Long chapter ahead :) Don't forget to comment~

“How was the first day?” My Mother asked me later that night. I was sitting on my bed watching a movie on my laptop.

“Interesting, I guess.”

“Sehun, you have to tell me more. You can’t always say I guess. What was it like? Who did you meet? What did you do?” She interrogated as she walked into my room.

“Well, I’m supposed to take care of seven guys and one girl. They’re all in the same hospital room and they all seem nice. I have to clean up after them and do whatever they say.”

“How old are they?”

I shrugged my shoulders beginning to get curious as to what their ages were. But if I found out that some were older than me, I would have to call them Hyung. Even worse, if the girl was older than me, I’d have to call her Noona. I wasn’t too big on the whole respect thing.

“Well, you’re going tomorrow after school as well. So go there straight from school. I’ll pick you up at seven, okay? Also, go to sleep now. It’s already eleven.”

I looked up at the clock and true to what my Mother said, it was eleven o’clock. The day had gone by so quickly. I didn’t even have a chance to do what I wanted.

I stretched a bit before putting my laptop away. Then, I walked across the hallway to Sun Hi’s room to make sure she was asleep. I kissed her forehead and smiled at her sleeping state. She always looked so peaceful when she was asleep. People said we looked alike, I could see it sometimes. But she looked far more innocent than I was. Innocence to me was a memory. A memory I kept chasing but eventually let go.

Well, it was a memory that was snatched away from me.

○●○●○

“Hey, hospital boy,” Kai teased as he walked up to me. I raised an eyebrow at him then punched him.

“Ow! What was that for?” Kai said as he feigned pain.

“Should this hospital boy treat it for you?”

“No, thank you.”

I laughed and pulled Kai along with me to class. We entered the noisy room and I ruffled Chanyeol’s messy hair as he was asleep on the desk. He didn’t wake up so I kicked his chair but that didn’t wake him up either.

“Chanyeol, wake up!” I screamed loud enough for him to hear. His head shot up and he looked towards me with, eyes radiating hatred.

“I haven’t seen you all weekend and this is how you greet me?” I asked.

He immediately changed faces and came up to me to inspect my face, “Well, you still look like the Sehun we know.”

I swatted his hands away and put my legs up on the desk, “I know.”

“So what did you do?” Suho asked.

“I cleaned, served food and I’m supposed to take care of seven guys and one girl.”

“Ohhhhhhhh, a girl!” Kai said as he nudged me. I shook my head, “She’s lame. She made me serve food with her and anyway, she seems to get along with one of the guys.”

“Ohhhhhhh, you have competition,” Baekhyun joined.

I sighed before shaking my head and taking out my phone. I began playing a game and my friends found something else to do rather than bother me.

A while later, the teacher walked into class, wearing an unpleasant face and holding papers in her hand. One can assume those are the recent tests which we wrote. Judging by the way the teacher looked, I assumed we did poorly.

“Attention!” The teacher slammed the papers on the desk, “I marked your tests from last week and none of you did exceptional. Most of you managed to get a 60% so, at least you passed. Anyway, those who failed should study hard for tomorrow’s test.”

The teacher walked around the class with the papers in hand. I turned my attention to the window and stared at the leaves blowing in the light summer wind. The weather looked so inviting that I was tempted to walk out of the class that very moment.

“Sehun, I would like to see you after class for a moment please,” The teacher said as she handed me my test. I looked down at the paper and wasn’t shocked to see a 38% written in red pen and circled at the top. Not to mention the note at the side asking me to study some more. Who needs studying? It’s a hassle and an unnecessary worry. Oh Sehun does not like to worry over unnecessary things.

I shoved the paper into my bag and left the bag to rest on my desk. I looked back outside and the weather once again gave me calls to join it. Well, we weren’t doing anything to interest me, anyway. I decided to raise my hand for permission to use the toilet, knowing full well that my true motives were different.

○●○●○

Before I knew it, I was lying down underneath a tree with my hands underneath my arms and my legs stretched out. The weather was better than what it seemed like in the class. There was a light breeze of warm air which ended up cooling me somehow. The sun came out every once in a while but hid behind the clouds for most of the time.

I checked my phone and found out that it had been 15 minutes. That meant that there were roughly 45 minutes left of class.

“Ah, what to do?” I asked myself aloud. “I can go to class or stay here.”

I very well knew the punishment of staying outside but, it wouldn’t be much, right? As long as I didn’t get caught, everything would be okay. I texted Kai—the best liar—and told him to cover for me if the teacher asked where I was.

After putting the phone away, I yawned before closing my eyes. I hadn’t gotten the best sleep last night and the day spent at the hospital didn’t allow me the rest I wanted. Then, I suddenly remember that I was set to go to the hospital that night as well. I groaned before kicking my leg like what Sun Hi does. Yes, I was acting like a child but I truly didn’t want to go.

“What have you gotten yourself into, Oh Sehun?” I asked myself before falling asleep.

○●○●○

“Sehun, you asked to go to the bathroom at the beginning of class and there are only ten minutes left. What took you so long?” My teacher asked.

“I had troubles in the washroom,” I lied. I could hear sniggering in the background and I knew it was one of the guys.

“What type of troubles?”

“Well, I had a bad plate of noodles last night. So—”

“I got it Sehun, no need to continue. But please eat well next time. I expect you to be on time tomorrow and fully healthy.”

“Tch, liar,” Baekhyun said as I headed back to my desk. I smirked a bit before sitting in my seat and actually listening since there were only a couple of minutes left.

○●○●○

“Oh Sehun, I asked you to meet me after class, yes?”

I sighed before turning around to meet eyes with my teacher. I had just walked out of class when she had to drag me back in with her nagging voice.

“Sehun, your previous tests results were quite poor. Do you know why?”

I shrugged my shoulders in response, not sure myself.

“Well, I’ve decided to give you another chance. I will give you 100% on this test if you write in a journal every day for the next month.”

I furrowed my eyebrows when she said that. I didn’t expect her to give me another chance; maybe a lecture on studying, yes.  Even then, this was an interesting second chance. Wouldn’t a teacher normally make you re-do the test?

“I trust that within this journal you’ll write good stuff. I won’t read it if you don’t want me to, I just want you to finish it,” My teacher said. “I think I have an extra journal somewhere here.”

I watched her fish through her books. I raised my eyebrows at her actions but remained silent.

“Here it is!” She exclaimed as she handed me the orange book bound together neatly. I took it before bowing and walking out of the classroom.

If I get a hundred percent, this can’t be that bad, right?

○●○●○

4, I thought as I watched the red car drive away. It had been 20 minutes since school was over and my Mother still hadn’t come to pick me up. I ruffled my hair before crouching down to hide from the sun.

5

I sighed in frustration before taking out my phone to call my Mom.

“Sehun, I’m so sorry! I’m running late because of a client who came in late but I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” My mother said frantically. I could practically see her packing her bags in a rush. I looked down at the grass while feeling a bit guilty. She wouldn’t have to do this if I didn’t choose to steal stuff.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’ll get a friend to drive me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yea, I can get Kris to take me. See you at home,” I hung up the phone and dialed Kris’ number.

○●○●○

“Thanks for picking me up, Kris,” I said as I got in his blue convertible. Kris chuckled and nodded his head.

“Are you going home?”

“Nope,” I popped the p. “To the hospital, actually.”

I looked over at Kris who had a confused look on his face. It was my turn to chuckle, “I got caught for trying to steal so now I have to do community service hours.”

Kris sighed, “You’re supposed to stay out of trouble, Sehun. How could you let this happen? I never thought you would get this out of control.”

“I’m not out of control; it was just a one-time thing. Anyway, I won’t do it again.”

“So how long will you be staying there? What do you even do?”

I stared at the passing shops as we moved forward, “A year. I have to watch over seven guys and one girl. They all stay in one room and I just help them out. Oh, and I have to do whatever Mrs. Lee tells me to do as well.”

“Mrs. Lee?”

“The nurse,” A sour look came upon my face while thinking of her. I really hated the chores she gave me.

“You don’t sound too happy about this,” Kris remarked.

“Am I supposed to be? I have to take care of people who I don’t even know. Also, I don’t understand why there is a girl in a room full of men! I plan on ditching soon.”

It was true, I did plan on sneaking out one day. Nobody would notice and I would be free to whatever I wanted once again.

“Sehun, you should really stay there for the year. You don’t want anything on your record, do you?”

“I don’t care about that. It’s not like I’m going to do anything important with my life anyway.”

“I can’t take care of you forever, you know that, right? There will be a time where I can’t clean up the messes you make. This wasn’t that big, so it’s okay,” Kris began with his brotherly attitude. “Sehun, please stay out of trouble.”

I scoffed, “Why are you telling me to stay out of trouble when you’re the one who gives us a free pass to cause trouble. You get us out of the mess so we don’t really care, you see.”

“I’m giving you a chance.”

“At what?”

“A chance to do whatever you want; only for a bit, though. Your time is up, Sehun.”

I looked up at Kris, completely confused. I had no idea what he meant by time and a chance. I thought we had a lifelong agreement in which Kris would always take care of us and we would mess up freely.

“Oh Sehun, you are the first of your group of friends, who has to do the impossible,” Kris looked at me, “Become responsible for yourself. I’m leaving you now to learn about life. Speaking of leaving, your stop is here. See you later.”

I stared Kris in the eye for a bit before getting out of the car. I began walking to the hospital when he honked his car to gain my attention.

“I’m Kris hyung now. That’s your first step to being solo,” He waved and drove away. I watched the car until it was completely out of sight and then turned around to finally enter the building.

Solo

Oh but hyung, I was always solo; a sole and alone person.