Byun Baekhyun settled that London was probably the best choice to stay, with no apparent reason and after spending almost a week in Germany, he decided that maybe he rather be in The Smoke – Baekhyun doesn’t even bother to research why they called London with that.

He went to New York two weeks ago to visit his band-mate and leader, Park Chanyeol, but he knew better that neither one of them wanted each other to stick around – not that they hate each other, but mostly because the hiatus was for them to be alone for awhile from the first place.

Baekhyun is the front man of what people called to be a legendary alternative pop rock South Korean band at the moment, Exhibit Zero, until they decided to go on a break after six years of doing great in the industry – and it blew people’s minds. Fans and people in general speculated that they are going to disband, but even Baekhyun doesn’t even know that for sure.

After all, Baekhyun started the idea first – he was the one who spoke up about the idea of taking a break.

“Herman Melville said that there are two places in the world where men could effectively disappear – the city of London or the South Seas,”. Jongin said on the phone when he first arrived, Baekhyun didn’t really know why the younger male decided to call him – and he was talking in English – Baekhyun had to Google it on his tab to understand the complete sentence.

“It just a saying,” Jongin added when the latter groaned after searching on the web. “Jongin, I picked this city just like that, I don’t want to disappear,” He retorted to the bassist on the line. “And I am just making sure,” Jongin replied. “And since when did you read things like that? I don’t even know that kind of proverb exists,” Baekhyun groaned, again. “Since I’m still in Seoul and I have nothing to do, I was checking all the cities you guys are currently visiting, in case I can get more understanding why you guys chose them,” The man on the line explained.

“Jongin, just chose, spin the globe, land your point finger somewhere randomly on the map, things like that works miraculously,” He replied nonchalantly. “Hyung, I can do that later on, but this moment is more crucial, I guess I need a meaning to go on a trip, this hiatus for me is not about escaping this hellhole, and you know that,”. Baekhyun unconsciously nodded, as if the younger could see that. “I know, but you will find out soon, at some moment, that’s okay, take your time,” He said as the got out from the airport building and looking for a taxi.

“I will, you take care, Baekhyun hyung, don’t forget that your prescription is for emergency only, do not use it if you didn’t –,”. “I got it, mom,” Baekhyun chuckled when he cut the younger’s sentence as Jongin fell silence for a second before he let out a scoff and hung up after saying goodbye – and Baekhyun was alone again in the city of London, and he wasn’t really sure whether he liked it or not, goodness, he missed s already at that point.

He then checked the address again from his phone before he got into a cab and gave the driver a look of his screen – before the man nodded and said that it won’t take that long to get there. Baekhyun rested his head on the seat and play with his phone for a while, aside from telling s that he was safe and sound in London.

Exhibit Zero on the verge of disbanding – members are spotted across the globe, but yet to confirm their purpose.

It was truly unfair, Baekhyun thought about that a lot, and in all honesty, they didn’t need to tell the public what they were doing and where – but the headline said otherwise. Baekhyun was wrong, he thought nothing the media could do that can stresses him out at this point and that he didn’t need any more medication for his life, but it turned out that he did – which is why he lied to s about not taking any more pills when he had a stack left on his bag.

He was more taken aback that the phone almost slipped from his hand when the radio was all of the sudden blasting a very familiar song – it was the band’s song that was released last Christmas. “I like this song,” The cab driver said in English. “Oh, I am guessing you are Korean, maybe you know this?” The driver pointed at the radio and smiled at him from the rear view mirror – Baekhyun may not be the best in English but he understands that much.

“I know the song,” He replied with his best attempt to English with a slight of forced British accent just for him to sounds cool but he regret it just a second later because he sounded horrible. “Great band too, their song mostly great, I enjoy them,” The man nodded to him before focusing back to the street. Baekhyun didn’t know whether the universe was playing around with him or something, but he swore that maybe it was one way that he will keep being reminded that the band was still his burden.

And with that, Baekhyun swallowed his first medicine in London.

---

Baekhyun have a problem with his sanity, particularly began since the band started to become famous enough that every move they made become a top story – he guessed that the anxiety became too hard to handle at some point, so he started to go see the therapist. It wasn’t that severe at the first few years, but last year he just couldn’t cope up with the stress anymore that he needed to have his therapist around for two months.

It was also when the public started to talk and the triggering headline started to surface – but all of them never pointed to him, and they were all putting the blame to no other than the band’s leader himself – Park Chanyeol.

The problem was that Chanyeol refused to clear out the misunderstanding, that the therapist was there to keep Baekhyun from overdosing, not Chanyeol, but since the leader was with the bad reputation already from the start, he decided that it was the best that Baekhyun stayed clean – and Baekhyun thought there is nothing more reckless than that, and also the fact that the leader is so persistent and stubborn about it that no one could change his mind.

At the end, Baekhyun thought that getting a hiatus a probably a good idea, a time period to go somewhere or do something that is out of the context of what they are doing as a band – but he did not expect that the members agreed that fast to his proposal – Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin almost said yes right away after Baekhyun said taking a break for indefinite time, while Chanyeol only approved a day later after discussing the matter with their CEO and getting his approval as well, even though the rest of the members are still clueless about what the did Chanyeol do that their CEO settled to put his number one income on hiatus.

“Byun Baekhyun,”. Baekhyun expected it to happen in all honesty, for the fans to somehow recognize that it was really the Byun Baekhyun in the middle of British Museum in a broad daylight – which even himself was still clueless about what the he was doing in there anyway – so he turned his body around and offered the source of the voice his infamous puppy smile.

“Yes?” He was trying to sound calm, even though he was freaking out a little bit because he probably need to leave immediately afterward – both the museum and the city.

But the latter only gave him a slight shrug as the response as her attention got back to the painting in front of them – Baekhyun wanted to die at that moment. “You didn’t change,” She said after awhile, and he was still trying to sort out of what was happening. “And you don’t remember me, of course,” She continued. “We have met somewhere?” He asked hesitantly.

“We had somewhere,” She shrugged again and it was so nonchalant that he almost lost it. “I’m sorry, but I think you got the wrong person,” He burst at the end.

“In high school, of course I don’t expect you to remember because you are some kind of a big deal now, are you not?” She finally turned her head and looked back at the pair of eyes who was watching her in both confusion and terror, but his face soften after hearing the word high school before he suddenly gasped.

“You,” He said in astonishment, before his shoulder dropped again. “Wait, which one are you again?”.

The girl showed some indifference towards Baekhyun’s response, which was actually offensive in some kind of way, but she shook her head slightly nonetheless. “Come on, Baekhyun, you only slept with one person throughout high school because you were so busy coming back and forth to the training,” She replied nonchalantly. “I can’t recall anything, as long as I know is that I am pretty much a very popular person back then,” He then smirked. “And oh, I remember you, dearie,”.

Baekhyun wasn’t lying, it did take a moment but he does remember the girl that was standing beside him – it was so vague as it was a long time ago and she showed up too sudden and made him startle a bit, but there is no way Baekhyun forgets.

“Congratulations, I guess? Or should I congratulate myself for finding you because like I said, you are some kind of a global icon? Is that it?” She smiled impudently. “Well, that isn’t wrong either but I don’t really think you like me that much to congratulate yourself,” Baekhyun replied. “You are right, I don’t like you that much, you barely called me back in the past,” She stated.

He scrunched his eyebrow for a second before he gasped again. “I did call you back, you didn’t pick up though? Wait, I was just then thinking what kind of a boy I was for not giving a call to a girl I hooked up with but wait, I am not the one on fault right here?” Baekhyun retorted. “Ah, so you do remember something,” She nodded her head in acknowledgement before she walked away from him and the painting, which left him pretty dumbfounded.

“Woman, you can’t just left after making me think that I am a jerk,” Baekhyun caught up with her to the next art display with a frown painted on his face. “And after, how many years again since we graduated? Nine years is it? You also don’t change that much,” He continued. “Oh, wait, did you stalk me just now? You too, can’t suddenly come up to a person and asked whether they are Byun Baekhyun or not, can you?” He blabbered.

“You still talk too much, Baek,” She smiled slightly and Baekhyun was stunned that she was calling him with his nickname. “I just thought you look so familiar yet so out of the place, almost look like you are the part of the exhibition,” She shrugged.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? It is, right?” He raised his eyebrow in amusement. “Well, yeah, I mean, you still as handsome as ever, don’t you think?” She replied nonchalantly. “And I can’t deny that? Even though I didn’t like you that much,”.

“Did you just flirt with me?” Baekhyun grinned cheekily. “No, I am just stating a piece of opinion,” She replied. “Did you not miss me?” He snapped out of the blue. “You are all over the internet, I am pretty sick of you,” She sneered. “I mean, physically? We have not yet seen each other for nine years,” He claimed. “You don’t even remember me that first minute, you even forgot that we used to hook up, how am I supposed to feel about that?” She retorted like she was offended, but Baekhyun saw none change in her expression.

“I eventually remember though, that should count, somehow, really,” He stated. “Do you even know my name?” She challenged, and Baekhyun nodded right away, but didn’t say anything afterward. “I thought so, Mr. Byun, enjoy the museum by the way,” She gave him a polite smile before she left him again, but Byun Baekhyun was not there to give up, so he called her with the name he and she was very familiar with.

Baekhyun grinned when the lady stopped her track and turned halfway around to gave him an amused smile. “Not bad, Baek, not bad,”.

---

Baekhyun thought Park Chanyeol was suicidal, but maybe he was one too, because he felt like jumping off the London Bridge as he still couldn’t get over the fact that he let his ex – even though he doubts that she will agree with that term because they were never official – left him in the middle of the Museum after claiming him to be not a bad person. Baekhyun was too immersed with the proud feeling to himself that he didn’t realize that he was being left behind.

It has been four days, and it still haunted him in some kind of ways. “Yeah, of course I remember her, you are totally whipped back then,” Chanyeol said on the other line. “I am not totally whipped, we were just casually hanging out together a lot, we liked each other’s companion, that’s all,” Baekhyun groaned as he walked down the pavement. “Of course, Baek, I used to say that she was too good for you, maybe she still is,” Chanyeol said as his laughter came along.

“She looked like she is, with all that fancy clothes and those damn Louboutin heels, and she is definitely prettier now,” Baekhyun shrugged as he was trying to decided where to stop and grab some food. “You hear that? Sounds like extremely whipped for me,” Chanyeol snapped. “But, I used to say that because we used to be some kind of popular losers, things are different though, you are a superstar now, everyone would want to get into your pants somehow,” Chanyeol continued.

“What kind of nonsense is popular loser anyway? And gosh, what should I eat?” Baekhyun groaned again to the phone. “Where are you at anyway?” Chanyeol replied nonchalantly. “King’s Road, and don’t act like you could give me some idea about what to eat,” Baekhyun huffed when he suddenly stopped in front of a café before the intersection and decided to enter it. “I am not going to, you ,” Chanyeol scoffed and waited for Baekhyun’s clap back but instead all he got was silence.

“Byun, you still there? Hey, and by the way before I forgot, I have e-mailed you the prescription your therapist gave just in case but please, I am going to kill you myself if I found out if you are taking it without telling him, okay?” Chanyeol tried to sound like he was cool and calm but Baekhyun knows him better – his leader is always worried as .

“I got it and thank you Chanyeol, I’m going to call you again later,” Baekhyun said as he hung up the phone.

“Ha, so London is not so big after all,” Baekhyun said when he got into the counter and smirked at the person behind it. “It is big, what would you like to order?” The girl was looking at him unimpressed. “I don’t know that you work here, felt kind of like fate, no?” Baekhyun grinned. “Felt like you stalked me, but whatever, you are holding up the line, so what do you want to order?” She offered him a smile.

“Uh, wait, uh can I, you?” He ended up blabbering because his mind suddenly went into a mess. “No, you can’t order me, Baek, but the victoria sponge cake is pretty decent, would you want some?” She said.

“Sounds great, and a bottle of mineral water please,” He replied while faking a cough as she nodded and typed something to the tab while Baekhyun handed her the money before he left to his seat. A couple of minutes later, the girl came with his water and a plate and placed it in front of him as she took a seat in front of him.

“What are you doing here, Baek?” She asked immediately. “Shouldn’t you be going back to work or something?” Baekhyun raised his eyebrow in confusion but she shook her head instead.

“I am not here because I stalked you by the way, I don’t have that much time on my hand if you are truly wondering,” Baekhyun said as he took a bite on his cake. “Are you sure you are not the one stalking me?” He continued to ask. “I don’t even know that you are going to stay here that long, I thought you don’t have that much time in your hand,” She countered which made Baekhyun ran out of words.

“Want to hang out sometimes then?” She asked all out the sudden, which made him almost choked on his cake.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Baekhyun grinned after he got back to his sense. “Don’t flatter yourself too much, Baek, I just want to catch up, how’s life, rock star?” She grinned in return as she leaned back to her chair. “Life’s great, I mean I am all over the internet for the good deeds I have given to the society, it doesn’t get better than this,” He forced an exciting smile.

“Then why are you here?” She asked.

“I can’t be here?” He replied as he knitted his eyebrow together.

“Your band is on hiatus, Baekhyun, what are you doing in London?” She asked, again, with more details.

“How did you know – forget it, I am all over the internet,” He huffed in annoyance. “Finding inner peace, and following fate to meet you again,” Baekhyun added nonchalantly with a smirk. “I am not going to ignore the fact that you searched me up on Google? I guess, I am that hard to forget that you need my updates from time to time?”.

“You wish, Baekhyun,” She scoffed so dramatically that Baekhyun almost burst into laughter. “My roommate loves you and your band, what is it again? EXO?” She knitted her eyebrow together. “It’s Exhibit Zero, since when it became EXO?” Baekhyun huffed, again. “She said ‘EXO’ a lot though, but I’m sure that it’s your band since she gave me a look to your music videos a lot,” She snapped. “Well, okay, who’s the leader then?” Baekhyun challenged.

“Park Chanyeol,” She answered stoically. “Ha, you know my leader’s name but you can’t even say my band’s name correctly, what kind of witch?” Baekhyun retorted. “I will ignore that statement just now, just because you sounded so stupid,” She scoffed again. “How am I the stupid one? I mean, you practically don’t know your ex-hook-up-mate’s band name, I am offended right here,”. Baekhyun raised his voice a little bit but it sounded like a yell in the middle of the café – which made them the center of attention almost immediately.

She then stood up gently before she looked at Baekhyun and mouthed let’s get out, which he followed quietly and left the building together with her. “I mean, if you get fired, it’s not my fault, I’m just saying,” He chuckled. “I did not work there anyway,” She shrugged nonchalantly as they walked side by side on the pavement.

“So, what are you doing there, behind the counter to be exact?” He raised his eyebrow in amusement. “Making my own coffee, before you came and ruined the process,” She replied.

“Okay, so here, you could just come to some café randomly and get your own damned coffee?” Baekhyun chuckled.

“If the place is owned by your roommate then sure,” She smiled slightly, as he responded with a soft ‘okay’. “And to answer your question earlier, in case you had amnesia or something, Park Chanyeol was in one class with both of us in high school, remember? That’s why I recognize him most of the times,” She continued – Baekhyun then pretended not to care since he was the wrong one.

“What’s with the sudden hiatus by the way? My roommate was devastated,” She asked out of the blue. “To find you?” He chuckled and got a slight glare from the latter. “Uh, I needed a break, I guess? To cure myself from all the toxic in my body,” Baekhyun answered, literally and figuratively. “It’s harsh, huh, your world,” She said. “Yeah, it kind of is,” He smiled back with a slight bitterness that was too visible for her to miss.

They ended up spending the entire evening on the arcade place, which was not too far from the café – it was indeed fun, Baekhyun thought it was the most entertaining thing that he did since he placed his foot on London, or probably because after weeks being alone, he finally had some friend to talk with. “In high school, we used to skip the math period together some of the times when Chanyeol was too stressed to keep up with your antics, to go to arcade like we just did,” She said when they got out from the place.

“It is weird that I find it fascinating that you actually remember those things?” Baekhyun laughed. “No, but I found it weird that you still remember what kind of games I used to play,” She replied nonchalantly. “Yeah, I guess when I remembered you the last time, all the good old times started to go back to my brain,” He grinned.

“Sorry that the crane machine that I didn’t get you the damn teddy bear though,” Baekhyun continued with a slight pout. “It’s okay honestly, I don’t really have much space to put it anywhere, and besides, I don’t really settle in London, Baek, it will be hard to carry once I’m out from here,” She shrugged. “Wait, what? I thought you live here?”. Baekhyun has to stop her from walking when he asked that.

“I mean I am not the kind of person who settle, don’t you think? I move on quite easy,” She chuckled when she saw how his eyes widen by the information. “It’s my job, Baek, stop looking so surprised,” She patted the latter’s arm before she continued to walk. “Just like you, I travel too, sometimes, to study each place’s buildings and it’s extraordinary,”. Baekhyun nodded in understanding after that.

“So, you did become an architect,” He smiled proudly when she stared at him in amusement. “Yeah, I did, just like you too, we accomplished some of the few details of our goals,” She replied, smiling back at him. “It’s great to hear, really,” He chuckled.

“How long are you staying here again?” He suddenly asked. “A month or two, depends,” She knitted her eyebrow. “Come at my place then, let’s hang out,” He proposed along with a huge grin.

“What does it have to do with how long will I stay?” She commented. “Nothing, I just want to stay longer with you,” Baekhyun replied nonchalantly, which made her smile again. “Sure, just like old times, huh?” She agreed, which actually took him in surprise. “Really? We could order some Chinese if you want to,” Baekhyun beamed. “Do you even know the good place to order?” She raised her eyebrow. “Don’t underestimate me, woman,”.

---

Baekhyun didn’t remember taking any pills that day, maybe because he actually has someone who distracts him from all the burden and nonsense – he was grateful of that supposedly, because he does really want to let go of all his prescriptions. Maybe his entire burden suddenly went away for a moment and for once he felt normal, he felt like he was back in his high school times where he was still an idol in the making – back to those times that there was still so much to achieve and to dream.

It hit him then that maybe he was taking all those medicine just to feel normal again in the middle of the mad world he is living under the name of Exhibit Zero. Baekhyun loves singing the most and that is the sole reason why he gave up his youth to practice and sweat until he felt like he was dying. But it was all worth it when he stood up on their debut stage along with the smile he has on his face and his heart.

But then it grew on him, the tiredness and the expectation to be better all the time, some of the times it just become too much to handle – hence, the pills. “Maybe because you just feel empty,” She raised her wine glass that Baekhyun surprisingly have in one of his kitchen’s cabinet – he drank the wine from the bottle since he was alone all those time and he also realized that it was disgusting.

“Those pills won’t fill anything by the way, been there done that,” She continued as she took a sip from her glass.

“What is been there done that supposed to mean, huh? And feeling empty is the least thing I am doing right now, I have too many things going on that I feel like puking, the pills are there to help me not to puke so I can tolerate,” Baekhyun ranted.

“Too much is too little, Baekhyun,” She smiled at him, almost pitiful. “Uh, I’ve taken pills before for two months, I guess? I have constant anxiety and lack of sleeps, so yeah,” She added.

“How did you stop?” He raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

“Routine? Hobbies? Jobs?” She shrugged. “The realization that pills are ty and makes you depends on them? It’s technically drugs,”. Baekhyun somehow laughed at the statement. “But, like you said, your world is harsh, Baek, I don’t know what have you been through all these years to get where you are right now,” She muttered. “But, hey, it was all you have been dreaming of, right? The only thing you talked about back then was how you will own the stage and held one of the biggest concerts,”.

Baekhyun nodded – he, of course, remembers the times when all that he owns now was once only part of a dream. “Don’t let pills take all those away from you, Baek,” She suddenly said. “Or depression, or the illusion of burdens, or people’s expectation, it’s not worth your hard work,” She stared at him before her lips curled up slightly. “I know it did feel much easier when you are consuming those, but you’ll find something to replace it one day, I hope,” She assured.

“Like you?” Baekhyun grinned. “Of course,” She chuckled – she didn’t really know either whether it was her or the wine talking but she knows it herself that one glass does not make her tipsy.

“Goodness, I don’t know, we were having such a serious conversation but I just want to kiss you right now,” He replied instead. “And these wine and lights are not helping either,” Baekhyun groaned weakly.

She was not drunk, and she would like to believe that Baekhyun was not too, so instead of answering with words, she leaned closer and kissed the corner of Baekhyun’s lips instead. “You smells the same,” He chuckled and she could feel his breath brushing against her neck because they were so close. “You didn’t remember me at the first glace, Baekhyun, don’t talk bull like how you remember how I smell like,” She smirked.

“Have you ever heard about that name could be forgotten but a scent stays forever?” Baekhyun smirked back before he slowly grabbed her waist and pull her even closer than they already were. “Nope, Byun Baekhyun, never heard of that, and I’m pretty sure you were just – mph,” She was shut by Baekhyun pressing his lips on hers again with more pressure and cupped her face with both of his hands – goodness, when did the last time he does that with someone, he can’t recall anything.

“I was just what you were saying?” Baekhyun mumbled when he picked up the latter from the couch as she immediately circled both of legs on his waist. “Bluffing, you do that a lot,” She muttered between her breaths as he decided to take them to his bedroom. “Well, I can’t deny that but, not with you, dearie,”.

---

Baekhyun could feel that someone was on the top of him, and he was pretty sure it was morning – or afternoon already since the sun went through his bedroom’s window and blinding his eyesight. “Morning, rock star,” The familiar voice greeted him and he immediately smiled when he saw the sight of her sitting on his bare stomach with only a white shirt, his white shirt.

“What did you get there?” Baekhyun asked when he realized that she was holding something.

“Do you know that your whole group, including that lanky classmate of ours, Park Chanyeol, worth like three hundred fifty millions bucks, Baek?” She replied with a slight chuckle.

“Which means that you worth almost ninety millions dollars,” She added. “Well, no, since we have to split with the company half of our net revenue, sweetheart, and what’s with the Polaroid camera? Are you trying to sell me?” Baekhyun grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her so she landed just right beside him.

“That still makes you worth forty-five millions dollars, Baek, and that’s a lot of huge piles of Benjamin Franklin,” She laughed when Baekhyun hugged her. “Yeah, I am expensive like that,” He replied as he buried his face on the crook of her neck. “And, the pictures are for fun and for you to keep by the way, it’s your camera anyway, since I was going through your stuff to find something comfortable to wear too, do you mind?” She asked.

“Absolutely not, as long as you did not sell my items on eBay then we are cool,” Bakehyun laughed before he went into silence for a moment. “Hey, why did we never go official? I mean, dating?” He suddenly asked. “Goals, I guess? We just had a silent agreement that since we have different ambitions then yeah, fling is a better option,” She replied nonchalantly.

“What an unfortunate event,” Baekhyun mumbled under his breath. “It’s easier too, right, Baek? You used to say that actually,” She said as she unwrapped Bakehyun’s arm and stood up.

“Hey, come on, let’s order some breakfast, or do you want to go out, somewhere?” She held her hands out to the frowning man on the bed, who was then on the sitting position. “If you know some great place then let’s go, but I think I have to make a stop at the drugstore, I am running out of pills since the stack I bought was actually a leftover,” Baekhyun replied with a slight smile.

“I thought you were detoxing? Why are you still drinking those if you want to clean yourself from all the toxic, literally and figuratively?” She raised her eyebrow.

“Precaution,” He replied with a bitter smile as she nodded knowingly. “Yeah, sure, we can do that,”.

---

He was then at the drugstore where he have to take his medicine and because it was specially prescript by his doctor for him, it took longer to make and also in all honesty Baekhyun thought he didn’t need ay of those anymore – but he was wrong, and being alone suddenly made it so much worse. It’s been more than a week since he last saw her, Baekhyun counted it. And for goodness’s sake, Baekhyun thought that having a break from all the insanity of his job will spare him somehow, but it did not.

“Byun Baekhyun,” He said hesitantly as he handed the bill to the lady behind the cashier, because she was staring rather suspiciously at him before she cracked a small smile. “Sure, wait a minute,” The lady said before she went to the back of the store. It was a small store away from the street, Baekhyun thought it was the safest there, since some people – fans – could’ve seen him buying some pills and that would make everything so much worse.

“Uh, where is the pharmacist from last week?” Baekhyun asked in his average English, wanting to know where was the nice middle aged man who was there before. “Taking a day off, but he finished your medicine yesterday,” The lady said as she handed a small white plastic bag. “Oh, okay, uh,” Baekhyun said as he handed his payment and left immediately.

He was walking to reach the main street before his phone rang all of the sudden. “What is it now, Jongin?” Baekhyun groaned when he answered the phone. “Hey, have you seen the news, hyung?” Jongin replied too casually but enough to make Baekhyun stopped his track. “Sehun made it to the headline for being in Amsterdam,” Jongin continued.

“Junmyeon hyung said be more careful,” The younger male added. “What did Sehun do in Amsterdam?” Baekhyun raised his eyebrow in confusion as he started to walk again. “Nothing, he was just there, breathing, and boom, headline,”.

Baekhyun concluded that the world has suddenly become even madder after they announced their hiatus. He then muttered a thank you and goodbye to the phone, before opening up his browser.

Exhibit Zero spotted in various cities – fans speculated that the hiatus is just the cover up for the grand comeback.

Baekhyun never wanted to palm himself so hard than that – of course the fans would somehow come up with the theory, it was bound to happen, they were bound to speculate even the impossible, to give them a ray of hope that their favorite band won’t disband.

He was so focused at his phone when he hit someone and groaned. “Sorry, I wasn’t – oh, hey,”. Baekhyun knew the voice too well, as he looked at the girl in front of him who was smiling. “Long time no see?” She added with a grin. “Yeah, long time, uh, you have been busy but I’m starting to believe that London is just so small,” Baekhyun smiled back – it was true, they text each other occasionally but the latter was in London for her job, meanwhile Baekhyun spent his days wondering from one museum to another, so she was bound to be occupied.

“Sorry for that, and London is still big, maybe we are just bound to meet, want to grab some lunch together perhaps?” She proposed and he beamed immediately as he agreed.

“Hey, juts a quick question though, you are not in the middle some sort of filming a music video, right?” She asked as they began walking side by side. “Are you reading news about me now?” Baekhyun chuckled. “My roommate couldn’t stop this theory about your band preparing the grandest comeback,” She replied instead.

“When will you tell your roommate that you have been spending time with Byun Baekyun?” He raised his eyebrow in amusement.

“Preferably never, Baek,” She snapped. “She likes the bassist anyway,” She added. “Jongin is a superstar indeed,” Baekhyun smirked. “Then, what are you doing here in London? Except to find me, of course,” She nudged his arm slightly.

“Herman Melville said that there are two places in the world where men could effectively disappear – the city of London or the South Seas,” She said afterward and turned her attention to him – Baekhyun stared at her for a second, before he realized that she was actually asking a question, the same question Kim Jongin has asked him before. “No, Herman Melville barely inspired me to pick London,” He replied with a shrug.

“Well, it’s great to hear that you haven’t yet to consider vanishing,” She smiled a little. “Yet, I like that word, yet,” Baekhyun smirked mischievously. “And by the way, Baekhyun, I wanted to tell you something,” She said with all the seriousness all of the sudden.

“My return date has been forwarded,” She continued when Baekhyun gave her a nod. “When?” He tilted his head in curiosity. “In three weeks, maximum,” She shrugged.

“Shame, we haven’t yet spend some more times together,” Baekhyun huffed nonchalantly.

“Shame, because I personally think we shouldn’t be hanging around each other,” She said with the same small smile still playing on her lips, but he was not amused as he stopped her from walking any further.

“That was offending in so many levels,” Baekhyun frowned. “Maybe because I like you in so many levels too, Baek,” She confessed before she started to walk again.

“Well, then why’s that about not meeting me anymore?” Baekhyun said as he caught up with her pace. “Because I think it’s really serious this time, back in high school, I thought, oh well, you will be just another high school crush but that night, I don’t know, I guess, I must be really into you,” She chuckled at the end. “But at the same time, things are different now, look, you can’t even be in another country without any apparent reason, and I don’t even know whether you like me like that or not,”.

Baekhyun wanted to counter both of her statements but he hesitated. “Exactly,” She smiled nonchalantly.

“It’s nice meeting you though, you are as dashing as ever,” She patted his arm gently. “Not as stunning as you, though,” He grinned in amusement when he saw how she turned her head to other direction – he could tell that she was pretty much blushing.

“Hey, how about a deal? Since, you apparently need some space away from me, at least accompany me for the last three weeks of your stay, I –,” Baekhyun paused for a second. “I need you,” He muttered.

“You needed me to make you feel less lonely,” She somehow continued his sentence. “Yeah, sure, we could do that, since we might need another nine years to spend a night together again,” She nodded and chuckled afterward. “I certainly wish that it wouldn’t take that long since I actually have your number and I could track you down if I have to,” He smirked victoriously.

“You used to have my number too, Baek, even though I never picked up, but still, you never really try either,”.

---

Baekhyun’s therapist said there is a lot of reasons why one decided to lean on a medication, some of them are depressed, like Baekhyun, some of them wanted to get out from the situation they were in, partly like Baekhyun, and some of them just feel empty inside, like she said, and like Baekhyun felt right then. It was a handful of pills – he realized it when he was staring at his hand and his reflection on his bathroom’s mirror back and forth.

This is going to kill you, most probably. That’s what Baekhyun thought when he considered at taking all of them together, but he decided he wasn’t suicidal yet, so he put back most of it and swallowed two of them that night. The next day when he walked through some buildings at Oxford Street, he passed the arcade and decided to play some games alone, until he was stuck on the crane machine again just to get the teddy bear.

He then realized that he must’ve been really recognizable and loud when two teenage girls approached him and asked whether he was Byun Baekhyun or not – since the lights were dimmed, it might be a littler harder for them to know that he was indeed the Byun Baekhyun – he just shook his head gently before he quickly left the place.

He spent the next few days completely by himself, occasionally called to check on him – at least he knows that Chanyeol might have got himself a girl friend and so did Sehun – they were not alone, but he was, even though he had a damn good chance to have one, but maybe Baekhyun has ruined the chance since a long time ago whether he realized it or not.

And at some points, Baekhyun starting to think about his core reason to go on hiatus and he found nothing – he was just tired and relying on pills.

Or maybe, Herman Melville was right, London was his choice because he wanted to disappear for a while or for good – he hasn’t yet to decide. “You are running out of the last one already?” The lady asked him as she quirked her eyebrow skeptically. “Are you suppose to ask me that?” Baekhyun’s face turned sour. “You are right, none of my business, sorry for the inappropriate question, Sir,” The lady said as she took the prescription form Baekhyun’s hand. “This is a very detailed medicine, are these for yourself?” The lady asked again – Baekhyun decided that he like the middle-aged man way much better.

After he answered some more questions from the lady hastily, he finally got out from the store before his phone rang and it was from the girl he hasn’t yet to see since she declared that she likes him and need to stay away from him.

“You know, I didn’t really think that you genuinely hate to see me that you needed to stay away from me for like two weeks? I am almost sure that you are not in London anymore at this point,” Baekhyun ranted first thing first when he picked up the phone.

“Some people have a real job to be done, Baek,”. He could hear her sneering. “So, what good deed have I done that you decided that calling me on your break is a good idea?” Baekhyun sounded like he was pissed off but he was smiling all the way. “I’ll buy you drinks tonight, let’s talk about it later,” She replied instead. “I’m in, text me the time and place,” He grinned. “Okay, see you later then,” She said before she hung up and Baekhyun was pretty sure he smiled the most that day than the past two weeks.

And it’s not like he was trying to conceal his over-excitement about having her companion, he arrived at the bar an hour earlier just to seat around. “Have you heard? Kai was spotted at Incheon a couple days ago,”. Baekhyun almost choked on his drink when the girls that was sitting beside him starting to talk, it doesn’t take some English expert to figure out that they were talking about his band-mate. “Is he going to somewhere in particular? We haven’t heard about other members too,” One of the girl huffed as she slammed her glass to the counter – good thing that Baekhyun was facing the other way around.

“This is getting frustrating, are they going to disband or coming back? People keep talking that this is their way to slowly disappear, but that’s ing unfair,” The other girl ranted along. “Exhibit Zero cannot just ing come to an end just like that,”. Baekhyun decided to leave the bar, but the girls were ahead of him by leaving earlier.

“They were fans, weren’t they? You look like you are about to your pants,” A familiar voice made Baekhyun looked up from the counter as his eyes lit up when he saw her. “Well, do you have to make it so obvious?” Baekhyun threw a glare at her immediately. “I don’t know that they would scare you that much though, it was almost funny,” She laughed. “It’s not, now if you excuse me, because you were taking so long to arrive, I have to use the bathroom first,” Baekhyun smiled before he patted the latter’s head unconsciously.

“I was not late, Baek, you were just super early,” She shrugged it off. “Don’t talk to the other boys when I’m off doing my business though, you are mine tonight,” He said instead. “You know, you are such a sweet talker, no wonder you have the biggest individual fandom,” She chuckled. “No, Sehun have a pretty big fandom himself, and Chanyeol and Jongin – wait the up, how did you know this stuff? Will you just admit that you stalk me?” Baekhyun retorted. “A bit, just a tiny bit,” She responded with a small grin.

“Admit it you are a fan,” He smirked victoriously.

“Now you are pushing it, Byun, your music is not exactly my style,” She scoffed.

“My music is exactly everyone’s style, the one who say that it’s not their style are just not there yet,” Baekhyun stated before he patted her shoulder once again before he actually left to the washroom. He has to admit that she looked gorgeous that night – actually Baekhyun always finds her beautiful nonetheless, but she is one of the sacrifices he had to make in order to reach his peak point by being the member of Exhibit Zero.

Baekhyun thought again about his life in a flash inside the crappy bathroom in the middle of London’s nightlife like that is the most fitting place to do so. With the dim loud music as his background and a woman waiting for him at the bar, Baekhyun stared back at his reflection on the dirty mirror. “Just one, Byun Baekhyun,” He muttered as he reached his pills on one side of his leather jacket as he took one and swallowed it without water.

He wasn’t sure why he did that, it almost like it was a habit – ironic really, Baekhyun went across the globe to get away from what’s killing him just to attach himself to it more on daily basis. Chanyeol shouldn’t even trust him – Park Chanyeol shouldn’t just send the prescription to him with a mere belief that Baekhyun is capable enough to control his deprivation.

The dim light and the crowd made his mind a bit hazy at that moment when he stepped out from the washroom, making him struggled a little to reach the bar, but when he finally there, he wasn’t liking what he saw. A man, twice the size of Baekhyun was talking the girl that was supposed to be his for the night with his hand placed on one of her shoulder. Baekhyun fasten his pace when the girl pushed the man away.

He didn’t really think much anymore when he landed a punch on the man’s face and it didn’t even take a minute for the man to hit him back. It turned into chaos just a moment later when Baekhyun was trying to get up from the floor, as his nose won’t stop bleeding. He was trying so hard to hit back but unfortunately the fight was never his to won over as his vision went black.

---

It was dawn, almost, and Baekhyun was alone in the waiting room, staying put until his number to be called. It was only approximately twelve hours since he passed out on the stupid bar in London, but when he woke up just hours later alone on the hospital bed and the doctor claimed that someone called Kim Junmyeon has called him, Byun Baekhyun knew he was screwed. He demanded to be discharge right away, and when he got into his temporary studio apartment, Kim Junmyeon called again.

“Go back, now, and you can tell me every damn thing,” Kim Junmyeon said, and Baekhyun followed his order, because one, he ed up and two, in this kind of situation, he should be grateful that his CEO haven’t yet recruited an assassin to kill him on the spot yet – Baekhyun still likes that word, yet. Like, how he haven’t call her since the bar accident, yet. Like how his ing career haven’t crumbling down just yet.

“Where are you?”. Junmyeon is much calmer then, but it honestly terrifies Baekhyun even more. “The airport, hyung, this is the fastest ticket I can get to come back to Seoul,” Baekhyun sighed. “Look, Baekhyun,” Junmyeon paused and Baekhyun could hear him taking a deep sigh. “I have instructed everyone to go home immediately,” The older male finally said. “No, you can’t do that, they, the members don’t deserve it, they don’t have to know, they –,”. “Baekhyun, it’s on the headline on every media possible, they will find out sooner or later,” Junmyeon sighed, again.

“And this is not just about you, this is about the whole band, whatever you have done, it will affect them too and they deserve to know,” Junmyeon stated and Baekhyun’s heart broke – he doesn’t even know that a man can screw up that much in such amount of time. There is a reason why he had muted their group chat just because Baekhyun wasn’t ready to face them yet.

“Listen to me carefully, Baekhyun, I want you to wait for them in the airport, okay?” Junmyeon continued. “You have no idea how blew up it is in here, there will be tons and tons of media in front on that airport’s gate and I don’t want any of you to go through all of that alone, so you are going to follow my future instruction about where to wait, do you understand me?”. Baekhyun somehow nodded like Junmyeon could hear that.

“I just protecting my friend from a random douchebag in a bar, hyung, I can’t even do that now?” Baekhyun suddenly muttered.

“Have you not seen any news yet?” Junmyeon sounded a little bit taken aback. “I was so ing scared to open anything right now, so tell me,” Baekhyun’s voice cracked a bit. “Baekhyun,”. Baekhyun knows that the CEO was complementing whether to tell him or not, but he was too afraid himself to search up his name by himself.

“This is not just about the bar fight anymore, someone leaked your prescription online,”. Baekhyun died a little more after Junmyeon said that.

“And also, your bare chest pictures,”.

(A/N) There will an epilogue story for Exhibit Zero's final story by the way, the final city(?) By the way, Jongin's foreword is up! Show London and Hongkong and New York City and Paris some loves and comments <3