301 days before

“You know what’s wrong about adults?” Joonmyeon-oppa asked.

“No.” I answered. “What’s wrong with them?”

“Hyung, how about you?” Joonmyeon asked while punching Kevin’s arms.

“No idea.” Kevin said.

“They ask too much from us young adults, they don’t even know how much we’re going through,” he said.

“That’s true but we also don’t know what they’re going through. We expect too much from them too but we’ve forgotten that they’re not getting any younger,” I argued.

“Uh, I think you’re right. I guess I’m just pressured. You know that my parents never wanted me to take up music. They want me to become a doctor,” Joonmyeon said.

“Bro, just do whatever you want to do. You’re a scholar remember? You’re going to school because of you alone not because of them. If it weren’t for you student allowances and benefits, you wouldn’t have been able to eat thrice a day,” Kevin told him with irritation.

Whenever we talk about Joonmyeon-oppa’s situation, I really feel bad considering that I live well than him. Before he got the academic scholarship, he got nothing. His parents don’t have permanent work. He could barely eat a meal for a day. I would always extend a helping hand, but he wouldn’t accept it. He would always say that he’ll get by. And he did. He’s one of the smartest students in the whole university. I am so proud that he proved that he can go to school by his own means.

“Haru, do you mind if we study at your house today? I missed grandma’s cooking,” Kevin said.

“No I don’t mind. But promise me that you won’t be too loud, okay?”

I stood up and gathered my things and left the room. When lunch time comes, I would always leave the two of them and go to the library. They would always complain that I spend my whole break time in the library and not eat. Eating is the least of my concern every day when lunch time comes. I feel weird when I don’t visit the library every day. I was scanning books at the History section when I heard something. I was at Aisle 15 and the noise came from Aisle 14. I immediately checked the Aisle saw a guy lying on the floor.

“Hey, are you ok – Sehun?”

“Ouch. Okay, you saw me,” Sehun said while trying to sit up.

“You’re not a book person, so what are you doing here? And you’re here in the History section too. Do you have a fever or something?” I asked him while trying to fix the books that fell on the floor.

“That was mean, Haru. Anyways, I’m here because I know that you’re going to be here. I need your help, Haru.” Sehun said.

“Okay. Meet me after classes. Joonmyeon-oppa and Kevin will study at my place. You can come!”

“They’ll be there? Why do they always get to hang out with you?” I wanted to smack Sehun’s face for doing the aegyo thing.

I sighed. “Just meet me after the classes, okay? Tell Luhan-oppa I said hi!” I quickly turned around and left.

Sehun is a handful. He’s the youngest in our group that’s why he would always try to act cute just to get what he wants. However, we’re both really close to each other. Before my parents died, his family would come and visit and we would always play. I don’t know why they stopped visiting after my parents died, but his parents are still in good terms with me. They would sometimes send me flowers.

I was running along the hallways when I bumped someone.

Someone I’ve never seen before. Someone I never thought be part of my world. This was the start of everything.