It was the Economics boring lecture that did him in. The 600 paged Principles of economics textbook used the smallest font size in the history of mandkind to fill up every corner of the page. And that is how Baekhyun found himself in a dreaming of his past. A past that was almost something out of a horror movie. 

“Yeah he bought this for me.”

“Well show me then.” Xiumin eagerly raised his eyebrows, holding Baekhyun’s fingers one of which had a pretty silver ring around it with carved engravings on it.

“He got it carved with our initials on it.” Baekhyun said. “Here, look.” He turned the ring to show Xiumin the golden letters. It was truly stunning and suited Baekhyun’s fingers very well. Xiumin cooed with delight and Baekhyun smiled back at the adoration.

Xiumin was the one of the few Koreans Baekhyun knew in America and he felt at home, comfortably spending his time in the cozy little corner shop.

“Here’s your blueberry pancake.”

Baekhyun sat across the counter, digging into his pancakes without going back to sit at his table.

Xiumin’s eyes somehow found their way to Baekhyun’s wrists.

Ones that bore new bruises.

“You seem tired. What’s wrong?” Xiumin asked sensing underlying fatigue and sadness in Baekhyun’s eyes that’d been there for months now. His skin was ghostly pale and couldn’t hold any secrets beneath them.

Baekhyun remained quiet.

“Your hyung is always here for you, you know that right?” Xiumin placed his hand over Baekhyun’s and Baekhyun stopped eating, his eyes low and focused below.

“Baekhyun— Is everything okay?”

Baekhyun choked back a sob and Xiumin grew concerned.

“Hey, hey it’s okay.” Xiumin came around from behind the counter and in front of him as tears leaked from eyes. “It’s okay, you can tell me what’s bothering you. It’s okay.” Baekhyun had his hands covering his face, his head resting on his hyung’s chest as Xiumin gently patted the back of his head trying to comfort Baekhyun’s shaking body.

“Leave him Baekhyun. Promise me you’ll leave him.”

“Wow that looks good.”

Baekhyun’s voice startled Chanyeol as he jumped a little in his seat. Placing his hand over his heart Chanyeol turned around to see Baekhyun peering over his shoulder.

“Sorry if I scared you.”

“No, that’s okay.” Chanyeol smiled, thinking that he should really not allow himself to get distracted by Baekhyun.

“So what do you think?” He turned around and tried to concentrate back on his work.

“I didn’t know you were such an artist.” Baekhyun came closer to examine his art. Acrylic paint, sketch pens and water colours of all sorts were lying across the desk disarrayed and in a mess.

“I’m not, I just try.” Baekhyun took a seat next to Chanyeol, admiring the wonderful piece of art. It was a colourful portrait of a boy standing near a glass window as he watched the scenery outside.

“Hey, Can I ask you a question, if you don’t mind?” Baekhyun stopped smiling and gulped before replying.

“S-sure.”

“What did you guys do after your shift?”

Baekhyun just frowned in confusion.

“I meant you and Zitao? The other day when you guys left after your shift at midnight?”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun trying to read his expression.

Baekhy