➣➣

Baekhyun hears it first through the grapevine.

“Have you heard about our new boss?” Jongdae, his beta coworker, asks him one day, a hip canted to his desk leisurely with an impish smile on his face.

“Just that we’re getting one,” Baekhyun replies. “Hope he isn’t as crazy as the last guy.”

“Oh, he’s not crazy at all,” Wendy, an omega coworker, pops her head over with excited eyes. “He’s a Noble. A Royal Alpha.”

“I’m a Noble, too,” Baekhyun points out dryly. “So are you. And you. We’re all Nobles because this is the privileged as Division solely for Noble kids, remember?”

“Okay, yes, but this Noble is a Park,” Wendy says, and Baekhyun’s pen that he has been holding onto skids across the paper, making an ugly zig-zag line on the report he was filling out.

Jongdae raises an eyebrow at this, but Wendy doesn’t notice as she rambles on, “It’s Park Chanyeol! One of the most powerful Noble Families! And their only alpha son is coming to work here! Oh gosh, what should I wear on his first day here?”

“Wear your usual officewear button-up shirt and knee-length skirt, because that’s, y’know, the rules,” Baekhyun says, trying to keep his voice exasperated and not shaking like how his heart is inside his chest.

Wendy pouts at him, and Baekhyun thinks he's succeeded, until Jongdae notes, “Hey, Baekhyun, you went to the same high school as Park Chanyeol, right?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun turns, offering his most blank face as he faces him. “But I was a year older than him, so we didn’t have any class together. I don’t think he knows who I am.”

“But you know who he is.”

There is something in Jongdae’s voice, something sharp about it that cuts right through Baekhyun’s lungs, and he tries to exhale steadily as he answers, “Doesn’t everyone? The Parks are one of the most powerful Noble Families in our Society. Maybe only second or third to the Kims!”

Jongdae looks like he’s about to say more, but Wendy cuts in with “I know right?” and continues her gushing, and Baekhyun surreptitiously tries to get back to his work.

Park Chanyeol is going to be working here. As his new boss.

Chanyeol.

Chanyeol― 

➣➣

―is just as Baekhyun had remembered him. Still tall. Still handsome. His fiery red hair falling just right over his eyes.

His eyes are dull, though. And his lips aren’t curled into those bright smiles Baekhyun used to sneak a peek at anymore.

Baekhyun knows all too well the reason why.

“Hello, everyone!” Chanyeol greets, his deep voice rumbling across the meeting room. “I’m Park Chanyeol, and I’ll be your new Executive Lead starting today. I’m still young and inexperienced, but I will try to learn and do my best not to let any of you down!”

It’s the typical speech a new boss, especially one fresh out of high school, would make, but there is sincerity and determination in Chanyeol’s voice, and Baekhyun knows he means it.

Chanyeol has always been the type to dedicate a hundred percent of whatever it is he has set his sight on, Baekhyun knows.

They don’t talk, properly talk, until two weeks later. Baekhyun sets a report down onto the alpha’s desk, and the other didn’t even look up, nodding in acknowledgement as he’s busy scanning over a different report already inside his hands.

Chanyeol is overworking himself. It’s so obvious to Baekhyun.

“The reports won’t grow legs and run away if you actually sleep for a day,” he blurts out before he can catch himself, and curses silently. Him and his big mouth―it’s gotten him into trouble before when he couldn’t restraint to say whatever’s on his mind. 

Chanyeol pauses, looks up in confusion. “Huh?”

Baekhyun inhales, figuring he might as well go all the way now. “The dark circles under your eyes. They’re red matching the color of your hair now.”

Chanyeol blinks, and―to Baekhyun’s utter surprise―starts laughing, a bright, genuine sound that knocks right into Baekhyun’s chest, rendering him breathless.

When the laughter calms down, Chanyeol tilts his head at Baekhyun with a grin. “Maybe I’m trying out for a new look. Red hair, red eyes, red clothes, all that jazz. Red is the new aesthetic, y’know?”

“I don’t think you need to stand out more given your height. Also: less is more when it comes to fashion.”

“Hmn… True. I’ve never been much of a fashionista. Always more of a hoodies and sweats kinda guy.”

Baekhyun nods. “Yes, so quit that ‘red aesthetic’ and catch some sleep. It wouldn’t do to have our new Executive Lead conk out not even a month into his position. The Royal Division has a reputation to uphold, after all, and we’re not supposed to be known as ‘slave-drivers’.”

Chanyeol leans back onto his chair, lets out a sigh. “You’re right.” When he looks up, his eyes are on Baekhyun’s, focused, like he’s actually seeing Baekhyun for the first time.

Maybe he is.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ve caught what your name is, before. I’ve been so busy.”

“It’s Baekhyun,” he answers, struggling to keep his voice neutral. “Byun Baekhyun.”

“Byun Baekhyun…” the alpha repeats slowly, as if tasting the name on his tongue. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

When Chanyeol smiles, small but sincere, the world lights up, and Baekhyun feels his heart stutter against his rib cages.

This isn’t anything new, but this smile has never been directed at him, before.

Never directed at Baekhyun, before.

So he murmurs, “It’s nothing. Your report is on the desk. I’ll take my leave now…”

He walks out the office before his heart can threaten to explode inside his chest.

➣➣

It's become the hot topic of conversation for the idle employees in his building. They are made up of the Noble children, with too much time on their hands and too little work they have to sort through. Their division is privileged, Baekhyun knows. Some people are just born in a more blessed life.

Some people are born in an even more superior life than the blessed, like if you're the son of a Park, one of the Central Noble Families, and you just transferred here, holding the Executive Lead position instantly.

"He's such a young and talented alpha," Baekhyun's heard Jongdae said once, during lunch break. "He might seem flighty, but I heard he's very smart! Graduated top of his year!"

"Not to mention he's so tall! And handsome," Wendy sighs dreamily.

"You might want to be careful," the beta warns. "Isn't he embroiled in that scandal with the Kims?"

"The Kims?"

"You know, Kim Jongin and his mate? They both disappeared three months ago... And I heard Chanyeol was the cause!"

"I've heard of it, but... Chanyeol doesn't look like a mate-stealer, does he?" the omega scrambles, worried.

"Well, you never know what they're like inside—" The conversation continues, but Baekhyun isn't listening anymore.

Jongdae and Wendy continue to gossip, and Baekhyun goes back to his work until there’s a rustling sound from the other side of the room. All three look up to see Chanyeol scrambling to pick up the folder he’s dropped.

Jongdae cringes and Wendy quickly buries herself in her paperworks, embarrassed. Chanyeol probably heard everything. Baekhyun holds back a wince.

The alpha clears his throat, calls out, “Baekhyun, I need that report from the new Jyun Apartments project. Do you have it?”

“Ah, yes!” Baekhyun sorts through his desk to find the mentioned documents then hastily follows Chanyeol who’s walking back to his office without another word.

“You don’t have to mind them so much…” Baekhyun mumbles once they’re in the comfort of the Executive Lead’s office. “Mindless gossips, you know? We Royal kids really are too free, haha…”

Chanyeol doesn’t say anything for a long time, which makes Baekhyun wonders if maybe he’s overstepping his boundaries, but then the younger sighs, “Don’t worry. It’s not the first time this happened. I’m aware of the rumors abound.”

Baekhyun inspects him, pressing his lips together in case he blurts something careless out again. Maybe asks a question.

Asks if it’s true, the rumor.

From what Baekhyun’s heard, from the Royal Functions he’s forced to attend every few weeks, the only alpha heir of the esteemed Kim family had disappeared. Out of the blue. Taking his mate with him, one month ago. It’s got their entire Society shook, since Kim Jongin was supposed to take over the Kim Household and be the new leader in charge of governing their Society as a whole, after his grandfather, the current head, steps down.

But now he’s just―gone. And all the Noble Families are scrambling to figure out who shall be the next leader, if not Kim Jongin. They’re fighting about it, saying that their alpha heirs deserve it best.

Chanyeol is in the running for that position from the Park name alone.

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