365 Days To Save The Campus Bad Boy

Personal Bodyguard

‘I can feel Elijah’s pain. I can feel Elijah’s pain. I can…’

The thought kept replaying in my mind like a hellish loop.

It horrified me.

Elijah King, the campus bad boy who went around causing trouble and getting into fights, the same guy who would die a year from now… I could feel his pain.

I would feel every burn he suffered, every punch he took, every stab wound he endured, and, most horrifying of all… I would feel the pain when his body dropped from a six-story building and his skull cracked against the asphalt.

“f**k. I’m going to die.”

The realization hit me like a brick. If Elijah died, my life would tragically end too.

But I had only just time-travelled. I had a whole life filled with goals and prosperity ahead of me. I had already planned for this second-chance life to be stress-free and glorious. Some of those plans had already been set into motion.

And now I find out I’m going to die regardless.

How was this fair? What sort of cruel, twisted joke was this? Why was I given a second chance if I was still going to end up dead a year later? Why was everything happening to me all at once?

My fingers clenched, my nails digging into my skin, but I could barely feel them.

Elijah King. He was the beginning of all my problems. Was he really the reason I was given a second chance? The only way I would survive was if I stopped his murder. But how was I supposed to do that? I didn’t even know who killed him and he had a lot of enemies.

My life was literally in his hands. His very careless hands.

I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Oh, my precious body is going to get mangled because of that fool.” I winced.

“Are you okay? Still in pain?”

I squinted one eye open and glanced at Denis, who was watching me from her desk with narrowed eyes. There was yet another uncomfortably large textbook lying open in front of her.

“You’ve been silent since the party yesterday. Did the fight scare you that much?” She asked.

I opened my eyes fully and sat up.

“It’s not that. I just realized I’m going to die.” I blurted, knowing she wouldn’t take me seriously anyway.

“We are all going to die some day. You’re just figuring that out now?” She raised a brow.

I sighed and shook my head in self-pity. “You wouldn’t understand. Whether I live or die young is in the hands of a troublesome dimwit. If anything happens to him, my life is over.”

Denis tilted her head.

“You’re weird, do you know that?” Before I could tell her off, she added, “But I like it. As for your problem, just prevent the troublesome dimwit from getting into trouble. Then you’ll be fine.”

“How am I supposed to do that? By being his personal bodyguard?” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, if my life were in the hands of another person, I would want to protect that person at all costs.” She shrugged before turning back to her book.

I remained seated on my bed, deep in thought. Denis was right. The only way to stop Elijah’s murder was by protecting him. As long as I knew what was going to happen, I could prevent it.

All I needed to do was make sure he was nowhere near that damn building next year. Or better still, figure out who killed him.

‘…who killed us.’ I thought grimly.

And to do that, I needed to get close to him somehow.

Then, I recalled Elijah’s infamous glare.

I groaned.

‘He might kill me instead if I approach him.’

But alas, this was a matter of life and death. I had to do it to survive.

The next day was Sunday, so I finally stepped out of the room. My only agenda: find Elijah King. As soon as the cool morning air hit me, I paused.

Where the hell was I supposed to find him? I was sure as hell not entering the boys’ dorm again, not after what happened last time.

I exhaled and boarded the campus shuttle bus. Soon, I arrived at K-Fein and ordered a cup of coffee before taking a seat in a corner by the window. My eyes remained fixed on the entrance.

This place was the only other location where I had bumped into Elijah apart from his dormitory. I was betting he would show up today.

Two hours later, I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone while sipping my fourth cup of coffee. The taste of the creamy bean had long become torturous to swallow, but I wasn’t willing to give up waiting. I had to see Elijah.

The café had become considerably busier. It was the weekend, so many students had plenty of free time on their hands. K-Fein was also a popular hangout spot because of how aesthetically pleasing it was.

Just as I was losing hope, the bell above the door chimed. I looked up.

Elijah, in all his dangerous glory, walked into the shop, clad in all black, sweater and jeans, as always. I was beginning to think he didn’t own any other color.

I sat up straighter as he stopped at the counter.

The barista flashed him a wide smile and said something I couldn’t hear. He responded with a few words of his own, though nowhere near as enthusiastically. Still, the two of them looked comfortable around each other.

He must have been a regular.

Soon, he collected his coffee and turned around. I watched as his eyes scanned the café, probably searching for an empty seat. Every table except mine had at least two people.

Finally, his gaze landed on me.

I quickly lowered my eyes, pretending to be interested in something on my phone. My heart raced at the possibility of him actually sitting with me. What were the chances of that happening?

Before I could finish the thought, a shadow fell over my table. Elijah pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

“Pardon me,” he said. “I’ll be taking this seat.”