Falling Star

It was romance. If anyone asked Baekhyun about his favorite book, movie, or dream, the answer would only be one; romance. Since he was a kid, he had been enamored with Disney movies and happily ever after tales. When he grew up to teenager, he dreamt of love at the first sight, a prince charming coming out of nowhere riding a red motor sport and snatching him out of his feet like some action-romance scene. Passed twenty, Baekhyun deemed himself mature, his silly dream changed into a sweet one; bestfriends to lovers. Unfortunately, he did not have potential bestfriend to lover to begin with. Both Kim Jongdae and Do Kyungsoo, his childhood bestfriends had been married off years ago. And last time Baekhyun heard the news from them, Jongdae had just presenting his first son to the world and Kyungsoo was pregnant, again, for the third time.

Over twenty five, Baekhyun threw all his dream out of the window, into the sea. He didn’t care anymore if his partner would be as handsome as his favorite actor Lee Dongwook, if he was tall enough or just Baekhyun’s height. He wouldn’t even care anymore if the man has beer belly instead of six pack abs he used to droll at from his favorite actors and Kpop boygroups.

At twenty nine, Baekhyun just want someone.

At twenty nine, just few days shy away from his thirty, Baekhyun gave up on his own romance.

“I don’t have a single bestfriend I could ask to marry when I’m thirty!!!” He wailed into the pillow.

“I don’t even have ex-lover I can return to,” he sobbed.

“Or potential nerigbor-“ there was only an old couple across the house, and young families with kids living either sides of his house. There’s no really potential husband.

“BAEKHYUN!”

The door swung open and Baekhyun didn’t have to look up to know who was coming. He and his mother had that fight again. The nearer Baekhyun to the number tree with another digit behind of his age, the often the nagging he received, more often than not, it turned into a fight that left him crying silently. These days, it became so unbearable, so agonizing on both sides. These days, Baekhyun’s pillow was almost always wet.

“Are you sleeping?! Yah! If you keep being lazy like that, how would you get a husband?! Go out and stop being useless! Now changed into pretty clothes and got to the party, or anywhere. Let people see you! How else are you going to get a husband?!”

No, I don’t need a husband, I can feed myself enough.

“Don’t you feel ashamed of staying single?!” However, his mother continued. “You’re not getting any younger, Baekhyun! You are already thirty!”

Almost. Baekhyun had half a mind to argue but he was too tired and this led to nothing. Useless like always. Useless like himself. It was the same words, the same issue, but it never wound less each time. Instead, Baekhyun just laid there with his back facing his mother and pillow to absorb his tears. Life would be easier if he didn’t have one at all.

“Did you hear that Haechan is getting married next week? He is much younger than you! I remember he was only a baby when we moved here and you were at the second grade of school already,” her nag was echoing inside the four corner rooms like sharp invisible knives. It hurts “No one else is single in this neighborhood but you! You will be forever alone, Baekhyun! Don’t you feel ashamed?! You make me so ashamed!”

Let me live alone, it’s my life anyway, so what?!

“I am ashamed of you!”

“Then kick me out and pretend you never give birth of me!”

They had argued the same things. It repeated and repeated and repeated. They both were tired of his, Baekhyun knew. And he wondered when would it end. Will I ever marry someone? Do I even have that other half?

I am ashamed, Baekhyun.

It hurt. It hurt so much but Baekhyun try not to let out any sound at all. The saliva he swallowed back felt salty with tears.

That night he stared outside the opened window. His eyes were swollen after he had fallen asleep crying. His stomach was painfully empty. He didn’t have his dinner but he could careless. Thirty years of living, and he still couldn’t composure of what was his function. He was just wasting oxygen and life at its finest.

He would move out, he had been thinking to several times, but his current payment could only enough to get him food day by day, he didn’t have enough to rent a house. His savings were never enough too eventhough he had stayed with his flipped phone and ate street foods when his colleagues went out to restaurants.

As he looked at the stars, he envied them so much. Stars were never lonely and they never need a partner. Starts didn’t have to deal with stressfull job and low salary. Stars were beautiful that no one would nag at them. In the next life, he wished he would be reborn as a star.

Just then, he saw a bright star moving down, it was slow at first yet getting faster in each millisecond passed. Falling star, Baekhyun instantly realized.

But, he was almost thirty and he didn’t believe in wishing upon falling star anymore.

If you’re really that magical, bring me a tall, handsome, six-pack wealthy husband that actually looks like a member of EXO.

***

A/N: A new random story o/