There were hundreds of blank faces surrounding Byun Baekhyun the moment he stepped inside the building. All of them pulled out their cellphones and took this opportunity to capture even just a strand of his hair. Baekhyun didn’t mind any of it no, he was used to it anyway - being the face of countless billboards after all came along with the package of the oceans of eyes following him everywhere.

He was a man who craved for attention, he wanted everyone to gape at him when he passes by, but right now, he didn’t come to Mechatron Incorporated to steal everyone’s eyes. He only came for one person and only one person he desperately wanted to look at him- and that, was the hard part.
 

Baekhyun easily got inside the laboratories of Mechatron with no trouble of having to deal with security. Employees of the company would sometimes glare at him for having such an easy access into the deepest parts of the strictly forbidden laboratories even to those in the highest ranks of the company. Unbeknownst to them however, that Baekhyun didn’t even care what lies behind the far reaches of Mechatron. He never even had the slightest clue on whatever was happening around him as he passed by endless tubes and people walking in long white lab coats.

He didn’t even want to be here honestly; Baekhyun never did take interest in robots. He always found it odd to see screws, bolts and scrap metals come to life. He sometimes even loathe them for all they do is stare at you with those expressionless mechanical eyes that sends shivers and creeps him out to the point that he forbids himself to step into Mechatron.

But fate, didn’t stop him from falling in love with a man completely opposite to him. A man who found robots lovely, who admired the Mecha to be walking and talking. That man was the only reason he dared enter Mechatron. That same man was the one he so earnestly wanted to call the attention of on the other side of the glass in front of him.

A scientist notable among many by the name Kim Minseok for his outstanding inventions for Neuro-sensitivity and Nanotechnology for Artificial Intelligence and Medical Research, a prodigy at such a young age and now was one of the leading scientists in the whole world, was the only person Baekhyun wanted to have the attention amongst all. But being the ingenious scientist he was, his attention span for social life was limited only to seconds – and horrifyingly can be less - for his focus only pours out into understanding how to find ways in developing the most advanced technology there is unknown to man.

Kim Minseok has trapped himself in the laboratory and his unwashed laboratory coat for days figuring out how to achieve his most desired goal and dream to have a cancer-free world. Truth be told, Dr. Minseok was on the borderline of accomplishing this world-saving task that he couldn’t take his eyes off not until he could scream: “Eureka!”

Not even a tap from his assistant urged him to shoot his head up. He merely hummed to acknowledge that he felt his assistant call his attention. That was enough to make Baekhyun grit his teeth and flush in complete anger and disappointment.

'Look at me, look at me idiot' Baekhyun curses in his mind, watching the assisstant constantly poke Minseok.

“Excuse me, Dr. Kim? Uhm…someone is here to visit you” his assistant says. Minseok didn’t bother to look up.

‘Of course he wouldn’t’ Baekhyun glowered at the scientist who took his time with his papers before actually jerking his head up – probably because the assistant must’ve mentioned it was the famous Byun Baekhyun there to pick him up.

The scientist gave him a lazy smile that caused the male model rolling his eyes – his usual reaction. Baekhyun lifts the bag of mocha cakes he held and pointed, hoping that Minseok would get his message – he didn’t.

Baekhyun slapped his forehead and stomped his way to lean by a nearby wall and Minseok took it as a sign to put his lab coat down. Baekhyun didn’t look happy at all, and he didn’t want his temper to explode inside Mechatron. So, without any other choice – and hoping to stop a war before it could even happen, he went outside.

“Good Afternoon Puppy” Minseok pressed his lips over Baekhyun’s mouth giving him a chaste kiss as a greeting. Surely that would erase that frown he was wearing – he failed. Minseok raised his brow, “What’s wrong pup?”

“Don’t you ‘what’s wrong pup’ me, I’m disappointed in you” Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, piercing an invisible laser through Minseok.

Minseok cocked his head to the side, completely clueless. “What did I do now?”

“Stop acting all innocent bastard” Baekhyun pinches his eyes and grates his teeth, “You didn’t come home. Again”

Minseok chuckles, “I apologize, I was working all night in diffusing a-“

“Stop making excuses” Baekhyun growls and crosses his arms. “You’ve been sleeping in this lab for four nights straight Minseok. Four nights for crying out loud!”

Minseok held that lopsided grin he has, his eyes sparkling as he listened quietly to him. Baekhyun scowls, seeing how oblivious he still was. For a genius, Baekhyun thought he was really stupid not noticing how hurt he is, no matter how hard he tries to scream at Minseok’s face, the scientist doesn’t seem to get it.

“You always ignore me, Minseok. Why do you do that? I’m starting to think you’d rather spend time with these…” Baekhyun grimaces as one robot closely resembling a human passes by. “…metallic junks rather than with me” 

“Is that Mocha cake?” Minseok beams at the bag Baekhyun was holding.

Agitated and with tears threatening to fall after being ignored, Baekhyun leans away from the wall, shoves the bag of mocha cakes in Minseok’s arms and starts stomping away. When Baekhyun snaps back, Minseok was out of sight. He was tossing his head left to right in search of the missing scientist. He was boiling in anger.

“Marco!” Baekhyun calls out. A game they usually do whenever they have to look for one another.

A few moments later, Minseok finally calls back, “Polo!”

Baekhyun’s ears pried up and he briskly stomped his way to find Minseok already munching on one of the mocha cakes and staring back into the laboratory where one of his colleagues was standing behind the glass busy tending to one of the discharged Mechas on top of the gurney.

Upon noticing Baekhyun’s lingering presence, Minseok calls him over without taking his eyes off of the Mecha. “Puppy, look at this. I want you to see how the neurosensory chip is infused into the ‘brain’ of the Mecha so they could walk, talk and react like- “

When Minseok shot his head up, Baekhyun already turned his back and began walking away from him. Baekhyun couldn’t believe it, even if he already showed physically to be here and spend time with him, Minseok was still so engrossed on these Mechas. Baekhyun wanted to repress the heartache slowly shredding him inside.

“Puppy” a couple of loud footsteps resounded from behind him as Minseok runs after him. “Hey, pup wait up”

Baekhyun kept walking. He didn’t want to stop. Not now, not in here in this godforsaken Mecha-infested place where Minseok’s attention only focuses on walking metals.

“Puppy” Minseok calls again.

Puppy. It was a sweet name-call Minseok coined on their second date. Minseok said it so lovingly when Baekhyun wore a fuzzy brown sweater that complimented well in giving emphasis of his puppy-like eyes and mouth, but those weren’t the only reasons why Minseok associated Baekhyun in being a puppy. One more thing was-

A warm hand lay on top of Baekhyun’s head that had him freezing in his place. Minseok had caught up with Baekhyun. The scientist gently pats his head and Baekhyun’s hair like a caress that the latter couldn’t help but be stoned in place and let his cheeks stain a bright red.

“Puppy” Minseok leans close to his ear, his warm breath pressing against his cheek.

Baekhyun wanted to scream, wanted to run, but whenever Minseok calls his name, pets his head, he grows weak and his heart melts away as the butterflies take over his stomach.

“Puppy”

“Yes?” Baekhyun clears his throat, trying to hide the obvious tone of weakness in his voice.

“You know…” Minseok inhales deeply. “…you’re going to miss how they demonstrate the Mecha’s locomotor skills once it’s alive and working and-“

And just like that, the moment was ruined. Minseok reverted to his nerdy-old self and began explaining how the Mecha functions that Baekhyun couldn’t help but snarl at him and jerk away from the hand patting his head.

“Baek-“ Minseok’s eyes widened, completely oblivious to the reason why Baekhyun was upset. “Hey, what’s wrong? The Mecha laboratory is this way”

“To hell with you Kim Minseok! I. DON’T. CARE” Baekhyun finally explodes, hissing at Minseok and grinding his teeth, the tips of his ears turning a vile crimson that matched his cheeks.

“Hey, take it easy there pup” Minseok was taken aback. He raised his hands in hopes of calming Baekhyun down for the other employees were starting to give them incredulous looks and some of the AIs had halted on their tracks as well. “Look, you’re going to disturb the Mechas”

“Oh, disturb the Mechas” Baekhyun laughs sarcastically – painfully to be exact – when he noticed Minseok eyeing one of the AIs who was observing them from afar. “Sorry to disturb your walking trashcans!”

“Baekhyun don’t-“

“They’re robots, Minseok. They won’t get hurt no matter how many insults I throw at them, unlike me-”

“Technically, they are Artificial Intelligent Beings-“

“I do not ing care!” Baekhyun flails his arms in the air in pure frustration. “They cannot comprehend human emotions unless you program them to have one. They wouldn’t understand why I’m angry with you because their knowledge of the human expression is far beyond their reach”  

“Baekhyun, do you even know why they’re called Artificial Intelligence?” Minseok crosses his arms as he cocked his brow and a lopsided grin that deeply offended Baekhyun in so many levels.

Baekhyun grimaces. “Do you think I’m stupid, Kim Minseok?”

The smile Minseok had immediately dropped. “No, I would never say anything like that. I was merely saying- Look, I understand that the idea of Artificial Intelligence can be a bit technical and-“

“You still don’t understand me!” the frustration was beginning to sting Baekhyun’s eyes as water clouded all around them into a silver line.

Minseok’s forehead creased, taking a step toward Baekhyun. “I’m trying to understand pup, if you would just stop getting so-“

“Angry? Wow! You can actually understand emotions?” Baekhyun laughs bitterly, “I was beginning to think I was talking to a robot, a mecha, an artificial being! Oh wait, maybe you’re actually a robot Kim Minseok! Maybe that's why you're so engrossed with your own kind!”

“Byun Baekhyun” the tone of Minseok’s voice changed as his face contorted into irritation and a warning. “Stop provoking yourself and just…” he sighs exhaustedly, seeing Baekhyun hold that painstaking fake smile, “…just tell me what it is I’m doing wrong”

“Everything!” and it was at that time that Baekhyun broke down into sobs, the tears finally streaming down his cheeks. He bows his head down to stare at his feet and let the droplets of tears fall on the floor instead.

He couldn’t see what Minseok’s reaction was, but he didn’t care right now. He just wanted to let out the frustrations he had cooped up inside for the past months. Baekhyun couldn’t blame Minseok though for making him feel this way, he could only blame himself.

Minseok didn’t say anything. Baekhyun however, managed to whisper softly – too softly, “Nothing…”

He knew Minseok was better off spending his time in creating The Cure for cancer and using Nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence. It has been his lifetime goal, his dream worth achieving for a better medical alternative, a better world.

Baekhyun found himself selfish and ashamed for getting angry at Minseok, from hindering him from achieving this life-changing task just so he could borrow him for just a second when clearly every second Baekhyun takes away from Minseok, hundreds of people with cancer dies every day.

Everything Baekhyun was angry at was not Minseok, rather, the world who was depending on him - him alone. Baekhyun grew jealous of the world's eyes turning on Minseok and the latter in return, had his eyes only on them. To make the world better, disease-free, innovative and healthier.

But he couldn’t help it. He wanted to be selfish even just a split second to have Minseok pay attention to him. Look at him. It was
all he asked for, just a second longer for Minseok to actually stare at him with those beautiful hazelnut brown eyes of his and he’ll be contented. Unfortunately, Minseok was busy looking into solving other problems far larger than this petty little thing he asks of him.

He was Kim Minseok, a well-known genius and world-class scientist and his duty is to this godforsaken decaying world, for the people who live in it. Baekhyun would always come second in his priority list. He has accepted it, but Baekhyun still couldn’t grasp the idea that the man he loved, the man he craved the attention for will never look in his way like he used to.
 

The hallway was silent and only Baekhyun’s broken and breathy sobs filled it. Baekhyun almost found it pathetic of him to cry in public like this – he always found himself pathetic when it comes to Minseok as well.

Minseok however, never thought of him that way. Instead, Minseok hated himself in seeing Baekhyun like this. He knew too well that it was his own fault in making Baekhyun act like this, having him cry. He didn’t mean to, but somehow, saying to himself that he doesn’t mean to hurt Baekhyun only leads to causing him even more pain than he realizes.

With enough courage and his heart panging in his ears, urging him to speak, Minseok says, “Puppy. I…I’m sorry if I-“

“No, you don’t need to-to apologize Minseok” Baekhyun murmurs, wiping off the tear with his sleeve without looking up at Minseok.

Minseok takes a step closer only for Baekhyun to retreat. “Pup, look, after all this, after finding the cure, I swear I’ll- I’ll hurry it up and I’ll come back for you and then we can finally spend our time together, I’ll make up all those days where I wasn’t beside you. Baek, please, wait a little longer and-”

“No, it’s alright Minseok. I can wait, truly” Baekhyun raises his head, tears overflowing his eyes as he smiles brightly – the smile that had Minseok’s heart sinking. “Go, go and share your knowledge to the world”

“Pup…” Minseok takes another step close, but Baekhyun held up a hand.

“I’ve been selfish and…I know that what you’re doing is for the greater good. Heck, I’m damn proud of you Minseok, I truly am” Baekhyun wipes the corner of his eyes again, “You’ve been dedicating your life, your ideas and endless time for people you don’t even know and I’m proud, so proud to have you as my boyfriend. You’re so kind and beautiful in your own ways”

Minseok remained standing there, holding back his own cries of protests, but he knew far too well that Baekhyun wouldn’t want this to end with the both of them crying again in Mechatron. They’ve stirred enough trouble, he wouldn’t want to make it worse.

“I wish…I wish you could look at me Minseok and see…” Baekhyun whispers softly, as if he never intended to say these words out loud. Nevertheless, he smiles brightly even though his very heart was shattering inside. “I just wished that…the whole world could see that I want them to share even a small piece of you to me”

And right there, Minseok’s mouth dropped into a frown and his eyes stung with water. It ached him to see Baekhyun like that, holding in all the anger, neglect and loneliness he was feeling only to cover it up with a smile. Minseok hated it.

“Puppy-“

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The phone in Minseok’s pockets started vibrating. Baekhyun’s eyes abruptly darted over his pockets and silently urged Minseok to pick it up, but the latter shook his head in protest. Minseok wanted to reach out to Baekhyun, hold him close and feel his warmth again, but-

“I’ll see you later at home then? You will come home right?” Baekhyun chuckles softly as he sniffs, his smile unwavering as if crying never even happened to him.

“Baekhyun” Minseok reaches his pockets, digging out the vibrating phone. Minseok flips the phone open to cease the vibrations that was starting distract him, so he could finally focus solely on Baekhyun.

"I wish after this is all over..." Baekhyun says slowly, "...you can finally have some time with me"

Minseok swallows hard seeing Baekhyun chuckle bitterly more to himself. Minseok wanted to come close, he wanted to tell Baekhyun how sorry he was, how much he wanted to hold him close as well but-

“I love you Minseok” Baekhyun broke his gaze from Minseok. He turns around as another set of tears slammed into him, “Bye”

The world had gone silent, there were no sounds, not even breathing or blinking could be heard as Baekhyun started walking away, away from Minseok who was watching him disappear from his line of sight.

If only Baekhyun stopped and turned around, he would finally see that he caught Minseok’s attention. If only, he could see, that finally, Minseok was looking at him. And only at him.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter One done~ How do you guys like it? I love reading your comments <3
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPVOTES. You guys are AMAZING <33 Thank you, it means a lot to me ;____;