Warning: mention of abuse, drugs, etc.

 

The class was full of noises; some nerds rushing about what books to pick and discussing whether or not they did the assignment question number 129 due next week using this formulation or that formulation, some boys in the corner, huddled together watching something from one of their phones so secretly but with the volume so high Baekhyun could practically listen to the moans and grunts from the speaker despite he was seated almost on the opposite corner, some girls gossiping around while applying red lipstick on their crusty lips and eyeliners on their fake purple eyes, they giggled so annoyingly loud Baekhyun wished they accidentally stab their eyes. And then, there was his own cliché. They were currently paying attention to Baekhyun’s newly died pink hair and everyone complimenting him about it.

Baekhyun would lie if he said he didn’t enjoy this, the little attention that made him feel pretty.

He wished he noticed him too.

“ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT!!!” Jongdae barged in suddenly and caught everyone’s attention. The class died down inan instant as all eyes fell to the male who was now panting in front of the class; he was running here, it seemed, his hair went messy and his bag was slung complicatedly over his shoulder.

“I have a big announcement!” he halted, as if to make it thrilling, he eyed everyone in the room, making sure everyone no one paid their focus not on him.

“What is it?” Someone whispered impatiently, then another then another. Everyone joined in a muttered chatters and soon, the class turned chaos again.

Jongdae put his hands up as if to calm everyone, it didn’t do much. What he said next did it, anyway.

“The Prince is looking for his lost lover!”

As if on cue, everyone gasped, jaws fell here and there, and for a solid minute, no one could find a word to respond. When it passed, murmurs were everywhere. Everyone was talking to each other all at once.

“The Prince? Kim Kai?”

“Lost lover?”

“What happened?”

“He has a lover?”

“Is it that small guy from the party last Saturday?”

Some students went to the front, asking Jongdae for more detailed information, some other threw arguments that it couldn’t be true, and few, the one who had no more pride in them wailed miserably, tears streaming down their cheeks along with their eyeliner.

“Yeah, I saw him walking around this morning with his cousin and a pair of shoes!”

“Really? Isn’t it like Cinderella story?”

“Yeah it really looks like it..”

And more and more and more chats. Everyone spoke their minds. And then, the sound felt like fading.

He looked down at his textbook like it was the only thing those huge, damned eyes. Baekhyun stilled in his seat, fingers absentmindedly playing with his pencil. His eyes were sharp, drifting somewhere the quiet corner of the class. To where a small man sat nonchalantly to his surrounding, his thick glasses framed his eyes, matter, like he didn’t know.

Oh, how much Baekhyun hated him.

The big crazy chaos full of screaming and crying was forced to die down when their homeroom teacher came in with a long stick in hand. No one dared to challenge that stick of pain, so they pressed it upon themselves, turned it into whispers and promises that there will be more at lunch break.

As the teacher began to explain their topic of lesson today, Baekhyun didn’t tear his eyes off the male who never once looked back. Just like that, he let his memories reeled back to the nights before last night. To the years of hell.

 

***

 

Clutching the old, worn travel bag which holder almost fell off, Baekhyun looked at the big house before his eyes. It was truly a house, with a small, well-tended garden and children playground in the left side, a set of swing and a bright yellow seesaw could be seen from where he was standing through the bars. He never rode a swing nor seesaw before in his life. Even the gate… his heart beat fast against his ribs as he marvelled at the huge, thick wooden bars of gate reaching up two meters high, offering comfort for whoever lived behind. Never had he seen a place as marvellous, as homey as this one looked.

“We are really going to live here?” Twelve years old him, slightly shorter than his mother looked at the woman, who smiled her beautiful, victory smile at him. It was a rare occasion, but this time, she reached up to pat his head softly.

“Yes, Baekhyun. From now on, we will live with no lacking anymore.”

Baekhyun looked down at his tee, it was a lusterless yellow t-shirt with a Mickey Mouse character printed on it, one ear had lost the black ink on it and all the other colors had faded. His jeans fared no better, it was too big to begin with and now the edge all brown and crumpled from too much got stepped on. And his shoes… was a shade of dull red where he remembered it was supposed to be bright; too faded in color, too small in size, and too old in age. All in all, he seemed to be not belong there.

The chain locking the gate rattled when it was pulled. The gate slowly swung open, and Baekhyun felt like running away so badly. Flashes of scenes, bad scenes he received, the hits, the pulls, the pushes, every memory beat him up all over again. He could never trust any human. Would his life be better, really?

From the first time he breathed the air, they had lived in abuse and sorrow.  His father loved gambling and lost his job after stealing his company’s money. He worked again only to do the same. And again, and again. Until he lost both job and hope. He became a full time gambler then, and a drinker…. And a monster. Every time his father was home, Baekhyun would hide as best as he could, it was almost no use. He would call him, and after he failed to answer on the second attempt, his always drunk father would find him and beat him bloody.

Sometimes, his mother would defend him, and they would get beaten together. Some other time later, she had learned better, she wouldn’t be at home most time. Neighbours said she sold herself, spreading her legs for anyone who could pay. Baekhyun didn’t care, she was the one gave him enough bread to eat at the end of the day. And every time his mother’s not home, Baekhyun would get beaten twice, for him, and for his mother’s absence.

When Baekhyun was nine, he signed up for a judo class. Of course, he took it secretly. No one had known. He worked, helping to carry heavy things on the market, sang on the streets, and stole money sometimes to have some meals, the rest he would save for his course.  He wanted to defend himself. Then, when he was ten, one night before he could get beaten again for the endless number of time, he defended himself; he beat his father bloody before ran with his mother.

His mother got married again four months later. A younger man, he was quite handsome, and he was a drugs seller. It was rather his mother didn’t know, or she was too desperate for shelter to care. The man didn’t beat Baekhyun. He was rather ignorant. And when Baekhyun thought he was safe then, the man crawled into his bed one night, hands all over Baekhyun only to be beaten up with a judo black belt master. After that, he threatened to kill Baekhyun if he said a word. He didn’t, until one day, his new father tried to shove Baekhyun’s face onto his powders of drugs and tried to choke him with .

Baekhyun called the police.

He couldn’t believe when less than a year after that, his mother telling him she would be getting married again. This time with a fine, middle-aged man.

A face came up behind the gate. A friendly smile etched on his lips to match his friendly round face. When he stepped forward, arms spread wide reaching for Baekhyun, the kid stepped back.

“Baekhyun,” his mother called sternly. “This is Do Hyunjin, call him father from now on.”

The man bent down a little to level his eyes with him. He had a pair of big, friendly eyes, smiling eyes Baekhyun had never seen in a man before.

“Your name is Byun Baekhyun, right?” The man asked nicely, so nice it took Baekhyun aback. He was holding something in his hand, which then he gave to Baekhyun. “Do you want some ice cream?” That was a cone of ice cream, the kind of ice cream Baekhyun often saw people eat, but never ever touched one himself. His hand was shaking when he received the cone, didn’t dare to break his eye contact with the man.

“I hope you would like to live here, Baekhyunee. It’s not that much that I have, but please feel home. Kyungsoo?” he called, and soon, a tiny figure emerged from his behind.

There, in front of him was a kid not taller than Baekhyun. He was probably his age, with eyes so big that look alike with the ones Do Hyunjin had. The difference was, where Hyunjin smiled sweetly to him, the Kyungsoo kid just stared at him, scrutinizing him as if he was judging.

He stood there, the same cone of ice cream like in Baekhyun’s hand was in his, big eyes stared blankly. Baekhyun didn’t like it. But then he reached his free right hand out and smiled, he smiled so brightly making his lips into a beautiful heart shape. He smiled so brightly it made nothing else in this world mattered.

Baekhyun still didn’t like it.

“This is Kyungsoo,” his new father introduced. “He is a shy kid. I believe you two are around the same age, from what your mother said, Kyungsoo is a little younger than Baekhyunee, so please take care of him, hm?”

And then, without any trace of shame, the man bent down slightly to kiss Kyungsoo on the cheek. The kid pulled away as if he was embarrassed to be kissed in front of strangers. Baekhyun silently tightened his fist.

From the day he was born, he was never been threatened so gentle as Kyungsoo had just received. He never got a kiss, nor hug, not even from his mother. And this ungrateful kid just threw it like it was garbage?

Kyungsoo must have been so lucky. He was born and raised in a house that could actually be called a house, and home, with a swing and a yard, with living room and his own bedroom. He was well loved and got attended to. He was wearing nice and clean clothes and was wearing the new sneakers Baekhyun once saw and been longing since.

He was so damn lucky and Baekhyun hated that fact. He had everything Baekhyun could never.

“You have nice shoes,” Baekhyun commented after dragging the silence. He didn’t reach Kyungsoo’s hand immediately and instead looking at his new shining white shoes.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo chirped. “Daddy gave them to me two weeks ago for my birthday.”

Birthday gift…. Baekhyun never had that too.

“Does Baekhyunee like Kyungsoo’s shoes? Do you want to have a pair of shoes like that too?” Do Hyunjin smiled warmly. “We can buy them too. Tomorrow, we can go to—“

Baekhyun quickly shook his head. “I want that shoes.”

Between the silences that followed after that, Baekhyun knew he had pushed his luck too much. At the back of his head, he could feel his mother glaring warning onto him; he could also see the hesitant look that was shared between two strangers before him. But before he could say something to undo his previous words, Kyungsoo nodded. He quickly bent to remove his sneakers.

“Sure! You can have it since you are my brother now!”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun replied with the same sugary smile. The difference thing, his was never reached his eyes.

Kyungsoo was too lucky. Bet he never knew what pain was.

So, when Baekhyun finally stepped inside the gate and into the house, he promised himself. He promised in his heart… that he would get them all, take them, steal them if he must. Kyungsoo had been too happy for twelve years already. It was time to switch their fates around.

 

***

 

For years, the marriage between his mother and Mr Do Hyunjin went smooth, much more than what Baekhyun ever hoped for.  He gained weight easily within the first year, being fed three times a day and even was brought into restaurants on special occasions; he could practically eat any food he wished. When Kyungsoo, his stepbrother got a piece of chicken, he got the same. When he bought ice cream, he would buy one too for Baekhyun.

Baekhyun couldn’t feel any more grateful.

But no, not really. Not when Kyungsoo always got the wings part of chicken Baekhyun wished he got. Chicken wings are Kyungsoo’s favorite, his stepfather had said. But no one asked him what was his favorite. He wanted the wings so bad. Also not when Kyungsoo bought him the melon ice cream he hated so much without asking first, without knowing how much he hated melon, or… how much he hated Kyungsoo.

He hated him. Every single day was never wasted to harbour the feeling again and again. When their father was near, he would bottle it inside his heart, smiling his sweet smile as he tried to charm the man. When their father was out of town, though, as he was working in a ship, Baekhyun wouldn’t be shy to show his true color toward his stepbrother. And his mother, of course, would feel the same toward the poor kid. If people say a mother always had a soft heart, his mother must be an exception.

“I got 97 at the Math test today!” Fourteen years old Baekhyun proudly showed his test sheet to his stepfather, who took the paper and with a big grin, patted him on the back.

“Woah Baekhyunee is really smart. I’m so proud, Baekhyun, keep studying hard!”

Baekhyun’s smile blossomed across his face, his nostrils flared and chest puffed. Compliments, as he never experienced in the first twelve years of his life, really felt good.

“Yes, I will. The test wasn’t that hard, however.”

“That’s nice. But don’t stress yourself over school, hm? You should enjoy it too.”

Baekhyun nodded, leaning into the touch his stepfather gave as his stepson’s soft brunet.

“And what about your test, Soo-ya?”

Sooner than he would have like, that bright smile Baekhyun was sporting faded as the spotlight no longer his. Kyungsoo who was nestling on the very end of the couch moved closer to his father then, shyly handling his sheet marked with the big number 100 on it.

“You got a hundred?! This is great! Daddy is proud!”

It was impossible not to notice how big their father’s grin when he saw Kyungsoo’s sheet, much more than Baekhyun’s. And by the time Kyungsoo was held in his father’s arms and got a kiss on the forehead, it was as if someone had wiped clean all the track of smile Baekhyun ever had. It was like a storm cloud appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a sunny day in his heart.

He hated Kyungsoo. But that time, he hated him most.

And he found himself staring at the same perfect number, at the same sheet of Kyungsoo’s the next morning. Their father had gone back to his work and no one around anymore to defend the little bastard. What an annoying number he got. While Baekhyun had worked hard studying day and night to get the almost perfect score in Math, Kyungsoo effortlessly got the perfect one. How could it be? While Baekhyun was playing and studying, the poor kid was made to do the house chores; cleaning, cooking, and anything just to keep him busy, just to keep his back begging for rest until he cried himself to sleep. Yeah, Baekhyun would like to see that. Twelve years. Twelve years he had cried his own eyeballs to sleep, twelve years he had endured bruises and harsh words. He’d like to see someone else going through the same.

The perfect number… he tore it in two, then to four, then to pieces. The pieces of paper were flying down to his feet went Kyungsoo walked in.

“What are you doing?!”

“Nothing, just getting rid of some trash,” he answered, coldly. None track of guilt left in his voice.

Kyungsoo eyes followed the last paper lying down on the floor near his own feet. If he had figured what Baekhyun was doing, he didn’t say it, Only the tightening of his jaw, and the sour on his face made Baekhyun smirked.

“Anyway, I’m borrowing your bag today.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s your fault you didn’t dry my bag well enough it’s still damped.”

“But you have many other bags, Baekhyun.”

“They are old style.”

Without actually waiting for Kyungsoo to agree (he was never and would never care what the guy had to say, anyway), Baekhyun grabbed the new bag their father just bought Kyungsoo. He smiled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The bag looked too nice for Kyungsoo, it fit him nicely, though.

“Don’t give me that sad face!” He said, not wanting to catch such guilty feeling from the way Kyungsoo seemed to be lost. “You still have many other bags.”

Yeah, old and ruined bags. He always took the new ones even if it was for Kyungsoo and threw his worn out ones in the trash bin for Kyungsoo to pick up later. With that, Baekhyun left the room, decided not to be there to see the tears glistened up Kyungsoo’s eyes.

 

***

The first and only time he saw Kyungsoo was crying so much he was choking in his own tears was when they were fifteen. They were at school studying like usual when a relative came picking them up. The ship Do Hyunjin worked at had involved in an incident. The ship exploded and drowned, and many of its workers went missing in the sea. Their father was one of them.

Two days later, they found his corpse. Kyungsoo had grown fragile and sobbed on the floor for the time no one could count.

Even Baekhyun. It felt weird. He had been beaten up bloody, he had been threatened rough, he had been called names, but he never once cried. But that day, he was well, no harm done, it was someone else that died, someone who wasn’t even his father. But as he stood there in the corner, watching the warm smile in the picture of Do Hyunjin, the man who was then lying cold in his coffin, as he stood there recalling the last smile he gave them when he parted away…. The tears easily rolled down his cheeks.

The man gave him the warmest smile and kindest heart, and that was what hurt most.

 

***

 

“Can I help you, son?”

The baritone voice and a tap on his shoulder brought Baekhyun back to reality. He quickly dismissed the image of his late stepfather three years ago, trying to gain his focus back on the display before his eyes. A pair of nice, shining leather shoes. The size just fit him, the color seemed to be perfect. And it was indeed perfect. The price, though….

He looked down at his own shoes, it wasn’t black anymore as it was supposed to be, worn out one that was an inch away from its due date to be in the trash bin. Since his stepfather died, they slowly succumbed down. His mother had used the assurance money to start a business, only to have it collapsed sooner than expected. She had nothing good other than seducing men, anyway. And at such age, it was useless, no man would want her in their bed again even if she gives herself away for free.

“What actually are you looking for?” The man, the store owner it seemed, asked Baekhyun again.

“Oh? Uhh can I see those shoes?”

It felt so smooth under his touch, so strong, it just basically screamed classic. When did the last time he wore such shoes? He couldn’t remember. But the special party thrown by Prince Kai was around the corner and it was their last year at school, it was his last chance to impress his crush, and maybe, just maybe, made his and his family’s lives better again.

He was about to sing on that birthday party, and charm him with his voice. It was known all over the school how the famous idol fancied beautiful voice to match his amazing skill in dance and musical instruments. And if there was one thing about himself that he took proud of, it was his voice. A kid once said that he had a voice of an angel, and Baekhyun always tried to improve his singing ever since.

He couldn’t come to the party looking like homeless. People said, nice shoes would bring you to the nice place. And before him, was the right shoes he had to take.

The price, however, crushed whatever he ever dreamt of.

“Are you going to buy that one? It’s new and good for young people like you. People would want to buy it.”

He bite his lips, he felt like crying both for desperation and shame. No money, what a pity. “Umm maybe next time, Uncle.”

 

***

 

“Have you decided what are you going to wear for The Prince’s birthday party?”

Their History teacher was explaining about Korea’s War in front of the class, but no one paid attention, really, except for some nerds. The girl who was sitting in front of Baekhyun seemed to bored to keep his energy for herself as she poked her deskmate and started to gossip around.

“Not yet. I can’t really decide yet!” Jang Soojin, Baekhyun recalled her name whined. “Have you?”

And Lee Minha, the girl sitting before him, brushed her curly auburn hair aside. “Yeah. I actually wanted some Donatella Versage design, but my mom bought me a Donna Karan’s limited collection,” she sighed dramatically. “It’s not exactly what I wanted but you know, since it’s more expensive than your car, I can’t really do anything about it,” he whined again, fakely, which she ended with a shrug.

Baekhyun suddenly had the urge to throw up. Girls, and their dramatic showing off asses. However, Jang Soojin bought it as she gasped.

“Daebak! Donna Karan, you say?! I can’t even buy any of designer’s dress. You’re very lucky!”

“I guess so,” Minha brushed her hair again. “It’s not that much for me, anyway.”

“You’re very rich, Minha-ya. You’d attract Prince Kai, I’m sure!” Soojin sighed dreamily, hands now cupping her chin. “I already feel so lucky that I’m invited too on his party. I heard he invited all the students in this school and will have a huge party, right? I’m so lucky I study here. I will buy a nice dress too, who knows Prince Kai would see me.”

From where he was sitting, Baekhyun could see Minha’s lips twitched in annoyance and he almost burst out into a loud laugh. Fake and stupid, just perfect to be friends. Kim Kai would never notice the like of them, that he was sure.

Exhaling a heavy breath and inhaled again the air stinking hatred and stupidity, Baekhyun chose to drag his eyes elsewhere, outside of the windows. He was so done with the girls. Just then, he spotted a familiar tall figure in the distance. The tall boy with weird ears that often played in the basketball team. Baekhyun didn’t know his name, and he never cared anyway. But he kept his eyes on him, after all. Because wherever the boy was, there was always Kim Kai there. Like idol and bodyguard.

Then, as if God finally acknowledge his prayer, the guy appeared. The man of his dream. The one he had a crush on. Kim Jongin.

Kim Jongin, rather known as Kim Kai, or Prince Kai was already on top of popularity despite the young age of his group which only debuted last year. Together with five other members, he debuted as the most awaiting rocky group named XOXO. Coming from the biggest Kpop entertainment industry company, XOXO had already gained many fans even since their predebut, with the many teasers of their members' pictures and video greetings. Most of them were from Kai alone. Those alone already gave them so much attention, and with the released of their debut song, History, followed by other song hits like Growl, Monster and Wolf, in less than a year they already could bring Daesang home together with many other awards. Fans went crazy for them, and in the center of it all, was Kim Kai, being the visual and lead dancer of the group, and also starring at many commercial ads.

They called him The Prince. For he looked like one, he had everything every girl and boy dreamed of; good look, hot, wealth, popularity, and tenderness.

“Hello, my name is Kim Kai!” He greeted gently on his first video shared. He was playing with few puppies and let tender laughter escaped his lips.

“My ideal type?” he was interviewed in the second video, scrunching his nose up in a cute way while was thinking. “It’s not beauty or physical. For me whether it was a girl or a boy, whether they were pretty in many people’s eyes or they were unique, whether they have long hair or short, it doesn’t matter. That’s how falling in love works. We don’t plan to fall, nor we force ourselves too. We just fall. No matter what reasons, we just fall. But… if I have to choose something physical for my ideal type, it is… someone with a beautiful voice.”

And even if Baekhyun tried hard not to, he couldn’t help but fall for Kim Kai, just like many others. The way he moved while performing, the way he smiled charming, and the gentleness of his every speech and acts… how not to fall for?

Because deep inside, he knew…. He felt familiar. Kim Kai reminded him of someone.

 

***

 

“Aren’t you that boy who always comes here?”

All of sudden, all blood rushed to Baekhyun’s cheeks as he sat there, hand on the glass and eyes previously glued on the shoes on display. Ever since he first saw the shoes, he had been regularly coming to the store only to have a look, to make sure no one else bought it while he was saving his money. Yeah, he even took a part-time job now at a 7 eleven near the school.

Did he come too often that even the shop owner recognized him?

“Do you come here to buy the shoes?”

Biting his lips, Baekhyun shook his head.

“Umm Uncle?” He said, never had he felt so humiliated as he pulled out all of his money and dropped on the man’s open palm, making him raised his brow. “This is all I have. Can you… save the shoes until I have enough money to pay them all?”

 

***

 

He was nine when he first sang out loud for anyone else to hear. He was wandering on one of the streets in Gangnam, starving and got nothing in his pocket. When he saw a crowd, he carefully slid in, hoping he could pickpocket one who didn’t care enough or two amongst the mass of people. He scanned through them all and quickly found his target. Even though he wasn’t a professional yet, this also wasn’t a new thing for him for he started his first try of stealing a year ago.

What stopping him then, when he was that close to taking the wallet from a man’s back pocket was what attracted people to be there in the first place. Strum of guitar, few knocks of the drum, and then a clear, beautiful voice. There, just on the ground before him, was a bunch of young people singing, dancing and playing musical instrument, combining them into such an eye-catching and eargasm harmony. It was entertaining. And when they were done, people all went to drop their money into the guitar case. Street musicians.

That was how Baekhyun learned how to make money.

 

 

Cheotnun oneun ireon ohue
On this afternoon where the first snow is falling

Neoege jeonhwareul geol suman itdamyeon gippeul tende
If only I could call you, I’d be so happy

Beolsseo ilyeoni jinanneunde nan ajik miryeon gadeukhaeseo
A year has already passed but I’m still not over you

“Sseulsseulhae” eoneusae hanjatmal
So I talk to myself, “I’m lonely”

First snow, was the first song he sang out loud in the middle of the street. It was late November and the weather was so cold he tried so hard for his voice not to shiver. But no one stopped to listen. They kept on their business and destinations with head went ahead and hands on their pockets, some would give him a curious look, but not enough to make them halt. Maybe it was the cold air everyone despised, or maybe, Baekhyun was just not good enough to worth their time. He just realized then, that it was so stupid of him. He had no guitar, nor violin, nor any musical instrument that might attract people. He couldn’t even dance. It was just him, standing straight like a robot in the middle of the street, singing out loud like a mad boy.

And while Baekhyun was on the verge of crying, by the corner of his eyes, he saw a boy standing there, watching him, carefully listening, bobbing his head sometimes as if he really liked hearing the melody Baekhyun carried.

Baekhyun immediately stopped singing.

“Why are you stopping?” The boy protested quickly. “It was a nice song!”

“No one listening.”

“I am listening!” He frowned and strode toward Baekhyun. “You have a really beautiful voice I feel like I’m listening to an angel voice!” He grinned cheesily until his glasses fell off his nose, which he quickly fixed. “Can you please sing more for me?”

Baekhyun bit his lips. Was he being real? Or was he just like other kids used to to bully Baekhyun? His eyes found a pair of big sparkling eyes behind the glasses and he couldn’t see any mockery there.

“What do you want me to sing?”

“Anything! Oh, I like the song you just sang. So can you please sing it again?”

 

Neoreul mannamyeon nunmul chaolla
If I met you, would tears rise up?

Babogateun nan amu mal motae
The foolish me wouldn’t be able to say anything

Malhaejwo meri meri Christmas, annyeong jal jinaeneungeoji
Tell me, Merry Merry Christmas, hi, how have you been?

Nuni naerimyeon meongdeun gaseumi modu hayake da deopyeojige doelkka
When the snow falls, would my bruised hard get covered whitely?

 

He sang once again, and was lured into singing another song again and again at the end. It was three songs in total and by the end of the performance, the boy was clapping his hands excitedly with a wide grin etched on his face.

“That was really nice! Very beautiful!”

Baekhyun blushed, then answered “thanks” in a very small voice the boy probably didn’t hear him.

“Oh! Your shoelaces are untied!” The boy pointed out to the mess around his shoes. “My mother said, it’s very dangerous, you can fall!”

Baekhyun looked down, suddenly very conscious of his ugly, worn out shoes.

“Why are you wearing shoes that look too big for you?”

It was indeed too big Baekhyun had to tie it hard or else he’d slip it off while walking. Shoes, he never really had ones. It was the one he got from the local dump, already had a small hole on its left toe when he found them but nevertheless, still useful.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does! My mother said, nice shoes will bring you to nice places.”

When the boy removed his own shoes, red in colour with a stip of black on each side, Baekhyun stayed quiet. When the boy squatted down before him, he froze. When he pulled out Baekhyun shoes and replaced it with his own shoe, though, Baekhyun couldn't help but gape.

“W-what are you doing?” He asked, panicked while trying his best to pull his foot without making himself fall. What was the boy doing again? Touching his dirty feet.

“Here, wear my shoes!”

“What?”

Looking down, Baekhyun could see the boy’s big smile again. “I can’t pay for your singing with money because I don't have them right now, but I have my shoes. Please take them!”

“But....,” Baekhyun bit his lips. As much as he