“I'm quitting.”

An uproar followed that statement. Surprise mixed with shocked gasps filling the room. But, there, at the center of the room, stood the cause of this commotion, his expression ever so serene.

“What? Have you lost your mind?”

“What? Why?”

Confusion fused in the air, but Baekhyun stayed unfazed. Ever since he debuted, he has been dreaming of the day he would finally say this. The day he would finally drop out, slap it on their face so they know he wasn't that fragile teenager they could control and take advantage of anymore.

He has been so patient all this time, but no one really understood him. Everything is gonna be alright, they said. But, the minute he signed that damn contract, they made his life a living hell. He had no way out. He felt like a puppet. Doing exactly what he was asked to without asking why.

The contract tied him up to absolute obedience. He would have cared less to be honest. But, the restriction to go back to Buncheon was what made the whole thing unbearable.

Baekhyun remembered pleading them to let him go back. Promising to be cautious to not let any kind of rumors arise. Because, he needed to, he had to. But, all his complaints were left unheard.

Just follow our rules. They said. You want to be famous and rich, right? Shut up and obey.

Yes, there was a time he dreamed of becoming a famous singer. But, today, that was no longer a dream. He achieved his dream. He became famous and renowned in his country and abroad. He finally could do everything his teenage self ever dreamed of.

Traveling abroad, singing for a crowd of fans, attending high class events, win awards, make his name known by everyone, It was supposed to be paradise on earth.

Baekhyun finally had a taste of all his teenage dreams. That's why, without any hesitation, he could assert, this life, was not what he imagined—wanted.

Baekhyun achieved fame, but he didn't achieve happiness.

He wasn't happy. And he could only blame himself for that. It's all his life choices that led him where he was right now. Everything was his fault.

Not a day went by without him regretting ever signing this contract. Music was still an important part of his life. He would never regret singing for his fans. But, to be where he was right now, he had to sacrifice something even greater. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, Baekhyun knew deep down it wasn't worth it. It would never be worth the sacrifice.

The good thing though, is that, with his fame growing, so did his freedom. He managed to make a name for his own, and with that alone, he was assured to never be left jobless. Everyone was fighting to have him, either for a collaboration or cast him in a drama.

He pondered over it the past years. He couldn't keep on wasting time anymore. He had to take a decision, make a choice. And so he did.

“I'm not renewing my contract. I'm quitting.” Baekhyun repeated to clear up any misunderstanding.

“You aren't serious! You can't just quit like that! Have you thought about your career? You just reached the peak, all your hard-work finally paid off, and you just want to ruin it like that?”

Baekhyun remained silent. Of course, he thought about it. He really struggled to reach the top. He could still vividly remember all the breakdowns he went through whilst trying to hold on. All the harsh words he had to hear daily because of his remotely short trainee period.

A lot of malicious rumors spread about him, such as him using his body to be able to debut early. He was hated on by both other trainees and artists of the label because SM focused exclusively on his career.

God knew how many times he wished to just stop. Music was his passion, never had he thought he would reach a day where he would hate singing. But, unfortunately, he did.

As time went by, Baekhyun used as a puppet, his passion ended up dying. He reached a point where he cared less about his career nor people opinion on him. Tabloids made him go through hell. Anti-pages working so hard to bring him down.

Baekhyun was exhausted. Both physically and mentally.

“I know. But, I don't care.” the calm in his voice was honestly troubling. He sounded firm; not a ounce of doubt nor hesitation.

“You don't know what you are saying!” the CEO slammed his palms on the table, seemingly angry. “We invested on you. We made you successful. You reached the top only because of us, don't you get it? Without us, you are nothing.”

“I know, and I'm grateful.” Baekhyun began calmly. “Business-wise, you made my life a living hell so the investment could be returned. And it was. Literally, I don't owe you anymore. I paid back all my debts.” the CEO groaned in annoyance, but there is nothing he could add because it was true.

The investment has been returned. The contract was also nearing its end. They had no more control over the artist. The decision was his, if he wanted to continue or quit.

However, they couldn't just let go of Baekhyun like that. Him alone made up of 60% of their incomes.

The old man sighed and sat back on his leather chair. “Let's negotiate, okay? I'm pretty sure you don't really want to quit. How about your fans? You don't want to deceive them, right?”

Baekhyun remained silent, but inside, he slightly hesitated.

“How about you tell us what you really want? I'm sure we can grant it.” Baekhyun didn't let himself be foul by the man smile. He still remembers, five years ago, they told him the same and convinced him to enroll in the company. Then cut every contact he had with his family so he wouldn't change his mind.

“Give me a break. One month at least. I'll think about whether I'll stay or leave.”

The CEO gritted his teeth, obviously not liking not being in control. But it was the only option Baekhyun gave them. They either gave him time to think about it, or could expect a non-renewal of the contract.

“Fine. We will give you a month to think about it, in hope that you will make the right decision of course.”

Baekhyun smiled satisfied and bowed before leaving the office. His manager immediately tailed after him.

“You did great.” the man praised him, which Baekhyun returned with a smile.

To be honest, he didn't expect them to accept. SM is known to be strict with his artists, but seeing how things just went, it was a piece of cake. That must also be because, he is one of their top artist.

The table turned. If once Baekhyun needed them to achieve his dream. Now, he knew they needed him to maintain their notoriety. It was a win-win situation. Kinda.

“What would you do now?” they were walking to the parking lot when Baekhyun's phone buzzed inside his pocket. He fished it out and opened the message from his mother. A smile instantly bloomed on his face, eyes threatening to water.

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