| CHAPTER THREE |

Game Over, Not.

[From: Baekhyun]

You look like a princess. Your smile is contagious, your eyes are shaped like a pretty half-moon, your chin is adorable, you don’t need lipstick on those naturally plump lips, you’re tough, you’re an intelligent woman and you’re obviously perfect. I like you and I won’t leave you alone. Sorry if you have misunderstood, in any sort of way, my utter admiration of your beauty whenever you stand in front me. 😊

A laugh of victory sings out of his mouth as he pressed the Send button. Baekhyun knew that this is the best comeback ever and if he gets lucky, he might even win the game before he even had to do anything extreme. He never usually texts this long, not to anyone ever, but he had to make a point. Satisfied enough, he turned his engine off and got out of the car.

When he got in to his home, he was welcomed by his father who was waiting on the couch. “Oh sh—Appa, you should tell me if you are visiting. I know I gave you spare keys but what if I have a girl over? At least tell me.” He bowed politely and helped him get up along with his crane. “I want to but … my phone is broken, I think? See this, son? The thing there on top is gone but I don’t know how?” The older man took his phone out to show him. Baekhyun instantly laughed as he realized the simple problem. “Appa, you use Kakaotalk to talk to me and you need data for that that’s why these messages didn’t send, you turned the data off. If you do this by accident again, just text me like normal on my phone number.” He went to the phone settings and showed it to him step by step.

“Oh … I must have done that without realizing it. Okay, I will keep that in mind.” Mr. Byun held the phone farther away from his face to look at it again. Baekhyun gestured him to follow in the kitchen. “Have you eaten yet? I have some left over take out here, should still be good.” He opened the fridge to check. The old man sat himself down on the high chair in front of the kitchen island and sighed. “My son, I dreamt of your mother last night. It was very emotional and I had to go see you, it felt like she wanted me to come to her now.” The father then blurted out.

As if he didn’t hear a thing, Baekhyun took out the containers of food and started putting them on plates to heat them up in the microwave. “She’s still as beautiful in my dream as the last time I saw her. Do you visit her, at least once a month? I asked your Aunty Jooyoung to take me a couple weeks ago and—” The man paused as he looked at his son who kept moving around, not a single word spoken. “Baekhyun, would you like to come with me next time then? You know I can’t drive anymore and I just want to come visit with you, just once, hm? When I came there, the bushes and grass around her needed so much cleaning and t.” He continued.

“Appa, do you want cheese on your pasta?” Baekhyun asked as he takes the first plate out of the microwave. He then walks to the fridge to take out his block of cheese to grate. “Okay, just a little bit.” Mr. Byun answered faintly. “Anyway, are you seeing somebody special right now, son?” he finally decided to let it go and change the topic. A light chuckle escaped Baekhyun’s lips as he takes his plate of pasta in the microwave before taking the other plate that’s done in front of his father. “I was seeing this girl a couple days ago. It’s done now though, she’s too much.” He answered right away and stopped, lifting a finger up. “It’s like on the second date, here at my place of course and you know what she started before we could even get intimate?” He asked and cleared his throat.

Mr. Byun just sat there nodding. “She said I was very affectionate and that she thinks I’d be a great father because of that. I mean who the f—I don’t know, women are crazy. They act like they do things innocently but they’re obviously aware of what they’re trying to do. I hate women like that.” He finished his story at the same time his food is done. He took it out of the microwave and placed it down the kitchen island as well and sat beside his father.

He took a glance at him and smiled. “How about we have a couple of beers tonight? Just sleep here. Sleep in my room I’ll sleep on the couch, Appa.” He invited before starting to eat. There was a brief silence from the father before he spoke. “That’s a good idea and tomorrow’s a weekend, what about we go visit your mother then? Let’s bring some fruits and a drink for her, since I’m already here and it’s much a shorter drive than if I go from my house.” Mr. Byun attempts to invite him again. Baekhyun took a big amount of paste on his fork and took it in.

He put his hand up to signal the old man to wait as he chewed. He swallowed it before looking back. “This is why I’ve been telling you to just move back here in Seoul, maybe we get an actual house together. Daegu is far and I get it, it’s your parents’ house and it means a lot but Appa … it’s so old and rundown. Let’s sell it, oh?” he replied.

Mr. Byun flicked his tongue while scratching his neck. “How about you don’t change the topic for once, oh?” He asked back, mimicking the way his son answered. “You’re being so unfair to your mother, visiting people we love who have left this earth once in a while is very import—”

A slam down the table shut the old man up. “Appa, please.” Baekhyun placed his elbows down the edge of the table and put both palms on either side of his head. A big frown formed on the father’s face as he looked at his son whose eyes are darkening with anger once again, he only sees it when they talk about such thing. “She’d be so hurt to know that you never visit her there, Baekhyun.” Mr. Byun sighed, still with a convincing tone.

Baekhyun laughs. “Finally, it’s about time she feels that.” He mocked earning a light slip on the back of his head from his father. “You’re twenty-eight and you still act like a teenage rebel, when are you going to grow up? It’s been over ten years since she left us. Between the two of us, you should be the one visiting her more, you were her only family until the end of her life.

He catches his breath briefly before continuing. “Have some respect, will you? She’s your mother and all she did was to take care of you when I couldn’t. I would even understand if you hate me now because I was the one not around when you were growing up. I don’t understand you at all.” Mr. Byun tells him, sharply.  Again, Baekhyun just laughed as he continued eating, not talking further anymore.

Mr. Byun looked away rubbing his chest. “I don’t want to stay here; I am very upset with you. I will take the train again; I don’t care if it’s inconvenient.” The old man pushed the plate away from him and jumped off the chair and grabbing the crane from the side of the island. “Appa, just stay. It’s way too late to take a train, you’ll arrive there by morning. Might as well just stay here. Please.” Baekhyun got off the chair and blocked him.

Mr. Byun frowned as he looked up to him. “No, I don’t want to talk to you. I’m very upset. I want to go home.” He declined the offer immediately. “Okay, fine. I will drive you home now. I don’t mind. Please, Appa—just … let me drive you there at least.” Baekhyun thought of an alternative for the both of them. He looked at his watch as he grabbed his keys from the edge of the island.

Ignoring him, Mr. Byun started walking out o