“I hope you’re not planning to sleep here tonight.”

“Uhh.. what?” lifting his head up, Baekhyun rubbed his sleepy eyes as he saw someone standing next to him. 

He had one of those large rimmed glasses, wearing a buttoned up shirt with a pullover on top of it. Overall he looked like a hipster with his permed hair and an upturned smile.

“I’m Kim Jongdae.” 

Baekhyun hesitantly shook his hand, looking around the empty library.

The windows had turned reflective indicating that it was dark outside. Baekhyun remembered coming here to study when the sky was still quite bright outside.

“What time is it exactly?” Baekhyun asked noticing that he was still holding the boy’s hand. Quickly retreating he apologized meekly.

“It’s past eleven. Pretty late, we should get going.” Jongdae laughed softly seeing the half-asleep-half-embarrassed boy.

They both carded their ids and walked past the old librarian, bowing politely.

It’d been only week since Baekhyun had started attending Hangukk University still getting accustomed to the weather and the people and everything, because back in America everything was different. He was different. This was his chance at a fresh start; a new opportunity.

“I heard you dropped out of your previous university in America.” Jongdae stated shifting his backpack on his left shoulder as they both walked the almost empty campus towards the dormitory halls.

Baekhyun gave him a questioning look lifting up his eyebrows

“Where did you hear that from?”

“Actually I found out accidentally while I was helping the staff in the admin office.”

Baekhyun just hummed in response.

“So why did you?” Jongdae inquired further probing with his questions and when Baekhyun seemed not to respond he swiftly changed the subject.

“You know you’re lucky I saw you back there. You’re so small that you pretty much hid perfectly behind the bookshelf.” Baekhyun unobtrusively rolled his eyes because this wasn’t the first time he had to hear ‘you are so small’ from people he'd just met.

“If I hadn’t seen you, that old lady- Miss Jiwon would’ve quietly locked up the library, since I’m usually the last one to leave.” Jongdae explained.

“I would’ve freaked out for sure.” Baekhyun said thinking about how petrified he would’ve been locked up all night in the library.

“Well this is me." Jongdae said pointing towards his dorm,  "So see you tomorrow!.” He waved slightly before walking away.

Baekhyun lived on the floor right above Jongdae’s and he was glad that he’d atleast made one friend (more like acquaintances who he'd talked to only once) within the first week of the semester.

Flinging the door open he threw his backpack on the floor beside his desk and plonked himself on his bed. Staring at the ceiling he let out a long sigh.

He was already assigned a roommate who was yet to claim his side of the room so Baekhyun enjoyed the solitude and privacy of the room while he had the chance.

“We have Theology is half an hour.” Jongdae informed Baekhyun who was busy playing Candy Crush on his phone.

“So how was the college life in America?” Jongin asked dumping his double-sized meal on the table with a loud thud.

“It was umm.. it was okay I didn’t like the course I’d taken so I uhh—I dropped out.” Baekhyun replied still playing on his phone.

“You could’ve taken a different course though. Why leave the land of the free?” Sehun asked chewing his food loudly.

“I had—uhh—personal reasons.” Baekhyun felt uncomfortable at their questions and shifted a bit in his seat.