"Adeul, what are you doing?!" 

Baekhyun's head snapped upwards from its resting position on his desk. He was lost in his thoughts; The periodic table of elements laid before him, but his mind just unable to reach it. "Oh, Omma."

"Byun Baekhyun you are about to sit for your college entrance exams. Why in the world are you sitting here daydreaming all day?" Mrs. Byun lashed out at him. She was a tiger mum, always controlling her sons, always trying to dictate their lives.

'I do it because I love you.'

'But to what extent?' Baekhyun always thought to himself. When would he be allowed to be his own person?

"Omma, I was just taking a break," Baekhyun justified himself, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'll get back to studying now." 

Mrs. Byun placed her hand on her hips, a frown forming on her face, "The last time I came in here, I caught you dazing off. You said you were taking a break." She had given Baekhyun the most conducive studying environment. He had his own room, a desk and his own privacy. Or at least in her head she was fully giving him the latter. However, in the moments where he was supposed to be studying, he was not. And she wasn't having any of this. "I know what this is about. You're moping around because of that Taeyeon girl, isn't it?"

"Omma, enough about that already!" Baekhyun abruptly stood up from his seat to face his mother. Rage spread across his face. "The relationship is over, so can you stop bringing it up, please?"

It was painful enough that he couldn't see her anymore, now he had to be constantly reminded about the breakup by the very person who caused it. 

"How can I just ignore it when I know it might hinder you from getting the grades you're capable of?!" Mrs. Byun lost her cool, and raised her voice at Baekhyun. Inching closer to him she looked straight at him, demanding that she received his full attention. "If your older brother went through all four years of high school without a girlfriend, I can't understand why you had to go find yourself one."

Baekhyun could never escape his mother's habit of comparing him to Baekbeom. No matter how perfect his grades were, no matter how much of model student he was, no matter how hard he tried, he was a permanent resident in Byun Baekbeom's shadow. Always have been, and always will be.

"Omma, please just drop it. I swear I won't get distracted. I'll get the grade!" Lies, lies, lies. Baekhyun himself knew that he couldn't get Taeyeon out of his mind. 'To hell with Chemistry,' he thought to himself as he chucked bitterly.

Mrs. Byun turned her back and stormed out of the room. Baekhyun was fully aware that his mother was fuming at him; he had alot on his plate, and now he had even more. Frustrated, he dropped his head into his palms. Inhale, exhale. He had to study; he had already promised that he would get an A. "Damn Baekhyun, back at it again with making promises you can't keep," he muttered under his breath. 

He promised to be her pillar of strength during the draining exam season, yet he hadn't spoken or seen her in two weeks. 

Taeyeon-ah, please forgive me. 

Just like that, a tear rolled down his cheek without him even realizing.