17

That day, I lost another friend, though, not to Death. Instead, I lost him to the legal system. There was no way to legally defend his actions, no way save him from punishment at the hands of the government. Oh Sehun had killed someone and whether or not he meant too — I knew, in my heart, that he hadn’t meant to — wasn’t important. 

He’d committed a felony that was punishable by prison time. Luckily for him, his family had hired the best lawyers money could by and, with the additional help of the psychiatrist's sympathetic statement, Oh Sehun had thus been charged with manslaughter instead of murder. He’d been declared to seven years in prison instead of twelve.

But Cho Kyuhyun? Initially, I’d felt sorry for him. A little guilty even. But then I’d realised he’d brought it upon himself and, although no one deserved to die, Cho Kyuhyun didn’t deserve a good life either. It was a shame that he’d died but he wouldn’t be greatly missed.

That was the cruel, harsh truth.

—

It had been six months since Jongdae’s birthday and the term was just about to end for Spring Break. My biology lecture came to an end with the ring of a bell and everyone started packing up. I slid my things off the table and into my bag, pulling it over my shoulder.

As I was about to leave the classroom, the lecturer called my name. I closed my eyes briefly before forcing a smile to my face and walking over to his desk.

“Ne, saem?” I asked, brows raised slightly. My cheeks hurt from all the fake smiles I’d had to display lately. “Is something wrong?”

“Aniyo, the opposite, actually,” he said as he took a file out of a drawer and placed it in front of me. I raised my brows further up, in question. “It’s your dissertation, the first draft. It’s absolutely brilliant, Nara. Are you thinking of redrafting it?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, trying hard to seem interested in the conversation. To be honest, I couldn’t wait to get out of there and drive down to Gyeonggi-do to pay my friend a visit. “I considered it but I’ve been quite busy these days…”

“Ah, ne, ne,” the lecturer nodded understandingly, “If I have to be honest with you, Nara, I don’t think you need to make any changes. The research section is rich and very well constructed, your analysis and interpretation of the information is didactic and captivating, to say the least. I think it might just be the best in class.”

At that, my eyes widened slightly. “Ah, geuraeyo?”

“Ne,” he affirmed with a proud grin on his face. “Wait till I rub this in Geum Junri sunbae’s face…” His eyes widened and he cleared his throat, slipping my dissertation back into the drawer. “Um, yeah. Well done…and…yeah. You can leave now.”

I bowed, “Ne, saem. Have a nice holiday, annyeonghaseyo.” 

“Annyeonghaseyo,” he replied, waving at me as I left the room. There were only one or two students left in the room, the others having fled as soon as the bell rang. As I walked down the corridor, someone fell into stride with me.

“Kim Nara, you need to help me,” Huang Zitao — though he went by Tao — declared. I glanced at him and walked faster. He gasped and picked up his own pace. “Yah, Kim Nara! Are you trying to run from me?”

“Yes, Tao, take a hint,” I replied bluntly. 

He gasped in offence again, “Omo! I can’t believe you’re giving me this much grief…I gave your a carrot stick!”

“Four months ago and you picked it up from the floor.”

“It’s the principle, Kim Nara, the principle,” he insisted, following me as I crossed the courtyard and entered a different part of the school. “But that’s besides the point. The point is, I’m two months late with my dissertation and I don’t think Professor Go will let me away with it next time. I’m running out of excuses here!”

“Tell him you’re moving back to China,” I said, completely uninterested in his troubles.

“I tried that but he said he’d mail my new school and tell them he still wants the dissertation,” Tao whined, pouting. “I even tried faking my own death but he came to the funeral and demanded to see the open casket.”

I snorted a laugh, despite my sour mood. 

“This is no laughing matter, Kim Nara,” he stated and I glanced up at him. He wore a serious expression. “I don’t know what else to do.”

“You could try actually writing the dissertation,” I offered and he scoffed, looking like I’d just shot him in the chest.

“Are you insane?” he asked, brows creased together. “It’s a 25-ing-page assignment. I can’t do that in two weeks! Especially not over Spring Break. I’m planning on partying it up with Kris hyung.” Tao happened to be the owner of that ludicrously expensive apartment complex in which Kris resided. They were very close and although Tao was rich himself, he often weaselled Kris into buying things for him.

“That’s your problem then,” I shrugged, pushing open the double doors that led to the front yard of the university. “Not mine.”

“Nara-ya~~~~~~~” he whined, stomping his feet childishly. “Help me~~~~ I can’t do this alone! Jebal~~~~~~” I slid my eyes to him and couldn't help the smile that teased the corners of my lips. I had always been a er for aegyo. “I need you, Nara-ya.”

“Fine,” I sighed, giving into his seasoned aegyo. He was on par with, if not better than, Jongdae. “I’ll help you but I’m not doing it for you. We’ll meet at the library next Monday, 7 o’clock. I won’t go easy on you.”

“Eeee~~!!” he squealed and threw his arms around me, hugging me tightly. “Komawo, Nara-ya~~~~ I’m so grateful.” I laughed and patted his back, signalling for him to release me. He eventually did and flashed me a bright smile. “But can we study at my place instead? The view’s better.”

“Fine, but you’re picking me up,” I replied. “I’m not walking all the way there.”

“Deal,” he grinned, sticking his hand out. I shook it. “I’ll get going then. I’m playing basketball with Kris hyung. Annyeong, Nara-ya~!”

“Annyeong, Tao,” I chuckled, waving at him as he sprinted off into the opposite direction. My smile instantly fell and I let out a tired sigh. My head hurt, my muscles ached and I just felt awful over all. I was suffering from lack of sleep and malnutrition. But it couldn’t be helped, I was too depressed to eat much or do much else other than study these days. I found comfort only in Psychology.

I scanned the parking lot until my eyes fell on Kai’s matte black Aston Martin. He was sitting on the hood, talking to Baekhyun and Jongdae. I made my way over to them with slow, heavy steps. Once I got there, they smiled stiffly and bowed their heads.

“Hi,” I mumbled awkwardly. We didn’t know how to act around one another anymore. Since the day Sehun had been sentenced to seven years in prison, we’d stopped crying on each other’s shoulders and whispering comforting words to each other. Now, we were just there for routine, for familiarity…and, maybe, for a buried hope that things would one day go back to the way they were.

“How was your class?” Baekhyun asked as he opened the door for me.

“It was alright,” I replied simply, getting into the car. Jongdae got in after me and Baekhyun sat in the front passenger seat, Kai getting into the driver’s side. It was less awkward for me to sit with Jongdae at the back, since Baekhyun and Kai still acted weirdly regarding the fact that I was still in touch with Luhan. Jongdae had expressed his discomfort with it once and had never brought it up again.

The same could not be said for Kai and Baekhyun.

“Have you eaten?” Kai asked after a solid fifteen minutes of silence. We were on our way to Gyeonggi-do which was almost three hours away from the university. That’s where the prison was located; that’s where Sehun was being held, where he’d be living for the next six years and a half years. 

“Eung,” I replied quietly. “I had lunch.”

“With Luhan?” he asked tensely, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“With Minseok sunbae,” I bit out, though I left out the fact that Luhan had been with us. Kim Minseok was the same age as him, had studied psychology in undergrad school and was currently studying law in postgraduate school. Since he and Luhan were both in their first years of grad school and Minseok wasn’t as