----- Chapter Eight -----

                Chanyeol hummed happy love songs as he miraculously cleaned their dorm. He had been sweeping the floor since early morning and it was indeed very surprising for the other members. Chanyeol doesn’t usually clean the whole dorm, but it was different this time. He was dangerously in a good mood. He had that wide yet creepy smile on. It seemed like he was enjoying what he was doing – and it was very odd.

                Of course, the other members didn’t mind him cleaning. But they had their eyebrows raised at the giant. He had been like that since the big announcement – collaborating with Dara in a CF. Some just laughed at him. Though they got crept out with his sudden change in behavior, they thought it was for the good, and they let him be that way.

                “Park Yoda, could you please get me some water? I’m thirsty,” Baekhyun jokingly pleaded, though he was just sitting on the couch with the others, watching Chanyeol do all the chores. He was obviously trying to piss the K rapper.

                But instead of complaining, Chanyeol just smiled at Baekhyun and cheerfully nodded at his request. “Sure, sure!” he was even skipping his way to the kitchen to get water.

                The boys dropped their jaws. They didn’t expect Chanyeol to comply with Baek’s request so easily. Usually, he would decline or do requests bitterly, with some tantrums. But that moment was different, he was as obedient as a puppy.

                “Here you go,” Chanyeol handed him a glass of water with a smile. As Baekhyun reached for the glass, he was once again surprised because instead of just plain water, it was cold, and it even had chunks of ice in it. The boys were in awe. Some of them were even on the verge of clapping their hands.

                Since Chanyeol was behaving that way, some grabbed the opportunity to make some requests to him.

                “Hyung, would you mind me borrowing your new pair of shoes?” Kai asked. Kyungsoo elbowed Kai right after. He was asking the impossible. They all knew that Chanyeol doesn’t like it when someone borrows his shoes.

                “Sure! I don’t really mind,” Chanyeol surprisingly agreed as he continued cleaning the floor. His smile didn’t fade one bit.

                Again, the members had their mouths opened. They were definitely impressed. Who knew Dara could have this superb effect on their K rapper. It was – daebakk.

                A flood of requests then followed, testing his patience and positivism. Luhan just chuckled. Suho face-palmed himself. Lay, on the other hand, fell asleep on the couch, clueless of what was going on.

                “If Chanyeol’s gonna be like this, I’d request sajangnim for more collaborations between him and Dara-sunbae!” Luhan snickered. He turned to Kris, who was sitting quietly in the corner. “That would be great, ne Kris?” he added.

                Kris didn’t answer. He had that somewhat irritated face. If Chanyeol was abnormally happy since last night, Kris was definitely the opposite. He had been silent. His forehead wrinkled. Luhan didn’t know why Kris was like that lately.

                Luhan just gazed at Kris. The duizhang found it annoying that he rolled his eyes and stood up suddenly. “Where are you going?” Luhan asked him.

                “Upstairs,” Kris nonchalantly answered as he proceeded upstairs. Luhan frowned and looked at Suho and Chen, who happened to be listening to them the whole time.

                “D-did I just say something wrong?” Luhan worriedly asked the two. Chen and Suho just shook their shoulders.

                “What happened to him?”

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                Kris slammed the door shut. He was definitely not in the mood. He was pissed. It was all because of last night.

< FLASHBACK >

                “Yes, you are collaborating with Park Shin Hye… and Sandara Park.”

                Chanyeol couldn’t hold his feels anymore that he began screaming in excitement. He was jumping around with his hands thrown freely in the air. s weren’t surprised anymore. Knowing him as a hardcore fanboy of Dara, that kind of reaction was to be expected.

                The members laughed at him, as well as their manager. Kris stayed silent at the side. But he was smirking, not because of Chanyeol’s silly reaction, but because of the fact that he would also be collaborating with Dara.

                “Okay, cut it off now,” the manager composed himself from all the laughter. They all diverted their attention to the manager.

                The manager cleared his throat first before telling more details. “There are two types of scent in the perfume collection.” ‘Woahs’ were heard. Murmurs descended.

                “Each type will feature one female lead and a sub-unit of EXO,” the manager continued.

                “Wait what?” Chanyeol reacted. His eyebrows furrowed.

                “You mean, we’ll be divided into two?” Sehun asked. Kris just stood there, listening intently to the discussion.

                “Let me finish first,” the manager stated. The members did so. “Yes, you’ll be divided into EXO-K and M.” The boys groaned, most especially Chanyeol. They wanted to work with both girls. They wanted to work together as one. They were quite disappointed.

                “So who’s gonna be with who?” Kris surprisingly spoke up. His face was stern.

                “About that,” the manager then s his hand in his bag and revealed some papers. He checked them before he answered the M leader.

                “Hmm, it said here that Sandara Park will collaborate with…”

                Chanyeol squeezed his eyes shut and crossed his fingers. “EXO-K please. EXO-K. EXO-K,” he mentally chanted.

                “Sandara Park will be with EXO-K and Park Shin Hye with M,” the manager finally broke the suspense.

                Chanyeol was so overwhelmed that he suddenly erupted and screamed at the top of his lungs. He jumped with joy and danced like a fool. He thanked the heavens for such a wonderful blessing. The others just giggled at him – except for Kris, who was definitely not amused.

< END OF FLASHBACK >

                Kris threw himself on his bed. He was frustrated. He knew that he should be happy that EXO will be collaborating with Dara, but he also thought that it would be much better if EXO-M will be the ones who’ll work with her more. Yeah sure, it’ll be great working with Park Shin Hye, but if it’s with Dara, it would be absolutely perfect. Kris couldn’t do anything but heave a heavy and noisy sigh.

                He wanted to get rid of his thoughts even for a little while. He wanted to release his frustrations, so an idea came into his mind. He got his phone and immediately logged in on chatpal.

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                Dara was very happy with the great news YG told her. She couldn’t believe she’ll be working with EXO. She couldn’t believe she’ll have that chance of meeting Kris – again. Though she wasn’t paired with EXO-M, the sub-unit in which Kris belongs, she was more than just happy. Her smile never left her face since she got the news.

                Her members kept on teasing her more than the usual since she informed them about the CF. Yes, the girls were very happy for their bunny. They thought it will be a rare opportunity for Dara to know Kris personally. They’ve been showing their support for her since the day she confessed that she likes Kris, and Dara appreciated it so much. However, she was afraid that they may get disappointed with her. She knew she couldn’t bring herself to get close to Kris. Her knees even tremble just by talking to him, like what happened in the bubble tea shop. For her, just seeing Kris makes her feel contented.

                When 2ne1 finally had a longer break the next day after the big news, Dara automatically visited her chatpal account. She hadn’t done it for over a week, and she missed it. She knew she had a lot of things to share to her cyber friend duizhang. And she got even more eager to talk with him that day. She went to the online users’ list and prayed that duizhang was there – and it was answered.

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                Kris scanned the list of online people and was delighted to finally see Ssantokki in the list. He was about to initiate a chat with her when a certain chat box popped up.

Ssantokki00:                       DUIZHANG !! ~~ ;]

                The M leader smirked when he received a message from her.

COOLduizhang:                 Yo :)

                Dara smiled. She couldn’t wait to tell her stories to him.

COOLduizhang:                 You’ve been out for a week.

                She cheekily giggled and started typing something as a response.

Ssantokki00:                       Oh? Don’t tell me you missed me? xD ^.^

                Kris’ eyes went wide. “What?” he mentally reacted. No, he did not miss her. He didn’t – that’s what he thought. He just wanted someone to talk to. It’s just that, and nothing more.

COOLduizhang:                 Cool story bro. :/

                “Tch,” Dara faked a pout but snickered at the end.

Ssantokki00:                       Don’t deny it, I won’t mind xP

COOLduizhang:                 Whatever :/

                Dara giggled and decided to put the jokes aside and tell him what she was dying to share with him. She excitedly typed the words in.

Ssantokki00:                       Keke. Anyways, I’m really really happy today! Guess why! Guess why! ^.^

                Kris smirked at her childlike attitude – not that he disliked it, it actually amused him. He sent her a brief guess.

COOLduizhang:                 Him.

                Laughter came out of Dara’s mouth. He knew her very well.

Ssantokki00:                       Still as smart as usual! Impressive (^_^)

COOLduizhang:                 It was too obvious. But I’ll still accept your compliment. :/

                Dara giggled. This duizhang’s really acting cool.

Ssantokki00:                       :P

Ssantokki00:                       Duizhang I’ll be working with him!! :]]] :’]

                Kris eyebrow was raised.

COOLduizhang:                 Really?

Ssantokki00:                       YES YES! ^.^

                Dara squealed as softly as possible. She wouldn’t want to disturb others.

Ssantokki00:                       We’ll be working together for the very first time!! OMO I don’t know what to do! I’m so excited! (>.<)

                For the second time around, something similar happened to her. Kris had mixed emotions. He didn’t understand it but he felt something weird was going on.

COOLduizhang:                 You two will be working on what?

                He asked what his mind told him to. Dara on the other hand, thought keenly of what to answer. If she tells him that they’ll be working on a CF, he might know that she’s an idol – and her dream of a private cyber life would crumble. But she didn't want to lie anyhow, so she thought of a safe excuse.

Ssantokki00:                       For marketing purposes! :]

                Kris mouthed an ‘o’. For some reasons, his mind settled down.

Ssantokki00:                       I’m really happy… How about you? How’s life? All good? :]]

                The M rapper frowned at her question. He made him remember what happened last night. She brought it up unknowingly.

COOLduizhang:                 Not really.

                Dara gasped.

Ssantokki00:                       What’s wrong? :[

COOLduizhang:                 It’s just that, things aren’t really going my way.

                Dara’s heart sank. He must’ve been going through some tough things lately. But, as 2ne1’s happy virus, it’s a common deed of her to cheer people up and make them feel better.

Ssantokki00:                       Don’t be sad duizhang. Everything’s got a reason. ;]

Ssantokki00:                       Something much better will definitely be coming your way soon. Cheer up! ^.^

                Kris let out a small smile at her words. He didn’t expect her to be like that. He wasn’t exactly sad – he was just not satisfied. Yes, he was happy that EXO will be collaborating with Dara in a CF, but he was disappointed not being paired up with her. But he was still happy.

                He softly chuckled, thinking that Ssantokki was over thinking what he said earlier. She might have thought he was in serious rough situations. But it was fine for him. He didn’t really want to elaborate more details after all.

COOLduizhang:                 Wise words coming from a bunny :/

                He teased. Dara faked an angry look and responded to him.

                Their chat lasted for almost an hour. It was only stopped because EXO had to attend some business and Kris had to go. Though it only lasted for a short while, they couldn’t deny that once again, they enjoyed each other’s time.

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                It was finally the most awaited day of Chanyeol – and might as well Kris’. It was the first taping day for the CF EXO would do together with Shin Hye and Dara. Chanyeol couldn’t deny the adrenaline running through his body. He was excessively excited – too excited that he ended up not sleeping a wink the night before. He was preparing his greetings the whole night by the time he meets Dara. He also had some grooming things with him to impress her. He was undeniably thrilled yet nervous at the same time.

                Kris, on the other hand, was quite tensed. He knew he’d be meeting Dara, and he didn’t know what to do when he sees her. But of course, he tried to compose himself, not wanting to look as creepy as Chanyeol.

                EXO arrived earlier than the agreed time. Surely, they didn’t want to make the staff feel burdened because of them. They wanted to give them a good impression. One of the staff led them to their dressing room as they waited for the director.

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                The members behaved well in the room. They patiently waited for the director and the staff to tell them what to do. Sitting at the corner, Chanyeol – who was definitely tensed – kept shaking his legs. He felt uneasy. He wanted to take another sip of water from the bottle he was gripping so tightly but it was empty, and it was his 3^rd bottle already.

                The members made fun of the nervous Chanyeol. It entertained them so much that they didn’t become bored anymore. Chanyeol just ignored them. Their manager tried to calm the K rapper.

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               Minutes passed and one of the staff called and fetched EXO along with their manager. She led them to the director. The member couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. They quietly followed the staff until they saw the director and the two stunningly gorgeous ladies behind him. Chanyeol literally dropped his jaw when he saw the girl of his fantasies.

---------------------------------

Dara’s POV

                I met Park Shin Hye for the first time and unexpectedly, we clicked in an instant. She was very kind and sweet, just like how people said she was. We talked and then talked and talked, as if we knew each other for a long time already. I really like her. After a while, the director came in our dressing room. He greeted us and we introduced ourselves of course. He then took us to meet our co-endorsers – EXO, who arrived earlier than us.

                My stomach felt weird, mainly because I was nervous. We stood as we waited for EXO. My hands were playing with each other uncontrollably. No words can describe how anxious I was. I felt bad for Shin Hye because I was not able to listen to her as she talked to me, since I wasn’t really paying attention.

                My heart skipped a beat when I saw figures coming our way. My chest clenched that I could hardly breathe. My eyes then were darted at the tall and familiar figure. As he came nearer, I felt that I was out of breath, literally.

                Then they stood before us. And I tried my best to stop staring at him. But I couldn’t help but glance at him a few times. He wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were focused on the director. One look and I could already tell he was here only for work – what could I expect. He would never feel the same way for me.

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                “Good morning,” the director greeted EXO warmly. The boys bowed respectfully as they greeted back. The director smiled and inched sideward to present to them the leading ladies for the CF. The girls flashed sweet smiles. The boys were in awe seeing the beautiful ladies in front of them. The director then introduced himself and gave time for the idols to meet one another.

                The boys were still speechless. Their eyes were glued on the girls. They were all silent, though the director told them to greet the ladies already. They all snapped when their manager elbowed Suho.

                “U-uh,” Suho came back to his senses. He blinked several times and then cleared his throat to formally start his introduction.

                “G-good morning sunbaes,” he started. He elbowed the member nearest to him, signaling they should do their usual tagline, and they did, though it wasn’t as good as they usually do, probably because they were really nervous. The girls just chuckled at them.

                “I’m EXO-K’s leader, Suho,” the angelic leader bowed 90 degrees. The girls bowed down in return.

                “I’m the dancing machine, Kai,” Kai said with a wink as he bowed to them. The others followed.

                “I’m the maknae, Sehun.”

                “I’m EXO’s panda, Tao.”

                “I’m EXO’s main vocalist, Baekhyun.”

                “I’m also a main vocalist, Kyungsoo.”

                “I’m EXO’s lead vocal, Luhan.”

                “I’m uh lead – lead, lead dancer, Yixing,” Lay seemed to forget his position. The girls chuckled at his seemingly forgetfulness.

                “I’m EXO’s baozi! Minseok.”

                “I’m EXO-M’s main vocalist, Jongdae. But you can call me Chen.”

                Silence then descended, Chanyeol was still in daze, but was brought back to his senses by a poke on his side.

                “Hi! I – uh – hello Dara-noona! I mean, s-sunbae… and Shin Hye-sunbae I – uh,” he heavily stuttered, obviously tensed. He glanced at Dara from time to time, but Dara was unaware of it. The girls were confused with his nervousness. The boys mentally slapped themselves for the embarrassment their K rapper was causing.

                “I mean I – uh – I’m EXO’s h-happy virus! Yes, yes I am. Ha ha,” Chanyeol forced a laugh. He smiled awkwardly at the two, as he timidly rubbed his nape. The ladies couldn’t help but laugh at the man, and so did the boys.

                Though Dara laughed – more like pretending to do so – her eyes were not focused on Chanyeol. She kept stealing constant glances at the man who caught her heart – Kris. She can’t help but stare at him, who didn’t even look interested on what’s happening that time. She noticed that Kris seemed to be bored, and that he didn’t even bother to look at her or Park Shin Hye. Though it was quite sad, she didn’t mind, because just seeing him makes her feel more than pleased.

                When laughter subsided, Dara didn’t notice that she was glancing – more like gazing – at Kris for some time already. Her attention had always been with him. She was staring at him dreamily, and was only stopped when it was Kris’ turn to introduce.

                “I’m Kris.”

                It was just a brief introduction yet it made Dara’s heart flutter. His cold yet soothing voice definitely stunned her. Kris even bowed to them, and the whole scene was so cool and perfect. How can a man bow so perfectly? Only Kris can do that – only him.

                It was finally the girls’ turn to introduce themselves. Shin Hye was the first one to step in. “Hello, EXO,” she said so sweetly as she bowed her head. “I’m Park Shin Hye. Let’s do our best together!” she flashed an angelic smile. The boys smiled back.

                Dara suddenly became anxious but she tried to cover it up with her cute smile. She mentally cheered herself as she stepped in to introduce herself. “I’m 2ne1’s Dara! I hope we’ll get along. Nice to meet you,” she said while smiling. She glanced at Kris and was surprised to find that he was also looking at her - finally. Dara blushed that she immediately looked down to hide her burning cheeks.

 It was undeniable that she captivated the boys in an instant. Chanyeol’s eyes sparkled. He was even gaping unknowingly.

                The director then butted it. “Okay, enough of the intros,” he said as he clapped his hands. “Let’s get to work.” The boys and the two ladies nodded in unison.

                “But before that, I will explain to you the concept of the CF,” the director smiled. He coughed a little and then started.

                “Okay, so this perfume collection called Temptation has two sides: the Dark and the Pink. The Dark side will of course have the y, serious and gothic-ish kind of theme. On the other hand, the Pink side will have that cheerful, playful and innocent kind of theme.”

                ‘Oohs’ were heard in reaction to what the director said.

                “So, for the Pink side, the leading lady will be Park Shin Hye because it best fits her image, and Dark will be Dara’s. And EXO will therefore be divided into two. EXO-K will be with Dara, and the M with Shin Hye,” Chanyeol mentally ‘hurrah-ed’. The director then looked at EXO. “May I see who’s in K and M?” he asked.

                The boys nodded and immediately grouped themselves according to their respective sub-unit. Their manager stepped in and told the director which is which. The director examined them carefully to make sure they would fit in their assigned theme.

                Chanyeol was smiling proudly. He was excited to be working with Dara. But it changed when the director suddenly frowned with his forehead wrinkled and eyebrows furrowed.

                “What’s wrong, director-nim?” The manager curiously asked. Chatters descended.

                The director clicked his tongue and shook his head shortly. “I think there will be slight changes,” he announced.

                Chanyeol suddenly felt worried for some unknown reasons. The others listened intently to the director.

                “I do think EXO-M best fits the Dark concept,” he revealed.

                The boys were surprised. Kris’ eyes slightly widened. Chanyeol’s shoulders dropped bitterly. “EXO-K looks innocent rather than the serious types. I think Pink would be best for them.”

                “What does that mean then?” The manager asked, wanting him to clarify things out.

                The director hummed. “Let’s just switch them. EXO-K will be in Pink and M will be in Dark.”

                Dara mouth opened slightly. Her eyes widened, dumbfounded. She was surprised with what the director just said. “Does this mean…” she couldn’t sort her thoughts properly because of the overwhelming feeling that infiltrated her system.

                Chanyeol felt his world break down with the director’s sudden decision. He was looking forward working with Dara. He couldn’t even sleep just to prepare for this day. But the sudden change made his hopes crumble. He wanted to protest. He wanted to persuade the director into sticking with the original plan. But Suho held him back.

                Kris couldn’t believe what happened. It was unexpected. Not long ago he was upset because he didn’t get paired with Dara, and now this happened. He was surprised – and happy. But he still composed himself, hiding his true emotions behind his stern and stoic face.

                “I want the whole CF to look natural, so I required no script. I will just tell you what to do on the spot. Filming will start in 10 minutes. Pink will be filmed first,” the director instructed. He then went to the set for some business.

                Heavy-heartedly, Chanyeol slowly inched his way to the dressing room. His energy was drained instantly. He began heaving sighs. The other members couldn’t do anything but to comfort him. Meanwhile, Kris still had that emotionless face, but it was obvious that he was in a good mood - undeniably.

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                Dara was still in daze as she went into her dressing room. Everything seemed so unreal. It was too good to be true. A part of her suddenly turned so tense with the thought that she and Kris will be filming together and will be in a scene together. She never thought things like this would happen. And she felt extremely lucky. She had that huge yet cute smile plastered on her beautiful face. But she couldn’t help but feel nervous for the filming. She never wanted to embarrass herself in front of Kris anymore.

----- End of Chapter -----

< Author's Note > Sorry for the delay. So, there goes chapter eight. I hope you liked it. Comments, subscriptions and upvotes are always welcome.