Work Text:
2015 02 18-21
Living without your love and happiness for twelve years was inevitably be a hardship for Baekhyun. He lived with uncertainty and in shadow of unknowing where his Chanyeol is. Whether he was still living or forever gone, Baekhyun just wished to see his love again.
One day in an unexpected moment came and from then on he knew that his life will definitely change again. Whether it's for good or not he doesn't care anymore. He will embrace whatever will come no matter what.
In an unpredictable and unexpected world of new generation where both men and women were already accepted to bind their love forever.
The Parks' lived in a simple yet spacious home with warm and love in Songbuk-dong, an affluent suburb in South Korea. Chanyeol was a musical director for such a young age. He got his title ever since he was 27 years old. A romantic, charming with deep sexy voice man, he had infected his friends, colleagues and thousands of people in town, school, work and public place with his dangerously overreacting smiles, laughs and reactions. He was loved by many people because of his genuine heart and good nature as son, friend, boss, co-worker and lover. Year 3021, he tied a knot at the age 29 to Baekhyun. He and Baekhyun had a son named Chanhyun.
When he reached the age of 45, Chanyeol suffered from different unfortunate events or rather a series of mishaps. It was in between the months of May up to November in the same year, 3037 when those misfortune happened. No one thought even him and his lover, that those none vital occurrences when combine would trigger in an eccentric consequence.
2015 03 17
Carrying out his musical instruments, a guitar and a bass one evening when he was going back to his office from their recording room, he slipped on ice-coated steps that made his back bruise and struck his head.
A few days later, Chanyeol was driving to work, he had a fit of sneezing, and had lost control of the car. A loud thud heard when he hit a telephone pole. Out of control from the sudden impact, he banged his forehead against the windshield.
The subsequent day due to exhaustion, tiredness with more than mild but not near in dizziness in his work, he ended up tumbling down a flight of steps, and again, he knocked his head against the hard concrete floor.
Twelve days later, he again lost control of his car and the a concrete barrier when he was about to go home and again his head became the victim of the impact. He was found unconscious by some concern citizen and brought to the nearest hospital for treatment and medication. He was admitted for three days with a cerebral concussion.
It was 25th of March 3037, when Chanyeol borrowed his Sehun's, his friend's, service van, unfortunately his own car stayed in the car repair because of the incident happened to him few days ago. He drove to country's international airport to pick up Baekhyun's brother, Baekbeom and his family.
"Are you sure, you're going to be okay, Yeol? Don't you want me to go with you so?" Baekhyun asked his husband while fixing the collar of the giant's top clothing.
"I'll be fine. Besides, you still need to prepare some food for them. For sure they were all hungry by now." Chanyeol said while wrapping his long arms around his petite love's slim waist.
Baekhyun sighed. "Okay. Just take care and be careful when you drive, alright?" He tip-toed and peck his giant's lips.
After picking them up, he took them in his and Baekhyun's house. He decided to return the borrowed car to his friend at around 12 minutes past ten in the evening after their late dinner.
Chanyeol was unaware that the leather pocket sized wallet containing his identification had slipped out his pocket and fell onto the floor of the van. When Sehun offered of a ride home, he declined it.
"I'm having a terrible headache and the walk might help to clear my mind." He said and smile to his friend.
"Alright then. Just call me when you get home." Sehun patted his shoulder before Chanyeol started to turn around and start his stride away from his friend's home. Normally, the walk would have taken about 12 minutes.
At 23:12, Baekhyun called their friend Luhan, Sehun's lover if his husband and Sehun's were still together since he knew that his giant just going to return the car and will go back home. He had no idea why Chanyeol had not yet reached home. It was unlike Chanyeol not to give him a call if he was delayed.
He was getting anxious at time click by. Around past midnight, he was already worried to death from his husband's whereabouts. After three hours of patiently waiting, Baekhyun called the police and reported his husband missing.
Reaching the time of 24 hours to search for a missing person, the police sent out an all-points bulletin and began some 50 letters to Chanyeol's friends and relatives. They followed through on every anonymous tip and even checked an unidentified bodies in the city's morgues.
Detective Kim Jongin was assigned to head the investigation. He knew Chanyeol was a man of probity and openness since they were friends. - the two attended the same church - and Jongin was sure that the disappearance had nothing to do with wrong doings by Park Chanyeol. The investigation had been confirmed that Park's personal and professional records were unsullied, and turned up no tendencies towards self-destruction or any evidences that he had been a victim of an accident or attack.
For Jongin, the only explanation was amnesia. He's older brother, Kim Joonmyeon's actually a neurologist. When he informed his brother, he mentioned about his missing friends. With some conversation about Chanyeol's past events that happened to him, the doctor explain the possibilities that might lead to his brother's friend's amnesia case.
Weeks had passed and there's still no trace of Chanyeol, that's why when Joonmyeon found out about the issue, he said to his brother that he needs to talk to the missing person's lover. After having a conversation with Baekhyun, the doctor concluded that it has a high possibility that Chanyeol was suffering in an amnesia.
Amnesia's occurrence was still as vague as the so called existence of the mythical creatures. It was a phenomenon that embraces a lot of mysteries. *Why it occurs in some patients and not in others is open to medical speculations. *What is known is that loss of memory can be caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, severe psychological trauma - or by blows to the head. *Any individual whose brain has suffered such injuries can simply wander aimlessly away from the place where he lives with all knowledge of his past blacked out. (Note: *excerpts from the original article)
"It was almost weeks," Baekhyun's brother remembers, "Baekhyun pacing the house back and forth. He never failed to pray too every morning and before going to bed. It was so painful to see my brother so lost and miserable. Their son Chanhyun never leaves him and he's staying stronger for his parents especially to Baekhyun who is so vulnerable at the moment. My brother agreed that Chanyeol could be a victim of amnesia. He was so worried about his husband's health too. Baekhyun's deep trust and faith in God sustained and keeps him sane and makes hopes for him. He hopes and prays that one day, He would provide an answer for us, for their son, for him."
Baekhyun and his son stayed in their house, waiting for the head of the family. He stayed and remained in their so called home, waiting for his giant to come back. At night, he would let their son sleep early and then there he was watching television, he would stare at his giant's pile of compositions where his husband would dozed off every nights. Most of the time, he dreamed that his giant had come home, only to find when he wakes up that Chanyeol wasn't there.
Since, Chanyeol's disappearance, Baekhyun temporarily stop from his work and shuts his fashion gallery. When he realized that he had to earn for a living for him and especially for their son, he set aside his misery for a while.
He continued his fashion design career and made to public again his once blooming fashion shop at the center of the city where next to his shop was his giant's musical instruments shop as well. They had decided to establish the said businesses after both of them had earned enough sum of capital few years ago. At first, both of them struggled from their profit and had few times of losses but eventually after studying and having some strategies in mind, in a blink of two years they managed both businesses so well. Now, that Baekhyun would be the only who will run their dream of hopes. I need to be strong for us, Yeol. He told to himself. In spite of everything,
Baekhyun never loses his faith to his husband that Chanyeol would return again feel again his warmth embrace. He kept his giant's belongings' intact and his clothes in their closets. He kept on protecting them away from any dirt and dust. Chanyeol's razors, can of shaving creams still remained in their bathroom. His giant's perfumes, deo-lotions, accessories, jewelries and other personal items were still in their bedroom's bedside drawers.
On his walk home, Chanyeol had indeed passed out and losing all his ability to remember who he was and where he lived. What happened to him back then was still unclear. He took the train to Central Park Terminal, then took another one and a bus to south. The next thing he knew , he was already in a secluded countryside of the south far away from the crowded and hectic city capital of the country.
He was thankful for the couple who kindly took him and gave him shelter and comfort for a living. Wu Yifan and Wu ZItao, when they had introduced their names to him. They had two kids and one nephew. At first, he was blankly staring at nowhere every day. He even noticed the concerned look that was given to him by the Wu couple. He doesn't know what to do. He can't even remember his name. Where he came from and what happened to him. He doesn't even remember if he had his own family too that was probably still waiting for him or is he living alone in his entire life before? It pained him to think if he was with someone he truly loves and leaving the other without a trace of him. As much as he wanted to retain his past it leads to nothing and became no use at all. Seeking for an assistance to any authorities or hospital didn't occurred to him.
Though after few weeks, the Wu couple had suggested those ideas to him but it ended up to a sigh since they had zero information about him. *He had no past; his only reality was the present.
A week had passed that time, and one morning, Chanyeol was sitting on the veranda of the kind hearted couple while reading some books about music. He then saw a name that caught his attention Kim Jongdae, a musical composer of one of the musical performances that was being featured in the book. The name Park Chanyeol slipped in his eyes where it was acknowledge as the Musical Director of most of the musical events being written in the book.
Kim Jongdae got his identification card, which was easily obtain their place and no need for any birth certificate or other documents linking to his real identity. From then on, he was called by that name around their neighborhood.
2015 03.20
After more than a month of staying in Wu household, he decided to help the couple for a living. He doesn't like to be a burden to the two and so he look for a job. In the nearby area of their place there was a Public Library that was looking for a book keeper that time and so he grabbed the opportunity since it doesn't require any qualifications at all. He then, worked at Kim's Coffee House, one of the largest coffee house in town, as a delivery man and helper in of the owner name Minseok. Later on, he managed to have another part-time job as one of the cook and servant of Lee Noodle house, where he made his special snack of sugar coated noodles. It became one of the best seller after his two days of service and making the said snack. It was also the reason why he became infamous and being polite and having a good sense of humor also added on top of that. He found himself enjoying his works but decided to settle as a permanent worker in Kim's Coffee House. The next thing happened to him is that he was already one of the assistant coffee maker in the house where over the year he learned how to make it and brewed perfectly.
Chanyeol was able to meet new friends and his boss, Minseok encouraged him to join in Guardians of Exodus, one of the prominent musician groups in town. He became an active member of the town's church group and volunteered as the church's permanent pianist every weekend for the mass. From then, the church doesn't need to hire anymore a pianist from the city proper where it was hours in travel.
After earning enough and saved fair amount of money for house rent, he then asked permission for the Wu that he will just rent the small hub of the couple few meters away from their main house. The couple had agreed and since Chanyeol insisted that he will pay for staying in there, the couple suggested and had an argument that it was not necessary to do so. In the end, both parties settled for half of the public regular rent for Chanyeol.
Chanyeol never mentioned his past and his friends just brushed it off. It was one time when one of them had spoken, *"From your accent, you must be from the south, a city born man."
Chanyeol smiled faintly and respond, *"I guess so."
"Chanyeol is special and a great man. He loved kids. During Christmas day, he played as Santa Claus at the orphanage and spend time for the excited kids in there." Yixing said, one of his co-choir in church where they had a year-end program for the orphans. *"He grew a big white beard to make his appearance more authentic. Of course, he wondered about his past." He continued. "I heard from some of the people in town that he could had been an ex-priest or an ex-criminal."
Zitao remembers: "We found him at the boundary of west and south during my family's ride back in our town. He was unconscious and lying on the ground that time. He doesn't have any injuries nor wound. My husband Yifan decided to bring him with us since we cannot live him in that state. We were already far from the city proper and so to the nearest hospital in there. We had no choice and we brought him in our town and to the nearest clinic in there. The next day he woke up, he ended up asking who he was. We really pitied him and worried about his condition. We adopted him and became an uncle of my kids and nephew. We became his family. He loves the kids and so they are too for him."
About two months before Christmas 3049, Yifan and Zitao noticed that Chanyeol became strangely quiet and unresponsive. *Something to be turning in his mind.
On the month of his real birthday which he didn't really celebrated for the past years since he stayed in town, he visited the Wu household. It was Yifan's birthday, and so he bought his gift for the head of the family. His boss, Minseok, who happened to be close to the family was also invited. Some of his friends in church were also there to celebrate the birthday too. "Chanyeol, I'm glad you came. You're a bit late though. Where have you been?" Yifan asked the said name while gesturing him to enter the house.
"I had to bought gift. Sorry, My mind had been occupied lately and I almost forgot your birthday." Chanyeol said apologetically. Yifan patted his shoulder and said that it was okay.
Three hours had passed after the guests had their meal and so Yifan and Chanyeol settled at the rear area of the house and peacefully watch guests in front of them while Zitao's busy to entertain their guests though it was his husband's night.
"You know Yifan, I feel like this month is important for me. Even Zitao's birthday month. I always felt something, whenever it came." Chanyeol said to his friend with his eyes staring straight and not glancing to the tall friend.
"Well, what do you feel then?" Yifan asked with concern.
"I don't know. It was indescribable. I feel it so special for me."
"Maybe one of those months is your birthday?"
"Maybe." Chanyeol smiled weakly.
It didn't took long when Chanyeol noticed that it was already holiday month. It was one of the day from the first week of December when Chanyeol's boss mentioned about something to him. "Chanyeol, I will be gone for a week. I will leave the house in your care and Jinki. I will visit Kyungsoo, my best friend in the city. They will be having another musical performance next week. I promised to him that I will go. It was my first time that he invited me and my first time to attend. It was unfortunate that their great Musical Director wasn't the one who did the show. He always proudly tell me that the director was a prodigy at such young age."
Chanyeol nodded but the time his boss mentioned the designation of Musical director, a glowering looks covered his handsome face before he said, "I think I used to be a Musical Director."
"Really? How come? Well, it's possible. Your playing piano and sing really well." Minseok smiled. "Wait, where? Do you remember now?" He asked. It was not a secret anymore for his boss of his condition. Over the years, Minseok understand his situation. Though, they didn't know how to help him and their minds were occupied by works and their daily schedule and Chanyeol's condition was forgotten.
"I don't know." Chanyeol answered.
"Seoul?"
"I'm not sure."
Chanyeol was already accustom and spent every major holidays with Yifan, Zitao and the kids. Every Christmas Eve he was always present but late in Wu were it was his last stop on his rounds of wishing his friends a happy holidays. On the mentioned year of Christmas Eve he never arrived. Yifan and Zitao stayed all night and waited for him. He never did.
It was 22nd of the twelve month, Chanyeol had fallen and banged his head after years. He was carrying bags of coffee that was being delivered that day when he accidentally stepped on the damped floor near the service door. He ignored the accident and the next day at work he seemed distracted. It was not late in the afternoon when he decided to clean the upper floor of the coffee shop. He didn't know that his co-worker had unintentionally dropped the bags of coffee seeds near the stairs and toilet. The co-worker left to get something to clean the mess. Unfortunately, that was the time when Chanyeol walked out of the toilet with heavy pail of water in his hand. And again, he lose his balance because of coffee seeds that he didn't noticed were on his way. It was again the second fall and strike in his head.
The day, 34th of December, he woke up and feeling confused, yet delighted. After 12 years, he knew who he was. He was Park Chanyeol, of Seoul, South Korea. The love of his life's name was Baekhyun, Park Baekhyun. Their son's name is Chanhyun.
Upon the realization and waking him up from his memory loss, Chanyeol suddenly got scared. He was scared. Is my Baekhyun alive? Is he with our child? Did he remarried? Did they forgot me then? How will my Baekhyun greet me?
Baekhyun and Chanyun had just returned home from Christmas Mass, where they lit candles and prayed for Chanyeol. Unexpectedly, light of snows started to fall and it was not good for them. They were in a hurry to leave for Christmas dinner at his brother's house before the roads grew slick.
Not a few minutes had passed when the door bell rang, Oh my goodness, he thought, *this is not a good time for a visitor.
Baekhyun opened the door - and locked his gaze at a man with slight moustache and long hair with few wrinkles in his handsome face. Without a doubt, Baekhyun instantly recognized the man that he longed for years. The man he wished and prayed everyday to comeback for him and for their son. The only love of his life. His giant. His Chanyeol. Baekhyun couldn't speak and froze from his spot for seemed like a century.
To Chanyeol, Baekhyun already looked a bit older already but still the beautiful person he ever seen and met. His heart wanted to burst out of happiness, longing, regret and hope. Happiness for he finally see again the only person he truly loves and makes his heart flutters. Longing for realizing how he miss his petite love of his life. Regret for the past years that had been wasted without his Baekhyun and their son. And hope that he was not yet too late to come back and be with his family.
"Hello, Baek," he said.
"Yeol," Baekhyun breathed. *"Is it true?" His breathing came in bursts, as if he had been running in a marathon. Tears that he was trying to hold finally fell on his soft cheeks despite of age.
"It's true." Chanyeol said with a bit of hesitation. As much as he wanted to envelop his Baekhyun in his arms but the time had lost between them made a gap. He doesn't have any idea what happened to Baekhyun and to their son after he was gone and not with them.
All the doubts and hesitation to Chanyeol earlier were gone when Baekhyun threw himself in his husband's broad chest. Chanyeol was thankful that his agility is still there despite that he's in his late 50's already as he abruptly hold his Baekhyun in his arms.
"You're back." Baekhyun speaks while wrapping his arms around his husband.
"Yes. I'm back." Chanyeol smiled with his tighter embrace to the love of his life.
"You're home again, Yeol." Baekhyun said after pulling slight to look at his giant.
"Yes, Baek. I'm finally home." He smiled again while locking his gaze to his love.
"I miss you so much." Baekhyun whispered, cheeks were pressed against his husband's chest.
"I miss you so much more." Chanyeol cupped Baekhyun's face and locked their lips together and forgot all the space between them. Filling all the moments they had lost. Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his giant's neck for deeper and more passionate kiss that they couldn't suppress from all the time they had miss together.
Baekhyun then led Chanyeol to their favorite room where their son was also inside their playroom. They hug, more hugs and kisses. They began to talk too and tried to fill the gaps in time. Few moments when Chanyeol's eyes grew tired and hazy. He dozed off from exhaustion but felt so happy lying in his lover's lap.
*After 12 years, Park Chanyeol was home at last.
*On the day of Christmas, Chanyeol reported his return to the authorities. That evening, the Wu received a phone call from Seoul Daily Time News reporter who told them that Chanyeol was fine. Zitao phoned Chanyeol's friends about the good news.
*A week after Chanyeol's return, he undergo in complete physical, including a CAT scan of his brain. The conclusion: He was in a normal health, Chanyeol and Baekhyun have had no problems resuming their lives as a married couple.
*"Each day we are together," Chanyeol says, "makes the time we were apart seem shorter."
*****
A/N: 2016 05 24
This is a work from aff and the original story isn't mine. It's only an adaptation in an article from reader's digest years ago.