Disguised Love | Chanbaek

Chapter 2:

Note: This chapter is hella long (4k words)

4 years ago

Settling his posture into the ending pose he finishes off the choreography for Girls' Generation's Gee, observing how the delighted beam fades from his lips, replaced by a thin yet tight line. His eyes are still glued on his own expression in the mirrored wall as he senses how the energy that has just lived within his body is being soaked out of his flesh — corrupted by a form of exhaustion he is already used to by now.

But it doesn't matter. The exhaustion is just part of the process he has to go through in order to push open idol life's steel gate. He knows he still has a long way to go until he can finally feel its rough material against the surface of his hand, but until then, he has no other choice but to learn from the trainers as well as the successfully debuted trainees.

Shifting his eyes back to his reflection, The next song – Wonder Girl's Like This bursts from the speakers, filling the entire dance practice room with its refreshing beat.

His trainee coaches, as well as other idols have told him how essential it is to be energetic on stage. 'An idol always has to give 100% on stage, no matter how exhausted or drained you might feel'. And that's exactly why Baekhyun has been busy training his expression with upbeat girl group songs –Well, not exactly. Actually, the agency has told him to practice a lot of girl groups in order to get a lot of attention in various of variety show. Also, it would, suit his 'flower boy' image, as they worded it.

He didn't really understand why he has to have such an image in the first place, thinking if his fans liked him, they would like him for who he is, not a stupid image forced by the agency, but they insisted on it, saying he would have the chance to gain more popularity.

More popularity, huh?

Averting his gaze from the mirror, he brushes tears of sweat from his forehead, running a finger through his messy raven hair before fidgeting with the screen of his phone. His finger makes their way to the pause button, killing the music in only one slight touch.

All Baekhyun wants is to sing and perform. He has never thought about things which would just come with it, like fans and popularity. Gaining popularity and having tons of fans is important for an idol and also the group's survival, but why does it nowadays feel like it's getting way too important? It's starting to overshadow the talent and passion of a group , or an idol in general.

His phone clenches tighter in his dainty fingers, his eyes hovering above the touchscreen. Oh shit, he has totally forgotten the time.

Getting up in record time, he makes his way out of practice room, his feet kissing SM's laminated floor. He doesn't even realize, but a wide smile shifts on his lips, caused by the thought of seeing this only certain person, who is able to erase all the exhaustion and problems from his mind, clouding his stomach with tons of mad going butterflies. His boyfriend.

He still can't believe he's going to see him after all those weeks of waiting for him to finally have time. It's not like he can't understand why he hasn't had time, his boyfriend is going to debut in just a few weeks after all – becoming an idol and finally achieving for what he's been working for so damn hard for years now.

The smile on his face widens as he remembers the first time they've met. It was one week after he had been casted by SM and he of course didn't know a single soul in the whole building, always dancing by himself in one of the dance practice rooms or training his voice in an empty recording studio. He has been alone at that particular day as well when a boy entered the dance practice room whilst he was in the midst of practicing a choreo. Practicing his dancing skills while others people were busy doing their own stuff wasn't very unusual to him, but being watched by a stranger, on this day by this certain boy, was definitely, well, unusual.