When Baekhyun reached the bar, he did not expect for adrunkChanyeol to greet him. Chanyeol drinks, but the guy has a high tolerance for alcohol—so it means that he’s been drinking for quite some time now.

“Heyyah there Bacon.. why so late?” if Chanyeol’s not drunk, Baekhyun would’ve beaten the out of his life for calling him ‘Bacon.’ But his friend is totally out of it.

“Hey, you okay? Tell me what’s happening man.” Baekhyun cut through the chase. He knows Chanyeol. The guy drinks but he wouldn’t let himself be as drunk as this—not unless something terrible happened. Like when his mother died. What could have happened?

“Nuthin’ just, you know, huh ..” Chanyeol stared into space and smirked to himself. It was like he saw something amusing—or unbelievable. Baekhyun stayed silent. Chanyeol is an honest guy. He can’t bring himself to lie to Baekyun, can’t keep to himself his snide remarks about his girlfriends, or how gay Sehun looks like whenever their senior, Luhan, is around.

But drunkChanyeol is raw. Sometimes, emotional.

When he saw Chanyeol’s eyes getting glassy, he knew something terrible at home must have happened. Baekhyun gently placed his hands on his friend’s back, silently hoping to send him some of his strength because he knew that whatever it is, it is eating him from the inside. And he can’t say empty words like “you’re gonna be fine,” when he doesn’t even know the problem. So he just sat there and did what he knows Chanyeol appreciates. Just then, Chanyeol started to speak in slurred words again.

“Life is def’nitely full of ing surprises, Baek. ing tons of all .” He took a big gulp of his Yuengling, which Baekhyun noted is his 5^th bottle according to the 4 empty ones on the table. All thanks to their fake ID.

“She... she’s living with us, Baek.” Baekhyun’s got an idea to whom Chanyeol is referring, but he stayed silent. Giving Chanyeol the freedom to let out his feelings.

“After mum died… After er’thing happened… don’t really know how, but… I, I forgave him. You know that Baekhyun, right? I was able to forgive him for killing mum, for ruining my family… for the bull…” Chanyeol’s fist was curled, as if ready to punch someone.

“But now, THIS?! I can’t... No, I don’t want her living with us but I can’t do anything!” his voice was raised, but it was drowned by the music courtesy of the upbeat song the band on stage was playing.

Baekhyun knew about his dad’s mistress. But he never thought she’d insist herself in their lives by living with them. He felt his blood rush from anger. He saw how Chanyeol struggled to gain back his equilibrium after that incident and he did it. He can’t just let this big guy crumble into pieces again.

“Excuse me Yeol but your dad is the biggest I ever knew. How can he let his mistress in y—”

“It’s not her. It’s her daughter.”

Daughter? Love child? This is news to Baekhyun.

“My sister.”

---------------------------------

“Thanks for taking care of him, buddy. Thank you for always being there for him.” Kris said to Baekhyun after he finished buckling up Chanyeol in his backseat. He rushed to the bar after receiving a call from Baekhyun informing him of a wasted Chanyeol. The guy was so stubbornly drunk and won’t lift himself up from the seat.

“No problem, hyung. A friend’s got to do what a friend must do.”

“ you!” Chanyeol’s words were as heavy as his feelings and the two guys outside can’t do anything but listen as he poured his soul out.

“Hyung,.. I don’t really have a say to this, but… Yeol doesn’t like it… Living with her, it must have brought all the bad things up again and he feels so helpless and he can’t do anything and … it’s breaking him again…” Baekhyun was hesitant at first, but he felt the need to speak. So he did.

“I know, Baek. I felt it too.”

“I just wish he’d be all right…”

“He will Baek. He’s a strong guy. He will.”

Kris silently drove from the bar to their house. It wasn’t really silent since Chanyeol’s occasional drunk blabbers and whatnot filled the air. But this, Chanyeol being drunk, is really new to him. He hadn’t seen him drunk before, not even when their mother died. He just ran away and found out a week later that he’s at Baekhyun’s place.

Kris is a big guy but so is Chanyeol so he staggered towards his room as he carried a half-asleep, half-chuckling Chanyeol with him. Under normal circumstances, he would have brought out his phone and take pictures of his brother in his drunk stupor. But this is not one of them. After successfully reaching his room, Kris slowly placed his brother on his bed. He removed his jacket, shoes, and socks and he wetted a towel and wiped his face clean before tucking him under his comforter.

As he sat on the foot of his brother’s bed, he thinks how much he hates this situation

He hates to see his brother hurt and vulnerable and hopeless.

He hates it that he can’t do anything to lessen his pain. Once again, he’s never felt more useless in his life.

As he got out of his room, he did not expect to see her walking down the hall. Clad in her white pyjamas and oversized Mickey Mouse print tee, she immediately stopped in her tracks after she’s seen him. And for the second time that night, he was surprised.

Suddenly feeling out of place under his intense gaze, Krystal felt trapped. She’s normally a heavy sleeper but this night is different. She was awoken by the muffled rustling outside the hall. She was scared to go out but she decided to check it out. What could go wrong in this big, lonely house?

“Good evening. I just—”

“Why are you here?”

“I was thirsty so I—”

"Why did that send you here?"

To say she’s taken aback is an understatement. Hundred different emotions are fleeting around her, blinding her, out her energy. She can take any verbal attacks on her, but it’s a different case when it’s mother that’s involved. Now she’s angry. Very angry. But as always, her body betrayed herself of the exact emotion she wanted to display right now.

She’s fuming with anger and all she wanted to do was to slap the out of this tall guy for insulting her mother, her dead mother, until he can finally gain some sense but instead she felt hot, stinging tears threatening to trickle down her face.