Liar, Liar [2/2]
part one
Whatever good mood Chanyeol had that evening was ruined the moment he glanced up from his phone, only to be greeted by the disgusting view of Baekhyun and Jongdae sucking each other's faces off in public. Making a gagging noise, Chanyeol picked up a dinner roll from its basket and launched it at Baekhyun's head, feeling rather thankful that they were seated at a secluded corner of the restaurant, where no one apart from the waiters would walk past. Even then, they would only approach their table upon request.
It didn't mean Chanyeol appreciated the unnecessary mental scarring though. "Get a fucking room if you can't stop yourselves from mauling each other in public, Christ."
Baekhyun had his usual infuriating smirk on his well-kissed lips when they finally broke apart and straightened themselves on their seats. "We didn't think you'd mind, since you're so preoccupied with your phone and all."
"Disgusting," Chanyeol spat viciously, narrowing his eyes at his pair of friends. Deep within, though, Chanyeol couldn't stop himself from being envious of them. It could get pretty lonely, when he was constantly surrounded by couples, and his previous life was nothing to be proud of, either. Sure, there was company, but there wasn't any feelings nor love involved, only lust. One could only take so much of that, and Chanyeol thought that he had probably had enough.
"This is something new, though." Jongdae ignored Chanyeol's previous words and said angelically, his eyes scrutinising even the smallest changes in Chanyeol's expressions. This is the part Chanyeol hated the most, feeling so open and raw for others to read. "You don't usually spend this much time texting the people you're trying to tackle."
Chanyeol wanted to refute Jongdae's words, but found that he couldn't come up with a decent argument when he tried, mainly because it was true. Chanyeol would never text the other women he was trying to lure into his trap, because it would create an unnecessary sense of attachment on their part. Things would get messy. Chanyeol hadn't realised he was doing something he had promised himself not to.
"Junmyeon is different." Chanyeol tried, only to realise he was digging a deeper grave for himself. The words sounded weird even to his own ears, and his heart stirred uncomfortably. Why was Junmyeon different from the others?
"Oh?" Jongdae perked up with interest, Baekhyun following suit. Chanyeol leaned backwards, trying futilely to put a greater distance between him and his friends, as though it would protect him and his yet-to-be-understood inner state of mind. "Are you sure you're pretending to be gay?"
Chanyeol fought hard not to avert his gaze. He knew that the moment he avoided their eyes, it would rule him guilty. "I am," he insisted, even as his heart twitched at the words he was about to say. "All for the money, remember?"
Two full minutes of intense staring ensued, which had Chanyeol holding his breath the entire time, afraid that his mask would fall apart if he even dated breath, before his friends relented and continued sipping on their drinks like all of this hadn't happened at all.
Jongdae had the last word, though, with a silent whatever helps you sleep at night that lingered in Chanyeol's mind long after he had said it.
Chanyeol wondered what else they would say about his relationship with Junmyeon, if they ever found out that they'd been conversing over the phone almost nightly. He decided not to focus on the complicated part of things.
⁂
There was a time when Chanyeol was more vigilant with his surroundings, always on the lookout for people who might recognise him and ruin everything he was planning for. That had been a long while ago, when Chanyeol had first been actively pursuing Junmyeon and trying to gain the man's interest. As far as things had went, he'd been lucky enough to not run into people he knew - people he had scorned. And Chanyeol had grown very complacent, taking things for granted that he wouldn't be meeting any of the women he'd bedded and dumped without another word the moment he'd earned their pity and his bank account had a couple of extra digits.
His luck soon ran out, though, when he accompanied Junmyeon to a charity event, only to have a shrill voice approaching him from behind while he was being introduced to some of Junmyeon's acquaintances.
"Chanyeol!" The voice had called out, causing the fine hairs on his arms to stand when he'd recognised it. He was sure this woman was the one who'd suffered the greatest losses amongst all the women he had lied to, having provided three-quarters of the cash which funded his studio apartment. "Where have you been? How is your grandmother? Did she receive proper treatment with the money I lent you?"
Chanyeol's already-stiff back grew even stiffer when Junmyeon looked at him questioningly, the curiosity in his voice strong when he echoed the woman's words. "Your grandmother is ill? Why did you never mention that to me?"
"I'll explain later." Chanyeol could only afford him a wry smile, as his mind went into an overdrive trying to think of something to conceal his lie. This wasn't going the way he had planned it.
"Hi," he breathed the moment the woman - Jihye, if he'd remembered correctly; Chanyeol wasn't all that good with names, forgetting most once he was done with them - walked right up to him. Jihye was by far the youngest and the most attractive woman Chanyeol had been with, but shame her personality didn't manage to reel him in. She was extremely controlling, which was why Chanyeol was glad to have escaped the earliest he could manage. "I haven't seen you in a long while."
"Oh, so you noticed?" The sarcasm was thick in her words, and Chanyeol fought back a wince. "Do you know how worried you've gotten me? You practically disappeared on me! You even changed your number, so what gives?"
Feeling a massive headache coming on, Chanyeol sucked in a deep breath and willed himself to keep calm. It wouldn't do his image any good if he blew up at her, as much as she deserved it. "I'm sorry, okay? Just- lots of things happened, and I'm still trying to get my life back together."
He flushed when Jihye took another step forward and touched his arm with her free hand, pressing her hip against his. The contact made him remember how his fingers had dug into her skin when he'd fucked into her all those months ago; he didn't need this. She seemed to have noticed when he backed off from her, and her expressions were that of hurt when she spoke next. "Have you forgotten everything that happened between us, all those nights ago underneath the sheets? It felt good to fuck me, didn't it? I was a good girl who let you do anything you wanted. Don't you want to relive that?"
Just as Chanyeol thought his pants couldn't get any tighter from the reminder, Junmyeon came to his aid. "Miss, I'd suggest you to keep what's left of your dignity and walk away, instead of staying here and sprouting such scandalous comments where everyone can hear you. I'm afraid it's not the conduct of a lady."
Jihye seemed downright offended by Junmyeon's words, and was about to launch into a tirade at him, but the moment she managed to give Junmyeon a good look and recognise him, she paled significantly. "Junmyeon-nim, it's nice seeing you here."
Junmyeon inclined his head politely. "Indeed, Miss Jihye. I hope your father is well?"
"Y-yes, he is. Thank you for your concern," she stuttered a little, and Chanyeol could see the way the wine in her glass rippled. She was trembling from fury and indignation, no doubt. "What are you doing with Chanyeol, may I ask?"
"I-" Chanyeol started at the same time that Junmyeon pressed a warm palm against the small of his back and pulled Chanyeol closer to him, a sure sign of possessiveness. Chanyeol could feel a jolt of electricity shooting down his spine at the touch, and despite himself, he could feel himself grow warmer.
(He refused to think about the way his cock had twitched in his pants at the contact.)
"He is with me, Miss Jihye. Is there a problem?" Junmyeon's smile was cordial, but Jihye flushed a deeper shade of red when she appeared to get the implication behind Junmyeon's words. Junmyeon was openly gay, and for him to pull such a move, it was automatically understood that Chanyeol was his partner.
"No, Junmyeon-nim. I'll excuse myself now. Have a pleasant evening." The words were polite, but the way they had rolled off her lips wasn't anywhere close to being genial. Junmyeon didn't seem to mind, though, only watching as Jihye walked away from them with a smile on his face.
"Well, that was interesting." Junmyeon said once she was out of earshot, turning to grin at Chanyeol. For a moment, Chanyeol held his breath, wondering if Junmyeon was going to interrogate him for everything Jihye had said, as well as her relationship with Chanyeol, but instead, Junmyeon merely kept the warmth of his hand on Chanyeol's back for the rest of the night, guiding him through the crowd as they talked to more of his acquaintances.
Mine, the gesture appeared to say, and Chanyeol continued to ignore the way the heat pooled in the pit of his stomach for the rest of the night.
⁂
Surprisingly, never once did Junmyeon grow suspicious of Chanyeol's past, even as they bumped into more and more of Chanyeol's flings at these dinner parties they frequented. Every single time they did, though, Junmyeon pulled the same move, with a firm hand around Chanyeol's waist to indicate that he wasn't allowing anyone near Chanyeol.
Admittedly, it was largely successful, because these women would throw Chanyeol a look of disgust before walking off, probably thinking that they'd let a gay man bed them without being the wiser, but it also gave Chanyeol certain complicated feelings. He'd anticipate his meet-ups with Junmyeon more, and his heart rate speeds up that little faster whenever Junmyeon's name shows up on his screen.
What confused Chanyeol even more, was the fact that Junmyeon constantly guest-starred in his dreams - dreams which left Chanyeol hard in his pants when he woke up in the morning. He began fantasising about the way Junmyeon's warm hands would feel on his bare skin, how his lips would trace every outline of his body, because Chanyeol wasn't dense enough to not notice the fire of lust which burned in Junmyeon's eyes whenever Junmyeon looked at him.
Chanyeol didn't want to admit it, but he kind of liked the way Junmyeon eyed him. It was no longer a sense of accomplishment for successfully pulling Junmyeon into his trap which enveloped him, but a sense of want.
The idea of it scared him, even as Chanyeol's hand dipped below the waistband of his track pants to fist his cock, spreading the precum down his shaft to lubricate it, before pumping himself to completion with the images of Junmyeon's pretty lips stretched around him.
No, Chanyeol had a mission when he'd first approached Junmyeon, and it was to con him for his money, not for Chanyeol himself to grow attached.
⁂
Life had its peculiar way of playing pranks on people, and this time, it had decided to pick on Chanyeol.
It was kind to Chanyeol for a couple of days, when Junmyeon informed him that he'd be flying outstation for a business deal, and hence wouldn't be able to talk to him for a while. It provided the reprieve Chanyeol greatly needed from his feelings for Junmyeon which rapidly grew extremely complicated, what with the nights he had spent jerking himself off to the thoughts of beautiful smiles and pale skin and smouldering eyes. It was easier for Chanyeol to ignore Junmyeon's existence, when his phone wasn't being constantly bombarded with messages that made the smile stretch across his face and his heart race just a little faster at the sight of a familiar name.
That was before Chanyeol had coffee being spilt all over his shirt while he was spending a rare day out alone in a café, only to have all traces of his anger melting at the tip of his tongue when he looked up and was greeted by the sight of a cute waitress who was a blubbering mess while trying to apologise for her stupid mistake. Chanyeol's heart was instantly taken by her, though he tried hard to convince himself that it wasn't because she bore a striking resemblance to a certain Kim Junmyeon.
Junhee, her name tag read, and from that moment on, Chanyeol found himself visiting the café a little more than was necessary. He decided that he liked the way Junhee laughed at his jokes, demure and sweet, and she was extremely charming in her own shy way. Between the lack of messages from Junmyeon and the sudden influx of Junhee Junhee, Chanyeol found himself being in love, and was awash with the desire to shake off his previous life of lies and deceit.
(The small voice at the back of his mind kept telling him he was in love with Junhee, mainly because everything about her reminded him of Junmyeon, but he'd viciously told that voice to shut the fuck up, that he wasn't gay.)
Chanyeol wanted to believe that this time, he's found the love of his life.
⁂
"What the hell were you thinking about?!" Much to Chanyeol's surprise, Jongdae was the first one who spoke up the moment Junhee had excused herself to use the washroom. In retrospect, Chanyeol wasn't really sure why he'd even thought about introducing Junhee to his friends, but it was probably because he wanted to share his joy with the people who mattered most to him - even if Baekhyun and Jongdae were the epitome of devils to him.
Chanyeol, who'd been following after Junhee with his eyes, snapped back to look at Jongdae. "What? She's a nice girl. I do think I deserve a happy life for once, you know." He defended himself. The last thing he'd expected was for his friends to act all hostile towards him.
"Do you like her because she's a nice girl, or is it because she resembles Kim Junmyeon?" Baekhyun remarked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion at Chanyeol. He tried not to flush under Baekhyun's intense gaze, tried to will his heart to stop stuttering at the mention of the other name.
"She's nice." Chanyeol maintained. "And she's everything I've been looking for."
There was a cynical look on Jongdae's face at his words. "I was under the impression that you like being dominated in bed, and you preferred girls who are much wilder than Junhee. What gives?"
This time, Chanyeol couldn't stop himself from turning red in the face. How did Jongdae even know? "Preferences change, Jongdae. I don't see what's the big deal with wanting to settle down."
"The deal is, you were supposed to be aiming for the billionaire!" Baekhyun exclaimed, ignoring Jongdae's judgemental gaze. "You never stopped before you completed your missions!"
Chanyeol frowned at Baekhyun. "I've had enough of that life, Baek. I don't want to keep pretending that I'm gay, or to swindle people of their bank accounts."
"He has a point, Baek," Jongdae said, earning an indignant squawk from his boyfriend. "But you know what I think? You're dense as hell. Both of you."
"What do you mean?" Baekhyun and Chanyeol chorused together, though before Jongdae could say any more, Junhee's uncertain voice cut into their conversation.
"Am I... missing something here?" She'd asked as she slid back into the booth next to Chanyeol, glancing between them with wide eyes. One stern look from Chanyeol had them shutting up effectively, and thank God Baekhyun had a decent enough sense to smile brightly to reassure her that nothing was wrong. They lapsed into a comfortable conversation soon after, with Baekhyun spearheading it and digging everything he could about Chanyeol's new girlfriend. He watched them with fondness in his eyes, all while ignoring the repetitive glances Jongdae kept sending in his direction.
Chanyeol wasn't bothered by it. He really wasn't.
⁂
Things escalated rapidly between them, two days after Junhee's meeting with Baekhyun and Jongdae. Chanyeol honestly hadn't planned for things to turn out this way, but somehow, after one too many drinks for their own good, Chanyeol found himself stumbling through the door of his apartment with Junhee in his arms, her hot, hot lips fervently chasing after his. They were both drunk, he knew, and Junhee was made extremely bold by the alcohol, but Chanyeol frankly couldn't care, if this was what she wanted. And wanted her he did, badly.
Somehow, though, the words from Junmyeon's friend Yixing kept replaying in his mind just then. It had been when Junmyeon had left them momentarily to grab some drinks, and Yixing had leaned in to tell Chanyeol, don't you dare hurt Junmyeon. His words had spoken of sincere concern for Junmyeon, and it had seemed as though Yixing knew something Chanyeol didn't, but Chanyeol hadn't given it much thought. Of course his mind would grab the opportunity to remind him of it several weeks down the line, though Chanyeol didn't think he had anything to feel guilty over, despite the gnawing feeling coming from his chest. He wasn't even close to conning Junmyeon of his money, so.
Junhee's laugh was breathless in his ear, and again Chanyeol's heart wrenched because it sounded so much like Junmyeon, and Chanyeol rather ached for him. Fancy, considering the fact that he was finally going to bed someone he actually liked, but of course life wouldn't be as kind to him despite everything.
"You're a good kisser," Junhee said. "I've always wanted to do that."
Chanyeol grinned and pressed another kiss to her lips, chaste and light. His head was spinning from the heat that was radiating off her, enveloping his senses, and her perfume was intoxicating. "I have all the time in the world for you, Junhee."
Junhee laughed again, though this time, it sounded a little strained. Chanyeol wanted to think that it was because she was desperate for his touch, but the words which left her lips later had him frozen. "I just need to know one thing. Who is this Junmyeon person you and your friends were talking about the other day?"
Chanyeol had half the mind to parry the question, but the way Junhee's gaze was boring into him told Chanyeol that she wouldn't back off from the question that easily.
"He's-" Someone important. "-an acquaintance."
"Really?" There was disappointment in her voice, one which Chanyeol didn't quite understand. There shouldn't be a reason for Junhee to feel disappointed. "You sounded like you liked him."
Chanyeol practically choked on air and reeled away from Junhee, as though her accusation physically burnt him. How much had Junhee heard of their conversation, and why was she pursuing this subject? "I don't- I'm not gay."
The change in Junhee's expression was drastic, turning downright frigid at Chanyeol's denial. For a moment, Chanyeol grew even more confused by her reaction, though it all made sense when she reached up and pulled her hair - his wig - right off, and Chanyeol suddenly found himself facing none other than Kim Junmyeon.
In retrospect, Chanyeol really should have known, but he was too blinded by the insistence that he wasn't gay, that he was still attracted to girls to notice. The betrayal and hurt in Junmyeon's eyes were too hard to bear, and Chanyeol found himself averting his gaze, hoping that it could dampen the strength of his guilt which was engulfing him with full force.
"So you've been lying to me all this while, haven't you? Pretending that you were gay?" Junmyeon asked, his voice surprisingly level for all the intensity of his fury which Chanyeol had seen in his eyes.
"Yes," Chanyeol whispered, even as his heart screamed otherwise. Woman or not, every nerve ending in his body was aching for Junmyeon's touch, and Chanyeol realised he wasn't averse to the idea of kissing Junmyeon at all. He didn't dare think about the implication behind that thought of his, didn't dare come to terms with what it actually indicated. "Is that why you dressed up as a woman? To get the truth out of me?"
"You didn't seem like you were going to be honest any time soon." Junmyeon sneered. Chanyeol hated that he kept noticing the way Junmyeon's chest heaved with every breath taken, and found himself wanting to believe that he was breathless because of the kiss they'd shared.
Despite himself, Chanyeol mustered the courage to pose the lingering question on his mind. "How long have you known?"
"Ever since Jihye approached you. I felt terrible for running a search on your background at first, but now I don't. Your entire existence is a lie." Junmyeon's answering gaze was frigid, causing Chanyeol to shudder involuntarily. He had nothing to fight against Junmyeon, though, because every word of his was the truth. Chanyeol knew that, and he wished he'd stopped earlier. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe both of them wouldn't be such a terrible mess.
"I'm sorry," Chanyeol whispered, even though he knew he had no right to apologise, in no position to be forgiven. He'd screwed up big time, almost glaringly so, and he fought not to curl into himself from shame. If Junmyeon had heard their discussion about him, then he definitely heard that part where Chanyeol had confessed that he'd gotten sick of cheating others of their money.
Fuck, now he really felt like he was the lowest of low.
"Don't." Junmyeon snapped, pushing past Chanyeol and making his way to the door, the anger visible in the rigid lines of his body. "Don't think you're going to be forgiven for what you've done."
For once, Chanyeol wished that Junmyeon would punch him in the face, multiple times over so that Chanyeol could suffer from the pain he must have dealt to Junmyeon, but the only stab in the gut he felt came from the sound of the door slamming shut, its echoes reverberating in the still air of his apartment.
Chanyeol didn't know which of it hurt more.
⁂
"Aren't you going to give me hell for what happened?" Chanyeol moaned from where his head was plastered against the table, looking up at Jongdae who was busy texting away on his phone. It was only the two of them that afternoon, since Baekhyun had started on his new job that occupied most of his day, which was fine by Chanyeol really. Jongdae was a better company when Chanyeol needed to mope, less contemptuous and more of a listener than Baekhyun would ever be, and the large gaps of silence suited Chanyeol just fine.
Then again, he'd expected Jongdae to say a lot more than a simple I knew it before he lapsed into silence, not even sparing Chanyeol a single glance since then.
It was only then that Jongdae heaved a sigh and put his phone away, but not before Chanyeol caught sight of the raunchy messages he'd sent Baekhyun. Chanyeol cleared his throat and looked away. "Look, you are evidently smitten with Junmyeon. When are you ever going to admit it?"
"I'm not!" Chanyeol maintained, even though his heart said otherwise. "I'm just- I thought I'd found my happiness in Junhee."
Jongdae didn't seem too impressed with his argument. "Yeah, because it's also normal to have a photo of you and Junmyeon together as your home screen background even though you were technically with Junhee?"
At that, Chanyeol quickly swiped his phone off the table and stuffed the offending item into his pocket, his palm searing from the imaginary heat said photo seemed to radiate. It was a photo taken when they were at the water park, drenched to their bones but probably the happiest they've been in a long while, cheeks pressed together so that they'd fit in the frame. That smile of Junmyeon's never fails to punch Chanyeol in the gut, even now, though probably in a different way.
Chanyeol didn't need this.
"A lot of help you are," he said dryly instead, frowning at Jongdae.
Jongdae merely shrugged at Chanyeol. "I'm helping you realise your true sexual orientation, dude. Look at you. You've been miserable ever since Junmyeon stopped talking to you."
"He has no reason to." Chanyeol mumbled. "He's... rich as hell, and I'm not. I'm a nobody."
Jongdae leaned across the table, glaring at Chanyeol threateningly, almost as though he'd personally strangle Chanyeol to death for his moping. "Do you, for even a single moment, seriously think that he doesn't have an idea about your financial background until recently?"
"What do you mean?"
Jongdae heaved an exasperated sigh, making Chanyeol feel even dumber than before. "What I'm trying to say is, every rich dude will run a background check on the people who approaches them. I'm acquainted with enough of them to know how their minds work. And, since Junmyeon had admitted to digging up your background, what makes you think that he doesn't already know how dirt poor you are in reality?"
Chanyeol honestly didn't know if Jongdae was trying to console him, or to run him deeper into the ground. "You're making me feel so much better than before."
"You're hopeless," Jongdae settled, waving a waitress over for the bill. It wasn't until she was gone that Jongdae spoke up again. "You were still insisting that you liked girls, weren't you?"
Chanyeol looked up from the table, dazed and confused. "Yeah? Your point is?"
"If you haven't noticed, a hot babe just tried to flirt with you." Jongdae jutted his chin in the direction of the cashier. Chanyeol followed his gaze towards the waitress who'd given them their bill earlier, and realised Jongdae was speaking the truth when the girl audaciously winked at him. Usually, Chanyeol would have jumped at the chance to score the girl - huge tits, slim waist, extremely kissable lips - but at that particular moment, Chanyeol could feel nothing at all.
"Shit," Chanyeol cussed when the realisation hit him, slamming his forehead against the table. Even though he couldn't see Jongdae's face, the smug smile Jongdae was wearing was clearly reflected in his words.
"Shit is right, Chanyeol."
⁂
He knew he was at wit's end when he found himself dragging his feet through the doors of a bar - the bar where Junmyeon had first brought him to and had reignited Chanyeol's passion in music, to be exact. Chanyeol wasn't one who turned to alcohol to cure his heartaches, but at this point of time, there was nothing else he could do except to hope that he'd see Junmyeon there.
It was probably futile, Chanyeol knew, but he felt that he had to try. While Junmyeon hadn't changed his number (Chanyeol could imagine the trouble he'd have to go through if he did, and Chanyeol wasn't worth all that), he hasn't exactly replied to any of Chanyeol's messages at all. Not that Chanyeol was expecting anything else, really. He only hoped that Junmyeon could sense the sincerity behind his countless apologies.
It was probably by a miracle that he managed to run into someone he knew at the bar. Yixing was there at the keyboard when Chanyeol walked in, practising for their upcoming gig that evening. It was still much too early for the night scene to come alive, but Yixing was evidently someone who took his music seriously. Chanyeol somehow wished he shared the same vivacity Yixing had, but right now, all he wanted was to reconcile with Junmyeon. With each passing day that Junmyeon ignored him, Chanyeol grew more miserable, and he was slowly coming to terms that he was indeed in love with the man, female form or not.
Yixing's gaze met his for a split second before turning away, and it was obvious that the man had heard about what had happened between Chanyeol and Junmyeon from the way the disgust had shown up on his face. Chanyeol didn't blame him, especially after Yixing had taken to personally warning Chanyeol against hurting Junmyeon all those months ago - the only person amongst Junmyeon's circle of friends who had done so. Clueless as he might appear on the outside, Yixing was actually quite perceptive. Perhaps he'd already known from the very beginning that Junmyeon liked him.
The thought made Chanyeol feel a thousand times worse, and he downed an entire shot of Vodka in the matter of seconds, hoping that he could numb his misery with it.
Chanyeol looked up in surprise, though, when a whiskey glass landed on his table with a clatter, only to be met with Yixing's impassive face.
"I hope you're beating yourself up for the shit you've done." Yixing sniped mercilessly; Chanyeol couldn't even fight back the wince. His words struck home closer than Chanyeol would have liked. "I was planning on ignoring you, but your kicked puppy look was too much for me to deal."
"How's Junmyeon?" Chanyeol dared himself to ask, indirectly confirming Yixing's suspicion.
"How do you think he's doing?" Yixing challenged back, running his index finger along the rim of his glass as he weighed Chanyeol's expressions, as if trying to decide whether talking to Chanyeol was a waste of his time.
"Better than me, I hope." Chanyeol smiled wryly, his words sincere. He couldn't bear the thought of Junmyeon being depressed because of him and the shitty way Chanyeol had treated him. "He deserves better."
"Damn right he does." Yixing told him without missing a beat. "I warned you-"
"I know," Chanyeol breathed, trying not to throw up from the guilt that was eating him up from within. "And I'm sorry. I wished I'd dealt with this in a better way."
"You're a scum for all the lies you've told." For someone who looked so harmless, Yixing's words actually packed a punch, leaving Chanyeol completely winded. "But I hope this is you admitting that you've finally come to terms with your own feelings."
Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Yixing heaved an exaggerated sigh, like Chanyeol was insufferable. "I bet you've never seen the way you look at Junmyeon. Everyone knows you like him, but we were waiting for the time when you'd admit that you're not exactly all that straight."
"That's not exactly comforting, Yixing." Chanyeol frowned.
"It wasn't meant to comfort you." Yixing said serenely, as though he wasn't dealing Chanyeol some punches while talking about the weather. Chanyeol needed that, though. "But. I'm willing to give you another chance to redeem yourself."
Chanyeol raised a curious brow at Yixing. "Why would you? I mean, I kind of threw your friend's feelings right under the bus."
"I know." Yixing agreed easily. "Said friend of mine is still wallowing in his sorrows, and it's obvious how much he actually likes you to completely disregard your shitty background and shitty lies. So you're going to have to fix this."
"How?" Chanyeol bemoaned. "He won't even answer my calls."
"He's leaving for Prague for a year-long business trip. If you really care for him, then go see him off." Yixing informed, pulling a serviette to himself and scribbling a bunch of numbers on it before pushing it towards Chanyeol, who looked at him more confused than ever. "Flight details. Don't screw this up."
For the first time in his life, Chanyeol felt thankful that he was given the chance to fix his shit, and his mind immediately began to plan his apology in great detail. He definitely wasn't going to screw this up.
⁂
And Chanyeol very nearly screwed his final chance up. It was by a miracle that he'd managed to wake up on time for Junmyeon's early flight out to Prague at all, pulling on his clothes haphazardly while trying not to trip on his way out the door. He'd been up the entire night, finalising the details of his plans, and had missed the first few rings of his alarm.
He was panting and sweating a lot more than was normal for the early Spring weather by the time he barrelled into the airport, eyes darting around frantically in search of the nearest display board for the flight details and nearly slipping in the process. He panicked when he realised that Junmyeon's flight was already at its last call, which meant he had less than ten minutes' time to do this right.
That was why Chanyeol pulled the only stunt he could think of at that point of time, running up to the announcement counter and snatching the microphone right off the hands of the staff manning the counter. He ignored her indignant shrieks, or her other colleagues' threats that they'll call for the airport security if he refused to return the mic right now. Unfortunately for them, Chanyeol had no plans in stopping anytime soon. He knew he'd regret it otherwise, so he sucked in a deep breath and spoke up.
"Kim Junmyeon. Attention Mr. Kim Junmyeon." He said loud and clear into the mic, though the nerves began attacking him when he could hear the whispers of the crowd around him. Junmyeon's name was known nationwide, Chanyeol was sure, and for him to announce Junmyeon's name like this automatically ensured that everyone's attention was focused on him. He could only hope that by doing so, he could convince Junmyeon of his sincerity - if Junmyeon was listening, that is. There was no guarantee that Junmyeon hadn't boarded the flight yet, but at least he could live with one regret less.
Closing his eyes, Chanyeol willed himself to calm down and not chicken out of what he had meant to do. "Hi, Junmyeon. I know you can recognise my voice, but I can only hope you're listening to this. Look, I know I don't even deserve to be your friend after what I've done to you, but I really feel like the biggest piece of shit for that-" Cue mothers covering the ears of their children to protect them from Chanyeol's rough language. "-and I just want you to know that I've never regretted every single moment we've spent together. You might see me as a liar, and I don't blame you, but believe me when I say this - I like you, and I no longer want to pretend that I like girls. I like you, and there's nothing that will change that fact. Just- Please, accept my apology. It's all I'm hoping for."
The chill still lingered on his skin long after Chanyeol had said the last word, and he reeled from disbelief that he'd actually done it. He had just announced to everyone who was at Incheon International Airport at that point of time that he was gay, that he was in love with Junmyeon.
The exhilaration seeped out of him the moment he reopened his eyes, though. Several burly security guards were surrounding him, hands crossed in front of their chests, and honestly? They didn't seem very pleased with Chanyeol's little stunt.
Well, crap.
⁂
When Chanyeol was trying to come up with the perfect confession plan, the last thing he'd expected was to end up in the airport's lockup because of it. It was anticlimactic, really, especially when he had wanted to go home with a heart lighter than it had been in weeks after getting everything off his chest. Chanyeol supposes he deserved this, though. He could understand why they'd think of him as a security threat, even though all he did was to confess his feelings through the loudspeaker.
Chanyeol should really think things through next time - assuming someone was kind enough to bust his ass out of this place.
"Park, get yourself to your feet, kid. Someone's here to bail you out." The security officer unlocked his cell, much to Chanyeol's surprise, and he quickly scrambled to stand as he was told. There was no way Baekhyun or Jongdae could have known that Chanyeol had gotten his ass thrown into jail, considering the fact that his phone had been confiscated the moment they took him in. Chanyeol wasn't complaining, though. "As much as I admire young love, don't ever pull such a stunt again. You've brought the entire airport to a standstill."
Chanyeol gave a ninety-degree bow in apology at the security officer when he stepped out. "I deeply regret my irrational actions-" Not. "-and I will make sure I'll not repeat it again. Sorry for the trouble I've caused."
"Go on out. Someone's waiting for you," the officer told him. Chanyeol, who was only too happy to get out after a short jail time, failed to notice the smile the officer was wearing. He did, however, came to a complete standstill the moment he walked out the door, only to be met by the sight of Junmyeon leaning against the wall.
He couldn't comprehend what was going on. Surely he had fallen asleep in his cell, and he was currently having a very sweet dream? There was no way Junmyeon would be here for him - or bailed him out of jail, for that matter.
"Pinch yourself." The Junmyeon of his fantasies commanded him, and when Chanyeol blinked, confused, he reiterated himself, still wearing a patient smile on his face. "Pinch yourself. If it doesn't hurt, then this is a dream. If it hurts, then it's reality."
Chanyeol was, of course, adamant that this was only a part of his fantasies, so he decided to follow that command. He mustered all the strength he had and channelled it between his fingers, pinching the inside of his arm as hard as he could. Immediately his eyes welled up with tears, and soon he was howling out loud because fucking shit that hurt.
So this was reality, then.
Junmyeon wasn't at all sympathetic when he approached Chanyeol, his body shaking from the laughter, even as he came to stand before Chanyeol. "You ought to have more faith in yourself, you know."
There were still tears in his eyes when Chanyeol looked up, his hand rubbing soothing circles over the area where he'd pinched himself. A nasty bruise was sure to form there soon, if his classmates' testimonies that he was a monster at pinching people was true. "I don't understand. Aren't you supposed to be on the flight to Prague by now?"
His response came in the form of a bright grin. "I guess I must've forgotten to mention that Yixing's a huge prankster." Junmyeon told Chanyeol, as if it would resolve his confusion. "It's not my flight. I was merely sending Kris off. He's holding another exhibition in Prague."
The blood drained from Chanyeol's face at the realisation. "So that means- you heard-"
"Everything, yes." Junmyeon confirmed easily, ignoring Chanyeol's mortification altogether.
Chanyeol couldn't stop the groan which escaped his lips. "I'm just going to go bury myself six feet under and never see the light of day ever again." He said, and quickly made to run, only to have Junmyeon grab hold of him by his arm.
"Chanyeol," Junmyeon called out, torn between a laugh and a cry of desperation for Chanyeol to stay. "Stop. I'm here now, aren't I?"
Chanyeol braved himself to look over his shoulder at Junmyeon, fervently hoping that Junmyeon wasn't pulling his leg, for all that Chanyeol had done to him. "You're not... mad?" He tried. Junmyeon shot him down rather mercilessly mere seconds later.
"Of course I am." He answered honestly, and Chanyeol swore he could feel the words physically stabbing him in the chest. Then Junmyeon's gaze softened, and he closed the distance between them. "But I'll get over that eventually. I like you too much, unfortunately, so you're not going anywhere."
"I don't-" understand, was what Chanyeol had wanted to say, but before he could get the words out of his mouth, Junmyeon had already pulled Chanyeol down by the front of his shirt, and pressed his soft lips against Chanyeol's, spectators be screwed. Despite his still-confused mind, Chanyeol found himself smiling against Junmyeon's mouth, and kissed him back with equal fervour. He could really live with this.