“I should’ve skipped my training,” Sehun muttered, his face resting on his palms. Baekhyun is already done hearing his best friend blaming himself for what happened. It burdened him a lot. The little man just hoped his best friend stop putting the blame to himself.

“Sehun I told you that this is no one’s fault,” Baekhyun repeated. Ever since he woke up and declared fine by the doctor who was checking him, Sehun kept saying his apologies to the injured lad. Baekhyun wanted him to stop because there’s no point of saying sorry when Sehun did nothing wrong. “Why don’t you just go ahead and peel some oranges for me,” he said, trying to distract the boy.

Sehun quickly obeyed his best friend. Baekhyun was lucky the bus company took the responsibility of paying his hospital bills. But Sehun wasn’t contented with the place Baekhyun is currently confined so he took initiative to pay for a private room which he did not inform the patient so he won’t be able to complain anymore. Baekhyun just woke up to a nice comfortable room without knowing anything.

“And about the bills here,” Baekhyun reminded as he watched the slim guy peel oranges like he said. “Can I pay you when I receive my salary? I really don’t have—“

Sehun glared at his best friend. Baekhyun automatically shut his mouth. He already expected that the taller won’t let him pay for anything in return but it burdens him knowing he owes something from his best friend again.

“Baekhyun, how many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to?” Sehun sighed and lift the platter where the oranges he peeled were placed. “I was the one who decided to transfer you here. You don’t need to pay anything.”

“But Sehun!” Baekhyun complained. “This is too much. You taking care of me are already enough. Please let me pay you at least, even half.”

Sehun bit his lip and pulled the chair beside Baekhyun’s bed closer to the patient and occupied it. He placed the oranges on the lamp table before he looked at Baekhyun. He sighed, failing to resist his best friend. “Okay, then get better as soon as possible so you can pay me, okay?”

Baekhyun smiles cheekily as he looks at his best friend in delight. “I will!”

Baekhyun was perfectly fine despite the impact the bus received due to the crash. It surprised the doctors so much. If it wasn’t for their belief in Science, they would’ve thought some guardian angel came to save him from the accident.

Little did they know…?

After 24-hours passed, Baekhyun was allowed to get discharged from the hospital. Turns out that the injuries he received are as light as someone falling from their bike. Sehun found it odd too, but for Baekhyun, it must be someone else.

Sehun accompanied his best friend until Baekhyun got tired of convincing him to go home.  He just sat on his little round dining table as he watched the slimmer lad cook dinner for him. As he examined how his best friend moves around his tiny kitchen, his size almost occupying the height of the ceiling, Baekhyun learned how much Sehun improved his cooking. What made his best friend get interested in doing so was unclear to the brunette.

“Wow,” Baekhyun exclaimed the moment a freshly cooked fried chicken was served in front of him. Satisfied, Sehun sits down in front of the tinier with a supressed victorious smile plastered on his lips. “You really did learn how to cook.”

“I told you,” Sehun replied, showing off. The meal in front of Baekhyun might not be the best fried chicken he can taste of, but the fact that someone like Sehun that he’s known for more than years now, his best friend who can be the last one on earth to learn how to cook actually did it, amazed him so much. “Next time, tell me which dish you prefer and I’ll study how to cook it.”

Indulging on the tasty meat served on the platter, Baekhyun eyed his best friend. His mouth already stuffed with the delicious meal Sehun cooked for him. The taller just can’t help but to laugh at the sight. Baekhyun is indeed adorable. “You talk as if you’re so good at cooking.”

“The meat on your mouth says I am,” Sehun teased. “I never even thought about enjoying how to cook. I just wanted to learn how to prepare lunch for the both of us but now I’m like addicted to it.”

Biting on another piece of golden brown chicken, Baekhyun laughs. “Maybe it’s your body’s way of saying that you need to get married soon.” Baekhyun reaches for the glass of soda they bought on their way home. “I will not be surprised if someday I’ll see you washing your own clothes.”

“I am washing my own clothes!” Sehun defended after taking a harsh bite of his chicken.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Say that if you learn how to hide your laundry shop receipts,” he countered. Sehun’s mouth was shut. He really can’t hide anything from his best friend—even his laundry receipts.

“I wonder when the right person is coming to my life,” Baekhyun blurts out, taking the last meat off of the chicken bones and dropped it on his plate. “You know, I just want to see immediately if who I’ll end up with.”

Sehun sighed as he eyes sincerely at Baekhyun who failed to notice. “Me too.” He nods. “I want to see who I’ll end up with, too.”

They look good together; the spirit who secretly appeared on the corner of Baekhyun’s unit tries to convince himself. He glances quickly on his glowing heart. The light coming from his chest has been fading a lot ever since he saved Baekhyun from the accident.

It turns out, his key’s suspicions were right. Chanyeol didn’t know how it happened but the moment he felt something bad is about to happen, he saw Baekhyun’s bus accident on his vision and the moment he opened his eyes, the guy he was thinking about appeared in front of him. He looked around the area, and it was as if the time stopped. As he observed everything, he knew what was going on and immediately hugged Baekhyun.  

There was nothing better than seeing Baekhyun all fine. Chanyeol was relieved he did something to save him. He was thankful for whatever skill he just found out about himself that he was able to save the kid from the accident. However, it bothered him too; especially that Suho once mentioned something about abilities he’ll soon acquire because of Baekhyun.

He felt the need to ask him so he went to Suho’s place, plants blooming as always. The sparkling garden kind of helped him to stay at ease while waiting for the busy spirit.

“So you’re saying, you were able to see something before it actually happened?” Suho with crease on his forehead deeply forehead repeats as he watches his foot make its way to an unidentified path.

Chanyeol nods, recalling the things that happened in swift just hours before he came here. “At first it was just a feeling, then I heard his voice, and I saw it when I shut my eyes. And the moment I opened it again, I was already there, in front of him. The time was frozen, as if fate was waiting for me to do something.”

Suho looks at the younger spirit. “You envisioned something before it happened? And you were able to stop it?”

Chanyeol looks at Suho and the elder was obviously baffled. The taller figured out it must be something new for the other male. He expected this reaction though, however, what disappointed him is the fact that Suho may not be the help he needs right now.

“What…exactly happened, Chanyeol?” Suho muttered.

“Well,” Chanyeol started. He’s been waiting for Suho to ask this question to him. “Baekhyun, my key, he got on an accident today. A pretty big one.”

“An accident?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol answered. He looked back at the shorter spirit and was able to hint the uneasiness in his eyes. “Why Suho? Does the accident have anything to do with me?”

Suho shuts his eyes harshly and breathes out loud. This isn’t something he must tell the younger right now because it will just cause unsettling feelings to Chanyeol, but he knew the other lad has the right to learn what’s happening.

“Yes, Chanyeol,” Suho confirmed with a nod. That caught the former off guard. He was expecting it, yet it really still was a shock. Chanyeol felt his throat dry; finding out the friend he knew almost got killed by a harsh accident just because of the stupid key bind they share. “And the more Baekhyun’s death postpones, the more frequent it will chase him.”

“You mean…” Chanyeol gulps, unable to sink the facts the elder is telling him inside his mind. “Death is going to get him no matter how much he avoids it?”

Suho nods. Yet his mind isn’t focus on what Chanyeol is telling him. He bits the inside of his cheeks and looks at his companion.

“But the question is, why is fate helping you to save him? What’s so special about the two of you that everything about the bind gets more complicated every single time something happens between the two of you?”

Chanyeol remained shut, also wondered about the same thing.

Baekhyun decided to start going to work his best friend Sehun recommended him. The cut on his forehead still stings but he believes he’s already capable enough to work. The bistro is kind of known in the area which is why the waiter’s feet never stopped running around and doing his errands. People come and go and everyone is busy entertaining customers and serving them their orders. The owner of the bistro also decided to visit coincidentally on the first day of his work which gave him a lesser room for mistakes. Baekhyun’s smile, regardless, was never fading.

“Ok, one case of bottled beer coming up!” Baekhyun recited before he stormed off and hurried to the kitchen where every order is being made.

The manager of the bistro is actually impressed with how the young student learned every instructions he was told to do so quickly. Seeing Baekhyun on his feet now, seems like the manager is looking at an employee who already spent two months working in this place.

If Baekhyun continues to work like this, he might actually get promoted immediately.

Of course, the young male still has limitations. The moment he entered his room, an invisible magnetic force was pulling him to his bed and just go to sleep due to excessive weary. However, he still has school works to be passed tomorrow that he needs to finish overnight.

It’s been a busy day actually. Every letter he tries to write is always left distorted because he can’t resist dozing off while doing his homework. He is not actually used to pouring all his energy all day since he knows it’s bad for him; but during the day, when there’s a vacant time in between his classes, he tried occupying himself with anything to forget a certain person that has been running inside his mind throughout his recovery process. That wasted all his energy.

And now that his eyes are finally giving up and is about to close, a figure was caught in his blurry sight that struck Baekhyun’s eyes wide open.

“Chanyeol!” he happily exclaimed, yet his outstretched smile quickly faded upon seeing no one with him. He slumps himself on his chair, disappointed.

Baekhyun misses Chanyeol so much.