The highlighted parallel lines on the small screen of the device were just spinning in Irene's head.

She knew what it meant. But she also knew that the implications of it went far beyond what the positive sign indicated. It meant a whole life she would have to rearrange. Or give up. Depending on how her future was going to be shaped from now on.

The bathroom she was hiding in was the same bathroom where she had vomited most of the canapés from the high school graduation party, with Baekhyun supporting her, right by her side. Now, facing reality alone seemed very cold. There was no hand patting her back, encouraging her to "let it out."

There was nothing to let out, even.

It was just her, the toilet, and the test in her hands. Cold as it was. And there was nothing she could do.

Bae sighed, placing her hand over her belly, knowing that there was a tiny being inside now.

Sehun was on the other side, probably getting nervous with the infinite lines on the computer. He had no idea what she had been going through in the last three days since the incident at the mall. The conversation in the car had been avoided due to the fear that haunted them. Neither of them wanted to discuss the possibility of having a baby. It was not their favorite topic at the moment. So they decided to ignore it. Until Irene couldn't do it anymore.

It was as if everything had escalated so quickly that at some point, she realized it. She just needed confirmation to sign the verdict once and for all.

And that's what she just did.

Of course, the test could still be wrong. There was an average of 0.5% chance of it being incorrect. But Irene knew she wasn't that lucky. She was already part of the minority that the morning-after pill didn't work for, so it was very unlikely that this was a false positive.

However, hope was always the last one to die, right? Who could confirm anything? Only a doctor could truly confirm.

Irene stood up, throwing the magic wand in the trash. Maybe if she ignored it for a while, she could gather the strength to drop the bomb on her husband's lap. She just hoped, from the bottom of her heart, that it wouldn't explode right in his face.

She left the bathroom with her heart pounding in her hands. The nervousness was so great that there was no way to disguise it anymore. She knew Sehun would notice right away; he was extremely perceptive when it came to her. But the longer she could postpone the news, the better. The girl had no idea how to tell him without tearing off the band-aid all at once.

Her husband was in the living room, wearing just a tank top and loose gray sweatpants. It was his war uniform. He used about four pairs of those every week. She loved buying him a few more because they looked incredibly good on him. Not that it was hard to look good on Sehun; his body was sculpted by God.

Irene didn't know how it was possible.

He barely exercised and yet managed to maintain the same shape as always. Incredibly handsome.

The guy noticed her presence in the room and greeted her with a loving smile. Damn it. How she loved him. She felt that every time.

Having a guy who devoted himself so much to her was unique. Her golden gem. And he didn't even seem to realize it.

"Darling... shall we order something?" Sehun got up from the chair where he was sitting and walked toward her.

Irene couldn't help but smile at him.

After all the turmoil going on in her head, he was still there. As he always had been. Putting up with all her silly and clueless crises, even the more serious ones. He was truly her better half in the world.

"Hunnie... I thought I'd let you cook this time." The programmer laughed at what she was implying.

Bae was a terrible cook. Horrible, to be honest. She didn't even have the slightest talent to make ramen without setting the whole kitchen on fire. And, heaven forbid, if she got burned! Baekhyun would kill her.

"I think it's easier to teach you how to make a nuclear bomb." The girl smiled reflexively.

"You do whatever you want, sweetie. I'm still here for you if you change your mind." Sehun smiled back at her.

"I hope you'll stay here for a long time, Warrior. You scared me that day." That day... Irene looked away.

How could she even begin to explain what had happened that day?

It was complicated to put into words everything she would have to put into words.

Sehun noticed that something was wrong and did what he always did: he held her hands. He probably already felt they were cold because he asked her right away with concern:

"Darling... what happened?" The girl wanted to cry.

It wasn't supposed to be bad news, but it was. They were in the middle of chaos, and suddenly, now there was a child coming. It was as if the whole world had turned upside down.

"Hunnie..." she said, trying to compose herself. "I think... we need to talk... after dinner." She scolded herself inwardly. Why was she being so cowardly?

"Irene..." He seemed to know it was something important because he knew all her looks. They had lived together for all these eight years. Of course, he would notice right away.

"After dinner, okay? I promise."

"Okay." He agreed. "But I need a hug from you." She smiled when she felt his broad chest under her face.

Sehun had always been affectionate. Not just with her, but she still received the VIP treatment.

Tears began to stream down her eyes with realization.

He was going to be the best dad in the world. It hit her right there. Irene now knew that no matter what happened, Sehun would handle it perfectly. Much better than she would.

"Darling... are you crying?" Concern returned to his voice.

She looked up, feeling his thumbs wiping her tears away. How many times had Sehun done that for her? She could hardly believe that they were still acting the same way. Nothing had changed.

"Oh, Hunnie..." More tears. "I love you so much. Never forget that." He smiled contently.

"It's entirely mutual, sweetie." The girl laughed, hugging him tighter.

"That sounds horrible coming from you, dear. I prefer your 1950s slang." Sehun tilted his head in confusion.

"Don't I speak like a seductive young man? Should I watch more of those dramas?"

"Oh, God, no. Don't even think about it, Oh Sehun. I love my programmed robot." The guy smiled again, leaving a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you too, darling. And your adamantine sparkle eyes that reflect all the interconnected carbon chains constituting diamonds."

"That's it." Irene smiled. "My intelligent prince." Sehun lovingly laughed at her.

They were about to kiss again when they heard the front door close. Bae was startled, turning towards the entrance when she saw him with a smile that could split his face in two.

"Good evening, my darlings." Baekhyun said cheerfully.

The redhead being so polite was a new thing to see. Irene was shocked. What had gotten into him? And why did he look so well-dressed in a stylish outfit, even wearing... a cap?

"Where have you been, Byun?" The guy smiled broadly.

It had been a long time since she had seen that smile on his face. It looked like the day he had passed the selection for the coveted job in France. Happiness was radiating from him at that moment.

"With Kyungsoo." Ah, so now France was no longer just a mere country.

"Your boss?" She asked surprised.

"Boyfriend." Sehun corrected her.

Baekhyun looked completely shocked, while the redhead laughed casually. He was laughing. He wasn't correcting him.

Which meant that her husband probably knew something she didn't. Irene frowned, feeling annoyed.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Hmm...?" He hid his smile instantly.

"Baekhyun is dating Chef Dyo." Sehun clarified.

Irene was shocked again. Was it possible? Had she been outsmarted in the meantime?

"Are you kidding? I thought you were into the cute guy with all the piercings?" Baekhyun remained silent.

He sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, looking somewhat lost to start talking. Bae could tell that he might not even understand much himself and was probably just following what his heart was telling him. He did a lot of that when he fell in love.

"It's... a little more complicated." The redhead said softly.

Irene raised an eyebrow. Now she was going to get to the bottom of what she was thinking:

"And how is he, Baek?"

"Sweet. Extremely sweet." Ah, there it was.

"Are you kidding?" She said, disbelievingly.

"As much as an éclair." Baekhyun continued with the same dreamy look, as if he were talking about his trip to Paris and his first time eating whatever French thing at the Eiffel Tower.

"God, your friend was completely in love. How was that possible?"

She looked at her husband who just shrugged, as if he didn't want to get involved in this fight. Smart move!

Irene furrowed her brow.

Baekhyun was going to pay for this! How could he not have included her in all of this?

"Why didn't you tell me any of this, may I ask?" She turned around, astonished, making the guy roll his eyes.

"It happened... a little quickly." Sehun cleared his throat, playing the role of the good husband.

"Well, it's been more than a few weeks, actually." The redhead widened his eyes, as if he wanted to kill him.

"Sehun, you're not helping!" What a little traitor...

"You've been dating for weeks, and you didn't tell me anything? Byun Baekhyun!! I'm your best friend!!" And she was! The best of best friends, like the flesh under her nails, the seasoning of her instant noodles, and all those things friends were.

She couldn't believe the betrayal! It was like that time she watched the last season of Naruto without her. Or when he chose to take a friend to watch Avatar at the cinema instead of her! She even had the cosplay and everything!

Irene directed her deadliest glare at the little traitor. This wasn't going to end like this.

"As I said, it happened a little quickly. We figured it out in the middle of a fight. It's not like I- Oh, a message. Hold on." Baekhyun opened his phone, as if they weren't in the middle of the biggest discussion of his life.

"I'm talking to you!" But the redhead was just smiling broadly at the phone, not caring about anything around him.

"Kyungsoo just arrived home." Ah, so that's it?

"And how do you know?" She asked, a bit acidic.

"I asked him to let me know when he got home. He sent me an emoji in response." The redhead laughed. "He's adorable."

"God... I think I've seen it all now." Sehun laughed at her indignation.

"He's a good guy, Irene. Give Baekhyun a break to travel to our wedding." That made her stop. Wedding? God... she hadn't even thought about that anymore. It seemed so distant.

Now that there was a baby on the way, everything seemed a thousand times more real. She didn't even know what she was going to do about the wedding. She would need all the money in the world for the arrival of their possible child together. Irene hadn't touched on that part yet.

She didn't want to lie to Sehun, but she also didn't want to bring it up right now, when she was still a little nervous about the main situation she was in: 9 months until her life turned upside down.

"Ah... really?" She said, trying to disguise her nervousness.

"Yes. I even thought about taking him along, but... I ended up thinking it would be too soon." Too soon... actually, it was quite late. For the wedding, that is.
She refrained from responding, as she was a little out of breath.

Wedding. Damn, how was she going to tell Sehun about it? He would be devastated. Or maybe he would understand? I mean... it's his child too. God, why was she so bad at family matters?

"It's not too soon. It's just a party." Sehun saved her, looking at her with slight concern.

She forgot that his reading skills weren't limited to computer codes; he also knew the code of Irene. In that regard, he was more than an expert. He could read all her expressions and concerns from afar; it was even hard to hide them.

"Do you think so? Won't he get scared?" Baekhyun was really worried. Like the good boyfriend he was.

Irene knew he was terrible with these things, but his heart was always pure in his actions. Even though he didn't know how to handle relationships, he had always been a good boyfriend. Now he thought that maybe he would finally be able to be happy and have the reciprocity he deserved. Kyungsoo seemed like a good guy. She hoped everything would work out for them. And that there would be walnut cake at the wedding.

"You went to a wedding with him the other day, right?" Sehun asked, as if he suddenly remembered everything. He was also like that: remembering random facts every hour. But that's what made him charmingly geeky.

"It was a rehearsal dinner. And we went as co-workers, not as a couple." This caused confusion lines to appear on her husband's face. It was so cute. Suddenly, she felt like kissing him.

"Co-workers? Didn't you tell me later that you kissed him that day?" The new information brought her back to the conversation. Had they kissed?

"Oh, my God, Baekhyun! You never stop." The redhead laughed heartily.

"It's all in the past now. It went pretty well, I must say." Irene smiled sideways. She had no shame at all.

"Have you gone out with him?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Not yet... I mean... not like we should have." He seemed a bit embarrassed to tell her that. What did it mean?

"But he stayed over here the other day." Sehun said with a proud smile.

"What?!" She protested in surprise.

"It's a long story, Irene." The redhead sighed, looking at his phone with a silly smile. "What matters now is that we're kind of together."

"Are you together? Really?"

"Yeah, I mean... I think so. It's still new." Not for him, it seemed. But Irene let it pass; she didn't want to ruin the moment they were having there.

"He seems really sweet." The redhead smiled a little again.

"He's amazing." Baekhyun glanced at Sehun from the corner of his eye, who smiled lovingly at her.

She already knew what that meant: Baekhyun had grown up. Who would have thought... falling in love and all.

That made her slightly sentimental.

Would it be like this with their child too? Would they have all these moments of boyfriends and girlfriends, whatever it was? Teenage dramas? God... it would be a nightmare. And it would be a dream. She couldn't wait.

"I think we should heat up dinner. Are you going to eat here, dear?" Irene hesitated. She had no idea what she could or couldn't eat. Or if there were any restrictions at all.

She usually ate like a starving beast, but at the moment, she couldn't just put anything into her body. Now there was a little being there. Responsibilities beckoned her to the fitness side, and she wasn't happy about it.

"I... can I see what's there?" Baekhyun laughed.

"It wasn't Sehun who cooked, Irene. Some things are from the restaurant." Her husband smiled shyly.

"Do I cook that badly?" She smiled, finding it amusing.

"Of course not, puddin'." Baekhyun didn't even bother to hide his laughter.

"You're terrible at lying, Bae." Irene gave him a deadly look.

Damn it. Besides betraying her with the whole secret-keeping thing, now he was spreading his own secrets!

Sehun laughed, pulling her hand into his.

"Come on, dear. It's okay, I know." The girl sighed, following him to the kitchen.

Her husband was right. It's not like he didn't know she couldn't cook. Which was terrible: if she needed him to heat up a baby bottle, it was easier for her to explode!

Damn it. She had to stop being so negative about the pregnancy, but it seemed like an impossible mission. She was sure they were not at all prepared for it. Not at all. So why did it happen? It had to be a joke. She prayed so much that the test was a false positive that she even felt bad about it.

"Dear?" Irene snapped back, looking at her husband who seemed to be waiting for some response.

"Talking to me?" Sehun sighed.

"Sit down, Irene." The girl did so, feeling guilty.

She wasn't the best company in the world, as all she could think about was how she could drop the bomb on Sehun's lap without it blowing up in its entirety! She knew he partly knew that something was wrong. But it's not like he could guess that the truth was so complicated. Or, to be honest, that there was almost no truth at all.

Oh came back to the table with two bowls in his hands. As soon as he opened them, the smell filled the entire kitchen. The lump formed in at that very moment. She wouldn't be able to stand another second in that kitchen.

Sehun looked at her, seemingly realizing that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

"Is this... fish?" Her stomach was already on the verge of coming out. Two seconds, and she wouldn't make it.

"Yes..." Oh no. It seemed as though the confirmation was all he needed.

The vomit came at the same time that she bent over to avoid it falling all over the table. She tasted the bitter flavor of her stomach's contents, which, at the moment, she didn't want to think much about what it was. It almost made her cry. She hated throwing up because it made her vomit even more.

Sehun left his place, taking large steps toward her. He gently pulled her hair away and supported her body. It was impossible. It seemed like it would never end.

"Dear...?" She could feel the concern in his voice. He was getting scared. "Irene... I think there's still something in there. Maybe we should go to the hospital." Irene wanted to say that it wasn't necessary, but she couldn't. There was still a lingering nausea that seemed infinite. She started crying for real in the middle of it all.

Would it be like this every time?

With that, Sehun panicked.

"Baekhyun!" His shout was so loud it seemed like she was dying.

The redhead appeared in a second, his eyes wide. He was probably scared of the vomit on the floor. But what could she do? Her stomach was sensitive. She had a vomiting reaction to her own vomit. Everything in her life seemed to be on the brink of drama, even her own body.

She didn't need a change of words for her best friend to understand what Sehun wanted.

"I'll get the keys." He said, a little scared by all of this.

That's when Irene finally snapped out of it. She needed to tell the truth. Now.

She raised her hand, signaling for him to stop. And he did, looking at Sehun as if he were the only one with the power to decide anything there. But the tall man just looked at her, holding her with all the fear he was feeling.

The girl managed to breathe once or twice before she started speaking.

"It's not that." She said, trying to get up.

"Irene, you should sit down. And for God's sake, at least once-"

"I'm pregnant." Sehun didn't even blink. She had decided to rip the band-aid off all at once, but then she thought it was a terrible idea. The moreno seemed not to even breathe as he looked at her. Probably, his computational engineer brain had already drawn up a map of the days and come to the brilliant conclusion that it was indeed possible. She wasn't lying, as much as she wanted to.

"What?" He gasped, begging with his eyes that it was an illusion.

Unfortunately, it was not. And she needed to say it. But it felt like her lips had been glued shut with super glue.

"Irene?" He was asking for a response. Wanted to know if he heard correctly. It would be funny if it weren't tragic.

"I... had already suspected. But this is... now I got the answer. The test came back positive." As soon as the words left , Sehun snapped back, running his hands through his once-perfect hair, which was now completely messed up.

Oh no. He was going to freak out. She was fully aware of that.

"Oh my God... I'm so happy." Baekhyun rushed to her, hugging her. She felt the arms of her best friend engulf her, but there wasn't much comfort in that.

Her husband was still right in front of her, paralyzed. She was sure he could see his entire life passing before his eyes, just like she had seen it in the bathroom minutes ago. She felt the same way. She knew exactly what was going through his mind: they weren't ready. They didn't have money. Irene wasn't done with her studies. Sehun worked too much to take care of a child, and she would have to go back to the law school her father thought she had finished three years ago.

Nightmare. All of them, at once, crashing down on them.

Baekhyun hugged her with one arm while still staring at her husband, who seemed utterly lost with the news. She didn't judge him. Not even for a second did she judge him for being completely scared.

The redhead wiped away some tears from his eyes, turning to Sehun, but he stopped in his tracks. He could see that he was static. He didn't know what to do.

"Hun...?" Baekhyun called him with concern.

The older man just looked at him, running his hands through his hair nervously again. He hadn't said a word.

"Sehun... say something." Byun insisted, holding his shoulders for comfort. But Bae knew it wouldn't help. No comfort in the world would help them in that moment of despair.

"I... don't know what to say." Sehun whispered.

He was scared. And Baekhyun must have noticed that because he approached, pulling him into a comforting embrace. She noticed that the big man relaxed instantly as he returned the hug, swallowing him with his broad shoulders.

If it were a different situation, Irene would have smiled. Nothing in the world made her happier than seeing her boys like this. They had always been the three musketeers, and at that moment, it was no different. She was grateful she had told them when Baekhyun was there. She knew that, one way or another, his comfort was crucial for both of them.

"Hun... it's alright." He said, causing Irene to shed a few tears.

Damn hormones!

"I'm going to be a father, Baekhyun. There's no way this can work." He confessed. Irene should say something, but she couldn't. She just felt the desperation rise, just like her husband must be feeling.

"We'll figure this out together." The redhead said, trying to ease the collective freak-out, even if only for a few seconds.

"I have no idea how I'm going to raise a child." He confessed quietly again, with a heavy heart.

Irene didn't want to think too much about that. Her focus at the moment was: she didn't know if she was ready to have a child. Literally, she was still taking baby steps. If she thought about the future, she felt like she could go crazy.

"Neither do I. We're going to have to make it work, Hyung." Her husband sighed, agreeing with a nod.

"You're right, Baek." He looked at her, leaving Baekhyun's embrace as he walked toward her.

He seemed determined. To what, Irene didn't know. But she could feel his eyes on hers as if they were deep cups of hot and comforting chocolate.

Sehun knelt before her, taking Baekhyun's delicate hands in his own and kissing them. Such an old-fashioned gesture. But also so sincere. She knew that his special way was just a way to connect. His heart was speaking louder at that moment.

"Dear... I'm sorry." He whispered softly for her to hear.

"What?" She asked, not quite understanding why he seemed so regretful.

"I... don't know what to tell you." Irene stopped, staring at him. She also had no idea what to say to him.

If she were to say words of comfort, they would all be false. She couldn't pretend that they weren't doomed. Either they would have to ask for help from their parents or figure things out on their own. In both cases, the solutions were scary.

"I'm scared too, Hunnie. But... I can't just ignore this. He... is growing inside me. I think." Sehun frowned.

"You think?" Baekhyun said, confused.

"The test came back positive." She looked at him, a little calmer than before. "It might... be a false positive." But she didn't even believe that much in it.

Baekhyun must have noticed that it was her hopeful way of not freaking out: putting hope in the impossible.

The redhead approached, placing a hand on her shoulder, it as if she were a child.

"You... want a moment alone?" Bae actually wanted to cry. But he didn't have the strength to say that.

"I don't know." She whispered softly.

"Go to the bedroom. I'll clean up here, and then... I'll cook something for us. Okay?" Irene agreed as her husband squeezed her hands.

"Okay..." She said, holding back tears in .

Baekhyun grabbed her shoulder with a tight grip and a comforting smile. Saying that everything was going to be alright. Irene wanted to believe so much that everything would be alright that it hurt inside. But all she could think of was how lost she felt.

Junmyeon was sitting at the bar with a glass full of Gin from his eleventh round. He had given up again. He just wanted to stop feeling for a while, but ended up overdoing it. As he always did. Many people had passed by, tried one or two conversations with him... but the teacher knew that none of them were what he really wanted. None of those people cared about him. They all wanted the one thing he wasn't willing to give. That's why he stayed there, sort of waiting for him, sort of praying for an alcoholic coma.

Yeah.

He felt so pathetic to the point of acting like a foolish and reckless young man, but he couldn't stop thinking about him. The only one who could quench his insatiable thirst: the owner of the bar in which he was drowning.

Kim Kai was not anywhere the professor could see. He seemed to have disappeared, vanished from the face of the Earth. He had gone to Spinnet because he knew he would find the right person to talk to, but now it seemed extremely difficult. No one had seen him yet. Would he still show up?

Junmyeon sighed, heading to the dance floor.

That night, he just wanted to do what he hadn't been able to do the last time he visited the little bar: distract himself. Even if he had to pretend to be someone he wasn't. He was getting good at it. So good that it could be pathetic.

He didn't have good attributes, he knew that. Besides the pretty face and the standard body, everything else was shallow. Without that depth that people seemed to long for. The old story of "find someone who overflows you," to him, seemed more like a nightmare. It would take glasses and glasses for that to become a reality.

The dance floor was full of people like him, he could tell from afar. Some already seemed to have found their partner for the night, others seemed to just want to drink and drink and drink... maybe even use something. But he wouldn't stoop that low. He still had some respect for his own body not to do that.

He tried to squeeze in among those people, but ended up turning back to the bar again. He sat on the chair, asking for another beer that could loosen his senses.

It didn't help.

Even after waiting for hours, he knew he would never be able to play the role they expected of him. He just wanted a conversation and a comforting shoulder, just for one night. Maybe a little in exchange wouldn't hurt if it happened.

That's why he was almost heading to the bar's restroom in search of an enchanted prince when he saw him.

Extremely glittered, walking on the dance floor.

Kai wasn't wearing anything on his arms and torso, except for silver glitter drawings. They seemed to glow in the dark, just like the black leather pants he was wearing. He was made up, with various crystals scattered on his face as if he were futuristic. He looked so beautiful.

Untouchable.

Junmyeon stopped right where he was to observe him.

The way he walked among people, holding his hands in front of his body and avoiding people with ease. That was exactly how he wanted to feel. Free. Without restraints and at peace with himself.

He hadn't noticed Junmyeon was there, so he went straight to one of the girls who was dancing. He gave her a kiss on the lips as if they were friends. Weird. He always had such a different relationship with people, it was a bit disturbing. The teacher envied him for that.

Junmyeon turned back to the bar, thinking of ordering vodka this time. He wouldn't achieve the result he wanted if he stayed sober.

"Excuse me... vodka for me, please." The bartender smiled at him.

"What are you doing here, honey? You don't seem to be part of the crowd." And he wasn't. But that didn't matter.

"I just want a drink, please."

"Junmyeon?" The professor turned, coming face to face with his target.

So, he was there after all?

"Kim Kai." The young man had no expression.

He turned back to the bartender, shaking his head as if refusing him to place that order. The attendant smiled widely, leaving them to attend to other people.

The professor started getting annoyed. Why had he done that?

"You're coming with me." He pulled him towards the exit of the dance floor. He knew exactly where he was taking him, and he didn't even need a hint.

They went straight to the small room he kept in the back of the management. It was a kind of office with some sofas that also reminded him of a dressing room. They probably used the room on show days too.

But they didn't stop there.

Kai opened a door that the professor had never noticed before, near the cherrywood table. It was a small, dark, and very seductive room. He knew he must take most of his encounters there.

"Come in." He said gently. He seemed to be talking to a child.

As soon as they were both inside the room, the brunette closed the door behind him, turning to face him. Junmyeon began to get very nervous.

Kai took out a handkerchief that was hanging from his black leather pants. He sat on the bed in front of him, with a slightly seductive look. Or maybe Junmyeon was the one feeling that way.

"Why did you come here tonight?" He looked very serious when he asked.

Kim felt defensive. He crossed his arms nervously. If he were to tell the truth, maybe he would help him. He wasn't so sound anymore, and thinking too much about things hurt his heart. He hoped that he would understand his desires to forget for a moment.

"I came to look for you." He confessed, already knowing that he would understand why he said that.

Kai fell silent. His impenetrable eyes locked onto his. They held the amber glow that had always enchanted the young teacher.

"What do you want with me, Junmyeon?" Ah, did he want him to explain it?

"You know what I want. If you don't want to help me with that, then I'll find someone else." The brunette twisted his lips in displeasure.

"You don't want that, Junmyeon." And how did he know for sure?

"Yes, I do!"

"You want something else. I prefer to give you that." The brunette stood up, looking for something in the small cabinet above the sink. He hadn't even noticed that there was a sink inside the room. What was that place?

Kai filled what looked like a plastic cup with water. He searched for some kind of medicine and poured it into the clear liquid. Junmyeon frowned.

What was he doing?

"I said what I said. If you don't want to help me, I'll find someone else." The brunette stopped, looking at him for a few seconds.

He held the cup to himself at the same time he pulled one of his hands.

"Then come." Kai took him to the double bed in the middle of the room.

It was extremely beautiful. With dark silk sheets whose color he couldn't recognize due to the absence of light in the room. There were only a few points, the smell of incense, and the usual cinnamon scent he exuded. One day, he would ask for his perfume. It was extremely attractive.

"Sit down." He said with authority, still in front of him.

Junmyeon obeyed immediately, not knowing exactly why. Kai handed him the cup he had prepared, waiting for him to take it. The teacher did, but he didn't drink. He looked at him with a confused expression.

"I'm not going to have with you." The brunette said emphatically. "Trust me?" Junmyeon nodded in agreement.

"Then drink. It'll be good for your stomach."

Kai sat on the bed, next to him. His eyes were so focused on him that it made the young man's heart race.

Junmyeon drank whatever was in that cup. The salty taste invaded his palate, making him frown in a grimace. It was horrible.

The brunette smiled.

"I know. But it'll do you good." The professor sighed, putting the cup between his thighs.

"Why am I like this?" He confessed softly, not knowing why. He just wanted to be able to be free of the deep sadness that haunted him.

"Give me your hand, Junmyeon." Kai asked, taking the cup from there to put it on the floor.

Junmyeon gave him his hand, feeling the warmth. The same comforting touch was there again.

He closed his eyes.

He would let the feeling settle in his heart to remember it. It was always the same thing. Sometimes, he wondered if he had come into his life for that. To be his particular support. That's what he felt, at least.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, looking at him again.

The gentle eyes were now smiling with a tenderness he had never seen before. In no one but him: the young man who had fought not to let him into his heart because he was married. But Kai was still different.

"Because I like you." He said, sincerely.

"Like?"

"Yes." Junmyeon stared.

So it was true. He really liked him.

"Like how?" Kai smiled, moving his hand to the brunette's neck. He his hair as if they were in some kind of paradise closed only for the two of them.

"Like fire likes air." He whispered, making Junmyeon sigh. His heart tightened at the same time, racing against his chest as if running.

"It's not time to be poetic, Kai." The brunette smiled again.

"It's always time when I'm with you." The teacher quieted down. That was more than he deserved, he was sure. He simply said all the right things, at the right time. It seemed that he could even read him like a book.

"What do you want with this? Saying all these things?" He needed to know that he wasn't being deceived again. He desperately wanted everything he said to be true. He couldn't stand being deceived by him. He already felt his heart hurt at the thought.

"I want you to know that you are cherished by me." The teacher looked away, emotional. He had hit the mark again.

Kai took his face in his hands, making their eyes meet. They were gentle but also intense. He wanted to hold him there so that he would never escape from him again.

"You know, Junmyeon, I'm not lying." He said, trying to make him understand. "You know that my interest in you is bigger. It always has been. Since the first time I had you in my arms." Some tears fell from his eyes. He had no idea what that meant.

"And your ex-boyfriend?" Not even the mention of his biggest nightmare made him back away. He still looked at him with the same gentle eyes.

"Taemin... is a page I'm willing to turn once and for all." He was willing... which meant he hadn't turned it yet.

"I understand." He said, moving away. "So when you turn it, look for me. I'll be waiting for you." He knew it was all too good to be true. As much as he wasn't lying, his heart was still confused in the midst of all that. He wouldn't get involved with someone who still had reservations with someone else.

Kai held his wrist, making him stop in place.

"You don't understand." The brunette pulled him back to him. He looked as if he were begging for a chance. "I can't turn this page without you, Junmyeon. I need you to help me with that, just as I want to help you love yourself again." Junmyeon felt his heart falter with his words. They were very personal. He seemed to know exactly what was going on in his heart.

He felt his fingers intertwining with his, with a comforting grip.

The professor looked at the amber infinity in front of him. He was beautiful. More than that, he was the only person he wanted to be with at that moment.

"And if I love myself along the way... then I'll have my first of luck." Kim kept looking. The sincerity in his eyes was real, he realized that at that very moment.

He barely had time to breathe when he pressed his lips against his, finally tasting what he wanted for so long. Kai hugged him, not caring about the amount of glitter between them. He just wanted to feel the warmth of his arms and the love of his kisses for the first time. The first kiss they exchanged, nothing compared to this. That one was carnal, sensual, and wet. This one was deep, intense, and open. It was the first time Junmyeon kissed someone without any reservations. With his heart entirely open to him.

He had no idea if he would regret it later, but there, safe in his embrace, he just didn't care. He let the brunette take everything from him, knowing that he was willing to take care of him. And if that was the case... then he would also have his first of luck.