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When Kyungsoo entered the company, he knew very well what he was signing himself up for; intense dance and vocal lessons, torturously relentless practising to perfect their debut stage, and absolutely no romantic relationships.
In hindsight, kyungsoo may have known very well what he signed himself up for, but he probably wasn’t thinking when he did.
What he hadn’t been expecting were tall clumsy badass rapper wannabe giants. Specifically one. Namely Park Chanyeol. When Kyungsoo first sees Chanyeol, he knows what he has to do. Stay away from him. When he meets Chanyeol a week later, he realises that that plan is probably going to shit.
Kyungsoo is familiar with Chanyeol’s type. Fun loving, people loving, always trying to be friends with everyone. Only that you can’t do that. Everyone knows that when you try to be everyone’s best friend, you’ll somehow end up forgetting someone. It doesn’t matter that Chanyeol might not mean it, Kyungsoo just doesn’t want to be attached to people who aren’t going to value him as the wonderful person he is and follow him to the ends of the world.
So Kyungsoo settles with glaring at everyone around him and telling the ones brave enough to approach him that it’s only due to his terrible myopia. It’s not deceiving, he thinks, it’s a test.
Until Chanyeol manages to work up the balls to introduce himself during one of the dance lessons. Kyungsoo groans internally when he sees the overly excited boy flash a shit eating grin as he bows and says his name, one Kyungsoo already knows. Chanyeol had looked scared enough the first few weeks, he wonders what changed. And then, like the normal and polite human he is, Kyungsoo introduces himself as well.
And then turns to walk away at top speed. So much for being polite.
Kyungsoo tells himself that Chanyeol meets new people every day. That this encounter would mean nothing to him and he was probably moving on to talk to someone else by now. And while Kyungsoo has been right about most things in life, this does not happen to be one of them.
Because Chanyeol runs to catch up with Kyungsoo as he’s leaving the room, settling for a comfortable stride next to him while Kyungsoo tries (and fails) to quicken his pace. “Hey, so what do you like to listen to?” Chanyeol begins the conversation, placing the whole ditching incident behind him just as quickly as he caught up with Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo snorts. He doesn’t mean to be a judgemental asshole, but he highly doubts Chanyeol listens to the kind of music he’s into. Nevertheless, he replies half-heartedly, hoping that Chanyeol would realise the glaring differences between them and give up on this meaningless platonic endeavour. “R&B mostly.”
Again, he is proven wrong by the forces of fate. Chanyeol’s face lights up instantaneously. “Really? And I thought I was the only one.” He then launches into a long ramble about who his favourite bands and songs are, all the while walking alongside Kyungsoo. And among the flailing arms and animated facial expressions of Park Chanyeol, Kyungsoo can’t help but listen because oh my god, he listens to the exact same bands and songs as him that no one else here seems to know of.
Just like that, they are best friends, talking about music and going everywhere together. Kyungsoo forgets that Chanyeol probably isn’t the best option for a position that’s going (or at least is supposed) to stick with him the rest of his life.
When their group is put together, the training becomes impossible, even more so than when they were fresh trainees. Everyone’s motivated to make the new group the best when they debut and that means sweaty bodies in a small dance practice room for several hours. Thankfully, practice ends around 8 so most of them leave by 8.30. Except for a select few (ChanyeolChanyeolChanyeol) who have to stay back later for extra practice because the teachers basically thought they were shit at dancing.
By the time Chanyeol has left the studio, every inch of his body is aching and he’s sweating from his forehead down to his dick. He thinks about the warm shower he can take once he reaches the dorms, only to be reminded that the hot water turns off at ten and it was now 10.30. Not to mention that the dorm toilet would smell and look like shit after the other members had used it. He ponders his current life situation and groans out loud so that any living being within a one-mile radius can hear his agonizing pain and woe. He contemplates dropping to his knees for a more dramatic effect before hearing an annoyed cough to his right.
“HOLY MOTHER OF GOD KYUNGSOO WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THERE THE WHOLE TIME??” Chanyeol sighs loudly before coming back up his feet because yes, the idiot did actually fall to his knees when he noticed Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. Because Chanyeol overreacting was just Chanyeol being Chanyeol. Then he goes forward to pat the dirt off Chanyeol’s pants while mumbling softly. “I was practicing too, there’s one part in the middle I can’t seem to get right. Just wanted to make sure I don’t mess up on stage.” He then turns his head away and starts walking towards the train station. Chanyeol takes a moment to process before following him, choosing to keep his big mouth shut for once.
When they arrive at the train station, Chanyeol turns to face Kyungsoo, and the smaller boy stops to look up at him expectantly. “Are you hungry? Let's go get the takoyaki there.”
It turns out Kyungsoo isn’t really hungry but he buys the snack anyways and Chanyeol is more than happy because he starts stuffing the food into his mouth the moment he gets it and not so discreetly eyes the untouched takoyaki in Kyungsoo’s hands. Kyungsoo scoffs.
But as they are waiting for the train to come, Kyungsoo makes the mistake of tilting his head slightly to glance at the taller. Because while Chanyeol attempts to talk through mouthfuls of Kyungsoo’s takoyaki, gushing about how good the food is as little pieces fall from his open mouth, Kyungsoo gets hit with a very, very strong realization.
He suddenly remembers why he hadn’t wanted to be close to Chanyeol. The Chanyeol that runs to him first when he hears about a new restaurant. The Chanyeol that goes to his dorm at 1 a.m. to tell him and only him about his love for music and song producing. The Chanyeol that catches up with Kyungsoo no matter how many times he walks away. Yes, now Kyungsoo understands. Understands why he was waiting for Chanyeol long after the others had left. Why he wasn’t hungry because he had eaten while waiting for Chanyeol. Why he didn’t tell Chanyeol to shut up that very first time they met.
And Kyungsoo remembers why he forgets.
The train pulls up as a million thought are racing through Kyungsoo’s head. And as they enter the empty cabin, he starts out slowly. “ Chanyeol, I didn’t actually stay back so late because of practice,” He doesn’t know exactly what to say to follow that up, isn’t prepared to reveal something he had only just managed understanding.
Kyungsoo also isn’t prepared for what happens next.
Because all of a sudden Chanyeol’s hands are on his hips and Kyungsoo’s sentence is cut short by Chanyeol’s warm lips against his. Both of them were pushed against the side of the cabin and Kyungsoo thinks he has never felt more aroused by remnants of takoyaki sauce and dirty public transport systems.
When they pull away from each other. Chanyeol is the first to speak, with his hands still gripping Kyungsoo tightly and his forehead gently resting against his. It comes out low and slightly breathless but to Kyungsoo, it’s crystal clear.
“I know.”
And if first impressions are anything to go by, Kyungsoo realises that he’d been wrong all along.