MATE 1
(CHAPTER 1)

edited 04/11/2016

In the middle of a small room full of children of his age with their parents standing closely by their side, little five year old Baekhyun gripped his mother’s hand tightly in his little weak grasp, eyes couldn't stop running from one place to another, from one person to others. They're all a stranger to him, a bunch of strangers in a medium of four walls, trying to make a conversation with other people in friendly manners, a formal smile and forced laughs, that's what adults do, trying to ease the awkwardness with useless talk. But little Baekhyun didn't understand any of that, not when people were looking at him and his mother with a distasteful look, whispering dirty words about them behind their back. Little Baekhyun still couldn't understand that, not even when his mother ushered Baekhyun to walk to the corner of the room where a small white chair was placed for them to sit.

Still not grasping the situation they were in, Baekhyun looked up at his mother only to find his mother’s beautiful lips frowning slightly, lips a little bit wobbly as if his mother wanted to cry but trying to hold it in. Baekhyun couldn’t understand that, not one a bit, because he had never seen his mother cry before. So why now? Why now when he's about to start his first day as a grown up kid in kindergarten? 

"Mama?"

Little Baekhyun called for his mother, small hand tugging loosely at his mother’s white fluffy sweater. The look he’s giving his mother wasn't the normal one—he looked sad and concerned, worrying for something he didn't even know what it was.

His mother looked down to find the smaller orbs that were similar to his and smiled, the same smile that he loved to see every day. "Yes, what is it, baby?" his mother asked, voice calm and loving, just like Baekhyun's favorite. 

Baekhyun lifted up his small index finger to poke at the corner of his mother’s thighs slightly. "You looked sad a while ago. Why? Was Baekkie being a bad baby?"

His mother blinked confusedly at him.

"Why did you think like that, baby? You've done nothing wrong, you’re a great baby to mama and papa." He assured his baby, rubbing his son chubby cheek softly earning a cute whine like puppy after that.

"B-but... Baekkie saw that you looked so sad before, Mama." The little retorted back, always being a curious boy he was, never giving up slightly to get the answer that he wanted. 

But his mother only shook his head and smiled softly at him instead. "Mama wasn’t feeling sad, baby." He lied, but his baby didn't need to know that.

"Are you sure, Mama?"

His mother nodded. "Yes, Mama is so sure about that. Mama was just a little bit shocked realizing that my Baekkie will learn to be an independent baby and a matured boy." He said, still smiling at his baby while trying hard to ignore the glares and harsh whispers he got from other people inside the room.

Having to endure those horrible feelings was awful but in the end, it was worth it as he managed to make his little baby smile again, two chubby small arms wrapped tightly around him as his little baby snuggled closer to his thighs.

"Mama no need to feel sad because Baekkie will not go anywhere. Baekkie will be a good baby for Mama and Papa. Baekkie promise that!" The little boy grinned against his mother’s clothed thigh, inhaling the alluring smell of chocolate and a little bit vanilla from his mother. The smell he always found comforting since he was born. And hearing the beautiful sound of laughs from his mother managed to boost up his mood to the highest level. Because little Baekhyun believed that he just made his mother happy and proud of him. 

A soft pat on top of his head and a hug he received in return from his mother before the older male slightly whispered to him. "I believe you, baby. Always."

---

Baekhyun stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, curious pairs of eyes looking at him expectantly. Being the little shy boy he was, he didn't know what to do, so kept looking at his fingers, fiddling it, not daring to make any eye contact with the others. Because he was just too shy and his mother was way too far away, standing outside of the room, peering down at him from the glass window.

His small hands kept fiddling with each other until a rather big and cracked voice snapped him out of it.

"What is your name?"

Asked the tallest kid in that room with the biggest pointed ears that Baekhyun had ever seen.

"H-huh?" He looked at the kid, confused and lost.

But the tall kid seems to be patient enough because he kept smiling widely at Baekhyun as he repeated his question again. "What is your name? What do you want us to call you?"

Baekhyun blinked his eyes at that, his brain was in the middle of translating the meaning of the question before a shy smile appeared on his beautiful face. 

"B-Baekkie..." He answered softly, eyes no longer looking at the kid but at the wooden floor under his feet.

"Baekkie? Is that what you want us to call you, sweetie?" Another voice entered Baekhyun’s hearing as another figure appeared beside him, crouching down to smile at him warmly. 

She’s his teacher, he supposed. A beautiful young lady in her early twenties, with her brown hair fell flawlessly on her shoulder and a smile so bright and warm but not as beautiful as his mother's.

Baekhyun nodded his head at that. Peering up at the young teacher in front of him behind his black silk locks. "Yes, teacher. I'm Baekkie. Mama and Papa called me Baekkie because it sounds cute and it suits me." He mumbled silently.

"Then they chose the right name for you." His teacher responded back. "Baekkie really sounds cute, just like you."

Hearing that, Baekhyun beamed happily at her. The shy and nervous demeanor he felt a wh