Ch 22 - The Tempest Rages Overnight

(immediately following Ch 21)

When Jongin wakes up the next morning, he sees that it’s almost noon. He stretches and rolls to look over at Kyungsoo’s empty bed as he nestles back down into his comforter, but then his eyes flash back open. Kyungsoo’s bed isn’t just empty of the singer. It’s empty of everything: no sheets, no pillow, no mattress. He jolts up and scans the room. Kyungsoo’s under the bed storage boxes are gone. The closet has a huge void in it where dozens of black garments used to hang.

Fearing the worst, he rushes out to the main living area. There, he finds Jaehyuk and Chanyeol sitting at the table, drinking from mugs and conversing.

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” he blurts out, a little more panicky than he’d like to admit.

“Out. At the office practicing interviews for his Pure Love promotional circuit that’s coming up,” Jaehyuk replies without looking up from his coffee.

The dancer breathes a small sigh of relief. “Okay, but where is all his stuff?”

Chanyeol shifts uncomfortably. “Apparently, we’re due for a new roommate situation. Do you still wanna bunk with me, or would you rather shake it up completely?”

“I don’t want to ‘shake it up’ at all,” he says irritably, turning to Jaehyuk. “We’ve been roommates for years. The three of us get along; we know each other’s habits and how to live peaceably. Let the others mix it up if they want to.”

Jaehyuk sighs and raises his eyes to meet Jongin’s. “That’s not going to work. Kyungsoo’s schedules for the next few months are going to be quite different from the rest of the group, so he’s going to be in his own room. You can either have Sehun move in with you two or switch around some more and room with Junmyeon and Jongdae or something.”

Jongin is fuming, but with Chanyeol sitting right there, he can’t exactly ask the questions he wants to. ‘Was this an order from above because of last night? What does Soo think of this?’ Ultimately, he realizes from the look on Jaehyuk’s face that this is non-negotiable. He supposes Kyungsoo’s stuff having already disappeared indicates it’s a done deal. “Whatever. Chanyeol can decide. I don’t care,” he says, sulking and going back to his room.

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Earlier that morning…

Kyungsoo gets up at 6am like he’d agreed on with Jaehyuk. It’s before dawn, so there’s no noise in the dorm except for the two of them shuffling around to leave. They head down and get breakfast to go from a convenience store before retreating to the van to talk with ultimate privacy.

“Before we discuss upcoming plans, I just want you to know that I really am sorry for what I said last night,” Jaehyuk starts.

“I’ve heard worse,” Kyungsoo says, pausing to bite into his kimbap. “…though not really directed at me before,” he amends.

“I-I don’t have any experience with this, is all. I’ve never known someone who was…”

“Gay. I’m gay, hyung. And you’ve probably known someone who was but just didn’t realize it. But it’s okay. I understand what you’re saying. I forgive you. You helping me handle the situation will make up for it.”

The manager nods and clears his voice. “We’ll get you moved into your own room today. Might as well make the switch on a day with minimal schedules.”

“Thanks… I’d like to keep exceptionally busy, too. It’ll make it easier, for both of us I think.” He mumbles the last part under his breath before straightening up and resuming his no-nonsense approach. “I know I’ve got a lot going on with the movie, but is there anything else that’s come up as an opportunity? Something small I can tack on around our concert schedules?”

Jaehyuk hums thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. We had to turn down all the major projects because you won’t have enough time for them, and we’re not really considering the smaller roles lately, because you’re beyond that now. Let me check.” He scrolls through his phone, reviewing past emails and potential project dockets from the office staff. “There’s this one web drama that wanted you to play the lead, but we’re turning them down today. It’d be a step backwards for you.”

“What kind of role?” Kyungsoo asks, still considering it. If it serves as a good distraction, he’ll take anything right now.

“Male hunk, helps female lead start a chocolate business. The script mostly called for you to look handsome in a suit and smile a lot to win over the female co-star.”

The singer grimaces. “Not exactly my scene,” he says dryly, and Jaehyuk looks like he wants to laugh but isn’t positive if it’s appropriate or not. He’s about to ask what else is available when an idea strikes him and he perks up. “Wait a minute. What about giving that one to Jongin?”

The manager’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Jongin? But he doesn’t act.”

“It doesn’t sound like that one really calls for much acting, though, and it’d be a great foot in the door for him if he wanted to do more. And handsome stud in a suit? That’s basically written for him. Can’t you just see him going all Kai in that role? He’d be perfect.” Kyungsoo’s heart swells with excitement for the other boy to get more individual opportunities to build his future prospects. He smiles, conjuring the image of the gorgeous dancer in a trimly fit suit, smirking at the camera.

When he comes out of his daydream and looks at Jaehyuk for confirmation, he sees the man wearing a somber look. It takes a moment for it to kick in – why they’re doing this. Why they’re down in the van, privately planning to make their schedules busier. Kyungsoo’s face falls and he distracts himself with eating his breakfast.

Jaehyuk continues to look at him with pitying eyes. “You really do love him, don’t you.”

Kyungsoo refuses to answer, but it doesn’t matter. It was clearly a rhetorical question. “Just… see if you can convince them to offer it to Jongin.”

“Okay,” he agrees quietly.

The singer continues with an air of determination. “And make sure you say yes to every press request for Pure Love interviews. Radio, magazines, web shows, livestreams, whatever. I’ll show up.”

“I don’t want you to overwork yourself, though. That’s not healthy,” Jaehyuk says with concern laced in his voice. The singer ignores him. “You’re almost handling this… too professionally, Kyungsoo.”

At that, he snaps his eyes up and let’s his guard slip for a moment to reveal the pain underneath. “I have two choices: I can be professional and exhausted, or an emotional wreck and exhausted. Please, let me at least be productive.”

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Moving in with Jongdae and Junmyeon . Not really, but Jongin’s not willing to give it a fair shake. The leader is surprisingly untidy, even worse than Chanyeol, and Jongdae’s not neat enough to balance it out like Kyungsoo would have.

Speaking of whom, the dancer has had virtually zero time with the older boy since the night of the Gayo Daejun almost a week ago. Jongin had anticipated not getting much one on one time, at least for a bit for things to cool off and get the VP off their backs, but Kyungsoo hasn’t been around at group gatherings either, always going from one Pure Love interview to the next. The younger is getting mopey; he can’t help it. He can only rehearse his dancing so many times before his back starts giving him trouble again, and he can’t afford to get injured when they’re about to go back on the touring circuit soon.

Much to his surprise, he gets a call from a junior manager asking him if he wants to be in a web drama. At first, he figures they called the wrong member. No one’s ever requested him for an acting role, surely they meant Chanyeol or Baekhyun or… well anyone other than him. But no, there’s no mistake: the role is his if he wants it. Jongin can’t say yes fast enough. Heart racing, he texts the news to person who obviously needs to know first.

To Kyungsoo
Hyung, you’ll never believe this. I got an acting gig!
It’s only a web drama, but still, they offered me the lead male role!
Can you believe it??
I’m so excited. Nervous, but excited!!

The minutes tick by without a response. ‘Be patient. He’s probably in the middle of a photoshoot or some magazine interview. He’ll text back when he can,’ Jongin tries to placate himself.

After a few hours pass, his phone does buzz.

Kyungsoo
Congratulations!

Jongin has mixed feelings about the impersonal response, but looks on the bright side that at least the older boy did text back some kind words. Well, a kind word. He tries not to dwell on it.

A minute later, his phone pings with another text from Kyungsoo. There are no words this time, just a simple bouquet emoji. The younger boy grins stupidly wide to himself. He can imagine the delay was a result of Kyungsoo deliberating for a minute on whether or not to send that. (Emojis are totally not the elder’s style.) He pockets the phone and plans to ask his hyung for acting lessons once he gets home. He parks himself on the common room couch and watches various shows while waiting up.

Kyungsoo still isn’t home at 1am when he finally gives up and goes to bed.

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He knows he asked for it, but Kyungsoo is exhausted. He hasn’t eaten properly for almost two weeks now. This is partly due to his packed schedule and partly due to avoiding dinner with the members to not be too close to Jongin and risk getting them in trouble. Each night, he collapses in his own, lonely room for maybe 2-3 hours of sleep before waking back up to do it all over again.

EXO is in Singapore doing another concert, and Kyungsoo is having trouble staying in the moment. He’s so tired, he almost feels like he’s sleepwalking in parts of these performances today. While they’re singing Growl, his fuzzy brain registers how beautiful Jongin looks today. ‘You mean how beautiful he looks everyday. It’s been so long since you’ve been able to just stare at him, touch him…’

Why were they even avoiding each other, any way? The rationale is lost on the drowsy singer right now, only frustration and longing swirling in his mind and making him dizzy. On autopilot, Kyungsoo starts singing the bridge as his feet draw him over to the object of his affection:

“Besides us, delete everyone from your mind, let’s love this way”

His hand slides against the smooth, tan skin of the dancer’s neck and down his chiseled chest before he even registers what he’s doing. Jongin’s responsive touch on his arm burns in the best way and suddenly zaps him out of his half-awake, half-dreaming state. ‘. Well, maybe it wasn’t that obvious,’ he hopes naively.

That hope is short-lived, as Minseok walks up to him and grazes Kyungsoo’s cheek with the back of his hand, offering a goofy smile. Junmyeon must have also been watching him on the concert screen because he repeats this action on an unsuspecting Jongdae. There’s nothing Kyungsoo can do except laugh it off and hope it’s forgotten as the concert goes on.

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The moment the concert is over, Jongin is looking for his chance. On top of missing Kyungsoo like crazy for the past two weeks, he’s now incredibly ually frustrated after the older gifted him with such an intimate touch on stage. When the singer excuses himself from the dressing room, announcing that he’s headed to the restroom, Jongin takes it as his cue to follow behind 10 seconds later. Thankfully, Jaehyuk’s not in the room to witness it, distracted with takedown of their stage and settling up with the on-site event coordinator.

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