11 years ago, outside of Seoul

The loud shouts of workers adjusting the stage and the random chatter the student council members a few feet away from you are reduced to a low hum as you close your eyes and concentrate, fingers drifting to the strings of the acoustic guitar. It has become a habit of yours ever since Plum Farts scored its first gig to soak up the calm before the storm. Even if it means being at the school gym at 7am on a Saturday. Your bandmates don’t know that you’ve developed this ritual before each performance, like a good luck charm of sorts. They’re likely to tease you again for being so obsessed with anything related to the band – which is fine anyway. Because you love it—how this hollow and calm space can be so alive and full of energy in a blink of eye. And knowing that Plum Farts is responsible for it.

The performance is not for a few more hours, and you strum aimlessly until you settled on the arrangement you did for L’arc~en~Ciel’s White Feathers [play music].  You randomly hum the melody, your foot lightly tapping against the bleacher step beneath you. The strings were still alien to your touch, and you wonder for a brief moment why you didn’t just use your baby – a black GSR200 bass guitar – sitting beside you. At least you can play it even in your sleep. Regardless, you don’t want it any other way.

Because the guitar is Chanyeol’s. And he gave it to you. A smile escapes your lips as you continue to play the chords and let your mind wander to what happened two months ago.

“Will you go out with me?”

Your lips are still tender from that kiss you shared a while ago, causing you to not fully register what is happening. Staring at him blankly, your mind rejected the words that you think Chanyeol uttered. He’s asking me out? How can that be? “What?” you manage to croak.

Chanyeol’s smile wavers a bit, but he continues, “I said, I think I’m in love—I mean—I know I love you. A lot.” He lets out a steadying breath, clearly nervous. “I’m asking if we can date.”

“But why?” You squeak. It’s the words you’ve been longing to hear but somehow you can’t seem to believe it. Is he for real?

“WHY?” Chanyeol paces the room, exasperated. Heart dropping, you figured that he clearly didn’t think this through. Which makes sense, because why would he fall in love with you especially with all the girls surrounding him all the time?

“Why!?!?” His frustrated tone lances through your thoughts, taking you aback at the somber expression on his face. “I liked you ever since we moved in next door. Ever since I saw you playing by that tree in your backyard. You were so cool and pretty, I knew I had to be close to you. Gawd, this is embarrassing.” Without pausing for breath, he goes on, “And then I get nervous sometimes because I wanted to please you so badly, but I can’t show it to you because you’ll just tease me. I compliment you, but you just brush it off or think I was kidding around. I talk about other girls to see how you would react, but you just supported me. I know you only see me as a friend, but you know me inside out, ___-ah. And I know you, and I want to be with you. Always. I think about you all the time. Look, I’m sorry for taking advantage with the kiss, but I’m desperate and I feel like gambling.” He faces you directly. “And judging from the way you kissed me back, I figured I can do my confession now.”

Chanyeol stops, his chest heaving from talking nonstop. You can see the dejection in his eyes when you still won’t speak. “Please say something. Say anything.”

“Chanyeol, I—” you choke on your words in your vain attempt to stop from crying. The heck you shouldn’t cry right now, when your heart is bursting with happiness. Unable to find the right words to equal what he just said, you did the next best thing. You grab the guitar pick you just hid a while ago and press it on his palm.

Chanyeol looks at it, the corners of his mouth starting to lift at the present. “Does this mean—?”

You nod. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Chanyeol. And I think I love you too.” You your lip out of nervousness. “Does this mean we’re dating now?”

Chanyeol’s whoop resounds through the music room and you shriek as he grabs you in a tight hug. His body is so lean and warm, and you can’t help but wrap your arms around him, happy that the meaning of this hug is leaps different from the hugs you both shared before.

“Thank you.” He whispers in your ear before holding your shoulders so you can meet his eyes. “And I’ll treasure your gift. Just like you giving your heart to me.”

“Hmmm, well that means you have to make sure that you don’t lose it.”

He shakes his head while clutching the guitar pick close to his heart, like a kid getting candy on Christmas day. “Never.”

The quick peck on your upturned lips finally made you open your eyes, surprise registering on your face at the sight of your tall boyfriend standing at the bleacher step.

“Back from your dream?” Chanyeol grins, the light breeze making his hair into an adorable mess. “I was almost worried you’ll fall asleep and drop my guitar.”

A light flush creeps on your cheeks, slightly embarrassed that you are caught daydreaming about him. “Why are you here? Call time’s not for an hour or so.”

Hands deep in his pockets, Chanyeol sits next to you, his eyes focused on the stage slowly taking shape. “What? You think I didn’t know you developed this habit ever since we started playing in school?”

Your head swivels abruptly to face him. “Park Chanyeol, I don’t know whether you’re my boyfriend or my stalker.”

His booming laugh echoes throughout the gym, causing some of the students to look at you curiously. You bow your head a bit, unused to the attention. You should’ve gotten used to it by now, especially since the entire school found out that you’re officially a couple. But it’s still hard, people looking at you differently from before. Her bandmates were the only exception. You distinctly remember them unanimously saying that it’s “about time” and “what took you so long?” before going back to eating their pizza as if nothing happened.

“How about boyfriend AND stalker?” He teases, his fingers poking your ribs playfully. “You know I’m crazy about you.”

That got you giggling a bit. Which kind of annoys you because you’re not a giggler – if there’s such a word. “Geez, Chanyeol. Way to be aggressive.”

Chanyeol mumbles, “Believe me, you haven’t seen me being aggressive yet.”

“What?” Not sure if you heard him correctly.

“Nah, forget it.” He clears his throat while you narrow your eyes at him suspiciously. Boys these days are so hard to read. Even if you’ve been dealing with this rowdy bunch almost everyday. “So, playing your L’arc-en-Ciel goodness again?”

Eyes brightening, you continue to finish the rest of the song. “Yep, I love Laruku.”

“You mean you love Hyde”

“Well, him too.” You put on a dreamy smile at the thought of your favorite band’s frontman. “….so talented~~~~” You had to restrain yourself from launching into full fan mode.

“He’s wearing eyeliner you know.”

You snicker. “So what? He’s in a band. A huge, talented band. Not those boybands with eyeliner who lipsynch and dance their way into the wallets of unsuspecting girls.”

“Hmmmmm…”

“What?” You face him again and see him with an earphone on one ear, listening in on your music player between both of you. He really has no sense of privacy. Or is this part of having a boyfriend?

“So idols…you don’t like them?” Chanyeol asks a few seconds later, slightly bobbing his head to whatever music of yours is on the player.

“I’m just saying that there are way more talented people there who deserve the financial support and recognition than what these idols are getting.”

“So the music they do…they don’t matter?”

“Well it matters….it’s pop culture right?” You shrug, “maybe not to me but to a certain market, yes.”

You look at him closely, wondering why the sudden inquisition. But his face was unreadable, although you can detect that he was trying his best not to smile.

“Chanyeol! Chanyeol! Chanyeol!”

Slightly panicking, you look over your shoulder to Chanyeol and his drums. At first, you were happy that the crowd was so receptive of your set – it was your first all-original line-up to date and your band was the main act of the school fair. But the countless chants even after playing the encore you prepared made you scrambling on what to do. Glancing at Chanyeol helplessly, you silently ask him for help. Since obviously it’s his fangirls who apparently can’t get enough of him.

Chanyeol, ever the performer, moves around from his drums with ease, tucking the drumsticks in his back pocket. He picks up the acoustic guitar you placed at the side. Pausing briefly when he passes by you, he mutters, “I’m dedicating this to you okay?”

He saunters toward Binnie before you can form a reply. Eyebrows knit in confusion, you see Chanyeol saying something to Binnie until he nods.

The screams from the girl students were deafening until Chanyeol raises his hand to calm them down. “Okay, this is REALLY the last song, okay?” He winks at you before returning his gaze to the audience. “See, I’ve been practicing something new that I like to share with you.”

He strums the strings and adjusts the tuning. “This is a song…from an idol group.” He stresses, and you can see his eyes twinkling mischievously. “I hope you like it.”

Surprise took hold of you as he plays a fret, with Binnie – bless him and his awesome voice – singing:

How can two people can be this different from each other?
They are the complete opposite in every way
When they are together, for some reason it is so good

It’s g.o.d.’s Opposites Attract [play music], and you caught yourself smiling at the easy melody. Despite you knowing the song, what followed almost got you dropping your bass guitar right there and then. Because it’s Chanyeol—and he’s rapping—and he’s good. Damn, he’s GREAT at it. The low timbre of voice just reverberates and it literally stuns you. Still in a daze, you listen to Chanyeol rapping flawlessly to Danny Ahn’s and Park Joon’s parts. It’s as if he’s been born to do this.

You are still in shock from what is happening that you just caught the tail end of his rap, his words rapidly firing through the speakers but with much clarity:

I don't understand why I always miss you
I seem to be falling,
I seem to gradually be giving my heart to you
I don't know how, but you opened my heart 
I rejoice because you come back and vow to be with me constantly

You are forced out of your trance at the deafening cheers from the entire student body. Chanyeol and Binnie bow deeply before exiting towards where you’re at. Chanyeol is still holding your – his – guitar, and it kind of inflated your ego a bit when you saw that he’s using the pick you gave him.

“Way to make me eat my words, Chanyeol.” You jokingly scold him.

Chanyeol’s eyebrows lift in feigned shock. “What? You said you don’t like idols. But that song is in your player. And last time I checked, g.o.d. is an idol group.”

You huff, “they’re more of the exception than the rule. And you didn’t tell me you could rap.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” His teasing eyes didn’t escape your notice. “C’mon. Admit it, there’s a part of your female heart that makes you like them.”

“I think I should inform you by now that I’m not your usual female.” You smirk at him, saying with full conviction, “idols in this indie heart? Not a chance.”

Present Day, Seoul

“So how does it feel to be working with the top idol group in the country?”

Luck is on your side—you have just finished signing the contract when you hear those words. Or else, your pen might slide and put an unsightly ink streak on the pristine white paper. Or prick a hole in it. Eyes wandering to the printed name just beside yours, you inwardly fume at the defined print of Park Chanyeol’s name.

“It’s a dream I never knew I had until now.” You say with veiled sarcasm at the producer across the table. Actually it’s unfair that you are being rude to PD Kim, when the root of your annoyance is just right beside her.  You slide the contract across the table to the offending man in question, who signed his name as well.

PD Kim takes the finished contract and stuffs it inside her binder. “I’m glad you feel that way. It would be very interesting to see both you and Chanyeol work together.” She winks at you for good measure.

What the hell? “Why do you say that Kim sunbaenim?”

“Please, just call me Kenzie.” She smiles warmly, trying to make you feel at ease. But how could you when you’re still angry over the fact that Chanyeol didn’t tell you that he was co-producing the track as well? And that . Just when you thought that you’re going to deal with him only during the recording portion, now you have to deal with him from end-to-end of the process. And bash heads with him while arranging the song. Just like old times.

Which is no big deal, you convince yourself. It’s not like you have any feelings towards him (apart from hate). This is purely a business transaction. Which makes Park Chanyeol your business partner for (hopefully) just a week. And apparently your business partner is too chicken to tell you beforehand that he’s the producer of the project.

You knew that there’s something he was hiding that day when he ambushed you at the boxing gym. During the moment near the locker room, you already felt on the edge and your arms were getting goosebumps. You thought it was because he looks like he was going to kiss you, but then why would he? That’s just crazy. The weird look on his face after that hug and your reaction to it was probably from the guilt eating him by omitting this important fact to her.

“Sorry, Kenzie sunbaenim.” You sit up straighter, still determined not to even spare a glance at Chanyeol. “Why would it be interesting?”

PD Kim laughs, “because I know you’re good.”

The automatic way that she said it made you doubt her sincerity. “You don’t know that yet. Why do you think I won’t screw this up?” Just what the hell is Chanyeol telling her about you?

“Oh I know you won’t.” She beams. “You went to Berklee right? I studied there myself.”

Hesitantly, you nod. Not a lot of people know that you went to the US to study. It was so brief a period that you sometimes forget that you even went there. “Just for a year.” You had to stop your studies because your father had his heart surgery. Being the only child, you have to be there and give your support. It wasn’t a wholly difficult decision – while you appreciate the amount of talent you were exposed to at Berklee, it didn’t take you long enough to realize that the structure and institution embedded in learning composition is totally not attuned to your personality. You prefer a more carefree and rustic approach when finding inspiration for your music.

But this doesn’t stop you from recognizing a kindred spirit in PD Kim. Kenzie was a league of her own, being one of the top producers in SM Entertainment. But knowing that she also came from the same school makes her all the more like a real artist and a mentor than an executive to be put on a pedestal.

PD Kim still has that friendly smile on her, and you’re starting to feel guilty that you are wary of her earlier. “Even if you only stayed for a year, it was still enough to make an impact. You even interned at the studio I got rejected from before.” She sighs, a dreamy look on her face. “Oh well, it’s in the past now.”

“So you have faith in me because I studied there?”

PD Kim leans back to her chair, and slightly amused by your doubts. “Because you studied there. And because of your internship. And because of your experience with your band.”

The sincerity in her tone made you all the more nervous. “Errrr…I’ll do my best.”

She laughs lightly. “Don’t worry, this a SM project. Although of course with the SM brand comes a certain level of perfection. But it’s not the title track, so not really a lot pressure.”

No pressure? But it’s EXO we’re talking about. The top idol group in the country. And you know that they have sales targets to meet. “I’ll do what I can.”

“One look from you and I know I can trust you.” PD Kim counters, and you honestly don’t know how you can respond to that. She stands up to leave, and both you and Chanyeol stand as well in respect to your senior. “And,” she continues, clasping her hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, “I know you can reign in this ungrateful fellow right here.”

That’s when you finally allowed yourself to look at Chanyeol – who looks casually elegant in a sports jacket and denim pants, with a loose necktie on his shirt.

Chanyeol winces at the obvious teasing. “Noona~~~”

“Fine, fine, I’m just kidding.” She pats Chanyeol on the head like placating a little brother. “I hope we can have lunch after this is over.” She looks at you directly. “I’m intrigued by your songs, we should share notes. And I miss hearing Plum Farts play.”

The mention of your band made you instantly alert. “You listen to us?”

“Oh yes, I sometimes go to Wabi Sabi, since Chanyeol—” Chanyeol shoots a warning glance over at PD Kim, who clears , “I mean, I keep my ears open for talent especially in Hongdae.”

Your eyes narrow at Chanyeol, telling him without words that that warning glance didn’t escape your notice. “I’m flattered, thank you Kenzie sunbaenim.”

“See you around. I’ll pop in once in a while to check up on you two.” She stares meaningfully at Chanyeol. “Show her the studio. I left it relatively free this week so you can finish the track asap.”

You both bow to her as she exits the conference room. Chanyeol closes the door with a decisive click, his shoulders lifting as he sighs deeply.

“She’s nice isn’t she?” Chanyeol rambles on as he goes to the mini-bar at the corner of the room. “Do you want some coffee? I’m sorry for dragging you here so early…”

“No thanks, I don’t need coffee.” You are actually craving for one right now, because who doesn’t need a caffeine boost for a 7:30AM meeting? But you’re not letting him off the hook just yet. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re producing the track?”

“Because I know you’ll react like this.” He hesitates before pulling out two water bottles, placing them on the table between you. “It’s right that I didn’t say it before when I was trying to convince you to get on board. I wanted to have Kenzie noona here to reassure you that it will work out.”

Crossing your arms, you stare at him defiantly. “If there’s one thing I absolutely hate, it is people who think withholding the truth is the ‘right thing for them’.” You let the words sink in for a few seconds. “I would still agree to this even if you’re the producer.” Even if it kills me.

Chanyeol’s eyes shine with gratitude. “Thank you, ____-ah.” His eyes roam down your body, and you can feel yourself tensing. “I have to say you clean up well.”

“It’s a business meeting.” You’re slightly miffed at how he can assume that you don’t have a power suit in your closet. “And you don’t have to thank me. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for the band. We need the royalties.”

“Oh, yes.” His voice deepens, eyes unreadable. “I know. The band comes first.”

You level your stare at him, expecting him to elaborate but he didn’t. Parched from the lack of caffeine in your system, you finally concede to the water offering.  The few sips of water was able to give you enough time to calm down. “Okay, since this a mutually beneficial business transaction, let’s just do our best.”

Chanyeol extends a hand. “Yes we can do it, ____-ah. Fighting!” He visibly jumps towards you, his mouth stretching to an easy grin.

The handshake is really harmless by all intents and purposes, but the feeling of Chanyeol’s warm and large hand clasping yours just sends weird tingles up your arm. You withdraw after a few hearty shakes from him—this degree of awareness of how your body reacts by his mere touch is freaking distracting (and it’s not what you need right now. Not ever.).

“High five!” Chanyeol yells right afterward. And despite your resolve to stay all business-like, you let out a small laugh to cover your hyper-awareness and slap his hand quickly.

“Can you show me the studio now?” The sooner both of you are out of this enclosed space, the better. This annoying effect that Chanyeol still has on you after all these years is just that – a nuisance. And you just have to it up for a week. You just have to.

Chanyeol nods and ushers you out of the room, but not without his hand at the small of your back to guide you on. Dang, he’s really a touch-y fella. Your jaw clenches as you walk hurriedly ahead of him – until you bump solidly on another lean and hard chest around the corner.

“Luhan oppa!” You gasp in surprise at the sight of the pretty male in front of you. A blush creeps up your cheeks as you remember the night of drunkenness and spotty memories of crazy Wolf singing.

“Good morning, ___-ah!” He greets jovially as if he was expecting to bump into you. “Kenzie noona told me you were here. I…ah…wanted to give you this.” He hands over a Starbucks cup. “I heard you love this kind of coffee.”

Caffeine. You take a sip and the bitterness stung your tongue and your throat – just the way you like it. “With an expresso shot?” You . “I guess my dongsaeng has taught you well.”

Now it’s Luhan’s turn to blush. “I wanted to apologize for just walking out at night…and dragging her along with me.”

“Really now, oppa. I don’t think you’re sorry at all.” You more.

He laughs good-naturedly, his fingers dragging through his thick auburn hair. “Guilty.” He smiles flirtatiously. “I know I have to up to you so that she’ll like me more.”

“You better give me coffee while I’m here then.” Wow, Luhan can really pile on the charm if he really wants to. No wonder your dongsaeng can’t resist him. Just last night she told you that Luhan and she are going to start dating. While you’re genuinely happy for her, you can’t stop yourself from giving your advice to be careful because…well, it’s going to be complicated.

“Deal.” Luhan flashes a thumbs-up sign. “After all, if it weren’t for you, I won’t be able to see her again.”

“Errrr…you’re welcome?” You don’t really know what he is talking about in particular.

“Yeah, I’m sorry that Chanyeol had to break through your phone.” Sirens start to blare in your head. “Don’t take it out on him. Blame me.”

“Hyung~~~” The faint wail of Chanyeol behind you just made you more aware of who the real culprit is.

“Oh that’s okay.” You smile tightly. “At least it worked out in the end.” Luhan flashes his signature grin and takes his leave. You wave him off and wait until Luhan rounds off the corner before shooting lasers at Chanyeol through your eyes. “You.”

Chanyeol smiles sheepishly. “C’mon, I have to help my hyung out!” He rubs his palms together, pleading with a puppy-like expression on his face. “And seriously, your password is just—”

“Just stuff it, Chanyeol.” You mutter, your temper already rising up to your neck. Chanyeol can do all the aegyo he wants and it won’t work with you. No siree. “Show me the goddamn studio.”

After two floors up and a couple of turns – you try to memorize the route but gave up halfway, Chanyeol finally opens one door and turn on the lights.

It took all of your self-restraint not to stare slack-jawed at the sight before you. The recording studio is modest (you assume) by SM standards – but it’s already twice the space of the recording studio you rent for the Plum Farts EP. There’s a long L-shaped black leather sofa at the corner, a mini-bar, and the glass partition separating the recording area and the equipment.

Again, the equipment – oh gawd the equipment – your fingers are already itching to tinker with it.

“We have some in-house sound engineers to help us if we need it.” Chanyeol’s amused tone disrupts your mid-drool.

Slowly walking to the soundboard, you recognize the brand and the controls. “Let’s try it ourselves first. I worked with an older model of this one during my internship.” You tentatively touch the buttons, just to get a feel of it. The prospect of working with these types of equipment – and not worrying about the rate per hour of using them – is making you crazy excited.

“Okay. So you’re a Berklee hotshot huh? I think your mom told my mom that too.”

That put your guard up a bit. You don’t want Chanyeol to talk about the past. Nothing good will come of it anyway. “I’m not a hotshot. As I told Kenzie sunbae earlier, I only stayed for a year.”

“Well, welcome to your playground, _____.” Chanyeol stands close to you, also surveying the controls of the board.

“Yeah, I’m excited to play with this.” You admit, eyes still fixated on the soundboard and the multitude of speakers at your side. “I have to savor it while it lasts.” For just a week. And you’re going to make the most out of it.

Chanyeol’s hand grasping yours shakes you out of your reverie. He playfully tugs you along with him. “There’s more.” You follow him – his hand still firmly holding yours – until he enters the recording booth and turns on the lights on that part of the studio.

“Tada!” Chanyeol announces, pride evident in his voice. You finally manage to wriggle your hand out from his, to which he just smiles knowingly before grandly sweeping through the booth. “What do you think?”

You finally manage to stop being distracted from how he can just easily be so comfortable with you when you on the other hand are still bothered by his closeness. From the surface, the recording booth is what you expected – microphones, stands, and a sprinkling of instruments – which leads you to deduce that this is not the studio where SM’s top idols usually do their work. Maybe this is where the music is scored.

“There are three more of these, where the band does the arrangement and the mixes,” Chanyeol explains, reading your mind. “But I’m happy that they gave us this one.”

“Why?” There are three more? Consider yourself jealous. You just hope one day Plum Farts gets to produce their music in such a well-equipped studio. The quality of music really depends on the performer, no question about it. But having the right equipment...well it just highlights the quality more.

“Because,” his head inclines to the far end of the recording booth, “of that.”

You follow the direction of his gaze, and before you know it, you have already sprinted across the room. Your eyes positively glaze over the shiny array of different guitars lining the wall. “Wow.” That’s all you can manage to say right now.

“Cool, huh?” Chanyeol’s voice drops to an appreciative murmur, another musician who appreciates the handiwork that comes with producing the guitars before them.

“Can I…can I touch them?” You ask.

Chanyeol chides. “Just don’t drop anything.”

“As if I can do that to these babies.” You lovingly pick one of the Ibanez bass guitars, deftly plucking through the strings. “This is the fancier version of my old—”

“—GSR200.” Chanyeol finishes, and you’re surprised that he remembers. “Do you still use it?”

“Not anymore. I left it back at home.” Your heart twists at the thought of your old guitar. And the memories that are tied with it. “Since I have to…move on.” You explain, and you’re wondering if you’re still talking about your guitar. “The band’s sound has evolved so I use an ESP now.”

“Ah.” Chanyeol nods. “Can I see it tomorrow?”

“Sure.” You nod, regretfully putting back the Ibanez on its stand. “So we have this for the entire week?”

“Yep. We’re starting after lunch. I have a schedule in the morning.”

Which is fine with you, since you have gig tonight and would welcome a minimum amount of sleep before your brain starts again. “No problem.”

“Good.” Both of you make your way out of the studio, turning off the lights in your wake. “And ___-ah. Dress comfortably tomorrow. It’s going to be a long day.”

Chanyeol’s steps are cautious as he approaches the studio, a hot mug of coffee in one hand and his guitar anchored on his shoulder. He wrapped up his morning schedule as fast as he could – to the annoyance of his manager since he is usually the chatty one and the mood-lifter in interviews – so that he can pop in the studio ahead of time. He also managed to annoy Minseok-hyung this morning (which is a feat in itself since Minseok has A LOT of patience) when Chanyeol peeked over his shoulder the entire time like an impatient child as the older EXO member brews the cup of coffee based on Chanyeol’s haphazard description.

Chanyeol sniffs the strong aroma of the black coffee, hoping that he (and his hyung) got it right. She’s just like how she wants her coffee – strong and straightforward. Yesterday was definitely…interesting. He’s not sure if she’s forgiven him yet, but he wants to believe that he’s making progress in being friends with her again.

The fleeting thought about kissing her in the boxing gym is just a misstep. Now’s not the time to explore the feelings behind it, when it’s obvious that she is so determined at keeping him at a distance. Which is too bad for her. If there’s one thing that Park Chanyeol can do well, it’s to endear himself to people. It’s like in his genetic makeup.

And he’s making it this week’s mission. With or without A Little Pain, he’s waited long enough. It just doesn’t make sense that life continues on without them being friends again.

True to Chanyeol’s suspicions, she’s already in the studio ahead of time. You haven’t changed one bit, Chanyeol smiles knowingly. He sets the mug on the table, where she would notice once she goes outside the recording booth. For now, he’s making the most out of the unguarded expression on her face – one that he admits he misses because she doesn’t look at him that way anymore. Her eyes are closed, headphones firmly covering her ears. Chanyeol cannot hear what she is playing to, but guessing from the rhythmic tapping and plucking that it’s a jazz tune. She’s dressed casually this time – he still can’t get over the image of her in a pencil skirt and tailored blouse and blazer – donned in an oversized white sweatshirt over dark leggings and black laced-up army boots.

“Waaaaa~~~…” Chanyeol greets amiably and claps his hands the moment she finishes, and unsurprisingly she pulls up her walls once again. Chanyeol strides into the booth before she can protest.  “That was awesome.” He reaches for the shining white bass guitar strapped to her body. “Is this your new baby?”

“Yes.” She clutches the guitar tighter to her. “You can’t touch it by the way.”

“You got to be kidding me.” Chanyeol’s laughter stops midway when he sees her serious scowl. “For real?”

“Yes, you can’t.” Threatening eyes just bore into Chanyeol’s incredulous ones. “I starved for half a year just to buy this.” She explains, adjusting the pegs of her guitar.

“I bet…the worksmanship…” His tongue peeks at the side of his mouth as he analyzes the guitar from a distance. “….it’s hard to tell since you won’t let me touch it, so I’m guessing right now. The ESP line made in the US?”

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “I’m impressed.”

Chanyeol puffs out his chest. “Damn, I’m good.” And wow, that’s over a couple thousand dollars. He wanted to confirm the price with her but she might take it the wrong way…. “Since you won’t let me touch it, how about you show me what this baby can do?”

“But didn’t you just hear me earlier?” Her eyes are wary again. Just when Chanyeol thought he was able to make her comfortable…

“I didn’t hear the music.” He gets his own baby out of its bag. “C’mon, let’s play together.” He hooks up the electric guitar in the nearby amplifier.

“Ummm…aren’t we supposed to be working now?”

Oh no, not yet. Don’t escape from me when I know this is the way I can get closer to you. “We’re still early…consider this as a warm-up.” Chanyeol tries hard not to be amused at the pained expression on her face.

“Fine… what do you want to play?”

“Up to you.”

“Serious? You’ll play whatever?” She disbelievingly stares at him.

Okay, maybe that was hasty. The key here is to impress her. “Okay, play anything Daft Punk.” At least Chanyeol knows it’s a common enough ground between them.  “I suppose you have a song or two in your iPod?”

“Really? So anything Daft Punk?” Chanyeol is starting to worry at the sneaky glint in her eye. “Just try to catch up.”

“Honey, I can play Daft Punk even while I’m sleeping.” Chanyeol’s competitive juices kicks up a notch when he notices a small smile escapes her lips as she hooks her iPod to the speaker.

Chanyeol should’ve suspected she was up to no good when she started hopping to the preliminary beat before the song blares through the speakers. He bites back a curse. It’s a tune that he doesn’t recognize.

“Hey! That’s unfair!” Chanyeol protests over the loud plucking of her bass—dang, he loves the way she looks when she’s in her element. “This is not Daft—”

The first line of the song makes him stop, his eyes narrowing at her before looking at her iPod display. True enough, the song is not by Daft Punk. It’s a song about Daft Punk. Chanyeol’s lips curl at the unfamiliar band name – LCD Soundsytem [play music] – slightly annoyed that he doesn’t recognize it when he has (arguably) the widest music knowledge in EXO.

“Cheater.” Chanyeol mouths good-naturedly at her as she sticks her tongue out at him. Wow, her sassy side is now showing and it’s just the first day of work for them. Things are definitely looking up for me, Chanyeol chuckles.   

Determined not to be outdone, Chanyeol closes his eyes and let his ears do the analyzing and his fingers following suit. By the time the second verse comes around, he manages to catch up to her. The melody was simple and catchy enough for his lead guitar to follow. The song however is mostly dependent on the strength of the bass sound.

The thought pushes Chanyeol to open his eyes and focus on the bassist in question. He’s a bit surprised that she’s smiling at him, probably because they are now playing the song in harmony. He has long acknowledged to himself that he misses this – being with her, sharing their love for music, butting heads, bickering like two drunkards, and…other stuff – but he didn’t realize by how much until this moment. And this is why they should be friends again and see each other more often. He smiles in return as both of them are into the bubble that forms whenever they perform. Just like old times.

“You fight dirty.” Chanyeol teases as the song finishes. “I said Daft Punk.”

“Pfffttt. You didn’t specify, Park Chanyeol.” She smirks. “You caught up anyway. You haven’t lost your touch.”

“Who says I did?” Chanyeol bristles, slightly insulted.

She laughs lightly, “I was just kidding.” She approaches him, and Chanyeol can’t stop smiling in glee. “Say, Chan—” she stops in her tracks, her eyes staring hollowly at his hand.

Chanyeol follows her gaze and realizes that he used the pick she gave to him that day when they officially started dating. It wasn’t intentional (or was it?), it’s the first thing he fished out of the guitar bag earlier, but now he’s slightly nervous that she saw it.

“Hey…” Chanyeol starts to approach her when he saw her lips tighten before turning away from him. “____-ah, I—”

“Wow, that wasn’t half bad.”

Chanyeol’s head swivels towards Kris, who was leaning against the doorjamb of the recording booth. He’s not sure why his hyung is here – both he and Kyungsoo are scheduled to drop by tomorrow when Chanyeol and her have more or less agreed on the arrangement. And he’s also not sure whether to be relieved or not that Kris interrupted them.

“Hyung,” Chanyeol greets him with a nod. “This is ____. She’ll be producing A Little Pain with me.” Chanyeol looks at her, and he notices that she has adopted her cool demeanor once again. “This is Kris hyung.”

Chanyeol watches as they both shake hands, slightly bothered that she blushes again just like she did with Luhan hyung before. Well, Kris has an overpowering presence, and the girls naturally follow him around. She’s probably not immune to Kris’ own unique charm. Although Chanyeol hopes she is. Not because she wants her for himself, Chanyeol reminds himself. It’s because he hasn’t gotten around to regaining her friendship yet. And that’s the priority for now, not forming deeper connections with his EXO brothers before he manages to do so with her.       

“You play well.” Kris compliments her, and Chanyeol is bothered again since Kris rarely gives out praise. “It’s been too long since I heard LCD Soundsystem.”

What the hell? Chanyeol stares at Kris, a bit stupefied.

“Oh, so you know them?” She asks, a smile forming in her lips.

Kris nods, his eyes warm. “I listen to them from time to time.”

“Cool.”

They both stare at each other for a good long minute until Chanyeol decides he cannot take the silence anymore. “Shall we start working then?”

“Ah yeah, sorry for interrupting.” Kris still keeps on looking at her, and Chanyeol for the life of him is getting a bit impatient. “I just want to introduce myself, seeing that Chanyeol was hurrying earlier to come here.”

“Hyung~~~!!!” Chanyeol wails. He has now reached the conclusion that he is not relieved that Kris is here.

Kris laughs and waves him off, “fine, fine…leaving in a bit.” He moves to exit the recording booth, Chanyeol trailing him.

“I’ll just…follow in a while.” She answers, gesturing towards her equipment strewn around the booth.

Both tall males nod at her, walking to the other side of the glass partition. Where they are out of earshot.

“She’s cute.” Kris notes.

What are you not telling me hyung? “Ummm, yes she is.”

“You guys dated right?”

“It…was a long time ago.” Chanyeol hesitantly answers. There’s no use bringing that fact out, and he fails to see where Kris is leading this conversation to.

“Okay…this could get interesting.” Kris chuckles, and Chanyeol stares at him in panic.

“Hyung! I swear. We’re just friends now.” Or at least he hopes they are heading towards that. If it weren’t for the goddamn pick…

“If you say so.” Kris bites his lip in mirth, obviously just appeasing his dongaseng. He stares at her through the glass as she fixes her bass. “That could be hard. You’re going to be joined at the hip for a week. And she’s cute. And if she’s at least half as talented as Kenzie noona says she is, then you should’ve been a goner by now.”

“Trust me, hyung. We’re just friends.” Chanyeol frowns, not understanding why he can’t convince his hyung of his motives. “And she is good. You’ll see it when you and Kyungsoo start to work with us.”

“Okay.” Kris agrees as they both watch her approach them. “I’m going now. Nice to meet you, ____. Or should I address you as Producer now?”

She lets out a small laugh. “Just by my name please. It’s kind of weird since you’re older.”

Kris lifts his brows suggestively. “Then I guess you can call me oppa now.”

“Errrr—”

“Hyung, you’re making her uncomfortable.” Chanyeol points out.  Geez, Kris just loves to torment him at times.

“Okay, I’m going now.” Kris inclines his head before leaving.

“Kris…oppa….” She calls out hesitantly, and Chanyeol’s eyes literally bugged out. “You left your coffee…”

, the coffee. Chanyeol was already about to interject when Kris beats him to it. “I think that coffee is for you.”

Thanks hyung. Chanyeol watches in anticipation as she takes a tentative sip, her eyes rounding as she slowly swallows her coffee. “Wow, this is good! I have to thank Luhan oppa later.”

. “Oh, ____-ah,” Chanyeol hurries to correct her. “It’s not—”

“Yeah, I think Xiumin brewed it, so it probably was a favor to Luhan.” Kris snickers, his eyes lancing through Chanyeol’s.

Can’t I just get a break? Chanyeol bows his head as she nods at Kris before taking her seat near the soundboard. He can feel Kris inching closer to his side.

“So, you’re sure you’re sticking to your “just friends” story, eh?” Kris whispers as they both observe her. “Then why did you bug Minseok to make that special brew earlier?”

“I can do that as a friend.” Chanyeol mutters through gritted teeth, looking at her as she rifles through the sheet music, her pencil between her lips (another habit of hers that he’s surprised she hasn’t grown out of). She gingerly tucks a portion of her short hair behind her ear, her eyes in deep concentration. Yep, she’s attractive alright – but his chance is long gone. Even her reaction to the pick just about confirms it. All he wants right now is to be friends with her. So no, he cannot develop more-than-friends feelings for her. Not again.

Chanyeol watches in fascination as she flips a page, her eyes twitching until she finally sighs. Her left hand goes into the right sleeve of her bulky sweater and she draws out – lo and behold – a pair of thick-rimmed reading glasses. He can’t help his quick indrawn breath at how hot she looks the moment she puts them on, her pencil still between her teeth.

Kris’ muffled laughter interrupts his crazy thoughts, his heavy hand patting his dongsaeng’s shoulder. “Just friends my .” Kris scoffs. “Let’s see how long you’ll last.”

***

A/N: First, I would like to say I’m really REALLY sorry for the super long delay TT and thank you for your patience. Got sidetracked (again) with real life and other fics. I made the chapter longer than usual, hope you like it ^^

Notes notes notes!!!

• L’arc~en~Ciel: Chanyeol mentioned during the Japan fanmeet last April that he used to listen to them. So I just have to mention them because I’m a huge fan of Laruku and watching them perform live a few years ago was a dream come true for me. 
• g.o.d.’s Opposites Attract: I believe that Chanyeol’s rapping voice is perfect for this song. I already decided on using it a long time ago and then g.o.d. suddenly reunited and it’s like a fate thing now (yeah I keep telling myself that haha)
• guitars: lucky for me the boys in my family play the bass (although it still took me a while to finish my research). So just in case you’re enough to love details (‘cause I love references like these when I read fics). I visualize a black Ibanez 4-string GSR200 to be our heroine’s first bass guitar. And her current guitar to be a white ESP E-II AP-4 STW. 

• Kenzie: new character! If you’re not familiar with her, she’s a famous SM producer (Kim Yeon Jung); she produced Wolf, Baby, Overdose, and First Snow. Other SM songs she produced (among others) are BoA’s Milky Way, SNSD’s Into the New World, SHINee’s Why so Serious, and f(x)’s La cha ta.
• Luhan and dongsaeng: again, this is in relation to The Right Time. Based on my hazy timeline, this chapter occurs two days after Luhan’s “surprise” at the stadium.

Sorry again for not updating sooner. I was already gaining ground when the news about Kris leaving EXO blew up, which kind of screws this fic a bit (the setting for this is three years after Growl), but oh well, that’s fiction for you ^^

Thanks again for your patience and I’ll try my best to update faster (I already have the next chapter outlined—of course we’ll have the squishy Do Kyungsoo stirring the pot. Not enough for Kris to have all the fun from Chanyeol’s misery). Again, thank you!

UPDATE (07/20/2014): Chanyeol updated his Instagram yesterday about Laruku's concert in 2012! I was able to catch the same tour; I flew in to Bangkok to see them again ^^