It was New Year's Day.

He wasn't alone. His companion was someone whom he'd never thought he'd see again in this lifetime.

This was much harder than he expected. And fate was keeping him around longer than he wanted.

But he was kind of glad and thankful that he was here. And it was all worth it.

Because this was all for him.

***

"Are you even listening?" Baekhyun was an easily irritated person, but he tried his very best to keep his patience.

"Yeah."

"What did I just say?"

"Something about the past tense."

Baekhyun took a deep, deep breath and tried to keep calm. "You want to elaborate on that? What about the past tense?"

"I thought you were the tutor here. You tell me." Baekhyun wanted badly to strangle the black-haired boy and call it a day. Tao's attitude was definitely not helping his patience. The younger rested his chin on his palm and twirled a pen in his other hand. He didn't even spare a glimpse at his tutor.

"I'm tired." Tao pouted, dropping the pen in his hand and rubbing the dark circles under his eyes. Baekhyun tsked.

"I am NOT falling for that anymore. Your panda eyes have nothing to do with your sleeping patterns. You sleep like 10 hours a day! We need to get your writing standards up so that you would pass the languages test next week and time is running out. Help me out here!" Baekhyun growled with a hating glare at Tao.

"Whatever. Can you repeat that again?" Tao said with a yawn, not really that bothered about the answer to his question.

He knew why Baekhyun was suddenly being so helpful and concerned about his studies. The annual dance-off competition was held the day after his test and both boys had been entered. They checked out the line-up and it turns out that their most worthy opponents were each other.

The growling boy was trying to wear out Tao's energy, tutoring him almost everyday after school to ensure that Tao gets minimal time to practice. The plan meant that Baekhyun also had to waste time and energy, but he's been using his sleeping time to practice, even injuring himself a few weeks ago.

Tao smirked to himself. Unknown to Baekhyun, Tao had turned the plan onto the elder and hadn't abandoned dance practice in favour of sleep. Unfortunately, Tao was smarter than Baekhyun thinks. He'd already learnt what Baekhyun was currently teaching him but he kept it quiet. Instead, he's been playing around during these tutorial sessions and wasting Baekhyun's energy to the max.

Nice try, but it ain't gonna work. Two can play at this game.

Baekhyun was about to lose his mind and the lack of sleep didn't really help either. He took a deep breath and swallowed the ball of fire stuck in his throat, with difficulties.

"Basically…" And Tao's mind was off again. He's thinking about his dance moves for next week and trying hard to rehearse the steps in his mind. He could not afford to lose. Not to this arrogant jerk who played dirty.

You started this first. Can't blame me.

"Yah! Have you stopped listening again?" Baekhyun's voice was raising but he couldn't keep it down. 

"I zoned out. Can you repeat it again?" Tao replied with a not-so-innocent smile. Baekhyun slammed the books on the table and stood up, furious.

"What am I, your personal iPod? Where you can hear everything again with a simple press of the rewind and play? You ungrateful ! Hasn't your mother ever taught you any manners?" Tao gasped at the mention of his mother. He too, stood up.

"Don't bring my mama into this!"

"I'll bring whoever the hell I want into this conversation! I'm the tutor here! This is my house!"

"You…" Tao's expression instantly changed 180 degrees as he saw something that Baekhyun couldn't see, due to their seating positions. He suddenly pouted and started weeping. Baekhyun blinked, bewildered at the sight.

Have I gone too far?

"What's going on?" Kyungsoo, Luhan and Sehun entered through the door. Kyungsoo hastily dropped their dinner (it was take out food tonight) onto the living room floor and put an arm around Tao, rubbing  his back, "Are you okay, Tao?"

Baekhyun mentally kicked himself.

Of course not, you idiot. He's playing umma's pet!

The crying boy didn't reply and just kept howling dramatically. Kyungsoo hushed him and shot a killer glare at Baekhyun.

"What did you do?" Baekhyun opened his mouth helplessly and looked at Luhan and Sehun, who shrugged at him with a confused and helpless expression similar to his own. Now that Kyungsoo's eyes were no longer on his, Tao's face immediately changed to a triumphant smirk, sticking his tongue out at his tutor.

Baekhyun was fuming and wanted to place a slap on that smug face, no longer caring that the younger was a martial artist who could probably knock him to the floor in two seconds flat. Kyungsoo's firm hand kept him seated on the chair.

"Answer me."

"I…" Kyungsoo's mother tone was Baekhyun's weak spot. He swallowed. "I called him an ungrateful with no manners." Sehun gasped dramatically in the background while Luhan face-palmed with a sigh.

"No, that's not all he said," Tao suddenly found his voice again and 'choked out' a correction, tugging onto Kyungsoo's arm and whining like a kid. Baekhyun's eyes burned holes into Tao's forehead but Kyungsoo's glare on himself was even sharper, "He said that I didn't have any manners because my mama didn't teach me any. I haven't seen my mama in so long…I miss her..." Tao started weeping softly into Kyungsoo's shoulders again.

"Byun Baekhyun! I'm ashamed of you! That's no way to talk to or treat your dongsaeng! Apologise right now!" Kyungsoo shouted with a shocked expression that said 'you should know better'.

"But I--"

"Apologise." Kyungsoo's face meant business. Baekhyun didn't fancy eating instant noodles for the next month.

"Sorry."

Tao sniffled and tugged at Kyungsoo, "Gege...it's okay. Baekhyun gege doesn't need to apologise if he doesn't want to…"

Kyungsoo hushed the younger again with a gentle tone and shot another cold dagger at Baekhyun.

"Say it like you meant it."

Baekhyun was completely speechless and gawped at his friend. Tao grimaced at him, furiating him even more. He clenched his fists.

Please log in to read the full chapter