TIP #21: “Ne pas me mentir pour protéger mes sentiments”
(Don't lie to me to protect my feelings)

Would you believe that this was the same mischievous person drowning in vodka a few weeks ago? A while ago, Baekhyun believes that after the sun sets, it would all be about joy, fun, lust, and all other sinful pleasures. Tonight, it’s not the same. It will never be the same anymore.

Because something big might unravel for sure.

To admit the truth, Baekhyun is not sure what is about to drop. His life hangs on the line. In Hya’s as well. Someone he has come to care about genuinely, not sure how it even sparked, and this is half of the reason why he has been frustrated recently.

He is dead sure Wonwoo is someone like he used to be. An exact replica. Holding resentment for someone far too long would not exactly be the easiest thing to do, especially when devoured by darkness and hatred. But Baekhyun knows they’re different. Baekhyun isn’t as saint either but one thing he is clear on, is that, they are worlds’ apart.

Because Wonwoo is a psychotic .

He goes around hurting without a chore for this world, to the worst extent of going about by ending someone’s life. Baekhyun can’t be sure if the latter sentence holds credibility, but something deep in his pits tells him to trust his instinct.

He goes deeper into the abandoned warehouse that is surrounded with nothing but crunching vines, the location where Wonwoo had stated. He didn’t even have to wait for that information since he literally can track that lunatic. Baekhyun thinks that if he dies here, no would will ever find his body because who the hell would even visit this forbidden place? He must have been crazy to even initiate a meet-up but he thinks that anyone in his current shoes will do the exact same thing.

The phone, In Hya’s old phone, starts to ring, shattering the silence of the night. Baekhyun immediately answers the call without bothering to check the caller ID.

“You’re here already.”

Baekhyun starts checking his surroundings, but sees no one around but looming shadows which raises his tension.

“I see.. so her knight in shining armor came instead. How touching. And I thought it would be that handsome chap, you know, the one with the young niece.” He chuckles over the line.

Baekhyun digs his nails into his palm till it stings as he shakes off the imageries of Jongin and Yunae. They are the people Baekhyun wants to involve the least, “Where are you.” He breathes out unevenly.

He gets his answer in no time when a man, clad in a long black coat, steps out of the woods and stands a distance before him. It does not take much for Baekhyun to recognize his well-built physique.

“Do you want one?” When Baekhyun doesn’t humour him, Wonwoo starts lighting up his own cigarette. The flame ceremeniously brightens up the eerie gloom, “So, where’s my sweet little In Hya? She’s grown up to be such a fine lovely woman. I’m dying to meet her.”

“Don’t slip her name off your filthy mouth because I swear that will be the last thing you’ll ever say.”

Wonwoo laughs a little boisterously like he’s just heard the joke of the century, “Are you sure you can mention about murder so casually like nothing?”

Baekhyun snaps, “You sick—“

His movement forward repels Wonwoo as he stumbles back, tipping up his cap to get a better glance at the younger’s face.

“Wait..” He paused, “You look.. familiar.”

Baekhyun scoffs before meeting eyes with the 6-feet tall guy. It would be a lie to say that he doesn’t feel small before his presence but he is not going to back down.

“Wow, I’m surprised you remembered the night you almost rip my head off.” He says sarcastically, indicating the scuffle that happened a few days ago while he was protecting In Hya.

But he doesn’t get a reaction like he expected. Not a scoff or a snort. Instead, Wonwoo gives out a genuine statement, “No no, I’ve really seen you somewhere..” When he can’t put his finger to it, he ultimately gives up and dismisses it, “So, what has her shining knight have to say to me tonight? Meeting like this, is a rare instance isn’t it?”

“You killed her didn’t you?! You were responsible for her mother’s death.”

Wonwoo shakes his head like he is sympathetic and hearing this news for the first time, “Oh no, her mother died? What a terrible misfortune. How is she coping?”

“You are a fine actor, I must say.” Baekhyun smirks and holds up the phone, shaking it dauntingly, “This. I’ve been receiving all your sick messages. The In Hya you thought all this while, was actually me. All your messages are directed back to Jeju, even on the day her mother passed away. I know it all. Not very smug are we now that you’ve been exposed eh?”

Wonwoo’s eyes darken and he diminishes the cigarette simultaneously, stomping on the little stick with pent-up anger. Darkness looms around them once again. Things are starting to get serious.

He nods, “No wonder the messages were getting bolder by the day. I would never have expected the sweet little In Hya talking back to me. She had never responded to the texts I sent her back in those days, so I thought she was bipolar when she finally sent me a reply.”

Baekhyun does not even want to imagine the crude messages she had read all alone in the room. How petrified she had been but kept it all in herself.

“I said don’t even think of mentioning her name.” Baekhyun thunders in an animalistic voice.

“So, does the woman know?”

“W-What?” Baekhyun stutters, a bit taken aback.

“That you withheld her phone all this while.”

He claps when he sees Baekhyun tensing up, it was a humorous sight really. “Oh dear, what will she do when she finds that out? You stole it didn’t you?”

“I did not steal it!” Baekhyun says in his defense.

Wonwoo holds up his palms and the dried leave creak under his foosteps, “Okay okay, you did not steal it. You borrowed it from her and she let you keep it?”

Baekhyun doesn’t mutter out a reply.

“So it’s clear. You found it but you never returned it back to her.. She sure as hell would never have let you kept the phone because that was her last chance to send her father off..”

How did matters turn out this way? Isn’t Baekhyun supposed to be in charge here and confront Wonwoo? Why does Wonwoo have Baekhyun around his fingers like a marionette?

“Her father,” Baekhyun accuses in a growl, “was your doing too.”

Wonwoo ignores him because he thinks it’s fun to keep the mysterious vibe.

“Seeing as to how you’ve been keeping up with my messages, going through the mile of even meeting me at this forsaken place..” Wonwoo trails off deliriously, “You must be really fond of her, aren’t you?” He continues to daunts and laughs inwardly when he sees Baekhyun practically trying to consume his seething rage. “Will she forgive you if she knows you’ve deceived her?”

Baekhyun hates to admit that Wonwoo is a smart and cunning cold-blooded person. He seems to knows everything without him even laying out his cards on the table.

“What will happen to her? No, wait, what will happen to.. you?”

“Listen here you head. I did not come here to hear you speak useless things. This is nowhere about me. It’s about you, because you ing ruined her whole family!”

“Why are you pointing all these accusations to me? I did not even know Mdm Bae had died.” Wonwoo says a little sadly. “I should pay my respects soon.”

It irks Baekhyun how sarcastic Wonwoo is sounding, “Mdm Bae? Are you on that chummy terms with her?”

“Who knows.” He simply shrugs.

“I have all these messages that serve as evidence that you plotted her murder. It was no accident.”

“These messages can’t prove anything. Did you see me do it? Did you see my hands stained with blood? No, because those are just ing black and white texts. Cops don’t have the time to go after all these pranksters. They have better things to do than running a wild goose chase.” Wonwoo deadpans in an unfazed, almost mocking manner because he knows that those miscellaneous are not called miscellaneous for nothing.

“I’ll have you know that we can track your device from where the messages came from. And when the cops see the link, they’ll start to investigate you. And find your ashen history with their family. And everything will connect.”

Wonwoo lets Baekhyun go on like he’s being entertained with a show.

“Game over. You lost. You gave yourself away, thinking she would never fight back. But things took a different turn because you never expected me to be the one behind the keyboard. And now you’re gonna spend your whole life regretting in that hole like you did 8 years ago, never being able to feel the warmth of sunlight anymore, wishing that you should’ve just repent and start over.” Baekhyun growls with the tip of his tongue burning.

“Do you think I’ll go to all this trouble if I was afraid to go back in there?” Wonwoo sings teasingly and his head, “Do you really think it was because I was locked up, rotting in there that I hate her so much with every fibre of my body?” He clucks his tongue rhythmically, infuriating the situation, “Young man. You are so wrong. So so wrong. If it was for that sole purpose, I would’ve just killed her on the spot, no?”

Wonwoo suddenly closes in the gap and Baekhyun’s body goes rigid like flames carving into his skin.

“She took someone precious away from me. I’m simply letting her feel what I felt, all is fair. This is just the starter, because now she’s going to pay back twice.”

“What makes you thing I will let you do that?” Baekhyun challenges with a strong protest.

“Your call makes