+ twenty two

Narda felt a bit out of place as she entered their house, which was bigger and nicer than any house she had been in. She always knew, by reading things on the internet that Chanyeol's family had money, but she never knew to what extent. But she had also never met the parents of any Korean boyfriend she had gone out with...then again, she never had a Korean boyfriend to begin with. Chanyeol had been the first--or more accurately Baekhyun, but she didn't actually count him as a previous boyfriend because they had to hide from everyone and never went public. With Chanyeol, at least, it had been a mutual decision, and he didn't hide their relationship in front of their friends. Chanyeol seemed to genuinely treasure her as his girlfriend and most importantly, he gave her her place.

Still, she attributed her nervousness to the fact that she was there to meet her boyfriend's family and his mother already seemed surprised by what she encountered. Narda had been in relationships before, had previous boyfriends and met their families, but it was different because it had been back home in her country. This was a completely different place where she was an outsider. She was the different one.

She could already imagine that it probably wasn't that they didn't like her, or that she wasn't welcome in their home. It just wasn't what they were used to. They had probably been expecting their son to be dating a Korean girl, someone average in their eyes, someone who was more like them. Narda saw the same reaction in her parents when she introduced them over video chatting the previous night. They probably thought she would end up dating a Mexican boy who would speak the same language as them and follow the same traditions.

The two of them followed Mrs. Park into the house; one of them comfortably while the other was hesitant and even slightly afraid. Chanyeol was excited as ever to see his family again. They lived in the same city, yet he didn't get to see them often because of his busy schedule with EXO or other activities which he did on his own. His mother led them into a living room area where Chanyeol's father and sister were already waiting for them. Narda saw the same reaction in them as his mother had when they saw her. Their eyes were widened in surprise at the sight of her. Like they had never seen someone foreign before. 

Chanyeol smiled wide as he went to embrace his father and then his sister. 

Yoora was like their mother in appearance, a woman with a small frame but very beautiful. She was tiny and even resembled Chanyeol a bit in her facial features, but her skin was a bit darker. His father was taller, but not nearly as tall as Chanyeol was. 

Narda stood off to the side and only watched with a nervous smile as he greeted his family in Korean. She wasn't sure it it was right to approach them yet, as she didn't know them and wasn't yet comfortable with them. Chanyeol hugged his sister first, and then his father, the biggest smile she had seen in him in a while was present. 

Ever since Tao left the group, he and the other boys had been upset and sulking. On their faces, she could no longer see the big smiles she was used to. The kind that touched their eyes. Those days were gone, and that was because the pain was still very present for them. The wounds would eventually heal, but she knew it was clear they would always miss him. Just like their missed their other brothers. But every time they were in front of a camera, they were made to pretend like their former group mates didn't even exist. Like Yifan, Lu Han, and Tao were never a part of EXO. They could erase them from their pictures, but never from their memories.

When he returned to her side, he comfortably slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side protectively when he felt her nervousness. He introduced her in Korean first, and then in English so that Narda could understand what he was saying. "I want you to meet Guti. She's my girlfriend." He smiled proudly and turned to kiss her on the cheek.

Narda waved a shy hello at them.

Both Yoora and Mr. Park smiled at her in return. Narda noticed the way they were trying hard to make her feel comfortable from the very first moment and she appreciated that. "She's so cute." His sister commented with a friendly smile in English. Narda felt her cheeks blushing red at the compliment. She felt especially shy in that moment. Especially because back home, her sister was the pretty one. Narda was more boyish and average to get any attention. She had dated before, but she alway noticed how family members always complimented her sister Bianey more. Narda wasn't quite used to the attention. She especially found it strange that in Korea, she had been able to catch Baekhyun's attention and Chanyeol's. 

All Yoora needed was that one comment to trigger a redness in Narda's face. "You always did like tiny girls, Chan." Yoora pointed out. Their height difference was very visible as they stood side by side. He was nearly a whole foot taller than her. She barely reached his shoulders.

Chanyeol nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Park invited them to sit down with them and they took a seat near Yoora on the couch. Chanyeol instantly wrapped an arm around Narda's shoulders in reassurance. He had even leaned close to whisper in her ear, "Don't be nervous. You're doing great, baby." 

"So..." Mrs. Park began with a smile and a nervous sigh. Though she had been initially surprised, she was also making an attempt to get along and make that visit a pleasant one for her son and his girlfriend. "How exactly did you two meet?" It was a genuine question that she wanted to know about.

"We met through Baekhyun." Chanyeol said truthfully, keeping his answer short and vague.

Narda was relieved at his response. She didn't want his parents to know the truth. That she met them when she pretended that Baekhyun ran her over with his car. 

-

By the end of the afternoon, Mrs. Park was absolutely in love with Narda and doting one her just exactly as Chanyeol was. It was the very same for Yoora and Mr. Park. Chanyeol remembered something he himself said to Baekhyun long ago. Narda was likeable. She had charisma and it wasn't difficult for people to fall in love with her. His mother was so comfortable with her that after dinner, she had gotten out the old photo albums in the closet and was flipping through the pages with her new daughter. Chanyeol was slightly embarrassed at the way his mother was already referring to his girlfriend as that--her daughter.  

"He was so attached to that thing." His mother said with a hint of disdain, pointing to a ferret that was in one of the pictures with an eight year old Park Chanyeol. She crinkled up her nose in displeasure as Narda cooed with excitement at the sight. He had always tried to bring home stray animals and keep them as pets, startling both his mother and his sister in the process. But they weren't the conventional types of pets. He had once had a ferret as a pet, and had once also saved a mouse on the street and tried to keep it. His mother was able to stomach the ferret idea, but never any rodents.

Yoora took one look at the picture and nodded in agreement. "He was so sad when he lost him. I remember we went back to the park the next day and spent hours looking for him."

Chanyeol sighed sadly, the memories flooding into his mind. There was a hint of a joke, and an undertone of honesty in his words. He placed a hand over his heart and closed his eyes tightly. "Stop tearing open wounds that will never fully heal."

They spent about three hours looking through albums, with his mother and sister exposing his childhood stories. "So, we didn't always have money." His sister informed Narda. "Dad got a promotion when Chan was three, so we moved into this house. He practically never knew what it was to struggle. But I remember when we moved into this house." She had to pause when she started to laugh, but she placed a hand over her lips to stifle it. "The property was under construction, but it was almost done. There was a hole in the back yard. The first day, he filled it up with water, got naked and jumped in. He said it was his pool."

His mother sifted through the album until she found a picture. There was Chanyeol, three years old, splashing around in a muddy hole. Narda grinned as she looked at the picture. But Chanyeol clamped a hand over it. "Okay, that's enough pictures." He shot up from his place on the couch and pulled her up with him. "We're going up to my room so I can show her where I slept when I lived here."

He whisked her away from his family before any of them could protest. 

They went up to his room and he closed the door behind them. She went to sit on his bed. His room was like a typical boys room, though it was clean and looked like it hadn't been lived in for too long. "They left it exactly the same when I left." He informed her with a sigh. 

It must have been hard for his family to let their teenage son leave at such a young age, even if he was just moving to another place in the same town.

"You were so cute as a baby, Chan." She reached up to pinch his cheek with a smile.

"I'll never be able to look you in the eyes again." He told her jokingly, but there was a hint of real embarrassment in his words. "Not after the pictures my mother showed you."

She scoffed, suddenly full of confidence as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. She had turned, sitting on the bed slightly facing him. "I've seen you with your pants down already. I don't think seeing you naked in a muddy hole is too much different."

-

By the time they returned to Narda's apartment, Chanyeol kissed her goodnight and was on his way. He needed to wake up extra early the next morning for rehearsals. He had informed Narda of their upcoming comeback. He wasn't allowed to let her know the concept, but he did let slip out that they would be wearing American Football outfits, much to her dismay. She would have preferred to see them in football soccer outfits, since it was the sport she most liked.

Chanyeol knew this and had talked to the managers about it. But it had already been decided. They already had their outfits for the music video ready and the song had been recorded. All they were learning now were the dances for the video and for the live performances.

He left her apartment around nine at night and Narda immediately threw herself onto her bed happily. Things at his house with his family had gone great, better than she could have ever imagined. Her parents--but especially his mother--loved her and she really liked them as well. They were friendly and polite, even though she didn't speak their language and knew little about their customs. 

She had been lying there for a few minutes when her laptop beeped with an incoming video call. Narda went to answer it to see it was from her friend Oriana back home. As she hit answer, she was met with the face of her friend. "Hey Guti." She waved excitedly into the camera.

Narda waved back with enthusiasm. Her friend was dressed in her nursing outfit with the school logo on the side and Narda assumed she was on her way to the university. "What time is it over there?" She wondered with curiosity.

"Five, almost six in the morning." Oriana said with a nonchalant shrug.

The nursing students at her school always worked the hardest, and always had the earliest or the latest classes. Oriana was studying physical therapy because she wanted to work with a football team. Narda knew her friend wanted to tell her something, otherwise, she wouldn't have called right before leaving to school.

"Okay, so I wanted to tell you something super important." Oriana squealed with excitement. Narda nodded her head, beckoning for her to continue. Then her friend informed, "Your brother asked me out!"

Narda wasn't even surprised, since she knew he liked her.

"I'm so happy for you." She said.

Oriana crinkled up her nose. "I just don't want this to ruin my friendship with you, or my friendship with him for that matter."

"I don't think so." Narda reassured with a shake of her head. "I'm not saying this because he's my brother, but Alda is very mature for his age. He really likes you and I think you should give him a chance." He was a year younger than both Oriana and Narda. 

Her friend nodded in agreement, but then her smile grew wider as she changed the subject. "How are you and Tall&Handsome doing?" She wiggled her eyebrows at Narda.

Narda blushed slightly. "We've moved onto a more intimate stage of our relationship--but not too intimate or anything like that. Remember what I told you...with Byun?"

At the mention of him, Oriana rolled her eyes. She was a big fan of EXO, and still supported Baekhyun's career as an artist. But she had informed Narda that she no longer respected him as a person, after what he did to her. Now the mere mention of him made her angry. "Shrimpy&Decieving, yes." When her words sunk in, she gasped. "Oh, no way, Guti! You--" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Gave him a BJ?"

Narda nodded.

"Oh my gosh." Her friend was in shock, but in a proud friend way. When she finally knew what to say, she continued with a question for her. "Okay, but, who has the bigger dick? Chanyeol or Baekhyun? Enlighten me, since you've seen and touched both lollipops, and like, had them in your mouth--"

"I'm not gonna tell you!" Narda said.

-

so today im going to koreatown to buy yixing's album. im sure its going to be lit. also, im going to see if i can buy exo's first light stick. i went about a week ago to buy it and they told me they dont make them anymore, and that they had a few in their warehouse.

when i called, they told me they had like three, but they were damaged. so i didin't buy them. but i think im going to buy them and ask for like a discount.

bc either way they don't make them anymore and im not gonna use it. i just want it for my collection. i'll just assess the damage and fix it myself.

thank you all so much for reading. i know this story has been getting a bit rated r lately.

-clary