It had been eight years since they got married, but they've practically been separated for seven.

Chanyeol worked as an editor in the city. Baekhyun, on the other hand, well, Chanyeol didn't really know what he did anymore. The last time they spoke, it was the day he left the rural town, which was also the last day he saw his husband.

Married when they turned 18, Chanyeol soon realized that the decision was a mistake. He wanted to do bigger things. Everything he wanted was in the city. After many marital and life conflicts, Chanyeol decided he hated the small town he lived in and left.

He found someone. He was different from Baekhyun and everything Chanyeol wanted to have in a partner--or so his craving heart thought.

Unlike Baekhyun, Kyungsoo was sleek and chic. He cared about how he looked. Baekhyun did too, but not so much. There was no need in the rural. Kyungsoo was a manager of multiple publishing clients, where as Baekhyun worked as a simple cashier at the only grocery store in town.

During his months of dating Kyungsoo, Chanyeol sent divorce papers time and time again, but each time, Baekhyun would send them back blank. Then Chanyeol made the decision to propose. The media quickly picked it up, but they weren't aware of his marital status yet. Kyungsoo was also unaware--seeming as the fact that Chanyeol never told him.

Finally, Chanyeol decided to end old business.

Making up a lie, Chanyeol told Kyungsoo that his parents were people who overreacted and that if they knew he was engaged, they'd overreact. Kyungsoo hesitantly understood and bid Chanyeol goodbye when he left to "visit family first."

-

-

When Chanyeol drove through his old town, he couldn't help but feel disgusted. Some buildings were broken and people were dressed poorly. It was different than the life he had built. He ignored the elderly he used to help and ignored the annoying laughter emitted from the people.

When he finally got to the house he used to share with his husband, Chanyeol sat in his car and took in the sight. The house still looked somewhat dirty. There were additional mechanical junk against some trees and any landscaping was minor.

Chanyeol wondered how he stayed for so long in a place like that. Getting out of the car, he was shocked when he heard a loud bark. A black dog stood on the porch, barking at him as if he was an intruder at his own house.

When the dog jumped off the porch, it didn't attack him. The dog turned out to be friendly. Smiling, Chanyeol rubbed the back of its neck and patted it on its back. As he was petting the animal, the front door opened and Chanyeol heard a familiar laugh.

"Watch out, he'll bite you if you don't pet him long enough."

When Chanyeol looked up, the smile on Baekhyun's face disappeared.

"Oh, it's you," Baekhyun frowned. "I almost didn't recognize you with that dyed hair and designer clothing."

Chanyeol caught the hint of bitter sarcasm. "I see you haven't changed," he threw back as he looked over Baekhyun's simple shirt and jeans.

"And I see that you've changed too much," Baekhyun bit back.

"I've changed for the better," Chanyeol argued.

Baekhyun shrugged. "Whatever you say, Mr. Editor big shot."

When he turned to walk back into the house, Chanyeol's hands curled into fists.

"You know, you don't look like you belong here," Baekhyun said with his back turned. "Why don't you go back to the city?"

Chanyeol's lips thinned. "I came here because you won't sign the ing divorce papers!"

Quickly turning back around, Baekhyun walked to the edge of his high porch and looked down at Chanyeol. "Is that what your golden came here for? You want me to sign your sorry papers?" He spat.

"Yes! I've been sending you these papers for months, but you won't sign them!" Chanyeol cried.

"And so you want me to sign them now," Baekhyun said, pointing a finger at him. "That's what you want from me?"

"For the love of god, yes!" Chanyeol said, exasperatedly.

Baekhyun looked at him for a moment. Then he said, "No."

Chanyeol's jaw dropped. "What?"

Baekhyun laughed. "No. I'm not going to give you what your spoiled wants." Again, Baekhyun walked away, leaving Chanyeol standing on their muddy and rocky property."

"Baekhyun!" he cried. When Baekhyun didn't respond and open the door, Chanyeol grew angry. "Come back here, you lowly bastard!"

"Go away," Baekhyun hummed.

Angrily, Chanyeol dropped all formal pretenses and jumped the porch, running for the door. Before he could make it, Baekhyun locked it. Soon, they were standing face to face with nothing but a thin, transparent glass in between them.

"Open the damn door," Chanyeol demanded.

"Get off my property."

"It's my property as well as yours so open this door before I break it!"

"You haven't lived here in 7 years, you bastard. I'd hardly call you a ing resident of this place," Baekhyun spat. Before Chanyeol could respond, Baekhyun pulled the blinds down. He tried to, at least. The blinds he had meant to replace fell apart when he pulled on it, enabling Baekhyun to have an awkward stare down with the giant outside.

"You know what? There's more than one way inside this ty house," Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun pretended to be smug as he watched Chanyeol leave the front porch. After he was out of sight, he darted for the back doors. Quickly closing all the doors in the back, Baekhyun locked each one.

After breathing a sigh of relief, he slowly moved to the kitchen. He usually didn't drink at all, but after seeing his estranged husband, he took out an emergency can of beer from the fridge. Before he could take a sip, he caught a figure from the corner of his eyes and Baekhyun almost dropped his can of beer on the floor.

"The next time you try and lock someone out, make sure they don't know where you decided to put the spare keys."

Giving up, Baekhyun harshly set the can down. "You're trespassing."

"Quit being a drama queen. This house is under my name, too."

Baekhyun took a moment of silence. "You really want me to sign it that badly?"

"Yes!"

Baekhyun looked at him. "You came all this way just for a damn signature. I bet your parents don't even know you're in town."

"My parents are none of your business" Chanyeol said.

"They are when everybody in town knows how you don't visit them at all," Baekhyun snapped.

Exasperated, Chanyeol scowled. "What the hell do you want from me, Baekhyun? All I want is for you to sign the papers."

"You think I'm gonna make it so damn easy for you to just move on and forget about everyone here," Baekhyun laughed. "Well I'm not."

Chanyeol frowned.

"If you want those papers?" Baekhyun started. "Start by dropping your over at your parents' house and saying hi."

Even though Baekhyun was much smaller than Chanyeol, he managed to push the taller male out the door. "Come back when you've visited everyone you ever left hanging," Baekhyun muttered before closing the door and placing a chair to block it.

-

-

Adhering reluctantly to Baekhyun's demand, Chanyeol begrudgingly went and visited his parents. His mother was the same as she used to be, doting and loving. She nearly cried when she saw him standing outside the house. His dad watched as his mom ran over to hug him. As he walked up the porch, he received a rough hug from his dad before being pulled inside the house by his mother.

"Do you want anything to eat, honey?" She asked. "You want me to reheat you something?"

As Chanyeol looked around, he shook his head. "No..." After a moment, he said, "Nothing's changed."

His father laughed. "That's not true. Come here," he said, calling Chanyeol over.

"Your mother got me this chair," he said. "Sit in it." Reluctantly, Chanyeol sat down and, immediately, the chair leaned back, shocking him. "Isn't it great?" Chanyeol scoffed breathlessly.

"Sure," he muttered. "Now push the chair back up. I want to get off."

Once Chanyeol's father reset the chair back, Chanyeol huffed and jumped out.

"Did I tell you that Baekhyun's thinking about getting one?" his father said. At the mention of Baekhyun's name, Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

"Don't mention him," Chanyeol muttered as he walked over to the small kitchen.

"Why not?" his mother asked calmly. "I know your priorities, Chanyeol," she said. "Baekhyun, divorce and then home."

"I'm just taking care of old business," Chanyeol replied.

"Baekhyun's doing alright," his father commented. "He's doing fine. That boy's going places."

Chanyeol couldn't help himself as he scoffed. Baekhyun wasn't going places. If he was, he would've gotten there years ago.

"Why're you rolling your eyes?" his mother asked.

"Because I don't want to talk about him," Chanyeol replied. Then, after a while, he asked, "How come you never visited me?"

As Chanyeol's mother placed food in the microwave, she smiled. "The door swings both ways, don't you think?"

Chanyeol kept quiet. Harsh as the reality was, he knew she was right. They never visited him. He never visited them. His heart was full of distaste for his town. He saw no point in visiting the past--visiting the same old town, the same old faces, the nobodys and the husband he left behind.

-

-

After staying the night at his parents, Chanyeol woke up the next morning making a few calls to his boss and to Kyungsoo while walking into town. As he tried to explain the situation, he heard honking behind him. In a split second, he turned around and yelled profanities only to realize that it was an old friend of his--Kris. "I'll call you back soon, okay?" Chanyeol said, bidding Kyungsoo goodbye.

"Hey! What're you doing here?" Kris yelled, laughing as he stopped the car on the side of the road. "Almost didn't recognize you!"

"The hair?" Chanyeol grinned.

"And the city clothes," Kris smirked. "You've changed--you look good, though."

Chanyeol smiled. "You too..."

"So what're you doing in town?" Kris asked, cocking his head.

"Uh, just trying to take care of some things with Baekhyun--"

"Are you patchin' things up with him now?" Kris smiled.

"Ah, no," Chanyeol said, shaking his head. "I'm engaged,actually."

"Engaged!?" Kris clicked his tongue. "You've been busy... So you're here for a divorce?"

Chanyeol nodded. "Working on it..."

Kris looked at him sideways. "Baekhyun... He hasn't signed anything yet?"

Chanyeol snorted. "No. He's being difficult."

"Is he, now..."

"Yeah, well, hey, I have to go. I have to withdraw some money. I'll be staying longer than I thought I would," Chanyeol sighed.

"Alright! I'll see you around then," Kris said, waving at him. "Later!"

"Bye."

Once inside the bank, Chanyeol discovered something nice. Seeing as how they were still married, everything in Baekhyun's bank was still his because of the joint account status.

When told about how much Baekhyun had in his bank, Chanyeol was shocked at the amount of money the small town grocery store cashier had. Then he was asked about how much money he wanted to take out, Chanyeol got an idea.

"All of it. I want all of it"

-

-

When Baekhyun returned home from his work, he was surprised to see Chanyeol inside his house, finished cooking a pot roast beef.

"Welcome back, Baek," Chanyeol said as he set the food down on the dining table.

Baekhyun cautiously watched him. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing. I'm just cooking you something nice," Chanyeol said with a blinding smile that Baekhyun didn't buy. "Do you want a beer, husband?"

Baekhyun frowned. "Get out of here, Chanyeol."

"Now why would I leave my dear husband?" Chanyeol said, feigning innocence.

"You did it before. It wouldn't matter the second time around."

Chanyeol stiffled a scoff. "You're grumpy. Maybe you need some beer."

"There's no beer in this house so just leave, damn it."

Chanyeol walked over to fridge. "No beer? I beg to differ."

Pulling open the fridge door, Chanyeol showed Baekhyun the content inside. From corner to corner, each shelf was stacked full of beer cans.

"What the !" Baekhyun cried, running over and pushing Chanyeol aside. "What the hell, Chanyeol!"

Moving back, Chanyeol laughed. "Are you upset? Did you want more? Because I bought 30 full kegs and put them in your stupid shed."

Baekhyun stared daggers at him. "Is this a prank, you ? Because its not funny!"

"You know what else is funny?" Chanyeol spat, "I gave away some of your furniture and those stupid art old portraits you had lying around this dump."

Once Chanyeol mentioned that, Baekhyun looked around and saw that it was true. A few of his paintings were gone and his favorite chair, too. When Baekhyun looked back around, he seemed murderous.

"Who the hell gave you permission to sell my things and clog my house up with alcohol?!"

"I don't need your permission because I'm your husband, honey!" Chanyeol sneered.

"You're not my husband!" Baekhyun snapped.

"You won't sign the papers, so guess what, Baek?!" Chanyeol cried. "You want a husband? Well you've got one!"

Baekhyun clenched his fists, enraged. Racing his eyes around the room he asked, "Whose money did you buy that with?"

Chanyeol smirked. "Ours." He laughed. "Two words, Baek. Joint account."

With his chest heaving, Baekhyun tried to calm himself. "How much... how much did you take out?"

Chanyeol snorted. "All of it."

Immediately, Baekhyun charged at him, trying to claw at his face. "What the hell! That's my money, you bastard!"

Forcibly pushing Baekhyun away, Chanyeol scowled at him. "What the hell were you doing with that kind of money anyways?!"

Baekhyun kept quiet. He only continued to glower.

"Why the hell does someone like you have money like that?!"

"That's none of your business, Yeol," Baekhyun muttered.

"Are you doing illegal things?" Chanyeol asked. "Is that what you've been doing?"

Baekhyun looked away and bit his lips. With broken breathing, he clenched his fists. "You want my signature? Fine. I'll ing sign it."

With a satisfied smirk on his face, Chanyeol took out the papers from a nearby drawer and held them out for Baekhyun to take. Snatching them from Chanyeol, Baekhyun moved from the kitchen to the living room and dropped down on a seat. Chanyeol leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, watching as Baekhyun looked over the papers. He grew anxious when Baekhyun began. But when Baekhyun paused just before signing, Chanyeol froze.

"You know what..." Baekhyun said, escalating loudly. "I forgot that I have a date tonight," he declared.

"What?" Chanyeol was confused and put into a loop.

"I'll sign these when I get back," Baekhyun said, dropping the pen and unsigned papers on a coffee table as he got up.

"Baekhyun, where're you going?!" Chanyeol asked, moving from the wall to catch Baekhyun as he got a coat from a closet.

"I have a date and I'm not gonna keep her waiting," Baekhyun replied, putting on his jacket and moving to the door to leave.

"Are you kidding me right now? It'll only take a second to sign them!" Chanyeol said as he followed right after.

"You know, I waited seven years for you to come back, so waiting a day for a bunch of papers won't kill you," Baekhyun said before he left the house.

-

-

Chanyeol spent the latter of the evening staying at his parents' small home until he was forcibly encouraged to go out and "have fun".

He decided to go to a pool table bar--the only bar in town. It wasn't much to his surprise to see Baekhyun there with this "date". Moving past everyone, Chanyeol instinctively stalked towards where Baekhyun was at, leaning handsomely against the table.

"Well, look what satan dragged in," Baekhyun said with a sarcastic smile.

Ignoring him, Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun's supposed date.

"Hi. I'm Park Chanyeol," he said. "I'm the husband--"

"Soon to be ex-husband," Baekhyun quickly repaired.

"Ex as soon as the bastard decides to sign the dotted lines," Chanyeol said with a forced grin.

"Oh, I see. I'm Tiffany--"

"Ah, sweet heart," Baekhyun interrupted. "Can you go get us some drinks?"

Tiffany smiled. "Sure!" To Chanyeol she asked,"What would you--"

"No, no," Baekhyun said. "Us as in you and I. Not Him and I."

"Ohhh, ok gotcha," she said winking.

Ditsy and a tad bit clumsy, Tiffany accidentally bumped into a few people on the way to the bar.

When Chanyeol saw, he rolled his eyes. "What a catch, Baekhyun."

"Better than the one I got 8 years ago," Baekhyun said with hardly any emotions.

When Tiffany came back, Baekhyun promptly moved them away, but seeing as how the bar wasn't very big, Chanyeol always seemed to be around. Shot and after shot, Chanyeol eventually got pulled into a new game of pool, the same game Baekhyun was playing.

Unlike his small husband, Chanyeol was far more over the line of sobriety. Yet despite his state, he managed to get to the final two. Before he knew it, it was only Baekhyun and him, nothing but aiming to win.

"Alright, alright," Kris said, who had decided to spend his night off at the bar. "The game's now set between Baekhyun and Chanyeol."

Around them, people cheered for either one, but Baekhyun's focus was on Chanyeol himself.

"Don't stagger and miss," he taunted.

"I don't miss," Chanyeol argued as he prepared his cue stick.

While Chanyeol figured out his game place, Kris laughed. "Doesn't this remind you when we were here watching the Olympic Games 8 years ago? Remember? It was just like this. You versus Baekhyun," Kris said, reminiscing.

Chanyeol took a drink and cracked a grin. "How the hell could I forget?" He looked over at Baekhyun. "That was the night I ed you in my car."

In a quick pace, the bar seemed to have slowed down and focused in on them. "Ahh, yeah, Chanyeol. Right there! yeah," Chanyeol mocked.

Baekhyun's grip on his pool stick tightened as he felt all eyes on the two of them. "You're done here, Chanyeol."

"Why?" Chanyeol cried. "I'm just telling everyone the night I decided to marry you. Eighteen and in love--not to mention stupid!"

Baekhyun bit his lips and looked away. Everyone's eyes were burning holes right through him and his grip on his pool stick was slipping. Chanyeol took one more shot and it was all it took to bring him stumbling.

Setting his stick down, Baekhyun moved over and held onto Chanyeol. Harshly pulling the taller male outside the bar, Baekhyun reached into Chanyeol's pockets and fished out his car keys. Opening the door to his old truck, Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol inside.

"Give me my keys, Baekhyun," Chanyeol slurred. "I'm going home."

" faced? No, I don't think so. You're going to kill yourself." Baekhyun spat. Closing the door, he sighed as he caught sight of Tiffany.

Walking to the bars entrance, he gently smiled. "Seems like this date's going have to be cut a tiny bit short," he apologized.

"No, it's alright! We can go out another time," Tiffany looked at Chanyeol's dizzy self inside Baekhyun's car. "You should take him home."

"Yeah. I should do that before he p...ukes..." Baekhyun watched in horror as Chanyeol spilled his guts inside his car. Groaning, he looked over at Tiffany. "Sorry...again."

"Oh, it's no problem!" She laughed.

"Maybe some other time?" Baekhyun nodded.

"Yeah... Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Walking over to the car, Baekhyun was confronted by a drunk Chanyeol.

"Sign the papers, you bastard," he slurred. Baekhyun ignored him and Chanyeol shook his body as he tried to click his seat belt in. "Why won't you sign it, you son of a ? Why won't y--"

Tired of Chanyeol's drunken behavior, Baekhyun turned towards him and pushed him back down in his seat. Too tired and drunk to move, the giant groaned, going limp.

"You talk too much," Baekhyun muttered as he began the car. "Idiot."

-

-

The next morning, Chanyeol woke up pained. His nose ached and his head was spinning. In the midst of his daze, he felt around. As he tried to gather info on his surroundings, he felt a familiar touch: paper.

Squinting, he focused his eyes on the material. A wave of relief should have washed over him but inside, cold reality hit him in the face like Baekhyun's fist.

Baekhyun had signed the divorce papers. They were officially separating.

When he walked out of the room, he realized that he was in Baekhyun's house, but Baekhyun was nowhere to be found. After quickly washing his face, he stepped outside the house with the intention of leaving but was sidetracked by the sight of Baekhyun sitting on the ground near the pond with his thumb stuck out. Slowly, he approached him.

"What're you doing?" Chanyeol asked curiously.

Startled, Baekhyun looked behind him. "Oh... nothing."

"It wasn't nothing. I saw you holding your hand out," Chanyeol mumbled.

Getting off the ground, Baekhyun sighed. "I was stretching it." Changing the subject, Baekhyun said, "Are you alright enough to go home?"

Chanyeol's lips thinned. "Yeah..."

"Then you should probably go." Baekhyun told him.

Chanyeol looked at him. "I should."

After Chanyeol took a step back from the pond, Baekhyun said, "The papers...I signed them."

"I know... I saw it," Chanyeol replied. "Thanks..." Just as he was about to turn and leave, he remembered a painful thought.

Turning back around, he looked at Baekhyun. "I'm sorry--about last night. About the things I said."

Baekhyun's lips curved and he let out a soft laugh. "Which part?" he asked gently.

"The part where I mocked you that night," Chanyeol said hesitantly. "The part where I said that... I regretted ever asking you to marry me."

Baekhyun looked at him with soft sullen eyes. "You don't need to apologize for the second part. I already knew."

"Baek--"

Taking in a large breath, Baekhyun smiled at him. "You should probably go home now, back to your parents."

Chanyeol hesitated to move but after Baekhyun looked away, he forced himself to turn and walk to his car, driving out and heading home.

-

-

Chanyeol visited his parents one last time before leaving--or so he thought. After much coaxing, his mother managed to get him to stay longer.

"Have you visited Mrs. Kim yet? That woman's been waiting for you to come around now," she said.

Chanyeol gave her a soft look. "No. Maybe I should."

His mom nodded. "She babysat you, you know. She even gave you and Baekhyun that fine china set for your wedding."

Chanyeol paused. "We never used them."

His mom quirked her lips. "Well, no... Baekhyun used them. He used them multiple times."

Chanyeol looked at her. "When?"

She shrugged. "Here and there. At some of his openings, he'll use them to save on budget money."

"What're you talking about?" Chanyeol asked. "What openings?"

Realizing what her son didn't know, she smiled and moved on. "Nothing significant. Are you going to the town fair tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. I miss the fair..." Chanyeol sighed.

"Well I'm glad you miss something around here," his mother joked slightly.

Chanyeol frowned as he kept silent. Then he asked, "Do you think I'm a horrible person?"

She turned around. "Why would you ask that?"

Chanyeol ignored the question. "I'm asking Baekhyun for a divorce because its what we both want."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

"It... it is," Chanyeol mumbled. "We broke apart years ago. Neither of us are trying anymore."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then his mother smiled at him. "Well I hope you have fun at the fair tomorrow. If you see Baekhyun, be nice."

-

-

When Chanyeol arrived at the scene, it was exactly like he remembered it to be. People were dancing and singing; kids were playing; adults drinking. He recognized a lot of his old friends by the picnic tables and decided to walk up. When Baekhyun saw him, he grinned.

"Well, look who decided to come to a simple man's party," he said with a laugh.

One of the guys, Luhan, hit Baekhyun playfully on the arm as he handed Chanyeol a bottle of beer. "Don't mind him," he said.

Chanyeol complied but his brain did not. He couldn't keep his thoughts off the male that greeted him with no warmth.

Luhan noticed after a few minutes, and when Baekhyun was looking away, he nudged Chanyeol by the elbow.

"Don't think too badly of him," Luhan said with a solemn smile. "I see that look on your face. Baekhyun doesn't deserve that."

Chanyeol frowned. "What do you mean?"

Luhan stopped. "Everyone in town knows about the divorce..." Shrugging, Luhan looked in Baekhyun's direction where he was laughing as a few friends jokingly pushed him around.

"He tried, you know," Luhan said quietly. "He's been trying up to this point." Looking back at Chanyeol, Luhan shrugged. "He went after you. Packed a backpack and headed to Seoul to get you back."

Taken aback, Chanyeol's heart rate picked up. "W-what?"

Luhan nodded to confirm everything he just said. "He left a year after you had gone and he saw the city for the first time. That's when he realized it was gonna take more than an apology to get you back. He realized he needed to be someone you would feel proud to be with, you know," Luhan sighed. "So that's why..."

Choking on his words, Chanyeol managed to ask, "What? So that's why what?"

Silence lingered for a second.

"That's why he kept sending the divorce papers back unsigned. He wasn't ready to give up and let you go."

Chanyeol felt his throat go dry. "Baekhyun went to Seoul," he muttered. "I didnt know."

"Well, he did," Luhan said nodding. Chanyeol didn't have the time to respond. He was bumped from behind and when he turned, he saw a friend.

"Hi, Yeol!" Sehun laughed. "I heard you were back. I figured you'd be here."

"Uh, yeah. Only for a few more days," he said.

"Well I'm glad you're here now." Smiling, Sehun headed for Baekhyun. "Baek, the art exhibit's open now!" he announced.

Overhearing, Chanyeol gave Luhan a curious look. "Art?"

Luhan confirmed and pointed to something behind them. Chanyeol looked and noticed a town building with a crowd going in and out of it.

"You wanna go see?" Luhan asked.

Chanyeol looked back at Baekhyun who was laughing and cheerfully talking to the rest of their old friends.

"Sure. I'd love to," Chanyeol said. As they walked away from the open bar, Chanyeol muttered, "I still can't believe he went."

"It was a long time ago," Luhan said softly.

"But the last time he sent back the papers was 6 months ago," Chanyeol mumbled. "So that means-"

"I don't know what it means," Luhan cut in with a smile. "There's only one Baekhyun in this world and he's the only one who knows his feelings."

"I guess, "

Once they gained admission in the building and started walking around, Chanyeol couldn't keep his mouth shut. At the endless amount of art, Chanyeol couldn't catch his breath.

There were paintings of nature around town. There were paintings of kids. On one canvas, a pond was painted, but Chanyeol couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness from the dull, musky colors used. Chanyeol failed to notice in his awe the looks that Luhan would sometimes look his way, as if watching his reactions.

The further and further they went, Chanyeol began to notice that the mood of the paintings were getting somber and sadder.

Finally, in one corner, there was a painting hanging on the wall. The painting was different from the rest for a simple reason. Unlike the rest, there was a black cloak hanging over it, covering the painting from the eyes of the exhibitors. Underneath it was a plaque. Stepping forward, Chanyeol read the words.

"'Lost'" he mumbled. Looking under the title, he made out the sentences. "'A treasure that I lost that I'm desperately searching to find again',"

Chanyeol let the words sink in as he slowly stepped back. After a second, he gently asked, "Why is there a cloak hiding the painting?"

Luhan looked at him. "It's covered by black to show that the artist hasn't found what he's looking for yet."

"Years ago, he said he'd show it once he got what he wanted back," Luhan sighed. "Everyone in town already know what's behind that thing though."

Chanyeol frowned. "I don't understand. How can you know if the painting's never been revealed?"

Luhan shrugged. "It's obvious." Changing the somber mood, Luhan smiled. "Wanna go back?"

Even though he was unable to tear his eyes off the mystery painting, Chanyeol nodded. When they got back to the open bar set up outside, they were greeted by the jeers of their friends.

"How was it?" Sehun asked.

Genuinely, Chanyeol smiled at him. "I really liked it. Everything was nice--um, do you mind me asking, who is the artist?"

Everyone stopped and looked at him. Chen, in the back, chuckled. "Why do you wanna know?"

"I was thinking about maybe buying some of it," Chanyeol said. "It'd look nice around the apartment."

Chen laughed. "Well if you wanna know who painted all those, then—"

Scoffing, Baekhyun pushed Chen off balance. "Why buy some small town country artists' art when you have your big town players in Seoul?" he asked.

"Maybe because you can't find things like that in the city, Baek," Chanyeol said calmly. "It's different."

Baekhyun quirked his lips and took a small sip from his bottle of beer. "Is that so?" He muttered.

"I wouldn't mind being his patron," Chanyeol said.

Setting his bottle down, Baekhyun laughed. "Oh, he doesn't need a patron."

Suddenly, music started playing and people began moving towards the center to join in the festivities. Smacking his lips once, Baekhyun looked to Sehun. "Dance with me, Sehun. Come on!" He said with a wide smile.

Being pulled along, Sehun had no choice. Instead of being glum, he grinned. "Are you good with your feet, Baek?"

"You've known me for the longest time. You know I do well enough." With a smile, Baekhyun lead Sehun into the crowd.

Luhan sat down on a seat, but a second later, Chanyeol--after watching Baekhyun let loose and dance-- held his hand out to his old friend.

"What do you say? Wanna go out there too?" Chanyeol asked.

"Ah, I'm not a good dancer," Luhan said.

"Baekhyun always said I danced like an idiot," Chanyeol said grinning. "Now come on."

Pulling Luhan into the crowd, the two of then laughed as they childishly moved to the friendly music playing. There were countless moments of spinning and people often switched partners. For the most part, Chanyeol kept with Luhan but when the music changed to a slower tempo, Chanyeol found his newly switched partner to be Baekhyun.

As the couples moved and swayed around them, the two of them softly stared at each other for a few moments. Neither knew what to do. It wasn't awkward. It seemed as though both were too scared to move. Then, Baekhyun tilted his head and held out his hand. "What do you say? You wanna dance, my dancing idiot?"

Chanyeol's hand flinched. His mouth opened to respond, but when he took longer than he expected, Baekhyun pursed his lips. Taking back his gesture, Baekhyun smiled as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's okay. Sorry."

"I--Baek, I'm--"

"Ah, I have to go," Baekhyun awkwardly said. "I have... business I forgot about. Enjoy the fair," he said in a feigned voice. "I hope you have a good time."

Before Chanyeol could say anything else, Baekhyun left, leaving him in the crowd. 

a/n: wow i can really tell i wrote this way back when lmao anyways!!!

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