“OK, folks!”

It doesn’t seem right.

“This place looks so dead.” Yes. “So we’re here to help the residents in reviving it and gain the interest of the tourists. Don’t you think it will be so much fun?” Opposite to this lively person that’s speaking, her background looks so gray and like she said… dead.

She’s like a fairy in her colorful floral sarong wrapped in her body — and under that see-through cloth, she’s wearing a red bikini. Kris is like watching Baywatch because strangely, the world moves in slow-motion as the leader of the legends run to the cliff. From there, the vast view of the shore... the lifeless shore welcomes them.

She faces her circle's members and starts assigning task for each of them. Looking at everyone, Kris takes notice that all of them seem to have a big sweat hanging on their heads. Other than that, some are obviously shivering — who in the right mind will wear the outfits they have? Yes, they're in the beach so they should wear swimsuits, but we're talking about autumn here. Kim Bum is wearing black shorts and the other three girls have two-piece on, in black, white and gray respectively.

There are another group of girls along them that makes Kris wonder what they are doing here. New members of the legends? He hopes not. Those three girls are wearing a uniform style of outfits — white hoody shirts, color-coded cotton capris.

“Everyone, I want you to meet Kang Seulgi, Son Seungwan and Shen Yeorum.” The leader doesn’t forget to introduce them. “Since, our dear Jung Yonghwa needs to leave the group. We need to recruit his replacement and one of these lovely girls will be our next member.”

“Seriously?” Kim Bum immediately shows his disagreement with his expression. Kris understands him as a man. Looking at those girls, you don’t know which side is front or back unlike the ladies of the legends that have curvaceous body. And, Kim Bum scans the person next to them, they may have identical shirt style and color, but this one wears a green short, showing those long-white-perfect-legs. Kris can clearly see Kim Bum drooling over those pair of limbs. But wait… it’s his wife this guy is looking at.

“Chanyeol.” Shen in violet pants calls, moving in front of the boy to block him. She must have noticed Kim Bum’s malicious eyes that he lays on his friend. Chuckling, the boy scratches his head and shifts looking somewhere else instead. “By the way Sunbae, it’s an honor to be invited to one of your activities but I never see myself as one of you.”

Kris cannot believe to her humbleness, it’s a first. She may be talking to the leader but her sharp eyes are glaring to the same senior that was eyeing on his wife earlier and folds her arms to her chest.

“Me too.” Seungwan in blue capris says this time. “I’ll be more than happy to cover this event, but I’m not seeing myself as a member.” She snaps a picture of Chanyeol and Shen automatically hisses at her.

“That means the position will be mine?” The hopeful Seulgi in yellow capris clasps her hands but her eyes are covered with her own hood by someone.

“Not quite.” Kris says bluntly. “Leader, there’s no need for you to rush in recruiting a new member. You must think of this carefully and it should be someone deserving.”

“That’s right.” Kim Bum agrees but Kris won’t approve with the disturbing focus he’s giving to Chanyeol’s legs.

“Well, I’m sorry. I just don’t want us to be incomplete while doing one of our philanthropic activities.” The leader’s reason. “And, I sincerely apologize about what happen with our last gathering, Chanyeol. We don’t want Yonghwa’s manner and what he did to you as well. I’m glad you accept this invitation.”

He would refuse it himself if Kris just didn’t assure him that he’ll protect him before this meeting. Chanyeol smiles reservedly and acknowledges her apology. And when everyone’s eyes are at the shore, the contract couple is left looking at each other. The wife sighs and Kris comes closer to him so he can rub his back and cheer him up. They both don’t want that part of that day and they still feel uncomfortable around this circle, but Kris gives them a chance.

“I’m sorry I’m late again.” Summer appears in the scene, wearing an ped-huge-white-hooded-jacket and underneath it is a one-piece-halter-ruffle-monokini in hot pink.

“What’s new?” Kris says sarcastically, leading the way going down the shore. He hears some of them whisper behind him about the sudden change of atmosphere when Summer came.

Kris ignores them and moves on but like a lightning, Summer’s image flash to his mind — her jacket looks familiar.

“Chanyeol,” Kris slows down a bit to meet his wife’s pace; eyes stay focus on the path, “isn’t that yours?”

The other boy pays a quick glimpse at their back then looks at him coyly. What does he mean by that? Is Kris’ suspicion true? The blond knows that jacket pretty well because he’s the one bought it for him. And even those clothes the three girls and Chanyeol are wearing right now, he paid for those too. He would absolutely spend his money for his wife — but for these girls — ugh! — if this group’s leaders didn’t put him in charge of their welcome clothes.

They have caused nothing but headache to Kris. While Chanyeol decides to keep his mouth shut than replying to him, Kris ogles at his bare legs then looks at their male senior behind. They have the same way of staring at his wife and now he regrets buying Chanyeol those shorts — and he puts the jacket issue aside.

✿✿✿

“We look like red velvet with the color of our outfit today.” Seulgi happily says as she puts the empty soda can in the garbage bag she’s holding — then face becomes sour the next instant. The group she's with cannot help but to look at her with wonder. "I'm sorry I just couldn't stand cleaning cost you see my skin is sensitive. I am allergic with dirt."

"Oh~ So does that mean you sacrifice to have blemishes as long as you can creep out to Chanyeol?" Gulping, Seulgi chooses to be silent than answering Shen, getting another waste material and sneezes this time. The oldest girl in their group face-palms.

Since she's the one who opened the conversation and triggered the awkwardness, the girl in yellow capris goes back to the girl band topic. Seungwan doesn't talk but shows interest with her widen eyes. Shen brags that she stands as the youngest.

"And, Chanyeol is Joy! The tallest of us all." Seulgi excitedly says.

"Isn't President Wu the tallest here?" Wendy finally talks.

"But, he is a boy!" He reasons out.

"Chanyeol's a boy too." Shen points out with a lame tone. The cold awkward wind is back again.

"Anyways—" Seulgi attempts to fix the conversation but everyone's attention is on the person approaching their group.

"Hi!" Summer greeted like a sunshine in that cloudy day. Usually, people will reciprocate her brightness — and yet, we’re talking about the female trio, Kris and Chanyeol…

“Hel—”                       “There’s nothing to clean here, Chanyeol. How about we go there.” Before Chanyeol can raise his hand and waves at Summer, Kris drags it down and pulls him to where he’s pointing.

“Boss is right, Seulgi, let’s go on that side next.” He hears the girls’ agreement and they walk to the opposite direction. Chanyeol looks back to where they left and sees Shen mouthing his name, she looks screwed. The poor girl becomes their sacrifice when she is left behind Summer and have no choice but to be with each other since the rest dispersed.

“Krease?” He hesitantly checks the other boy who’s leading their walk with his soft voice, but with Kris’ burning aura, it seems he will not get a response at this time.

Chanyeol is aware he is the one to blame with Kris’ jealousy. He has lent his jacket to Summer that the blond gave him when there’s a moment Summer felt cold. He cannot say no to her and that’s been a mystery for him. He wonders if he still has feelings for Summer that lingers in him.

Kris pulls him closer that snapped him from his contemplating — maybe a kiss will cool this person down.

“Kris?”

✿✿✿

The bonfire relaxes the circle after a long day of cleaning the shore. Kim Bum is on the guitar and everyone else sings along the songs popular in the radio today. They are feasting with dishes and fruits prepared by the villagers for them. After the meal, each of them share their ghost story.

Kris is not having fun along them, especially when all have changed clothes, and still, he sees Summer wearing his jacket. He is not the only one who took notice of it, even some people in the circle.

“Hey Summer, what’s with the jacket that you cannot take it off of you?” Go Ahra is the one who opens the topic and everyone is in silence, waiting for her reply.

She chuckles sweetly (well for some people, but not for Kris), looking everyone and says, “Someone special gave this to me.”

Kim Bum whistles, the circle girls giggle, Seulgi says she’s lucky, Seungwan snaps a picture of her, Chanyeol blushes — and Kris releases a frustrated sigh, rolls his eyes, stands from the log where he’s sitting and walks away.

He could have been spitting curses now but he chooses to leave instead.

✿✿✿

“What’s with him?” This is the question of everyone that’s left and only Chanyeol knows the answer — or maybe not.

“Obviously, he’s jealous,” Kim Bum says, “and obliviously, he’s not the one who gave that jacket to her.”

“Oh yeah, aren’t Summer and Kris childhood sweet heart?” Summer simply smiles while they are talking about it in front of her.

Meanwhile, Chanyeol quietly listens and watches to their conversation as Shen replaces Kris’ on his spot and sits beside the raven haired boy.

“I finally realize that Summer is really kind.” Shen says it with a volume that only the two of them can hear. Out of all people, Chanyeol is not expecting to hear that from his friend, taken aback, flinching slightly from his seat. “When you ditched me earlier, I seriously didn’t want to talk to her, but she made effort dude. She knows my favorites and hands me an EXO Concert Ticket. You know it’s hard for me to get one, right, Chanyeol?”

So Summer can make everyone submits to her, even the toughest person in the form of Shen. Chanyeol cannot doubt how amazing she is — like a Goddess manipulating everything in her hands — and Chanyeol thinks that is not right. He walks away as well, without anyone sensing even Shen. She is still talking about Summer’s greatness, not knowing Chanyeol left her side.

Chanyeol thinks he made a wrong decision. He struggles to get up from the tent they set up yesterday, since his body is aching, particularly his stinging upper part. It seems inappropriate to reunite with his husband last night.

The memory of the violent Kris, who ravished him from head to toe, runs in his mind. He thought his innocence would be completely taken away from him, but good thing Kris still listened to his plead, that’s why he still has his brief on. As Chanyeol reaches the zipper of the tent, his arm which was full of mark from his husband appears to him. He can only sighs and continues ping the tent open. It is dawn, no one to be seen outside, not even a single cell is moving. He turns back to get his phone but a predator eyes, who looking straightly at him, welcomes him.

“Good morning.” Chanyeol leans down to his husband and lays his lips on him. He does not forget his morning task after all. He paid his sin to him last night so he assumes they are okay now.

Kris’ arms hooks his neck, pulling him down with the owner. Chanyeol is there again lying together with him. “Are you going somewhere?”

Chanyeol nods since he cannot move in his position and his face is pressed on Kris’ chest. He his husband’s chest so he will be let go and he can talk properly. “I want to pee.”

Kris tighten his hold to him that makes him yelp loudly. “Just pee here instead.” This suggestion earns him a slap from his wife to his arm.

“You’re disgusting! Let me go, will you?”

“Call me disgusting but, I love you so much that I always want to be with you.” Chanyeol stops his movement for a second with Kris’ words knocking to his heart, but another second passes, his bladder reminds him his problem.

“Krease, you may call me insensitive but I really need to PEE!” The husband loosens his grip and he uses it as a chance to run away and do his business in the toilet.

The Circle of Legends spends the 2^nd day with more renovation on the place, and they will not complete it without the help of their leader’s hired workers. They finished it quickly, which gives them an extra time for photoshoot and commercial. For the models of this promotion, the leader, who proclaims herself as the director, has of course chosen the best faces among them. She teams up her ex with Summer. Both pretend friendly towards each other but Chanyeol, who’s merely an audience, sees the volt whenever they are side by side.

The filming finishes at almost four in the afternoon and each of the members decide to scatter and explore the beach. Chanyeol carries the materials they used for the shoot to the van when he notices Summer getting inside a hut. He cautiously follows her there, looking around before going in. He finds Summer sitting on the stairs, breathing slowly. He wonders what’s going on with her, but maybe this is one of her deceiving acts.

“Summer?” The girl looks at with widen eyes, she must not be expecting him appearing there. He sits beside her and touches her forehead. She is cold.

The pale girl chuckles softly, still looking sick. “I probably push myself too much.”

And, things suddenly became intense.

A loud bang comes after Chanyeol pushes Summer on the floor and his body on top of her. The smile on her lips changes to a thin straight line. She looks paler than before.

“Why are you doing this?” Brushing the girl’s hair up, Chanyeol lowly mutters. Every bit of Summer is shaking. She is about to open and say something, but the boy holds her hoody tightly. “You always like putting yourself in the spotlight, right? Huh?!? Now, I’ll give you what you want!”

Chanyeol harshly zips down the jacket he lent her that she seems to claim for her own. Summer shouts his name to stop him but he is not going stop, until she uses violence too by slapping his cheek. Instead of discontinuing, he growls and this time pulls the strap of her bikini top off.

“What’s going on here?” Kris enters the scene, seeing their current state and that snaps Chanyeol. He glances down the person below him, who has face stained with tears, her hands covering her almost bare chest. He backs away realizing what he did while his husband walks out of the hut.

“KREASE!” Chanyeol chases after him, leaving the ruined Summer alone.

In the middle of the shore Chanyeol tries to catch his husband, calling his name and if he stops, he will explain everything. But, Kris walks fast making his plan difficult.

“Krease, listen to me please!” He is panting as he speaks. Chanyeol can only see his rushing back but he knows how angry the taller boy’s face is. “I’m just trying to get rid of Summer so I was like taking advantage of her. Please believe me.”

Kris freezes for a moment facing him with his cold deadly eyes. It makes Chanyeol gasps and regrets forcing the other to look at him.

“Believe you?” Kris scoffs. “Do you think I’m blind and stupid not to realize what you’re doing?” The blond walks forward, and every single step brings death to the surface. “You are not trying to get rid of her.” He dabs his index finger Chanyeol’s chest hardly, hurting the other a little. “You are trying to get rid of me.”

Chanyeol attempts to stop his harsh finger by holding his wrist, sniffing. “No, I’m not. Please, Krease… please.”

“Please what?” Kris growls while Chanyeol blinks and flinches. “I’m tired understanding you, Chanyeol. I know I don’t have a place in your heart… because someone is still there. You may deny it, but it’s either Summer or Min.”

“Kris no.” Quivering, Chanyeol pleads with tears. Kris is as cold as an ice now. He shoves Chanyeol’s hand from him and walks away once more.

“You’re free, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol does not have the strength to stand anymore and can only watch his lover’s form getting farther and farther from him.

Although Kris is no longer there with him, he lets out what is really inside him.

“Love destroyed us Kris — specially me. Happiness is short for me and I don’t have that right since the day I was born. I know that too, that I will lost everything — even you. I don’t own anything. I don’t even know why I’m still living.”

“You could have Summer if you didn’t behave carelessly.” A small voice talk behind him and he simply smiles, turning his head to him. His younger self is there, fat and wearing glasses. He had tears all over his face like him but a pair of snots dangling on his nose. Chanyeol chuckles at the view, gesturing the little him to come closer.

Wiping his nose, he answers him, “I don’t have feelings for Summer. She cannot give me joy like Kris has been giving me.”

“But, he doesn’t love you enough that’s why he easily gave you up, right?” Those words press Chanyeol’s button to his grieving once more.

“Chanyeol, if I stay, my misfortunate life will continue.”

“I know that’s why I’m here.” The little Chanyeol pulls his hand, asking him to get up. “Let’s go somewhere.”

Chanyeol eyes stings and, yet he brushes the tears away and nods.

✿✿✿

The fury still clings to Kris as he walks towards the beach houses. It must be a mistake that he falls to Chanyeol too quick and forgets Summer. Chanyeol is truly the player and not him. Kris scoffs once again, remembering the scene he saw inside the hut, never thought Chanyeol can really do that.

And all of a sudden, electrocuting feeling interrupts his anger. He turns around and only the sound of the violent waves hitting the shore is what he can hear. He senses there is something wrong, that is when he realizes Chanyeol’s disorder.

Kris hurriedly returns to the spot where he left his wife. He doesn't find him there standing by the shore anymore. But not far from there, he sees Seungwan and Seulgi kneeling down the sand and a motionless body is lying between them.

“Chanyeol!” Kris dashes and kneels with them to his wife’s lifeless body. Chanyeol’s eyes are close — he is breathing — but it is so slow like it is about to lose. The two girls look horrified of this event and when he glances at one of them, they are triggered to speak.

“We saw him walking forward the sea.” Seulgi wales as she talks. “We call him but he continues walking.”

“We helped each other to bring him to the shore,” Seungwan says. “He stops moving since then and I had to shut his eyelids down because maybe he is already unconscious.”

“This is all my fault.” Kris mutters, trembling as he gathers his wife in his arms. His unsteady hand reach Chanyeol’s face and feels his cold skin. “Chanyeol, wake up please.”

“What’s this?” Kris glances, seeing a flabbergasted Shen. The girl looks at him with gritted teeth and a punch comes after on his face. Shen pulls his collar so the proximity from each other is closer. “What have you done?”

“The president didn’t do anything.” Seulgi reasons out.

“Exactly!” and that girl seems to regret defensing Kris. “I let my guard down thinking Kris can take care of Chanyeol. But, I was wrong!”

“Please stop, the others are coming.” Seungwan is right. The rest of the circle is approaching them, and Kris cannot compromise Chanyeol’s situation.

He gets up from the sand, carrying his wife’s body in bridal style. He pays one last look to Seulgi and Seungwan. “Tell them we had a minor accident here.”

“You call this minor accident?” Shen hysterically asked.

“Shut up!” Still tasting blood on his lips, Kris does not care if he receives another punch on his face. He only wants to escape with Chanyeol right now.

“I will really hurt you bad if you don’t bring me along,” Shen threatens and Kris does not want to argue anymore. They need to head to the road and look for a ride to get them to hospital.

To be continued…

A/N:

Happy Birthday, Chanyeol. Don't cry baby, millions are loving you just like me. Sorry for the delay. I am planning to give a double update but my head insists to give myself a rest. I'll give the other one before this month end. I hope the shippers of this otp is not yet fading and enjoys the month with me. I know there will be errors but I'll try to fix them. Till next time :)