And with that a week passed at the Jeongsuk household and the day for Chanyeol and his step mom to leave came. 

Jeongsuk and Baekhyun's mother stood at the door talking with them both but he stood to the back. Since that day Baekhyun hasn't spoken to Chanyeol and it had made for a very awkward time in the bedroom especially since he couldn't get the images of the intimate moment out of his mind. Baekhyun didn't know if it was a running trend or just how it is but now there were two people he was on bad terms with and giving the cold shoulder, he sighed. 

"you guys can come back anytime" Sooyoung spoke. 

"thanks for letting us stay this long" Mina says gratefully

"it's nothing, anytime you're a family friend" Jeongsuk says cheerfully and Baekhyun scoffed. 

It was a bad call because now all of them turned to look at him. He was hoping they would not notice him, he didn't even know why he was standing there anyway. 

"you aren't going to say goodbye, Baekhyun?" his mother questioned. 

His eyes reluctantly fell on Chanyeol's, he didn't know what was worse, the fact that he was still trying to deny his feelings or that Chanyeol's eyes were blank contrast to the expressiveness he showed a few days ago, Baekhyun looked away knowing he was blushing. 

"why should I?" he said "it's not like I won't see him at school" although he has been avoiding him at school too, he turns to leave. 

But not before he heard his mother sigh and say "you'll never change" Baekhyun's hands closed into fists but he just walked away. 

--------

Sooyoung entered her son's room and saw him lying on his bed. Lately she feels like there's been a lot on his mind, he's been more agitated than usual and they've barely spoken to each other since that morning she told him why she left. She definitely didn't mean for it to go the way it did, she meant to have a nice civil sit down and slowly ease him into it and in the end reveal the big news but she guess that was too much to expect.

"Baekhyun" she calls gently.

"go away" he says without hesitation.

Sooyoung sighs, she wished she had that natural bond with her son like Mina had with Chanyeol, it was hard not to notice how much those two cared for each other when living with them it seemed like they were always having each others back, protecting each other in a way. but she knew that this was her fault but she can't take it back and no matter how sad or wrong it sounds she doesn't wish to take it back because she loved Jeongsuk and everything about her life now. 

"I have something I want to tell you" she walks over to sit on the edge of his bed, he rolls his head to the side to look at her. 

"what is it?" he asks. 

Sooyoung takes a deep breath. She's accepted the fact that Baekhyun will never be as close as they were when he was small and this might just push him over the edge. 

"well, I wanted to tell you that morning we had our fight but it wasn't the right time and we barely spoke after that" she rambles. 

"mom, just tell me" he says

"Jeongsuk and I are having a child, you're going to be a big brother" she blurts out. 

All there was, was silence, nothing else. Sooyoung saw the shocked face of her son, it then transformed to confusion, then disgust, then anger and lastly sadness. She saw so many emotions pass over his beautiful face that she wanted to take it back and say it was a joke but she had to tell him.

"Baekhyun, sweetie?" he still wasn't saying anything, just looking at her. 

"your having a baby?" he says slowly and Sooyoung nods.

"does dad know about this?" Baekhyun asked and she shakes her head. 

"no, not yet" she admits. She couldn't tell him, she didn't have the heart to tell his father. 

"why? Why do you keep disappointing me?" Baekhyun says shaking his head

Suddenly Sooyoung got angry " stop blaming me!" she shouts. "I'm sorry I'm not the ideal mother you had memories of but I'm not alone to blame! What about your dad!? He's as much to blame as me, he kicked me out he made me leave you! This child is mine also as much as you are but what you won't do is make me feel bad about having it, stop throwing tantrums to cater to you childish, impudent feelings!" she shouts. 

Baekhyun recoils as if she has stabbed him and Sooyoung covers with her hands surprised at what she said. 

"why would I blame dad? You cheated on him yet he still answers your calls and reads your letters even though I'm sure he's hurting on the inside! We were both hurting on the inside but you were here living it up to the fullest not a second thought, I'm sure you were happy when dad kicked you out! So you could be with your precious, ing Jeongsuk!" Baekhyun shouted

The slapped that followed came as a surprise to both of them. Baekhyun put a hand gingerly on his cheek and looked back at his mother, eyes wide. 

"don't ever speak to me like that. I am still your mother whether you like it or not" she frowns at him "you think you can just say whatever you like because your young? Because your hurt? Grow up Baekhyun, the world isn't prettily packaged, bad things happen and the only thing to do is get over them" Sooyoung says before getting up, Baekhyun still holding his now red cheek and looking at her. 

She turns and starts towards the door,

"you're not my mother" Baekhyun says quietly "I no longer have a mother, I don't want you as mine" 

Sooyoung felt a strong pang of hurt in her chest, she wasn't the best mother but was one nonetheless and she felt only sadness as she heard her own child say those words. 

"fine" she said, her back turned "then leave" she then left not noticing the tears that were spilling out of her sons eyes. 

------

Chanyeol hasn't come to school for four days. Baekhyun had noticed, first in his morning class his desk stayed empty and he was never at lunch with the others. 

Baekhyun was walking with the guys to a local convenience shop when he decided to ask, "where's Chanyeol?" 

He was walking beside Sehun and was hoping his best friend would know because he was getting worried, where could he be? Was he sick?

"I have no clue, I've tried to call him but he hasn't been picking up" Sehun tells him.

"he does this sometimes, disappears for a few days maybe a week before showing up again" Suho says who was walking up in the front. 

"really?" Baekhyun questions in disbelief 

"yeah" Minseok says him and Chen were holding hands and walking beside him " he would come back a little out of it, we would ask him if something happened but he would always brush us off"

Baekhyun continues walking but he was sure his face was etched with confusion and disbelief. This was a reoccurring thing? All of a sudden a flashback to him eavesdropping on Chanyeol and his step-moms conversation in the kitchen forms in his mind, was this somehow connected to that? All Baekhyun knew was that he had a bad feeling. But he shook it off, if this was a natural occurance there was nothing to worry about right? 

They spent half an hour trying to find the right snacks and candy for everyone and even sneaking some "samples". They were finished but the others were talking about hitting up a cafe and Baekhyun had to get back home even though the house itself was suffocating. 

He would be lying if he didn't take his mom up on her offer last night, out of the fact that he was so angry but he got his dads voicemail and Baekhyun knew he wouldn't be able to reach him for a few days.

"guys, I've got to get back home, but I had fun" he tells them as they exit the convenience store. 

"alright Baek, see you" Jongin says and they all chorus a goodbye before going up the street.

Baekhyun turns to go back the way they came, he passes by the school and walks further down, he was going to take the bus because it was quicker and it'll be hard on his legs if he walked. A lot of people were walking about so be decided to take a shortcut and dip through an alleyway. 

Alleyways weren't ideal but you can't deny that they save time when it comes to walking. As he walks down the dark walkway, odors and arches attacking his nose his mind reels back to the Chanyeol conversation he had, so he's been away for almost a week, no one can get a hold of him and it happens often? He didn't know why he cared so much but he was feeling worried, it just doesn't seem like some passable thing. 

Baekhyun was nearly at the end of the alleyway when he sees a group of men standing around. He didn't know what to do and his hear rate picked up, should he go back? But what if they notice him? Even if he stayed where he was they would eventually notice him too, ugh, what a bad day to choose to use this walkway. As he takes a closer looks he sees that they aren't just standing around they were moving, Baekhyun walks closer being braver than he felt and he sees that they were kicking at something they were standing around. 

But it wasn't a thing, it's was a person. Should he get involved? The way they were beating the guy up looked harsh and painful So he mustered up some courage,

"Hey!" he yelled.

They all turn around at once but instead of coming for him they all run out of the alley. Baekhyun looked at the person they were beating up, slumped in a ball against the brick wall. He felt bad for the guy, what did he do to get targeted like that? As he got closer to ask if the guys was alright, his realization released with the gasped that escaped his throat. 

He recognized that lanky frame, those ears and that fluffy, messy black hair. "Chanyeol!?" 

Baekhyun runs the rest of the waay and drops to his knees beside the battered boy. He tries to pull him up into a sitting position but it seemed like the boy was on the verge of unconsciousness and slumped against Baekhyun.

"oh my God, Chanyeol!" he shakes the boys shoulders but he just slumped back and forth "Chanyeol wake up! Please!" 

Baekhyun felt frantic, he didn't know what was going on, why Chanyeol was in an alleyway being beat up by thugs, why he hasn't been to school. 

"Chanyeol, please get up! Let me take you to the hospital" baekhyun tries to drag Chanyeol up with him to stand but failed. 

"I...can't...Mina....my father.." Chanyeol grunted 

"what? Chanyeol what happened!? Why are you here!?" Baekhyun still couldn't comprehend anything, he felt tears swimming at the corner of his eyes. 

Looking at the tall boy all he could see was his bruised face, those same soft pink lips that kissed Baekhyun was now busted and bleeding, his hair was planted to his forehead with sweat and he was holding his side lazily. What had happened?! Baekhyun felt like his chest was squeezing tighter every minute as he looked the half unconscious Chanyeol.

"my father....is....trying to kill..me..just like how I killed...my mother".