Hard to Love - (chanbaek)

31

"If I don't come back... you take care of that kid and allow Daehyun to be with his uncle in Japan." Joonwoo smiled at his wife, who had felt her heart sink into her stomach.

"Can't you just give up this mafia life? For your safety and your family, dear..." Areum was close to crying. Her tears were threatening at the rim of her lid.

"I wish it were that easy... me leaving the throne will only put us in even more danger. People would come and attack me, not only the enemies but the people from my own gang who will feel betrayed. I'm leading an army right now... and the gang is my family too. This isn't a street thing anymore; the gang is seen as royalty and the most dangerous. What would happen if the throne became empty? With no prepared rebound. Greed will definitely take over, and people will try to conquer the gang. Whoever takes over could do good things, but that's a low chance. If I were to leave, the individual who steals the empty thrown will take all of the power and turn it into a toxic hatred. They'll run things like they own the world and kill people for their own enjoyment. Like my father said, the throne will be passed down to all of our generations. My turn is nearing its end, and one of our boys will have to take over." He smiled, rubbing his wife's shoulder.

"Please understand that, my love..." She smiled, and with no hesitation, she nodded. She didn't have the right to be angry... she knew what she was getting into when she married the love of her life.

"I will always accept you for who you are. I accepted you when you were just a punk on the streets beating some guys up. Beat up the bullies who kept teasing me and yanking my hair. I saw you grow into the mafia leader you are today. I'm not mad at the commitment you've made. I'm just afraid of death. Or more of you dying. I can't be left alone with those two troublemakers. They're basically two mini yous! Do what you have to do for your family, my love, but never leave us behind. You better not die on me." Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her into a loving kiss. Areum finally let her tears drop with the tension. She couldn't help but feel saddened by the sweet action... it almost felt like a goodbye kiss.

"I won't...

I promise."

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December 1st. 4:03 PM

"ATA BOY!"

Running to third base, Baekhyun slid and made it to first again. "With that energy, we'll be in Nationals immediately!" Coach smiled before ruffling the youngers honey hair. The team was working extremely hard with all the competitions coming up. Baekhyun thanked the older with a grin before rushing off to get a drink.

"Way to go, Baek!" High fiving his best friend, he quickly looked over to see his boyfriend smiling.

"You did good, babe."

"Thank you..."

A kiss landed on his lips, causing his cute giggles to be heard. It has been almost two weeks since they started dating. Immediately when they went to school, everyone noticed they were closer than usual. They were trying to keep it lowkey, but eventually, everyone found out about their relationship because of Chanyeols forgetful mind.

Baekhyun scrolled through his phone, joining in on the conversations around him once in a while. He was starving, and the line was still really long. It's what he got for being late, but his boyfriend ran off demanding he sat down first. He leaned against his palm and closed his eyes with a loud yawn.

"Tired?" He hummed while turning to Kyungsoo. The younger shook his head, picking at his own food with a frown. "Studying or just gaming all night?" Baek pursed his lips with squinted eyes.