Baekhyun passed by a coffee shop near his Jonglyu Souvenir Shop outside the riding club when someone called his name. When he turned, he saw Minho sitting outside the coffee shop with Key, Minseok and Sehun.

            “Hey, how’s the prodigal son of Exo Riding Club?” Sehun greeted him. “Join us for a while, Baekhyun hyung. If you’re not busy.”

            “What are you doing here?” He asked when he sat on the chair that Key pulled out for him. “Minho, when did you arrive here in Korea?”

            Baekhyun assessed his feelings while looking at the guy who once took his attention. He was still happy to see Minho. But he knew that something has changed. At first, he thought that what he felt for Tao is the same what he felt for Minho. But it’s not. Now he understands everything. He was never in love with Minho. It was just a major crush since Minho was always letting him flirt with him even if he was allergic to commitment. But with Tao, it was different. Way too different. For one thing, Minho couldn’t make his heart beat faster. And Minho wasn’t there beside him on the day he faced his greatest fear.

            “The truth is, I didn’t really go to Canada.” Minho answered. He seems to be shy. But he can still see his eyes twinkling. “I went after something more important.”

            “He got himself engaged.” Sehun answered. “The member of Exo Riding Club who is the most afraid of commitment is now engaged. What is happening on this earth?”

            “Well, why don’t you join us, Sehun?” Key suggested, smiling. “So that you won’t envy us like that.”

            “Next time. I’m still enjoying watching all of you get insane. How about you Mayor Kim Minseok? I heard from Heechul—”

            “Yes, I’m engaged too.” The young mayor answered proudly. “And I couldn’t be any happier.”

            Baekhyun shook his head. He didn’t even think that the bachelors of the infamous Exo Riding Club are slowly decreasing. The weird thing about it all was that everyone seemed happy about it.

            “How about you and Tao, Baekhyun?” Minho said. “You two are still having a lovers’ quarrel? It has been three days.”

            “How did you know?” Baekhyun asked. The four men looked at different directions, avoiding his gaze. “You are gossiping about us!? How dare you.”

            The four men just laughed. Baekhyun noticed that people are looking in their direction. Especially the women. Well, how could they blame them if the most handsome men of Korea are all gathered in that coffee shop?

            Good thing Tao isn’t here… “I don’t know.” Baekhyun answered Minho’s first question. “Maybe he’s in the US and enjoying the company of other women there.”

            “US?” The four men asked. Wow, these four can form their own choir, huh.

            “What US? Tao is just at the riding club.”

            “And sulking in his house.”

            “So God help him.”   

            Baekhyun narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t go to the US? Why?”

            The other men just shrugged.

            “Ah, before I forget. Today is the operation of your godchild, right?”

            “Yes.”

            “You won’t go to him?”

            “I don’t have the time. And besides, if I’ll go to the US now, I won’t make it to the surgery.”

            “Hmm. It seems like they haven’t told you anything yet.” Minseok said. “Your godchild will have his surgery here in Korea. The doctor will just go here in the country. Well with Tao’s connection, any doctor that he call will immediately go here for that child’s operation.”

            “So he really is here…” Baekhyun’s heart slowly beats wildly. He stood up. “Thanks, guys.”

            “Where are you going?” Sehun asked.

            “Where is Minwoo’s hospital?”

            “What I know is that the child will have his surgery at Donghae’s and Tao’s owned hospital.” Sehun stood up. “If you’re going, I’ll bring you there.”

            “Hey, Oh Sehun.” Key said. “You better take care of Baekhyun, okay? You will face Tao’s wrath if something bad happened to him. Remember, that one is a brain surgeon.”

            “Yeah, right. As if I care. Let’s go to a church and get married, Baekhyun.” Sehun just grinned when he looked at him skeptically. “I’m just joking.”

            “Just bring a flower instead.” Minho suggested. “Yixing is confined there, right?”

            “No.” Sehun answered nonchalantly. “He’s confined in a mental institution.”

            The three men teased Sehun. “You really know where your lover is, huh!”

            “Shut up! Let’s go Baekhyun, before I punch these three idiots.”

            “Why are you mad at Yixing?” he asked.

            Sehun glared at him. “Don’t start.”

-----------------------------

            Baekhyun saw Chaeyoung waiting outside the operating room. He asked how she is doing. She said she wasn’t able to tell him the changes in schedule because of too much worrying for his daughter. I’s fine with him. What’s important is that Minwoo had his surgery immediately. He wasn’t expecting that it will be that fast because Tao is still looking for Minwoo’s doctor.

            Minseok was probably right. Tao might have used his influence in the medical world. And speaking of that guy, he will just confront him later. He is just at the Exo Riding Club anyway. For now, he will just secretly thank him.

            After ten long hours, the door finally opened. He and Chaeyoung immediately went to the man that went out wearing a surgical mask. Baekhyun is wondering why the man is so tall. Well the man is probably a foreigner so it’s natural that he is tall.

            “Doctor, how’s my son?” Chaeyoung asked worriedly. “Is he going to be all right?”

            The man just nodded, and then removed the mask, revealing the most handsome face of a man there was.

            “He is going to be alright, Chaeyoung.” Then he turned to him. “Minwoo’s going to live his life to the fullest, and will become the liveliest, most annoying, but greatest painter in the world. Just like his godfather.”

            Tears stung Baekhyun’s eyes. “I’m not a painter.”

            Chaeyoung gave out laughter and hugged the most annoying but greatest brain surgeon in the world.

-----------------------------

            “Why did you change your mind?” Baekhyun asked Tao. They were at seated again at the bench where they went there last time. The cherry blossom tree is still having so many flowers and scattered at the ground. “I thought you don’t have any plans on operating Minwoo?”

            “I wasn’t able to find a suitable doctor that is greater than me. Changmin’s a good candidate, but he’s a pediatrician. And Donghae is not a surgeon.”

            “I’m sorry, Tao.” Baekhyun looked at the ground. “I shouldn’t have said those words to you.” He heard Tao sigh.

            “You’re right about a lot of thing about me. I think so highly of myself before that’s why I wasn’t able to accept the fact that I am entitled to commit mistakes once in a while in my profession. Even if that wasn’t my mistake. I was always thinking about myself up to the point where I refused to save a life. Because of my irrational fear, a life of a child was almost wasted. And at that time, everything will be my mistake.” Tao sighed again. “The very thing that I was afraid of.”

            Then the scene that he caused in Exo Riding Club had a good outcome. He even got the sympathies of the people that volunteered to help for the cost of Minwoo’s surgery.

            “I can’t say anything but thank you, Tao.”

            “You should thank yourself as well. You stood up by Minwoo’s side until the end. You fought for his safety even if you know that I will always say no.”

            “I trusted you.”

            “And thank you for trusting me.”

            “You’re welcome.” Baekhyun smiled while watching Tao play with his surgical mask. “We’re quits then.”

            “I guess so.”

            “So what is your plan now? You will go to America?”

            “For what?”

            “Well, isn’t brain surgeons are in demand there?”

            “Are you asking me to leave?”

            “No! It’s just that… Maybe you want to return to the US. The salary is higher there.”

            It’s sad to think that after they have seen each other again, they have to part ways. Now that—

            “There are many crazy people in this country.” Tao said. “I am more needed here.”

            Baekhyun looked at Tao, which he immediately looked away when Tao looked at him.

            “You’re right.” Baekhyun remarked. “With the politicians of this country, I’m sure that you will have a busy schedule.”

            “Yeah, so why should I leave? I’m not worried about the salary because I wouldn’t need it that much since u already merged with Changmin’s family business. For now, this country needs my skills so I’ll stay here.”

            “Yes.” Baekhyun laughed. “I’ll make a statue for you at the airport.”

            “Airport?”

            “Yeah, it’s cool.”

            “You’re really crazy, Byun Baekhyun.” Tao flicked his surgical mask at his forehead. “Won’t you feed me, Baekhyun? I’m at the operating room for more ten hours. I’m starving.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Baekhyun stood up. “Let’s go. I know a restaurant near this place. You can eat whatever you want. My treat.” He looked at Tao because the latter is not moving from his seat. “I thought you are hungry? Why are you still sitting there?”

            Instead of answering, Tao extended his hand to him. Baekhyun immediately understood what Tao wants to happen. And he was more than willing to oblige. With a smile in his heart, he reached for Tao’s hand and pulled him to the restaurant that he is talking about.

            Baekhyun doesn’t have an idea on their current situation. He doesn’t even know if Tao remembered his confession. But he doesn’t care. If Tao can only offer friendship, he is more than willing to accept that. He could live with it. At least, he was still with him. Maybe he’ll probably stop loving Tao if he married another person. But then, would he really stop loving him then? Maybe not. You can’t just ask your heart to stop loving someone. Maybe… he’ll just stay away if that happens.

            It’s really sad but it’s like that. He already did what he needs to do. Nothing happened so he’ll just accept Tao’s decision. Because if he can’t ask his heart to stop loving Tao, then he can’t demand Tao to love him. That’s what he learned when he started loving Tao. That he should always accept Tao’s decision because it will make him happy. And where he was happy, he was happy for him as well.

            “Baekhyun, maybe it’s better if we go back at Exo Riding Club.”

            “Huh?”

            “I want to eat at Rider’s Verandah.”

            “I’m banned there.”

            “What am I doing? If I want you to be with me, Siwon can’t do anything.” Tao’s hold on his hand tightened. “And you are the one that I want to be with so let’s go.”

            “But the restaurant that we will be going to, I love their pasta—”

            “Never mind that pasta. I love you more.”

            Baekhyun tripped.

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Anneyong haseyo! So, one more chapter left before I mark this story complete. :( Anyway, I have a little gift for you guys. Sehun and Yixing's fanfic preview!!! Enjoy! :)

           Oh Sehun had all the right ingredients to be the perfect hero in a romance story or real life. If not because of his attitude that Yixing cannot understand, maybe he already used Sehun as a hero in the novels that he is writing. And he admits that once in his lifetime, he had a secret crush on Sehun.

            Yixing doesn’t have any plans on paying attention to Sehun but the latter is always approaching him. Sehun treated him like his lover. He made him feel special. He made him fall for him.  But when Yixing finally had a chance to express his feelings for him, why did Sehun stays away from him?

Oohhh, so Yixing here is a writer, huh? ;) By the way, has any of you watched NBA Celebrity All-Star game earlier? I'm so happy for Kris that he was able to fulfill his dream of being able to play in NBA. :)