Junhui is absolutely unpredictable.

 

Either that, or Junhui’s days are absolutely unpredictable, maybe both, who knows.

 

Unpredictable as in he actually decided to go and sit through a three hour lecture today. Unpredictable as in he fell asleep only two hours in rather than just the one, unpredictable as in he actually made a decent effort for being two classes in, with one more to go.

 

Junhui was never really academically inclined growing up. Yet somehow he managed to bull his way long enough that he got accepted into university in Seoul rather than, say, Guangzhou. An entirely different country, culture, beliefs, language, all complete with steel on concrete barriers to keep him from really exhibiting his true potential. So instead he holds back, says nothing, and continuously loses interest and motivation as the days drag on.

 

He’s met some pretty decent people though, not to say that everyone in South Korea hates Chinese, but not everyone is very accepting, especially when it comes to someone like Junhui. A student in his early 20’s who is often mistaken as an idol, model, or star (that was only on one occasion), who has a very weak grasp on the language, thinks way too long before he speaks, and hums way too loud to pop songs playing on his headphones. Junhui, the embodiment of all things wonderful and amazing, has had people turn their back on him a few times after stating where he’s from.

 

Minghao, another Chinese student who is majoring in fashion design met Junhui on the train when one of the metal buckles on Minghao’s shirt knocked upside  Junhui’s head and made a very loud clanging sound, to which Junhui responded with a string of swears in his mother language. Minghao picked it up pretty quick, along with the fact that they didn’t share a common dialect but laughed and introduced himself in Mandarin. They spend time together on campus but Junhui has a feeling that if he were to ever catch Minghao off campus somewhere he’d duck and cover as if they had never met before.

 

There’s also Wonwoo, his roommate, unofficial tutor, and Literary major with a really cute cat. Junhui doesn’t really know all that much about him since the guy is pretty quiet other than when he’s teaching him, but he’s nice, and he helps Junhui out more than he thinks. They even grocery shop together every week just so they can get an idea of who likes what and to help make things a little more comfortable. Junhui’s only issue (besides the fact that Wonwoo can’t eat seafood), is that he has really loud friends. Junhui still hasn’t asked how someone as easy going and soft spoken as Wonwoo can have friends that have enough energy to probably power the entire city, but maybe one day, when he’s not criticizing himself over minor inconveniences and has actual confidence.

 

From

Wonwoommate:

> Soonyoung and Seokmin invited me out for dinner, you should come.

 

I have some work to catch up on, thanks though. <

 

Don’t have too much fun!!: ) <

 

He hasn’t been out with people since he left China and as much as he does miss it, he doesn’t really feel like tearing his confidence apart silently while people have fun all around him. He’s better off just doing what he’s doing and that’s lying in the middle of the living room staring up at the ceiling while Uyu, Wonwoo’s cat lays curled up in a fluffy white ball on his abdomen.

 

Maybe Juhui should get a cat, he could name it something cute like Suānnǎi, or Kělè. He scratches behind her ears, causing her head to lift a bit and her body to stir before she realizes and lays back down, soft purrs trailing behind. Yeah, he should get a cat.

 

It’s Friday night. Quiet, and he hates it.

 

He studies for a little while, reading the words from his text book out loud to help him memorize the material, sings while he makes ramen on the stove, which Uyu continuously sends him disapproved glaces for, then it’s quiet again.

 

He could study some more, but it’s Friday, he doesn’t really want to. He’s burned out yet at the same time he wants to do something and not nothing. Maybe he should have just gone out with Wonwoo, the poor guy is always trying to help Junhui feel a little more comfortable with his situation and yet Junhui always digs up the first excuse to keep himself out of it.

 

That’s probably why he doesn’t have any friends and finds himself complaining at every single effort he tries to put in to things. Maybe if they were closer, Wonwoo would really be able to put Junhui’s back in line, make him that model of all things good and perfect, that stunning student he grew up as, the wonderful friend who was always so encouraging that has since disappeared for reasons unknown. Junhui has shrunk into himself and even though he hasn’t run himself off the deep end, he’s completely thrown himself away.

 

Junhui almost forgets what it’s like to have good people around, always being encouraging and helpful and still bothersome enough to make you lose your mind all at the same time. Maybe that’s way Wonwoo’s friends irk him so much, maybe that’s why he can’t really manage to stir up a decent conversation with that cute guy in the drama department or find a good reason to actually pick himself up and do something. He’s so reliant on himself he doesn’t need anyone to steer him into one specific direction or show him the beauty of life and being young and living this life, whatever it is to it’s true potential, it’s true beauty.

 

He should seriously get a cat. That could be a start.

 

Junhui doesn’t particularly mind his quiet life. It’s quiet, it allows him space to work, to breathe to think, it gives him time to do things he likes. When he doesn’t go to work, or he isn’t studying, he’s putting bits and pieces of parts together, making sense of the world that surround him. He’s always been infatuated with the world around him, the things that go beyond the stars and their solar system.

 

He remembers spending nights out as high schooler wandering around his city to try and find the darkest spot he could, with no light or air pollution, someplace that allowed him to be fully immersed in the stars above him. To run away from his life for a moment, to forget all of the things that stressed him out and made him worry, to just be where he wanted to for a little bit and to be able to connect with the universe put him at ease.

 

The fact that it’s what he does almost everyday is exhausting, never would sixteen-year old Junhui imagine the situation he’s in now, but at the same time, he wouldn’t change it for anything else. He accepted his situation even though he wasn’t happy about where he was going, thought about what this would mean to his mother that he was getting an education in something he studied through his entire youth, and accepted it.

 

Now he’s wandering around the streets of Seoul with a vague idea of where he’s going, just going somewhere. If there’s nothing that excites him inside, he’ll go out and find something to do. There’s all kinds of places that are still open, the night is still young. He hums quietly to the music playing through his headphones, his fingers tapping along slightly off beat on his knee as he watches the city pass by outside the window of the bus.

 

It feels good to go out and be to himself for a little while. Even though he’s by himself a lot, there’s something about going outside of the house and listening to the sounds of the city that makes him feel a little less insignificant. It gives him more space than the blank walls of his bedroom. Junhui likes his space from time to time.

Junhui sighs as he tears his eyes away from the city and leans further back on his arm to get a view of the sky. He expected to see nothing but still feels disappointed when all he can see is a hazy view of the moon and a dusty night sky with not a single star in sight.

 

He gets off with the last remaining group of people, still very unsure of where he is but doesn’t really care. His phone is charged, he has GPS. He’ll live.

 

He roams for a while, looking around and stopping in small stores to eye knick-knacks and clothes and things he wants but doesn’t need. It’s another hour or so of telling himself he doesn’t need that savory smelling street food, but god, it sounds really good at this time. Street food always tastes better at night for some reason.

 

He avoids it all, finds himself bored in looking without a purpose and slips out his phone as he sits quietly at a table outside some cafe. A quick search of parks closest to him gives him a number of results, and he settles for what looks most decent. Junhui turns his music up a few clicks as he stands up and behind making his way in the direction he’s being lead.

 

It’s no fun being in a crowd that you don’t fully understand. Junhui likes socializing and playing around with people is he’s comfortable but when all he hears is just noise, it makes him feel crowded. He spent so much time doing stuff back home in the city. Something about the chatter of people is different and it makes his nerves itch. Not that he’s anxious, no one knows he’s a foreigner unless he mentions it, but he knows he’s out of place. He knows.

 

And Junhui knowing just makes it all feel wrong. He knows he shouldn’t be here. He’s been told to his face he should be and he here he is, walking around and making constellations out of the lights of the buildings because that’s all he finds comfort in anymore. The stars.

 

Junhui eventually makes it to said destination. Which is some tiny little park that barely has the excuse to call itself a park, and finds a nice patch of grass in a clearing of trees, and claims it by laying flat on his back.

 

He rips his headphones out of his ears, does a quick time check and folds his hands behind his head, staring up at the hazy night sky.

 

The stars still aren’t visible. It’s still hazy and he can still hardly make out the moon, which is almost full. But it’s quiet, makes him imagine that he’s back home, laying out somewhere that he jumped fences to get to just so he could see the stars.

 

It’s a lot of staring and quiet humming and thinking. Muttering words in Korean that he suddenly remembered while singing, and eventually dozing off.

 

He makes himself stay awake, feeling the soft fall breeze brush over him, sweeping his hair in the opposite direction, and decides to call it a night. He could totally sleep out here, but he doesn’t want to get fined, or risk getting sick. But he totally could.

 

He forces himself to push himself off the grass, dusting his hands and rubbing his eyes with his sleeves. He’s way more tired than he thought, and he has a morning lecture tomorrow.

 

Another quick time check is also met with three text messages from Wonwoo, asking where he is and if he alright. Junhui responds, short and quick like he always does, and puts his headphones back in as he walks back the direction he arrived.

 

He makes a mental note when he gets home to look up somewhere close by that he can actually look at the stars.

 

— — —

 

There was no traces of Wonwoo even by the time Junhui arrived home. Uyu had peeked out from behind the window and immediately let out a long meow before she came and weaved between Junhui’s legs.

 

“Hungry?” He asks, reaching down to scratch behind her ears, as he slips off his jacket, “Me too.”

 

He stretches as he walks into the kitchen, rolling his neck as he tries to remember which stupid cupboard his roommate puts the cat food. He tries one, it’s one of those fake ones, the one next to it, though, that’s the one.

 

As soon as the can cracks open she comes running. Another time check, it’s close to midnight and Junhui doesn’t want to wait around and shuffles to his room, falling into bed with a heavy sigh.

 

Tomorrow is another day. Not that it’s anything to looks forward to, it’s just one more useless, repetitive day to survive through.

 

There’s a sound that escapes his throat as he sits up in sudden surprise. He blinks and reaches for his phone, flicking at the blue light that blues his vision.

 

“Oh .” He whispers.

 

Strings of curses in Korean fall from Junhui’s lips as he rolls out his bed and he stumbles for his backpack by his desk.

 

He went to bed a little after midnight, how the could he have been so tired that he slept straight through his alarms?

 

Junhui is still swearing to himself as he reaches the door, in mandarin this time. He pulls on his shoes and yanks a stray hoodie from the rack, god forbid anyone that does recognize him sees he still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

 

He’s out the door in a heartbeat and nearly trips over his own feet on the way down the hall. His first class is almost halfway over by the time he checks the time at the train station.

 

Junhui bounces nervously on his feet as he waits, constantly checking the time in anticipation when a hand claps over his shoulder making him jump.

 

“Wen Junhui!”

 

Oh no. Please no. It’s only 9:30 in the morning, he can’t be having this.

 

He turns to see Minghao, fashion extraordinar Xu Minghao with a big smile on his face.

 

“Morning,” Junhui does a half smile back to the younger, who asks if he’s on his way to class too.

 

Junhui nods, shoving his hands in his pockets nervously, “I was supposed to be, like… An hour ago.”

 

It gets a chuckle out of Minghao just as the train pulls to a stop in front of them. How Minghao managed to recognize him in this crowd of people he will never understand, but it’s a little endearing, to say the least.

 

The two take a silent seat next to each other, and Junhui reaches to get headphones, checking both pockets, only for them to come out empty. He inwardly curses himself, he left them sitting on the bedside table and was in too much of a hurry this morning to get them. He’s literally going to be spending an entire day suffering.

 

“So,” Minghao starts, typing something on his phone, not looking up,  “How's the studying going?”

 

Junhui hums, “Pretty good. Wonwoo is a good teacher.”

 

“That’s good,” Minghao says, still typing away at his phone, “If you need help with anything just let me know. I’ve done this before.”

 

Junhui nods even though the other boy can’t see it. Minghao, despite being younger, has lived here a little longer than he has. Junhui has been here nearly a year, Minghao has been here for two, and can a full conversation (without embarrassing himself) in Korean.

 

Junhui manages with his small phrases.

 

Time passed a lot slower on the ride despite Minghao trying to make conversation between them.

 

The two part as soon as they hit the University and Junhui nearly forgot how big of a rush he was in and is sprinting to his class.

 

He gets a lot of eyes as he stumbles through the door, a few laughs, and a heavy glare from his professor.

 

Junhui dips his head and scans the room for seat that’s most out of the way and makes a bee line straight to it, pulling out his notebook and begins to write down whatever is on the screen.

 

It’s another hour or so of doing that. Just writing whatever is on the screen and trying not to fall asleep. He’s so, so tired, and for no reason it seems.

 

At some point, more towards the end of his class, his phone buzzes with a text from Wonwoo.

 

From:

Wonwoommate:

> meet me in the library for study time ?

 

               If you’re not too hungover, then yes. <

 

> I would never.

 

> So that’s a yes then. I’ll see you in 20.

 

Make that thirty. Junhui is already burned out from his frenzy this morning and can’t push himself to make it there on time.

 

Junhui slips his phone back out, bringing the conversation back up,

 

To:

Wonwoommate:

 

> only a yes if there’s free coffee involved:))

 

He slips his phone away and writes away the rest of his notes, tuning in and out of what’s being said. He’s better and reading and writing than actually speaking. Conversation just makes him nervous. So many words sounding too much the same and having different meanings. He understands just writing better, in some strange way.

 

Junhui is falling in and out of sleep just as they’re dismissed. He stands up, stretching his arms above his head and collects his stuff. Wonwoo is definitely at the library by now, probably studying his life away while he waits for Junhui.

 

He was right, Wonwoo was there, studying away as Junhui pulls out a chair. The only difference today is that there are two coffee cups on the table.

 

Junhui didn’t think Wonwoo would really go through with this.

 

“Oh, you’re finally here. I got you this.”

 

Junhui takes the cup Wonwoo slides across the table.  It’s warm, it smells amazing, and he’s very, very grateful.

 

“I was kidding, you really didn’t have to.” Junhui says, taking a small sip. He’s so glad Wonwoo did though, he would have died today otherwise.

 

“After what I heard come out of your mouth this morning, it’s my treat.” Wonwoo says, pushing his glasses up on his face and closes his book, and pulls out their language one, junhui following suit.

 

“You taught me those words. This is on you.” Junhui smiles, making Wonwoo look up at him in shock and shake his head, “Hey, I didn’t teach you them. You asked me first, and I simply did what I was instructed.”

 

Their session goes by slower than usual. It’s a lot of grammar and sentence structuring. A lot of basic phrases, repeating them, way too many questions from Junhui, and they call it a day.

 

“You know,” Wonwoo starts, shoving the language book into his bag, “You’re learning really fast. You shouldn’t look so scared when you talk. You sound good.”

 

“Huh?” Junhui looks up to the his roommate across the table, putting his pens away.

 

“You’re a fast learner.” He repeats, “Stop beating yourself into the ground about this. It takes time, but you sound a million times better than when I first started teaching you.”

 

“Oh,” Junhui mutters, “Thanks… You helped me a lot though. You should give yourself some credit.” Junhui smiles, slinging his bag over his shoulders and pushing his chair in.

 

Wonwoo shakes his head and waves him off, “Whatever you say.” He says. He pauses for a moment, almost wanting to ask something but seems to hold back.

 

“Uhm, one last thing.” He says, stopping Junhui from turning around.

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

 

Junhui blinks, and nods. Watching Wonwoo shift his weight, “Are you… Is everything okay? You’ve been spending a lot of time alone lately.”

 

Junhui stares blankly at the male for a few seconds, blinking and taking it all in, processing, then slowly nodding his head.

 

“Yeah, just…All these assignments are keeping me busy. No worries.” He smiles.

 

Wonwoo’s head falls to the side, he doesn’t look like he totally believes what Junhui said. He straightens back up, “Well, let’s go eat together sometime. Like, just us. You look like you need a break.”

 

Junhui nods, and agrees. He’d like that. Him and Wonwoo haven’t eaten together in a while.

 

Junhui spends the next hour looking for places with a clear night view. He found a place that seems decent enough. About an hour away. He makes a plan to get a nap in before he leaves in the evening, and get his telescope together.

 

He needs this. He hasn’t found a decent place since he’s moved here and looking for one now is his last chance before winter hits and it starts getting too cold.

 

He lets the rest of his day drag by, he fell asleep in his last class, took his time getting home, and collapsed. It was only early afternoon by then, and he woke up by sunset, feeling a bit more refreshed and ready to get out of the house.

 

Junhui was quick to collect his telescope, backpack, and his headphones, this time, and bolts out of the house, just brushing past Wonwoo’s friends on the way out.

 

He feels like a kid again, all his gear slung over his shoulders and his heart doing jumps in his chest.

 

He steps on the train with excitement. Humming along to the music he’s gone literally all day without, scrolling through his social as he waits out the rest of his ride.

 

It’s a quick hour, as opposed to how the rest of his day has been. It’s probably the excitement, he thinks to himself as he adjusts his bags on his shoulders and looks up at the sky.

 

It’s definitely the excitement.

 

Junhui is immediately immersed in the sky above him. There’s real, actual stars hovering right about him. They’re all so clear, so bright, it’s doesn’t even feel real.

 

He lets out a breathy chuckle, as he looks around him in pure astonishment and hurries to out the directions for his intended destination.

 

It was a little bit of a struggle, but when he made it he immediately felt the tension and pressure release that he’s been holding in for what feels like years.

 

It’s quiet, and he can see everything he needs to above him.

 

Junhui spent way longer at this place than he originally intended. He missed out on a lot, and he’s a little bummed about that, but sitting out here for a few hours was better than staying inside of his blank, hollow room for the rest of the night.

 

There was a little bit over cast settling above him, he didn’t recall seeing rain in the forecast, but it’ll push him to leave a little quicker.

 

It’s been a lot of looking, and a lot of logging stuff in his notebook. Some reading on other stuff, but mostly just looking. He never really cared about getting technical with his work, he just likes watching the stars too much.

 

Junhui always amazes himself when he does things like this and sees how far he’s actually come. What started off as a little infatuation as a boy turned into a passion that made him never want to look back. Junhui did a lot of searching and reading, he studied up on all this technical stuff he swear he’d never remember and found himself four years later in a university to make it all a living.

 

He still remembers those stupid terms too. Most of the time.

 

It’s had its moments of frustration. Now more than ever. Trying to find an internship is a nightmare, especially being a foreign country. But no matter where he goes, the stars will always stay the same, and always bring him the same comfort.

 

He takes another look through the scope turns back to his log, stops just as he picks up his pencil, and takes another peek.

 

He isn’t crazy. Junhui stares a little longer just to confirm.

 

There was a flash. Barely brighter than that of a meteor. But it was too close to be one, making Junhui do a double take and squint his eyes just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

 

Stupid overcast, Junhui thinks. He can hardly see anything now. He could have made the discovery of the century and now someone else will take it because it’s too cloudy. Just his luck.

 

Maybe he’s going crazy. Maybe he stared at the sky for too long and it made him so dizzy he started to misinterpret his surroundings because he swears he felt a drop on his nose.

 

“Of course.” He mutters, not bothering to waste anymore time as he packs his stuff in a hurry. Slamming books shut and shoving pens and pencils into his bag.

 

The wind picks up, blowing a few stray papers across the grass and putting him into an even bigger frenzy than before.

 

Junhui swears while he crams what he can into his bag and scrambles to collect the rest of the blown papers from the ground, stepping all over the place and running around like a maniac.

 

He isn’t crazy, by the time he’s got all of his papers he feels a few more drops on his face, followed by more, and then it’s him tripping over himself in attempt to get his telescope.

 

He checked the weather like, a million times today for this area. Rain never showed up once. How could this have happened?

 

The trees rustle furiously some more and the wind is colder against his face than it had been all night, making Junhui shiver as he unscrews the pieces of his telescope to take it apart.

 

If it’s going to rain, it better wait another five minutes, or at least until Junhui can put away all of these pieces, which he’s trying to do in record time.

 

A low rumble rolls over his head and Junhui groans. Thunder, glorious. This is what he needs to end his night on a high note. A ing monsoon to hammer down on his head from thin air.

 

Somehow, he manages to pull everything apart and put it in its own spot, secure it, double check it’s secured, and close his case up tight.

 

Another low rumble is felt. It’s closer than last time. So much so that it rattles Junhui’s bones from the inside out and makes his jaw clench.

 

The drops fall a tad harder, the thunder starts to close in, dragging itself along with each step forward Junhui takes. The dull glow of the lamps scattered around flicker and stutter, leaving him in bouts of darkness until they shut off completely, leaving him stumbling and reaching for his phone to try and get out of here. The rumbling still continues, heavy and low, making him shudder as he flick on his flashlight and carefully finds his way out. The rain isn’t so heavy it’s blinding, thankfully. But there’s a chance it will get there if he doesn’t hurry, and Junhui doesn’t want to face that.

 

A gust of wind makes him stumble and lose his grip on his phone. Just as he reaches down to retrive is a loud crash followed by a quick burst of light has him on the ground completely and facing behind him.

 

There it was again. That… Star? Meteor? That thing that made him think he was crazy. But it was close now. It was a quick flash this time though. It was all there, all falling… So… Close.

 

Yet Junhui can’t stop staring. He stares, watches it fall through the sky. A bright, white light speeding down towards the Earth and Junhui scrambles to get up as he watches if hurl towards the ground.

 

He shuffles backwards into a tree, bracing onto it for the impact, never once taking his eyes off the thing falling for a second. His palms are all dirty now, his hands are freezing, he just wants to get out of here. Junhui’s eyes squeeze shut as he watches it near, his hand tightens around his phone, the other around the leg of his jeans as h brings his knees in close. His breath hitches in his throat, as he waits, waits, and feels it all crash into him at once.

 

It was heavy, it sent the breath straight out of his paralyzed lungs and made him feel like he was drowning for a long couple of minutes. His ears are ringing, making him release his grip and cover his ears. He might be yelling, crying out for help of some kind, but he can’t really tell.

 

Once he gathers the courage to open his eyes, he catches a hazy, soft glow across the way. A good couple of miles but it’s bright enough that he can see it. He watches it hang there for a while, waving around like sunlight beams underwater.

 

He blinks away the sting in his eyes, standing up on shaky legs and peeling his hands away from his ears. It’s just rain now. No furious rumbling, no heavy gusts of wind. Just rain.

 

Junhui knows it’s stupid to go look at it, but there’s something that pulls him to run towards it as if life depends on it. Careful not to slip and fall on the wet grass, he rushes towards the light as it begins to fade. There’s something that makes him gravitate towards whatever is over there, and even though he wants to turn around, to leave and get home, he doesn’t. Junhui just keeps on moving until he finds it.

 

It’s a pretty decent sized crater, not huge, which is a little disappointing. The glow fades just as he reaches it, leaving only the light from his phone to see down into it. Not super deep either. Strange considering there was so much chaos before it hit. Junhui expected more, but he didn’t expect to see something moving in the center.

 

It’s hard to make out. The flashlight of his phone isn’t exactly powerful, he can’t make out all the details of whatever this thing is.

 

He calls down into it. Maybe it’s just an animal that fell down into it.

 

Junhui calls again, taking a nervous step forward as he peers down into it, shuffling close to the edge, trying to see whatever silhouette is moving below. If he did get a response, he couldn’t hear it. With the rain coming down it’s hard to make anything out. But he can see it. He can.

 

He tries to back away. To stand up and turn around, but when his weight presses into the soft ground, it breaks, and sends him straight down into the deep pit.

He can feel his heart pounding in his ears and his breath start to pick up, he blinks, wiping away at his eyes as he tries to make something out around him. Junhui groans at the ache in his body. His stuff is still intact as far as he can tell, but it doesn’t reassure him anymore.

 

The dark is making his mind play tricks on him. Junhui is starting to see shadows dancing among the top of the crater, he sees things passing around him in the dark, making his eyes sore and blinking to try and fend whatever it is away. This was a ing awful idea. He should have just done what anyone else would have and just walked away. How the is he ever going to get out of here?

 

There’s a sound in front of him, different than the sound of the rain falling. It’s faint, but it sounds like a pained . Junhui crawls forward towards his phone a few feet away. Reaching out desperately to try and see what the noise is. Once in his cold grasp, he points it out, and sees a faint figure on the ground, not too far in front of him.

 

Junhui tries to call out again, his voice breaks and his breath is shaky. He doesn’t get a response, he just hears the same sad sounds.

 

He crawls forward a little more, just enough to make out the figure of… A Person? No way.

 

“You’re ing kidding me,” The male whispers, inching forward anxiously, reaching a timid, shaky hand out to take a hold on the figure in front of him.

 

From Junhui’s perspective, it looks like its back is turned and it’s on its knees, shoulders sulking and heavy. Junhui swallows and he point the light on the figure once he gets close enough and shrieks.

 

It was a person. But something was wrong. The shirt they were wearing was ripped up and torn, barely providing any cover in the cold, and their back, which was mostly bare, was covered in two parallel, ugly scars. Traces of blood glistens against the rain and light, but it doesn’t dare face Junhui, despite the noise he makes.

 

“Hey!” He calls, no answer.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Still silent.

 

Junhui inches forward a little further, just in arms length and reaches a hand out to take the shoulder, and pull it lightly.

 

Their skin feels like it’s been lit on fire. Hot to the touch and makes Junhui retract his hand. They turn, just enough for Junhui to make out a face. Definitely a male, young, maybe his age or so.

 

It tries to turn back but Junhui reaches out again to take his shoulder.

 

“Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?” He yells, the sound of the rain makes it hard to make anything out. Black hair falls over the stranger’s eyes as he drops his head, falling straight forward into Junhui, completely unresponsive.

 

Junhui curses loudly, as he tries to shake at the man, call to him, even lift his head up to try and get a glimpse at his face, but he gets nothing. No response, just the rain.

 

Of course. Of course he would get the absolute sour luck to drag a possibly dying stranger out of a crater that he had no business looking into in the very first place. Of course Junhui would have to spend the rest of his night trying to find a hospital to take this person to, and then try and drag himself home.

 

Junhui latches his arms around the stranger’s torso and pulls him towards the edge of the crater. He may not want to be here, but he has the sense to not leave this guy in the rain with a possible fever all night, or until someone else finds him. His chest falls at he looks looks around for an answer. Junhui has the faintest idea of how to go about getting out of here.

 

The rain doesn’t help in providing any good footing. The dirt is loose and slippery and he tries to climb up backwards, and pull the man up, but his footing is bad and mud makes him slip and fall and nearly drop the man in his grip.

 

He decides to switch things up. Junhui shrugs off the telescope and backpack, leaving them at the bottom of the pit, and reverts back to square one of pulling the man up, this time sitting down, and pulling the stranger with his arms, and using his legs to push himself back. He has to dig his heels into the mud to keep from sliding, as well as to push back far enough, but with countless times of nearly slipping, losing his grip, and cussing, he’s able to make it over the top and stand up on two sore legs, and pull the man onto the surface.

 

He dreads having to go back down for his things, but that’s a lot of work, and an expensive Christmas gift sitting down there getting all wet.

 

It took a while, to get back up, but he makes it, and thankfully the man is still lying in the same spot Junhui left him. He pulls his gear back on, takes one of the stranger’s arms, and throws is over his shoulder, and keeps the other around his waist. Junhui is exhausted, his limbs are on fire,  his mind is muddled and he can hardly think straight, his fingers burn from how cold it is, he just wants to get this over with.

 

Unpredictable. That’s usually how things go.