Chapter Text
There is a boring and old sentence that almost everyone on planet Earth has had the (dis)pleasure of hearing: "life is made of choices". These can be bad or good, but they certainly cause that "famous" butterfly effect, so one results in another, and a sequence of cause and effect proceeds.
It may even seem catastrophic, however, Park Chanyeol claims that he was always wise when deciding which way to go and did not regret any of the measures he took over his thirty-one years. He doesn't regret trading a cup of coffee for a cup of tea, something simple, or leaving his home country behind and venturing to the other side of the continent.
"Never regret", why cry over spilled tea? He had already passed and would have to deal with the effects of it, one way or another, like a domino effect. And he was okay with that.
When he decided to study History and Law at the same time he was already fully aware that he was sacrificing all his youth, but he accepted the consequences calmly because, in the future, he could enjoy all the time in the world. He was never afraid of drastic changes and always accepted them calmly, without despair or fear.
It was suffering, as it was, finishing your graduation, doing two PHDs at the same time, doing mandatory internships and work, exams, and among others, as it was hard to hold down a part-time job, and it was also hard to get a scholarship for her master's degree. However, he managed with an unusual effort. He didn't know at first that those degrees would blend so well into his career.
It was ironic to think that, because of his "decisive" personality, Park was now returning from Argentina with a defended doctorate and a PHD of Laws degree specializing in Social Sciences and Criminal Law after six years away. How much he gave up, how much he left behind, and how many decisions done are not possible to list on paper, but deep down, he knows that he went through every moment and, finally, managed to reach his main objective: to have a consolidated career. Chanyeol can be proud of that, right? Even though he sometimes takes the wrong steps, he feels that could beat himself in the chest and claim that he has fulfilled one of his biggest dreams of becoming a PHD in Law.
Now, he could enjoy everything he buried in his youth. He could then go out with his friends for drinks and fall head over heels for a romantic relationship, but… he didn't want that anymore.
Thirty-one-year-old Park Chanyeol was different from twenty-year-old Park Chanyeol. Ironic even because he no longer has the yearnings he once swore to fulfill when had no time, but, once again, he doesn't care about that.
Finally back in South Korea he knew that nothing would be like before. And the little package he carried in his arms clearly outlined all his new responsibilities, which he accepted with devotion.
He had a baby, his little girl, his treasure, his greatest gift in his arms, sleeping like the good sleeper he was. Park Flora was the biggest (and best) decision he made in his entire life. He never, ever, under any circumstances, considered that one day he would adopt a baby, but his life liked to play tricks and now he had someone who depended on him for an eternity. Once again, he does not regret it.
The only thing Chanyeol might regret in the future its that he was a bad father. He would never forgive himself.
It's okay if he did something wrong along the way. He could make a mistake sometimes, put a diaper on backward and get desperate with the baby colic. It was okay for a first-time parent.
Taking a deep breath, Park watched the cloudy sky outside the airport facade. He felt nostalgic to step onto Korean soil after so many years.
He didn't have time to visit his relatives during the long period he was away, and obviously, the homesickness for his parents reached alarming levels. He knew he should have paid more attention to his parents and visited them on festive dates, like Chuseok, but he couldn't leave Argentina with a guardianship agent on his tail because if he messed up even for a second could lose all his chances to have custody of your little flower. Perhaps he should have told his mom about the adoption, but he didn't want to raise false hopes or cause an unnecessary fuss, so he kept that little piece of information to himself for two years.
It would be the first time his parents would see his daughter.
If he was scared? As heck. It would be utterly insane for you to show up on your mother's doorstep after six years carrying a baby and a suitcase on your side. He was left to just face it head-on, clinging to his courage.
Small beams of light pierced the heavy dark clouds, showing that soon could rain. A few years ago Park would have enjoy that weather and been glad to know that he could enjoy a nice chill while sleeping or running through the rain. However, with the arrival of her daughter, he began to hate the arrival of winter with all her strength, as his little girl was always more sly or had the flu due to the low temperatures.
During her last week in Argentina, he made a point of diligently researching the weather in South Korea and, knowing the onset of winter, bought hundreds of warmer clothes so Flora wouldn't get sick with the drastic change in the climate. Of course, there would be other changes that the baby would find strange besides the temperature, perhaps the landscape or the language but Chanyeol was committed to making that migration as smooth as possible.
The important thing was that his baby, and at the moment, she was warm and asleep wrapped with two yellow blankets on her chest, wearing a light blue cap and a warm sweatshirt overall.
"Florinha…" called his little girl serenely, not receiving a shred of her attention "Welcome to Korea" he greeted, squeezing the little girl's body more between her long arms to accommodate her and cover her from the cold.
He adjusted the pair of prescription glasses that were sliding down his nose and returned his hand to the handle of his suitcase, tugging on it as he walked toward the taxi rank.
It was time to relive all your past. And maybe he wasn't as ready for it as thought.
...
Glancing at the white porch full of mosses of that medium-sized house, the nostalgia, which was already high before, increased considerably.
The residence was more aged, but it seemed to remain in the same way of a mother's house that he always had, from the garden of herbs and vegetables to the ceramic pots maturing Kimchi. He could even smell wet grass sending him back in time like magic.
In a few seconds, Park was able to remember when he was a happy child who liked to climb on the roof tiles of the house to observe the stars or when he was a young teenager returning from college at night and stopping sitting on the curb to think about life. Like it or not, nearly twenty years of his life were buried in that middle ground, in those doors, in those weathered windows.
Couldn't lie… he was freaking out. He could already imagine the catastrophic outbreak that his mother would have when seeing his face after so many years, he refrained from thinking about the fact that he now had a two-year-old daughter in his arms sleeping peacefully. Miss Park Sunhee would make you a punching bag for sure. Heavens… in how many years he hadn't seen his mother in person, he had forgotten how euphoric she could be.
Fortunately, Flora was still resting since she got off the plane, not giving her first-time dad a bit of trouble. It was likely that soon the little girl would wake up hungry, so she should expedite her visit to her mother and go to her new apartment.
Even before returning to his home country, he was forced to buy an apartment, furnish it and make sure it met all the safety standards for a two-year-old baby to live there. The social agents who followed his case would not allow him to come without at least having a good place to live and a fixed income that would come from his former position as professor of Criminal Law at the University of Seoul, one of SKY.
He stamped his feet against the green entryway carpet, smearing the worn white "Welcome" a little more. It took only two raps against the white wooden door for a woman of five sixty to open it excitedly.
Watching his mother's surprised expression sent a chill down in the spine and stomach, so he decided it would be a good time to tie a knot.
Heavens… his mother could only sleep in formaldehyde. How in six years had she not changed a bit? Chanyeol was perplexed when he saw his mother's round face. There were hardly any wrinkles under her eyes or on her forehead, her skin was lifted and showed no signs that it would wither over time. Scary.
The said lady watched petrified at the tall man at her door, taking in every detail of him to believe it was her son there, from the dark wavy hair to the large eyes.
"Chanyeol?!" she called completally shocked. She couldn't help but recognize her offspring, but it had been years since she'd seen that dimpled little face. "My God, it's you! My baby!" cried out, giving space for the bigger one baby to enter.
A little embarrassed, the man entered the residence, leaving his suitcase resting in the corner of the door next to the space to leave shoes. As he no longer had his slippers at his mother's house, he removed his all-star black and was only in white socks, walking on the wooden floor without fear of staining.
The interior of the house was modest. His mother was a retired housekeeper and his father owned a small pawn shop, so they always lived in humble conditions, but enough to not miss anything for their two children.
Chanyeol recognized the wooden sideboard with framed pictures of his family members, recognized the medium living room on the left, complete with a brown three-seater sofa and a low wooden table on the floor. It was a large space divided into three rooms (kitchen, dining room, and living room) in the same environment. Upstairs, going up the stairs next to the kitchen, you would find the bedrooms. Three of them where there used to be hers, her older sister's, and her parents.
"Hi Mom" said shy.
"Hi mom? You didn't even say you were coming! I didn't even prepare lunch" the lady cut off her son's speech, screaming in a fuss and walking to all sides of the house, completely lost. "Your room is still empty, you can stay there. Have you eaten today? Airplane food isn't that good! I can even prepare something for you to eat."
His son's presence was more than a surprise. Sunhee haven't seen Chanyeol for years, in her mother's heart, much longer. It was her pure pride her son coming out of her wings yesterday and, when she saw it, he was already flying away
The woman was three times more energetic than Chanyeol thought she would be. He should have announced her arrival in the last call they had the week before, but the man was not sure of her coming on that date, as some paperwork was missing and the withdrawal of her daughter's passport so that she could travel safely. He preferred to do a "surprise", which was not very accepted by his mother.
"Mother," he called him once, with the greatest patience in the world.
However little was heard. His mother continued to chatter without stopping for a second - he began to wonder how she even had so much breath not to stop for a second. Not even he, who was a teacher, could talk so much.
"You could have called so I could have called your sister and father, perhaps your uncles, to celebrate your visit. You never come. Last time i saw you was six years ago."
"Mom… I moved to Korea…" he interrupted once more, preferring to say the good news before his mother freaked out more.
The woman instantly ceased her energetic walk, returning her gaze toward her son. She was speechless now, eyes shining as if she heard that she had won the Mega-Sena. Of the two children, at least one would be closer, as Yoora still lived abroad.
With such good news, she was more than happy. She clapped her hands excitedly, her mind concocting a thousand and one family plans.
"What wonderful news!" she cried in wonder, clapping her hands together to have her son back. "Ah, but I need to tell your father this! And Yoora!"
Chanyeol sighed softly at the mention of his father. They weren't very close, never had been, and that increased after the divorce from his mother. Although they became friends after a few years apart, the youngest son never managed to feel a certain connection between him and his parents.
Anyway, the news of his return was splendid indeed, as his parents believed he was going to live in Argentina forever, his father probably should have known. His plan to complete his Doctorate in Criminal Law in five years (as determined the minimum period for students until the thesis defense) went down the drain and dragged on for six more, all because of a chubby Argentine face.
He never imagined that his plans would change so drastically. He never imagined being a father, but here he was, totally attached to a little being.
Smiling small, he looked into his daughter's little face and caressed the little girl's high cheekbones with his long fingers. He didn't regret the changes, in the end, it had been worth it.
"Omo… Who is she?" she asked. Oh, thank god! Finally she noticed the sleeping baby clinging to her son's arms.
Amazing how his mother's energy had caused her not to see a relatively big child in her son's arms, Chanyeol would have laughed if his baby wasn't sleeping peacefully. Perhaps, who knows, it was the fact that she was a person of large proportions and, somehow, gave the illusion that her daughter was smaller. Or his mother was turned on adrenaline.
Sunhee, curious, sneaked up on the girl, studying her western features and chubby cheeks. How cute! It was a three-foot cutie, that's for sure. And that little outfit and blankets around her made her look so small and even cuter. The lady nearly let out an excited squeal. She loved children!
Flora, still sleepy, didn't cry with the new presence, she was just in "alert mode", analyzing her grandmother's face. She had always been a considerably calm child, a bit moody and whiny, but still calm, and Chanyeol was grateful for that.
"My daughter," he said simply, without making no fuss.
However, it was clear that her mother would make a fuss! And her father, Sunhee's best friend, wasn't even there to ease the situation, so Chanyeol deduced that he must be with his friends playing Omok. The tradition of Gobang Wednesdays is still standing and intact.
"Your daughter, Chanyeol? Your daughter? When did you have a child?! And where is your wife? Oh my God! I've waited years for this. You should have warned me! How can this be possible?"
Damn! She had a granddaughter! Finally! She had two grown men in their late thirties (one already in her thirties, in fact) and none of them had given her granddaughters yet! Glory, what a day of good news! But why hadn't his youngest son told him this before? Suspect. And where was his partner? Even more suspicious.
"It's a long story, Mom. But it's just me and Flora...' He wiped away all his chatter, not wanting to linger too long on the subject.
He wasn't ready to talk about it right now. Overtime, he intended to tell everything little by little about being conquered by a cute Argentinian smile and all the struggle he had to adopt her, it was a story for when the older woman was more fond of the child. His mother accepted this, focusing only on the arrival of her granddaughter.
"Oh, sure, i understand" the lady cleared her throat, but not lessened her excitement. "How beautiful! How old is she?" asked, touching her plump cheeks as she leaned close to her granddaughter.
"Two years," he replied with a smile always brightened when talking about Flora.
Two years? Chanyeol hid his little granddaughter for two years? He deserved a beating for that! How absurd! He could have been drooling and spoiling that little face for so many years!
"And how are you going to take care of her?" Already have a job? Home?" she questioned, gesturing with her hands as she listed some of the things she would need to care for a child.
He knew his son was responsible for everything he did. She was proud to have raised someone so successful, but it was natural for her to worry about him. In the end, she would never stop being a mother.
"Yes, I do, mother. I moved out this week. I'll just need to hire a nanny, though," he explained calmly.
Honestly speaking, Chanyeol was still not comfortable with the idea of leaving his daughter in the hands of others to be taken care of, he liked to be present all time. However, with the new reality knocking on his door, the resumption of his work was vital and he still had the future book of his thesis that was still half written.
They both walked side by side (with their mother draped over their arm) to the couch, sitting comfortably on the antique upholstery and listening to the rancher and watching it sink. Florinha, already awake, snuggled closer to his chest, rubbing her little head in the area.
"Omo! Baekhyun is unemployed, you could hire him" she suggested, talking about his old best friend's son.
Oh no, dealing with Byun Baekhyun was a big no.
The Byuns lived in the house across the street from his consequently Baekhyun and Chanyeol had known each other since they came out of their mothers' wombs. And it was no surprise because they were the same age, lived in the same place, and had mothers who were friends, who became childhood friends.
They were like nails and flesh. Where one was the other was glued to the side. It was like that from kindergarten to the beginning of college, when their relationship changed drastically. Chanyeol doesn't feel good reminiscing and doesn't even mention it to his mother. Most likely, she believed that Baekhyun was still her best friend — which she was far from being.
Park Chanyeol was the number one person on Byun Baekhyun's most-hated list. And in part he deserved the position.
"Mom, Baekhyun is a journalist as far as I know" he pointed out, knowing briefly about the career his former friend had followed after graduation.
His contact with Byun had been broken many years before and the little information he received about the boy came from his mother's gossip-filled calls.
"Baekhyun was hired by KBS".
"You don't know… I saw Chaewoo's son's name on television!"
Anyway, there was little news he received from the journalist, so his knowledge of other people's lives was even smaller.
“But he is unemployed, give it a chance. He worked at KBS until a few weeks ago, but from what his mother tells me, Baekhyun cursed at the mayor before an interview and got fired. You know how he is, don't you? Difficult boy to deal with” she gossiped shamelessly. "Give him a chance, he's a great boy."
A great boy who lost his job for verbally abusing someone. Hmm, interesting. He should be a good man indeed! Chanyeol didn't doubt that.
"I doub he even know how to feed a baby."
Baekhyun babysitting? Must be a joke. From what Park remembered about his best friend, not a chance.
“He has nephews, must know how to take care of children” she refuted, placing her hand against her waist, totally convinced that Byun Baekhyun could take care of a being that could barely stand.
Good heavens, the last time she'd seen her ex-boyfriend babysit it was a catastrophe. He wasn't good at all.
“Did Baekbeom have children?” he asked in astonishment.
How late he was in the news! He was getting old, God.
Byun Baekbeom was Baekhyun's three years older brother. Also, they were friends who lost touch over time, so he was stunned to learn that Byun had kids, soon two! When he left Korea, he was still thinking about proposing to his girlfriend. It was a drama… Chanyeol remembers how today the day Baekbeom confessed to himself and Baekhyun that he was considering proposing to his current girlfriend and the youngest Byun almost choked on the iced coffee he was drinking.
“Two! A girl and a boy. They are cute, you have to know” she replied with enthusiasm. Chaewoo's grandchildren were not his, regrettably, but in his heart, he accepted them as if they were. Now he had a granddaughter to lapse! "Give Byun a chance, he's in need" with a shameless, heartbreaking pout, the younger Park ran his tongue between his teeth, not knowing how to reject the proposal.
"I'll think about it." That line meant he wasn't going to think about it.
Who ever saw themselves hiring Baekhyun? The one whose, if he saw Park's face, he would set fire to it. Surely he wouldn't do that; it was a bad idea.
He would let his mother think so and then come up with a sprawling excuse, just to have peace of mind when it came time to hire a professional. Someone who has at least taken care of a baby (responsibly) before. Not a guy who swore at the mayor, he lost his job and hated him on top of that. What a combo.
"He must be home by now." They're living in the same house as usual, take the opportunity and go talk to him while I stay here with my granddaughter" she raised his fists in the air, swinging in front of the girl, who was only watching attentively.
"Not now, mom. I just got back from a trip” he grumbled, without any courage to get up.
“Now, Park Chanyeol.”
Shit. He would have to talk to Baekhyun. What a disgrace to your first day in Korea.
Leaving his baby on the ground, he looked towards his mother in a silent request to watch over her during her brief departure. He trusted the mother, not least because she had taken care of the two children very well.
Chanyeol could live to be sixty years old, but he would still obey his mother's orders. So, he went on to carry out that dreaded mission: to hire Byun Baekhyun.
…
There are almost six steps, maybe only three for Chanyeol, "long legs", ahead, there are two curbs and there is a street crossing, there was the much-feared Byun house; a place that Park swore on his feet that he would not return since he was twenty-one.
He didn't hold grudges against the house itself, nor those who lived in it, however, some memories and requests from the past returned to his mind every time he watched the glass of the wide windows of the red brick house.
As usual, the front door was open to anyone who wanted to come in, as if they were welcome. The Law professor entered the place without being invited, leaving his shoes stored at the entrance while he observed the white walls full of nailed portraits. There were so many pictures of the Byun brothers on those walls that he couldn't count them on his fingers, if Chanyeol looked hard enough, he would also find a picture of himself from his childhood.
It took only three steps for him to hear the wooden floorboards creak, leaving a meaningful memory hovering in Park's brain: him and his best friend running around with their bags on their backs, late for the start of their classes when they were still in high school. average. The ground always creaked as they ran in their white shoes and stomped feet.
“Mom, did you bring the noodles I asked for?” It could only be Baekhyun with that gassy tone of voice.
Chanyeol held back a growl in the back of his throat. He might not have kept in touch with his former best friend for six years, but it was remarkable that the twenty-three-year-old still looked exactly like the (almost) thirty-two-year-old. His spoiled and unkempt personality was still intact, amazing!
When he got close to the sofa, he observed the messy image of the lowest one. Her dyed pink hair was untidy, sticking out all over the place; full lips full of cracker crumbs and a pair of round glasses sliding down the tip of his thin nose - he refrained from observing the light blue sweatshirt overalls the man was wearing so as not to further damage his image in his thoughts.
In general, his physical appearance seemed to remain the same as always, as well as the energetic and active aura that he was recurrently exuding wherever he went, the mole on the upper part of his lips, those on his ears, and those on his hand were there, letting Park know that this was the Byun Baekhyun of years ago.
"You're still the same," he remarked dully, before taking a seat at the dining room table, behind the room in the living room.
Well, well, well, if it wasn't Park Chanyeol. A bittersweet smile graced Byun's lips upon noticing the new presence. It was clear that he would recognize that annoying being just by the tone of voice even after so many years. The rough and smooth way he spoke was already branded in his thinking and persisted against his will.
Grr…how he hated that his mind would dwell on small things. He just hated that he had marked his life with someone as…insignificant as Park Chanyeol.
"And you're still a son of a bitch," he cursed, finally turning to observe how that kid had evolved over the years.
Wow… Change he hadn't changed but had he… matured? Just in appearance. Those youthful features had disappeared among the features of the big eyes; the sharp nose; in the jaw well market. He was handsome, but he was still a son of a bitch.
"My mother likes you," he said, shrugging.
Of course lady Byun loved him. Who doesn't?
"I like her too, except you. May I know why I owe you the honor of your noble presence? Didn't expect to see his face ever again. And I was happy with it.”
Baekhyun treated him like he was a monster and it wasn't meant to be. It was too uncomfortable to hear that form of address, he couldn't lie.
Embarrassed, Park scratched the back of his neck, scraping his short fingernails into the area. Not the best greeting he'd ever received, but he was already looking forward to it. Please, he was talking to Byun Baekhyun, how could he expect anything more than that?
“I moved back to Korea this week” he explained calmly, surrounded by his naturally cynical aura.
“Shut. You could have stayed there… where exactly? Brazil?” Baekhyun palpitated uninterestedly, gesturing with his butter-stained right hand.
“Argentina” corrected, already knowing that that was just Byun's pet peeve. It was clear he knew where Park had moved. “And you? Still cursing the mayor?”
Seriously, Chanyeol? So low? Baekhyun squeaked out a low curse, out of respect for what little dignity he had left. Who was Chanyeol in the bread line to talk about his life? Frankly… what the hell.
“I'm thinking of becoming a streamer. Who knows.”
Rolling his eyes, Park started to entertain the idea that maybe Baekhyun didn't know that his ID card said he was thirty years old. Thirty-one, to be exact.
“You also need money for that for a webcam, a computer, for the games, and a house of your own because your mom won't put up with your screaming while she plays LOL. That is... well, you would need financial planning, maybe a loan, but only if you have credibility with the bank-”
“Chanyeol, seriously dude, I don't feel like listening to a lecture, 'okay? My mom already did," he grumbled impatiently, mulling over the green bucket of crackers in his lap. A pure grown man teenager.
If he was going to listen to that boring talk about the cost of living and blah, blah, blah, he would have called his parents to fill his ears. He hadn't even given Chanyeol any space and he was already giving a shit about his life, frankly... Park should have forgotten that they were NOT friends anymore, let alone boyfriends, which gave him a total of zero intimacy between the two, that is, he was being a major busybody. Who was it that gossiped to that idiot that he was unemployed? He wanted to know who put that information in Park's big ears so they could have a serious talk.
"You're thirty-one and you talk like a teenager, my God," Park teased. "I came here to offer you something."
"Say it quickly and don't waste my time. Running Mans is starting and I don't want to miss it." Pointing toward the dead television in front of him, he explained his schedule for the day. He hoped Park wasn't such an asshole that he ruined his drone routine.
But… why the hell had Park Chanyeol come to visit anyway? Why? Wanted to see your pretty face after six years? He must have been too dumb or forgetful to overlook a simple detail: Byun Baekhyun was spiteful. Furthermore, he had years ago sentenced in every possible letter that he never wanted to see that little face again while he was breathing. So why on earth did that unfortunate man come to tease him on that day and at that moment? Honestly, Baekhyun wasn't in the mood to rummage through the past. The charity and empathy account he had linked to the doctor of law had gone to hell many years ago, and if Chanyeol had any sense at all, he would have stayed the hell away from him when he had invented going back to Korea.
Chanyeol sighed upon hearing that sentence that was too comical to be true. It was strange to see someone who had so much passion for the field and the work sitting on a sofa in the middle of business hours. However, Park shouldn't even be surprised by this, as he knew his best friend's strong temper very well and very much doubted that that would change over the years. Baekhyun was a tough nut to crack, no matter where he went to work, it was a fact that his strong personality would be strongly present.
Taking a deep breath and leaning back in the living room's wooden chair, he decided he should cut to the chase and cut to the chase. He didn't believe that Byun would readily accept his proposal, he was fully aware that it would be rejected and only took the trouble to talk about it at his mother's insistence. The faster he was rejected, the faster it would be to go after a real professional to take care of his daughter, period.
“I have a two-year-old daughter and I need a nanny to take care of her full time, as I'm working on my thesis book and I won't have enough time. One minimum wage per month, housing, formal employment, and no cost for food, water, and energy in my apartment. Just the salary and taking care of a two-year-old kiddo”.
Simple, easy, practical. Chanyeol quoted as if taking care of a baby was as easy as washing dishes with only glasses. Baekhyun almost spit out the cookie that was left in his mouth when he heard that sentence, he even felt a little drool run down the corners of his lips because he was so surprised. How could he have a daughter? He had just returned from Korea! And you want Baekhyun, Byun Baekhyun, journalist Byun, the guy who cursed the mayor on national television, to take care of your two-year-old daughter? How absurd! Chanyeol didn't have an ounce of sense in that bowling ball head!
“As Jack, the Ripper, said: let's go piecemeal. You have a daughter, right? Will you let me live in your house? Wow. But you know that I'm a journalist, right? Not a nanny," Byun explained, gesturing with his hands to see if he understood.
Baekhyun was trying to synthesize in his brain all the information he had received during those measly ten minutes. Chanyeol had returned from Argentina, okay. He had a two-year-old daughter, okay. He wanted him as a nanny, nothing okay. How rude! Even he shifted on the sofa, patting his clothes to get rid of the scattered crumbs, straightening his body and his thoughts.
“You have to stay with Flora if I need to leave. And, as far as I know, you're unemployed” Park replied his mother's line.
Cursed unemployment had come to plague him.
He had a brilliant career six weeks ago. A star of Korean journalism! Even if he wasn't on the small screen, his name was always credited on KBS's highest-rated news, the prime time! He wanted to know how his stupidity had been tested on the fateful day he decided to open his mouth and call a public figure a "son of a bitch who does tax pedaling and pays as a good Samaritan on television". an important debate.
His career took a "bye, bye" as soon as he was hit by his boss, signing his resignation for just cause and with no chance of receiving unemployment insurance. That political rabble had contacts with the station's owners. Baekhyun should have known this, subconsciously, he did, but he was stupid enough to threaten his entire career and throw it in the mud.
If you wanted to go back to being a journalist? Too much. But it was practically impossible to get a job at a station or printed newspaper when his name was "dirty" and bad tongues spread that story by word of mouth, calling him a "dirty mouth journalist" and "impossible to employ". All that was left was to cry on his mother's sofa after her apartment became impossible to afford, while he watches television all day and waits for one of her three hundred resumes to be sent out to receive a response.
"Park Chanyeol, the guy who has a life," he sniffed reflexively. It wasn't his fault Chanyeol was so stuck at the end of his cbt. It was indeed a struggle to get him out of the house, but that was in the past now. In a very distant place. “This is temporary, you'll see, in a little while I'll be interviewing the pope and not wiping your kid's ass.”
"Okay, i can't take you seriously. I don't know what was up with my mother having this stupid idea of hiring you, honestly” Headless to continue that conversation, Park got up from his chair, heading towards the entrance door bar exit.
Thank God Byun hadn't accepted! He made his life a lot easier.
Baekhyun then stopped to think about that idea. He was in urgent need of a job and couldn't stand listening to his mother's scolding anymore. Maybe it wasn't so bad to take care of a two-year-old... right?
He needed to make a quick decision and, fearing he would miss the opportunity, he threw himself against the tide. He only needed to consider two points: he was penniless and he needed to get out of that theater of horrors that was that house as soon as possible. If he was going to throw himself into an even worse place, he would.
“Chanyeol... I accept, but only because I don't want to see you transform your child into a mini lawyer. And that doesn't take the fact that you're an asshole”.
“Get my number with my mother and we'll keep in touch,” he said before leaving the residence.
Baekhyun threw his head back after hearing the main door close, slamming it against the hard upholstery three times and feeling that area throb with pain. He was in disbelief that he had just accepted the lamest job proposal of his entire life: babysitting his ex-boyfriend's daughter!
...
Baekhyun wasn't putting much faith in it, honestly speaking. Not that he was pessimistic or anything like that though, he knew that anything that was going to happen between him and Chanyeol was bound to go wrong in multiple possible ways. Both of them together were like Murphy's Law: if something was going to go wrong, it would go the worst way possible. It was always like this.
Chanyeol and Baekhyun together was a bad idea. And now, they weren't friends anymore, they weren't boyfriends anymore, and the only thing he had connecting both of them was an employment relationship. Who was sure it would work?
Furthermore, he did not want to take care of a child, as he did not even have the slightest idea of how it was done. Yes, he had two serene nephews aged five and four, but that didn't mean he was with them at all times, if anything, he took care of them on weekends to give his brother a break.
He was terrified of shitting his dick. Chanyeol had been very strict when it came to hiring him, even asking for his (empty) criminal record and giving him a huge list of "things not to do around Flora", containing topics such as: "don't use bad language", "don't smoke", "don't drink" and many more demands that made Baekhyun almost not sign the contract.
Surely his best friend, Oh Sehun, would be laughing at you if he knew about the situation. He wouldn't say it to him at all, it would be like giving firsthand information to your worst enemy and accepting being mocked for an eternity. He was going to keep it a secret until this was over, which he assumed was very soon. He just needed to wait for the dust to settle and his tarnished reputation to go up in smoke among the gossip among journalists and politicians.
Just a few dirty diapers, Baekhyun, just a few dirty diapers.
Sighing, he ambled out of the elevator, his left hand gripping the handle of his overstuffed medium bag and his cat in a purple and black carrying case in his right. He would never leave Luna alone with his mother! It was obvious that he would bring his baby with him into this madness he was getting into.
Luna was like his child, his most precious baby. Aside from the fact that he adopted her with Chanyeol seven years ago, everything about that fat black kitten was important to him.
He didn't need to get to the beginning of the corridor of gray apartment doors to catch a glimpse of the tall figure of Park planted in front of his house. The older one's serious face caused a little shiver down Byun's spine, very little… he wasn't used to dealing with his former friend's angry expression. His eyes were shooting daggers at him, his brow was furrowed, his lips were straight and, to top it all off, his long arms were resting on his waist, squeezing the area with his long fingers.
Every second he watched Chanyeol, he noticed the clear change in personality (which contributed to being one more thing the journalist didn't like about him). Did he see how they wouldn't work out? By mercy!
“You’re late”.
He was but Chanyeol needed to know that Byun wasn't a big fan of clocks and was even less punctual. He led his life with unusual tranquility (read sloppiness) with a taste of "YOLO". It wasn't like thinking too much before acting, he thought it was a waste of time, look at the time before going out. If it rained, let it rain, he couldn't do anything after all. He let everything run naturally.
Scanning the "boy" up and down, Park held back a disgusted expression. Didn't he have other clothes? He was wearing that terrible sweatsuit again. My God… it was his first day on the job and he was already completely wrong! Who ever saw a nanny wearing those clothes? And on the first day! Bad choice to hire him, Chanyeol, bad choice.
Baekhyun laughed nasally and weak, clearly disbelieving that Park would be picking on his delay of… half an hour? Forty minutes? Hmm, almost nothing. He didn't even notice that he was late. How much drama?
"And you waited for me at the door? Man, nobody arrives on time these days, get over it” he said leaving a naughty tap on the youngest's shoulder (for months).
Baekhyun was a journalist, he had a flexible schedule. He worked in the production area and, at times, paid as a freelancer for various social media, especially after unemployment. That is, he stayed away from the cameras, just as a hunter for interviews, information, and story suggestions.
He thought he was the best in his field until some shitty little politician ruined his career. And it wasn't because of a CPI involving his name, it was simply because he couldn't hold his tongue against that disgusting corrupt. Damn, how he hated that bunch of politics — even if he drank from the source to produce his stories.
"I hope you're not so sloppy when you're taking care of my daughter," he scolded without even noticing.
Taking a deep breath, so as not to turn around and leave, the pseudo-journalist entered the new environment as soon as the space was given away. He was grateful internally that Park hadn't said anything about the companion who had come as a toast with him - there was no reason for such annoyance either, Park himself who had adopted too (even if he had abandoned her).
The apartment was too simple to belong to Park Chanyeol. No One Piece posters were lying around or any DC action figures, and there wasn't even the limited edition bucket of popcorn from the Deadpool premiere which, oddly enough, they went to watch together and which has become an important item for the superhero fanatics in the world.. All he could see scattered around the apartment's entrance hall were toys and more toys scattered around, from teddy bears to rattles. There was a small pink padded chair covered with blue drawings of elephants next to a medium brown sofa and in front of a medium Smart television – this one replaying some random episode of Pororo. Totally a sober family house; nothing new.
It didn't have the slightest aura of a twenty-year-old Park Chanyeol in any room he had seen in that average apartment.
It was so… bland. Monotonous, unenthusiastic, neutral; everything Baekhyun didn't like. He liked the frenzy of life and vibrant colors. Live, despite not knowing exactly how or which way to go.
In a wakeful mood, he left his shoes at the entrance, stealing one of the Park's biggest slippers so he wouldn't get his red Spideypool socks dirty. He was going to live right there, what difference did sharing or not sharing belongings make? Let Chanyeol get used (again) to his "sharer" way of being. And hey, if he was at home, he wouldn't even be wearing slippers, he'd be barefoot! He solemnly appreciated the coolness of the floor against the sole of his foot, so the landlord could thank him for being so polite.
He also took the opportunity to leave Luna's carrier at the entrance, as he would release it later when the coast was clear. Your baby would understand that he could only make a mess of his new environment when his owner was away.
Park wandered around the entrance to the apartment, bending down now and then to pick up a toy that was on the floor. He hadn't bothered to explain where the rooms were, as it was pretty self-explanatory as it wasn't very big, just big enough for a family of two (plus a slovenly nanny).
Heavens! He would move in with Baekhyun. Sure, life was full of ups and downs, and this was one of the lows. He might even like his friend in the past, but with his personality development, he noticed that the way Byun behaved didn't please him anymore; that air of irresponsibility irritated him too much.
At the beginning of the kitchen, Flora sat in her highchair, lovingly playing on the surface, wearing denim overall. She watched her father approach her with a big smile living on his lips and, soon, she raised her arms towards the bigger one, ignoring the new presence in the room. And, without any objection, Chanyeol lifted the girl onto his lap, being promptly received in the long arms of the doting father; even if she was already two years old, she was already big and knew how to walk and eat by herself, she liked to ask her father to hold her and receive his caresses while she rested her little head against the big one's chest.
Damn… Baekhyun nearly broke down as he watched that cute scene unfold right in front of her eyes. Only on that occasion had he managed to see such a sincere smile grace Park's lips. She had seen him before in that light way, so… him, but it was so many years ago that she couldn't even remember the bright nuances of his eyes.
It wasn't iron. He might not want a child to look after, but he worshiped them when he was in the presence of one. He was a doting uncle who loved to spoil his nephews as much as he could in the entire world, when he was the rich uncle, of course. He was a slacker now, just saving money to buy good gifts on important dates.
Magically hypnotized by the girl's chubby face, Baekhyun approached with his head tilted to the side and a mischievous expression, as if he was going to attack that fluffy tummy with tickles and sniff the neck just to hear the cute giggle.
“Flora, this is Uncle Baek” he introduced, however, the little girl only seemed to want to know about her father and the cute little dimple that lived in him.
“Papa” the girl stammered, inserting her finger again in the big father's face.
As usual, Chanyeol was all over his little girl's cuteness, leaving a scent in her ear quickly. On the other side, Baekhyun watched everything intently.
"Uncle Baek, pup..." he tried to introduce the man again, pointing towards the shorter man in front of him.
The girl did not give up, continuing to pay attention to her father's face. Thus, Chanyeol preferred not to insist, as both would have plenty of time to get to know each other — but she hoped not. It gave Baekhyun a week to hand in his resignation letter.
Analyzing the little girl's face with western features, curly hair, and a total zero Chanyeol traits, Byun found himself curious. He was a journalist, and usually, he would be curious to find out about certain things. He also owned the fact that Park was alone, without a shadow of a partner, so how had he had a child? There was a story behind it, an interesting one, but one that didn't do him any disrespect.
“I'm going to be impolite here, but… daughter…?” uncertain, Baekhyun ended up asking.
His tongue was more agile than his conscience.
When touching that delicate subject, Park tensed his shoulders and pressed his lips into two small straight lines. He had never talked about it with anyone other than his daughter's mother and the social agents who followed the case… Nobody knew about it, either his Argentine and Korean friends or his parents.
"Flora is adopted. I met her mother in a penitentiary in Argentina” Chanyeol whispered as if the child next to him would understand any of those little words, which didn't make the slightest sense for the little girl who preferred to pay attention to her rattle than her father's chatter. “You know I'm gay” Baekhyun chuckled at the statement. Of course, he knew.
Park, still carrying a serious face, decided to end the story there. He preferred to sum it up that way for Baekhyun, so he wouldn't get into the topic of the nightmare he went through having his daughter in his arms while he was in Argentina. And they didn't even have the intimacy they had before, why would he share something so personal with him?
Baekhyun, without much interest, shrugged, walking through the apartment's average kitchen and checking out what his new home was like. Ah, how he missed his apartment in Gangnam… A damn mayor who couldn't take a little name-calling. Okay, maybe more than one, but still, it wasn't that much of a fuss; he wasn't lying, anyway.
Weeks earlier, his paycheck was nearly three times what he would have been making babysitting. But he couldn't complain, now he could collect the money to slowly return to his previous life.
He picked up a silly apple from an orange plastic bowl and brought it to his mouth, ignoring the fact that it didn't belong to him. The food was on Park, after all it was in the contract! And a contract was a contract. All of Park's food was his too.
The kitchen was neat and clean; washed dishes, the refrigerator was filled with reminders and colorful drawings. Cute, but still bland. He urgently needed to give that place a makeover before he went crazy from living in such a monotonous environment.
"I put everything important about Flora in the fridge. Her nap time, her diet, and my number. If anything is missing, call me. Her health insurance is in the folder on the table if she needs to go to the hospital and I left emergency money in an envelope taped to the fridge too. It's for emergencies, Baekhyun” he repeated everything had already sent him via text during the week they were closing the contract. “ Other than that, Flora might be fussy with you, but just play with her and everything will be fine. If she starts crying and it's not hunger or thirst or sleep, you put a cartoon on Netflix”.
Baekhyun then finally noticed how seriously Chanyeol took fatherhood. It hadn't dawned on her that her former best friend was now a father because… well when they were just college kids they never thought or talked about that dreaded topic. Being a father was a tremendous responsibility, it went beyond feeding and cleaning, it was giving love, and affection, and educating about right and wrong so that, in the future, that little being becomes a good person. Just thinking about it, Byun was shaking completely.
The idea of having children, besides being scary, was never something important in his life. Building a family was not in his plans and he even thought he was too young to have one, but seeing his ex-boyfriend bar his ex-best friend from being a father, changed his perspective a little, not that he wanted a baby now, of course. I already had Luna!
"Okay” he turned around. ”I'm thirty-one years old, soon thirty-two, i know all that stuff," he said casually.
Relax, Chanyeol, of course Byun over there knew what he was doing (ironically speaking).
"But you're not a father," he cut in quickly. “I have to go. I'll be in a meeting but you can call if anything happens" he warned before dropping Flora into the high chair in the dining room and placing a generous kiss on her forehead. “Goodbye my little flower. Daddy will be right back, okay?”
Baekhyuh wondered: It was late, around seven-thirty at night, would you be working at that time? Well, it wasn't his business anyway.
Only now did Byun notice the formal clothes on Park's body. A formal black pants and a white dress shirt that Baekhyun hadn't worn in a while… he missed his job, as he did. His eyes even tingled with nostalgia for his journalist badge. Your coat of pride.
Hastily, Chanyeol straightened up and went in search of his wallet and cell phone. He would also request a car per application to go to the university quickly, as he had to arrive at the meeting with his Korean advisor before eight o'clock.
A car was needed at these times. He wasn't rich, he reached the middle class and managed to live comfortably with the income he received, adding his doctoral scholarship (which was almost over), graduation, and his job as a professor. Buying a car now was impossible and synonymous with debt, so he started paying a consortium every month to finance one with peace of mind.
For the time being, taxis, buses, and the Kokoa would be his best friends and greatest allies for moving around the huge city.
When the tall man left the apartment, looking at his cell phone intently and not even saying goodbye to the "babysitter", Baekhyun let out all the air in his lungs. He didn't understand how he still tensed up in Park's presence… that sucked. But he was more at ease with just having the child and himself present, just a little nervous from his inexperience.
Leaning down slowly, he reached the little girl's height, sticking to being cautious and lovingly running his slender fingers through her short but full hair in circular motions. She was so cute! Even the light brown western eyes enchanted Byun. Would Chanyeol be annoyed if he took pictures with her and posted them on her Instagram? Well, he wasn't in the unspoken rules and Park's opinion didn't matter much, so one way or another, he would end up posting a few pics now and then.
The world needed to know that cute little face!
"Hi cutie, now it's just you and me..." carrying a thin and soft voice he explained to the girl. As she spoke, she heard the meow of her cat still trapped in the carrier. "... and Luna." pointed towards the entrance making sure to introduce her other new little friend.
If Baekhyun were to write an article about his life in the Sunday column of some newspaper online or in print, he would be very fussy. It would certainly be the biggest joke of the 21st century: a successful ex-journalist taking care of a two-year-old baby who, interestingly enough, was the son of his ex-boyfriend, the daughter of a good mother who had broken his heart. heart six years ago! Uhul! This magazine would sell well, see?
Regrettably, Flora broke into a long-suffering cry when she saw her father cross the exit door on the side of the road. Not knowing what measures to take, Baekhyun took the little girl in his arms to help her and, then, discovered in the worst possible way what afflicted her so much: the smell of coconut. But how do you change a diaper anyway?
If life is all about choices, Byun Baekhyun doesn't know if he chose the right ones.
The clockwork of his imaginary clock must have been broken because none of them Baekhyun saw his life change so much.