When the door behind Jongin‘s back closed, wide-eyed Chanyeol took a deep breath. 

The best friend of his, jumping up all of a sudden and running out of the room like crazy, was definetely not something he expected to happen. And when it did, Chanyeol didn‘t know how he was supposed to react to that.

On one hand, he was worried. Worried about Jongin, and his sudden run after Kyungsoo. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but be a little nervous. If Jongin and Kyungsoo left, that meant it was only him, Haeun and Baekhyun left. And what that meant?

He was the only one sober there. And responsible.

No need to say, he was worried about that greatly. Dealing with drunk people was never one of his strengths – actually, dealing with sober people was troublesome enough as it was. But Chanyeol knew that he didn‘t have much of a choice – he couldn‘t just walk out of that restaurant after Jongin, and leave Haeun and Baekhyun party all night till they sober up, or do God knows what stupidity.

But as he sat there, nervously watching the two of his co-workers laugh and chat as if nothing was wrong, Chanyeol began to feel that he didn‘t even want to leave anymore.

And who was responsible for that? 

Baekhyun.

He had never caught himself staring at another person that much and enjoying it that much, as Chanyeol did with whenever he was looking at Baekhyun. He always liked seeing people laugh and smile, actually. It made him happy. But when Baekhyun was the one doing it, the feeling of joy Chanyeol got from it was ten times stronger.

This evening was another chance of him to see more of Baekhyun‘s smile. At first, he barely controlled himself from taking the alcohol Haeun proposed away from the smaller, and not letting him drink it. Chanyeol wasn‘t a big fan of alcohol, and the things it did to people. But just when he was about to reach out his hand, and take the glass away from Baekhyun, a sudden, unpleasant thought hit him like a train – he, Park Chanyeol, had no right to do it. What if Baekhyun gets mad? Chanyeol had no right to tell Baekhyun what to do, or not to do. He was only his boss, and a friend. Not his father, nor his brother, nor his boy-

“What are you thinking about so hard, Chanyeollie?” Haeun asked him all of a sudden, wide smile plastered on her lips and a knowing look in her eyes.

Chanyeol tilted his head, puzzled. 

But at that moment, Baekhyun also turned to look at him curiously.

“N-Nothing,” Chanyeol shook his head instantly, feeling his heartbeat pick up speed. “Nothing, noona.”

He could feel traitorous heat gather slowly underneath his skin, and that wasn’t a good sign.

“You’re so bad at lying,” Haeun informed him, and chuckled. “But I’ll let you get away with it. But only if...”

She made a pause. And stared at him.

Chanyeol didn’t get her signal, and just stared back, confused.

“You were supposed to ask ‘if what, noona?’,” she told him grumpily after a minute. “Nevermind. You’re joining karaoke with me, Chanyeollie.”

Chanyeol gulped. Him? Singing?

And more importantly, in front of Baekhyun?

He’d rather die.

He didn’t even sing in front of Jongin of all people, who, needless to say, was the closest person to him on Earth. Chanyeol never sang to anyone. He only did it when he was alone in his room, because there was something very personal in music for Chanyeol, and he didn‘t want – no, he was afraid to show it to others. It was like opening up his own soul to people around him.

Even if it was something as innocent as a song in the karaoke room.

“It’s okay, noona,” Baekhyun suddenly spoke up, making Chanyeol look up at him in surprise. He was smiling.

“I will sing with you."

As Baekhyun said that, he smiled shyly at Chanyeol, beautiful almond eyes turning to cute crescents. His glance was warm, as if he was trying to tell the other that it's okay, he's got his back. And Chanyeol could do nothing, but gape at the smaller male in return. It was starting to look scary, how much Baekhyun could see right through him, right through his feelings and worries. 

“I’m starting to think about making the day you came to PKO a holiday in our company, Baekhyunnie,” Haeun said, clearly touched, and reaching out to ruffle his hair.. “I never thought I would meet someone like you, and ain’t I happy I have. Here, have some soju with me, friend.”

And Baekhyun did.

And time passed.

At some point of the evening, Chanyeol found himself sitting in the corner and crouching to not to be seen, while Haeun was having the time of her life singing some old ballad, and Baekhyun was playing around with the accessories the waiter had brought them. With the corner of his eye, Chanyeol watched Baekhyun try fake bunny ears on, frown cutely at his reflection, and then take a Mickey Mouse hat and proudly wear it instead. God, it was so cute. Baekhyun seemed to be genuinely happy with that hat on, and started clapping along to Haeun’s song. 

Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh silently at the adorableness of the sight before him. Lucky he was that nobody saw him.

“That was great!” Haeun exclaimed, when her song finally finished. She sat down on the couch with red cheeks and sparkling eyes, at the same time looking a bit unable to stand straight anymore.

Chanyeol sighed.

“Baekhyunnie, what you’re going to sing?” Haeun chirped.

“I…” Baekhyun hummed, as he stood up, and Chanyeol felt his whole body tense up when he stumbled a little, and had to hold onto the table. “Uhm…”

“How about ‘Like rain, like music’?” she enthusiastically suggested. “It’s one of my favourite songs.”

“Uhm…” Baekhyun bit his lip, and threw a glance at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol looked back at him, ready to jump up at any minute, if he stumbled again. He wasn’t going to risk Baekhyun getting hurt during this dinner.

 “You don’t know it? Might be, it’s a pretty old song.”

“I know it,” Baekhyun shook his head, shifting his look to Haeun. “O-Okay, I'll just sing that one, I guess…”

His cheeks were dusted pink, and Chanyeol took it as a sign of shyness, maybe a bit of regret because of the promise he gave Harun. After all, Haeun and Chanyeol weren’t exactly Baekhyun’s closest friends, so singing in front of them might have been embarrassing, right? Chanyeol understood him.

But he didn't know how to help him.

The intro of the song started playing, and Baekhyun stood up in front of the screen. Haeun, sitting right behind him, was clapping encouragingly.

“Go, Baekhyunnie!” she cheered.

Baekhyun smiled.

Chanyeol listened to music silently. He actuallt loved this song, really. It reminded him of the past a lot. Back when Chanyeol was still in high school, his mother used to play it at home all the time. She liked it a lot. And so did Chanyeol. It was a beautiful, calming melody, reminding of the old times, and drawing happy memories in the back of his mind.

When the soft sounds of piano faded away, Baekhyun started to sing, with his eyes closed.

“When the rain falls, and the music flows,” he sang softly, “I think of you.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

Baekhyun’s voice. 

"The night you left, it was raining like this..."

Chanyeol looked at Haeun, and saw her staring at the smaller the same way he did. How could they not stare?

His voice was amazing.

Chanyeol had heard many great singers before, he, after all, was working for a company that was producing music and managing singers, even if he was in charge of company’s image and marketing instead of music itself. But nothing, no one he had heard before sounded so perfect and breathtaking, as Baekhyun sounded to him right now, at this very moment. 

His voice was soft, but powerful at the same time. It was sweetly soothing on the high notes of the song, and strong, yet modulated on the firmer ones. He didn’t get off tune even once. And the way he sang from the very bottom of his heart, clutching onto the microphone for his dear life, made Chanyeol’s heart flutter in his chest like crazy.

Baekhyun didn’t open his eyes even once during the whole song, just pouring himself into it, and getting completely drawn in by the melody and his own voice. Chanyeol could see his most honest efforts and love for singing. And looking at him, he felt like he had never been so close with Baekhyun before. Before it was just Baekhyun being with him on his hard moments, and learning things about him. But Chanyeol barely knew anything about the smaller male. He really did.

Yet now, watching him sing, Chanyeol felt like Baekhyun just opened a hidden side of himself to him, and that sensation was just so right. Like something that was supposed, and awaited to happen, and finally, after all this time, happened.

All Chanyeol could think about was why Baekhyun wasn't singing all the time. Why he wasn't a singer by profession. He really could be one.

The last notes sounded, and then the magic was all over. But Baekhyun still stood at the same spot, eyes still closed, and didn’t move an inch from the screen. He still clutched onto the microphone tightly, as if he was afraid to let it, the microphone, and the song he just sang, go away.

“Baekhyunnie…” 

Baekhyun turned around to face Haeun, looking embarrassed.

"That was..." she couldn't find the right words, and Chanyeol understood her.

If someone asked to describe what he felt now, he wouldn't know what to say, either. He would probably just stay silent.

“Amazing,” She finally finished, looking absolutely shocked and amazed. “I have never heard someone with a voice as beautiful as yours, Baekhyun ah. Never.”

Baekhyun’s cheeks quickly turned pink, maybe due to the alcohol he drank before, or just because he was shy of getting complimented on his singing. The brown-haired male ruffled his hair, trying to hide his obvious self-consciousness, and then turned to peek at Chanyeol's reaction timidly.

Of course, Chanyeol was looking at him. And when the smaller saw that, Baekhyun’s eyes widened significantly with surprise and shock. Chanyeol didn’t understand why he was looking at him like that, that petrified, and turned his head.

Then, only then he realized, that he was actually crying. There was that one tear, slowly rolling down his cheek, and fading into his skin.

Baekhyun stood and stared, not knowing what to do and looking lost, and shocked, and even guilty. Seeing him like that, Chanyeol quickly raised his hand to wipe that tear away as fast as possible, so that the smaller would just stop staring at him like that.

Like he was about to cry, too.

“Aww, Chanyeol, did you like Baekhyunnie’s song that much?” Haeun cooed, and laughed endearingly, when Chanyeol turned his gaze to his lap and started fiddling with his fingers in attempt to hide his eyes.

Haeun dragged Baekhyun back to the seat beside her, and encouraged him to drink more, which Baekhyun quite easily accepted. He looked like he was regretting what he just did. That was obvious from the way he just emptied glass after glass.

Haeun tried to cheer him up in various ways; she even put on the bunny ears, and made stupid faces. Baekhyun laughed at her jokes, but Chanyeol could see he was still out of it. He didn’t understand why the smaller was sad and embarassed, though.

His voice was perfect.

“I think that’s enough, Baekhyun ah,” Haeun stopped him, when Baekhyun finished another bottle by himself. “I'd love to empty the whole bar with you, but we still have work tomorrow.”

Baekhyun just murmured something back incoherently, and buried his face into his elbows. It seemed like the alcohol finally hit him hard. He didn’t even notice the strands of his hair get into a small puddle on the table, where Haeun had accidentally spilled some soju before.

Chanyeol threw a look at Haeun, worried.

“Baekhyun ah,” she repeated.

Baekhyun raised his head, eyes half-lided and hazy.

“Chanyeol ah, could you please help him up,” Haeun asked, standing up herself. “He’s not going to be able to walk alone, you’ll need to help him with it.”

Chanyeol stood up, intending to do just that, when Baekhyun shook his head frantically, eyes suddenly wide open, and jumped up from his chair.

“I-I can walk, noona!” he instantly objected.

His cheeks and even the tips of his ears were quickly turning red. How can he just...let...Chanyeol...

No.

“Sure you can,” Haeun rolled her eyes. “Chanyeol ah, will you take Baekhyunnie home?”

Chanyeol nodded.

“I will. Do you need a ride, noona?”

“Nah, I’m taking a taxi. You take care of Baekhyunnie,” she told him, and looked endearingly at the blushing smaller. “Drink a lot of water tomorrow, Baekhyunnie, understood?”

Baekhyun just nodded, holding tightly onto the table. As if that would change the situation he was in, and make them believe he could walk without Chanyeol's help.

“I’ll be going first, then,” Haeun told them and smiled at Chanyeol. “See you both tomorrow. And thanks for coming.”

Chanyeol bowed in return.

“See you tomorrow, noo