SQUAOII: The War

II

When Baekhyun returns the next day, he finds his trainer sitting in the exact same spot, looking just as concentrated as he was yesterday.

"Were you here all night?" He asks, setting down his things on his own table. Once again, Chanyeol doesn't respond. Baekhyun stands there awkwardly, wondering what he should do, until something catches in his throat and he coughs.

"Oh. Baekhyun, you're here." Chanyeol says, setting down his papers once more. Now that Baekhyun can get a better view of his face, he can see that fatigue is lining his trainer's eyes. He hasn't even eaten his dinner from last night.

"You haven't eaten your dinner." Baekhyun points out.

"My medication is more important." Chanyeol replies hastily, and that's when Baekhyun notices a bottle of pills at the side. Not knowing what to say, silence hangs in the air for a while.

"Uh ... What do I do today?" He asks awkwardly.

"Sorry ... I'm just thinking ... Give me a few minutes." The taller sinks back into his chair, grabbing his papers again and resuming his concentrated posture. Not wanting to stand there and waste his time, Baekhyun would sit down and continue reading through the book again, but watching how his trainer had pulled an all-nighter and working so hard despite having no sleep, Baekhyun really can't just sit there and pretend that not sleeping and not eating is healthy.

Instead, he rushes out of the room to the elevator, down a few floors, out of the elevator and to the cafeteria.

"Uh ... a cup of coffee and two burgers, please." Baekhyun says. "I'd like to take it to my Professor, who's not here."

"Anything ordered elsewhere or brought outside of the cafeteria will come with a cost." The cafeteria lady explains, noticing his trainee badge.

"Oh." Baekhyun falters. "I don't have money on me right now."

"You can give me your membership card, and I'll just take money out of there."

"I don't think I have any money in there." Baekhyun mumbles, but takes his wallet out of his pocket anyway. "But I promise I'll pay you back."

"That's fine dear, it'll automatically pay once you get your first paycheck." The lady smiles gently, takes his card, then taps it.

"Oh! Uh ... Can you get an extra bottle of water and energy drink please? And also pasta." Baekhyun adds. Really, that's much less than what he would eat if he skipped dinner, so he's really not sure if that's enough for his professor. Holding the bags in his hands and the card in his mouth, Baekhyun rushes back to room 530.

Upon returning, Chanyeol doesn't look up nor acknowledge him. Baekhyun sets his card down from his teeth, then gathers up the food and walks over to his professor's desk, then sets it down.

"Here you go!" Baekhyun huffs, watching as Chanyeol looks up, eyes blinking in surprise.

"What's all this ..."

"You didn't really eat dinner last night ... I doubt you ate lunch yesterday either." Baekhyun gestures to his food. "Eat!"

"It's fine, I need to finish this."

"I paid for it ..." Baekhyun says. "Really, I don't know how much money they took off my account -"

"I'll pay you back -"

"I don't believe in wasting food."

"Then you eat it."

"I'm full."

Silence.

"What are the higher ups going to think of me if you fainted or died of starvation one day? I'm innocent." Baekhyun continues. Chanyeol stares at him in disbelief.