Contrary to the sunny weather in Seoul, Luhan's usual smiley and angelic face looked like someone has casted down a storm over him. The year has barely started and he was sure he obediently followed his parents' feng shui advices, but all his luck seemed to wear off drastically. Things have been hard with the folks at home and even his school, the only escape he has, might be taken away from him.

Luhan peered out the window of the bus and groaned in frustration. His thoughts consumed him and made him miss his stop. He immediately got off the bus and started walking to his university, which was four blocks away from where he was. A quick glance at his watch and the next thing he knew, he was running at the speed of lighting. He will be late and damn it, it was his terror professor's subject, who locks out students when they arrive late for his class.

Luhan was panting, sweat trickling down his face as he plopped down on in his chair just before the professor came in. He was starting to think that maybe he still had a pinch of luck in his system when his professor asked them to take out their homework. He was sure he placed it between the pages of his book before he went to bed, but why is it not there? Of course the odds were against him so he was sent out of the room, after failing to produce an assignment and getting a zero for an assignment he worked so hard on the previous night--despite having a lot of things on his plate. A part of him wanted to plead for the professor to reconsider, let him redo the assignment and pass it within the day. But he knew the professor wouldn't agree and the hell with it, he might not go to school anymore so what's the point in making an effort?

With a sigh, Luhan dragged himself through the long corridors of his building. He was going to miss dashing through the corridors when he and his friends were running late for their class, or the pranks they do to the passers-by. Speaking of his friends, he still has to break the news to them. He wonders how they're going to take it, wonders how he's going to cope up with losing his friends.

Luhan stepped out of building and headed towards the field, which held a lot of memories. Tedious after-school soccer trainings with Minseok, intercollegiate matches (which their team gracefully won), and Chanyeol getting hit by a ball during a game. Luhan could go on all day enumerating his fun-filled years with his friends. Maybe these could distract him from the painful reality for a while.

The benches were exposed under the scorching heat of the sun, so Luhan sought shelter under the shade of the tree as he watched some of the students do their lapses for Physical Ed.

But instead of getting distracted, it seemed like his problems found a way to invade his thoughts once more, cutting through the wall of blissful memories. Tears start to well up in his eyes as his problems came crashing down on him like how the waves hit the shoreline. He felt a pang of pain in his chest for he was uncertain of what might happen to his future. Everything was slowly being taken away from him, even his friends who were the only ones who kept him strong. He wonders if he'll be able to get that Happy Xiao Lu back when he heard someone clear his throat.

Luhan glanced up, looking like a complete wreck with red puffy eyes and a tear-stained face, but he couldn't care less. His brain's gone haywire from thinking of solutions to his problems and his poor wretched heart could only handle so much.

The stranger smiled down at him before he crouched down, being at eye level with Luhan. The stranger brought out his handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears that streamed down Luhan's cheeks. After doing so, the stranger placed his forefinger and thumb at the corners of Luhan's lips, turning the latter's frown upside down. "A friend wears a smile when tthe whole world frowns," the stranger said as he pulled away slightly to eye his work, grinning widely at a dazed Luhan.

"There, much better. Keep it like that no matter what happens, okay?" Luhan nodded as the stranger grabbed his hand and placed his handkerchief on Luhan's palm. Luhan was confused as to why this stranger was being so nice to him, as if the stranger figured out that Luhan had the whole world weighed down on his shoulders.

The stranger got up, his heels and started walking away before Luhan even got the chance to say thanks and ask for his name.

"Hey!" Luhan shouted, hoping to catch the stranger's attention. "Your handkerchief!"

The stranger glanced over his shoulder and flashed Luhan another smile that melted his insides, "Nah, you keep it."

"Uhm, t-thanks!" Luhan said as he watched the stranger's retreating back. He was about to get up as well since it's already lunch time when he noticed a cup of chocolate bubble tea on his side. He slung his bag on his back, grabbed the bubble tea and quickly got to his feet to return it to its rightful owner. However, he noticed there was a blue sticky note on its side, with a very impressive handwriting on it. Luhan took the small note between his fingers, a genuine smile starting to spread across his features as he read what was written on it.

"Whatever that is you're experiencing, it will pass. Carpe Diem, buddy. - Oh Sehun"