“We’ll take a short break and be back in fifteen minutes,” Yixing murmured into the microphone before switching it off. Beneath the stage, a smiling Luhan applauded loudly, causing the singer to blush.

“Cut it out,” he muttered in embarrassment as he got off the stage into Luhan’s tight embrace. “You’re making a huge scene, Xiaolu.”

Luhan shook his head firmly and poked Yixing’s cheek with a grin. “I’m making up for the weeks I missed your performances,” he told him, tugging him to sit at the bar counter where Jongin was bartending. “You’re amazing.”

Although Luhan was really just inflating his ego because they were dating, Yixing couldn’t resist smiling. The photographer had claimed that he was taking a week of his assignments to keep Yixing company despite Yixing saying he really shouldn’t be skipping work because he wasn’t going anywhere anyway but Luhan had insisted on it.

He blatantly ignored the pointed look Jongin shot him over the bar counter. Jongin didn’t need to put it in words, but Yixing knew how his boss was disappointed that he was still with Luhan. Just how well acquainted are Jongin and Kris, Yixing wasn’t sure, but it seemed that the pub owner was all for him patching up with Kris. Truthfully, living with Kyung Soo and Jongin was starting to give him a headache; they were like the Angel and Devil of his thoughts personified – one supported his relationship with Luhan, whereas the other rooted for him with Kris. For a couple who seldom fought, it seemed they quarrelled plenty over Yixing.

“Excuse me.”

Yixing’s eyes flickered away from his boyfriend to the man who spoke. The stranger was dressed in a simple plaid shirt and dark jeans – no different than what most of their patrons wore in fact – but he had on an angelic smile that could rival Luhan’s.

“Yes...?” he asked warily.

The man shoved a name card into his hands and Yixing couldn’t help but freeze up. This was the second time in a month someone gave him a name card and since the first hadn’t gone exactly that smoothly, Yixing’s immediate reaction was fear that this man would tell him something he didn’t want to know. He’d had enough of secrets.

“I’m Junmyeon,” the man said, his pretty smile fading a little at Yixing’s lack of reaction. “I’m from Exo Artists. I’ve been here for the past few days for your performances actually... I was just wondering – would you be interested in signing a contract with me?”

Yixing blinked at him, not quite processing his words. He was vaguely aware that next to him, Luhan was yelling “yes!” and Jongin was patting his shoulder over the counter. This stranger... just asked him to... sign a contract?

“A contract for what?” he asked suspiciously, flipping over the name card. Kim Junmyeon, it read, Representative, Exo Artists. It looked legitimate enough... but Yixing didn’t want to get his hopes up only to have them crash and burn.

“A contract to be a singer with Exo Artists of course!” Junmyeon beamed and glanced at his watch. “Listen, I have to go now, but come by tomorrow, ok? We’ll talk then.”

He only snapped out of it a full minute after Junmyeon left. Yixing looked blankly at the huge grin threatening to split Luhan’s face.

“Wake up, wake up, Xing Xing,” sang Luhan with a laugh. He jumped off the chair and enveloped Yixing in a hug. “You’re going to become a star!”

 “Am I dreaming?” Yixing murmured, which served to make Luhan laugh even louder. He nearly jumped when Luhan planted a kiss on his lips without warning but Yixing was far too unsettled about the offer to worry about the skinship.

“Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?” Luhan asked, his excitement so infectious Yixing finally smiled and nodded.

***

“Hey, I’m going off first. Don’t want to play gooseberry between the two of you,” Jongin said as he was locking up the pub at five in the morning. He slanted a sideways look at Luhan. “Walk him home, will you?”

The couple watched as Jongin strode away from them and got into a cab. “I think Jongin’s starting to like me,” Luhan told Yixing with a raise of his eyebrow.

A chuckle bubbled in Yixing’s throat even though he felt like he was the cause of Jongin’s subtle animosity towards Luhan. He couldn’t help thinking Luhan was right; Jongin usually just ignored his boyfriend’s presence but he actually spoke to him today.

“You don’t have to walk me back,” he said, shifting the weight of his backpack from one shoulder to the other. “I rather you go home and sleep, and meet me refreshed in a few hours.”

“Jongin will kill me,” Luhan protested, at which Yixing snorted.

After insisting that Jongin will never find out and Luhan reluctantly agreed to go home, Yixing started towards the bus stop where the first bus back to Jongin’s apartment was due to arrive in half an hour. Taking a cab could have been the smarter decision since it’d get him home earlier and he needed all the sleep he could get before he met that Junmyeon person but Yixing found it unnecessary to waste all that money when he could afford a couple of minutes to wait for the first bus.

Much to his surprise, the bus stop wasn’t empty this time and there stood Baek Hyun, of all people.

“Baek?” Yixing called out in confusion as the man in question turned to reveal his face. “What are you doing here?”

His former cellmate stormed up to him with ill-disguised annoyance in his eyes. “I need to talk to you. Without Luhan,” he said flatly. “You took my letters, didn’t you?”

Yixing inhaled sharply, a shameful red flooding his face. , he had meant to return the letters but he had been so caught up with work he forgot all about it. But more than that, the expression on Baek Hyun’s face made him feel like a horrible person for stealing the letters.

“S-sorry,” he stammered, suddenly regretting of his stupid decision to look into Baek Hyun’s private correspondence with Chanyeol. Baek Hyun had grown to become one of his closest friends. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that. “I’ll return them to you tomorrow.”

Hold on...

“You waited here for me at 5am to ask about the letters?” he asked in disbelief.

“That’s just a part of it.” Baek Hyun rolled his eyes. “I didn’t want anyone – especially Luhan – to overhear our conversation and lately Luhan’s been sticking too closely to you.” A scowl took over Baek Hyun’s lips. “Stop digging around the past, Yixing.”

Yixing’s suspicions instantly increased tenfold. No. Not Baek Hyun too. He clenched his hands tightly, fingers digging into his palms. “What did you do, Baek Hyun?”

The question seemed to baffle the barista for a moment before a short laugh escaped him.

“I didn’t do anything,” Baek Hyun said. “But I’m wondering if I should have.”

Those words told Yixing more than Baek Hyun would have believed. If he didn’t do anything and he wanted Yixing to let bygones be bygones, then it could only mean one thing. “You’re trying to protect Chanyeol, aren’t you?”

Baek Hyun didn’t even look the least bit sorry – or guilty – at that.

“Yes,” Baek Hyun answered straightforwardly. “And also because I honestly care about you, Yixing. You keep trying to find out things about Kris and that’s only going to keep hurting you. Why can’t you just stay with Luhan? Luhan treats you well!”

Luhan again. “Why do you keep insisting I stay with Luhan?” Yixing exploded. “How can you claim to care when you are hiding things from me to help Chanyeol? I really don’t get you, Baek. How can you stand by him even when he’s cheating on you?!” He closed the distance between them and grabbed a fistful of Baek Hyun’s shirt. “How can I trust you when you’re in cahoots with him?”

Baek Hyun flung Yixing’s hand away and pinned him against the bus stop advertising panel. Yixing stifled a groan as his back hit against the hard surface and willed himself to look back in Baek Hyun’s eyes. “I’m trying to protect you too!” he shouted. “It’s not you he’s after – it’s Kris! And if you’re always around Kris, you’re only going to get hurt!”

Any lethargy Yixing felt went out of his body at that. “What do you mean by that?” he asked with growing alarm. “What did you do to Kris!” His mind searched through the few times he had come across Chanyeol; majority of it was Chanyeol staking his claim on Kris and telling him to stay away...

“Kris ruined Chanyeol’s life first!” Baek Hyun spat. “That James Kim role that he’s so famous for – that was supposed to be Chanyeol’s. He stole it. Kris has no talent at all. It’s thanks to his sponsor that he’s—”

Yixing swung his fist at Baek Hyun’s face, the forceful punch sending the other man stumbling backwards. “Don’t you dare insult him,” he hissed. “All this for a drama role – how ridiculous is it?!”

“His sponsor threatened Chanyeol. She killed off his career before it could even start.” Baek Hyun touched his bleeding lips gingerly and glowered at him. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re only going to be burned in the crossfire—”

Yixing blocked off the rest of his words when his bus thankfully arrived and stormed up onto the empty vehicle, averting his gaze from the furious Baek Hyun at the bus stop. He couldn’t believe this. So Chanyeol... had been intentionally getting close to Kris to bring him down? Judging from Kris’s letters to him, the actor genuinely thought Chanyeol was a mere good friend. Yixing suddenly recalled the other night where Kris left the pub with Chanyeol and fear closed in his throat.

We need to talk, he typed on his phone and sent the text to Kris.