“Did you hear?”  A voice suddenly asks, surprising Minho and causing him to look up from his book.  The chair across his is pulled back, making noise inside the otherwise quiet library, as his dinosaur look-a-like hyung sits down in front of him.

“Hear what?”  Minho replies in a whisper.  His hyung leans closer so as to hear him better.

“That Oh Sehun kid’s been missing for two days already.”  His hyung replies in a loud voice, causing Minho to kick his leg under the table. “Ow!  What’s your problem?”

“Jonghyun hyung, sssh!”  Minho replies, putting a finger in front of his mouth for emphasis.  “We’re in the library, damnit.”

“Sorry,” Jonghyun replies, voice considerably more quiet than before, “but did you?  Did you hear?”

“Yes, I did.”  Minho replies, rolling his eyes before returning his attention to his book.  “It’s what’s everyone’s been talking about for two days already.  It’s all I hear about so it’s not like I have any choice but to know about it.”

“What do you think about it?”  Jonghyun asks, playing with the edge of the page that other is reading.  “Your dongsaeng is knows him, right?”

“He and Chanyeol are friends.”  Minho replies, frowning.  “And I don’t know what to think about it, it’s none of my business.”

“Hmph,” Jonghyun huffs, frowning at his dongsaeng, “you’re no fun.  Why are we friends again?”

“I’m studying, hyung.”  Minho replies, sparing his hyung a glance.  “And we’re friends because you begged me to be friends with you.”

“Oh dear oh dear oh dear…”

Hands rummage inside a backpack, hurriedly looking for something.

“Minseok goon?  Is everything alright?”  A voice asks, and Minseok looks up in surprise.

“Ah, Shim gyoh-soo-nim!”  He greets before standing up and bowing respectfully to the elder.  “Thank you for giving my papers to Minho-yah the other day.”

Changmin waves a hand in dismissal.  “It’s nothing.  Are you alright, though?”

“I’m okay now, gyoh-soo-nim.”  Minseok replies, smiling at his professor.  “I just needed a few days of rest, I guess I’ve been too stressed lately.”

“That’s good to know, but I wasn’t talking about that.”  Changmin replies before pointing to his student’s bag.  “You lost something?”

“Not really.”  Minseok replies, frowning at his bag.  “I just can’t remember where I put the keys to our apartment.  I’m waiting for Chanyeollie’s class to finish so when can walk home together.”

“Ah, Chanyeol goon rooms with you?”  Changmin asks, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  “Ryeo hyung was looking for him a few days ago.”

“Chanyeollie took care of me when I was sick.  He missed two days of classes, just like me.”  Minseok replies.  “But why was Kim seonsaeng-nim looking for him?  I don’t think he has classes under him right now.”

“Ryeo hyung is filling in for Sungmin hyung at the orchestra since he’s still on vacation.”  Changmin replies, rolling his eyes.

“Ah, Chanyeollie told me about that.  The members of the orchestra were worried when the semester started and Lee gyoh-soo-nim is still on vacation because they didn’t know who’s going to lead them.”  Minseok replies, smiling a little.  “But why is gyoh-soo-nim here in the Music Department?”

“I’m looking for Yoochun hyung.”  Changmin replies before looking around the building.  “He said he needs to talk to me.”

“He’s still in his class.  It’s the class Chanyeollie’s in right now.”  Minseok replies.

“Is that so?”  Changmin replies before sighing.  “If that’s the case, then I’ll return to my office.  When you see him, please tell Yoochun hyung that I’ll be waiting for him there.”  He replies before walking towards the direction of the building’s exit.

“Of course.”  Minseok replies before bowing to his professor’s retreating figure.  He looks at his backpack and sighs.

“Now, where are those keys?”

“Why don’t you just give me a copy of that mix, Xing Xing?”  Luhan asks, pouting at his dìdì.  The other occupant of the music room looks at him oddly before putting down his guitar and reaching for his laptop.

“Why are you such in a hurry, gēgē?”  Yixing replies, rummaging for his flash drive.  “I don’t think you have any more classes today, right?”

“But I want to go home already!”  Luhan whines, almost stomping him feet in frustration, a feat since he’s sitting on the room’s carpeted floor.  “Plus, I’m so hungry and I’m craving for cookies.”

“Cookies, gēgē?  There are some in the cafeteria.”  Yixing replies, rolling his eyes at his gēgē.

“But I want the ones we have at home.”  Luhan replies before pouting once again, prompting Yixing to frown at his gēgē’s antics.

“Alright then, here you go.”  He says, handing his flash drive to the elder.  “If you have any suggestions or problems regarding the mix, just tell me when I get home tonight.”

“Yay!”  Luhan exclaims before grabbing the flash drive and running to the other side of the room to hug his dìdì.  “Thank you, Xing Xing!”

“Alright, alright, just go.”  Yixing replies, prying off his gēgē’s arms.  “I still have to study for my Music Theory class.”

“Okay.”  Luhan replies, grabbing his backpack off the floor and almost running to the door.  “See you tonight, Xing Xing!”

“I have to go, Jonghyun hyung.”  Minho declares, closing his book and getting up from his seat.

“Already?  I thought you don’t have class anymore.”  Jonghyun replies, following the younger to one of the book carts.

“I have class until tonight, hyung.”  Minho replies, placing the book in the cart closest to their previous table.  “I just have a three-hour break today.”

“Alright, then.”  Jonghyun replies, returning back to his seat as Minho collects his things.  The younger’s cellphone makes a small noise as it vibrates from its place on the table.  “I’ll just stay here and catch some shut-eye.”

“The library is a place to read in, hyung, not to sleep in.”  Minho reprimands, frowning as he reads the text message.  “And how many times have you skipped Park gyoh-soo-nim’s class?”

“W-what?”  Jonghyun splutters, a red flush staining his cheeks as he straightens up in his seat.  “What are you talking about?”

“Chanyeol texted me a while ago, asking what happened to you and why you’re not in class.”  Minho replies, raising an eyebrow at his hyung.  “Or did you forget that you go to the same Song Composition class as his?”

“I was bored.”  Jonghyun admits, slumping back down.  “And now I’m even more bored.  You’re no fun today, Minho-yah.  What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”  The younger replies, causing the other to frown.  “I have to go now, hyung.  Minseok hyung says he needs my help.”  He finishes before bowing to the elder and leaving the library.

Jonghyun just frowns as he stares at his dongsaeng.  He fiddles with his thumbs while staring outside one of the library windows, eyebrows creased.  After a few minutes, an idea sends him sitting up straight in his seat and scrolling down his phone’s contacts.

“Hmm… I wonder…”

Luhan runs through the corridors of the Music Building, not minding his echoing footsteps.  The rooms are soundproofed anyway, he reasons, surely they won’t mind.

He turns left, his sneakers making a loud squeak at the sharp curve.  Ah, I hope I make it in time for the bus home!

He takes his eyes off the corridor as he checks his watch, taking note that he only has less than ten minutes left before the bus arrives, and does not notice the foot that suddenly appeared from a corner.  One minute, Luhan’s running towards the building’s exit, and the next he’s lying face down on the tiled floor.  Wh-what?  He hears a gasp from his left and he turns his face to the direction, and sees a short, orange-haired boy staring at him in shock.  A few seconds pass by with the two of them staring at each other, before the unnamed orange-head realizes what happened.

“Are you alright?!”  The other exclaims—squeaks—as he bends down to help Luhan stand up.  The other just stares at the stranger’s orange hair, childish face, and big eyes, not responding to the other’s questions.

“Oh dear oh dear oh dear.”  The worried ramblings bring him out of his trance, and he sees the other staring at a cellphone and mumbling to himself.  “Did he hit his head?  He must’ve since he’s not responding.  Oh dear.  Should I call an ambulance?  At least he’s conscious… but still…”

“I’m okay.”  Luhan finally says, his words causing the other’s attention to snap back to him.  Large eyes stare at him in surprise, and Luhan finds himself staring back.

“Are you sure?”  The other asks, the surprise in his eyes now replaced with concern.

“Aside from the fact that I’ll probably miss my bus home, I think I’m alright.”  Luhan replies, grimacing at the thought.

“Oh.”  The other replies, staring back at the phone.  “I’m sorry.”

“Just help me up.”  Luhan replies, and the other gets up to assist the fallen man.  He pats down his body, checking if anything’s damaged.

“I’m very sorry.”  He hears, and sees the stranger bowing in his direction once he spins to face the other man.  “I was busy looking for my keys in my bag so I didn’t see you coming.”

“It’s okay.”  Luhan replies, just noticing the open bag lying a few steps away from them.  He moves to pick it up when a surprised and familiar voice interrupts him.

“Minseok hyung?  Luhan hyung?  What’s going on?”

The two men turn and see Minho looking at them in confusion.

“Minho-yah!”  The stranger exclaims before approaching the new arrival, causing Luhan to look at him in surprise.  Minseok hyung?  Wait, don’t tell me…

“Minseok?”  Luhan says, causing the other two to look at him.  “Kris’s Kim Minseok?”

“Uhm…” 

“I think he’s asking if you’re the Kim Minseok that this ‘Kris’ is talking about.”  Minho explains, looking at the orange-haired boy.

“Oh!”  The orange-haired boy exclaims before once again facing Luhan and introducing himself.

“I’m Kim Minseok, Architectural Engineering student.  Kris goon is a classmate in Calculus.”

“Luhan.”  Luhan replies, smiling at the other.  Minseok, his name is Minseok.  “Dance major.  Kris is my housemate and dìdì from China!”

“Is he the one with the scary face?”  Minho asks from Minseok’s left.

“Hey, Minho-yah!”  Minseok exclaims, elbowing the younger’s ribs.  “That’s not very nice.”

“But it’s true.”  Luhan replies, laughing at the statement.  “Wait a minute, did you just refer to Kris as goon?”

This time, it is Minho who laughs at the question.  “Minseok hyung is a senior, Luhan hyung, just like you.”

“You’re kidding.”  Luhan replies, stepping closer to Minseok and staring at the other, causing him to squirm uncomfortably.

“It’s true!”  Minho exclaims.  “He’s even older than you!”

“I don’t believe you, Choi.”  Luhan replies before going back to the place where Minseok’s bag rests.  A set of keys spills out from one of the backpack’s outer pockets as he picks it up.

“Ah!  My keys!”  Minseok exclaims, picking it up by the snowflake-shaped keychain.  “But I don’t normally put my keys in the outside pockets…”

“Didn’t Chanyeol put it there for you this morning?”  Minho asks, smiling at his hyung’s forgetfulness.  “You went looking for his shoelaces, remember?”

“Oh yeah…” Minseok replies before turning to Luhan as the other hands him his backpack.  “Thank you, Luhan-ssi.  I’m very sorry for what happened once again.  Are you sure you’re alright?”

“What happened?”  Minho asks.

“I tripped on his foot because we both weren’t looking at where we were going.”  Luhan replies, laughing a little.  “It’s okay, really.”

“But you’ve already missed your bus.”  Minseok replies, frowning as he looks at his own watch.

“I’ll just walk home, then.  Wouldn’t be the first time.” 

“Luhan hyung, isn’t your apartment in the same direction as ours?”  Minho asks, and Luhan nods.  “Then let’s just walk home together!  That way no one’s going to walk home alone.”

“I guess that’s okay.”  Luhan replies, smiling at the other two.

“Good!”  Minseok exclaims, smiling widely while clapping his hands.  “Let’s just wait for Chanyeollie’s class to finish and we’re all set!”

A/N: Another update!

I'm trying to make up for the weeks that I didn't manage to update by posting a longer-than-the-usual chapter, so I hope everyone had fun reading this! :D

On another note, my country, the Philippines, is currently experiencing heavy rains due the combination of the Southwest Monsoon and the Tropical Storm Maring.  A lot of areas, including Manila (the country's capital), my home province, and the province I'm currently staying in are already affected by floods.  A lot of people, including some of my friends and family, are stranded in their homes and a lot more people had to leave theirs and be evacuated due to the floods.  My home province and the province I'm currently staying in were declared to be under the state of calamity--meaning the place has incurred too much damage.  

Although the Philippines is already used to experiencing these kinds of heavy winds and rains, it is still hard for us whenever it happens, especially whenever the count of those who died and were injured continues to rise.  I hope that everyone will be able to spare a few minutes to pray for all those who are affected.  It will really be appreciated. 

Thank you!