Chapter 1:   Running to you

“Good morning to our faithful listeners, the sun rises over the beautiful sky of Seoul and so a new day began. As a way to welcome a new day with new hopes and new …”

Yifan wakes up hearing once more the cheerful voice of the hostess, He wonder how anyone could be this happy at 6am. He should change the radio station he wakes up to. They’re talking about hopes and how being optimistic and a believer could bring love and happiness to people’s life, who listen to this stuffs? And do they actually believe this kind of ? How stupid they think people are? Being optimistic has nothing to do with anything in this world, you can hope and dream of whatever you want but that wouldn’t mean that you’ll get it, hard work is the only way and even then life can find a way to make things harder. And why would anyone need to find love? Love has nothing to do with being happy, it’s just a fantasy, and a concept that’s used to bring profit for companies; they advertised it as a product in books, movies and songs. And most fall for it, so they spend their entire life searching for that one person that’s meant to fit them perfectly, their soul mate. One thing for sure, he wasn’t one of these people, and he could never be one of them. He’s not saying that there is anything wrong with believing in love, no not at all, what he doesn’t like is people wasting their life just waiting. What he does believe in, is that if there’s really one person that is meant for him, then what he do or doesn’t do with his life won’t matter, destiny or life or whatever would bring them together at the right time. So why should he waste his life looking for something that may never exist? If it meant to be then it’s meant to be, it’s that simple.

That is why he let himself drown on work, caring more about his father’s company and making it more successful than about finding the love of his life, he doesn’t need to look for love. He had a family and everyone knew who he was, he also had a lot of friends, yet only three he could call true friends. Most people like to avoid him because of his bad temper and how cold he is, but he doesn’t think of himself that way, at least not most of the time.

He has a routine that he never breaks, a schedule that he run his life on, and that never change. He wakes with the radio on, take a shower, get dressed, drink a black coffee for breakfast, and by 7am he’ll be at the office where he stay most of the day in less he had a meeting somewhere else, and by the evening he head to the gym, shower, eat dinner and then go to sleep. When he wakes up, he does everything the same way once again. His life was empty and deep down he know it but he’ll never admitted out loud to anyone, not even himself.

Yet something about today feels different, the weather is a little cold even though it’s the middle of the summer. Or maybe it’s just him who is feeling more depressed than usual. Whatever the reason may be, he knew today won’t be the same. A loud knock cut through his train of thoughts, it was only 6:30 and he wonder who would be in his doorsteps this early.

He didn’t check who it was before opening door, he had nothing to worry about, and he could take care of himself. But when he found his best friend Chanyeol at the door, somehow he didn’t feel the little bit surprised. It was just like his friend to do something like knocking on someone’s door this early.  He opened the door wider and get back to his bedroom to finish dressing so he could leave to work.

He heard chanyeol close the door behind him and follow him to the bedroom. While Yifan was fixing his tie, Chanyeol sat at the bed and said:

“Morning to you too, Kris. You’re really a lousy host, you know that’’

“Did I ask you to come knocking on my door at 6am?’’

“well, I needed to catch you before you leave to work or else I wouldn’t be able to talk to you”

“ And here you are, so talk. I need to leave in 15 minutes”

Yifan was sure he wouldn’t like whatever his friend was planning. Nothing good comes out of being with this guy. And if that stupid grin was any indication then this day was gonna for real.

‘’Do you always wakes up this grumpy? I just miss you, you’re my friend and I thought about having breakfast with you, I won’t bite’’

‘’Do you really think I’ll believe any crap that come out of your mouth”

Yifan replies with a raised eyebrow.

‘’But it’s the honest truth, I swear’’

 “I’m not buying it, ‘cause I know you Park Chanyeol, and you know that I never eat breakfast, the same way that I know that you don’t wake up in less it was the middle of the day. So spill it out. Why you’re here’’

“Fine. Your mom called me yesterday, and she said that you’re lonely and that you don’t call her or visits her, blah blah blah… So she left me no choice but to come see you and make you take a day off and hang out with me’’

‘’What make anyone think that spending a day with you would be fun?’’

“’Cause I’m fun and they know it, so change and let’s leave”

‘’You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m going anywhere with you, I have a big meeting in two hours”

“Liar, I called your assistant and checked nothing important at your schedule that can’t wait till tomorrow. So hurry or will be late’’

“”Not gonna happen”

 “Come on it will be fun, when was it the last time you did anything besides work? Please Kris, I promised your mom and you really need some time out“

Yifan start thinking when was it the last time he enjoyed himself lately, he couldn’t remember. But he knew when, before his father had died, 8 years ago. He won’t tell that to Chanyeol, he didn’t need to, he already knew.

Instead he did as his friend wanted. He changed his clothes to something casual, a jeans and shirt with a jacket in case he felt cold and they left.

On their way to the coffee shop, and while Chanyeol was driving, Yifan couldn’t help but thinking what had happened that he changed this much, life happened. His father had died and Kris lost more than his father, he lost his dreams and end up caged.

What didn’t changed was his friends, they love him and care about him, and for him that made life more bearable. But he was damaged and incapable of loving.

And all of a sudden he wanted to get back home, he wanted to run and hide, yet today is different, so he’ll be patient, after all, everything good or bad comes to an end.

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The day has went in a blur, after having breakfast together, they had met few old friends and had lunch with them, and then they wander the streets of Seoul, they ate enough food to feed a dozen people, so they were far away for being hungry, Yifan had to remind himself to work harder next time he went to the gym. And when they went back to Yifan’s home, Yifan had thought that the day was over, he laid on his bed and start to relax, he wasn’t complaining, they spent a nice day and it was really fun but now all he wanted to do was to fall asleep and rest, but like usual, Chanyeol had other plans and no way could he stop the man, he was on a mission to kill him.

They changed their clothes and left, Yifan didn’t know where they were going, but the second he was standing in front of “Zahir” he knew why his friend had brought them here.

The bottom of the story was that Chanyeol’s boyfriend was the club’s owner. Byun Baekhyun was like another version of Chanyeol if not even worse, he was also kind and very nice just like Chanyeol, and they honestly deserved each other. He likes Baekhyun, he makes his friend happy and that’s all that mattered.

“Zahir” was like a gothic club, the kind of club that young people like to go to. Yifan like the club but it wasn’t his scene, so the only way to get him there was to drag him, which would explain why Chanyeol didn’t tell him where they were going.

He stared at Chanyeol, but before he could say anything to him, Chanyeol spoke before him jokingly.

 “Did you really think that I’m going to babysit you the whole day, I need to see my love, I missed him”

 “You could have just left me rest; you didn’t have to drag me with you”

“Let’s go already, we can dance and chill, who know maybe you’ll get to meet someone”

Chanyeol said while pulling Yifan to get in the club, everyone can tell he was eager to see his lover. But Yifan didn’t want to meet anyone, and if he did then he’ll only end up leaving.

The club had changed from the last time Yifan had been here, but as usual, the dance floor was filled with people dancing and having fun, enjoying and living in the moment, it didn’t matter if they could dance or not, they looked so free, swaying their bodies and following the rhythm of the music. He envied them, he wanted to be that free, he wanted to dance like no one was watching, he just wanted to let go and disappear between all those bodies and never be found again. But all he can do was watch.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Chanyeol when he told him that he’s going to look for his boyfriend. And he didn’t regain his sense till he felt a body crash into him, he lowered his eyes, and for the first time ever Yifan felt truly lost, everything around him went blank and all he could see were the most dark eyes, and all his mind could come up with to describe those eyes was exotic.

In a moment the exotic creature was standing in front of him, and Yifan felt for that small moment in ease, but then the moment passed and the angel left and all Yifan felt was cold.

He had run into the most beautiful person and all he did was stand like a frozen statue.

He had to find him, Yifan didn’t know why but he just felt that he need to find the angel, he has to. For he felt that the exotic person will be the one to warm his heart and his lonely life.