For anyone who knew a bit about the world of music it wasn’t a surprise that Byun Baekhyun was the most famous soloist in Korea at the moment. His glorious voice, his unbelievable good looks and his charming personality had gained him a place in the top position of music charts and in the hearts of those who listened to his songs.

    But fame and popularity aren’t something given for free, and Baekhyun had had to work very hard to be where he was. Fighting against idols groups wasn’t something easily accomplished, and Baekhyun knew that he could as well lose the favour of the public if he released a bad album. But that wasn’t completely true, he thought.

    ‘Hey, Baekhyun,’ his manager, Kim Jongdae, called him out. ‘Why are you smiling?’

    Baekhyun blushed profusely before switching off the screen of his phone, which he had been looking at intently.

    ‘I’m not smiling,’ he lied.

    ‘Like hell you aren’t,’ retorted his manager, smiling. ‘Then why are you blushing?’

    ‘I-I’m not!’

    ‘Yeah, of course,’ shrugged Jongdae. ‘Anyway, have you read the latest article real__pcyab has written?’

    There it was. A thump in his chest. Real__pcyab was one of the most famous music bloggers on the internet. Everyone looked for his approval online, if he deemed an album bad, it would be better for the artist to start working on his new one. He was fair but strict with his facts, making people look forward to his opinions. But there was also something undeniable about him, and that was that he was Baekhyun’s greatest fan.

    In comparison with the articles written for others, the amount of them he wrote for Baekhyun was abysmal. It wouldn’t be a lie if one said that at least ninety per cent of his blog was dedicated to Baekhyun. Every day after a performance (to which he would have assisted personally), he would write an article expressing his opinion about Baekhyun. Like the one he had written just twelve minutes ago, if he could trust his watch, right before he finished singing. It thrilled him to think that he and real__pcyab had been in the same room, yet he hadn’t been able to see him.

    Well, to be completely honest, he could have seen him, but being it that the blogger had never posted a picture of himself, is not like he could have recognised him. That was something that saddened him. In many occasions, he had tried to contact him with his private account but maybe thinking it was some hater trying to mock him, Chanyeol had not replied. That didn’t stop him from reading his articles, like the one he had just been reading and was probably the reason behind his smiling and blushing.

    ‘Oh? He has a new post? Is it about me?’ he tried to sound innocent and curious.

    ‘When has that guy written something not about you?’ Jongdae scoffed, motioning him to follow him. ‘Even when he writes about other artists he ends up comparing them to you.’

    That was right, Baekhyun thought, and also because of that he wanted to meet him. It was obvious that real__pcyab, who had first started to talk very professionally, had changed during the span of Baekhyun’s career. It had all started with small remarks, until the day in which he wrote that the singer was beautiful and that he could melts heart smiling. Baekhyun spent his good whole ten minutes clutching his hand over his mouth to not scream aloud, in a kind of fangirl attack to which Jongdae had rolled his eyes saying that it should be real__pcyab not him the one fangirling.

    That had been the first day he had tried to contact him fruitlessly. It had been more than half a year since then and Baekhyun was tired of this. He switched on his phone screen again and entered his social media, searching though the short list of private messages to the one he had sent to real__pcyab. He took a picture of himself, right there and sent it to him with a short message.

    ‘I hope you believe it’s me this time.’

    He put the phone on vibration mode and followed Jongdae to the small room where he was about to have an equally small fanmeeting. He scanned the faces, a handful of boys and girls was there to meet him. Girls were always the shiest, covering their faces with banners and lightsticks, but he already knew most of them. Some of them were checking their phones, and suddenly, he heard a deep voice letting out a strangled scream. He dashed his eyes, fixing them on a tall boy near the back, his hair curly and fuzzy like a poodle’s who was looking awestruck at his phone, one of his regular fans. The boy looked up, his gaze meeting Baekhyun’s and he felt the electricity of that stare. Baekhyun smiled, pleased. He had found him.

    ‘Thank you for being here today,’ he started, talking to the crowd but his eyes still fixed on the buy, who couldn’t look away as well. ‘I know it must have been exhausting for all of you to wait the queue and then get inside. I am always pleased that you take the time to come and see me.’

    He flashed a smile and sat down behind the small table, where he was about to sign some cds. The staff organised the queue and Baekhyun smiled tirelessly to all his fans, always giving them a kind word or a friendly pat on the head. He was growing impatient as the queue went on and the boy still hadn’t been up to get his album signed.

    But after nearly an hour, his last fan stepped up the two stairs and he was face to face with the tall boy whose sight made his heart skip a beat. He was taller than expected up close, and he had baby features that clearly contrasted with his height. He was wearing an oversized sweatshirt and circle metal rimmed glasses, and was clenching his hands around his newly released album, fidgeting with the edges. Baekhyun beamed at him, his heart beating fast in anticipation. He was really handsome up close

    ‘Hi,’ he said, waiting for him to extend the album. ‘Thank you for coming.’

    ‘N-no, thank you for always releasing such good music,’ he replied, and finally put the album gently on his hands while kneeling to be on the same eye-level as the singer. ‘It’s always a pleasure to hear you sing.’

    It was a pleasure to hear him speak, Baekhyun thought, but he didn’t say it. He peaked around, the staff was more relaxed since the boy was the last fan and Jongdae was busy talking on his phone, probably about his coming schedule, a radio interview in one of the most famous programmes. He leaned to the boy, making him lean automatically towards him. Baekhyun smiled a bit more broadly.

    ‘Are you…?’ he stopped for a second, his lips and he could swear the boy followed the trace of it. ‘Are you… Chanyeol, right?’

    The boy looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe that Baekhyun had memorised his name. He nodded fervently.

    ‘Park Chanyeol, yes,’

    Smiling, Baekhyun opened the album and signed it scribbling a small dedication and giving it back to Chanyeol. The taller looked at the dedication with amazement, blushing until the tips of his oddly shaped but cute ears while reading it.

    To real__pcyab, with love.

    Baekhyun didn’t know which was more interesting, if watching Chanyeol going redder by the minute or his attempt to speak, on which he was failing miserably. He caressed the words, taking more time with the last of them, like memorising every loop and curve of the writing.

    ‘You…,’ he finally managed, directing his eyes towards Baekhyun’s, the intensity of his stare mesmerizing him. ‘How did you know?’

    Instead of replying, Baekhyun winked ily.

    ‘I have wanted to talk to you for a long time, Chanyeol.’

    ‘I know, sorry,’ he apologised. ‘But it wouldn’t be the first time that someone tried to trick me… I couldn’t let that happen in case haters used it against you.’

    ‘But now you know it’s me,’ he giggled.

    He really was happy, he couldn’t believe he had finally met him, and Chanyeol lived up his best expectations. They stood there, looking at each other smiling softly but none of them daring to make a move.

    ‘Baekhyun,’ Jongdae’s voice snapped them back to reality, ‘we need to go in ten minutes.’

    Baekhyun looked intently at Jongdae and then looked at Chanyeol. It took a couple of seconds for his manager to understand, but he smirked when he did.

    ‘I will wait outside. Ten minutes,’ and with that, he was gone.

    Baekhyun got up and Chanyeol followed suit, standing there awkwardly with his album firmly grabbed in his hand. Baekhyun closed up the distance, looking into the taller’s eyes and smiling.

    ‘Thank you,’ he breathed,’ for all your articles and your dedication.’

    Chanyeol shook his head, smiling. There were words unsaid between them, but those weren’t meant to be said in that room, heard by people who shouldn’t.

    ‘I have a radio interview now,’ Baekhyun started, careful while choosing his words, ‘but after that I will be free for the rest of the night.’

    He let that sank into Chanyeol, slowly.

    ‘There is a coffee shop inside the building, small and discreet,’ he continued, and saw that the taller was understanding him now. ‘I will be there at half past nine.’

    Although reluctantly, Baekhyun had to go, squeezing Chanyeol’s hand before heading to the door. He was nearly there when a hand bigger than his grabbed his wrist, making him turn around.

    ‘I will be there too,’ the taller said, his cheeks shining red but determination in his eyes. Baekhyun beamed.

    ‘I am already looking forward to it.’

    He left then, not even minding the look on Jongdae’s face and throwing himself on the rear seat and fastening the seatbelt. He unlocked his phone and looked strangely at his one message unread in one of his social media. He opened it and almost choked.

    He had an unread message from real__pcyab.

    ‘I guess it is just fair that I send you mine.’

    Under that, a picture of his face was clearly seen, making a V sign with his album still in his hand. Baekhyun saved the picture and smiled while the car sped up the street.

    He was really looking forward to it.