“Ten times I’ve told you to stay out of trouble yet you somehow manage to disobey me eleven times.”

Baekhyun blinked up at his mother, hearing but not quite listening.

“Listen to me, you’ve got to stop it. You can’t keep getting into trouble like this, I can’t--“

His mother placed a quivering hand over her eyes, inhaling shakily.

“Are you done yet?” he said after a moment of silence, before getting up and gathering his overcoat laying across the back of his chair. “Let’s postpone this pleasant chatter till another time, mother dearest” He pecked her on the side of her head and side stepped to leave.

The slight lady grabbed at him as he tried to head for the door, her actions desperate and anxious.

“Please, please just go to the psychiatrist, please, please, please.”

Baekhyun’s face remained impassive as his mother sobbed into his cashmere vest, pleading. He was so, so tired of this repetitive routine. Sharply, he shook her off him and stared at her without a hint of expression. She was still sobbing garishly. Baekhyun turned and head for the door, stopping to put the needle on the record so his mother’s lamenting wouldn’t attract too much attention from the neighbours. He let the door slam shut as he whisked himself down the stairs and out onto the main street.

Checking his wrist watch, he tucked his chin into his overcoat and made haste toward the nearest bus stop back to the university. He really shouldn’t h