Exo̱tikós; a prominent name in the local music scene today. At the moment, no other bands have come close to threatening their popularity which shot through not from an overnight success. As soon as their lead vocalist starts singing, it’s as if the audience is taken away from the surface of the Earth and into the galaxy. The audience is spellbound by the whole group’s performances. Their strong presence in the music industry is undeniable.

 

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Seoul High School | 0735

 

Park Chanyeol. Code name: Phoenix.

 

Said boy was currently at the school’s front gate which at that moment was obstructed by a group of fangirls and fanboys of different uniforms and it was really a wonder how many sasaeng Chanyeol would get if he became a real superstar some day.

 

“Ex-excuse me, may I pass through?” The boy tried to fight through the one-sided war while trying not to touch any of them.

 

Completely and undividedly disregarded, the girls voiced their thoughts out for all of them including Chanyeol to hear.

 

“Is it true that Phoenix goes to school here?”

 

“Let’s just barge through this gate!”

 

“Yah, quit shoving!”

 

“I think I can see Phoenix!”

 

“Where? Where?! I can’t f_ucking see him!”

 

“I’m already really late!” Chanyeol grumbled as he tried to fit his way around without being noticed. “Umm…” he said and it isn’t accepted too easily.

 

“Stop bothering us, weirdo!” And he was pushed aside just like a piece of trash.

 

“Ahh! Phoenix oppa!” The chanting continued as the tumbling Chanyeol was ignored.

 

Well, too bad for you fools, he’s right there behind you.

 

Baekhyun mentally sighed as he watched the ongoing merciless shoving at their school’s gate and of Chanyeol. At school, that boy who just tumbled a few seconds ago is known as ‘Creepyeol’ – until recently – because, yea, I’m sure you guys are already familiar with my explanation of him. Flattened out dark brown hair that covered his whole forehead, weird spectacles that seemed to be translucent and has this great ability to hide his piercing brown eyes, mouth and eyes twitching when he laughs plus gangly limbs that towered above all the other students; yup, that is him.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Chanyeol apologized to no one of interest.

 

Baekhyun was a witness of what had happened and sighed again. Seeing it from afar hurt Baekhyun, but trust him, those girls should never be taunted or scolded; they would turn into beasts. Baekhyun approached the tangled up boy and crouched down next to him.

 

“Are you okay, Chanyeol?”

 

“Oh, Baekhyunnie…” and the tall male brightened up.

 

The sudden nickname gave Baekhyun’s cheeks the chance to blossom a great pinkish hue which made Chanyeol smile all the more brighter. A smile adorning his lips as they both drowned in each other’s intense chocolate and puppy brown irises.

 

And to say that he’s my boyfriend now.

 

It was commonly known that Phoenix wasn't just popular for his singing voice but also because of his extremely admirable freaking good looks and an excellent built hidden in the shell of the school’s dull uniform.

 

“Let’s get through the back gate. If they ever discover you, we’ll be in deep trouble,” Baekhyun said as they both walk towards the other side of the school. That was why he always had to disguise himself.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m very talented when it comes to disguising myself, aren’t I, Baekhyunnie?” Baekhyun choked a hum as a reply and wished that Chanyeol would never be able to see the blush that was appearing on his face when he felt his own cheeks warming up.

 

It was totally a dream to the small boy. Someone as cool and amazing as Chanyeol as his boyfriend. But, his secret has finally been exposed at their school. They walked in silence as they both headed for their lockers and moving on, they walked to class. Thankfully, Chanyeol was not under attack yet that morning, maybe because they were both late and the bell has just rang.

 

“Eh?” Baekhyun gasped as he read the bright red letters painted on Chanyeol’s table when he passed by to get to his own seat.

 

WATCH OUT, CREEPYEOL splashed across his table.

 

“What the f_uck is this?!”

 

“Baekhyun-ah!” He felt strong gushes of wind passed by him as his classmates slash former friends pulled him outside of the class towards the stairs where no one was around.

 

“Argh!” He groaned under his breath as they finally let their tight grip on him off.

 

“Hey, you better break up with him,” the first one – a friend of 2 years since they were always in the same class; Jonghwan – said while looking over at him with concerned eyes.

 

“Why is that? I don’t think that it’s your business to meddle with,” Baekhyun retaliated.

 

“You’ll suffer later on. Haven’t you heard the rumours flying around about him?” The other – a cute boy with a 2-cm height difference from the previous one; Junghwan – said as he looked at Jonghwan.

 

Baekhyun suddenly felt a single sweat threatening to roll down from the side of his temple, “what rumours?”

 

They seemed to be communicating telepathically when Jonghwan continued, “he’s a playboy.”

 

His heart skipped a beat.

 

Lub-dub

 

“Huh?!” Then explicit darkened images of Chanyeol surrounded by large-eye, larger-chest girls engulfed Baekhyun’s mind.

 

Two girls with outfits hardly covering any of their private curves squeezed tight onto both sides of a smirking Park Chanyeol in his Phoenix image. Baekhyun quickly wiped the nasty thought away as he listened to Junghwan over the loud beating of his heart.

 

“He likes to fool around. Like any playboy, once the well runs dry, he’ll be gone the next thing you know. Most of his former conquests here formed a club just so that they could plan their revenge.”

 

Nodding, Jonghwan continued, “true that, he’s really dangerous. You better be careful.”

 

I don’t believe it, his small heart whispered.

 

“Chanyeol…would never do something so despicable like that,” he said aloud when his former friends walked away after confronting him, “all those freaking rumours are false!”

 

“Hey, aren’t you Creepyeol’s little beau?” Baekhyun turned to the question thrown at him.

 

Now what?

 

“What is so great about Creepyeol anyway?” The guy continued and eh, he looks exactly like Chanyeol – except a few centimeters shorter just because I say it is, then it is.

 

“Do entertain me, I’m better than him, right?” His voice a mere whisper as the weird boy decreased their distance.

 

The guy even has similar pushed back Phoenix-like hair and act just like him. In mere minutes, the weird guy grabbed Baekhyun and forcefully turned the smaller boy around. He hooked his head on the small boy's shoulder like he owned it.

 

What the actual f_uck is going on?!

 

Baekhyun’s glare darkened and pushed the guy away with force. Running away, he saw a small wave plus a smirk coming from the guy when Baekhyun turned back to see if he was being followed. He surely scared the hell out of Baekhyun. He rushed back to the classroom to find Chanyeol wiping his table with an extra amount of effort.

 

“Chanyeol…”

 

“Oh, hi, Baekhyun,” he replied as he got back to the work he self-assign.

 

Approaching the spectacled boy for the second time that day, he softly offered for help, “hey, here, let me help you with that.”

 

Because in the end, I believe in Chanyeol and only Chanyeol.

 

As if Chanyeol heard his thoughts, he flashed a smile towards the small boy which got the tips of his ears red from shyness. In the late afternoon, they walk edto their respective lockers to find that Chanyeol’s locker was filled with trash. Honestly, if you have sore eyes, better get an eye-patch to make yourself go blind rather than stare at the current state of Chanyeol’s filthy locker. 

 

“When I find out who’s behind this, they’re going to get it from me,” Baekhyun muttered under his breath as his hands clench themselves into fists, yet all that he received from his charming boyfriend was a deep chuckle which settled with a warm fuzz at the bottom of Baekhyun’s heart.

 

“It’s the same, like always. I’m not bothered by it at all, so let’s leave it just like that, shall we?”

 

“Eh, why?” Baekhyun asked as he looked up to stare at Chanyeol’s side profile.

 

“Anyway, I like things just the way they are. Otherwise, it would be too much troublesome if you take into account of petty things like haters,” he said and looked to the side to stare back into Baekhyun’s eyes.

 

He took off his spectacles to reveal his real face and took a step closer towards the small male.

 

He added, “plus, how else can I see you without other eyes preying on you as well? How else can I see you without any other form of interferences that would only c_ockb_lock us to infinity?”

 

Now that he mentioned it, Baekhyun agreed that it’s been a while since they have been alone together. But his last sentence caused Baekhyun to drop his head to hide the ever creeping blush that threatend to steal the spotlight of a red rose.

 

“Y-yeah. I’m glad as well, I think, but…” and Baekhyun started feeling light-headed, a usual occurring for him every time he is within a finger’s distance from Chanyeol.

 

“But what, Baekhyun?” His voice a mere deep whisper.

 

You make me so nervous, idiot!

 

He cornered Baekhyun, the smaller boy's back pressing on the cold, metallic locker. His one hand propped against a random locker on one side of Baekhyun’s head and the other hand resting in his pocket, holding his spectacles. Closing what little distance they had, Baekhyun caught a whiff of Chanyeol; a satisfying warm mix of chocolate and spices. A pair of soft, plump lips landed on his temple and lingered for a few more seconds.

 

Lub-dub

 

As Baekhyun flushed even deeper with a shade of red, Chanyeol chuckled and smiled at the reaction he received.

 

“We don’t have to figure out who did what, and why should they be held responsible for all this,” he pushed himself away but still their distance was not lessening. “Because it might ‘cause us more trouble, and I have you, remember?”

 

Although with the overloading cheesiness that might cause him diabetes later on, he noticed how Chanyeol was much more relaxed compared to Baekhyun himself about this whole matter. 

 

“O-okay,” he stammered.

 

With their agreement, the school’s bell ringing ricocheted around the school compound.

 

‘CLASSES ARE OVER FOR THE DAY. PLEASE BE CAREFUL ON YOUR WAY HOME, STUDENTS.’

 

The announcement on the end of school session finished and the hallways soon was filled with mixtures of voices and clashes of colours.

 

And Chanyeol is back to Creepyeol.

 

True to Baekhyun’s thoughts, he put his spectacles back on and said, “eh, it’s time to go home. You go ahead first, okay? I have to practice for later.”

 

Suddenly, the two of them catch two foreign voices around the corner behind them. “Concert, huh, tonight?” One says. “We don’t have to buy tickets anymore, yannow?”

 

The other replies, “yeah, let’s, like, mock or jeer them during their performance later.”

 

Baekhyun quickly pulled Chanyeol away, away from Mocker and Taunter – yes, Baekhyun has the knack of dubbing people names – and he asked Chanyeol softly, “are you sure you want to go? This is my entire fault.”

 

“I sincerely believe in my fans. I will never let them down or disappoint them from mere peasants’ actions. And, no Baekhyun, it's not your fault at all,” he said as he looked  toward the large window overseeing a neighbourhood area around their school.

 

Baekhyun is amazed; eyes twinkling in adoration at his boyfriend’s commitment to his passion. “Chanyeollie…” he whispered.

 

“Now, now, Baekhyun. Don’t call me like that or I’ll turn into Phoenix right in front of everyone and kiss the freaking daylights out of you. All right, I should be off to exert my vocal chords with the other boys! See you tonight, Baekhyunnie,” he said as he skipped out of school with his messanger bag clinging onto him. 

 

Baekhyun was very, very sure that those rumours were just rumours after all. On the way home, he thought about the pranks pulled on towards Chanyeol and was undeniably irritated by it.

 

Gosh, those antis could get me so agitated at times and this is just a half of everything.

 

“Eh, isn’t that Phoenix?!” A girl’s question got Baekhyun hooked to his spot.

 

He saw two girls, arm-in-arm and the other girl replied, “lately, the gossip about him has continued to spread.”

 

The other one who questioned her friend nodded, “so, it’s true that his reputation is tainted.”

 

Following their line of vision, Baekhyun thought that it was impossible since Chanyeol told him earlier on that he was on his way to practice for the concert tonight. But indeed, a tall guy with shades adorning his eyes was holding a girl in his arm. When the two girls left from the site, Baekhyun replaced them on their spot and hid himself from the couple’s view as he followed them. But, he wondered, what the hell is going on?

 

“Bye, oppa!” The girl in the shaded guy’s arm said as they let go of each other, “good luck for tonight’s concert!”

 

To Baekhyun, there must be an explanation to everything. When the girl finally left, the guy took off his shades and ehmegerdd, that’s the creep from school, the Chanyeol Impostor!

 

..."What is so great about Creepyeol anyway?"... 

 

As Baekhyun followed him cautiously, he saw the boy passed by an Exo̱tikós poster and stopped in his track.

 

“For f_uck’s sake, enough is enough. I’m so sick of hearing his name, seeing his face. Phoenix here, Phoenix there. S_crew Phoenix. He should just remain as plain, ol’ Creepyeol. Dude needs to learn his lesson,” the impostor grumbled aloud and in a few seconds, tore the poster off and crumpled it into a ball.

 

Baekhyun sensed that something was wrong with the impostor dude.

 

…“Because it might ‘cause us more trouble, and I have you, remember?”…

 

Baekhyun’s relaxed expression change and he knew that his overly cute determined face was showing as he thought things through.

 

I can’t just leave things as they are.

 

Fearlessly,albeit mindlessly, Baekhyun followed the impostor and they both reached a place. The 3-storey building was empty; perhaps it used to be shops which were filled with people but not anymore. Baekhyun looked around, getting more and more suspicious of his surroundings. They were not that close to any neighbourhood areas, in fact, Baekhyun didn't even remember how they both got there.

 

I know I should follow him, but, why does he come here?

 

The abandoned building gave Baekhyun an eerie feeling and the sudden cold gust of wind was not really helping. Indeed, autumn has taken its toll. The windows smashed, the walls spray painted and even green vines filling up the first floor, Baekhyun just prayed that nothing creepy sneak out from any of the empty rooms. As he tried to concentrate on his steps as to not trip over any of the sharp glass shards, he finally noticed that he is the only one in the place. The impostor is gone!

 

Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck raise, a voice suddenly came out of nowhere, “you can stop hiding now.”       

 

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4th chapter. Here and there, stuff added. But, anyways, comments, upvotes, subs? Appreciate them all! Thanks for subbing SaraEXO501, Overlord_Nim, lynnryan ^^ OMG the amazing poster and BG designer herlsef is subbed to PRS. I is very honoured!

P.S Introducing special cameos