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writetomyheart2020-01-19 09:27 pm
damagea.livejournal.com) wrote in writetomyheart2020-01-19 09:27 pm
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[Team Four] Caught in Time
Sorry, I'm a little bit late! I started writing a short-ish fic because I watched '13 going on 30' and I wanted to make a Bkyl version of that because I LOVE TIME SLIPS, I'm so weak for them. But then the fic got longer than I had planned and it's still not finished asdfgh. Here's some beginning, at least. XD Jfyi: Baekhyun and Chanyeol are 15 at first, later 30!
“Just a minute, Baekhyun! You free now? You should come to our club building to meet my new ferret finally!”
There was a light of hope on Chanyeol's chubby face.
Baekhyun stopped in front him, and nervously swayed from leg to another. He kept straining his neck into different directions, like making sure no-one saw them talking.
“Sorry Chanyeol, the class is about to start soon--”, Baekhyun said uneasily.
Chanyeol blinked, dumbfounded.
“Oh okay. Well, I'll see you after? Let's go back home together?”
“Sure thing.”
*****
“Why is that you never talk to me at school?”
Chanyeol kicked a small stone, gaze dropped to ground. They walked their home-street side by side.
Baekhyun wanted to have an answer that didn't hurt Chanyeol's feelings. But it was unbelievably hard. Being one of the most popular students in their school (and staying like that) meant there were some obligatory rules to be followed. Baekhyun didn't want to lose his reputation he had so carefully built throughout all those years.
It's not like he was a bully, nothing like that. Baekhyun liked everyone, and everyone liked Baekhyun. He just had to have the circle of his closest friends to be certain way, and he was supposed to be seen with them, not with short chubby big-eared boys from the next door. Even though that short chubby big-eared boy from the next door would be one of his best friends.
“I'm sorry Chanyeol, you know how it is--”, Baekhyun tried.
“Right. I'm too embarrassing to hang around with. I'm not as cool as those people in Byungchul's gang.”
Baekhyun uttered an exhausted sigh.
“Is it so hard to believe I might have other friends besides you?” he snarled.
“But do those people even know you, Baekhyun? Are they even your friends? Besides, you're already way-way cooler than they could ever be. Be a popular idol-singer or not in the future.”
Baekhyun shook his head as refusal. “I'm not cool yet. You know I want nothing else than be an idol in the future, I'd hate to be normal.”
“But you're not normal,” Chanyeol said seriously, “You are you, and that's what I like the most about you.”
“Ahh, you're so sappy!” Baekhyun playfully pretended to push Chanyeol, like he always did. He never did that for real, and part of the fun was to see Chanyeol's funny reactions which were a bit extra whatever the circumstances were. Now he held his arm like it had got broken, feigning a dramatic gasp.
They laughed a little bit, but then Chanyeol turned a bit more serious again.
He fixed round glasses on his nose, dark fringe was flat against his sweaty forehead.
“I always think it'd be cool if you were a popular idol and I'd be a song-writer. And then we could do a collaboration, me popping a visit on your album. People would love us and our voices together. We could even perform together on big stage! How would that sound?”
“That'd be very nice indeed.”
Baekhyun smiled out of politeness, thoughts like that seemed very very far away. Then again, he was sure he'd be Chanyeol's friend even in the future. Be a song-writer or not.
Chanyeol fished out a candy bag from the pocket of his jacket. Obviously his mood had already gone higher.
“You want an Apollo?”
“Apollos are for kids,” Baekhyun answered dryly.
Chanyeol grinned. “Exactly.”
They took small colored plastic tubes, made a toast with them, teared the wraps and sucked the sour candy out.
*****
It was a Sunday evening, Baekhyun had been invited by Byungchul's gang to have a game night and they had just finished their match at one of the busiest arcades of the city. Unfortunately, as they stepped out Baekhyun could tell already from far that it was no-one but Chanyeol walking towards them. The boy was excitedly waving at him, but Baekhyun quickly turned around and got engaged into a very heated conversation about the game they had just tried before.
When he felt a tap against his shoulder, he pretended to look surprised.
“Oh Chanyeol, what's up?”
“You wanna hang around? Let's go and play together?”
“Can't, we just finished the game already. We're going to go and buy some snacks now.”
Chanyeol's face turned into scowl. “And I suppose I'm not invited, because I'm not counted as your friend today?”
“What is he talking about, Baekhyunnie?” Byungchul asked, frowning. Joontae, Jungwoo and Minki snickered mockingly, they probably found the situation amusing but also confusing, and Baekhyun knew he had no way out of the situation unless--
“Haha, I have no idea! Well Chanyeol, see you later at school,” Baekhyun tried but Chanyeol didn't let him by grabbing his shoulder.
“Why are you pretending again like you don't know me? Like you're not my friend?” Chanyeol raised his voice, lips pursed into a thin line in frustration, and he was blinking as if he was fighting for tears. He had always been such a cry-baby, it hadn't got any better during years.
“Chanyeol, not now.” Baekhyun tried to send a warning look, but Chanyeol didn't catch it.
“You're so cruel, I thought we were friends and you were different from others but apparently I was wrong,” Chanyeol continued weakly, sniffing his nose.
“Hey, you're just a pathetic nerd who doesn't have any friends,” Byungchul stepped forward to defend Baekhyun. “You don't see the truth that no-one in school wants to hang around with you! Leave our Baekhyun alone and don't disturb him again. We know he's cool, but he doesn't have time for people like you. Go and play with your ukulele and rat pet alone.”
It hurt a little bit to see Chanyeol like that, totally crushed by Byungchul's words, but Baekhyun knew there was no choice. He tried to send a 'let's-talk-about-this-later' look towards the boy but Chanyeol's gaze stayed towards his toes, shoulders crunched, before they turned their backs to him and walked away.
"Baekhyun hangs around with you only to get fame," Chanyeol shouted weakly behind them, his voice shaking. "He said you guys are only bunch of airheads. He even laughed with me at Joontae's bad presentation! And said that Byungchul is as stupid as a stone!"
"What a freak and what a loser," Byungchul muttered; Joontae, Jungwoo and Minki nodding in agreement.
Byungchul threw an arm around Baekhyun's shoulder. "Don't you worry about him, Baekhyun. He won't disturb you again. Unless," he stopped, and added pointedly, "you really are his friend and he told the truth there."
Baekhyun gulped. "No worries!"
That had been close.
*****
“What the hell was that?” Baekhyun asked furiously. Chanyeol had come to return some kitchen utensils his mother had borrowed from Baekhyun's family earlier before, and now two of them were standing by the front door of Baekhyun's home. He didn't even have to clarify he was talking about the incident at the arcade since they both clearly knew what he was referring to.
The more he had thought about it, the more angry he had got because he had been totally humiliated in front of the coolest people of their school.
“I just wanted to spend time with you,” Chanyeol winced weakly, like a wounded small animal. "I saw you in front of the arcade and thought it'd be nice because we both like games."
“I've never ever been that embarrassed in my life,” Baekhyun fumed, not being able to control himself. “Can't you understand? You can't say things like that to Byungchul and his gang!”
“I'm sorry. I just like you and spending time with you. And I'm tired of being your secret friend. I don't care what Byungchul and his stupid friends think!”
Baekhyun let out a frustrated groan. “Can't you understand that me and you are just random neighbours, not like real friends. We just hang around out of duty, not because we'd like each other."
"You seriously believe so?" Chanyeol asked sadly.
"But that's the truth! We have nothing in common, we just hang around sometimes because we're so used to that. Gosh, I wish I were an adult already and lived somewhere else. Somewhere far away from you. So that I didn't have to see you ever again.”
“Careful what you wish for, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said quietly, “Things like that might come true.”
“I seriously hope so!” Baekhyun shouted before pushing the boy away with both hands. Chanyeol stumbled backwards and Baekhyun slammed the door shut in front of him.
Later that night he had difficulties to fall asleep, he just kept repeating the mantra. Hoping Chanyeol would disappear from his life permanently. Hoping Chanyeol would leave him alone and let him live his life in peace.
*****
The doorbell was ringing somewhere in the background and Baekhyun mumbled in his sleep. His body felt heavy, somewhat different than normally.
The doorbell didn't stopped ringing, and now someone was banging on the door with their fist.
“Baekhyun, you awake? I swear, I'm going to walk in soon, I know your door code and password!” a muffled voice through the door threatened.
Baekhyun cracked his eyelids slightly, what a weird dream. Yet, the banging continued.
He tried to reach for his watch on the nightstand, only to realize there was no nightstand. He opened his eyes properly and was met with a room he had never seen before. What the--?
He tried rubbing his eyes with his hands but the vision didn't change. He was in a spacious foreign room, in a big queen-sized bed. A wave of nausea creeped to his stomach immediately, had he been kidnapped?
“Mom?” he called out carefully, but that only startled him since his voice sounded different. It was so low, like an adult man. And the ominous banging in the background continued.
Baekhyun jumped out from the bed. He was fully awake now. But the ground felt to be weirdly far from his eye-level, his head was spinning. Baekhyun tried once again his best to remember where he had been last night and what had landed him to such a pained state.
No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember they had gone to some family vacation on the day before. In fact, the room didn't resemble a hotel room either. It was more like a fancy modern bedroom of some high-class apartment.
He dragged himself towards the mirror on the wall but he immediately tripped, almost falling down on his butt, as he saw his reflection.
A foreign adult man with a blond hair was staring at him. Baekhyun's jaw dropped and the reflection did the same.
Baekhyun winced in shock and jumped so aggressively he accidentally hit his toe against the dresser. He cried out in pain and touched his toe, only to watch a little bit downwards and realize he had hairy legs.
Then he closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten, then raising a head and looking at himself again - but the reflection stayed the same. There was no 15-year-old boy, only an adult man wearing a white t-shirt and black briefs. Yet, now that Baekhyun studied at the reflection, he could tell some similarities and features that proved it wasn't just a random stranger.
Okay, that was definitely him.
Big ears, small-ish eyes, moles on his face. But at the same time it wasn't him, he looked at least ten years older than he remembered to be. He blinked in confusion – the reflection blinked and had the same confused look that was familiar from all the family photos.
“Baekhyun?!” someone was calling him through the door again.
Baekhyun carefully tiptoed into the next room which was a large living-room with high ceilings and high windows facing towards the city. Was that Han river? Wait, was he in Seoul?
Baekhyun had no time to study his surroundings before the front door opened. A short-ish man with a short trimmed black hair marched in, a judgemental look on his face.
He didn't look happy at all.
“So you weren't dead then,” the guy mumbled through the gritted teeth, “I swear, I almost started hoping that would have been the case. At least that way I would have gotten rid of you.”
“Who are you?”
The guy raised his hands in the air in a defeated manner. “Enough, I'm tired of your bad jokes, it's way too early for that! Put some clothes on now, for heaven's sake.”
“What--”
“Why is the god punishing me like this,” the guy whined desperately, more to himself than to Baekhyun. “And I thought I had only one kid with my wife, but apparently I have one more.”
“Excuse me mister, what's going--”
“Oh great, now they're calling me,” the guy puffed in frustration, perfectly ignoring Baekhyun's attempts to ask any questions. He fished out a very modern flat phone from his pocket, tapped the screen once and turned his back to Baekhyun. “Yeah, do tell? Right, I'm now here. And yeah, we're totally screwed because it looks like he managed to get a hangover for today--”
Baekhyun could only stare at the guy talking on the phone. If he hadn't been convinced he was dreaming, he would have said the guy supposedly was his teacher or his boss. Or a very weird friend. The thing was, Baekhyun had never met the guy before. He had simply no clue what was going on, if someone was pulling a very sick prank on him or if he was the one going crazy.
The guy put the phone back to his pocket and turned to look at Baekhyun.
“Jesus, what's this smell--,” the guy muttered, looking around with an expression of disgust. He turned to look at Baekhyun, measuring him with his eyes. “And you look like shit. Partying hard last night again, that's how you got the hangover?”
“What? No! Can you tell me who--”
“Geez, we have no time for this, Baekhyun! I'll give you exactly 10 minutes to put your clothes on and get the rid of that hangover. We're going to be late soon.”
“Late for what?”
“That's it. You're using drugs, aren't you?”
“No!” Baekhyun shouted, taken aback.
Who was this guy even, why was he in this apartment and why did he make such crazy accusations? What was this apartment even?
“Okay now, get a fucking grip of yourself and repeat after me,” the guy literally took a hard grip on Baekhyun's shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I am Byun Baekhyun. This is my apartment in Gangnam. I'm the nation's most-loved idol star and this man here is Kim Jongdae, my manager.”
Baekhyun's ears were ringing. “I am Byun-- what?!”
“And I'm going to get kicked in my butt by that manager, if I don't start getting prepared now. Okay okay, I'll wait for you in the car. I give you exactly those 10 minutes, or I'll leave without you!” the guy, Jongdae, hollered as he started walking towards the front door.
*****
Nothing made sense. Baekhyun was still panicking internally, pinching himself on his thigh so he could wake up from the dream. But he didn't wake up, even though he tried his everything. And the way he could feel the pinch and Jongdae's rambling was filling the space with the music coming from the radio was starting to hit him that maybe, maybe, this was real after all.
He just had no idea how he had got there, the last memory was when he was 15. Only blankness between that and the present. It creeped Baekhyun out; what if he had lost all those years and memories, and he wouldn't remember them ever again?
Nonetheless, Baekhyun found himself sitting in a car. Fancy car with red seatbelts and a nice audio system. With some Kim Jongdae, who was driving the vehicle. He still didn't look particularly happy when he started talking again.
“Okay, SBS wants our answer by tomorrow so we should discuss that during the lunch break. And what else... you have a photoshoot tomorrow evening, we need to decide the artist to feature you for your new song, I booked that usual massage for you for the next week, Sehun called and wants to meet you, your mother called, we should decide the theme for your--”
“My mom called?!” Baekhyun winced, cutting Jongdae in the middle of his sentence.
Jongdae raised his brow. “Yeah?”
“I wish you had told me earlier! What did she say?”
“I don't know. I just told her the usual, you're busy and she should stop trying to call. You'll contact her when you have time. Maybe.”
Baekhyun's eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you said that to my mom?”
“As long as I've been your manager, you've been telling me not to bother you with 'some useless family shit', as you like to put it.”
Baekhyun was dumbfounded. “I-- do? I've said that?”
Jongdae shook his head, shifting his eyes back to the road. “Geez, you seriously need to stop drinking, man. What the hell did you do last night?”
“Well, that's the thing! Something strange is happening. I woke up in a strange apartment I've never seen before, apparently I'm in Seoul and I have no idea how I ended up here. Last memory I have when I was 15!”
“You won't drink during weekdays any longer, it only gets you to those so-called strange apartments of other celebrities,” Jongdae informed him strictly, clearly not getting half of the things Baekhyun had just told him. “Also, could you please stop with that lying-my-age-thing, it's so last season. And I swear I'm finally going to put that drug test on you!”
Baekhyun wanted to protest, but he realized that apparently there was no use to resist this manager of his. He needed help, he needed to remember his life. Only one name popped out in his mind.
“Jongdae, as you're apparently my manager, could you find me some address information, please? I really really need to meet someone later today.”
*****
Baekhyun ended up finding himself in the meeting room of some kind kind of a recording studio, Jongdae had made Baekhyun to swear at the parking lot he wasn't going to say anything.
”I don't want to embarrass myself in front of those people just because of your hangover.” Right right. There was no other way out than just playing along. At least until he would get some good explanation for everything.
While a group of men and women were talking with Jongdae about some music show, Baekhyun secretly kept looking around the surroundings with an interest.
Apparently Jongdae hadn't lied to him when he had told Baekhyun was some kind of a big celebrity slash an idol star. His name was written on album covers which were placed next to each other on the shelf and a big signed poster of himself was hanging on the wall.
His mind couldn't concentrate on the topic in discussion, luckily he wasn't much needed since Jongdae was the one doing all the talking, and the only thing he could think about was the person who could help him to remember.
*****
“You're not a pizza boy?”
The voice was deep, that didn't sound familiar. It also came higher where Baekhyun himself was standing, that wasn't a familiar feeling either. Jongdae had forced Baekhyun to wear a cap and a mask ("So that no-one recognizes you, I'm tired of those lurking paparazzi!") and he had already felt like an idiot, but now he felt even more like a moron.
The guy in front of him leaning against the door frame was at least 4-or-so inches taller than Baekhyun. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and black jeans, no glasses, and his black hair was messy like he had just woken up. Finally, the pair of big expressive eyes and funnily pointed ears were something very familiar and it couldn't have been anyone else than--
“Ch-chanyeol?” Baekhyun blinked, couldn't stop himself from staring at the man. Chanyeol looked so adult, so different.
“Yeah?”
An adult Chanyeol sent a curious questioning look, obviously not really catching what was going on and why Baekhyun was there in front of his door to meet him.
“Park Chanyeol!” Baekhyun repeated with a happy exclaim, wanting to cry from relief as he ripped the mask off, revealing his bare face.
“Yup,” Chanyeol extended the syllable, not mirroring a smile on Baekhyun's face.
“You're-- holy shit, you're so tall!”
“Can't say the same thing about you. Byun Baekhyun, is that really you?”
“Yes yes yes!” Baekhyun kept going happily, he couldn't hide his excitement. Finally, finally someone he knew. Although little was left from the chubby neighbour ferret-lover-boy, but it still was the same Chanyeol, his Park Chanyeol, in flesh.
With all the confusion, Baekhyun had been so tired and exhausted the whole day, and now he felt the wave of relief coming so strongly he automatically leaned in to wrap his arms around the man in front of him, squeezing him tightly. His nose caught a smell of men's aftershave and the big body felt unfamiliar, yet it was still Chanyeol, the anchor to the life Baekhyun still remembered.
Chanyeol didn't respond to hug but only clumsily patted Baekhyun's back.
“Umm, you want to come in?”
*****
“You're a music producer! And a song writer!” Baekhyun bursted out in excitement as he watched the neat row of the award plates on the white wall. Chanyeol's name was written on all of them, he had worked with artists Baekhyun hadn't even (not so surprisingly in these conditions) heard about but the expensive looking plates gave an idea that they weren't just no-ones.
“Yeah,” Chanyeol said, scratching his neck. “You know, it pays the bills.”
“And I'm an idol! A professional singer! Isn't this crazy, Chanyeol? We're like-- 30 and we both have jobs and apartments. In Seoul. We are like real adults! Isn't this so cool?”
“Totally cool,” Chanyeol hummed.
Baekhyun kept excitedly looking around, Chanyeol silently following him with his gaze.
“Baekhyun, I seriously need to ask you,” Chanyeol started softly (Baekhyun still wasn't used to the low register), “What's going on? Why are you here?”
“I told you already, something really really weird and freaky is going on. Yesterday we were 15 and living in Bucheon. Then I just suddenly wake up this morning and I'm... this. And you, you're that! Look at yourself, Chanyeol!”
“Are you doing drugs? Pot? Ecstasy? That new trend-drug all you celebrities use?” Chanyeol listed with a bored tone.
Baekhyun blinked in confusion before reacting.
“What, no?!” he stuttered, shocked. “Why is everyone obsessed with drugs. First Jongdae, now you.”
Chanyeol sent a disbelieving look.
“My manager,” Baekhyun clarified sheepily. “Jongdae. Kim Jongdae.”
“Okay.”
Baekhyun cleared his throat.
“The thing is,” he said, “I don't remember anything! I'm not lying, I can't remember my life. I have no idea how I've got to this point, it's like I've skipped straight from my teenage years to the present and there's nothing in between. No memories, nothing I could grasp on. It's just black. Chanyeol, you have to help me to remember.”
“Me? Baekhyun, the story of yours does sound quite tragic but I can't help you with that.”
Chanyeol only shook his head, and Baekhyun couldn't tell what the frown on his handsome (yeah it totally was handsome, go figure) face meant.
Baekhyun's couldn't disguise his disappointment, he was more than a little desperate.
“Why not?” he demanded to know.
“Because I know absolutely nothing about you. We haven't seen each other since high-school.”
“W-what?”
“We're not friends anymore, it's that simple. You stopped talking to me. And then you left Bucheon right after the graduation, your folks moved to another apartment soon later.”
“No Chanyeol,” Baekhyun pleaded, not accepting the cruel words to be true. “You're my best friend! My neighbor, we eat Apollos together, take the same bus to school and play video games together!”
“I'm sorry,” Chanyeol simply said, shaking his head.
The apartment felt suddenly very hot, the atmosphere was heavy and Baekhyun's head was spinning so hard even his breath became uneven.
“Sit down,” Chanyeol took Baekhyun's arm, he gently led him to the couch.
*****
“I've seen you on telly.” Chanyeol handed him a glass of water. “You're good. Very good. People love your voice. They love you, the whole nation's own little star.”
“So my dreams came true.”
“That's right.” Chanyeol's half-saddened grin tilted to the side. “You got everything you wanted, Baekhyun. Congratulations. But that's all the information I have to offer. Like I said, I know nothing about you.”
Baekhyun didn't respond, it was hurtful to know he had cut all the ties with Chanyeol. Just like that.
“We went different cities, different universities. We went separate ways. That's how life goes on sometimes,” Chanyeol explained calmly.
“But what happened? Why did I stop talking to you?”
Chanyeol shrugged, he didn't look very bothered. “I don't know. I can't remember anymore, to be honest. It's been so long. Like I said, I haven't seen you since high-school.”
Baekhyun felt there was a crushing weight on his shoulders.
“I think you should go home.” Chanyeol patted his back, second time during the day. “I'll help you to find it.”
Your turn,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
luciferxdamien! :)
“Just a minute, Baekhyun! You free now? You should come to our club building to meet my new ferret finally!”
There was a light of hope on Chanyeol's chubby face.
Baekhyun stopped in front him, and nervously swayed from leg to another. He kept straining his neck into different directions, like making sure no-one saw them talking.
“Sorry Chanyeol, the class is about to start soon--”, Baekhyun said uneasily.
Chanyeol blinked, dumbfounded.
“Oh okay. Well, I'll see you after? Let's go back home together?”
“Sure thing.”
*****
“Why is that you never talk to me at school?”
Chanyeol kicked a small stone, gaze dropped to ground. They walked their home-street side by side.
Baekhyun wanted to have an answer that didn't hurt Chanyeol's feelings. But it was unbelievably hard. Being one of the most popular students in their school (and staying like that) meant there were some obligatory rules to be followed. Baekhyun didn't want to lose his reputation he had so carefully built throughout all those years.
It's not like he was a bully, nothing like that. Baekhyun liked everyone, and everyone liked Baekhyun. He just had to have the circle of his closest friends to be certain way, and he was supposed to be seen with them, not with short chubby big-eared boys from the next door. Even though that short chubby big-eared boy from the next door would be one of his best friends.
“I'm sorry Chanyeol, you know how it is--”, Baekhyun tried.
“Right. I'm too embarrassing to hang around with. I'm not as cool as those people in Byungchul's gang.”
Baekhyun uttered an exhausted sigh.
“Is it so hard to believe I might have other friends besides you?” he snarled.
“But do those people even know you, Baekhyun? Are they even your friends? Besides, you're already way-way cooler than they could ever be. Be a popular idol-singer or not in the future.”
Baekhyun shook his head as refusal. “I'm not cool yet. You know I want nothing else than be an idol in the future, I'd hate to be normal.”
“But you're not normal,” Chanyeol said seriously, “You are you, and that's what I like the most about you.”
“Ahh, you're so sappy!” Baekhyun playfully pretended to push Chanyeol, like he always did. He never did that for real, and part of the fun was to see Chanyeol's funny reactions which were a bit extra whatever the circumstances were. Now he held his arm like it had got broken, feigning a dramatic gasp.
They laughed a little bit, but then Chanyeol turned a bit more serious again.
He fixed round glasses on his nose, dark fringe was flat against his sweaty forehead.
“I always think it'd be cool if you were a popular idol and I'd be a song-writer. And then we could do a collaboration, me popping a visit on your album. People would love us and our voices together. We could even perform together on big stage! How would that sound?”
“That'd be very nice indeed.”
Baekhyun smiled out of politeness, thoughts like that seemed very very far away. Then again, he was sure he'd be Chanyeol's friend even in the future. Be a song-writer or not.
Chanyeol fished out a candy bag from the pocket of his jacket. Obviously his mood had already gone higher.
“You want an Apollo?”
“Apollos are for kids,” Baekhyun answered dryly.
Chanyeol grinned. “Exactly.”
They took small colored plastic tubes, made a toast with them, teared the wraps and sucked the sour candy out.
*****
It was a Sunday evening, Baekhyun had been invited by Byungchul's gang to have a game night and they had just finished their match at one of the busiest arcades of the city. Unfortunately, as they stepped out Baekhyun could tell already from far that it was no-one but Chanyeol walking towards them. The boy was excitedly waving at him, but Baekhyun quickly turned around and got engaged into a very heated conversation about the game they had just tried before.
When he felt a tap against his shoulder, he pretended to look surprised.
“Oh Chanyeol, what's up?”
“You wanna hang around? Let's go and play together?”
“Can't, we just finished the game already. We're going to go and buy some snacks now.”
Chanyeol's face turned into scowl. “And I suppose I'm not invited, because I'm not counted as your friend today?”
“What is he talking about, Baekhyunnie?” Byungchul asked, frowning. Joontae, Jungwoo and Minki snickered mockingly, they probably found the situation amusing but also confusing, and Baekhyun knew he had no way out of the situation unless--
“Haha, I have no idea! Well Chanyeol, see you later at school,” Baekhyun tried but Chanyeol didn't let him by grabbing his shoulder.
“Why are you pretending again like you don't know me? Like you're not my friend?” Chanyeol raised his voice, lips pursed into a thin line in frustration, and he was blinking as if he was fighting for tears. He had always been such a cry-baby, it hadn't got any better during years.
“Chanyeol, not now.” Baekhyun tried to send a warning look, but Chanyeol didn't catch it.
“You're so cruel, I thought we were friends and you were different from others but apparently I was wrong,” Chanyeol continued weakly, sniffing his nose.
“Hey, you're just a pathetic nerd who doesn't have any friends,” Byungchul stepped forward to defend Baekhyun. “You don't see the truth that no-one in school wants to hang around with you! Leave our Baekhyun alone and don't disturb him again. We know he's cool, but he doesn't have time for people like you. Go and play with your ukulele and rat pet alone.”
It hurt a little bit to see Chanyeol like that, totally crushed by Byungchul's words, but Baekhyun knew there was no choice. He tried to send a 'let's-talk-about-this-later' look towards the boy but Chanyeol's gaze stayed towards his toes, shoulders crunched, before they turned their backs to him and walked away.
"Baekhyun hangs around with you only to get fame," Chanyeol shouted weakly behind them, his voice shaking. "He said you guys are only bunch of airheads. He even laughed with me at Joontae's bad presentation! And said that Byungchul is as stupid as a stone!"
"What a freak and what a loser," Byungchul muttered; Joontae, Jungwoo and Minki nodding in agreement.
Byungchul threw an arm around Baekhyun's shoulder. "Don't you worry about him, Baekhyun. He won't disturb you again. Unless," he stopped, and added pointedly, "you really are his friend and he told the truth there."
Baekhyun gulped. "No worries!"
That had been close.
*****
“What the hell was that?” Baekhyun asked furiously. Chanyeol had come to return some kitchen utensils his mother had borrowed from Baekhyun's family earlier before, and now two of them were standing by the front door of Baekhyun's home. He didn't even have to clarify he was talking about the incident at the arcade since they both clearly knew what he was referring to.
The more he had thought about it, the more angry he had got because he had been totally humiliated in front of the coolest people of their school.
“I just wanted to spend time with you,” Chanyeol winced weakly, like a wounded small animal. "I saw you in front of the arcade and thought it'd be nice because we both like games."
“I've never ever been that embarrassed in my life,” Baekhyun fumed, not being able to control himself. “Can't you understand? You can't say things like that to Byungchul and his gang!”
“I'm sorry. I just like you and spending time with you. And I'm tired of being your secret friend. I don't care what Byungchul and his stupid friends think!”
Baekhyun let out a frustrated groan. “Can't you understand that me and you are just random neighbours, not like real friends. We just hang around out of duty, not because we'd like each other."
"You seriously believe so?" Chanyeol asked sadly.
"But that's the truth! We have nothing in common, we just hang around sometimes because we're so used to that. Gosh, I wish I were an adult already and lived somewhere else. Somewhere far away from you. So that I didn't have to see you ever again.”
“Careful what you wish for, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said quietly, “Things like that might come true.”
“I seriously hope so!” Baekhyun shouted before pushing the boy away with both hands. Chanyeol stumbled backwards and Baekhyun slammed the door shut in front of him.
Later that night he had difficulties to fall asleep, he just kept repeating the mantra. Hoping Chanyeol would disappear from his life permanently. Hoping Chanyeol would leave him alone and let him live his life in peace.
*****
The doorbell was ringing somewhere in the background and Baekhyun mumbled in his sleep. His body felt heavy, somewhat different than normally.
The doorbell didn't stopped ringing, and now someone was banging on the door with their fist.
“Baekhyun, you awake? I swear, I'm going to walk in soon, I know your door code and password!” a muffled voice through the door threatened.
Baekhyun cracked his eyelids slightly, what a weird dream. Yet, the banging continued.
He tried to reach for his watch on the nightstand, only to realize there was no nightstand. He opened his eyes properly and was met with a room he had never seen before. What the--?
He tried rubbing his eyes with his hands but the vision didn't change. He was in a spacious foreign room, in a big queen-sized bed. A wave of nausea creeped to his stomach immediately, had he been kidnapped?
“Mom?” he called out carefully, but that only startled him since his voice sounded different. It was so low, like an adult man. And the ominous banging in the background continued.
Baekhyun jumped out from the bed. He was fully awake now. But the ground felt to be weirdly far from his eye-level, his head was spinning. Baekhyun tried once again his best to remember where he had been last night and what had landed him to such a pained state.
No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember they had gone to some family vacation on the day before. In fact, the room didn't resemble a hotel room either. It was more like a fancy modern bedroom of some high-class apartment.
He dragged himself towards the mirror on the wall but he immediately tripped, almost falling down on his butt, as he saw his reflection.
A foreign adult man with a blond hair was staring at him. Baekhyun's jaw dropped and the reflection did the same.
Baekhyun winced in shock and jumped so aggressively he accidentally hit his toe against the dresser. He cried out in pain and touched his toe, only to watch a little bit downwards and realize he had hairy legs.
Then he closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten, then raising a head and looking at himself again - but the reflection stayed the same. There was no 15-year-old boy, only an adult man wearing a white t-shirt and black briefs. Yet, now that Baekhyun studied at the reflection, he could tell some similarities and features that proved it wasn't just a random stranger.
Okay, that was definitely him.
Big ears, small-ish eyes, moles on his face. But at the same time it wasn't him, he looked at least ten years older than he remembered to be. He blinked in confusion – the reflection blinked and had the same confused look that was familiar from all the family photos.
“Baekhyun?!” someone was calling him through the door again.
Baekhyun carefully tiptoed into the next room which was a large living-room with high ceilings and high windows facing towards the city. Was that Han river? Wait, was he in Seoul?
Baekhyun had no time to study his surroundings before the front door opened. A short-ish man with a short trimmed black hair marched in, a judgemental look on his face.
He didn't look happy at all.
“So you weren't dead then,” the guy mumbled through the gritted teeth, “I swear, I almost started hoping that would have been the case. At least that way I would have gotten rid of you.”
“Who are you?”
The guy raised his hands in the air in a defeated manner. “Enough, I'm tired of your bad jokes, it's way too early for that! Put some clothes on now, for heaven's sake.”
“What--”
“Why is the god punishing me like this,” the guy whined desperately, more to himself than to Baekhyun. “And I thought I had only one kid with my wife, but apparently I have one more.”
“Excuse me mister, what's going--”
“Oh great, now they're calling me,” the guy puffed in frustration, perfectly ignoring Baekhyun's attempts to ask any questions. He fished out a very modern flat phone from his pocket, tapped the screen once and turned his back to Baekhyun. “Yeah, do tell? Right, I'm now here. And yeah, we're totally screwed because it looks like he managed to get a hangover for today--”
Baekhyun could only stare at the guy talking on the phone. If he hadn't been convinced he was dreaming, he would have said the guy supposedly was his teacher or his boss. Or a very weird friend. The thing was, Baekhyun had never met the guy before. He had simply no clue what was going on, if someone was pulling a very sick prank on him or if he was the one going crazy.
The guy put the phone back to his pocket and turned to look at Baekhyun.
“Jesus, what's this smell--,” the guy muttered, looking around with an expression of disgust. He turned to look at Baekhyun, measuring him with his eyes. “And you look like shit. Partying hard last night again, that's how you got the hangover?”
“What? No! Can you tell me who--”
“Geez, we have no time for this, Baekhyun! I'll give you exactly 10 minutes to put your clothes on and get the rid of that hangover. We're going to be late soon.”
“Late for what?”
“That's it. You're using drugs, aren't you?”
“No!” Baekhyun shouted, taken aback.
Who was this guy even, why was he in this apartment and why did he make such crazy accusations? What was this apartment even?
“Okay now, get a fucking grip of yourself and repeat after me,” the guy literally took a hard grip on Baekhyun's shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I am Byun Baekhyun. This is my apartment in Gangnam. I'm the nation's most-loved idol star and this man here is Kim Jongdae, my manager.”
Baekhyun's ears were ringing. “I am Byun-- what?!”
“And I'm going to get kicked in my butt by that manager, if I don't start getting prepared now. Okay okay, I'll wait for you in the car. I give you exactly those 10 minutes, or I'll leave without you!” the guy, Jongdae, hollered as he started walking towards the front door.
*****
Nothing made sense. Baekhyun was still panicking internally, pinching himself on his thigh so he could wake up from the dream. But he didn't wake up, even though he tried his everything. And the way he could feel the pinch and Jongdae's rambling was filling the space with the music coming from the radio was starting to hit him that maybe, maybe, this was real after all.
He just had no idea how he had got there, the last memory was when he was 15. Only blankness between that and the present. It creeped Baekhyun out; what if he had lost all those years and memories, and he wouldn't remember them ever again?
Nonetheless, Baekhyun found himself sitting in a car. Fancy car with red seatbelts and a nice audio system. With some Kim Jongdae, who was driving the vehicle. He still didn't look particularly happy when he started talking again.
“Okay, SBS wants our answer by tomorrow so we should discuss that during the lunch break. And what else... you have a photoshoot tomorrow evening, we need to decide the artist to feature you for your new song, I booked that usual massage for you for the next week, Sehun called and wants to meet you, your mother called, we should decide the theme for your--”
“My mom called?!” Baekhyun winced, cutting Jongdae in the middle of his sentence.
Jongdae raised his brow. “Yeah?”
“I wish you had told me earlier! What did she say?”
“I don't know. I just told her the usual, you're busy and she should stop trying to call. You'll contact her when you have time. Maybe.”
Baekhyun's eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you said that to my mom?”
“As long as I've been your manager, you've been telling me not to bother you with 'some useless family shit', as you like to put it.”
Baekhyun was dumbfounded. “I-- do? I've said that?”
Jongdae shook his head, shifting his eyes back to the road. “Geez, you seriously need to stop drinking, man. What the hell did you do last night?”
“Well, that's the thing! Something strange is happening. I woke up in a strange apartment I've never seen before, apparently I'm in Seoul and I have no idea how I ended up here. Last memory I have when I was 15!”
“You won't drink during weekdays any longer, it only gets you to those so-called strange apartments of other celebrities,” Jongdae informed him strictly, clearly not getting half of the things Baekhyun had just told him. “Also, could you please stop with that lying-my-age-thing, it's so last season. And I swear I'm finally going to put that drug test on you!”
Baekhyun wanted to protest, but he realized that apparently there was no use to resist this manager of his. He needed help, he needed to remember his life. Only one name popped out in his mind.
“Jongdae, as you're apparently my manager, could you find me some address information, please? I really really need to meet someone later today.”
*****
Baekhyun ended up finding himself in the meeting room of some kind kind of a recording studio, Jongdae had made Baekhyun to swear at the parking lot he wasn't going to say anything.
”I don't want to embarrass myself in front of those people just because of your hangover.” Right right. There was no other way out than just playing along. At least until he would get some good explanation for everything.
While a group of men and women were talking with Jongdae about some music show, Baekhyun secretly kept looking around the surroundings with an interest.
Apparently Jongdae hadn't lied to him when he had told Baekhyun was some kind of a big celebrity slash an idol star. His name was written on album covers which were placed next to each other on the shelf and a big signed poster of himself was hanging on the wall.
His mind couldn't concentrate on the topic in discussion, luckily he wasn't much needed since Jongdae was the one doing all the talking, and the only thing he could think about was the person who could help him to remember.
*****
“You're not a pizza boy?”
The voice was deep, that didn't sound familiar. It also came higher where Baekhyun himself was standing, that wasn't a familiar feeling either. Jongdae had forced Baekhyun to wear a cap and a mask ("So that no-one recognizes you, I'm tired of those lurking paparazzi!") and he had already felt like an idiot, but now he felt even more like a moron.
The guy in front of him leaning against the door frame was at least 4-or-so inches taller than Baekhyun. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and black jeans, no glasses, and his black hair was messy like he had just woken up. Finally, the pair of big expressive eyes and funnily pointed ears were something very familiar and it couldn't have been anyone else than--
“Ch-chanyeol?” Baekhyun blinked, couldn't stop himself from staring at the man. Chanyeol looked so adult, so different.
“Yeah?”
An adult Chanyeol sent a curious questioning look, obviously not really catching what was going on and why Baekhyun was there in front of his door to meet him.
“Park Chanyeol!” Baekhyun repeated with a happy exclaim, wanting to cry from relief as he ripped the mask off, revealing his bare face.
“Yup,” Chanyeol extended the syllable, not mirroring a smile on Baekhyun's face.
“You're-- holy shit, you're so tall!”
“Can't say the same thing about you. Byun Baekhyun, is that really you?”
“Yes yes yes!” Baekhyun kept going happily, he couldn't hide his excitement. Finally, finally someone he knew. Although little was left from the chubby neighbour ferret-lover-boy, but it still was the same Chanyeol, his Park Chanyeol, in flesh.
With all the confusion, Baekhyun had been so tired and exhausted the whole day, and now he felt the wave of relief coming so strongly he automatically leaned in to wrap his arms around the man in front of him, squeezing him tightly. His nose caught a smell of men's aftershave and the big body felt unfamiliar, yet it was still Chanyeol, the anchor to the life Baekhyun still remembered.
Chanyeol didn't respond to hug but only clumsily patted Baekhyun's back.
“Umm, you want to come in?”
*****
“You're a music producer! And a song writer!” Baekhyun bursted out in excitement as he watched the neat row of the award plates on the white wall. Chanyeol's name was written on all of them, he had worked with artists Baekhyun hadn't even (not so surprisingly in these conditions) heard about but the expensive looking plates gave an idea that they weren't just no-ones.
“Yeah,” Chanyeol said, scratching his neck. “You know, it pays the bills.”
“And I'm an idol! A professional singer! Isn't this crazy, Chanyeol? We're like-- 30 and we both have jobs and apartments. In Seoul. We are like real adults! Isn't this so cool?”
“Totally cool,” Chanyeol hummed.
Baekhyun kept excitedly looking around, Chanyeol silently following him with his gaze.
“Baekhyun, I seriously need to ask you,” Chanyeol started softly (Baekhyun still wasn't used to the low register), “What's going on? Why are you here?”
“I told you already, something really really weird and freaky is going on. Yesterday we were 15 and living in Bucheon. Then I just suddenly wake up this morning and I'm... this. And you, you're that! Look at yourself, Chanyeol!”
“Are you doing drugs? Pot? Ecstasy? That new trend-drug all you celebrities use?” Chanyeol listed with a bored tone.
Baekhyun blinked in confusion before reacting.
“What, no?!” he stuttered, shocked. “Why is everyone obsessed with drugs. First Jongdae, now you.”
Chanyeol sent a disbelieving look.
“My manager,” Baekhyun clarified sheepily. “Jongdae. Kim Jongdae.”
“Okay.”
Baekhyun cleared his throat.
“The thing is,” he said, “I don't remember anything! I'm not lying, I can't remember my life. I have no idea how I've got to this point, it's like I've skipped straight from my teenage years to the present and there's nothing in between. No memories, nothing I could grasp on. It's just black. Chanyeol, you have to help me to remember.”
“Me? Baekhyun, the story of yours does sound quite tragic but I can't help you with that.”
Chanyeol only shook his head, and Baekhyun couldn't tell what the frown on his handsome (yeah it totally was handsome, go figure) face meant.
Baekhyun's couldn't disguise his disappointment, he was more than a little desperate.
“Why not?” he demanded to know.
“Because I know absolutely nothing about you. We haven't seen each other since high-school.”
“W-what?”
“We're not friends anymore, it's that simple. You stopped talking to me. And then you left Bucheon right after the graduation, your folks moved to another apartment soon later.”
“No Chanyeol,” Baekhyun pleaded, not accepting the cruel words to be true. “You're my best friend! My neighbor, we eat Apollos together, take the same bus to school and play video games together!”
“I'm sorry,” Chanyeol simply said, shaking his head.
The apartment felt suddenly very hot, the atmosphere was heavy and Baekhyun's head was spinning so hard even his breath became uneven.
“Sit down,” Chanyeol took Baekhyun's arm, he gently led him to the couch.
*****
“I've seen you on telly.” Chanyeol handed him a glass of water. “You're good. Very good. People love your voice. They love you, the whole nation's own little star.”
“So my dreams came true.”
“That's right.” Chanyeol's half-saddened grin tilted to the side. “You got everything you wanted, Baekhyun. Congratulations. But that's all the information I have to offer. Like I said, I know nothing about you.”
Baekhyun didn't respond, it was hurtful to know he had cut all the ties with Chanyeol. Just like that.
“We went different cities, different universities. We went separate ways. That's how life goes on sometimes,” Chanyeol explained calmly.
“But what happened? Why did I stop talking to you?”
Chanyeol shrugged, he didn't look very bothered. “I don't know. I can't remember anymore, to be honest. It's been so long. Like I said, I haven't seen you since high-school.”
Baekhyun felt there was a crushing weight on his shoulders.
“I think you should go home.” Chanyeol patted his back, second time during the day. “I'll help you to find it.”
Your turn,
luciferxdamien! :)
no subject
oh my god, the only thing i could concentrate on in the beginning was poor ferret boy pcy ;_; reppana!! he just wanted to be baekhyun's friend, poor bby. but lol, oh the school days and The Reputation you had to maintain if you wanted to be with da cool kids. not easy! i suppose bbh will learn a thing or two about life in his 30yo body XD SPEAKING OF WHICH:
that was hilarious image!! him being all confused and jongdae storming in and being a stressed manager, hahaha of course! XD no one would suit that job better tbh. and like we talked on twitter already, i appreciate the mention of the waifu and his kid! :D<3 and lol, poor baekhyun and all the hangover and drug talk sjdhfsk. i can't even imagine how it would feel as a 15yo kid to be thrown in a situation like that...
ah, the image of little chubby ferret!chanyeol transforming into his current self. the glow up like no other! (bbh better watch out.....) and of course he's a famous producer!! b-but waittt what happened between them?? 8( now i'm very curious to know what's going to happen and how baekhyun will figure everything out! since i didn't see the movie i actually don't know how the things unravel so yay, some suspense and excitement for me, i guess XD I HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE THIS SOON~ in shiritori, or otherwise :D