"I SAID WHO IS IT! YOU'RE TRYING MY PATIENCE! SHUT EVERYTHING OFF I NEED TO SEE THIS BASTARD. YOU WILL NEVER WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY AGAIN!" He screamed losing his temper.
A moment later all the stage lights were off and the regular lights turned on. Baekhyun stood with his hands on his hips. His face distorted in anger.
Chanyeol gulped. "I am sorry..." he heard his voice come out unconfidently.
Baekhyun turned towards him and their eyes met.
Chanyeol's breath caught.
'This was Baekhyun... There was no doubt in his mind.' The honey-colored eyes flared and the same fluffy hair blonde this time but a little longer gave him away immediately.
But this man was nothing like the boy who had inspired him. Who had helped him not feel so alone in his most trying time of need...
A time when he had been abandoned by all the people who truly knew him. That boy had felt more like friends and family than anyone else had at the time.
Now...
Now... he felt as alien as all the other people in his life.
Chanyeol realized the person he had been admiring from afar for so many years, who had appeared on screens before him. Had inspired and compelled him. Was only real in his own imagination.
Baekhyun blinked and the moment was broken. His eyes flashed and he turned away from Chanyeol so all Chanyeol could see was his back.
Small soft footsteps came running out. And Chanyeol recognized the girl from earlier.
"Who is that?" He snapped at the girl still hiding his face.
"Ah, I am sorry, he is VIP the contest winner. His name is Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol."
"What is he doing in here?" Baekhyun turned to face her fuming angry. But he didn't look back at Chanyeol once.
"It was part of the contest that the winner got to watch your rehearsal, remember...." She hunched over. And Chanyeol stared at the difference in the girl he had met before and the one that now stood in front of Baekhyun.
'She is scared...'
Baekhyun raised his hand and pointed a finger directly into her face. So close that he was practically about to hit her skin with it. Chanyeol bristled. As the girl stepped back in fear. Her slow steps were dragging her closer and closer to a small smoke machine behind her. And without even having to think Chanyeol knew she was less than minutes away from being hurt.
'This isn't right...'
He assessed the area and realized the only way to get to her fast enough was to jump.
In an instant his backpack was off, he threw it carelessly to the side and jumped the row in front of him. Then the next row and his feet landed on the floor. He ran the small distance and hopped onto the stage just in time for the girl to fall back and directly into his large body.
He didn't even make a sound when her body hit. But rather just tried his best to make it so that she wouldn't get hurt in the process. Her body pressed hard against his own and Baekhyun looked up in surprise.
His face clouded over in anger and he glared at him.
Chanyeol stared back at him. All the anger of all the years in his life that he had been waiting for this moment battered at his broken heart and he fumed at the betrayal of his now tainted memories.
"You are banned from ever setting foot in any venue of mine ever again!" Baekhyun's voice trembled, like a growl, he couldn't help but have ripped from his throat with every word.
He turned on his heel and walked away.
The girl looked up at Chanyeol, her face, and ears slightly red with embarrassment.
Chanyeol realized he was still clutching her gently. And released her.
"Thank you... Ah... I will talk to him..." She bowed gently and ran up to Baekhyun. Who stood in the opposite corner of the stage and drank water from a bottle.
"He has to stay... you are obligated to do everything advertised. If you don't, you could..." She looked around as she realized her voice was loud and then said gently. "If you don't do this you could ruin your career... you have already gotten in trouble. Chanyeol looked away trying very hard to pretend like he wasn't listening. But his ears were straining to hear.
He felt disappointed when he realized what he was doing, realizing he was invested despite what he had just learned. He wanted to know even though his idol facade was shattered.
They argued for a moment longer before she came back towards him a polite smile plastered on her face.
His heart fell a little when he noticed that she had lost her brightness from earlier. And instead, he was staring at the girl he had first glimpsed when he walked in through the first set of doors. An overworked girl whose smile was there because it had to be.
"Sorry about that... He has been under a lot of stress lately!" She said politely.
Chanyeol held back a scoff that threatened to burst out.
'Yeah... right... Probably because he has no manners and is an ass.'
"If you just head over to the VIP section. Please be as quiet as possible during the rehearsal and then once the concert is over we will do a meet and greet, photoshoot and signing event."
"Thank you... I am sorry I got you into trouble... Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere? I am probably not the softest thing you can fall against." He asked nervously.
She smiled in response, her whole face flushed with embarrassment at the mention of her fall.
"Mmmhhhmm, I am fine... Thank you for protecting me. I would have tripped on the smoke machine and fell off the stage... I am always so clumsy. I should wear a bubble wrap outfit wherever I go." She laughed softly. But it rang slightly hollow. And he found himself frowning that she was not only taking the blame onto her, but also making fun at her own expense to do it.
"Don't do that..." He clamped his mouth shut as she realized he was doing that thing where he talked before he filtered again. The thing that regularly got him into trouble for rudely butting into other peoples business.
"Huh..."
"Don't ever put yourself down to take the blame away from those who are really at fault...." He said gently.
"Oh..." She froze still blushing.
"It's fine... It's fine...." She said gently.
"I'm Chanyeol." He said. And she stalled for a moment, seemingly stuck between staying with him in the VIP section or going back to manning the door upstairs.
"Stay with me. It would be rude if your VIP guest had to stay alone after coming all this way." That seemed to settle her mind. And she sat down.
"Daehyun... My name is Daehyun, it's nice to meet you." Her voice was sweet and genuine. And he relaxed, seeing she had.
But most of him was still watching the beautiful man covertly from the side as he occupied the stage.
His entire Aura that of fire.
***