Before Baekhyun could say some words as a reply to the giant's revelation, Chanyeol's phone rang. As the sick person he was, Chanyeol was slow to pick his phone so Baekhyun caught a glance of the caller ID and it says Babe. A hundred percent sure it was Kyungsoo added the fact that Chanyeol had his picture on his contact.
Reluctant, the giant looked at the midget one as if asking for approval to which Baekhyun replied with a weak smile. "Answer it. I'll be going out first," putting the bowl back to its tray, Baekhyun quickly rose from his own bed. Feeling something on his chest weighing heavy, he left the quiet room. As soon as he closed the door, he walked down the stairs carefully, feeling his eyes starting to water.
He slumped back down when he felt his legs wobbled due to the pain he has within his system. He knew Chanyeol still loves him and he feels great about it. But Kyungsoo, he will always be Chanyeol's top priority. He thought that he should've not let the walls he built for years to be broken by the giant's words. But who can blame him? He longs for his ex-husband and it wasn't a good news to hear that he's going to marry another guy in no time. It has been his daily routine to question himself what happened to their happy marriage that it fell down to the legal courts. What he has done wrong that time? Why did he ended up signing those papers? What pushed Chanyeol to file an annulment? So many questions but still unclear for Baekhyun to answer. But now that Chanyeol told him the main reason of their broken marriage, do questions mentioned before were still relevant to ask? Or should he change it with: Is there really a need to break our marriage over that, Chanyeol?
Clouded with his own thoughts, Baekhyun didn't realized that Chanyeol was just behind him all this time and it pains the giant seeing his ex-husband, still suffering from their past relationship. As much as he wanted to loosen up more, he stopped himself. As what he said before, it will be the better for them to stay strangers or as friends. He caused Baekhyun tons of unbearable pain already, he can't stomach if his ex-husband will have another shot of pain when Chanyeol came back to reality. Sure that he wanted his ex-husband back but the reason why Chanyeol's being like this to Baekhyun is just because he wanted to make him feel good, at least before he tie knots once again.
"You're crying again because of me," Chanyeol decided to speak and it made Baekhyun jump in shock.
"W-what are you doing here?" Baekhyun replied back, wiping those warm liquids from his eyes. "You should go back to bed and help yourself feel better, Chanyeol."
Chanyeol shook his head and offered his hand to Baekhyun. When they're both standing, he pulled him for one last hug. "I don't want to see you crying anymore. The next time we will bump into each other, I hope you're happy already. Baekhyun, as much as I want to take you back, I don't have the nerve to claim you once again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for always making you cry. I thought with this, I was able to make you happy. But I was wrong, I was just making it harder for you, right?"
Baekhyun shook his head as tears started streaming down his face again. "No, Chanyeol. Don't ever think of that. I'm just like this becauseㅡ"
"ㅡBaek. . ." Chanyeol smiled. "I want you to be happy, okay? Let's try to stop ourselves from talking to each other. I'm staying away from you starting tomorrow. Don't worry. I won't bug you anymore."
"Chanyeol, don't," Baekhyun solicited, holding tighter on Chanyeol's hands. "Chanyeol, you're the only one who can make me happy. Don't do this to me."
With one last kiss on his ex-husband's forehead, Chanyeol broke the skin contact and tried to put up his strong façade. "Don't settle for less, Baekhyun. Don't settle for me."
Before Chanyeol could even step on the receiving area of the house, Baekhyun gathered all the strength he has with him. "Do you love Kyungsoo that much? To the point that you're willing to lose me?" But Chanyeol didn't answered and left the house.
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"Seriously? This ain't no fun," Kai threw the papers he's been profiling the whole day. "I was glad to be able to work here but why is that Baekhyun hyung isn't here? I mean, okay I get it that he's been sick last week butㅡSehun!" He yelled when the younger one threw a paper ball on his head.
"Stop, okay? He will be back for sure," Sehun sighed, returning his gaze on the vacant table in front. "We have to understand it. He's not based here. Mr. Do said that Baekhyun hyung will be back someday but probably will stay at Bucheon for the mean time."
Kai scoffed at the mere mention of that place. "I like it here because we'll be working with Baekhyun hyung. I might as well come back to my old place."
"You're being overdramatic," Sehun rolled his eyes on his best friend.
The telephone on Baekhyun's table rang and Kai was quick to answer it. "Good morning, this is Kim Jongin fromㅡ"
"ㅡdon't you think it's too long for a greeting, Kai?"
Kai's eyes widened upon realizing the person behind that voice is the same person they were talking just a while ago. "Baekhyun hyung?!" And that made Sehun jump from his seat.
Baekhyun chuckled on the other line. "No other than. How are you doing there?"
"Good! But we miss you a big time!" Kai said in full enthusiasm. He kicked Sehun's butt when the younger tried stealing away the phone from his touch. "Hyung! Sehun's always starting a fight with me!"
"I'm not! Don't fabricate stories, Kim Jongin!" Sehun retorted back. He finally got a hold of the telephone and took the chance to speak with the midget. "Baekhyun hyungggg!!! We miss you!"
Chuckling, Baekhyun ended the call. Making the two younger workers groan in disappointment.
"This is your fault! Baekhyun hyung must've felt annoyed with your loud voice!" Kai finger points Sehun. "I was willing toㅡ"
"ㅡBAEKHYUN HYUNGGGGG!" Sehun ran himself to welcome Baekhyun who has been away from them for one week because Bucheon chapter needed their account executives' physical presence for 2018 project planning.
Baekhyun patted Sehun's head, same with Kai who just arrived not long ago before Sehun did. "Did you two missed me that much, huh?"
"Yes!" The two exclaimed in unison.
"Okay, okay. Let me enter the office first," the two young ones didn't left Baekhyun's sides, instead they tales him as the older one started walking. "I won't go anymore. Stop following me you two."
Kyungsoo, however, entered the floor and he saw the view. He felt envy on how Kai and Sehun started being so fond of Baekhyun that fast. At first, the two young ones were so fond of him but now that he rarely comes to the office, they've found new hyung in the presence of Byun Baekhyun. He can't help but to feel envy and insecurity inside his system because of all people who he never expected that will be close to Baekhyun, it was Sehun. He knew how Sehun hates noisy people that's why they're close but oh, no one can blame the two, right?
"Good morning, Sir Kyungsoo," Baekhyun greeted before entering their office. As soon as he sat down on his chair, he glanced away, feeling someone's looking at him and he saw Kyungsoo staring at him blankly. Mustering his neutral façade, Baekhyun knocked on the glass wall that pulled Kyungsoo out of his trance and muttered. "Is there something wrong?"
Smiling in fakery, Kyungsoo shook his head and continued on walking his way to the office. As soon as he entered his room, he quickly closed the door, never letting anyone to visit him the whole day, even Chanyeol.
-
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"Mr. Oh, where's Mr. Do?" Sticking with his promise, Chanyeol opted to ask Sehun rather than Kyungsoo's secretary himself which is Baekhyun. "Did he arrived already?"
"Yes, Mr. Park," Sehun noticed the awkward atmosphere between the president and the new account executive but decided not to put his nose on their business anymore. "He said he doesn't want to talk to anyone right now."
"Even me?" Chanyeol unbelievably asked.
"Yes, Mr. Park."
Without hesitation, Chanyeol grabbed the local telephone on Baekhyun's desk making the other one jump due to the sudden action. He whispered his sorry to him before calling the attention of the guard on duty at the lobby. "Good morning, this is Mr. Park. Can you please give to me the key for Mr. Do's office?"
"Y-yeah sure. Coming, Mr. Park."
"Thanks," Chanyeol ended the call and decided to sit on the chairs prepared for walk-in visitors while waiting for the guard. "For how long he has been locking himself on that room?"
"Almost four hours already, Mr. Park," Sehun answered.
Baekhyun stayed still. Continuing the work he's doing while Sehun and the president are conversing about his supervisor. He's trying to keep his stoic expression because all hell will break lose once he started talking. Even though it's been a week since they last talked, it's still fresh on his mind. Chanyeol's piercing words and the silence he gave to Baekhyun as an answer to his last question. Frankly speaking, what Chanyeol's doing right now is not making Baekhyun feel any better rather making him feel worse.
When the guard on duty came, that's the only time when Baekhyun turned his attention away from the papers he's holding. His gaze landed on the giant president who was quick to enter his supervisor's office room. Since Baekhyun's location is near Kyungsoo's office, he can clearly hear whatever the two engaged couple are talking about.
"You've got me worried sick, babe! Why are you locking yourself?!" Though Chanyeol's back facing Baekhyun, he can clearly feel the concern and panic on the president's system judging with the tone of his voice. "Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?"
"No. . ." Kyungsoo's stares met Baekhyun's. Still feeling the envy and insecurity from Sehun and Kai's sudden closeness to him, he pulled Chanyeol for a hug and rested his head on his belly. "Can you please shut the door vlose?"
It was low but Baekhyun still heard it. He looked away even before Chanyeol could turn his back on him. He heard a click of the door, indicating that the president already did what he was told to do.
Sehun sighed. How can he stomach scenes like this whenever Chanyeol and Kyungsoo's around? He's friends with Kyungsoo, sure. But he found himself getting closer to Baekhyun since it's him, the one always free whenever Sehun will search for someone's company.
"I don't know what happened but everything's gonna be okay," Sehun said out of the blue.
"What are you saying?" Baekhyun asked, puzzled.
Sehun shrugged. "I don't know what happened. Heck, I don't even know what's the real score between you and Mr. Park but I want you to know that things happen for a reason."
"Why are you telling me this, Sehun? You're friends with Kyungsoo for I-don't-know-how-long but I'm sure that's longer compared to those few weeks we've spent together."
"Yes, I'm his friend but with this? You have me at your back," Sehun said, ruffling Baekhyun's hair.
"Why?"
"Because just like what I said to you before, there's something lacking on the president's eyes whenever Kyungsoo hyung's around. And know what? I saw it when I first time saw you and Mr. Park talk."
-
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"How many times do I have to hear you cry every night, Baek?" Chen interrupted Baekhyun from crying. He sat beside his best friend and patted his shoulders. "If it's hurting you seeing Chanyeol with his new fiancé then why are you still working with them?"
Sniffing, Baekhyun answered. "Because I can't leave Sehun and Kai when both of them were looking forward to seeing me everyday."
Chen lets out a half-assed laugh. "I'm sure they will understand your reason as to why you're resigning from your job. Besides, you told me that Sehun knew your past relationship with Chanyeol, right?"
"Yes butㅡ"
"ㅡBaekhyun, it's not what Sehun nor Kai's reaction important to you. The reason why you're still staying with them despite the pain you're feeling whenever Kyungsoo and Chanyeol's around? It's because you're still hoping to have him back."