Hard to Love - (chanbaek)

81

"Jongin, get down!"

Suho looked at the younger with nothing but absolute fear and annoyance. His eyes slightly shook as he stared at the boy above him. Jongin was hanging from the tree, trying to catch the apple of his dreams.

"I want this apple!"

Suho turned to the group hoping someone would lend him a hand. He was left with disappointment when he saw Luhan gathering everyone so that they could take a photo. Chanyeol and Baekhyun, on the other hand, were already near the pumpkin field, trying to find a decent fruit to carve.

"Who's idea was it to come pumpkin picking?" Luhan proudly raised his hand.

"Me!" The older only sighed with a dejected 'of course,' leaving his frowning lips. He was about to turn around to scold Jongin once again, but a hand intertwined with his catching his attention.

"Let's go get a pumpkin. I already found some really nice apples, look!" If it weren't for the younger, he wouldn't have even shown up. The place just wasn't to his liking. It was a bit crowded since it was the fall season, where pumpkin and apple picking became popular. Leaves were also everywhere, so he kept falling in random holes that he couldn't see because of the camouflaging petals. He caressed Yixing's soft cheek with a gentle smile replacing his frown.

"They look great. Let's go see the pumpkins-"

"You didn't have to hit me that hard-"

"You climbed the tree, you shithead! You deserved it!" Kyungsoo pulled onto the whining Jongin. His lips formed a familiar pout as he was dragged by the collar to a different station. Suho turned to Yixing with a relieved expression. He didn't have to worry about the troublesome boy anymore. Kyungsoo would definitely keep him in check.

"Can I carve the pumpkins right now?" Sehun returned to their starting location with heavy hands. The orange fruit was a bit heavy, but the younger really wanted to carve a smiley face into it, so... he pulled through until the end.

"Yep! Look, I drew my design already!" They all turned to Jongdae, who boasted his pumpkin like a champion prize. It looked...

Like Patrick?

"Why does it look decent?" Yixing shrugged at Xiumins question, although he was also wondering why the carving was so well done. Luhan, on the other hand, was confused about how the boy even got material to carve the pumpkin. He didn't see any knives or carving equipment when he arrived, so it was all odd.

"I shall be the next Picasso!" He flipped his nonexistent long hair and smirked. Baekhyun squinted his eyes in disbelief. He had returned while holding his own pumpkin. Chanyeol protectively stood beside him with a large pumpkin as well.

"That doesn't even make sense-"

"Don't hate on my success."

It didn't take long for more chaos to break through. The chilly fall morning had felt warm from the carefree emotions running everywhere. The twelve guys were able to enjoy their morning together as a group. Even though they were arguing about irrelevant things all the time...

Being together felt like home.

It felt like a refreshing escape from reality where they could just relax and not worry about the dangerous world.

Being together felt like a warm, safe space.

They longed for more moments...

The desire to stay together until the very end only grew stronger.

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The music inside the club was loud and irritating to the sensitive ears of the white-haired male. He made his way through the crowd with a migraine already growing. The dancing individuals around him immediately moved away when they saw his menacing glare. His blue eyes held nothing but a cold and corrupt background. Baekhyun got to the bar and finally tapped on the device placed on his ear.

"Try to look around the sitting stations. If you see anyone with a yellow scorpion, then you've found your target. Try just to get the intel we need, don't let them spot you." Baekhyun tapped his ear and let out a dissatisfied sigh. He looked around and found only two groups that had seated themselves at the private stations. He got up and made his way towards their location. He mixed himself in with the dancing fellows beside him and tried to observe the first group of males. He analyzed their appearance and smirked when he found the tail of the scorpion sneaking up the man's neck.

Bingo.

Baek took a few steps back and leaned against the railing of the station. He made sure he was out of their sight so that they could speak freely. He could feel a pair of eyes on him, but he pushed it aside and focused on his main mission. Getting stares wasn't a surprise since he was wearing a mask to cover up his face.

"I can't believe boss is planning to rob the Central bank. That place has so much security that it would be difficult to get in and then figure out a way to get out without the police catching us." One complained as he chugged his bitter drink.

"Yeah. Boss wants to send us, but how are we even going to get it? He's been acting recklessly ever since he got those groups of girls to serve him. I bet one of them has already gotten pregnant."

"Didn't he send those sabotaged weapons and fake drugs to that popular gang? His company did go to shit, so I'm not surprised that he would do sneaky stuff like that." Baekhyun looked down at his hands in relief. The rumors had been confirmed by the gang's own members, so he had the right to leave now.

"Well, no shit? He's an alcoholic. He wasted all his money and went bankrupt." The white-haired male pushed himself off the fence with a hidden smirk on his lips. He looks around, trying to find the lingering eyes attaching themselves onto his body. He can feel the stares, but for some reason, he can not find the individuals responsible for this itching sensation.

Baekhyun shrugs it off and continues to walk out of the club. He clicks his earpiece three times, feeling the cold wind hit his skin the second he exited the building. He sees the black car come into view and quickly gets in without a word. He can't help but smirk at the thrilling idea in his head. Someone actually had the guts to mess with his gang? He shook his head and silently laughed at the dumb decision.

No one gets away with fooling the Royals.

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