WEEPING WILLOWS [sebaek | chanbaek]

GOLDEN MONSOON

'Slowly the clouds have drained out and it's time for the earth to turn into some warmest shades. Falling at the slightest touch of breeze, the crisp leaves rain down onto the ground. It's a golden monsoon now, the most beautiful, they say. "Oh, how wonderful it is to let go." I've heard it over and over and they preach it time and time again. But little did they know that in this phase of fall, I'm not a tree but the leaf that falls.'

"Writing a testament, Bean Sprout?" Sehun asked, offering Baekhyun one of the two canned drinks in his hands.

For the first time in a long while, Baekhyun was out for a small picnic kind of thing with the autumn trees. Although it was Sehun who forced him there, he seemed to be enjoying nature more than Sehun himself.

Baekhyun closed his notebook and took the soft drink, smiling at his words. "I have nothing to pass on."

"What do you even do with your salary?" Sehun asked, struggling to sit on the mat with his tight pants, "You don't live alone, don't party much, would wear the same clothes every day, and you don't even do drugs." His last line made Baekhyun choke on his drink. "I didn't mix anything in it, it's just seven ounces of sugar."

Baekhyun giggled, "My salary just sits in my bank account, I never really care to check on it." he answered.

The younger gasped before commenting again, "You are worse. Don't you have any plans for futur-" Sehun paused in his words expecting the obvious answer. "Hey, do you still want to die?" Baekhyun just stared at him, choosing not to answer and forced a gentle smile, "A few months back, I was like that too, wanting to choke myself to death. I used to hurt myself frequently, the cuts under my clothes haven't healed completely yet, but now it all feels different." Sehun explained, "With many artists trying to work with me and the studio making great progress I feel maybe I lost my mother as a form of excuse to live and found another excuse just in time. Maybe I really want to live now."

"I'm- I'm really happy to hear that but-" Baekhyun went quiet for a brief moment, "it's not that I like to die, it's just that I find no point in this life anymore." Sehun looked at him in slight confusion but he soon acknowledged what Baekhyun meant. "Don't worry much, I haven't gathered enough courage to do it yet, and I doubt if I ever could."

Sehun let out a small chuckle and tenderly looked at Baekhyun with eyes of fondness and slowly leaned close to touch the latter's cheeks. Baekhyun startled when Sehun's fingers touched him, "your cheeks seem fluffier, it seems like you have gained some weight." His words made Baekhyun smile and sigh at the same time.

"Stop doin-"

"Don't forget to tell me before you die," Sehun's sudden words caught him off guard and made his smile fade out in an instant, "please don't vanish into thin air."

Baekhyun couldn't make any promise neither he could answer it, so he just forced a smile and looked away from those winsome eyes.

During the last season, Sehun kept showing up at Baekhyun's house every now then. Knowing Baekhyun's interest in staying alone, Sehun tried to respect it most of the time. Even though Baekhyun denied to work with him; he would still ask Baekhyun for some suggestions in his new recordings and the latter would generously help as much as he could.

The past few months were totally different for Sehun. Work took all his attention and he had zero time to think about anything other than music, but he still made time for the only friend he somehow found at the edge. Baekhyun too couldn't always push away the drenched puppy that showed up after the rain.

-

"Seems like you are happy enough to go on picnics these days." Baekhyun was at his desk seriously immersed in his work while Chanyeol kept his hands on the table and started talking out of nowhere.

"Eh?" Baekhyun, for a moment, couldn't even understand what was happening.

"Does it feel good hanging out with a rich guy, ha?" The aversion in his voice was so hard for Baekhyun to take.

"We just met as former colleagues, that's all." He kept his gentle tone persistent.

"Must have felt nice, enjoying the weekend." Even though Baekhyun was being as quiet as possible, Chanyeol's rusty voice kept grabbing the attention of people nearby.

"Why are you being like this?" Baekhyun's words became delicate all at once, he slowly reached out his hand to touch that big angry claw on his table, "What's wrong-" even before Baekhyun could touch his hand, Chanyeol pulled it off and walked away furiously leaving Baekhyun in the pits of sad thoughts once again.