Among Men

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[date: 11/16/1987]

It was Monday morning, Baekhyun was getting ready for school, and avoiding his grumbling sister who was styling her hair in the mirror.

"I've had it, living in this house." She was furiously brushing out her tangles and Baekhyun leaned away, avoiding losing one of his eyes. "Mom won't even talk to me anymore. Dad just ignores me, as usual. Yet, I can't freaking do anything without them hovering? If they hate me so much then why do they care?"


I don't know. He wanted to say, but he thought better of it. He brushed in slow circles, thinking deeply. Little blue and white stripes mixed together and polished his teeth.

"They do love you, don't worry."

"I'm not worried." She said defensively, but ducked below the counter to shield her true expression, in search for a lot barrette.

"M'kay, then. Just, be careful. Do your work, be good."

"Pfft." She rolled her eyes, reappearing with a barrette trapped between her cherry red lips. "Don't I always?" She smirked, wrapping her thin fingers through her long hair, wrestling it into a tail on the back of her head.

He shoved her shoulder, leaning over to spit out the paste. "You're such a punk, no wonder you got caught." He rinsed, looking up at her through his dark lashes.

"Hey, how come you don't have a girl trailing around you at school anymore? Thought you'd  be quick to move on after Yeri." She poked his side but he hardly cared to poke her back. "Not such a school heartthrob now, or what?"

"Maybe I never was one." He dried his face, running the little blue towel over his forehead, pushing back his thick hair. The feeling reminded him of having his hair played with. He touched the hair covering his nape subconsciously.

"Bullsh^t."

"I need a haircut."

"Honey... you need a whole new look." She commented, running her fingernails through the faded dye in his hair.

"Thanks, I got to go." He kissed her cheek and sprinted to his room. He could hear her cursing at him the whole stretch and he laughed into the empty house. Tip tapping of rain and leaves hitting the roof echoed in his small room. It was clean and organized. He padded over to his desk. Doing what he had a habit of doing before leaving the house.  He checked his hair in the mirror on the desk, thinking of what color he should dye it. His eyes landed on the photo in the background. He smiled, hopping over to the opposite wall to fix the beige painter's tape, sliding a thumb over the smooth stripe. The picture was cute. He blushed just looking at it. He sighed before quickly snatching it off the wall, deciding against leaving it there. I mean, they were, well, they were kissing in the photo. Not the best thing to leave alone in his room. The room faded away with his house as he locked the door and entered his vehicle. His sister would take the bus today, since he wanted to be early. He taped the photo back of his steering wheel where it fit between dials. He was proud and wanted to see it in all of his favorite places, his car happened to be one of those.

The football field was freshly cut and weighed down by morning dew. He tugged off his coat, folding it and his t-shirt on one of the benches by his bag. He started with a simple jog, stretching and warming up as he went. By lap four, he started seeing some of his friends turn up, and he greeted them before the loud bass took over. He could count on Suho to bring music and his boombox. 

"You should've told me what time you were coming!" Xiumin breathed heavily, jogging beside him easily, keeping his white shirt on.

"Sorry." Baekhyun let out, feeling the air escaping his lungs and burn his throat. "Didn't think you'd want to be up that early."

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