Present, 2022

(30)

It's not long before the person Chanyeol and Baekhyun have been anticipating shows up, at last, carried by a black Bugatti, the entrance door opening just for his special arrival. Baekhyun has his eyes wide, flabbergasted, staring at the shining, shimmering, gorgeous human being who's clad in nothing but gold and Gucci from head to toe. The investor is accompanied by two bodyguards behind him while he walks into the restaurant, smiling expensively.

Chanyeol, who's equally mesmerized, has to slap Baekhyun on the arm so that the man could get back to his senses. As the VIP reaches their table, Kyungsoo appears out of nowhere, doing the honor to introduce both parties. Chanyeol and Baekhyun both stand up from their seats, prepared to do the handshake.

"This is Mr. Kim Jongin, the CEO of KAIplay Group Corporation. He's also a Professional Gamer and a Streamer on Twitch," Kyungsoo says in a formal tone, clearing his throat while he gestures his hand to the visitor. He turns to the side to also introduce the two men, "And this is Mr. Park Chanyeol and Mr. Byun Baekhyun, the Game Creators from Chromosome Games Incorporated."

Baekhyun can feel his heart tingle at the mention of the word 'Professional Gamer'. Nervously, he curtly shakes Kim Jongin's hand, and he can practically feel his heart race when their skins touched.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Kim Jongin," Chanyeol greets with a bright, enthusiastic smile, "We're glad to be graced by your presence today."

"Likewise," Jongin replies smoothly. He politely gestures to the chairs behind Chanyeol and Baekhyun. "Let's have a seat?" Then he turns to look at Kyungsoo beside him. "Oh. You can leave us now, hyung. I know you're busy."

"Just tell me if you need some food or refreshments."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks."

"Wait. Shouldn't you be telling your bodyguards to stay outside? They're intimidating my customers."

"Come on, they will never hurt a fly!"

"Or they could use a table near you?"

"Aww, you still haven't changed at all. Caring as always."

They're really close huh, Baekhyun whispers to Chanyeol not-so-secretly.

Sure seems like it, Chanyeol replies.

Baekhyun only has this fascinated and overwhelmed look in his glinting eyes the entire duration of Chanyeol explaining the technicalities of their game proposal to the investor. Like an avid, hardcore fanboy meeting his idol for the very first time, Baekhyun is smiling the whole time, nodding at every word Chanyeol is saying which is basically just passing through his ear from the other ear.

Baekhyun's thoughts right now are filled with admiration and imagination. It must be so amazing to become a Professional Gamer like Mr. Kim Jongin right here. Jongin must've already tried all the most elite games in the world with his high-quality and expensive gaming set-up, while also streaming his gameplay through the Internet with fans watching him and supporting him around the globe. He must've also competed with the most talented gamers out there, and Baekhyun can't help feeling jealous and awestruck at the same time.

"Mr. Baekhyun?"

"Haaa..."

"I was wondering if you could answer my question?"

"Yeah, sureee."

Chanyeol kicks Baekhyun on the shin under the table, smiling perfectly like everything's going smoothly.

"Shit-" Baekhyun snaps back into reality, feeling that sharp, agonizing pain in his foot. "I-I'm sorry! What was the question again?"

"After Mr. Chanyeol's impressive presentation, it honestly piqued my interest. But I'm just curious, though. You've been calling the game "baby" and "love". You mentioned them a couple of times, right? Baby? Love?" Jongin repeats with a laugh, sounding confused yet intrigued. He leans closer to the table and points at the laptop running their application, "Can you tell me more?"

It took Baekhyun three long seconds to finally comprehend what is happening, meanwhile, Chanyeol is looking so done with him being a nervous wreck. It's because Baekhyun never really expected they'd finally have a high-profile investor, let alone an investor that is willing to listen to them. So he must get his crap together before everything goes down the drain like the last time.

"About that, Sir," Baekhyun says, finally composing himself. "Ahem. This masterpiece we are seeing right here is what Mr. Chanyeol and I made together since we were in college. So we decided to refer to this game as our baby."

"...your baby?"

"Yes."

"So, you're like the parents of this game?"

"Yes."

Chanyeol purses his lips and tries his very best to keep it together. Damn it. Every time. He shouldn't laugh or else they're gonna screw this up. But he can't help it. Baekhyun did take the idea seriously a long time ago, so now, he must go along with it till the end.

"It's kind of ridiculous, I know! But let me tell you, Mr. Jongin. It's not my idea, it's this bastard's-I mean, it's Mr. Chanyeol's idea!" Baekhyun defends himself aggressively while Jongin seems like he's having fun watching him turn all flustered and red, "The name of our game is too long so we devised an easier way to call it!"

"Labyrinth of Odyssey: Valor's Empire," Chanyeol says, smirking like he has just won the lottery, "Or LOVE for short."

"Hm. That's creative," Jongin says, sounding pretty convinced. He chuckles one more time and nods at them, "You're a funny duo. I like you."

Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchange happy looks. He said he likes us!

"Well, then. Did you bring the contract?"

"C-c-contract?" Baekhyun stutters, feeling overwhelmed he could cry, "You mean..."

"Yes. I'm planning to invest in your baby," Jongin cackles, finding it hilarious when he says it himself, "I wanna get some of your love." He wiggles his eyebrows as though it was the best thing he ever said today. "So. Let's finalize it now?"

It feels surreal. Baekhyun's fingers are trembling while he holds the fountain pen to affix his signature on the bottom page of the contract. Beside him, he can see Chanyeol in his peripheral vision stamping his name, and that's only what finally confirmed to him that yes, this is happening.

Finally, after several years of failure and rejection, of trial and error, of not giving up on his dreams, the fruit of their hard work has now landed in their hands. Baekhyun is suddenly reminded of what Albert Einstein said, "Failure is success in progress."

It doesn't stop right here. It's only the beginning. He'll prove to his Mom and Taeyeon that he's worth something.

"Congratulations. Let's work hard together from now on."

"Yes, Sir! You can count on us!"

Chanyeol is all smiles while furiously shaking Jongin's hand, muttering trails of gratitude and promises. Jongin's bodyguards have to step in so that Chanyeol can let go of their boss. Meanwhile Baekhyun, he's been surprisingly quiet ever since the photo op was finished, until the investor has left the restaurant and he and Chanyeol are in the car, heading to their next destination for dinner.

"Of course, Mr. Zhang! I'm not kidding! Really! We closed the deal with Mr. Kim Jongin! Hahaha! It's indeed a success, I'm telling you!" Chanyeol excitedly tells the Director who immediately received the good news the moment the contract signing was done. Their boss called just to confirm if it was real. "What? A dinner party just for the two of us!? You'd really do that, Sir?"

While driving, Chanyeol checks for Baekhyun's reaction beside him, but the other man is just zoning out into nothingness for some unknown reason.

"Sure! Baekhyun and I are gonna be there... Ah, no... We still have to drop by the office first... Yes... Please send me the address of the restaurant... It's close to the company? Haha! Got it, Mr. Zhang! Thank you for congratulating us... Wait, what? The whole team is present!? But Sir... You didn't have to rent the entire place..."

The conversation with Director Zhang lasts for over a minute, yet Chanyeol hasn't seen Baekhyun opening his mouth ever since. The quietness inside the car after the phone call is thick and deafening, so Chanyeol lifts the mood by maintaining his high energy.

"Baekhyun! Aren't you happy!? We just got our first victory! Can you believe we finally did it? It doesn't feel real, right? RIGHT!?" Chanyeol exclaims in a chirpy voice, only to be answered by another blank response.

A little bit worried, he spares Baekhyun a short glance, before focusing his eyes on the road again. He chuckles reluctantly.

"What, are you like, reminiscing our past failures inside your head?" Chanyeol teases playfully, "Pfft. You're dramatic, aren't you? Don't tell me you're gonna cry right now--"

Sniffle.

Chanyeol freezes.

Heuk... Sniffle... Sob...

Then he peeks at Baekhyun beside him in the passenger's seat, who has his head lowered while he quietly cries under his breath.

Speechless, Chanyeol just bites his bottom lip and looks out of the window.

Ah, fuck. Baekhyun's really crying.

As far as Chanyeol can remember, this is only the second time he's witnessing Baekhyun cry. First was back in college when Baekhyun had a rough patch. The second is right now. Baekhyun isn't generally a sentimental person, to begin with, so if he'd feel emotional, he'd only tear up a little, then he'd be back to his normal self in an instant.

But tonight seems to be a little different, as he's been bawling his eyes for a reasonable two minutes now, choking on his sobs, that even Chanyeol can feel his chest tighten at the unbearable sound of Baekhyun breaking into tears.

While they cruise down the highway, Chanyeol only stays silent. He knows he doesn't need to say anything to Baekhyun in this situation. Baekhyun is just so happy, he might be crying because he's too overwhelmed. Nothing more.

Chanyeol pushes the button to open the foldable roof of his convertible. Rolling the windows, he allows the cool breeze of the evening to ruffle their hair and caress their skin. This way, they both can have a clear glimpse of the lovely night sky and Seoul's beautiful city lights, driving with the top down at a steady, calm speed.

Chanyeol also decides to turn on the radio, arriving at mild traffic in the red light, so that at least, some music is accompanying the two of them while waiting for the go signal.

♫ ...only getting older, baby ♪
And I've been thinkin' about it lately ♫
♪ Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes... ♫

Wait, this song.

Chanyeol feels nostalgic. He recalls a memory in his mind. It was winter season, just a few days before his birthday, when his greatest heartbreak happened.

He sadly smiles.

How could he forget? This song was playing that night in the coffee shop when the slightest hope for his first love ended.

♫ Everything that you've ever dreamed of
Disappearing when you wake up ♫
♪ But there's nothing to be afraid of
Even when the night changes ♫
♪ It will never change me and you...

Chanyeol resumes driving as the traffic lights turn green. He then reaches for the box of tissues in the backseat, handing it to Baekhyun who seems to have calmed down and stopped crying.

"T-this song," Baekhyun mumbles, voice cracked. Blowing his nose, he wipes his snot with the tissues and hands Chanyeol his used ones. Chanyeol does the job to throw them into the bin.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"It sucks."

Chanyeol breaks into a chuckle. Does Baekhyun have to insult his music taste?

"Hey, One Direction was my favorite band back then!"

Baekhyun suddenly notices Chanyeol pulling over in front of the company's entrance. Chanyeol stops the engine and turns off the radio.

"Hey. I thought we were heading to the celebration. Why are we here?"

"It's been hours and I just remembered I forgot to unplug my printer," Chanyeol says, unbuckling his seatbelt. He grabs his phone on the dashboard and pockets it, "You know my anxiety won't go away unless I see it unplugged with my own two eyes."

"I'm coming with you. I need to pee."

"The restaurant's close by. We could just walk going there."

"Okay."

The entire 6th floor is vacant when they get to their office. Even the elevator and the restroom are empty like an apocalypse took place. So the Director did throw a party and treated their department to a free dinner. Of course, nobody would let that pass.

"Hah. I knew it!"

Chanyeol quickly pulls the printer plug out of its socket, sighing in great relief. But he keeps his desk still messy though, with all those colorful sticky notes plastered in every corner of his table plus those bunch of gadget accessories lying around, contrary to Baekhyun's neat and organized working space just in front of his area. How does this guy manage to clean and work at the same time? He turned into a clean freak unlike before.

"Hey, are you done?" Chanyeol asks, knocking on the cubicle of the bathroom where Baekhyun is probably taking a shit. The flush of the toilet is heard before Baekhyun comes out, finding Chanyeol in front of the mirror washing his hands and fixing his hair.

"What did you do? You took a dump?"

"Urinals are dirty. I don't use them here."

Baekhyun scoots closer to Chanyeol to also wash his hands under the sink. Chanyeol stares at Baekhyun's reflection briefly.

"Your eyes."

"What about my eyes?"

"They look swollen."

Baekhyun lets out a deep gasp, seeing his blood-shot eyeballs. Why did he even cry anyway? It was tears of joy but it ruined his eyes.

"Shit. You're right!"

"You can't show up looking like that," Chanyeol says, whisking his wet hands and using the back of his pants as a towel to dry them off, "Come here. Let's do something about it."

"What are you gonna d-"

"Just stay still."

Baekhyun throws Chanyeol a skeptical glare as the man pulls him near, cupping his cheeks inside his hands. Without any warning, Chanyeol leans in, bends down, and closes the distance between their faces, puckering his lips together like he was gonna dive in for a kiss.

"What the fuck, man?" Baekhyun panics, hitting Chanyeol's chest weakly. "What are you planning to do to me!?"

"I'm just gonna blow air on your eyes to reduce the swelling," Chanyeol sighs, not releasing Baekhyun until he's done. Hooof. Hooof. He gently whistles without a sound. Hoof. Hoof. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it just tickles..." Baekhyun whines, feeling like he's gonna fall asleep if Chanyeol keeps tickling his eyeballs with his hot breath. "Is it done yet..."

"Stop blinking, will you?"

"I can't help it!"

"Keep your eyelids open, silly."

Instead of the ceiling, Baekhyun just focuses his line of sight on Chanyeol's forehead. Ah, what a broad-looking forehead. It could be an airport at how broad that thing is. And that nose bridge, too. It could be the Bermuda Triangle. Why the hell is it so high? His blackheads are probably sliding down there like they're in a playground.

Chanyeol stops, meeting Baekhyun's stare.

Unconsciously, Baekhyun also meets eye contact with Chanyeol who's staring back at him with his gaze heavy and expressive. And for a certain reason, he senses his body turning all numb yet warm, bearing the depth of Chanyeol's eyes trained down at his face. He can't seem to push the man nor look away either, so without bothering to move from their positions--Chanyeol holding his face and him practically standing in front of the taller--they share an unexplainable, ambiguous moment between them.

It feels uncomfortable but it doesn't. It feels suffocating yet it doesn't.

With no plans of breaking eye contact, Chanyeol gets brave, moving his thumb slightly lower on Baekhyun's face. He subtly touches the curve of Baekhyun's upper lip and presses it softly, tracing the delicate shape of it, having a tiny hint of curiosity, wondering how would it feel if-

Bzzt.

The lights in the bathroom suddenly flicker on and off before Chanyeol can even do anything more.

Bzzt. Click. Bzzt.

Baekhyun sees this as a chance to look away. As Chanyeol releases him, Baekhyun steps back and checks the fluorescent lamp on the ceiling instead, flashing a startled expression.

"W-what was that?"

The lights eventually go off.

"I don't know."

While they're in the dark, Chanyeol secretly pushes the door of the cubicle, making a loud noise it shocks Baekhyun to death.

THUD!!!

"There's a ghost!" Chanyeol yells, and then like a kid, he's dashing out of the bathroom and leaving Baekhyun behind.

"Fuckkkk!" Baekhyun screeches, running after Chanyeol that he almost trips over his own foot. He can hear Chanyeol's annoying laughter echoing in the hallway and oh boy, how he badly wanna hit him right now. "You fucking son of a bitch!" He holds his chest as he catches his breath, feeling like his heart is gonna jump out of his ribcage at how surprised he was.

"Sorry, I thought it was a good chance to tease you! Haha!"

"Fuck you," Baekhyun clenches his jaw, furrowing his eyebrows in extreme anger. Is this man really an adult? "Don't do that ever again."

"Which one are you pertaining to?" Chanyeol manages to ask in between his giggles and pants. He waits for Baekhyun to get in the elevator with him before he presses the button to the doors closing.

"Both."

Chanyeol purses his lips together, shoves his hands inside his pockets, and nods. He smiles apologetically, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

Baekhyun snorts at him.

"Whatever."

Upon reaching the spacious lobby, Kim Junmyeon and company (the infamous group who has the natural instinct to make fun of Chanyeol and Baekhyun) are what greet them again, as always, whenever they leave the elevator. It's confusing whether these people only wanna tease them for fun or they wanna deliberately insult them as a hobby. Either way, as long as these guys mean no harm, it won't hurt talking to them out of camaraderie.

"Hey, CHANBAEK! Congratulations on the public announcement of your same-sex marriage!"

"You look good together in your official wedding portrait, by the way! It's gone viral!"

"I follow Kim Jongin on Instagram and we saw your pictures with him~"

"So Director Zhang threw a reception party for you guys, huh?"

"They're his kind, Manager Kim. That's why~"

"Aww. How I wish to be gay too, so the Boss can favor me."

You wish. Baekhyun just rolls his eyes dramatically. He won't waste his energy dealing with these peasants, so might as well just ignore them.

Smiling, Chanyeol slings a protective arm around Baekhyun's shoulder.

"Thank you for your wishes, everyone. But if you don't mind, we'll excuse ourselves now. My husband and I still have to go on our honeymoon. Right, honey?"

The females squeal; Kim Junmyeon pretends to gag.

"Just don't get STDs."

"Don't worry, Mr. Kim! We'll use protection!" Chanyeol winks, making a 👉👌 gesture with his fingers, earning him a strong kick from Baekhyun.

"Will you stop blurting that out in public? It's embarrassing."

"So it's okay if I blurt that out," Chanyeol tones down his voice to whisper, smirking, "in private?"

"Uh-huh. Your sex partners shall be well-informed of the basics."

"What do you take me for? I'm not a promiscuous man! I don't sleep with different people at the same time. I'm loyal."

"Wow, Kyungsoo must be so lucky then," Baekhyun shows a mocking face as he walks ahead out of the building.

"Of course, he is! Imagine getting this Daddy's juicy cock inside you-"

"Excuse me, bro? Nobody's asking?"

"Haha! Wanna see? I bet you're curious how big I've become."

"Nope."

"Wait, darling~ Let's walk together."

"Who are you calling darling, stupid?"

"Of course, it's you. Who else?"

Chanyeol follows behind Baekhyun shortly, skipping with his two long legs. They're just two office men walking together in the street at night, teasing each other like nothing else matters.

"You know. The only thing I'm most curious about is when is SONY gonna restock PS5 again."

"Why didn't you pre-order anyway?"

"I had no money that time!"

"You had money. It's just you sent it to your parents."

"...you're right."

What greeted the two of them upon arriving at the resto-bar, is Director Zhang Yixing partying wildly with the older Executives and Admins. Chanyeol had a mini heart attack when the party pooper explodes beside him.

"Congratulations!"

Baekhyun lets out a soft smile, seeing his co-workers genuinely congratulating them. He and Chanyeol are pulled for a bone-crushing hug by Mr. Choi and Mr. Lee, their Senior Managers who treat him like he's their personal puppy, while other female Associates are shaking their hands as if he and Chanyeol really got married.

The air smells like kimchi and soju. Dinner is bountiful as it is filled with premium pork and beef to grill; alcohol is present at every table engrossed in its lively conversation. Baekhyun, who is seated to have dinner in the presence of the Programming team, is showered with praises as he drinks and dines with them. Chanyeol, on the other hand, is having fun with the Concept Arts unit at the karaoke section while being flocked by female staff who want to sing and flirt with him.

Ugh, I can't drink anymore, Baekhyun tells his inner self, yet he's still chugging shots after shots of soju his seniors are encouraging him to drink. His cheeks are flushed red now and he feels like puking anytime at how full his stomach is. But since it's rude to decline alcohol from a superior, he just keeps accepting the drinks for the sake of professionalism. He got used to this practice now because being a lightweight has no place when one turns into a working adult.

"Look at him enjoying this," Baekhyun mutters, seeing Chanyeol in the center of the circle playing a drinking game with their colleagues at the other table. The girls are cheering for him like he was a superhero, glugging a bowl of mixed alcohol down his throat. "Good luck to his liver."

After excusing himself to the bathroom so he can cool down his face, Baekhyun opts to stay in the bar for a while, sitting on a stool nearest to the bartender. He just hopes nobody would notice he's missing because he literally couldn't go back and drink, or else he's gonna die of alcohol overdose.

"What could I get you, Sir?"

"Just water. Thank you."

"With ice?"

"No, just room temperature water."

The nausea Baekhyun is feeling is immediately replaced by a feeling of excitement the moment his eyes catch sight of a familiar person entering the place. How couldn't Baekhyun recognize Kim Jongin, out of all people, their investor, whom he just practically met a few hours ago? The man is now alone unlike earlier and he's wearing more comfortable clothes.

Automatically, Baekhyun raises a hand and calls out to him:

"Mr. Kim Jongin!"

Hearing his name, Jongin turns to look in Baekhyun's direction. He waves and flashes him a friendly smile, walking towards him to approach the lone man. The bartender asks for his order so Jongin tells him 'the usual.' He sits on the stool next to Baekhyun, ready to engage in a conversation.

"What brings your here, Mr. Jongin?" Baekhyun asks, smiling giddily as he becomes sober instantly. He's bad at small talk but to hell with it. Now's the chance to talk to Jongin and perhaps be friends with him. "You look like you're alone."

"Well, I'm a regular in this place so I drop by once in a while. How about you?"

"I sneaked out of the company dinner. They're still drinking back there."

"Can we talk comfortably outside of work? You can just call me by name," Jongin mutters, taking a sip of his margarita as he gives Baekhyun a once-over, "Plus, I'm definitely younger than you so it's fine if you address me informally."

"Alright, then. Fine with me. You can call me Baekhyun, too."

"Okay, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun giggles, biting his bottom lip. Omg. Are they friends now? How can he bring up talking about games without sounding like a total nerd? It'll be plain weird if he just asks Jongin for his username on Twitch, right? Especially in a situation like this?

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Jongin says first, looking at Baekhyun with a newfound interest. He inches closer until their knees are touching slightly. "Do you mind?"

"No, I don't!" Baekhyun replies, unbothered by the sudden invasion of his personal space, "Ask me anything!"

"Are you..." Jongin begins, thinking of the proper word to say as he drums his fingers on the counter, "You're acquainted with Kyungsoo and you're close with Park Chanyeol. I know those two have like, something in common, and you guys probably hung out before. So I was just wondering..."

Baekhyun's smile never falters.

"Yeah?"

"Do you also bat for the other team?"

"What?"

"If you do, mind if I take you out on a date?"

Baekhyun blinks.

"...excuse me?"

"Haha. Am I being too straightforward?" Jongin chuckles confidently. "It's just, I noticed how you were staring at me back in the restaurant and I thought you might be interested in me?" He shrugs. "Honestly, I think you might be my type so why not try to hit it off?"

"Ah. Oh. Uhm. That," Baekhyun recites like he was a robot. He rubs his nape and laughs awkwardly now that the question has finally sunk in. To think a Kim Jongin would ask him out is totally unexpected. "Actually, I have a girlfriend."

"Oh. You have a girlfriend!?"

"Yeah. For seven years."

"Woah, for real!?"

"Well, we broke up when I served in the military, and we got together again after I was discharged. So that makes it five years."

"Sweet, you guys are going strong! I'm really sorry for hitting on you. I thought you were one of us!" Jongin exclaims, honestly flustered, "And I assumed you were single! Haha. Well, that was embarrassing. My bad..."

Baekhyun simply smiles. "Nah, it's cool. It's not a big deal." He slaps the air, chuckling. "I'm used to it anyway."

"You're used to it?"

"Yeah. It's either people in our company think I'm gay because I'm always surrounded by men, or they think Chanyeol and I are a married couple. Instead of correcting them over and over again, I just let them assume whatever they want. Saves me the trouble of explaining."

"So, there's really nothing going on between the two of you, huh?

"No. We're best friends since we were eighteen. And I told you, I'm dating someone."

Jongin cackles. He perches his chin on top of his palm, staring at Baekhyun fondly.

"By the looks of it, Chanyeol must be treating you so kindly all these years. He seems like a nice person."

"Yeah, he is."

"Don't lose a good friend like him."

Baekhyun swigs another shot of his alcohol, grinning.

"Don't worry, I have no plans on letting him go."

"But it's such a bummer, though, that you're straight. I mean, I think you're the type any gay man would get attracted to."

"Me?" Baekhyun asks in confusion, "Why?"

"Just a gut feel. Now that I look at you up close, I find you really handsome."

"Thanks, I get that a lot. Haha."

"You know, I'm originally a top but I wouldn't mind getting railed tonight if you were the one banging me instead."

"Oh, come on! Don't make me feel embarrassed..."

"Pfft. Too bad, you're already taken. Your girl is one lucky bitch."

"Hey. Don't speak of her like that!"

"Dude, I mean it as a compliment!"

Taking a nice sip of his beverage, Jongin meets the stare of someone on the other side of the bar who's looking at him, as if constantly watching his every move. He hides the secret smirk behind the glass he is holding and swigs his liquor.

Well, that's pretty interesting.

"So, Jongin?" Baekhyun starts, clearing his throat.

"What is it?"

"Can I have my turn to ask you a personal question now?"

"Since I already got rejected before I could even try. Sure," Jongin casually raises his shoulders, giving up after hearing the fact that Baekhyun is straight, "Anything for a hot guy like you."

"What's your username?" Baekhyun whispers into Jongin's ear. "I need it for research purposes."

"You wanna know my OnlyFans username?"

Baekhyun flashes him a disturbed look.

"No! Your Twitch username!"

"Pfft. Okay, I'll tell it to you but don't tell anyone," Jongin chuckles, also leans closer to Baekhyun, and mumbles back softly, "Ninibear. That's who I am."

"WHAT? Y-y-you're Ninibear!? OH MY GO-" Baekhyun covers his mouth before he can break into wild hyperventilation and absolute fanboying. "Aaaack! I knew it! I recognized your voice instantly! I'm a huge fan! I watch your weekly streams! Your gameplays are incredible!"

"Thanks, I appreciate it!"

"But you haven't shown your face to the viewers. Why is that?"

"Oh, it's because they might just end up watching my stream because of my looks so I don't do face reveals."

"Makes sense."

"So. Wanna play Valorant with my team sometime?"

"Sure! I'd love to!!!"

The crunching of the ice cubes Chanyeol is chewing inside his mouth is too damn loud it could overpower the music. Looking at a different view to save his mood, he snatches the glass of wine from the hand of the guy sitting on the couch with him, finishing the alcohol bottoms up.

"Hey, that's mine," Kyungsoo whines, scowling.

Chanyeol has just remembered he's not alone. He has someone snuggling close next to him. "Wait, why are you here again?"

"Because I'm friends with your boss. Yixing invited me to party with you guys. Also, I'm here to keep an eye on that man."

"That man?"

"Kim Jongin."

Chanyeol spots said man, Kim Jongin, right there in the bar still talking to Baekhyun as if they have their own little world.

"Fuck, he's looking here again," Kyungsoo mutters, glaring at an unsuspecting Jongin flirting with Baekhyun in the distance. "Is he really trying hard to get my attention?"

"Not that I'm complaining but where did you even find that guy? Yeah, he's 'nice' professionally speaking, but there's something about him that irks me," Chanyeol says. He steals Kyungsoo's glass for the second time and drinks on it, glaring when Jongin tries to touch Baekhyun's thigh. "Look at him. Why the fuck is he hitting on a straight guy? Does he even know Baekhyun's got a girlfriend?"

"Why're you mad, bro? You jealous?"

"And why would I!?"

Kyungsoo evil-laughs.

"I guess I haven't told you yet all this time."

Chanyeol lifts an eyebrow.

"Told me about what?"

"That guy, Kim Jongin, is nothing ordinary," Kyungsoo cups his hand to whisper into Chanyeol's ear, "He's pansexual so anyone could be his interest. Gay, lesbian, straight women, straight men, bisexual, non-binary, he catches them all like a fucking pokemon. He doesn't discriminate as long as they pass his taste. Baekhyun could be his next target. Oh, and he's my ex-boyfriend, by the way."

Chanyeol almost spits his drink.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? HE'S YOUR EX!?"

"Heh. Why do you look so surprised?"

"So that was that ex you've been going on and off with? You should've just stayed together with him! Look at what he's doing to my best friend. I wanna punch him in the throat."

"Calm your tits. He'll never make a move on someone who's already taken."

"Good to know that. But why did you even break up anyway?"

"Oh, well. He's always the ambitious type. Full of dreams and ego. Our relationship didn't work out well. But we're still good friends. Kinda. I don't know."

"You still want him back?"

"No way. It's him who's been wanting me back."

"Oh, really."

"Uh-huh. But we're done now. For real."

Chanyeol is in the middle of drinking his beer when he is pulled down by the collar out of a blue. "Hey, let's make out," Kyungsoo mutters, and before Chanyeol can even ask why all of a sudden, a pair of plump lips is already pressed against his mouth followed by a tongue asking for entrance.

Chanyeol ignores the spectators as he gives in to the kiss, closing his eyes, holding Kyungsoo's nape, and devouring his sweet mouth. He kisses Kyungsoo in a more heated manner, as if he has no care in the world, claiming him hot and long, deep and rough, passionate and dangerous.

"Jongin? I was asking you if the game was-" Baekhyun drops the question when he notices the person he's talking to seems to be far off distracted, as the man has been staring at something else behind him. What is Jongin looking at anyway?

Curious, Baekhyun turns his head to find out what Jongin is busy about, only to be greeted by the sight of Chanyeol sucking faces with someone familiar. Baekhyun's eyes widen when he realizes it's Kyungsoo who's on top of Chanyeol's lap as the two men make out in public, here out in the open.

"Baekhyun," Jongin says, still watching the scene as if it was the most normal thing to do, "What do you think of Park Chanyeol? Is he really a nice person?"

Baekhyun lets out a sarcastic laugh. He shakes his head, stealing Jongin's liquor for himself it surprises the man. Baekhyun drinks it up and cringes at its strong taste.

"You think a nice guy would do that?"

"Aren't you jealous? Your husband is making out with my ex."

"What? Kyungsoo's your ex?"

"Yup."

Just in time, Baekhyun hears his phone ring inside his pocket. Peeking at the screen, he swipes the call from his Mom to answer it. "Excuse me. I have to take this call..." He covers one ear as he proceeds to the exit of the bar, "Hello?"

"Sure. Take your time," Jongin answers in delay, his eyes never leaving the public display of affection in front of him. He finds it quite fascinating that the 'nice person' seems to be more fixated on the guy who has just left rather than the guy whom he has just made out with.

Tch. Park Chanyeol's indeed something.

Jongin snickers and waves at Kyungsoo, yelling out loud:

"Hey, Kyungsoo hyung! Wanna have a drink with me?"

*

The back alley of the resto-bar is where Baekhyun's feet took him after finding a perfect spot to answer the call from his Mom. This is where they can finally hear each other better as it is quite far from the music from the bar. It's not often for him to be contacted by his family in Bucheon, so this probably only means two things.

"Hello, Mom? Can you hear me well?"

[Yeah, your voice is clearer now.]

It's either they need money or they're asking how Taeyeon is doing.

"What is it? Is something happening back home?"

Baekhyun rubs his own arms around his body like he was hugging himself, realizing he forgot to bring his coat. It's pretty cold out here so he must end this call quickly and get back inside.

[Nothing much. I just called because I suddenly missed my son. How are you doing in Seoul? Are you living okay there?]

Baekhyun opens his mouth in an attempt to say something more yet he ends up replying nothing. He looks at the starless skies and shoves his other hand in his pocket, breathing hard. His throat feels like it's gonna close up for a certain reason, so he just nods, like his mother would see him do it right now.

"Yeah, I am."

[I'm glad to hear that.]

"Mom, I already know what this call is about... So just tell me how much you need and what it is for."

Baekhyun senses that his mother is hesitating and it feels horrible. Probably because she's feeling embarrassed and guilty about her talking down on his profession in the past. But now that Baekhyun is earning money from games and helping his family through it, she completely stopped making a fuss out of it.

[It's... You see... I'm sorry Baekhyun, for asking you this favor again... But you're the only one I can count on this time... Your Dad's getting old now so I can't depend much on him financially... I hope you understand.]

"Yeah. I get it already, Mom. Just please tell me what happened."

[Siwoo got admitted to the hospital yesterday because of his high fever. The doctor said it was appendicitis so he needed to get the surgery right away...]

Baekhyun lets out an agonized gasp, "Oh, god... Is my nephew okay now?"

[Yeah, he's fine and resting now... Your brother told me not to tell you about what happened. But Baekbeom hasn't heard back from his job interview yet so I kept on getting worried... And his wife is pregnant so she couldn't be of help either. Your sister-in-law is just as pitiful taking care of her kids...]

"Yeah, I know..."

[Son, if you have some extra, can you send us money for your nephew's hospital bills? Any amount will do.]

"Okay. I'll send the money right away. Tell Siwoo to get better fast and I'll come home if I can get a day off from work."

[Thank you. I'll tell him that.]

"Just don't mention anything to hyung. If he asks, tell him you got the money from a relative or a healthcare program."

[Okay.]

"I'll send more so you can buy vitamins for Dad and Granny... And when Siwoo recovers, go eat somewhere nice. Take noona to shopping too, so she could buy clothes for the baby."

[Oh, Baekhyun. One more thing.]

"Yeah? What is it?"

[When is Taeyeon gonna come back to Korea? She hasn't kept in touch lately.]

Baekhyun exhales and looks down the ground, kicking the stray pebble close to his shoe.

"She hasn't said anything about going back yet... She's still traveling around Europe and it might take a while."

[Then when are you two gonna get married? Your Dad keeps on bugging me about getting a grandchild from you. You know he wouldn't stop until he gets the answer he wants.]

Baekhyun grunts, feeling his headache kicking in.

"Mom... I told you already. We haven't talked about that matter yet..."

[Is it because you're still playing games? You're stressing her out again, aren't you?]

"What? No, it's not because of that!"

[Then why? You're not getting younger anymore. You're already 30. When are you gonna settle down?]

"Let's just say neither of us wants to get married as of now. Taeyeon's busy with her thing and I'm busy with mine!" Baekhyun finally snaps, "We're fine with this set-up so if you're only gonna ask me about marriage again, I won't pick up your calls next time."

[Fine, I'm sorry. Don't get mad.]

"I'm hanging up if you're done talking. I'm outside and it's cold."

[Hang on, your Grandma wants to talk to you, should I pass her the phone?]

Baekhyun exhales. He contemplates for a while but he ends up nodding anyway.

"Okay..."

[Goodness gracious, is that Baekhyun, my grandson? I'll talk to him! Give me the phone! Hello...? Hello, Baekhyun? Aigoo, my precious baby! Why haven't you been calling!? I miss you so much!]

"I miss you too, Grandma. Sorry, I was busy with work recently..."

[Are you eating well? You're not overworking yourself, are you!? You still have money? Should I send you some allowance? Don't tell your mother.]

Baekhyun presses his lips together, holding back his tears as soon as he hears the sweet voice of his favorite grandmother. He chuckles to cover up his broken voice.

"I-I'm okay, Grandma. Don't worry about me! And I don't need an allowance, I'm not a student anymore. I have plenty of money now! Just worry about yourself. Stay healthy."

[This brat! Your old hag can still climb hills and make kimchi! Oh. By the way, sweetie. Your friend... Is Chanyeollie doing great?]

"Chanyeol? Yeah, he is. Why?"

[Send him my thanks! It's not that much but the back massager he gifted me works amazing. Your Dad loves it and even your Mom kept borrowing it! Also, Chanyeol, that gentle boy, paid for Mongryeong's new house so our dog can play in the garden. I'll ask your brother, Baekbeom, to send you a picture tomorrow.]

Baekhyun pauses. Chanyeol didn't mention anything about doing those things.

"Ahh... It's embarrassing receiving stuff from him. I didn't even know Chanyeol did this."

[Don't worry about that. Chanyeol is a nice kid so treat him well. Treasure him forever, you understand? He's a keeper.]

Baekhyun nods and smiles.

"Yes, Granny."

[Oh, god! What am I doing...! Oh, dear! I know you're busy so I'll end this call now... Good night, my lovely grandson! Take care of yourself always, alright? I love you. Come home soon!]

Beep!

After the call hangs up, Baekhyun takes a short breather and sniffles. It seems like the voice of his Grandmother is still tingling in his ear. Why does his chest feel tight all of a sudden? Why does he feel like he wants to cry?

He squats on the pavement and fiddles with the phone in his hand aimlessly. Tapping on his messaging app, he checks for the text he sent Taeyeon this afternoon, finding the message still left unread. He refreshes it twice but nothing happens.

"She must be still busy."

Going on Instagram, he clicks on her profile. There's no new post today but there are a few Instagram stories updated two hours ago. They're nothing special. It's just a picture of a cup of coffee, a selfie with some random emoji, and a backstage shot.

Paying it no mind, he exits Instagram and opens his banking app instead.

Click Yes to confirm the transaction.

Yes.

The amount has been successfully deducted from your savings account.

He can only stare as the eight-digit amount on his debit turns into five digits in a span of a millisecond. After wiring the money to his mother, he then keeps his phone inside his pocket. He proceeds to leave the alley, when he suddenly glimpses a figure of someone in the dark, leaning against the wall and waiting for him.

"Here."

Chanyeol hands him his coat.

Baekhyun takes it, wearing it right away.

"Since when have you been there?"

"Just now."

"Did you follow me?"

Chanyeol shrugs, smiling tight-lipped.

"No. I just figured you'd be here."

Baekhyun suddenly remembers he just left Jongin in the bar. But he has no energy to go back there since Chanyeol is already here. He smiles at the man and asks:

"Care for round two?"

It's a busy tent bar across from the convenience store near the police station where Baekhyun finds himself sitting at a table for two with Chanyeol. Together with three bottles of soju, delicious and cheap street food like blood sausages and fish cake are also served by the old lady.

"Cheers?"

"...cheers!"

Baekhyun lies about not being able to consume alcohol anymore. He's still far from being drunk, he thinks. That's why he's immediately swigging the couple shots of soju Chanyeol pours him, letting out a satisfied groan after he savors the liquor burn in his esophagus.

"Oh, god... That hits the spot...!"

Chanyeol watches him amusingly, matching his drinking pace.

"I didn't know you can now handle alcohol this well?"

Baekhyun giggles, hiccupping.

"I'm actually pretty tipsy right now... But I can still go for more..."

"Did something happen back home?" Chanyeol asks in concern. "You seem troubled."

"No, nothing..."

"You can stop drinking when you feel like it."

"Chanyeol."

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

Chanyeol halts, wondering if he has just heard that wrongly.

"You know... for Mongryeong's house... And Grandma's back massager."

Baekhyun flails his arms and sways his body slowly.

"I don't say it that often but... I just... wanna say thanks for staying by my side until now."

Chanyeol smiles and shakes his head.

"Seriously. Stop saying that. It's weird."

"No... Listen to me... The game, too... It's because of you... That's why we can now launch it out in the market..."

"We did it together and we deserve it."

"Yeah, we did..."

"Congratulations to both of us."

Fetching the bottle of soju, Baekhyun pours Chanyeol a shot.

"You... You don't really care do you..."

"Huh? About what?" Chanyeol asked, baffled.

"You should be warier of your surroundings, you know. I'm just worried. What if someone from the company saw you?"

A flashback from earlier comes into Chanyeol's mind, and he can't help letting out a smirk as he stares at Baekhyun being all drunk and pinkish.

"Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Tch. Jealous, my ass," Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "I'm just worried about your image."

"Since when have you cared about something like that?"

"Beats me."

Baekhyun glugs the last of his alcohol, hiccupping, before directly passing out on the table.

"Hey!"

Chanyeol immediately comes to the rescue, holding Baekhyun's shoulders and shaking him to wake him up. Not getting a response because clearly, Baekhyun has blacked out, Chanyeol decides to just carry him on his back after leaving money on the table. He fucking knew this would happen. Baekhyun never lasted until three rounds of drinking. Not ever. He should've just declined the invitation and suggested they go retire for the day.

"Taxi!"

A cab stops, so Chanyeol throws (not too hard) an unconscious Baekhyun in the backseat. He tells the driver Baekhyun's address before he plops next to Baekhyun so the man won't end up hurting his head anywhere and having a concussion the next morning.

Now that Chanyeol remembers, he left his car at the company. And that only means after he takes Baekhyun to his apartment, he must take a cab again to go home to his own house.

"What a bad habit you got there. Passing out on me, letting me pay for the drinks, and making me act like I'm your Secretary? Damn! So annoying," Chanyeol mutters, gesturing like he's gonna punch Baekhyun in the face. The driver shoots him a suspicious stare via the rear-view mirror, so he just laughs it off. "I'm his friend."

The journey to Baekhyun's apartment takes less than fifteen minutes plus a minute of an elevator ride. Although he's a bit drunk himself, Chanyeol still manages to traipse down the hallway while carrying another heavy grown man. Cursing Baekhyun a couple of times doesn't help alleviate his annoyance. He just wishes to put Baekhyun safely on his bed so he could sleep at his own place as well.

"Fuck, what's the door code," Chanyeol hisses as he constantly types in the old password he remembers. He has Baekhyun slung on his shoulder as he inputs the numbers using his left hand. "Wait, it was his birthday, right? Or his phone number?" He tries again but still fails. "Hey, Baekhyun. Wake up! What's the code to your door?"

Baekhyun answers him with a snore.

"Is it Taeyeon's birthday?"

Chanyeol keys the date in but it's the wrong one.

"Or is it their anniversary?"

He types the combination again but still incorrect.

"Is it all zeros?"

He presses zeros once more, but still. Wrong.

"How about all sevens?"

It's not the right one.

"Fuck! Just what the hell is your door's passcode!?" Chanyeol furiously yells, super angry he could be The Hulk. He tries waking Baekhyun up and searching for some clues around the door like a creep, but nothing works. He still can't guess the code. He's no magician, for crying out loud. "That's it! I'm dragging you to my place whether you like it or not!"

The effort of hailing a taxi and carrying Baekhyun to his apartment building all went to waste as Chanyeol is now riding another cab, now heading to his condo which is another fifteen minutes away from Baekhyun's abode. Baekhyun has gone to his place a couple of times to hang out or to work, but he hasn't spent the night over, not even once. He said he doesn't wanna sleep in the same place where Chanyeol takes his hook-ups, and Chanyeol respects him for that.

"You're short yet you're heavy as fuck," Chanyeol mumbles, practically dropping Baekhyun on the couch of his vast living room upon arriving and opening the door. Turning the lights on, Chanyeol loosens up his tie, places his coat on the backrest of the sofa, and makes a beeline to his kitchen so he could drink some water. He cracks his neck side-to-side. "Oh god, I think I lost ten pounds..."

His temporary rest is interrupted by a loud continuous ring. He inspects his phone on the countertop, seeing the screen black, so he figures the call is coming from Baekhyun's.

"Who could be calling him at," Chanyeol gives the wall cock a short glance, "11:47 pm?"

Nevertheless, he retreats into the living room where Baekhyun is dozing off and laid out messily on the couch like it was his own house. The ringing stopped the moment Chanyeol picks the phone in his hand after unlocking it using Baekhyun's fingerprint. He accidentally sees the unopened notifications popping up on the screen.

Mom
I already received the money, son. Thank you.

CJ Logistics
Your package is on the way! Please check the tracking number on your app for more details.

Taeng ♡
Babe, I have to tell you something. Call me when you see this.

"Shit, I accidentally read it," Chanyeol mutters, panicking a little when he unintentionally left Taeyeon's message on read a few seconds after it was sent.

He opts to just ignore it when Baekhyun's phone rings again, so now Chanyeol has no choice but to pick up the call himself. Fuck. How he hates this kind of situation right now.

Listening to the other line, he shakes Baekhyun's leg in hopes to wake him up, but still, Baekhyun's dead as a log.

[Hey. Can we talk?]

"No," Chanyeol immediately answers out of impulse, and shit, he needs to cover his stupid mouth for blurting that out. Must be because he's drunk. Or must be not. But whatever. "I mean. Hi. It's me, Chanyeol."

[Chanyeol? Why are you answering Baekhyun's phone?]

"He's passed out drunk on my couch. But don't worry. It's because of a dinner party celebrating the success of our game."

[Oh, congratulations... By the way, is Baekhyun okay?]

"Yeah. Of course, he is," Chanyeol says, bending down to check Baekhyun's dazed face and slapping his cheeks lightly, "He's still alive, thankfully."

[Can you tell him to call me when he wakes up--Oh, no, wait. There's no need. I'll just text him in the morning.]

"Sure."

[He's really fine... Right?]

Chanyeol isn't able to answer it right away. It's like there's something more to it, but he chooses not to budge any longer. After all, he's just an outsider. To keep it simple and short, he only hums and says what she wants to hear.

"Mm-hm. He is."

[That's good.]

"So uh, anything else you wanna say?"

[Nothing more. You can hang up now. Thanks.]

"Got it, bye."

The call ends after that. No small talk for the sake of being polite nor catching up on each other's lives, and that's completely fine. It's not like they were really close, so it's a relief Chanyeol doesn't have to pretend.

Sighing under his breath and ruffling his own hair, he sits on the floor and places Baekhyun's phone on the coffee table. He straightens his arm on top of the sofa and rests his head on it, silently watching Baekhyun's peaceful sleeping face under his gaze. Unconsciously, he stretches his hand on Baekhyun's disheveled hair, stroking it gently.

"Hey, my couch will smell like you if you just sleep there like that..."

Baekhyun replies nothing, still sleeping soundly.

"Will you take responsibility for that?"

As Chanyeol spends his whole ten minutes breathing next to Baekhyun, he feels his eyelids finally getting droopy so he deems to take a shower now and sleep.

He doesn't forget to drape a blanket on Baekhyun's body and switch the lamp on for him, before closing the door to his room, muttering a Good night he only can hear.

****

Flashback, 2015

Senior year of College

(23)

It's a scorching Friday afternoon and Baekhyun, who has just finished his last class for the week, is profusely sweating. Instead of the stairs, he is using the dorm building's wheelchair ramp, as he is pushing up all by himself, a used velvet couch handed down to him by an upperclassman graduate student in his Cultural activities club. He's not one to decline free stuff, especially if it's a couch that is still in good condition. Come to think of it. The PC he is using as of today is also secondhand, and there are no problems with it so far (aside from the constant lagging and overheating within over six hours of use.) Good thing the gaming laptop Chanyeol gifted to him as a birthday slash Valentine's present is still perfectly working.

So, although his and Chanyeol's shared unit is still on the 9th floor, Baekhyun's completely fine with the manual labor. The couch isn't that heavy anyway. It's just quite bulky. But sure is comfortable.

"Sorry, excuse me! Oops, a couch passing through! Get out of the way!"

In the first place, Baekhyun has managed to drag the old sofa all the way from the university which is a walking distance away, up to here, the dorm's lobby, where several students are probably judging him hard. A haggard-looking guy who seems like he didn't shower for days and screaming at the top of his lungs, is attracting unnecessary attention, trying his very best to shove a long-ass couch inside the elevator yet it won't fit horizontally.

"Excuse me. Could some of you maybe step out for a bit and just get the next one, so I and my couch could go up now-"

Baekhyun is answered by the girls from the Education department bumping against his shoulder and pushing him out of the way as they get inside the elevator in a rush, doors closing at Baekhyun's face. Like a rejected loverboy wearing a huge scowl, Baekhyun tows the couch at the side of the hallway instead, waiting for his chance to ride the elevator.

"Tch. Can't they be a little nicer to another human being?"

Pushing up his glasses and sliding down his nose bridge, Baekhyun rests for a while and takes a seat on the old sofa. Bouncing his ass a little, he proves to himself that it's indeed comfortable to sit on. Perfect. Chanyeol would surely like this one. That guy's always complaining there's nowhere to sit on every time they play video games.

"Maybe I should text him. He must be headed here by now."

He could also use Chanyeol's help carrying this couch up to their room. There's a perk of having a strong and well-built friend after all. Chanyeol goes to the gym six times a week as if he lives there, and eats protein shakes like it's the last food on earth.

Opening his phone and paddling his feet like a kid, Baekhyun types on Chanyeol's dm's, 'Where are you but he suddenly pauses, witnessing a red luxurious car stopping outside. Baekhyun watches from his VIP spot Chanyeol handsomely getting out of the vehicle like he's some youngest son of the richest CEO in South Korea. Baekhyun can't recognize the woman Chanyeol is waving goodbye at, but he can tell she's older.

"He's wearing the same clothes as yesterday," Baekhyun mutters to himself, shrugging, as if not looking surprised anymore. It's Chanyeol's special talent as an extrovert; casually going out on dates, and regularly meeting new people, while still being a good student and a reliable comrade to him. "It must be his new girlfriend..."

Chanyeol notices him first things first, smiling brightly, too bright for Baekhyun's liking. Raising his hand awkwardly as though he was constipated, Baekhyun acknowledges the taller's presence. He stands up before Chanyeol thinks he's some beggar asking for a donation or something.

"Did you really have to drag a couch and wait for me out here?" Chanyeol jokes, meeting Baekhyun at the lobby by slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Aww, I'm so touched, dude."

"It's not like that. No one in the club wanted to own this beat-up sofa so I'm doing them a favor by keeping it," Baekhyun sighs, and oh dear, he just realizes his back hurts, "I don't understand, Chanyeol. It's still good as new, right?"

Chanyeol spares said crusty-as-hell couch which is probably as old as his grandma, a non-biased, hesitant look. Baekhyun has a different view of things, and that is what makes him a genius.

"Yeah... Looks fine to me. It just needs a little pressure washing."

"Right!?"

"So. You need a hand?"

Groaning, Baekhyun cracks his back and does a little stretching.

"Finally, you asked."

Chanyeol must have a hidden superpower aside from his inborn talent. He only has to smile at people and ask if the two of them could own the elevator for themselves, and it didn't even take them ten seconds. They're already traveling to their floor with the couch stranding vertically, Chanyeol holding and supporting its dirty underside, and Baekhyun leaning all his weight against the smooth fabric surface.

"By the way, who was that."

"Who?"

"The one who drove you here?"

"Oh, her."

"Was it your girlfriend, Minseo, the rich bartender?" Baekhyun says unsurely, tapping on his chin as he thinks, "Oh, no wait. Was Jongdah her name? The yoga instructor who's a daughter of a conglomerate? I just remember the faces, sorry."

Chanyeol purses his lips into a thin line, preventing a laugh to come out.

"She's just an acquaintance."

"An acquaintance?"

"Mm-hm."

"But, but how about your girlfriend I saw last month?"

"Her? She's a close friend. And I'm not dating anyone."

Baekhyun squints his eyes meticulously.

"You have lots of friends, huh."

Chanyeol smiles, shrugging.

"Yep, for different purposes."

"Different purposes?"

"Well, it's basically simple. I'll be there for them when they need me and they do the same to me. That's it. It's just a mutual kind of friendship."

"Then what's my purpose?"

The elevator dings open before Chanyeol can answer Baekhyun's question. They both lift the sofa with extra care heading to their unit exactly twelve feet away, Baekhyun opening the door, and Chanyeol dragging the couch into the living room, positioning it in front of the TV, a nice fitting spot as if the sofa truly belongs there.

"Perfect," Baekhyun says proudly, looking around the room and dusting off his palms. "Four years and it's just now since we got a couch, can you believe that?"

"Your purpose is to stay by my side for a long time," Chanyeol answers the question earlier seriously.

Baekhyun snickers at that cheesy remark, so he punches Chanyeol's shoulder playfully.

"That's pretty deep, man."

Their shared dorm room is approximately 25 square meters wide, with a cozy living room, a decent kitchen with a pantry at the corner, a dining area complete with appliances, one bathroom with a bathtub, two queen-sized beds separated by a curtain, two computer tables, two study areas respectively, and a veranda slash wash area in the back where they hang the laundry. It also serves as a place to grab some fresh air in the middle of hectic schedules.

After graduating high school, Baekhyun applied in a program for Game Development at S University, a renowned university in Seoul, with Chanyeol. They decided to be roommates since freshmen year to save costs. And now in their last year of college, they also became partners for a major project. Seems like they won't leave each other's sides from now on.

Or that's what Baekhyun thought.

"But it's not my birthday yet. Why is there a cake?"

Sliding down the strap of his backpack as he takes a seat on the vacant chair in front of Chanyeol, Baekhyun eyes the strawberry cake served in front of him. Chanyeol looks dead serious right now it scares him a little.

"I have to tell you something, Baekhyun."

"Yeah? What is it?"

Chanyeol breathes, sips on his iced cappuccino, leans back on the chair, and gazes out of the window of the coffee shop. He hears the door chime clinging and that's what signals him to talk.

"I'm planning to move out of the dorm."

Baekhyun is just staring, face straight.

"Actually, I've been thinking about it for quite a while now, and I decided to tell you when I've finally made up my mind. And it's today. I've made up my mind to move out," Chanyeol explains, not meeting Baekhyun in the eyes, "I'm gonna be living at Yura noona's condo that she won't be using anymore. It's half an hour away from the university if you take the bus and subway. Yeah, it's quite far, but it'll only take about twenty minutes by car or taxi. She asked me to take over the ownership and I said yes, since I also need a place of my own, too."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why are you moving out?"

Chanyeol is expecting a different question from Baekhyun after all the long-ass explanation he said. Baekhyun should be asking 'When' instead of 'Why' so the conversation would already end just right there. Now it's all the more difficult to explain the reason, but he should answer him because Baekhyun doesn't seem to have a plan to drop it unless he tells him exactly why.

"We've always been together. Why are you choosing to leave me now?"

"Baekhyun, please don't phrase it like that."

"Wait. Is it because of the couch?" Baekhyun asks seriously, anticipating a plausible reply. "Is that it?"

"What? No! It's not because of the couch."

"Is it because of my teeth grinding? I sometimes do that when I was a kid."

"Pfft. No-" Chanyeol isn't supposed to laugh but damn it, it just came out of its own, "No. You don't teeth-grind, okay? And if it's because of that, I should've already moved out a long time ago."

"Then why?" Baekhyun asks, totally clueless, "Why, and why just now?"

"Why you say..." Chanyeol sighs, covering his face with his palms because he can't seem to bear to say it directly. "Because I need more privacy. Why just now? Because I need more privacy now."

"More privacy?"

"Yeah, because I... How do I say this? I can't always... It's inconvenient for me to keep going out at night and then ask for a drive back to the dorms when I... I mean, I don't wanna bother you every time I..."

Baekhyun is only blankly watching him struggle with words, which is rare for Chanyeol to do. Why is it hard to just say it clearly?

"Then just tell me."

Baekhyun grabs the knife and slices a triangular shape on the cake, leaving the strawberry on top of it.

"Chanyeol, I'm not that insensitive."

He pokes the corner of the cake, slightly smearing the icing.

"Going to motels is a hassle and also costly. I understand that, at least. So, if you're planning to take someone to our dorm room, just tell me beforehand and I'll see myself out."

Baekhyun eats the small piece and damn, it tastes too fucking sweet.

"Don't mind me. I could just crash in another classmate's room or sleep in the sauna if you have someone over at our place that night. I'd just figure it out myself, so you don't have to worry about stuff like that."

Somehow, the way Baekhyun says those words leaves an unsettling sensation inside Chanyeol's gut.

"Just be sure to clean the room before I come back in the morning, though."

Chanyeol exhales.

"Baekhyun."

"What?" Baekhyun blurts out, "It's not a big deal, right? Why do you have to move out, especially in your senior year, just because of that reason anyway? I mean, everybody does it. It's pretty common among college students. Like, I also did that before with my ex-girlfriend and you didn't even bat an eyelash."

Chanyeol just stares, lifting an eyebrow.

"Wait, was it the otaku girl or the Christian girl?"

"The latter. But let's not talk about her."

Baekhyun casually shrugs as he still consumes the cake.

"You see, now that I remember. The guy living next door once crashed into our place too, when his roommate asked him to leave because his girlfriend was coming over. I didn't tell you just in case you get mad or anything. Are you mad?"

"I-" Chanyeol shakes his head, "No. Look, I'm not mad about it. It's all in the past now. Anyway, let's go back to what I'm talking about here. I will move out, for real, this weekend the soonest. I'm gonna start packing my things tomorrow after we're done with the midterm exams."

"But... But if you move out, I won't see you anymore when I wake up in the morning. How would I live by myself without you?" Baekhyun flashes a pained reaction, and Chanyeol regrets even looking at it. "Are you really gonna abandon me like this?"

"Come on, please don't say that..."

"After all we've been through together? You were by my side, since we were like, eighteen! We're now twenty-three. I can't function without you. Just stay with me until graduation. Hm?"

"But sooner or later, we'll go on separate ways... You do realize that, right? This decision is hard for me, too."

"No, this is too sudden. Don't move out. You know I can't afford the dorm fees by myself. We even got one of the best rooms among the GDD students. It's a deluxe. It's better than a condo unit, I'm telling you."

Chanyeol relaxes his face. He got emotional for no reason.

"Then how about this? Let's just keep splitting the rent."

Baekhyun cackles sarcastically.

"Pfft. Why would you still pay half the rent when you're not staying there anymore? That's ridiculous. I'm not living with your ghost."

"I would still come over so the money's still worth it."

"Then why move out in the first place?"

Chanyeol opens his mouth and closes it immediately when he can't think of something to counter that. Guess he has no other choice but, to be frank, and use lots of vulgarity.

"Listen, would you be able to bear to take in the fact that I had sex with someone in the same bathroom where you shower every day? Also knowing that somebody has slept naked in the exact bed just in front of yours? I bet you won't ever look at my bed the same way before. And oh, the couch! Yeah, that very couch you brought to our room. It would be used as a sex place soon to be covered with my cum and my partner's body fluids as we fuck from dusk until dawn-"

"No! Shit! Ew, stop!" Baekhyun cringes all over and covers his ears. He tries to get the extremely disturbing imagery out of his mind by shaking his head aggressively. "Fine, just move out! Live anywhere you want! Just don't mess with my fucking couch!"

Chanyeol fists-bump in the air. Yes!

Baekhyun is traumatized.

"Ugh. I really hate you."

"Oh. And about the rent. I'll quickly find you a new roommate so you won't have to handle the living expenses alone. I'll see to it that he's worthy to live with you," Chanyeol assures, "It can't just be anyone. He must pass my meticulous screening."

"Can't you just... Can't you just move out when you already found a replacement?"

"It'll only take me a few days to find someone, one week tops. Just bear it for a while, okay?"

Realizing that he can't do anything anymore about Chanyeol's final decision, Baekhyun just sighs and slumps his shoulders.

"Okay..."

"Then it's all set now, right? Don't worry, I won't take back the stuff I already gave you. It's all yours! You can even have some of my clothes! The Balenciaga hoodie, right? You want that? You can even have my gaming phone. I won't take it with me so you can play LOL on it every night."

Hearing the word 'gaming', Baekhyun's ears perk up in absolute excitement.

"Really? I can have the phone for myself?"

"Yeah. I'll just get a new one."

"...you really wanna move out that bad, don't you?"

Chanyeol blinks, speechless.

"Now that I think about it, the game we're developing is only halfway done. It won't be easy completing it now that we're gonna live separately."

Baekhyun just laughs dryly, sounding genuinely sad. Chanyeol feels it. Sincerely.

"Well, it's not like I can do something about it now... Just make sure you won't leave me hanging or else I'll forget you ever existed in my life."

"Wait, that's scary."

"Simple, just keep your promise."

"When did I ever not?"

Chanyeol grins ear-to-ear. Baekhyun coughs. He drinks his water and clears his throat.

"So. I can visit you, right?"

"Of course! Come over whenever you want."

"Then before we part ways, we should hang out on Friday and play video games all night."

"Uh, on Friday? This Friday?"

Baekhyun nods.

"Wait, lemme check."

Chanyeol scrambles with his phone and checks his calendar app.

"I might've set some plans on Friday, I'm sorry..."

"What are you gonna be busy about that day?

"A sunbae in the theater club asked me to fill in a group blind date since her cousin couldn't come. She helped us with the scriptwriting for the plot of our game, remember? I couldn't say no to her."

"Then, then how about Saturday?" Baekhyun hopefully asks, "You're free on Saturday, right?"

"I have to write Chapter 3 of my thesis on Saturday morning, then continue the character interface for our baby within the rest of the day. I still need to finish modifying the prototype version due on Monday. You also asked me to revise the storyboard for World III."

"Ah, shit. You're right... Then how about Sunday?"

"That's my move-out day."

"So that means you can't even hang out with me before you leave?"

"I'm sorry."

It's Baekhyun's turn to be speechless. Lonely speechless. He just lets out a humorless chuckle and rubs his neck.

"Haha. I'm supposed to be supporting you in your big decision yet I can't help being a selfish jerk who only thinks about himself. I should probably go."

"Hey wait," Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun's wrist when the male stands up to leave. He looks up at Baekhyun, not releasing him until they settle this, "Don't get upset now. It's not like we're gonna stop being best friends if I move out. You, Baekhyun, and our game are my number one priority. Nothing's gonna change. I promise."

Baekhyun yanks his hand away but Chanyeol is still grasping his wrist tightly.

"Let go of me. I need to take a piss."

"Oh," Chanyeol drops his hand down, laughing, "Sorry."

Staring at his reflection and washing his hands in the bathroom sink, Baekhyun releases a deep sigh and shakes his head.

"Tch. Number one priority, my ass."

To be continued

(updates every 5th, 15th, and 25th of the month!)