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The next day, Baekhyun woke up early and burst into Jun’s room. The boy was still in his cocoon completely absorb in sleeping. Baekhyun smile at the cute boy and sneakily crawled on the boy bed. He leaned closer to Jun’s ear. “Wakey, wakey.” Baekhyun whispered softly.

Jun’s stirred a bit and turned the other way around. Baekhyun chuckled and decided to repeat the same action. After a few minutes of bothering Jun, finally the boy slit his eyes wide open and he smiled when he saw Baekhyun. Baekhyun felt warm upon seeing the smile. He swipe the bangs that were covering Jun’s eyes and moved to caressed Jun’s cheek. Both of them didn’t exchange any words.

“Jun!”

Baekhyun flinched and ly to be greeted by the tall figure leaning against door frame. He got off from the bed and stood properly, bowing in respectful manner.

“Why are you still sleeping? Go down, eat your breakfast and sit quietly at the living room.” Chanyeol said in a stern voice. Jun obeyed quietly. Baekhyun was really shocked to see the way Chanyeol treated Jun.

“Mr. Park.” Baekhyun wanted to argue, but when Chanyeol gaze met with his, he swallowed all the words, and just shook his head.

“I don’t want you to create a mess or touch and move anything from its place. Your duty here is to take care of Jun. That’s it. If its too hard for you to understand, then just leave.” With that said, Chanyeol left. Baekhyun took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

Today, was Chanyeol day off. Jun was sitting obediently on the sofa opposite to Chanyeol who was busy scrolling the iPad. “Daddy, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol sighed and glared at Jun, causing the boy to tremble in fear. “Don’t talk when I’m working.” Jun nodded his head and played with his finger.

Baekhyun who had been hiding behind the wall, can only watch the scene in front of him in sympathy.

“I felt sorry for Jun.” Gloria suddenly came and stand next to Baekhyun.

“Why is Mr. Park acting like that?”

Gloria just shrugged and went to the living room with the tray of drinks and cookies. Jun eyes brightened up when he saw the cookies. He excitedly took a piece of cookie and before the boy manage to take a bite of it, Chanyeol snatched the cookie away from the boy. “That’s really rude. Go and stand at the corner of the room, and don’t go anywhere unless I tell you so.”

That broke Baekhyun’s wall of patient. He quickly stride into the living room surprising, Chanyeol, Jun and Gloria. He lifted Jun’s and the boy instantly wrapped his legs around Baekhyun’s torso, his tiny arms encircled Baekhyun’s neck, and buried his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “If this is the way you’re going to treat him, then let me do the job instead.”

Chanyeol rose from his seat and glared at Baekhyun but the boy didn’t flinched because he knew he did the right thing. “Byun, get out and leave the boy here.” Baekhyun glared back. “He’s not ‘the boy’. His name is Jun.”  

“How much you want me to pay you for you to shut that mouth of yours?” Chanyeol raise his voice a bit. Baekhyun smirked. “I don’t need your filthy money.”

Chanyeol took a steps forward and hovered Baekhyun who was still smirking at him. “Don’t you dare to look at me like that. You are here to work, so be professional.”

“I am being professional. But I’m afraid you’re not. Do you think it’s fun to have your kid bowing to every words you say? Do you think you’re that powerful to have your kid scare of you? Do you think that this world rotate around you and your need? Let me tell you, the answer is no. No. My job here is to take care of Jun and I’m doing just that. I will protect him with all my life because I understand how he felt to have a father like you.”

Baekhyun walked out of the living room, with Jun clutching tightly to him.

“Baek hyung, I think Daddy is really mad.” Jun said in a quiet hushed voice. Baekhyun sighed and put on a small smile on his face.

Baekhyun had brought Jun to his room instead. The boy was sitting on Baekhyun’s lap, his tiny legs were still wrapped around Baekhyun’s waist and head on Baekhyun’s chest.

Baekhyun was really furious and he didn’t know how he gain the courage to talk to Mr. Park like that. All that he thought at that time was just to protect Jun and he did exactly just that. Because he didn’t want Jun to go through what he had been through in the past. The past that he wish he could erase forever.

“Jun, it’s okay. I’m going to take all the blame.” Baekhyun caressed the boy right cheek when Jun decided to pull back to stare at Baekhyun with a teary eyes. “But, I don’t want daddy to be mad at you.”

“And, I don’t want Mr. Park to be mad at you too.” Baekhyun wiped the single tear that managed to escape Jun’s eye. “What if he fired you? I don’t want you to go away. You’re so nice and I like playing with you.” Jun said as he played with the button on Baekhyun’s shirt.

“Baek hyung, daddy is a nice person. He scold me a lot but he never hit me. That’s why he’s nice. I like him.”

Suddenly something struck in Baekhyun’s mind.

“Jun, did anyone ever.... hit you?” Baekhyun asked warily. Jun lifted his head up and Baekhyun can clearly see the shock expression on Jun’s face. Jun looks like someone who had been caught stealing candies.

“It’s okay, you can tell me everything.” Baekhyun cradled Jun’s cheeks and smiled sincerely. Jun hesitated at first but he decided to give in when he saw the sincerity on Baekhyun’s face.

“I had lots of babysitter before. But not one of them want to play with me. When Daddy’s home, they will care for me but when Daddy left to go to work, they will ignore me.” Jun stopped as he tried to stop himself from crying. Baekhyun rubbed Jun’s arm gently. “Don’t worry Jun. I’m here right now.” Jun nodded his head and decided to continue. “When I cry, they will hit me. And when I cry louder, they will hit me harder.” 

“Did your dad know about this?” Baekhyun asked. Jun shook his head.

Baekhyun pulled Jun closer, and hugged him for his dear life. He whispered a few comforting words and rock the boy in his arms back and forth, giving the boy the best comfort he could. He soon hummed the melody to the song that he memorized by heart. The song that always gave him comfort whenever he felt insecure and sad. The song that his mom wrote herself specially to him. The song that she always sing to him when he was a little boy, the song that he cherished so much and the song that he will never forget as it was a gift from his mother to him. The gift from the wonderful woman who raised him with full of love and care. But unfortunately, she’s gone. 

She’s gone when Baekhyun barely reached 13 years old. He got home from school one day, all excited and wanted to show his mom the perfect score he got but sadly he was greeted with a scene he never expected. People were crowding in front of their small, humble house with sad look on their face. When they spotted Baekhyun, they can’t help but to give him a sympathy look. The look that Baekhyun despise as he hate when people look at him like that.

He cried so hard until no more tears left. He wailed and sobbed but nothing can bring his mother back to life. He thought that was the worst thing that could happen to him but it’s not.

“Baekhyun, the only legal guardian that can take care of you right now, is your father. He’s going to pick you up in a couple of hours so you need to get ready.”

All he wanted to do at that time was to jump out of the house and ran as far as he could. But he didn’t. He froze on his spot and let out a silent tears.

This is the end of me.

The sound of Jun’s snore brought Baekhyun back to his sense. He wiped away the tears that he didn’t even realized had rolled down his cheeks.

He then, carefully lied Jun on the single size bed and tucked the boy with a sad smile on his face. “I’m not sure how I can protect you but I want to. I’m sorry, Jun.” Baekhyun placed a tender peck on Jun’s temple.

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