Park Chanyeol was somewhat nervous about acting on impulse once again, even though now he had all the reasons in the world to do so. He was a free man, liberated from the war against parental control, and once again, an aspiring boy in the world of music. Chanyeol was scared of his new life, but the feeling of freedom was still more contagious than any reservations his paranoias could offer.

When he left his father's company to pursue the career he always wanted, Chanyeol chose what would probably earn him more money: opening a bar. And not just any bar, he wanted to open the bar. A bar with lots of music and beer for people like him to feel closer to who they really were. It might be an innocent dream for most people, but for Chanyeol, it was everything he ever wanted.

Days ago, he signed the contract to purchase a space a bit far from the center of Seoul. The place would need renovation, but that wouldn't be a problem. He had enough money to make all the preparations just the way he dreamed, now that he had sold all his expensive cars in exchange for a van.

A complete madness? He thought so too. But the difference was that now he had a direction to follow, an idea to hold onto.

He was now back at Studio 123, recording some demos for his solo project. Inside the recording booth, Chanyeol felt that the outside world couldn't reach him. He got lost in his own heart, singing out as if it were as natural as breathing.

And it was like that every time.

Chanyeol always knew he was born to sing. It was in his blood, but more than that, it was also in everything that made him who he was. He strummed the chords of the guitar he had made for Mariah Carey's "Without You," and let the foreign lyrics sound from his lips.

No, I can't forget this evening

Or your face as you were leaving

But, I guess that's just the way

The story goes

You always smile but in your eyes

Your sorrow shows

Yes it shows

No, I can't forget tomorrow

When I think of all my sorrow

When I had you there

But then I let you go

And now it's only fair

That I should let you know

What you should know 

Chanyeol couldn't help but close his eyes, immediately recalling Kim Minseok. Every time he felt love overflowing like this, as he felt it now, he was with his bartender. He felt that euphoric feeling with every memory he had of him, every contour of Minseok's teasing smile, every sound he made when Chanyeol brought him pleasure. Everything, absolutely everything about Kim Minseok sent him over the moon.

As he reached the chorus, Chanyeol let himself be carried away, doing his best to convey all those emotions in his voice. The song became a reflection of his feelings, and he poured his heart and soul into each word, making it a truly powerful performance. The music surrounded him like a warm embrace, and he felt alive, truly alive, in that moment.

When he finished singing, he opened his eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. The memories of Minseok and the excitement of his new venture blended together, creating a surge of energy within him. He couldn't wait to share his music and his dreams with the world, and he couldn't wait to share them with Minseok, the person who had inspired so much of his passion and creativity.

With newfound determination, Chanyeol stepped out of the recording booth, ready to embrace his future and everything it held. The road ahead might be challenging, but he knew that as long as he had his music and Minseok by his side, he could face anything that came his way. And with a heart full of love and a voice full of soul, he was ready to conquer the world.

I can't live

If living is without you

I can't live

I can't give anymore

I can't live

If living is without you

I can't give

I can't give anymore

Chanyeol left the recording studio feeling a mix of emotions, but the overwhelming feeling was one of happiness and freedom. He had finally returned to his true self, embracing his passion for music and pursuing his dreams. The thought of opening his own bar and sharing his music with the world filled him with excitement and determination.

As he made his way back to his apartment, he couldn't help but think about Minseok. The memories of their time together, the love they shared, and the deep connection they had were etched in his heart. Chanyeol knew that Minseok was the person he wanted to show his music to first, to share his new journey with, and to cherish every moment of it together.

The upcoming conversation with his father weighed on him, but he knew that he couldn't sacrifice his true self for the expectations of others. He had to be brave and stay true to who he was, even if it meant facing challenges and making difficult decisions.

Arriving at his apartment, Chanyeol took a moment to reflect on everything that had led him to this point. He felt grateful for the support of people like Raiden and Kyungsoo, who had been there for him throughout his journey of self-discovery. They were more than just colleagues; they were true friends who understood him in a way that no one else could.

As the days passed, Chanyeol worked tirelessly on his music, pouring his heart and soul into every song. The process was cathartic, allowing him to express his emotions and find solace in his art. Each composition reflected a piece of his journey, and he couldn't wait to share them with the world.

Finally, the day came when he was ready to show Minseok the song he had written for him. Nervous but excited, Chanyeol invited Minseok to the recording studio, wanting to share the moment in the place where his dreams were coming true.

As the music played and Chanyeol sang the heartfelt lyrics, Minseok listened intently, his eyes filled with emotion. When the song ended, Chanyeol looked at him, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

Minseok's eyes glistened with tears as he pulled Chanyeol into a warm embrace. "Chanyeol, this is beautiful," he whispered, his voice filled with love. "I never knew I could inspire someone like this. Thank you for sharing this with me."

Chanyeol smiled, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he had Minseok by his side, supporting and loving him unconditionally.

With Minseok's love and support, Chanyeol continued on his journey, embracing his true self and sharing his music with the world. His bar, "Freedom Notes," became a haven for those seeking solace in music and camaraderie.

As for his stage name, after much contemplation and discussion with Minseok, he decided to go by the name "Chan" - a combination of his given name and his nickname. It felt right, like a new beginning that honored his past and embraced his future.

Chanyeol's music touched the hearts of many, and his openness about his journey inspired others to embrace their true selves too. As he stood on stage, performing for his fans and basking in their love and support, he knew he was finally where he belonged - both in his music and in his heart, with Minseok by his side.

It was Chuseok, and Kim Minseok was once again waiting for Park Chanyeol in his empty apartment. By this time, Luhan should be near Daegu where his grandmother lived with the rest of the family. During holidays, Minseok would usually join them, as he had become an official member of the Lu family. But that year, after everything that had happened, Park Chanyeol was also on his own. As much as it broke Minseok's heart, he knew that it was best for both of them to spend the holiday together. So that's what they had agreed upon.

It was already a bit late when Kim heard the doorbell ring. He turned down the volume of the television he was watching and walked to the door. When he opened it and saw Park Chanyeol standing there with a guitar on his back, and a completely different look—plaid flannel, ripped jeans, and a Legend Of Zelda t-shirt—Minseok couldn't help but burst into laughter because the former playboy Park Chanyeol had undergone a complete transformation.

"Am I opening the door to the past?" Minseok joked as he swung the door open wider to let Chanyeol in.

Chanyeol entered, leaving the guitar near the table where they kept keys and other knick-knacks (or rather, Minseok's cigarettes and Luhan's palette knives). He smiled at Minseok, opening his arms as if he were a teenager.

"I'm back, Min."

Minseok grinned widely.

"I can see that, Loey Park," he teased, "I just miss your blond hair, but I guess that can be left in the past, right?"

Chanyeol laughed in a way Minseok had never seen before. It was a loud, vibrant laugh. He realized that perhaps Chanyeol had left that part of himself behind while trying to fit into a mold that wasn't his: his own life.

Minseok remembered vividly the first time he saw Loey Park on stage with his guitar. It was his deep voice that caught his attention initially, but also his energy. Chanyeol, the artist, was like a fire in the midst of snow, shining so brightly that it seemed out of place in the world. And when it was gone, it was missed. Minseok realized in that moment just how much he had missed that.

"You really came back, Chanyeol. I'm so happy and proud of you," Minseok said, smiling.

Chanyeol suddenly seemed a bit emotional. Perhaps he had been hoping to hear those words from someone, and that someone wasn't necessarily his boyfriend. But what could they do? They were already there, alone, dealing with their own demons in the middle of the hurricane their love had stirred. Minseok didn't regret having pursued him because he knew the decision came from both of them. He couldn't be in a relationship alone, and if Chanyeol had chosen him, he chose him back. That's how it was.

"Min... I love you. I really do. Thank you for loving me."

Minseok laughed at his words because it was so typical of him to say things like that.

"No need to thank me for that, Chanyeol. It's so easy to love you, you have no idea."

He hesitated, looking at Minseok with a hint of surprise. Had no one ever said that to him before?

Chanyeol walked over to where Minseok was standing and pulled him into a deep kiss. It wasn't urgent, but it was passionate. It was perhaps the first time he had taken such an initiative, catching Minseok off guard for a few seconds before he responded. He felt Chanyeol's hands on his waist as he kissed him, and Minseok had to lean against the front door, pressing his back against the cold wood.

Minseok couldn't think of anything else but Chanyeol's lips passionately kissing his. Their tongues moved in sync, and he had to hold onto Chanyeol's neck to keep his balance. Chanyeol lifted him up, supporting his weight by his thighs and leaning against the door. It didn't take much more for his excitement to grow.

A sigh of pleasure escaped his lips, and Chanyeol smiled during the kiss. He lowered his lips to Minseok's neck, and touching his body as he descended. His heart raced with each touch, every detail of the moment reminding him of what it felt like to be truly loved. Chanyeol always brought such dedication to his passion, and that was what Minseok had always missed: being able to love without reservations and lies, without hiding and blackmail. Of all the loves he had experienced, Park Chanyeol was the most precious.

"I... love you, Chan," he managed to say, because it was true.

And because he wanted him to hear it. He wanted him to know how grateful he was to have met him and how he felt like he was about to explode when they were together.

Just like now.

Chanyeol didn't reply; he simply continued kissing him until he reached for the button of Minseok's black jeans. He ed them and returned to capture his lips. Minseok held the nape of his neck, while Chanyeol undressed him. They parted, and Minseok took off the black tank top he was wearing. Chanyeol took off his shirt and t-shirt, leaving only the jeans in the way as they walked towards Kim's bedroom.

Minseok smiled amid the kisses Chanyeol gave him, as if they were oblivious to their current state. Chanyeol sat on the bed, and Minseok straddled his lap, kissing his lips while holding his face. Chanyeol's hands were on his hips, gripping him every time he felt pleasure. Their arousals pressed together, and Minseok could already feel throbbing. He needed Chanyeol's touch, immediately.

"Touch me. Please touch me, Chanyeol," he pleaded.

And he did. Chanyeol touched , trying to pleasure him with the same care Minseok was already familiar with. One of his hands moved slowly along its length, while the other held him by the thigh. Minseok continued to kiss him, holding onto his neck as if his arms were meant only for that purpose. Chanyeol moved his lips, his left , including the new piercing he had gotten a few months ago.

Minseok tilted his head back, feeling a whirlwind of sensations. Chanyeol's hands holding him tightly, his excitement throbbing, and his lips on his ; it all made him feel so hot. Boiling hot. As hot as the summer sun on the coast, that was exactly how Chanyeol made him feel.

Chanyeol lay back on the bed, pulling Minseok closer to him. He now traced his back with a smile, knowing that was where the tattoo was. Minseok smiled too and wriggled on his lap, trying to his jeans.

"You look gorgeous on top of me like this. I love seeing you, Min."

Minseok smiled, realizing that Chanyeol's gaze also fell on the piercing. He didn't say anything, just pulled down his pants. Chanyeol wasn't as nervous about this kind of contact anymore, so they had reached a point in their relationship where intimacy truly was intimate, something Minseok had never experienced before. At least not to this extent.

"I love seeing you too," he said, truly meaning it.

Chanyeol looked at him, seeming a bit affected. He touched Minseok's face and pulled him into a kiss, one that Minseok gladly reciprocated. Their tongues moved in sync, this time slowly, as if the kiss itself was trying to convey everything Chanyeol wanted to say, but with the touches and sensations his body could provide.

Minseok never thought that one day he would come to know the true meaning of making love, but there he was: in Chanyeol's lips as he kissed him, in his hands pulling down his black boxers, and in the warmth of their skin against each other when the clothes were no longer a barrier. Chanyeol kissed him with all he had, pulling him so close that it felt like he wanted to merge with Minseok. And perhaps he was succeeding, because that's how Kim felt: so close to him, closer than they had ever been before. It was the first time they were on the exact same page, and it felt like magic.

Minseok held his face as he felt his excitement between his legs. They were sitting on the bed, , savoring that precious moment. They didn't worry about time, much less the problems they would still have to resolve in the future; all that would come later. What mattered was that they were there, experiencing that love for the first time.

Chanyeol stretched and searched for the Minseok usually kept on the bedside table. He opened it and, without saying a word, slid it onto Minseok's member while still kissing him. So it would be like that, the bartender thought. It had been a while since he had engaged in that position, but Minseok accepted his unspoken request. It was a new moment with new sensations, and it was probably Chanyeol's first time too.

So, Minseok tried to be gentle as he moved, changing their position. Minseok lay down on the bed, while Chanyeol balanced himself at the headboard. Their eyes were locked on each other, exploring the possibility of continuing, making sure that this was indeed what Chanyeol was asking for. But Park didn't answer.

He let Minseok guide him, trusting his body to Minseok's care. Minseok brought him closer and held onto his thighs as he kissed the length of his . Gently at first, as if waiting for him to feel it. Chanyeol moaned at the first touch, allowing him to continue.

Minseok slid his tongue along the length and it with a certain pressure. Chanyeol began to breathe faster and had to hold onto the headboard of the bed to contain his pleasure.

It was beautiful to see his body reacting to his touches. Minseok tried to ensure that affection was not left behind in the midst of pleasure, and he let his hands explore Chanyeol's body like a work of art. Each of his fingers explored his body in a way they had never done before. Chanyeol writhed as he slowly moved on Minseok's tongue. He held firmly onto the wood, and the moans came out low, almost strangled by pleasure.

Minseok descended his tongue to his balls and on each one while lightly touching his with his fingers. Chanyeol moaned loudly and involuntarily into his boyfriend's hand as Kim moved his tongue on his skin, savoring and feeling his body react to his every move.

Minseok could already feel his own excitement needing touches, so he moved his hand to the base of Chanyeol's while still feeling him in his mouth.

Park engaged in rhythmic movements, accompanied by the pleasurable whispers of both. Minseok couldn't think of anything else but Chanyeol, the love he felt for him right then, and the need to always want more becoming almost insatiable.

Chanyeol continued with the back-and-forth movement in his mouth, going back and forth deep into his throat. It felt good, very good. Even better because Minseok could touch his body with caresses that went from his back to his hips, down to his strong thighs. Feeling him on top of him was just one of many sensations; it was as if Chanyeol himself was there at his mercy. And perhaps he was.

"Ah..." Chanyeol moaned each time he went deeper and Minseok's wet tongue slid along his arousal.

Minseok felt his pre- in his mouth and began to accelerate his own movements when Chanyeol suddenly stopped.

"M-Min... the lube..." he gasped, making it clear that he didn't want to end it there.

Minseok backed away while still holding him in place. Chanyeol moaned again, hoarsely, seeming close to . Minseok stretched to look for the lube on the bedside table, but Park beat him to it. He opened the drawer and handed the product to him.

"Guide me now," he said, confident in what he wanted.

"Are you sure?" Minseok asked. "Is this your first time?"

Chanyeol nodded without saying anything, breathing with difficulty.

"I've never done this before. I'm nervous, Chan," Kim murmured, showing his sincerity.

"I-it's okay." Chanyeol assured, "It'll be the first... for both of us..."

Minseok smiled softly and pulled him closer. Chanyeol kissed him again passionately but still sitting on his lap. They tried together to apply the lubricant, and Minseok waited as Chanyeol tried to sit on him. He knew that this was one of the best positions to avoid pain, but he was also aware that it might be inevitable. So, he only inserted the tip of his first, very slowly. He tried to pay attention to his boyfriend's expressions, making sure he felt as little pain as possible.

Chanyeol closed his eyes and stayed still for a few seconds. Minseok touched and slid his hand along it while him. He tried to touch him to arouse and distract him, but he wasn't sure if it would work.

"Want to stop?" he asked, realizing that the pain must be bothering him.

Chanyeol shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to sink in further. It was pleasurable, Minseok couldn't deny that. It was so nice to feel him so close, on top of him, about to ride on his lap. He let himself be carried away, holding onto Chanyeol's thighs tightly as he slid a bit deeper. Chanyeol made a face, and he forced himself to stop. It wouldn't work like this, not this way.

"Chan... let's do it differently today," he said, clearly nervous that he had done something wrong.

But Chanyeol was still determined, as he started moving right there. He began to ride on his lap, either in pain or pleasure—Minseok couldn't tell. He ran his hands over Minseok's chest and finally opened his eyes. He wanted to look at his boyfriend, to see him as they felt that way together.

Minseok felt himself sliding in with difficulty during the first s, but the more Chanyeol picked up the pace, the more pleasure he felt.

"C-Chanyeol..." he let his name slip through his lips, as if it were a prayer.

Chanyeol didn't seem to mind the difficulties; he struggled to control the speed, to control how far he could go. Sometimes he moaned a little louder, hoarse. At other times, Minseok sped up the hand movements he was making, sliding his fingers at the same speed as Chanyeol was riding on his lap.

It was a combination of sensations, something new, something they had never done before, but it would be marked as a new experience, just like everything else in their relationship.

They didn't stop making love for a single second, and Minseok strived to feel Chanyeol with his body and soul even more. He kissed him when he wanted to, touched in ways he knew would bring him more pleasure. Chanyeol simply let himself go, holding onto the headboard as he moved on his boyfriend's lap with some difficulty.

Minseok felt himself going deeper and deeper, carried away by the way Chanyeol was guiding them. He accelerated and decelerated in equal measure, almost pulling his out and sinking it back in. Minseok felt his mind spinning and reflexively sped up the movements of his fist. He was close to ing with that delightful torture.

Chanyeol needed three more bounces before he spilled with pleasure, loudly as Minseok followed suit. Both reached their peak at the same moment, their bodies trembling, Minseok's hands pulling at Chanyeol's thighs as Park struggled to hold onto the headboard.

His full lips were slightly open, and if Minseok had any strength left, he would have kissed him there. But all he could do was breathe as he said:

"I love you." He said it once, twice, and four more times.

He repeated it because it was true. He loved him, and he loved him again and again. It consumed him when he woke up, when he thought about his future, and when he looked into his eyes from the first moment he saw him. He loved him so much that it was immense, worthy of Park Chanyeol.

Chanyeol opened his eyes, reflecting everything Minseok was thinking at that moment. He loved him just as much, his gaze told him. He loved him enough to do crazy things, enough to find the courage he needed to break free from a past he always hated.

Minseok was seeing Park Chanyeol before his eyes for the first time, and he was beautiful. So perfect and wonderful that the bartender had no idea what he had done to deserve him in his life. Chanyeol was everything Minseok had hoped he would be, and even more. Because he was now the love of his life.

"I love you," Chanyeol finally said, gently touching his face. "I love you, Kim Minseok, and one day I'll say it for everyone to hear."

Minseok knew his words were true, and he also knew that Chanyeol fully understood their significance to him. His dream had always been to live a free-spirited love, one that he could carry in a motorcycle's suitcase by the roadside. But after everything, Chanyeol made him realize that true freedom could be much greater than a simple adventure. It was when someone chose you to the point of truly breaking free, going beyond everything you knew, and turning your life upside down. It was when he looked at Chanyeol and knew that he had come there only because of him, and that he wouldn't go back. And that's exactly what he hoped would happen.