Baekhyun's P.O.V

It's a normal Sunday morning. He is sitting in his room and is currently writing notes for his homework he's planning to finish before he can go out and do something else. His mother and father are out and running errands like shopping groceries or buying stuff they need to the house. His gentle humming is echoing around him as he listens to his two twin sisters argue from the living room: something about a handsome actor. He can't hear who they're talking about though, but he's pretty sure it's one of those actors his sisters are currently obsessed with.

“No, he's not the hottest one!”
“He is! Just look at him!”
“Mine is better!”
“Mine is kinder!”
“Mine is sweeter!”
“He's ugly like hell!”
“He's not!”

A heavy sigh escapes his mouth as he wraps up his homework and hurries downstairs to the living room. He lets out another heavy sigh, as loudly he can to catch his sisters’ attention and draw them away from their arguing. They both are fast to shut up as fast they hear him sigh and even try to smile innocently at him: like he couldn’t hear them arguing against each other for the past 10 minutes. These two…

“You two... Seriously, you're sisters. Can't you try to get along with each other a little better? It’s just a pair of actors, isn’t it good that you two like different people? Besides, why are you two always fighting so loudly?”
“O-Oppa!”
“Did we disturb you?”
“You're not mad at us, are you?”
“Oppa, why don't you join us?”
“We got popcorn!”

He smiles at his adorable sisters who are trying to make him forget about their fight by charming him with snacks and movie time. Well, aren’t they cute as usual? He nearly chuckles at his sisters’ sudden change of behavior but refrains from letting it show.

“Thank you, but no thanks. I'm planning to go out for a while. I won't be home until later.”
“Where are you going?”
“Is there a girl you're going to meet?”
“Who is it?!”
“It has nothing to do with a girl! Geez, you have watched too many movies...”
“Oppa, you should get a girlfriend.”
“Yeah, a really cute and sweet one that will hug you when you're sad.”
“Isn't that what you're supposed to do?”

He smiled teasingly at his sisters, knowing too well that they will get pouty for him not taking them seriously. Both of them starts pouting annoyed at him since they were being serious, and they don’t like it when he starts joking with them during their amazingly grownup moments. He shakes his head lightly at them as he turns around and heads towards the hallway.

“Whatever, just don't fight too much while I'm gone. Please help mom and dad if they need any help. I have helped them out the whole week, so please get your asses out of the couch and help them out if they need your help.”
“Y-Yes oppa...”
“And by the way, I think the third guy is way hotter than your men.”
“What?!”
“No way!”

He gives them a playful wink and sticks out his tongue at his sisters who realizes that he is still messing with him. They can just sigh and chuckle at him before he decides to leave the house and get going. He's planning to go out for a while and relax a little in the nature. After all, he belongs the best in the nature if you ask him.

***

A slight cool breeze his cheeks as the tree branches moves in harmony to the soft wind. He sits on a stone in the middle of the forest as he listens to the sounds from the nature. The few birds that are left in the area sings happily while he listens to a deer running around in the distance. Everything is so peaceful, it's almost scary how peaceful it actually is. He knows that only some miles away, there have been a huge war between his kind and another kind that everyone seems to hate. He can't say that he hates his so-called enemy's kind, but he can't say he thinks they're nice either.

“So, it's here you are.”

He snatches his eyes open and turns around in a second only to find his mother stand there with a basket in her hands. He barely noticed her… Well, it is not strange since she is known amongst his kind to be a powerful warrior and most people talk highly about her. She's always so sweet and kind, he has a hard time believing his mother is a fierce warrior who used to go up against foes that seem far more skilled and dangerous than her.

“Mom, what are you doing here? Aren't you busy? Do you need any help?”
“I'm just out for a walk and to pick some mushrooms while I'm at it.”
“There is a perfect place for that. Down the hill there is a huge rock, behind there are plenty of mushrooms.”
“Really? Then I better go there. But sweetie, why are you here all alone?”
“Uhm... Because I'm practicing my senses...”
“Sweetheart, how many times do I have to tell you? Your senses are perfectly fine-”
“But I'm the last one in my age that I know to not develop my senses! Everyone can hear people's footsteps from miles away or track down a person who has walked on a street for over a week ago! I'm the only one who-”
“It's because... It's because you're not quite like them. You're special Baekhyun.”
“M-Mom... Y-You keep say that but-”
“But it feels like nothing is special about you?”
“Mm...”
“Hey, can you help me pick some mushrooms?”

Hesitation fills him slightly, but eventually he manages to nod and gets up of the stone. He follows his mother down the hill and over to the big rock where the best type of mushroom grows. He starts picking mushrooms right away as his mother joins him. They're silent for a long time as the nature makes the only sounds that can be heard. After a while, his mother finally begins to speak softly to him once more.

“You know, I was also the last one who developed my hearing and tracking skills in my age. I was the last one and everyone thought that something was wrong with me, but nothing was wrong. I nearly had better skills than anyone else when they finally developed.”
“But Minah and Minsoo already have their skills almost at my own level...”
“I understand it's frustrating for you, but you have to hang in there. Don't practice too much because that won't change anything. Your hearing change when your body is ready, and your tracking skill will develop when the time is right. You shouldn't rush the nature because then you just end up hurting it.”
“Like all the humans do...”
“Baekhyun, the humans have no idea about what they're doing. Some have begun to be aware of it, but it will take time for them to understand.”
“I know... But still...”
“It's not only their fault that our planet is dying. It's also all the wars we have created, it's not only because of the humans.”
“I know that... I… I have heard that the wars have begun to end.”
“Yes, our wars have begun to end. However, it is the humans that are fighting each other now instead. It is almost a bit funny since they are all the same race to begin with.”
“It's almost laughable...”
“Baekhyun... I hope that soon things between our race and our enemy's race will change into the better. If that is going to be possible, you will have to respect them as much as they will have to respect you.”
“I know that... I have never said I dislike them...”

His mother stares at him in silence for a while as he keeps picking mushrooms for her. When the basket is almost full, his mother stops him and smiles gently at him.

“Shall we go back home and make a mushroom stew?”
“Sounds good, it is always nice with a fresh stew.”
“Your father truly needs some real food, after all the work he has been doing and all the crap food he has been eating...”
“Mom, you're mumbling to yourself again.”
“Sorry, I'm just a little worried about him.”
“He's working hard for us, isn't he?”
“Mm, he is. Therefore, we should make him something nice since he is handling the humans and everything else around us so well. He, and I, only want to protect you and make sure you have a good life together with us.”
“Yeah, I know...”
“Now, have I told you that the current wars between our race and our enemy have ended?”
“Yeah, you have. What about it?”
“Did I tell you the news about our leader meeting their leader?”
“W-What? No, you haven't! Tell me more! What I have missed?!”
“Calm down, it's just a meeting. They will try to declare peace again, but they say that they have a different and new tactic they will use this time to make peace.”
“Mom... There are a lot of people who say you and dad were strong warriors once... Don't you feel ashamed to try to befriend your old enemies?”
“Well... If it's the best for our children and for your future, then no. I will put all my pride to the side for my children and their future.”

To think his mother is such an open-minded person… All he can do is to is to feel amazed and blessed to have a mother liker her. He didn't know his mother had such a deep desire for peace – he always thought she never liked their enemy's race and thought the war to end them. Now when he thinks about it, she never really said anything bad about their enemies compared to most other people of their race. He had just assumed that she didn't like their so-called enemy since she has been fighting against them for so long. Maybe he was wrong after all…?

***

Some years has passed since all the wars between his race and their enemy's race ended. There have been some conflicts that is well-known among the races, but not a single blood fight has broken out since the new peace begun.

“Mom, your daughters are flirting with the mailman again!”
“What?! Not now again! Those two never learn, don't they?!”

He only sighs and chuckles lightly as he watches their mother hurryingly fetch her daughters. The twin sisters Minah and Minsoo are growing up fast, they will soon be stronger and more skillful than himself if it continues like this. It would be a lie if he said that he isn’t jealous of his sisters or that he isn’t worried about why his senses are taking so long to fully develop. However, his mother’s words have soften him a bit and he has realized that there is no point in trying to force his body to change. It will change when the time is right, just like a seed that is planted in the ground and will only grow when it is ready.

“Mom! Don't be so mad!”
“We just talked to him!”
“Don't disturb people who are working!”
“We're sorry!”
“You two seriously never learn, do you?”
“Oppa! Help us!”
“Mom said she would take our phones!”
“Well... You have to stop acting so...”
“You're behaving like crazy mermaids sometimes! Stop flirting with every man you see!”
“We're not flirting with him!”
“I will let it go this time, but the next time I see this happen, I will take your phones!”
“We're not children anymore!”
“We're even high school students now!”
“It doesn't matter since you're acting as childish as you did when you were younger.”

He speaks with a teasing tone and smirks at his sisters who are quick to turn to him. They begin to complain about him not being on their side as he chuckles at them and keeps teasing them in hope to ease the mode in the room. Their mother smiles happily at them since she knows that they're not fighting, just messing around and hopefully make the twins listen to what she just told them. In the middle of their fake arguing amongst each other, the door to their house suddenly flies open and they all jumped startled to the side. He watches their calm mother turn towards the door as he also smells the scent of a very familiar person.

“Honey, what's wrong?”
“Everyone, you won't believe what I just found out!”
“Dad, why are you scaring everyone like that?”

The children can only sigh at their father who is known to be a reckless and somewhat a little too headstrong man. He always acts first and thinks later – even right now he proved to them that he doesn’t think before he slammed the door to their home open.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But you must hear this! This is madness!”
“Madness...? What do you mean with madness?”

The twin sisters stare confused at their father along with himself: what is