still you | baekyeon

Chapter 6

In the hushed atmosphere outside the exclusive celebrity bar, Taemin stood waiting for Taeyeon.

"Where is he?" she asked and looked around. The place was an unfamiliar territory for her, a hidden world within the city's vibrant nightlife that she hadn't known existed.

Taemin led her toward a discreet entrance, urging her to step inside. As she passed through the door, she found herself in an unconventional bar, distinct from the usual scenes of bustling dance floors and high stools. Instead, it resembled the corridors of a lavish hotel, lined with discreet doors leading to private spaces.

Guided by Taemin, she ascended to the second floor, her heart pounding with a mix of uncertainty and anticipation. He held the door open, allowing her to enter before him. Her eyes met a group of familiar faces – SuperM, the multi-talented powerhouse of performers. Polite bows accompanied their recognition of her presence, but her focus was immediately drawn to the figure slouched on a nearby sofa.

Baekhyun, his disheveled state evident, looked up at her with a mixture of surprise and something she couldn't quite place. The room seemed to hold its breath as Taeyeon's gaze locked onto him. It was a moment that hung suspended in time, laden with unspoken emotions.

"Why did he let himself get so carried away?" Her question was a murmur, laden with a sense of concern that resonated with those around her.

"At first, we were clueless," Kai explained, his voice a thread in the tense air. "But when he began mentioning your name, it became clear why he reached out to us for this sudden gathering."

The weight of the situation settled upon Taeyeon, her eyes closing briefly as she absorbed the gravity of it all. Baekhyun's actions were a reflection of his inner turmoil, a cry for help she hadn't anticipated.

In the midst of the palpable tension, a soft voice cut through the air. "Noona, perhaps you could talk to him. Your words might carry more weight – he might listen to you, even if he won't heed us."

Taemin's suggestion hung in the air, his eyes holding a glimmer of hope as he regarded her. Swallowing her own hesitations, Taeyeon approached Baekhyun's side and took a seat beside him. The act felt awkward, a collision of their worlds within the watchful gaze of SuperM.

"B-Baekhyun," her voice wavered slightly, a hint of nervousness betraying her composed exterior. The complexity of their history weighed heavily upon her words.

The weight of the night seemed to press upon them, each word and breath infused with a sense of urgency. His voice, a mere whisper, carried a weight that sent a jolt through her. "I'm ready to face death," his words hung heavy in the air, a declaration that pierced through the darkness and into her very soul. Her eyes widened, shock and fear mingling in her gaze as she took in the gravity of his statement. His eyes remained closed, his vulnerability laid bare in the stark admission.

Her own heart raced, a frantic rhythm that mirrored the turmoil within her. "Stop talking nonsense and go home," her voice was firm, a plea laced with an underlying urgency. The fear that gripped her was palpable, a potent reminder of the fragile line they both tread.

His eye flickered open at the sound of her voice, a small smile gracing his lips. "It's you," his words held a hint of recognition, a fleeting connection that transcended the haze of his intoxicated state.

Her resolve solidified, her concern morphing into a fierce determination. "Go home. You're drunk," her words carried a note of sternness, a refusal to entertain the dangerous thoughts that had taken root in his mind.

He shook his head, a solemn declaration of his intent. "I won't be able to go home... I'll kill myself right before I reach home," his voice held a tragic weight, the weight of despair that threatened to engulf him. "You want me dead? You can continue your life once my existence is gone."