“Orders up!!”

Clashes of pans and flaming fire overwhelmed the room. Vegetables popped and crackled over the sizzling butter sauce in the pan, glazing the greens with a coat of brown. Transferring of golden broth to spotless white ceramic and the delicate drizzles of sauce atop a well-done poultry. The merge of aromas from each and every counter, with different cultures and cuisines lingered, final garnishing of bay leaves and parsley, and last-minute seasoning, all done to perfection.

“Where are my orders for tables 2 and 14?!” Shouts from a distressed Chef de Cuisine were coming constantly, with normal responses of a ‘Yes, Chef!’ or ‘Coming, Chef!’

And in the midst of all this mayhem in the bustling wonder of the kitchen, one person stood aloof and alienated. He looked left and right, trying to blend in with the situation. He ducked his head to keep out of the unnecessary kitchen drama, busying himself with placing the silverware on trays along with perfectly folded napkins.

He glared at the circle windows on the double doors to the dining area for the situation he’s in right now. He knew he didn’t have a choice, but hey, he didn’t even get a say in it. So, without one consent from his lips, he landed here, clad in a long-sleeved white button down and black pants with a black signature square apron from the 5-star restaurant, tied at his waist.

The phone inside his pocket vibrated. He fished his phone out and checked the new message he got.

‘ Initiate plan.‘

Great. He huffed a sigh, and shoving his phone back into his back pocket before it vibrated again.

‘ Oh, and good luck… for various reasons and … unexpected trouble.’

He simply rolled his eyes, ignoring the last part, cause hey, what could go wrong? This is basically his daily routine for 16 years straight and running.

With his mindset, he gracefully picked up and balanced the circular silver tray on his fingers delicately. Straightening his back, he bent his free left arm into a perfect 90 degrees angle with a spotless white cloth draped on his forearm, he plastered a smile on his face before heading out the double doors.

As soon as he entered the dining area, his eyes instantly went to his brother and sister sitting across each other at a decorated table. His brother flashed him a mischievous smirk, before looking away and continued a conversation with their sister, to which he ignored.

Why does he keep doing that?  He strode across tables, careful not to drop the tray suspended in the air by his fingers. This will be over without a hitch, no trouble or reason to complicate it. He reassured himself, reaching his designated table and preceded to place the plates from the trays down. Besides, no trouble was ever-

“Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun halted his plating activities and slowly crooked his head to face the source of the familiar deep resounding voice.

Unexpected.

“… Chanyeol.”

~~~

Tao lifted the ceramic gold teacup to his lips, taking a sweet sip of his chamomile tea. He brought the teacup down, and slides a free finger over the brim of the cup, “Seems like Hyung encountered the trouble.”

Sooyoung could only sigh, placing her chin on the palm of her hands, “Why do you sound so happy about it?”

The younger giggled, smirking at the situation few tables over that was at play, “Nothing.”

Sooyoung gave him a squint of the eye, not buying his comment. “Oh, come on. You can tell your beloved Noona.”

“Beloved?” Tao playfully questioned, earning a soft glare from his sister. “Okay, okay.” He chuckled at the action. “Well, my beloved noona, that unexpected trouble,” he pointed to the young man talking to his older brother, “Is Chanyeol, another trainee that lives in our dorm.”

The elder rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against the cloth of the table. “Yes, I know he’s a trainee, longer than you were. But, that’s not everything is it?”

Tao’s smirk grew.

“He’s not just another trainee, is he?”

He laughed at his sister’s suspicion on his dorm mate. “Gosh, no. Noona, no. Chanyeol wouldn’t even hurt a fly!” His sister gave him a look to go on. “It’s just that, Chanyeol has been… especially close to Hyung.”

Sooyoung nearly choked on the wine she was drinking idly, gaining back her breath. “Wait, as in…”

“Yes.”

She let out a sigh, sneaking a glance to his older younger brother. “Oh, this is not going to end well.”

Tao chuckled, straightening his blue-stripped tie then running a hand through his sleek black suit. “Nope, not at all.”

~~~ 

A sweat of worry trickled down his forehead, Baekhyun’s hands shook with the plate he was holding.

“What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun snapped, facing Chanyeol straight in the eye.

“I-uh- obviously, you’re holding a plate and uh… wearing the uniform… but uh.” Chanyeol stuttered, facing a shaking puppy version of a certain shaking waiter-aliased Byun Baekhyun. “I um…. What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun gulped down the block of nervousness in his throat before his lips stretched into a tight smile. “You know. I …work here?” Chanyeol gave him a questioning look. “Yes, I work here.”

Chanyeol still hadn’t let go of the look in his eyes. “Why?”

“I just woke up one day and thought, ‘Hey, I want to work in those classy fancy restaurants,’ so… here I am.”

“But didn’t you want to be a Kpop star?” Chanyeol searched for a look in Baekhyun. “Actually, you’re on your way to become one.”

Baekhyun could only expand the forced smile gracing his face.

“With me.”

A sound of glass shattering against the waxed tiled floor brought Baekhyun’s attention back to the world. He rushed over to the table of the incident and was greeted with a slyly smirking little brother of his.

“Having trouble there?” His annoying little brother smiled at him, obviously dropping the teacup on purpose.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was here?!” Baekhyun whispered frantically, picking up the broken pieces of ceramic on the waxed polished floor, murmuring ‘sorry’s to the neighboring tables.

Tao simply shook his head, turning to their elder sister who gave him an eye roll, before bending down to help his brother pick up the glass pieces. “Okay, I’m sorry for not telling you, but I didn’t think it would get out of hand.” He gave his brother a look of concerned, to which his brother shrugged it off and assured to him, “Don’t worry, it won’t get out of hand. I’ll just avoid him.”

They gathered the remaining pieces before standing straight and Tao plopped down on his seat, grabbing a napkin. Sooyoung tucked a loose strand of hair behind her eyes, before letting her hand rest at the table on her elbows, and cradle her chin with it. “Baek, you better hurry, our target is almost done with his food.” Her eyes stray to the man two tables over.

Baekhyun smiled warningly before speaking in an elated tone, purposefully loud, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience dear customers, I’ll be back with another cup of that.” Scurrying off back to the kitchen to avoid Chanyeol’s stare that has been lingering on him.

He went to the pantry and grabbed the wine glass he prepared earlier and filled it with red wine and with a slight touch of the hand, he opened his ring on his pointer finger and casually threw the sleeping powder in the wine. With a quick glance around, he quickly dug out the thin coat of micro-plastic and layered it on the surface of the wine glass, invisible to the ignorant eye. Balancing the thin glass on his tray, Baekhyun cruised trough the double doors once more and headed straight to his target.

Hyung Jung Joo, at 43 years of age, was a corrupt politician. He specialized in dealing with the black market operations in getting materials or ingredient for businessmen or other organizations that might need what is normally unavailable or something that passes as illegal and troublesome. With the right amount of price, he could get anything you want in a matter of calculative time, all untraceable and in perfect condition. Nobody dared ask him how he does it, but he has a huge network of mercenaries in different parts of the world, particularly the middle-east port. The Company pointed Baekhyun and Tao at him for their next hit and specifically asked for a file in the man’s safe in his penthouse down in Fraser Place, Central Seoul. The two brothers did not know why they wanted this man gone or what was in the file, but then again they were never told of the specific details and told never to ask questions. All they ever know, and needed to know, was a portrait of their next target for hits like these. 

Baekhyun did not know why he was unsettled by the murder cover-up of the ‘Higher-Up’ who held the file to his remaining family’s protection. He always knew that ‘he’ was not the only one in The Company, and that file that has kept them safe for so long, has probably been safe-guarded by another member of The Company’s hierarchy. After all, The Company needs that file as much as they do because that file made them untouchable to SM, unless they want to get ousted in public. 

“Sir,” Baekhyun greeted the politician with a polite smile, “Your 2009 Sequoia Grove Cambium.” He placed the wine down on the cloth-clad table, picking up the left over plates of dessert. “Would you like anything else, Sir?”

Jung Joo pleasantly stared at his female companion, a beautiful blonde undoubtedly at least 10 years younger than the man himself, and shook his head. Baekhyun simply nodded at him before leaving and standing to the side, eyes trained on the man and his glass of wine, and smiled a little when he grabbed his wine glass with all five of his fingers to swirl the wine in his hand before he lets go and placed his fingers on the stem of the wine glass, drinking it.

“Baekhyun.” He turned his head around to find Chanyeol next to him. “You suddenly left our conversation, but that’s okay. I understand, working here has it’s merits and magic huh?” Chanyeol looked around, leaned against the mahogany walls next to his fellow trainee, “It feels like you’re part of an important world, what with all the rich and fame drama that goes around here.” He chuckled as a couple in their 50s argued quite heatedly before the wife stood up and stormed away.

Baekhyun smiled, albeit tense, as he knew what really goes on in the world Chanyeol didn’t knew existed; dirty money, bloodshed, illegal deals, fake partnership and more. “It’s a guilty pleasure of mine,” Baekhyun smirked, joking, “Give them a little bit of wine and they spill all their secrets.”

Chuckling, Chanyeol brought his palm up to hide his laughter, “Thanks for the advice.” He heaved a breath, and faced Baekhyun. “Hey, when does your shift ends?”

The waiter-in-disguise checked his watch, it was currently 8.21, dinner rush. Technically he did not have any shift as he simply intruded the place and went on as a simple waiter, but for the sake of maintaining his cover he simply lied, “8.30.”

Chanyeol smiled and leaned in a bit, “After this, do you, maybe, want to go somewhere with me?” Baekhyun widened his eyes in surprise, blinking it a few times. “We could go to the night market, get a snack in and bring some home for the members?”

When he found out that Chanyeol was the unexpected trouble, he was worried, even more than usual. Being around Chanyeol was a new thing for him, he got along with him well, it was easy; to smile at his jokes, laugh when he laughs, go along with the incessant arms that somehow find their way around Baekhyun’s shoulder. It was too easy to fall into the pattern that is having Chanyeol in his life. Approximately 2 months have passed ever since Baekhyun and Tao infiltrated SM, ever since he met Chanyeol. Chanyeol came into his life and stayed, he fits into the crevices of Baekhyun’s broken mirror, unlike anyone he ever knew. It evokes this strange feeling, something that warms his being, as if he was the sun himself. And he wants more.

“Yeah.” Baekhyun spoke, soft and fleeting, “I’d love that.” 

So, okay, let me bow and serve my head to you because i have not been updating for a millenia, however, i ... have no excuse whatsoever. I was just reallllyyy in a tight spot, and i was busy with events and such and a lot of school assessments along with getting hospitalized due to stress twice and counting and i know that doesnt count as an excuse but PLS FORGIVE ME T^T

I had a bad authors block, but now i think i'm able to write again- forced to actually- but yeaaahhhh, i shaaaalllll continue this TAORIS and BAEKYEOL THING, but i really don't know how to balance out the romance between Taoris and Baekyeol... more taoris? more baekyeol? i havent a clue.

BUT ANYWAYS, pleassee comment and tell me what you think about it or comment anything bc i love comments and its like my battery, no comments is my kryptonite, thus if i die, it's because of you guys :) I'm just kidding. Maybe. :)