This is so weird, thought Baekhyun to himself, as he hesitantly took his first step into Chanyeol's office. 

So weird.

This was the first time ever he was in this office completely by himself. Ever. Before today, it was either Jongin accompanying Baekhyun in there, chatting casually, or Chanyeol already sat in the room. But today, Chanyeol was gone - he was meeting some company sponsors and, of course, in place of Jongin, who had taken a leave from work for a few days. And so like that, Baekhyun was left here all alone. Which he wasn't very pleased with, but oh well.

With worry etched into his brown eyes, Baekhyun gently closed the door behind his back, and leaned on it, letting out a heavy sigh. These two days have been some difficult ones for him, honestly. They were difficult for everyone. For Jongin and Chanyeol, especially. 

A minute of tired leaning onto the door, and Baekhyun forced himself to finally take a seat behind his table, unconsciously eyeing the empty chair that was supposed to be occupied by the taller male. Strangely and quite pitifully, Baekhyun was already missing Chanyeol's presence there. Missing the sound of his pen scribbling notes in the neatly filled calendar, his silent, cute sighs and steady, calming breathing. The shorter male had already gotten used to all those sounds that the other unconsciously made, and without them sounding in the room, being there just wasn't the same. It was strange, unfamiliar, and Baekhyun didn't want it to continue more than it already had.

He wanted Chanyeol to be back here, with him. And the sooner, the better.

Thinking like that for a while, Baekhyun sat there, sometimes trying to think up things for the advertisement plans, or more like scribble random sentences onto the paper mindlessly. His thoughts kept wondering round and round from Jongin to Chanyeol continuously, like a clock hand, only moving in the same circle. No matter how hard he tried, Baekhyun just couldn't make himself think about anything else. 

Suddenly, the door of Chanyeol's office flinged open, and Baekhyun flinched in startle. With a slight hope of seeing the one he was waiting for, he turned to look at the visitor curiously.

Unfortunately, that wasn't Chanyeol. It was a middle-aged man, whom Baekhyun had never seen before. Quite tall, he would say, much taller than Baekhyun himself was for sure. And obviously, way richer than he was. The man's hair was clearly long absent of color already, but still coiffed to the both sides of his head perfectly. The unknown man wore a raven black suit, clearly made from an expensive material, and a pair of silver glasses were in charge of covering his dark, unreadable eyes.

 "Where is he?" without even a greeting of some sort, the man asked bluntly, and stared at Baekhyun in wait of an immediate answer.

Needless to say, that kind of 'manners' left Baekhyun quite speechless.

"General manager is in a meeting right now." he answered politely, as he stood up from his chair, and looked at the visitor. "Do you want to leave a message?"

The man just looked at him, as if Baekhyun's question was completely dumb.

"Who are you?" he just asked, eyebrows raised.

Clearly not planning to bother answering Baekhyun's question. Fine, thought he.

"I'm Byun Baekhyun, sir." Baekhyun responded, holding back the irritation filled wish to change the last word to something less...formal. "Would you mind telling me who you are, though?"

"This kid thinks he's funny." the elder man scoffed at him, and ran his fingers through his silver coloured hair. Clearly irritated with something. "Listen, don't waste my time with your stupid questions, and tell me, when the loser of my son is going to be here. I need to talk to him, and I need to do it fast."

"Sorry, but I don't know when he's going to be here, sir." Baekhyun replied, dislike towards the other already written all over his face. He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore, nor that there was any point to, either. It didn't seem like the man would have been any nicer to Baekhyun, if he did.

"Come here, kid." the man suddenly asked, eyes glued onto the younger.

They were dark under the glasses, and Baekhyun could feel they were not promising him any good with this invitation.

And so Baekhyun was a little hesitatant. 

"Come here." the other repeated more firmly, and Baekhyun took a step from behind his table.

He was Byun Baekhyun afterall. He was not going to shiver against some rude guy, even if he was the boss of this company.

Or Chanyeol's father. 

"Are you defending my son?" the man asked, strangely calm, when determined Baekhyun stood before him. "Do you consider him to be a good boss?"

The tone of his voice sounded unpleasantly full of pity. Not wanting to make a scene just then, Baekhyun just nodded in response.

The man took his nod with an ugly smirk.

"I guess it's because you're new. I've never seen you before." he said while nodding, and took a paper out of his bag to reach it out to Baekhyun. "Read this, kid. Read it and then tell me. Is Park Chanyeol a good employee? A good boss?"

Baekhyun took the paper wordlessly, eyebrows furrowed. There was absolutely no way something in this leaf could change his opinion on Chanyeol.

PKO caught up in a plagiarism scandal?

Baekhyun's breath got stuck in his throat.

"You know, when I appoint the general manager of marketing department, I actually expect him to manage it." the man said with a smile. "To manage the company's image. But tell me, Baekhyun, does this remotely look anything like image managing to you?"

Baekhyun felt sick. It wasn't Chanyeol's fault. This scandal was not something he had done. Did Chanyeol even know about it, even now?..

Baekhyun needs to defend Chanyeol.

Now.

"I-It's not general manager's fault." he forced out the needed words through his shivering lips, looking away from the paper in his hands and into the taller man's eyes. "It's not his fault."

"Then whose is it?" the man calmly asked back. "Whose fault is it according to you?"

Honestly, Baekhyun didn't want to answer that. He didn't know the answer to that. But he couldn't just stand there, and listen to Chanyeol's father himself blame his son for something he didn't even do. 

"We will fix this." he told him determinedly instead. "We will fix this, director Park. Just don't put all the blame on general manager, please. It isn't fair to even think so."

"What's not fair is me, having a son like him. That's what isn't fair here, Baekhyun." the man's dark eyes lit up with anger, and he took a threatful step towards the shorter. The latter's heart jumped in his chest, but Baekhyun stood still as a statue, and didn't move an inch. 

"He's stupid, spineless and worthless. Everything I ask him to do, he fails, and he fails miserably."

"That's not-"

"But, nevertheless, the employees all adore him." Chanyeol's father laughed ironically, pointing at Baekhyun. "Just like you do right now. You're all in love with him, and I can't get my head around that fact no matter how hard I try. It's just total nonsense, no matter how you look at it. Why the hell would you like someone that useless?"

"Well, maybe it's because we see something you clearly do not." Baekhyun answered instantly, completely forgetting politeness now. 

His blood boiled. His heart raced. The look in his eyes filled up with anger, and burned up.

Baekhyun was so ing angry now. 

"You have no right to insult general manager like that, sir." Baekhyun emphasized the word with bitterness, and took a step forward bravely. "Even if you are his father, the owner of this company and whoever else you can be, general manager still doesn't deserve any of your insults. If you don't see the reason why, maybe the fault is not in the others. Maybe it's yours."

"What did you just say?" Chanyeol's father raised his eyebrows. "You think you have any right to advice me, you penniless, irrelevant thing?"

Baekhyun just smiled sadly at the insult.

"At least I know how to treat people beside me right, director Park."

Nothing that Baekhyun said before changed the look in the man's eyes. Polite answers, talking back, anger - nothing worked against him. But that one line seemed to have started the fire.Chanyeol's father took a sudden step forward, grabbing Baekhyun by his collar, and pulling him towards himself in a sudden and harsh jerk.

"You are spitting your nonsense to the wrong person, idiot." the older hissed at Baekhyun threatfully. "One more word, and I can make sure you never get hired again in this country, by any ing company. Ever."

"I guess nothing burns more than hearing the truth, right, director Park?" Baekhyun glared back, and clenched his fists beside his sides hatefully.

One more second of this, and Baekhyun will rip the hand off of his collar, no matter if they were was the director's of PKO, or the damn president's of his country.

Baekhyun didn't care anymore.

"Baekhyun!"

 His eyes widened. 

. 

Chanyeol dropped his briefcase on the floor.

"W-what is going on?" he asked, big eyes wide in shock.

Neither of the two in front answered him.

Chanyeol hastily took steps towards them, and gently pulled Baekhyun away from his father's grip. His both hands settled down on the shorter male's narrow shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol said respectfully to the older man, and bowed. 

Baekhyun wanted to straighten out that bow with his own hands. 

He doesn't deserve it, Chanyeol.

"Can't you even control your little secretary, Park Chanyeol?" 

Baekhyun was about to take a step foward and yell at the other, when Chanyeol pulled him back again. And hid him behind himself quickly, pushing the smaller behind his back and making sure he stays there.

A bit surprised, and far more annoyed by the other's actions, Baekhyun wanted to step out of Chanyeol's protective wall between him and his father either way. He was furious, through with the arrogance and insults of that despicable man. He wanted, no, needed to wipe that arrog