Love and Let Live || ChanBaek

I'll See You Again

Love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters?

Artificial snow billowed up from the ground, completely obscuring Chanyeol's vision as he sang along to the track that played over the speakers. Through the glaring spotlights and torrent of white that surrounded him, he couldn't even make out the crew on the other side. Nevertheless, he sang out, letting his body move to the music. He hoped he looked natural. Real. Or else the director would call another retake and he would never make it to the airport in time.

He felt snowflakes brush his cheeks and he fought back the urge to smile and a memory that was forcing its way to the surface. Instead, he reached out, letting the snow fall on his palms as his eyes fluttered closed.

He took care of every movement that he made. Slow, steady, sad. Every moment was being captured on a camera and he had to make sure he was being serious. Day in, day out, there wasn't a single thing that slipped from the public eye.

But not tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he could be alone. Tomorrow, he could go back. Tomorrow, he could see him.

"Cut!"

Chanyeol's eyes snapped open as the director's sharp voice immediately stopped everything. Within seconds, the snow fluttered back to the ground and Chanyeol was once again standing in a too-bright studio room.

"Chanyeol, you smiled. Again."

Although he couldn't hear it, Chanyeol could tell that his manager was groaning in some dark corner of the room. All he could do was apologize sheepishly to the director and crew.

"We're going to have to take it from the second verse again," the director quipped, settling back into his foldable chair. "And Chanyeol," he paused, waiting until his full attention was on him. "whatever you're thinking of that puts that stupid sad smile on your face, forget it. Okay?"

Chanyeol nodded. "Yeah, okay."

He got back into position and waited until things were readjusted. When the music started and the snow re-animated, Chanyeol closed his eyes and closed off every thought of Byun Baekhyun.

I'm much more me when I'm with you.

Feet shuffled on the welcome mat and the bell hanging over the door jingled endlessly as people filtered in and out. The sweet smell of chocolate and coffee would invade Chanyeol's senses between bursts of cold air. He ignored his cravings for something sweet and focused on his fingers gliding over the strings of his guitar, playing well-known Christmas music that he could play in his sleep.

He should have been somewhere else, celebrating the holidays with other people, but what is Christmas Eve when you're in college, your family is half a country away and you're completely broke?

For Chanyeol, it was another day of work. Another day of playing little tunes on his guitar that people probably didn't even care about anyway. The only thing that indicated a bit of Christmas spirit was the larger amount of coins that had amassed at the bottom of his tip jar.

He let his fingers do the work and watched as people ordered a cake or some coffee and sat down with people they hadn't seen in a while. They spoke animatedly, eyes shining, teeth showing through smiles; with the glow of coloured lights that fell down like a cloak of serenity, it was the kind of scene that Chanyeol saw in dramas and thought: "I wish I was a part of that." And he was, except he was just background noise.

He was setting the scene for someone else's story.

As the traffic in the coffee shop picked up, the owner came out from behind the counter and told Chanyeol he could have a fifteen-minute break. He had been playing all day, and yet refused to go home so the shop owner had to give him multiple breaks every couple of hours.