{Baekhyun}

“I don’t get it Baekhyun,” Jihae says. “How does you leaving me change the future?”

“I was there with you when it happened. You were screaming for me. I just thought that if I were to distance myself with you then it won’t happen.” I explain.

“Oh.” She says. “So everything is going to be okay now?” She looks up to me, hope drenched in her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you come back earlier Baekhyun?” She asks me.

“I-I…I had to be sure.” I say. “I couldn’t risk losing you. I’m sorry I know you’re upset.”

“Upset? You think I’m upset? I’m much more than that. I’m angry, disappointed. All this time you made me think I was the reason that you left. I thought you didn’t love me anymore. I thought it was my fault.” She says so softly my heart almost winces in pain.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “None of it is ever your fault. I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid I’d scare you.”

“Baekhyun…I almost thought you’d never come back. I thought I’d never see you again. I thought you’d just leave me like that after all that we’ve been through.” She lowers her head.

“Jihae?” I want her to be looking at me when I say my next line. And true enough she tilts her head upwards.

“No matter how far away I may be, I’d always be by your side.”

•••••

Five fierce pairs of eyes glare at me when I return to room 502. After endless comforting to Jihae and also assuring Luhan, I managed to get them both back to their sleep. But now there’s another group of people I have to explain to.

“Baekhyun you better explain to all of us what the hell you’re doing!” Suho raises his voice and the room melts into eerie silence. Everyone knows that when Suho shouts it means he’s really frustrated, since he rarely does so.

Before Sehun barged into the room, I’d already read his mind, I’d already known she’d was here. I was too careless. Too careless to have continued staying in Beijing when I found out they were traveling here that night. Who knew fate would play such a cruel trick.

“Guys we need to leave.” I shouted to wake them up. “She’s coming. Sehun saw her.”

“Hyung hyung! She’s—” Sehun shouted through the door.

“Yes Sehun we know.” I told him. “Quick we need to leave before she finds the room.” And so the six of us linked hands and looked towards Kai who gave us a nod and in an instant we were out of the room, and back in my house in Seoul.

“Listen hyung, I—”

“You made us teleport away from her, only to travel back here for you to reunite with her?” Suho chides.

Just then Kai coughs on his hands. And when he pulls them away from his mouth, red liquid splattered on his palm.

“Kai! What happened?” D.O asks worriedly.

“Oh it’s nothing, I’m just worn out from the you know…travelling.” He replies wearily and falls into a nearby chair. D.O immediately goes and grab him a cup of water while Suho continues to eye at me.

“And now your pack mate is suffering because of you Baekhyun! How selfish can you be?” Suho glares at me and guilt surges down my spine.

“Look I’m sorry everyone! I never asked for all of this to happen. And I’m going to make things right.” I say.

“Baek, you know if you were to leave her again, it’ll tear her apart, ”Chanyeol tells me.

“And then you don’t even need to wait for them to shoot her, she’ll probably seek death again herself.” Sehun says.

I feel my anger rising. I inhale deeply once and try to calm myself down, I know it would not be right to raise my voice at the five people that have sacrificed their entire year helping me in Beijing. My anger is wrongly directed. It should be directed at myself.  

“Look. I know what I’m doing. I just want to get back with Jihae before the time is up.” I say. Just as D.O comes back from the kitchen carrying a cup of warm water.

The five of them exchange peculiar looks. I hear their thoughts of confusion echoing in my mind. “So you’re going to let her…die?” D.O. asks.

I shake my head.

“Like I said Baek, if you’re going to leave her again, she’ll probably go mad.” Chanyeol reminds me.

“Baekhyun, what exactly are you planning to do?” Suho asks me with an eyebrow raised.

“I’ll leave her.” I announce, feeling a pang of regret once the words leave my mouth.  

“What? She will be so heartbroken.” Sehun says.

“No she won’t.” I say. Only I will.  “Because she won’t even know I left.”