Obvious

by

paizley 

________

Tao grinned as Kris pulled out his phone as it rang, giggling like a schoolgirl at the look on the duizhang’s face as he answered. 

“Hey babe…” 

Tao rolled his eyes as Kris greeted her, babe, he thought with a sneer of his nose, if he had a girlfriend, he’d give her a better pet name than that. 

“I’ll be back later,” Kris murmured to Tao as he slipped on a black hoodie overtop his grey t-shirt, “Cover for me if anything happens, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Tao laid back on the bed, “Tell her I say hi. And that she owes me a Gucci shopping spree.” 

Kris snorted, throwing one of the pillows at the younger boy, “Yah, she’s not made of money.” 

“I didn’t say she had to buy me everything,” Tao whined, waving him away, “Now go! Maybe you’ll be in a better mood when you get back.” 

Kris glared, zipping up the sweater. “Bye.” 

“Bye,” Tao sighed as he heard the door to the hotel room click shut. He rolled his eyes at the thought of Kris’s attitude since his girlfriend had been away for the past two weeks. How obvious can you get? He wondered, if anything, how did everyone not know that Kris was dating her? 

It was so obvious, even a blind man could tell. 

________

Tao could tell there was something brewing in the beginning just by the way Kris acted around her. Usually he was aloof around the female staff, sometimes friendly and joking if he was in a good mood, but he’d rather headphones in his ears and his eyes shut during traveling or breaks. Yet around her, he was always grinning that stupid gummy smile and laughing that dorky, boisterous laugh as he made a fool of himself in front of their new stylist. He would always try to make her laugh with his sarcastic comments or through his foolish moments. And he always , whether it be about her height, her shyness or her clumsiness.

And then there was the fact that when she was around, he made sure he was close by. Like that one time when they were enjoying the night market after a fan meeting in Hong Kong, and Kris had stuck to her side like glue. Or how whenever they ate with the staff, Kris managed to sit next to her, using his friendship with their other stylist, Park Brian, as a cover-up. 

Then there was that one time when a scandal came up on the internet about their brewing relationship, pictures of them walking together at the night market blowing up on the forums. Selected pictures, might he add, as the rest of the group and staff were also there, yet the unnamed netizen had uploaded only the photos of the two of them together. 

When it came to things like this, Kris usually ignored the scandals and the girls linked to him, laughing it off as a joke. But this time, this time he was furious. 

“Did you ing see this?” Kris asked, seething as he showed Tao the comments underneath the article. 

Stay away from my oppa you ing ! Stop touching him, you’ll make him ugly with your presence. Who is she? How dare she be so close to Kris-oppa! 

He frowned, glaring at his phone, “Manager-hyung needs to fix this.” 

Tao raised his brow at the look on Kris’s face, “It’s harsh.” 

“Harsh?” Kris laughed, “She’s being ing torn apart on the internet because of these pictures. We were just walking together!” He rubbed his face, frustration etched on his perfect visage as he paced back and forth. “I’ve got to go talk to her,” he muttered, leaving the hotel room, the door slamming shut. 

After that, things between their new stylist and Kris were awkward. It seemed like she’d rather cut out her own tongue then be caught alone with him again. And during that time, Kris became more and more pouty, taking out his frustration with her on them. His leadership was on full force then, pushing the team to their limits with their practices until one day Tao hit him in the head, unable to handle his dark mood. 

“Just ing talk to her,” he had growled, “If you like her, man up.” 

Kris scowled, “You don’t think I’m trying? She runs away every ing time I’m around.” 

And then miraculously, the next day, Kris had come back to the dorm with a bright smile on his face. Tao had been shocked to see the change, but he liked to think that his pep talk had helped push the duizhang in the right direction. 

Even though at that point their relationship of officially being boyfriend and girlfriend had just begun, Tao made sure to keep his eyes on them. Like when they were in the styling offices for a fitting, he’d spot Kris leaning over her shoulder when she was looking over outfit choices, whispering into her ear something that would made her peel back in laughter. Or how he would playfully dance with her to their songs while they were waiting for everyone to change. Or those moments when they thought nobody was looking, when obviously they were, and were just trying to be polite and not stare at the couple. 

“Why don’t they just get a room,” Luhan muttered to Tao as he spotted Kris playing with the ends of her hair. His hand had then moved and lingered on her cheek, his thumb brushing against her peach-stained lips as he spoke softly to her. She was smiling shyly in return, her fingers fidgeting with her rings.

“It’s weird,” Tao admitted with a sigh, resting his arm on the shorter boy’s shoulder, “But at least he doesn’t make us practice until three in the morning now.” 

“True.” Luhan smiled, ing his fist in the air, “Kris and Daheun-ah, fighting!” 

Then there was that time when they had a day off and Luhan had walked into his and Kris’s room in their dorm in Korea a little after midnight. 

“Oh,” Luhan grinned as he flipped on the lights and found Daheun in bed with Kris, fully clothed, but sleeping soundly. Kris was spooned around her small frame, his arm wrapped around her petite waist. “Kyeoopta,” Luhan exclaimed as he dragged in the rest of the members.

Lay sighed wistfully as he rested his head against the doorframe, missing a certain girl. “I’m jealous,” he murmured to Tao who had giddily taken his phone out, taking a quick picture of the sleeping couple. 

“Was she always here?” Chen asked with a pout, “Because I would have asked her to make us some hotteok. She’s the best at that.” 

“Yeah,” Tao folded his arms, “But she’ll be here in the morning!” He clapped his hands, “Oohhh, maybe she’ll make us porridge!” 

“Oh,” Chen beamed, his voice excited, “Or galbi!” 

Xiumin his lips at the thought, “Or spicy stewed fish and cold cucumber soup!” 

“Yo.” The five boys jumped at the husky voice, “Shut up.” 

His voice had stirred the girl tucked next to him, her turning onto her side as she snuggled closer to him, “Oppa?” She whispered sleepily, “Gwaenchana?” 

They smiled sheepishly as he sent them a warning glare, his hand running through her brown hair. “Sorry,” they answered softly in unison, slowly backing out to avoid the wrath of their duizhang. 

And then there were those times when they were in public. 

Freaking public! 

Like at filming for music videos, backstage at concerts and variety shows, airports, photo shoots and commercial filming. 

For instance, when they were in the VIP lounges at the airport, Kris would always be next to Daheun. At least here, Kris was hyperaware of all the eyes on him, but that didn’t stop him from stealing meaningful glances and smiles. Or at the photo shoot for their new album, Kris had greeted the staff as they entered, but his gaze always lingered on hers. While they were getting ready, Kris would playfully bump his hip to her side when the other boys were shooting and about god knows what, that stupid smile plastered on his face when they spoke. 

He wondered if Kris thought no one noticed how his hand always found hers, how he would squeeze it then reluctantly let go. How his hand would always brush against the small of her back as he walked by, or how he texted her disgustingly cute messages when they were in the same room but unable to talk to each other. 

Tao had almost gagged when he spotted Kris’s screen once. 

K: Day, do you even know how gorgeous you look today? You’re killing me here. 

D: Oppa! I’m working and you’re making me blush… and stop touching me. You’re such a ert ;) 

K: Then stop being beautiful ;) 

No actually, he did throw up that day. But maybe the three-day old chicken feet he had eaten in the morning had something to do with that too.

And when EXO-M had a week off to rest, Kris went to London with her to meet her aunt. There, they finally had the chance to experience being a real couple. From what he had heard from Daheun, they had walked hand-in-hand in the broad daylight, went shopping, ate in restaurants without sunglasses and hats and attended concerts. Things normal couples did. Plus, when they had come back from their trip, they both had new white gold rings on their index fingers. Not matching of course, they were smarter than that.

He had been impressed that they did not manage to get caught, thanks to separate flights and Kris changing his image. He had dyed his hair and dressed like a complete hipster with plaid shirts, skinny blue jeans and loafers for the entire week. Maybe the fact that his girlfriend was a talented stylist helped in this respect. Or, Kris was not as popular as he thought, himself teasing the older boy about it for weeks. 

“They didn’t know who I was,” Kris explained as he handed out gifts to his group members. 

“See!” Chen grinned, “I told you dying your hair black would work.” 

“No one followed you?” Luhan asked as he tried on the scarf the couple had chosen for him, “Really? That’s so lucky!” 

Tao raised his brow, “Or maybe you’re not even popular. Everyone knows Luhan. If it were Luhan in London, I bet everyone would have gone crazy.” 

Kris glared at the younger boy, holding up that distinct brown shopping bag with those five letters, “I guess this is going to Xiumin then.” 

Xiumin graciously accepted the gift, “Ohhh,” he exclaimed as he glanced inside, “Gucci!” 

Tao was stunned, frozen in shock. “B-but… gege!” My Gucci, he thought in horror as Xiumin’s grubby hands pawed the leather wallet. He fell to the floor, his knees thumping against the hardwood, my Gucci!!

________

By now, Kris and Daheun have been dating for nearly a year, and things were just getting worse. Another painfully obvious moment was just last week; EXO had a special interview for a magazine for Valentine's Day. Tao rolled his eyes as he remembered his hyung’s answers. 

What a disaster. It was so obvious, he snorted, why not just reveal to the entire freaking world that you’re in love. 

The interviewer smiled as she sat in front of EXO-M, “So let’s begin, shall we? We’ll start with Kris, but feel free to add in anything you think he misses.” She looked up at the group, “Alright, Kris-ssi,” she beamed at the handsome man, “How would you describe your love style? 

Kris coughed, his eyes instantly finding that petite brunette chatting with their make-up artists. “I would say all in,” he replied quickly, wincing as Xiumin kicked his foot. “I, uh… I think I’d become a fool for love.”  

“And what kind of boyfriend do you think you’d be?” 

Kris chuckled as he played with that white gold ring on his finger, “I think I’d be a good boyfriend. I’d make her laugh and smile, I’d spoil her with presents and give her lots of hugs. I’d remember all those important dates and make sure to contact her everyday.”

The interviewer nodded, looking at the rest of the members with a bright smile, “Do any of you have anything to say?” 

“He’s a good boyfriend,” Luhan quipped, jumping as Chen elbowed his side, “Material. He’s good boyfriend material. If I had a sister I’d let her date Kris out of everyone else in EXO. And especially not Chen,” he muttered, flicking the younger boy’s forehead.

“Hyunnggg,” Chen pouted, “What are you talking about, I’d make the perfect boyfriend. Events and everything she wanted.” 

The interviewer laughed, moving onto another question. “Kris-ssi, you’re very close to your family. If you had to choose between your girlfriend and your family, who would you choose?” 

“She wouldn’t make me choose,” he replied firmly, fondly remembering the first day Daheun met his parents. 

“Ooohhh,” Lay nodded, appreciating his answer. 

“Tao-ssi, what do you think of Kris’s ability as a boyfriend?” 

Tao thought carefully, “Hypothetically, I think he’d be a good one. He always takes care of us, and when I first started as a trainee, he was the person who took care of me the most. So I think he’d protect her and love her well. He’d be the type of man to call her when he’s away to say goodnight. The romantic type.” He smirked, glancing over at his hyung, “But he’d probably end up spending tons of his money on her because he’s not very good at talking about his feelings. And he has a cold city man image, so she’d have to warm his heart up. And he’d probably give her stupid pet names like babe and boo, and annoy her, with all his teasing.” 

Kris snorted, “Yah!" He exclaimed as he threw up his hands, "What’s with the end?” 

“It’s true, you’re annoying sometimes.” 

“I second that,” Chen raised his hand with a wide grin, “When duizhang is bored he can drive anyone insane.” 

The interviewer chuckled, ticking off the last question. “All right, last one. What is your ideal girl? Both on the inside and outside.” 

Kris couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on his lips, remembering that first day they met. “Physically? I like beautiful eyes, eyes where you can read her emotions and you know how she’s feeling. Eyes that you dream of, you know, when you miss her? And I like girls that are small, girls that you can’t help but want to protect.” 

Xiumin laughed, “Kris! You’re a giant, all girls are small compared to you.” 

Kris smirked, “It’s my preference, ok?” He rubbed his lip with his thumb thoughtfully, “And on the inside? Someone who’s kind and takes care of everyone… someone with a beautiful soul. Someone who laughs with me, and doesn’t mind how much I , because that’s how I show I like her. Someone who has her own goals and can be independent, because as much as I’d like to be, I probably won’t always be there for her…” He rubbed the back of his neck, “She should get along with my parents and her own family. She should be a good girl,” he murmured, his legs restless as he answered, trying both to be honest and maintain their relationship a secret, “Who breaks the rules sometimes for me.” He grinned wickedly, laughing as the group groaned. 

The interviewer’s brows raised, “You seem to have someone in mind?” 

Kris shook his head, “No. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’m jealous of couples on Valentine’s day, who get to hold hands and do events on that day.”

“It seems like you’re a romantic at heart.”

“Mmhmm.” Kris smiled as his eyes met hers, “I guess I am.” 

________

And despite how obvious it was that he loved her, Tao was sure she loved him just as much. She was just as much his rock as he was hers. She cared for him deeply, it evident in the way she took care of him when he fell ill and fainted after a concert, or when he was feeling tired and frustrated and a simple hug from her would make everything better. 

Duizhang was a really good man, he was filial, kind and took care of everyone. He was someone Tao looked up to and relied upon, he was his brother through and through. And though he’d never admit it to the older boy, he was happy he found someone like her. 

Because she was perfect for him. She was the type of girl who was as happy with a night-in as a night-out. She was bright and outgoing, with just enough cheerfulness to make him a happier man. She brought out a more mature side in Kris, one that turned into a complete gentleman whenever she was around. Opening doors, pulling out chairs and giving her flowers.

And the fact that she completely understood that their relationship would have to be a secret and never once complained was gold. 

She was rare, wasn’t she? 

And yes, he was incredibly jealous. Because he wanted someone to call babe. 

Though why would he want to call her babe when there were a million better pet names out there. 

He wanted a girl who looked only at him the way Daheun looked at Kris. He wanted a girl who could lift him from his black moods and make him laugh, just the way Daheun could with Kris. He wanted a girl to spoil with hugs and jewellery, just like the way Kris gave her back-hugs and rings. And most of all, he wanted a girl to whisper ‘I missed you’ and ‘I love you’ to when he thought no one was looking.

Tao sighed as he pulled out his own phone, reading through his social media feed. Why couldn’t he find his own Daheun? He frowned, tucking his arm under his head, and how did everyone not know Kris was dating her? He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. 

It was so freaking obvious.

“Hey, Tao-ssi,” the manager knocked on the door as he entered the hotel room, “Have you seen Kris? I was sure he was rooming with you.” 

Tao’s eyes widened as he struggled to come up with an excuse, “Uh, uh… I think he went to the corner store for some drinks.” 

“Hm,” the manager folded his arms, not buying it. The look on his face utterly unimpressed. “He snuck off to see Daheun-ah, didn’t he?” 

Tao couldn’t stop the chester-like grin on his face, “Yeah.” 

The manager rolled his eyes, “Did he at least bring a hat?” 

Tao shrugged, “He brought his black hoodie.” 

“I’ll chew him out on it tomorrow,” the older man scowled, “Honestly, you’re the worst cover-up. I don’t even know why he relies on you.” He muttered as he left the room. 

Tao grinned as he quickly sent a text to Kris, ‘Gege, you’re in trouble. Whoops.’

________

thoughts on a full story?

& thanks for reading!

xoxo