Chapter 3
Despite her multiple protests, Jennie drags Chaeyoung out to go Homecoming dress shopping, and after an hour or so of fooling around in the dressing rooms, they finally settle on matching floral-patterned dresses with full tulle skirts. Jennie somehow persuades Chaeyoung - read: Jennie pulls her deadly puppy eyes on the unsuspecting girl, who has no choice but to oblige - to send a picture to Chanyeol, who sends her a picture of a matching boutonniere in return, and nothing can stop the squeals coming from the dressing rooms.
Chaeyoung even thinks that she may have been confused about her sexuality - that’s possible, right? - and finds herself actually looking forward to Homecoming, to her absolute surprise.
Unlike the previous years, Chaeyoung actually has a solid plan, a solid person to fall back on, and, most importantly, a solid 183K MiChaeng fic lined up if she decides she isn’t feeling it.
(But that’s probably not going to happen - Chanyeol is a great conversationalist, and complements her awkwardness wonderfully.)
A sense of deja vu settles over Chaeyoung on the night of Homecoming as Jennie traces her eyes with liquid eyeliner and meticulously twists her hair into a convoluted braid of some kind, pulling out a few tasteful strands of hair when she’s done. They smile into the mirror, Chaeyoung’s mildly unsettled, Jennie’s ecstatic, before grabbing their purses and heading out to greet the boys.
Sitting at the restaurant, with Chanyeol’s arm casually slung across her shoulders, Chaeyoung feels uncomfortable. She doesn’t like the way Jennie and Jongin are eyeing them, all patronizingly endeared and overly saccharine. It makes her sick, the way she's sure that they look ready to write a whole ass fanfiction about them, right here and now.
“Chaeyoung, are you okay?” Chanyeol murmurs in her ear. “I can take my arm off your shoulders if you’d like.”
Chaeyoung stills, suddenly extremely aware of Jennie’s knowing gaze directed at her. “No, it’s alright. I’m just nervous for tonight.”
Chanyeol chuckles. “Completely understandable. I mean, the last time you went was freshman year, right?”
“That’s right.” Chaeyoung flushes in painful reminiscence.
Chanyeol, as if sensing her mortification, smoothly segues their discussion in another direction. “I can’t believe our theme is Under the Sea, though. It’s so cliche.”
“That’s so true, though,” Chaeyoung complains. “Like, Back to the Future, much?”
Chanyeol’s eyes form amused crescents. “Can’t forget about that one, can we?”
“Certainly not,” Chaeyoung huffs overdramatically, and both she and Chanyeol exchange a giggle.
“Sorry to interrupt your, uh, bonding, ” Jongin clears his throat. “But are we ready to head to the school?”
Chaeyoung starts, willing the heat creeping up her neck back down. “Oh, um, yeah.”
"Sounds good," Chanyeol tacks on, and Jennie nods in agreement.
Jongin calls the waitress over, and before Chaeyoung knows it, she’s back in the crowded gym, the generic EDM beats pulsing through her very core. She feels dizzy with remembrance, and quite honestly, the only thing keeping her from projectile vomiting her dinner onto the pit is Chanyeol’s reassuring arm around her waist.
“Chaeyoung, I have to use the restroom,” Chanyeol yells over the music. “Will you be okay by yourself?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Chaeyoung responds, waving a hand. “You go ahead.”
“Be right back.” Chanyeol shoots her that stupidly endearing smile of his, and Chaeyoung can’t help but smile back. She sighs gently, endeared by Chanyeol’s actions, and picks up her voluminous skirt, waddling over to a less crowded corner of the gym.
It’s interesting to view everything from here - Chaeyoung can see a nice variety of couples, from gay activists Kim Junmyeon and Huang Zitao to the iconic Kim-Kim couple, Kim Hyuna and her boyfriend, Kim Hyojong. Hell, Chaeyoung can even see Jennie and Jongin slow dancing - yes, slow dancing to the fucking Skrillex - from where she’s standing, and a coil of disgust snakes its way into her stomach.
It’s not that Chaeyoung isn’t happy for Jennie, okay? She’s fucking thrilled for her best friend.
It’s just that seeing Jongin’s dirty hands roaming Jennie’s body fills Chaeyoung with an inexplicable sense of disgust so great that she physically wants to vomit.
The Skrillex switches to a slower, less EDM-y ballad, and Chaeyoung is sure that it’s her cue to leave. This is the couples’ dance, after all, and Chanyeol is nowhere to be seen.
But as Chaeyoung is about to squeeze her way out, she sees Jongin’s hand close around Jennie’s wrist, a suggestive look marring his features, and Chaeyoung’s heart clenches in fear. What is Jennie doing?
But Jennie seems perfectly okay with it. She giggles airily, allowing Jongin to pull her along, and Chaeyoung briefly considers following her to ensure her safety.
And then she realizes the implication of that thought, and abandons it as fast as she can.
Her mouth filling with the foul taste of bile, Chaeyoung makes her way out of the gym.
She guesses she’ll need that 183K MiChaeng monster, after all.
⭒🌹⭒
Chaeyoung pushes open the bathroom door in defeat, having entered several other bathrooms to interrupt busy couples. This one, however, seems to empty, to Chaeyoung’s overwhelming relief.
“Mm, Seulgi, yes-”
Never mind.
Sighing, Chaeyoung turns around in disgust, seriously considering entering a male bathroom - how bad can it be, really? - and pauses in front of said bathroom.
Seriously, how did she get herself into this situation? And where the everloving fuck is Chanyeol?
Mentally conditioning herself - and pinching her nose in distaste - Chaeyoung opens the door, fully prepared to pass it off as an accident. Thankfully, there seems to be no one inside, and Chaeyoung ducks in a stall, pulling up her MiChaeng fic in relief.
It’s quiet in the bathroom for a little while - Chaeyoung is glad; MiChaeng’s relationship is developing nicely - and Chaeyoung begins to let her guard slip. Of course, she knows that Chanyeol should be texting her in a panic any minute now - the restaurant food was decent enough not to cause this kind of indigestion - and while Jennie is certainly busy, she wouldn’t just leave Chaeyoung by herself.
Stop overthinking it, she chides herself. If things are going well, why jinx it?
But, unfortunately, as is Chaeyoung's shitty luck, a couple comes crashing through the door the very next minute, their breathing ragged and stilted, almost obscenely so.
Chaeyoung curses internally, drawing her knees up so that they won’t be seen. It’s no simple task - the tulle of her dress is all bunched up and dangerously close to touching the toilet water, and there’s the issue of getting her phone into her purse without dropping it, letting her dress touch whatever the hell is in that toilet water, or losing her delicate balance atop the toilet seat.
Plus, Chaeyoung can’t forget to block out whatever the hell the people outside are doing.
She successfully manages to stuff her phone into her purse - it’s nerve-wracking, and she nearly falls twice - and repositions herself, lifting her skirt up higher and tucking her purse between her knees.
Perhaps it’s then, once she’s safely situated herself, that Chaeyoung actually hears what’s going on outside over her panicked heartbeat.
“You can’t do this to me,” a familiar voice exclaims indignantly. “I’m here with a date, you know. I can’t just let her down-”
“Can’t you just break it off?” the other voice pleads. “Text her or something?”
“Baek, I can’t do that to her,” the voice pleads. “I’m not that kind of person.”
“I know.” Baek sighs in defeat. “But you don’t have feelings for her, do you?”
The first person heaves a sigh. “No, of course not. We only went out at my friend’s prompting - apparently he thought we’d make a good match or something? - and we already had a history, so…”
“You’re afraid of breaking her heart.” Baek says flatly.
“You know I have feelings for you, I always have,” the first person implores. “But I refuse to break her heart over text.”
“I get it.” Baek’s voice is tinged with melancholy. “I’ll wait for you, however long it takes.”
“Baek, please,” the former’s voice is strangled, choked up. “Please.”
“My Yoda,” Baek whispers. "I'm sorry."
Chaeyoung starts, her eyes widening in shock, because the first Yoda-related person that comes to her mind is-
“I’m so sorry, Chanyeol,” Baek - probably Byun Baekhyun, a prominent member of their school's GSA - murmurs sadly. “It’s okay, just tell me when you’re ready.”
What the fuck?
Chaeyoung is at a loss.
Park Chanyeol - the very same Park Chanyeol who made out with Bae Joohyun back in freshman year - likes Byun Baekhyun?
And moreover, he’s trying to escape his date?
Wait.
Chaeyoung is his date.
Shit.
“Baek, please don’t leave.”
Chaeyoung is jerked out of her shock-induced reverie as she hears Chanyeol beseeching Baekhyun.
Silence ensues, broken only by the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing. Chanyeol utters a string of curse words, followed by the resounding bang of the bathroom door slamming closed again.
Chaeyoung emerges a good five minutes later, straightening her ruffled skirt, and walks straight forward, ignoring the burning in her eyes.
Eerily reminiscent of her freshman year, Chaeyoung walks home alone.