Boyfriend. The word played in my mind on the walk to the practice room, it made my stomach bubble in excitement. I'm Chanyeol's boyfriend! Just the thought made me the happiest person alive.

It was springtime and the weather was no longer bitter cold; instead a sweet breeze occupied the streets as I approached the building. Upon turning the last corner I spotted Chanyeol waiting outside the practice room, his face instantly lit up when he saw me walking towards him and he spread his arms.

"Bbaek!" He grinned as I buried my head against his chest. He had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep yet his face seemed so bright in the early morning sun.

With his arm around my shoulders we entered the practice room to be greeted by a swarm of busied members. Debut was in 24 days which seemed so close, everyone was overwhelmed with worries and stress. My mindframe quickled snapped out of a dizzy, head-in-the-clouds-happy state and into serious mode. First, I went though my usual a vocal warm-up with Kyungsoo, who's vocals were strong and made me envious. Then, as a group, we ran through the 'MAMA' dance a couple of times before heading to the salon for our hair and makeup. Today was the MV shooting. Some of us were buzzing with excitement whereas others were panicking at the thought of dancing and singing in front of a camera. I was somewhere in the middle, having not ever been in a music video before I was filled with nervous butterflies but still felt excited for the new opportunity.

Once our hair and makeup was done we piled into a mini bus which would take us to the filming studio. The journey consisted of me teasing Chanyeol about his ridiculous crimped hair and singing my lungs out causing the members to groan in annoyance. I felt so comfortable around them now so I wasn't afraid of getting on their nerves every now and again.

Chanyeol joined in part way through my solo singing (or more accurately  screaming) to SHINee's 'Ring Ding Dong'. With happy eyes and wide smiles we filled the mini bus with our awful shrieking.

"FANTASTIC,
FANTASTIC,
FANTASTIC,
FANTASTIC,
ELASTIC,
ELASTIC,
ELASTIC,
ELASTIC"

Sehun, who was trying to sleep in the seat infront of me suddenly span round and threw his travel pillow at us. His attempt to shut us up only made things worse and I grabbed the fluffy, grey, sausage-looking pillow and swung it at Chanyeol's head. As if his life depended on it he snatched Kyungsoo's pillow from off his neck and hit me back. With that we burst into war. In fits of giggles we hit one another until our arms ached. In the front of the bus Chen was whining for us to quiet down whilst Suho watched us with a motherly smile. Kris, Tao and Minseok didn't seem to notice the raucous and just sat idly with their earphones in, on the other hand Luhan and Sehun seemed to want in on the fun and grabbed a blanket and bag and began pummelling one another from across their seats. Mumbling in chinese Yixing tucked his knees to his chest as if he was trying to take cover and Kysungsoo glared at the troublemakers. The bus was choatic but, damn, it was the most fun I had had in years. I felt like a child again. All the serious and impending adult worries I had seemed to turn to mist as we tumbled around in the back seat of the bus. I caught Chanyeol's eyes before wacking him across the cheek with my weapon, he seemed happy too and I felt like my lungs had filled with glitter. A lovely ecstatic sensation rippled through my stomach, and then,

POOF!

Pillow to the jaw.

THWACK!

Hard against my shoulder.

SMACK!

"Ouch! My eyes!"

I curled up into a little ball with my hands above my head, desperately trying to block the downpour of hits from Chanyeol.

"Stop! Stop!" I giggled and yelled as Luhan and Sehun began to bury me in blankets. All light had been blocked and I could only see a baby blue cloud of fabric and fluff slowly closing in on me. I was overcome by a suffocated feeling and I suddenly found my self writhing to escape.

"Stop it! I can't breath." My voice was muffled and barely audible through the ocean of bedsheets that were drowning me. Thankfully I felt everyones hands loosen and I managed to clumsily pull the sheets of my face. Red faced and gasping for air I pointed at Chanyeol with a menacing look that made him giggle.

"I'll get you back," I huffed.

When countries are at war they never seem to think of the consequences. They're trapped in the action as if they are part of a photoframe. I guess a huge reason may be because during war it seems like you can never escape. You fight forever or die trying. The aftermath of War doesn't matter when you are cowering in the trenches of aiming your gun. But how would I know? Well, I've had first hand experience.

Upon arriving at the filming venue me and Chanyeol leaped out of the backseat of the mini bus all red faced and scruffy haired from our pillow war. Little did we know about the furious concsequences that were marching our way.

"Park Chanyeol! Byun Baekhyun!" We suddenly straightened up in fear at our managers harsh voice. "What the hell were you thinking?" He roared. I was terrified.

"We are supposed to be filming in..." he aggressively checked his watch, "20 minutes! Yet you two look like you were dragged through a hedged backwards!"

We bowed apologetically. "Sort youselves out!" he snapped. As he stomped away I gave Chanyeol a half-terrified, half-hysterical smile and we quickly hurried to the hair and makeup staff on site to fix our faces.

Filming was difficult. No one quite understood what was happening. We were asked to mimic actions to our allocated super powers. Mine was light, and I have to admit, I was completely and utterly lost as to what the hell I was supposed to do, but I winged it and it deemed successful.

Towards the end of the day when we had filmed all the shots we needed so far the manager stopped us to make an important announcement.

"We are very quickly nearing EXO's debut. This means you will all have to be spending even more time together rehearsing, bonding and doing whatever you kids do together in the practice room," I looked over at Suho searching for a hint as to what our manager was talking about, he had a knowing grin plastered to his face. "So, SM have raised the money needed to buy a dorm big enough for the lot of you!" Suho cheered and applauded and most of the members followed suit. I just stared in shock as my jaw dropped.

'What about mum?' I thought to myself. 'I want this. I need this. It's for EXO. But should I really leave my mum?' A worried knot tightened in my throat but I forced a smile nevertheless for my friends, for Chanyeol.

I pondered the idea of living with 11 other room mates on the drive back. It would mean I wouldn't have to cook for anyone or tidy up somebody elses mess. I definitely wouldn't miss having to haul mum up the stairs when she's too drunk to function, nor would I miss cleaning up after her bad nights in which she would drink to much and vomit it back out onto the carpet. Missing out on her drunk fits of anger would be a blessing too but what would she do without me?

That night I sat her down at our rarely used dining table and looked her sincerely in the eyes. Her dark circles and stress wrinkles added a decade to her face and her dizzy eyes looked distant and zombie-like. "Mum," I sighed as she drooped her head into her hands "I've been caring for you for as long as I can remember," She nodded guiltily.  She knew what she was doing to me was wrong, yet she never made an effort to change that. "but because of that I've grown up too fast. I never got a childhood, I never learned how to have fun but with EXO everythings different now. I feel like I'm getting my childhood back. I'm having so much fun with people I really love." I rambled desperately hoping that she managed to process at least one word.

"SM bought a dorm. Everyone is going to move in and we are all going to live together." I didn't want to prolong the truth anymore in fear she would fall asleep and I would lose my chance.

"I want to live there too," Tears threatened to spill. "but I'm too afraid to leave you like this." I watched my mother's eyebrows furrow in pain, a single teardrop slid down her cheek. She looked at me with broken eyes, the same shattered look she wore when my dad left. That's when it hit me. Like a brick the cold, hard truth slapped me across the face. I was leaving her just like my dad. I was following my own dreams and leaving my frail mother behind.

I hurriedly changed my mind "It's ok, Mum. I'll stay." As much as it pained me to say it I knew that it was the right thing to do. Even if it destroyed my future with EXO I couldn't leave her alone.

"Let's get you to bed. Yeah?" I stood up desperately holding back my tears. As I moved away from the table I felt a skeletal hand grip my wrist. Her touch was cold and lonely against my warm skin.

"I don't want you to stay, Baekhyun." I assumed it was the alcohol talking yet I still waited for her to continue. "You live your life. Dont let an old hag like me hold you from not-" she had muddled her words up. "Don't let me hold you down." She smiled. A soft rosy-cheeked smile that I had missed so dearly. I leant down and kissed her aging face and whispered through a sudden flurry of tears "I promise I will make you proud, Mama."