The vial containing the poison looked inconspicuous, but the power it held was immense. The little bit of fluid could kill someone… and it was up to you to decide what would become of it. You took a deep breath. With your heart racing in your chest, you stared into the bathroom mirror. A bitter smile pulled at your lips.

You already made your choice—and you wouldn’t regret it. This was the only way to solve this problem once and for all.

You opened the vial and tipped it, letting the liquid drop out. It landed in the sink and vanished down the drain. Just to be sure, you put on the tap to wash away every last bit of the damned poison so it was gone and could not hurt anyone.

That was it. You had sealed your fate. The one who would die was you, and not him.

Despite taking the horrifying choice to throw away your life, a huge burden fell off your chest. You could finally breathe. Knees getting weak, you held on to the sink. You should have made this decision from the very start. After all, you had known that a life with his blood on your hands wasn’t a life you wanted to live. You loved him, and the idea of hurting him shattered your heart into tiny pieces. You cherished every moment you spent with him, and you didn’t want to be the cause of his death.

Nonetheless, your desperation had driven you to bring the vial to his apartment. Eyes filling with tears, your vision blurred. You didn’t deserve to stay with him after this. And you didn’t deserve his help either. You needed to leave. Someone like you shouldn’t be anywhere near him.

Overwhelmed by the urge to run, you left the bathroom abruptly, drawing Baekhyun’s attention. “What’s going on?” he muttered, getting up from the sofa.

Hot tears streamed down your cheeks, and you couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. “I’m sorry!” you chocked out and ran. You took off towards the front door, hastily put on your shoes, but didn’t care to bring your jacket. The moment your hand made contact with the door, he caught up to you and grabbed your arm.

You stumbled, wanted to free yourself, but he didn’t let go. “Hey, calm down! Is it because of what I told you earlier? Are you scared of me?”

He was stronger than you. No matter how much you struggled, his grip didn’t waver. Frustrated, you stopped fighting and breathed a deep sigh. “No, I’m not scared of you,” you answered quietly. “I’m afraid of myself.”

“You’re not making any sense. What’s up with you?” he asked.

“I have to go,” you said and again tried to move towards the door, but he thwarted your escape plan.

“You’re not going anywhere in that state,” he said in a demanding tone that you weren’t used to at all. Freezing, you looked at him with wide eyes. “Come with me. You have to calm down and then we’ll talk.”

He brought you back to the living room and made you sit down on the sofa right next to him. The situation irked him, you could tell. He probably didn’t like not knowing what was going on, and you couldn’t blame him for that. That’s why you decided to get right to the point.

“You know Jiwon, don’t you?” you asked. His eyes widened a fraction upon hearing that name from your mouth.

“Yeah. He’s been after me for a while,” Baekhyun said grimly. Anger rose in his eyes. “Bastard is trying all he can to kill me because I got in his way a few times. How do you know his name?”

He sounded impatient, colder than you had ever experienced him. It was as if he was a different person suddenly, the hate in his eyes scaring you even though it was not directed at you.

“I saw him committing murder around a week ago, and ever since then, his people have been stalking and threatening me. He found out that I know you and…” you hesitated, wondering how he would take this. “He blackmailed me into poisoning you, telling me he would kill me if I didn’t. A-And I just… I couldn’t do it. I-I don’t want you to die, so I threw the poison away.” Your voice broke. Tears spilled over your cheeks, dripping down your chin.

“So that’s why you’ve been acting strange. I had a hunch that something was wrong when you came here. The guilt was written all over your face,” he muttered. You watched him nervously, unsure if he was angry at you. “That proves what a ruthless he is. I’ve always hated him, but this is… How dare he use you like this.”

Seeing your tears, his features softened and his scowl turned into a frown. “I’m sorry you had to go through so much, love. If I had known I would have interfered before it could go this far,” he said, inching closer to you and pulling your shaking form into a hug. “I’m going to take care of this problem like I told you. He won’t do anything to you.”

“B-But how would you prevent that?”

His silence was louder than a thousand words, and it made you shudder inwardly. You realized that this conflict would be written in blood. There was no other way out—someone would die, and whether it was you, or Baekhyun or Jiwon, only time would tell.

“Baekhyun?” you asked when he failed to answer. You didn’t look up at his face, leaning your head against his chest. With his arms wrapped around your back, you felt safer than before.

“Don’t concern yourself with the details,” he replied. The cold undertone in his voice didn’t leave much room for speculations. It was easy to guess what he would do to Jiwon. “I’ll take care of it, and until then, you’re staying with me. Okay?”

You nodded since you were no longer keen on leaving the apartment. Jiwon would have you killed the next time he saw you. The thought sent shivers down your spine.

“Thank you,” you replied. “I’m grateful for your help. Are you not mad at me?”

“It’s okay, love,” he said, his voice softening. “Why would I be mad at you? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Your fear and your nervousness finally evaporated. You took a deep breath and relaxed, closing your eyes as you hugged him back. His body was surprisingly muscular, you couldn’t help but notice. Sighing softly, you snuggled closer. He readjusted his arm around your waist so you were more comfortable.

Dipping his head, he planted a kiss on your hair. The gesture made your cheeks heat up. You opened your eyes to gaze at his face, finding a teasing smile on his lips.

“You must like me a lot when you go so far as to risk your life for me,” he said. The admiration glimmering in his chocolate eyes caused your heart to swell. The wings of hundreds of butterflies fluttered in your stomach. “It proves you have a strong will. Not all people would have acted the way you did.”

“Well, I do like you,” you blurted shyly.

“I like you too, I have for a while,” he murmured. You flushed under his adoring gaze.

“That’s why you kept coming back to get coffee,” you guessed. His fingers painted tender circles on your arm, leaving a warm sensation that spread through your body. You were in bliss, could finally smile without worrying. For the first time in a week, you were truly happy. He gave you a sense of safety—just the kind of feeling you had been longing for.

“You caught me,” he said amusedly. “I enjoy talking to you, but since my situation is complicated, I was reluctant to reveal much about myself.”

“I’m glad you’ve decided to be honest now.”

“Do you mind that I’m not who you thought I was?”

“To be completely truthful with you, it was a shock when Jiwon told me about you. I couldn’t believe it at first. You were always so kind to me, and you being involved with a gang just didn’t make sense,” you explained and frowned at the memory of your encounter with the ruthless gang leader.

“I have no reason to be anything but kind to you, love,” he said. “The same can’t be said for him…” He left the sentence hanging in the air, and again, there was this foreign coldness present in his features. It seemed to be reserved for those he had made enemies of.

“Baekhyun… when you go after him, please be careful,” you said. The quaking of your voice couldn’t be hidden from him no matter how much you tried to keep up a strong façade. He saw through you effortlessly. “He is unpredictable.”

“I know,” he muttered, the back of your head. “I can’t bear the thought that he got near you. It makes me angry.”

His words were underlined by the sharpness of his gaze as he stared into space. There was no room for forgiveness in the kind of business he was in. If someone made an enemy of him, then he didn’t show mercy. Especially not when it involved someone he cared about—like you.

“It might take me a few days, but I will find him,” he muttered. “And when this is finished, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. You’re under my protection, love.”

“Again, thank you so much,” you said, in awe that he would go so far for you. “I don’t know why you would do this, it’s not like I’m anyone special, I just—”

“Stop talking,” he said and put his index finger on your lips. Your eyes went wide, and you didn’t say another word. He leaned in, mesmerizing you with the warm brown of his iris. “I’ll show you why I’m doing it.”

You weren’t prepared for what followed, but you wouldn’t say that you minded. He captured your gaze while his fingers wandered to your chin, holding it gently.

His lips met yours and they melded together, two opposites becoming one. At first, you were startled, but not for long. Your surprise quickly faded, and you began to respond to the gentle kiss. The slightly bitter taste of wine mixed in with something sweeter invaded your mouth. Addicted to his touch, you closed your eyes in bliss. Your hands began to wander, following the contours of his shoulder blades, moving over his neck to his hair. It was soft and silky even though he had bleached it, and you lazily raked your hands through it.

You leaned into him, sitting in his lap. He pulled you closer, held you protectively. A kiss was planted on the corner of your mouth followed by many more. You let him guide you, complete you. The warmth that filled you was nothing short of wonderful.

By the time you ended the kiss, you were breathing heavily, your pupils blown wide. He rested his forehead against yours, cupped your cheeks. The mischievous glimmer in his eyes caught your attention and gave him an irresistible charm.

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

“You have an interesting way of explaining things,” you said breathlessly.

“Did you like it?”

“Yes,” you said honestly. “I loved it.”

“Then we’re on the same page,” he smirked. “But just to be absolutely clear about it, let me ask one question.”

He gazed at you with adoration, and you couldn’t look away from him. Your heartbeat accelerated, thumped wildly in your chest. Anticipation built within you and your curiosity grew.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend, love?” he asked, giving you a flirty smile that stole your heart once more.

The beam on your face was brighter than the sun, showing your joy. “Yes,” you replied.

“Perfect,” he murmured, “I was hoping for that answer.”

“I can tell,” you smiled, leaning in to share another kiss with him. You were incredibly happy, couldn’t believe that he had asked you to be his girlfriend. It had been obvious he liked you, but you hadn’t expected him to ask this question so quickly. It was the final push you needed to let go of all your fears for good. You didn’t waste another thought about Jiwon, instead gazing at Baekhyun and enjoying his proximity.

You spent the rest of the evening having dinner and looking at photos he had taken with his camera. Baekhyun was easy to get along with, and now that you had gotten rid of all your secrets, you found that you had grown even closer than before.

He went through the many photos on his camera, one more breathtaking than the next. You had never doubted his talent, but seeing his work with your own eyes was impressing nonetheless. He captured the most trivial scenes and made them look like a very special moment. You marveled at a photo that showed the morning dew that had gathered on lush green grass blades, reflecting the first sunrays of the day. The dew drops appeared like round diamonds and looked magical.

“This is incredible,” you breathed. “Photography should be more than just a hobby for you.”

“I’m too busy with work,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “And besides, I’m sure that photography would lose its appeal to me when I would be forced to take pictures for other people. I’m doing this solely for myself, it’s my way to relax and calm down when work gets stressful.”

His hand trailed over your back, lingering on your arm. The fond way with which he hugged your body prompted you to sigh in contentment. He looked at you for a moment, and eventually, his eyes lit up.

“Why don’t you model for me, love? I would be happy to take photos of you,” he grinned.

“I don’t think I would be a good model,” you said, avoiding his gaze shyly.

“Nonsense. You are perfect,” he insisted, secretly finding the pink on your cheeks adorable. “I’m sure you aren’t just a good photographer, but a pretty model as well.”

“You are such a charmer, Baekhyun,” you mumbled, prompting him to laugh affectionately.

“So I’ve been told,” he answered, nuzzling his face into your hair. He kissed your temple, the softness of his lips causing your heartbeat to speed up. Part of you still couldn’t believe that the scariest evening of your life had turned into the best evening of your life. It was as if you were dreaming, laying in the arms of your crush that had become your boyfriend so fast.

“Please, love? Do it for me,” he said persistently, but you were still reluctant about the idea to stand in front of a camera. His camera.

“Okay, fine. I’m going to convince you,” he added with a smug smirk. The cheeky look in his eyes was the only warning you got before he began to pepper your neck with butterfly kisses.

Your breath hitched in your throat. Warm tingles spread all over your skin, the soft touches of his lips bringing you to a state of pure delight. You closed your eyes and enjoyed it, moving your hand over his light-blond hair in an affectionate caress. He lingered at your collarbones and planted one last kiss on your neck before he raised his head to gaze at you.

A smirk played with the corners of his lips, and it only grew when he spotted the pink blush on your cheeks. “Please? Do it for me,” he asked, tilting his head.

You exhaled, having to admit to yourself that your resolve crumbled away. “Okay, I’m going to do it,” you whispered, breathless. “But only because it’s you.”

The triumphant grin that lit up his face made you smile. “I know it will be amazing,” he said contently, hugging you tightly. His clinginess was unexpected, but you definitely weren’t opposed to it.

After another while, you ended up cuddling on the sofa, getting sleepier by the minute. The day had been exhausting, so it was natural that you were only half-awake at this point. He caressed your body with his slender hands, running them up and down your side. The motion felt relaxing. You were cozy, and you didn’t want to move.

“Love, why don’t we head to bed now?” he murmured into your ear. “You’re tired and after all the stress today, you should rest.”

“Please just let me stay here,” you mumbled, but Baekhyun was stubborn, and he didn’t want you to sleep on the sofa.

“Sorry, but that won’t work,” he countered. Before you registered what he was even doing, he had slipped one arm under your knees and one behind your back, lifting you. Suddenly, your eyes were wide open and you hugged his neck.

“W-What…?” you gasped. “What are you doing? I’m too heavy, let me down!”

He snorted, smiling down at you. His eyes twinkled. “Nope. You’re not heavy at all, love. I can carry you just fine.”

And he did exactly that, crossing the hallway and entering a modern-looking bedroom where he put you down on the edge of the bed. Then he went to his wardrobe to fetch a change of clothes for you, throwing a random shirt and sweatpants at you.

“You can p