The next few months of school was like a roller coaster for both Byunghee and Seungho. It took months for them to adjust and balance both work and school. They worked on a strict schedule everyday for 4 months, balancing their part time jobs – Seungho in the cafe and as a private tutor to 2 students, and Byunghee as an at night –, and their schoolwork – which they usually start working on at 4 a.m. Eventually, their bodies got the hang of it. Byunghee was very whiny about their struggles at first, but he eventually stopped when he got used to it. Seungho continued to encourage Byunghee to push on as well, boosting up Byunghee's energy and will to continue with school.

And because of these adjustments, Seungho's plan to pursue Jin Ju got pushed back. It was not until the second semester of their first year when Seungho started building friendship with Jin Ju.

Jin Ju was very friendly and jolly towards others, always smiling and laughing when she's with her friends. But for some odd reason, she turns into a snob when she looks at Seungho.

Things were going rocky between Seungho and Jin Ju for weeks. One day, Jin Ju's professor told her that he assigned a study partner to help her out in that subject. Jin Ju gladly agreed, only to find out that it was Seungho – the professor's top student in the same subject but in another lecture time - who would tutor her. She requested for a different tutor, but the professor declined. She ended up getting stuck with him.

Seungho didn't miss the opportunity to leave a good impression of himself to Jin Ju. Jin Ju was snobbish at him at first, thinking that a seemingly cocky person like Seungho wouldn't be a good company. But as days of tutorial passed, Jin Ju learned that Seungho was actually a humble, intelligent and graceful person, opposite to what she thinks. In a months time Seungho already earned Jin Ju's trust.

Seungho didn't forget to update Byunghee with his progress with Jin Ju everyday. Byunghee would carefully listen to Seungho's stories before he gives out his much sought-for advice. Byunghee was really happy that Seungho found the woman that would make him happy; and it made him consider looking for a woman of his own.

Nah, serious relationships are boring. I'll just play first. Byunghee thought with a smirk.

Even without Byunghee to coach him, Seungho was able to build rapport and eventually win Jin Ju's heart. All he did was to show his true self to Jin Ju. Seungho would take her to class, spend time with her and Byunghee during lunch, would help her out with her assignments after class before he goes to work, bring her to the library, go to work, then take her to her apartment before he goes home after work.

It sure beats the crap out of Seungho by the end of the day, but these are the moments he look forward to everyday. Because it is these moments that empowers him to work hard and carry on with life.

Eventually Jin Ju got to love the genuity that Seungho showed her. His perseverance to work hard to earn a living, his persistence to study despite his financial condition, his desire to pursue excellence in what he does – may it be in school or at work, his joyful and graceful spirit despite his struggles, and his manliness were not unnoticed to Jin Ju, which made her respect Seungho more as a friend and as a person.

Seungho and Jin Ju's friendship flourished on its own, until their mutual love and respect for each other blossomed. By June of their second year, they finally became a couple.

Byunghee was so happy for the two of them, he dragged the couple to drink and celebrate. Jin Ju came to love Byunghee too, for he is Seungho's best friend. Although Jin ju knows this for a fact, she wasn't aware of how Byunghee and Seungho met nor how their friendship flourished.

From then on, Seungho worked harder in school and at work. Byunghee told him to take it easy, but Seungho was too inspired and too driven to slow down.

By December on their 2^nd year, Byunghee, Jin Ju and Seungho were already cramming for their thesis proposals. Byunghee, Jin Ju and Seungho helped each other out on their thesis, since the topics they are individually working on are related to each other. But thesis is still thesis, and it brought a lot of stress to the three of them. Byunghee was so stressed out, he asked for a temporary leave from his job at the service. Seungho, however, because of his promise to Byunghee to be the main provider for them and because of his desire to give an awesome gift to Byunghee and Jin Ju that Christmas, decided to continue with his part time jobs despite the demands of his school work. Jin Ju, concerned of his overworking boyfriend, made sure to bring Seungho meals and even gave him vitamins to secure his good health.

The wind was really really cold that December, so cold it sends chills down the spine. There were many people – children and adults alike - getting sick. University students were no exception. Almost half of the class were sick, and so the contagion was almost filling the air in the classrooms. Seungho was so preoccupied with his schoolwork and job, he did not pay much attention to the growing pandemic in their university.

Until he became part of the pandemic.

It started as a mild cough, just like when he gets choked, so Seungho just brushed it off. On the 2^nd day, he felt like he was running a terrible flu. His vitamins already ran out, and so he had no choice but to just eat apples and drink lots of fluids in the hope that these will do the trick.

By the 3^rd day, he was already having a fever and his cough worsened, making him feel more terrible. But Seungho just it all up and forced his body to go to school and to work because he knows he needs to. Byunghee and Jin Ju were busy with their personal engagements at that time, so they weren't able to check and see Seungho's condition. Seungho didn't want to worry them either, so he didn't tell them that he's sick. He just took medications for fever and cough, but none of them seemed to work.

On the 4^th day of his illness, Seungho felt more terrible, but he was not giving up to rest. He took more doses of his paracetamol, then forced his body to work. His manager asked him to take a leave already, but Seungho refused since he wants to be one of the employees who would be paid extra cash during the next 3 days at work. By the 5^th day, seungho can barely get out of bed. He missed 1 class already, but he made it appoint to go to work. He tried to look as pleasing as he can, but his drooping eyebags, his puffy eyes and his slightly sunken cheeks made it impossible to look like so. He just tried to smile a lot and to control his coughs, running to the kitchen backdoor to take a counghing break every now and then. When he went to bed that eveniing, he thought he won't be able to get up in the morning already.

The following day, Seungho woke up dizzy as ever and he was already having some troubles breathing. He took 3 tablets of paracetamol, dragged himself to take a bath and headed off to school. He can hardly open his eyes during the lecture, but he slapped himself and pinched his thighs to keep himself awake. At the end of his class, he dragged his body to work. Seungho was already looking like a wilted vegetable, so his manager forced him to go home. Seungho pulled himself together and showed the manager he can still do it, so he went back to work despite the managers utmost refusal. 

Seungho wasn't sure how he did it, but he was able to finish that 6-hour post. By the end of his shift, his eyelids were already drooping and he felt like he'll faint at any second, but he just shook his head hard and tried to focus on changing his clothes in the employees quarters. A few seconds after, his body shut down on its own sending Seungho's body to the floor with a loud thud.

Junhyung, his co-worker, heard the commotion in the quarters, so he went inside to check. His eyes grew wide when he opened the door.

“! Seungho!”

He found Seungho lying unconscious on the floor. He rushed to his side and pulled him up to his lap to check on him. He was shocked when he felt how terribly hot Seungho's body was. He was already wheezing a bit loud too and his body was tremblling, making Junhyung more nervous. Seungho's face grimaced as if he was in so much pain as he was breathing through his mouth. Soon, the manager came rushing beside them, and the 2 of them tried to wake him up a few times but Seungho didn't respond. Seeing that their efforts were useless, they carried him to the manager's car immediately and rushed him to the hospital.

Byunghee was in the library napping after finishing his thesis proposal. He got startled when his cellphone suddenly rang out loud. He immediately grabbed his phone and whispered hastily to the person on the other line.

“Whatthehelldoyouwant??!”

The next words Byunghee heard made him shot up in surprise. He immediately gathered his stuff, and rushed to the hospital.

_____________________________

Due to insistent public demand, Yong Junhyung cameo (^o^)