Baekhyun is not a morning person at all. He hates leaving the warmth of his bed for the bitter cold air. He hates how blinding the sun is. He hates his next door neighbor’s little yapper that likes to go off at the most inconvenient of times. He hates everything.

Today feels different though. When Baekhyun’s phone vibrates at 8:07 AM, he’s quick to answer it. 

“Hello?” he greets in a groggy voice. 

“Baekhyun, it’s me. Can you please drive out here? I have some news to share with you, but I’d prefer to do so in person,” his aunt says over the line, her words rushed. It’s unusual because she’s known for her patience and calm demeanor. He doesn’t think much of it and nods, even though they’re talking over the phone. As much as he hates mornings, he loves his aunt. She is one of the few people who can put up with his over-the-top personality. And besides, leaving the city will do him some good. Fresh country air is just what he needs. 

“Okay, auntie. I’ll head out as soon as I get dressed,” he tells her, forcing himself out of bed and over to the closet. He cradles the cell phone between his ear and shoulder as he picks out an outfit. 

“Please, hurry,” she urges him and hangs up promptly. 

Baekhyun didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to her. Once again, he notices the change in her behavior, but brushes it aside. He can’t dwell on these sort of things at such an ungodly hour. His mind is barely functioning.



The drive out to the countryside is shorter than expected. On any given Wednesday morning, traffic tends to get heavy on the main road. Baekhyun finds it rather odd how fast he cruises past the familiar buildings and the outskirts of town. No matter, at least he’s going to arrive early. This is a first for him. Byun Baekhyun is known for his tardiness — and loud mouth. 

All it takes is one knock on the door for his aunt to answer the door. She looks like she’s aged ten years since Baekhyun last saw her. Maybe it’s due to the looming winter. Dry weather and the chills bring out the worst in people. 

Instead of pulling him in for a hug, she heads over to the living room and Baekhyun assumes he’s supposed to follow behind. Everything in here seems normal at least, and then he notices all the picture frames littering the room are face down. This worries him. His aunt loves showing off her happy family to guests (other family members are no exceptions). With the two previous incidents taken into consideration, Baekhyun feels the need to say something. 

“Are you okay, auntie? You’re acting really funny today,” he musters the courage to ask. His aunt may be kind and gentle, but she will not tolerate any form of disrespect. 

His aunt doesn’t answer him immediately. She simply stares at him with an empty expression on her face, as if she’s seen a ghost. The silence is a little disturbing, but he will give her some time. 

“Your cousin, Joonmyun... ,” she utters out in a soft voice. 

Baekhyun tilts his head to the side, wondering what his cousin has gotten himself into. He knows the elder is generally responsible, except for that one time. Whatever she’s trying to get out, it must be the reason he’s here, right? Did Joonmyun get kicked out of his apartment for failing to pay rent on time again? It’s no secret he’s struggling to feed two mouths on a minimum-wage job, but he’s managed to get by so far. So that can’t be it. Did Joonmyun get sick? Flu season is right around the corner, after all. 

“He got into a car accident,” she continues. “and is no longer with us anymore.” 

Baekhyun is about to ask her what Joonmyun’s condition is, but then his brain registers her last words. This can’t be real. Just last week they got together for a little lunch when Joonmyun managed to find a free sitter for —

“Sehun! Is he okay?” Baekhyun prays to the heavens that the little boy is still fine. 

His aunt nods and for the first time that day, a glimpse of life can be seen in her eyes. She nods towards the back room of the house, and Baekhyun lets out a sigh of relief. 

He excuses himself for a moment to check on the boy to see if this is reality. His nephew is only ever left here in the mornings if Joonmyun knows he needs to work longer hours than usual. In the back of his mind, Baekhyun hopes he doesn’t find Sehun playing with his toys and then he can text his cousin quickly to make sure everything is alright. 

To his disappointment, the three-year-old sits in the middle of the back room running stuffed animals over with a toy truck. Baekhyun still refuses to accept the truth. His cousin and family must be playing a cruel trick on him. The fates seem to be on this too because he hears the ancient television in the kitchen repeat the story, but in more gruesome detail. The news anchor talks about the amount of blood, how soon the driver died, and where the accident took place. When she mentions an area Baekhyun knows Joonmyun doesn’t frequent, he clings onto a small sliver of hope. 

“Earlier this morning, the police identified the victim as Kim Joonmyun, a local resident and single father.” 

Victim. 

Joonmyun. 

Those two words don’t belong in the same sentence. 

“And now onto the weather.” It’s as if Joonmyun’s life didn’t hold any meaning. 

Baekhyun glances back at Sehun and is thankful the boy was too busy playing to listen to the news report. He can only assume Sehun doesn’t know yet because he’s so calm, and hopefully it stays that way for awhile. Whoever breaks the news to him won’t ever be able to forgive themselves. 

“I-I’m so sorry, auntie,” Baekhyun cries out and rushes over to her, holding onto her tightly. “I have to call my mother and she’ll probably want to tell dad and —”

She pushes him away soon enough and shakes her head. “Phone calls can wait. I just told you first because you and Joonmyun were always very close. And no tears, we have a lifetime to apologize and cry. Right now we need to focus on his boy. You know Joonmyun as well as I do, he’d want us to make sure Sehun is taken care of before we bother to make preparations for the… funeral.”

Baekhyun wants to stomp his feet, but his aunt is as regal as ever. If she can continue to function after losing her only child, the least Baekhyun can do is follow along in the meantime. The last thing he wants to do is add more burdens onto her fragile shoulders. 

“You’re too old, sorry, to take care of a toddler. I think it’d be best if I legally adopt Sehun and raise him in the city. After all, it’s all he’s known his entire life. We wouldn’t want to pull him out of the routine Joonmyun has built for him,” Baekhyun reasons. He may be in his early twenties, but living on his own for the past two years has taught him a lot about responsibility. He believes he’d make a good guardian for his nephew. 

Before his aunt can reply to him, a knock on the front door disrupts their conversation. Baekhyun gets it because he’s afraid it’ll be some budding writer who is hoping for the latest scoop from the Kim household. No one ever said journalism was a pretty profession.

When he opens the door, he wished it was some nutcase with a notepad standing before him. Instead, he’s met with a face he hasn’t seen for almost four years. 

“You have some nerve showing your face around here after all this time,” Baekhyun remarks, glaring up at Joonmyun’s ex-boyfriend. 

“Actually, Mrs. Kim told me the news and asked me to come over,” Yifan states plainly. 

Baekhyun stiffens up. Why in the world would his aunt ever want this man showing up at her doorstep? Everyone in the family is fully aware of how Yifan left Joonmyun without a word, boarding a plane to the other side of the world to fulfill his so-called dreams. Their seven year relationship sounded like a joke at that point.

When his aunt appears behind him and tells Yifan to join them inside, Baekhyun’s world completely crumbles. Joonmyun would not be happy at all right now. He would hate the fact that his cruel ex is standing in his mother’s living room, pretending he belongs there. Baekhyun wants to say something, but his aunt is in deep conversation with the taller male. 

This is not a sight Baekhyun expected to see during his lifetime. There was a better chance of aliens invading the Earth just two minutes ago. 

“Follow me. He’s over here,” his aunt says and escorts Yifan towards the room Sehun is occupying at the moment. 

Baekhyun squawks in disbelief and makes a beeline for his precious nephew. As his uncle, Baekhyun feels it’s his duty to protect the boy from the evils of Yifan. 

Sehun beams up at him, hugging Baekhyun’s leg once he’s in the room with him. “Uncle Baekkie! Want to play a game with me?” The boy’s eyes are brighter than ever. How could Baekhyun ever say no to that? 

“Sure, why—”

“Yifan, this is Sehun, your son.” Her words are sharper than a knife, cutting into the sweet moment. It’s not like Baekhyun wasn’t aware that Yifan was the father, but he preferred to keep this particular fact buried in the recesses of his mind. Memories of watching Joonmyun suffer all those months in anguish flood his mind. 

Sehun, just like any child, looks up when he hears his name. He watches his grandmother in curiosity and clings onto Baekhyun tighter once his eyes sweep over the giant. 

“Come here, sweetheart. I want you to meet someone very special,” his aunt urges. As much as Baekhyun would prefer Sehun to never speak with Yifan, he knows there’s no defying the woman of the household. He nudges his nephew towards the monster. 

“What if he eats me, Uncle Baekkie?” Sehun whispers. 

“If he does, I’ll cut his stomach open and save you,” Baekhyun reassures him. 

Sehun seems content with his answer and slowly crosses the short distance over to the pair. Baekhyun gives his nephew a thumbs-up when the boy glances over his shoulder for support. “I’ll always be here for you.” 

Within a few minutes, Yifan and Sehun get along swimmingly. They talk with one another as if Yifan has been in the boy’s life all this time. It is sickening to see how comfortable Sehun is around such a cold-hearted man. It’s a blessing that the boy has Joonmyun’s sweet personality. 

Baekhyun leaves the room begrudgingly after his aunt tells him to allow father and son some time to themselves. 

“Why!? Why did you have to bring him into Sehun’s life? We both know Yifan is a terrible person. He left Joonmyun when he needed him the most,” Baekhyun manages to say in an even tone. His fingers are curled into fists. 

“Byun Baekhyun, don’t you ever dare talk to me like that again. We both know that I can’t take care of Sehun by myself and you’re too young. I understand you’d love to step up to the plate, but Yifan is much better equipped to raise Sehun,” his aunt admonishes him. Baekhyun hates how the truth stings so much. Despite how carelessly Yifan abandoned Joonmyun, deep down Baekhyun knows Yifan is a decent guy. Joonmyun only ever had great things to say about him when they were together and the constant smile on his face was a reminder to everyone how blessed he felt. The only other thing that made him look so happy was strawberry cheesecake. Even then, Yifan was always the frontrunner for his heart.

“Now, help me prepare dinner before Yifan has to go. I’d like for us all to have a meal together as a family,” she says with finality. 



Baekhyun sits outside on the back porch once all the dishes have been cleaned and put away, and Sehun’s tucked into bed. He stares up at the beautiful, starry night. The childish side of him hopes there’s a shooting star so that he can wish for Joonmyun to come back to them. Normalcy would resume with his presence. 

His thoughts of a different outcome are interrupted by the screen door’s creak. Company is usually welcomed, but today is not a usual day at all.

He doesn’t need to look back to see who it is. They take a seat next to him on the steps and hums a familiar tune. 

“That’s —”

“... the Pokémon theme song,” Yifan finishes for him. “Sehun wanted to watch a few episodes of it before we ate.” 

“I bet you don’t know his fav —”

“Charizard,” Yifan answers before Baekhyun is done with his question. 

“That’s easy because everyone loves him, but do you know why?” Baekhyun quickly spits out, mentally patting himself on the back for beating Yifan. 

Yifan puffs out his cheeks and nods once. “Because it reminds him of his dad, Joon. He can be nice at times. When he’s not, he can be a real meanie, according to Sehun.” 

Baekhyun can’t help but laugh at that. The boy is only three, and he already saw his father as unfair sometimes. If Sehun could have his way, Joonmyun would have let them eat candy and watch television all day. 

They fall into an uneasy silence afterwards. Baekhyun has so many questions on his mind and there is only so much time on their hands. Telling from the way Yifan is looking at him, he knows there’s a lot of explaining to do. 

“Can I ask you something?” Baekhyun sighs out. 

“I think I know what is is already. You want me to tell you the reason why I left,” Yifan reads his mind. He doesn’t have to wait for confirmation because Baekhyun’s face says it all. 

For the next fifteen minutes, Yifan shares a story filled with facts Baekhyun knew and more of which he didn’t. 

Joonmyun was the one who encouraged Yifan to go overseas to fulfill his dream. He knew how much it meant to his then-boyfriend. Yifan was able to leave without feeling guilty because their relationship had always been strong and he didn’t know anything was amiss at that point. He truly believed Joonmyun wanted only the best for him. Of course, that was only part of the truth. 

When Yifan was prepared to come home after half a year in Canada, Joonmyun told him to stay. It would help further his prospects. Yifan didn’t agree with him whatsoever, but the younger male sounded so adamant. The moment he agreed to Joonmyun’s suggestion, further communication between the two of them ceased. He tried to get in contact with him through several mediums and platforms, and his cries for an answer were left in the cold. 

According to Mrs. Kim, Joonmyun didn’t want Yifan to come back because having a kid would ruin all his plans for a grand future. He thought it was in everyone’s best interest to keep Sehun a secret and allow Yifan to live the life he always dreamed of, despite how much it hurt Joonmyun. 

Every story has two sides to it; Baekhyun only got Joonmyun’s, he failed to share a few details. In hindsight, Joonmyun did what he believed was the right route to take. Sure, it made his and Sehun’s life a little difficult, but they still had a wonderful life together. If ‘Father of the Year’ was a real award, Joonmyun would have won it year after year because he gave Sehun his all, even when he had nothing for himself. 

“You see, Baekhyun, I wouldn’t have traveled to the other side of the world if I knew I was going to be a father. Even if Joonmyun and I wouldn’t have work out, I would have still liked to have been in Sehun’s life from the get-go. Believe it or not, I have a heart and that little boy has stolen it,” Yifan says fondly with a small smile gracing his face. 

Baekhyun will never admit it, but he can trust Yifan to take great care of Sehun. He’s the other father Sehun deserves. Joonmyun left too soon, but hopefully Yifan can help pick up the pieces. No one is asking for a replacement (if that was even possible). Everyone simply wants Sehun to smile everyday like his late father did and live a full life. Yifan is the man to help him achieve those goals. 

But where does this leave Baekhyun in the grand scheme of things? Yifan will whiz Sehun far, far away from here. There is no hope to visit him as often as he’d like and sending packages across the ocean will put a serious dent in his wallet. Nonetheless, he’ll try to make things work so that he can proudly wear his ‘Best Uncle In The Entire Universe’ t-shirt which Sehun made him (it was really Joonmyun, but Sehun helped pick out the colors). 

The screen door creaks once again. This time a pair of short legs carry themselves over to the two men. 

“I couldn’t sleep because Papa didn’t call to say goodnight,” Sehun murmurs and slumps down on Baekhyun’s lap. 

Baekhyun nearly tears up and wills himself to stay composed. He rubs the boy’s back in an attempt to soothe him. The tactic seems to work because Sehun is snoozing like a baby within minutes. How long can they keep up this pretense though? Eventually Sehun will realize something is wrong and ask questions pertaining to his father’s whereabouts.

“What are we going to do?” Yifan whispers once he deems it’s safe to speak again. 

“We?” Baekhyun raises a brow. 

“Yes, we. I’m not so foolish as to take him away from his home. I want you and his grandmother in his life. I’ll have to make arrangements to move and transfer jobs, but I’m willing to do anything to make sure Sehun knows he’ll always be loved,” the taller male explains and reaches over to comb his fingers through his son’s hair.

Baekhyun wishes he knew the answer to such a heavy question. Life is unpredictable, as proven by today’s events. Hopes, dreams, and promises can be taken away in the blink of an eye. 

“I can’t talk about the long run, but I think we should take him to the park tomorrow. Have a nice little picnic afterwards. Joonmyun loved taking him there whenever he found time in his schedule. And at night, we can tell him the truth…,” Baekhyun suggests. The thought of crushing his nephew’s heart makes him uneasy. 

“I guess I’ll have to lie to my boss and give him a phony excuse to explain why I won’t be flying back tonight,” Yifan sighs out in a lighthearted manner. 

Baekhyun knows the road ahead of them will be a rocky one. New obstacles will arise along the way, but they’ll be easier to tackle with a support network. The future may be unpredictable, but one thing is for certain; Baekhyun will remind Sehun every day that his father loved him very much and watches over him from heaven.