The Empty Canvas

One: The Painting

"Baek," Kyungsoo called but Baekhyun didn't budge. The latter kept on staring on the painting on the library wall, few meters away from the librarian's desk. "Are you still with me?" he asked and finally got the man's attention. "Oh, sorry. Come again?"

"The man might come out of the canvas if you keep that stare. Anyway, I'll go to cafeteria. Want anything?" Kyungsoo asked and gained a smile from Baekhyun.

"No. Thank you."

Baekhyun was too caught by the masterpiece that he didn't mind looking at it for minutes as if he was memorizing every stroke of the brush on the painting. He traced the glass until his hand reached the golden frame of intricate curves and design. "Empty Canvas, 1994... By Loey," Baekhyun read. "Why did Loey entitle it Empty Canvas though it's not empty?" he asked himself.

"Soo... Soo?" he called. Instead of Kyungsoo, he had the stare of almost everyone inside the library. He felt embarrassed, for he forgot that he was in a library that restricts noise and disruption. "Sorry," he apologized. He then walked back on his seat to accomodate students who were borrowing or returning books.

"Sehun requested me to gave you this," Kyung Soo set down a sandwich and a bottle of orange juice when he came back. "He doesn't want to let his 'princess' hungry," Kyungsoo mocked and emphasized the word princess but Baekhyun just smiled.

"Can't you just date him so he'll not live with false hope?" Kyungsoo questioned. They knew Sehun for years already and the guy showed Baekhyun interest in the very beginning. Of all the boys who wanted to date Baekhyun, Sehun was the only one Kyungsoo had his vote on. Because well, who wouldn't love someone tall, handsome, and kind. He's nearly perfect but Baekhyun sees him as friend; nothing more, nothing less.

Baekhyun stopped on typing a book's title on his computer and turned to Kyungsoo. "You know my answer, Soo. It won't change," he responded with finality before he resumed what he was doing.

"But--"

"I know you're only thinking of me. But Soo, Sehun is just a friend. If I wanted him to be my lover, I dated him years back," Baekhyun explained. Kyungsoo is being redundant and Baek didn't want to listen more. "I won't be alone. I know the one destined for me will come in the perfect time."

Kyungsoo stopped arguing and continued working instead. Pushing Baekhyun more won't help anyway. Kyungsoo knows Baekhyun. They're bestfriends for ages and they always have each other's back. He knew everything Baekhyun had gone through.

"I'm going, Baek," Kyungsoo uttered.

"Bye, Soo," Baekhyun replied, bidding Kyungsoo good bye. It's already 4:00 in the afternoon but Baekhyun was not planning to off early. No one's waiting for him, though.

"Ring me when you're home," Kyungsoo reminded and  stopped on his track. "Reminder, Baek. A monster wanders here during 6 o'clock onwards."

"Yah, monster, you ass," Baekhyun laughed.  He continued on arranging the books when Kyungsoo left. Since he's the only one left, he played his music player to at least kill the silence.

Baekhyun immersed himself with the pop music he's playing and didn't notice the running time. It was nearly dark outside when Baekhyun packed his things and traced the way out. He ensured that the all the lights inside the library were off but left the lamp on the corridor open to somehow lit the building.

"You did well on your first day, Baek. Keep it up," Baekhyun told himself as he was climbing down the tiled stairs. He hummed a song which echoed loud and clear. "Silence is creepy sometimes," he spoke. He didn't want to think something scary. He didn't even believe Kyungsoo's monster story. But! He do believe in ghosts and evil spirits.

What if...

A loud thud was heard. Baekhyun was shocked with the sudden noise and it made his heart race. Fear started to creep all over his system but he kept himself composed. "It might be a cat, Baek. There's no reason to scare yourself... Fuck, Kyungsoo and his monster story!" he blurted and hurrriedly walk out of the building.

Baekhyun felt at ease when he saw few students in the gym, practising sports. At least, he's not the only one left.

"Ring me when you're home."

"My phone," Baekhyun pouted when he remembered he forgot his phone on the top near Kyungsoo's desk. He didn't want to return to the library but he can't leave his phone or else, he'd not call Kyungsoo and he'll be dead.

He looked around and found no acquaintance who he could ask to accompany him in the creepy library. "You only have yourself, Baek."

"I remember I didn't forget to turn the lights off," he told himself when he opened the glass door. When Baekhyun set his foot inside, something caught his attention.

The painting...

"It's empty."