Baekhyun merely froze in his seat, and stared at the older male for the longest moment until the latter understood that his master wasn't actually staring at him. He turned around to leave the room, when finally Baekhyun found his voice and called after him.

“How’s the… the baby?”

Shindong couldn’t read the expression on his face, which didn’t look like shock, nor hurt, nor happiness at all.

“I think the baby’s fine sir…”

He held himself before a word about the mother would spill and enrage his master.

“It’s a boy.”

* * *

Four days later, when the butler opened the door of the mansion with the very first rays of dawn, Na Chaerin was standing there, looking frail and barely standing straight, but eyes determined as always.

“I need to see Baekhyun.”

“He’s not in, Ms. Na.”

The butler’s icy cold answer sent her pale face red with anger.

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“Mr. Byun doesn’t want any visitors, so please leave any message you have with me.”

“It’s not a message.” She replied, opening her clutch bag with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I want you to give this to him.”

Shindong took the small plastic zip-lock bag she was holding out, and blinked at it in confusion.

“It’s the baby’s.”

There was a tiny chunk of black hair in it.

“Tell him to run a DNA test on it. Since he won’t believe me if i do it myself.”

And before Shindong could question her further, Chaerin strode out of the mansion premises.

* * *

“She wants you to-”

“Can you do it for me Shindong?” Baekhyun asked, without taking his eyes off the small bag on the butler’s palm. “Pay extra if you need. And get the results out as soon as possible. And...”

“What else should I do sir?”

Baekhyun pursed his lips, and averted his gaze from the tiny strands of hair. “Send some essential baby supplies… I don’t know what they need… Just buy what’s necessary-”

“Before getting the results of the test sir?”

Baekhyun nodded in reply. “What if she can’t afford them? Just buy some stuff and send them to the hospital… or the hotel she stays in. or wherever she is… I don’t know.”

A few minutes later, the butler stepped out of the mansion and set along the street until he could hail a taxi, and when the taxi started driving towards the main road, a white Raize Z parked nearby started following them.

* * *

“Did he call you?”

Minji asked, sprawled across her friend’s bed and kicking a pillow which she considered too outdated in style.

“I called him.” Yoon muttered.

“When?”

“This morning.”

“And?”

“And what else?”

Seriously Yoon! How am I supposed to give you guys a solution when I don’t even know what your problem is?”

A feeble smile spread across Yoon’s face at her friend’s question. “It’s not a question that you can find a solution to.”

“Did he cheat on you? I doubt that. He was practically all over you!”

“No he didn’t.” Yoon muttered again. “Not exactly.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘NOT EXACTLY’??? Can someone cheat halfway you pighead?”

“He didn’t cheat Kim Minji!!!” Yoon was finally raising her voice when her phone started ringing.

“Is it him? Baekhyun?”

Minji sat on the bed in lightning speed and peeked at Yoon’s phone. “It is! Answer Yoon! Quick!”

Hesitant, Yoon took the call. “Baekhyun?”

“Baekhyun?”

The silence slowly broke with his voice, weak and low as if he was speaking from quite far away.

“I’m sorry… Lee Yoon.”

The girl went still, gripping her phone and not knowing how to react.

His apology seemed to give the s\answer to the question she dreaded the most.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Is… Is the baby born? Already?” Yoon stuttered in an uncontrollably shaking voice. “And- who got the DNA results? Maybe they’re mistaken? Ask Shindong to do it himself!”

“I’m sorry Yoon-ah…” She heard him heave a sigh, and pause for a moment. “What am I supposed to do now?”

The phone was suddenly grabbed away from the girl’s hand, and that’s when the two girls realized that Yoon’s mom had entered the room without them knowing.

“Baekhyun,” she spoke to her son-in-law, in a tougher voice than Yoon had ever heard coming from her mother. “So the child is born? And does the test results prove that you’re the father?”

“Omonim…” came Baekhyun's restless voice. “Can I come and see Yoon for a moment? We need to talk. Just because the test proved it… it doesn’t mean-“

“It does mean that you’ve had a child with another woman Baekhyun.” Yoon’s mom cut his words off. “And what were you thinking? to raise an illegitimate child while living with my daughter?”

“Please omonim…”

“Come to your senses Baekhyun…please. Both our families can’t afford a humiliation like this so think rationally at least from now on.”

She ended the call and threw the phone onto the mattress. “Weren't you the one who screamed at him saying you can’t live with him if he’s fathered someone else’s child? Now don’t you dare run back to him and create another mess Yoon!”

Tears streaming down her face, the girl stared at her mother in silence.

“Let him take care of the mess he created. And stay away. You’re gone through enough thanks to him.”

The girl broke into helpless sobs as soon as the older woman left the room. Half understanding the situation without needing any explanation, Minji pulled her into her embrace.

“Cry you idiot….cry and let everything out until you feel better. Because your mom is right sweetheart… You’ve gone through enough trouble for him. And this is not something a girl like you should go through.”

“Call him Minji…omma just hung up on him…” Yoon mumbled, still sobbing against her friend's shoulder.

“I’m not calling him- Aish…” Minji took Yoon’s phone and dialed his number only to get the call directed to voicemail. “See? He won’t talk to you. He must be gaining his senses back so he won’t talk to you.”

* * *

Nearly two weeks passed, with Minji staying at Yoon’s place with her, with no media blow up like Yoon’s parents had expected happening, and with no news from Baekhyun or his family.

There had been occasional calls from Na Chaerin, those were all answered by Minji, and ended without her letting Yoon hear a single word.

“What did she say?”

Yoon once asked, because she had slightly heard Minji swearing through the phone at a far corner of their garden.

“The usual. She’s saying Baekhyun's out of reach and she can’t forever stay in that hotel, and that she at least needs some money to find a decent place to move into since the baby is now discharged from the hospital.”

“Why’s Baekhyun out of reach?”

“How do I know that girl? If you wanna know, call him yourself. Or go find him! It’s not like your parents are keeping you locked up here. They just want you to stay away from media chaos and other trouble!”

“I can’t…see him.” The girl bit her lip. “If I go to him,