My secrets are buried now

From my heart and my bones catch a fever

When it cuts you up this deep

It's hard to find a way to breathe

Sleepwalking- Bring Me the Horizon

Dark and noisy. The animals wouldn’t stop making noise. Restless. The world was restless.

 The country house’s lights were still on, the family was still awake.

“Mama! Don’t leave me! I’m scared!”

Nothing. Black. Mama didn’t have a face.

“Nothing to be afraid of,” She had said; what a kind and gentle voice she had, full of so much love for everybody and everything.

But yes, there was something to be afraid of.

“I will always be here,--“

Not even in the memories did he have a name.

“Papa! Don’t leave me! I’m scared!”

Nothing. Black. Neither did Papa.

“Your mother is right. There are no such things as ghosts!” Tall and hardworking, he was the best role model a boy could ever ask for.

The candles were blown out, and the house was left in utter darkness.

It suffocated them, crushing their lungs.

They couldn’t breathe.

Shadows warped, nothing was as it seemed. Rustling through the rice paddies, the animals screeched.

Screaming.

They were screaming.

Blood covered the walls, claw marks on the mud floor.

“No! Don’t take my baby boy away from me!”

Chaos.

Panic.

Fear.

The boy cowered in his bed, trembling as everything he knew as love was wretched from his small, clammy hands.

True fear.

Everything was washed away.

Everything but the fear.

*

Baekhyun woke up drenched in cold sweat. His chest heaved up and down, his body quivering. Baekhyun stayed still for a moment, catching his breath, placing a hand on his chest to steady his heart. He swept his wet bangs from his forehead, closing his eyes tight.

He sat still for a moment, holding his breath. He let it go after a moment, feeling his heart rate slow.

Baekhyun sat cross-legged and held his head in his hands.

Baekhuyn stared at the sheets underneath him. This hadn’t happened in a while. He used to have night terrors when he was young; the same recurring nightmare every night of that fateful day. He had grown so used to them that they eventually faded away with time.

But now it was back.

Baekhyun swung his legs over the bed, his feet coming in contact with the cold floor. Chills ran up his spine. Baekhyun walked to the bathroom, being careful not to make the floorboards creak and wake up his colleagues. They all were light sleepers due to their frazzled nerves. It was best not to wake each other up unless for a valid reason. Not like they got much sleep anyway.

Baekhyun stared at himself in the mirror.

He saw himself, his short, black hair, and his wide eyes, dark and cloudy, full of panic. Chapped lips parted, his face was marked with bruises and cuts. A thin, bony frame, and a splatter of blood covering the right side of his face; blood that had belonged to his father-

“060592”

Baekhyun gasped and turned, knowing that his reflection in the mirror behind him was crying.

He spun around, and there the real him was there again. Brown hair, brown eyes, full cheeks and lips.

Baekhyun gripped his head and collapsed to the floor, gritting his teeth as his body hit the freezing tile. He curled up into a ball, gripping his knees and tucking in his feet.

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Life is cruel, life is empty, life is hollow.

All there is in life is pain and hurt.

Baekhyun opened his eyes, and steadied his vision, his lips.

It’s better to inflict pain than be hurt yourself.

Baekhyun stood up straight, staring himself in the mirror, eyes wild and stone cold.

Life is cruel, life is empty, life is hollow.

Life is meaningless.

*

It was a late flight from Beijing to Seoul. The passengers boarded eh airplane quickly, and the flight attendants greeted them at the entrance. They found their seats, and they took off without any delays. Through the small oval-shaped windows, the sky was clear; beautiful stars were scattered across the black like confetti. All of the passengers fell into a slumber, leaving the airplane in a peaceful quiet.

Except for one.

In the back of the plane, a tall, tan and lean boy sat straight in his seat, the table attached to the back of the seat in front of him resting on his lap.

Though it was night, he wore dark sunglasses over his eyes, his lips upturned at the edges. Making sure the passengers around him were snoring, he pulled out his earbuds and reached into his carry-on bag, taking out a manila folder. The boy whipped off his glasses, unearthing large brown eyes, dark circles sitting underneath. He chewed his gum, smacking it obnoxiously with his tongue.

 With a flourish and a crackle of his gum, the boy whipped the folder open, revealing multiple papers written in Mandarin, and a few in Korean. He took out the documents and laid them side by side together on the table.

The boy left the most important document for last. He delicately took it out, holding it tenderly with his fingertips, blowing a bubble between his lips.

He stared at the perfect photograph; a beautiful boy with dark eyes, outlined with black eyeliner, and an expressionless, cruel face.

The boy smirked, slowly placing the black shades on, popping the bubble.

It was finally show time.

*

Chanyeol tossed and turned. His sheets were tangled around his legs, and his pillow was as hard as a rock. Fed up with his lack of sleep, he sat up on his bed and threw his pillow across the room, vigorously rubbing his eyes.

He sat quietly in the dark, eyes closed, the only sound was the blood rushing through his ears.

Chanyeol stood up and sat on the windowsill, contorting himself so he fit on the narrow sill; legs high in the air and his head bent over his neck.

He found himself staring into the background, watching the grass blow in the midnight breeze.

Chanyeol felt sick to his stomach, and he didn’t know why. Chanyeol bit his lips and anxiously wrung his hands.

He’d never felt this way before. Something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t lay his finger on what.

Chanyeol stared at the stars, grinning as he began to think about Byun Baekhyun.

Everything about him had been so hypnotizing. The way he walked, the way he looked, even to the way he politely spoke. He was just so different from what Chanyeol was used to, he couldn’t help thinking about him.

That was it…right?

Chanyeol traced the stars into the constellation of a heart.

“Wherever you are, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol thought, eyes shining. “I hope you’re having sweet dreams.”

*

Chanyeol woke up bright and early the next day. Despite having trouble sleeping, how could he not be full of energy?

He zoomed out of his bedroom and was the first one in the bathroom. He took a long, warm shower, full of warm feelings in his chest.

He picked his clothes out carefully, and actually combed his hair neatly. At least, in his perception of neat.

He was out the door a whole hour before school began, so Chanyeol decided to dawdle and admire the natural beauty around him. He strolled down the neighborhood, petting people’s dogs on his way, and enjoying the sweet sunshine on his skin.

Chanyeol stuck his arms out to feel the breeze when something on the concrete sidewalk caught his eye.

A white lily lay on the ground before him, cut from its stem, leaving just the blossom at Chanyeol’s feet.

Chanyeol smiled, crouching down and placing it in the palm of his hand. He admired its beauty, entranced by its long, powdery petals.

Sunshine seemed to pour from the heavens, illuminating his vision. He squinted, using his free hand to shade his eyes.

By the time his vision corrected, the blossom had gone. Chanyeol stood up, searching frantically for the flower.

Set on the fact that I was gone, Chanyeol sighed. Heart crushed, he glanced at his watch and figured he better get on his way.

Hands in his pockets, he stared at his feet the whole way to school.

*

Baekhyun woke up disgruntled. He had stayed up late studying his class material and doing homework, and he was done with school, despite it being the second day.

Baekhyun rolled over and sighed, not wanting to get up from his warm covers.

After a moment or two, he stood up and stretched, deciding to get ready and get downstairs for breakfast.

Once he was bathed and fully clothed, Baekhyun trudged into the kitchen, where Xiumin was sipping a cup of coffee, Lay was massacring a bowl of oatmeal, and Kai was gnawing on a chicken leg. Yes, a normal breakfast scene.

Baekhyun collapsed in his seat, head nearly falling straight into the bowl of oatmeal placed in front of him.

With his quick reflexes, Xiumin moved the bowl and steadied Baekhyun’s shoulders. “Hey there bud, I know my cooking’s great, but ease up with the enthusiasm, will ya?”

Kai frowned. “What’s wrong, Baek?” He flicked a crumb from his face. “Are you feeling okay?”

Lay leaned over and felt Baekhyun’s forehead with the back of his hand. “He’s not running a fever.”

Baekhyun yawned and gently removed Xiumin’s hand from his shoulder and Lay’s hand from his face. “I’m fine, just tired.”

Baekhyun slowly ate, lifting the spoon to his lips and chewing sleepily.

“Yah, he’s kinda cute when he’s tired, isn’t he?”

Baekhyun’s spoon embedded itself in the wall behind Kai.

“O-Okay, you’re absolutely frightening! Yes!”

Baekhyun slumped his way to the car waiting for him outside, backpack in tow, and Suho wasn’t in sight yet again. Baekhyun didn’t really care right now, he just needed sleep.

Closing his eyes, Baekhyun let his body fall onto the soft leather, not opening his eyes until he felt they were nearing the path to the school.

Baekhyun glanced outside, sunshine filtering in through the tinted windows. Outside, there was none other than Park Chanyeol. The tall boy crouched on the sidewalk, holding what seemed to be a flower in his palm.

 Baekhyun furrowed his brows. What exactly was the kid doing?

The sunlight made the light in Park Chanyeol’s eyes sparkle. He smiled, showcasing his perfect row of pearly white teeth. Baekhyun felt his breath hitch, and a gust of wind blew away the blossom in Park Chanyeol’s hand. Baekhyun watched the boy search for the blossom, his face fallen.

Baekhyun laughed half-heartedly. The boy was naive to think something that beautiful would stay forever.

Baekhyun turned in his seat, sneaking one more glance at the boy before settling his eyes on his interlaced fingers. Even as they had driven away, Baekhyun couldn’t help but secretly wish that Park Chanyeol would find the flower again, to not stop searching.

*

The morning passed quickly enough for Baekhyun, but now it was lunch time. Baekhyun remembered his promise to Park Chanyeol about sitting with him. Despite all of his wishes, Baekhyun knew he had to follow Mr. Lee’s orders. He shivered at the thought of what would happen to him if he didn’t befriend Park Chanyeol.

“Would it be a beating again?” Baekhyun thought, staring at his feet as he waited in the cafeteria line. Or maybe, a burning? Maybe a dip in the icy lake in the base in Antarctic-

Baekhyun reached the end of the food line and held his mostly-empty lunch tray in his hands. He watched all of the passing students, girls gossiping, boys throwing food at each other. A student shoved him aside as he skated through the cafeteria, flipping on his skateboard.

Baekhyun took a deep breath, and against his will, wished for the only familiar figure, Park Chanyeol.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He was faced with the doe eyes and soft face of Do Kyungsoo.

“HI!” Kyungsoo timidly waved at him. Baekhyun returned the wave, giving him a smile. “Hello!”

“Chanyeol, said that you would be joining us for lunch today.” Kyungsoo pointed at the table at the far left side of the cafeteria. “We’re sitting over there, let’s go.”

Baekhyun nodded and followed the shorter boy to the table. He approached the table with Kyungsoo, and he found Park Chanyeol sitting there, eating a sandwich in front of another boy, with dark brown hair, high cheekbones, a natural smirk, and a black snapback

“I found Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said in a sing-songy voice. He set his tray next to Park Chanyeol’s motioning for Baekhyun to take a seat next to the other boy.

Park Chanyeol looked up from his lunch, eyes brightening at the sight of him. “Ah, Baekhyun! Hello!”

Baekhyun smiled. “Hi! It’s alright if I sit here, right?”

“Yes!” Park Chanyeol nodded vigorously. “Let me introduce you!”

Kyungsoo laughed slightly. “Baekhyun and I have already met.” Baekhyun nodded in agreement.

“Oh,” Park Chanyeol faltered. “Well, this is Kim Jongdae.”

The boy next to Baekhyun stuck out his hand and grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Heyo! Nice to meet ya! How are the babes in America?”

Baekhyun flushed. “A-ah! They’re fine…?”

Jongdae unwrapped a piece of gum and popped it into his mouth. “Oh, so they’re fine…Do you not swing that way or-“

“Jongdae!” Chanyeol threw a banana at Jongdae’s face. It bounced off his face and onto the floor, nearly leaving students to trip over it.

“!” Jongdae rubbed his nose fervently. “What was that for?!”

“I-I’m sorry, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol stammered. “I told you Jongdae was a bit iffy-“

“I’m right here!!!”

Baekhyun laughed awkwardly. “It’s fine! I don’t really mind!”

Kyungsoo took out his study materials, laying them out on the table meticulously. “You guys are too loud.” He placed a pair of round glasses on his nose. “I’m trying to study.”

Baekhun grimaced. He didn’t like the vibe he was feeling from Kyungsoo right now. He reached for his backpack, where he had his emergency tools-

“Sorry.” Chanyeol bowed his head. “Kyungsoo is in his study mode. He gets very concentrated, and it is very scary.”

Baekhyun peered at Kyungsoo, and he glared back. Baekhyun looked away, frightened for his life.

Baekhyun stared at his food, deep in thought.

High school students are weird.

*

The tall built boy placed his dark sunglasses high on his nose, pulling his black suit jacket together around his chest. His black hair styled to the side fashionably, crystal earring embedded in his earlobes. He sauntered through the airport gate, his heeled boots making contact with the tile as he walked. His men struggled to catch up with his walking speed, pushing the cart full of all of his priceless luggage at full speed, though they still managed to always be a foot or two behind the boy.

As soon as he was in sight of the airport outside, a handful of men rushed toward him, escorting him through the airport and outside, where his limousine was waiting for him, the engine already running.

The boy sat quietly inside, resting his head on the cushion. He couldn’t believe that he was actually back in Korea. Shanghai had been a paradise, away from all of the politics, the money, and the lies.

The boy took off his sunglasses and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms. He rested his elbows on his knees, taking a deep breath.

What did his poor excuse of a father need from him now?

*

Baekhyun walked through the hallways mindlessly. He shuffled between people, his mind focusing on other things.

It was lunchtime, but he really wasn’t feeling the atmosphere. He felt claustrophobic, the hallways seemed as if they were becoming narrower, and he couldn’t breathe.

Baekhyun desperately looked for a way out of the school, panting heavily. Finding a door shrouded in shadow he nearly ran to it and flew into it, surprised to find stairs.

Baekhyun calmed his breathing and climbed the stairs carefully, one at a time. When he reached the top of the landing, another door stood there with a window.

Baekhyun peered through the window to find it lead to the roof of the school. Baekhyun pushed the door open and was surprised to find it wasn’t locked.

 “The school security should really make sure of these things.” He thought as he walked out on the roof.

The sky was blue, and the clouds seemed so near to Baekhyun. It was as if he could reach out and feel them. Though that would be impossible.

Baekhyun sat cross-legged in the middle of the roof, observing the school’s green landscape from below through the rails that encased the roof.

He wondered what it would be like to watch the sunrise from this view…

Again, lost in his thoughts, he took out the sandwich Lay had packed for him out of his backpack and took a bite, closing his eyes, and relishing the way the wind made him feel clean.

There was a moment of silence, then Baekhyun heard a ruckus behind him. Startled, Baekhyun turned around and the door burst open.

Baekhyun’s eyes widened and his heart skipped as Chanyeol stood in the doorway, out of breath and panting.

“Beekhyun!” Chanyeol stalked toward him and stood over him.

Baekhyun couldn’t help but puff out his chest; he felt really defensive at the moment, Chanyeol was really tall-

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows and took a look around the roof. “What are you doing here?”

“A-Ah, I’m sorry, I’m not really used to being around so many kids.” Baekhyun decided to be honest. ‘I wanted to be alone for a second.”

Chanyeol sighed. “I’m sorry. Would you mind if we came up here and ate with you then?”

Baekhyun was bewildered. “U-Um.”

Before he could respond properly Chanyeol snatched the sandwich out of Baekhyun’s hands and took a big bite out of it.

“Wow this is really good! What is it, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and is that Nutella?!”

Baekhyun stood up and reached for it. “Hey, give it back!”

Chanyeol playfully held the sandwich in the air, laughing as Baekhyun attempted to jump for his sandwich.

“Baekhyun, tell me that you will allow us to eat with you up here.”

Baekhyun grunted, pulled on Chanyeol’s arm. “Why is eating with me so important to you?”

Chanyeol stood on his tiptoes now, laughing as Baekhyun bent his knees and glowered at him. “Why would I want to leave you alone, Baek?”

Baekhyun stumbled on his landing and fell onto Chanyeol, burying his face into his solid chest. Chanyeol dropped his arm and Baekhyun’s face grew hot.

He pushed himself off of Chanyeol and hiding his face, grabbed the sandwich from Chanyeol’s fingertips. Taking an even bigger bite of the sandwich he yelled, “Fine, I’ll allow you to eat up here with me.”

Chanyeol, who had stayed motionless for a moment, snapped back to life. He grinned, his eyes closing as his cheeks beamed. “Great! I’ll go get Kyungsoo and Jongdae.”

And as fast as he had come in he was out again.

Baekhyun fell onto the roof, bringing his knees to his chest, all of his energy drained out of him.

Baekhyun stared at the sandwich, feeling his body grow hot as he realized that he and Chanyeol had just shared an indirect kiss. He took another bite, cursing the taller boy.

Baekhyun swallowed hard, gulping and feeling the food travel in a large ball down his esophagus.

Why did Chanyeol make him feel this way?

After another minute or two, the door opened again, with a little less force this time.

Jongdae paraded onto the roof, legs and arms swinging wildly. “Wow! I’ve never been up here before!”

He flung his backpack across the cement and ran to see over the rails. “Wow! The view here is amazing! Do you think I can nail a kid in the head with my spit from this angle?”

Kyungsoo peeked his head in first, then decided to take a step in. “Are you sure we’re allowed to be in here?” His big doe eyes were wide open and scared.

Chanyeol pushed him forward. “Of course not, Soo! Why do you think we were here in the first place?”

Kyungsoo grunted and placed his backpack softly on top of Jongdae’s. He rushed to grab Jongdae’s waist as he leaned over the rail, climbing on top of it. “Jongdae, sit down! You’re going to get us in trouble!”

“Trouble’s the least of your worries!” Baekhyun laughed. “He’ll get himself killed first!”

That earned Baekhyun a few laughs. Baekhyun felt glowing inside, a peculiar feeling.

They all sat in a circle, eating the food they had stashed away from the cafeteria. Jongdae made funny faces and Kyungsoo pelted him with potato chips until he stopped. Chanyeol begged for Kyungsoo to throw the potato chips into his mouth and Baekhyun would sometimes get in the way, catching the chip in his mouth instead and laughing.

Chanyeol would push Baekhyun away, his eyes glimmering, and dancing. Baekhyun would stare at him and laugh too, the glowing feeling in his chest feeling warmer the more he looked at him.

The bell rang for the next period and they were nearly late, but Baekhyun didn’t care. He ran alongside Chanyeol to their next class, and he flashed him a white smile as he passed him by on his long legs.

He didn’t care, as long as he had Chanyeol.

*

Xiumin put on his coat zip-up hoodie and his favorite T-shirt, spraying on some expensive cologne on his wrists. He triple-checked himself in the mirror, styling his hair and flicking a stray hair or two into place. He checked his faint eye makeup, smiling at himself in the mirror. He closed the door to his room and bumped into Kai in the hallway.

Kai eyed him, punching his shoulder. “You going somewhere?”

Xiumin nodded. “I’m going to get some coffee, you want some?”

Kai shook his head. “No, we still have left over from this morning. Why don’t you have some? It’s still in the pot.” Kai turned around toward the kitchen but Xiumin placed himself in front of him.

“No, no! It’s okay!” He laughed. “I really like the coffee at this place I’ve been going to recently.”

Kai gave him an odd look. “You’ve been going to this place at least three times a week, are you sure you’re not addicted?”

They laughed and Xiumin left the dorms, his anxiety back to normal as he stepped into the car he bought at a garage sale a few months ago.

He drove through downtown Seoul, eyeing the people on the street as he tried to keep himself calm. He finally made it, a hole in the wall café at the edge of downtown, named the Cloudy Coffee House.

Xiumin parked his car and entered the café, scanning the room for the familiar face.

He stood in line and found him attending to a table of customers. His smile seemed to brighten the whole café; the customers really liked him, he was really friendly and very handsome.

Xiumin stared at his feet as he moved up in the line, smiling to himself. What’s not to like?

Xiumin made it to the front of the line and ordered a skinny vanilla latte. He gave the money to the cashier and sat himself in his usual spot, a small table for two in the corner by the curtained windows.

In less than five minutes, the boy had arrived with his coffee.

“Hello, Professor Kim!” He set down the ceramic cup and saucer in front of Xiumin, wiping his hands on his black apron.

Xiumin shook his hand, smiling, “Hello, Luhan!”

Luhan motioned to the chair, pulling the agenda book out of his back pocket. “Do you mind if I sit?”

“No, not at all!”

Luhan sat down and rested his chin on his folded hands. “How are you, Professor? I’m really sad you moved campuses, your class was my favorite.”

“Really?” Xiumin took a sip out of his cup, being careful to spill any. “How is the new Professor?”

“Ah, he’s really boring.” Luhan rolled his eyes but laughed. “You were my favorite professor, can’t you come back?”

Xiumin shyly shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t.” He set his cup down on the saucer. “And please, call me Minseok.”

Luhan flushed. “I’m sorry, it’s still really hard to call you by your name. I’m so used to seeing you in a lab coat too, it’s weird seeing you out of class.”

Xiumin sighed, then half-heartedly laughed. “I’m sorry if this is awkward. I’ll stop coming if that’s what you prefer.” Xiumin stood up, grabbing his sweater from where it was draped over the chair.

“No!” Luhan shot up from his seat and gripped Xiumin’s wrist.

Xiumin’s eyes widened and he stared at Luhn.

Luhan blushed and let go of Xiumin’s wrist. “I-I’m sorry, Prof- I mean…Minseok.” He clenched his fists and sighed. “Please don’t leave. That’s not what I meant!”

He stared at his shoes, biting his lips. “I meant, I’ll make you coffee here every day. Please stop by whenever you’d like.”

Xiumin grinned and patted Luhan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, don’t worry about it.”

He moved past Luhan and waved goodbye. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back.”

Xiumin winked. “Remember what you said! Coffee every day!”

Luhan laughed, waving brightly back. “Promise to come back?”

Xiumin stopped in his tracks and smiled, his heart bubbly and his smiles uncontrollable.

“I promise!”

*

The boy paced the lobby impatiently, hands in his coat pocket. Every few paces or so he would raise his hand to grasp his chin and think, the n jam it back into his coat pocket again. He glanced at the secretary, who worked on her computer in silence, glaring at him in annoyance every so often.

“What is possibly keeping my father so busy?” The boy thought angrily, clenching his fists. “He was the one who asked me to come back, he should be ready to see me!”

After a few minutes the secretary spoke, “Mr. Lee is ready to see you now.”

The boy grabbed his bag off of the chair and ran to the door, ready to kick the door open and strangle his father. But as he approached the door, he stopped in front of it, steadying his breath and closing his eyes. He cleared his head and raised his fist slowly to knock on the large wooden double doors.

He knocked, and he heard his father’s brisk reply. “Come in.”

The boy took a deep breath and opened the door and set his eyes on the man sitting behind the desk. There sat his father, his appearance the same as always; the same gelled back black hair, hard brown eyes, and creases in his skin.

He walked across the room and sat in the only other chair in the room, across and far away from the big mahogany desk.

His father clasped his hands together and stared at him. They sat in silence, the boy unsettled and staring back at him.

“You’ve grown taller.” Mr. Lee said, no hint of emotion in his voice.

“It’s been three years.” The boy responded just as coldly, narrowing his eyes in response.

“I am aware.”

Mr. Lee leaned back in his chair and sighed. “You must be wondering why I’ve brought you back here.”

The boy said nothing.

“In all honesty,” Mr. Lee closed his eyes. “I don’t believe this was the best decision, but I couldn’t help it. My health is deteriorating quickly, faster than I anticipated. I needed to see you.”

The boy scoffed. “So you’ve only brought me back right when you’re rotting. It’s not at all sentimental, don’t act as if you have feelings, Father.”

“Don’t speak to me that way, Kris.” Mr. Lee snapped. “But yes, you are correct. This decision did not have any feelings tied to it whatsoever.”

Kris stared at Mr. Lee in disbelief. His voice was a harsh whisper and quivered slightly. “After all this time…and you still won’t call me by my name…?”

It was Mr. Lee’s time to scoff now. “Has Shanghai made you soft? We strictly have a business relationship. I didn’t bring you back here to reminisce or talk about your feelings and your vendetta. I’ve brought you back to train for the opportunity to inherit the throne to my conglomerate, and that is all.”

Kris stood up angrily, knocking over the chair. “The opportunity to be the heir?! I’m your son!”

Mr. Lee was unfazed. “Your cousins are great businessmen. You wouldn’t know this because you were in Shanghai.”

“You’re the one who sent me away!” Kris shouted, his fury unbearable. It boiled over him, like steaming lava. “You told me you never wanted to see me again. I was the face of your mistake!”

Before Kris could even blink, he had been thrown into the doors. The walls shook with the impact and Kris sat on the floor, holding his face in shock.

His father rubbed the creases in his suit.  Again, there was nothing to read on his hard face. “I’m sending you to work in the Research lab. It’s time that you learned your lesson, and how to become a better businessman. “

“The Research lab?” Kris balled his fists. “I don’t want to get involved with your murders and killers.”

He stood up and grabbed his bag from beside the chair. “I’m leaving. I’m not coming back. Don’t order your people to ever call me again. I’m not going to your funeral, or your burning to the stake, or however everybody wants to wish you farewell into hell.”

Kris turned for the door but stopped in his tracks at the sound of his father clearing his throat. “You don’t want to leave. I have something you want.”

Kris stood frozen, his heart beating rapidly.

Could it be…?

Kris turned around and Mr. Lee held up a folded piece of paper from where he had pulled it from his coat pocket.

 “I have information.”

*

Baekhyun felt as if he was floating, out of his last class and down the hallway. He couldn’t explain it, but he just felt…at peace.

He couldn’t pay attention during class, and it was difficult to even walk straight. He felt as if he could fly.

His vision focused among the throng of students and he saw Chanyeol, his eyes locked on him and making his way toward him.

Baekhyun’s heart skipped a beat. Chanyeol waved and smiled his dorky grin.

Baekhyun beamed and trotted the remaining distance between them. “Hey Chanyeol!”

“Hey, Baekhyun. Do you have somewhere to be right now?” Chanyeol smiled. “Do you want to walk home together?”

Baekhyun’s breath hitched. “Y-Yes, sure, of course! Do you live close by?”

Chanyeol nodded. “Yeah, I live a few blocks down. Jongdae’s got something going on, and Kyungsoo gets picked up, so it’ll just be the two of us. Is that okay?”

Baekhyun’s cheeks reddened. “Y-Yeah!”

They both walked out of the school building and Baekhyun rubbed at his cheeks. “It’ll just be the two of us.” He thought excitedly.

They walked down the neighborhood and they talked with each other, and Baekhyun felt a connection with Chanyeol. He had never felt this close to anyone before, not even his colleagues or Suho. This was different…it was as if it was meant to be.

Before he knew it, Chanyeol stopped walking. Baekhyun stopped and looked at the house where they had stopped.

It wasn’t a house at all, but a three story plaster building. Roof shingles lay on the yard, and the house seemed to dro0p from the sides. The grass was unevenly cut, with weeds standing tall and proud. The front door was halfway off its hinges. Some of the windows didn’t have glass. A big rusty wrought iron fence surrounded the property, and a sign hung over the gates that read: Sister Mary’s Orphanage.

Baekhyun’s heart fell to his stomach and Chanyeol turned to him, his smile fading. “Yeah, so this is my stop, Baek.”

Baekhyun stared at him, then shook himself out of it. “Oh okay, yeah my house is just a bit further. I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Chanyeol smiled, but it was as if he wasn’t feeling it anymore, but neither was Baekhyun. Baekhyun faked his smile then quickly walked the rest of the block and turned the corner.

He took out his phone and sent someone his location for a ride, then his head dropped.

He grabbed at his chest where it hurt, then looked at the building again.

Chanyeol lived in an orphanage…?

Baekhyun couldn’t help but let a whimper escape from his lips. He covered his mouth with the palm of his hand and bit his lip.

Park Chanyeol, the brightest person he could ever think about, wasn’t loved enough to have parents. Even adopted parents.

After a while Baekhyun’s ride came. The chauffeur was a bit surprised of Baekhyun’s frazzled appearance, but the glare Baekhyun shot him made him pay no need.

Baekhyun grabbed his chest where it hurt.

Park Chanyeol wasn’t loved, and that hurt Baekhyun more than he could imagine.

And he didn’t know why.