Park Chanyeol was a happy virus

That much Myungsoo was certain. Woohyun had to take Sunggyu’s place to sing on a stage at one area of the beach- since he was the one who proposed a race on ATV with Sungyeol- and none other than brighter than the sun himself exuberantly agreed to help Woohyun out in his off-key singing. Sungjong’s personal flavourist took it hard actually-Sungyeol had whispered this to Myungsoo- because Woohyun took pride in his ability to sing- Sungyeol also told him that it was the only other thing that Woohyun knew best other than excelling in flirting and mixing chemical ingredients together-.

They all laughed so much as the self-proclaimed NamStar flinched and almost cried in frustration when he had to fail a note. Chanyeol, however, was the total opposite of the miserable Mr Nam Woohyun as he jumped and skipped on stage. People seemed to be affected by his glowing smile and boyish charm, but as he did his rap with an overflow of charismatic manly voice the crowd swooned and gasped, cheering him on even louder. Myungsoo could just see Woohyun sulked in jealousy as the women screamed and called out to Chanyeol.

“Hello, my name is Baekhyun,” A rather cute guy waved at him with a beaming smile. Must be another one of Sungjong’s friend- he seemed to be friends with men who looked a decade younger than they actually were- he was right when Baekhyun revealed that he was the same age as Myungsoo- he thought Baekhyun could pass as a thirteen year old child, what with the angelic and innocent aura he had-

“I think I’m going to sing next, want to have a duet with me?” he looked at Myungsoo with wide hopeful eyes “ Jjongie said you like to sing too,” Myungsoo blinked twice, as far as he knew he never mentioned anything about singing to the younger man. He whirled around to where he last seen Sungjong singing along with Woohyun and clapping his hands cheerfully with Dongwoo and Sungyeol. As if he knew Myungsoo was watching him, he turned and caught him in his mischievous gaze; Myungsoo narrowed his eyes as he thought something flash in the younger man’s beautiful brown eyes. A tiny smirk tugged at Sungjong’s mouth.

“How Great Is Your Love,” Baekhyun said out of the blue “I think that was the song Sooyoung wrote last year, I really want to do a man version of it oh but you don’t know right? So emm let’s do something easier…,” he trailed off as he saw Myungsoo still had his smoldering eyes onto one of his favourite dongsaengs. He smiled and patted Myungsoo’s shoulder shaking the man out of his intense staring battle “Careful, if you fall for him, you’ll die,” and he winked.

Baekhyun then waved his hands at Chanyeol who enthusiastically return the gesture, Myungsoo‘s jaw dropped open ‘What just happened?’ the other man acted like he hadn’t just said something utterly heart-stopping. He waited for Baekhyun to turn his attention to him again but he didn’t. After Woohyun went down the stage with Chanyeol, a stunning lady went up the stage with a wide smile wearing a yellow sundress

“Hello everybody, Tiffany’s back. I just want to welcome the next duos who are going to liven up this area next…The beef Baekhyun and his friend…,” she stopped and scrutinized the small paper in her left hand before she faced the crowd again with a brilliant smile “oh, the beef Baekhyun and his friend…the handsome stranger! Please give them a round of applause everyone,” she clapped along and gave the mic to an eager Baekhyun who turned back more than three times to make sure the still dumbfounded Myungsoo was following him.

Myungsoo felt he couldn’t breathe, he was panicking and starting to sweat, he didn’t even know what song he was supposed to sing! A soft hand gently wrapped around his hand, he took a deep breath and saw Sungjong smiling at him “Hyung, relax. Let’s go up,” he said softly to him, so reluctantly Myungsoo trailed after Sungjong who led him on stage to join Baekhyun who was already winning over the crowd with his endearing self-introduction

When they arrived beside Baekhyun, Sungjong whispered to Baekhyun “Hyung, let him sing first,”

The blood left his face as he registered what Sungjong was saying and he remembered Sungyeol’s words to him on the first day he met them

“Beware of the young ones, they all look polite and innocent but secretly…they’re actually two-horned little devils,”

With trembling hands, Myungsoo received the mic and calmed himself. It seemed that everyone was hushed, waiting for Myungsoo to start and the first song that popped up in his mind was

“Geudaeye ibsuri da heumyeon
Ganjil ganjil maeumi ganjireo
Jakkuman aing aing
Gippeoseo aing aing
Yeminhae yeminhae...”

Orange Caramel was popular in his high school days and it was the song Myungsoo and his friends once upon a time long ago celebrate their graduation day with on the cafeteria’s table topless, wearing bunny ears and duck pants-cringe worthy memory-

The crowd roared as Myungsoo’s mysterious character burst into tiny little bubbles and inwardly he was slowly wilting. His eyes actually landed on Nam Woohyun who was enjoying the show so much that he sang along- previous heartbreak forgotten apparently-He scanned the crowd and saw Sungjong who was back to where he was with Sungyeol and Dongwoo. He expected a smug look from him but as he focused on him, Sungjong was mouthing ‘Hwaiting’ and ‘Myungsoo jjang’ several times to him with a gentle but lovely smile on his face. He didn’t seem conspiratorial or planning something evil-like trying to humiliate the new Hyung- but then again what did Sungyeol say?

However one thing Myungsoo was thankful for was Baekhyun who continued his lines when he faltered or lost his nerve. He even put his hand on Myungsoo’s shoulder comfortingly when he missed a note or messed up the lyrics. The younger man grinned widely and excitedly danced around the stage like he was having the time of his life. 

After the song was done, Tiffany who was on the way up the stage again murmured “You did great, don’t worry,” when Myungsoo passed her and he nodded feeling a little bit better at her words. He came to stand beside Dongwoo who immediately patted his shoulder and Sungyeol who gave him a one-armed hug, Sungjong stood a little on the side giving him a shy nod.

“Now everyone, Baekhyun here wants to sing a very different kind of song from previously. A cover of Jason Mraz Lucky. He said this is for a special person, omo isn’t this sweet?” She pleasantly said

“Do you hear me, I'm talking to you...,” Baekhyun began

She left the stage shortly after while Baekhyun was handed a guitar from someone and he began to sing with earnest, a small child-like smile on his face.

Lucky I’m in love with my best friend…

Sungyeol and Woohyun were strangely on high all of a sudden. They screamed encouraging words giving confidence to Baekhyun whose gaze was unfalteringly trained on someone in the crowd. Myungsoo curiously followed his line of sight and there was Chanyeol standing just to the side who was cheering him on enthusiastically. Myungsoo blinked. Ever the informer, Sungyeol turned to him

“He doesn’t know,” he smirked, nodding his head to Chanyeol. “Even if the hint is as obvious as the Tokyo city lights from a rooftop view at night,”

“Uh, you are okay with it?” Myungsoo awkwardly asked, Sungyeol turned fully to him, suddenly the air around him shifted, Sungyeol’s gaze hardened as he met his eyes.

“Are you?” cold and biting was his tone. Myungsoo could feel the wall between them. He cursed in his mind his lack of communication skill with people.

Myungsoo held up a hand and said that he did not mean it like the way it sounded, Sungyeol didn’t react. Woohyun sensing the tense atmosphere went in between them. He put his arm around Myungsoo saying that they had  to go eat lunch, as he said this his eyes were on Sungyeol who looked grim. Sungyeol didn’t speak as he held Woohyun’s calculating eyes in a gaze that seemed to speak volumes. Myungsoo felt the hair on the back of his neck rose as they continued to silently stare at each other, conveying their thoughts with eyes alone.

“Hyung, what are you doing?” Sungjong voice seemed to break the spell as both Woohyun and Sungyeol looked as if they had been jolted awake.  He dragged the still solemn red-haired away with Woohyun and Myungsoo following them behind. Myungsoo listened to Sungjong’s chatter as they walked “Dongwoo-hyung already took off, I told him that I ate Xiumin-hyung and Luhan-hyung’s baozi earlier, I think he’s there,”

“Ha, you ate baozis today?”  Woohyun perked up and immediately questioned the blushing Sungjong. The latter nodded but refused to explain further even though he was pestered by Woohyun.

After that they met Dongwoo with five paper bags of baozis in his hands and waited until the Lees’ taxi arrived to bring them home for lunch. The whole way, Sungyeol didn’t crack a joke even once.

“Oh, Myungsoo where are you going to stay for the night? Back at the employee house?” Myungsoo nodded and proceeded to explain that Hoya told him to move to the Lees only the day after tomorrow “So just leave your dirty clothes with us, a maid will wash it for you,” Myungsoo swallowed, he didn’t want to tell Woohyun his lack of other clothes in his possession eyeing his sand-covered shirt in the plastic bag. The clothes he wore were the ones they bought from someone having garage sale at the beach and even then Sungjong was the one who paid for it so they could change from their grimy outfits.

Myungsoo told Woohyun that he would wash it himself. The latter didn’t push him as he suddenly seemed to understand the predicament the other was in. “Just be prepared tonight yeah?” at Myungsoo’s confused look, Woohyun laughed “You’ll see,” the younger man nodded

He was left alone after that, eyes landed on Sungjong in the front who was talking yet again with the person seating in front of Myungsoo, Bang Yongguk and contented himself with observing the person he would have to protect from then on.

“By the way, the buing buing aegyo you did in the end…priceless!”

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