--

Different people came to check up on Baekhyun at different hours of the day. Chanyeol stood there and watched and listened as Baekhyun called his manager to let him know he needed the next couple days off to get better. His manager thought he was doing him a favor by giving him an entire week off, and Baekhyun was grateful, but the amount of money he would be losing was nagging at him in the back of his mind.

Kyungsoo conveniently managed to find different ways to check up on him during the day, while Chanyeol and his other friend, Sehun, managed to stop by at night, claiming that it was the first time in a while that Baekhyun was free during the night, so they had a guy’s night. Every night.

Baekhyun laid awake at night one night, unable to sleep because he was so used to working so late at night. His sickness cleared up in two days, and he was ready to go back to work, but his friends wouldn’t have it. And neither was his manager when he called in to say he could work.

His mind wandered to the stranger’s business card. Kim Jongin. Baekhyun had never heard the name before in his life, but he promised him pay. He reached out for his phone on his bedside and scrolled down to Jongin’s name, pursing his lips. His thumb hovered over the button to call, perhaps a little bit too close because his phone started to dial.

Baekhyun almost dropped his phone in surprise when he heard someone answer.

“Hello?”

“Uh... Hi.”

“Who is this?”

“It’s Baekhyun.”

“Baekhyun...?”

“Oh! The construction worker you bumped into the other day.”

“Oh, it’s you. I was wondering when you were going to call. Looking for a job?”

“Yeah, I’m going to be a little bit short on cash this month so...” Baekhyun’s voice got quieter when he heard someone stirring out in the living room. Usually he’d sleep out there with them, but he decided to sleep in his room so he could be well rested for school in the morning.

“Ah, I see. Well. I’ll text you the address to the site. You’ll be restoring an old house. You know how to do that, right?”

Baekhyun didn’t have the faintest clue.

“Either way, there will be some others there working on the house. As long as you follow directions, everything should be fine.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks. I really need the money and-”

“I know. Don’t worry about it.”

And then the line went dead.

--

Jongin stared at his phone as soon as he hung up, smile on his face. It wouldn’t be long now, before he could have Baekhyun all to himself.

He sat alone in a sparsely furnished living room, in a house close to the country. It was off the beaten path, and held a certain quaintness to it that Jongin loved. Sheets covered whatever other furniture was in the house, and a fire burned in the fireplace as Jongin rested his elbow on the armrest, leaning his head onto his hand.

“Baekhyun,Baekhyun,Baekhyun,” he mused to himself, pressing a button on his phone to stare at the background. Jongin smiled as he saw Baekhyun’s laughing face appear, fully clad in his construction armor. He sighed and turned his phone off before staring into the fire.

--