Chapter 4
Life à la Mode
A/N: Surprise! Bet none of you were expecting to get an update so soon, huh? I was actually planning to do this all along, because everyone has been so generous with their kind words and support. It really warmed my heart, especially since I wasn't really expecting to hear from so many of you again. :) So I guess this is dedicated to all of you lovely people. Consider this as a late Christmas/New Years present lol. I hope you enjoy it.
Warning: Someone getting a miscarriage will be briefly mentioned in this chapter. It might be a trigger for some people, because it is a terrible thing that might have already happened to you or someone close to you, but please know that I'm only doing this for the sake of the story. I mean no offense.
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Chapter 4
“I'm sorry. You seem to be a great guy, but I'm just not interested...”
Yifan bolted up from his bed, rudely awakened from yet another nightmare where Chanyeol rejected him and left him alone on the balcony to freeze in the cold. His heartbeat was going faster than the top speed of his Wei Long, loud and violent.
It took a while for it to return to its normal pace, and subsequently for Yifan to convince himself that it was just a dream; nothing but a sadistic phantasmagoria fabricated by his scumbag brain. It often just left him feeling remarkably dumb, and that was what he hated the most about it.
That wasn't even how it happened.
Yifan could still recall every single moment of that fated day, up until the sequence of events that followed after he asked the bewitching redhead for a date.
Flashback
“Oh.”
Oh. Oh?
That wasn't quite the response Yifan had been hoping to get. It wasn't his ego talking, nor was it because he hadn't ever been turned down before, because he most definitely had. It was more like no one had ever given him that kind of reaction, and it bothered him somewhat. It was also the way the redhead said it, because Yifan sensed bewilderment and a bit of… was that repulsion contorting the other's pretty face?
Did he perhaps say it wrong? Was he coming on too strong? Did he overstep his boundaries? Or, heaven forbid, was Chanyeol already spoken for?
Yifan was willing to apologize if it was indeed the latter, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't be severely disappointed. He was serious about wanting to get to know the hazel-eyed beauty better. Even if it turned out that they weren't romantically compatible, Yifan would still be glad to have made another friend.
Or so he told himself. Deep inside, he knew he would never be satisfied with being 'just friends'. He would always want something more. Yifan didn't know why he was so sure about it; he just was.
He should probably say something, though, because the silence was starting to get unnerving.
“You know, you don't have to-”
“I'm sorry.”
“-make a decision… What?” Yifan asked despite hearing it perfectly, and now he was dreading to hear the rest of it.
The lovely, statuesque ginger his (Yifan now knows that he preferred masculine pronouns according to how Luhan referred to him, but probably was alright with both) plump bottom lip, and though it distracted Yifan for a fleeting moment, he willed himself to focus on what the other would be saying next. Even if it would devastate him.
But he was a good sport, so he would accept it and move on. Eventually.
Yifan began a mental countdown to the inevitable.
3
2
1
“I'm sorry, but I can't give you an answer to that right now.”
He knew it. Chanyeol was already… Wait. That wasn't a flat out refusal, nor did he say he was already in a relationship.
“Oh,” was the only thing Yifan was able to say. That really seemed to be the word of the day.
“To be honest with you,” Chanyeol proceeded, “I've never been on a date before.”
It took Yifan all of a nanosecond to call bull. “That's impossible,” he said, shaking his head in clear disbelief. “You must have a legion of admirers pining after you. If not, then they're all ing blind imbeciles. Excuse my French.”
Chanyeol laughed, and that was the first time Yifan had heard his laughter. It was rich and bright, enchanting just like every inch of him. Yifan wanted to record it and set it as his ring tone, if only it wouldn't scare the other away, and establish his status as a creep.
“No, you got it totally wrong,” said his fairer companion, still giggling.
“Mind clarifying it, then?”
Chanyeol instantly tuned very serious it almost scared Yifan. He'd probably do well as an actor, too. “I mean that I have never accepted invitations from any of them,” explained the redhead, thoroughly matter-of-fact.
That was surely unexpected, but Yifan nodded in understanding before asking, “Why is that?”
Chanyeol shrugged. “There are a lot of reasons, and number one is my crazy schedule. I simply do not have the time. It would be very difficult to add a relationship on top of everything else that's going on.”
It sounded like a well-rehearsed speech that he'd recited countless of times before, and he probably had whenever he tried to shoo guys off. Yifan would have accepted it if not for the fact that Luhan was currently in a relationship, and, assuming that they were both in the same industry, he had to be just as busy as Chanyeol was.
So he decided to pry further, to gain a better understanding of the redhead's reluctance to entertain potential suitors. “What other reasons are there, if you don't mind me asking?”
Yifan was closely observing Chanyeol's expressions, and at this moment, he looked very uncertain and more than just slightly hesitant. About what, Yifan had no idea, but it sure aroused his curiosity.
Even so, he waited patiently for the other to gather his thoughts, and didn't prompt him any further.
Yifan perked up when Chanyeol finally opened his mouth, but instead of words, what came out was a sneeze.
The younger turned an impossible shade of red, and while Yifan thought it was adorable, he immediately felt bad for almost forgetting that the model wasn't actually wearing a coat and thus had no other protection against the chill.
In a true gesture of chivalry (which, in his opinion, every man should really preserve), Yifan smoothly removed his own suit jacket (for Chanyeol, he could easily spare a Kiton K-50 or ten), and put it around the shivering redhead's shoulders. It practically swallowed him whole. There wasn't a huge height difference between them, maybe around 3 inches* at most, but Yifan was a lot broader.
With a shy smile, Chanyeol mumbled, “Thanks, but you didn't really have to. Now you're cold.”
Yifan gave a casual shrug, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. “Nahh, I'm good. I have a higher body temperature than most. You need it more than I do.”
He watched as Chanyeol grabbed the sleeves of the suit and tightened it around him, trying to get warmer. Yifan had a sudden urge to pull the redhead into his embrace, but basic social protocol dictated otherwise. He wished he could say it and just do it, but he would probably only manage to earn a slap. That kind of wasn't the goal here.
“Where you're from, this kind of temperature is probably closer to spring, right?” Chanyeol asked playfully.
Yifan smirked. “Try summer.”
That caused the other to widen his already beautifully round eyes even further. “You're kidding. I've never been to Vancouver but it can't be that bad.”
“Would you like to find out?”
There was a pause following the rather bold question, but he could no longer take it back.
Yifan knew Chanyeol understood the meaning behind the seemingly innocent suggestion. He tried to make it sound like a joke, but the billionaire CEO meant every unspoken word. He did not regret it.
Chanyeol pursed his lips, causing a cute dimple to dent his left cheek.
With every little thing he learned about the ginger, Yifan found himself becoming more and more ensnared, and he didn't even care. At this point, if anyone told him that Chanyeol was an actual magical creature, like those Veelas* in Harry Potter, he would believe them. There's got to be some sorcery going on here, because this sort of magnetic pull towards another person couldn't possibly be normal.
The other then let out a sigh and turned his gaze downwards, before looking up at Yifan from under his thick, sooty lashes.
Yifan's heart wavered at the sheer beauty of those glittering hazel eyes, and got lost in them soon after. Very much willingly.
Chanyeol then took a step, and then another, and another, towards him, and was Yifan going insane or was the redhead reaching up to wrap his arms around his neck?
Yifan's eyes completely glazed over, and he suddenly had tunnel vision – all he saw, all she smelled, all he breathed, was Chanyeol. A delectable combination of bergamot, apple blossom, jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla assaulted his nostrils in the most pleasant way, and Yifan couldn't get enough of it. The sweetest drug that he wouldn't mind getting addicted to.
However, the spell was broken as quickly as it was cast when he felt the weight of his suit jacket being placed back on his shoulders.
So that's what it was for. He didn't even notice Chanyeol removing it.
Yifan was already beating himself up mentally for actually expecting something impossible, when Chanyeol surprised him again by standing on the tip of his toes and, very softly, whispering “I'll think about it”, right next to his ear.
Afterwards, the redheaded charmer (he would bet his and his family's entire fortune that Chanyeol was oblivious to the magnitude of his effect on people) took a step back and smiled one last time before walking away, leaving an embarrassingly hot and bothered Yifan standing there like an idiot, unmoving.
Yifan was sure he was flushed from head to toe, and he didn't want anyone to see Kris Jr. standing at attention, so he stayed behind and tried to think of the most utterly disgusting thing his imagination could conjure.
Yunho, Daniel, Yoochun, and Kyuhyun in bikinis.
The bulge in his crotch deflated faster than you could say 'Eww.'
~ ~ ~
That was what happened. In perfect detail, because his memory was awesome like that.
Yifan was beyond grateful that Chanyeol didn't turn him down immediately when he could've, if he were to believe that the redhead hadn't ever given anybody else the time of day.
Now the only problem was this: It's been exactly 9 days, 8 hours, 40 minutes, and 10 seconds (Yifan glanced at his digital clock to confirm that) since that happened, and he had never run into Chanyeol even once.
Yifan was starting to think that the redhead was avoiding him.
And the worst thing was that he had no means of contacting the other. There was no way he would resort to more questionable methods of acquiring information on the elusive siren, even when he could easily ask his men to do it. It'd take no time at all. But no, he wasn't that desperate yet.
Well, he kind of was, but he didn't wish to disrespect Chanyeol like that. If it were anybody else, Yifan wouldn't have thought twice about invading their privacy to get what he wanted, but this was Chanyeol. He would have to scrupulously consider every move he was going to make, or else it all up.
Yifan buried his face into his hands and let out a distressed groan.
He only realized that he didn't get the redhead's number when they all said goodbye after the party and went their separate ways. He knew he could simply ask Jaejoong for it, and he would've, but he didn't feel like telling anyone yet. And if Jaejoong found out, everybody else would soon follow for sure, because the vogue goddess wouldn't be able to keep something like that a secret for long. It'd be like high school all over again, with all the taunting and teasing.
With the way he was crushing, though, he might as well be a school boy. He had never before felt so undeserving of the title 'Most Eligible Bachelor in the Universe' (as dubbed by several magazines). Pathetic, that's what he was.
As much as Yifan didn't want to let it affect him so much, it kind of did. Chanyeol was the first person since Zitao that he had been genuinely interested in, enough to want to pursue… something with. He knew it was too early to make a decision, but he also knew that no one else would do. Unless, of course, he somehow ended up meeting someone that captivated him more… That wasn't a likely possibility.
God rarely created perfect beings. If he made more of them, the world would have been a much better place.
The sun peeking through the slight crack between his heavy black velvet drapes made Yifan realize that he'd been sitting there for a while now. He glanced back at his digital clock and saw that it was already 5 minutes to 7 in the morning. He had a few business related stuff to do, but that wouldn't be until much later.
His main agenda for today (and probably for the days to follow, if today proved to be unfruitful) was to 'accidentally' bump into the person who had taken (what seemed to be) permanent residence inside his head and effortlessly turned every single thought into him whilst remaining blissfully unaware of it.
Running a hand through his sleep tousled hair, Yifan finally decided to get up and start his day. It wasn't an easy task, but he'd had years of practice getting up from a Vividus mattress. His was custom-made into a massive triple King-sized one, and as such, he also had to pay three times the price, which was around $300,000. It was well worth it, if getting a good night's sleep was guaranteed for the rest of your life.
He wanted Chanyeol to experience it, too. Not right now, of course, for obvious reasons, but someday.
Maybe. Definitely. And he'd make sure of it, if it was the last thing he ever did…
Or not, because he'd like to experience more. So much more, and preferably with a certain redhead by his side.
An hour later found Yifan showered and dressed for the day, this time in a Dormeuil bespoke made from a fabric called Guanashina, a blend of rare wools which included guanaco, cashmere, and pashmina, hence the name.
In case you didn't notice, Yifan wore only the best. When it came to how he presented himself to the public., he lived by only one saying from the great Oscar Wilde: “One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.”
Clothing, and their quality, was one of the only things that Yifan would never agree to compromise on. He refused to settle for anything but everything. He inherited this particular sartorial meticulousness from his father, who himself was a regular client of bespoke tailors on Savile Row, especially during his prime.
Once, about a week after Yifan turned 16 and was getting his measurements taken by a Gieves and Hawkes tailor for his first-ever bespoke suit, he asked his father why it was necessary.
His father, after a good laugh at his only son's ignorance, answered, “Yifan, do not forget that for as long as you carry our family name, you will be in the public eye. More people know about us than they do the Windsors. Wherever you go, a camera, a reporter, a paparazzo, or even a regular passer-by on the street, will follow you, waiting for their chance to see you screw up so they can make money off of your blunder...
When that happens, at least you know you looked your best. Trust me, they would focus more on what you were wearing, the shallow underachievers that they are.”
It sounded frightfully superficial, if you didn't bother digging for the deeper meaning behind it. Yifan didn't really understand it himself at the time, but he kept it in his mind just in case.
Today, he knew very well that what his father meant was simply this: People never care enough to know you more than what the tabloids tell about you. You can dedicate your entire life to doing good and helping others, but they'd be more interested in who you're dating, or that new car you just bought, and then form their opinions on you based on that, which were rarely ever nice.
As long as you know who you are, nothing else should matter. Let them talk. Hold your head high, and carry yourself with dignity.
And for Wu men, it started with what they're wearing.
Yifan admired his reflection one last time, nodded in approval, then grabbed his iPhone 5* to give Dennis a quick call and inform him that he was on his way down.
He had a feeling that this was going to be a great day.
It was exactly 9 on the dot, and Chanyeol was waiting for Sehun in the fancy coffee and pastry shop across the Visual Shock HQ called 'Hot Couture'*, obviously a pun on the original term. It was owned and run by Jaejoong's eccentric older cousin Heechul, who also used to be a famous model from the mid 90's to the early 2000's, but retired due to unknown reasons back in 2008, a few months after Jaejoong first established his own modeling agency.
Chanyeol, obviously, was completely clueless about the story behind it, but according to what he heard from Key (who just announced his pregnancy in a talk show two days ago – Seriously, why was everybody getting pregnant these days? Did Chanyeol miss the memo?), Heechul caught his ex-fiancé cheating on him with another woman 2 weeks before their scheduled wedding date. The sheer emotional torment caused him to spiral into temporary insanity and depression.
Heechul and the 'mothering son of a maggot infested ' (Key's words, not his) were together for more or less 12 years (what the actual ?). And had a child out of wedlock, who was now 15, soon turning 16. The latter was public knowledge.
He also heard, from Luhan this time, that Jaejoong (who was apparently about 9 weeks pregnant at the time) witnessing his beloved cousin's gradual descent into severe mental instability affected him so badly that it caused him to miscarry, losing what was supposed to be his and Yunho's first child*. That was why Jaejoong now had trauma, and was terrified of trying again.
Consequently, Heechul, upon recovery, also swore never to fall in love again, and instead dedicated all of his time and energy into his ever-growing business, which now had 7 branches in Manhattan alone. He also had 5 in Brooklyn, 6 in LA, 4 in San Francisco, 3 in Seattle, 2 in Las Vegas, and another 2 in Chicago. He was most often in the main branch, though, and at the moment, he was personally manning the cash register and taking orders, much to the delight of everyone (he really didn't have to, but earlier Heechul suddenly showed up and told his cashier that he could take a break). He even posed for selfies, and signed autographs every once in a while.
Chanyeol might not have been around yet during that devastating time for the Kims, but he felt very sorry for them, and at the same time glad that all of them were now doing very well. He also hoped that Jaejoong would eventually overcome his fear of getting pregnant again. His dear CEO would, without a doubt, make the most wonderful mother, if the way he took care of all of them was anything to go by.
The redhead's musings were interrupted by Heechul's enthusiastic exclamation of "Sehunnie, my darling! Long time no see!” followed by Sehun's deadpan voice saying, “We saw each other 2 days ago.”
Chanyeol giggled, before waving the younger model over to his table, smack-dab in the middle of the coffee shop, their usual place whenever they came over (which was quite often because duh).
Heechul insisted to position Visual Shock models in that particular table as some of sort of a marketing strategy, because apparently seeing them would definitely attract more customers. As if he had a lack of them. Even without their help, people flocked into 'Hot Couture' because of their great coffee and tea selection, and even better pastries. It was a bit pricey due to the quality of ingredients they used, but nothing in New York City was ever cheap, anyway. It was a good thing that Visual Shock models always get a drink of any size and a pastry of their choice for free during their first visit of the day. If they came back within the same day, they were required to pay already. Heechul said that he would never spoil them as much as Jaejoong did.
And now you know why Chanyeol was so incredibly fond of the Kims. They were an awesome bunch of people, and their family was very tight-knit. Plus, many of them had the carrier gene, just like he did. They knew the struggle, and they offered help in any way they could.
Chanyeol watched as Sehun navigated his way through the other tables, pausing to return greetings from starry-eyed customers, to get to theirs. He couldn't help but notice that Sehun had a slightly different aura about him that particular day. He was almost… glowing.
The flaxen-haired teenager returned to New York 2 days ago, a week after his French Vogue photo shoot in Paris, but they didn't have the time to meet until today because of their conflicting schedules. Chanyeol himself had a few talk show appearances and attended several events to promote the latest fragrance by Lolita Lempicka, L'Eau de Minuit*, which he recently did the ad-campaign for. He wasn't a big fan of the fragrance, but a job was a job. He really adored the embellished midnight blue ball gown that he wore, though, because it matched the gorgeous flacon used for the perfume. He got to keep it, too.
When Sehun finally sat down on the chair opposite his, Chanyeol didn't waste any time to examine the other's face, since he was now close enough to do so.
This, naturally, gained him a weird look from the younger model.
“What? Is there something on my face?” Sehun asked, pulling said pretty face a bit further away like Chanyeol had some sort of disease he didn't want to contract.
“No, but there's definitely something different about you today.”
“W-what do you mean?” Sehun didn't normally stutter, but he just did.
Chanyeol didn't miss the way Sehun's eyes shifted, and he squinted his own as he leaned even closer. He knew it was making the younger uncomfortable, and whatever it was that caused the change was probably something Sehun wasn't willing to share so soon. Chanyeol had a pretty good idea of what it could be, but he wasn't going to call his best friend out on it just yet. He'd wait until the other decided to share it of his own volition. He wasn't Luhan, and he had enough respect for people and their privacy.
“I just can't quite put a finger on it,” he said instead, before straightening back against his chair.
Chanyeol also noted that Sehun looked relieved when he didn't persist. He only hoped that the younger knew what he was doing, whatever it was that he got himself into. He didn't want a repeat of the Etienne incident so soon.
The redhead then beamed, showing all of his pearly white teeth to distract Sehun (and also because he knew how much the younger hated it), and it worked, because the blonde immediately frowned and threw one of the table napkins right at his face.
Chanyeol guffawed, causing most of the other patrons to turn their attention to them and laugh along at the silly face he was making by opening his mouth wide and crinkling only one eye.
“Will you stop it? You're just as bad as Luhan sometimes. It's embarrassing.”
“Yes, but you love us, anyway.”
“Ugh,” Sehun rolled his eyes and gave him a dead look.
“Alright, I'll stop. Show's over people, back to your coffees,” he announced to their audience, with Heechul hooting 'encore, encore' just for s and giggles.
The people clapped, much to Sehun's chagrin.
“Well, I'm glad they found that amusing,” the younger said, sarcasm on point.
“What can I say? I'm a fantastic actor,” Chanyeol replied, flipping his luscious light auburn locks, which he left loose and unstyled today so they were hanging just a bit past his mid-back in their natural waves.
“I will stab your pretty eyes with his blunt butter knife,” threatened Sehun, really picking up the knife and pointing it to him.
“Aww, really? You think my eyes are pretty? You're so sweet.”
Sehun only stared at him with his default impassive face, which was equally mildly intimidating and weirdly attractive on him.
After a short staring game (of course Chanyeol lost), he decided to change their topic so as not to peeve the younger even further.
“By the way, have you seen Luhan yet?”
Sehun raised an eyebrow. “No, he's in LA. Didn't he tell you?”
Chanyeol took a moment to think about it before he snapped his fingers, finally recalling the last conversation he had with the amber-eyed hellion. “Oh right, he mentioned it in passing, but I've been quite busy as well, so I must have forgotten about it.”
The younger took a sip of the Spiced Vanilla Latte (its name on the menu was Donatella) that Chanyeol already ordered for him, before saying, “Well, yeah, he's in LA because MAC is opening another store and they wanted him to be there for more publicity, and also because he's the face and all. He didn't even have to think about it because it'd give him the chance to see Taecyeon.” At this, Sehun rolled his eyes, causing Chanyeol to chuckle.
The situation became a scene out of a sitcom when Sehun's phone buzzed with a new message, coming from none other than Luhan.
Bambiii (Luhan's name in Sehun's phone because DUH)
I just sneezed really loudly and woke Taec up.
Why do I feel like you're talking about me?
It's ing o'clock in here.
“So I'm going back to sleep. Love you lots, esss,” Sehun monotonously read out loud, whilst Chanyeol laughed out loud.
“Oh my God, he's got ESP,” Chanyeol said, almost breathless.
Sehun actually let out a snort this time. “It's Luhan. I'm pretty sure he's not from this planet.”
“Who's not from this planet?”
The vibrant and youthful sounding voice that came from out of nowhere startled the two friends, but they smiled upon seeing that it was Heechul's only child, the lovely and cheeky Junhui, who looked so much like the former model that no one would ever doubt their familial connection. Both mother and son were in Rome for two weeks because of Junhui's school trip, so they missed Jaejoong's birthday celebration.
“Hey, pretty. Don't you have school today?” Chanyeol pleasantly stated as a way of greeting.
The 15 -year-old stunner shook his head in a very childish manner, his straight shoulder-length brown hair swishing back and forth. “Nope, I'm excused for the whole day because… guess what?”
“You just got your first period?” Sehun joked.
Junhui actually looked offended. “No, excuse you. I've had that since I was 12*,” he quipped, sticking his nose up in the air.
“You're exempted because of outstanding class performance?” Chanyeol tried this time.
Jun jutted his bottom lip out into an exaggerated pout. “I wish, because that'd be totally awesome, but no. Although I do get fantastic grades.” Which was true, because despite his inherent playfulness and guile, Chanyeol knew for a fact that Heechul's son was as intelligent as he was beautiful, and was actually a top student in a private university-preparatory school on the Upper East Side.
“You got suspended for excessive flirting?” That came from Sehun again, causing Jun to give him a stank face.
“Rude,” the younger teenager said, before shoving a hand into the blonde's face to get him to stop talking.
Sehun threw his head back in laughter, and that was when Heechul noticed that his son was actually in the coffee shop.
The gorgeous 36-year-old mother, who could easily still pass for someone in their late 20's, walked over to their special table, and with his arms akimbo said to the mini version of himself, “Why didn't you come greet me first, huh? Is that how you're going to repay me after I birthed, fed, and took care of you?”
Junhui simply rolled his eyes, more than used to his mother's dramatics. “Mom, we spent two weeks in the same hotel room. TWO. WEEKS.” The bratty adolescent emphasized it by holding out 2 fingers.
“That's equivalent to like a lifetime of me dealing with you,” he finished, unconsciously mimicking his mother's exact posture and expression.
The mind-boggling resemblance between them amused Chanyeol to no end, and he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Junsu and Inhwan would be like this in the future, too. Inhwan didn't strike him as the bratty type, though, especially if he had the same disposition as his mother. Junsu was as close to an angel as a human being could get.
Heechul and Junhui, on the other hand, were the exact opposite. They were as feisty and diva-btichy as they came, and always tried to one-up the other.
Of course, it was nothing serious, and more than anything just their way of showing affection.
And as if on cue, mother and child erupted into boisterous laughter at the same time, causing both Chanyeol and Sehun to follow.
For a brief moment, Chanyeol tried to imagine what his own birth mother would have been like, and whether or not they'd have a similar bond. It didn't make him sad anymore, unlike when he first found out that he was adopted. He had long since come to terms with it.
“OK, mom, you can stop hugging me now.”
Junhui's muffled words caused him to put his focus on the mother and son duo once more, only to see Heechul tightening his arms even further around the teenager's head, crushing him against his chest for a few seconds in which the poor thing flailed around to be released, before actually letting him go.
Out of breath, Junhui panted, “Once I turn sixteen you better stop doing that or else...”
Heechul raised a challenging eyebrow. “Or else what?”
“Or else I will tell Siwon that you've liked him for a long time.”
At his mother's utterly scandalized look, Junhui smirked triumphantly.
“You wouldn't dare.”
“Mom, I'm your son. Now, do you regret passing all of your genes to me?”
“I didn't raise you to be that insolent!”
“Are you kidding me? I learned from the best!'
“That doesn't feel like a compliment at all.”
“I love you, mom.”
“Shut up, or I'm going to call Mario and cancel your photo shoot.”
Junhui's teasing expression turned into absolute terror, his eyes widening to twice their normal size. “What?! Mom, that's not fair! You already said yes!”
“And taking it back is also my sole prerogative. You have no say in it because you're a minor.”
Junhui opened his mouth to retort, but failed to think of a nice comeback, so he shut it back and just pouted.
As expected of his character, Heechul stuck his tongue out at his son, even as going as far as to blow raspberries, and didn't stop until Sehun asked, “Wait, is that why you're here? You're having a photo shoot?”
Still pouting, Junhui just nodded, but didn't clarify anything.
It was Heechul who elaborated. “This little savage has been wanting to try modeling for the longest time, but I didn't want to let him because I don't want to risk him losing focus on his studies. It got worse when my witch of a cousin encouraged him, saying that he had potential, and then proceeding to do a mock photo shoot the very same day, which, unfortunately for me, happened to produce fabulous results. That was back in December. He didn't stop pestering me after that and now we're here. I had Jaejoong call Mario up to be his photographer because he's going to appear on the March issue of Teen Vogue.”
Both Chanyeol and Sehun had their mouths opened in a small 'o', clearly impressed because that was probably the most ideal way to start a modeling career and get your name out there. There would surely be a lot of attention given to Junhui for being a former model's son, and also the nephew of the one and only Kim Jaejoong.
Their own experiences were a lot different.
Sehun was scouted while shopping with friends at Neiman Marcus when he was 16, and Chanyeol, of course, was recruited by Changmin on the streets. Luhan, who had been around for longer, was one of the original models of Visual Shock. His discovery was by far the most interesting one, because he was featured on this (then) newly-launched website called FacesofTheBigCity*, after getting his picture randomly taken by one of the website's administrators as he was leaving The Majestic theater in Broadway. He apparently watched The Phantom of the Opera. The New York Times wrote an article about the website the very next day, and his face was the one they used to represent it instead of the actual logo.
How cool was that? Everyone pretty much fell in love with Luhan's face, including their CEO, and within the same week, he had signed a modeling contract with Visual Shock.
But it would seem like young Junhui here was getting a shortcut to it, and that was even more awesome. He was genuinely happy for him.
“That's great, congratulations! I'm sure you'll do very well,” Chanyeol said, bringing his hands together to make quick little clapping motions.
Junhui smiled shyly. “Thanks, Yeollie.”
Sehun then gave a thumbs up. “Yeah, that's cool. Just make sure not to embarrass everyone and we're good.”
The up-and-coming model gave the older teenager an obviously fake, sweet smile, before saying in an equally cloying tone, “Nobody asked you, Patrice*.”
The reference made both Heechul and Chanyeol snort, as well as the implication that Sehun was Patrice while Junhui got to be Robin.
While these two brats often exchanged senseless banter, they didn't really hate each other. It was just another weird way of showing fondness without directly stating it or being sappy. Theirs was very much like sibling rivalry.
At least that was how Chanyeol interpreted it. Also, he liked seeing Sehun just be a kid for once, because he knew that the younger often tried to act mature to balance out his and Luhan's combined obnoxious personalities.
The two youngest continued to tease and insult each other, while Heechul excused himself because he seemed to recognize the customer that just came in.
The newcomer also caught Chanyeol's attention, because he thought it was funny that the man was wearing what appeared to be a full Men In Black ensemble, and yet carrying a relatively large light brown teddy bear. It was really cute, and the fur seemed like it would be extremely soft to touch. Even from afar, it looked ridiculously expensive.
It probably belonged to a spoiled rich brat or something.
Chanyeol watched them converse, and he could vaguely hear Heechul saying something that sounded like 'I haven't seen you in forever'. So they were acquainted.
Then the next series of events took a weird turn.
For some reason, Heechul pointed to their table, or to be more precise, him.
Agent U (which stood for Unknown – following the naming tradition of Men In Black) gave a nod of understanding before walking over, his posture reminding Chanyeol of a soldier's; upright and assertive. He must have had military training.
The stranger stopped a few steps away from Chanyeol, bowed his head, and then asked in a very formal manner, “Are you indeed Chanyeol?”
Junhui moved aside to give him space, while Chanyeol and Sehun exchanged glances.
“Uh, yeah. Why?” he replied, warily eyeing the man.
“This is for you.” Agent U handed over the cute teddy bear, and Chanyeol was at a loss on what to do.
Everyone's attention was suddenly on them again, their eyes switching from Chanyeol, to Mr. MIB, to the stuffed toy, and back to him. Chanyeol really wasn't good at dealing with awkward circumstances when the spotlight was on him (despite being the most awkward person ever), and this was definitely one of them.
He looked to Sehun again, and when the younger man made a subtle gesture for him to accept it, that's the only time he did.
Just as he thought, the bear's fur was incredibly fluffy, and he was surprised to see that it was the jointed kind. This wasn't a toy, then. It was a collector's item.
“T-thank you. I like teddy bears,” was his lame response, because there was really nothing else he could say. And it was true, anyway. His room was filled with them, of varying colors and sizes.
Unexpectedly, the man smiled, and Chanyeol found him to be actually quite attractive. “I'm glad, or else it would've made my boss really sad.”
From his peripheral vision, Chanyeol saw Sehun lift an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
“Uh, your boss?” Chanyeol asked, just as curious.
Agent U smiled again. “Yeah, he asked me to give it to you because he was too chicken to do it himself. Don't tell him I said that.” He looked nervous after the words left his mouth, but it was obviously only for comedic effect. He most likely had a good relationship with his employer.
Chanyeol also smiled, although it was a bit forced. “Uhh, yeah, sure. But do you mind if I ask who your boss is?”
“I don't mind you asking, but you have to read the card and find out yourself. I must be on my way, now. Have a nice day.”
The man then gave a small bow before pivoting on his heel and walking off.
Dumbfounded, Chanyeol looked down at the teddy bear in his hands, and saw a small, gold-plated tag that bore the maker's name pinned to its left ear: Steiff. Now he had an idea just how exclusive it was.
“It seems like you have a secret admirer,” Sehun said in a teasing tone, wiggling his prominent eyebrows.
“Yeah, why don't you open the card to see who it is?” That came from Heechul, who had already pulled an empty chair and sat beside him. He didn't fail to notice the knowing look on the former model's face. If he knew who Agent U was, then he definitely knew the man he worked for.
“Also, you might want to know that that teddy bear retails for around 600 dollars. I have a friend who collects teddy bears and she has one of those cute little buggers,” added Junhui, who was now also sat on the other side across his mother, chin cradled on his hand, mildly interested.
Chanyeol suddenly wanted to return it. He didn't like it when people spent that much money on him, much less someone he didn't even know. If they really insisted, then he would rather tell them to donate it to charity, because that would make him much happier.
Sehun clicked his tongue impatiently. “What are you waiting for? The suspense is killing me.”
Taking a deep breath like he was about to plunge into the water from a cliff, Chanyeol plucked the small baby blue envelope tucked under one of the bear's movable arms. He took the black card out, made of embossed, scented paper. This sure was fancy as .
When he flipped it open, he saw that the content was longer than he expected, and that it was printed in gold ink.
It said:
Dear Chanyeol,
I hope you didn't get freaked out by this, and by me knowing where you are. I swear I wasn't stalking you, nor did I ask my men to spy on you, but if you must know, I was with Jaejoong having breakfast earlier and he was the one who told me where to find you. Before you get angry, I didn't tell him anything. He confronted me about my recent behavior, and figured it all out himself. You know him. I swear he can read minds. I also learned about your love of teddy bears from him. That's really cute... If you're wondering how I got this on such short notice, my good friend Kyuhyun sells them in one of his galleries a few blocks from here. He was nice enough to deliver it without asking for payment, so be sure to thank him the next time you see him. It was technically from him.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I'm still here, and I still mean everything I said to you that night. Allow me to get to know you, and I'll tell you all about me, too. I know, given that you have not done this before, that you have your worries and uncertainties. I understand that, but I swear, on the Wu family name, that I will treat you with only the utmost respect. I will not force anything upon you, but rather leave you to decide the conditions, and everything that we do, on your own. If you decide that I am not worthy of your precious time, I will graciously accept it and let you go.
All I ask is one chance.
Sincerely,
Giant erted Oaf
P.S. I would have personally handwritten this, but I did not wish to embarrass myself by letting you see my terrible penmanship.
P.P.S. The bear is called Little Tom. :)
With his mouth hanging open in shock (and extreme flattery, if he was being honest), Chanyeol put the letter down, which was quickly snatched by Sehun.
His younger best friend scanned through it, eyes growing wider and wider as he got further into the message.
“Yeol, is this who I think it is?” Sehun's voice was trembling. Chanyeol had never known the blonde to easily be affected by anyone like that. Exactly how important was Kris Wu that everybody seemed to worship the ground he walked on?
“Seriously, how many unmarried Wus do you know of, Sehun?” was Heechul's rhetorical question, grinning from ear to ear and watching Chanyeol with something akin to awe.
Junhui, who had finally figured it out, gasped loudly, covering his mouth with a dainty, manicured hand.
“Oh my God, is it from Yifan-ge?”
Chanyeol's astonished silence was affirmation enough.
A/N: And there you have it, folks! I really liked writing this chapter because I was inspired, and the words just kept pouring out of me. My fingers were literally flying over the keyboard in record speed lol.
A/N 2: I've also introduced a few characters that you'll be seeing more of, one of which is Queen Heechul. I love, love, love him. I'm sure I don't have to explain why. His son in here is Wen Junhui, one of the 2 Chinese members of the group Seventeen from Pledis Entertainment, which debuted just last year. I honestly adore those boys (get it? Adore lol). I was floored by his resemblance to Heechul, and I've always thought it'd be a great idea to pair them up as parent and child in fanfiction. I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm sure you don't. :P
And again, I'd like to thank everyone for your overwhelming love and support. I wish to be able to update more regularly for you guys, because you're awesome. I'll do my best, and hope that I stay inspired. Til next time! xoxo
Notes:
Kris's height – I'm sure I've mentioned in a previous chapter that I've added a few inches to Kris' height because I'm the author and I can. I kept Chanyeol's the same, though.
Veela – Seriously, if you don't know Harry Potter and what a Veela is, I am judging you right now. But anyway, for those who don't, there is always Google. Do some research.
iPhone 5 – As this was set in 2013, there was no iPhone 6 yet. Duh.
Jaejoong's miscarriage – This is the reason why the Yunjae couple don't have children. :(
Hot Couture – I made this up. There's no such franchise in the United States as far I know. I just thought it'd be a clever name lol.
Periods – Yes, those with the carrier gene, like Hunhanyeol and the others, do menstruate, but not on a monthly basis like us females do. They only get it four times a year, basically once every three months. I will explain this in more depth as the story progresses. Oh, and if that makes you uncomfortable, I don't care. Stop reading. I'm pretty sure I said this is mpreg. Of course I had to come up with a scientific explanation for that instead of just saying that men are capable of it in this verse. If I were the reader, that would really annoy me.
FacesoftheBigCity – It's another thing that I made up. There's no such website in existence.
Patrice – Who watched How I Met Your Mother? She's a co-worker of Robin's who likes her a lot and is really nice to her, but Robin hates her for whatever reason. She screams at her all the time and it's hilarious. I miss that show.
I might pick this up again, but I'm making no promises. I'll be more candid about the things that happened over the last 2 years IF I decide to continue where I left off. It's pretty much 50/50 at this moment. The only thing that I can tell you for sure is that Chapter 11 exists in my drafts.
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