His chest tightened in worry as he stared blindly at the road, quietly clenching his fists. The image of his son, pale and gasping for air, brought tears and complication in breathing to him. Good thing, he was not the one driving or he will be in an accident. Baekhyun glanced anxiously at his friend before turning his attention to the road as he maneuvers the car to safe speed. A lot of questions arise from the dead silence that his mouth can't keep.

"So," Baekhyun started as he turned left. "You have a son, hyung?"

Minseok nodded blindly at the question, wishing for his son's safety. He had forgotten to explain everything to Baekhyun since he had pulled the latter from the office, asking for the younger for a ride.

"I didn't know you have a wife," the other said with shock evident in his voice. When he first saw Minseok, he thought he was a freshly graduate. With his awkwardness and shyness, Baekhyun thought he was a superior to a young student. Imagine his shock when he found out Minseok is older than him, an engineer graduate from Tsinghua University, more experienced than him and have far more skills than him. And with the new information he got now, it seems like the older man has a son of his own.

"No, I don't have one," Minseok shook his head. "I am a carrier."

Baekhyun nodded at his answer. He was in the middle of blurting out that he, too, is a carrier when Minseok announced that the small building before them is their destination. Before he can even kill the machine, Minseok jumped from his seat, running for his son.

Tears started to flow down his face when he reached the daycare center. He was running like a madman, trying to search for his son in every rooms of the small building. He forgot to thank Baekhyun who had drove him here as soon as Minseok told him about his son. After a series of opening and closing doors, he finally found his son who was quietly sleeping against his uncle's chest.

"Sehun!" Minseok shouted, diamond tears flowing like river on his face as he ran to his child who looks pale and weak. Jongdae turned to the newcomer, gladly handling the petite body to Minseok who was bawling in worry.

"Don't worry, Min," Jongdae said. "He is fine now. The medicine managed to take him to sleep."

"What happened?" Minseok cried, hugging his little son tightly, caressing his son's face with care.

At that moment, the lady who was managing the daycare stepped forward, bowing infront of Minseok for apology. She looked solemnly at the sleeping child before she explained the incident.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Oh. I didn't know that he is allergic with eggs." the lady said, terrified tears were evident in her eyes. "It was too late when I found him, shoving a spoonful of egg in his mouth. We used the inhaler he always have around his neck and that saved him."

Minseok wanted to shout at the woman for being careless. He already told them that his son has an asthma and his allergies can trigger it. But, he was physically and mentally exhausted to voice out his anger and frustration. Plus, Sehun is now safe from harm, sleeping peacefully in his father's arms.

"It's okay. It's okay." he murmured, more to himself than to the lady.

"Sir, I really apologized for the trouble I brought," the lady said with a bow. Before Minseok could respond, an old woman appeared from the other room, her hands were full of paper.

"Mr. Oh," she called out. Minseok responded with a nod, not letting his eyes off his son. "Although Sehun is safe now from harm, I don't think we can keep him in this daycare anymore," she said.

Jongdae snapped his head at the woman, raising a brow at her statement. "Pardon me, but, are you trying to tell us that you're kicking out Sehun from this daycare? We're the one who is paying for you to take care of Sehun," he argued.

"Yes, Sir." the woman said, bowing in apology at the three of them. "I know that Mr. Oh had already paid for two months advance. But, we are returning it to him now. We can't take care of Sehun anymore. Besides he has a weak body, he is always playing alone, not interacting with the other kids. We're not kicking out Sehun here because of the trouble he has. We're sending him off because we think that this daycare is not helping him to improve his social skills."

It was a stupid reason to kick a client in their daycare in Jongdae's and Baekhyun's opinion. They were both employees in big companies and they both know how business is managed. But, unlike the two of them, Minseok is a parent. He understood immediately what the old woman has explained. He had sent his son in the daycare to interact with other kids and the daycare failed their mission to let Sehun talked with other children. So, instead of arguing and persisting the owner to take back Sehun, Minseok let out an understanding nod, thanking the woman for her help.

As they walked out of the room, Jongdae kept his mouth shut, swallowing the frustrated question that he badly want to throw at his bestfriend. Right now, Minseok doesn't need another sermon from him since the man is already tired from work and drama. 

"Excuse me," Baekhyun suddenly called out in a whisper. Jongdae turned to him, looking up and down at him in curiosity. "I'm Byun Baekhyun, Minseok's co-worker. Can I ask something? What is wrong with Minseok-hyung? Why did he agree with the owner?"

"I'm Kim Chen, his bestfriend," Jongdae said carefully. "I don't know why he agreed but he will regret this decision soon."

Baekhyun glanced at Minseok worriedly. "I hope the best for him and his son. Now that our boss is asking for a new software project from him, I don't think he can handle another stress."

Jongdae halted on his steps, turning sharply at Baekhyun as he heard the word 'software'. "Software? Why does he need to create a software? Aren't you working in a fashion company?"

"No," Baekhyun answered with shock. "We're working in a chip maker corporation, the ACUT Corporation. Do you know that?"

Instead of answering, Jongdae narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. He was sure that he sent the application letter to GG Avenue. Junmyeon even scolded him for pushing Minseok to a fashion industry when the man can't even dress for a party. There was something suspicious at the sudden turn of events. Sensing he was taking too long to answer, Jongdae smiled at Baekhyun before nodding at his question.

"Yeah, I know that company," he answered, taking a note to himself to research about the corporation.

"Did everything went well?" she asked, her lips stretching in a beautiful smile as she pressed the phone to her ears. She was staring at the beautiful scenery outside her office before she took her phone and bothered her friend for an update about her plan.

"Yes, I accepted him, just like what you told me," the man from the other line answered with a sigh. "Now, can you please tell me your plan? You're being too weird, Yoona. What is happening?"

"Right now, I can't tell you what my plan is about." Yoona said. "But, you will know it in the future. Just open your big eyes, Channie." 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes at his friend's playful demeanor. "If Luhan-hyung learns that I accepted an applicant without his consent, he will be furious. You know how picky he is when it comes to accepting employees."

Yoona smiled at his friend's worry. She wants to laugh at his face, mocking him for being so wrong. "Ohh, my Chanyeol. Luhan will be ecstatic once he learns about this."

His brows knotted in confusion when the words reached his ears. But before he can ask Yoona, the woman already bid a goodbye before ending the call. Chanyeol glared at the phone, mentally pulling the hairs out of Yoona for being a sneaky lady. On the other hand, Yoona dropped her phone in the comforts of her purse as she twirled her chair to welcome her incoming visitor.

Counting seconds inside her head, Yoona watched amusedly how the door was opened violently before her husband appeared before her with a face as red as tomato. Anger, shame, fear and joy were evident on his face, making her smile at the sight of her husband who was named as Asia's 'The Man'.

"What the hell, Yoona?" Luhan shouted as he threw the folder on Yoona's table, courtesy be damned. Instead of freaking out like other wives, Yoona just glanced at the strewn papers before waiting for her husband's outburst. "Who accepted him? Why is he here?"

"Who?" she asked, abandoning Luhan in his confusion as she focused her eyes in her laptop.

Luhan gritted his teeth, glaring at her attitude. It was obvious that Yoona knows something since there was an amused smirk plastered on her face. "Yoona, why is there an Oh Xiumin in my applicants?" he asked, getting straight to the point to end this.

Abandoning the numbers of sales displayed on her laptop, Yoona placed her chin on her palm, watching Luhan's nose flare. She brought a smile to her face before shrugging playfully at her husband. "I don't know."

"Why did you recommended him?" Luhan gritted the question, anger slowly bubbling in his body.

His wife rolled her eyes at him before answering, "I remembered you badly need a software engineer in one of your department so I transferred him to the corporation." The sight of his angry husband was already expected by her. And, his cluelessness and stupidity made Luhan a subject of bullying of Yoona. Instead of answering his questions, she wrapped her words with tease and riddles, waiting for another reaction from Luhan. "Besides, he was a graduate from Tsinghua University with astounding performance. It makes me remember someone I knew who graduated from that university too. Don't you think?" 

His brows knitted in confusion before it stretched into a thin line of shock. Luhan stared at his smirking wife with wide eyes before he turned to the papers scattered at the table. There it was, the answer, his hope and his love, displayed on the right corner of the papers. Without Yoona's help, he will be forever slaving himself to a work he never had wished. Without Yoona's answer, he will never had a chance to make everything right.

"But... but--"

"I already build the bridge, Luhan," Yoona muttered, staring at him with intensity. "You need to cross it now before it crumbled into pieces. The bridge is not as stable as you think. There are many catastrophes waiting to destroy it. So, do it quickly,"

It was beautiful like a song that is well-written in a piece of bond paper. Luhan stared at her, quietly thanking the heavens for having a nice friend like her. With that, he gathered the scattered papers on Yoona's table before storming to the door. He stopped before at it, glancing at the side so that Yoona can hear him.

"Don't wait for me later," he said before disappearing from Yoona's vision. A smile spreads on her face before rolling her eyes playfully at the door.

"I don't wait for you, jerk." she said with a chuckle.

The cursor was blinking at him expectedly, waiting for his hands to work in his document. But, Jongdae was busy twirling a pen in his hands, letting the pen dance gracefully around his fingers. The sudden turn of events in Minseok's life was disturbing him since the moment he watched Baekhyun's car zoomed on the road with Minseok and Sehun inside. His plan of having a peaceful life was quickly blocked by this change. And, as a calculative man, he was beyond stressed by a little detail that crooked the straight path of their life.

He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he jumped in shock when a body appeared before his eyes. There was a voluptuous chest staring before him and if he was not in the right mind, he will be glad to snuggle his face on that tempting chest.

"Hey Kim!" a familiar voice called out. "Will you stop staring at my chest?"

Jongdae looked up, only to find out it was his rival, staring at him with angry eyes. At once, he moved away from the tempting desire displayed before him. He coughed for a good measure to get his pride and cool back. When it was enough, he raised an intimidating brow at the lady before him, cocking his head in a taunting manner.

"And, what are you doing here, woman?" he asked, trying his best not to drift his gaze down the valley of heaven and death.

Erika rolled her eyes at him before slamming his laptop close. Jongdae was still processing that the woman just slammed his Mac like an unwanted book when Erika started to talk.

"Be ready at twelve o'clock. We're going somewhere." she said before walking away from his vision.

It was too late to ask where and is this a date since he found himself staring at the empty walls of his cubicle, mocking him for being tongue-tied around a woman who looks at him like a Venetian glass. Gripping the pen tightly around his fist, Jongdae shot glares at Erika, planning to overturn the tables to stop his embarassment.

It was past twelve o'clock when Jongdae decided to remember his date (no, he refused to say that. appointment, then) purposely. He was already in the lobby, adjusting the tie around his neck and making himself presentable, when he spotted Erika chatting cheerfully with a man he decided not to know his name. At once, he felt his blood boiled in jealousy (no, he refused to name that weird feeling with that word. annoyance, then) as he strode to the pair with fuming irritation.

"Babes, aren't we supposed to go out?" the words came out like a whisper before he can stop himself.

With the sudden intrusion, the pair jumped in shock before turning to the culprit. Erika chose to arch her brows at his rudeness but the man he was talking to stared at the two of them, wondering what relationship they have and questioning himself for the endearment that Jongdae had thrown to Erika. And before the two exchanged insulting words, the man beat them to it with a shocked question.

"Babes?" he asked in a suprised tone.

Erika was skeptical for a moment before she remembered the endearing name that Jongdae called her. Ignoring the growing blush on her cheeks, she shot the smug-looking Jongdae a glare before she turned to the other man with a smile.

"Gongchan, meet Mr. Kim, my--" she was about to say subordinate to spite her rival of his position but before she can utter that word, Jongdae decided to interrupt her as always.

"Boyfriend," he ended nonchalantly. "Her boyfriend. So, if you excuse me, my girlfriend and I are supposed to go out."

With that well-said, Jongdae pulled the stupefied woman from her trance to walk to the parking lot. He may be working in a huge company but that will not change the fact that he doesn't have enough budget to buy himself a car. Swallowing his pride down, he turned to Erika with an expressionless face and asked, "I don't have a car. Where is yours?"

The question hit her well, waking her up from shocked trance, and that when everything registers before her. Instead of answering, Erika yanked her arm off and hit Jongdae with her purse, making the said male flinched in pain.

"You stupid, stupid, stupid man!" she shouted. "Why did you tell him that?"

Jongdae was using his arm as tool of defense as he tried to protect his precious face from the threatening gem studs around the purse. Why do fashion companies even put studs in bags and purses?

In annoyance, Erika threw her purse at Jongdae which the latter successfully caught before it touches the ground. Sensing that she has no more weapon to torture the man, she took off her shoes and aimed it for the unsuspecting man who widen his eyes when he understands her boss' motive.

"Wait! You--"

The shoes flew and hit his shoulder. Good thing he has a fast reflex since he caught the other one, not letting it harm him. He was in the middle of shouting for help when he realized the attack seizes. Instead, he found the woman glaring at him, drilling a hole to his skull.

"Stop throwing me your shoes!" Jongdae shouted, hiding himself behind the purse.

There was still a necklace wrapped around her neck. It was used by her as an accessory to brighten up her dress. And if the said-accessory doesn't cost heavily, she would have shove it inside Jongdae's wide mouth and watch the man choke to death. But instead of doing that, Erika just toasted the whimpering Jongdae with her glares, wishing for the man to combust. Sensing that they were taking long with this little quarrel, she sighed in defeat before she approached the man with her bare feet.

Jongdae was cowering in fear, afraid that the woman before her will throw a car on him. Instead, he felt a light feeling on his knees that was pressed on him harder to gain attention. He looked up and found Erika staring unamusedly at him with her foot resting on his knees.

"My shoes," she muttered tiredly.

"What?" he asked dumbly, not letting his eyes wander at the smooth legs displayed before him.

"Put on my shoes. We need to get to the place before it closes," Erika ordered, pressing her foot on Jongdae's knees.

Unlike other day, Jongdae chose to oblige to his boss' orders, shocking Erika who was expecting another round of fight. As if he was handling a fragile object, Jongdae touched Erika's foot, easily putting the shoes on just like in one of the fairytales. Her heart started to beat faster. Her eyes were locked under the stare of Jongdae's orbs. It was a quiet for a moment, her foot inside Jongdae's clasp and their eyes trained to each other. It was as beautiful as a fairytale until Jongdae spoke.

"Don't get angry but you have a big foot. Are you sure you're a woman?"

His shift will not end until six o'clock in the evening. It was still four o'clock in the afternoon and he still have four more hours before he can take Sehun home. Biting his lips in worry, he smoothed his son's bangs away from his forehead before he attempt to talk with Baekhyun about his idea.

"No, you can't skip work." Baekhyun said before Minseok could even tell him his plan. Yet his eyes were trained on the road, he can still sense the older's conflicts. "I agree with you that Sehun needs proper rest. But, you can't send him home right now. You have a meeting with Mr. Kim and Jongdae is not vacant to take Sehun,"

"Then, who would take care of my baby?" Minseok asked.

At once, the atmosphere become silent. It was so quiet that Baekhyun heard the light bulb on Minseok's head flickering on. With that, he turned nervously at the older, expecting the next words that will come from his mouth. And, that is how Baekhyun find himself, watching Sehun sipped on his yoghurt milk as he swinged his little legs on his chair.

Baekhyun sighed in relief when the little boy seems to be enjoying himself around his cubicle. He almost went crazy when Minseok left him with a teary-eyed Sehun who started bawling when his father disappeared reluctantly behind the doors of the elevator. With the power of yoghurt milk and cartoons, he managed to silence Sehun's cries and reduced it to sniffles.

Glancing at the image of a happy Sehun, Baekhyun decided to return his attention to his unfinished presentation. He was supposed to finish it before tomorrow morning to present it to his of a boss. With a new determination in mind, his eyes were glued at his laptop as his fingers dance carefully on the keyboard, creating words that will bring his presentation to success.

He finished his presentation with a dramatic clank on his keyboard, announcing to the world that he just finished it. With a smile on his face, Baekhyun turned to where the toddler was sitting, thinking of taking Sehun to the nearby diner for a snack. 

"Sehun, do yo--"

His smile vanished on his face. His sentence was cut off. His hunger was forgotten. Everything went blank when he found the little chair vacant. There was no toddler sitting on it. There was no Sehun watching him with huge eyes. As if the sudden disappearance of Sehun made the pain zapped on him, Baekhyun rose from his seat with the loud screeching of his chair. His head snapping from side, trying to spot the little boy.

Unfortunately, the whole area was free of Sehun. Glancing at the expensive clock displayed on the wall, Baekhyun found out that he still have two hours to go before Minseok come back and ask for his son. Closing his laptop with a haste, he jumped out of his cubicle to go in a searching spree for Sehun. Afterall, he needs to rummage the twelve floor of the building.

A pout formed from his rosy lips when he shook the carton of his yoghurt milk. Sipping the straw for a good measure, Sehun found out that the carton milk is already empty. He was supposed to ask his Uncle Baekhyun for another milk but he found the older, busy clicking the square keys on his laptop. And, Sehun, being a good boy, decided to throw the garbage in a trashcan like what his Daddy does.

Jumping off his seat, the little boy abandoned noiselessly Baekhyun to search for a trash can. The whole floor was unusually quiet but Sehun didn't question it since he is still young to understand work and meetings. After his Uncle Baekhyun told him that his boss was the Boogey Man, Sehun walked with quiet steps and tried his best to hide from the other people. He finally found the trash bin and with cheerful hops, he successfully dumped his trash by himself.

Sehun was supposed to return to the cubicle and sit on the chair that Baekhyun provided him. But, being a child, his memory was limited since imaginations take up almost his mind. Glancing worriedly around the area, he found himself once again alone and lost. Tears started to welled on his face as he started to take hesitant steps. After minutes of walking and searching, Sehun chose to sit on the clean marble floor and cried on his shoulders, hoping that someone might heard it and help him search for his Uncle Baek.

He was crying his heart out, screaming for his daddy, when rushed footsteps were heard around the area. Still a toddler, Sehun chose to ignore it and put his whole heart in his bawls. After seconds, a comforting hand grazed over his back before a hug enveloped his little body. Sehun thought he was in his father's embrace. And, when looked up, he found a familiar face looking at him with concerned eyes.

"What happened to you, Sehun?" Luhan asked before lifting the little boy and caressed his back.

The trauma of being alone in an empty floor made Sehun cried on Luhan's shoulder. His cries started to become dramatic as the older hushed him into silence. Luhan didn't mind Sehun's tears staining his Armani suit. Although he was puzzled why Sehun is present in the company, the boy is precious to him even though he had met him once. He was Minseok's son and that perhaps created a soft spot in his heart. Plus, there were strings being pulled in his heart when he saw Sehun's smile.

With a crying toddler in his arms, Luhan walked to his office, careful not to cross path with Minseok. After learning that his past lover was working in his company, he decided not to show himself to the other since it will trigger Minseok's decision to leave the company. He already had Minseok in an arm's length and he is determined to keep it that way.

Closing the door to his office, Luhan put the sniffling boy to one of his chairs. He smiled at Sehun when the younger pouted while rubbing his eyes, something the Luhan had memorized back then when Minseok is the one doing it. Ruffling the boy's hair, he stood up from his seat to open the window blinds. Maybe, the beautiful image of buildings and little cars below will help to calm Sehun down. After successfully bringing fresh light to his office, he made way to the toddler and picked him up easily.

Sehun's eyes were still red from crying and lidded with exhaustion. But, when his Uncle Xiao Lu pointed at the airplane soaring high up in the sky, his eyes widen in amazement as he planted his face on the window, trying to see the plane upclose. A chuckle erupted from Luhan as he watched the toddler in his arms pressing his face on the window. It was cute and he has a liking for cute things. So, he did what he always do when he sees cute things, he kissed Sehun's cheek. The toddler was maybe preoccupied at the idea of seeing a plane flying in the sky, or perhaps he is already used with people kissing his cheeks since he ignored Luhan who was staring at him with a mesmerized eyes.

A son, that is what he wanted to treat Sehun. A father, that is how he wanted to become for the boy. Though Sehun has a father of his own, Luhan felt this urge to cater and take care of the boy. His heart was telling him to treat Sehun like a son. And the idea made him smile in content. Taking care of the boy in the confines of his office will be the best option to treat his already broken heart.

Perhaps, Sehun will help Luhan to forget the painful realization that his own son with Minseok is already dead.

Luhan snapped out of his thoughts as he pointed random things at the huge window, telling Sehun stories and explanations about everything. The toddler's eyes were wide with amazement as he let the older showered him with kisses and hugs. By the end of the day, Sehun's mind were filled with stories while his little body returned the hugs that his Uncle Xiao Lu gives him.

Minseok glanced anxiously at the clock on the wall. He bit his lips in worry when he found out he was thirty minutes late to get Sehun from Baekhyun. He promised the other that he will be gone for two hours for a meeting but it seems like his boss was really the spawn of the devil since he had kept Minseok in the meeting room with the other employees for more thirty minutes.

He was about to stand up on his seat and demand to for his boss to dismiss their meeting when a familiar name escaped from his boss' lips. Too shy to ask for the other to repeat it, he decided to silence his thoughts and listen to what his boss was saying.

"There was a slight mistake in one of Ms. Park's reports but everything is brilliant." Mr. Kim omplimented as he read the file. "Brilliant. The presentation is a success. I'm sure Mr. Lu Han will love this."

The cheerful applause of the people and the relief sighs of his co-workers turned mute to Minseok's ears as his eyes widened in surprise. Turning to his right, he mustered a shaky smile to his colleague who was happy for the success of their presentation.

"Excuse me," Minseok asked. His colleague turned to him with a helpful smile. "Who is Mr. Lu Han?" he asked.

His voice wavered when he uttered Luhan's name. He tried his best to stop the sudden flashback of their glorious times when his colleague sported a shocked face.

"You didn't know him? He is the owner of this company."

With that, his peaceful life crumbled into pieces. Those crumbles turned into ashes when he remembered that he had Sehun in this company. When their boss announced it was time for dismissal, Minseok gathered his things and stormed out of the room in hurry, forgetting the protocol he needs to show. But, damn everything. 

After climbing the stairs for a full minute since the elevator is in repair, he finally arrived at their floor. He didn't waste any moment as he ran to where their cubicle is. Once he arrived, he found his baby boy, shaking the carton of milk in his little hands. There was a surge of rellief that washed over him before he took the boy to his embrace, kissing the boy's face, muting the whines from the toddler.

"Thank you, Baek...hyun," he said as he turned around, only to be greeted by a haggard-looking Baekhyun. "What happened to you?" he asked worriedly.

Baekhyun just smiled at him, dismissing the question easily. "Nothing happened, hyung. Let's just go home. I'm dead- tired." he said as he took his bag to his shoulders.

Minseok wanted to tell the younger that he was going on the wrong way but he decided against it since Baekhyun looked like he doesn't have time for nags. He turned to his son who was happily hugging the milk carton like it was his favorite drink.

"Sehun, what did you do with Uncle Baekhyun?" Minseok asked as he carried Sehun to his arms, tapping the toddler's nose, letting out a giggle from the little boy.

"Nothing. I did nothing," Sehun answered as he giggled more. His father spotted the milk in his son's embrace and he found it weird why Sehun was not drinking on it.

"Do you want me to open that for you?" he asked. Suprisingly, Sehun hid the milk frm his father, shooting his father a pout on his way. "Or, maybe not. Well, let's go home now, Sehun-ah." Minseok said as he bounced the little boy in his arms.

Sehun just nodded at his father's words as he hugged the milk carton that Luhan bought for him close to his heart. He wanted to see Uncle Xiao Lu once again.

author's note:
too tired and too exhausted...
wait for the xiuhan moment for the next chapter.
i know all of you are deprived of xiuhan in this story.
so, i hope you're all ready. that's all.

still need to study physics. gosh. im crying now. ;A;
wish me goodluck for another exam -_-