Paper CUTS [EXO-CBX]

True Friends

3 hours earlier.

Jongdae was walking near the shopping center with his mind wandering. Baekhyun who was looking for a job accidentally saw Jongdae from afar. Baekhyun approached Jongdae and said happily, "I'm glad to see you are fine. I'm so lucky we met here. I thought we would never see each other again." Jongdae ignored Baekhyun and kept walking.

Baekhyun grabbed Jongdae's hand to stop Jongdae. Baekhyun said, "I'm talking to you. Are you listening?" Jongdae gave his wallet to Baekhyun and said, "You can take all my money. Just leave me alone."

Baekhyun returned Jongdae's wallet and asked confusedly, "What's wrong with you?" Jongdae asked back, "Aren't you looking for me to get money?" Baekhyun said, "Well... That's true... I'm looking for you to get my money back. I had a fight with Kim Minseok because we thought we lost our 128 dollars."

Jongdae stared at Baekhyun and said cynically, "You and Kim Minseok and all my friends are just the same... You all only care about money... I really hate people like you. I thought we were friends but I'm glad I was wrong."

Jongdae took all his money from his wallet and threw it to Baekhyun then walked away. Baekhyun shouted irritably, "Yes, I admit I care about money!!! But money is not everything for me!!! If I only cared about money, I wouldn't have given all my money to pay for your hospital deposit and starved myself for 2 days!!" People who walked around Baekhyun got startled and turned to see Baekhyun.

Jongdae stopped his steps instantly and turned around to see Baekhyun. Baekhyun picked up two 50 dollar banknotes and one 20 dollar banknote from the ground and said angrily, "I don't want your money!!! I only took what belongs to me and Kim Minseok!!! You still owe me 8 dollars!!!" Then Baekhyun walked away angrily. 

Jongdae left his money scattered on the ground to chase Baekhyun. People scrambled taking 100 dollar banknotes, 50 dollar banknotes, 20 dollar banknotes and 10 dollar banknotes from the ground.

Jongdae followed Baekhyun without bothering Baekhyun. Baekhyun went to a mini mart to buy candles. When Baekhyun realized Jongdae was following him, he asked irritably, "Why are you following me? Do you want to see how pitiful my life is?" 

Jongdae said with guilt, "I'm sorry... Because of me, you starved yourself." Baekhyun said irritably, "Rich people like you will never can understand what people like me go through! Just leave! Go back to your nice house and enjoy your luxurious life!" 

Suddenly Jongdae braved himself to run into a passing car but the car stopped instantly so Jongdae only grazed by the car. The driver got out of his car angrily then scolded Jongdae, "Are you trying to kill yourself??? If you want to kill yourself, go jump from the bridge!!! Don't make innocent people like me commit murder by hitting you with a car!!!" Jongdae squatted down and cried. 

Baekhyun who saw everything quickly approached Jongdae and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?" Jongdae said in tears, "Just leave me alone." Baekhyun helped Jongdae get up and took Jongdae to the side of the street. 

Baekhyun asked, "Why did you do that?" Jongdae replied in tears, "I don't want to live anymore... No one cares about me." Baekhyun said, "Why did you say that? I care about you... I know your parents don't love you but you are still luckier than me. At least you have eomma and appa and lots of money... I'm poor and my eomma doesn't love me and I never know who my appa is." Jongdae fell silent.

Baekhyun continued to say, "I once had a thought of committing suicide but I changed my mind after meeting Kim Minseok. He has nothing but he always tries his best to live. I'm luckier than him, so why would I want to throw away my life when even Kim Minseok who is poorer than me still wants to live... I feel sorry for Kim Minseok... He lost all his money because of me... It was me who asked him to take out all his money to pay for your hospital deposit."

Baekhyun asked, "Do you have any idea how long to collect 75 dollars for Kim Minseok?" Jongdae shook his head. "7 years," said Baekhyun. Jongdae dropped his jaw and asked in disbelief, "Really???" Baekhyun said, "I also can't believe it... Btw, I need to go back to Kim Minseok's house to return his money and get my school bag." Jongdae said, "I'll go with you. I want to say thank you to him." 

When Baekhyun and Jongdae arrived at the abandoned house, Jongdae saw the paper cut on the floor, then he grabbed it to read it. Baekhyun chuckled and said, "Kim Minseok's handwriting is really bad huh?" Jongdae nodded with chuckles. 

Suddenly Baekhyun realized something, then he talked to himself, "Aaa! Now I know why he saved his cup ramyeon! He wants to eat it on his birthday and today is his birthday because he took away all his cup ramyeon today!" Jongdae said, "I'll buy a birthday present for him... But what should I buy?" Baekhyun replied excitedly, "Let's give him what he wants to make him happy."

Baekhyun took out the jar filled with paper cuts from Minseok's cardboard box. Baekhyun took out some paper cuts from the jar to read it. Jongdae took out the rest of paper cuts from the jar to read it. Some of the paper cuts couldn't be read by Baekhyun and Jongdae because Minseok wrote it wrong, because Minseok never went to school.

Baekhyun found 1 paper cut related to birthday and Jongdae found 2 paper cuts related to birthday. Jongdae said excitedly, "Let's make these 3 wishes come true for Kim Minseok!" Baekhyun replied excitedly, "Okay!"

Back to the present.

Jongdae, Baekhyun and Minseok ate rice with fried chicken and kimchi while drinking soft drink happily. Baekhyun said with a smile, "I got this kimchi from helping a grandma. She is a side dishes seller. Her kimchi is the best kimchi I've ever eaten in my life." Minseok nodded in agreement.

Jongdae said, "Thank you for taking me to the hospital and paying for hospital deposit, Kim Minseok, Byun Baekhyun... Sorry for troubling you two." Baekhyun and Minseok only nodded at Jongdae, they couldn't replied Jongdae because their mouths were full with food. 

Jongdae asked while pouting, "But why didn't you two come to visit me at the hospital? I thought we were friends. Do you know how lonely I was?" Minseok swallowed the food in his mouth and replied, "Yaa do you think we don't want to visit you? Of course we would have visited you if we had known where you were treated. Besides, sleep in the hospital is ten times better than here." Baekhyun said to Jongdae, "Your eomma didn't want to tell me where she moved you." "Ahh... I'm sorry," said Jongdae, feeling bad.

Baekhyun asked Minseok, "How old are you?" "I'm 19 now," Minseok replied. Baekhyun asked Jongdae, "What about you?" "I'm 17," Jongdae replied. "O! I'm 17 too! When is your birthday? Mine is on 6th May," said Baekhyun. "21st September," Jongdae replied.

Baekhyun said to Jongdae, "From now on, just call me Baekhyun and I will call you Jongdae." Minseok said jokingly, "And you two can call me hyung." Baekhyun and Jongdae laughed but then they called Minseok, "Hyung." Minseok laughed happily.