China boy, do you want to die?! Get away from her, you ing retarded freak!

Lay winced from where he sat, cross legged in the park, sheltering from the morning sun under the slide in the playground. His guitar was propped up at his side and was still dusty, save for a few fingerprints from where he had handled it. Despite grabbing his guitar, he hadn't played it at all that night. The more he looked at it, the more he wanted to smash it. He looked at it and glared at it.

All because of you, I'm like this. Because of music, I'm here in Korea, away from my family. Because of music, Huiling wants me to go back. It's gotten to the point where I don't want music in my life anymore.

After his last guitar had been smashed, Suho had gifted him with a new one as it had been in complete disrepair. But to destroy something his hyung had given to him would be unforgiveable. Especially if it had been done in something as petty as a fit of rage or to make a stand. He cursed at his past, over and over again, telling himself that if he hadn't been something of a child star he wouldn't have to deal with the problem he was facing now.

He knew why Huiling was scared. She was returning home after so many years away. Life was different there- no facebook, twitter or youtube to put it into perspective. Take into account the differences in food and culture and daily life and architecture and it was just so alien and Lay felt bad. There was something about the way Huiling's wet hair clung to her face and the way her head fell limp as Jaemin carried her back to the dorm that made Lay feel as though he should have his heart ripped out for doing the exact same to her.

He didn't want to go back, at least not permanently. He'd promised his manager to find him should he ever decide to return but although he didn't want the fame, he didn't mind having the fortune that came with it. He'd grown tired of the fruitless days that came eating just the bare minimum- rice and perhaps a fried egg with a slosh of soy sauce drizzled over the top. He wanted to taste the joy that was roasted goose and wantonly savor a glistening lotus wrapped glutinous rice, but more than that, he wished he could share the luxuries he had been so lucky to have with his new family.

It wasn't as though you were all foreign to such riches. At the beginning, the allowance was able to be spent regularly on feeding the few boys living in the dorm back then with tender, good cuts of meat. Kris had had his fair share of high fashion parties in China that came complete with lavish 3 course meals for the models that could eat and salmon and cream cheese blinis for those that couldn't. Seeing his mother earlier that year dressed well for her age also meant that Kris no doubt had a good life in Canada too. Chanyeol was no exception, having grown up on 'only the best' due to his background. Sehun, Baekhyun and Chen were all from similar middle class wealth status families so no one was unfamiliar with what they were missing. No one ever complained about the poor lifestyle they had, not even Chanyeol. But although they had adapted, Lay knew everyone deserved more.

D.O deserved to cook and honor his mother with good ingredients. Kai and Suho deserved to eat nutritious food to help them cope in their studies. Being female and biologically made to have children, you deserved to be healthy. Everyone was grateful for what they had, no doubt, but they couldn't rely on just Xiumin and Chanyeol's income along with the help they received from Mr Park and Jiyoung.

Ideas whirred around in his head. Luhan had said that if he had debuted, he'd give some of his assets to the family.

Perhaps, Lay thought, I should do the same? 

It was feasible. 

 

Step 1) go to China with Huiling who's bound to kick up a fuss.

Step 2) wait. 

Step 3) release a single and promote for a month or so.

Step 4) disappear and return to Korea to be with Haneul and the boys.

 

Lay shook his head to himself and lightly slapped his left cheek.

'You stupid stupid stupid-... What the hell are you thinking? Release a single? To get money for the dorm? Don't be such a . You'll never get out of China after all that.'

 

He could see the headlines already.

Child Prodigy Zhang Yixing returns to the stage! Zhang Yixing tops charts after a decade long hiatus! Zhang Yixing reappears!

 

Girls would chase after him. Paparazzi would stalk him. There was no way he'd be able to slink off into the darkness again.

I could fake my death? Burn the building down like last time?

Lay slapped himself again. Harder.

What are you on about, you absolute moron?

Checking his phone that had been on silent, he sighed when he found over 20 missed calls- 13 of which were from Kris, 2 from you and the rest from Suho, Luhan and Xiumin. He stood up from under the slide, banged his head and groaned before slipping out from his hiding place, grabbing the guitar and starting to head home, feeling even more confused as to what to do.

 

---

 

The atmosphere was dead inside the meeting room. Ah Ri had gripped Chanyeol's hand so hard her fingers had gone white during the face off between Seohee and her father. Chanyeol's own parents had thrown a few wary glances at the lower generation that were sitting opposite them and seeing Chen so calm had both surprised and impressed them.

'Well...' Ah Ri said, shifting uneasily, 'this is awkwa-'

'The marriage,' Seohee's father said bluntly, 'I still want to go through with-'

A hand slapped down on the table. 'We want out.'

All eyes turned to Chanyeol's father who neatly folded a piece of paper in front of him.

'We're retracting the deal.'

Chanyeol's jaw dropped slightly, his eyes quickly diverting to the floor when Seohee's father looked his way and Ah Ri looked to him to get an idea of what this would mean. Chanyeol's mom nodded beside her husband.

'Excuse me? You want to pull out of the deal?' 

Chanyeol's face hardened a little at the tone Seohee's father was using at his parents and Ah Ri felt him tense a little. Luhan had warned her that he wasn't particularly friendly with his parents. Luhan had also told her about the countless times Chanyeol said he hated his parents and that if he had one piece of dynamite in the world, he'd probably blow up his parent's head office (at night when no one was there of course). He had told her that Chanyeol saw his parents as nothing but money grabbing biggots who would throw away their own son in an instant if he wasn't looking up to being perfect like his sibling sister. 

And all the while Ah Ri had been closely observing Chanyeol, she noticed he held respect for his parents and they did for him too. A sort of secret respect as if neither side could bare to admit to their actions previously. It was something of an amicable peace treaty between the two. 

But seeing Chanyeol getting worked up and protective of his parents made Ah Ri start to think a bit deeper about the childish boy she was next to. You had told her about the things Chanyeol would do during those skype phone calls and to her, he seemed protective over you. And if he was this protective over his parents who he claimed to hate, how protective would he be over a girl he liked so much? Ah Ri could tell he lacked confidence as he kept squeezing her hand nervously looking for some support, but she could also see the fiery side of him. Through your stories and snippets of life in Korea, she knew he wasn't one to simply take things lying down. She knew he was often rash and lashed out when angry but he'd only ever get angry over people that meant a lot to him.

 

'Who's that?' Ah Ri pointed at her computer screen, 'who's that sleeping at the table?' 

It was the first conversation you were having with her since arriving in Korea.

'Chanyeol. Everyone says he's really lazy,' you said, smiling into your webcam, 'but he's caring. Kris says he's always looking out for the people he cares about.'

'Does that include you then?' 

You giggled and looked over at Chanyeol. 'I hope so.'

 

'What sort of business man are you to be pulling out of such a deal? Do you not keep to your word?'

'I always keep to my word,' Chanyeol's father responded calmly, 'so please, calm down.' 

Seohee's dad scoffed and Chanyeol began to rise from his seat, despite Ah Ri pulling him down desperately.

'Chanyeol! Please!' she hissed, 'don't get involved!' 

He turned to look at her and mouthed a quick 'sorry' before standing up fully and banging both fists on the table. Seohee's father had been yelling at his dad about stocks and deals and about how the business industry would never offer the Parks another deal for as long as the company stayed alive and all the while, Chanyeol's father took it in and let the words drip down his back like water on a duck. 

'Sir, father,' Chanyeol said, bowing to the men, 'I'll be leaving with my girlfriend now.'

'Park Chanyeol, you stay right where you are. You aren't to leave until we've talked about your marriage-'

'Sir, with all due respect, I believe the marriage is off,' Chanyeol replied calmly, 'and I'm afraid I don't take orders from you. You and my father aren't business partners yet therefore you have no higher authority over me.'

He held a hand out and Ah Ri took it, rising from her seat with grace.

'And sir, don't you think you should be chasing after your daughter? She just ran away after all.' 

Chanyeol glanced at his mother then at his father.

'Who knows? You might end up losing her forever if you keep it up.'

 

Once outside and well away from the building, Chanyeol crouched down and sank to the floor. Ah Ri knelt down beside him kindly and took out her phone to call for Luhan but he stopped her. She looked up at him and noticed his skin was white as a sheet and beads of cold sweat rolled down his face.

'Hey, are you okay?' Ah Ri asked, eyebrows furrowed as she placed the back of her head against Chanyeol's sticky forehead, 'you look really shaken up.'

'I-I can't believe I just said that to him...'

'To Seohee's dad?'

Chanyeol nodded.

'Look, don't worry about that. You look like you're going to faint. Let's get you back to the dorm, okay?'

She took out her phone again and looked for Luhan's number but Chanyeol stopped her again, shaking his head and standing up.

'We should find Seohee and Chen first. I can't imagine how they're feeling right now. They might need us.'

Ah Ri stared at him disbelief. Even after everything with his parents and how his body was suddenly bearing the brunt of his nerves all at once, he was still thinking about others. She swallowed everything that was telling her to get him home and instead bent down to tell him what had been on her mind for a while- ever since Luhan had told her (and sworn her to secrecy) that Chanyeol was in love with one of her best friends and of course, she knew it couldn't be Maddie.

'Han's really lucky to have someone like you by her side.'

For the first time that day, Chanyeol smiled a genuine smile.

'Thanks,' he winked giving way and collapsing in Ah Ri's arms, 'Luhan-hyung's pretty lucky to have you too.'

 

 

 

 

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This story is officially 1 year and 5 days old! Holy foook. It took me something like 5 months to finish 'That Girl, That Boy' and look here at this story! Still going after a year! 370 days! The end is getting nearer~ I'm guessing maybe 4/5 more chapters before we split into the different endings! 

And for anyone not reading my hints, Luhan's preeeeeetty into Ah Ri! People wanted him to have his happy ending too so here we have it! All for you!