An Innocent Criminal [Chanyeol X Reader]

14

Baekhyun's gaze met Sehun's, a mix of confusion and concern etched on his face. He let out a sigh, contemplating Sehun's question. "What would you do if your childhood friend were defamed?" he asked, his voice tinged with sincerity. Sehun's mouth snapped shut, taken aback by the weight of Baekhyun's inquiry. The question lingered in the air, challenging Sehun to consider the depth of his loyalty and trust in a friendship tested by accusations.

"He isn't a criminal?" Sehun questioned, his voice wavering with uncertainty. He hesitated, realising the gravity of his doubts. "But the evidence seems to suggest otherwise," he added, his tone tinged with scepticism.

Baekhyun furrowed his brow, grappling with the new information Sehun presented. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice laced with concern and a tinge of disbelief. Sehun proceeded to explain that Jieun had posted a video that supposedly proved she had been drugged by Chanyeol. He showed Baekhyun the video, further unsettling the older man.

Shocked and bewildered, Baekhyun struggled to process the revelation before him. "What? How?" he stammered, unable to comprehend the situation unfolding before his eyes. Doubt crept into his thoughts, and he questioned his own actions, wondering if he had made a grave mistake by involving Jieun and inadvertently plunging Chanyeol into deeper trouble.

[The next day]

Chanyeol found himself restless in his room, unable to find peace in sleep. His thoughts were consumed by Jieun, her presence infiltrating his every waking moment. She held an inexplicable power over him, her mere existence causing his heart to flutter uncontrollably. Her kindness, no matter how small, had the ability to make him fall deeper in love with her. Grateful that fate had brought her into his life, he couldn't help but yearn for a chance to confess his feelings. However, the fear of rejection gnawed at him, threatening to shatter the fragile hope he held within his heart.

[Flashback]

Chanyeol's stepmother had always harboured resentment towards him, a result of his father's unwavering love for his son. In the beginning, when she had first married Chanyeol's father, she had treated him with care and affection, as if he were her own child. But as time passed and his father's attention shifted solely to Chanyeol, everything changed.

Upon his father's untimely passing, Chanyeol was left with a void in his heart, a void that yearned for love and attention. The absence of a nurturing figure in his life gradually hardened him, turning him cold and aloof.

[End of flashback]

Turning to his cellphone for distraction, Chanyeol scrolled through the news articles concerning him, only to stumble upon Jieun's video denouncing him. The comments section was flooded with accusations and calls for his swift capture and punishment. Some speculated on Jieun's shifting statements, suspecting that she was now safe from Chanyeol's influence, enabling her to post the video. Little did they know that they had escaped the prison together, hand in hand.

A surge of anger coursed through Chanyeol's veins, his blood boiling at the perceived betrayal. It felt as if Jieun had played with his emotions, forsaking the promise of support she had made to him. The weight of her actions crashed upon him, leaving him feeling lost and betrayed.

His heart heavy with a mix of hurt, confusion, and anger, Chanyeol couldn't fathom why Jieun had chosen this path. The promise of her unwavering support had been shattered, leaving him adrift in a sea of unanswered questions and bruised emotions.