For Life (EXO Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

"Bato bato pik! Bato bato pik! Bato bato pik!"

I rolled my eyes again as the chants get louder.

I made a mistake of educating EXO about how we do rock paper scissors in our country and now they can't stop, or won't stop saying it.

Baekhyun has been "whispering" the chant to Kyungsoo, who after glaring at him after a couple of minutes, got tired and is now just blatantly ignoring him.

Chanyeol is having a good fight against Chen. I believe they are on a 42 over 38 score now. Sehun is playing a mobile game beside me but chanting, too.

Minseok with a PhD searches online on how it is spelled while Suho and Kai chants repeatedly, too.

We are on our way to a Korean barbecue place about half an hour away from the concert venue. After seating on the backstage for a couple of minutes, Kyungsoo suddenly stood up and announced that he is hungry.

Manager-nim decided that it is time to go and after couple of heavy instructions to the security team that I was not able to notice from the hotel before, we boarded the van once again and left the arena.

I felt bad when the fans followed the wrong van. But I guess a decoy is needed so the boys can leave immediately and safely.

The van stopped in front of a posh restaurant and we all got off the van. I noticed how the boys put on their caps and pulled it low almost in sync. They're not even talking, their body just do it automatically when in a public place.

"Ah, this is nice." Chen said as he took a deep breath. We're on the greener side of the city so the air is colder and nice.

"There not much people inside. We've reserved a table for us." Manager-nim entered before us and followed a restaurant staff.

The Korean staff already returned to the hotel. Mi Jin was able to say goodbye to me earlier before she went back with the others. We invited her to join but she politely declined saying that her little family back home is waiting for a video call.

"Do you think they'll have pandesal here?" Kyungsoo quietly asked.

I was surprised when he looked at me directly so it took me a couple of seconds to answer. "Uh... I can cross the street and buy some for you." I said as I spotted a well known bakeshop that is open 24/7 that also serves hot pandesal anytime of the day.

It's a good thing that we are on a not-so-busy business area.

He seem to hesitate so I smiled at him. "I'll be fast. I'll follow you inside."

I made sure that I have my staff ID in my pocket, just in case the guards that'll be assigned at the door do not know me.

"I'll go with you!" One hand shoot up the air and my heart started pounding crazily.

"Y-you don't have to. I-I mean... It's just across the street."

"Exactly. It's just across the street so we'll just be gone a couple of minutes." Minseok said, not to me but to Manager-nim who shrugged his shoulders and started to enter the restaurant followed by the others.

Sehun stared at us for about a minute before he followed them.

'Wah, Manager-nim, jjang. But, what is Sehun's problem...'

I was still looking at their direction when I felt warm hands touch my arms and gently guided me to face the pedestrian lane that is conveniently just a few steps away. It is not a highway but we waited for the lights to turn green before crossing the street.

He handed me one black mask that I silently put on and wore one himself. I'm not sure where he got them.

We were quiet for a moment, until we decided to speak at the same time.

"It ended quite fast, huh?" I said at the same tine that he said "That was a fun crowd."

I catched his gaze as he turned to look at me and we both chuckled.

"Yeah. It ends fast all the time. I guess you won't really notice the time if you're having fun." He said and smiled with the smile that always makes me melt for him.

"It's amazing how you were able to fill that entire arena with fans. I mean, I'm amazed but not surprised anymore, you know?"

"Hmm... It's always sad for us to look at them from the backstage when they are already leaving." He said as we stop in front of the bakeshop.

I automatically touched his cap gently and pulled it lower.

He seemed surprised by the gesture, but smiled after and wore the hood of his jacket, too. I did the same thing and lowered the hood of my jacket even though I don't have to. I mean, no one knows me anyway, but we won't risk it with him.

As we enter the bakeshop, the fragrant smell of newly baked bread greeted us.

I bought around a 100 pesos which is around 50 pieces of pandesal. It might be too much but there's a lot of them and we can bring them back to the hotel anyway.

The cashier didn't show any sign of recognizing Minseok and is just tinkering with her phone while we are looking for other things we might want.

I think both of us are not in the mood to buy anything else because we both turned to the door without talking and left the store.

Our pace significantly slowed as we started going back to the restaurant.

"I was not able to do this before after a show, you know?" He said as he smile at me, sadly if I may say. It's as if he's thinking of past memories he won't be able to go back to. "It's always just the hotel, the venue, back to the hotel, then we'll wait for our flight."

"I'm glad you're able to do it now. Even for just a short... Like, reaaaallyyyy short time." I tried joking to lighten up the mood. I don't want to see him with that sad smile, ever.

"If only I can take you to more places,  I will. But I won't risk your safety, too." I smiled at him apologetically.

"I know. But thank you. For that calming short walk. It'll be awesome to do it longer with you next time." He said with a happier smile on his face.

It is just then that I realized that we are already standing outside the restaurant's entrance.

He lightly pinched my nose that is hidden behind the mask he made me wear then entered the restaurant.

I was left there... thinking with my heart pounding.

'He said longer next time... with me.'

And I am supposed to be smiling, I know. And I should be dying out of kilig. But a rational part of my brain stubbornly reminded me of the reality I was in.

And with that sobering thought, I entered the restaurant with Kyungsoo's hot pandesal.

❤