They were best friends, Jongdae and him. Despite their differing personalities, they were inseparable. Jongdae Kim, the epitome of childhood innocence and naivety, and Baekhyun Byun, the anchor and protector of the weak. Ever since childhood, Baekhyun protected Jongdae and that was that. From the elementary school bullies to the false friends that eventually left despite their seemingly genuine behavior.

 

Baekhyun was there for Jongdae during the joyful times of summer happiness and stayed during the dreadful moments of winter despair. Whether it be the simple joy brought by a family pet or the devastation that came with said pet’s death (rest in peace, Kyungie the cat), Baekhyun was there to accompany Jongdae. Even if Baekhyun hated said cat, he stayed for Jongdae’s sake as the brunet cried for days over its passing. Yet nothing prepared them for the heartache that struck during their teenage years.

 

It was their last day as high school seniors. The night before, Baekhyun and his family invited the Kims to a party that celebrated Baekhyun’s sister’s graduation from Stanford. It was supposed to be a small gathering with their parents and siblings. However, that soon escalated when Baekhyun’s brother Baekbeom decided to introduce the wine.  With all the commotion and drinking, the Kims decided to spend the night over.

 

The next day, the boys woke up twenty minutes prior to their class starting. Baekhyun and Jongdae hurried through their morning routine before they raced out the door, skipping breakfast as neither of them had time to spare for that. They would have made it earlier yet Baekhyun took an exceptionally long time preparing for school doing who knows what.

 

It wasn’t until they went back to Baekhyun’s house after school when the tragedy struck. The house was quiet, as it always was with everyone at work or university, yet something felt odd. A slight chill ran up their backs. It might have been the fact that Baekbeom’s luggage was still at the front when he should have been on his way back to UC Davis by now, or the fact that the television was still on from this morning. As the duo ventured deeper into the house, their hearts, especially Jongdae’s, began to beat faster and faster. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

 

When they entered the kitchen, Jongdae’s screams of terror filled the air.

 

“Oh my God! MOM! DAD!”

 

The rest of the day was a blur. All Baekhyun could remember was calling the police, Jongdae freezing up in the corner near his mother, seven still bodies, and the distinct scent of almonds.

 

~~~

 

For the next few days, Baekhyun had to stay in Jongdae’s house, as his own was deemed a crime scene. However, he didn’t mind, for there was something wrong with his friend. From that day on, Jongdae stopped being Jongdae. He stayed silent a majority of the time and rarely left his room. It killed Baekhyun. He couldn’t stand seeing his friend in such an unresponsive state. Baekhyun could not bear to know that he was failing at his only job. The hurt is only temporary, he reminded himself, Jongdae will get better. He will understand.

 

It wasn’t until after the funeral when Jongdae broke down. The duo took their time going back to the house for they had no reason to rush. Only silence was shared between the two, with the exception of a few sniffles and hiccups. However, the minute they stepped through the door, it was as if a switch flipped within Jongdae. In an instant, sobs racked his body as he stumbled on the floor.

 

He kept muttering the semi-understandable phrases of “why” and “leaving”. It pained Baekhyun to see his friend in so much pain. Without hesitation, he kneeled on the floor next to Jongdae and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s okay,” he soothed, “It’s okay.”

 

For minutes, Jongdae kept sobbing and sobbing until it mellowed down to occasional sniffles and hiccups. It was then that his muttering became clear. “Why does everyone keep leaving me?” He asked in a small voice. He sniffled again. “First it was my old friends. Now, everyone’s gone: Mom, Dad, your dad, everyone.”  

 

Baekhyun’s hold grew tighter. “I’m here.”

 

At this, Jongdae pushed himself out of Baekhyun’s arms. Wrapping his own around his shaking body, he mumbled, “Who’s to say you won’t leave me too?”

 

Baekhyun felt insulted. He wasn’t going to leave Jongdae, ever. They needed each other. With conviction, he said, “Because I promised to protect you, and I’ll be dead before I break that promise.”

 

Jongdae spoke of nothing for a few moments. Steadying his breathing, he finally replied, “Thank you.”

 

The rest of the night proceeded with silence as Jongdae and Baekhyun immediately went to bed after a minuscule dinner; that is if cheese and crackers can be considered “dinner”. Before they drifted off to sleep, with Jongdae in his bed and Baekhyun on the floor, Jongdae mumbled yet again, “Thank you.”

 

As Baekhyun heard Jongdae’s breathing level out in the bed above him, he whispered, “Everything in this world happens for a reason. You will understand in the end.”

 

~~~

 

Life had been well for Baekhyun in the upcoming years. He along with Jongdae moved out of their former neighborhood and settled in separate houses close to their university. After four grueling years of sleep deprivation and tears, they both graduated college with degrees in literature. Even after school, Baekhyun kept his promise of protecting Jongdae. It was them against the world. Although the culprit responsible for the murders committed during their senior year was never caught, Jongdae started to act more like himself as time passed. Five years later, Jongdae finally started to make jokes, laugh, and smile. For the first time in forever, Baekhyun felt as if everything was right in the world. That was until she came into the picture.

 

Junmi Kim: a recently hired part-time worker at Min’s Beans, a coffee shop near Baekhyun’s new house. Normally, Baekhyun could care less about who worked at Min’s or not. However, Jongdae seemed to persuade him into going to Min’s more often than not ever since she appeared. This went on for days. Soon, days rolled into weeks, then into months. It wasn’t long before the “cute barista” became a frequent topic in their daily conversations.

 

To be frank, Baekhyun did not enjoy her presence, and it frustrated him that Jongdae did not feel the same way. Baekhyun took pride in his ability to easily read people, as it was essential for him to protect Jongdae from those with ill intentions, and he did not like the vibes he felt from this girl.

 

Every time he went with Jongdae to get their daily dose of caffeine, it was her face that greeted them. Every. Single. Time. Not only did she become a regular in Jongdae’s life, it seemed as though she tried too hard to become his friend. She made terrible coffee puns, laughed longer than necessary to Jongdae’s occasional jokes, and regularly ruffled Jongdae’s brown locks, despite the fact that he was five inches taller than her. Worst of all, it felt like she deliberately tried to take Jongdae away from him; as if she was more capable of protecting Jongdae than Baekhyun was. Every time she spoke to Jongdae with Baekhyun in the vicinity, she would glance at him with a smug look in her deep coffee eyes. He was running out of time.

 

For the first few months, Baekhyun attempted to steer Jongdae away from her. “Let’s go to another place today,”  he urged, “I heard they make really good caramel macchiatos.”

 

Yet every time, the response was, “Junmi wanted me to try this new blend today. Maybe next time, Baekhyun,” with the occasional ruffle of Baekhyun’s red bird’s nest that he called hair.

 

As the months wore on, Baekhyun felt worse. He was failing his job yet again. He wanted to tell Jongdae the truth, yet the witch’s spell had captured him. He would never believe Baekhyun, for the witch will always be known as “the angel with the stained apron” to him. It wasn’t until one Sunday morning when Baekhyun knew he was too late.

 

Jongdae had left to Min’s early in the morning and told Baekhyun to meet him there when he was done with his work. He had something important to tell him. Thinking nothing of it, Baekhyun grabbed his favorite coat, a simple down jacket Jongdae bought him for his twenty-third birthday, and speed walked to the coffee shop. On his way there, Baekhyun pondered as to what Jongdae wanted to tell him, ignoring the collecting clouds above his head.

 

Once he entered Min’s, Baekhyun’s eyes zoned in on the table in the back. There, he saw Jongdae, her (the little devil Junmi), and three cups of coffee. Schooling his expression to a mere furrow of the eyebrows, Baekhyun plastered on a smile and approached the table. Apparently, Junmi saw him enter the shop because once he was halfway to their location, she exclaimed with a grin, “Baekhyun!”  

 

The nerve of her, Baekhyun cursed in his head as the smile disappeared off his face, I can see right through your act. Shoving his thoughts to the side, Baekhyun coolly said, “Junmi.”  He turned his gaze to the person right of her and grinned. “Hey, Dae.”  Ignoring Junmi’s deflated countenance, Baekhyun took a seat in front of the pair and grabbed the coffee situated there. Might as well, Baekhyun shrugged as he took a sip. Bitter, just the way he liked it.

 

After a few sips, he set the cup down and focused his eyes on the people in front of him. “So?” He raised an eyebrow. “What did you want to tell me?”

 

At the question, Jongdae started to fidget, a habit he picked up over the years when he was nervous. He looked at his friend and offered him a nervous grin. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now.”

 

“Okay.” Where is he going with this? Baekhyun pondered.

 

Jongdae glanced over to Junmi as she gave him an encouraging gesture. What is going on? Baekhyun proceeded to panic in his thoughts.

 

The brunet took a deep breath before he blurted, “Junmi’s my girlfriend. She has been for a month now.”  

 

For moments, Baekhyun just sat there, staring at the couple before him in shock. He couldn’t believe the news. Sure, he had been suspecting it for quite some time now, but he never thought that it was true. Thoughts swirled within his conscience. I should have noticed sooner. I should have dealt with this sooner.

 

“Are you okay?” Jongdae fixed his gaze to his best friend, eyes spilling concern and anticipation. Jongdae’s smile wavered as he took note of his best friend’s expression. In an effort to ground himself, he subtly moved his left hand from his thigh to his girlfriend’s and slightly squeezed. This garnered an awkward smile from Junmi. On instinct, Jongdae gave her a comforting smile back.

 

Their actions, however, had not gone unnoticed by the red-haired male in front of them. It took all of Baekhyun’s willpower to not grit his teeth. She doesn’t deserve him.

 

“I’m fine! Just surprised,” Baekhyun forced out as his gaze shifted up to meet Jongdae’s. With a tight-lipped grin, Baekhyun said, “L-Look Dae, I have to go.” I need to sort some things out.

 

“I see,” Jongdae whispered and squeezed his girlfriend’s thigh tighter. He watched his best friend grab his coat and drop some bills on the table. Next to him, Junmi gave her best sympathy smile. “He’ll come around. Just give him time. He’s your best friend.”

 

Before he could hear any more of their conversation, Baekhyun sped out of the coffee shop, his coat still clenched in his hand. As Baekhyun walked from the shop to his house, he paid no heed to the darkening clouds above him. If it rained on the way home, Baekhyun didn’t care. He had more important issues to deal with than an impending storm.

 

Once he arrived at his house, Baekhyun slammed the front door. Without delay, he stomped to his quaint living room and threw his coat on the sofa. He paced back and forth, back and forth, as his thoughts took over his mind.

 

Baekhyun never had this problem before. Unlike his previous obstacles, this particular issue had been a thorn in his side for quite some time now. Junmi: the persistent, manipulative, little brat. No matter how hard he tried, she wouldn’t leave. Instead, she returned again, and again, and again.

 

Frustration bubbled within him. Baekhyun knew where this would end. He knew how cruel this relationship could be, with all the potential cheating and heartbreak. It would ruin Jongdae. Sure, he may seem happy now, yet that would soon change when Junmi reveals her true colours.

 

In this world, happiness eventually turns to hatred and hurt. No matter where one finds it, it all goes down the same path of despair. Therefore, one must destroy that source of potential suffering, at any cost, whether it be human or not. Baekhyun knew that, yet Jongdae was too naive to understand that. Thus, Baekhyun did it for him. I needed to protect you.    

 

Baekhyun paused. He knew what he needed to do. She won’t come back this time.

~~~

 

The rain came in sheets, beating the roof of the house. The house was essentially empty, save for the figure of Baekhyun sitting on his sofa. His legs were crossed with his hand resting on his thigh. His pale, slender fingers scratching light lines against his equally pale skin, leaving slight trails of red. His other hand was running through his yet-to-be-dry auburn hair.

 

Baekhyun did it. He didn’t know what he was capable of until then. Once again, he had accomplished his job of protecting Jongdae. Junmi wouldn’t hurt him anymore. He couldn’t remember what happened; only the thoughts of protecting Jongdae mixed with feelings of chilling anger and frustration clouded his mind. Despite the seemingly immoral sense of the act, it had to be done, there wasn’t another way.

 

You did this for him. You did this for him. You did this for him.

 

Suddenly, the distinct lyrics of “You’re My Sunshine”, rang through the air, breaking Baekhyun from his thoughts. Jongdae. Without hesitation, Baekhyun answered the phone.

 

Before he could utter a word, Baekhyun heard Jongdae cry, “B-Baekhyun!”

 

A flash of emotion took over him. Concern. “What happened?”

 

For a few moments, the only sound that could be heard was the quivering breath found on the other line. “It’s Junmi,” Jongdae hiccuped. “She’s… Oh my God!”

 

Baekhyun widened his eyes. “She’s what?”

 

Jongdae kept mumbling on the other line. His words seemed to bleed together. “Dae, speak up. I can’t understand you.”

 

“She… She’s dead!” Afterwards, Baekhyun could hear the loud sobs of Jongdae. It broke Baekhyun’s heart, he didn’t deserve to suffer. Yet, like most things in this world, this would be temporary and heal with time. You did this for him. “H-Her body… so much blood… there was so much blood… blood… oh my God!”

 

“Shh. Shh. It will all be alright. I’m coming over, okay? Where are you?” Baekhyun hastily stood up, grabbed his coat with a pair of pants, and sped out the door, “You have me, remember? It’ll all be okay.”

 

As he made his way toward Jongdae’s location, his thoughts took over, numbing him. You did this for him. You did this for him. YOU DID THIS FOR HIM.

 

A few miles from Baekhyun’s house, Jongdae was huddled against the patio stairs of a quaint, one-bedroom house. His head was buried within his knees as he sobbed. His fingers loosely held onto his phone. The rain pounded against his back yet he didn’t care. He couldn’t go back inside, after what he saw. Blurred images of red, white, and purple flooded his head, replayed like a broken record. He couldn’t get rid of the images no matter how hard he tried, for it’s burned in his memory forever.

 

Inside, the living room was in disarray. Broken vases that were once filled with flowers scattered across the floor with pillows and cushions thrown haphazardly anywhere within the space. On the floor nearest to the kitchen, Junmi’s eyes were wide open, staring lifelessly at the ceiling above her. Dried tear tracks trailed down her face with somewhat open; as if she was trying to scream at her offender. Her body arranged to appear as if she was merely laying on her back to rest. From a distance, she could’ve been mistaken for simply sleeping, if it were not for the pool of blood mixed with aster and white heather petals she was resting in, spread behind her like a wicked cape.

 

In all its wickedness, the most chilling part of the scene was a messy carving made on Junmi’s right thigh, still wet with blood: DID THIS FOR YOU.

~~~

A/N:

And I am done! This was totally not named after my favorite CBX song ;). Now, serious talk. First of all, I do not condone Baekhyun's behavior. If you or a loved one are acting like this or see someone act like this, please be careful. He's possessive and obsessive. Stay safe everybody. Second, can you guys please provide constructive comments? :D? They allow me to grow as a writer. Thank you in advance! 

With this story done, see you in the next fic?

Tootles!