Part 2 of a double update

The first time Yifan met Chanyeol, they were respectively 10 and 8 years old. The occasion was Old Mr. Park birthday. The old man wanted an intimate gathering, so he threw a barbeque instead of the usual formal dinner. Old Mr. Wu and Yifan came bearing loads of gifts and a squad of bodyguards.

It was Yifan’s first time at the Park Estate and he took in his surroundings with mild curiosity. The Estate was a bit bigger than his grandfather’s but he noted with a slight satisfaction that the garden wasn’t as beautiful as the one he had back home. He slowed his steps and scrutinized a row of thick bushes, trimmed to form several interesting shapes.

Then one of the bushes started to shake suspiciously.

Yifan was ready to give alert when a dark haired boy emerged from between the leaves. The boy was around his height, with healthy pink flush coloring his chubby cheeks, wide grin showing two rows of pearly white teeth, sparkling big onyx eyes and hair stuck every which way. The boy had his hands full with a squirming animal and he was struggling to keep it from escaping his hold.

Then the boy noticed that Yifan was looking at him. He met Yifan’s eyes and they stare at each other for several moment. Then the boy’s grin got impossibly wider. The only thought running through Yifan’s mind was ‘so many teeth…’ The boy bounded over to where Yifan stood and out the squirming animal at him.

“Hi! I’m Chanyeol. This is Ddori. What’s your name?”

Yifan raised an elegant eyebrow and tried to be polite. He nodded at Chanyeol and gave a neutral look to Ddori. “My name is Wu Yifan.” He answered.

“Hi Yifan! Let’s play!” Chanyeol had moved Ddori so he was carrying the squirrel (?) under one arm while the other hand moved to tug at Yifan’s elbow.

Before Yifan could say anything, a woman in her mid forties came over and caught Chanyeol.

“Young Master! I’ve been looking for you! You aren’t properly dressed! And look how dirty you are!” She fussed over Chanyeol, hands busy removing the twigs and stray leaves adorning Chanyeol’s head.

Only then did Yifan realize that the boy in front of him was really dirty. There were things caught in his black hair, his t shirt and short were smudged with dirt. His knees were scrapped red and there were tiny cuts marring his hands and cheek, so different from Yifan who wore a white Moschino shirt and navy blue Fendi jeans.

Chanyeol let out a moue of protest as the old woman dragged him to a side door and into the mansion. He managed to throw one last wave and a “Let’s play later!” over his shoulder before the door closed behind him.

Yifan stood there for a moment, mind slightly blank from the strange encounter. Then the sound of Fei-ge calling out his name woke him up from his stupor. He shook himself and walked back to the crowded part of the garden with thought of Chanyeol lingering at the back of his mind.

*****

When Chanyeol returned, he was fresh out of the shower. Yifan tilted his head slightly as he took in Chanyeol smaller form, clad in Gucci shirt and John Galliano shorts. Yifan wasn’t a fashionista per se, but he had the exact same shirt and shorts in his closet, albeit in different color. Chanyeol’s hair was slightly damp and his cheeks still blushed. A sudden urge to bite those apple like cheeks came over Yifan, but he pushed it away.

Then Yifan and Chanyeol were properly introduced to each other. Both Old Mr. Park and Old Mr. Wu had a matching soft look when they looked at their own grandson. They also have a matching scrutinizing look when they looked at the other’s grandson. Chanyeol’s parent stood to the side, watching with amusement as the old men started to praise their respective grandson.

“Old rivalry dies hard.” Chanyeol’s father whispered to his wife.

“But this is fun to watch.” His wife whispered back.

By then Old Mr. Wu was in the middle of telling how Yifan was multilingual. Old Mr. Park replied with how fast Chanyeol could climb a tree. Old Mr. Wu nodded and told the story of how Yifan was at the top of his class. Old Mr. Park smiled sweetly and said that Chanyeol could dissemble a gun in under a minute. How it escalated to this topic, no one really had any idea.

The two boys fidgeted on their spot, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Chanyeol caught Yifan’s eyes and winked at him.

“Let’s play.” He mouthed to Yifan.

Yifan nodded quickly, eager to escape the two old men one-upping each other. Chanyeol grinned and grabbed Yifan’s hand before he broke into a run away from their grandparents. Yifan oomphed but his legs soon matched Chanyeol’s pace.

Chanyeol let out a happy squeal as he led Yifan to the more secluded part of the garden, their small hands clenched tightly together. Chanyeol let out another happy shriek as they dodged around maids and bodyguards.

At one moment in time, the sunlight fell on Chanyeol just so, and the sight caught Yifan’s breath.

Chanyeol was beautiful.

Then the younger boy grinned, flashing his many teeth and Yifan forgot all about the beautiful Chanyeol. But he did keep their handhold and laughed along with him.