Title: Right Here Waiting
Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Side Pairing: Jongin/Kyungsoo
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, Fantasy, Romance
Word Count: 8.4k
Summary: Times flies really fast, but slow to those who wait.
Note: This fic is divided into two parts. The first part is here, and the second part will be posted a week after. This is also one of the longest one shot I have ever written so far. Took me almost 2 months to write this!
To the readers who requested for ChanBaek angst, hope you enjoy reading!
*
"You're always staring at that portrait, Granpa."
Kyungsoo lightly squeezes his Grandpa's hand as he smiles. His grandfather gives him a weak nod as a reply, blinking his eyes slowly while he looks ahead at the portrait of a young man painted in oil. It is hanging on the wall beside the grandfather clock adjacent to an old telephone Kyungsoo knows his grandfather treasures a lot.
"You need to rest. You must be tired."
"Son," the old man mutters in his raspy voice, not bothering to tear his gaze away from that hazel brown eyes. "You know that I can't rest yet..."
Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows as he fixes his grandfather's pillow. "But it's past your nap time already."
The old man chuckles wryly. "Is that so? You can leave now, Kyungsoo. He's waiting for you."
"Jongin can wait," Kyungsoo answers as he snickers. "He's always there to wait."
"I'm glad... that you still have time... to spend with each other." The old man's movements are lagged due to his age. "So treasure every moment that you are together... Because time flies... Really fast.... But slow... To those who wait..."
"What are you talking about, Grandpa? You're being creepy!" Kyungsoo says as he glares at the gray-haired man lying defenseless on the bed. "It's like you're going to leave soon."
"Maybe soon... We don't know."
"But you haven't met him yet..."
"I can feel... that it is coming," his grandpa mutters. "So you should see Jongin now, too."
Kyungsoo frowns as he fixes his specs on top of his nose. "Fine. I'm gonna call Jongin."
The old man nods, closing his eyes as he places his bony hands on top of his stomach. He hums, letting the sunlight streak to his wrinkled face. Kyungsoo just sighs as he closes the door with a silent click.
*
The sweaty and grinding bodies don't stop Baekhyun from rocking into the music as he waves his neon-blue lightstick up in the air. His soul is free, he tells himself, just for this night, he'll forget about the reality outside this club. Closing his eyes, he smiles and savors the moment of the cheering and dancing nameless people he doesn't care about.
Ah, what a good feeling he has right now. Only the deafening beats of music and the reek of alcohol are the things his senses can perceive. He opens his eyes, and the blinding colorful lights strike his vision, but it's all right. More than okay even. At least they're not dull unlike his boring life.
"Hey baby, you wanna get out of here?" a voice on his left asks him, causing him to turn his head around. Jongin gives him a flirty smile, which Baekhyun nonchalantly chuckled at.
"Why, are you gonna fuck me?" Baekhyun says.
"No," Jongin answers. "I don't fuck virgins."
Baekhyun shakes his head, letting out an amused smile. "God, I hate you so much."
"But seriously though, try checking out your watch. It's already 1 in the morning," Jongin says, pulling Baekhyun away from the throng of dancing people. "We still have a goddamned test tomorrow in Physics."
"We could just always ask Kyungsoo for the answers?" Baekhyun, as he pouts, hopefully suggests, dragging his feet on the dance floor. "I'm not even wasted yet!"
"First, I didn't date Kyungsoo for that. Second, I didn't bring you here to get drunk. And third, you promised me we're going to stay here until 12 midnight only. So? Let's go."
"But I hate rules," Baekhyun mumbles, and his eyebrows are now furrowing as Jongin practically throws him inside the car. He yelps when the door slams in front of his face.
"And I hate your height," his best friend adds shortly.
"Well, I hate your boyfriend," Baekhyun mocks. "He's such a nerd who loves collecting old stuff. He's a weirdo. He even wears specs. God, who still wears that?"
"At least he's good in bed," Jongin says as he drives, looking at his best friend through the rear-view mirror of the car with a smirk on his lips. "Especially when I was on my back"
"You didn't just tell me he topped you."
"Once."
Baekhyun looks horrified. "Oh my god."
"On his birthday."
"The fuck?"
Jongin snickers.
"I can't believe Kim Fucking Jongin bottomed for Do Kyungsoo! Oh my god!!!"
"Will you just, will you shut up?"
Baekhyun slides down the window of the car as he shouts, "I can't believe Kim Fucking Jongin bottomed for Do Kyungsoo!!!"
Rolling his eyes, Jongin swerves the stirring wheel as he retorts back, "And I can't believe Byun Baekhyun is still a fucking virgin!"
Baekhyun is about to strangle his best friend's neck when his phone inside his pocket rings. Thinking it's his Mom again, he ignores the call and leans his head against the windowsill tiredly.
His phone keeps ringing.
"Care to answer your phone?"
Baekhyun sighs. "No."
"It's so annoying."
"Fine," Baekhyun says, pulling out his phone with a huff and putting it against his ear. "Hello?"
Tssh. Tssh.
"Hello?" Baekhyun peeks at the screen. It's from an unknown number. He squints his eyes. "Who's this?"
He hears an almost audible voice, it's not clear, though. Deciding he'll just hang up because it might be a prank call, Baekhyun halts when he hears a voice again.
Tssh. Tssh. Tssh.
[H-hello?]
"Hello," Baekhyun repeats. "Who's this?"
[I-is this the company editor?]
"The what?"
[Mr. Editor?]
Too tired and sleepy in the middle of 1am, Baekhyun mutters, "You called the wrong number."
[This is not the editor?]
Baekhyun sighs in disinterest. "No. Bye--"
[Wait!]
A snort. "What?"
[Are you sure you're really not the editor?]
"No."
[Oh. Thank god. C-can I ask for a favor? You see, I'm an intern at a news agency and my seniors have already gone home. I-I was the only one left in the office and I can't go out. If you don't mind, can you please give me a copy of today's newspaper?]
Baekhyun almost chuckles if not for his bad mood, because really, who in their right mind would ask for a newspaper at this ungodly hour? From a random stranger on the phone? He must be desperate, Baekhyun thinks. And his voice, too, sounds really frightened.
Jongin shoots him a glare but Baekhyun ignores it.
"A newspaper? Seriously?"
[Y-yes, I need to finish my journal this morning so I was wondering if I could take some of your time to get me one. I'm sorry...]
"You could just look up the news online. Don't you have wifi there or something?"
[S-sorry but, but I can't, I can't hear you. The reception here is terrible.]
Massaging his temples, Baekhyun groans under his breath, pulling away from the phone.
"Jongin, can we drop by at the newsstand on the way? I have to get a newspaper." He sees a newsstand by the street. "Oh, there it is. Stop the car."
"Wait. What will you get?" Jongin lifts an eyebrow.
"A newspaper."
"You could barely read a book and now you're telling me you're getting a newspaper."
"Just fucking pull over."
Jongin stops the car so Baekhyun gets off, heading to the newsstand to get the said newspaper. Grabbing a spread, he puts his phone on his ear again.
"Still there? I have it now."
[Oh, thank you so much! Just, uh, just put it in the mailbox across the street.]
On the street, Baekhyun sets his eyes across him, seeing a red rusty mailbox. He pads towards the mailbox, folds the newspaper, puts it inside and closes the lid. He could hardly close it because it's too old and rusty.
"There. All done."
[I'll get it later after I finish the first page of my paper. Thank you very much, uh--]
"Baekhyun," Baekhyun says. "My name's Baekhyun."
The person on the other line laughs, making Baekhyun suddenly caught off guard. He hasn't heard a laugh of that kind before.
[I'm Chanyeol. Nice to meet you, Baekhyun. You're my savior!]
Jongin doesn't ask anymore why Baekhyun is laughing secretly as he murmurs 'what a weird newspaper guy' to himself.
*
The next time another unknown number called, is the month after the last incident.
Baekhyun has just broken up with his seventh boyfriend for the month, whose name was Sehun, because said ex-boyfriend was cheating on him with some Chinese guy. He doesn't love him that much anyway, so it's all right. Besides, Sehun is a terrible kisser, he has a lisp because of his braces and he's a mama's boy. Why did Baekhyun even date him in the first place?
"Right. Because he's tall," Baekhyun murmurs to himself, letting out a frustrated wail. "I'll start hating tall people now."
He knows he can always find a replacement anytime he wants, anyway. But not now.
He's tired, he just wants to stare at the ceiling and empty his mind. He has gone through failed relationships and that makes him think he's not good enough. Maybe if he becomes one with the ceiling, the right guy for him would break in to his window so that there could be that someone he can call his forever. Really, Baekhyun is not that desperate to find a special someone, his only someone. He just wants to experience how it is to be genuinely valued, to be taken care of, to be made loved with, just like how Jongin does to Kyungsoo.
Maybe Baekhyun is destined to become a monk or something, because he can already sense he would die a virgin. In the past, he didn't let his exes get anywhere near his ass, and he's somewhat regretting it right now.
"Ugh, fuck you," Baekhyun groans into his pillow which is soaked with tears. Whether he admit it or not, he cried a lot because of that asshole. There, he said it. He was hurt. He wants to punch him on the face. "Fuck you, you jerk!"
And his phone rings, pulling him out of his dramatic state. Glaring at the ringing device, he answers it and presses it against his ear.
"So now what!? You're gonna come back to me? Huh?! So you finally realized?" Baekhyun yells into his phone just as soon as he picks up. "Too late! I don't fucking want you anymore! I fucking hate you, Oh Sehun. You hear that!? You should just better stick your cock into that bitch's filthy ass! Fuck you!"
Silence answers him.
"Why aren't you saying anything!?"
A cough.
[Uhm. I-I'm not, I just.. I'm sorry.]
Oh shit.
Baekhyun, in record time, looks at his phone's screen, realizing it was not his ex.
+82 83 4992 3256.
It's an unknown number.
[Sorry, I didn't mean to--]
"W-who the fuck is this!? Why were you listening!?"
[I-I don't have a choice, I was just trying to--]
"You could've just hung up! Goddamnit! Ugh, this is so embarrassing," Baekhyun mutters, bumping his forehead against his pillow. "Who's this anyway?"
[Uh, I'm the guy from last month, if you still remember?]
"Are you one of my exes who broke up with me because I'm too fab and you needed time and space and all that shit?"
A chuckle.
[No.]
"Who the hell is this?"
[Is this the company editor?]
At that, Baekhyun pauses.
"What."
Again, the other person heartily laughs.
[You're my savior!]
And at this, Baekhyun's lips curve into a little smile as realization suddenly strikes him.
"Oh. The newspaper guy."
[I have a name, I'm not newspaper guy.]
"Chamyeol, right."
Baekhyun lies on his sides and plays with the lightswitch of his lampshade.
[It's Chan-Yeol, not Chamyeol, Baecon.]
"It's not Baecon, it's Baek-Hyun."
Chanyeol cackles, and Baekhyun thinks this dude has a really nice voice.
"So, why did you call?"
[Uhm. It seemed weird that I called you on accident last time, so I just wanted to apologize. I was just in a hurry so I hadn't checked what number I was dialing. And uh, I want to thank you for the newspaper. I got it in the morning that day. Thank you, you're a kind person.]
Baekhyun snorts, rolling on his back. "I'm not a kind person. Look what I've just told you earlier. I have a bad attitude."
[People tend to say things like that when they are angry, don't they? So I understand why you acted that way. It's your defense mechanism.]
"Right," Baekhyun says with a snort, but there's no heat in his words. "You must be smart."
[I've been told. Haha.]
"I hate smart people," Baekhyun comments. "And tall people, too."
[Oh, good thing you can't see me!]
Baekhyun laughs, he just laughs freely. He doesn't know what's the reason behind but he just finds himself feeling comfortable talking with this stranger he met a month ago, or rather, a few minutes ago. He rarely talks to people he doesn't know, let alone communicate with anonymous people either on phone or social networking sites.
"Do you have an Instagram or Facebook account?" Baekhyun asks as he opens his Ipad nearby. "I wanna see how you look like. I'll follow you on Twitter, too."
[Sorry I-I don't understand. The reception here is quite unstable.]
"I said," Baekhyun sighs. "Can I have your name in SNS?"
[Oh. I-I don't have things like that. I'm sorry.]
"Okay. Nevermind."
Baekhyun throws his Ipad and it lands on his spongebob pillow.
[Baekhyun, do you mind if I call you whenever I need someone to talk to?]
Weird, Baekhyun tells himself. He could just hang up and ignore this guy but he can't. It's like, his voice is drawing him closer. He seems nice, and there's nothing wrong talking to someone on the phone, so why not? Chanyeol could be an addition to his small circle of friends which consists of Jongin, his pet puppies, and Kyungsoo.
"No," Baekhyun answers, shrugging his shoulders like Chanyeol could see him. "I mean, it's fine. You can call anytime."
[Oh, thank you!]
"But why though? Don't you have friends there to talk to?"
[Uh, people here are always busy. And uhm, old.]
"I figured. You're working at a news agency," Baekhyun says, shuffling on the bed for a more comfortable position.
[So what do you do, Baekhyun?]
"Well, it's my third year as a college student. I don't work part-time like you do. My parents are supporting me so I don't have to worry. They give me money and groceries every month. They pay my condo and my bills, too. And I'm still waiting for my new car on my birthday."
[Woah. You're like a prince.]
"I've been told," Baekhyun replies, smirking. "And I also look like one."
Chanyeol laughs.
[Can you tell me how you look like?]
"All right, close your eyes."
[Uhm, okay. I'm done.]
"Do you know the famous Korean actor, Wang Eun? I look exactly like him," Baekhyun says, grinning to himself. "Like, a carbon copy."
[Wang Eun? Oh, I-I've never heard of that name...]
"You know, the guy with pretty eyes, nice lips. Small face, fluffy black hair? Beautiful elegant hands? Curvy hips?"
[I-I still don't know him, though. But don't worry! I can already imagine your appearance right now. You must be good-looking.]
"I really am," Baekhyun says. "I'm prettier than Z. Hera."
[Who is that?]
Baekhyun grimaces.
"Are you a neanderthal or what," he mutters, rolling his eyes. "I bet you're calling using a telephone with curly wires and all that rotating shit. And that telephone is placed by the hallway beside a grandfather clock."
[H-how did you know?! Are you at my house right now? Where are you hiding?]
Baekhyun gawks in disbelief.
"Chanyeol, are you wearing specs right now?"
[Yes, I am. A-are you really here!?]
"Oh my god, seriously," Baekhyun mutters, a smile sitting on his lips. His instincts are right, that Chanyeol is of Kyungsoo's kind. He's one of those guys who loves to be stuck in a library than go clubbing at night. Baekhyun doesn't have a thing for that type of guys but he thinks Chanyeol could be an exception.
[Baekhyun, you better show up now.]
"I'm not there and I can't be there because I'm here in my room right now," Baekhyun says. "I was just kidding when I said that."
There are shifting noises on the other line so Baekhyun thinks Chanyeol might be moving.
[Oh. Y-you scared me. I thought you were the one moving there at the corner--oh my god!!!]
Baekhyun's heart leaps. "W-what happened!?"
[Oh. It's just my cat.]
If it were Jongin, Baekhyun had already smacked him on the face and cursed at him to death. He just smiles, snickering silently.
"Cool. You're scared of a cat."
[It's a big cat, okay.]
Baekhyun gets a glimpse of the time. He doesn't even notice it's 12:36am in the midnight already. Time flies really fast.
"Hey. I think I need to go. I still have to wake up early tomorrow."
[Oh, I see. Thank you for spending your precious time talking to me. I hope I wasn't a bother.]
"It's nothing. I actually needed someone to talk to, and suddenly you're here, so."
Chanyeol chuckles, and Baekhyun starts adoring his laughs from now on.
[Good bye.]
"Bye."
And the line goes dead.
"This is fucking crazy," Baekhyun tells himself as he puts back his phone on the nightstand. "Me talking with a stranger on the phone. He could be a killer or a swindler." He shrugs. "Or just a normal guy like me."
Baekhyun sleeps soundly that night for the first time in weeks.
*
The call progresses from once a month to once a week, from once a week to thrice a week, from thrice a week to everyday, and from every day to every hour.
From the months they have been talking on the phone, they have shared various stories with one another. Baekhyun learned that Chanyeol is the youngest and his brothers and sisters have their own families now. He's living in an antique house with his parents who are both government employees. Baekhyun then told Chanyeol that he's an only child and his parents are doctors abroad so he's always alone. He also shared that he's not a bit interested in medicine, but in music, and he wants to be a singer someday.
Chanyeol had prodded him to sing for him one night, but Baekhyun had refused, saying he'll just sing to him when Chanyeol sings first. Baekhyun promised that he'll sing on his birthday so the other male had agreed. That was 11pm in the evening when Baekhyun's ears heard an old folk song he couldn't remember the title.
That night, Baekhyun decided he didn't like Chanyeol's voice, because he loved it. He really admired it. His singing voice was deep and beautiful, having a soothing feel in it that had Baekhyun closing his eyes with a smile on his face. He told Chanyeol precisely that, and Baekhyun knew the other male was flustered because of the stuttering of his words as well as his shaky breathing, and that made Baekhyun's tummy suddenly flip. Chanyeol thanked him quick before saying goodbye and good night, his voice croaking at the end of his sentence.
Baekhyun decides there's nothing much cool about Chanyeol, but he hasn't felt any single bit of boredom talking to the other guy. It's like they've been best friends since birth, that everything each other says has a comment from one another. They have different personalities, Baekhyun figures. He's outgoing and Chanyeol is old-fashioned, but that makes his interest in the other male grow. Chanyeol is the exact opposite of the guys he has dated before, so that leaves his new friend a little bit special, aside from the fact that they haven't seen each other yet in these digital days.
They could've just do a video call but Baekhyun doubts Chanyeol has a Skype account. Besides, he must be busy with work to make one. So, Baekhyun came up with an idea, after three months of talking on the phone, that they should finally meet each other in person.
"Is that okay with you?" Baekhyun asks as he lies on his stomach, his phone sandwiched between his cheek and shoulder. "I mean, aren't you curious about how I really look like in flesh? Because if you ask me if I was curious about you, well, then I am."
[Oh. How can you describe me in your imagination?]
"Well, let's see," Baekhyun thinks for a while. "I imagine you having a big pair of eyes and ears? And uhm, you have nice teeth, I guess. Oh, you could also have pretty lips."
[Wow, good guess!]
Chanyeol heartily chuckles, sniffing his runny nose. He told Baekhyun earlier he's suffering from a cold because it's getting chilly nowadays. He forgot to bring his coat when he went out to buy groceries last night that's why he's at home right now. Baekhyun was puzzled as he looked outside his window, thinking since when did summer get that chilly.
[I really want to see you too, Baekhyun. So I could also know if my drawing of you really matches the real you.]
"Y-you drew me?" Baekhyun asks, flabbergasted.
[Yes. I have several sketches here but I'm not yet convinced that my drawings look close to the real you. ]
"Wow," Baekhyun mutters. "I wanna see your drawings. No one has ever drawn me before, except from Jongin and his stickman in third grade."
Chanyeol chuckles.
[I will give you my drawing on your birthday, as a gift.]
"And that would be next week," Baekhyun supplies as he stares at the ceiling blankly. They both fall into a comfortable silence with just their steady breathing filling the air.
"I'm so excited to meet you," he adds afterwards. "More than to celebrate my birthday."
[Really? Why?]
"My parents won't be able to come home. They're just gonna send my new car here and I'm just gonna have to celebrate my birthday alone.... Yet again," Baekhyun says with a bitter chuckle. "Other times though, Jongin would drop by and we'd play video games like normal days. He'd bring Kyungsoo with him, but they'd just have to go home soon... Then I'd realize after they left that I was, you know, alone again."
Baekhyun hasn't told those things to anyone, not even to Jongin. He admits he gets jealous when Jongin would hang out with Kyungsoo more than him. But what could he do? Kyungsoo is Jongin's boyfriend so he'd just have to let Jongin go, or worst, tag along with them like a third-wheeler at times when he doesn't have a boyfriend.
So maybe, that is another reason why he kept on changing boyfriends. He wants a friend who can accompany him all the time, but none of them stayed long until the end.
He is always being left alone.
[I'm sorry to hear that. It must be sad living alone. What if you get sick and no one's there to take care of you?]
Baekhyun tiny smiles. "I'm used to it, though. It's okay."
[Don't be sad anymore, all right? I'm not good at comforting people but I just want to tell you that I'm always here for you. Even you can't see me, I'm always here to listen.]
Baekhyun is touched by Chanyeol's words he feels like there are tears forming on the corners of his eyes. He doesn't want to cry because he's a strong person. Tough people never cry.
[Besides, we'll see each other on your birthday, right? That's next week! I already freed my schedule so we could hang out all day.]
Baekhyun eats his words because he's now crying, and he knows this is crazy because he's smiling.
"That sounds," Baekhyun sniffs. "Nice..."
[A-are you crying?]
"No, I'm just, having a cold, too. You know, because of the weather," he lies. He grabs a tissue from his beside table and wipes his tears.
[Baekhyun. Please don't get sick... I will worry about you a lot.]
Baekhyun can trace genuine concern in his voice, causing him to blush like a teenage girl.
"What the fuck. This is just nothing," he blurts out, pouting. "You're over reacting like my Mom."
[S-sorry... I didn't mean it that way. I'm just concerned about your health.]
"I'm a doctor's son remember? I can take care of myself," Baekhyun proudly says as he lets out a laugh. "And hey, I probably caught your cold from this phone. It's your fault."
Chanyeol laughs, and Baekhyun isn't sad anymore.
[Baekhyun. I'm excited to see you I can't even sleep.]
Baekhyun chokes on his saliva. "Stop flirting with me."
[I-I am not!]
He snorts. "Duh."
[Hey, you promised me you're going to sing for me, right? Come on! Do it.]
Baekhyun's heart suddenly races, nervous, not that he's going to sing, but because he's going to sing for Chanyeol for the first time.
"Like, right now?"
[Yes, I bet you have a really beautiful voice.]
Baekhyun flushes a deep shade of red because of the compliment. Good thing Chanyeol can't see him right now. Backing away from his phone, he clears his throat and takes a deep breath. He hasn't sung for a while now so he's not sure if it would come out great or not.
[Hey? Baekhyun?]
"Don't laugh, all right?"
[I won't!]
Baekhyun starts singing after he clears his throat.
🎵"I'm only one, call away~ I'll be there to save the day. Superman got nothing on me~"🎵
Baekhyun gets up on the bed and crosses his legs as he leans his head against the headboard.
🎵"I'm only one... call away~"🎵
Chanyeol laughs, and it makes Baekhyun want to maybe curl into a ball.
🎵"Call me baby if you need a friend. I just wanna give you love~"🎵
🎵"Come on, come on, come on~"🎵
🎵"Reaching out to you, so take chance. No matter where you go, you know you're not alone~"🎵
Chanyeol listens with a smile on his face.
🎵"I'm only one, call away~ I'll be there to save the day. Superman got nothing on me~"🎵
Baekhyun stops singing. He peeks at his phone and sees the timer still increasing up. 2:15:09.
[I'm still here. Please continue.]
Baekhyun clears his throat.
🎵"I'm only one."🎵
A pause, before he sings again.
🎶🎵"Call away..."🎶🎵
Baekhyun swallows and breathes after he sings. Chanyeol is not yet speaking on the other line.
No one dares to speak.
Baekhyun glances at his alarm clock. 12:01 am.
[Happy Birthday, Baekhyun.]
"Happy birthday to me," Baekhyun repeats, smiling sadly. "I'm now twenty one years young."
[Great. We're of the same age now.]
Baekhyun laughs.
[I love your voice, it was really amazing. I could listen to you sing all day. No wonder many guys had fallen in love with you.]
Baekhyun mentally tells himself not to smile like a fool. "Th-thank you."
[Make a wish! Pretend I am there holding a cake with candles.]
"Seriously?" Baekhyun laughs, imagining there is a guy in at the foot of his bed holding a birthday cake. "That's fucking creepy."
[Just make a wish!]
"Okay uhm. I wish we could be friends forever! Like, until we die."
[That's... that's not a good wish.]
Baekhyun frowns. "What, why not?"
A pause.
[I don't want us to be friends forever.]
Baekhyun's heart starts thumping, and it's so disturbing like he just wants to hang up on him, but he just can't because he wants to hear Chanyeol's deep voice more.
"W-what are you talking about," Baekhyun mumbles, "I mean, what's the matter?"
[Because uhm, y-you see, well I... I've been feeling something lately that has to do with you... ]
"Y-yeah?" Baekhyun gulps, "And what is that?"
[Baekhyun, I think I've...]
"You think you've?"
[I think I already fe--
The connection is suddenly cut off
"Chan-- hello!?"
He hears nothing.
"What th fuck!?" Baekhyun curses at the black screen of his phone, glaring at it. His phone has already ran out of battery. "FUCK!!!"
I think I've...
"What could that be," he murmurs to himself with a faint blush on his cheeks. Chanyeol's serious voice is still ringing in his ears like a broken record.
"Damn it! You're making me insane!" He squirms on the bed like a salted worm and kicks his feet in the air as he rolls like a buffalo. "Fuck this phone!!! Ugh!"
Baekhyun plugs in the charger of his phone as he waits for it to get fully charged so he could call Chanyeol again. He ends up falling asleep though, as he dreams of him and his phone pal having a date inside a coffee shop.
Baekhyun doesn't know he's smiling all throughout his sleep.
*
It's the sixth of the month of May.
With a bouquet of red roses in hand and a sketchpad squished under his arm, Chanyeol enters Demitasse coffee shop thirty minutes before their call time. He waves at the barista who ushers him to a seat nearest to the door.
"Looks like you have a date today," the young barista says, who became his friend during his all-nighter moments. Chanyeol just smiles sheepishly, scratching his nape shyly.
"I'm just going to meet a friend. It's his birthday today."
"Oh, I see." The barista nods, giving the tall male a knowing smile. "So what can I get you?"
"The usual," Chanyeol replies. He places the flowers and sketchpad on the table as he smooths his properly-ironed clothes. He takes a deep breath.
"This is it," he mutters.
If only there is only a phone which he can carry outside his house, then he had already called Baekhyun. Their home telephone is the only device he can use to contact Baekhyun, that's why sometimes, he wishes he also has that cool stuff his friend was talking about so he can get in touch with him anytime, anywhere he wants. He wonders where in the world can he get a thing called laptop, Ipad, smartphone and LTE. Laughing, he remembers Baekhyun calling him a nerd caveman when he told the other male that he didn't know what a 4K UHD television is. Chanyeol has no idea what does even 4K mean. Why does it have to be a television?
"He's really funny," he mutters, smiling like an idiot. He wants to contact him now and check him out, hear his voice for the last time to know he's coming. Crazy may it sound, but he already misses Baekhyun so much.
Fixing his specs on top of his nose, Chanyeol clears his throat and practices the lines he has prepared to say to Baekhyun. He really arrived early for their meeting, giving him the time to relax his nerves and heart.
Because finally, he's going to meet Baekhyun. He'll finally meet the person he has fallen madly, deeply in love with just by hearing his beautiful voice on the phone for the first time. He knows Baekhyun has a rude behavior, has an obscene mouth who curses a lot, he also has a bad temper which Chanyeol couldn't care less.
For him, Baekhyun is adorable with all his flaws, and that makes him perfect. Chanyeol doesn't really know what happened on earth why he fell for the other male he hasn't even seen yet. But he doesn't care and there's nothing wrong with falling in love. It's what his heart dictates him, that he loves Baekhyun. And that's what only matters to him now.
So he has finally decided that he's going to confess to Baekhyun just as soon as they meet in person.
"H-hi, it's me. Chanyeol," Chanyeol whispers to himself as he looks at the vacant seat in front of him. As he smiles awkwardly, he imagines a young beautiful man sitting opposite of the table. "Nice to meet you, Baekhyun. Y-you look... absolutely stunning today."
He smiles wide, gesturing at the window. "Look. The weather is really nice, isn't it? I like it, just how I like your smile."
An awkward silence.
"I also like your eyes and your lips."
Another awkward silence..
"What if I sounded creepy," Chanyeol mutters to himself. He shakes his head and hands the flowers to an imaginary Baekhyun. "Anyway, happy birthday!"
He looks around, realizing that no one is actually looking at him contrary to what he is feeling. He continues, straightening up a bit and breathes.
"Uhm, Baekhyun. I want you to know that," he mutters, eyes darting on the table warily. "I have feelings for you. I'm in love with you."
He grabs a table napkin and squeezes it with his trembling fingers.
"Did you know that the moment I heard you speak on the phone, I already knew that I can't be just friends with you? Because I," he closes his eyes, "I have fallen in love with you."
No one answers.
"Baekhyun, please go out with me."
"Yes, I'll go out with you."
Chanyeol looks up.
"Man, that was a heartfelt one," the barista teases with a laugh, putting Chanyeol's cup of coffee in front of him. The tall male almost smacks his friend if not for the pitcher he is holding.
"Great," Chanyeol hisses. "Way to ruin my moment."
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll go out with you because of your sincerity towards him."
"Really?"
"Of course! Now, good luck," his friend says, clapping him on the shoulder. "Just call me if you need something."
Chanyeol nods. He notices something outside.
"Hey, wait a second."
"What is it?"
He points at the building in front of the coffee shop. There are many people gathered in front of the establishment, making him think that Baekhyun could get lost finding the coffee shop if he doesn't really know the place.
"Do you know what's the commotion in there?"
"Oh. It's the grand opening of the factory owned by a Chinese businessman," the barista says. "The construction has just finished a month ago and I heard they're now accepting job applicants for manpower."
"Oh, so that means more job for unemployed people," Chanyeol says, nodding his head. "I hope this factory would last long as well as this coffee shop."
"I'd want that too," the barista says with a chuckle.
Chanyeol looks at the time. 3:45pm.
"So when is your friend going to come?"
He feels his heart beating faster. He takes a deep breath, looking at the entrance. The chimes clang as the door opens.
"Any minute from now," Chanyeol says with a smile.
*
"Babe! I'm here!"
"The door isn't locked!"
Jongin pads into Baekhyun's spacious living room, wandering his eyes around the unorganized place. He rolls his eyes when he sees Baekhyun tripping to his bunny slippers.
"You barely hang out with us these days," Jongin says as he puts down a box of cake on top of the table. Baekhyun is in haste, walking back and forth past him as he fixes his styled hair.
"I'm sorry, but what did you say!?" he shouts back from his room. He is facing a mirror while he brushes his fringe with his hand. Giving himself a contented smile as he looks at his face, he takes a deep breath.
"This is it," he murmurs nervously, before getting his eyeliner to carefully apply it on top of his right eyelid. Jongin silently barges into his room, shooting him an amused but fishy stare. He leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed against his chest.
"So what's with the big preparation? You're throwing a party?" Jongin asks, an eyebrow raised. Baekhyun looks at him through the mirror while applying eyeliner on his left eyelid.
"I'm not gonna hold a party."
"So you have a date, then?"
"I-I don't have a date," Baekhyun stutters once he is finished. His eyes are more emphasized now that he has eyeliner on. "I'm just..." He clears his throat. "I'm going to meet someone."
"Oh him," Jongin says, remembering the guy Baekhyun is talking about lately. "Have you fucked yet?"
"No!!!" Baekhyun quickly retorts back, blushing hard. He slaps his forehead. "God, Jongin. Please get lost."
"Wait, you're serious about this guy?"
Baekhyun keeps quiet, face still flushed red.
"You're blushing," Jongin comments, giving his best friend a once over. "You must like him a lot."
"I-I don't like him. We're just friends!" Baekhyun argues, and he's flailing his hands in the air. Jongin laughs at the sight, because the last time he saw Baekhyun being flustered like this was when they were still in middle school. He's kind of happy seeing a blooming Baekhyun on his special day.
"Are you going to greet me or what?"
Jongin scoffs. "Fine. Happy 21st birthday, Baekhyun."
"And?"
"I love you."
Baekhyun grins. "I know."
Jongin sticks his tongue out at him.
"Hey. Do I look okay? Isn't my outfit terrible?" Baekhyun asks as he smooths his clammy hands against his black skinny jeans. He is wearing a white plaid shirt, looking fresh and young with a mixture of cute and handsome. Jongin smiles, shaking his head.
"You don't look terrible! You look very beautiful, babe. He will definitely fall in love with you the moment he sees you, right then and there."
"Don't fucking flatter me," Baekhyun says, his cheeks pinking. He glances at the clock. "Oh shit, it's 3:45 pm. I should be there at four."
"So I guess he must be the reason why you're not coming out of your cave anymore huh," Jongin says. "You're always glued on your phone, smiling like an idiot."
"I'm sorry, I have to go," Baekhyun says, grabbing his car keys. He tiptoes, kissing his friend on the cheek quick. "Thank you for the cake and sorry if I can't hang out with you and Kyungsoo today. I promise I'll make it up to the both of you."
"It's all right. I understand," Jongin says with a smile. He flicks Baekhyun's forehead. "Have fun on your date with Chamyeol!"
"His name is Chanyeol!" Baekhyun yells back. "And it's not a date!"
Baekhyun closes the door as he leaves.
Hearing the familiar name, something rings a bell to Jongin he can't figure out what.
"I think I heard that name from Kyungsoo before," he tells himself.
"Oh, well, nevermind." His phone vibrates, so he gets it, reading a short text message from his boyfriend.
From: Kyungsoo
Is Baekhyun coming over for dinner?
Jongin replies back.
To: Kyungsoo
He has a date with someone. I guess it'll be just the three of us.
From: Kyungsoo
Oh, okay. I'll wait for you then. Grandpa wants to meet you already!
Jongin smiles.
To: Kyungsoo
Sure. I'll be there in five minutes.
*
As soon as he gets into the parking lot, a brand new black Aston Martin is what greeted the birthday boy. Baekhyun smiles, or rather smirks, as he opens the door of his new car.
"You're now mine, baby," he tells his car as he gets a hold of the stirring wheel. Butterflies start to settle in his tummy when he sets the vehicle on drive, thinking he will meet Chanyeol any minute from now. As he drives with a smile on his face, he remembers their last conversation this morning.
[Baekhyun, let's meet at Demitasse coffee shop, 4 pm.]
Baekhyun knows that coffee shop, it's one of the oldest running establishment in the Seoul. No wonder Chanyeol chose it. He loves old places.
"All right. I'll be there," Baekhyun answered.
Questions had been itching to slip off his tongue ever since they started talking, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. He bit his lower lip anxiously, listening to his erratic heartbeat inside his chest.
[Baekhyun? You still there?]
"Yeah."
[Uh, I-I have something to tell you...]
Fuck, just get this through, damn it, Baekhyun murmured to himself as he salvaged his bedsheets. Chanyeol breathed sharply on the phone, indicating he was as nervous as Baekhyun.
"Oh, is it about what you told me last night?"
[Yes. I'll tell you later when we see each other, okay?]
"Just, just fucking tell me now!"
Chanyeol chuckled.
[No.]
And then he hung up.
"What!? No!" Baekhyun yelled, his whole face burning hot. He threw his stuff on the floor, hyperventilating. He tried contacting Chanyeol again but the other male won't pick up, leaving Baekhyun curious and jittery.
Is this a date?
Will you tell me the words I wanted to hear?
Do you... Do you like me, too?
Too?
"M-maybe I do... Maybe--no," Baekhyun pauses. "Actually, Jongin is right."
You must like him a lot.
"I like him. I really like Chanyeol."
Baekhyun breathes, reflecting on himself. Fine, he tells himself. He now truly admits that he likes Chanyeol. He fucking likes him even though he hasn't seen him yet. He thinks about him a lot, gets excited when he calls, feels sad when they need to hang up. He laughs at his jokes which are not even funny, listens to his stories attentively, shares with him his life like he's already a part of it.
No doubt. Baekhyun is smitten by this faceless guy he only heard the voice of. God, he doesn't know what food he even ate, that one morning he woke up, it was only Chanyeol his mind can process, it was only Chanyeol his heart beats for.
"Shit," Baekhyun curses, stepping on the brakes. He didn't notice he's already here, at Demitasse coffee shop. He parks his car nearby, scanning with his eyes the costumers inside the shop. "I'm nervous." He closes his car with a thud after he takes a deep, shaky breath.
Across the street is the newsstand and the red mailbox. Baekhyun smiles, recalling the day he and Chanyeol first met.
Walking to the coffee shop, a group of rallying people gathered in front of a factory building catches Baekhyun's attention. They are longing for high salary increase and just human rights for the laborers. Baekhyun stops for a while as he reads their placards and raised banners in the air. He actually doesn't care about these things, but the look on the woman's face has him listening curiously.
"For sixty years we have suffered! We worked hard but we are never paid right! We worked hard but we are treated like animals!" the woman shouts with intense emotion. "We demand change!"
"We demand change!" the crowd follows. "Salary increase! Human rights! For sixty years we have suffered!"
Baekhyun feels a surge of sympathy clawing in his chest. Here are people who work hard nonstop to earn money, but here he is, living by the wealth of his parents. He doesn't even break a sweat to eat delicious meals everyday, let alone experience hardships these people went through to serve food on their tables. He doesn't know what it feels like to be poor, to be an average person who has a job like Chanyeol.
Chanyeol.
"Chanyeol, I almost forgot," Baekhyun mutters under his breath as he runs towards the coffee shop in haste. He enters the place at exactly 3:55 pm, the sweet aroma of caffeine welcoming his nose. He chooses a seat near the door so he can easily spot the newcomers.
"Has he arrived yet," he asks himself, looking around carefully. There are only few costumers left today. An old couple. A mother with her teenager son. A young businessman. Three working ladies. A guy with a pet dog. A fat lady. A group of office people. A young man wearing specs nursing his cup of coffee.
Baekhyun's heart starts thumping.
He watches from afar as the man looks around like he is waiting for someone. Baekhyun stands up, slowly, as he walks towards the male seated at the corner of the coffee shop.
Before he can reach the man, Baekhyun stops when the person stands. A pregnant lady approaches him, kissing him on the cheek. Baekhyun backs away, slightly disappointed and embarrassed as he watches the couple walk outside the coffee shop.
"Shit. I thought it was him," he mumbles with a groan, before going back to his seat. He looks at his wristwatch displaying 4:05 pm. "He's late."
Baekhyun waits for another ten minutes, but still, no Chanyeol enters the coffee shop.
"What's your order, Sir?" a barista asks him. Baekhyun opts for a latte as he waits patiently.
"Wait," he calls the barista. The barista turns to look at him.
"Do you know a guy named Park Chanyeol?" he asks, waiting for the barista's reaction. "Have you seen him come already?"
The young barista furrows his eyebrows, making Baekhyun suddenly tense.
"Park Chanyeol, Sir?"
"Yes! Uhm, actually, he told me he's a frequent costumer here in this coffee shop, and he's friends with one of the baristas," Baekhyun says. "So I guess you know him?"
"Just give me a second, Sir."
There are four baristas in the coffee shop including the male to whom Baekhyun is talking to. The barista asks his co-workers about a person named Chanyeol while Baekhyun waits patiently on his table.
Baekhyun's coffee arrives five minutes later, but still, there are no signs of Chanyeol.
"I'm sorry Sir, but we don't have a costumer whose name is Chanyeol," the barista apologizes. "I asked the others and they told me they aren't friends with him, neither am I."
"Oh," Baekhyun says, mildly confused. "Is that so?"
The barista only gives him a tiny smile. "Enjoy your coffee."
"What the fuck was he saying?" Baekhyun says as he eyes the barista, trying to convince himself that Chanyeol is just stuck in a heavy traffic, and the baristas are just people who don't care for about their valued costumers.
"I'm gonna wait for Chanyeol."
Thirty minutes has passed, and Baekhyun starts to feel uneasy.
Forty minutes.
Fifty.
One hour.
Baekhyun tries calling him.
"Where is he?"
Ring. Ring. Ring.
He holds his breath.
The number you have dialed does not exist.
"What?" Baekhyun asks, slightly annoyed. He redials the number, getting the same response. He counts the digits, knowing they are complete. Why can't he contact him?
The number you have dialed does not exist.
"Chanyeol, pick up." He presses call with extra force. He stands, looking outside the window as he feels his heart pound painfully. He doesn't want to think negative thoughts.
The number you have dialed does not exist.
But what if...
What if he's not really coming?
What if something bad happened to him?
Where is he?
Why is he not picking up my calls?
"Pick up the fucking phone," Baekhyun mutters as he grips his phone hard like his knuckles would turn white. The mechanical voice of the woman on the phone makes him sick. "You didn't just fucking ditch me, did you?"
The number you have dialed does not exist.
Baekhyun wants to cry in anger. They promised to see each other. Chanyeol should meet him, he needs to see him. He said he'll say something, right? Baekhyun must wait. Chanyeol is coming. He's just late.
"Where the hell are you?" Baekhyun goes back to sitting on his table, glaring at his phone. "Did you forget about me?"
Baekhyun will wait. He doesn't care how long as long as he's going to see Chanyeol.
"I'll wait. Just come. Please..."
5:10 pm.
6:30 pm
7:10 pm
8:35 pm
9:01 pm
"Sir," the barista earlier calls as he gently pats Baekhyun on the shoulder. "We're going to close the shop..."
Baekhyun slowly nods as he wipes his tears with the back of his palm. "Okay."
He gets his things and leaves the place.
Chanyeol didn't come to see him.
*
Three days has passed and Chanyeol never called. Baekhyun tried contacting him but to no avail. Chanyeol wouldn't respond. He didn't even get the urge to apologize nor explain himself as to why he didn't come. Nothing at all.
All night long, Baekhyun cried and sulked inside his room. Jongin couldn't coerce him out, so he just let his best friend have the time for himself.
Baekhyun doesn't know what to do anymore. He is fucking angry and painfully hurt. His heart is broken. He is left clueless because he can no longer contact Chanyeol. He needs explanations and answers to his questions, but how is he going to ask him if he can't reach him anymore?
If Baekhyun would just be honest with himself, he would admit he misses Chanyeol so much. He wants to hear his deep voice calling his name. He wants to talk to him, ask him if everything is okay. He wants to tell him he's really sad right now that he's not here with him. He wants to tell him how painful it is that he made him wait for nothing.
But still, he is fucking angry with Chanyeol that he wants to yell and curse at him. He wants to make him realize he doesn't deserve to be liked because he might be just leading him on.
A phone ring pulls Baekhyun out of his reverie. He hastily gets up and grabs his phone sitting on the nightstand.
Calling... Chanyeol
+82 00 0000 0000
Baekhyun's eyes widen as he senses his heartbeat speeding up.
It's strange, because Chanyeol's number appears all zeros, and yet it is possible that he can call him. How is that even working? Baekhyun feels goose bumps creeping to his skin, but he ignores it. Instead, he picks up the phone and presses it against his ear.
He takes a deep breath, anger coiling up in his chest once again.
[Baekhyun.]
Chanyeol's voice is cold and stiff.
Baekhyun doesn't know if the fast beating inside his chest is caused by Chanyeol coming back right now, or because of the anger he is feeling towards him. Otherwise, he just keeps his voice to himself, not wanting to make a noise.
[Baekhyun, I know you can hear me. We need to talk.]
*
To be continued.