When speeding down the streets of the neighborhood, with the early blooms of flowers dotting the sides of the pavements in color and with the freshly awakened crimson and violet sunrays stretching on the sky lazily, the chilly morning air was biting his nose and cheeks and his arms were covered in goose bumps, but it felt so invigorating. The city was just stirring from its slumber, the lights on the streets flickering and turning off, leaving the soft sunlight guiding the sparse flow of cars. He passed by many houses with sleepily illuminated kitchens and children’s alarms signaling the start of the school day. There was a different ambience in the air, a quiet, clean pace that disappears when the energy of people overflows the streets, full of busy responsibilities.

Baekhyun decides to stop for a while and rest, so he drifts to the side of the path and slows down, plopping down on a bench. He checks his wrist watch; fifty five minutes of jogging. That’s not bad, he thinks, slightly impressed with himself. He wipes away the droplets on his forehead with a towel he has been carrying, gazing at the river and the park, feeling his heart and head lighter than before; running helps him clear his head and let out some tension. It’s even better during spring time, like today, when everything is blooming colorfully and many families are out in the park, small children playing by the swings, couples strolling down the paths, people walking their dogs by the river and a few others exercising in nature like him. He hardly ever exercises out of the house –because it’s better if you are sweating your calories off away from the public eye– but on days like this one, with the sun shining brightly to a beautiful morning and the birds chirping, even though this is the city and not his countryside home town, it is hard to resist going out for a walk or a jog. Baekhyun smiles and takes a small sip of water from his bottle. Spring is refreshing.

He observes other people who pass him by for a while, until his heart rate becomes normal again; he should start minding his physical condition a little more. All the while he sits, he cannot stop thinking; about his parents and how he should visit soon, about the next event they are planning and how he has to look for white orchids, about how wonderful his vacation had been and how he has to sort through the pictures he took, about the suit he left at the dry cleaners and the vegetables he has to buy on his way home. He becomes so lost in his thoughts that his brain doesn’t register what his eyes see anymore; so, when something touches his leg all of a sudden, he jolts in surprise.

“I’m sorry. Are you afraid of dogs?” a little girl asks innocently, tagging on the leash of her small dog to keep it away from Baekhyun. The small puppy whines and starts putting up quite a fight, trying to get closer to him. Baekhyun leans forward from his seat, taking a closer look and smiling entertained at the beautiful pomsky puppy.

“Oh, no, I like dogs! I was just not paying attention and it startled me” he reassures the little girl with a friendly smile. “Your puppy is adorable” he nearly croons at the ball of fur who is swinging its tail happily, debating with himself whether he should reach out and pet the small animal. The little girl nods and smiles brightly, her chin lifting with pride.

“Thank you! She seems to like you too” the girl says, giving in to the puppy’s persistence and letting it get closer to Baekhyun. The puppy starts sniffing around his legs and then it lifts itself on its hind legs and places its front paws on Baekhyun’s knees expectantly. How is Baekhyun supposed to resist that request? He squeals in his head and gently pats the puppy’s head. The puppy opens its mouth and its tongue hangs on the side, and it’s so cute when it’s staring straight into Baekhyun’s eyes with its sparkling round orbs. “Ah she really likes you! You’re so good with puppies!” the girl giggles cheerfully and Baekhyun looks up at her. She’s very cute. She has big brown eyes and silky black hair in a French braid, with a ribbon bow on the end. She is wearing a pink dress and black shoes with white shocks, and she looks so much like a doll, with her fair skin and pouty lips and large eyes. “Can we sit with you?” she asks innocently.

“Be my guest” Baekhyun watches as the small living doll hops on the bench gracefully, trying to convince the puppy to sit beside her. She pats the seat a couple of times, calling for it to ‘come here’ but the puppy only looks at her quizzically, preferring to stay where it is and swing its tail restlessly. “I can help with that” Baekhyun offers after the girl’s attempts fail, and he picks up the puppy from the ground with ease, placing it in the empty seat between him and the girl. The puppy starts observing the people who pass by, as if trying to decide who to follow.

“Thank you” the girl says politely with a small bow of her head, and she caresses her puppy, stealing its full attention from the crowd for good. She coos at it and it kisses her nose, at which she laughs, and then she looks up at Baekhyun with a dazzling grin. “I am Sulli, this is Marie; what’s your name?” she asks cheerfully. Children are so adorable at that age.

“I’m Baekhyun, nice to meet you” he smiles sweetly at the cute girl, who perks in her seat.

“Nice to meet you, too! You can play with Marie if you want; she is very friendly. We sent her to puppy kindergarten” Sulli says excitedly, and Baekhyun joins her in caressing the puppy, who looks more than happy, swinging its bouncy tail and its head excitedly against their hands or trying to puppy-kiss them on the face.

“She must be very smart then” Baekhyun compliments benevolently and the girl nods in agreement.

“She is really young and playful, too! I got her as a present for my birthday!”

“Oh, that’s a nice present” Baekhyun comments, thinking back to his own vain efforts as a child to convince his parents to get him a puppy. They had enough room for a furry habitant in the garden, but his parents always said it’d be a responsibility too great to handle with their schedules at work and Baekhyun at school every day. Baekhyun to this day still believes that they could have raised a puppy though.

“I know, right?” Sulli smiles from ear to ear and then starts swinging her feet in the air as they hang under the seat. “I used to play alone, because I don’t have any siblings and because my friends from school live too far away from our house. Marie and I are always playing at our house now! There are a few children that my parents say I should play with, but they are all boys or spoiled girls; I don’t know why they want me to play with them…My parents didn’t want to buy me a puppy. When my oppa gave it to me, I was afraid that they might take it away. But they didn’t, because oppa made them change their minds!” she claps her hands in mirth and the puppy looks at her curiously. Baekhyun giggles and coos internally.

“Your oppa sounds great” he notes; if that man made her smile so brilliantly like that, he must be somewhat a good person. The little girl needs little more encouragement to carry on with her speech –she seems like she has a lot to say. Maybe it is because she doesn’t have siblings or friends –Baekhyun can relate to that, since he’s an only child as well. And Baekhyun doesn’t mind to lend an ear to kind, cute, sweet-hearted little girls who are lonely.

“Oh, he is! He is really tall and his smile is the best! He really loves me and I really love him! When I was little, I wanted to marry him; but my mother said I can’t do that because he is my cousin” the little girl pouts for a moment but then she brightens up again with sparkles in her eyes “But I don’t mind, because oppa said that he’ll always love me very much!”

“How old are you?” Baekhyun asks with an amused smile. He finds her way of thinking very interesting and all this excessive information is entertaining for some reason, especially when she got to the ‘when I was little’ part –as if she’s not little anymore. She is so naïve and honest. The little girl –Sulli– straightens in her seat.

“I’m five and a half!” she announces proudly, trying to stand tall enough for her age. Baekhyun holds back his chuckle and only smiles, nodding his head in understanding.

“Ah, I see, you are a little lady now”

“Yes, I am!” Sulli lifts her chin with a happy smile “My oppa says I grow so fast! He is huge though! He also says I am very smart, but he is a bit silly sometimes. I mean, everybody knows that Barbie is not married with Ken, right? They are only dating. But he didn’t know that when we were playing. Barbie is too young to get married; what century do we live in?” Baekhyun nods along, not having much choice to disagree really –besides, the argument makes perfect sense to him too. Sulli rolls her eyes after her question and Baekhyun laughs at her childish, innocent temperament; she is very interesting and cute. “Do you have anyone silly to play with you?” she asks then, patting her dog’s head. Baekhyun feels a bit awkward all of a sudden, having to answer to the little girl about his personal life.

“No, I don’t; I’m an only child. I have many friends though! None of them are as cute as your Marie, of course” Baekhyun compliments and pets the small dog affectionately, earning a pig puppy-kiss on his chin –only because he dodged the full-face blow last minute. He doesn’t mind puppy fondness, but he doesn’t need to have organic residue on his skin until he gets home.

“That’s too bad. I wish I could lend you my oppa, but he is always very busy. You would like my oppa; everybody does!” Sulli fixes her pretty pink dress with a smile like a proper lady and then starts swinging her legs again. Baekhyun smiles endearingly at the girl’s thoughtfulness –and her admiration for her ‘oppa’ is quite sweet as well. Sulli sighs, looking into the distance, and continues to pet her beautiful dog without a care in the world.

“Hey, Sulli, where is your mother?” Baekhyun asks, glancing around curiously. The girl has been sitting here for a while and last time he checked mothers were programmed to be overprotective creatures who never let their children out of their sight –let alone allow them to talk to strangers at a park, which could be all sorts of dangerous. He looks as far as his eyes can see but there is no adult in sight who might look responsible or concerned about the girl.

“Um, my mother is right…” she scans the people in the park with her eyes for a while “there!” she points at two women with her finger. Baekhyun looks at the two women across the park. “She is with my aunt” Sully explains and Baekhyun hums. He can’t see them very well from this distance but, as they are sitting on a bench, one of them looks like she is leaning on the other one, and the other woman looks like she is trying to comfort her. He doesn’t have siblings but he knows how sisters and brothers have a special way of communicating, through words and emotions simultaneously, sometimes with just one glance or one small touch. “They told me to take Marie for a little walk; I always stay somewhere where they can see me. I think they wanted to discuss something serious, for grownups” she whispers to him with a knowing look.

“Oh, I see” Baekhyun whispers back, playing along, but he is troubled in his thoughts. He can understand how a serious, emotional talk can engage you fully, but he still thinks it’s a bit dangerous to let the child walk around on her own…It could have been someone else and not Baekhyun, someone who wouldn’t have been as nice to the little girl.

“I think it was about my oppa. Auntie was really upset this morning; she even brought us all the way here for a walk. I don’t think oppa has done something wrong though. Auntie always says he is the best son. I think he’s the best too. He is great!” the girl smiles at the thought of her idolized cousin. “Marie really likes him too! Right Marie? Chanyeol oppa is the best in the world!” Sulli exclaims with a big smile gracing her lips and the dog yelps in agreement, swinging its tail frantically.

Meanwhile, Baekhyun is choking on humid air.

“Ch-Chanyeol?! As in Park Chanyeol? The Park Chanyeol?!” Baekhyun chokes out.

“Are you okay?” the little girl asks concerned and Baekhyun waves her that he is fine, trying to control his coughing fit. His head is spinning and he feels like he has been hit by a train. Chanyeol is this girl’s cousin?! Her cousin? They’ve been talking about him all this while? “Um, yes, my oppa is very famous” the girl gives him a worried and sympathetic look but her spirits lift again when his fit has finally stopped. “I bet you’ve seen him in magazines. He is important, I think. He is handsome, isn’t he?” the girl smiles cheerfully.

“Y-yeah…” Baekhyun tries to recollect his thoughts. So, all this while, Sulli has been praising Chanyeol? The one who bought her the dog and convinced her parents to keep it, and who played with her Barbie dolls –a sudden image of a flustered Chanyeol trying to cope with little-girl reasoning about Barbie’s marital status flashes in Baekhyun’s head– and who is tall, huge and silly and handsome, with the best smile…of course, if you put it like that, it makes sense. Sully has given a very accurate description of Chanyeol so far. Suddenly, another thought crosses Baekhyun’s mind and he turns to look at the two women again. One of them is sitting on the bench, fixing her makeup, and the other one is walking towards them. “Um, Sulli, is that your aunt?” he asks, his voice slightly pitched with panic. One of the two women has high statistic probability to be Chanyeol’s mother, and what if she is the one heading their way?!

Oh god, Baekhyun cannot meet Chanyeol’s mother while looking like this!

“Oh, no, that’s my mom” Sulli informs him and Baekhyun sighs in relief discreetly. Not that meeting Chanyeol’s aunt in this state –wearing these baggy clothes, after exercising, without styled hair or moisturizer on his skin– is any better, but at least it’s not his mother.

Because, you know, it’s Chanyeol’s mother we are talking about…

“Sulli, what have I told you about talking to strangers?” the woman says in a strict voice as soon as she’s close enough. She is very pretty, Baekhyun notices. She looks young and she has the body of a super model, not of a mother of a five-year-old, with long black hair and brown eyes. She doesn’t look entirely Asian, maybe she is mixed, but her Korean was immaculate just now. And now it’s official, good genes run in Chanyeol’s family infallibly, to the very last member.

“But this is not a stranger!” Sulli retorts with a smile “This is Baekhyunnie oppa!” she introduces unceremoniously and Baekhyun’s frantic mentality is caught between wanting to fuss with his appearance and being frozen in shock. The woman turns her eyes to Baekhyun –not very friendly so, but it is justifiable, since Baekhyun is a stranger man talking with her daughter.

“Hello, ma’am, my name is Byun Baekhyun” he stands up quickly and bows ninety degrees. He can’t be formal and polite enough to redeem himself in her eyes but there’s not much he could be held responsible for either. “You have a wonderful daughter, and very responsible too” Then he offers the best and kindest smile he can manage, hoping the woman won’t notice how he kicks the ground subtly in nervousness. She sighs and a look of understanding overtakes her face.

“I’m sorry if she bothered you; she is very…social” the woman says, not the least bit hostile anymore –thank god she seems to be convinced of Baekhyun’s pure intentions; then again, he doesn’t think anyone has ever thought of him as threatening or dangerous in any situation in his life. She smiles apologetically.

“Not at all! She is a very sweet and polite girl” Baekhyun reassures her, sending a smile to Sulli who is busy with Marie, and the woman nods with a polite smile.

“Well then. Come on Sulli, we have to go” she calls her daughter and the girl hops off the bench immediately, carrying the dog with her. The small animal starts running around Sulli’s feet in circles and the woman smiles affectionately at the sight, taking her daughter’s free hand to lead the way.

“It was nice talking to you, Baekhyunnie oppa! Bye!” Sulli turns back to wave her hand at him and Baekhyun waves back, bowing a little to her mother, who nods in acknowledgment.

“Bye Sulli, bye Marie” he says with a merry smile, gathering his stuff off the bench to start his way back home. The sun is shining high in the sky and the flowers keep him company even while walking up the small, steep hill that’s right before the gate of the park that’s closest to home. All the while he can’t stop smiling and he even skips some of his steps; this girl is as cute as her cousin.

Speaking of whom, Baekhyun should get started on the cookie business.

--

Chanyeol comes through the door, furious as ever, the lines of his face hard and unforgiving. Kai cowers in a corner of the office; he hasn’t seen Chanyeol like this in a while, perhaps in a few years, and this is not good. Before Chanyeol started to change -because of a certain person whose name starts with a B- it wasn’t unusual to see him throwing tantrums, but it hardly ever got to this point of fury, even then. He was an insensitive brat, but as a person he has always been very cheerful and kind at heart. Kai has known him all his life, so trust him.

But when Chanyeol is infuriated, you’d better run for your life. Seriously, Kai means it. Chanyeol is very intimidating when he is really mad and Kai is thankful he has not crossed paths with this version of Chanyeol many times in his life. The last time he was this angry and scary was when they were seventeen and Chanyeol discovered his father’s secret love affair with one of his secretaries. Chanyeol is very close to his mother and he took it to heart. Kai also thinks that Chanyeol’s mother is a wonderful woman, who didn’t deserve to be so shamelessly treated by her husband. If Kai’s memory serves him right, Chanyeol was about to chew his father out, had it not been for his mother’s intervention, who very patiently and calmly eased his anger –one of the few people who would dare and succeed on the task. When Chanyeol is like this, Kai doesn’t even attempt to cheer him up, or fool around to make him feel better, or try to console him and help him forget; it’s better if you hide to save your life until it’s over.

“It didn’t go well?” Luhan guesses in a calm voice, putting his files aside on Chanyeol’s desk. Kai’s jaw hangs open. He is surprised that any person is brave enough to talk to Chanyeol when he is like that without a definite death wish; he had underestimated Luhan (devil’s spawn and master of deception). Chanyeol lets out a forceful sigh in answer, taking his seat with so much might that the chair creaks.

“Do you remember Krystal?” he asks abruptly, turning his eyes to Kai. Kai feels a shiver rolling down his spine, as if he is standing in a hungry lion’s cage, Chanyeol’s eyes shadowing and glinting dangerously. Why are you talking to me!? Kai thought he was doing a good job at pretending not to exist in the room.

“Krystal Jung, the hotel heiress?” Kai mumbles through his teeth, timidly. If he wasn’t a grown man, he would admit that his knees are wobbling at the sight of Chanyeol.

“Yes, her. Find what you can about her” Chanyeol orders through his teeth and then stares at the computer screen, which Kai is pretty sure is black and empty. However, Chanyeol’s glare is so spiteful that it could pierce through the screen and open a hole in the wall; Kai is surprised it hasn’t happened yet. Kai jots down the name he has to research. How on earth is this girl relevant with Chanyeol’s ire?

“What about her?” Luhan is the one to voice out the question in a calm and composed manner; but Kai can see his hands are shaking slightly under the desk.

“It’s my father’s idea to get our company out of this predicament” Chanyeol’s voice coils strangely with wrath around his every word, tinting the air around him in a macabre black color. Kai is perhaps intimidated, but he still finds the information puzzling.

“But we already have a business contract with Mr. Jung, a very good one in fact” Luhan points out, his eyebrows quirking in confusion.

“It’s not the contract he wants; it’s their fortune” Chanyeol spits through his teeth, his eyes gleaming with anger and his lips curling with contempt.

“I don’t understand” Luhan admits and Kai nods in agreement. If they have a contract, then the company is definitely receiving money from them as dictated by the terms. Chanyeol growls in frustration, more for the situation rather than Luhan’s and Kai’s confusion, then he clenches his fists and closes his eyes, leaning back in his chair and trying to calm down. After a while he takes a deep breath and sighs, seemingly giving up on life.

“He wants me to marry Krystal”

“WHAT?!?!” Kai and Luhan exclaim in unison, probably loud enough for the whole building to hear; someone would probably be able to hear the echo of their voices inside the building’s lobby. Both of them are suddenly on the edge of their seats, eyes open wider than saucers and faces drained of blood. This…this can’t be happening. Chanyeol can’t get…m-married!

“You heard me” Chanyeol mutters, hanging his head in defeat, his shoulders sagging with the added burden. Suddenly, however, his countenance changes completely and he lifts his head, his shoulders standing proud and wide, his chin hardening and lifting. “But don’t worry; it’s not going to happen. I will kill myself before it happens. It was fine when I was a puppet to my father’s will and a piece of his precious company image, but I will not become a commodity to be sold off to anyone, not in this life. But, before I kill myself, I might as well try something else. So, you” Chanyeol points a finger at Kai and the latter flinches in surprise “find out what you can about that girl, and you” he points his finger at Luhan “bring me those ideas we were discussing about yesterday. We’re doing this.”

“But you said you wouldn’t do it” Luhan reminds him, seeing Chanyeol so determined and eager, but not opposing the idea. If Kai knows anything about Chanyeol’s stubbornness, he’d say we’ve passed the point of no return, and with Luhan’s help, they’ll get down to it in no time.

“I changed my mind; we are doing this.” Chanyeol confirms, a strict frown marring his forehead. “I will be the head of this project, while we review ideas and incorporate them in a plan. We will do it secretly, so that my father won’t take over or hinder us. I’m stepping around him and I’m not very happy about it either, nor am I oblivious to all the things that could go wrong; but this is not just the company, it’s my future as well, and I have to take this risk”

“Yeol, you said you don’t have the power to do it” Kai reminds him. Chanyeol seems very resolved in his decision but Kai is his best friend and he has to make sure that he is not acting carelessly and irresponsibly, that he won’t do something he might regret later. Kai doesn’t want to see a clash between Chanyeol and his father where the latter will hurt Chanyeol and punish in him in who knows what way for his disobedience. Chanyeol pauses for a moment, thinking over Kai’s words. Kai is suddenly very aware of his own freedom in his personal life, but then again, his family might be important but not to the extent Chanyeol’s family is.

“I don’t have the power to do it because I choose to play by my father’s rules; but not anymore.” Chanyeol answers and he seems to be more sure of his decision now. “He is keeping me on a short leash as far as the company is concerned; but other people don’t know that. They think I am in on every decision, as the future CEO. I am my father’s son, I am the Park Chanyeol. They’ll follow, if I lead.”

--

He flips through the pages of another literature masterpiece, relishing the scent of printed ink and admiring the beautiful cover, adorned with gold leafs. Who knows what exciting, tender and chivalrous adventures hide inside this bundle of words, waiting to speak out wisdom and cultivate the soul…He chooses a page randomly and skims through it, studying the writing style and the themes to decide if they are of his liking, positively burring his nose in the book in the process and enjoying every blink of his eyes, his heart regaining a familiar sense of calm. This is life.

“Baekhyun put that down, you’re not buying another book about awfully fated love” Chen’s voice is patronizing and strict, complete with an eye roll. It’s a tone Baekhyun has heard many times in his life, more often than not used by Chen to make bizarrely accurate accusations or statements about Baekhyun’s life; it’s one of the things that honest friendship since childhood does to people. Baekhyun tears his eyes away from the tales of Mr. Petrovich and looks up at Chen with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights.

Chen is dressed simply for his standards, with a pair of dark jeans matched with a nice shirt and a light colored blazer. His hair is simply styled, because he didn’t have much time to get ready for their date after work, but his high cheekbones are all the beautification he needs. Baekhyun wonders why his own genes are not programmed to make him look amazing so simply and instead he has to change two outfits and style his hair or use a bit of eyeliner even to make himself look presentable. Chen has one hand on his waist and one of his eyebrows is raised at Baekhyun judgingly –well what can Baekhyun say, he has a soft spot for good, old books. Baekhyun knows he can ignore Chen’s objections and get away with it, but he decides to humor his best friend today, because they’re here to spend some time together and enjoy each other’s company.

“But it’s a classic!” he protests, hoping he will find an ally in Chen’s inner sense of appreciation for the arts –he did have to study the history of the arts in university after all, and he still takes Baekhyun to art exhibitions every once in a while, and he designs clothes for a living almost every day, so it should make sense that he has artistic tendencies and similar sensitivities. Besides, Chen often commends Baekhyun on his book collection and he has borrowed from it more than once. He pouts and gives Chen the hopeful puppy eyes, trying to extract some sympathy and approval; cuteness methods are a bit drastic, but this book would make a really nice addition to his collection, and he wants it. It doesn’t look like it’s working though, because Chen raises both his eyebrows in response. Maybe Chen’s chronic exposure to Baekhyun’s persuasion methods has rendered him immune.

“No. Just no, puppy.” He refuses finally, shaking his head and pointing for Baekhyun to put the book down imperatively, like a mother scolding her eager child. Baekhyun deflates, gingerly putting down the pretty book. Bye, wonderful adventures, I hope we’ll meet again someday. Baekhyun’s sorrow lasts for all of three seconds, until his eyes land on the next book he recognizes as one he has read, and then on the one next to it, which he had been looking to read sometime. He picks it up enthusiastically, turning it around to see what de profundis has to offer to his collection and getting completely immersed in trying to decipher the content by the abstract. Somewhere in the background, Chen sighs in surrender to his friend’s undeterred book-hunting and he turns his eyes to the sky pleadingly. “Why did I even bring you here?”

“I can’t answer that, but thank you either way” Baekhyun chirps and puts the book down, making a mental list of books to buy later, when Chen won’t be there to judge him or to feel displeased. He flashes Chen a big big smile, wanting to hug the daylights out of him. Why, you might ask? Because much as Chen won’t admit it to himself, he hasn’t brought Baekhyun in front of the 1800-1900’s literature by chance; he knew Baekhyun would be excited like a child in a candy store in this section of the book bazaar, he must have known, because they know each other so well since they were toddlers. Minding that they are in public, Baekhyun keeps his urge to hug his friend under control and only smiles as wide as he can. “Oh look, it’s Le Fanu!” he exclaims then, taking a few steps to the side. The lady behind the book stall gives him a knowing smile.

“Isn’t that the guy you keep next to Poe and Lovecraft?” Chen points out –very accurately, if Baekhyun may say so. He presses his lips and nods, only skimming his fingers with nostalgia over the cover of the book instead of picking it up. “Why do you need so many books in your life?” Chen murmurs and Baekhyun gasps. He did not just ask that.

“I enjoy cultivating my mind and soul” Baekhyun defends, blinking repeatedly in shock. Can anyone ever have enough books? He doesn’t need to say anything further though, because he knows Chen didn’t mean the question seriously –he’s in fact an avid book reader himself. He’s probably feeling a bit sour because Baekhyun is not paying him enough attention, and that’s part of the reason why Baekhyun picks up the next book in his hands and turns around to face him with wide, sparkly eyes. “Chen, you’re buying this” he says with conviction, holding up Nana.

“What?” Chen takes a moment to process that before he frowns and starts complaining. “No, you won’t make me read another of these, no! Last time I read something you suggested, it was about a woman with eight children” Baekhyun sincerely hopes that this is not all Chen remembers from Mall Flanders.

“But it’s really good!” he retorts, skimming through a random page the equivalent of which he has already read in the past, remembering more and more details as he goes “You’ll hate to love the main character by the time you’re done with this”

“Do you realize how weird you sound sometimes?” Chen gives him a curious look but no one really believes his reservations. Baekhyun knows Chen secretly cried while reading the lady with the camellias. He keeps holding the book appealingly in front of Chen’s face with one hand and with the other he picks up Ohnet. “Put that down I know for a fact that you have that at home” Chen scolds him again in a defeated tone and Baekhyun gives him a cheeky smile, holding the book he has suggested to Chen with both hands now and blinking cutely at him. Chen sighs and ruffles his hair in frustration, trying not to give in. “How about we move over to that section, it looks interesting” he perks in a futile attempt to distract Baekhyun. Baekhyun gives the direction Chen is randomly pointing at a quick glance and then his smile turns smug.

“Do you think I should invest in Hendrick & Hendrick?” he challenges because, yes, it’s just Chen’s luck that he would point to the psychology section of the whole open book bazaar. Chen’s eyes open wide in disbelief and he turns around to check for himself, growling in defeat when he confirms it.

“Why did I get you as a best friend?” he whines like a kid, and the lady behind the book stall sniggers. Chen looks around frantically, trying to find another way out –and probably failing, because it’s difficult to find a genre that Baekhyun is completely uninterested in. In the end, he turns to Baekhyun again and claps his hands. “Let’s go for that hot chocolate we were talking about, hm?” Oh, so he is playing his final ultimate card, huh? Baekhyun doesn’t sway though, tightening his eyes at Chen accusingly. Chen bites his lips with pleading eyes and then gives up with a pompous sigh. “Oh, okay, fine” he surrenders, taking the book from Baekhyun’s hands –too gently, for someone who doesn’t really want to take it– and paying for it; the lady gives them a discount.

Baekhyun smiles and tries not to skip every other step in glee after his victory. It feels a lot like the times when they were young and Baekhyun would convince Chen to go for ice cream even though the latter had wanted pizza. Chen magically picks up on his –well-hidden, in Baekhyun’s opinion– happiness either way, and he hooks an arm around Baekhyun’s elbow, keeping him grounded. Baekhyun giggles and latches closer to his friend, seeing Chen with the corner of his eye crack a smile too.

They walk down the path between the book stalls, decorated with small lights and colorful ribbons, Chen’s newly purchased book jiggling in the bag, stopping every now and then to let a child pass by. The sky above their heads is dark but the stars are invisible, hidden by the bright artificial lights around them. The chatter of the people gives a cheerful note to their surroundings, lively couples, children and groups of friends strolling by and admiring the books, reading their abstracts and discussing about the ones they’ve read or the ones they’d like to read. These slow, easy moments of simply spending time with Chen is something Baekhyun always misses.

“So, how are things with Park?” Chen starts out of the blue, his voice completely casual and his face not giving away anything suspicious. Baekhyun gives him a curious look nonetheless. Cause where did that come from? He stares at Chen in suspicion and his friend makes a commendable effort at keeping his poker face but his cheek twitches. His cheek twitched! What sort of best friend would Baekhyun be, if he didn’t know when Chen is onto something mischievous? He nudges the latter with his elbow and pouts, wordlessly asking for an explanation. Chen grins openly and then looks at Baekhyun from under his long lashes. “You seemed pretty close during vacation” Cue the ridiculous eyebrow wiggling –and they are in public, for crying out loud! His best friend is so embarrassing sometimes.

Nevertheless, Baekhyun is taken aback by the statement and he hiccups in surprise. Shoot, someone noticed Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s not-normal moments! Not that Baekhyun had any serious hopes that the most perceptive of the bunch at least wouldn’t notice Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s bubble, separate from the rest of the world and working at an independent fantasy level, but he had been hoping no one would make a comment on it. Trust Chen to brave the burden of doing what no one else wants or thinks appropriate to do. Baekhyun knew that misfortunate occasion when they wore similarly colored shirts to dinner would be misunderstood and would come back to haunt him, ugh! A small part of Baekhyun’s mind wonders if Chanyeol has to face analogous questions, and he seriously hopes not; one of them suffering in embarrassment is enough.

“Uhhh don’t know what you’re talking about” Baekhyun ends up slurring after a little bit of uncalled for spacing out, his face feeling stunned to numbness. He stares ahead, finding a sudden interest in the people who walk around, a bouquet of flowers a girl is holding and a cat sneaking around. This sort of reaction is not taking him anywhere and he knows, but it’s out of his mouth and now it’s too late to change tactics. He tries to find something in the crowd worth mentioning to shamelessly deflect and draw Chen’s attention to something harmless, but suddenly everything seems too normal to be possible!

“That’s the worst answer ever. Come on, Baek.” Chen accuses blatantly, raising an eyebrow. Baekhyun can tell from the tone of his voice that Chen is not planning on letting go of this easily and he inwardly groans and whimpers in distress. This is a conversation he’d rather not have; and it suddenly hits him, that he doesn’t have to have this conversation.

“I don’t like where you’re going with this” he puffs his cheeks with air and frowns. Chen rolls his eyes, recognizing the stubborn side of Baekhyun starting to make an appearance.

“You mean, all three nights you shared a room, nothing out of the ordinary happened?” he squints his eyes in suspicion and Baekhyun blows out the air in one go, giving Chen a good look, after his guarded phrasing. Does he know something he shouldn’t? Or else why is he being so set on this?

As far as Baekhyun’s answer is concerned, was there anything ordinary that happened? What exactly does the handbook of sharing a room with Park Chanyeol consist of? It probably wouldn’t include cuddling, chasing mice, singing, touching more skin than is considered appropriate, having tickle fights, cuddling again, sharing deep thoughts and troubles, acting cute to cheer each other up, untangling limbs every morning, cuddling and cuddling some more. But all of the above happened, and Baekhyun can’t see how events could have unraveled differently.

“Nothing like that happened, and this is not a very pleasant topic of discussion for me so I’m very democratically ending this conversation, just so you know” Baekhyun protests, nodding his nose high in the air and standing as tall as his kind-of-short self can manage. His steps widen in decisiveness, dragging Chen along and almost making him stumble, but it lasts for only three steps before he’s back to his normal self. Acting high and mighty is tiring for a shy koala like Baekhyun. Chen scoffs, but it wasn’t the normal scoff, it was the kind you make when you try to hide something you say under your breath. Baekhyun can tell the difference but the chatter of the crowd is too distracting for his ears to discern Chen’s words. “What was that?”

“Nothing.” Chen holds up his hands in defense and then flashes a childish, playful smile; he looks just like he used to look when he was seven, as if not a day has passed. “I just see a hippocampus with an identity crisis” That brings a wide smile on Baekhyun’s lips; it’s their game.

When they were two little children growing up on the countryside where the digital era took even longer to arrive, they used to play many games together –they seem to have been best friends ever since Baekhyun can remember himself. When the weather was nice, they would go out and play with other children or ride their bikes to the ice cream shop. Sometimes they would hike up the small hill and watch the sky, sometimes they would play in the park and some other times they would be exploring the nature. But when the weather was bad, they had to stay inside and, even though they both had plenty of indoor hobbies, they would eventually get bored after the endless rains of fall and snows of winter, and one can play board games for only so long.

That’s how their little game was invented and it’s very simple; you just have to come up with the most unexpected, bizarre –and therefore entertaining– combination of words. They used to laugh so hard with their creations when they were on a roll, and they have very fond memories of playing, like that time when Chen had broken his arm and Baekhyun was visiting him in the hospital, or that Christmas they spent hiding in the closet so that Chen’s aunt wouldn’t find them and pinch their cheeks. Nowadays they’re probably considered too old to play games, and they usually don’t have enough time to spend like this together, but if they ever bring it up, it’s like a secret way of affirming their brotherly affection for each other.

“I see a ladybug on a diet” Baekhyun’s comeback is almost instant and Chen chuckles, keeping up and glancing around for inspiration.

“I see a meerkat with trust issues” he says, subtly pointing at a very unfortunate coat a lady is wearing and giving Baekhyun a knowing look. Baekhyun laughs, nudging Chen a little to reprimand him for his comment, and he starts searching for his next idea; but then, he suddenly sees the love of his life in the distance and his heart skips a beat.

“I see chocolate” he nearly squeals and promptly starts leading Chen to the coffee shop they said they’d go for hot chocolate earlier, the one with the prettiest vintage chinaware you can imagine. Chen follows Baekhyun’s excited and eager steps willingly, admitting to his defeat.

“Can’t beat that”

--

Chanyeol lies on the floor of his veranda, sprawled in awkward angles like a tossed corpse, limp and cold as a dead fish. He feels like all his energy has been drained, leaving his arms and legs heavy and numb, goose bumps appearing on his skin occasionally when the cool breeze blows by. His back hurts because he has being lying here for a while, but he doesn’t care; his chest feels like a swimming pool for crabs that give him random jabs near his heart area, and his head is aching, as if someone is squeezing it for what it’s worth. It has been a long day.

It’s all a little too much for him. He is being cornered from work responsibilities, and now in his personal life too. As if the workload he has to undertake to save the company financially was not enough, his father also wants him married to some girl he almost doesn’t know and doesn’t have any desire to be fond of. Life doesn’t look very bright in his eyes, because he hits a wall every time he takes a turn in the maze of possibilities. His nose scrunches a little in distaste at the feeling of the hard, cold tiles under his whole body but changing his position is an impossible concept right now.

The hard work has already begun and it took him all his day at the office and endless after-hours today, but he still feels like he has climbed only a pebble in comparison to the mountain ahead of him. There were so many papers to sign, so many proposals to read, two personnel files to go through, a meeting with the head of one of the departments under his management, a sandwich and half an orange to get him through the day, various phone calls and e-mails, among other things. He feels tired but his mind has enough energy left to make him feel sad and wary, almost as if it’s doing it instinctively. The sky was darkening when he left the company and now the sky is completely dark above his head, falling like a black satin veil over the city.

Chanyeol is lying with half-closed eyes near the railing, looking at the night view of this cold evening; the city lights far below him and above the night traffic, the distant skyscrapers glinting with lights and reflections on their glass surface, scattered colorful glimpses of shop displays and food stalls, all of them hiding the stars. There is soft noise in the air, the traffic honks and motorbikes, the songs flowing out of clubs and shops, the people chattering on the street, the teenagers chasing each other home past their curfew, everything that creates a never-ending buzz, invading his head and confusing him even more. He huffs and curls close to himself. Why can’t he get away?

He knows what he will have to do in the future and he doesn’t like it. It will be a cold and lonely future. He will miss so many people and so many things, he will wear down his body, he will push his mind close to its limits, he will close his heart to the outside world and bear all his burdens alone. He has to run this race to the end and surpass all his expectations, if he hopes for a time of peace to come for him in the end. His phone buzzes with an incoming message and he groans, contemplating to throw it off the veranda. He hisses when he realizes that he had managed to keep some warmth around him and now the chilly air bites his skin. He stops the trajectory of throwing the device away when he sees the sender; From: Mom.

Chanyeol feels a pang of guilt in his chest. His mother called at the office today but he was too busy to take the call. If it were up to him, he would have accepted the call, even if he would have to keep it short, just enough to hear his mother’s voice. But she specifically asked Lay not to disturb Chanyeol if he was too busy because she didn’t want to burden him, and as a result Chanyeol only received a smile of understanding from Lay and a note at the end of his long day that his mother had called. His mother has always been something like a safe place for Chanyeol and he wishes he had her near to comfort him right now. He hesitates for a moment before opening the message.

‘I’m sorry Yeollie…for everything your father is making you go through. Mommy is on your side and she will be cheering for you, okay? Tell me if you need anything. I love you’

“I love you too, mom” he whispers, tracing patterns on the screen with his finger. He feels his heart warming up just a little bit after his mother’s thoughtful gesture. He types and sends her a reply that hopefully won’t let her suspect how lonely he feels, so that she won’t get worried, and he promises to call her tomorrow. Just before he puts the phone down, another message arrives, this time From: Baekhyunnie.

‘Cookie update: almost there!’

There is a picture attached to the message and when Chanyeol clicks on it, he is greeted with the sight of cookie dough, sprinkled with chocolate chips, mixed in a light blue bowl. The counter around the bowl looks squeaky clean, except for a spoon which is covered in cookie butter and looks like it’s about to make a small mess. Chanyeol wishes he was there to save the day and prevent the mess –albeit a little clumsily, as always– and then give Baekhyun a hug, telling him he’s so cute when he gets caught up in his cooking.

‘I need a hug Baek. I feel so lonely and tired and scared. Please, please come over and hug me. I need you’ he types with an aching heart and a small sniff, but he doesn’t send it; he can’t. He stares at it for a full minute and then erases it quickly, typing something else instead. ‘Woah it looks so great! I’m looking forward to it, chef!^^’ this one he sends, with a sad smile on his lips.

“I’ll tell you everything someday, Baek” he promises, staring at Baekhyun’s messages. Someday, Chanyeol hopes, he will be able to share everything with Baekhyun, honestly and unconditionally. And even if Baekhyun doesn’t like Chanyeol the same way, he hopes that Baekhyun will still be around enough to give Chanyeol a hug or two when he needs it, or maybe a smile to make his heart jump. But when Chanyeol’s life is so strenuous and glum as it is these days, he couldn’t possibly ask Baekhyun to throw himself unreservedly and without any sort of guarantees or promises or safety into the black spiral that Chanyeol’s future looks like.

--

“Hi!” Krystal chirps, her pretty lips stretching wide to show her white teeth, and all Chanyeol can think of, beyond her cute makeup and professionally styled hair, is that this smile is sooooo fake. He feels tired, because yesterday night was sleepless, his back hurts after his lengthy self-pity party on the floor of his veranda, and he has a suspicion he caught a cold after all that exposure to the night air. It’s really hard for him to keep his eyes from watering with a slight fever in his system and his headache torturing him mercilessly from so early in the day. Chanyeol checks with the corner of his eye and he sees that their parents are already in the car. Okay, show time’s over.

He can’t believe they did this. Who sets up dates for their children nowadays, or their marriage in the first place? His father almost threatened him to show up through Luhan –because, come on, what father talks directly to his own son?– and Chanyeol had to make an appearance today. A maid appointed by his father chose his outfit to be to Krystal’s liking, which Chanyeol of course didn’t wear, because hell, he’s old enough to dress himself as he likes; he earned a scold for his disobedience, but a grown man receiving a scold from his father in this ridiculous situation is sadly not the worst event of the day. His parents even came to pick him up from his house this morning, just to make sure he wouldn’t be late or make up some excuse to cancel the meeting. They brought him to this café, like when he was a child and they used to take him to someone else’s house to play; those are memories Chanyeol is not very fond of.

Then, he was formally introduced with Krystal and her parents, complete with bows and handshakes and meaningless flattery. Chanyeol doesn’t know why all this seems normal to everyone else except for his mother and himself. The only way he can endure this, is if he pretends this is an alternate universe where he doesn’t know anything and he has to play along to survive. Thankfully, this farce didn’t last long and their parents left, all four of them in a fancy black limo, to have brunch with the future in-laws at some expensive restaurant, leaving the two youngsters to have a ‘date’ –as if that doesn’t make this marriage any more arranged. His mother sent him an encouraging smile and he waved back a little, but that was all before he was left alone with this girl.

“I’m Krystal, nice to meet you!” she introduces herself again but more causally this time, with another fake smile. She flips her long hair behind her shoulder in a flirty way and smiles at Chanyeol as if she’s waiting for him to swoon and become her puppy sometime soon. Chanyeol wants to roll his eyes at her, and everything seems to challenge his patience a little more than it should today, but he keeps his composure.

“You’ve met me before” Chanyeol says, keeping his smile frozen on his lips all the while. There are people around and you can never know who might be watching –they are two filthy rich heirs after all– and he’s also being sarcastic, because they really have met before, more than once if he recalls correctly, since they mingle with the same crowd.

“Well, I hadn’t noticed you before” Krystal bites back, plastering a smile on her face, trying to look pleasant. Chanyeol doesn’t even flinch at her comeback, because she is obviously lying through her teeth; as if she didn’t do a search on her unofficial fiancé, or as if it is easy not to notice Chanyeol; besides his height and his achievements and future position in his company, he is featured in at least one magazine every month, so please…

“That’s okay, I didn’t expect you to” he ends up saying. He doesn’t even want to argue with her, he just wants to get out of here, because he has to work with Luhan on some new ideas for their plans and he can’t spend his time concerning himself with her. To him it makes no difference if she does or doesn’t exist right now.

“So, shall we take a seat?” she moves closer to a table at the centre of the shop, where the light seems brighter and there are colorful flowers in a vase. She almost glides on the floor as she walks and her way of moving seems strange to Chanyeol and really annoying for some reason; it’s forced and calculated and emotionless, manufactured to impress, even though it’s failing in her case. Chanyeol follows, only because he doesn’t want to shout the rest of this conversation.

“Actually, I have to go” he says once he deems he is close enough. He tries to sound apologetic and a part of him really is sorry for leaving her like that, but he has no choice and he doesn’t like her in any case. She turns to him immediately, spinning around and almost hitting him with her hair. Chanyeol scrunches his nose in annoyance but she doesn’t seem to care and she doesn’t apologize -if she even noticed-, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes instead.

“But this is our date!” she says in a quiet yet stern voice that could border hysterical. Her lips twitch, appalled, and her eyes remain unnaturally wide, but her expression remains under control for the most part. It’s a good thing that rich families train their daughters on how not to make a scene; if they draw attention, his parents might find out, and that’s something Chanyeol definitely doesn’t want.

“Well, I have somewhere else to be, so excuse me” he explains as politely as he can, a stab of pain appearing in his head but he doesn’t let it show, and then he shrugs his shoulders casually “You are welcomed to stay here though, I heard the cheesecake is amazing; don’t worry, I will pay for everything” he reassures her, rubbing his temple to soothe the pain. He might have come off as a bit –or a lot– insensitive to her so far, but he is not a completely offensive and rude person; he has enough gentlemen’s dignity to pay for her, if she wishes to stay. He just doesn’t have the time to indulge to spoiled little girls and their whims, and he needs to go.

“I don’t care who pays” she glares at him, her anger starting to bleed out of her seams. Chanyeol inwardly sighs; he is going to have to do this the hard way, even though he was really hoping he could avoid it. Krystal raises her chin higher arrogantly and crosses her arms on her chest. “You know, I have better things to do myself and-”

“Sorry, I don’t care what you do” Chanyeol stops her, putting on his jacket. The paperwork waiting for him is probably enough to fill her whole shoe closet, so of course he doesn’t care. Krystal seems awestruck that someone cut her speech before she had time to finish even half of it, and her arms drop to her sides. But honestly, what did she expect from a man like Chanyeol? He is not the sort of person to fall for her looks or her riches, certainly not her attitude, maybe for her finesse, but what good would that be with a spoilt personality like hers? He is not the sort of opponent she is used to and she needs to up her game, although Chanyeol suspects that wouldn’t help her win him either.

“But you are my future fiancé; we are going to get married” she growls in a low voice, staring at him as if she is trying to claw out his soul. And for the first time in this circus, the word ‘marriage’ falls into the right category: a threat.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think so” Chanyeol says and then smirks, irking her more. His head hurts more than before now and he is already fifteen minutes late for his appointment with Luhan, so he really doesn’t have time to spare her. He bows a little in acknowledgement and then turns around to leave, but she grabs his arm, digging her fancily manicured nails in the fabric, and he stops out of courtesy. It’s surprising all this has not turned into a spectacle for the other patrons, who seem to be completely blind as far as Chanyeol and Krystal standing in the middle of the shop are concerned.

“Don’t you dare leave me; you have an obligation to stay. You must stay. You will stay” she presses, tightening her hold in an almost painful way. Chanyeol gives her a look; she still hasn’t realized that she needs to change her approach, and that is both pitiful and exasperating. He disengages his arm as gently as he can, smoothing out the wrinkles on his sleeve, and he smiles at her.

“And yet, I’m leaving. Bye” he waves at her and walks out of the shop with all the confidence in the world, already planning ahead for the rest of his day, leaving her behind, seething and forgotten. Such a happy couple, to be sure.

--

“So, how did it go the other day?” Baekhyun asks casually, bringing the popcorn and leaving it on the coffee table. Kyungsoo’s hand reaches inside the bowl behind him, impatient to sate his craving due to the appetizing scent in the air, but it gets slapped away. Kyungsoo turns his head to give Baekhyun a hurt look but the latter only glares at him strictly; oh right, Baekhyun is one of those people who have enough self-restraint to wait for their food until the appropriate time. Kyungsoo shrugs his shoulders and gets back to business. The dvd player is giving him a hard time with all its buttons and blinking lights, but it looks like he is getting closer. The screen blacks and the speakers wheeze to life.

“Can I have this?” Baekhyun holds up a blanket, lying comfortably in his fortress of pillows on the couch. He doesn’t even need to ask after all the movie nights they’ve had together, but Baekhyun insists on asking every time; according to him, Kyungsoo might get cold sometime, or maybe he’d rather they shared. Kyungsoo nods in affirmation anyway, if only to see Baekhyun’s eyes light up. “Thanks” he chirps and throws the blanket over the whole construction of cushions he has around him, covering himself to the chin. You’d think it’s January in north pole and not a simple chilly night in spring. Kyungsoo chuckles quietly and moves back to the couch as the movie menu loads.

“You didn’t tell me” Baekhyun points out when Kyungsoo plops down beside him, jolting his cocoon and earning a slightly irritated hiss.

“Didn’t tell you what?” he redirects Baekhyun’s attention and he picks the popcorn, bringing it on his lap. Baekhyun easily forgets his annoyance over his disrupted fort, and he stops patting the cushions with care.

“How did it go with your fight? You know, you and Kai, taboo relationship questions, pretty teacups and tasty cakes?” he tilts his head to the side inquiringly, and Kyungsoo doesn’t bother to hide how wide his eyes have opened in this moment. He busies himself with the movie options to buy some time.

Well, it went just fine. They are fine now, they apologized and made up, and Kyungsoo might have admitted that they’re together somewhere along the way, when he was feeling particularly drenched in cold rain and after he had sprinted up many flights of stairs. He hadn’t expected that if you add a bit more water and take away a bit of his breath, he would be confessing to being seriously involved with someone. His move of compromise was generously awarded later, of course, in a mess of crumpled sheets and dim lights, the windows fogging as the raindrops cascaded against them. Kai was smiling in his sleep and even after he woke up the next morning. All these are wonderful in retrospect and Kyungsoo would be more than happy to share his joy of a relatively stable love-life with his best friend, but he can’t go into details, because it’s Baekhyun.

“Good, I think” he ends up mumbling. Baekhyun squints at him in suspicion and Kyungsoo inwardly scoffs incredulously. It’s not his fault that a certain puppy can read through any situation a little too much more than average, therefore Kyungsoo is wary of his final verdict, nor is it his fault that he’s not an insensitive friend, who would ruin his friend’s innocence with too much bedroom details. Baekhyun should maintain his innocence for as long as possible in Kyungsoo’s opinion and besides, he wouldn’t want to make him uncomfortable or embarrassed with such conversation topics –although, to be fair, Baekhyun is always very open to discussing such intimate stuff, despite his inexperience, and he’s always very…how to put it, normal and casual about it.

“Deeetaaaiils~” Baekhyun sing-songs. Kyungsoo tsks in disapproval, staring at the screen a little too intensely.

“They are not appropriate for you”

“Oh please, Soo, I wasn’t born yesterday! I can handle it” Baekhyun wiggles in protest under the blanket and whimpers, in the torturous, guilt-inflicting, puppy way. Kyungsoo swallows the lump in his throat and prevents the confession that threatens to spill out.

“You’re like a baby in my eyes, I won’t discuss any intimate and possibly compromising details with you until you’re in the same league” he declares with determination and Baekhyun wails. Kyungsoo gives him a sideward glance; the solution to Baekhyun’s current problem is simple: just seduce Park already and everyone can be happy.

“Tsk, that’s kind of insulting…” Baekhyun sulks but then his eyes open innocently and his lips quirk with a new thought “but okay, I guess it means you love me, in a way. I love you too, Soo!” he exclaims cheerfully, and it’s completely unnecessary if you ask Kyungsoo, but he finds himself more surprised that anything else, when Baekhyun throws himself across the couch and lands on Kyungsoo for a bear hug. Kyungsoo loses his breath a little from the impact but he recovers quickly and he chuckles, because Baekhyun is infinitely more manageable in size than Kai. And why exactly is it in Kyungsoo’s destiny that people try to suffocate him with their hugs?!

“Do you think you’re back with him for good then?” Baekhyun asks earnestly, after sitting back in his place, rearranging his pillows and nudging Kyungsoo with his foot to reclaim his attention, not caring for the small disorder of his blanket this time, since it’s already a mess.

“Most definitely” Kyungsoo admits a little too soon, but Baekhyun doesn’t ask on it, he only laughs, his eyes looking like moons and his lips shaping a rectangle, showing his pretty teeth. “Anyway, what is this?” Kyungsoo pretends to be weirded out by the cartoons that start appearing on the screen, throwing his hands in the air and making a very strange, unnatural expression, and Baekhyun laughs even more. He knows what this is; it’s the painless way out of having Baekhyun choose a movie. They don’t usually watch cartoon movies, but this time Baekhyun found one on which an important psychologist collaborated, apparently, and it was either this or the Painted Veil –Baekhyun really likes that movie– but Kyungsoo decided to spare himself the angsty story of a couple, in fear of drawing parallels to his own life.

“Just enjoy the movie, Soo, we’re making a yellow-colored memory here!” Baekhyun exclaims in glee and hugs a pillow closer in excitement. Kyungsoo doubts that little children look any different or any cuter.

--

“Oh, let’s go over there!” Krystal exclaims excitedly and starts pulling Chanyeol by the arm towards a high profile night club. He glances to the direction she is leading them and he sees a beautiful marble front with stairs that lead to a heavy door of wood, iron and glass, where a man in a suit is standing politely, bowing and smiling at the guests. The light pours out from inside the building, reflecting on glass chandeliers, polished marble, leather seats and crystal glasses. Xiumin used to work here a few years ago. He doesn’t know why he suddenly remembers that he had wanted to bring Baekhyun here ever since Kai’s birthday. Chanyeol is so tired right now though, that he doesn’t even panic and he immediately uses their regretfully linked arms to stir her away.

“No, let’s not” he says and sighs under his breath. A second date the day after the first failure is severely challenging his patience, and Krystal is not helping with her spoiled antics. Lay said she called six times to make sure Chanyeol wouldn’t be late to pick her up, and one more after Chanyeol had left the office. He could care less, if her behavior wasn’t so disturbing, imposing on Lay for no good reason.

“But bear, I really want to go somewhere nice” she almost whines and it’s a tone in her voice that pierces right through his tired and sleep-deprived head, not to mention how something exploded inside him in irritation at the sound of the horrible pet name. She pouts as they pass by the front of the club but she forgets her worries with her next step, searching for her next destination.

“People know me in there and there is absolutely no way we’re making such an official public appearance together, understood?” he tries to sound neutral because they are in public, but he makes sure his message is clear. This engagement is not something he wants or something that is going to happen in reality, if everything goes according to plan. Therefore, Chanyeol is planning on keeping it quiet for as long as possible, and if he could make it as if it never existed, it would be even better. “And what’s with the pet name?”

“I’m your fiancée and I think it’s cute” she loses no time to chirp back, hopping a little on her next step and jostling Chanyeol in a way that absolutely doesn’t look charming for a person as tall as he is. He gives her a weird look and she smiles at him with her red lips.

“Not officially yet, and not ever, if I can help it” he clarifies instantly with no regrets. She seems oddly attached to the engagement concept, adopting it in her mind already, but Chanyeol’s plans oppose that concept and he has already told her as much, so that she will know what she is getting herself into. Chanyeol expected to see anger, disappointment, even an attempt to convince him otherwise, and then he thought she would move on, but all she seems to be doing is getting even more zealous. Chanyeol is this close to calling her crazy, but his better side is holding him back, and all he can do is endure her for now. It’s only their second date, maybe she needs a bit of time to wrap her head around it. But one thing he will not allow: “I would kill myself if I had to spend the rest of my days being called ‘bear’”

“How about that place, then? We could go there” she points at another shop of similar standards but Chanyeol recognizes her voice as the one that starts a ramble, so he doesn’t say anything. He tunes her out for the most part catching only “oh, take a picture of me! My dress is Balmain and I want to post it on social media!” and then “Do you like my shoes? They’re Jimmy Choo’s” or “Won’t you say something about my hair? I just got it re-dyed today!” and “Ugh, did you look that girl, her purse was so last season. Oh my god, how dare she give me that look?!” Every time, Chanyeol realizes that he doesn’t care about whatever she is saying and he goes back to ignoring her. “Chanyeol are you listening?” she asks finally, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Kind of…” Chanyeol mumbles, flinching away from the sudden intrusion in his viewing field “I just don’t feel very well today” he explains honestly. He doesn’t feel well and it’s even worse when she’s around, with her shrilly voice grazing his ears.

“Do you have a fever?” she asks then, admittedly surprising him. She notices his surprise and she lets a small smile on her lips. “Why, are you surprised I care for my fiancé?” Chanyeol almost says yes, but he holds his tongue when he realizes that such an answer would be indirect acknowledgement of their relationship status. He is not her boyfriend, let alone her fiancé; he’s just the poor fellow who’s stuck with her because of their parents, his stubborn father in particular.

“Shall we call it a night?” he suggests instead, seeing some fragments of humanity in her, which might take pity on his weary and tired body.

“And I wore my pretty dress for nothing?!” aaand there you go, nope, she’s still a spoilt, heartless monster. She looks upset with Chanyeol’s suggestion, stopping her advance and giving Chanyeol a good, incredulous look. “Can’t you even handle whatever is happening to you for an hour, just for one drink?”

It’s Chanyeol’s turn to give her an incredulous look. What on earth?

“Do you really mean the things you say?”

“Ugh, fine, I’ll go to my mom’s for dinner” she surrenders, rolling her eyes and already pulling out her phone, mumbling to herself “I don’t want to go to Tiffany’s party alone, because you won’t be with me, and I don’t want her to think she’s better than me. So, as far as the world can know, we spent the night clubbing together, okay?” she jabs a finger at him strictly, as if he is a child, and Chanyeol sighs but nods. It doesn’t make a difference to him and it’s tiring to argue right now. “Good. Now take a picture of me, I need proof” she throws her phone in Chanyeol’s face and he catches it by chance, his already clumsy reflexes dulled by his fatigue. She takes a few steps further away and poses. Chanyeol debates walking up to her and returning her phone just as rudely, because he’s not her slave, but she would probably make a scene and insist on it, so he takes a picture to be done with it as soon as possible. She hops on her heels to his side and glances at the picture but then she walks away again, leaving her phone behind and giving a second order of “take another one”. Chanyeol growls but he does it anyway, the urge to throw her phone at her growing stronger inside him. Why does he have to be such a good person?

He doesn’t remember much from the walk back to the car, only that she kept talking throughout. He’s thankful however, when he finds himself behind the wheel, driving to her house to drop her off, counting down the minutes to their destination; and then he can go home and sleep, finally. The only problem is that she keeps talking and that is grating on his nerves. On the bright side you could consider the fact that she doesn’t require an answer to most of the things she says.

“Hey bear, do you have any pictures of me on your phone?” she asks all of a sudden while they’re waiting a red light. He gives her a curious look but she simply looks back at him with a blank expression.

“I didn’t find it necessary, so no” he answers, hoping it’s the right answer. You can never be sure with women on these things. He just hopes his answer won’t get him in any sort of unwanted trouble. Krystal giggles and an ominous chill runs down his spine, but he keeps driving, not wanting to waste even a second of tonight’s sleep after all this is over.

“Of course it’s necessary! Every couple has pictures of each other on their phones for when they get lovesick” she argues enthusiastically and Chanyeol scoffs. Well, there is no reason to worry about lovesick moments in their case…“I have some of you” she says then and Chanyeol hits the brakes a little too hard. What?!

“We’re not a couple” he reminds her again “And when did you take my picture?” they’ve met twice and he didn’t participate in any sort of impromptu photo shoot session on either occasion. Did she take a picture without his permission? He would normally notice if such a thing happened, but he’s been feeling ill lately, so maybe he missed it. But what was she doing in the first place, stalking him like that? Chanyeol feels very uncomfortable being in the same car with her all of a sudden.

“Oh it’s a file of candid ones that I keep; don’t worry I wouldn’t keep them if you didn’t look handsome in them” she confirms Chanyeol’s suspicions, and Chanyeol suddenly thinks of Luhan and how he always advises him and Kai to be aware of suspicious people. This is suspicious behavior, is it not? It could pass as stalking, and she could pass as mentally disturbed in most legal systems, right? Maybe he should ask Luhan about it; maybe Luhan can share some of his evil tactics with him, so that will have more cards against her.

“What are you doing with my phone?” Chanyeol loses his former track of thought when she suddenly helps herself to his phone and starts pressing things and snooping around. He now wishes he had put a security code or a password of some sort on the device, but in reality it’s a bit difficult for him to remember more passwords than his job already requires. She doesn’t bat an eyelash at his question, but Chanyeol gets at least some partial assurance for the use of his phone when she starts posing and snapping pictures of herself with various faces from different angles. He lets her play with the camera, if that will buy him some peace of mind for the rest of the way; he can always erase the pictures later.

“Oh, Kai texted you” she announces at some point, lowering the phone to her eyelevel “he says he can get his hands on an extra pair of tickets for some theatre performance and-”

“Oh my god, why are you reading my messages?!” Chanyeol panics when he realizes what she is doing, his eyes widening in shock. This girl keeps getting clingier and weirder and Chanyeol is getting all the more convinced that he doesn’t want anything to do with her for the rest of his life! Indiscretion is not a desirable trait and it’s annoying when someone else, someone you don’t even know that well, goes through your messages uninvited. Besides, Chanyeol doesn’t trust certain names won’t pop up in his conversation with Kai, names that she doesn’t need to know of. “Stop it” he tries to snatch his phone away and she holds it further away from him. Chanyeol makes a few more efforts, with newfound appreciation for his long limbs, but she is sneaky and he doesn’t succeed.

“Eyes on the road sweetheart~” she even has the audacity to chastise him! Chanyeol growls in annoyance and presses a little more on the gas pedal, eager to reach the next red light so that he can use both his hands to get his phone back. Hopefully, he won’t strangle her in the process. “Aw, bear, were you planning on surprising me with these tickets?” she swoons in her seat and Chanyeol chokes, reaching a red light at last –and his limit. “I don’t really like theatre because it’s so mundane, but I would go if you wanted to-”

“No” Chanyeol cuts her sentence before she has time to finish it, his voice solemn and noticeably annoyed, ringing in the following silence with finality. He doesn’t care in the least about her preferences and he certainly was not planning on taking her anywhere! It’s outrageous that she thought he would actually take her somewhere; whenever did he give her that impression? And she is such good company…The only reason Kai sent that message is probably because he had another of his double dates in mind, one which Chanyeol will, sadly, have to refuse now. He reclaims his phone instantly and throws it on the other side where she won’t be able to reach it –it’s actually debatable if he can reach it himself, but that is a concern he’ll have to deal with later. He glares at her, his full attention and irritation on her without the distraction of the road, and she has the decency to shrink back a bit, realizing the severity of the situation and just how much she has gotten on his nerves.

“No?” she asks timidly, trying to see how far she can reach before she hits her limit with him. Chanyeol doesn’t know where that limit lays either, but he knows he doesn’t want to find out. He has more important things to do in his life and more important people to focus on; his time with her is just a temporary holdup in his painstakingly structured plans for the future. Chanyeol keeps his focus on her and he thinks he sees her tremble a little but he can’t be sure, due to the poor lighting inside the car.

“Just no.” he says again, this time ending the conversation in a voice she understands. He turns to the front and starts driving again, starting a new countdown in his mind, until their destination and his moment of tranquility; when he can park her at her house and forget about her for the rest of the day, and then go home and crawl under his covers, so that he can pretend he is a hedgehog in hibernation. She stays silent for the rest of the way. Thank god.

--

Chanyeol walks down the hall with only half his soul following him. He feels so disconnected from reality that he doesn’t know how his legs keep moving forward, leading him automatically to his destination, and the only reason he knows where he is, is the thought that he needs to be at the office, so here it should be the office. He’s pretty sure he can’t stop his advance; he would probably jump over a dead body and crush against a wall if any of the aforementioned suddenly found themselves on his way.

He is currently very thankful for his high status in the company, as his employees make sure to clear the way for him when he passes by; unbeknownst to them, they are saving themselves from a disastrous and most likely painful encounter with the clumsy side of Park Chanyeol. Many people greet him from behind the glass walls of their offices, some bow or mumble a good morning if they happen to cross paths with him, there is a mumbled apology for a collision with a paper tower he almost had and one of the department secretaries reminds him of a meeting at three o’clock. All Chanyeol can do is glance here and there briefly, nod a little in acknowledgement, hum something that sounds like the expected verbal answer and just keep moving forward.

Chanyeol is very tired and his temples throb, the light chatter of the people, combined with the typing clicks, the ringing calls and the various shuffling, resonating like an auditory earthquake to him. He swallows his exasperated groan and fixes his sunglasses on his nose. He can manage to dress himself properly, even when his brain is only half-functioning, but he can’t bother with his dark circles and eye bags, so he simply threw on a pair or thick, black sunglasses. That way no one will notice he’s a wreck so early in the morning and he doesn’t have to worry about the creepy, bloodshot, soulless glare his eyes give in his current state. It’s as if his real self has become tiny and it’s hiding behind a fortress of two lenses, frightened, tired and lonely.

No, Chanyeol is not depressed, because that needs some actual effort and he doesn’t have enough energy to invest in emotions of any kind lately.

As soon as the door of his office comes into view, Chanyeol picks up his walking pace and he nearly sprints for the door with the intention to lock himself inside and work or maybe nap for a while, until Luhan comes over for his morning update. Lay gets the first real word of the day, a mumbled ‘good morning’ from Chanyeol, right before the taller hauls himself into his office, pushing the door closed with fervor as soon as he has taken a step inside, in a vain attempt to shut out the rest of the cruel world. Even though there is no hope of such thing, the gesture works symbolically in soothing Chanyeol’s nerves.

And he gets a heart attack.

What are the ‘happiness, confidence, caring and encouragement’ doing on his desk?!

With two thirds of his soul already demolished inside of himself and his heart barely regaining proper rhythm, Chanyeol starts typing on his phone before he even has time to realize how the phone got in his hand in the first place –he had been holding it all long, to be exact. He doesn’t make the call, because if he calls, he will yell, and he doesn’t want to yell when his employees are right outside; he has a respectable image to uphold, not to mention that he needs to look mostly sane for people to trust him as their boss and a fellow member of civilized society. He settles for a message in all capitals, hoping it will manage to convey even a fragment of his infuriated mental state.

‘KIM JONGIN I’M GONNA MAKE SURE THE REGISTERED CAUSES OF YOUR DEATH WILL BE LONGER THAN YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST’

He sighs, running his fingers through his hair in frustration and tossing his sunglasses to the side carelessly; no one is here to see him anyway. Keeping his eyes fixed on the flowers as if they are made of radioactive meteor dust, he circles his desk and settles in his seat as usual. His eyes examine the bouquet of tulips carefully and warily. These weren’t supposed to be here. He presses his lips thoughtfully and leans his cheek on his fist, using his hand to support his heavy head. He feels perplexed and a little worried, because if this is not another fantastic result of Kai’s idiocy, then something might be wrong.

So, here is the story. Two days ago, Chanyeol got home feeling overworked and drained of all his life, heavily disappointed with his newly acquired almost-engaged status and his annoying fiancée. Everything was silent, gloomy and almost completely dark, but his kitchen light was on for some reason. As he walked closer, he found a sticky note on the half open door which informed him ‘I brought something for you’ in Kai’s lettering, followed by a ridiculous amount of hearts and kisses for two grown men. Curious, Chanyeol peered inside and he found a small basket on the table. It looked pretty harmless, so he decided to explore a little more.

It was a pretty, light brown woven basket, decorated with light blue cotton handkerchiefs and bows of blue ribbon with clean, white stitches on the rim. Chanyeol immediately got an idea about who might be the sender –after all, he must have been someone special, if Kai himself was the messenger, and he had been anticipating a very specific package– and he hastily opened the white envelope beside the basket. ‘This is my cookie tribute^^ Enjoy!’ Chanyeol thinks he remembers he squealed. He peeled away the top cover, revealing a small mountain of delicious cookies, made with care for him by Baekhyun’s pretty hands, and Chanyeol almost cried. He spent one hour straight debating with himself whether to eat the cookies or save them forever if possible, but after he finished with his shower, his stomach got the best of him –he saved the note at least. The cookies were delectable and Chanyeol was living one of the happiest moments of his life, cocooned in a blanket and hidden in the semi-darkness of his living room.

After those events, yesterday was spent in deep consideration –well, at least any free time he had, he spent it thinking. Chanyeol had to find a way to return the thoughtful gesture and reach out to Baekhyun, but he would have to do it in a way that wouldn’t make his desperation too obvious. He went through many options in his mind, until he settled on flowers. It’s something simple and beautiful, perfect for brightening one’s day without being too pompous or spectacular. Choosing a flower was the most difficult part, because Chanyeol knows only a few names of pretty flowers while Baekhyun is the quite the expert in flower varieties and meanings. Ask Google and thou shall find. In the end, Chanyeol’s choice was half his personal preference and half the information he gathered online. He ordered for a bouquet of pink tulips –Chanyeol is very thankful to the internet because he would have sent red ones, and those basically scream ‘I have very deep romantic feelings for you’ and we wouldn’t want that. Right?

Anyway, it turns out that Chanyeol’s brain has not been completely fried by work during the last week, clearly proven by his prudence not to send the flowers with a florist employee, because that would be an expense easily traceable by his father, who has been very meddling in his case ever since he decided he wants his son married. Chanyeol asked to personally pick up the flowers instead –it was a good chance to inspect if the bouquet was pretty enough for his standards too– and he had Kai tend to them overnight and deliver them himself to Baekhyun this morning. Kai’s morning strolls and whereabouts are not as closely inspected as Chanyeol’s life, and Kai is a trustworthy messenger and a familiar face to Baekhyun; Chanyeol would rather he delivered the flowers himself, if only just to see the brunet for a while and witness a smile, but since that is close to impossible, given the circumstances, Kai was the next best option.

Now, you might ask, what are the flowers doing here, when they should be in the arms of their beautiful receiver? Chanyeol has the same question in mind, alongside the first twelve ways to kill Kai, because why on earth would the idiot bring the flowers here? Chanyeol went through all that trouble to keep them a secret, and now they’re on display, like the main attraction inside his office! Chanyeol huffs in annoyance and bafflement, and just then, his phone buzzes with one new message, bringing him out of his stupor.

‘IT WASN’T MY FAULT I SWEAR! Your father saw me with them by chance, he asked about them and wasn’t it your name, written on the card?! The first thing that came to mind was that they were for you. DUDE DON’T EVER MAKE ME DO THIS STUFF AGAIN! Lying to your father is scary and do you know how weird I must have looked to be bringing you flowers in the morning?!? NOT COOL MAN! You’re lucky we’re lifelong friends!’

Chanyeol ignores the streak of conflicting emoticons that follow and simply tosses his phone aside, giving up on his sad sad luck. Nothing more can be said on the matter.

“It’s just you and me now, pretty flowers” he mumbles with a wistful smile, placing them where he can see them while working, and he ominously picks up his pen.

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a/n. Hello sweet muffins! I hope you enjoyed this update; I’m trying to keep some fluff in spite of the angst, but not too much because, well, life is not always perfect to the last detail and it’s all part of the plan ;) It was baekyeol-focused this time but don’t think I have forsaken any of the ships! It is all for the plot’s sake…

There were so many book suggestions hidden in the chenbaek part!*-* (did I get any of your favorites??) And so, we’ve reached the arranged marriage part *dun dun dun dun* I am so sorry Krystal is not a good person in the story, I honestly don’t have anything against her! There might not be much baekyeol interaction, but it’s a good chance to see how they spend their days in completely different realities and yet they long for each other &how they cope with the situation of naturally drifting apart because their lives are demanding (I won’t say anything further, but if you comment something relevant, you’ll probably get a notoriously lengthy answer with an explanation on this >.<)

Cheers for the pom husky!^^ and I always suspected hedgehogs hibernate, but I wasn’t sure before; the internet says they do! hehe Thank you all so much for subscribing &upvoting &commenting, you all are such wonderful sweet people and I –quite literally– don’t know how to thank you!! *cries* Take care, until next time~ kitty

Edit: My beautiful people, I totally forgot to include this yesterday, but I have twitter now!! (link is here) I just started& I'm still not entirely familiar with it, but many of you have asked me& the truth is, you're so many now but I still want to reach out to you more, so you can find me there too, if you like! I'll be glad to see you around! kisses~