The day is finally here.

Baekhyun wakes up very early, heart racing crazily against his chest. They've given him and Dara two weeks of break, so for those two weeks Baekhyun has no need to wear his lab coat. Instead, he decides to wear the clothes that he had worn on the very first day he entered EX'ACT. Feeling too giddy for breakfast, Baekhyun instead recklessly decides to skip it, heading over to room 530 straight away.

Of course, the room is empty so Baekhyun sits down on the floor nervously. Strangely though, even though his heart is racing and his skin feels jumpy, Baekhyun isn't overthinking at all. Instead, he genuinely, genuinely wishes that today will be fun and long-lasting. After all, now that his professor is dating someone, Baekhyun is sure that he won't have many more opportunities to meet with him.

I must cherish this. Baekhyun thinks to himself. I will cherish this, and then I'll let him go.

Speaking of the devil, the door opens and a very handsome professor walks in, those bright eyes blinking in surprise when he finds Baekhyun sitting on the floor.

"Here already?" His professor asks, walking in more elegantly than normal. Baekhyun blinks at the sudden entrance, hand moving to push himself off the floor, but then his professor stretches out his hand, offering. Baekhyun at first contemplates, between his selfish side of wanting to spend this entire day without thinking about anyone else, and his realistic side that constantly reminds him that he has no place in his professor's heart. Even though his realistic side usually wins, this time the picks his selfish side.

Just for today.

I just want to be myself, without any worries and concerns, just for today.

Baekhyun takes the hand and lets himself be pulled up, shivering at the warmth that their contact gave out.

"Mm, Professor." Baekhyun responds cheerfully. "What are we doing today?"

"I've planned the entirety of today, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind, Professor." I'm fine with doing anything as long as it's with you.

Maybe it's the excitement of this, because Baekhyun accidentally says it aloud.

"Oh? That's good." His professor chuckles, brushing it off casually, and Baekhyun hopes in his heart that his professor had not taken it seriously. "I hope you've brought everything you need."

"Yep." A little confused by that statement, Baekhyun replies absentmindedly anyway.

"Then let's go."

"Wait." Baekhyun turns to look towards his professor's table. "Professor, did you remember to bring your medication?"

"... Little one, it's fine –"

"You must bring them." Baekhyun says as he bounces over to the table and takes the bottles of pills in his hands, before bouncing back towards Chanyeol. "Don't forget to take care of yourself."

"Really, Baekhyun –"

"Here." Baekhyun holds out his hands, where the bottles of pills lie. "I won't leave until you take them."

"..." Sighing in defeat, Chanyeol eventually takes them in his hands and then places them in his pockets, frowning. "Are you happy now?"

"Yep." Baekhyun smiles so widely his eyes turn into crescents and his pointy teeth are showing, and then he feels the comforting pat on his head.

"Aish, what am I going to do with you ..." Then that hand reaches down and holds him by the wrist. "Okay, let's go."

Heart racing, Baekhyun's natural instinct is to pull away because he's so used to telling himself that this is wrong and that he's interfering with his professor's and his best friend's feelings for each other. But this time he lets the older hold him by the wrist, telling himself over and over again that he will swear to never be selfish again, as long as he's allowed this one day of selfishness.

"Oh! Have you eaten, Professor?" Baekhyun asks suddenly, upon hearing a growl in his stomach.

"Yes I have, little one." That's good. Baekhyun thinks to himself, satisfied. He knows how to take care of himself now. "Have you?"

"Huh?"

"Have you eaten?"

"Uh ... Y-Yes I have." A little taken aback by the question, Baekhyun answers absentmindedly.

"Actually, I lied. I haven't eaten, but I didn't want drag you with me and make you watch me eat." His professor admits. "But now that you haven't eaten, I guess it's okay for me to skip –"

"It is not!" Baekhyun replies, horrified. "We should go eat now, Professor."

"Don't be silly, how can I waste your time –"

"I haven't eaten." Baekhyun says. "I-I'm really hungry." His stomach growls in response.

"I hope you're not lying." The older raises his eyebrow.

"I swear." Baekhyun replies, nodding as if to confirm himself. "I promise."

It's when his professor turns a different direction does Baekhyun realise that he's not heading towards the cafeteria. Remembering that he has no money left, and that even though he had gotten prize money for coming first, Baekhyun decides that he probably shouldn't spend too much of it now, and that he needs to control himself.

What am I going to do? Baekhyun thinks to himself worriedly.

"P-Professor ..." He calls out eventually. Awkwardly. "I ... don't think I can afford a meal."

"Hm?" Chanyeol looks backward. "Oh, I'll treat you."

"No, it's –"

"Come on." The older drags him to a very formal looking restaurant and then sits the both of them down. A waiter walks towards them and sets down the menu for both of them. Confused, Baekhyun stares blankly up at the waiter as he walks away, then stares down at the book in front of him.

"You pick your food and they'll bring it to you." The older explains, chuckling. Reddening in embarrassment, Baekhyun opens the book, a little at a loss on what to do because he had always chosen his food by going to the counter to pick all the food on display.

"I ... don't know what they look like." Baekhyun says, staring at the descriptions and names of the food but having no idea what it means.

"I'll pick something for you." His professor replies, smile wide as if Baekhyun's confusion is amusing him.

"Oh." Baekhyun awkwardly closes the menu book and looks around, noticing that everyone who's eating here is wearing formal clothes as if they're back at the graduation ceremony. Baekhyun himself is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, possibly the most casual combination ever, and when he turns to look at his professor, this time he takes the time to scrutinize the other properly.

His professor's hair is slicked back, making him look smart and handsome. He's wearing black pants and a white dress shirt, which completely makes him blend in with the rest of the quality of the restaurant.

Feeling even more awkward now, Baekhyun pulls in his chair a bit, wanting to hide into the table cloth that seems more expensive than all his clothes put together. His professor notices.

"Not comfortable?" Baekhyun watches as he closes the menu book. "We'll go somewhere else."

"No." Baekhyun whispers, shaking his head violently. "It's fine ..."

"..." Chanyeol reaches up to his own hair and then ruffles it, almost like the way he does with Baekhyun. Confused, a sound leaves Baekhyun's lips, but it's too late – his professor's hair is now messy, his bangs falling over his forehead and looking as if they're touching his eyelashes. Then his unbuttons the first three buttons of his shirt and then pulls them apart. Then he pulls his shirt off from his pants and leaves it until he, too, looks like any casual man.

"Professor ..."

"Professor here is going to make you comfortable today." Chanyeol says fearlessly. "Feeling better?"

"Yes." Baekhyun replies, cheeks flushing. Even though he doesn't want his professor to sacrifice himself for him, his heart is still fluttering happily. I'll be selfish for today. His professor calls the waiter over to order the food, then links his hands together to stare at Baekhyun.

"I guess from now on you can call me hyung instead." Chanyeol says. Once again, Baekhyun shakes his head profusely.

"Why not?"

"If you haven't noticed, you're much older than just a 'hyung' ..." Baekhyun mutters to himself, but accidentally made it loud enough for Chanyeol to hear.

"Ouch."

"..." You sure are getting comfortable quick, aren't you? Baekhyun scolds himself, then immediately lifts up his head. "You're my professor ... I can't call you hyung."

"So how're your parents?" Chanyeol changes the topic quickly. "I don't think I've had the chance to meet them during the ceremony ..."

"Oh, they didn't come."

"Why not?" Baekhyun didn't know Chanyeol's horrified expression can look so cute.

"I ... didn't have the chance to invite them."

"That's fine then." The older breathes out a sigh of relief. "Tell me how they're like. Your parents."

"My parents ... they love me, is all I can say." Baekhyun chuckles. "They were against me coming here because they didn't think this was for me. Because I wasn't the average clever person. But in the end, when I told them how much it was my dream to change the world, they gave in."

His professor looks thoughtful.

"They know sign language too, and taught me." Baekhyun adds, as if he can't stop talking about them. "Because apparently I had an older noona that died before I was born. She was deaf."

His professor nods, still looking thoughtful.

"I know how to read lips too." Baekhyun finally concludes, as if to change the mood that he had set when he talked about his dead sister.

'Try it.' Chanyeol mouths immediately, and Baekhyun picks it up straight away.

"Mm!" His professor's impressed look gives Baekhyun warmth all over, especially his cheeks, which flush with pride. Just as Chanyeol is about to open his mouth to test his student more, the food arrives.

"We ... got the same thing." Baekhyun notices, and then the older chuckles.

"That's because I couldn't decide. I want to give you the best too, you know?" Grinning, his professor starts digging in the food, so Baekhyun follows.

This is the first proper meal I've ever had with Professor. And he's treating me. Baekhyun thinks to himself as he stares at the beautiful, creamy noodles sitting in front of him, with the delicious scent wafting into his nose. He wants to close his eyes and remember this image, this scene, and this feeling, because he's not sure this will be possible in the future.

Be selfish, just for today.

Opening his eyes, Baekhyun digs his fork down.

Around halfway through their meals (by that, it means Baekhyun being halfway through his 2nd bowl of noodles), the lights flicker off.

"Hm?" In the darkness, Baekhyun sees his professor lift his head up, staring around the place as if he's staring into nothing. Whispers float around the room, and the lights flicker on for a bit, then off again. Baekhyun continues eating, as if nothing has happened.

"The lights have been a little spastic lately." Chanyeol notes, and Baekhyun smiles when his professor reaches out and pats randomly and blindly at the table. "Give me your hand, little one. Don't be afraid."

"... Pfft." Baekhyun nearly snorts out his spaghetti, dropping his fork on his ceramic plate and coughing.

"What's wrong?" When Baekhyun looks up again, the older is looking around blindly, hand still patting on the table. "Little one?"

"I'm ..." Cough. "... I'm fine." Cough. Sniff. Choke. Laugh.

"Give me your hand!" His professor hisses quite strictly, and Baekhyun is still chuckling and choking at the same time, bringing a tissue he had grabbed from the table to his mouth before reaching out with his other hand towards his professor's.

When his professor feels his hand, he stops patting immediately and grabs it, holding firmly and tightly. Baekhyun once again feels the sizzle of warmth that passes between them. Sometimes he wonders if Chanyeol feels the same.

"Don't be scared, Baekhyun." The older reaches out his other hand to pat Baekhyun's hand comfortingly. "Don't be scared."

Even though his heart is racing, Baekhyun chuckles.

"I won't, Professor. I promise."

"These blackouts have never happened before ..." The older mutters to himself. "Not in the ... however long years I've been here for."

"... It might be the spy." Baekhyun says thoughtfully and absentmindedly. "It might be the spy's doing."

"..."

"I know it's probably supposed to be a top secret that they didn't want to spread around the Lab and all, but I'm sure everyone knows by now, Professor."

"... Okay, maybe you're right then." Sighing in defeat, Baekhyun notices his professor staring off into the distance, looking grim.

"D-Do you need to go somewhere? To fix this problem?" Baekhyun asks despite himself. "If you need to go elsewhere, or they need you to solve this problem, then it's all right."

"No, I promised to stay with you." This time, the older's gaze rests on him when he looks around. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I understand, Professor. We could always do this another day –"

"Let's wait a bit, okay? The lights can come back on at any moment, and if I leave you –" And just like that, the lights flicker back on, and stays on permanently.

There is relief on everyone's faces, but now that the day is bright and everyone can see again, they can potentially see Baekhyun holding hands with Chanyeol, which can be a problem, considering Chanyeol is dating his friend.

Baekhyun lets go immediately, a little disappointed but knowing it has to end eventually.

"See? Speak of the devil!" The older says, looking amazed.

"Mm." Now that his realistic side is back a little, Baekhyun can't stop himself. "How is your relationship going with noona, Professor?"

"Hm? Aw, little one, do we have to talk about this?"

"Professor just doesn't know his feelings well enough? Not a legend in this area?" Baekhyun teases lightly, smiling.

"Don't expose me ... I haven't finished being the cool professor yet."

"It's ... going all right though?" Baekhyun asks, slightly worriedly. Because after all, if he doesn't have a chance to be with his professor then he'd rather it be his best friend that has the chance.

"Yes, little one, don't you worry." Reassured, Baekhyun quickly finishes the rest of his food until he's full. As he watches the waiter approach them with the bill, Baekhyun is reminded of how much he ate.

"I'll pay you back." He says eagerly, wanting to look at the bill but not wanting to make it obvious because he's sure his professor will pull it away from his sight. "After all, I ate so much ..."

"Did you know our bank accounts have a maximum?" Chanyeol says. "So once you reach that amount, they won't give you any more no matter what."

"... Really?" Baekhyun blinks, shocked.

"Yep." The older nods. "Which is why I want to spend my money. Because I don't want all my hard work to go to waste, you know?"

"..." Makes sense. After all, Baekhyun is short of money and Chanyeol has too much ... But doesn't that mean taking advantage of his professor?

Be selfish. Just this once.

"Thank you." Baekhyun says eventually. "And ... you can always transfer your money into my account so you can earn more! N-Not that I'm going to take your money, I swear I won't."

Chuckling, Chanyeol nods, reaching out to ruffle his hair before he leaves to pay the money. Baekhyun stands up too, feeling a little too out of place here by himself. And then his professor returns, that dazzling smile still lighting up his features as they leave the place.

"Where are we going now?" Baekhyun asks, feeling excited.

"Go and you'll find out." The secret smile on Chanyeol's lips doesn't help at all, as he clicks the ground floor on the elevator. Baekhyun is confused but doesn't say anything, waiting as the elevator goes down slowly. As his eyes flit all over the place, they rest on his professor's neck that's exposed because he had opened his buttons.

"Where's your necklace?" He asks curiously.

"Not here." The older shrugs, a small grin still on his lips.

"... Nothing happened with Doctor Yixing, right?" Once again he is worried, not wanting anything to happen that can potentially hurt his professor.

"No, nothing at all. Don't you worry, little one. You worry too much." With another reassuring smile, the older steps out of the elevator, and Baekhyun follows. This ground looks distinctly familiar, just like how it looked the first time Baekhyun had entered the Lab. Baekhyun slows down significantly, looking around to find little points that he remembers from his memory.

But his professor doesn't give him the chance, because Chanyeol grabs him by the wrist and pulls him again, quickly, out of the doors and into the outside world that he hasn't been to for months.

"Professor ..." Baekhyun starts, but Chanyeol runs, pulling him with him. Baekhyun catches up easily, calling out his name for Chanyeol once more, as if to say something.

"Let's hurry." His professor interrupts, still running. "After all, we only have one day to enjoy ourselves."

A little at a loss for words, Baekhyun becomes silent, and lets the older drag him further and further away from the Lab.

When he finally stops, Baekhyun can sort of estimate that they're right in the middle between the Lab (which is at the centre of the bubble) and the edge of the bubble that SQUAOII resides in. Personally, Baekhyun has never been near the edge of SQUAOII and he wonders if his professor will take him there today.

Still, sitting on these large pebble pavements is something Baekhyun hasn't experienced in a long, long time.

"Professor ... you know we're not allowed outside, right?" Baekhyun finally says, after a long while of silence. "Or at least ... I'm not."

"Don't worry, it's just for today." Chanyeol replies. "They won't catch us."

"Didn't know Professor was such a rebel." Baekhyun smiles, watching the sweat drip down his professor's forehead, only because today is warmer than an average day. Must be his age catching up to him. Feeling a little heartache from watching his professor sweat, Baekhyun absentmindedly pulls a tissue out of his pocket and holds it out to his professor. His professor, holding onto his thighs, back slightly bent and still panting, turns and catches his eye. Strangely, for that moment, Baekhyun feels as if his professor is much younger, looking at him like that. Then the older accepts the tissue, straightens himself, and then reaches out to dab Baekhyun's face instead of his own.

"Silly you, caring for others so much you forget yourself." The older remarks, and as soon as Baekhyun processes that, he feels a sweat droplet roll down the side of his face.

Once they've caught their breaths, Chanyeol takes him around the place, to places where even Baekhyun has never been to before. And Baekhyun briefly wonders how the older knows these places, considering that he probably is hardly out of the EX'ACT walls.

Still, it makes his professor seem all the more charming, to know all these things even though he hasn't had much experience with it. Baekhyun only follows like a puppy, because he trusts his professor to know things even though the older can be a little clumsy sometimes.

As they walk, they also talk. Not about work, not about what Baekhyun has to study, not about what Baekhyun needs to do, not about Monsters or Lucky Ones, not about the war, not about Chanyeol's medication, not about Dara ... just ... about their own lives, their own quirks, their own hobbies. And with every minute that passes, Baekhyun learns a little bit more about his professor, whether it's about his life or just concluding his personality from the way he speaks, or the way he talks about things.

And Baekhyun can't help it. Even though he wants out of his feelings, he can't help but fall a little deeper each time, whether it's finding more about his professor, or seeing the way his professor would smile so handsomely, yet at the same time so mysteriously, or feeling the way his professor had held his wrist or dabbed at his forehead, or even just the way he would walk, sometimes so elegantly that it's out of character.

Baekhyun doesn't know exactly what part of his professor that he had fallen in love with, because all he knows is that he had fallen in love with his professor as a whole and the most part of it comes through the way Chanyeol had taken care of him for the past few months.

And then his professor falls and trips over.

Of course, perfection has its limits.

Baekhyun immediately rushes over to pick up his professor, whose handsome face is scrunched up in pain at his knee, where the cloth has ripped along with the outer skin and matted with blood. The smaller is tempted to carry his professor bridal style and move him to the bench nearby, but he knows this will probably hurt the older man's pride, so instead he winds the long arm around his neck and pulls him up, pulling him over to the bench and sitting him down.

"You're always so clumsy, Professor." Baekhyun mumbles, before pulling the leg towards him. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"... Of course it hurts, you silly." The older laughs. "But it's just a wound. It didn't shake my old bones or anything."

"Surprised it didn't." Baekhyun blurts out quietly, then coughs, attempting to cover it up. Staring at the older's knee, he realizes that it's inconvenient to clean the wound without tearing off the material apart.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I promise I will buy you new pants and it might hurt a bit."

"Baekhyun, what are you –" The deep voice is cut off with a hiss when Baekhyun leans towards the wound, his teeth catching onto the ripped cloth that's covering the wound like jail bars, then he rips it off with his teeth, thick strand by strand, until the wound is free of its bars. Then his teeth catches onto the cloth outside the wound like borders, and rips a little of that too, until the wound can breathe a bit more.

Baekhyun then stands up, wanting to look for water, some tissues and maybe some cloth that he can bandage his professor up with, but the moment he stands, his professor catches him on the arm.

"You've got blood on you." The older says, and Baekhyun quickly wipes the lower half of his face with his bare arm, smiling.

"It's fine." He says before bounding off. He runs, finding a pharmacy store nearby, before buying all the supplies he needs, then running back like his life depends on it.

Opening the bottle quickly, Baekhyun pours a little bit of water over the older's wound, letting the excess blood flow away. Then he begins cleaning the wound, and finally, wrapping the bandage around his professor's knee.

"Seems like I owe you once again, little one." The older sighs. "My burdens keep piling up ..."

"I'm just repaying what you've given me." Baekhyun responds, gathering up the materials and liftin himself off the floor. "Can you walk?"

"I'm not that weak." As if to show that, Chanyeol stands up. "Let's go have lunch now."

"... Professor, we just ate."

"It's been five hours, little one. If you're not starving, I am."

"You're ... not going to treat me again, are you?" Baekhyun bounds after his professor, who's still walking so fast with his long legs.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. After all, I'm going to spoil you today."

Heart fluttering, Baekhyun is once again silenced by his professor's words.

"Can we eat bread for lunch? And admire the lake that was in that park before?"

"All right, whatever you say, little one."

And that's exactly what they do. This time, Baekhyun feels more at ease, probably because he had loosened up more towards his professor after half the day's events. There is a table and a bench near the lake for a picnic, but deciding that the table is blocking their view, they sit on the table instead, overlooking the lake that also has many people surrounding it, mostly mothers and little children. Baekhyun misses seeing this, as he swings his legs and eats his bread, turning over to glance over at his professor, whose expression looks concentrated yet distant.

"I haven't seen children in a while." Chanyeol says softly.

"Can EX'ACT members have children?" Baekhyun asks curiously, having never thought about it before.

"Not really. We just don't have time." How come the older's longing expression still looks so handsome? "You even have to go through many tests if you want to be married as an EX'ACT member, showing that you'll still be just as dedicated to EX'ACT as you will be if you're married. It's quite difficult to manage, actually."

"Are you thinking of getting married?" Strangely, Baekhyun has never had the thought. His future had always been filled with his dream of bringing peace, so filled with it that nothing else enters it.

"No. Besides, I'm too old." The older chuckles, turning to grin at Baekhyun. "Who would want an old fart like me?"

"Many people!" Baekhyun butts in immediately, passionately. "My professor definitely is the coolest man out there! I don't allow you to insult him like that!"

"Don't be silly, I can insult him however much I want~"

"Don't you dare!" Before Baekhyun can even think about this, he had grabbed a new piece of bread and stuffed it in the older's mouth, grabbing him in such a way that his insides sizzle with warmth, laughing when Chanyeol can't speak or move.

"Besides, many people like my professor." Baekhyun continues, once the older has given up and accepted the piece of bread to eat. "Like noona, like many staff members, especially m –"

"Hm?"

"Especially many more people." Baekhyun finishes quickly. "I'm thirsty, do you want water?" Shrugging, the older pulls out his card and passes it to him. Baekhyun accepts it immediately and rushes off to the nearest store that sells water.

Satisfied with two bottles of water, Baekhyun walks out of the store, thinking about what they may do next when he bumps into someone.

"Sorry." He mutters, moving out the way, but the person he had bumped into grabs him. Baekhyun looks up, finding an unfamiliar man in uniform staring at him.

"Byun Baekhyun, it is against the law to leave the Lab by yourself. You must return now."

"Wait." Baekhyun hugs the bottles to himself as he pulls away from the grip. "I'm not by myself. I'm with my professor."

The guard looks surprised.

"I'm pretty sure he gave me permission and gave himself permission to leave the Lab. If you don't believe, you should go back and check." Baekhyun says firmly. Maybe he's just really desperate for this one day of selfishness.

"Uh ..."

"We have an entire day off today, sir. If you don't mind ... I promise we'll be back by the end of today." Baekhyun continues, before passing the water over to the man. "I'm sorry to have made you come such a long way. If you're unsure, I'll take you to Professor Chanyeol right now."

Having nothing else to do, the security guard follows. Chanyeol turns around, finding the both of them there, and immediately frowns.

"Did you not believe Baekhyun was here with me?" The older's tone of voice is strict, and the security guard immediately bows his head in shame.

"But ..."

"Don't question him. I'll bring him back by midnight tonight. Meanwhile ..." Chanyeol's face softens and then he pats the man's back. "Here. Give me your name and I'll give you a day off today, for coming all the way out here to find Baekhyun."

"But ..."

"No buts. Have a day off, Minwoo, and I'll make sure to tell the person in charge. You worked hard." Patting him on the back, Chanyeol sends him off, watching him leave with a smile on his face that later fades away. Then he grabs Baekhyun's arms and begins walking.

"We need to go." He says.

"Where?" Baekhyun asks, confused as he holds onto the bottle of water that is meant for his professor.

"To the Edge, before the day ends."

"But ... Professor, they will need us back soon ... You know, now that they already sent someone for us." Baekhyun watches the older stop. "Especially with the rumour of a spy going around, I'm sure they'd need to tighten the security. Maybe we should head back."

"..." Sighing, the older finally lets go of his hand.

"Professor? What's wrong?"

"... Nothing." The older turns around, running his hand through his hair. "Just that, I wish there was a day when I didn't have to think about my responsibilities inside that place."

"I'm sorry." Baekhyun mumbles.

"So do you want to go back now?"

"No." Baekhyun responds immediately. Professor probably asked me to come with him not because he wanted to celebrate, but probably because he wanted some time apart from his work. I can't just make him go back now. "Let's go back at 11:59."

"Smart move." A smile flickers across the older's lips again as he stretches out and ruffles Baekhyun's hair. At that, Baekhyun's heart rests.

"Will you take me to more places?" Baekhyun asks hopefully.

"Mm, of course." Looking around, Chanyeol shoves his hands into his pockets and then finally looks back at the younger.

"Oh. Here's your water." Baekhyun says, holding out the bottle of water.

"You can drink first." Baekhyun holds the water hesitantly, wondering whether he should say that he had already finished his bottle. "I saw that man holding a water bottle, little one."

"O-Oh ..." Cheeks flushing, like a deer caught in the headlights, Baekhyun quietly opens the bottle and takes a drink.

"Baekhyun-ah, why do you always lie to me?" The older says as he takes the bottle, then tilts his head up to drink the rest of the bottle.

"I ..." Baekhyun's throat goes dry despite drinking water just earlier. With no excuses, with no explanations, with nothing, Baekhyun eventually closes his mouth and watches the way the older's Adam's Apple bobs up and down, then gulping himself. Chanyeol pulls the bottle away and then wipes his lips with his sleeve, and then tilts his head, gesturing for the younger to follow.

Sighing in relief that he doesn't have to answer the question, Baekhyun once again follows like a puppy.

"Can we go to The Edge?" Baekhyun asks, once he catches up to long legs.

"Sure." The older responds, chuckling. "Might take a while though."

"That's fine." A while is all I need. He thinks to himself, as he once again happily engages conversation with the older.

By evening, they finally arrive at the edge. Baekhyun had never seen such a phenomenon before, as he touches the walls of SQUAOII that protects them from the outside waters. Of course, he's seen the sea waters before, if he looks upwards, but never this close. The waters are dark but peaceful looking, and when Baekhyun tries to stare beyond, he finds that he can't see anything.

"How do you think people leave this bubble?" Baekhyun asks curiously, fascinated by the science that is the source behind all this genius. "Or entered it in the first place? Freqse is probably the most inspirational man alive!" Then he turns to the older, skin jumping excitedly.

"I'm sure there is a way." Once again, his professor sounds quite distant, but he returns quickly to smile at his student. Baekhyun wonders if the older's reminiscing the past. "Let's go back now."

"Oh ..." Even though realistically this is the time they should be heading back if they wish to return by midnight, but even so, Baekhyun's heart sinks in disappointment and he can't help but wonder whether his professor really is done with him. "Mmkay."

After buying another bag of breads and snacks, they munch slowly on their way home. Of course throughout the entire day, Baekhyun had reminded his professor to take his medicine, to which he complied almost obediently.

The more the street lights dim, the more Baekhyun realizes he has less time with his professor. After all, because there is no sunlight in SQUAOII, a bubble hidden deep inside the seawaters, the street lights make up for it. The lights slowly and gradually come on when dawn approaches, then slowly dim and fade away the closer midnight approaches. Looking at how dim the lights are now, Baekhyun guesses he only has about three hours left with his professor before the day is over.

"Had a good day today?" His professor asks softly. Baekhyun's heart is bubbling with warmth, like it had the entire day. The warmth is mostly self-created.

"Yes, Professor." Baekhyun replies happily, munching on his bread. "Thank you for taking me around today."

"Of course I had to." Baekhyun nearly bumps into his professor because the older had stopped walking. Looking up, he finds the other staring down at him gently, a small smile lighting his lips. "Happy Birthday, little one."

"... Huh?" Baekhyun's heart skips, running inside his ribcage as if it hasn't been doing that for the entire day already.

"Finally twenty-four?" The older grins, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"You know my birthday?" Baekhyun blurts, cheeks flushed in pleasant surprise, happy that the lights are probably too dim for the older to notice. He wouldn't even have remembered it himself if it weren't for his alarm that sang happy birthday this morning to wake him up.

"Of course! Any professor should know their own student's birthday~" Then he starts walking again, and Baekhyun has to run a little to catch up. "So Baekhyun, time for your birthday speech."

"Can't do one." Baekhyun mutters.

"This is your professor's order!"

"Um ..." When Baekhyun takes a breath, he notices how shaky and deep it is. "I just want to thank my professor for allowing me to have fun today."

"That's it?"

"Uh-huh." His words are short, but he feels that they capture a lot of meaning. As the lights gradually dim, the day wears away, the more Selfish Baekhyun fades, and the more Realistic Baekhyun returns. When he closes his eyes, his heart feels heavy in his chest and he can picture his life starting from tomorrow, where he has to let go of his feelings and live through life without his professor.

Oh yes, his feelings.

He needs to get rid of them after today, and really, thoroughly let go.

And as they walk in silence, the reality of this hits him now, making his heart pound in fear. He's afraid of letting go, because he's afraid he will become another person without his feelings. He's afraid of letting go, because ... who isn't afraid of letting go of a part of themselves?

Yet, for his professor's sake ... for his best friend's sake ... for the sake of EX'ACT ... for his own sake, he has to.

"Professor, have you ever fallen in love?" He asks almost absentmindedly, his heart carrying sadness. Chanyeol turns around to stare at him in confusion.

"Professor, does love hurt so much because we care so much?" Baekhyun stares at the ground, and even though his eyes are watering, his lips are pulled up into a small smile.

"I think ... No, I'm sure, I've only ever fallen in love once." His professor replies, and Baekhyun can hear him suck in a huge breath of air before sighing it out. Even though he knows this, hearing it personally still feels like a stab in the gut. "You're right, little one. It hurt me to see that person hurting themselves, not taking care of themselves, and it makes my heart flutter when ... when she shows me affection, shows me kindness, and does everything ... everything, in her power to make sure I'm fine."

"Noona is kind of like that, isn't she?" Baekhyun nods, chuckling at how true it is despite his heart twisting in pain. "But Professor, is it possible to be so happy, yet so sad, being with the person we love?" Because that's what I'm feeling right now, and it feels like I'm being torn apart. "And do we dare call our feelings love, if the person we love doesn't love us back?"

"Is that person hurting you?" Baekhyun only looks up because his professor had caught him by the shoulders, staring into his eyes almost angrily. "If he's hurting you, tell me. I'll find him."

"... Who are you talking about?" Baekhyun laughs quietly, and he quickly pulls off his professor's hands on his shoulders, looking down when he realizes the corners of his lips are twitching, threatening to turn his smile into a frown. But of course, who else will his professor talk about, if not his best friend, Zhang Yixing?

After all, everyone seems to think they're a thing, and that he had seduced the doctor to get his ways. And it's no surprise his professor had caught onto the rumours, and is still believing them, even though Baekhyun had expressly denied it.

"Look, little one, if it's the rumours that you've used unspeakable ways to get to him that has affected your relationship, I'll publicly announce that it's untrue." His professor rambles. "He's my friend, I'm sure he'll listen to me if I explain that you really do –"

"Professor ..." Baekhyun cuts him off, not wanting to hear any more. It seems as if his professor is so keen to pair him up with someone else, so eager for them to work out that hearing it physically hurts Baekhyun's heart.

"Thank you for being so kind to me, Professor." Baekhyun says softly, reaching out to hold his professor's sleeve, too afraid to touch his skin, too afraid to feel the spark of warmth when he isn't sure the older feels the same. "Thank you for always looking out for me, for caring for me."

"It's all right, little one, that's my job – "

"Thank you for giving your time to me. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for making me feel comfortable. Thank you for trusting me ... Thank you for existing in my life." Baekhyun tightens his grip on his professor's sleeve, pulling still because he wants that last bit of attention before he's willing to let go. He meets his professor's eyes, boldly, fearlessly, and without fear of hiding, or avoiding, or lying. Finally. "I guess these are all the meanings that come under those three words."

Oh, Baekhyun, why are you so selfish?

"... Baekhyun?"

Please, let me be selfish for a little longer.

"I love you, Professor."

Just this one last time.

Even though he had said it out so simply, as if it had been the easiest thing in his world, Baekhyun knows it's far from that. As those words leave his lips, Baekhyun's skin is jumping, his heart is pounding, and he's sweating. His body hurts all over, hurts with so much pain that Baekhyun wants to collapse, curl into a ball and never feel again. This is the price for his selfishness.

But the reward is that he feels free, and for once, unhidden, exposed, genuine, and true. He had said it. He had said it, not because he wants the attention (even though he does). He had said it because he wants to let go. Completely.

His professor looks absolutely shocked, and strangely, his shocked expression can still look so handsome, so beautiful. Maybe it's this beauty that his professor possesses that makes him untouchable, unreachable, and renders Baekhyun undeserving of him. Those eyes are the widest Baekhyun's ever seen them, yet they're dazzling, and the corners of his eyes are still curved so prettily even though those eyes are round. Those lips, moist and grey under the dim light, are parted, yet silence is the only thing that's breathed out from it.

Really, today was like a dream come true. A dream Baekhyun didn't want to wake up from.

But it's over now, and the pain in the deepest core of his heart is like an alarm, stabbing him awake.

It's over, Baekhyun. It's time to stop dreaming, and move on, no matter how beautiful this dream is.

"Thank you." Baekhyun whispers shakily. And then he lets go.

Like a coward, like an irresponsible student he is, like the pathetic Byun Baekhyun that he is, Baekhyun runs away from his professor, as if he's determined to push himself out of Chanyeol's life.

"Baekhyun!" He hears Chanyeol shouting, but Baekhyun is too afraid to turn back and confront the truth.

Maybe I can dream just a little longer.

"Baekhyun!" Baekhyun has never heard the older shout so loudly before, it sounds like he's going to hurt his voice. But Baekhyun can't turn back now, for so many reasons. Never again is he going to let his feelings take over. Never again is he going to interfere between his professor and his best friend's truest feelings for each other. Never again is he going to be just a burden.

Never again is he going to be selfish.

It's over, it's time for him to grow up now.

"Baekhyun, come back!" How come his professor's voice is getting closer now? Heart thumping in fear, Baekhyun runs faster, in the midst of it confused because no one had ever been able to catch up to him before, especially so easily. Baekhyun shuts his eyes and keeps running, praying in his mind for something to happen so that he can lose his professor and finally be by himself. And when he opens his eyes, he keeps running, all the way back to the tallest building in SQUAOII.

Then when he's nearing the building, he finally slows down into a walk, panting as the sweat clings to his skin and his clothes. He finds himself stuck into the part of the town where there usually will be a lot of people around, taking walks into the night markets that is fueled by firelights and not street lights, and Baekhyun wonders why.

"The street lights malfunctioned. Isn't that strange?" A woman replies him when he asks her, and when Baekhyun looks up, indeed none of the street lights are lit. "It's not even midnight yet, we still have more than two hours."

Feeling worried for his professor, Baekhyun paces back and forth the street, wondering if he should try and look for the other. In the end, he runs up the steps and into the EX'ACT building, and approaches the first person he sees inside.

"I lost my professor on the way back, what should I do?" He asks, panicking.

"Don't worry, Professor Chanyeol has been here all his life, I'm sure he'll find his way back." The man replies before leaving him alone. Baekhyun paces once more before finally deciding to look for him. As he prepares to walk through the doors, the security guard stops him.

"No one is allowed out." He says strictly.

"But my professor is still out there." Baekhyun's voice is desperate and his heart full of guilt. "The lights are out, I'm not sure he'll be able to find his way back."

"Do you think you, a scrawny kid, knows better than him?"

"... You don't understand –"

"Take him up to his room." The security guard calls out, and when Baekhyun turns around he sees about 10 more security guards walk in. "Sorry, kid, the security is tight nowadays now that there's a spy within us. We can't afford just anyone to walk in and out of this building unless there is a special reason."

"I ... understand." Baekhyun mumbles, as he lets two men grab his forearms and lead him to the elevator.

"Sir, do you think my Professor will be okay?" He asks one of the guards taking him.

"I'm sure you know him best." He replies as he presses the button.

I know him best ... He'll be fine. Baekhyun thinks to himself, heart racing. After all, he's my professor.

On the way up, the lights in the elevator go off. The two security guards groan.

"Not again." One of them says.

"What should we do now?"

"I reckon we should send him back first."

The elevator doors open and they step out. The guards look around, lost.

"Walk straight." Baekhyun says, almost pulling them with him. "Don't worry, you won't bump into anything." Then he continues to give directions until he arrives at his room. Then he bows at them, thanking them before entering his room.

The whole night, Baekhyun is unable to sleep as he lies down on his bed, covers pulled up to his chin. Of course the night isn't peaceful either, because even though his walls are soundproof, the world outside his room is probably so loud that he can hear things here and there. Still, Baekhyun doesn't care at all and he stares at the ceiling, reminiscing.

From now on, forget these feelings, and move on.

These memories will always be in my heart, and I will always cherish them, but that's what they will be – a memory.

Byun Baekhyun, just what did you get yourself into?

Just like that, Baekhyun stays inside his room for the next few days, unable to confront reality and the outside world.

But he knows eventually he'll have to, and he might as well do it in the last few days before he officially begins as an official staff member.

Deciding it's time to stop spending his money on food and actually make use of the free food at the cafeteria, Baekhyun pushes himself out of bed groggily, changing into a fresh set of clothes. Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun lets it out and then walks out, ready to start anew.

Strangely, there are not many people outside, and the mood feels as if it's changed. Slightly curious, but mostly not, Baekhyun continues towards the cafeteria, hoping that there will be space for him to sit.

Surprisingly, the cafeteria is nearly empty. Confused, Baekhyun grabs his tray and then moves over to the food, choosing it carefully.

"Excuse me ..." He mumbles to one of the chefs. "... But why is there no one here?"

"Didn't you hear? They found the spy." One of them says as he piles broccoli on Baekhyun's tray. "That's probably why everyone's not trusting each other. Too afraid to leave their rooms."

"They found the spy?" Baekhyun blurts out, eyes wide in surprise.

"Yep, a few days ago." Another chef replies. "Didn't catch him though. I heard one night three days ago, all the rooms with important data caught on fire."

Shit. Baekhyun's grip is hardly strong and his tray nearly drops, but thankfully he holds on as he walks to a nearby table and begins eating.

Baekhyun wolfs down all his food and continues to ask for more, wanting to make sure he's full before he can start the day. Three days of locking himself up has made him miss out on so much, and he needs to make sure everything's okay before his heart can rest.

I need to make sure Professor and Noona are okay. He thinks to himself. And ... Doctor, too.

When he's full, Baekhyun rushes out immediately, and the first person he looks for is his professor.

Data Rooms ... if Baekhyun's not wrong, then room 530 would count as a data room. As Baekhyun walks fast, his heart is racing against his chest, hoping that nothing bad has happened to the older. When the elevator 'dings' as he arrives at the 19th floor, Baekhyun rushes out immediately, running towards the room in which he had shared memories with Chanyeol.

But when he arrives there, there is a barrier over it. The door looks burnt, and Baekhyun can still smell the smoke as if it's burning right in front of him.

Heart sinking, Baekhyun stumbles backwards, then turns and runs. It takes him a long while to realise that he doesn't know where he's going, because he doesn't know where his professor is. All he knows is that he wants his professor to be safe, no matter the cost.

Once he calms down, he decides to check Dara as his next target. After all, she will probably know where Chanyeol is, and whether he's okay or not.

Arriving at the floor, Baekhyun rushes, turning corners, but then he hears voices, and stops. After all, it's been silent the whole day and almost deserted, so hearing people speak is reassuring him and he needs to hear what they're saying.

"It's true ..." The voice is familiar, and Baekhyun's heart skips in relief but he doesn't know why he's frozen to the floor. Maybe because he can't face his best friend after confessing to her boyfriend. "It's true I was manipulated, hypnotized ..."

Huh?

Still unable to face her now that he knows she's okay, Baekhyun instead leans closer to the wall, hoping to blend in with the shadows.

"I had no idea what was going on ... I hardly remember anything anymore ... I wanted to fight against this self of me that wasn't me, because I was put under a spell ..."

"We're sorry for suspecting you, Dara ..." One unfamiliar voice says. "It wasn't fair of them to detain you, just because you had a close relationship with him ..."

What's happening?

"He put me under a spell ... I never loved him, I didn't want to be with him. But he ... Park Chanyeol, the traitor, a Monster, controlled me."

Baekhyun's heart is beating so hard it's screaming inside him, screaming for an explanation.