locked [chanbaek and kaisoo]

Chapter 27

Two days passed after the department learned about Jongin's and Baekhyun's deal. The atmosphere was still unsettled and there was a lot of disatisfaction and dislike towards Baekhyun. But because of the CEO's warning nobody dared to search for him, and Baekhyun himself didn't show up once in the marketing department. 

After that day, for the first time in many years, Chanyeol skipped work next day. It just didn't feel like he could go, like he could handle all the stares of his co-workers and the whispers that followed him everywhere he went. And especially the pitying looks.

No, he rather stayed and worked as much as he could from home, until his eyes couldn't stay open anymore and he dragged himself to bed.

When Chanyeol opened his eyes again, it was morning. He had fallen asleep without even feeling it, and his memory was blurry. All of a sudden he wondered if all that was just a nightmare. The deal between Jongin and Baekhyun, the day in the marketing department, maybe it was all just in his mind.

And Baekhyun was stil here, snuggling into his covers. If Chanyeol now turned around, he'd see he never left.

Of course, the logical part of his brain knew that it wasn't true. He couldn't hear Baekhyun's steady breathing beside him, and he couldn't feel the warmth of his small body, curled up next to his. But still, he hoped. Breathing in deeply, Chanyeol closed his eyes and gathered courage.

He turned to look at the space that was meant to be Baekhyun's. And the sight of emptiness was what he expected, but it still broke his heart.

Not able to stay there, in the empty bed, anymore, Chanyeol got up, the back of his mind vaguely wondering why his body felt so heavy and tired. He padded over to the bathroom, mindlessly turning on the light, and was greeted with a view of himself in the mirror.

Right. The hair, he remembered, looking at his head. Here, another proof that that day happened, and that everything he feared was still true.

And that Baekhyun was gone.

Chanyeol ran his fingers through the freshly dyed strands, wondering what Baekhyun would have said to him about this color. Would he like it, or would he call him an idiot for doing something like this?

Baekhyun doesn't care for your hair, the voice at the back of his mind reminded instantly. He doesn't care about you in the first place.

Chanyeol walked over to the sink, and let cold water run through his fingers. He stared, as the skin on his knuckles turned paler and paler, whilst his fingertips reddened. The water was so cold that it almost hurt, but at that moment, Chanyeol felt like he needed that pain. Like it could take his mind off of Baekhyun for at least a second.

I want to be different, he closed his eyes, letting the thought run through him. I don't want to be this pathetic being anymore.

I'm tired. I'm so tired of myself, Baekhyun.

But... at least you're not stuck with me anymore.

***

"You know," Yixing hesitated. "Chanyeol came to me the day before yesterday. After you went home."

Baekhyun, who was sitting at the corner of the recording room, staring at the ground, raised his eyes. Yixing barely held himself back from heaving a sigh at that. He tried saying numerous things before, hoping to get the depressed guy to talk to him, but nothing got a reaction or response out of Baekhyun for hours. But once he mentioned Chanyeol (whom he was reluctant to mention for obvious reasons), Baekhyun's head snapped up the same second. He was looking at him, still, eyes full of fear and at the same time some kind of reluctant hope, and that view made Yixing feel a lot of pity for him. It was sad, and heartbreaking, the view of somebody this inlove, yet was bit by bit tearing his own heart apart.