Baekhyun made his way to convenience store, his new job. He decided to gave a job there to cover up the expanses of the school fee and for his father. He had a hard time trying to find a job, but he finally found one when he past by this place last month. He pushed open the glass door, the cool air from the air conditioner welcomed him like a hug.

"Ah, Baekhyun-sshi!" His boss, Mr Kim, came over.

Mr Kim is a plump and cheerful middle-aged man. He is quite popular with the old ladies and housewives around this neighbourhood. His store sells almost everything everyone needed. 

"Good afternoon Mr Kim!" Baekhyun chirped.

"I would like you to meet your colleague. This is Huang Zitao, he studies in the same school as you," Mr Kim motioned towards a boy at the counter.

"Huang Zitao?" Baekhyun gasped.

"Hi Baekhyun hyung," Zitao greeted monotonously.

"Zitao, please do help teach Baekhyun about being a cashier. I will be at the back ordering stocks. Okay?" Mr Kim told Zitao.

"Yes Mr Kim," Zitao nodded.

When Mr Kim was gone, Baekhyun was looking at Zitao from head to toe.

"Are you Chanyeol hyung's new roommate?" Zitao asked, ignoring his stares.

"Yes. How do you know?" Baekhyun asked.

"I know stuffs," Zitao replied.

"I heard from Chanyeol about the story about you and Yifan hyung. I want to help." 

"Don't bother. Yifan and I are over." 

"Is that why?"

"What?" 

"Is that why you are working here? To forget about him? Don't you ever thought of how Yifan will react? To know that you are leaving him?"

"It was his fault! He had a girlfriend!" Zitao growled.

"Have you ever asked him? Asked who she is?" Baekhyun asked.

"He told me that he does not have feelings for me! How do you expect me to forgive him? He does not love me anymore!"

"This is why I am here to help you, Zitao. And I have a favor to ask you."

-

"Does Jongin suffer like this too?" Chanyeol groaned as he struggled to carry the heavy bags of almost everything from the supermarket.

"Nope," Kyungsoo replied without even looking at him. He was happily holding onto the lightest bag and pressing onto the lift button.

"Then who?" Chanyeol asked.

"I buy the groceries myself. Jongin is too busy to come with me," Kyungsoo said.

"Busy doing what?"

"Have you forgotten? He's a part-time dance teacher, every Sunday."

"Really? I guess I did forgot."

"You should notice about your surroundings more often. Who knows the chance might slip away?"

"What chance?" Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo didn't reply, in fact, he giggled softly to himself. He was relieved how the sound of the lift had overcame his own voice.

"Tell me, Kyungsoo!" Chanyeol whined.

"Don't be a baby, Chanyeol. Come on, let's go in and start cooking the radish kimchi and chicken soup."

Kyungsoo laid out the ingredients on the table neatly. Mentally calculating the amount that he should use. 

"I will only help with cooking. You have to wash and cut the ingredients. For now, let me wash the rice for you. Wash those radishes," Kyungsoo instructed.

Chanyeol did not reject. He went to the radishes and grab a handful. He went to the sink and started washing them.

"Remember to save water," Kyungsoo reminded. Chanyeol stared at him, he was measuring the rice carefully, mumbling to himself. Chanyeol then took an empty wash basin and filled it with water. He the soaked the radishes in.

"Is this the same recipe as you did earlier last year during the food festival?" Chanyeol asked.

"Yeah. But that's not the reason why I want you to make this," Kyungsoo said.

"Do you know that," he continued, "when Baekhyun and I first met, he doesn't like me at all." Chanyeol could hear Kyungsoo chuckling to himself. "There was a lot of conflict between us. The both of us can't do anything right together. There was a farewell party for a teacher in elementary school. Every student's parents cooked and baked. Baekhyun and I brought radish kimchi. We tried each other's dish, it was when we started being friends. Just because the both of us found something in common. Our friendship started there. The both of us started learning how to prepare radish kimchi. We became good friends then."

Chanyeol doesn't know how to react.

"So I decided that you cook this radish kimchi. I wish the same story can continue. I wish you and hyung will be best friends. Even when you two grew old. Who knows maybe the two of you may start a relationship just like us?" Kyungsoo said.

"Kyungsoo..Thanks..." Chanyeol smiled.

"So try your best to make this meal perfectly and start your journey of becoming a good friend and roommate with Baekhyun hyung. Jongin and I will help you two along the way, so will everyone else. Baekhyun is a nice guy, he cares a lot about others. But he gives little attention to himself. So take care of him." Chanyeol was about to open his mouth to say something but Kyungsoo continued,"I know you are stressed out about Zitao and Yifan hyung, and school. But you also have to worry about Baekhyun. I told you his story, you have to take good care of him. Every weekends, he will be off. When he is sad, be his listening ear and comfort him. It's okay if you can't. I can help."

"To start breaking the ice, I have to make this dinner a success. Does he love candle lit dinner?" Chanyeol asked.

"Too obvious, hyung. Just make it simple. One step at a time," Kyungsoo answered.

"Alright then."

-

Baekhyun stared up at the evening sky. It was beginning to turn yellow. The sun will set soon. He sat at the school park bench. He caressed the photo of his deceased mother. Tears were threatening to fall as he recalled the excruciating memories of that night. He was 12 years old when he witnessed the violence.

- 

"You !" 

12-year-old Baekhyun sat huddled in the corner of his room, both hands pressed hard against his ears as he tried to block out the terrifying sounds.

"Stop calling me that!" 

There was soon a sound of ceramic breaking. It startled Baekhyun. He attempted to crawl out of the darkness and went over to the huge door. He twisted the door knob and set his terrified eyes to see the commotion. His father pinned his mother to the wall. His mother struggling to be free but the grab only got tighter each time. Baekhyun wanted to hide under his blanket and sleep off the terror. But he can't afford to leave his poor mother like this. He stood up and ran out. Forcing himself up to cling on his father's back. This was the familiar back that he sees everytime in the car. 

"What?" His father yelled.

"Let go of my mom!" Baekhyun screamed.

"Baekhyun no!" His mother choked.

"LET GO!!!!" Baekhyun cried.

"Piece of junk!" His father grabbed Baekhyun and threw him towards the wall.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON?" His mother tried to reach for Baekhyun. And that was the last thing Baekhyun heard before he went unconscious.

When Baekhyun woke up the next day, the house was in a mess. He stood up and looked around.

"Mom?" 

It was quiet as hell. He ran to the kitchen but his mother was no where to be found. His father was gone too. He ran out of the house, police cars, ambulances and a crowd.

"Mom?" Baekhyun cried out.

He ran towards the vehicles, his mother laid there, blood all over her. His father was in the police car, both hands cuffed. 

That was the day he lost his mother. It was soon known to him that his father had been abusing her. His father was in jail for 2 years, resulting in Baekhyun being alone. When his father was out, Baekhyun was 14. He sent his father to the old folks' home due to the lack of money to support him. Sometimes he wonder if was being a bad son. He wiped away his tears and walked back to the dormitories.

-

"Is he coming?" Chanyeol asked Jongin through the phone.

"I saw him walking towards this direction. Get ready," Jongin replied. He was posted there keep watch of where Baekhyun is. 

"Thanks bro, I'm gonna hang up," Chanyeol said. He hung up and kept his phone into his pocket. 

 

Baekhyun walked out of the lift. He went over to his dorm door. He opened it and saw that the place was quiet. Where is Chanyeol?