Chap 10 Soysauce in The Spotlight

Never in his life before that Baekhyun really felt the need to evaporated himself or hoping for a black hole suddenly opened up under his chair and swallowed him once and for all into oblivion. Well, he never felt the urge to ran away and never cameback before he met Chanyeol either, but the need intensified with the existence of his 'mom' in the same room. What a- for a lack of a more fitted word- 'rough' night tonight for Baekhyun, if he could get an answer, he would ask the universe why they set him up for such fate, but he know he couldn't- so what's the point of asking?

Hence, rather than asking the universe 'why', it's better to ask himself 'how'. How the hell can he escape from the two persons that he wanted to avoided the most at the very moment? Baekhyun lost his strength to faced Chanyeol as the ghost of his past walked elegantly in front of him. All of a sudden, to stay here and waited for Chanyeol to had his way with him like he promised before made him wanted to puke- not because of Chanyeol alone, but also because of his mom's sudden appearance added up to the quotation.

Suddenly, it's all just too much. Suddenly Baekhyun didn't want to be here anymore. Suddenly, he became afraid.

Suddenly, he remembered his promise to Jongdae- but that's beside the point.

Back to the awful night, eventhough Baekhyun's busy planning a successful escape in his mind, that didn't mean he can executed it without flaws. The Zhangs was (thankfully) got their own hot seats right in front of the stage instead of joining their table- where Zhang Yixing was also seated- they're the honoured guests anyway. But the fact that Park Chanyeol seated next to him with hawk eyes watching him like the carnivore watching a chicken on the ground, made Baekhyun scratch his plans in the head over and over again. He couldn't suddenly turn sick out of the blue- he's not good in faking it, if he said he wanted to go to the lavatory Chanyeol would follow him with no doubt, if he ran away when Chanyeol got his award on the stage- that's a possibility- but Kyungsoo might followed him instead and asked questions he didn't want to answer, it wouldn't be polite toward Yixing either.

Baekhyun ended up clapping hard as EXO was receiving the award on the stage, mind still busy creating escaping scenarios. He almost jumped out of his skin as a figure suddenly sidled up by his side.

"Are you okay? You looked fidgety this whole night,"

Baekhyun didn't expect Kyungsoo would ever notice him being uncomfortable before, "Ah, I'm fine. Everything's fine," he lied- and Kyungsoo didn't seem like he buy it either.

"Do you guys had a fight or something? Lately, Chanyeollie also looked like something's bothering him," Baekhyun said nothing, only nodding to the small manager's words but he's kinda wondering what's been bothering Chanyeol- on stage, Kris was giving his speech. "He might not looked like it on the stage now, but that's because he's a professional," both guys watching as Chanyeol took the mic and giving his own thankful speech. "Whatever it is happened to you both, I hope you guys can settled it fine," Kyungsoo finally said as he walked away back to his seat when Chanyeol and Kris stepped down from the stage with the award.

Baekhyun couldn't help but looked intently at Chanyeol who was walking back to their table with smile on his face- the giant rapper nodded to some of the people who stood up and clapped for them. Did Chanyeol really had something bothering his mind? He indeed didn't look fine earlier. What did he say? 'You drive me crazy, Byun. Even now when I see you, what I want is just to kiss you again...' Come to think of it, did he really say that? To Baekhyun? Baekhyun felt as if coldness was running down his spine. No, his mind must be playing tricks on him. Chanyeol didn't just say something like that to him.

The giant rapper stopped right before him- Baekhyun didn't realize since when Chanyeol had hold him captured in the depth of his brown eyes but one thing for sure, it's not easy to escape. If not because of Kris who was calling Chanyeol from his other side, hence made Chanyeol broke the gaze, Baekhyun wouldn't be able to blink his way out. He looked away, but he could feel Chanyeol's eyes were back at him again as soon as he replied to whatever question Kris asked him about. The staring eyes stayed on him the whole night as if Chanyeol could feel that Baekhyun was looking for his moment to fly away, or disapparate like Potter, not that he could.

The gala dinner followed soon after, they served the best steaks and ducks in the town, but Baekhyun couldn't really enjoy it because of Chanyeol's stare. Kris even had the decency to teased them, saying that his little brother better had his eyes on his steak instead of Baekhyun because no one would steal Baekhyun but he definitely would like to steal the steak away- which made Baekhyun choke on his carrot and Chanyeol frantically pat the small back of him. A friendly conversation during dinner, curious glances from Yixing every now and then, and a couple of glasses of wine later, the event was finally officially over. People stood up from their seat, having a light chat with each other on their way out, some  crowding their way to the Zhang couple- probably throwing compliments here and there about the successful event, trying to get on their good side. Baekhyun felt light headed and kind of accepting to what might happened to him because there's no way Chanyeol would leave him alone- but then, the chance was finally came for Baekhyun.

Just when he was standing up from his seat and wanted to walk away before the Zhang couple (who were still busy with their admirers) reached their table- so at least he could dodge 'Mrs. Zhang' tonight- Chanyeol caught his wrist. "Baek-"

"Chanyeol, we need you to meet the press," Kyungsoo called him before the taller could even form a full sentence.

"But-"

"Now, Chanyeol. Kris is already there,"

Baekhyun could see the hesitation in the taller's eyes, but in the end, the giant rapper couldn't help but nod. He didn't let go without a plea though, "Stay here... please, wait for me,"

Of course, Baekhyun didn't stay. The moment the first journalist ask Chanyeol a question, Baekhyun was already on his way to the lobby- handphone in hand and thumb scrolling his list for Jungkook's name. By the time Chanyeol finished the interviews, Jungkook had dropped Baekhyun off in the subway station nearest to his apartment.

He's safe from confrontations... for today.

................

Never in his life Baekhyun thought he would find the sanctuary between the cans of tuna and mackarels. He was restacking the colorful cans on the  shelves when Jongin came back from delivery duty.

"Hyung! Hyung!"

Baekhyun frowned as he answered- hands didn't even stop transfering the cans from the box to the shelf, "Welcome back, Jongin,"

Not a second after that, Jongin appeared on the corner of the canned foods shelves. The taller boy looked too excited for someone who was just out delivering some eggs for some older ladies. "Did you check the sns? Did you read the newspaper this morning?"

Baekhyun pursed his lips as he lifted one of his eyebrow, "uhm, no?"

The younger guy fished out his handphone from his back pocket jeans and scrolling something in it, pink tongue poked out between his lips. As soon as he found what he's looking for, he shoved the phone to Baekhyun's face, demanding the older employee to read what's in it. Baekhyun made sure to looked at Jongin as if he's a weirdo but the latter only demanded the older guy to look at his phone again with the excessive movements of his eyebrows.

"Gross," Baekhyun mumbled but a small smile played on his lips anyway. "What's so important anywa-" he paused as he looked at Chanyeol's picture on the screen. He was in his tuxedo, with ash grey hair, just like two nights ago. So handsome and yet so out of reach.

"It's Chanyeol hyung in an award event or something about two days ago," Jongin kindly supplied, "He's gorgeous, right? I can see hearts on your eyes," the younger added the teasing in purpose and get a poke on his ribs courtesy of Baekhyun's elbow. "Uh, but anyway, did you see that?"

"See what?" Baekhyun frowned.

Jongin rolled his eyes, "I know Chanyeol hyung looked so handsome in the photo but please also pay attention to the details,"

"What details?"

The younger guy tsked before pointing something at the corner of the photo, a siluet of a guy- also in a tux. The guy's a little bit small compared to the giant rapper and Baekhyun felt something tug his inner abdomen. He knew the small guy, "Eh, so?"

Jongin nodded satisfied with Baekhyun's question as if he was already waiting for it to happened, "So, that's the guy I've been telling you about. The mysterious guy that every Chanyeol's stans in the fandom curious about. The guy who ignited the fire of shipping otp in me,"

Baekhyun choked on the thin air, "How do you know that it's him? It could be some random person who had nothing to do with Chanyeol,"

Again, Jongin looked so smug he must felt he knew every secrets in the world and Baekhyun wanted to hook his nostrils to put him back on the ground. The younger of the two took back his handphone and did some scrolling again before his smile growing wider and he gave the phone back to Baekhyun, "Because.. there's a much clearer photo of it where you could see his beautiful face... and where Chanyeollie hyung put his giant hand so intimately around him-" but Jongin's long explanation was cut off with a ding! sound coming from the bell on the door.

Baekhyun and Jongin stood up almost instantly and reciting their greeting words in reflex, "Welcome to 365, what can-" the words were stopped in the middle though as they saw who was standing by the door.

"Oh ," Baekhyun could hear Jongin cursed under his breath and chuckled as the handsome intruder walked in with a blinding smile.

"Hi, Sehun, welcome to 365,"

"How are you, hyung?" The model asked as Baekhyun disappeared again for a second or two to grabbed the canned tuna box and then heading his way to the front part of the store- leaving Jongin behind still gaping like a fish out of water.

"Never better. Jongin though-" Baekhyun teased the star strucked male who's now blinking excitedly and suddenly said,

"It's so awesome to work in this branch. So many celebrities came here, like EXO and then Oh Sehun-nim,"

'And Park Dara..' Baekhyun thought, come to think of it he really never told Jongin about it.

The korean Legolas shook his head in amusement, lips streched wide in gentle smile. Apparently, Sehun was still sporting his grey hair under the cap, today he was wearing a white hoodie under a jeans jacket, legs covered by black ripped jeans. To be honest, Sehun only dressed up in 'the hunk who lived next door style', but his 'sculpted by God' appearance escalated it like it was some sort of runaway clothes- as usual.

"So, what bring you here along today?"

"Actually- I was in the area and decided to pay a visit to my favorite hyung," Baekhyun rolled his eyes at Sehun's playful words while Jongin looked like he was hearing an interesting fact, "-but I was quite surprised finding you both together there," he gestured his hand to the shelves wildly, "What are you guys doing crouching together behind the shelves like you were hiding from the world?" Sehun crossed his arms over his hard chess with a frown on his face.

"I was working while Jongin here- was sprouting nonsense," Baekhyun answered, putting the box behind the cashier counter, saved from customers' eyes.

Jongin's eyes widened in disbelieve and decided to join the two of them in the front of the ministore, "Excuse me, I was relaying facts about my ship to Baekhyunnie hyung,"

"You have a ship?" Sehun widened his eyes in a genuine surprised.

Baekhyun scoffed and waving his hand, "Nnah, not the 'ship' that can float on the water like a boat,"

Sehun blinked and as what Baekhyun's word finally registered to him, he laughed. "I see. So, which otp that you ship?"

Jongin gave the 'Oh Sehun' his gross expression as if Sehun is one of his partners in crime now and grabbed his handphone back from Baekhyun who was cringing behind the counter, "I- as I was saying to Baek hyung before you came through the door- am shipping Chanyeol hyung with this pixie guy," he said while showing Sehun whatever image in his phone.

Baekhyun saw as the model's eyes grew wide the more he look at the photo Jongin showed them. He caught the tallest's questioning eyes which was directed right at him and tilting his head slightly as if asking Sehun to just playing along.

"Have you seen this?" Baekhyun took the phone which Sehun offered him. Jongin's right, it's a much clearer version of the previous photo, which they could see Hyun's face directly- and Chanyeol’s giant hand wrapped securely around his skinny wrist. Chanyeol’s face was hard and serious while Hyun’s face was that expression of helpless. It was crystal clear that Baekhyun and Hyun had strong resemblances that even expensive make ups and professional make up artist couldn’t cover it up, but apparently, Jongin still slow in recognizing people. Baekhyun didn't know when will Jongin caught up the truth, but right now, he's pretty much safe.

“You know, come to think of it, the more I see the pixie guy, the more I felt he kinda familiar,” Jongin said as he suddenly popped up beside Baekhyun, putting his chin on the shorter guy who was still looking at the photo on the phone in his hand. Baekhyun’s breath hitched at the naive remark and he prayed Jongin didn’t notice it even for a bit. “Don’t you think so, Baek hyung? Don’t you feel like you know him or might had seen him somewhere? Oh, maybe he’s a regular in this store or had come here once or twice to buy mineral waters or kimbaps,” Thank God the youngest one was so densed.

“Maybe, Jongin. I don’t really know,” Baekhyun lifted up his other hand and pat Jongin’s brown crown as if he was petting a puppy. The much taller younger guy who was still perching his chin on Baekhyun’s shoulder smiled.

“They didn’t really look intimate though, it’s more like they looked tense or something,” Sehun decided to stepped in to cut the talk about the ‘familiar’ looking Hyun.  

Jongin raised his head with wide eyes, "See? Even Sehun-nim can see the ‘’ between my ship!"

“I didn’t say ual-“

Baekhyun shot Sehun an ‘Are you kidding me?’ look to Sehun and then rolled his ey