Season 3

Chapter 32: Rivet

The spectacle at Hot Box had finally blown over. While a few fans were still clamoring with queries about Kai, Chanyeol and Tao succeeded at distracting their fanbase with a preview of a new song. The song's enthusiastic reception was heartening, until questions came about when they'd be playing again. With Kai out of commission, booking had come to a dead halt. Kai had been out of contact for weeks, holed up at Kyungsoo's place and avoiding Chanyeol and Tao unless he was physically imposed upon. Kyungsoo's gaze remained sharp though he held his tongue through their comings and goings, which of late were growing fewer and farther in between as the vocalist withdrew deeper into the shell of Kyungsoo's care.

When yet another phone call went to voicemail, Chanyeol growled and threw his phone at the sofa and then joined it, flopping down in defeat. He dropped his head back, hit the wall, and winced.

"I am not going up there again," he muttered darkly. "If he's going to neglect his responsibilities to the band, he doesn't need to open for BossA. it. I'll find someone else."

Tao leveled a stare at the guitarist from across the room. "It's a big opportunity - our biggest yet. He'll come around."

"If I go up there begging him to listen again? No."

"You could just message him the name, and he'll probably call you right away." Tao reasoned.

Chanyeol boggled at the bassist. It was times like these - rare though they were - that he remembered how young Tao really was - younger, even, than Kai. "You think he's entitled to the success when he can't keep it together through the hard times?"

Tao arched a brow. "I guess not. But really, a replacement? Kai's...one of a kind." That was an understatement. "We risk them not booking us without him."

"We're already in. They think Kai will be there. I'm not going to let this one slip through our fingers - nor am I going to let him show up ed up and murder all of our careers once and for all! This is my goddamn band and I'm taking responsibility for it."

Chanyeol yanked himself from the couch and resumed prowling back and forth across the room like a caged beast. Tao drew a long breath and exhaled slowly, as if his doing so would help Chanyeol calm down. In truth, letting Chanyeol stalk around the room to blow off steam was all he could do. He turned to his laptop, waking it with a flick of the touchpad.

Chanyeol passed by and his heel, giving the screen a double take. "What's that?" He asked sharply.

Tao glanced at it and quickly switched tabs. "Nothing." 

Chanyeol's face was a mask of ill-disguised alarm. Tao had never lied to him before.

Tao's shoulders slumped slightly and he tabbed back to the page and showed it to Chanyeol. "Kai... he went digging one day when he was here. I didn't realize I still had the tab open."

Chanyeol scrolled the news article with narrowed eyes. "Byun Baekhyun is an A&R rep at Park Entertainment. What part of this did Kai not know?"

"It's not just his position, you know." Tao tipped his head towards the screen. "This was ammunition for him, when he thought you were neglecting the band and trying to go solo. He knows Baekhyun's heading up their original talent initiative. And then there's Kris." Tao's gaze was earnest as he looked into Chanyeol's. "It isn't a stretch of the imagination, not really."

Chanyeol's mouth formed a grim line as his eyes read the same lines over and over. Recently appointed A&R Executive Byun Baekhyun is best known for his breakout work on solo artist Kris' sophomore album in 2012, which went multi-platinum in both South Korea and China and swept the Digital Daesang award at the Golden Disk Awards. Byun will be instrumental in the execution of Park Entertainment's strategic rollout in the coming year.

"It's a stretch if he actually knew the first thing about me." Chanyeol turned away from the screen in disgust. "Or if he knew Baekhyun. But no, he's too busy being a ing junkie. If Kai had his even halfway together, Baekhyun might--! Argh. What am I even saying." Burying his face in his hands, he flopped back down on the sofa and raked his fingers up into his hair.

"Have you tried telling Kai the nature of your relationship with Baekhyun?"

"What, that we're buddies?" He spat the word. "Oh yes, Kai's well aware."

"Not in that sense...Kai assumes everyone's ing. I mean, the nature of his relationship to you, perhaps?"

"Meaning what?" Chanyeol frowned, shaking his head quickly. "Whatever. That's for Baekhyun to tell him, not me."

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