Chapter One:

Word count: 2.5K    

  Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

  He smiled as he felt the familiar sting against his wrists. The pain felt so good, like a drug which made him forget about all his problems...

  If only he weren't alive to think about them in the first place.

  Dragging the sharp blade further down into his skin, the young teen chuckled. It sounded so frighteningly empty, as lifeless as his soul.
 
  Sometimes Baekhyun wondered why his parents adopted him in the first place if they hated him so. They probably weren't in their right minds when they signed the adoption form, or when they first took him back to this place called home.

  Did they ever love him? He didn't know, all he recalls is his mother's cold glare and his father's hard fists against his jaws.

  'What did I do wrong? What do I have to do for you to love me? To accept me?'

  He used to bawl his eyes out over every little thing in the past, begging his dear old parents to tell him what he did wrong, and what he had to do to make it up to them for being such a pathetic excuse of a son.
    But as time passed, Baekhyun learnt that he could never earn their love, no matter what he did.
  He was just a child they'd adopted, someone whose own parents didn't even want him.

  "Quit dawdling in there and get the hell out here boy! We don't have all day!"

 His mother's loud and obnoxious voice pierced through the thin walls of his tiny room, lulling him back into reality.

  "Do you hear me Byun Baekhyun?! I said get out here at once!"

  The latter sighed, eyeing his bloodied arm.
  Six new lines. He noted. He'd drawn another six fresh cuts along his wrists in addition to the last twelve he'd inflicted upon himself yesterday. 

  How he wished he could've added a few more-

  "Yah! You insolent brat!"

  Hidding the small razor in his pocket, the boy stood from the bed, carefully pulling his long sleeves over the crimson stained skin before hurrying over to the door.


   Smack

  Baekhyun wasn't even surprised when he lost control over his own balance, thumbling backwards from the impact of his mother's harsh palm colliding against his jaw.

  Red started creeping into his pale cheeks, and he hissed gently at the lingering sting.

  "How dare you... How dare you ignore me!" The back of her palms landed on his face over and over again until his vision started to blur, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. She only stopped when her arms started to ache, lips pulled back into a menacing snarl as she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

 "I expect you to answer me whenever I call for you, is that understood?" Her voice was threateningly low as she leaned in closer to his already bruised face, drawing a whimper from the boy.

  "Is that understood?!"
  "Y-Yes, mother."

  "Good. Now get the hell out of my house and go to work." She spat, pushing him away from herself. "Your father and I are going to need a lot more money to afford beer so you better make sure that you work your off to earn enough money tonight or it's out into the streets for you!"

  Baekhyun didn't even bother to answer her as he bowed quickily, scrambling back into the safety of his room to change.



  Love was probably just an illusion to make the weak feel as if they still had something to hold on too.

 Love, was probably just a lie, an empty promise to nothing.

  Love, infact, was probably nothing at all.

  "Hey Baekkie, could you help me out with the customer at table sixty one?" Kyungsoo's song like voice had him turning around immediately with a bright smile plastered onto his face.

  "Yah sure, I'll handle it." He drew a spare tray from the counter, not forgetting to pour the customer a cup of warm water before he waddled his way over.

  "Thank you so much! I love you~"

  He could hear the other's grateful voice calling out to him as he walked away.
  It was times like these which made Baekhyun feel less suicidal.

      He remembered with a smile how he'd first met Kyungsoo at the bakery, with the former telling him that he'd secured a permanent spot as a worker in store.

  Even as an adult, his boss had the features of an innocent eighteen year old boy—Well, at least that's what most people would think until he revealed his inner devil which Baekhyun secretly liked to call SatanSoo.
  Kyungsoo paid and treated him well, always fawning over how cute his chubby cheeks were whenever he could. To be honest, he was the one closest to Baekhyun's heart, almost like a friend.
  But of course, no one knew about him cutting himself. Not even Kyungsoo.
  They don't deserve to be burdened by his depressing acts. Besides, he didn't need their pity, for he was just a plain old soul who was overly eager to hand his life over to Hell's doorstep.
  People tell him to fight, to stay strong. But they don't understand... He's already lost. Every thought was a battle, every breath was a war, and Baekhyun doesn't think he's winning anymore.
  The sudden urge to cut himself resurfaced once again, and the young teen nearly gave in to the tempting thought until an awkward cough caught his attention.

  Oh right, the customer.

  "Good evening, Sir." He forced the corners of his lips into a plastic curve while placing the cup of water gently on to the table, eyes still lowered. "May I take your orders?"
  "Yes please, I'd like a cup of Americano together with a slice of newyork cheese cake, thank you very much." The deep tone startled him, causing him to look up instinctively out of curiousness.
  Boy, this was what Baekhyun called perfection.
  The elvish male before him had handsome yet soft features, a stark contrast to his baritone voice.
  His eyes were rather deep set, eyebrows arching in a neat curve while his perfectly sculpted nose lead down t