Three days ago;

Baekhyun stares back at the tiny houses one last time before the aeroplane drifts too high into the clouds for the ground to be in sight. Nostalgia instinctively overtakes his insides as he sinks in deeper into the velvet chair. He is leaving Seoul, just like he would have when he decides to leave Jihae just six months later if history is to repeat itself. But this time things are different.

There’s no EXO-K. No us going to Beijing and living incognito for a year. This time, there’s only him. Baekhyun really doesn’t intend on troubling them again and even though technically all that never happened, he doesn’t want to drag them down with his plans regardless.

So now it’s just him and his one man plan. Or you can say two considering he is on his way to locate just the man he needs to fulfil some essential tasks on the behalf of him.

“Please remain in your seats as we are now arriving in Hunan airport. Thank you for travelling with Korea Airlines. Have a nice day.” A soothing operator’s voice resonates throughout the cabin from the speakers from above.

And as soon as the plane lands on the runway, Baekhyun gets up from his seat and heads down the aisle and out of the aeroplane through the transparent hallway that leads to the arrival hall of the airport.

Unlike the other passengers, he doesn’t need to wait for his luggage that will come delivered to him on those conveyer belts. Everything he needs for his one night stay is conveniently packed into his haversack. He has already purchased two tickets for the return flight to Seoul tomorrow. Why two? He is just about hundred percent sure that person won’t reject his request.

Taking precise gaits along the uneven cement pavement, Baekhyun wastes no time in arriving at the district where he lives, after an hour long train ride that is. He checks the boy’s mind once again to confirm of the location, for fear of getting the wrong address. After doing so, he strides over to the house at the end of the street and walks up to the door.

Knocking gently, Baekhyun is taken aback when the door immediately swings open. A woman in her seventies greets him with a toothless smile and a slight bow.

“How can I help you young man?” The old lady speaks in Chinese and so Baekhyun doesn’t understand a word.

“Erm…I’m looking for Lay.” Baekhyun asks in Korean. Inwardly praying that she’d be able to understand him somehow.

“Lay?” She asks, somehow grasping his sentence.

“Lay.” He repeats with a smile.

The old lady turns her head back into the house and shouts, “Yixing ah! Your friend is here!”

“Coming!” Comes an immediate reply from inside. The lady then turns to Baekhyun and with a small smile, she leads him into the house.

“No I shouldn’t I just came to—” Baekhyun wants to reject her kind offer but she doesn’t seem to be able to hear him and so she continues taking shaky steps deeper into the house. Baekhyun has no choice but to follow suit behind her.

“Who can it be I don’t have any—” Lay’s words come to an abrupt halt as he spots Baekhyun standing by the ragged sofa. Baekhyun notices him at the same time and a smile manifests onto his face.

“Baekhyun?” He asks with an eye brow raised. “Is that you?” Lay switches to Korean and inches closer to the sofa, his head tilting slightly as though he is taking a good scan of Baekhyun’s face.

“It’s me.” Baekhyun smiles. “I’ve come to seek your help.” He says slowly. Mere confusion flashes over Lay’s eyes but it is immediately replaces with a shot of realisation.

“Okay.” Lay replies. “We’ll talk in my room.”

Locking the door shut, Lay directs Baekhyun to a wooden contraption which he supposes is some sort of chair. Baekhyun slowly sits on it, causing creaking sounds to break out.

“Sorry about that,” Lay says with embarrassment blushed on his face.

“Don't worry about it.” Baekhyun smiles kindly.

“So what can I do for you, the person that saved my life?”

Baekhyun bites his lips in hesitance as he reconsiders his plan for the umpteen time. But a sudden shot of confidence surges through him as he looks at Lay.

“I need you to help me protect someone.” Baekhyun says firmly.

“Okay.” Lay replies without a second thought.

Baekhyun’s mouth falls agape at his quick reply. He had expected him to be unwilling or at least he would have pondered about it for a moment. But no. Lay just agreed like that.

“Really?” Baekhyun’s voice filled with doubt.

“Yea.”

Whatever it is, I’ll help him. I’m alive because of him and I ought to repay him. Baekhyun hears Lay’s thoughts just to be sure of his sincerity.

“Thank you Lay.” Baekhyun says with a genuine smile, truly thankful that he is willing to help him. And suddenly, he feels as though he isn’t alone in this cruel battle anymore. He has found a friend.

“So who am I going to protect?” Lay asks.

Baekhyun gulps, and says, “Her.” He passes Lay his phone. Lay takes it over and carefully looks at the LED screen. An image of a girl with long hair stings his eyes as he squints to get a better look.

“She is…?”

“My ex-girlfriend.” Baekhyun replies half-heartedly, trying to conceal his surging emotions.

“You guys broke up?” Lay raises a brow in puzzlement because he couldn’t think of any reason why Baekhyun would want to protect his ex.

Baekhyun bites his lips, contemplating on whether he should reveal the whole story to Lay. He steals a glance at those pure innocent eyes and decides it wouldn’t do any harm.

“Well…it’s a long story.”

“I’ve got all day.” Lay replies with a smile.

•••••

 “How about you introduce yourself young man?” Mr Kim gestures for Lay to say something.

“Erm…I’m Lay and I’m a transfer student from China.” Lay mumbles and does a quick bow.

“You’ll be sitting next to her,” Mr Kim points towards the empty seat beside Jihae and Lay walks quietly towards the seat, placing his bag onto the floor before sliding into his seat.

Jihae contemplates for a while on whether or not she should say something, considering the fact that this new guy knows her name. Curiosity washes her insides and without thinking further, she bombards him with questions.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” The words come out a little too harshly.

“I…heard your brother call you just now in the cafeteria.” Lay replies.

“So it was you…” Jihae whispers to herself, making sure its soft enough so he couldn’t hear her. “Then why were you staring at me just now at the cafeteria?”

“I beg your pardon?” Lay dons a look of confusion.

“You were the one sitting at the corner just now right?”

“I think you must be mistaken.” Lay laughs. “I always get mistaken by many people, I just have that ‘you-look-like-someone’ face.”

“Oh, I must have then.” Jihae turns away.

At the other side of the classroom, Baekhyun clinches tightly onto his pen, applying so much force, he may just break it any time now. He can’t help but eavesdrop into their conversation but hearing just that short verbal exchange made him erupt into such uneasiness. A weird emotion bubble within him.

Am I jealous? Baekhyun asks himself. He must be. He is jealous of the fact that Lay can freely sit beside Jihae, that he can be so close to her, to talk to her, to be with her.

But then again, he was the one that brought Lay here. And wasn’t this what he wanted? For Jihae to have a friend, for himself to have someone to make sure that she is out of harm’s way?

Baekhyun shakes his head to rid all conflicting thoughts. If his plan is going to work, he mustn’t let his emotions get a hold of himself. Because after all, her safety is his priority.