“Hah,” a gasp escapes his lips. His eyes snap open. Baekhyun blinks several times, trying to get rid of the dark splotches on his sight, and the remnants of his drowsiness. He groans as he stretches his arms. Another groan comes from him. He forgot how different his arm now from the past.

He yawns before realizing two pair of eyes, are staring directly at him. His vision goes clearer, and he sees two men are sitting on the chairs close to the counter. “Hi,” the man who’s being there since before he fell asleep greets. “I hope that little nap helps you from the anxiety”.

“It’s not anxiety Yixing Hyung,” Baekhyun tells him with a slight pout. “My bed is just so bad, I think I should throw it away or something,” he says, although Yixing seems to not buying it. Scrunching his nose but say nothing. Especially when he saw Baekhyun pocketing the piece of blade.

“Hi hyung,” Baekhyun’s gaze turns into the next one. A teenage boy with dark circles below his eyes, giving a false scary vibe. “I was about to leave it here, but you already woke up,” Tao – the teenager, points at a small basket with oranges inside of them.

Baekhyun takes the basket and inspect the fruits. “Thank you Tao,” he thanks the younger. He looks at Tao and smiles. “How’s the store? Manage to handle it alone without old man Joonmyeon?”

The teenager gives a small smile. “It’s hard,” he honestly says. “Dad always insisted on doing things on his own,” Tao explains with grief painted face. Neither Baekhyun nor Yixing want to push the conversation further. He coughs loudly, his left hand takes the basket. Baekhyun winces when his left arm suddenly gives a piercing pain.

Yixing gives a look. “I guess you regret for getting that arm,” he comments and Baekhyun stares at his left arm – or maybe, it was more correct to say his artificial left arm. Made with metal and wires, Baekhyun tries not to remember what he feels when it attached to him for the first time. Or the fact the one who helps him with his artificial arm is a blonde man from Dragon Crew, named Kris. He still shudders every time he remember it.

“Still, it looks cool, doesn’t it?” the bartender offhandedly says before standing up with a crooked smile. “I’ll be back,” then he exits the bar. He squints his eyes, sun shines so brightly above his head. And, the current construction sends more dust than what he had anticipated. Constructions are good, Baekhyun keeps telling himself. But, he does appreciate a bit peace.

He continues to walk upon a quite familiar road. Baekhyun looks at the oranges in the basket. Tao’s the one who told him about this orange fruit business. Although, the teenager initially heard from his late father. Baekhyun remembered him as one of the easiest target to tease. Taking one of them and throws it on the air, before catching it.

It helps him thinking, to be honest. He used to do juggling, but now, Baekhyun even finds raising things with his left arm is such a hassle. It pains him, but in the end, whatever. It’s better than leave with an amputated arm.

When Baekhyun catches the fruit, his step comes into an abrupt halt. He was so immersed on what he was doing, he doesn’t realize that he arrives at his destination. Beneath his feet is few grasses, and few trees on his side, rocks pop out from here and there. But, what makes his jaw drops slightly is a figure in front of a memorial of the town folks who are now unable to be with them.

Just like that little boy with mischievous glint on his eyes, and took a great liking to oranges.

One year had passed since the last time he saw him, and the piece of sword in his pocket feels like growing bigger and heavier. Other than that, Baekhyun notices the man is now taller and somewhat thinner. A part of him worried about the guy. Has he eaten yet? Has he even eat at all? Is he okay? But, Baekhyun just stands there, giving the man with cloak and a hood some privacy while he grieves for the ones he had lost.

When the hooded man turns around, Baekhyun catches his face. When Baekhyun sees the traveler in his bar for the very first time, he saw nonchalance but he immediately knew the man is a good guy. However, the events the loner went through makes the sparks of warmth on his brown colored eyes disappeared. Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself from staring at them, lost in thought. He doesn’t even realize his grip on the fruit tightens.

Baekhyun holds his breath when the man stops in front of him. He stares at Baekhyun with a blank face, but the bartender caught a sliver of pain in the man’s eyes, when he sees the orange fruit inside the basket.

Something urges him to just face the man. Ask him, and probably telling him that it’s not the end of the world. If it was Byun Baekhyun from a year ago, he might not even think twice to pull someone from this kind of hole. But now, after experiencing the horror himself, losing people he used to talk to, he hesitates more than he can imagines. Baekhyun looks away, scared to keep staring at a man that’s an empty shell of someone he knew.

There’s no Kai in him, Baekhyun once thought.

As the other walks away, Baekhyun peers to see his back. He turns around eventually, to see the man who known as Kai, but not the same ‘Kai’ Baekhyun associates with. There’s a part of him wanting Kai to finally get a hold of it. But, just like Baekhyun who’s now feared him, Kai is scared, afraid to open his heart again.

Baekhyun huffs before throwing the orange again, and catch it swiftly. He continues to walk towards the memorial statue. Looking up at the sky, Baekhyun sighs before smiling bitterly to himself. “What can I say,” he looks at the fruit in his hand. “A kind heart is a flaw in our world after all”.

THE END