Junmyeon woke up the next day, feeling miserable as ever. His uncontrollable anger always made him hurt others and himself. Things were different when you were with me omma, he thought.

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up on the bed and looked at his phone. He had received two text messages the night before. He opened them and the first one was from Minseok.

"Hope you’ve calmed down by now. Don’t miss any lectures okay? It’s better if you apologize to Luhan today. Not that he asked for it, but I think you should. And about Eunsoo. She too deserves and apology from you."

Junmyeon sighed and checked the other text. It was from an unknown number.

"Junmyeon, it’s me, Eunsoo.

Sorry if I was meddling with your private affairs today. I just wanted to help. I promise I will never do that again. But I really wanted to tell you this. All of us have different kinds of problems Junmyeon. None of us are all care free and none of us have everything. But despite the difficulties we face, it’s us who must try and smile. It’s our choice, whether we live our life smiling or crying. So try to be happy, that’s what will make your life worth living."

Junmyeon kept staring at the words Eunsoo had typed. "It’s our choice whether we live our life smiling or crying."  Although he didn’t like to admit it, he really felt her words deep inside. It made him feel even guiltier.

He took a shower, got ready and came out of his room, to find Yixing lazily sitting on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. His eyes widened when he saw Junmyeon.

“Are leaving this early?”

Junmyeon nodded. “I have swimming practices.” He said. “I’m leaving then, see you later.” He went out of the apartment closing the door behind him.

* * * * * * * *

The university was almost deserted as it was barely 6.30 in the morning. Only the students who are coming for early morning sports practices and one or two couples who had decided to sacrifice their extra sleeping hours for an early morning date could be seen here and there. As he left home without any breakfast, Junmyeon went to the faculty cafeteria. Even that was empty except for one small figure who was sitting at a far corner table.

Junmyeon stopped abruptly, as seeing Eunsoo right now was what he hoped the least. He felt like he couldn’t face her with the guilty feeling he still had. So he quietly walked to the counter and ordered his breakfast. When he got it he went and took a seat at a table behind a big pillar, which half covered his view from the girl. Meanwhile Eunsoo was busy writing something, and didn’t even catch a glimpse of him.

Junmyeon watched her while sipping his drink. She was concentrating hard on her work with pouty lips. She finished what she was writing and put the papers aside, and took out another note book from her bag. Before opening it, she gasped to herself as if she suddenly remembered something, and took out her phone. The phone that Yixing gave her. She dialled a number.

“Hello? Good morning Mrs.Wang! Eunsoo here.” She said. “I’m extremely sorry Mrs.Wang, I can’t come to tutor Shinah today.”

Tutor? Junmyeon wondered. Then he remembered hearing Eunsoo once say that she was tutoring maths to middle school students as a part time job. And he wondered why she couldn’t do that today.

“My little brother was hospitalized last night Mrs.Wang. .....No he’s quite better now. But I have to stay near him this evening. So I will do the class tomorrow, okay? ......Thank you Mrs.Wang.” She said in a grateful tone and ended the call. Just then another girl entered the cafeteria and came to Eunsoo. “Good morning!”

“Good morning Sohyun.” Eunsoo beamed at her best friend. Sohyun beside her and peeked at Eunsoo’s work on the table. Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve already finished that assignment? I didn’t even start it yet.” She said in awe.

Eunsoo chuckled and turned to face her. “Sohyun I won’t be there for the afternoon lectures today. Yeongsoo is in hospital. I have to stay with him this afternoon.” She said.

* * * * * * * *

Junmyeon walked into the zoology library. He had quietly left the cafeteria just like he entered, without letting Eunsoo and Sohyun know that he was there all the time. He looked around the place and finally saw Luhan, looking for a book at a nearby shelf. Junmyeon walked up to him. “Hyung,”

Luhan turned and a smile enlightened his face as he saw his dongseng. “Hey Junmyeon!”

The younger one was struggling for words. “Hyung, about yesterday...”

Luhan smiled again and placed his hand on junmyeon’s shoulder. “There’s no need to apologize dude. I can understand.” He squeezed Junmyeon’s shoulder in a reassuring manner. Junmyeon’s lips slowly turned up into a small smile. “Thanks hyung.”

“Aren’t you going to the morning lecture?” Luhan asked him. Junmyeon shook his head in reply. “I’m going for practices. I’ll see you at lunch.” He told him, and walked out of the library.

* * * * * * * *

“Where’s Eunsoo?” Baekhyun asked as Sohyun came alone to sit with the boys at lunch. She took a seat beside Chanyeol, making the later one’s ears turn pink. “Her brother is in hospital. So she went to stay with him.” she answered. “What’s wrong with her brother? Is it serious?” Tao asked.

“No, she said he’s quite alright now. Poor Yeongsoo had always been a sick child. He has a heart problem.” Sohyun said. The guys nodded, feeling sorry for her. “Eunsoo didn’t even take lunch. This is why she’s always ending up having gastritis.” She pouted. Junmyeon listened to everything in silence. The words Eunsoo texted him were continuously popping up in his mind.

“All of us hav