Chapter 33: Mirror

Chanyeol cringed. His joints protested. Baekhyun's sofa was no match for his height and it seemed to want him gone just as vehemently as his owner.  it. He could be stubborn, too. Turning onto his side, he stretched out his legs before curling in on himself again.

In the echo of Baekhyun's angry exit, Chanyeol was left paralyzed in a moment of cacophonous silence. Eventually, he'd collected his bearings from where they'd scattered like so many marbles and yanked his clothes on and scrambled to follow - only to realize he had no idea where to find Baekhyun in a city of millions. Where would he have gone? Chanyeol's gut twisted. He didn't know Baekhyun's haunts and hideouts. The executive had always been happier to spend time on Chanyeol's side of the city, frequenting Chanyeol's favorite places - the noraebang, the bars, the cafes.

He tried calling Baekhyun's phone but it went straight to voicemail.

Chanyeol left three.

Then he called Ga In.

"Chan? What's up?"

"Baekhyun hasn't contacted you, has he?"

"Why would he do that, babe?" He could all but hear her brows arching high on her forehead - that knowing yet innocent look. Ga In was far smarter than she'd have people think.

"Dunno, he got pissed off and ran out and I don't know where he would go."

Ga In chuckled softly. Ambient background chatter wafted over the line and he vaguely heard her admonish someone. Her voice came clear once again. "Well, he hasn't contacted me."

Chanyeol frowned and grumbled. "It was a shot in the dark."

"Tried any of his friends?"

"I don't know any of them."

"Hmm. Have you tried thinking if you were him, where would he go?"

"Obviously. And I've narrowed it down to anywhere in the ing city that isn't his apartment. Or to a bar."

Ga In snorted. "Well I'll alert Hyuna if you haven't already."

Chanyeol stopped pacing. "Oh. Yeah I didn't think of that. Thanks."

There was a brief pause on the line before Ga In spoke again. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Chanyeol exploded. "We were talking, and all of a sudden he flew off the handle and stormed out, saying he didn't want to see me again."

"What?!" Ga In mustered surprise. "People don't fly off the handle for nothing, Chan. You know this." Her voice was pointed, and Chanyeol grumbled to himself for the nth time that night. He didn't think he could handle the insensitive jerk lecture right now.

"I know, I know. But he didn't say what, so how am I supposed to know?"

"I dunno. Did you breach a sensitive topic?"

"Lots of topics are sensitive, Ga In. Especially for him. Not helping."

"Alright cactus, chill. You're defending instead of thinking. What were you talking about?"

"I don't know... something about the band. You know, Kai's still acting like a little . We've got a major booking and he's acting like he's not a part of the band because I haven't got us signed yet, as if it's entirely my job."

Ga In paused, then dropped her voice. "Chan, you would have better chances at that than he or Tao would." It sounded like she was cupping her hand around the phone. "He relies on you, Chan. Looks up to you. You know that."

"I would not!" Chanyeol protested. "No, Ga In. We're not having that conversation right now. Tell me if Baekhyun shows up, okay?" Ending the call, Chanyeol felt worse than before. He had more questions and fewer answers. The details of the conversation with Baekhyun had begun to blur, he'd been talking about Kai and their upcoming gig, hadn't he? Then, poof, Baekhyun had gone up in a cloud of smoke. He hadn't even had a chance to ask what he'd come to ask.

Chanyeol shook his head. First Kai, now Baekhyun. Who was next? Tao?

Maybe he would end up solo after all.

Disgusted, Chanyeol paced the length of Baekhyun's living room, and eventually slumped on the couch to wait him out. Baekhyun had to come home eventually. What was the worst he would do if he came home and found Chanyeol still there? Throw a shoe? A few punches? Chanyeol could handle that.

The night wore on as the moon tracked a glowing path past the living room window. Several times, restlessness got the best of him, urging him to the door. He went so far as to pull on his boots, but it was only when his hand fell to the cold doorknob that he realized he wouldn't be able to get back in once he left.

Either he could wait where he knew Baekhyun would show - or scour the whole city.

He waited.

In and out of dreamless, cramped sleep, Chanyeol chafed at rest. Come morning he awoke with a start. His eyes fell on his boots, still strewn haphazardly before the door. Baekhyun hadn't returned.

Cursing to himself Chanyeol kicked a balled sock in frustration on his way to the bathroom. Strong lighting painted haggard shadows in his cheeks and beneath his eyes. His clothes had grown unkempt and wrinkled. He pushed his fingers through his hair, half expecting to hit vicious tangles.

I look like a heroin addict. Maybe it's contagious. He washed his hands over his face, letting loose a long creative string of curses that would've made Kai proud.

When hunger set in and Baekhyun's fridge laughed at him from empty corner to corner - Chanyeol retreated to the couch in defeat.

By noon, he was verging on stir crazy. Just how long was Baekhyun planning to boycott his own apartment? He had once stayed away for several days when he spent a weekend at Chanyeol's flat. Fresh shirts in a desk drawer, Chanyeol recalled with a grimace.

He tried calling again, and mouthed along with the memo. The phone was ringing before going to voicemail, which was an improvement on last night. Baekhyun was taking calls from someone, if not from him.

Chanyeol steeled himself and made a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret.

The afternoon air had a chill to it that didn't seem to match the beating sun. It cut through Chanyeol's teeshirt as he trudged through quiet neighborhoods of chalky towers, the haves far removed from the have-nots. The stately residences were so silent that in passing Chanyeol repressed a shudder. Was anyone alive in there? The farther he walked from the train line, the more his surroundings seemed to be in stasis. Not a soul was in sight as he approached the Gangnam waterfront.

The glass obelisk loomed up from the surroundings with a suddenness that startled Chanyeol from his ruminations. It looked exactly as Chanyeol remembered - except that this time he wasn't running away. He strode up to the sliding doors and eyed the key card lock with contempt.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Chanyeol scrolled through his contacts. Chewing the inside of his lip, he hovered over a name until he grew sick of himself. You've come this far. Tapping the contact, he grimaced and put the phone to his ear, for better or for worse.

A mellow, deep voice answered.

"Yifan--" he swallowed. "It's Chanyeol. Are you at the studio?"

Chanyeol avoided the question writ in Kris' eyes when the artist came to the door and quickly let him in. "You caught me at a good time, schedule's been crazy. Are you..." Kris began, but Chanyeol's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

"Studio then?" Kris gestured toward the upper floors.

"Yeah."

Chanyeol's eyes darted hither and to as they rode the elevator up. The building seemed quiet. As if sensing his thoughts, Kris spoke.

"LADY's debut is next week so everyone's pretty tied up."

"LADY?" Chanyeol asked. The name rang a bell. He followed Kris into a studio and closed the door behind them. Sinking into one of the couches, he watched as Kris draped himself in a high backed leather chair before the mixing gear and swiveled around to face him. He propped his heels on a corner of the low table between them.

"I produced their album. They begin promotions next week." Kris grinned, the smile breaking across his face like morning sun. Kris' presence was like a camphoro