Baekhyun wandered the streets afterward, trying to process what had just happened. He probably should've went back to the Dorm to get some sleep, but that.

Yixing had just suggested that he leave- leave everything- and live with him. Him, as in Zhang Yixing- the pianist, the Elite, the . . . Baekhyun shook his head.

There were so many problems with the plan they came up with that he didn't even want to think about it. And he couldn't even if he wanted, because only one thing was on his mind: dream come true.

Because that's what the plan meant, right? He could somehow leave the Entertainer life once and for all and actually live. It was something he wanted so badly it made his heart ache. The hope and future it promised was the only thing that had kept him going all these years- ever since he realized how ed up his life was. And now he could have it. It was so close he could taste it and he didn't care about all the details that went into “somehow”. Because, damn. This could all be over.

He realized that he had wandered to the Cleaner's Dorm and impulsively decided to stay and wait for Chanyeol to return for work. He sat down on the ground in front of the door that was barely hanging on its hinges. It occurred to him again how much better the Entertainer's Dorm was compared to the others and that was ing sad.

Before long, a familiar voice dragged him out of his thoughts. “Baekhyun!” it called.

He looked up.

“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked, jogging over. His gray jacket was slung across his shoulder and Baekhyun remembered the first time they met. He wondered what the Cleaner would think about him leaving.

“Waiting for you.”

“Really?” Chanyeol smiled so widely Baekhyun thought his face would fall apart.

“No. I just like sitting in the sun instead of sleeping,” he deadpanned.

Chanyeol laughed and moved to drag the shorter boy up. “You wanna go inside?”

“Is Twelve here?”

“Why don't you like him?” Chanyeol asked, amused, as he pushed open the sad excuse for a door.

“He doesn't like me. I think he's okay,” Baekhyun muttered.

The Cleaner's Dorm smelled like and it was so ironic Baekhyun wanted to cry. They sat down on a straw mat and Chanyeol looked at him expectantly.

“What do you want?”

Chanyeol laughed at his unease. “You came here to talk about something, right?”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. The poodle wasn't usually so . . . smart. “What, I couldn't just come here and socialize?”

The other grinned. “You never socialize.”

The Entertainer sighed and glanced around warily at the other Cleaners who were resting. “Remember that weird Elite?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah?”

“He said he would try to . . .” Baekhyun trailed off, the plan seeming more horribly thought out the more he thought of it. Chanyeol cocked his head, waiting for him to continue. Ah, this.

“ . . . Let me live with him?” he finished quietly.

“Huh?”

“Yeah,” he replied, trying to sound confident. “If everything works out, I'll be able to leave this .”

Chanyeol furrowed his brows and fell silent. Baekhyun stared at the dirty mat because holy . This is really awkward and I sound so stupid.

“I should be happy for you, right?” Chanyeol finally asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, then,” the taller boy said, smiling. “I'm happy. Good luck.”

~ ~ ~

The conversation with Jongin didn't play out the same way.

“What do you mean 'you're leaving'?” Jongin asked, springing up, suddenly awake after Baekhyun told him.

“What it sounds like.”

“You wanna like . . . explain more?”

Baekhyun sighed and decided to tell him the whole plan. “Basically, Yixing is going to- like- buy me from the Official in charge of the Entertainers and if that doesn't work, he'll just keep bribing him. And I'll be free.” He studied his friend for his reaction.

“Uh . . . what?” Jongin looked at him as if he was crazy, and maybe he was. “That's it?” Baekhyun nodded. “Oh my god. Have you even thought it through? Like, who is this Xing guy and why is he doing this and why should you trust him?” Baekhyun opened his mouth to defend the Elite, but Jongin ignored him. “And what are you going to do after you're freed? Hide out in his mansion for the rest of your life? Are you even going to be happy? And-”

“I don't care.” Baekhyun finally managed to cut him off. “I just want to take the risk and . . . you know.”

Jongin took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said slowly. “You're my friend. I want you to be happy. If you think-”

“I don't think. I want, I need,” Baekhyun interrupted, putting all his feelings into the word. “And Yixing, he can give me an actual life- everything. He makes me feel human.”

“Human?” Jongin stood up and walked over to the other cot, forcing Baekhyun to stand up too. “Okay, I know that you always escape to these fantasies to cope because you think everything's unfair. I get that! But you saying that only that Elite makes you feel worthy- that hurts, you know? It hurts like hell 'cause then what are we? What am I to you? We went though all this- all that during training 'till now, but what? All these years and I couldn't even make you feel human?” He threw his hands up and looked at Baekhyun, a storm of emotions in his eyes.

“Jongin, it's different,” Baekhyun said weakly. He was a little shocked at the outburst. He didn't want to admit it, but it did make him sound like an . But he didn't care- he couldn't care.

“Yeah, different because we're just nothing but numbers, right?” Jongin spat out. “But he's a ing Elite and can give you expensive food and pianos and everything you think you deserve.”

“Yes, I think I deserve all that!” Baekhyun cried. “I think we all deserve something more, something-”

“That you're going to leave us for.”

“So you're jealous? Is that it?” He pushed Jongin away from him.

“No. Okay, yes. But no! Goddammit, I just can't stand how you're leaving everything for someone you met how long ago? For empty promises and what? And what about Chanyeol?”

“What about him?”

“You tell him all this - all this about how his life and how he should want more and you gave him a name, for s sake. He depends on you and needs you and loves you and you're his everything. Does that not matter?”

“First,” Baekhyun managed to force out calmly. “He doesn't depend or need or love me. And second, why should I give up my chance at happiness for him? He's already happy. He's always happy. He-”

“You're such a selfish piece of !” Jongin cried, a mix of horror, shock and something else filling his eyes.

“Yes! I'd rather be a selfish piece of with a life th-than being a number treated worse than !”

Baekhyun paused, gasping for breath and the two stared at each other. There was so much to be said that couldn't be put into words. He didn't know how things escalated so quickly nor why Jongin just couldn't understand. “You said you're my friend. You said you want me to be happy,” he finally said.

“I'm Baekhyun's friend. I want Baekhyun to be happy. When did you turn into this-”

“Piece of . I know. But it's not even an insult. It's the truth. This is who I am, so get the over it.”

“Ok. Go on. Have fun. Don't come back.”

"Goodbye, Kai"

♔ A  u  t  h  o  r  '  s    N  o  t  e ♔

Some Chanyeol POV next chaper!

Also, enjoy this cute kaibaek picture ^_^