R2; like a video game
Pairing: Chanyeol/Minseok
Side pairing(s): Luhan/Yifan
Rating: pg-13
Word Count: 3.7k
Warnings: swearing, magic
Summary:Minseok just wants to relax by playing his favorite idol based game. He doesn't expect his favorite idol to be trapped in there.
Author's Note:thanks to the mods for not giving up on me. the fic is much different than my original idea, but i couldn't figure out how to make it work. unbeta'd. the game idol pop is based on the real game star pop, but i wasn't sure if i could use the real name.
At ten in the morning it’s already shaping up to be another unbearably hot day.
The sun is unrelenting as it shines down with all the heat of an inferno. A scorching temperature radiates from the pavement and up through the soles of Chanyeol’s black leather designer shoes. Sweat is dripping down his back, causing the fancy purple button down to stick uncomfortably to his skin under the stifling charcoal grey blazer he’d been forced into before he hopped out of the van earlier. His dampened hair is slowly falling out of place as the hairspray and gel melt down along his forehead and ears. Concealer and foundation are turning to clay on his face, making his skin feel like it’s cracking with every expression he makes.
At ten in the morning Park Chanyeol is already having a bad day.
He’s running on empty, having only been able to eat half a pack of shrimp chips before he fell asleep face first at the kitchen table somewhere near four in the morning. He’d been rudely awoken at eight by their manager in order to be rushed off to be an unwilling victim for the stylist and makeup coordinators. And now here he is at ten in the morning: hungry, exhausted and slowly being burned to a crisp wrapped in his clothes like a goddamn baked potato, all while under the ever watchful eyes of their fans.
“Fucking smile,” Junmyeon hisses through his teeth as he waves and grins to the gathered crowd. “You’re supposed to be the happy one.”
“Bitch, make me,” Chanyeol grumbles under his breath - he’s quiet about it because he’s too tired to deal with nagging from the managers, not because he’s afraid of Junmyeon. He bites the inside of his cheek to keep from saying any of the truly vicious things that threaten to spill from his lips. It’s not Junmyeon’s fault Chanyeol is having a bad day. The wave he gives the shouting fans is mechanical. The smile he assembles up is robotic and empty.
The other members already have fans in front of them. Sehun is attempting to wink up at a girl in a high school uniform. Kyungsoo forgot his glasses again, and the poor fan in front of him is stammering nervously as he glares at her. Jongin is doodling a picture of a puppy on a male fan’s cd case. Yixing is smiling serenely, effortlessly cute, while Baekhyun and Jongdae take turns flirting with the girls blushing and giggling behind their hands. Junmyeon’s just told a terrible joke to the unfortunate woman trying to get his autograph, and her laughter is pained and forced as she tries to move on to Chanyeol.
He smirks as Junmyeon’s fake smile falls when the woman slides on down the table. Misery loves company, after all, and Chanyeol is feeling particularly miserable today. He tries to distract himself by checking out the fan. She’s pretty in the generic way that’s long since lost its appeal to him - it’s no fun to look when he can’t ever get anything more out of it without the company ripping his balls off. The woman’s long dark hair hangs straight down her back, pulled away from her forehead with a headband stamped with cherry blossoms. Dark eyes are lined in perfect black kohl. Her lips are crimson, and her high cheekbones are dusted with a soft shade of pink. Her white sleeveless top is tucked into a knee-length black skirt, and there are three inch heels on her dainty feet.
The only thing that really catches his attention is her bracelet. The small beads around her left wrist seem to glow as if tiny flames are captured in each one.
His good mood at Junmyeon’s grumpy expression is instantly ruined when she gets to him, though. She goes to set her coffee down, and her knee hits the edge of the table. The molten liquid splashes down his shirt, across his thighs and pools in his lap.
“Fuck! What kind of moron drinks coffee when it’s a million degrees out? Are you stupid?!” he shouts before he can stop himself. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?!”
The woman’s dark eyes flash. If he were thinking clearly, he might realize he’s acting like an asshole. He might realize she doesn’t look particularly worried or apologetic. Most importantly, he might realize that time seems to have frozen around him. Unfortunately, Chanyeol is not quite himself today, and he completely misses the way his bandmates are unmoving, unblinking and unbreathing beside him.
“Seriously, how are you going to take responsibility for this?!”
The woman smirks devilishly. Her blood red lips part as she laughs. The chilling sound causes goosebumps to break out across his skin. She steps closer, leaning over the table until she’s hovering in Chanyeol’s space. There’s something wicked about her movements, something almost predatory. The shift of her shoulders sends Chanyeol’s thoughts to leopards hunting their prey. He is cornered, trapped, and for the first time today, his terrible mood lifts enough for him to feel something other than contempt. He quickly looks to his side to search for Junmyeon or Kyungsoo, or hell, even one of the annoying ass managers to help him.
And his heart nearly stops as he sees them all halted in place as if God pressed the pause button on the remote.
“What the hell…”
“Ah, I’m really not that bad, Mr. Park. No reason to bring hell into this.” She laughs and traces a finger over his cheek, sharp nail stinging his skin. “I’m more of a neutral party, to be honest. Not good or bad. You, however,” she says, tapping him on the nose as if he’s a misbehaved puppy. “You have been very bad lately. Is fame and fortune too much for you to handle? Good looks, talent, a loving family and loyal friends. You’ve been pretty lucky as far as I can tell, Mr. Park, and in my opinion, it seems like you’ve started to take those things for granted lately. Your soul is beginning to become as fake as the persona the company has you play in front of the fans.”
Chanyeol opens his mouth to disagree, or beg for mercy, or shout for help - to say anything at all - but no noise will come out. No matter how much he strains his vocal chords, he can’t make a sound.
She laughs again, stepping back and rubbing the glowing beads between her fingers. “Yes. I think that’s it. You need to learn to appreciate the life you have, and I know just the way to help you out. No need to thank me, Mr. Park.” Her sickeningly sweet voice sticks in his ears like syrup as the world turns black.
*****
When Minseok gets back to his apartment after a long, exhausting day at the office, the very first thing he wants to do is take a steaming shower. The scalding hot water helps sooth his aching muscles that have become tense from shouldering the unachievably high demands set by his boss. The woman treats Minseok like he’s some kind of superhuman that doesn’t need sleep, food, rest or a social life in order to function.
Sadly, the only social interaction he gets is in the form of his annoyingly chipper roommate.
“Tough day?” Luhan asks as he barges in the bathroom and goes to the toilet. Privacy and personal space are not really concepts that Luhan understands.
Minseok groans and bangs his head against the tiled shower wall, letting the water cascade over his back. Luhan chuckles and flushes the toilet, shouting triumphantly when Minseok swears and almost trips over himself to get out from under the spray until the temperature evens out again.
“You know what I think?”
“No, and I really don’t care-” Minseok tries, but Luhan talks right over him.
“You need something to take your mind off work. A way to relax. A distraction. And since I’m the greatest friend in the world, I’ve decided that you should come out with me tonight! We can try to get your ass in those leather pants I got you for Christmas, and-”
Minseok absolutely refuses to be dragged along. Not today, when he’s alright falling asleep standing up against the shower wall and trying to forget the exact shrill pitch of the voice of his boss.
“My ass is going to be in the most comfortable pair of sweats I own and planted on the couch all night.”
Luhan argues and whines for so long that the water starts to run cold, but he finally takes the hint and leaves him in peace, declaring that he’s off to Yifan’s house until tomorrow. It’s with a relieved sigh that Minseok towels his hair dry as he walks around his blissfully quiet apartment. He loves Luhan, he does, but it’s nice to have some time to himself once in a while.
Dinner is a quick sandwich in front of the television in the faded grey sweat pants he’s had since he was fifteen. He’s trying his best to find a rerun of a variety show so he can mindlessly relax when his attention is caught by an urgent news broadcast.
“Everyone is reeling in shock after popular boy group member, Park Chanyeol, has gone missing this afternoon. Witness accounts say he simply vanished in thin air without a trace from an EXO fansign event. Police are investigating further, but for now there are no leads. SM Entertainment has not yet released a statement.”
Minseok frowns and quickly turns the channel. His heart feels like it’s fallen to the bottom of his stomach from the news. As a 26 year old male, he might be considered a bit old to be a fan of idol groups, but he can’t help it. The songs are catchy, the dances are amazing, and Minseok had secretly yearned to be an idol for years when he was younger. Unfortunately, he was never brave enough to audition or handsome enough to be scouted, but that only makes him admire idols even more for having the courage to do what he couldn’t.
He picks up his phone with slightly shaking hands and immediately opens his favorite app. It’s a guilty secret pleasure he indulges in when Luhan’s prying eyes aren’t around. His friend would never let him live it down because he’s a jerk like that.
Idol Pop loads after only a few seconds, and he’s greeted with the familiar and cute sight of his very own animated version of Park Chanyeol sleeping in a bed. It’s silly, but his heart eases a little at the sight. The real person might be missing, and that’s terrible and unthinkable, but this tiny version on his screen is safe and sound. The health is up as high as it can go, so Minseok grins a little to himself as he decides to send Chanyeol to the café to increase their friendship level.
And that’s when he notices something isn’t quite right.
It might be a glitch in the game or some kind of programming error. It must be. Minseok has been playing on Idol Pop for almost a year and he’s never seen any of the characters act like this. Chanyeol normally blushes cutely when he’s poked, touching his fingers together and scuffing his shoe as if he’s shy. He has a few different phrases that he cycles through about how he’s having a lot of fun, how he would be more handsome in a ski suit, and how he’s never seen anyone so pretty. It’s cheesy, generic stuff, but it never fails to make Minseok smile as he sends Chanyeol off to work or play or train.
Except this time Chanyeol is visibly distressed, running around the small screen and shouting. “Where am I?! What the hell did that lady do to me? Hello! Can you hear me?! Let me out!”
Minseok is confused. He pokes at Chanyeol a few times to try to get a different response. Instead, all he gets is Chanyeol jumping away from his finger as if he can see it coming toward him and loud cursing.
“Fucking stop! You’re going to crush me! Help me get the fuck out of here!”
“Whoa,” Minseok mumbles, eyes wide as he watches Chanyeol try to frantically kick at the edge of the screen. “I wonder if all of them are like that.” But when he switches to his wide-eyed D.O. there is no change to the animated person. He’s still cute and shyly suggesting they go out for a walk to enjoy the nice weather. The handsome Junmyeon in his blue and white striped sweater is equally as pleasant, smiling out from the phone.
Minseok goes through all of the EXO members and then Changmin from TVXQ. None of his other characters are acting strangely. He briefly considers that maybe it’s because Chanyeol’s friendship level is so much higher than all the others. Perhaps the company updated the game so that higher levels dropped formalities when speaking - to make it seem more realistic or something.
However, the thought instantly is discarded when he switches back to Chanyeol to see the tall idol trying, unsuccessfully, to throw a chair through the café window. The pixelated object bounces off the fake window and blinks, returning back to the original spot at a table.
“That witch! What did she do to me?!” Chanyeol yells, banging his head against the table in frustration.
“Excuse me? Um, Park Chanyeol-ssi?” Minseok asks hesitantly. “I can’t believe I’m asking this - Luhan will never let me live it down if he finds out - but are you okay? You seem a little… distressed.”
Chanyeol slowly raises his head and stares up at Minseok with so much annoyance etched on his face that for a moment Minseok forgets it’s just a game. God, the company did an amazing job. It’s so lifelike!
“No! I am not okay. Some crazy bitch spilled coffee on me at the fan sign event, and then she had the balls to blame me for getting mad! Can you believe it?” His brows are furrowed angrily and his usual smile is completely gone, overshadowed by the dark cloud of his unhappy frown. “Then she sent me here! Wherever here even is, I don’t know. And she said some shit about me needing to learn to appreciate my life as if I’m not well aware that I’m a lucky guy. Seriously! Why the hell can’t I be upset for one goddamn day without being accused of being an ungrateful person? I’m human, too! I get tired, and I get worn out.”
Chanyeol’s chest is heaving after his rant, and his tiny face is flushed pink. Minseok’s mind is racing as he tries to make sense of all of this. He thinks back to the news broadcast about Chanyeol going missing. Did Chanyeol say something about a woman doing this to him? A woman trying to teach him a lesson?
“Ah, shit,” Minseok grumbles with a dawning sense of clarity. “The woman, was she pretty, kind of short, long dark hair? Did she have a bracelet?”
Chanyeol shoots to his feet and points at Minseok accusingly. “You know her?! Are you working with her? Is this some kind of scandal set up?”
Guilt squirms uncomfortably in Minseok’s chest. “Well… I think it was probably my sister that you met today. She has a bit of a temper, you see, and she’s the type to think she always knows what’s best for everyone. I know you’re really, really mad - and I don’t blame you!” he adds quickly when Chanyeol’s handsome face turns thunderous again. “But I’ll help you get out, so please, calm down, Park Chanyeol-ssi.”
It looks like it physically pains Chanyeol to take a deep breath and restrain himself from swearing some more. After a moment, though, he settles himself back in the chair and watches Minseok expectantly. He raises an eyebrow when Minseok doesn’t move, too caught up in the sudden realization that he’s talking to the real Park Chanyeol and not just a character in a game. His sister is going to be in so much trouble with the council when they find out about her improper use of magic, and he can’t find it in himself to feel bad for her at all. Trapping someone in a virtual world is cruel no matter how good her intentions were.
His chest feels tight with anticipation and nervous butterflies as he pulls up the sleeve of his shirt and runs his fingers over the icy blue beads of his bracelet dangling off his thin wrist. Normally, he keeps the beads hidden for no other than reason than because he doesn’t want everyone knowing he’s one of the lucky few born with magic in their blood. The beads are unnaturally cold to the touch, freezing against his fingertips, and a surge of magical energy runs through him. With his heart beating too fast and his breath turning shallow, he focuses all of thoughts and attempts to will Chanyeol out of the game. There’s a wall of resistance trying to push him back, blocking him from his goal. It reeks of his sister’s brash and unruly magic. Luckily, Minseok has always been stronger.
It only takes one more large push that leaves him breathless and feeling queasy. He falls back on the couch at the same exact moment Park Chanyeol appears out of thin air, barely catching himself from landing face first on the carpet.
There is sweat dotting Minseok’s forehead, and he feels like he could eat at least two whole pizzas by himself. He doesn’t use magic often for this very reason: it leaves him feeling drained and ravenous. He contemplating which restaurant will deliver fastest when a deep voice cuts through his syrupy thoughts. It’s a voice that he’s only ever imagined speaking to him in his dreams.
“So, uh, thanks for saving me,” Chanyeol says, embarrassed. He scratches at the back of his hair and looks away with pink cheeks. “I’m sorry for swearing at you so much. I was having a bad day to begin with, and then that happened with your sister…”
Minseok scrambles up from the couch and waves his hands, trying to brush away Chanyeol’s apology. His sister is the one to blame, after all. He feels so bad that his own family member caused so much trouble for the idol. There’s no way he can ever make up for it.
Unless…
He wipes his sweaty palms across his pants and nervously licks his lips. This is absolutely crazy, but it’s the least he can do. “I don’t know how to repay you for the hardship me sister put you through. Sorry definitely doesn’t cut it. She should apologize for herself, but like I said, she never sees the problem with her actions because she thinks she’s helping people.” Okay, this is it. He can do this. “But I want to try to make it right. I am more than willing to offer my house as a getaway if you want to rest for a few days. I swear I won’t tell anyone you’re here, and my roommate can be convinced to stay with his boyfriend for the week, so we won’t have to worry about him blabbing about it. It’s not much, but you can sleep in and relax. Recharge, you know.”
His heart shudders violently when Chanyeol’s lips slowly pull up until he’s grinning blindingly with all his teeth. There’s a reason the Chanyeol in the Idol Pop game has a higher friendship level than all the other members. Minseok has had a massive crush on him since back when the very first teasers for EXO came out three years ago. He’s always been charmed by Chanyeol’s deep voice, easy smile and quick wit. His dorky sense of humor is also very attractive. But seeing Chanyeol like this today, unhappy, visibly exhausted and not perfectly put together, it makes Minseok feel the first twinges of something else. Something a little deeper than a simple crush on a famous person.
It’s entirely possible that he has a crush on Chanyeol the person instead of Chanyeol the idol. His face feels flaming hot as Chanyeol continues to smile back at him. For one second he wants to take the offer back. There’s no way anything good will come from living with Chanyeol for a week. If he gets to know him better, Minseok is afraid he’ll fall even further. Unfortunately, after only a few moments of thought, Chanyeol comes to a decision and there’s no way to back out without being rude.
“That would be great. I love my job, but it would be really nice to have a break. I can’t even remember the last time I got to sleep in. Thank you, ah-”
“Minseok. Kim Minseok,” he hurries to introduce himself.
Chanyeol grins and makes himself comfortable on the couch. He toes off his shoes and settles his long legs across the cushions. Minseok swallows past his dry throat, and his stomach chooses then to make it’s hunger known. Blushing furiously, Minseok declares that he’ll be right back after he orders them something to eat.
“Okay. I’m just going to call Junmyeon and let him know about the plan. I’m sure he’ll find a way to cover for me. Maybe I can get them to stop by at the end of the week, and you can meet them. Would that be cool?”
Minseok nods because he can’t trust himself to speak. He feels like he should pinch himself to make sure he’s not dreaming. It’s almost inconceivable that his bias is staying with him for a week, and he might get to meet the other members of his favorite band.
His phone beeps in his hand with a message from his sister.
you’re welcome, baby bro~
His sister is cunning and terrible, but he can’t help the giddy, gummy smile that lights up his face while he and Chanyeol share pizza on the couch half an hour later.
Side pairing(s): Luhan/Yifan
Rating: pg-13
Word Count: 3.7k
Warnings: swearing, magic
Summary:Minseok just wants to relax by playing his favorite idol based game. He doesn't expect his favorite idol to be trapped in there.
Author's Note:thanks to the mods for not giving up on me. the fic is much different than my original idea, but i couldn't figure out how to make it work. unbeta'd. the game idol pop is based on the real game star pop, but i wasn't sure if i could use the real name.
At ten in the morning it’s already shaping up to be another unbearably hot day.
The sun is unrelenting as it shines down with all the heat of an inferno. A scorching temperature radiates from the pavement and up through the soles of Chanyeol’s black leather designer shoes. Sweat is dripping down his back, causing the fancy purple button down to stick uncomfortably to his skin under the stifling charcoal grey blazer he’d been forced into before he hopped out of the van earlier. His dampened hair is slowly falling out of place as the hairspray and gel melt down along his forehead and ears. Concealer and foundation are turning to clay on his face, making his skin feel like it’s cracking with every expression he makes.
At ten in the morning Park Chanyeol is already having a bad day.
He’s running on empty, having only been able to eat half a pack of shrimp chips before he fell asleep face first at the kitchen table somewhere near four in the morning. He’d been rudely awoken at eight by their manager in order to be rushed off to be an unwilling victim for the stylist and makeup coordinators. And now here he is at ten in the morning: hungry, exhausted and slowly being burned to a crisp wrapped in his clothes like a goddamn baked potato, all while under the ever watchful eyes of their fans.
“Fucking smile,” Junmyeon hisses through his teeth as he waves and grins to the gathered crowd. “You’re supposed to be the happy one.”
“Bitch, make me,” Chanyeol grumbles under his breath - he’s quiet about it because he’s too tired to deal with nagging from the managers, not because he’s afraid of Junmyeon. He bites the inside of his cheek to keep from saying any of the truly vicious things that threaten to spill from his lips. It’s not Junmyeon’s fault Chanyeol is having a bad day. The wave he gives the shouting fans is mechanical. The smile he assembles up is robotic and empty.
The other members already have fans in front of them. Sehun is attempting to wink up at a girl in a high school uniform. Kyungsoo forgot his glasses again, and the poor fan in front of him is stammering nervously as he glares at her. Jongin is doodling a picture of a puppy on a male fan’s cd case. Yixing is smiling serenely, effortlessly cute, while Baekhyun and Jongdae take turns flirting with the girls blushing and giggling behind their hands. Junmyeon’s just told a terrible joke to the unfortunate woman trying to get his autograph, and her laughter is pained and forced as she tries to move on to Chanyeol.
He smirks as Junmyeon’s fake smile falls when the woman slides on down the table. Misery loves company, after all, and Chanyeol is feeling particularly miserable today. He tries to distract himself by checking out the fan. She’s pretty in the generic way that’s long since lost its appeal to him - it’s no fun to look when he can’t ever get anything more out of it without the company ripping his balls off. The woman’s long dark hair hangs straight down her back, pulled away from her forehead with a headband stamped with cherry blossoms. Dark eyes are lined in perfect black kohl. Her lips are crimson, and her high cheekbones are dusted with a soft shade of pink. Her white sleeveless top is tucked into a knee-length black skirt, and there are three inch heels on her dainty feet.
The only thing that really catches his attention is her bracelet. The small beads around her left wrist seem to glow as if tiny flames are captured in each one.
His good mood at Junmyeon’s grumpy expression is instantly ruined when she gets to him, though. She goes to set her coffee down, and her knee hits the edge of the table. The molten liquid splashes down his shirt, across his thighs and pools in his lap.
“Fuck! What kind of moron drinks coffee when it’s a million degrees out? Are you stupid?!” he shouts before he can stop himself. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?!”
The woman’s dark eyes flash. If he were thinking clearly, he might realize he’s acting like an asshole. He might realize she doesn’t look particularly worried or apologetic. Most importantly, he might realize that time seems to have frozen around him. Unfortunately, Chanyeol is not quite himself today, and he completely misses the way his bandmates are unmoving, unblinking and unbreathing beside him.
“Seriously, how are you going to take responsibility for this?!”
The woman smirks devilishly. Her blood red lips part as she laughs. The chilling sound causes goosebumps to break out across his skin. She steps closer, leaning over the table until she’s hovering in Chanyeol’s space. There’s something wicked about her movements, something almost predatory. The shift of her shoulders sends Chanyeol’s thoughts to leopards hunting their prey. He is cornered, trapped, and for the first time today, his terrible mood lifts enough for him to feel something other than contempt. He quickly looks to his side to search for Junmyeon or Kyungsoo, or hell, even one of the annoying ass managers to help him.
And his heart nearly stops as he sees them all halted in place as if God pressed the pause button on the remote.
“What the hell…”
“Ah, I’m really not that bad, Mr. Park. No reason to bring hell into this.” She laughs and traces a finger over his cheek, sharp nail stinging his skin. “I’m more of a neutral party, to be honest. Not good or bad. You, however,” she says, tapping him on the nose as if he’s a misbehaved puppy. “You have been very bad lately. Is fame and fortune too much for you to handle? Good looks, talent, a loving family and loyal friends. You’ve been pretty lucky as far as I can tell, Mr. Park, and in my opinion, it seems like you’ve started to take those things for granted lately. Your soul is beginning to become as fake as the persona the company has you play in front of the fans.”
Chanyeol opens his mouth to disagree, or beg for mercy, or shout for help - to say anything at all - but no noise will come out. No matter how much he strains his vocal chords, he can’t make a sound.
She laughs again, stepping back and rubbing the glowing beads between her fingers. “Yes. I think that’s it. You need to learn to appreciate the life you have, and I know just the way to help you out. No need to thank me, Mr. Park.” Her sickeningly sweet voice sticks in his ears like syrup as the world turns black.
*****
When Minseok gets back to his apartment after a long, exhausting day at the office, the very first thing he wants to do is take a steaming shower. The scalding hot water helps sooth his aching muscles that have become tense from shouldering the unachievably high demands set by his boss. The woman treats Minseok like he’s some kind of superhuman that doesn’t need sleep, food, rest or a social life in order to function.
Sadly, the only social interaction he gets is in the form of his annoyingly chipper roommate.
“Tough day?” Luhan asks as he barges in the bathroom and goes to the toilet. Privacy and personal space are not really concepts that Luhan understands.
Minseok groans and bangs his head against the tiled shower wall, letting the water cascade over his back. Luhan chuckles and flushes the toilet, shouting triumphantly when Minseok swears and almost trips over himself to get out from under the spray until the temperature evens out again.
“You know what I think?”
“No, and I really don’t care-” Minseok tries, but Luhan talks right over him.
“You need something to take your mind off work. A way to relax. A distraction. And since I’m the greatest friend in the world, I’ve decided that you should come out with me tonight! We can try to get your ass in those leather pants I got you for Christmas, and-”
Minseok absolutely refuses to be dragged along. Not today, when he’s alright falling asleep standing up against the shower wall and trying to forget the exact shrill pitch of the voice of his boss.
“My ass is going to be in the most comfortable pair of sweats I own and planted on the couch all night.”
Luhan argues and whines for so long that the water starts to run cold, but he finally takes the hint and leaves him in peace, declaring that he’s off to Yifan’s house until tomorrow. It’s with a relieved sigh that Minseok towels his hair dry as he walks around his blissfully quiet apartment. He loves Luhan, he does, but it’s nice to have some time to himself once in a while.
Dinner is a quick sandwich in front of the television in the faded grey sweat pants he’s had since he was fifteen. He’s trying his best to find a rerun of a variety show so he can mindlessly relax when his attention is caught by an urgent news broadcast.
“Everyone is reeling in shock after popular boy group member, Park Chanyeol, has gone missing this afternoon. Witness accounts say he simply vanished in thin air without a trace from an EXO fansign event. Police are investigating further, but for now there are no leads. SM Entertainment has not yet released a statement.”
Minseok frowns and quickly turns the channel. His heart feels like it’s fallen to the bottom of his stomach from the news. As a 26 year old male, he might be considered a bit old to be a fan of idol groups, but he can’t help it. The songs are catchy, the dances are amazing, and Minseok had secretly yearned to be an idol for years when he was younger. Unfortunately, he was never brave enough to audition or handsome enough to be scouted, but that only makes him admire idols even more for having the courage to do what he couldn’t.
He picks up his phone with slightly shaking hands and immediately opens his favorite app. It’s a guilty secret pleasure he indulges in when Luhan’s prying eyes aren’t around. His friend would never let him live it down because he’s a jerk like that.
Idol Pop loads after only a few seconds, and he’s greeted with the familiar and cute sight of his very own animated version of Park Chanyeol sleeping in a bed. It’s silly, but his heart eases a little at the sight. The real person might be missing, and that’s terrible and unthinkable, but this tiny version on his screen is safe and sound. The health is up as high as it can go, so Minseok grins a little to himself as he decides to send Chanyeol to the café to increase their friendship level.
And that’s when he notices something isn’t quite right.
It might be a glitch in the game or some kind of programming error. It must be. Minseok has been playing on Idol Pop for almost a year and he’s never seen any of the characters act like this. Chanyeol normally blushes cutely when he’s poked, touching his fingers together and scuffing his shoe as if he’s shy. He has a few different phrases that he cycles through about how he’s having a lot of fun, how he would be more handsome in a ski suit, and how he’s never seen anyone so pretty. It’s cheesy, generic stuff, but it never fails to make Minseok smile as he sends Chanyeol off to work or play or train.
Except this time Chanyeol is visibly distressed, running around the small screen and shouting. “Where am I?! What the hell did that lady do to me? Hello! Can you hear me?! Let me out!”
Minseok is confused. He pokes at Chanyeol a few times to try to get a different response. Instead, all he gets is Chanyeol jumping away from his finger as if he can see it coming toward him and loud cursing.
“Fucking stop! You’re going to crush me! Help me get the fuck out of here!”
“Whoa,” Minseok mumbles, eyes wide as he watches Chanyeol try to frantically kick at the edge of the screen. “I wonder if all of them are like that.” But when he switches to his wide-eyed D.O. there is no change to the animated person. He’s still cute and shyly suggesting they go out for a walk to enjoy the nice weather. The handsome Junmyeon in his blue and white striped sweater is equally as pleasant, smiling out from the phone.
Minseok goes through all of the EXO members and then Changmin from TVXQ. None of his other characters are acting strangely. He briefly considers that maybe it’s because Chanyeol’s friendship level is so much higher than all the others. Perhaps the company updated the game so that higher levels dropped formalities when speaking - to make it seem more realistic or something.
However, the thought instantly is discarded when he switches back to Chanyeol to see the tall idol trying, unsuccessfully, to throw a chair through the café window. The pixelated object bounces off the fake window and blinks, returning back to the original spot at a table.
“That witch! What did she do to me?!” Chanyeol yells, banging his head against the table in frustration.
“Excuse me? Um, Park Chanyeol-ssi?” Minseok asks hesitantly. “I can’t believe I’m asking this - Luhan will never let me live it down if he finds out - but are you okay? You seem a little… distressed.”
Chanyeol slowly raises his head and stares up at Minseok with so much annoyance etched on his face that for a moment Minseok forgets it’s just a game. God, the company did an amazing job. It’s so lifelike!
“No! I am not okay. Some crazy bitch spilled coffee on me at the fan sign event, and then she had the balls to blame me for getting mad! Can you believe it?” His brows are furrowed angrily and his usual smile is completely gone, overshadowed by the dark cloud of his unhappy frown. “Then she sent me here! Wherever here even is, I don’t know. And she said some shit about me needing to learn to appreciate my life as if I’m not well aware that I’m a lucky guy. Seriously! Why the hell can’t I be upset for one goddamn day without being accused of being an ungrateful person? I’m human, too! I get tired, and I get worn out.”
Chanyeol’s chest is heaving after his rant, and his tiny face is flushed pink. Minseok’s mind is racing as he tries to make sense of all of this. He thinks back to the news broadcast about Chanyeol going missing. Did Chanyeol say something about a woman doing this to him? A woman trying to teach him a lesson?
“Ah, shit,” Minseok grumbles with a dawning sense of clarity. “The woman, was she pretty, kind of short, long dark hair? Did she have a bracelet?”
Chanyeol shoots to his feet and points at Minseok accusingly. “You know her?! Are you working with her? Is this some kind of scandal set up?”
Guilt squirms uncomfortably in Minseok’s chest. “Well… I think it was probably my sister that you met today. She has a bit of a temper, you see, and she’s the type to think she always knows what’s best for everyone. I know you’re really, really mad - and I don’t blame you!” he adds quickly when Chanyeol’s handsome face turns thunderous again. “But I’ll help you get out, so please, calm down, Park Chanyeol-ssi.”
It looks like it physically pains Chanyeol to take a deep breath and restrain himself from swearing some more. After a moment, though, he settles himself back in the chair and watches Minseok expectantly. He raises an eyebrow when Minseok doesn’t move, too caught up in the sudden realization that he’s talking to the real Park Chanyeol and not just a character in a game. His sister is going to be in so much trouble with the council when they find out about her improper use of magic, and he can’t find it in himself to feel bad for her at all. Trapping someone in a virtual world is cruel no matter how good her intentions were.
His chest feels tight with anticipation and nervous butterflies as he pulls up the sleeve of his shirt and runs his fingers over the icy blue beads of his bracelet dangling off his thin wrist. Normally, he keeps the beads hidden for no other than reason than because he doesn’t want everyone knowing he’s one of the lucky few born with magic in their blood. The beads are unnaturally cold to the touch, freezing against his fingertips, and a surge of magical energy runs through him. With his heart beating too fast and his breath turning shallow, he focuses all of thoughts and attempts to will Chanyeol out of the game. There’s a wall of resistance trying to push him back, blocking him from his goal. It reeks of his sister’s brash and unruly magic. Luckily, Minseok has always been stronger.
It only takes one more large push that leaves him breathless and feeling queasy. He falls back on the couch at the same exact moment Park Chanyeol appears out of thin air, barely catching himself from landing face first on the carpet.
There is sweat dotting Minseok’s forehead, and he feels like he could eat at least two whole pizzas by himself. He doesn’t use magic often for this very reason: it leaves him feeling drained and ravenous. He contemplating which restaurant will deliver fastest when a deep voice cuts through his syrupy thoughts. It’s a voice that he’s only ever imagined speaking to him in his dreams.
“So, uh, thanks for saving me,” Chanyeol says, embarrassed. He scratches at the back of his hair and looks away with pink cheeks. “I’m sorry for swearing at you so much. I was having a bad day to begin with, and then that happened with your sister…”
Minseok scrambles up from the couch and waves his hands, trying to brush away Chanyeol’s apology. His sister is the one to blame, after all. He feels so bad that his own family member caused so much trouble for the idol. There’s no way he can ever make up for it.
Unless…
He wipes his sweaty palms across his pants and nervously licks his lips. This is absolutely crazy, but it’s the least he can do. “I don’t know how to repay you for the hardship me sister put you through. Sorry definitely doesn’t cut it. She should apologize for herself, but like I said, she never sees the problem with her actions because she thinks she’s helping people.” Okay, this is it. He can do this. “But I want to try to make it right. I am more than willing to offer my house as a getaway if you want to rest for a few days. I swear I won’t tell anyone you’re here, and my roommate can be convinced to stay with his boyfriend for the week, so we won’t have to worry about him blabbing about it. It’s not much, but you can sleep in and relax. Recharge, you know.”
His heart shudders violently when Chanyeol’s lips slowly pull up until he’s grinning blindingly with all his teeth. There’s a reason the Chanyeol in the Idol Pop game has a higher friendship level than all the other members. Minseok has had a massive crush on him since back when the very first teasers for EXO came out three years ago. He’s always been charmed by Chanyeol’s deep voice, easy smile and quick wit. His dorky sense of humor is also very attractive. But seeing Chanyeol like this today, unhappy, visibly exhausted and not perfectly put together, it makes Minseok feel the first twinges of something else. Something a little deeper than a simple crush on a famous person.
It’s entirely possible that he has a crush on Chanyeol the person instead of Chanyeol the idol. His face feels flaming hot as Chanyeol continues to smile back at him. For one second he wants to take the offer back. There’s no way anything good will come from living with Chanyeol for a week. If he gets to know him better, Minseok is afraid he’ll fall even further. Unfortunately, after only a few moments of thought, Chanyeol comes to a decision and there’s no way to back out without being rude.
“That would be great. I love my job, but it would be really nice to have a break. I can’t even remember the last time I got to sleep in. Thank you, ah-”
“Minseok. Kim Minseok,” he hurries to introduce himself.
Chanyeol grins and makes himself comfortable on the couch. He toes off his shoes and settles his long legs across the cushions. Minseok swallows past his dry throat, and his stomach chooses then to make it’s hunger known. Blushing furiously, Minseok declares that he’ll be right back after he orders them something to eat.
“Okay. I’m just going to call Junmyeon and let him know about the plan. I’m sure he’ll find a way to cover for me. Maybe I can get them to stop by at the end of the week, and you can meet them. Would that be cool?”
Minseok nods because he can’t trust himself to speak. He feels like he should pinch himself to make sure he’s not dreaming. It’s almost inconceivable that his bias is staying with him for a week, and he might get to meet the other members of his favorite band.
His phone beeps in his hand with a message from his sister.
you’re welcome, baby bro~
His sister is cunning and terrible, but he can’t help the giddy, gummy smile that lights up his face while he and Chanyeol share pizza on the couch half an hour later.