(I'm sorry about the title, I am brain dead now and I generally with titles haha)

It felt so surreal.

Waking up in the morning on his very own bed for the first time in three months... And not alone.

Baekhyun would probably have exchanged his front teeth for another day or two spent unmoving in this position, with Jongdae snuggled beside him with an arm thrown across his chest and a leg hooked around his own. But unfortunately, there was something called 'school' in Baekhyun's itinerary for the day, and in addition to that was something else called 'term test'.

He dragged himself out of bed reluctantly, cursing the time and the day and everything that he could possibly think of so early in the morning.

Jongdae stirred in his sleep, curling further into the blankets, but didn't wake. Baekhyun didn't have the heart to wake him up, so he leaned in to place a little kiss on Jongdae's cheek, before finally pulling himself away.

He met Chanyeol at the front doorway, who was also getting ready for school. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked as grouchy as he could get.

"Played too much Wii yesterday?" Baekhyun joked, giving him a playful nudge.

Chanyeol sighed, rubbing his temples. "Was cramming last night."

"Again?" Baekhyun frowned. Chanyeol was starting to really push himself too hard. "I thought you said yesterday was an off day?"

"It was... Until I remembered that I still couldn't figure out the nervous system." Chanyeol replied. He squinted at his feet, and realized he had tied his shoelaces together in his daze.

Baekhyun knelt down and helped him correct his shoelace-tying. "And did you figure it out?"

"I..." Chanyeol scratched his head. "I don't know..."

"Chanyeol..."

The medical student groaned and tried to stand. Rocking back on his heels, Baekhyun pressed his hands down on Chanyeol's knees to prevent him from getting up. "Hey. Don't cram too often. You won't learn as much if you're not at your optimum. Okay?"

Chanyeol bit his lip and said nothing. With a resigned sigh, Baekhyun released him and got up. 

"Want a lift?"

-

Yifan came out of his office during lunchtime, only to find Jongdae standing in the middle of the ground floor lift lobby and staring intently at every single face in the lunch crowd.

He brightened up at the sight of Yifan, and started to wave vigorously. "Yifan hyung, here!"

Yifan cringed, trying to signal at him to quieten down. They were starting to get more than a few odd stares. The younger man got the hint, and pursed his lips shut into a pout.

He's so cute, Yifan thought with a smile. He looks so excited, I wonder what happened?

Yifan took Jongdae to a nearby cafe for lunch. The boy was buzzing with happiness and looked utterly impatient, as if the words are about to explode out of his mouth any second.

"Okay. So what's up?" Yifan finally asked him, once they had ordered the food.

"Yifan! Bae Hoon hyung said that he likes me!"

Yifan's eyebrows shot up. Baekhyun? Well, why am I not surprised?

"What should I do??" Jongdae covered his face with his hands and bumped his head on the table repeatedly. "I do not know what to do!"

Yifan chuckled with amusement. "Baekhyun professed his love for you and you put him on hold?"

"I did not!" Jongdae huffed indignantly. "I just told him that I needed some time to think."

Isn't that the same thing? "Do you remember what I told you that night, Jongdae?"

The Crown prince peeked out from between his fingers. "That uality comes from within?"

Yifan grinned. "And after that?"

Jongdae furrowed his brows and pondered for a while, but came nowhere close to an answer. Yifan pressed his fist against his chest as a hint.

"Listen to your heart, and it will give you the answer," Jongdae responded eagerly. "I remember now!"

"And what does your heart say?"

Jongdae's face fell, as if hoping that Yifan would never ask him that question. "I... My heart is torn in three different ways. I do have feelings for Baekhyun, but my true home belongs to Balhae. I want to stay with Teacher Minseok as well. This is so confusing." 

Yifan nodded slowly. He tried putting himself in Jongdae's shoes multiple times, but it was just impossible to fully experience what he was going through. It must be really tough to handle conflicting emotions while trying to adjust to a foreign environment.

"Whatever it is, I will always be around to help you," Yifan reassured him with a smile.

-

Minseok set the last cup back on the drying rack and wiped his damp hands on his apron, heaving a tired sigh. He gave the countertop a final wipe before stepping out of the station.

"Minseok!" The head barista came out of the back kitchen, smiling gratefully. "Thanks for staying behind to clean up the stations. You're such a great help."

Minseok bowed politely and shook his head. "It is my pleasure to help you." He gestured to the counters, and towards himself. "I really enjoy being here."

The instructor chuckled. "Even though Luhan is not here?"

Luhan had went home first because he had an early lecture the next day at the university. Minseok blushed, tucking his hands back into the apron. "What do you mean by that...?"

"Come on, you guys can't hide it from me anymore!" He winked knowingly. "I've been watching you two for almost two months already, of course I can tell that something has changed."

Minseok shrugged, leaning back against the side counter. A small smile crept on his face as he recalled the night after their barista lesson, when Luhan had kind of indirectly kissed him. Not that it mattered now, because he could get direct ones from him anytime he wanted.

There was a beeping sound, signaling an incoming call on the instructor's handphone. He excused himself to answer it, leaving Minseok alone in the barista counter again.

He traced his fingers over the coffee machine, the unique dials and flat metal surfaces. It still amazed him how such a clanky, noisy thing could produce something so exquisite and aromatic. If only Balhae could have such an innovative invention... The thought of Balhae had Minseok frowning. As much as he tried not to dwell on it, the looming issue of returning home still bothered him. 

If Jongdae wanted to return home, I would have to, as well. There is no way he would let me stay here if he wanted to go back. 

And going back means...

Minseok's thoughts were interrupted by the head barista, who had once again entered the coffee counter area. His expression had taken a turn for the worst, and he looked extremely troubled.

"Did something happen, sir?" Minseok asked, genuinely concerned.

The instructor leaned against the countertop, forehead creased with worry. "There is a National barista competition in five days, but one of our contestants has pulled out. In such short notice, where am I going to find another suitable candidate?"

Minseok was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I would need to redo the interviews, auditions, and then to select... I can't complete all that in time, and include the necessary training and fine-tuning as well." He replied gloomily.

Wow, it takes a lot of work to groom a barista competition contestant. Minseok's eyebrows rose as he considered all the steps needed for candidate preparation. 

Interview, audition, training, fine-tuning.

It is similar to the steps needed to make a good cup of coffee.

Roasting, grinding, brewing, extracting.

Suddenly, Minseok had a brainwave.

"I know this might sound absurd, given my lack of experience, but I am keen on taking up the challenge."

The instructor's eyes lit up. "You... Really??"

Minseok bobbed his head excitedly. If he was really going back to Balhae at the end of the months scheduled, then participating in a competition would be a perfect way to live the full experience of life in the 21st century.

It would be his first and final moment to shine, in something that he was able to connect with so well, in something he never dreamt of being able to do, in something that he found so much passion in.

And if making a cup of good coffee was as simple as four steps, training for a competition in four steps would not be that complicated, would it?

"I know it would be difficult and strenuous, for both me and you, but I am willing to audition for this. For your sake, and for the sake of my love for coffee." Minseok grinned proudly. 

The head barista nodded, cheering up immensely as he immediately began to dial some numbers rapidly on his handphone. Before he made the call, he glanced up at Minseok, who was waiting expectantly beside him.

"Do you mind staying another hour or two, Minseok?"

-

Evening took a longer time to arrive than Jongdae hoped. In fact, it felt like eternity before the front door finally opened and Baekhyun came through. He looked tired and stressed-out, but the unhappiness on his face dissipated when he saw Jongdae waiting for him.

There was a short awkward moment when the two of them made eye-contact. Baekhyun turned considerably pink and scratched the back of his neck shyly. "Umm..."

"Welcome home, hyung. I cooked something... Edible for you." Jongdae grinned bashfully and gestured towards the plate on the table. It was a valiant attempt, and even though the rice was still slightly burnt and the fish insufficiently marinated, it still tasted... well, acceptable. To his standards.

"For me?" Baekhyun tapped his chest in surprise. 

He burst into a huge ridiculous smile and started striding towards the living room area where Jongdae was seated. Before Baekhyun could reach him, though, the doorbell suddenly sounded. Baekhyun halted in his footsteps and made an exaggerated expression of disappointment, tilting his head towards the door.

Jongdae giggled at his comical expression. "Go answer it," he urged.

Baekhyun backtracked to the front door and twisted the knob.

But he was completely unsuspecting to what happened next. The door was pushed open roughly, almost as if someone had thrown his entire body weight against it. Taken by surprise, Baekhyun started to back away, but he wasn't quick enough. The visitor flung himself recklessly into Baekhyun's arms, causing him to stagger backwards, knees buckling, and crash messily onto the floor.

It was Jongin. 

 
"Baekhyun hyung..." The taller man groaned as he pressed his face into Baekhyun's neck. "Hyung..."

Baekhyun himself was stiff with shock, too stunned to move a muscle. It was only after Jongin started trying to kiss him before he snapped to reality. "Geez, you're drunk! Get off me!" He yelled agitatedly.

Jongdae watched the scene unfold from the living room with great confusion. Why is Jongin here? I thought... I thought they had broken up? Did... Did hyung change his mind?

"Jongin... Get off me, please..." Baekhyun was struggling with Jongin's entire body draped over him, but it was almost impossible for him to haul the dead weight off his shoulders. Given that Jongin had a larger frame, he was effectively trapped to the floor.

"Baekhyun..." Jongin murmured woozily. He didn't budge at all.

Baekhyun turned to Jongdae for help with imploring eyes. Jongdae hesitated by the couch, hands clenched into fists as possibility after possibility rolled into his mind. Seeing Baekhyun with Jongin again brought a whole new slew of emotions, and he found himself burning with jealousy and discomfort.

Jongdae stomped over to Jongin and grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him unceremoniously off Baekhyun and letting him slump on the ground beside him. 

"Jongdae, don't misunderstand, I-"

Jongdae pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head quickly, before turning on his heel and heading back into the bedroom.

"Wait Jongdae...-"

He shut the bedroom door firmly behind him, leaning against it to prevent Baekhyun from entering. He heard several persistent knocks from the other side, coupled with Baekhyun's pleads for him to open up.

Eventually, the knocking stopped, and it was silent outside. Jongdae took a deep breath and opened the door, and he found the hallway empty save for Baekhyun's bag he carried to school lying in the middle of the carpet.

They are gone. He is gone. Baekhyun left with Jongin.

The exuberant feelings that Jongdae originally had for seeing Baekhyun again faded into feelings of bitterness and disappointment. Could he be playing with my feelings? With a heavy heart, Jongdae returned to the bedroom and crawled onto the bed, instantly noticing how empty it felt without Baekhyun in it.

He fell asleep hugging a pillow tightly. He felt slightly warmer this way, even though it still didn't quite feel the same as the night before.

Before you all start to pelt me with stones and sticks for various reasons, listen to me first *puppy eyes*

1) Where I have been: Well, I don't want to bore you so, long story short, I picked up a project for my school orientation program and it involves video filming and editing. It's really cool and I wonder if anyone wants to watch the final product? (Lol totally random) but anyway, I'm so sorry <3<3

2) Why did I destroy fluffy Baekchen: I have originally planned the storyline as such, and it was eventually lead to the story which will be exciting I hope. Ending the story here would be too abrupt and too "fairytale-ending"ish and I want to incorporate more of the whole 'time travel' concept (oops minor spoiler) so do anticipate more excitement! And feels. And angst.

ps: I love Kai bb very much <3 don't hate me

3) CHEN IS RELEASING A SOLO FOR D.O'S DRAMA OST. OMG OMG OMG. 
WATCH THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T.

4) Random: Kaichen selfie xD where can we see the final photo? During a concert, maybe? Or KAI PLS CREATE INSTA. OR CHEN DO IT. PLEASEEEEEEEEEE....