17 Days - SVT

002

"Wow, how old is he? He's so small."

"He's so skinny, do you think he's hungry?"

"Forget that, is he even alive?"

Chan heard the voices, but he couldn't decipher between them. He recognized a few vaguely from school, and he knew they were older than him. His body shook with nerves.

And suddenly, his eyes shot open on their own accord. He sat up quickly and started coughing up water. One of the boys patted him on the back, clearly worried.

There were four boys in total surrounding him, all older than him. One of them had a leaf across his forehead.

"Calm down, we're not going to hurt you." said the tallest of the boys, raising his hands. "We found you on this island, and we wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine." insisted Chan, between coughs. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Lee Dokyeom." said the one patting his back. "This is Kim Mingyu, Xu Minghao, and Wen Junhui. Our ship got overturned."

"But... how did it happen?" asked Chan. "And where are my parents?"

Junhui swallowed. "I hate to tell you this, but if they're not here, which they're not, they're probably dead."

Chan let the shock sink in. His parents, dead. And he was alive, stranded on a deserted island, just like in his favorite movies. For how long, though... he didn't know. There were two ways this could end - rescue, or death. With his luck, the latter was much more likely.

Minghao wrapped his arms around Chan. "I'm so sorry. Our parents are gone too. I know how it feels."

There it was again. I know how it feels. No one really ever knew what it was like, being picked on all the time for being the runt of the school. And now, his parents were gone too. Who would he be able to rely on?

"Let's get you some food." said Minghao softly. "I can feel your ribs through your shirt. Junhui, get the berries."

The kid named Junhui stood up quickly and hurried away, presumably to find berries. Chan sighed and leaned against Minghao's chest, not caring that he was a complete stranger. His embrace provided comfort, and that was exactly what Chan needed right then and there.

Junhui returned with berries, panting. "Here." he said breathlessly, pouring the berries into Chan's hand. "Don't worry, they're completely safe."

Chan hesitantly popped one of the berries into his mouth, sighing in relief when he tasted them. "They're just blueberries." he said quietly.

"Of course. Do you think I would lie to you?" asked Junhui. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Chan." said the boy nervously. "Lee Chan."

"Nice to meet you, Chan. Though certainly not under these circumstances." said Mingyu. "Would you want to be in our alliance? We'll keep you safe."

Chan hesitated. "You're sure I can trust you?"

"Of course." said Dokyeom quickly. "We were all just enjoying a vacation, just like you. We won't hurt you."

"Alright." said Chan quietly. "Don't betray me, please. I don't want to be left alone again."

"We'd never betray you." said Minghao, rubbing Chan's stomach gently. "Wait, is that another person? I think someone else is awake."

"Oh, that kid. I know him. He's here too?" said Junhui, genuinely surprised. "Yah, Soonyoung! Over here!"

The boy, supposedly Soonyoung, was a little startled by Junhui calling his name, but he came closer and knelt in the sand beside them. He had sharp eyes, much like a cat's.