“Can you really not just call in sick?”

It has begun.

When Byun Baekhyun wants something to happen, he whines and whines until it happens.  It never usually got to that point with his parents, but with me it happens one too many times.  This time, he wanted me to take the night off so we can watch a late night film because he didn’t have the time to after staying behind in the office.  Love, Simon was going to be screened and according to Baekhyun, he cannot and absolutely cannot take another breath after tonight if he doesn’t watch it before tomorrow comes.

“We can watch it tomorrow” I tried to negotiate, “I’ll swap with Minseok tomorrow, then we can watch it. I’ll even pay for the tickets.”

“You don’t get paid enough to be saying that” Baekhyun pointed out, “if you come with me tonight then you don’t have to pay for anything at all.  It’s easier on you this way.”

There was really saying ‘no’ to him.  He had been like this ever since he was born, I reckon.  Mr and Mrs Byun must have raised their kid with the intention of him growing up wanting for nothing, yet here he is… wishing for everything he can get.  Unfortunately, I cannot get out of patrol duty.  It’s a simple task and it’s bad enough that I’m on my phone talking to Baekhyun when I should be supervising the CCTVs around the neighbourhood.

“Baek” I sighed, “can this not really wait till tomorrow?” We’ve been on the phone for almost thirty minutes, for Christ’s sake!

The only downside of being friends with Baekhyun was he was persistent.  If things does not go his way then he really does all he can.  It’s either Baekhyun’s way or no way, but in this case I really cannot afford to ditch even if it is just a patrol.

“Ya! Ahn Jinah” Jongdae, my partner who I have become relatively close to as well despite the fact that I like annoying him, interrupted as he entered the tech van.  “Tell Baekhyun to shut up for a minute, we have a case.”

I looked up at him and nodded.  Jongdae was serious so it must be something big.  “I really need to go, I’ll swap with Minseok tomorrow okay? I love you, bye.”

Jongdae’s brows knitted at my quick farewell.  I don’t think he will ever get used to me saying such things to my best friend, especially because he’s…well, a male.  It is not every day you hear a male and female best friends say such things to each other and I don’t doubt that he probably thought it was my boyfriend I was on the phone to the very first time he heard me talk to Baekhyun.

It’s no surprise, really.  Had Baekhyun acted out less camp,  I reckon our parents would have thought the same, but as it turns out: Baekhyun doesn’t work like that. 

“What’s up?” I ask, tucking my phone inside my pocket.

It took a moment for Jongdae to reply.  He blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat, chucking a manila folder on my lap.  “Nam Heejoon.  He’s going around flashing his dong, again” he frowns and takes a seat beside me, rubbing his face in frustration.

I couldn't help but snort.  Nam Heejoon has been the neighbourhood's problematic ert hence why we were sent out here to patrol.  Plus it worked out as a great job to keep the new recruits busy, experiencing night shifts like this.  Our culprit has the tendency to walk around in his trench coat with nothing underneath, flashing his body to random strangers who walks by during the night, but the assuring thing is that he hasn't attacked anybody.  It seems he's doing it because he has some sort of mental disorder and that's exactly what I am about to find out.

Shaking my head, I rip open the manila folder revealing the ert's medical records.  Our hunch was mostly right, though it was quite sad how he had acquired the mental illness.  Nam Heejoon was bullied severely for his funny nose and received a lot of injuries thus he acts funny nowadays.  I clucked my tongue at his series of unfortunate events.  For sure I will probably note him down to be put away in an asylum, I think he is better off in there rather than the prison.

"I feel like the new grads can handle this" Jongdae slouches further into his chair, so I raise brow at his statement.  "You know it's true! It's a crazy harmless man on the loose" he pointed out, "he just needs to be caught tonight and then we can send him off to jail-"

"Nope" I quickly interjected, standing up to put on my coat, "I'm demanding that he gets institutionalised to receive the help he needs."

"A-are you serious?" Jongdae stutters, almost in disbelief that I am actually being nice to someone we have been trying to catch.  "Don't be fooled by him, I bet you the next time he flashes someone it'll turn to !"

"I'll hit your head several times till you get a disease, you tell me if that'll turn you into a !"  I huffed.

It was not like Nam Heejoon chose to live this way.  Based on his records, he started off as a law abiding citizen who was keen in school and on his way to become a med graduate.  I doubt someone who wanted to heal people want to cause harm to people, I do not believe that it is in him to do that.  He may be a little too derranged and I cannot explain why he chooses to catch attention the way he does, but I strongly believe that he is only doing it as an act of desperation.

He's technically a fifty-something year old , I think at that point it's okay to be ually frustrated.

"Ah that was so heart breaking" Baekhyun released a heavy sigh off his chest as we walked out of the cinema, arm in arm.

It's obvious that Baekhyun somewhat felt as though he was in the same shoes as the main character. We do not really cover the topic much, but I have always known that Byun Baekhyun was special. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's certainly gay, yet his parents cannot seem to catch onto that idea. He's admitted once that if he was to ever hint it at his parents about his uality he doesn't doubt that they will disown him right after they give him a beating.

Unfortunately, I cannot really disagree on that. Mr Byun was a scary businessman who wanted to transfer his wealth in a smooth, no-fuss way, and because his older son chose to become a full-time doctor, then he cannot really pass it onto him, which leaves him with Baekhyun. The issue with that is, Mr Byun wants his heir to tie the knot with someone who is off the same standing as them in order to secure the wealth, and same- marriage isn't recognised in South Korea.

Baekhyun truly lives a harsh life.

I admire him, though. Looking at him now, he seems to be content and grateful of his life. Baekhyun never once complained about his dad's harsh expectations and just carried on doing whatever he wanted with all his heart. That's something that Baekhyun has always done; he has never done things half-assed because he never saw the point in doing so.

"Thank you so much for coming with me" Baekhyun held onto my arm tighter and I simply shrug in response.

“I didn’t really have much to do considering I swapped with Minseok today” I glanced at him to see Baekhyun grinning widely, “as promised.”

“Well it was either that or I brought a projector screen and the film with me for us to watch wherever you were!”

Had Baekhyun and I been friends only recently, I might have taken that as a joke, but because I have known him for all of my life, I believe his words.  He was genuinely eager to see the film seeing as he felt as though he could relate to the character.  Personally, I don’t think he does, but my best friend likes to look at life in a more dramatic, movie-esque view.

“Ah” he stops on his tracks all of a sudden, causing me to halt as well, “guess who I saw today?” Baekhyun turns to me with a cheesy grin, hinting me that it is someone that was previously connected to me either in an embarrassing way or in an awkward way.  Either or, I did not want to know.

I shrug with an uninterested hum, pulling Baekhyun to move along so we can get seated on a nice table and finally eat.  God, I’m starving.

“I saw Hyung-sik” he smiles wider, teasing me with his arched eyebrow.  Of course Baekhyun wouldn’t live down my two year crush on that guy.  It was from way back in college as well.

“Aish” I breathe out, “that damned guy needs to take a hike away from South Korea and leave me alone. Isn’t he like a mega millionaire already?”

“So you’ve been reading up on him?”

“No. He’s practically in every issue of the Financial Times, I don’t have to dig that deep to know he’s doing well nowadays.”

Baekhyun snorts, his steps getting lighter that he is almost skipping beside me.  “You know he’s single right?”

“Ya” this guy really doesn’t know how to stop himself, “Byun Baekhyun, for all we know, he could be gay.”  That was a comment out of the blue.  Park Hyung-sik was far from being gay.  He’s admitted in one of his interviews in the newspaper that the key to success is to live young while you can and he apparently always has a good looking girl wrapped around his arm.

“Ahn Jinah” Baekhyun dragged out every syllable in my name in such a sing-song manner that I can just foresee a sassy comeback about to be served, “just because he rejected you when you asked him out doesn’t mean his gay.  For all we know, he could just have really high standards.” 

I knew it.  I know Baekhyun too well.

“High standards” I scoffed, laughing at the thought, “excuse me I’m way out of his league.”

“Darling, if that helps you sleep at night, then so be it.”