Liar, Liar [1/2]
Title: Liar, Liar
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: ~15,000 words
Summary: Having spent a large part of his life conning other women to make a living, Chanyeol had perfected his lying technique - so much so that he didn’t even realise that he was lying to himself.
Warning/s: Mentions of homophobia, some derogatory terms, widespread cussing.
Author’s Note: Dear anon prompter, I hope this was what you were looking for u___u I’m not very good with fluff so I apologise in advance for that.
As with all other clichés in life, it started with a stupid dare.
Chanyeol really should have seen this coming. Like really. Nothing good ever came out from his weekly hang out sessions with his so-called friends, Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae, who seem more determined to ruin his life rather than helping him to get through it smoothly, and this week was no different.
In retrospect, he shouldn't have blurted out that he was getting bored of his lifestyle. It was more of an afterthought, after he had told them about his latest hook-up and had gagged at the memories of a pair of sagging, collagen-depleted tits which he had to pretend to worship. Baekhyun had raised his eyebrows very, very dramatically, and Jongdae joined him soon after.
"Am I hearing that right? Park Chanyeol? The playboy extraordinaire, the lady killer, is getting bored of fooling around with women?" Baekhyun asked as he shifted to the edge of his seat, the lapels of his unbuttoned coat almost dipping into the untouched cheesecake in front of him. It wasn't as though Chanyeol didn't notice it; he merely opted not to say a thing about it. The sight of Baekhyun freaking out when he finally realised that his precious coat was stained would be candy to his eyes, his frantic shrieks a hymn to his soul. It would make up for the mental torture they were putting him through.
To his left, Jongdae was suspiciously silent, but Chanyeol's mental alarm decided to fail at that particular moment. Whenever Jongdae was silent, one could be sure that he was up to no good.
"Why is that such a big deal?" Chanyeol deadpanned, his free hand playing with the buckle of his Tag Heuer around his left wrist, his latest acquisition from said saggy-tits. It was a gift from her, so that he would bed her. She was single, desperate, and definitely willing to pay big bucks to have Chanyeol between her legs, as with all the other women Chanyeol had ever toyed with. Thankfully, he was already long gone before their wraths could get to him, and Chanyeol never divulged too much personal information about himself for them to track him down, only leaving aliases and fake identities. He prided himself in his reputation as a playboy, and it definitely helped that he knew exactly how to charm the panties off single, rich women who had too much time and money on their hands. It was thanks to them that he had a comfortable studio apartment in the heart of Gangnam (bought with his own money, never under anyone else's name because it would be a messy affair and Park Chanyeol despised complications) and enough for him to get by for at least a while more.
"Because-" Baekhyun said with such exasperation, "-you're you. I don't even remember a time when you won't have a noona-" he winced at the term, because Park Chanyeol played the noona card pretty hard, along with his mama kink, as Baekhyun liked to call it. "-dangling off your arm appearing completely smitten by you and your lies."
"Smooth words, not lies." Chanyeol corrected him patiently. He was a firm believer that he knew his way with words, charming his way into hearts. His good looks merely helped things along. "And come on, I'm not always seen with a woman in tow."
"For two days at the very most, right, Jongdae?" Baekhyun supplemented, looking at their silent friend for support. Chanyeol groaned at the same time that Baekhyun cracked into a wide grin when Jongdae nodded in affirmation.
"Traitors," Chanyeol sniffed, a wounded expression on his face, which he knew neither of his friends would buy, but still he had to try.
"If you're that bored, why don't you take up a challenge? Just something to spice up your life, I mean." Jongdae suggested just then, prompting an excited glint to appear in Baekhyun's eyes. Yet Chanyeol did not grow wary of his friends' words, for reasons he still couldn't fathom up till this day.
Instead, Chanyeol found himself raising an eyebrow, intrigued. Perhaps he was really bored out of his mind. "What challenge?"
"Heard of Kim Junmyeon?" Jongdae asked, and Baekhyun's shit-eating grin grew even wider.
"Kim Junmyeon?" The syllables were strangers to his tongue, yet something stirred at the back of his mind. It was then that Chanyeol's eyes lit up in recognition. "That Kim Junmyeon? The world's wealthiest man?"
Kim Junmyeon, a brilliant businessman in his own right, was estimated to worth at least 40 billion dollars - okay, so maybe Chanyeol had exaggerated and he wasn't the world's wealthiest man per se, but he was steadily getting there, with so many more years ahead of him. Chanyeol only heard of him because of a recent scandal, where Junmyeon had walked out of the closet and openly declared that he played for the same team, subsequently breaking the hearts of many women while other men rejoiced.
"Korea's." Jongdae amended him with a roll of his eyes, even though Chanyeol already knew. "If you want something new to play around with, why don't you try going after him?"
Chanyeol rightfully frowned at Jongdae, as though he'd just suggested that Chanyeol get married to saggy-tits. "Jongdae, he's gay."
"And that would be a problem because?" Jongdae smiled angelically - as angelic as a devil in disguise could get, really.
"I am into people who wear skirts and do not have an extra appendage between their legs, the last time I checked." Chanyeol deadpanned. "I don't do other men."
Baekhyun hummed thoughtfully at Chanyeol's words. "Pretty sure you confessed once that you enjoyed having a dildo shoved up your a-" Before Baekhyun could finish his sentence, though, Chanyeol had lunged across the table to shut his mouth, his cheeks burning red in mortification. It was a drunken confession, but Baekhyun had never allowed him to live it down since.
"You swore on your dick that you would never mention that ever again!" He hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard what Baekhyun had said. Thankfully, the other customers paid no heed to what was going on over at their table. Still, Chanyeol wished he could erase all the memories in connection with all the weirdest shit he's had to put up with, and all the kinks in bed he had to play along. Unfortunately, no amount of bleach poured into his skull vault could possibly reverse it.
At least Chanyeol could boast about the fact that he has tried every single kink one could think of - whether he enjoyed them or not was an entirely different matter.
"Fine," Baekhyun promised, though the grin on his face wasn't at all reassuring. "So, are you too pussy to take up that challenge of courting Kim Junmyeon?"
Chanyeol froze in the middle of straightening his shirt, and narrowed his eyes at Baekhyun. "Is that a challenge?"
It was scary, how Jongdae and Baekhyun leaned in at the same time with impish grins on their face. "It's a challenge."
Fuck Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae and all their stupid fucking ideas and their knowledge that Park Chanyeol never backed out of a challenge.
⁂
It was probably a good thing he was no stranger to these events, where the filthy rich upper caste of society mingled with each other and discussed about their latest procurements. By the third time Chanyeol had accompanied his unsuspecting victims to these social events, he had already learned that they were merely there to boast about themselves - or, if they were desperate yet not nearly as successful as the rest of their peers, they lied through their teeth about their latest lives, just to make themselves look good. Pretentious was what Chanyeol perceived of them, as ironic as it may sound coming out from his mouth, because he too was carving lie after lie about his social standing.
It was all in good fun, Chanyeol convinced himself, so that he wouldn't feel sorry for the women he'd cheated into throwing all their life savings at him with a seductive smile or with suggestive touches which usually ended up with him being in their beds. These women were desperate for company, he knew, and to hell if Chanyeol wasn't going to make full use of that.
He thought it was only by sheer miracle and good luck that he hadn't bumped into the woman he had scorned over the years. It wouldn't be a pretty sight if he did, especially if they haven't found another good-looking young man to be an accessory for their arms.
Right now, though, Chanyeol wandered around feeling a little lost, because he had never been to such a prestigious event all by himself. It didn't quite help that he towered over most of the people attending the event, making him stand out like a sore thumb. But Chanyeol sucked in a deep breath and called upon his courage and confidence to walk through the crowd, trying to make himself fit in as much as possible - confidence was everything in the world of the rich and famous, even if in reality one was nothing more than an empty shell presenting themselves in a lavish manner. His eyes scanned the crowd keenly, trying to pick out the person he was there for. A smirk found its way to his lips when he finally located his target, who was standing by the banquet table and taking slow sips from the flute of champagne as he surveyed the rest of the crowd around him. Bingo.
The photos circulating around on the Internet did not do Kim Junmyeon any justice at all, Chanyeol thought as he neared the man. Pale, flawless skin stretched over strong cheekbones, lips soft and fingers delicate yet firm as they gripped the champagne flute in a way which made Junmyeon appear more like royalty rather than someone who was merely rich. Chanyeol smiled inwardly. Perhaps it wasn't going to be difficult for him to tackle Junmyeon and pretended that he was really gay, if Junmyeon looked so damned perfect. He was a better catch than most women Chanyeol had been stripping for, that was for sure.
"A fan of vanilla, I presume?" Chanyeol said with an easy yet confident smile the moment he arrived at the banquet table, pretending to consider things a little before he picked up a flute that was slightly more amber in colour.
It was a wild guess, really, because Chanyeol still had some trouble identifying champagnes, but the intrigued look he earned from Junmyeon told him he was right, that Junmyeon was sipping on the 2000 Cuvée Femme. Events like these usually brought out their best drinks, and it definitely helped that Chanyeol had studied his alcohol extensively.
"It's always dangerous to presume," Junmyeon replied, though the small smile was poorly concealed on his part. "But if it satisfies your curiosity, I'm merely trying out something new."
"Does it meet your taste, or does it leave you disappointed?" Chanyeol mused, raising an eyebrow at Junmyeon. Normally, such a playful look would have sent other women blushing, but evidently Junmyeon was from a different league, even though he might be playing for the same team. His poise did not falter a single bit, which earned Chanyeol's admiration. Looks like he would have to work extra hard with Junmyeon.
"It finishes nicely, but I still prefer Champagne Billecart-Salmon's 1999 Brut." Junmyeon tipped his flute in Chanyeol's direction, indicating his respect for Chanyeol.
Chanyeol hummed in thought. "It ranked lower than the Cuvée Femme, though."
"Different champagnes appeal differently to others. You look like a person who enjoys Boizel's 1996 Joyau de France, more than anything else." Junmyeon commented, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he took another sip of his drink, his gaze never leaving Chanyeol's face even for a split second.
His words surprised Chanyeol, mainly because Junmyeon was right. He liked the touch of spices and nuts to the drink, and it was honestly love at first taste. Shame he didn't live a luxurious enough life to be able to pop a champagne of its quality any time he wanted to. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought you might be stalking me," he said with a straight face, but relished in the way he managed to make Junmyeon laugh - a soft, tinkling, soothing sound which was different from the obnoxiously loud and shrill ones Chanyeol has had to put up with all this while. At least Chanyeol was getting somewhere.
"I'm Kim Junmyeon," he finally said, extending his hand for Chanyeol to shake. It was warm, and surprisingly smooth to the touch.
"I know; your face is practically in every single paper's Business section," Chanyeol inclined his head in acknowledgement, holding Junmyeon's smoldering gaze down. For someone who was almost a head shorter than Chanyeol, Junmyeon possessed a very strong gaze. "I'm Park Chanyeol. It's a pleasure to meet you."
For some reason, Junmyeon's smile became slightly strained around its edges. "I'm glad someone still thinks that way. Life hasn't exactly been kind after I announced about my sexual preference, if you know what I mean."
Chanyeol blinked a little at the confession. So homophobia still reigned supreme in their society, no matter the financial status of a person. Chanyeol had thought the others would want to keep their friendship - or, at the very least, their amiability - with Junmyeon, no matter his gender preference, but apparently not.
"Perhaps it's a good time for you to reevaluate your friends, and decide on which ones to keep, and which to shove right out of the door." Chanyeol shrugged, a careless gesture. Deciding that it was a little too awkward for him to keep looking at Junmyeon's face, Chanyeol shifted slightly and turned his gaze on the crowd who was mingling on the dance floor.
"Perhaps." To his left, Junmyeon concurred and mimicked Chanyeol's actions. Chanyeol couldn't help but admire the slope of Junmyeon's jaw which joined his pale neck, only averting his eyes when they reached his collar and he could follow his skin no more. He wondered how many people have been privileged enough to see beyond shirt collars and pressed suits. "I haven't seen you in these events before, though. Care to enlighten me?"
Thankfully, Chanyeol hadn't been sipping on his champagne, otherwise he might have inhaled the contents of his flute in shock by now, and that was in no way attractive. It was also a good thing that his brain had been trained to cook up responses rapidly, and he did not lose his cool as he smiled and said, "Oh, I've just returned from schooling in Japan, and my family isn't exactly wealthy enough to constantly be invited to these functions, so."
His luck ran out, though, when Junmyeon perked up with renewed interest and looked at him. "Really?" He asked in a pure Tokyo accent. "I've been finding it difficult to meet someone else who can speak in fluent Japanese."
It suddenly grew a little too warm under his collar, and Chanyeol subconsciously tugged at the fabric. Way to go, Park, he mentally rolled his eyes at himself as his brain scrambled to recollect whatever amount of Japanese he had learned through watching countless amounts of anime. "I'm terrible this, though. I might disappoint you with my atrocious command of the language." He said sheepishly, praying to all the gods in the world and hoping that he made perfect sense.
Chanyeol barely held himself back from exhaling in relief when Junmyeon laughed at his words - it's an attractive, soft sound, not that Chanyeol was paying particular attention to it - and nodded, before switching back to their native language. "You sound fine, but if it pains you that much to speak Japanese, then I'll spare you the torture."
"How kind of you to someone who's practically a stranger," Chanyeol grinned teasingly at him.
"So are you. Other people won't even speak to me because of my sexual orientation, which I find shallow, but I guess I shouldn't expect any less of them." Junmyeon told him with a shrug, and Chanyeol's heart clenched guiltily at his words. While Chanyeol wasn't homophobic like many others, he didn't exactly have pure motives in befriending Junmyeon, either.
As with his other victims, though, Chanyeol decidedly pushed his guilt to the back of his mind. It was for the greater good - namely, for the challenge Baekhyun and Jongdae had thrown at him, and his pride which was on the line. Park Chanyeol never failed at picking someone up.
Before the pause became too noticeable, Chanyeol cracked into his signature sunshine smile (or so he'd been told by his army of noonas). "The pleasure is all mine, Junmyeon."
Junmyeon's reciprocal smile was almost blinding.
⁂
The second time they met was at the launching ceremony of a prestigious art exhibition, held by the famed nu-age artist Kris Wu. Or rather, Chanyeol thought that he should be thanking the mass media for keeping him abreast with Junmyeon's whereabouts. It was much easier for Chanyeol to forge his chances to bump into Junmyeon that way, all while making it seem as though it was pure coincidence. Chanyeol was also thankful that the launching ceremony could be attended by anyone who was dressed well enough for the occasion, invitations be damned. It was a good thing he had a couple of tuxedos and suits stashed at the back of his closet, for when there was a sudden need to attend formal parties.
Again, Chanyeol finds Junmyeon with a wine glass in hand, the epitome of sophistication in a form-fitting suit and bow-tie as he admired one of the artworks on display, the paleness of his skin a stark contrast against the darkness of his outfit. His attention was momentarily distracted by a waitress who offered him a glass of wine, of which he accepted with a smile and finished it off with a cheeky wink that sent the poor, flustered girl scurrying off, her cheeks blazing pink. With that, Chanyeol puffed up his chest, feeling proud that he still had that sort of effect on the ladies, and walked right up to Junmyeon.
"I didn't peg you as someone who enjoyed art," Chanyeol mused as he came to a stop next to the shorter man, eyes transfixed on the artwork which Junmyeon was perusing. His eyebrows scrunched together on their own accord though, because what in heaven's name was this person even painting?
"Likewise," Junmyeon inclined his head a little, a smile finding its way to his lips when he recognised Chanyeol. "I don't get art, honestly."
That earned Chanyeol's surprise. He was pretty sure most members of the elite society was well-versed with art interpretation, one way or another, since art exhibitions were pretty much part and parcel of their lives. Then again, Junmyeon had always proved himself to venture away from the norm, from what little Chanyeol had come to know about him.
"Oh? Then why are you here?" Chanyeol quirked an eyebrow at Junmyeon, watching as the column of the other man's throat worked when he swallowed a mouthful of wine. Even if Chanyeol wasn't gay, he found it oddly attractive.
Junmyeon laughed at his question. "Kris is a good friend of mine. I felt that it was only appropriate that I came to show my support for his first solo art exhibition in Korea." Then, he leaned in closer to Chanyeol, and staged a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but friends or not, I don't understand his art, above all things."
Chanyeol slanted his eyes towards the artwork on to their left, and felt compelled to agree. "To each his own, I guess, but I will agree with you on this."
Junmyeon laughed again, his eyes crinkling at its corners. "I like you already. You're not afraid to express your opinions, even if they might earn you some wrath, unlike many others who sugarcoat their words to comply with the norm."
Chanyeol tried hard not to fidget at Junmyeon's words, because he wasn't being as truthful as Junmyeon thought he was. "I try," he said instead, sending a wink in Junmyeon's direction.
For a moment, Chanyeol wondered if it was the wrong move to pull, if he was pushing things along a little too rapidly, because the silence stretched on rather uncomfortably between them. That was before Junmyeon suddenly leaned in with a scheming grin on his lips, effectively melting away all of Chanyeol's worries. "Y'know what? Let's go grab a cup of coffee or something." He said. "If you're keen, I mean. I wouldn't want to impose."
Exactly what Chanyeol needed - a sign that Junmyeon was interested. "Kris might get pissed at you for ditching his exhibition for a stranger." Chanyeol told him with a straight face, acting like he was concerned for Junmyeon's welfare and preservation of his friendship with Kris.
Junmyeon faked concern for a moment, leaning a little to the right in search of Kris, then shrugged in the most nonchalant manner he could manage. Who said rich dudes were all uptight? "He knows, alright. Anyway, I've already said hi. He'll be too busy entertaining the rest of his VIPs to notice that I'm gone."
"If you find me murdered on the next day," Chanyeol began, though he followed after Junmyeon anyway, "please turn your friend in because I don't really make any enemies."
It was yet another lie, since Chanyeol was sure most of his past girlfriends would all be ready to rip his throat the moment they find him with someone else, but Junmyeon didn't have to know. Pretenses were easy to keep up with, as far as Chanyeol was concerned. He had been in the game for as long as he could remember; it came all too naturally for him by now.
Junmyeon's answering smile was mischievous. "What makes you think I'd sell my friend out for a stranger, Stranger?"
Chanyeol could only laugh as they escaped the constricting environment of the formal event, and made their way to the nearest coffee shop which was empty enough for them to talk.
⁂
"How's your pretend-gay life going on? Have you nailed the rich dude's heart to the stake yet?"
Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at Baekhyun, who was acting as though he hadn't said something rather repulsive to the thought, and was scoffing down his burger like he was just talking about the weather. Unfortunately, the din of the McDonald's chain around them seemed to have watered down the effect of his judging gaze, and he sighed.
"He is more of a challenge than I thought." Chanyeol said, prodding his fries into the remnants of the chilli sauce on the sauce dish. "And fuck, I don't know how homo guys work, if you get me. I just- Women are my forte, okay. Not guys."
Baekhyun actually had the nerve to send a withering look at him. "Park Chanyeol, do you hear yourself?"
Chanyeol blinked back at his friend. "Of course. What are you trying to say?"
"What I'm trying to say is-" Baekhyun slid forward in his seat, looking every bit serious. Jongdae, on the other hand, remained impassive next to Baekhyun, tapping furiously on his onscreen keyboard. "-the Park Chanyeol I know is confident as hell, bordering on stuck up, even." He ignored Chanyeol's noise of protest as though it was nothing more than a mere breeze blowing past his ear. "So seriously, what the fuck are you worrying about?"
Despite that, Chanyeol still frowned. "Last I checked, girls and guys have different mindsets. He doesn't act feminine enough for me to pretend that he's a girl."
That was when Jongdae finally spoke up. "Who said one of the men in a homosexual relationship has to be feminine?" He asked, voice calm.
"Isn't that like, the law of the universe?" Chanyeol blinked again, confused. See, why couldn't they believe that he was hopeless in this? He backed up into his seat, however, when both Baekhyun and Jongdae chorused with a very loud no, it isn't!
Jongdae heaved a long-suffering sigh when Chanyeol still didn't seem to get it. "I didn't want to do this, but it looks like your skull's too thick for anything to go through." He told Chanyeol, not forgetting to throw in his condescending look. Before Chanyeol could even say another word about it, though, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when Jongdae suddenly grabbed Baekhyun by his collar and smashed their lips together.
There was a long moment of stunned silence, both from Chanyeol and the other McD patrons seated around them who'd seen the incident unfolding, then everyone went back to their previous conversations, pretending as though nothing had just happened. But of course, Chanyeol had to be the unfortunate soul who had to watch his best friends make out in front of him.
"Well, that was intense," Baekhyun spoke up serenely when they finally stopped their smooch-fest and picked up his burger again, but the grin was too wide for it to pass off as him being offended.
Chanyeol was really confused. "What just happened?"
"Well." Jongdae shrugged carelessly, and Chanyeol tried not to focus on the fact that his lips were swollen from being well-kissed. "We were going to tell you eventually, but I guess this is as good a moment as any."
"What? That you're seeing each other?" Chanyeol asked intelligently, earning disdained frowns from both his friends. He could probably hear the loud duh going off in their minds if he focused. Then again, he should be excused. While Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was bisexual, and hadn't been seen openly dating anyone else after he'd broken up with Taeyeon, never in his life had Chanyeol pictured him hooking up with Jongdae, of all people. They have always been together for so long that Chanyeol couldn't see the change in dynamics. He didn't even know Jongdae had skewed interests too.
"Such a good friend, you are," Jongdae said dryly, as if reading Chanyeol's thoughts. "Like we were saying," he then stressed, when Chanyeol grinned guiltily at them. "It's not necessary to have a feminine figure in a gay relationship. It just... happens."
"It's better that neither of those involved in the relationship are more feminine, too. At least you can switch things up a bit in be-" Baekhyun started, only to have the tail end of his sentence interrupted when Chanyeol raised his voice.
"I think I've heard enough!" He'd said urgently, his ears burning to its tips. Chanyeol could feel himself going green from the mental images of his best friends fucking, and he really didn't need it. "I'll figure things out on my own."
"You better." Jongdae said with an undertone of warning. "We're waiting for you to clear out his bank account and split the cash with us."
Chanyeol's response was of his middle finger getting a boner for Baekhyun and Jongdae, and a very passionate fuck you, only to have his friends cackle at him.
Why did he even bother befriending them again?
⁂
When he wasn't dressed to the nines in neatly-pressed suits and tuxedos, Junmyeon could really blend in well with the normal folks. It was one of the things Chanyeol had noticed in passing whenever he was hanging out with Junmyeon, and this day was no different, with Junmyeon dressed in a tight-fitting knit sweater which, in Chanyeol's opinion, outlined his pecs really well. Not that Chanyeol was distracted by them, no, but they were certainly attracting a lot of attention between the two of them.
Junmyeon laughed, his eyes crinkling into attractive crescents, when Chanyeol tested out the hypothesis they were discussing about, and sent droves of girls squealing and blushing when he winked at them from their table. They were at a café yet again, sipping on coffee outdoors and getting to know each other better when Junmyeon made an amused observation that lots of girls were throwing curious glances in their direction.
"I told you so." Junmyeon was still chuckling when Chanyeol finally turned around, and Chanyeol tried to pay no mind to the fact that he had a rather attractive laugh, deep and rich, much unlike Chanyeol's loud, goofy ones.
"Fine," Chanyeol concurred easily; he knew that he was good-looking enough to nail any girl he wanted, but he needed to continue playing his game of pretend. "I don't blame them for that, though. You are obviously very handsome, the kind of guy that girls think of as their prince charming."
Junmyeon pretended to shudder at Chanyeol's words. "Ugh, prince charming you say? That's so... fairytale. And unreal."
Chanyeol smirked. "Are you trying to say that you're not from this world?"
Another laugh. "No, I'm just saying that prince charming doesn't exist these days." Junmyeon said, his fingers curling around the handle of his mug. "Anyway, the ladies are not my cup of tea, so."
Chanyeol nodded solemnly, as if sympathising with the girls. "Alas, the female population is mourning for the loss of yet another target for their fantasies."
"At least they still have you," Junmyeon pointed out, and there was a meaningful look in his eyes, one which told Chanyeol his answer would be the decider in this little game of his.
It was the opening Chanyeol had always been waiting for, and there wasn't an ounce of hesitation in him as Chanyeol jumped at it. "I-" He paused, feigning uncertainty. Chanyeol knew he had to play his cards right, or his efforts would all go to waste, and he would be the subject of mockery for Baekhyun and Jongdae for years to come, if he was lucky. "I'm not exactly into them, if you know what I mean."
Junmyeon seemed clueless for a moment, before something clicked in his mind, and his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh." Junmyeon said. "Oh. How long has it been since you've known?"
Chanyeol forced a wry smile. "Not very long ago," he admitted. "I realised, after the last woman I was with, that I wasn't really interested." It wasn't a complete lie, Chanyeol convinced himself. He did grow disinterested in saggy-tits and not women in general, but the specifics could be left out. Junmyeon didn't have to know about that bit.
"Okay," Junmyeon said serenely, but the smile he tried to hide by pressing his mug of Americano to his lips did not go unnoticed by Chanyeol.
Score.
⁂
"I didn't know you were into live bands." Chanyeol pointed out over the noise of the crowd around them, his interest thoroughly piqued as he followed Junmyeon into a local bar. For the most part, the richer caste of society, which Chanyeol had grown to know like the back of his hand, had a distinct preference for classier music performances - orchestras, operas, and the like. Junmyeon, however, managed to surprise him for his unconventional taste, and the list of things Chanyeol wanted to know about Junmyeon just kept growing.
"There's a lot you don't yet know about me." Junmyeon threw a lopsided grin over his shoulder at Chanyeol. "I'm not going to pretend that I like classical music just because I'm wealthy. It's pretentious." He said, leading Chanyeol towards the front row seats which seemed to be reserved under his name. Of course. "Anyway, my friends are playing tonight as the opening act. I figured I should be less of a snob and be more supportive of them, lest they accuse me of being a cold-hearted bastard."
Junmyeon looked good, dressed in a simple white shirt with a leather jacket thrown on top. The ensemble might come off as tacky for most people, but Junmyeon was not most people. In fact, Chanyeol couldn't think of anyone apart from himself who could pull off anything they pull on.
"Ah hah! So there is a hidden agenda." Chanyeol smirked. Deep within though, he admired the fact that Junmyeon was someone who cared a lot for those who mattered to him, despite his financial standing. It was difficult to find someone quite like Junmyeon; most of those Chanyeol knew only mixed with people who were from the same social circle, and treated those who were less fortunate with condescension. If only they knew what Chanyeol really was.
"Maybe, but you're my accomplice for the night." Junmyeon quipped innocently. Chanyeol could smell his cologne when he leaned close, and the area where Junmyeon was pressing against him was warm. It was a little distracting, but Chanyeol managed to ignore it altogether.
Junmyeon was mostly silent and attentive during his friends' performance, apart from pointing out their names to Chanyeol ("that's Kyuhyun, the lead singer. Luhan's on the electric guitar, Jonghyun on the bass, and Yixing on the keyboards"). He quite enjoyed the show, and while most of their numbers were made up of song covers, there were also a few self-composed songs towards the end. Chanyeol was grinning widely by the end of their set, never having heard of such good music in a long while. He really should return to these local gigs rather than wasting his time on music he didn't really care about.
Besides, it had been a while since anyone had made Chanyeol's fingers itch for a guitar. They were simply that good, Anarchy.
Their breaths turned into fog in the cold night air by the time they barrelled out of the bar, after having exchanged pleasantries with Junmyeon's group of friends. It was nice, being able to watch Junmyeon's banter with his friends. It almost made Junmyeon seem like he was a part of them, a part of the common folk, and not someone who was rich enough to earn himself a trip to the moon on a spaceship.
Junmyeon was humble, and Chanyeol liked that about him. He was distinctively different from the other women Chanyeol had been with; they were proud like peacocks, always showing off their monetary assets whenever they had the chance, making Chanyeol extremely conscious of the fact that he was inferior to them, that he was nothing more than an accessory on their arms. But Junmyeon, Junmyeon made Chanyeol feel as though they were truly friends.
"We should do that more often," said Chanyeol, grinning widely at Junmyeon who stuck close to his side. Junmyeon was afraid of the cold, Chanyeol knew, and he liked the idea that Junmyeon found him warm enough to be around with.
"Yeah?" Junmyeon smiled back. "You don't seem like someone who enjoys music."
"Really?" Chanyeol raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Then you'd probably be surprised. I'm actually quite good at the guitar - or so people tell me."
Junmyeon huffed as he tried to match Chanyeol's pace; the weight of the winter coat on his back was probably slowing him down. Junmyeon appeared so tiny like this, with Chanyeol already towering over him, and he was almost practically drowning in the fur of his coat. Cute. "You should play for me, then. Convince me."
Chanyeol rolled his eyes, but laughed in amusement. "Shouldn't you place more trust in me? I mean, we're friends, right?"
The slight falling of Junmyeon's smile did not go unnoticed, but the sad edge was gone as soon as Chanyeol had seen it. "I'm a businessman, remember? Never trust in a product until its worth is proven."
"If you say so, Junmyeon. If you say so."
Chanyeol swore his jaw was hurting from grinning too much for the night.
⁂
He should really learn how to be mean and kick these bastards out of his house, Chanyeol thought exasperatedly to himself as he watched Baekhyun rummage through his fridge, while Jongdae leaned against the kitchen counter and allowed his boyfriend to commit his dastardly deed. This was truly a pair of demons who came from hell to ruin Chanyeol's life.
"I can't believe you haven't actually hit a home run yet!" Baekhyun called out from where his head was stuck into the fridge looking for food, his voice coming out muffled. "Also, your choice in food is dismal."
Chanyeol couldn't even be bothered to hide what was probably the millionth sigh that morning. "Why is it such a surprise? Can't I take my own sweet time in doing things for once?"
That had Baekhyun straightening up and turning sharply around to look at him with a critical eye, his foot hooking the refrigerator door shut behind him. "Seriously? Chanyeol, you and patience aren't exactly the best of friends, last I remember."
He didn't even know what had gotten into him, but Chanyeol actually turned to Jongdae with a pleading look on his face. "Jongdae, help me out here, will you?"
He should have known that it was a lost cause before he even began, though. Jongdae only scoffed at him and shrugged. "Baek has a point. You're not the most patient person I know. Nowhere close, even."
Chanyeol leaned against the display cabinet and slid to the floor in despair. "I hate you guys. Why am I even friends with you."
"Because," Baekhyun stressed, a look of exasperation on his face, "we're the only ones who won't judge you for your lifestyle. Much."
"Fuck you all so hard." Chanyeol bemoaned, feeling completely boneless because of their betrayal, but Baekhyun shot him a face of disgust and started dragging him across the floor and out the door, not caring that he was almost ripping Chanyeol's arm off his body.
"No thanks, you're not Jongdae. Now come on, I'm starving and you're buying us food to make up for your sad excuse for a fridge," Baekhyun said airily, only to get an equally disgusted groan from Chanyeol when his mind finally caught on to the implication behind Baekhyun's words.
⁂
Sometimes, Chanyeol felt like he was living in a freaking shoujo manga, especially with the circumstances surrounding his life recently.
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though, when his meals were mostly paid for. Besides, Junmyeon was nice to be around with. He broke every single stereotype Chanyeol could come up with for people who were too wealthy for their own good, and was extremely down-to-earth. Chanyeol would probably have thought that he was from a middle class family, if he weren't so conscious of the fact that he was essentially trying to get closer to Junmyeon in order to get the metaphorical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
This evening was no different, when Chanyeol found himself walking down the busy streets of Myeongdong with Junmyeon huddled up close to him, both sharing a private joke which had them laughing heartily right after. The weather was deathly cold, and Junmyeon, who was shit at tolerating frigid temperatures, appeared like Rudolph, the tip of his nose red from all the snuffling he had been doing.
"It seems like you really do have a death wish," Chanyeol teased and shoved at Junmyeon with his shoulder, nearly causing the shorter man to lose his balance. It was a good thing no one actually recognised Junmyeon when he was all wrapped up like this. At least Chanyeol could stay out of being embroiled in attempts at kidnapping Junmyeon for ransom.
Junmyeon's responding laugh was a mixture of confused and amused. "Why do you say that?"
"I dunno," Chanyeol shrugged nonchalantly. "You're the richest man in Asia, yet you're walking around Myeongdong without your bodyguards in sight. Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped?"
Junmyeon laughed at his question and shoved back at Chanyeol. "No one has recognised me so far, so. Besides, it's not easy to blackmail my family members for ransom. They're not very likely to comply."
Chanyeol snapped around to look at Junmyeon, surprised by his statement. Junmyeon wasn't smiling as brightly by now; pensive, even, and Chanyeol bit on his lower lip, wondering if he should pry into Junmyeon's private life. He didn't think he was allowed to, not just yet.
It seemed as though Junmyeon could hear his thoughts, however, because he divulged the details to Chanyeol on his own accord moments later, letting the garbled chatter of the crowd around them drown out his secrets. "My parents do not approve of my choice of career. They believe that businessmen will always be labelled as greedy, and will never gain as much respect or recognition than if I were to have become a doctor or a lawyer. We had a fallout because I wanted to pursue my own interests. Anyway, coupled with my recent revelation, I think they'd want even less to admit I'm their son."
"But that's ridiculous. You're making big bucks now, why should it matter?" Chanyeol frowned. He couldn't imagine any parent who'd willingly cut off all ties with their child who could support them financially until the end of their lives, just because their child did not embark on the career path of the parent's choice. It was simply unheard of - until today, that is. Then again, homophobia was rampant in their society, and Chanyeol wasn't surprised to find out that Junmyeon's parents ostracised him because of his sexual orientation. Still.
"Integrity, apparently." Junmyeon pursed his lips in thought. "My father is a well-known university lecturer. He thinks I'd sell my soul for the sake of money, and use every way imaginable to achieve business deals - including murder and bribery."
"Have you? Done them, I mean." Chanyeol asked, intrigued. Junmyeon didn't seem the type of person who would act so callous, but Chanyeol knew better than to judge a book by its cover.
Junmyeon only looked at him meaningfully, and started dragging him towards the subway station with a cheeky grin on his face. "You're about to find out."
⁂
For some reason, Chanyeol found himself allowing Junmyeon to bring him all the way back to Gangnam on the train, and when he knew it next, they were wandering close to his neighbourhood. The train ride had been spent in a comfortable silence, as was the walk from the subway station to Junmyeon's mansion, which was several blocks from Chanyeol's street. It wasn't until Junmyeon requested for his servants to open the door for him through the intercom that Chanyeol spoke up again.
"Already bringing me home so soon?" There was a teasing lilt to his words, and he hoped it was noticeable enough in the stillness of the night. Chanyeol felt a little weird to be stepping into Junmyeon's abode, even if he knew it was perfectly fine for Junmyeon to be bringing a friend home, but somehow the knowledge of Junmyeon being gay kept prodding at Chanyeol's consciousness, and it would probably mean something else in the eyes of his servants. He didn't even know if Junmyeon did this often, bringing his friends home.
Junmyeon eyed him critically, as if unimpressed, though his expressions quickly melted into one of mirth. "We've been friends for a while; I thought it was only appropriate that I invited you over." He said, as they walked up the driveway which led to the main entrance.
"I wasn't aware that it was a norm," Chanyeol grinned, but jogged right up to Junmyeon when he lagged some ways behind due to his preoccupation with the scenery around him. "But I must say, you have a really nice place."
"All that money I make has got to go somewhere," Junmyeon winked at him. Chanyeol's heart stuttered a little at that, which was weird, so he shook his head to get that odd feeling away before he could over-analyse it.
"Charities would be a better choice. There are always those who need more cash - like me." Chanyeol told him, laughing when Junmyeon made a face at him while shrugging off their coats.
While Chanyeol had been fooling around with women from the richer caste of society for many years now, he had never stepped into any of their homes before, for fear of letting their servants hear their bedroom activities or have these women's husbands walk in on them. Chanyeol wasn't a big supporter of infidelity, but sometimes a man had to do whatever it takes for him to sustain his life. He had probably seen the insides of various hotels more than anything else, which was why he'd forgotten that he was essentially supposed to act as though he was also well-to-do, instead of a commoner. Chanyeol winced inwardly when he realised belatedly that he shouldn't be bowing at the servant who took his coat, but it was too late for him to stop himself.
Junmyeon was looking at him in amusement when Chanyeol finally dared to straighten himself up, and Chanyeol began to worry if he'd just busted himself. "Most people I know would walk off without acknowledging my servants." He said thoughtfully, eyes still evaluating Chanyeol's stiff form. "You're the first, I must say."
Junmyeon's servant smiled in agreement, before excusing himself with a lower bow. Chanyeol rocked nervously on his heels as he thought about what he should say.
In the end, he managed to come up with a meek, "Is that... weird? Acknowledging servants, I mean."
Thankfully, Junmyeon shook his head no, his smile growing brighter - blindingly so. "It's good. I think I'm growing to like you a little more. Come, follow me."
Chanyeol exhaled in relief the moment Junmyeon took off for another segment of his home, though before he could even ask where they were headed, Junmyeon brought him down the hall and turned the corner into a music room. Chanyeol stopped in his steps, gaping in awe at the crystal grand piano which stood majestically in the middle, the lights from the chandelier bouncing off its surface and giving it an almost ethereal gleam. As a musician himself (though he had been sidetracked from his interest for a while now), Chanyeol had heard of the piano's rarity, as well as its price, but he thought he shouldn't be surprised to find it in the middle of Junmyeon's living room.
"Like it?" Junmyeon asked just then, causing Chanyeol to snap out of his daze. He hadn't even realised that Junmyeon had walked towards the piano, and was now tracing his fingers delicately across glass keys, a certain fondness in his eyes as he ran them across the musical instrument.
"Wow," Chanyeol said intelligently, blinking admiringly at the piano. "I never thought I'd live to see it."
"Is that an exaggeration?" Junmyeon grinned and slid onto the bench, fingers arched gracefully on the keys to start off his piece. Chanyeol found himself closing his eyes when the melody began, a soothing tinkering of notes from one of Yiruma's works, no doubt. When coupled with the beautiful sound made by the piano, it was practically eargasmic, as Baekhyun would have put it if he were here, caressing Chanyeol's senses to his deepest core.
He didn't even realise he was holding his breath, until Junmyeon stopped playing and Chanyeol found himself inhaling sharply, getting jolted back to reality by the sudden silence which enveloped them.
"Wow," Chanyeol exclaimed again, feeling stupid because his vocabulary was suddenly reduced to one pathetic word, but he couldn't think of anyone else to describe how beautifully Junmyeon had played. "It's... you're amazing."
"I hope you're not saying that just to placate me," Junmyeon replied, an amused glint in his eyes. At that particular moment, Junmyeon appeared teasing yet unsure at the same time, as though he wasn't used to people praising him for his ability to play the piano.
"I'm not." Chanyeol said in earnest, his limbs finally finding the ability to pilot him to where Junmyeon was. "It really is beautiful, and I'm saying this as a person who plays the piano too. Why haven't you caught the heart of another person with it yet?"
"Is there some guy out there who'd fall for cheesy things like these? I thought only girls did."
Chanyeol shrugged and said without thinking, "I would. I'm always on the lookout for someone who has the same taste in music as I do."
Only when he caught Junmyeon's meaningful gaze did Chanyeol bite on his tongue and chastise himself for letting his brain-mouth filter fail him again. He really should shoot himself in the head one of these days, so that he wouldn't be able to sprout things he'd regret in the very next moment. But since Junmyeon seemed interested, Chanyeol felt that he should grab the opportunity and play it to his advantage.
What he didn't expect, though, was the words which came out of Junmyeon's mouth next. "Then what if I told you I wanted to catch your heart with this?"
Even though he should rejoice inwardly for having Junmyeon fall into his trap, all Chanyeol could do was to feel completely flustered by Junmyeon's words, his cheeks flaming up unexpectedly. He didn't even know why he was so affected by Junmyeon's question, and he honestly had encountered a fair share of women who were bold and upfront with their wants and needs, so this was really new to him.
Not knowing how he should provide the answer to Junmyeon's question, Chanyeol opted to clear his throat and took the empty space on the bench next to Junmyeon instead. And he did the only thing he knew best: divert the topic. "You said you wanted to hear me play the other day, didn't you? You'll get your wish fulfilled tonight."
He decidedly ignored the way Junmyeon's gaze seemed to burn into him for the rest of the night.
part two
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: ~15,000 words
Summary: Having spent a large part of his life conning other women to make a living, Chanyeol had perfected his lying technique - so much so that he didn’t even realise that he was lying to himself.
Warning/s: Mentions of homophobia, some derogatory terms, widespread cussing.
Author’s Note: Dear anon prompter, I hope this was what you were looking for u___u I’m not very good with fluff so I apologise in advance for that.
As with all other clichés in life, it started with a stupid dare.
Chanyeol really should have seen this coming. Like really. Nothing good ever came out from his weekly hang out sessions with his so-called friends, Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae, who seem more determined to ruin his life rather than helping him to get through it smoothly, and this week was no different.
In retrospect, he shouldn't have blurted out that he was getting bored of his lifestyle. It was more of an afterthought, after he had told them about his latest hook-up and had gagged at the memories of a pair of sagging, collagen-depleted tits which he had to pretend to worship. Baekhyun had raised his eyebrows very, very dramatically, and Jongdae joined him soon after.
"Am I hearing that right? Park Chanyeol? The playboy extraordinaire, the lady killer, is getting bored of fooling around with women?" Baekhyun asked as he shifted to the edge of his seat, the lapels of his unbuttoned coat almost dipping into the untouched cheesecake in front of him. It wasn't as though Chanyeol didn't notice it; he merely opted not to say a thing about it. The sight of Baekhyun freaking out when he finally realised that his precious coat was stained would be candy to his eyes, his frantic shrieks a hymn to his soul. It would make up for the mental torture they were putting him through.
To his left, Jongdae was suspiciously silent, but Chanyeol's mental alarm decided to fail at that particular moment. Whenever Jongdae was silent, one could be sure that he was up to no good.
"Why is that such a big deal?" Chanyeol deadpanned, his free hand playing with the buckle of his Tag Heuer around his left wrist, his latest acquisition from said saggy-tits. It was a gift from her, so that he would bed her. She was single, desperate, and definitely willing to pay big bucks to have Chanyeol between her legs, as with all the other women Chanyeol had ever toyed with. Thankfully, he was already long gone before their wraths could get to him, and Chanyeol never divulged too much personal information about himself for them to track him down, only leaving aliases and fake identities. He prided himself in his reputation as a playboy, and it definitely helped that he knew exactly how to charm the panties off single, rich women who had too much time and money on their hands. It was thanks to them that he had a comfortable studio apartment in the heart of Gangnam (bought with his own money, never under anyone else's name because it would be a messy affair and Park Chanyeol despised complications) and enough for him to get by for at least a while more.
"Because-" Baekhyun said with such exasperation, "-you're you. I don't even remember a time when you won't have a noona-" he winced at the term, because Park Chanyeol played the noona card pretty hard, along with his mama kink, as Baekhyun liked to call it. "-dangling off your arm appearing completely smitten by you and your lies."
"Smooth words, not lies." Chanyeol corrected him patiently. He was a firm believer that he knew his way with words, charming his way into hearts. His good looks merely helped things along. "And come on, I'm not always seen with a woman in tow."
"For two days at the very most, right, Jongdae?" Baekhyun supplemented, looking at their silent friend for support. Chanyeol groaned at the same time that Baekhyun cracked into a wide grin when Jongdae nodded in affirmation.
"Traitors," Chanyeol sniffed, a wounded expression on his face, which he knew neither of his friends would buy, but still he had to try.
"If you're that bored, why don't you take up a challenge? Just something to spice up your life, I mean." Jongdae suggested just then, prompting an excited glint to appear in Baekhyun's eyes. Yet Chanyeol did not grow wary of his friends' words, for reasons he still couldn't fathom up till this day.
Instead, Chanyeol found himself raising an eyebrow, intrigued. Perhaps he was really bored out of his mind. "What challenge?"
"Heard of Kim Junmyeon?" Jongdae asked, and Baekhyun's shit-eating grin grew even wider.
"Kim Junmyeon?" The syllables were strangers to his tongue, yet something stirred at the back of his mind. It was then that Chanyeol's eyes lit up in recognition. "That Kim Junmyeon? The world's wealthiest man?"
Kim Junmyeon, a brilliant businessman in his own right, was estimated to worth at least 40 billion dollars - okay, so maybe Chanyeol had exaggerated and he wasn't the world's wealthiest man per se, but he was steadily getting there, with so many more years ahead of him. Chanyeol only heard of him because of a recent scandal, where Junmyeon had walked out of the closet and openly declared that he played for the same team, subsequently breaking the hearts of many women while other men rejoiced.
"Korea's." Jongdae amended him with a roll of his eyes, even though Chanyeol already knew. "If you want something new to play around with, why don't you try going after him?"
Chanyeol rightfully frowned at Jongdae, as though he'd just suggested that Chanyeol get married to saggy-tits. "Jongdae, he's gay."
"And that would be a problem because?" Jongdae smiled angelically - as angelic as a devil in disguise could get, really.
"I am into people who wear skirts and do not have an extra appendage between their legs, the last time I checked." Chanyeol deadpanned. "I don't do other men."
Baekhyun hummed thoughtfully at Chanyeol's words. "Pretty sure you confessed once that you enjoyed having a dildo shoved up your a-" Before Baekhyun could finish his sentence, though, Chanyeol had lunged across the table to shut his mouth, his cheeks burning red in mortification. It was a drunken confession, but Baekhyun had never allowed him to live it down since.
"You swore on your dick that you would never mention that ever again!" He hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard what Baekhyun had said. Thankfully, the other customers paid no heed to what was going on over at their table. Still, Chanyeol wished he could erase all the memories in connection with all the weirdest shit he's had to put up with, and all the kinks in bed he had to play along. Unfortunately, no amount of bleach poured into his skull vault could possibly reverse it.
At least Chanyeol could boast about the fact that he has tried every single kink one could think of - whether he enjoyed them or not was an entirely different matter.
"Fine," Baekhyun promised, though the grin on his face wasn't at all reassuring. "So, are you too pussy to take up that challenge of courting Kim Junmyeon?"
Chanyeol froze in the middle of straightening his shirt, and narrowed his eyes at Baekhyun. "Is that a challenge?"
It was scary, how Jongdae and Baekhyun leaned in at the same time with impish grins on their face. "It's a challenge."
Fuck Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae and all their stupid fucking ideas and their knowledge that Park Chanyeol never backed out of a challenge.
⁂
It was probably a good thing he was no stranger to these events, where the filthy rich upper caste of society mingled with each other and discussed about their latest procurements. By the third time Chanyeol had accompanied his unsuspecting victims to these social events, he had already learned that they were merely there to boast about themselves - or, if they were desperate yet not nearly as successful as the rest of their peers, they lied through their teeth about their latest lives, just to make themselves look good. Pretentious was what Chanyeol perceived of them, as ironic as it may sound coming out from his mouth, because he too was carving lie after lie about his social standing.
It was all in good fun, Chanyeol convinced himself, so that he wouldn't feel sorry for the women he'd cheated into throwing all their life savings at him with a seductive smile or with suggestive touches which usually ended up with him being in their beds. These women were desperate for company, he knew, and to hell if Chanyeol wasn't going to make full use of that.
He thought it was only by sheer miracle and good luck that he hadn't bumped into the woman he had scorned over the years. It wouldn't be a pretty sight if he did, especially if they haven't found another good-looking young man to be an accessory for their arms.
Right now, though, Chanyeol wandered around feeling a little lost, because he had never been to such a prestigious event all by himself. It didn't quite help that he towered over most of the people attending the event, making him stand out like a sore thumb. But Chanyeol sucked in a deep breath and called upon his courage and confidence to walk through the crowd, trying to make himself fit in as much as possible - confidence was everything in the world of the rich and famous, even if in reality one was nothing more than an empty shell presenting themselves in a lavish manner. His eyes scanned the crowd keenly, trying to pick out the person he was there for. A smirk found its way to his lips when he finally located his target, who was standing by the banquet table and taking slow sips from the flute of champagne as he surveyed the rest of the crowd around him. Bingo.
The photos circulating around on the Internet did not do Kim Junmyeon any justice at all, Chanyeol thought as he neared the man. Pale, flawless skin stretched over strong cheekbones, lips soft and fingers delicate yet firm as they gripped the champagne flute in a way which made Junmyeon appear more like royalty rather than someone who was merely rich. Chanyeol smiled inwardly. Perhaps it wasn't going to be difficult for him to tackle Junmyeon and pretended that he was really gay, if Junmyeon looked so damned perfect. He was a better catch than most women Chanyeol had been stripping for, that was for sure.
"A fan of vanilla, I presume?" Chanyeol said with an easy yet confident smile the moment he arrived at the banquet table, pretending to consider things a little before he picked up a flute that was slightly more amber in colour.
It was a wild guess, really, because Chanyeol still had some trouble identifying champagnes, but the intrigued look he earned from Junmyeon told him he was right, that Junmyeon was sipping on the 2000 Cuvée Femme. Events like these usually brought out their best drinks, and it definitely helped that Chanyeol had studied his alcohol extensively.
"It's always dangerous to presume," Junmyeon replied, though the small smile was poorly concealed on his part. "But if it satisfies your curiosity, I'm merely trying out something new."
"Does it meet your taste, or does it leave you disappointed?" Chanyeol mused, raising an eyebrow at Junmyeon. Normally, such a playful look would have sent other women blushing, but evidently Junmyeon was from a different league, even though he might be playing for the same team. His poise did not falter a single bit, which earned Chanyeol's admiration. Looks like he would have to work extra hard with Junmyeon.
"It finishes nicely, but I still prefer Champagne Billecart-Salmon's 1999 Brut." Junmyeon tipped his flute in Chanyeol's direction, indicating his respect for Chanyeol.
Chanyeol hummed in thought. "It ranked lower than the Cuvée Femme, though."
"Different champagnes appeal differently to others. You look like a person who enjoys Boizel's 1996 Joyau de France, more than anything else." Junmyeon commented, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he took another sip of his drink, his gaze never leaving Chanyeol's face even for a split second.
His words surprised Chanyeol, mainly because Junmyeon was right. He liked the touch of spices and nuts to the drink, and it was honestly love at first taste. Shame he didn't live a luxurious enough life to be able to pop a champagne of its quality any time he wanted to. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought you might be stalking me," he said with a straight face, but relished in the way he managed to make Junmyeon laugh - a soft, tinkling, soothing sound which was different from the obnoxiously loud and shrill ones Chanyeol has had to put up with all this while. At least Chanyeol was getting somewhere.
"I'm Kim Junmyeon," he finally said, extending his hand for Chanyeol to shake. It was warm, and surprisingly smooth to the touch.
"I know; your face is practically in every single paper's Business section," Chanyeol inclined his head in acknowledgement, holding Junmyeon's smoldering gaze down. For someone who was almost a head shorter than Chanyeol, Junmyeon possessed a very strong gaze. "I'm Park Chanyeol. It's a pleasure to meet you."
For some reason, Junmyeon's smile became slightly strained around its edges. "I'm glad someone still thinks that way. Life hasn't exactly been kind after I announced about my sexual preference, if you know what I mean."
Chanyeol blinked a little at the confession. So homophobia still reigned supreme in their society, no matter the financial status of a person. Chanyeol had thought the others would want to keep their friendship - or, at the very least, their amiability - with Junmyeon, no matter his gender preference, but apparently not.
"Perhaps it's a good time for you to reevaluate your friends, and decide on which ones to keep, and which to shove right out of the door." Chanyeol shrugged, a careless gesture. Deciding that it was a little too awkward for him to keep looking at Junmyeon's face, Chanyeol shifted slightly and turned his gaze on the crowd who was mingling on the dance floor.
"Perhaps." To his left, Junmyeon concurred and mimicked Chanyeol's actions. Chanyeol couldn't help but admire the slope of Junmyeon's jaw which joined his pale neck, only averting his eyes when they reached his collar and he could follow his skin no more. He wondered how many people have been privileged enough to see beyond shirt collars and pressed suits. "I haven't seen you in these events before, though. Care to enlighten me?"
Thankfully, Chanyeol hadn't been sipping on his champagne, otherwise he might have inhaled the contents of his flute in shock by now, and that was in no way attractive. It was also a good thing that his brain had been trained to cook up responses rapidly, and he did not lose his cool as he smiled and said, "Oh, I've just returned from schooling in Japan, and my family isn't exactly wealthy enough to constantly be invited to these functions, so."
His luck ran out, though, when Junmyeon perked up with renewed interest and looked at him. "Really?" He asked in a pure Tokyo accent. "I've been finding it difficult to meet someone else who can speak in fluent Japanese."
It suddenly grew a little too warm under his collar, and Chanyeol subconsciously tugged at the fabric. Way to go, Park, he mentally rolled his eyes at himself as his brain scrambled to recollect whatever amount of Japanese he had learned through watching countless amounts of anime. "I'm terrible this, though. I might disappoint you with my atrocious command of the language." He said sheepishly, praying to all the gods in the world and hoping that he made perfect sense.
Chanyeol barely held himself back from exhaling in relief when Junmyeon laughed at his words - it's an attractive, soft sound, not that Chanyeol was paying particular attention to it - and nodded, before switching back to their native language. "You sound fine, but if it pains you that much to speak Japanese, then I'll spare you the torture."
"How kind of you to someone who's practically a stranger," Chanyeol grinned teasingly at him.
"So are you. Other people won't even speak to me because of my sexual orientation, which I find shallow, but I guess I shouldn't expect any less of them." Junmyeon told him with a shrug, and Chanyeol's heart clenched guiltily at his words. While Chanyeol wasn't homophobic like many others, he didn't exactly have pure motives in befriending Junmyeon, either.
As with his other victims, though, Chanyeol decidedly pushed his guilt to the back of his mind. It was for the greater good - namely, for the challenge Baekhyun and Jongdae had thrown at him, and his pride which was on the line. Park Chanyeol never failed at picking someone up.
Before the pause became too noticeable, Chanyeol cracked into his signature sunshine smile (or so he'd been told by his army of noonas). "The pleasure is all mine, Junmyeon."
Junmyeon's reciprocal smile was almost blinding.
⁂
The second time they met was at the launching ceremony of a prestigious art exhibition, held by the famed nu-age artist Kris Wu. Or rather, Chanyeol thought that he should be thanking the mass media for keeping him abreast with Junmyeon's whereabouts. It was much easier for Chanyeol to forge his chances to bump into Junmyeon that way, all while making it seem as though it was pure coincidence. Chanyeol was also thankful that the launching ceremony could be attended by anyone who was dressed well enough for the occasion, invitations be damned. It was a good thing he had a couple of tuxedos and suits stashed at the back of his closet, for when there was a sudden need to attend formal parties.
Again, Chanyeol finds Junmyeon with a wine glass in hand, the epitome of sophistication in a form-fitting suit and bow-tie as he admired one of the artworks on display, the paleness of his skin a stark contrast against the darkness of his outfit. His attention was momentarily distracted by a waitress who offered him a glass of wine, of which he accepted with a smile and finished it off with a cheeky wink that sent the poor, flustered girl scurrying off, her cheeks blazing pink. With that, Chanyeol puffed up his chest, feeling proud that he still had that sort of effect on the ladies, and walked right up to Junmyeon.
"I didn't peg you as someone who enjoyed art," Chanyeol mused as he came to a stop next to the shorter man, eyes transfixed on the artwork which Junmyeon was perusing. His eyebrows scrunched together on their own accord though, because what in heaven's name was this person even painting?
"Likewise," Junmyeon inclined his head a little, a smile finding its way to his lips when he recognised Chanyeol. "I don't get art, honestly."
That earned Chanyeol's surprise. He was pretty sure most members of the elite society was well-versed with art interpretation, one way or another, since art exhibitions were pretty much part and parcel of their lives. Then again, Junmyeon had always proved himself to venture away from the norm, from what little Chanyeol had come to know about him.
"Oh? Then why are you here?" Chanyeol quirked an eyebrow at Junmyeon, watching as the column of the other man's throat worked when he swallowed a mouthful of wine. Even if Chanyeol wasn't gay, he found it oddly attractive.
Junmyeon laughed at his question. "Kris is a good friend of mine. I felt that it was only appropriate that I came to show my support for his first solo art exhibition in Korea." Then, he leaned in closer to Chanyeol, and staged a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but friends or not, I don't understand his art, above all things."
Chanyeol slanted his eyes towards the artwork on to their left, and felt compelled to agree. "To each his own, I guess, but I will agree with you on this."
Junmyeon laughed again, his eyes crinkling at its corners. "I like you already. You're not afraid to express your opinions, even if they might earn you some wrath, unlike many others who sugarcoat their words to comply with the norm."
Chanyeol tried hard not to fidget at Junmyeon's words, because he wasn't being as truthful as Junmyeon thought he was. "I try," he said instead, sending a wink in Junmyeon's direction.
For a moment, Chanyeol wondered if it was the wrong move to pull, if he was pushing things along a little too rapidly, because the silence stretched on rather uncomfortably between them. That was before Junmyeon suddenly leaned in with a scheming grin on his lips, effectively melting away all of Chanyeol's worries. "Y'know what? Let's go grab a cup of coffee or something." He said. "If you're keen, I mean. I wouldn't want to impose."
Exactly what Chanyeol needed - a sign that Junmyeon was interested. "Kris might get pissed at you for ditching his exhibition for a stranger." Chanyeol told him with a straight face, acting like he was concerned for Junmyeon's welfare and preservation of his friendship with Kris.
Junmyeon faked concern for a moment, leaning a little to the right in search of Kris, then shrugged in the most nonchalant manner he could manage. Who said rich dudes were all uptight? "He knows, alright. Anyway, I've already said hi. He'll be too busy entertaining the rest of his VIPs to notice that I'm gone."
"If you find me murdered on the next day," Chanyeol began, though he followed after Junmyeon anyway, "please turn your friend in because I don't really make any enemies."
It was yet another lie, since Chanyeol was sure most of his past girlfriends would all be ready to rip his throat the moment they find him with someone else, but Junmyeon didn't have to know. Pretenses were easy to keep up with, as far as Chanyeol was concerned. He had been in the game for as long as he could remember; it came all too naturally for him by now.
Junmyeon's answering smile was mischievous. "What makes you think I'd sell my friend out for a stranger, Stranger?"
Chanyeol could only laugh as they escaped the constricting environment of the formal event, and made their way to the nearest coffee shop which was empty enough for them to talk.
⁂
"How's your pretend-gay life going on? Have you nailed the rich dude's heart to the stake yet?"
Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at Baekhyun, who was acting as though he hadn't said something rather repulsive to the thought, and was scoffing down his burger like he was just talking about the weather. Unfortunately, the din of the McDonald's chain around them seemed to have watered down the effect of his judging gaze, and he sighed.
"He is more of a challenge than I thought." Chanyeol said, prodding his fries into the remnants of the chilli sauce on the sauce dish. "And fuck, I don't know how homo guys work, if you get me. I just- Women are my forte, okay. Not guys."
Baekhyun actually had the nerve to send a withering look at him. "Park Chanyeol, do you hear yourself?"
Chanyeol blinked back at his friend. "Of course. What are you trying to say?"
"What I'm trying to say is-" Baekhyun slid forward in his seat, looking every bit serious. Jongdae, on the other hand, remained impassive next to Baekhyun, tapping furiously on his onscreen keyboard. "-the Park Chanyeol I know is confident as hell, bordering on stuck up, even." He ignored Chanyeol's noise of protest as though it was nothing more than a mere breeze blowing past his ear. "So seriously, what the fuck are you worrying about?"
Despite that, Chanyeol still frowned. "Last I checked, girls and guys have different mindsets. He doesn't act feminine enough for me to pretend that he's a girl."
That was when Jongdae finally spoke up. "Who said one of the men in a homosexual relationship has to be feminine?" He asked, voice calm.
"Isn't that like, the law of the universe?" Chanyeol blinked again, confused. See, why couldn't they believe that he was hopeless in this? He backed up into his seat, however, when both Baekhyun and Jongdae chorused with a very loud no, it isn't!
Jongdae heaved a long-suffering sigh when Chanyeol still didn't seem to get it. "I didn't want to do this, but it looks like your skull's too thick for anything to go through." He told Chanyeol, not forgetting to throw in his condescending look. Before Chanyeol could even say another word about it, though, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when Jongdae suddenly grabbed Baekhyun by his collar and smashed their lips together.
There was a long moment of stunned silence, both from Chanyeol and the other McD patrons seated around them who'd seen the incident unfolding, then everyone went back to their previous conversations, pretending as though nothing had just happened. But of course, Chanyeol had to be the unfortunate soul who had to watch his best friends make out in front of him.
"Well, that was intense," Baekhyun spoke up serenely when they finally stopped their smooch-fest and picked up his burger again, but the grin was too wide for it to pass off as him being offended.
Chanyeol was really confused. "What just happened?"
"Well." Jongdae shrugged carelessly, and Chanyeol tried not to focus on the fact that his lips were swollen from being well-kissed. "We were going to tell you eventually, but I guess this is as good a moment as any."
"What? That you're seeing each other?" Chanyeol asked intelligently, earning disdained frowns from both his friends. He could probably hear the loud duh going off in their minds if he focused. Then again, he should be excused. While Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was bisexual, and hadn't been seen openly dating anyone else after he'd broken up with Taeyeon, never in his life had Chanyeol pictured him hooking up with Jongdae, of all people. They have always been together for so long that Chanyeol couldn't see the change in dynamics. He didn't even know Jongdae had skewed interests too.
"Such a good friend, you are," Jongdae said dryly, as if reading Chanyeol's thoughts. "Like we were saying," he then stressed, when Chanyeol grinned guiltily at them. "It's not necessary to have a feminine figure in a gay relationship. It just... happens."
"It's better that neither of those involved in the relationship are more feminine, too. At least you can switch things up a bit in be-" Baekhyun started, only to have the tail end of his sentence interrupted when Chanyeol raised his voice.
"I think I've heard enough!" He'd said urgently, his ears burning to its tips. Chanyeol could feel himself going green from the mental images of his best friends fucking, and he really didn't need it. "I'll figure things out on my own."
"You better." Jongdae said with an undertone of warning. "We're waiting for you to clear out his bank account and split the cash with us."
Chanyeol's response was of his middle finger getting a boner for Baekhyun and Jongdae, and a very passionate fuck you, only to have his friends cackle at him.
Why did he even bother befriending them again?
⁂
When he wasn't dressed to the nines in neatly-pressed suits and tuxedos, Junmyeon could really blend in well with the normal folks. It was one of the things Chanyeol had noticed in passing whenever he was hanging out with Junmyeon, and this day was no different, with Junmyeon dressed in a tight-fitting knit sweater which, in Chanyeol's opinion, outlined his pecs really well. Not that Chanyeol was distracted by them, no, but they were certainly attracting a lot of attention between the two of them.
Junmyeon laughed, his eyes crinkling into attractive crescents, when Chanyeol tested out the hypothesis they were discussing about, and sent droves of girls squealing and blushing when he winked at them from their table. They were at a café yet again, sipping on coffee outdoors and getting to know each other better when Junmyeon made an amused observation that lots of girls were throwing curious glances in their direction.
"I told you so." Junmyeon was still chuckling when Chanyeol finally turned around, and Chanyeol tried to pay no mind to the fact that he had a rather attractive laugh, deep and rich, much unlike Chanyeol's loud, goofy ones.
"Fine," Chanyeol concurred easily; he knew that he was good-looking enough to nail any girl he wanted, but he needed to continue playing his game of pretend. "I don't blame them for that, though. You are obviously very handsome, the kind of guy that girls think of as their prince charming."
Junmyeon pretended to shudder at Chanyeol's words. "Ugh, prince charming you say? That's so... fairytale. And unreal."
Chanyeol smirked. "Are you trying to say that you're not from this world?"
Another laugh. "No, I'm just saying that prince charming doesn't exist these days." Junmyeon said, his fingers curling around the handle of his mug. "Anyway, the ladies are not my cup of tea, so."
Chanyeol nodded solemnly, as if sympathising with the girls. "Alas, the female population is mourning for the loss of yet another target for their fantasies."
"At least they still have you," Junmyeon pointed out, and there was a meaningful look in his eyes, one which told Chanyeol his answer would be the decider in this little game of his.
It was the opening Chanyeol had always been waiting for, and there wasn't an ounce of hesitation in him as Chanyeol jumped at it. "I-" He paused, feigning uncertainty. Chanyeol knew he had to play his cards right, or his efforts would all go to waste, and he would be the subject of mockery for Baekhyun and Jongdae for years to come, if he was lucky. "I'm not exactly into them, if you know what I mean."
Junmyeon seemed clueless for a moment, before something clicked in his mind, and his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh." Junmyeon said. "Oh. How long has it been since you've known?"
Chanyeol forced a wry smile. "Not very long ago," he admitted. "I realised, after the last woman I was with, that I wasn't really interested." It wasn't a complete lie, Chanyeol convinced himself. He did grow disinterested in saggy-tits and not women in general, but the specifics could be left out. Junmyeon didn't have to know about that bit.
"Okay," Junmyeon said serenely, but the smile he tried to hide by pressing his mug of Americano to his lips did not go unnoticed by Chanyeol.
Score.
⁂
"I didn't know you were into live bands." Chanyeol pointed out over the noise of the crowd around them, his interest thoroughly piqued as he followed Junmyeon into a local bar. For the most part, the richer caste of society, which Chanyeol had grown to know like the back of his hand, had a distinct preference for classier music performances - orchestras, operas, and the like. Junmyeon, however, managed to surprise him for his unconventional taste, and the list of things Chanyeol wanted to know about Junmyeon just kept growing.
"There's a lot you don't yet know about me." Junmyeon threw a lopsided grin over his shoulder at Chanyeol. "I'm not going to pretend that I like classical music just because I'm wealthy. It's pretentious." He said, leading Chanyeol towards the front row seats which seemed to be reserved under his name. Of course. "Anyway, my friends are playing tonight as the opening act. I figured I should be less of a snob and be more supportive of them, lest they accuse me of being a cold-hearted bastard."
Junmyeon looked good, dressed in a simple white shirt with a leather jacket thrown on top. The ensemble might come off as tacky for most people, but Junmyeon was not most people. In fact, Chanyeol couldn't think of anyone apart from himself who could pull off anything they pull on.
"Ah hah! So there is a hidden agenda." Chanyeol smirked. Deep within though, he admired the fact that Junmyeon was someone who cared a lot for those who mattered to him, despite his financial standing. It was difficult to find someone quite like Junmyeon; most of those Chanyeol knew only mixed with people who were from the same social circle, and treated those who were less fortunate with condescension. If only they knew what Chanyeol really was.
"Maybe, but you're my accomplice for the night." Junmyeon quipped innocently. Chanyeol could smell his cologne when he leaned close, and the area where Junmyeon was pressing against him was warm. It was a little distracting, but Chanyeol managed to ignore it altogether.
Junmyeon was mostly silent and attentive during his friends' performance, apart from pointing out their names to Chanyeol ("that's Kyuhyun, the lead singer. Luhan's on the electric guitar, Jonghyun on the bass, and Yixing on the keyboards"). He quite enjoyed the show, and while most of their numbers were made up of song covers, there were also a few self-composed songs towards the end. Chanyeol was grinning widely by the end of their set, never having heard of such good music in a long while. He really should return to these local gigs rather than wasting his time on music he didn't really care about.
Besides, it had been a while since anyone had made Chanyeol's fingers itch for a guitar. They were simply that good, Anarchy.
Their breaths turned into fog in the cold night air by the time they barrelled out of the bar, after having exchanged pleasantries with Junmyeon's group of friends. It was nice, being able to watch Junmyeon's banter with his friends. It almost made Junmyeon seem like he was a part of them, a part of the common folk, and not someone who was rich enough to earn himself a trip to the moon on a spaceship.
Junmyeon was humble, and Chanyeol liked that about him. He was distinctively different from the other women Chanyeol had been with; they were proud like peacocks, always showing off their monetary assets whenever they had the chance, making Chanyeol extremely conscious of the fact that he was inferior to them, that he was nothing more than an accessory on their arms. But Junmyeon, Junmyeon made Chanyeol feel as though they were truly friends.
"We should do that more often," said Chanyeol, grinning widely at Junmyeon who stuck close to his side. Junmyeon was afraid of the cold, Chanyeol knew, and he liked the idea that Junmyeon found him warm enough to be around with.
"Yeah?" Junmyeon smiled back. "You don't seem like someone who enjoys music."
"Really?" Chanyeol raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Then you'd probably be surprised. I'm actually quite good at the guitar - or so people tell me."
Junmyeon huffed as he tried to match Chanyeol's pace; the weight of the winter coat on his back was probably slowing him down. Junmyeon appeared so tiny like this, with Chanyeol already towering over him, and he was almost practically drowning in the fur of his coat. Cute. "You should play for me, then. Convince me."
Chanyeol rolled his eyes, but laughed in amusement. "Shouldn't you place more trust in me? I mean, we're friends, right?"
The slight falling of Junmyeon's smile did not go unnoticed, but the sad edge was gone as soon as Chanyeol had seen it. "I'm a businessman, remember? Never trust in a product until its worth is proven."
"If you say so, Junmyeon. If you say so."
Chanyeol swore his jaw was hurting from grinning too much for the night.
⁂
He should really learn how to be mean and kick these bastards out of his house, Chanyeol thought exasperatedly to himself as he watched Baekhyun rummage through his fridge, while Jongdae leaned against the kitchen counter and allowed his boyfriend to commit his dastardly deed. This was truly a pair of demons who came from hell to ruin Chanyeol's life.
"I can't believe you haven't actually hit a home run yet!" Baekhyun called out from where his head was stuck into the fridge looking for food, his voice coming out muffled. "Also, your choice in food is dismal."
Chanyeol couldn't even be bothered to hide what was probably the millionth sigh that morning. "Why is it such a surprise? Can't I take my own sweet time in doing things for once?"
That had Baekhyun straightening up and turning sharply around to look at him with a critical eye, his foot hooking the refrigerator door shut behind him. "Seriously? Chanyeol, you and patience aren't exactly the best of friends, last I remember."
He didn't even know what had gotten into him, but Chanyeol actually turned to Jongdae with a pleading look on his face. "Jongdae, help me out here, will you?"
He should have known that it was a lost cause before he even began, though. Jongdae only scoffed at him and shrugged. "Baek has a point. You're not the most patient person I know. Nowhere close, even."
Chanyeol leaned against the display cabinet and slid to the floor in despair. "I hate you guys. Why am I even friends with you."
"Because," Baekhyun stressed, a look of exasperation on his face, "we're the only ones who won't judge you for your lifestyle. Much."
"Fuck you all so hard." Chanyeol bemoaned, feeling completely boneless because of their betrayal, but Baekhyun shot him a face of disgust and started dragging him across the floor and out the door, not caring that he was almost ripping Chanyeol's arm off his body.
"No thanks, you're not Jongdae. Now come on, I'm starving and you're buying us food to make up for your sad excuse for a fridge," Baekhyun said airily, only to get an equally disgusted groan from Chanyeol when his mind finally caught on to the implication behind Baekhyun's words.
⁂
Sometimes, Chanyeol felt like he was living in a freaking shoujo manga, especially with the circumstances surrounding his life recently.
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though, when his meals were mostly paid for. Besides, Junmyeon was nice to be around with. He broke every single stereotype Chanyeol could come up with for people who were too wealthy for their own good, and was extremely down-to-earth. Chanyeol would probably have thought that he was from a middle class family, if he weren't so conscious of the fact that he was essentially trying to get closer to Junmyeon in order to get the metaphorical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
This evening was no different, when Chanyeol found himself walking down the busy streets of Myeongdong with Junmyeon huddled up close to him, both sharing a private joke which had them laughing heartily right after. The weather was deathly cold, and Junmyeon, who was shit at tolerating frigid temperatures, appeared like Rudolph, the tip of his nose red from all the snuffling he had been doing.
"It seems like you really do have a death wish," Chanyeol teased and shoved at Junmyeon with his shoulder, nearly causing the shorter man to lose his balance. It was a good thing no one actually recognised Junmyeon when he was all wrapped up like this. At least Chanyeol could stay out of being embroiled in attempts at kidnapping Junmyeon for ransom.
Junmyeon's responding laugh was a mixture of confused and amused. "Why do you say that?"
"I dunno," Chanyeol shrugged nonchalantly. "You're the richest man in Asia, yet you're walking around Myeongdong without your bodyguards in sight. Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped?"
Junmyeon laughed at his question and shoved back at Chanyeol. "No one has recognised me so far, so. Besides, it's not easy to blackmail my family members for ransom. They're not very likely to comply."
Chanyeol snapped around to look at Junmyeon, surprised by his statement. Junmyeon wasn't smiling as brightly by now; pensive, even, and Chanyeol bit on his lower lip, wondering if he should pry into Junmyeon's private life. He didn't think he was allowed to, not just yet.
It seemed as though Junmyeon could hear his thoughts, however, because he divulged the details to Chanyeol on his own accord moments later, letting the garbled chatter of the crowd around them drown out his secrets. "My parents do not approve of my choice of career. They believe that businessmen will always be labelled as greedy, and will never gain as much respect or recognition than if I were to have become a doctor or a lawyer. We had a fallout because I wanted to pursue my own interests. Anyway, coupled with my recent revelation, I think they'd want even less to admit I'm their son."
"But that's ridiculous. You're making big bucks now, why should it matter?" Chanyeol frowned. He couldn't imagine any parent who'd willingly cut off all ties with their child who could support them financially until the end of their lives, just because their child did not embark on the career path of the parent's choice. It was simply unheard of - until today, that is. Then again, homophobia was rampant in their society, and Chanyeol wasn't surprised to find out that Junmyeon's parents ostracised him because of his sexual orientation. Still.
"Integrity, apparently." Junmyeon pursed his lips in thought. "My father is a well-known university lecturer. He thinks I'd sell my soul for the sake of money, and use every way imaginable to achieve business deals - including murder and bribery."
"Have you? Done them, I mean." Chanyeol asked, intrigued. Junmyeon didn't seem the type of person who would act so callous, but Chanyeol knew better than to judge a book by its cover.
Junmyeon only looked at him meaningfully, and started dragging him towards the subway station with a cheeky grin on his face. "You're about to find out."
⁂
For some reason, Chanyeol found himself allowing Junmyeon to bring him all the way back to Gangnam on the train, and when he knew it next, they were wandering close to his neighbourhood. The train ride had been spent in a comfortable silence, as was the walk from the subway station to Junmyeon's mansion, which was several blocks from Chanyeol's street. It wasn't until Junmyeon requested for his servants to open the door for him through the intercom that Chanyeol spoke up again.
"Already bringing me home so soon?" There was a teasing lilt to his words, and he hoped it was noticeable enough in the stillness of the night. Chanyeol felt a little weird to be stepping into Junmyeon's abode, even if he knew it was perfectly fine for Junmyeon to be bringing a friend home, but somehow the knowledge of Junmyeon being gay kept prodding at Chanyeol's consciousness, and it would probably mean something else in the eyes of his servants. He didn't even know if Junmyeon did this often, bringing his friends home.
Junmyeon eyed him critically, as if unimpressed, though his expressions quickly melted into one of mirth. "We've been friends for a while; I thought it was only appropriate that I invited you over." He said, as they walked up the driveway which led to the main entrance.
"I wasn't aware that it was a norm," Chanyeol grinned, but jogged right up to Junmyeon when he lagged some ways behind due to his preoccupation with the scenery around him. "But I must say, you have a really nice place."
"All that money I make has got to go somewhere," Junmyeon winked at him. Chanyeol's heart stuttered a little at that, which was weird, so he shook his head to get that odd feeling away before he could over-analyse it.
"Charities would be a better choice. There are always those who need more cash - like me." Chanyeol told him, laughing when Junmyeon made a face at him while shrugging off their coats.
While Chanyeol had been fooling around with women from the richer caste of society for many years now, he had never stepped into any of their homes before, for fear of letting their servants hear their bedroom activities or have these women's husbands walk in on them. Chanyeol wasn't a big supporter of infidelity, but sometimes a man had to do whatever it takes for him to sustain his life. He had probably seen the insides of various hotels more than anything else, which was why he'd forgotten that he was essentially supposed to act as though he was also well-to-do, instead of a commoner. Chanyeol winced inwardly when he realised belatedly that he shouldn't be bowing at the servant who took his coat, but it was too late for him to stop himself.
Junmyeon was looking at him in amusement when Chanyeol finally dared to straighten himself up, and Chanyeol began to worry if he'd just busted himself. "Most people I know would walk off without acknowledging my servants." He said thoughtfully, eyes still evaluating Chanyeol's stiff form. "You're the first, I must say."
Junmyeon's servant smiled in agreement, before excusing himself with a lower bow. Chanyeol rocked nervously on his heels as he thought about what he should say.
In the end, he managed to come up with a meek, "Is that... weird? Acknowledging servants, I mean."
Thankfully, Junmyeon shook his head no, his smile growing brighter - blindingly so. "It's good. I think I'm growing to like you a little more. Come, follow me."
Chanyeol exhaled in relief the moment Junmyeon took off for another segment of his home, though before he could even ask where they were headed, Junmyeon brought him down the hall and turned the corner into a music room. Chanyeol stopped in his steps, gaping in awe at the crystal grand piano which stood majestically in the middle, the lights from the chandelier bouncing off its surface and giving it an almost ethereal gleam. As a musician himself (though he had been sidetracked from his interest for a while now), Chanyeol had heard of the piano's rarity, as well as its price, but he thought he shouldn't be surprised to find it in the middle of Junmyeon's living room.
"Like it?" Junmyeon asked just then, causing Chanyeol to snap out of his daze. He hadn't even realised that Junmyeon had walked towards the piano, and was now tracing his fingers delicately across glass keys, a certain fondness in his eyes as he ran them across the musical instrument.
"Wow," Chanyeol said intelligently, blinking admiringly at the piano. "I never thought I'd live to see it."
"Is that an exaggeration?" Junmyeon grinned and slid onto the bench, fingers arched gracefully on the keys to start off his piece. Chanyeol found himself closing his eyes when the melody began, a soothing tinkering of notes from one of Yiruma's works, no doubt. When coupled with the beautiful sound made by the piano, it was practically eargasmic, as Baekhyun would have put it if he were here, caressing Chanyeol's senses to his deepest core.
He didn't even realise he was holding his breath, until Junmyeon stopped playing and Chanyeol found himself inhaling sharply, getting jolted back to reality by the sudden silence which enveloped them.
"Wow," Chanyeol exclaimed again, feeling stupid because his vocabulary was suddenly reduced to one pathetic word, but he couldn't think of anyone else to describe how beautifully Junmyeon had played. "It's... you're amazing."
"I hope you're not saying that just to placate me," Junmyeon replied, an amused glint in his eyes. At that particular moment, Junmyeon appeared teasing yet unsure at the same time, as though he wasn't used to people praising him for his ability to play the piano.
"I'm not." Chanyeol said in earnest, his limbs finally finding the ability to pilot him to where Junmyeon was. "It really is beautiful, and I'm saying this as a person who plays the piano too. Why haven't you caught the heart of another person with it yet?"
"Is there some guy out there who'd fall for cheesy things like these? I thought only girls did."
Chanyeol shrugged and said without thinking, "I would. I'm always on the lookout for someone who has the same taste in music as I do."
Only when he caught Junmyeon's meaningful gaze did Chanyeol bite on his tongue and chastise himself for letting his brain-mouth filter fail him again. He really should shoot himself in the head one of these days, so that he wouldn't be able to sprout things he'd regret in the very next moment. But since Junmyeon seemed interested, Chanyeol felt that he should grab the opportunity and play it to his advantage.
What he didn't expect, though, was the words which came out of Junmyeon's mouth next. "Then what if I told you I wanted to catch your heart with this?"
Even though he should rejoice inwardly for having Junmyeon fall into his trap, all Chanyeol could do was to feel completely flustered by Junmyeon's words, his cheeks flaming up unexpectedly. He didn't even know why he was so affected by Junmyeon's question, and he honestly had encountered a fair share of women who were bold and upfront with their wants and needs, so this was really new to him.
Not knowing how he should provide the answer to Junmyeon's question, Chanyeol opted to clear his throat and took the empty space on the bench next to Junmyeon instead. And he did the only thing he knew best: divert the topic. "You said you wanted to hear me play the other day, didn't you? You'll get your wish fulfilled tonight."
He decidedly ignored the way Junmyeon's gaze seemed to burn into him for the rest of the night.
part two