Chapter 46: Checkmate

     A loud ring of the phone had Baekhyun's heart trying to escape up his throat. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a steading breath. At this rate he would die of cardiac arrest before they so much as made it to court. That would put an end to the mess he had caused, wouldn't it? The idea crept around the eaves of his mind like long shadows at dusk. He had not let himself think about it before with any rationale, but it lingered nonetheless, flirting with the edges of his consciousness. But a voice in his head held him back. A voice that sounded an awful lot like Chanyeol, shaking him, angry, yelling in his face. What's with you and bridges?! Something twisted in Baekhyun's chest, something heavy and sharp. He came back to earth and picked up the phone just before it went to voicemail.

     "Executive Byun? It's Kim Minseok. Is now a good time to talk?"

     "Oh." Baekhyun sat up straighter. "Yes. Would you be able to tell me the status on the Park Chanyeol case?"

     "Ahh," Minseok hummed. "There have been been orders from the top to push it through, priority, as you probably know. We'll be scheduling briefings with the internal team soon. We've already made contact with their side, and a court date has been set for mid-month. Their side seems agreeable."

     "Is our case strong that we're moving so quickly?"

     "We have plenty of evidence to support his motive, if that's what you're asking."

     "But do we have proof?"

     "Proof is relative in law. What we consider evidence, the other side may not, and vice versa. Ultimately it depends on the judge, this one is familiar to us, and of course the other side's counter arguments."

     "Who's the lawyer on their side?"

     "That would be Kim Joonmyun."

     Baekhyun frowned and sat back in his chair, flipping a pen between his fingers. "The Kim Joonmyun? The one who helps idols break their contracts and claims he's never lost a case before?" 

     "The one and only."

     "This is all happening rather faster than it normally would, isn't it?" Baekhyun rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on. This wasn't the kind of news he'd hoped to hear, but he wasn't sure what else he'd been expecting. Good news was apparently too much to hope for. "How'd they get Kim Joonmyun so fast?"

     "Money walks and talks. But yes, usually things take more time. But it's not unheard of."

     "Minseok. Do you think you can do me a favor? A very small one." Baekhyun's conscience railed at him but he stuffed it down. Even if Minseok were to help him, chances were Baekhyun wouldn't be there to return the favor down the road. But if he were to have a chance, he needed the help now.

     "I'll do what I can. What is it?"

     "Just keep an eye out. You know. If anything seems suspicious or off."

     Minseok hummed, understanding. "Of course, Executive Byun."

     Dropping the phone in its cradle, Baekhyun buried his face in his hands and forced his brain to work. Chanyeol had motive. Chanyeol had means. Chanyeol had the top lawyer in the industry. Was it possible that Chanyeol had approached him with this in mind? That everything between them had been nothing but a lie? He had dismissed the idea right off, staunchly believing like Kris. He couldn't bear to think of Chanyeol any other way than as he knew him, kind, loving, honest  -- about most things, at least. But, he shuddered to think, what if?

      Chanyeol had been persistent. He had refused to let Baekhyun go even when he had tried to end things between them. He had approached Baekhyun both as the bartender and the musician. He had gone out of his way to help him when he'd been a mere stranger. He had accepted the fact that he was engaged, taking it in stride with such aplomb that Baekhyun had been left to wonder -- but hadn't, because he'd been so hungry for what Chanyeol had offered him. Acceptance. Passion. Escape. He had taken and taken like a man starved, and glutted himself on the quixotic notion that he could have it all.

     At what moment then, if ever, had Chanyeol loved him? Or was that merely a well-placed lie too? His stomach turned at the thought.

     Baekhyun was almost fooled when he received a request from Kris to meet to discuss the MNet situation. Kris had gone through Jongdae who had added it to his calendar. Baekhyun was due for drinks that night with the producers Kris had pissed off. In the past, these were the nights he lived for, where he shone brightest. His ability to talk to people, to win them over, had gotten him far. But now he was dreading a night of shmoozing and alcohol and acting as if his world wasn't collapsing around him. He took the chair opposite Kris in his studio and tried to look less desperate than he felt.

     "Did you see him?" Were the first words that tumbled out of his mouth. "Is he alright?" He couldn't help it. Aimee's words had buried in his mind like a splinter.

     Kris looked at him impassively. "I don't have any leads," he said, ignoring Baekhyun's question altogether, much to his grief. "But I can confirm he did not do this."

     "I thought we already established that..." Baekhyun sighed. He was weary of his head and heart pulling him in opposite directions. He wanted to blindly believe, the way Kris did. Better yet, he wanted to see Chanyeol and hear the truth from his mouth. But there had been no word from the guitarist, no response to his overtures, however ill-placed.

     "I know. I'm just reminding you so you don't get other ideas. The cards are stacked against you, Byun. People do ty things when they're backed into a corner and don't know what else to do."

     Baekhyun scowled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Is there proof? Did you find out something?"

     "Aside from his word? What more can Chanyeol do to prove his innocence than say that he didn't do it?"

     Deflating slightly, Baekhyun tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair. "He's being framed, isn't his best course to prove his innocence?" Baekhyun was no legal expert and the whole process annoyed and exasperated him. He now understood just how vicious their talent's contracts were, full of complex entrapments laid out to control them. "Short of pointing out the actual culprit, that is?"

     Kris considered him, long and slow. "There is one other option, which would save his skin."

     Baekhyun sat forward. "There is? What is it?"

     "That he simply show evidence that the rumor is true."

     Baekhyun blanched.

     "It's not really defamation if the information is true." Kris swiveled slightly on his chair, side to side with the roll of his heel on the floor. He watched Baekhyun intently. "At most a breach of your confidentiality, a lovers' spat gone too far. Park Ent won't care anymore. The company's reputation and interests willl be safe, but not you. You'll be fired and lucky not to get slapped with a countersuit."

     "How do you know all this legal stuff?" Baekhyun pushed his fingertips into his temples in small circles.

     "Always the tone of surprise, Byun. I asked some people, how else? Don't you talk to anyone?"

     "Not really. My problems are my business."

     "You and Park Chanyeol," Kris snorted and raked a hand through his hair in a gesture that was painfully reminiscent of Chanyeol. It was like he was there between them, everytime they spoke. Baekhyun wanted to know more.

     "Is he okay?" He pressed.

     "Well he's not happy, Byun."

     "But he's okay... physically?"

     "Yes, but he's angry and stubborn and sad. Nothing unwarranted, if you ask me."

     Despite the bleak news, Baekhyun felt his heart lift. Amidst too many questions that didn't have answers, even one small shred of knowledge felt like something to cling to, like a shipwrecked sailor hanging onto a sliver of driftwood. It felt something like hope. The desire to see Chanyeol ignited under his skin, a need to confirm with his own eyes. Chanyeol had no obligation to hear him out, though. He had berated and used Chanyeol in the worst possible way. He didn't deserve another chance. But that didn't change the fact that he wanted a chance. To explain. To apologize. And, if he was lucky, to get answers as well. There was too much he didn't know and he'd learned more about Chanyeol since he'd last seen him than in all the months that they'd spent together.  

     "Do you think he would see me, if I reached out?" Baekhyun asked.

     "Not if he was smart." Kris snorted, but there was something in the way he said it that suggested Chanyeol wasn't as smart as Kris hoped. "Speaking of smart," he leaned forward with narrowed eyes, "why don't you save yourself the humiliation, Byun, and come clean to the boss? That would save Chanyeol's skin, too."

     It wasn't as if Baekhyun hadn't thought of it before. He bristled and sat up straight. "There has to be another way," his eyes flashed. "That would be career suicide, you know that."

     Kris lifted his shoulders and sat back. "And walking into court to get outed in front of everyone isn't?"

     Baekhyun grimaced and stood up to leave. "It doesn't have to come to that. I haven't given up yet. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a bunch of pissed off producers to make nice with for you."

     Kris looked none too bothered, and swiveled round in his chair. "Have a drink for me, Byun."

     Baekhyun had three in Kris' name that night, cursing the rapper to hell and back with each glass.

     Much as Baekhyun despised the feeling of being dead on his feet but not fully hungover, it was as familiar to him as slipping on a worn pair of shoes. His night out with the affronted producers at MNet was an arguable success, not only had they wiped the memory of Kris' slight from their minds, they had offered to get LADY in for an upcoming show that would boost their visibility. Heavy with drink, Baekhyun had just managed to stumble home, only to fall asleep o