Hard to Love - (chanbaek)

92

Mumbling and fogged-up images could only be detected. The sound of ruffling papers appeared every time the filled files hit the table—there were small beats after every timid step. The quiet rustle of metal whenever he played with his dangling earrings.

Baekhyun was obviously not paying attention.

He was more focused on how his earrings looped together instead of their current situation in Japan. He already knew the events taking place in very close detail. He was in charge of arranging their products, so he was well aware of their international issues. But his knowledge on the situation wasn't really why he was ignoring the discussion. He was trying to avert his attention to something simple and relaxing in order to avoid the intense glare beside him. He had to control his shaking leg and sudden hand tremors. A migraine even appeared because of his stressful concentration. He let out a quiet sigh and brought his eyes back up to the ongoing meeting.

Tap.

Baekhyun felt his ears twitch at the surprising sound. He glanced at the note in front of him as Chanyeol tapped the table in a quiet yet, rhythmical beat.

Hi :)

Baekhyun returned his attention towards Daehyun without responding. The large hand pulled the note back to their side as they scribbled a few more words. When the note was sent back, the white-haired male couldn't help but check the new message.

Hello! Hello!

Baekhyun ignored the note once again by turning away. Chanyeol needed to think of a better plan, a plan that would spark the olders interest. He hastily wrote down a childish joke and slowly slid the note back into Baekhyuns section. Fortunately, no one had noticed this small one-sided interaction since everyone else was actually conducting an informative discussion. Baekhyun glanced at the joking response with a forming grin.

Why was the baby strawberry so sad?

Baekhyun finally turned to look at the playful male. He raised a brow in curiosity, causing the taller to drag the post it back to his spot. He grabbed his pen and wrote another response with a toothy grin. He pushed it back once he was done, slightly hoping the older would write back.

His parents were in a jam.

Baekhyun stifled a low chuckle and looked away. Chanyeol frowned as he reached to grab the ignored piece of paper. Instead, Baekhyun opened his palm waiting for the pen to be handed to him. The taller quickly understood and swiftly passed him the black pen. Baekhyun didn't waste time and began to write down his reaction to the corny joke. He put the pen down and slid the note back to the taller, who seemed overly excited.

Lame.

Chanyeol looked up at him with a stern expression. Baekhyun bit his lip upon feeling the loud laugh creep up his throat. He took a deep breath and tried to contain his cackles from escaping. This reminded him of high school. They would always pass notes like this whenever they had class together. It was a sweet yet distasteful memory. Baek had decided to push the recollections aside before his mood worsened. He smiled when he felt a small tap on his pinky. He grabbed the post-it and quietly giggled at the bratty remark.

Do you have a better joke?

He picked up the pen and began his response. The black ink nearly spread unnecessarily when Baek had flinched at the sudden vibration. He put the pen down for a second to check the message he had received. His eyes widened at the text Rin had sent him. He quickly showed his brother the message knowing that the older had probably forgotten as well. Daehyun mumbled out a few curses with a shocked expression.

"Was her flight not scheduled at 8?" The new conversation had put their current meeting on hold. Baekhyun nodded as he raised his hand.

"She must have changed her time. She did say she was unsure about her schedule, so she probably shifted her flight to 6 PM instead."  Daehyun sighed as he handed the phone back to his brother.

"She needs the mission files before she leaves for Japan."

"I'll go."

He slid the note back to Chanyeol as he left his seat.

"Jake might have the files, so check with him first." Baekhyun simply gave him the okay sign before bowing at the attending individuals. He waved goodbye, smiling when he heard vocal responses in return.

Baekhyun exited the room while dialing his peer's number. He needed to give Aella all the reports and observations taken at the site before she boards her following flight. Besides his departure, the meeting continued as per usual. Chanyeol couldn't resist the temptation of observing the note. His fingers tightly held the small piece of paper as his lips nearly curled.

"What do you think, Chanyeol?"

The taller male raised his head, leaving the note on top of his sturdy thighs. Although he was more interested in talking to Achlys, his ears still listened to the main conversation.

"Well... I think the stocks should be examined closely. Like previously said, the whole situation with faulty products has taken a toll on our income. To prevent those careless mistakes, we need to check all the items we receive before shipping them to further areas. We can have a group of people handle the inspections. They need to be really good at detecting false factors from these products so that we can keep our income high. I can't determine a gang's reliability, but I think we should make a list that notes down the groups we should be more wary about." Daesung hummed at the well-thought response. He proceeded to ask for Daehyuns opinion, allowing Chanyeol to stare back at the slightly crumpled note.

Do you have a better joke?

Probably.

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