Boredom is Baekhyun’s worst enemy. Nothing rots his big brain more than boredom.

The following day was uneventful, boring! The teachers learned their lessons and stopped proving themselves superior. Clearly, they wouldn’t win no matter how they cheat. Well, most of the teachers, at least. Mrs. Basco hadn’t given up yet, spending the first ten minutes of her class giving math racing games. Baekhyun’s team would always win, of course. A hundred points to Slytherin!

English literature was also boring. Mr. Vernon droned and droned about Shakespeare’s Hamlet like he understands everything in the masterpiece. He just managed to memorize every word, every letter and he thinks he’s an expert. Of course, Baekhyun would correct him from time to time because he just loved seeing the man’s anger redden his face. Also, it would be impolite if he didn’t. After some time though, when Baekhyun finally got the feeling that Mr. Vernon would not learn, the boy genius would just sit quietly on his chair, smugly grinning. The dangerous glint in his eyes was enough to unnerve the poor professor.

The worst subject he ever performed in so far was physical education. His physical skills are inversely proportionate to how big his brain is. But he did try hitting the volley ball as hard as he could. Too bad his calculation didn’t exactly translate that easy to real life situations. He knows when, where, and how hard to hit the ball to gain a clean score. However, it was the execution that was faulty. The ball flew to other side of the court, hitting an unsuspecting basketball player right where it hurts.

He should probably get chess as a sport next semester, if they even consider it as sport.

So maybe none of those subjects were truly boring. Biology, however, undoubtedly is. His third favorite playmate – after Mr. Vernon and Mr.  Basco respectively – was suspiciously absent. He didn’t see him during lunch break too. Baekhyun found himself feeling a tiny bit disappointed again. He even wanted their little game to last for a while. Maybe he did smell like dung, so smelly Chanyeol was forced to drop the subject. Oh well, at least, he won that round.

The rest of the week passed quickly, as boring as the second day. Chanyeol still didn’t come to class. The whole Park family also disappeared during lunch time. Most of the student ignored it. As usual, only Baekhyun found it highly suspicious. Outside their species rang in his mind again.

“Dr. Park usually pulls them out of classes for a whole week to go camp and stuff,” Taemin answered when Baekhyun had asked. “You know, they’re extremely rich. They have all the money to spare for family bonding and whatever rich people do.”

It seemed an innocent enough reason but for a father to pull his children out one by one? What kind of family bonding is that? Baekhyun may not be very well versed in the field of family relationship, as his family is not that well knitted, but he’d read enough textbooks about it to know that bonding is supposed to start and end together.

Rich people. Is that just it?

Friday night came, Baekhyun just had to ask. “What do you think of the Park family, brother?” The tone of his question was perfectly casual like the thought just happened to pass his mind and not gnawing its recesses for the past weekdays.

His brother was right to be suspicious. “Dr. Park’s family? Oh, he’s a good man.”

Baekhyun frowned. Baekbeom didn’t answer his. He asked for the family, not the man alone. “His children,” he continued. “They’re very different. Fitting in seems to be a problem for them, even after two years of staying.”

Baekhyun also didn’t exactly fit in. He was welcomed yes. But it was only a matter time before his so-called friends lose their attention like a child getting tired of a new toy.

“The people of this town,” his brother said but paused to get his bearings in order. The tone was wrong, Baekhyun noted. It wasn’t casual, instead, it sounded like he was angry. “Dr. Park is a very great surgeon.”

Baekhyun stared down at the food on his plate, bacon and eggs like their meal this morning. This would be a long speech, he sighed, full of useless information.

“He could easily work in any other hospital and make an income ten times more than he’s currently earning.” Baekbeom’s voice was getting harder, louder, and angrier. “The town is lucky enough to have him here - lucky that his wife wanted to live in a quiet little town. His kids are mature and well-behaved. They haven’t caused even a speck of trouble for the police and we’re very grateful for that. They always stick together like a real family, going out every weekend.”

Baekhyun flinched at the words ‘together like a real family’ and was reduced to playing with his last bacon strip. There was spite when Baekbeom said that, bitterness and sadness. He knew Baekhyun was the victim in middle of their family’s… separation; the broken, the damaged. For a very long time, he harbored thoughts and feelings that would make even the strictest of parents flinch. He never told anyone. It was the ultimate reason why he engrossed himself into books and researches where his mind is occupied with things far from family matters. Although sometimes, when boredom strikes, he couldn’t help but dig out those forgotten feelings. It was a burden of every child with a broken family, right? At least, he wasn’t alone.

“Something once lost can never be returned,” he muttered absently.

Why is he even asking about this again?

“Pardon, Baek? I didn’t catch that?” Baekbeom asked, mid-speech.

“No, it’s nothing. I just forgot I have a dozen home works to do to catch up with the previous lessons.” Baekhyun stood and placed his plate on the sink. “I’ll be doing them now.”

The door was shut with a force that shook the walls.

Beneath the ego and brains, Baekhyun was no more than just a boy hiding behind the face of arrogance. It hurts to be reminded of that.

Baekhyun dialed his mother’s number and set the phone into loud-speaker.

Yeonhee, his mother, answered on the second ring. “Honey!”

“Mom,” he glumly replied.

“How nice of you to call!” He was glad his mother sounded so chirpy. It lightened the atmosphere around the room a bit. “How is Baekbeom?”

“Baekbeom is fine. He can’t cook anything other than bacon and eggs.”

There was a giggle on the phone speakers. “Maybe you should go shopping for something other than bacon and eggs. Some meat and bread would do.”

The genius sounded almost hopeless. He hates shopping too. “Mom, you know I don’t go shopping.”

“Oh but you should!” Another giggle.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Shopping is better than having bacon and eggs for the rest of her stay, right?

“Baekhyun, honey.”

Baekhyun knew that tone and he didn’t like it. Yeonhee would always use that tone whenever he’d disappointed her. If this was about his relocation, Baekhyun is going to end the call.

“Baekhyun, can you play another song for mommy?”

Fortunately, Yeonhee couldn’t see the surprise look on Baekhyun’s face upon his request.

The boy genius hurriedly grabbed his new piano and sat on the floor. He brought the phone down beside him. “Brother bought me a new piano! Can you believe it?”

There was no reply. Baekhyun began playing.

Tears escaped freely as soon as the notes did. He tried his best to stop sniffling and concentrate on the piece but his mind wouldn’t let her. The song was a thousand times sadder than last Tuesday. It didn’t help his feelings at all.

“New song?” He could hear the croak on his mother’s voice.

“Mhm.” And that was all he could say at the moment.

Eyes closed, Baekhyun continued until the last note on the updated song. A moment’s silence before he said, “I haven’t finished the composition yet.”

“I miss you, Baekhyun”

He hold his breath for one last desperate attempt to stop himself from crying, but the attempt was, indeed, futile. Tears ran down his cheeks like a river down the bend. His breathing came ragged. A million thoughts passed his mind every second. He bit his lips to stop, stop, stop crying! But it wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. It was hopeless!

“I miss you too, mom.” He said in between his panting and stopped the call.

Because of the havoc in his mind, Baekhyun didn’t notice his brother watching him in silence from the door.

When morning came, everything that happened would be denied.