the problem with fiction (05/10ish)
kris/chanyeol | PG-13
summary: that's right, this is your usual idol oppa/average high school boy fake engagement story. unless you never read one. you know, you should click the link.
author notes: ± 5, 984 words. wad up.
o n e / t w o / t h r e e / f o u r / interlude
“hey,” kris frowns, because his voice sounds so strange in his ears. “come here,” he reaches an arm, while the other is hidden on his jeans pocket, possibly trembling but kris is not sure because it’s numb anyway.
chanyeol sobs as he walks closer to kris, wiping his face with the sleeve of his yellow blazer. he looks so beautiful up close, kris absentmindedly thinks; his huge eyes are glistening, his cheeks are flushing red, and his lips are the shade of white to pink.
kris frowns; he did not just have a sick as fuck vision that chanyeol looks the finest when he cries. memories of that night on gangwon is flooding his mind and kris immediately kneels down to untie his adidas because he can’t afford to feel inferior, okay, chanyeol needs him as a strong and dependable hyung right now.
chanyeol makes a move to kneel too but kris places a hand to the younger boy’s left thigh to just stay upright.
then kris gently takes chanyeol’s right ankle, dusting off the sock with his palm before he slips on his obviously a size larger adidas while chanyeol gasps.
“h-hyung?”
kris kisses chanyeol’s left knee then, and chanyeol gasps again as he treats that foot the same. he makes sure he doesn’t tie the shoes too tight before he carelessly wipes his palms on his jeans.
he’s not a man with words, remember? he pinches chanyeol’s nose as they’re face to face instead of giving a makes sense explanation.
chanyeol stares at him with the most transparent emotion that kris can’t help but to falter a little bit.
“let’s go,” he doesn’t want to falter even further though―but really, chanyeol keeps surprising him because of the warm hand that is now entwined with his own numb one. chanyeol butts his head to kris’ back as they walk to the car, and kris wants to swear that he’s going to protect the boy forever; but he’s only human. human breaks promises. so he tells himself he’s content enough with his useless being.
he can only hope that chanyeol forgives him for being useless.
chanyeol wakes up with a start.
he searches for his phone groggily, and it’s only five fifty five. the particular number confuses him though, so he closes his eyes again.
just half an hour more and then he swears he will get out of the bed.
but who is he kidding. the moment he snuggles to his pillow; the sequence of what happened yesterday floods his mind in technicolor, as if he’s right there for the second time. he can hear the footsteps of two faceless girls running away while cursing. he can see kris kneeling behind his moving eyelids. he can feel kris’ comfortable but loose shoes as he wriggles his bare toes and how kris’ everlasting frown accompanies their short drive home and how kris gently takes his wrist and says with a small voice that they’re going to have to talk about it before he goes back to practice.
chanyeol blinks, caressing his left wrist unconsciously.
what, now?
he sighs loudly, blinks some more to adjust his eyes to the semi darkness of his bedroom. he didn’t eat anything last night due to the truckloads of jumbled emotions. and the paranoid questions with equally paranoid answers he made up were practically screaming loudly in his head.
what will kris do-
is he going to report to-
will ryeowook-sshi offer to change sch-
do i want to chang-
how about appa and umma-
maybe he can feign sickness today, so kris will go soft on him and delay the talk. and after that he will have to think about new excuses to escape from it completely. because honestly there’s nothing to talk about. it is what it is. he’s bullied, no big deal, poverty in africa and greece’s bankruptcy are the real problems. exo will have their comeback next week, and that’s what kris should really invest all of his attention to, not to waste his time worrying over chanyeol’s unfortunate being.
aside from the fact that that was the second time his shoes have disappeared mysteriously, his FIGHTING PARK CHANYEOL!!1! ONLY FOUR MONTHS LEFT!!! mantra has been working well enough for his mental stability whenever he looks at his phone, because he set the mantra as a wallpaper.
or maybe, chanyeol is on his accepting phase already. he’s a grateful boy, remember? he can’t whine forever just because he’s a victim of bullying. the idea of his revelation is this; bullied is considered nothing if he compares it to what happens to kids his age in conflicted countries like, say, middle east and africa ones where there are kid soldiers carrying weapons and killing and being killed everyday. from then on, chanyeol never fails to thank god before he goes to sleep in his air-conditioned bedroom for his blessed life; for he gets proper meal three times a day and for his status as a student in one the most prestigious high schools in south korea-what else could he possibly need?
although, yes. fine, yesterday he did break his own vow about absolutely-no-more-crying-park-chanyeol-fighting!-the moment kris made a halt and stared to the ground with both hands on his jeans pocket; his body language didn’t only scream, i don’t understand- but it also shrunk into almost invisibility.
chanyeol never likes it when kris is on that state. so insecure. so heartbreaking. so wrong.
it’s ironic, kind of, because chanyeol is painfully aware that he’s the one causing all the insecurity and heartbreak in the first place.
and kris doesn’t deserve any of it.
“i have to be stronger than this...” chanyeol slaps his cheeks, once, twice, thrice until they sting and reddened and he’s fully awake now. he hops off the bed, does ten messy squats that he almost face plants himself to the floor, laughs, and goes to open the baby blue curtain to reveal seoul’s chilly october morning. he stops for a moment to go outside to the balcony, inhaling the air deeply, smiling to the sky before he gets back inside again; shivering slightly. he makes his bed, and then he prepares wednesday’s textbooks and notebooks and takes out his uniform and underwear from the walk-in closet. note to self; tidy your clothes this weekend, park chanyeol! fighting!
he bounces to the kitchen; a big bowl of koko krunch sounds yummy for a breakfast and maybe he’ll ask lee-sshi to drive him to buy a lunchbox near the-
chanyeol widens his eyes, because kris is slumped on the dining table; his head is on his arms, a mug of cooling, untouched coffee is abandoned within his reach. chanyeol tiptoes to get to the cabinets, not wanting to make any sound, but is kris seriously wearing the same t-shirt from yesterday?
and the steady ups and downs of kris’ body-
chanyeol gasps rather loudly, and then kris jerks awake, frowning, squinting his eyes at chanyeol who has both hands covering his mouth because a) he regrets his action just now and b) because kris looks so cute somehow, with hair sticking out everywhere.
chanyeol needs to tame his incoming squeal.
he giggles anyway, when kris rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms, grumbling in english.
“good morning, hyung!” chanyeol chirps loudly also in english, just because. he smiles as kris pours the stale coffee to the sink. “i’m going to make cereal for breakfast, do you want some?” he watches kris washes his hands and face and the slight nod of affirmation. “i think we have koko krunch and...fruity loops. or do you want me to cook you a simple breakfast?”
kris frowns, a drop of water falling from the tip of his nose and it feels like watching a movie when the handsome protagonist is revealed as a not morning person.
chanyeol’s smile widens. kris really suits the role.
“any cornflakes?” kris asks then, taking out the bowls and spoons for them.
chanyeol goes to check their cereal stashes on a different cabinet, “yup!” he exclaims before he takes a carton of milk from the refrigerator. kris says he wants a glass of orange juice so chanyeol also gets it for him. they sit across each other, with chanyeol humming spongebob squarepants opening theme song while he prepares their simple breakfast and kris frowning to his lap.
they eat in silence, at first. chanyeol fights the urge to just run and bring his bowl to his room and watches nickelodeon or the morning news, because kris only stirs his cereal blankly, frowning and frowning and frowning.
and chanyeol’s tongue works faster than his brain, “hyung do you wish to have wrinkles so early?” he grimaces as kris frowns.
“bb cream can’t help you forever!” he does a mehrong to break off the awkward atmosphere; who knows if kris really isn’t a morning person?
kris snorts, “well.”
“well...” chanyeol raises both eyebrows.
kris mimics him; his eyes get exceptionally big and his nostrils flare. he. looks. so. cute!
“oh my god no!” chanyeol shrieks as kris adds a smirk to his presumably-aegyo. “stop it! hyung!”
“fine,” kris clicks his tongue, scooping the cereal to his mouth, frowning at the stuffy taste, and tossing in more crunchy cornflakes.
chanyeol happily finishes his own cereal, stealing glances every now and then at kris who chews with unnecessary seriousness. their eyes meet a few times, and chanyeol makes funny faces everytime they do. kris just replies it with his usual hint of smile from the right corner of his mouth.
kris says after he takes his empty bowl and glass to the sink, “you’re not going to school today.”
chanyeol swallows down an unidentified lump.
“um,” he bites his bottom lip.
“i already told wookie-hyung to get you an absence letter.” kris’ tone is final, and chanyeol loses his appetite.
“i didn’t tell anyone anything, chanyeol-ah,” kris continues carefully, as if he understands that chanyeol will appreciate it if he doesn’t make the issue as everybody’s business.
“promise?” chanyeol whispers and it’s full of raw hope and obviously, gratefulness.
kris frowns, leaning back against the sink. “i will try my best, chanyeol-ah,” he runs a hand through his hair, pauses, and then he looks straight at chanyeol, “i’m here.”
this is jongdae-just-smiles-at-me-because-i-solve-a-math-problem!-i-think-i’m-melting-in-a-puddle-of-goo all over again.
except that in front of chanyeol right now is not a textbook but a bowl of cereal, and jongdae is in gangwon and kris is not jongdae, but it feels the same.
“they-” chanyeol’s heart throbs. “they never touch me.” (lies, because there was a boy with glasses from class C who pinned him to the wall, groped his butt and then the boy’s friends threw money at him; and three sophomore girls crowding him and pulling, plucking at his hair that his scalp had bled.)
kris stands still.
“i-” chanyeol puffs his cheeks because really, what should he say-they bully me because of you, hyung-of course he can’t, right?
“i’m okay, hyung.” he puts up a smile, not quite a hundred percent, and kris shakes his head.
“i can’t if you’re like this, chanyeol-ah,” he goes to sit again, “please.”
“what?” chanyeol blinks back his stupid tears, and kris just looks at him; his bare face is unreadable but still as handsome as ever. “what,” chanyeol chuckles wryly because of course kris wufan is handsome; he won’t be an idol if he’s not handsome!-he’s getting hysterical.
in the end he breathes shakily, “h-hyung.”
kris grasps his clammy hands into his own cold ones, hides his face to the space between the edge of the table and his chest, squeezes their hands, and says-
no, he pleads,
“i’m so sorry.”
this is not a math problem.
the hands are not jongdae’s.
but.
“what are you talking about,” chanyeol’s voice creaks although he succeeds in holding back his tears. he squeezes kris’ hands too and adds desperately, “h-hyung, it’s okay. i’m okay. i promise,” in order to reassure kris that he’s really, really okay so kris canshouldmust stop whatever he’s doing-because if kris continues then jongdae is past tense and chanyeol furiously tells himself, i don’t want that.
that, as in jongdae becomes a past tense and that as in kris is his present tense.
“i’m okay, hyung!” chanyeol tugs at their entwined hands and when kris looks up (with a frown) he makes sure he scrunches his nose as he does his usual smile/mehrong thingy to appear more convincing.
there are extra tenderness reflected on kris’ veiled eyes, but they’re enough for chanyeol to repeat furiously;
i don’t want that.
chanyeol's eyes are getting watery, good, because he can use it as an excuse to wipe his face with the sleeves of his frayed the smurfs t-shirt.
actually, he just wants to cut the body contact with kris.
kris nods to himself, nods and nods and then there’s the round two of awkward silence. chanyeol starts to count while trying to imagine happy times he had with jongdae and baekhyun; walking side by side throwing insults (for baekhyun) and compliments (for jongdae). chanyeol gets to the eighty mark when his heart beats are slowing down, and kris is already looking like his usual stoic, exo’s leader self.
chanyeol grins, “hi, hyung, guess what? i’m hungry again!”
kris smiles and for a split second chanyeol forgets who is supposed to be his present tense.
“we have a whole day off, take your time,” kris tells him as he gets up, frowns, and reaches to swipe his thumb to chanyeol’s right eye before he disappears to his bedroom.
chanyeol needs two hundred and thirty to calm down.
▲▼
‘we’ consist of chanyeol and kris because kris also skips his comeback practice.
“we’re going to record a variety show on saturday,” kris says as they watch a re-run of kill bill volume ii on the living room. both are refreshed and more relaxed from showering. “it’s MTV’s ‘a day with...’” he frowns at the hyperbolic sound effect of creaking bones.
chanyeol puts his index and middle fingers to the space between kris’ bushy eyebrows, and he narrows his eyes as kris turns his head.
“no frowning,” chanyeol manages a straight face. kris tries to get away but chanyeol protests, moving closer to kris’ side and sitting on his knees, japanese style.
“what’s the deal?” kris asks, a crease is forming, and chanyeol has to press his fingers to make kris' eyebrows surrender.
“hmmm...” chanyeol mumbles, changing his fingers with his thumb. “hmmm...oh! for every frown, you have to put a thousand won to my old shoebox!”
“that’s mean,” kris comments, “what’s the money for?”
“we can give it for charity on christmas!” chanyeol bounces, accidentally pushing kris’ head. “omo! i’m sorry!”
kris snorts, he grabs chanyeol’s wrist and secures him in a headlock. they struggle for awhile but kris easily manhandles him and chanyeol is no longer battling with his inner fear that kris might do anything nonconsensual to him-it’s a jongdae who’s not here versus kris who probably only touches him because of the contract battle-and chanyeol is only seventeen. he has the right to avoid skinship anytime he wants, and vice versa, so he giggles and struggles some more as he’s now pressed tightly against kris’ broad chest; liking kris’ adult-ish and manly cologne’s scent.
kris growls and proposes, “a thousand won for every five frowns that you see,” he stretches his left leg to the coffee table, “how about that?”
“deal!” chanyeol pretends to wheeze as kris loosens his hold, and he finds himself lying uncomfortably sideway on the couch; uma thurman flying with her sword on the plasma screen.
kris pulls his arms off of chanyeol, spreading them to the back of the couch, clearing his throat as he does so.
chanyeol wriggles to find a more comfortable position, and without thinking twice he takes kris’ right arm and snakes it around his shoulders, holding kris’ warm hand as he lies his head on kris’ lap.
kris doesn’t say anything.
chanyeol smoothes out his palm against kris. he’s awed by their distinctive difference, size-wise; because although chanyeol is only two centimeters shorter than kris, the older boy’s hand is way, way bigger than his.
“so! MTV ‘a day with...’? i watched exo, B.A.P. and miss A’s episodes.” chanyeol plays with kris’ spidery fingers; bending and flicking them. “is the show scripted, hyung?”
“not everything,” kris snatches his right hand and pinches chanyeol’s nose. chanyeol whines but kris continues as if nothing happens, “i asked you to skip school because wookie-hyung said we need to arrange my room to look like we’ve been sleeping together.”
“oh,” chanyeol blinks, feeling his face grows hotter. “okay. what else, hyung?”
“we have to crosscheck our background story again, synchronizing it with what we’ve told the public on the press conference.” kris’ left hand lands itself on chanyeol’s hair. “wookie-hyung recorded it, he said we should watch it and take notes. but when he gave me the tape he also gave me two neat notes. we just need to memorize.”
chanyeol smiles fondly at exo’s eccentric manager.
“rearranging room and memorizing notes, i can do that!” chanyeol bails a fist and nearly punches kris on the face. kris frowns. “ah! ding!” chanyeol grins widely. “that’s one.”
kris frowns again, and then he snorts, shrugging.
“two~~~” chanyeol sings. kris pinches his cheeks. “aw! that hurts!” chanyeol pouts, sitting up and crossing his legs.
chanyeol is still pouting when kris’ phone rings. kris smiles as he looks at the caller id.
“my umma,” he says off-handedly before he presses the speakerphone mode and begins to have a conversation in english.
then, “you know what, ma. chanyeol is with me right now.”
kris’ umma exclaims and faintly calling kris’ father to join. after a bit of rustling, “annyeong baby yeol! how are you!” she asks enthusiastically. chanyeol claps for no reason before he answers,
“halo umma halo appa! no school today!”
“whaaaaat why, baby?” kris’ umma giggles and chanyeol needs a second to form a proper answer,
“um, kris and i’m going to have variety show.” he looks up at kris and kris nods in approval. “umma appa how are yuuuuu?” chanyeol changes the subject because kris will surely explain everything later.
“we’re good, baby, gomawo...” kris’ umma is half chinese and half korean, and kris told chanyeol that she’s been taking korean class just so she can understand chanyeol even just for a little.
“chanyeol-ah, kris’ appa wants to say something.” another rustling and chanyeol waits in anticipation; kris’ appa is a canadian native and from the photo that kris saves on his wallet, the man looks like a quiet type with graying brown hair. this will be the second time chanyeol talks to him; their first time was so short because kris’ appa had been shocked by chanyeol’s loud and sloppy english.
kris’ appa clears his throat, and even kris smiles at his appa’s obvious nervousness.
“uh, annyeong, chanyeol-ah,” kris’ appa greets, “i added your facebook.”
“dad are you serious,” kris interrups with a teasing tone, and kris’ appa splutters. chanyeol slaps kris’ knee and kris frowns at him.
chanyeol holds up his three fingers. kris makes an ‘aish’ face and then he lets chanyeol takes his phone.
kris’ appa is muttering something about ‘...brat’ and ‘son’ in a same sentence and chanyeol can hear kris’ umma melodic laugh. chanyeol wonders what’s so funny though, but he just announces his acknowledgment with, “appa you have facebook? i will approve don’t worry!”
kris’ appa chuckles, and chanyeol gapes because he thinks he hears kris from across the wire. kris raises an eyebrow but carelessly focuses back to the movie, pulling at chanyeol’s arm so chanyeol is snuggled back to his chest.
“do you want anything from canada, pup? dad-appa will send it for you.” kris’ appa stumbles on his korean, and chanyeol can’t help but to coo. and what did the old man call him?
“‘pup’?” chanyeol whispers to kris.
kris’ smile makes his eyes crinkle and chanyeol chants the i don’t want that mantra no matter how burning both of his face and heart are looking at the rare sight.
“my dad’s nickname for me, pup. puppy.” kris whispers back and chanyeol places a hand to his cheek, feeling flattered. kris snorts. “what do you have in mind, dad?” he takes over.
“well i was thinking about some jumpers and maybe chocolates for souvenirs. does chanyeol like any sport?” kris translates it to korean for chanyeol, and chanyeol shyly says that he’s not familiar with western sport. but he likes soccer. but canada’s national soccer team is...
“justin bieber?” chanyeol tilts his head, and kris laughs as he translates it to english for his parents.
“i can buy his album for you here, chanyeol-ah,” kris flicks his forehead, and chanyeol fakes a scoff as he tries to keep up with kris’ english. “i’ll email what chanyeol wants, dad. hm. yes. hey dad, wait. after he approves your friend request you can post him something, a link to some gift’s website maybe. yes. on his facebook. of course, dad, i’m your son. what?” kris pauses to look down at chanyeol and then he laughs again. “chanyeol doesn’t have a sister. i’m positive. it must be him on his profile picture. i know. yes. why are you-didn’t mama cut off his pictures from a magazine? what? ah, okay. yeah well you have to see him in person, dad, he’s so pretty.”
chanyeol gives up trying to decode what kris is talking about, so he’s staring at kris the whole time. kris glances at him, and then he tucks a strand of hair behind chanyeol’s left ear, smiling fondly for the -nth time ever since his parents' phone call.
and it’s chanyeol’s turn to frown because he’s not used to kris’ smile, and to be bombarded by it in such short period of time-
whoa, what’s with this overwhelmingly giddy sensation crowding all of his senses?
“okay dad. thank you,” kris frowns, “i am. yes, sir. i love you too.”
chanyeol lets that one frown slip from his hawk-like inspection because he’s too busy trying to conceal his giddy, and most likely dreamy smile from kris.
“appa?” chanyeol asks cheerily, fanning his face. luckily, kris is still frowning to uma thurman. but kris’ appa says that he has to go. “ng? awwwww you going? okay! bye bye appa! umma bye bye! i will study good i promise!” and then, because chanyeol likes the way kris said i love you just now, he says it too; making kris’ appa laughs-and it amazes chanyeol very much so, how the father and son are sharing the same treat.
kris is closing his eyes when chanyeol settles back to the couch; although not exactly back to kris’ chest. hesitantly, he touches the particular space on kris’ forehead and declares, “i’m going to ask you what’s wrong, but you’re not going to frown.”
kris opens his eyes, answers the question with both eyebrows raised high, “nothing. see? not frowning.”
“cheater,” chanyeol pouts because he should’ve known; a brief session of cordiality can’t just make kris magically letting chanyeol to read him like an open book.
kris snorts and motions to him to get closer. chanyeol’s giddiness is acting up again so he just buries his face to kris’ chest, sneakily hugging kris’ narrow waist.
and so they watch the epic movie in silence, with kris stroking his hair absentmindedly and faltering everytime blood spurting red and chanyeol wants to ask if kris has a haemaphobia or he’s just not that into action movie which if he is, chanyeol will totally use the tidbit information to tease him. but chanyeol is too lazy to verbalize the question. the yellow of what’shername track suit is blurring and when chanyeol opens his eyes the credit rolls while kris is talking to ryeowook-sshi.
“...hyung. we’re going to be fine.”
chanyeol sighs. he nuzzles his nose to kris’ clothed stomach. the muscle tenses. chanyeol opts to butt his head further rather than thinking negatively that kris-hyung doesn’t want to touch me.
chanyeol grins to ryeowook-sshi who sits on the love seat.
“baby-yah did i wake you?” ryeowook-sshi asks for a hug. chanyeol pounces on the older man, shaking his head. “phew! alright then. take care, okay? ask kris for the note i’ve prepared for you to memorize. saturday is gonna be fun!” and with that he hugs chanyeol once again, pats kris’ head and leaves in a hurry.
chanyeol pounces back to kris’ side, fluttering his eyelashes as his way to ask what’s their next schedule is.
kris laughs and makes monotonous gurgling baby sound as he pokes chanyeol’s cheeks repeatedly before he announces that they have a crucial job waiting ahead.
dang, that could be another great blackmail material if only chanyeol is not too delighted by kris’ spontaneous display of aegyo!
▲▼
kris’ bedroom is eerily empty.
like, there's no sign of any human being is occupying it. the room is mostly in shades of grey; dark grey sheet, light grey curtain, even lighter grey wall, and grey-whitey bedside tables.
“what,” kris sweeps chanyeol’s fringe to get his attention. chanyeol makes a duck face.
“i don’t understand,” he throws his arms to emphasize his point, “we can’t make this bedroom a-no, domestic-ish! are you sure you sleep here?”
kris frowns-“four!” chanyeol yells-but kris just dismisses it, looks around, and shrugs.
“i do sleep here, everyday. what’s wrong?” he asks nonchalantly.
“what’s wrong?!” chanyeol stomps. “we’re going to take hours to move my stuffs here, hyung! i haven’t done my english homework yet!”
“...okay?”
“ugh,” chanyeol butts his head to kris’ chest. kris frowns. “five! give me the money and where do you put your phone charger?”
“there,” kris gestures to the left side table, fishing out a cash from his jeans pocket. chanyeol tries again as he takes the money,
“where are your dirty clothes?”
“i keep them in a basket in the bathroom,” kris frowns but he quickly raises both eyebrows before chanyeol can yell at him. “what is it, chanyeol-ah.”
chanyeol mentally praises kris’ cute attempt to play their game. he bites his bottom lip or else his giddy and dreamy smile will pop up. he drags kris to his bedroom just next door and although he’s not supposed to be proud about the chaotic condition, at least this time his argument is valid.
kris just goes, “aaah,” after he inspects the whole mess. then he checks chanyeol’s walk in closet, frowns (but chanyeol doesn’t see it), and finally he nods.
“i get it,” he smirks as he pulls at chanyeol’s nose, “we just need to move some of my clothes to your closet and we’re done.”
“that's right!” chanyeol does a mehrong and a moment later when they're back to kris' bedroom he hypothetically loses his jaw as kris opens his own walk in closet.
rows and rows of expensive shirts from any color available are hung; arranged from the darkest to the lightest. the same applies for t-shirts and jackets and suits and even his jeans. kris has his collection of shiny jewelries-watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets and sunglasses-they're all stacked perfectly in order in see through drawers. the two corners of the closet are used for kris’ hats and ties. kris’ shoes, from the hip hop adidas edition to the formal dress shoes are lined at the bottom and there’s a body length three way mirrors behind the twin doors.
kris doesn’t wait for chanyeol to recover from his speechless state as he takes a handful of t-shirts and places them to chanyeol’s arms.
chanyeol huffs but kris just raises an eyebrow.
chanyeol brings the t-shirts carefully to his bedroom, hangs them next to his new but unused backpacks (plural, yes, they’re from ryeowook-sshi) and belts and two days pajama pants (how did it get up there!). he stares in horror at his surrounding and flails and decides to take care of his less fantastic clothes to make room for kris’. he tells kris to maybe please stay away from the closet and he promises to help kris to move his clothes later. kris smirks and hangs another handful of jeans before he retreats. the last thing chanyeol sees before he busies himself inside the closet is kris frowning in front of his bookshelves.
“THAT’S ONE, PABO HYUNG! AND DON’T TOUCH MY ONE PIECE MANHWAS PLEASE!”
▲▼
after exactly one hour-five minutes longer because chanyeol is sulking about kris touching and stacking his one piece manhwas in a neat order (the older man also scoring another three frowns)-kris is taking chanyeol to have their late lunch on a cozy italian cafe about two blocks away from their apartment. on the whole short ride, chanyeol reads ryeowook-sshi’s note; especially the font-size-24 skinship section.
he snorts. that’s easy.
the waitress who takes their order is blushing prettily as she hands out the menu. she asks if they want to have their special, and chanyeol doesn’t understand the language on the menu anyway-it’s on italian and english-so he reaches and taps kris’ slowly creasing forehead; presses his index finger there and says,
“hyung?” and with that, kris asks the amused waitress about today’s special menu.
while kris is being indifferent with chanyeol’s finger on his forehead, the waitress loses it. she’s giggling in between explaining about creamy pasta and whatisitnoodles with free appetizer the customer can choose; a red bean ice cream or a mango frozen yoghurt-chanyeol squeals that he wants the red bean ice cream.
“alright, one today’s special for me with the ice cream,” kris gently removes chanyeol’s wrist off of his face, holds it, and leans forward to flip the menu page. “here, spaghetti puttanesca. you like anchovies, right?”
chanyeol nods and shrugs, smiling. he’s ready to devour anything by now.
“what do you want to drink?” kris closes their menus and gives them back to the waitress.
“one vanilla milkshake please,” chanyeol directs his smile to the waitress and kris says make it two. she bows at them and skips to her awaiting friends by the cashier.
“she’s pretty,” chanyeol whispers, “oh! she’s looking!” he waves at her, and the waitress and her friends are giggling loudly. kris snorts.
“aw what is it!” chanyeol pinches the back of kris’ massive hand on the table.
“what,” kris’ said hand is suddenly stretching his chin and chanyeol whines. kris smiles and rubs the spot, apologizes, and says in english, “you’re too much, park chanyeol.”
chanyeol leans back to his chair, crossing his arms. what’s about him that’s too much? he’s not fat isn’t he?!
“did you just call me fat?” he hisses. kris frowns. “five!”
kris’ laugh is a little bit too obnoxious that the three businessmen ahjusshis seated across their table are giving them a nasty look. but that only makes chanyeol laugh even louder and they end up muffling their cackles; kris biting on the lapel of his maroon jacket and chanyeol his palms.
“holy shit, chanyeol-ah, you’re not fucking fat okay,” kris rasps, still high from their impromptu comedy show, “you’re perfect.”
one of the businessmen makes a dying animal sound.
jongdae who’s not here versus kris who probably only touches (flatters) him because of the contract battle current result;
0 : 1.
▲▼
“you didn’t pay your penalty from the-” kris cuts him off by playfully slapping a thousand won to his cheek. “you’re so rude...” chanyeol grumbles as he pockets the money. but he swings their entwined hands anyway, because honestly who the heck is in a bad mood while strolling in a mall about to buy a pair of new black shoes? not chanyeol, no, and did he mention that kris is paying?
“hyung do you think your fans won’t recognize you?” chanyeol holds onto kris’ left arm tightly as they make their way to the escalator. his eyes dart around, curious about how fans usually work. will they approach kris and ask for autographs and selcas? how about those with the scary zoom zoom thingies like ryeowook-sshi had told him? do they really bring sophisticated cameras everywhere even in a mall?
what is it like to be surrounded by fans?
kris fixes the grey beanie layered by the hood of his maroon hoodie hastily, and chanyeol giggles.
kris takes the step up on the escalator first, gripping chanyeol’s hand tighter and frowning as chanyeol follows suit. chanyeol pretends he doesn’t see the frown, because, what?
“actually, there’s a policy. no cameras are allowed inside the mall,” kris says, “school is not over yet either.”
“he he,” chanyeol does a mehrong. “can i have a pair of hi-top black converse?”
“anything,” kris answers with a small voice as he steers them to the first shoes outlet they can find. and suddenly it’s 0 : 2.
now, it’s not i don’t want that but can i have it-no question mark, because if chanyeol puts a question mark at the end of that sentence then it will evolve into something more and chanyeol really shouldn’t-couldn’t want more; remember the world’s economic recess? the global warming? the kid soldiers?
“what’s your size?” kris asks as he calls for the shopkeeper.
chanyeol spreads his ten fingers, smiling, because he’s in the middle of counting; of trying to get jongdae back to be his present tense.
kris gives the detail of chanyeol’s dream shoes to the shopkeeper and chanyeol sits down to the small seat provided. thirty one, thirty two, thirty three-
“he’s looking for your size,” kris takes a seat next to him-forty, forty one, forty two, forty three-kris frowns-one!-and asks,
“you okay?”
“of course,” chanyeol blurts out. “you frowned, hyung.”
kris snorts and then he flicks his forehead. forty what?
“excuse me,” the shopkeeper returns with a converse’s shoebox; behind him, his co-workers are whispering hotly. kris nods to him, takes the shoebox and kneels before chanyeol; untying chanyeol’s bright green-black-yellow-orange nike and putting on the converse, and why is kris always looking so serious in every. single. thing. he. does?
“you’re just tying a shoe,” chanyeol presses his thumb to the established spot where he’s being soft with their little game. kris shrugs, continues his task, and from the corner of his eyes chanyeol sees most of the shopkeepers (noonas) have their phones in the air; obviously taking photos or recording fancams. chanyeol licks his lips, suddenly feeling self-conscious and turns his head away from the cameras. but there are a small group of young girls outside the outlet. they gasp collectively when chanyeol makes eye contact with one of them, and chanyeol almost kicks kris right in the face after that.
kris is quick to catch on as he frowns to the now blatantly screaming fans and he lets chanyeol practically clawing at his shoulders.
he whispers, “hey hey, it’s okay. i’m here.”
chanyeol swallows, blinks, swallows, nods, and whimpers, “pleasedon’tleaveme,” before he can’t help it. kris kisses his right knee and that’s when the shopkeepers are uniting to politely ask those fans to go.
0 : 3, and it’s not because of the kiss, no, it’s because of how kris bows to the shopkeepers later before they leave the shoe outlet; kris refusing to hold hand until he washes his own on the restroom and then he buys chanyeol a lion plushie from toys r’ us.
▲▼
can i really have it?
to be c o n t i n u e d
summary: that's right, this is your usual idol oppa/average high school boy fake engagement story. unless you never read one. you know, you should click the link.
author notes: ± 5, 984 words. wad up.
o n e / t w o / t h r e e / f o u r / interlude
“hey,” kris frowns, because his voice sounds so strange in his ears. “come here,” he reaches an arm, while the other is hidden on his jeans pocket, possibly trembling but kris is not sure because it’s numb anyway.
chanyeol sobs as he walks closer to kris, wiping his face with the sleeve of his yellow blazer. he looks so beautiful up close, kris absentmindedly thinks; his huge eyes are glistening, his cheeks are flushing red, and his lips are the shade of white to pink.
kris frowns; he did not just have a sick as fuck vision that chanyeol looks the finest when he cries. memories of that night on gangwon is flooding his mind and kris immediately kneels down to untie his adidas because he can’t afford to feel inferior, okay, chanyeol needs him as a strong and dependable hyung right now.
chanyeol makes a move to kneel too but kris places a hand to the younger boy’s left thigh to just stay upright.
then kris gently takes chanyeol’s right ankle, dusting off the sock with his palm before he slips on his obviously a size larger adidas while chanyeol gasps.
“h-hyung?”
kris kisses chanyeol’s left knee then, and chanyeol gasps again as he treats that foot the same. he makes sure he doesn’t tie the shoes too tight before he carelessly wipes his palms on his jeans.
he’s not a man with words, remember? he pinches chanyeol’s nose as they’re face to face instead of giving a makes sense explanation.
chanyeol stares at him with the most transparent emotion that kris can’t help but to falter a little bit.
“let’s go,” he doesn’t want to falter even further though―but really, chanyeol keeps surprising him because of the warm hand that is now entwined with his own numb one. chanyeol butts his head to kris’ back as they walk to the car, and kris wants to swear that he’s going to protect the boy forever; but he’s only human. human breaks promises. so he tells himself he’s content enough with his useless being.
he can only hope that chanyeol forgives him for being useless.
chanyeol wakes up with a start.
he searches for his phone groggily, and it’s only five fifty five. the particular number confuses him though, so he closes his eyes again.
just half an hour more and then he swears he will get out of the bed.
but who is he kidding. the moment he snuggles to his pillow; the sequence of what happened yesterday floods his mind in technicolor, as if he’s right there for the second time. he can hear the footsteps of two faceless girls running away while cursing. he can see kris kneeling behind his moving eyelids. he can feel kris’ comfortable but loose shoes as he wriggles his bare toes and how kris’ everlasting frown accompanies their short drive home and how kris gently takes his wrist and says with a small voice that they’re going to have to talk about it before he goes back to practice.
chanyeol blinks, caressing his left wrist unconsciously.
what, now?
he sighs loudly, blinks some more to adjust his eyes to the semi darkness of his bedroom. he didn’t eat anything last night due to the truckloads of jumbled emotions. and the paranoid questions with equally paranoid answers he made up were practically screaming loudly in his head.
what will kris do-
is he going to report to-
will ryeowook-sshi offer to change sch-
do i want to chang-
how about appa and umma-
maybe he can feign sickness today, so kris will go soft on him and delay the talk. and after that he will have to think about new excuses to escape from it completely. because honestly there’s nothing to talk about. it is what it is. he’s bullied, no big deal, poverty in africa and greece’s bankruptcy are the real problems. exo will have their comeback next week, and that’s what kris should really invest all of his attention to, not to waste his time worrying over chanyeol’s unfortunate being.
aside from the fact that that was the second time his shoes have disappeared mysteriously, his FIGHTING PARK CHANYEOL!!1! ONLY FOUR MONTHS LEFT!!! mantra has been working well enough for his mental stability whenever he looks at his phone, because he set the mantra as a wallpaper.
or maybe, chanyeol is on his accepting phase already. he’s a grateful boy, remember? he can’t whine forever just because he’s a victim of bullying. the idea of his revelation is this; bullied is considered nothing if he compares it to what happens to kids his age in conflicted countries like, say, middle east and africa ones where there are kid soldiers carrying weapons and killing and being killed everyday. from then on, chanyeol never fails to thank god before he goes to sleep in his air-conditioned bedroom for his blessed life; for he gets proper meal three times a day and for his status as a student in one the most prestigious high schools in south korea-what else could he possibly need?
although, yes. fine, yesterday he did break his own vow about absolutely-no-more-crying-park-chanyeol-fighting!-the moment kris made a halt and stared to the ground with both hands on his jeans pocket; his body language didn’t only scream, i don’t understand- but it also shrunk into almost invisibility.
chanyeol never likes it when kris is on that state. so insecure. so heartbreaking. so wrong.
it’s ironic, kind of, because chanyeol is painfully aware that he’s the one causing all the insecurity and heartbreak in the first place.
and kris doesn’t deserve any of it.
“i have to be stronger than this...” chanyeol slaps his cheeks, once, twice, thrice until they sting and reddened and he’s fully awake now. he hops off the bed, does ten messy squats that he almost face plants himself to the floor, laughs, and goes to open the baby blue curtain to reveal seoul’s chilly october morning. he stops for a moment to go outside to the balcony, inhaling the air deeply, smiling to the sky before he gets back inside again; shivering slightly. he makes his bed, and then he prepares wednesday’s textbooks and notebooks and takes out his uniform and underwear from the walk-in closet. note to self; tidy your clothes this weekend, park chanyeol! fighting!
he bounces to the kitchen; a big bowl of koko krunch sounds yummy for a breakfast and maybe he’ll ask lee-sshi to drive him to buy a lunchbox near the-
chanyeol widens his eyes, because kris is slumped on the dining table; his head is on his arms, a mug of cooling, untouched coffee is abandoned within his reach. chanyeol tiptoes to get to the cabinets, not wanting to make any sound, but is kris seriously wearing the same t-shirt from yesterday?
and the steady ups and downs of kris’ body-
chanyeol gasps rather loudly, and then kris jerks awake, frowning, squinting his eyes at chanyeol who has both hands covering his mouth because a) he regrets his action just now and b) because kris looks so cute somehow, with hair sticking out everywhere.
chanyeol needs to tame his incoming squeal.
he giggles anyway, when kris rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms, grumbling in english.
“good morning, hyung!” chanyeol chirps loudly also in english, just because. he smiles as kris pours the stale coffee to the sink. “i’m going to make cereal for breakfast, do you want some?” he watches kris washes his hands and face and the slight nod of affirmation. “i think we have koko krunch and...fruity loops. or do you want me to cook you a simple breakfast?”
kris frowns, a drop of water falling from the tip of his nose and it feels like watching a movie when the handsome protagonist is revealed as a not morning person.
chanyeol’s smile widens. kris really suits the role.
“any cornflakes?” kris asks then, taking out the bowls and spoons for them.
chanyeol goes to check their cereal stashes on a different cabinet, “yup!” he exclaims before he takes a carton of milk from the refrigerator. kris says he wants a glass of orange juice so chanyeol also gets it for him. they sit across each other, with chanyeol humming spongebob squarepants opening theme song while he prepares their simple breakfast and kris frowning to his lap.
they eat in silence, at first. chanyeol fights the urge to just run and bring his bowl to his room and watches nickelodeon or the morning news, because kris only stirs his cereal blankly, frowning and frowning and frowning.
and chanyeol’s tongue works faster than his brain, “hyung do you wish to have wrinkles so early?” he grimaces as kris frowns.
“bb cream can’t help you forever!” he does a mehrong to break off the awkward atmosphere; who knows if kris really isn’t a morning person?
kris snorts, “well.”
“well...” chanyeol raises both eyebrows.
kris mimics him; his eyes get exceptionally big and his nostrils flare. he. looks. so. cute!
“oh my god no!” chanyeol shrieks as kris adds a smirk to his presumably-aegyo. “stop it! hyung!”
“fine,” kris clicks his tongue, scooping the cereal to his mouth, frowning at the stuffy taste, and tossing in more crunchy cornflakes.
chanyeol happily finishes his own cereal, stealing glances every now and then at kris who chews with unnecessary seriousness. their eyes meet a few times, and chanyeol makes funny faces everytime they do. kris just replies it with his usual hint of smile from the right corner of his mouth.
kris says after he takes his empty bowl and glass to the sink, “you’re not going to school today.”
chanyeol swallows down an unidentified lump.
“um,” he bites his bottom lip.
“i already told wookie-hyung to get you an absence letter.” kris’ tone is final, and chanyeol loses his appetite.
“i didn’t tell anyone anything, chanyeol-ah,” kris continues carefully, as if he understands that chanyeol will appreciate it if he doesn’t make the issue as everybody’s business.
“promise?” chanyeol whispers and it’s full of raw hope and obviously, gratefulness.
kris frowns, leaning back against the sink. “i will try my best, chanyeol-ah,” he runs a hand through his hair, pauses, and then he looks straight at chanyeol, “i’m here.”
this is jongdae-just-smiles-at-me-because-i-solve-a-math-problem!-i-think-i’m-melting-in-a-puddle-of-goo all over again.
except that in front of chanyeol right now is not a textbook but a bowl of cereal, and jongdae is in gangwon and kris is not jongdae, but it feels the same.
“they-” chanyeol’s heart throbs. “they never touch me.” (lies, because there was a boy with glasses from class C who pinned him to the wall, groped his butt and then the boy’s friends threw money at him; and three sophomore girls crowding him and pulling, plucking at his hair that his scalp had bled.)
kris stands still.
“i-” chanyeol puffs his cheeks because really, what should he say-they bully me because of you, hyung-of course he can’t, right?
“i’m okay, hyung.” he puts up a smile, not quite a hundred percent, and kris shakes his head.
“i can’t if you’re like this, chanyeol-ah,” he goes to sit again, “please.”
“what?” chanyeol blinks back his stupid tears, and kris just looks at him; his bare face is unreadable but still as handsome as ever. “what,” chanyeol chuckles wryly because of course kris wufan is handsome; he won’t be an idol if he’s not handsome!-he’s getting hysterical.
in the end he breathes shakily, “h-hyung.”
kris grasps his clammy hands into his own cold ones, hides his face to the space between the edge of the table and his chest, squeezes their hands, and says-
no, he pleads,
“i’m so sorry.”
this is not a math problem.
the hands are not jongdae’s.
but.
“what are you talking about,” chanyeol’s voice creaks although he succeeds in holding back his tears. he squeezes kris’ hands too and adds desperately, “h-hyung, it’s okay. i’m okay. i promise,” in order to reassure kris that he’s really, really okay so kris canshouldmust stop whatever he’s doing-because if kris continues then jongdae is past tense and chanyeol furiously tells himself, i don’t want that.
that, as in jongdae becomes a past tense and that as in kris is his present tense.
“i’m okay, hyung!” chanyeol tugs at their entwined hands and when kris looks up (with a frown) he makes sure he scrunches his nose as he does his usual smile/mehrong thingy to appear more convincing.
there are extra tenderness reflected on kris’ veiled eyes, but they’re enough for chanyeol to repeat furiously;
i don’t want that.
chanyeol's eyes are getting watery, good, because he can use it as an excuse to wipe his face with the sleeves of his frayed the smurfs t-shirt.
actually, he just wants to cut the body contact with kris.
kris nods to himself, nods and nods and then there’s the round two of awkward silence. chanyeol starts to count while trying to imagine happy times he had with jongdae and baekhyun; walking side by side throwing insults (for baekhyun) and compliments (for jongdae). chanyeol gets to the eighty mark when his heart beats are slowing down, and kris is already looking like his usual stoic, exo’s leader self.
chanyeol grins, “hi, hyung, guess what? i’m hungry again!”
kris smiles and for a split second chanyeol forgets who is supposed to be his present tense.
“we have a whole day off, take your time,” kris tells him as he gets up, frowns, and reaches to swipe his thumb to chanyeol’s right eye before he disappears to his bedroom.
chanyeol needs two hundred and thirty to calm down.
▲▼
‘we’ consist of chanyeol and kris because kris also skips his comeback practice.
“we’re going to record a variety show on saturday,” kris says as they watch a re-run of kill bill volume ii on the living room. both are refreshed and more relaxed from showering. “it’s MTV’s ‘a day with...’” he frowns at the hyperbolic sound effect of creaking bones.
chanyeol puts his index and middle fingers to the space between kris’ bushy eyebrows, and he narrows his eyes as kris turns his head.
“no frowning,” chanyeol manages a straight face. kris tries to get away but chanyeol protests, moving closer to kris’ side and sitting on his knees, japanese style.
“what’s the deal?” kris asks, a crease is forming, and chanyeol has to press his fingers to make kris' eyebrows surrender.
“hmmm...” chanyeol mumbles, changing his fingers with his thumb. “hmmm...oh! for every frown, you have to put a thousand won to my old shoebox!”
“that’s mean,” kris comments, “what’s the money for?”
“we can give it for charity on christmas!” chanyeol bounces, accidentally pushing kris’ head. “omo! i’m sorry!”
kris snorts, he grabs chanyeol’s wrist and secures him in a headlock. they struggle for awhile but kris easily manhandles him and chanyeol is no longer battling with his inner fear that kris might do anything nonconsensual to him-it’s a jongdae who’s not here versus kris who probably only touches him because of the contract battle-and chanyeol is only seventeen. he has the right to avoid skinship anytime he wants, and vice versa, so he giggles and struggles some more as he’s now pressed tightly against kris’ broad chest; liking kris’ adult-ish and manly cologne’s scent.
kris growls and proposes, “a thousand won for every five frowns that you see,” he stretches his left leg to the coffee table, “how about that?”
“deal!” chanyeol pretends to wheeze as kris loosens his hold, and he finds himself lying uncomfortably sideway on the couch; uma thurman flying with her sword on the plasma screen.
kris pulls his arms off of chanyeol, spreading them to the back of the couch, clearing his throat as he does so.
chanyeol wriggles to find a more comfortable position, and without thinking twice he takes kris’ right arm and snakes it around his shoulders, holding kris’ warm hand as he lies his head on kris’ lap.
kris doesn’t say anything.
chanyeol smoothes out his palm against kris. he’s awed by their distinctive difference, size-wise; because although chanyeol is only two centimeters shorter than kris, the older boy’s hand is way, way bigger than his.
“so! MTV ‘a day with...’? i watched exo, B.A.P. and miss A’s episodes.” chanyeol plays with kris’ spidery fingers; bending and flicking them. “is the show scripted, hyung?”
“not everything,” kris snatches his right hand and pinches chanyeol’s nose. chanyeol whines but kris continues as if nothing happens, “i asked you to skip school because wookie-hyung said we need to arrange my room to look like we’ve been sleeping together.”
“oh,” chanyeol blinks, feeling his face grows hotter. “okay. what else, hyung?”
“we have to crosscheck our background story again, synchronizing it with what we’ve told the public on the press conference.” kris’ left hand lands itself on chanyeol’s hair. “wookie-hyung recorded it, he said we should watch it and take notes. but when he gave me the tape he also gave me two neat notes. we just need to memorize.”
chanyeol smiles fondly at exo’s eccentric manager.
“rearranging room and memorizing notes, i can do that!” chanyeol bails a fist and nearly punches kris on the face. kris frowns. “ah! ding!” chanyeol grins widely. “that’s one.”
kris frowns again, and then he snorts, shrugging.
“two~~~” chanyeol sings. kris pinches his cheeks. “aw! that hurts!” chanyeol pouts, sitting up and crossing his legs.
chanyeol is still pouting when kris’ phone rings. kris smiles as he looks at the caller id.
“my umma,” he says off-handedly before he presses the speakerphone mode and begins to have a conversation in english.
then, “you know what, ma. chanyeol is with me right now.”
kris’ umma exclaims and faintly calling kris’ father to join. after a bit of rustling, “annyeong baby yeol! how are you!” she asks enthusiastically. chanyeol claps for no reason before he answers,
“halo umma halo appa! no school today!”
“whaaaaat why, baby?” kris’ umma giggles and chanyeol needs a second to form a proper answer,
“um, kris and i’m going to have variety show.” he looks up at kris and kris nods in approval. “umma appa how are yuuuuu?” chanyeol changes the subject because kris will surely explain everything later.
“we’re good, baby, gomawo...” kris’ umma is half chinese and half korean, and kris told chanyeol that she’s been taking korean class just so she can understand chanyeol even just for a little.
“chanyeol-ah, kris’ appa wants to say something.” another rustling and chanyeol waits in anticipation; kris’ appa is a canadian native and from the photo that kris saves on his wallet, the man looks like a quiet type with graying brown hair. this will be the second time chanyeol talks to him; their first time was so short because kris’ appa had been shocked by chanyeol’s loud and sloppy english.
kris’ appa clears his throat, and even kris smiles at his appa’s obvious nervousness.
“uh, annyeong, chanyeol-ah,” kris’ appa greets, “i added your facebook.”
“dad are you serious,” kris interrups with a teasing tone, and kris’ appa splutters. chanyeol slaps kris’ knee and kris frowns at him.
chanyeol holds up his three fingers. kris makes an ‘aish’ face and then he lets chanyeol takes his phone.
kris’ appa is muttering something about ‘...brat’ and ‘son’ in a same sentence and chanyeol can hear kris’ umma melodic laugh. chanyeol wonders what’s so funny though, but he just announces his acknowledgment with, “appa you have facebook? i will approve don’t worry!”
kris’ appa chuckles, and chanyeol gapes because he thinks he hears kris from across the wire. kris raises an eyebrow but carelessly focuses back to the movie, pulling at chanyeol’s arm so chanyeol is snuggled back to his chest.
“do you want anything from canada, pup? dad-appa will send it for you.” kris’ appa stumbles on his korean, and chanyeol can’t help but to coo. and what did the old man call him?
“‘pup’?” chanyeol whispers to kris.
kris’ smile makes his eyes crinkle and chanyeol chants the i don’t want that mantra no matter how burning both of his face and heart are looking at the rare sight.
“my dad’s nickname for me, pup. puppy.” kris whispers back and chanyeol places a hand to his cheek, feeling flattered. kris snorts. “what do you have in mind, dad?” he takes over.
“well i was thinking about some jumpers and maybe chocolates for souvenirs. does chanyeol like any sport?” kris translates it to korean for chanyeol, and chanyeol shyly says that he’s not familiar with western sport. but he likes soccer. but canada’s national soccer team is...
“justin bieber?” chanyeol tilts his head, and kris laughs as he translates it to english for his parents.
“i can buy his album for you here, chanyeol-ah,” kris flicks his forehead, and chanyeol fakes a scoff as he tries to keep up with kris’ english. “i’ll email what chanyeol wants, dad. hm. yes. hey dad, wait. after he approves your friend request you can post him something, a link to some gift’s website maybe. yes. on his facebook. of course, dad, i’m your son. what?” kris pauses to look down at chanyeol and then he laughs again. “chanyeol doesn’t have a sister. i’m positive. it must be him on his profile picture. i know. yes. why are you-didn’t mama cut off his pictures from a magazine? what? ah, okay. yeah well you have to see him in person, dad, he’s so pretty.”
chanyeol gives up trying to decode what kris is talking about, so he’s staring at kris the whole time. kris glances at him, and then he tucks a strand of hair behind chanyeol’s left ear, smiling fondly for the -nth time ever since his parents' phone call.
and it’s chanyeol’s turn to frown because he’s not used to kris’ smile, and to be bombarded by it in such short period of time-
whoa, what’s with this overwhelmingly giddy sensation crowding all of his senses?
“okay dad. thank you,” kris frowns, “i am. yes, sir. i love you too.”
chanyeol lets that one frown slip from his hawk-like inspection because he’s too busy trying to conceal his giddy, and most likely dreamy smile from kris.
“appa?” chanyeol asks cheerily, fanning his face. luckily, kris is still frowning to uma thurman. but kris’ appa says that he has to go. “ng? awwwww you going? okay! bye bye appa! umma bye bye! i will study good i promise!” and then, because chanyeol likes the way kris said i love you just now, he says it too; making kris’ appa laughs-and it amazes chanyeol very much so, how the father and son are sharing the same treat.
kris is closing his eyes when chanyeol settles back to the couch; although not exactly back to kris’ chest. hesitantly, he touches the particular space on kris’ forehead and declares, “i’m going to ask you what’s wrong, but you’re not going to frown.”
kris opens his eyes, answers the question with both eyebrows raised high, “nothing. see? not frowning.”
“cheater,” chanyeol pouts because he should’ve known; a brief session of cordiality can’t just make kris magically letting chanyeol to read him like an open book.
kris snorts and motions to him to get closer. chanyeol’s giddiness is acting up again so he just buries his face to kris’ chest, sneakily hugging kris’ narrow waist.
and so they watch the epic movie in silence, with kris stroking his hair absentmindedly and faltering everytime blood spurting red and chanyeol wants to ask if kris has a haemaphobia or he’s just not that into action movie which if he is, chanyeol will totally use the tidbit information to tease him. but chanyeol is too lazy to verbalize the question. the yellow of what’shername track suit is blurring and when chanyeol opens his eyes the credit rolls while kris is talking to ryeowook-sshi.
“...hyung. we’re going to be fine.”
chanyeol sighs. he nuzzles his nose to kris’ clothed stomach. the muscle tenses. chanyeol opts to butt his head further rather than thinking negatively that kris-hyung doesn’t want to touch me.
chanyeol grins to ryeowook-sshi who sits on the love seat.
“baby-yah did i wake you?” ryeowook-sshi asks for a hug. chanyeol pounces on the older man, shaking his head. “phew! alright then. take care, okay? ask kris for the note i’ve prepared for you to memorize. saturday is gonna be fun!” and with that he hugs chanyeol once again, pats kris’ head and leaves in a hurry.
chanyeol pounces back to kris’ side, fluttering his eyelashes as his way to ask what’s their next schedule is.
kris laughs and makes monotonous gurgling baby sound as he pokes chanyeol’s cheeks repeatedly before he announces that they have a crucial job waiting ahead.
dang, that could be another great blackmail material if only chanyeol is not too delighted by kris’ spontaneous display of aegyo!
▲▼
kris’ bedroom is eerily empty.
like, there's no sign of any human being is occupying it. the room is mostly in shades of grey; dark grey sheet, light grey curtain, even lighter grey wall, and grey-whitey bedside tables.
“what,” kris sweeps chanyeol’s fringe to get his attention. chanyeol makes a duck face.
“i don’t understand,” he throws his arms to emphasize his point, “we can’t make this bedroom a-no, domestic-ish! are you sure you sleep here?”
kris frowns-“four!” chanyeol yells-but kris just dismisses it, looks around, and shrugs.
“i do sleep here, everyday. what’s wrong?” he asks nonchalantly.
“what’s wrong?!” chanyeol stomps. “we’re going to take hours to move my stuffs here, hyung! i haven’t done my english homework yet!”
“...okay?”
“ugh,” chanyeol butts his head to kris’ chest. kris frowns. “five! give me the money and where do you put your phone charger?”
“there,” kris gestures to the left side table, fishing out a cash from his jeans pocket. chanyeol tries again as he takes the money,
“where are your dirty clothes?”
“i keep them in a basket in the bathroom,” kris frowns but he quickly raises both eyebrows before chanyeol can yell at him. “what is it, chanyeol-ah.”
chanyeol mentally praises kris’ cute attempt to play their game. he bites his bottom lip or else his giddy and dreamy smile will pop up. he drags kris to his bedroom just next door and although he’s not supposed to be proud about the chaotic condition, at least this time his argument is valid.
kris just goes, “aaah,” after he inspects the whole mess. then he checks chanyeol’s walk in closet, frowns (but chanyeol doesn’t see it), and finally he nods.
“i get it,” he smirks as he pulls at chanyeol’s nose, “we just need to move some of my clothes to your closet and we’re done.”
“that's right!” chanyeol does a mehrong and a moment later when they're back to kris' bedroom he hypothetically loses his jaw as kris opens his own walk in closet.
rows and rows of expensive shirts from any color available are hung; arranged from the darkest to the lightest. the same applies for t-shirts and jackets and suits and even his jeans. kris has his collection of shiny jewelries-watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets and sunglasses-they're all stacked perfectly in order in see through drawers. the two corners of the closet are used for kris’ hats and ties. kris’ shoes, from the hip hop adidas edition to the formal dress shoes are lined at the bottom and there’s a body length three way mirrors behind the twin doors.
kris doesn’t wait for chanyeol to recover from his speechless state as he takes a handful of t-shirts and places them to chanyeol’s arms.
chanyeol huffs but kris just raises an eyebrow.
chanyeol brings the t-shirts carefully to his bedroom, hangs them next to his new but unused backpacks (plural, yes, they’re from ryeowook-sshi) and belts and two days pajama pants (how did it get up there!). he stares in horror at his surrounding and flails and decides to take care of his less fantastic clothes to make room for kris’. he tells kris to maybe please stay away from the closet and he promises to help kris to move his clothes later. kris smirks and hangs another handful of jeans before he retreats. the last thing chanyeol sees before he busies himself inside the closet is kris frowning in front of his bookshelves.
“THAT’S ONE, PABO HYUNG! AND DON’T TOUCH MY ONE PIECE MANHWAS PLEASE!”
▲▼
after exactly one hour-five minutes longer because chanyeol is sulking about kris touching and stacking his one piece manhwas in a neat order (the older man also scoring another three frowns)-kris is taking chanyeol to have their late lunch on a cozy italian cafe about two blocks away from their apartment. on the whole short ride, chanyeol reads ryeowook-sshi’s note; especially the font-size-24 skinship section.
he snorts. that’s easy.
the waitress who takes their order is blushing prettily as she hands out the menu. she asks if they want to have their special, and chanyeol doesn’t understand the language on the menu anyway-it’s on italian and english-so he reaches and taps kris’ slowly creasing forehead; presses his index finger there and says,
“hyung?” and with that, kris asks the amused waitress about today’s special menu.
while kris is being indifferent with chanyeol’s finger on his forehead, the waitress loses it. she’s giggling in between explaining about creamy pasta and whatisitnoodles with free appetizer the customer can choose; a red bean ice cream or a mango frozen yoghurt-chanyeol squeals that he wants the red bean ice cream.
“alright, one today’s special for me with the ice cream,” kris gently removes chanyeol’s wrist off of his face, holds it, and leans forward to flip the menu page. “here, spaghetti puttanesca. you like anchovies, right?”
chanyeol nods and shrugs, smiling. he’s ready to devour anything by now.
“what do you want to drink?” kris closes their menus and gives them back to the waitress.
“one vanilla milkshake please,” chanyeol directs his smile to the waitress and kris says make it two. she bows at them and skips to her awaiting friends by the cashier.
“she’s pretty,” chanyeol whispers, “oh! she’s looking!” he waves at her, and the waitress and her friends are giggling loudly. kris snorts.
“aw what is it!” chanyeol pinches the back of kris’ massive hand on the table.
“what,” kris’ said hand is suddenly stretching his chin and chanyeol whines. kris smiles and rubs the spot, apologizes, and says in english, “you’re too much, park chanyeol.”
chanyeol leans back to his chair, crossing his arms. what’s about him that’s too much? he’s not fat isn’t he?!
“did you just call me fat?” he hisses. kris frowns. “five!”
kris’ laugh is a little bit too obnoxious that the three businessmen ahjusshis seated across their table are giving them a nasty look. but that only makes chanyeol laugh even louder and they end up muffling their cackles; kris biting on the lapel of his maroon jacket and chanyeol his palms.
“holy shit, chanyeol-ah, you’re not fucking fat okay,” kris rasps, still high from their impromptu comedy show, “you’re perfect.”
one of the businessmen makes a dying animal sound.
jongdae who’s not here versus kris who probably only touches (flatters) him because of the contract battle current result;
0 : 1.
▲▼
“you didn’t pay your penalty from the-” kris cuts him off by playfully slapping a thousand won to his cheek. “you’re so rude...” chanyeol grumbles as he pockets the money. but he swings their entwined hands anyway, because honestly who the heck is in a bad mood while strolling in a mall about to buy a pair of new black shoes? not chanyeol, no, and did he mention that kris is paying?
“hyung do you think your fans won’t recognize you?” chanyeol holds onto kris’ left arm tightly as they make their way to the escalator. his eyes dart around, curious about how fans usually work. will they approach kris and ask for autographs and selcas? how about those with the scary zoom zoom thingies like ryeowook-sshi had told him? do they really bring sophisticated cameras everywhere even in a mall?
what is it like to be surrounded by fans?
kris fixes the grey beanie layered by the hood of his maroon hoodie hastily, and chanyeol giggles.
kris takes the step up on the escalator first, gripping chanyeol’s hand tighter and frowning as chanyeol follows suit. chanyeol pretends he doesn’t see the frown, because, what?
“actually, there’s a policy. no cameras are allowed inside the mall,” kris says, “school is not over yet either.”
“he he,” chanyeol does a mehrong. “can i have a pair of hi-top black converse?”
“anything,” kris answers with a small voice as he steers them to the first shoes outlet they can find. and suddenly it’s 0 : 2.
now, it’s not i don’t want that but can i have it-no question mark, because if chanyeol puts a question mark at the end of that sentence then it will evolve into something more and chanyeol really shouldn’t-couldn’t want more; remember the world’s economic recess? the global warming? the kid soldiers?
“what’s your size?” kris asks as he calls for the shopkeeper.
chanyeol spreads his ten fingers, smiling, because he’s in the middle of counting; of trying to get jongdae back to be his present tense.
kris gives the detail of chanyeol’s dream shoes to the shopkeeper and chanyeol sits down to the small seat provided. thirty one, thirty two, thirty three-
“he’s looking for your size,” kris takes a seat next to him-forty, forty one, forty two, forty three-kris frowns-one!-and asks,
“you okay?”
“of course,” chanyeol blurts out. “you frowned, hyung.”
kris snorts and then he flicks his forehead. forty what?
“excuse me,” the shopkeeper returns with a converse’s shoebox; behind him, his co-workers are whispering hotly. kris nods to him, takes the shoebox and kneels before chanyeol; untying chanyeol’s bright green-black-yellow-orange nike and putting on the converse, and why is kris always looking so serious in every. single. thing. he. does?
“you’re just tying a shoe,” chanyeol presses his thumb to the established spot where he’s being soft with their little game. kris shrugs, continues his task, and from the corner of his eyes chanyeol sees most of the shopkeepers (noonas) have their phones in the air; obviously taking photos or recording fancams. chanyeol licks his lips, suddenly feeling self-conscious and turns his head away from the cameras. but there are a small group of young girls outside the outlet. they gasp collectively when chanyeol makes eye contact with one of them, and chanyeol almost kicks kris right in the face after that.
kris is quick to catch on as he frowns to the now blatantly screaming fans and he lets chanyeol practically clawing at his shoulders.
he whispers, “hey hey, it’s okay. i’m here.”
chanyeol swallows, blinks, swallows, nods, and whimpers, “pleasedon’tleaveme,” before he can’t help it. kris kisses his right knee and that’s when the shopkeepers are uniting to politely ask those fans to go.
0 : 3, and it’s not because of the kiss, no, it’s because of how kris bows to the shopkeepers later before they leave the shoe outlet; kris refusing to hold hand until he washes his own on the restroom and then he buys chanyeol a lion plushie from toys r’ us.
▲▼
can i really have it?
to be c o n t i n u e d