“MY BABY!” Baekhyun’s mother cries when she sees her son climb out of Chanyeol’s car. It is well past sunset when Chanyeol had pulled up in front of Baekhyun’s house.

“U-umma-” Baekhyun gasps from his mother’s tight hug.

“Are you okay, Baek?” she asks, examining her son for injury. “Oh, I missed you!” she sobs, unable to control her tears.

“I’m fine, umma,” Baekhyun says, smiling. “I wanted a break, that’s all. I wanted time to think.”

“You scared us all so much, baby,” she sobs harder. “I’m s-so happy you’re back!” she turns to Chanyeol. “Thank you so much, Chanyeol-ssi!” she says, lifting her hands to his face.

When Baekhyun’s mother hugs Chanyeol, he almost breaks into tears himself. Chanyeol’s mother had never hugged him; she had never shown any sign of affection to him because he was, after all, the company heir.

“Thank you so much!” she says, squeezing him tighter before letting him go. “You-you’ll come in this time, won’t you?” she asks.

“Yes,” he laughs. “I will.”

“B-Baekhyun,” Baekbeom says, standing up when they walk in. Baekhyun doesn’t even spare his brother a glance. He walks right past him, straight to his room. At the doorway of his room, he pauses and turns around. Baekbeom smiles, knowing that Baekhyun would say something along the lines of it’s alright, hyung, or I forgive you.

Instead, Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol and grins. “Do you want to see my room?”

Chanyeol smiles, nodding. “I’d love to.”

“I’ll bring you boys some snacks, okay? You must be exhausted, poor babies… Baekhyun-ah, let Chanyeol use your bathroom to get fresh, okay?”

“Yes, umma! Yeol, come on!”

Baekhyun’s room is small and cosy. It is painted in warm shades of brown and auburn, and Chanyeol wishes his room looked like this, instead of the enormous, empty cave that it is.

“It’s a little messy in here, but I hope you don’t mind,” Baekhyun says, trying to shove his stuff into the cupboard.

“I love it.” Chanyeol says softly. “I love your room. I wish my room was so messy, but the maids don’t let that happen.”

Baekhyun laughs, and looks up at Chanyeol. “Thank you so much for this, Chanyeol,” he says. “I- I was… I wasn’t in my best spirits and… I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come.”

“You did the same for me, Baek,” Chanyeol reminds him, sitting down on Baekhyun’s small bed. “By the way, what did you do for the past six months?”

“I don’t know, really. I just… I saw Taeyeon and Baekbeom together and it was like my entire life