https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm21Flj-dHE

“Right about… there! Perfect!” Haebin clasped her hands together with a wide smile.

The words “STAR’S PC ROOM” flashed against the wall, and she beamed at her new sign with swelling pride. The establishment had undergone renovation over the summer, and she was proud of how much her business had grown. She hadn’t moved locations. Heaven forbid she would leave the place that had meant a lot to her and her dad. She had merely “modernized” it with a few good ideas from her alien boyfriend.

The thought of Baekhyun made Haebin’s smile widen even more. Even if he did nothing, he still managed to make her feel like she was on cloud nine.

“Thank you, everyone, for your hard work,” Haebin expressed her appreciation to the construction workers and handed them ice cold water bottles. They bowed gratefully and left to pack up. Haebin looked around the PC room and exhaled deeply.

Business was ready to open on Monday.

Jongjin and Hyunseok didn’t work for her anymore, but she saw them at least once a week. She especially saw a lot of Jongjin since he was dating Jinju, one of her best friends, so he was definitely sticking around. Haebin had hired two new workers: Jonghyun and Minhyun.

Jonghyun was the one who had confessed to her on White Day and ended up being tricked by Chanyeol and Kai that she believed in polyamory. Fortunately, he had forgiven her after she had offered him a position at Star’s PC Room, and he had even brought a (devastatingly charming) friend to work with him. Haebin didn’t mind at all. Minhyun was a gentleman, and he brought in a lot of female customers.

Haebin locked up her business and made her way home. The weather was hot and humid, and she couldn’t wait to go home and take a cold shower to wash away all the sweat and grime. Haebin unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

“I’m home,” she announced.

It was dead silent.

Eh? Where’s Baekhyun? Haebin put her bag down and went into the kitchen. “Baekhyun?” She checked the yard, bathroom, and extra rooms before heading into the room she now shared with Baekhyun. The alien was nowhere to be seen. Her heart started drumming in slight panic. She swung open the closet doors and sighed in relief.

The Xotic Orb was still there, which meant Baekhyun was still somewhere on Earth. It was now a force of habit for her to check it whenever an alien went missing. Maybe he went to buy something. Haebin took a change of clothes and went to take a shower.

I feel so much better, Haebin thought as she came downstairs.

“Baekhyun? Hello?”

There was no answer, and she assumed he hadn’t come back yet. She headed to the kitchen as she tied her long hair up in a tidy bun. She couldn’t go a day without tying up her hair anymore. It was just too hot. Haebin went to the kitchen and peered inside the fridge. What should we eat for dinner? Or should we get take-out? I feel like we’re eating out too much.

“Hmm,” Haebin pulled out a container of yesterday’s leftovers. She took it to the counter and attempted to pry it open, but the darn thing was stubborn. She was too busy struggling to notice she wasn’t alone in the room anymore.

A pair of hands settled on her waist, causing her to release a sharp yelp and lose her grip on the container. Someone smoothly caught it before it could land on the floor, and she cupped her hands over in horror. She shifted her gaze behind her and exhaled in relief. “Baekhyun!”

Her boyfriend sheepishly grinned at her. “Surprise?”

“You scared me,” Haebin sighed as she lowered her hands. “When did you get here?”

“Just now.”

“I didn’t even hear you.”

“What can I say? I’m stealthy.” Baekhyun proudly shrugged.

Haebin chuckled and asked, “Where did you go anyway?”

Baekhyun took her hands and glanced back at the groceries on the table. “The market. I thought I could cook us something for dinner tonight.”

“You even brought groceries in here, and I didn’t notice? Either you’re really stealthy or I’m just ignorant.”

“Let’s just say I’m stealthy. I don’t want you to be insulted in any way,” Baekhyun said, making her smile. He was always such a sweet talker. Baekhyun softly pecked her nose and bent down a little to be eye-to-eye with her. “How was your day?”

“Good.”