Journey 32

Jinri and Chanyeol's couple life was filled with Chanyeol's jokes while the latter laughed so freely. It was a carefree atmosphere between them, as if they've known each other for years and no one can doubt their love for each other.

Occasionally, Chanyeol will brush his hands on Jinri's cheeks then he will admire how she got redder from his touches. He will taunt her seductively too and whenever Jinri got angry because of his provocation, he will say a soft 'Just kidding my princess. I love you', followed by an affectionate hug or a kiss. 

When they're at school, they continued their cousin shenanigans, never walking too close nor too far to avoid suspicions. But when they were somewhere no one would ever recognize them, they never let go of each other's hands. From those moments, Jinri and Chanyeol wished their time would never end.
 

Jinri leaned closer to Chanyeol and blew his eyelashes. When the latter did not stir, she traced his pointed nose, then the sides of his lips. She repeated it continuously until Chanyeol finally opened his eyes for a fraction, his mind still wandering from his dream.

"Good morning!" Sulli greeted and kissed the tip of his nose. Chanyeol smiled affectionately.
"Good morning too my princess." he purred, wrapping Jinri on her waist and pulling her closer to him.
"Get up sleepyhead!" Jinri chuckled.

She unwound himself from Chanyeol's embrace and straightened up. She went to the kitchen and prepared the plates for their breakfast. Chanyeol followed her and leaned on the counter.

"But I don't think I have the energy to eat my breakfast." Chanyeol pouted. "I think I need a kiss."

As he said those words, he grabbed Jinri's arm and turned her around, tilting his head swiftly.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth every morning!" Jinri cut in, placing a toothbrush in front of Chanyeol instead of her lips.

Chanyeol chortled and accepted his toothbrush. He watched every tiny detail of Jinri, appreciating another day when he's with this girl whom he loves the most. 

"What did I do to have a blessing like you? No wonder why I was so jealous of Joonmyeon before..." he said.

Jinri bit back her smile to stop herself from blushing. It's just that Chanyeol has this aura of sweetness that even his simplest, most honest words can turn into something sugary and make her stomach float with butterflies.

"I love you." Chanyeol added and planted a quick but soft kiss on her cheeks. He did not wait for any reply. He just grinned as he saw Jinri's tomato red face and went to bathroom to prepare himself for school later.

Little did Chanyeol know that it was his last hour of being a teenager. As he dipped himself into the bathtub filled with bubbles, his cyan tattoo fainted again but it was not too dark to make any difference. It was still glowing bright, vividly visible even when under water.
 

"What took you so long?" Jinri wondered as Chanyeol emerged from the bathroom thirty minutes later.
"I guess I enjoyed the bubbles too much." he scratched his head sheepishly.

Jinri rolled her eyes and sat down her chair.

"Food's getting cold. Let's eat!" she said energetically. Chanyeol's 'I love you' earlier probably had electrified her insides to be energized that much.

Chanyeol sat beside Jinri and started digging his food.

"I was thinking..." he started.
"Hmm?"
"How about we have our first offical date tomorrow?" he offered.

Jinri's eyes softened. Excluding their date on their first white snow last year, Jinri and Chanyeol never really had a romantic date before ever since they became a couple officially. They preferred charity works and group dates with their friends, but nevery really having time alone for themselves.

And tomorrow would be the perfect time for that.

"Of course. I thought you'd never ask." she answered jokingly.

They finished their breakfast and went to school together. Soon they'll be back to their cousin roles. It was pretty tiring to be frank, because neither of them wanted to hide their relationship from everyone anymore. They wanted to be free. Away from lies. But the horrifying thoughts of betrayed faces of their friends; the accusing glares from the students; and the pain from Joonmyeon would be unbearable for both of them - especially to Jinri.

"If I can turn back time, I'll never lie to anyone." Jinri said as they walked towards SMA. "So I can always be proud of who you are."
"If I can turn back time..." Chanyeol said. "I still want to spend my life with you."

Jinri brushed her hand discreetly on Chanyeol.

"I know cousin." she smirked.
"Ahh..." Chanyeol sighed. "If only you were not my cousin I would..."
"What?" 
"Kiss you!" Then he ducked swiftly and pecked him on her cheeks, running as fast as his long legs can carry him.

And Jinri can only chuckle.

"Excuse me." 

Jinri turned around and came face-to face with a young man - probably in his early 20s - with black, spiky hair, pointed nose and a grin that spreads widely across his face. Jinri smiled tentatively.

"Yes?"
"Please come with me." he said rather friendly, but there was an urgency in his tone. He grasped Jinri's arm and started pulling her away from SMA while Jinri tried to unwound herself.
"Who are you?"
"I'll introduce myself later." he said.
"Get away from her." someone from behind growled.

Chanyeol gripped the man's arm fiercely, his eyes slit into poisonous stare that even Jinri cowered in fear. It was the first time that she saw him angry, and it was a moment when Jinri wished she would never see that face again someday.

The man released his grip from Jinri's arm but Chanyeol remained his on the stanger's arm. He may not seemed affected by Chanyeol's vice-like grip, but he looked up at him with a determined face.

"I've been searching for you for almost a year Prince Yeol." he said.

And that made Chanyeol's anger wiped entirely to be replaced with an utmost shock.

The man knelt in front of Chanyeol and bowed his head deeply. Passers-by stared at him but no one - him, Jinri or Chanyeol - cared for a moment.

"My name is Chen. And it was my duty, since we landed in Earth, to find you my prince."

Chen's introduction sparked an old memory from Jinri's mind. They were back in her living room, with a cup of coffee tighly clasped on their hands while Luhan narrated Exo's history, Chanyeol's history, and the mandated duty for him which he had received when he turned 21.

And since Chen had received his message too, then she was sure he was or more than the age of 21.

It was then that Jinri realized how the newly-introduced Exotic was attracting half of the student's attention.

"Ask him to stand up." she whispered.
"Chen, please stand up. I am not used with these kind of introduction." Chanyeol muttered.

Chen rised upon his prince's orders. Jinri checked her watch - they were about to get late for class. She looked at Chanyeol and saw him looking at her as well, as if they were thinking of the same thing.

"Let's hear your story first." they both said to Chen, leading themselves away from SMA.

* * *

As it turns out, Chen was also transported to Earth by King Iyo before the downfall of EKs with a message to find his prince. He grew up in U.S, traveled in China, trained for combat in Russia, then was deployed to North Korea for more combat trainings and nuclear power lessons until he reached South Korea and found Chanyeol at last. 

"I always thought that since you were our prince, you would be in countries known for combat skills." Chen reasoned.

His eyes landed on the enclosed hands of Chanyeol and Jinri and looked up to his prince inquiringly.

"So is she our princess?" he asked.
"I guess." Chanyeol grinned. "From now on, call him Princess Jinri."
"Yes, Prince Yeol." Chen answered seriously.

Jinri nudged Chanyeol on his side and rolled her eyes.

"No Chen, just call me Jinri. Besides, I think you're even older than me. How old are you by the way?"
"21."
"And you?" Jinri turned to Chanyeol.
"Of course I'm 19." Chanyeol answered. But after a moment, he sounded unsure. He thumbed his cyan tattoo and frowned.
"Or maybe 20." he answered after a while.

Jinri stared at Chanyeol for a long while. Only one more year, and Chanyeol would know his father's message. What was it? She was curious. And somehow, a part of her doesn't want to know what.

Bambi barked angrily outside Jinri's apartment. A bark that was so well-known to both Jinri and Chanyeol.

"Probably Luhan." Chanyeol guessed.
"Or Kai." Jinri pointed out. "I'll get the door."

But when Jinri opened the door, it was neither Luhan nor Kai. This man with a striking reddish brown hair and heavy eyeliner sniffed inside the apartment with a triumphant look in his eyes. 

"I've found you Prince Yeol!" he exclaimed. The new stranger welcomed himself in Jinri's home and strode past her like she was some invisible wall. He went straight to Chanyeol and bowed deep just like what Chen did.
"Another one?" Jinri asked Chanyeol, who just shrugged.
"Stand up please." Chanyeol ordered.

The man grinned as he looked at Chen.

"We meet again Chen."
"Baekhyun." Chen nodded.
"You two know each other?" Chanyeol asked.
"Yes Prince Yeol. We met in China." Chen answered.
"But we parted ways. We think it's better to find you in our own methods than together. I haven't introduced myself yet- my name is Byun Baekhyun with a special talent of  smell detection." 
"He always brags about that." Chen complained.

Jinri sat beside Chanyeol and their hands automatically locked.

"Smell detection?" she asked.
"I've been to South Africa, Japan, India, Malaysia - all have traces of you but you were nowhere to be found." Baekhyun continued like Jinri never cut in. "Do you travel that much my prince?"
"Yes." Chanyeol grinned. "Er... please don't call me 'my prince' or 'Prince Yeol'. I prefer Chanyeol."

Baekhyun looked at Jinri like it was his first time noticing her.

"Who are you?" he asked.
"She's Jinri, Baekhyun. My girlfriend." Chanyeol answered proudly.

Baekhyun turned his head away from them like he doesn't approve of something. But if he ever did have something he doesn't approve, he never shows it nor says it.

"I'll prepare our lunch." Jinri offered and walked towards the kitchen. 

Their afternoon was spent with more introductions of the new exotics as Chen and Baekhyun met Luhan, Jongin and Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo was the most thrilled of them all (obviously) and was the most enthusiastic in asking questions.

"How long have you two travelled?"
"What was life in North Korea? Wow! I'm so curious."
"Do you remember Exo?"

Jongin and Luhan never had a chance to ask their own questions even until nighttime. When Kyungsoo went home, Jongin and Luhan followed suit. Since Chen and Baekhyun were new to South Korea, Jinri offered them sleeping bags on the floor. Baekhyun looked like he prefers to sleep outside than to lie on those sleeping bags, but the chilly August wind made his second thoughts.

"Take the couch." Chanyeol offered to him. "I'll sleep in Jinri's room."

Jinri stopped arranging the bags and stared at Chanyeol.

"And where am I supposed to sleep?"
"On the bed. Beside me." Chanyeol answered, rounding his eyes like it was an obvious answer.
"But -"
"It's not like we're going to do anything." Chanyeol cut in. He smiled honestly although Jinri can still see a glint of a smirk on it. "Good night Baekhyun, Chen."

He pulled Jinri inside Jinri's room, leaving Chen and Baekhyun following their moves. When Chanyeol closed the door, he flopped himself down on the bed and snuggled on the closest pillow.

"Smells like Jinri." he said.
"This is awkward." Jinri protested. "Come on Chanyeol this is not what teenagers do. Even when we're in a relationship, we still ought to sleep separately."

But only a snore answered Jinri. She stood there for a few more minutes and stared at the sleeping Chanyeol. When she was sure that he was not faking, Jinri lied beside him.

The first thing that entered her mind was Chanyeol's 'I Love You' early in the morning. Chanyeol never asked for a reply. He doesn't even seem to mind that there was no reply. Perhaps, he already knows the answer even Jinri doesn't say it.

Jinri brushed the back of her hand on Chanyeol's cottony soft face. Then she traced the cyan tattoo with her thumb, whispered a silent "I love you too" in the midnight air, and drift to sleep as well.