2013.

"To Chanyeol, what is f(x)?" 

His heart started to pound hard, palms getting sweaty as he cleared his throat, his eyes slightly widening as he heard the question. It didn't take a few seconds for the members to wait for his answer, especially Suho, looking out at to what he might say. 

"Aah.." He muttered a sound with his usual grin. "They are not only co-workers..." he smiled more, trying to connect the words properly so it wouldn't lead to controversies. "..but also nice sunbaes who spent trainee days with us." he nodded with a soft smile, gaining an "aaah" from the interviewer.

2015.

Everyone in the room was exhausted, the loud beats of Call Me Baby played across the studio, which no one complained since they were all so used to it anyway. It took a few minutes for the choreographer to stop the music before turning back to the members, "Alright, that's enough for today. Practice tomorrow, early, like usual, alright? Go ahead kids. Good job today!" He exclaimed with a proud tone obviously heard.

A bunch of "yes!" "you did well!" was heard in the room, continued with the members heading towards the seats to wipe off their sweat or drink one whole glass of water. Everyone was exhausted, but it was nothing new. Suho stood up in the middle, looking over anyone in case someone was left missing or went out. "Alright, you guys did well. So let's pack up, head to the vans, alright? Let's go!" He quickly started to move through his stuff, helping the other members.

At the other non-corwded part of the room, Chanyeol was busy fiddling with his phone. Waiting for Jinri to answer his calls. "Ah, she won't answer." He grunted to himself, slightly infruriated and worried at the other line.

It didn't took a whole lot before she did answer his call.

"Oh, oppa! Sorry, I was with my friends, is practice over?"

"You could've left me a text.." he sighed, leaning his forehead against the tinted window, his gaze dropping down at the people crowded in the front entrance. "Anyways, it's over. Can we see each other later?" 

He could clearly hear her let out a chuckle, walking away from her friends (perhaps?) as she answered back. "You rascal, I thought you had early practice again tomorrow, hm?"

"But... I wanna see you. I need my energy pill." 

"Fine, fine. Can I pass by tomorrow as well?" Her tone going higher as she asked, which he thought was always cute.

"Alright. I'll tell the members. So, I'll see you then?" His worried frown turning into a cheeky grin.

"I'll see you. Bye, chan."  

Her warm voice made him felt tingly inside, all his exhaustion and tiredness was soon swiped away with just the sound of her voice. He couldn't wait to see her later, that's what he thought. She then hangs up, making him turn around to lean back to the glass window. Earning curious gazes from the members.

"What?" He blinked, acting oblivious and all that.

"He probably had another one of those talks with Jinri." Baekhyun pointed out, raising teasing from the members to Chanyeol.

"Ah! you guys! It was nothing- I swear." He denied but his reddened cheeks said otherwise.

"Lovebirds." Suho clicked his tongue as he chuckled, holding onto his bag. He then bobbed his head towards the door. "C'mon, let's go."

It was around two am. His practice usually started around five in the morning, but he chose to wait for her. He was sitting outside a twentyfour seven convience store, it was the place they used to hang out when they were trainees. He was circling his plastic spoon around his cup of coffee, constantly checkin on his watch.

"Chan!" A soft voice was heard around the sidewalks, making him stand up on his feet, facing her with a cheeky grin but his eyes was exhausted, he didn't care either way what he looked like. He only wanted to see her. 

His instincts told him to wrap his arms around her tight, so he did. To place a kiss on the top of her head, so he did. Lastly to say the words that he wanted to say for all these months, so he did.

"Jinri, I missed you." He said with a cold breath escaping his lips. "How are you doing?" He blinked, waiting for answers to his question because everyday since the day she went with her hiatus, they didn't get to see each other normally like how they used to. Last time he knew she was going to Bali was through a text. He wasn't up to date with what she was doing, and he didn't like it.

"I missed you too." she looked up at him, a familiar soft smile creeping up her lips. She looked the most beautiful like this, he thought. 

Her arms slipped away and so did his, but he kept his hand holding hers. Never planning to let go of it anytime. As soon as they headed inside the store, Jinri immediately sparked up a conversation.

"I watched your web drama." she said with a slight laugh, looking at the sweets as he was standing on the other side, listening attentively to her words. "I stopped until the part she spit on you." her laugh bloomed into something more brighter.

"Ah." He smiled, walking over to stand beside her. "It doesn't suit me right, my role?"

She nodded, taking a box of choco pies as she pressed her lips together. "It wasn't you, so I couldn't really continue watching it." 

"Really?" he nudged her, chuckling with a teasing grin. "Or was it because I had a leading lady?" 

"Wha- This guy really!" she was bewildered for a moment, placing the box of choco pies down the counter with a huff, earning silence between them before she breaks it. "Okay, maybe? Uhm, uh, yeah."

He laughs, placing a hand over her head before messing her hair, which she really hates but she lets him do it anyway. "You're cute." muttering before he finds a spot inside the store for them to sit where she soon followed.

Sitting across her, he admired her features. Her pale with skin, the mole on her cheek and one near the tip of her nose, the bags under her eyes which were visible without makeup, her plump pink lips.. and she had no makeup at all. He was in love with every bit of her, he just had to look at her again.

"Why're you... staring at me like that?"

A warm smile appeared on his face, "I just missed you." He soon held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Shades of pink started to color her cheeks and a smile started to curve upwards ever since she was with him. "You keep on bluffing, I missed that."

"I missed that smile, you know."

She sighed, but still kept the same smile on her. "I'm getting, okay, I guess. It hasn't been long since I've been halting my activities and I guess I'm climbing my way back up? I'm getting better, that's what I can say. But everytime I see something, it just.. drags me back down."

He nodded and listened attentively, keeping his own thoughts in his mind as he tried to understand every bit of her story. "It's okay. I'm here, you know that.. right?"

She was so sensitive when it got to this topic, a tear almost fell down her cheek but he was always there to wipe it. "I know that. I'll be back where you can be proud of me when I smile brightly like how I did, and laugh as much as I did before."

He pulled her in by her hand, leaning a soft kiss on her forehead. The place was crappy, it was a convenience store for heaven's sake and it isn't an ideal place to date, but he didn't care. It was their place. And it was just him and her.

"Chanyeol.." Her voice was heard through the other line. 

"Yeah?" He just woke up, eyes heavily lidded with his voice low and drowsy.

"I can't do it anymore." She snapped, tears obviously falling down her cheeks and her voice cracked. She was obviously done, and she didn't know what to do and who to tell.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Chanyeol, answer, please? I need yo-" 

"Are you at your apartment?" He talked as if he was in a hurry, the sound of fumbling stuff on his line was heard.

"I am- Why-"

"I'm on my way." then as soon as he said it, he hang up.

The sound of knocking on her apartment door was heard, it was continuous as if she was gonna be raided by taxpayers or anything close to that. 

"God! Chanyeol, I have neighbors too." She sighed, her eyes puffy and red from her obvious crying, her cheeks stained with dry tears and her hair messed up.

He rushed inside after looking at her, heading towards her room before shutting her laptop closed and locking her phone before putting it in his pocket. "Jinri. I told you not to do this again. Look at you." he turned around, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. His breathing was uneven. 

She looked down, closing the door as she headed inside her room, walking closer to him before dropping her forehead against his chest. She was hopeless, she felt alone, she felt hurt.

"I make mistakes too.. why won't they see that?"

His tense gaze softened as his hands found its way around her small frame. "I know that Jinri, but you can'y keep that bringing you down. You just have... to prove them wrong." 

His eyes closed, so did hers. They were standing there, with silence and her sobs spreading across her dim lit room. She's had her limit, she snapped and look at her now. This wasn't the girl he fell in love with back then.

She was.. glowing, sweet like candy, had a smile that could bright up someone's day and had a laugh that can make a person sad so happy in an instant.

The Choi Jinri he fell in love with was bubbly, always full of happiness. The one who'd always tell Chanyeol to be more patient when he was tired during practices. The one who always told Chanyeol to never lose hope in debuting. He was the string that kept him holding onto the ground, the one to keep him going for his dreams. And if it wasn't for Choi Jinri, Park Chanyeol of EXO wouldn't be existing right now. She was his happy virus. And he was hers.

But that girl he loved, was gone.

He soon cupped her face, his thumb lingering against her cheeks as he dried off the tears just like how he usually did. 

"You.." he uttered under his shaky breath, wanting to tell everything he wanted from his heart.

"You held me down when I was giving up. And I don't know what to say right now that you're giving up on your own. Choi Jinri, you.... you are the reason I stayed in this whole mess of being an idol, and if you're giving up on what we ever dreamed of, then what am I doing here anyway?" 

She looked up at him, still tearful before letting out a deep sigh. "Chanyeol.. I.. you just had to say what I wanted to hear, huh? You can clearly read my mind." a soft laugh escaped her lips as she hit his arm, pulling away as she turned around, wiping her tears with a sigh.

He didn't hesitate to hug her from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder as he smiled. "Smile like you used to, you always look better like that, Jinri."

"Mhm." she nodded, laying the side of her head against his as he kissed her temple. "You're always the best, I love you."

"I love you too, Jinri. Always."