Chapter Eight

Jongdae

If there was one thing Jongdae was good at besides singing, it was being a troll.  Not a vicious, ugly, lumpy, big-eyed, foul smelling troll.  Oh no.

Not that kind.

But if it wasn't being a troll, it was (ironically enough) caring about his teammates.

...a lot.

Now, he didn't show it in the mushy, gooey ways that America had it done.  'Nor did he do it in a manly, man-to-man talk kind of way either.  No, Jongdae was the type to care about you in a sarcastic manner.  He'll tell you a joke about yourself to get you angry whilst giving you a cold drink on a hot summer's day.  Sometimes, he'll throw a towel in your face if you were dripping wet.  And if there was a ill-mannered dog walking by, he'd push you to the dog first before quickly grabbing you to switch sides so he'd take the bite.  That's how Jongdae liked to take care of s most of the time.  

That's just the kind of man he is.

But when he saw Chanyeol, a little part of him actually felt...mother-like.

Sure, he was envious that Chanyeol had got the time to spend with hot chicks on the new variety show he was filming.  Like Park Bom, Nana, and Gayeon (the vocalist found her strangely hot despite her ability to most likely kick his in an arena), but he didn't let his jealousy overcome his friendship with the man.

In fact, it broke his heart a little to see Chanyeol so...unhappy.  And the Happy Virus had problems of hiding how he truly felt these days.  Jongdae saw it in the dazes he would usually go into when someone was talking to him.  He saw it in Chanyeol's unusual small appetite.  He saw it in the way Chanyeol barely looked at his phone.  He saw it in the way that Chanyeol's smile didn't reach his ears anymore.  And most of all, he saw it in the way Chanyeol would look at their dorm room door longingly, as if waiting for someone special to walk through.

No doubt that Chanyeol was waiting for Park Bom.

'She hasn't been around in two weeks.'  The vocalist thought to himself as he tapped his fingers along the lunch table of SM's cafeteria room.  It was him along with a few other staff and co-workers who had decided to get a bite at this time of night.  It was a fairly quiet day which made the vocalist think hard.  'I wonder what happened?'  He thought to himself.

And viola, there Chanyeol was walking in.  Jongdae raised his brows.

'Huh, would you look at that.'  Jongdae watched as Chanyeol lazily walked into the middle of the cafeteria with a drink in his hand and flopped his head onto the table with a rather loud thud.  The 22 year old cringed at that, embarrassed.  Slowly, he walked over to Chanyeol's table and sat across the rapper, tapping his shoulder lightly.  "Yah, Chan-ah."  Jongdae whispered and watched as Chanyeol looked up at him.

Chanyeol's face was flushed.  His cheeks were a bright red and his eyes looked glazed.  He also wore a goofy smile on his face and Jongdae wrinkled his brows.  "Hyuuuuuung!"  His deep voice rang out.  "How aaare yoou?"  Chanyeol was louder than normal and Jongdae had to hush him for heads were starting to turn their way.

"Yah!  Be quiet!  It's late and you're being too loud!"  Jongdae scolded much to the tall man's digression.  He frowned at the main vocalist.

"Meeeeean!"  He hummed and that's when Jongdae caught a whiff of alcohol.  

"What the!?"  Jongdae stated rather loudly himself.  "Yah!  Why are you...are you drunk?!"  He asked a very hushed whisper.  Chanyeol just laughed and smiled at his hyung's way, not really saying anything.  Looking at the drink Chanyeol brought with him, Jongdae took away the bottle and opened the cap, smelling the bottle.  "Oh, yuck!"  He pulled away from the bottle and put the cap back on tightly.  'Vodka?'  Jongdae tossed it into the trash can and ignored how it missed and started rolling on the floor.  He looked at Chanyeol seriously.  "Yah, Chan-ah."  He said a bit more gently and the younger man shook his head, the smile never leaving his face.  "Are you okay?"

"Haha, hyuuuung!"  Chanyeol grinned as he breathed out the words.  Jongdae held his breath.  "I'm so, totally, awesomely, not missing anyone!"

'He's so out of it.'  Jongdae thought to himself blankly.  "Where'd you get that bottle?"  Chanyeol stopped shaking his head and paused, looking at the vocalist blankly.  A moment or two passed.

"Mmm...  Kris-hyung might've switched our water bottles?"  He said and Jongdae slapped his forehead.

'That hyung of ours!'  Sighing at the reality of now, Jongdae stood Chanyeol up and grabbed his elbow, escorting him outside for a breath of fresh air.  Along the way, Chanyeol wouldn't stop talking and smiling.  This was quite humorous because it was like Chanyeol being on an overdose of his own self.

"And I just...just..."  Chanyeol hiccuped as the two finally made it outside in the back where no one would see them.  "I was just like...  Whoooa!"  Chanyeol made a weird gesture with his hand.  "Dong-wook hyung, you care about me soooooo much!  A-and..."  Hiccup.  "I hope you totally get married soon."  Jongdae raised a brow as he finally started paying attention to what Chanyeol was saying.

"What're you talking about?"  The older member asked.  Chanyeol pouted and folded his arms.

"Hyung!  You didn't listeeeeen to meeeeeee!"  He mumbled.  Jongdae shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch Chanyeol.  "No one ever listens to me!  ....EVER!"  Chanyeol cried out, surprising the 22 year old.  Tears were suddenly starting to gather into Chanyeol's eyes and Jongdae cringed.

'Oh no.'  He thought.  "Don't cry Chan-ah."  He said sternly making Chanyeol rub his eyes.  

"It's......."  Jongdae heard the choke in his dongsaeng's voice.  "It's just...not fair."  He heard Chanyeol mutter.  Jongdae wondered for a bit if Chanyeol even realized he was drunk.  In any other circumstance, in any other situation, Jongdae knew full well that he'd be taking advantage of Chanyeol right this very moment.  A few pranks had sprung up in his head when he was taking the younger male outside but something had stopped him.  Jongdae took an approach he never took before when it came to caring.

He listened.

"Why...why does she fancy him soooooooo much?"  Chanyeol spoke sadly, looking down on the floor.  Jongdae pursed his lips and folded his arms.

"Alright, alright.  I get it."  He whispered to himself.  "Yah, Chan-ah.  Tell me anything you want."  Chanyeol heard this and looked at the shorter man, curious and very puppy-like.  "I'll listen to whatever you have to say.  And then tomorrow, I'll forget about it, okay?"  To this, Jongdae promised and looked up at the rapper, serious.  "So you have five minutes to tell me everything on your mind.  But then go to sleep, okay?  I don't want you to be upset."  Jongdae watched Chanyeol sniff and looked lost.  The drunk member seemed to be thinking about it and that made the vocalist want to pull at his hair, irritated.  

Instead, he waited for Chanyeol to comprehend it and the Happy Virus gave a small smile.  His cheeks were less red but Chanyeol's eyes seemed to be more shiny.  The older of the two recognized it as tears threatening to fall down.

"I'm not upset hyung."

"Bull."  Jongdae scowled.  Chanyeol flinched and the vocalist reprimanded himself for that.  He waited for a moment before continuing in a more soft tone.  "Is it about Bom-sshi?"  Jongdae heard Chanyeol gasp and he watched as the taller male gulp down a sob.  'Hmm?  Chan's acting strange.'  Jongdae waited for Chanyeol patiently.  The latter spent a few minutes rubbing his eyes and wiping his nose.  Chanyeol made weird sounds and he whimpered every now and then.  Jongdae could hear the hurt in all of them.

"B-Bom..."  Chanyeol started to say, his voice pitchy.  "Sh-She's dating Dong-wook hyung."  He confessed, and Jongdae felt his heart tighten.

He had no idea.

And he had no idea that it would affect Chanyeol so much.  "Sh-She...  She talks about him e-everydaaaa-aaaay!"  Chanyeol whimpered and Jongdae could see the tears fall down the younger man's face, despite him looking at the floor.  Jongdae didn't like hearing Chanyeol cry.

He didn't sound pretty.  

"Th-That's why I don't answer m-my phooone.  A-And..."  Chanyeol in a breath.  "I-I don't know why I'm acting this way!"  He stomped his foot and Jongdae was faintly reminded that Chanyeol was still drunk.

'He's the honest drunk, eh?'  Jongdae continued to listen to his friend.

"I want to be h-happy for her!"  He slurred a bit.  "I-I want n-n-noona to be the hap-happiest person in the world!"  Chanyeol rubbed his eyes roughly.  His tone was that of hurt and sadness and frustration and deep, deep, deep loneliness.  "Because she's so amazing y-you know!?  N-Noona is so nice aaaand sweeet a-and cute a-and....  So fragile."  Chanyeol in a breath.  "In Roommates, she treated me sooo nicely!  And before I knew it....  I was always standing n-next to her.  She's just so special.  So special.  So special, special, special..."  He cried.

Nodding his head, Jongdae waited for Chanyeol to catch his breath.

"So...speciaal...to m-me...  And I thought I was special to her t-too!"  Jongdae scooted a bit away to avoid the alcoholic smell that he started to inhale.  Faintly, he looked at Chanyeol who was heaving breaths.  Jongdae momentarily flinched at how broken his friend looked.  "So...  Wh-Why?"  Chanyeol looked at him, his back hunched over and his eyes red from crying.  "H-Hyung?  Wh-Why did she choose Dong-wook hyung?  H-How come....I...  Am I not enough?"  As Chanyeol said this, Jongdae couldn't ignore the heartbroken look.  He clenched his fists.

"You're enough Chan-ah."  He reassured from a distance.  "You're enough."  Chanyeol shook his head at this suddenly.

"I'm n-n-not enough!  B-Bom-noonaaaa choose th-that other hyung!  A-As her precious P-Park brother, I don't approve!"  Chanyeol confessed and Jongdae chuckled a bit at this.

"Aren't you in love?"  He asked smoothly.  Chanyeol paused.

"...n-no?"  Jongdae rolled his eyes at Chanyeol's obliviousness of his own feelings.  "I...  B-Bom...  Sh-She's just....sp-special.  And a-amazing, and sweet and cuuuute."  Jongdae laughed a bit at this.

"Look at you."  He scolded playfully and ruffled Chanyeol's hair.  "You're a mess because she choose Dong-wook sshi, right?"  Jongdae wanted to spread a little light on this.  Chanyeol nodded his head.  "And you're upset about this, right?"  Hesitant, Chanyeol nodded his head again.  The red in his cheeks were fading a bit as he continued to ask Chanyeol questions.  "But you want her to be happy, am I right?"  Chanyeol nodded his head furiously at this.  "So is it okay with you if she's happy being with Dong-wook sshi?"  There was a pause in the air and the older boy waited patiently for his friend's reaction.

Chanyeol's eyes slowly lit up at this and Jongdae could see realization forming in his brown orbs.  The cool air must've helped him clear his head a bit because Chanyeol's face was now a nice, bright pink.  A soft and tender smile finally rolled onto his lips as Chanyeol's gaze softened.  Jongdae was almost touched by the amount of affection and love that swirled his brown orbs.

His heart almost skipped a beat (and Jongdae would rather die than to admit it though.  That secret was going to his grave).

"Mm...maybe not.  ...s-she should be happy with me?"  That was all Chanyeol said before closing his eyes and dropping to the floor.  Jongdae jumped out of the way quickly.

"Y-YAH!?"  He shouted and nudged the tall giant with his foot.  "Chan-ah!  Wake up!"  Jongdae suddenly pleaded.  "Don't fall asleep here!  It's cold and outside!  ...And you're heavy!"  He tried to pick up Chanyeol.  "UGH!"  He groaned, heaving.  "So damn heavy!"  The vocalist wheezed as he somehow managed to wrap Chanyeol's arm around his shoulders.  It was a funny sight to see because of such the height difference.  Jongdae looked at Chanyeol carefully with narrowed eyes.  "I should just leave you here on the floor for causing me so much trouble tonight!"  

Despite his cruel remark, Jongdae traveled up the stairs with Chanyeol going in and out of conscious.  "Make up your mind already!  Are you asleep or awake!?"  Shaking his head, the vocalist was still careful not to drop him or bump his head anywhere.  'The things I do for these guys...  I don't get paid enough for this.  I should be home, living there while working an 8 hour shift.  This job isn't supposed to 24/7!  I'm pretty sure that's illegal somewhere in America...'  Huffing, Jongdae slowly opened Chanyeol's room to find Baekhyun sleeping heavily.  He blew a fringe out of his face.  "You punk."  He hissed quietly before laying Chanyeol on his bed.  Jongdae rolled out the sudden kinks in his shoulder blades.

"That's enough for tonight."  Nodding his head, Jongdae was about to go out their room before stopping to look at Chanyeol.  He pursed his lips.  The image of Chanyeol's smile before knocking out was really something to see.  In all his years knowing the giant, Jongdae doesn't remember a time where Chanyeol had ever looked like that.  Hesitant, he left the room quickly to grab a few things.

The next morning, Chanyeol woke up to see an empty water bottle with some sun glasses.  There was a note folded sloppily with handwriting that definitely belonged to a guy.  It read;

"Last night never happened.  I don't know anything.  So there's nothing for me to tell.

However...

Keep going!

Fighting!

P.S. - You went over five minutes so expect a bad week."

For the fun of it, there was a little troll doll with pink hair and green eyes standing on the side next to the glasses.

(A/N: JONGDAE WHY YOU SO SWEET?  .......excuse me while I go cross out every Author's Note that says these one-shots won't be related.  I mean....they just all roll more-or-less together now sooo...  Yeah.  Excuse me while I go cry over today's episode of Roommate.  I am...legitly having a hard time to breathe.  Omigosh, I couldn't contain that 2NEXO​ interaction at all.  It was almost too much to bear.  Like...I wasn't ready for it.

Oh, and sorry if it's rushed.  I'm gonna sleep now and I'm not really thinking and well...I don't really know if Jongdae's makes sense but I think it's cute and abnormally long.  Whoo!)