EXO Theory Pt. 15 - Hear Me Out
New MV, more lore.
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We begin this MV with Kyungsoo waking up and slamming his alarm clock at exactly 10:45 and falling from out of bed.
This probably wouldn’t be significant if we didn’t see the exact same scene with Chanyeol later in the video.
My first thought when I saw this was that I can relate this back to my theory of EXO being tested. Hear me out :P
After Kyungsoo wakes up he walks out of his room into the living area space and we see Kai, Baekhyun, Suho and Xiumin asleep - almost looking passed out.
Back in part 2 of my theory I wrote about how the vast majority of EXO’s MVs seemed to be set in another plane of reality, think Inception, or a parallel universe and this is signified to us often through this imagery of the members sleeping. Again, we get this a few times in this MV. But, more interestingly, the first member in this MV we see awake is Kyungsoo - who I’ve often claimed was the first member to ‘wake’ from the dream the Red Force has put them in and has been aware of the testing they’ve been put through for the longest time.
Anyway, when we see Kyungsoo awaken and fall out of bed and come into the room to find his other members asleep he lights some incense which seems to be the trigger to begin the events of that day, starting with Sehun building with Lego.
It’s quite hard to see in Sehun’s scene but in a later scene with Chen we can see the buildings a little clearer that Sehun is building - I’m definitely seeing a London skyline and the Berlin Radio Tower so I like to think it's somehow connected to the Pathcode teasers,
Day one of the MV (which I’m calling Kyungsoo’s day) continues with the members mostly cleaning and relaxing until there is a time jump to the end of the day when Suho brings doughnuts.
The members then play games together and the day ends when Chen looks at the camera and says ‘You know I don’t play games’ which is funny but may also be a hint to the Red Forces/whomever he is talking to that the day is not right and so then they start again with Chanyeol waking up.
However, this is a lie. In the Parallel Universe teaser we very clearly see Chen playing a game with Kai.
Personally, I think this Hear Me Out universe is the same as the Parallel Universe one - or at least, it’s one of EXO’s parallel universes in a similar vein. Many people have made this connection - much of the styling and look of the two concepts are very similar. But the other reason I think these are connected is because the ‘partners’ in this above image continue into the Hear Me Out MV in the final scene with the car in the field.
I’ll come back to that in a bit, but back to Chen. The reason I think Chen is lying is because, after Let Me In or some time before it, we’ve seen Chen switch back to being on the side of EXO rather than the spy for the Red Force. I always believed Chen was the spy through manipulation on the Red Force’s side more than any benevolence from Chen, but since his interaction with Xiumin in Let Me In he’s realised what he’s done and is now purposefully using his sway with the Red Force to take control of this testing.
Anyway, after Chen says he doesn’t play games, the day resets at 10:45 with Chanyeol, and many of the events of the day are similar but focused on other members. I do like the continuation of this circle imagery from both days though:
It really reminds me of some of the imagery in KoKoBop and points to the repeating nature of the MVs and the days (also why the washing machine again lol?)
On Chanyeol’s day the boys are waiting for a bowling game to load, but it seems to be taking a long time and so they are distracted on their phones.
We then see Suho notice the clock and time reversing quickly again, and then they seem to be transported to bowling irl.
Or do they get transported? Not long after this we see an image of Xiumin lying on the couch with his phone next to him playing a video of himself.
So, as we see Xiumin sleeping whilst also being in the bowling alley with Sehun and Baekhyun on his phone, we can assume that the bowling alley area is actually another dream plane within the dream plane - one again very Inception like.
One of the kind of interesting things about the bowling scene is that there seems to be an attempt to split the 8 members into two groups. There’s a little scene where you can see D.O, Kai, Sehun and Baekhyun in one lane and Suho, Xiumin in the other - assuming Chanyeol and Chen are in their lane as well means that you have two teams, perhaps competing with each other as they tend to test members 1v1 like that as shown in Romantic Universe, and yet the members are all cheering for each other regardless of team - perhaps following on from Let Me In where the members realised that to succeed against the Red Force they need to always work together.
Speaking of Romantic Universe, one of the fun parallels is the test between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo and comparing it to this MV.
In Romantic Universe, we first see Kyungsoo get tested at the ATM and fail and then Chanyeol comes along and clears the mission immediately. I think it’s interesting we’re getting a mirror of that in this MV where Kyungsoo begins the first day and the day fails and we then get Chanyeol start the day and the day should be a success if we compare to Romantic Universe.
However, as the bowling mission may be a success in the bowling reality, simultaneously, back in the living area where Xiumin sleeps, we see Chen walking to the kitchen and notices a phone moving forward in time very quickly.
The phone lies on the Lego Sehun was building the day before and along with Xiumin’s controller next to him in the scene with him snoozing next to his phone I’m going to say that this scene is actually taking place on Kyungsoo’s day rather than Chanyeol’s, and in fact both these days are taking place at the same time, rather than the bowling being a separate day.
I think the phone then explodes because, as in Romantic Universe, Chanyeol’s day was a success, but not in the way that the Red Forces expected or wanted. Instead, the EXO members by not succumbing to the Red Forces plan to split them up actually supported each other and worked together and temporarily set the RF back. Hence kaboom.
Because the EXO members have succeeded in their endeavour, we then see EXO outside washing a car, happy and relaxing - seemingly having escaped from the groundhog days, and remember what I said earlier about the partners/groups from Parallel Universe being important - this is where we see them temporarily reunite.
If you see in this teaser, Kai and Chen are playing a game; Xiumin and Kyungsoo are building a jenga tower (very similar to the one in Tempo that becomes the cube); Baekhyun plays with the globe and Sehun with a ball; Chanyeol’s drowsily looking into a cup and Suho’s stood alone reading.
Here we see Kai and Chen relaxing and talking together.
Baekhyun and Sehun sleep in the car, with Baekhyun in the driver’s seat holding onto the steering wheel. Chanyeol is also asleep in the backseat but we can’t see his face.
Suho alone by the car where the other three members are snoozing.
And Xiumin playing catch with Kyungsoo. The reason I bring attention to this is because I do think this Universe is set with the same members as from the Parallel Universe world rather than the ones from Let Me In or whatever. It’s really hard to explain concisely but so much of EXO’s storyline only makes sense to me if you forget linear time exists completely. We first got introduced to Parallel Universe during the Power promotions, and in the Power opening narration - if Hear Me Out is in the Parallel Universe and Let Me In I suggested was set with some reference with that opening narration too then it would make sense that the next MV could have some reference to something in that as well - maybe the continuation of Baekhyun falling to the water at the end of Power?
Anyway, we end the MV with Baekhyun this time as well. Baekhyun is sleeping in his car and gets awoken by a new alarm clock that is also stops at 10:45.
Will EXO truly ever be free from the Red Forces and their testing? At this point it’s almost seeming like a no, but maybe we’ll get to see Baekhyun’s day at some point.
There are so many other references in this MV but I could not fit them all in tbh. Definitely think it’s linked to Romantic Universe, KoKoBop, Love Me Right, Sing For You and the Pathcodes though!
Stream Hear Me Out :)
Next part ->
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— cream soda || kim minseok/xiumin
when xiumin rings up baekhyun’s favourite escort and asks her to be his plaything for the night.
prologue only, no exclusive smut. (i might consider writing a part two depending on how well this fic does.)
pairing: idol!xiumin × fem!reader.
genre: first meeting, suggestive.
words: 943
rating: 18+
warnings: contains suggestive but no explicit description of sex, mild dirty talk, escort au.
i bring the straw to my lips, taking an experimental sip of the brightly coloured drink in front of me. sunlight filters through the floor-length café window by which we sit, illuminating the full apples of his cheeks. his long lashes ghost shadows against his soft flesh, and for a moment, i am tempted to treat him like a writer’s muse. he is much like a petal, so delicate and intricately shaped; both in looks and personality. he watches silently, awaiting my reaction, but i am too nervous to procure one.
“how is it?” he asks as the silence stretches longer, bordering on an awkwardness he isn’t willing to attain between us.
“it’s. . . unexpectedly refreshing.” i admit, genuinely taken aback by the taste of the drink he has ordered for me. “i didn’t think i’d like it, but i do. what was the name again?”
he pauses, the corners of his lips twisting in an almost sinister grin as if he knows something i don’t. i shiver, his presence domineering in ways i find mildly amusing. it’s been a while since a man has piqued my curiosity like he has, and i am still trying to figure out whether that is a pro or a con, given our circumstances.
“cream soda. blueberry flavour.”
i take mental note of the name, definitive that i will crave for it once this night is over. perhaps to remember him, if not just for the enticing flavour.
“so,” i approach cautiously, my heart weary of upsetting his in any way. i want to fulfil his every whim and fancy; diligent not to contradict any of his commands. “what is it you’re looking for from me, mr. kim?” fuck, i want to give him everything he ever wants. dangerous territory.
he leans forward, whispering the salacious answer in a low tone, “cream soda.”
it is then that i realise the obscene veiled meaning behind the otherwise innocent drink. i blush profusely, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. his open approach, however unexpected, is something i adore; truth be told, the crude conversation was getting my mind racing places that had wet heat ready to pool between my thighs.
“o—oh. well. . . i can come over later tonight.” i iterate, unsure of how to word my thoughts.
even after months in the escort business, the talk leading up to it is obscurely cumbersome; in all honesty, i would rather he just devour me immediately. skip the logistics and go straight for the pie we were both forestalling.
his piercing grey contacts only add to the beauty of his eyes, forcing me to press my thighs together to keep composure. he’s driving me towards insanity, with absolutely no tether to keep me from falling.
“have you already made prior commitments for this evening?” his voice is pure silk, edging on a sing–song quality that reminds me why he is such a high demand artist in the first place.
“i do not, no.” i push the now empty glass away from me, body language mirroring the interest reflecting in his.
“then allow me to steal you starting now, y/n–ssi.”
i blink, astounded by his unforeseen request. a little skeptical, i perk a brow, unclear of his intentions. my gaze flits over to the wall clock adorning the café, registering the time within a split second.
[ 5:36 pm. ]
early evening, still.
“and what would we do all evening?” i ask dubiously and he chuckles, head shaking, shoulders bouncing in mirth. the sound is clarifying; a blast of sheer chastity after all the indecent conversation we have shared so far.
“date night. i want to dine you, if you will allow it.” i pull back dramatically, admittedly a little over the top for words so simple, but they are sentences rare, if ever, offered to one of my job.
“oh, also, i heard you have an all inclusive package, but i would prefer to pay you by the hour.”
my confusion must be evident on my face, because he laughs again, and this time my heart flutters. it’s these easy moments with him that make him seem almost like a boyfriend. it’s treacherous, how easy he is making it to fall in love with him; i have to constantly fight to remind myself that i am here not to love, rather to fulfil his physical desires.
“you want to pay to feed me? a bill i assume also goes on your tab?” he hums his confirmation, only deepening my perplexation and coy state. “why?”
“because i’ve heard a lot about you, m’lady. baekhyunee speaks rather highly of you.”
and those are the words that steal my breath. a regular customer, it is rather unusual that byun baekhyun has agreed to allow another man to avail my services. he’s always the fondly possessive one, one that takes pride in being able to remind me of my place.
on my knees. in front of him, servicing him.
the memories make my cheeks blossom crimson; an occurrence that doesn’t go unnoticed in the eyes of the older.
“awh”, he coos, eliciting a shiver to run down the length of my spine, “look at you, such a filthy whore. thinking of another man while you’re mine for the night. maybe i should ask him to come over and let him watch?”
it’s pleasantly unexpected; for a man that quiet, kim minseok sure doesn’t mind speaking his piece with respect to his nocturnal activities, and i find that awfully arousing. and that he is threatening to have baekhyun, the one who had landed him my contact in the first place, to watch as he got to have his hands on me? interesting.
things are starting to get riveting, and i find myself engrossed by a blasphemous amount of imagery relating to the same.
kim minseok, you are one sly, sly fox.
and i am coming to love it.
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