Suho finally started getting wary of Chanyeol’s computer use when it started dramatically affecting his performance.

When he only used it during the day to surf fan sites, it was fine - he’d had more than enough time to practice and sleep and still have energy left for the stage. It had once been cute - he’d just sit on fan cafes and read everyone’s reactions to their different videos and performances for a little while every now and then. He was in the know of what fans wanted to see out of EXO, and it was highly informative for all of the members to know how they could improve or show off their individual talents. They liked asking Chanyeol what he’d found in the car to events. They liked hearing what their fans had to say about them. It was only every once and awhile.

But this quickly escalated into him sitting behind the computer every single day.

It wasn’t because the happy virus had become arrogant and wanted to hear what praises the fans had for him... He enjoyed reading about the other members much more than himself. If it wasn’t for the members still asking, he wouldn’t even read articles that were Chanyeol-biased at all. And this is where it got weird.

It was starting to grow into Chanyeol almost seeming to forget that he was actually a member of EXO himself. Though it took a while for the other members to realize it, Chanyeol had started joining every fan site he came across, making his own accounts in order to gush about EXO on his own. He loved discussing each of the member’s high points, arguing with anti-fans, and watching fancams of stages. He became a top contributor to some of the less popular sites with all of his comments and posts.

This problem only became evident to everyone else in the dorm when Chanyeol seemed to be carrying his camera around suspiciously often; and only blatantly obvious when he started bothering Kai to just stop wearing shirts altogether.

The fan sites loved shirtless Kai.

And Chanyeol started feeling like it was his duty, as a fan that had this sort of access to EXO, to give them shirtless Kai.

 Even then, the problem hadn’t become all that bad. No one worried too much. Maybe they were slightly wary to go to a bath house with Chanyeol in case he brought his camera, but they hardly thought he was obsessed with his newfound fondness for the information the internet held on his own group. They didn’t completely understand what was going on while Chanyeol was on the computer; they didn’t bother to stand behind him and read what he was writing or responding to, and they didn’t know where the pictures they took of them were going.

After all, he was still only stationed on the computer for maybe an hour a day - rookies hardly have free time. It wasn’t a pressing issue, and Chanyeol still worked his hardest during dance practices and rehearsals, continuing to have his bright presence during interviews. Instead of being creeped out by Chanyeol’s antics, the members of EXO just thought it was another funny quirk of his. After all, they didn’t know about the various “fan accounts” Chanyeol would post anonymously, revealing some of EXO’s odd habits and rituals. Maybe if they knew about those, they’d be more concerned. But at that point, it was just cute.

And then, all of a sudden, the situation got drastically worse.

When Chanyeol was woken up bright and early, instead of springing out of bed compliantly, he’d whine for more sleep. This was weirdly out of character for the happy virus, whose enthusiasm was usually contagious to the others who lacked energy. The change was mysterious until Baekhyun stayed up with Chanyeol, waiting for him to go to bed so he could retire as well.

But Chanyeol stayed up for hours.

Baekhyun fell asleep on the couch before Chanyeol finally shut the computer off and stumbled to his room in the darkness.

Suho bothered Baekhyun to tell about his findings the next morning, and the only answer he had for him was that Chanyeol hardly broke his gaze from his computer screen - getting up once or twice to get a snack, maybe, but returning quickly to watch, in awe, every update he came across.

None of the 5 members could figure out why, so suddenly, Chanyeol had grown so attached to the computer.

They figured he was only staying up so late because that was the only time he really had to surf the fan sites, but each of them had nagging doubts that if he had more free time, Chanyeol would spend it stationed in the same spot as well.

EXO-K just didn’t understand what had happened.

If they had, maybe they would have been more worried.

Chanyeol had discovered shipping.

And his obsession for EXO had grown exponentially.

He’d found fan-made pairing videos. He commented on every single one he found, making sure he was completely, safely, alone before he pressed play - he’d always been surprised with the content of some of them.

He’d found fan art. He figured out how to make his own Deviant Art account, even if he didn’t speak English. He was never one of those silent observers; he needed to tell the artists how much he admired their work.

The photo edits he found were mostly cringe-worthy, but every once and awhile he’d find something that was beautifully photoshopped. It would be immediately saved onto his IPod.

          But maybe worst of all, he’d dug up fanfiction. This is why he’d been up all night - some of the stories he started reading would be risky to browse in a room with two of the subjects present. What if someone were to actually read over his shoulder?

Every few days his favorite pairing would shift. His first obsession was Hunhan.

Because of Chanyeol’s character, even though he was horribly tired, he’d stay enthusiastic throughout EXO-K’s long days of work.

And the target of his enthusiasm? Sehun.

“Sehun-ah~”

“What?”

“Do you miss Luhan?”

“Yeah, I gueth...” He’d shake his head and look up at the taller man, unamused. “Hyung - why -”

But Chanyeol would have already skipped away, laughing giddily about his OTP.

Hunhan was so real.

Then it was Taoris.

Luckily for both subjects of this pairing, they were both far, far away.

But that didn’t matter for Chanyeol. He had the internet.

His absolute favorite parts of this particular ship consisted of the fancams of the pair at the airport - sporting their adorable matching designer bags and strutting around like models. Chanyeol basked in the beauty of Taoris’ airport fashion, and he was one of the first to be able to point out Taoris’ couple earrings with pride.

He’d gotten into a heated argument with someone who shipped Krisyeol, confusing the other fan thoroughly with his extensive, comprehensive list of reasons why the pairing just wouldn’t work.

Part of him wanted to ship Krispy Lays just for the sake of the silly name, but Chanyeol’s Taoris-loving heart just couldn’t fake it.

Taoris was so real.

Kaisoo naturally came next. Chanyeol loved the way Kyungsoo would stare wide-eyed at Kai, and after reading one particularly good fanfiction, he couldn’t stop translating it as anything but infatuation. He wasn’t exactly stealthy at hiding how much he watched the pair, but Kai was the only one to notice. Kyungsoo was too busy staring at the dancing machine.

Kaisoo was so real.

Within a week of discovering fanfiction, Chanyeol finished reading everything there was on Xiuchen, and this infuriated him. He was tempted to write a fic of his own, just to prove how great Xiuchen was; they were the two Koreans in EXO-M! He loved picturing them studying Mandarin together, and when Xiumin admitted to loving cuddling, he found it hard to hold in his spasms of how much Chen would totally be the one who would keep Xiumin warm.

Xiuchen was so real.

Soon he realized he was running out of members. But he couldn’t hold back his Sulay feelings - there wasn’t much evidence he could find, but this only made him ship it harder. Every single time EXO-K and M got together for something he watched closely for any Sulay interaction, and immediately pegged it as Sulay. Immediately. No doubt in his mind.

Sulay was so real.

And then, just as quickly as it started, Chanyeol’s enthusiasm for shipping evaporated.

He still stanned his OTPs like no one’s business, but suddenly, he became very reserved and quiet.

He had come down to one member. The other ten members were involved in one of his five OTPs, but he had a leftover. Eleven was an odd number. There was no avoiding it.

This was causing him much inner turmoil - he couldn’t explain it to anyone in the group, so he tried to act normal, but something was definitely up with him. Kaisoo was all happy and interacting, and Baekhyun would stand next to them, all alone...

Sehun would chat with Luhan over a webcam and Baekhyun would join him, but he didn’t have anyone...

Chanyeol could hardly look at Baekhyun without feeling absolutely terrible. He mourned for his loss of not having a soul mate. After hearing of OT3s, he tried to find somewhere where the pretty eyeliner-wearing boy could fit, but everywhere Chanyeol tried to add him just didn’t make sense. His OTPs were perfect.

He couldn’t move anyone around.

But he felt absolutely loathsome for having Forever Alone Baekhyun.

Poor boy. It wasn’t fair.

His pain only lasted a day or two, until Suho came up behind him before he was going to go to bed.

“Channie-yah, don’t stay up too late on a Chanyeol fan site, okay? We have a big day tomorrow...” He’d scratched his head and squeezed his rapper’s shoulders affectionately. “Goodnight~”

Chanyeol hadn’t been on a Chanyeol fansite since the dawn of his EXO feels, since he’d first started scanning EXO fan pages. He’d been too distracted with the other members. But now his head cleared.

Chanyeol.

Chanyeol.

Of course.

EXO did have twelve members. A perfectly even number.

Everything would be fine. No more Forever Alone Baekhyun.

All Chanyeol had to do was ship himself with Baekhyun. Baekyeol.

He spun around in the office chair in glee - it was perfect! He hadn’t even thought about it, but now that he had, he could recall the Baekyeol fansites, the side!Baekyeol in the fics he’d read. This would work out perfectly. Baekyeol.  He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would work his hardest to give obscene amounts of Baekyeol fanservice, provide “fan” accounts, and give Baekhyun all of his unconditional love.

He stayed up late that night despite Suho’s warnings. He had to catch up on the best Baekyeol fics since he’d been avoiding anything that mentioned him, and was blown away with how obvious the pairing had to have been.

After reading a particularly terribly sad fic that he’d seen from the beginning of his fanfiction-ing days but had avoided because it had “Chanyeol” blatantly in the title, Chanyeol decided that it’d probably be best for him to go to bed before he went completely crazy.

He got ready quickly and climbed into bed, snuggling up to Baekhyun. That last fic had made him cry really hard, and he nuzzled into Baekhyun’s back and finished drying his eyes into his shirt, wrapping his arms around him tightly and holding him close.

The smaller man turned in his sleep, and Chanyeol smiled softly to himself as he cuddled Baekhyun closer to his chest, whispering softly into his hair.

"We're so real."