to mine as he bowed. "I will be forever indebted to you for helping us."

"Nonsense. I did what any decent person would have done," he said, patting his shoulder and batting his other hand. "It was our pleasure to have you here. You and Baekhyun certainly made the house more lively. If you two need anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," he said as he bowed again and shook his hand. Baekhyun said goodbye to him as well, giving me a quick look before getting into the truck. He waved in our general area as the truck started, my dad waving back as he came to stand next to me. And then with that, they pulled out of the driveway and away from us.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" my dad said to me, gently nudging me with his elbow. I looked at him, still thinking about the image of Baekhyun's smile. 

I rolled my eyes and bit back a smile of my own. "I guess not."