Inside a small, dusty room across campus sat a distressed junior student. He had been staring at his laptop’s screen for nearly an hour now, reading and re-reading the article that had been e-mailed to him earlier in the afternoon. He couldn’t suppress the heavy sigh that escaped his lips as he leaned back in his chair, hands stilling on the tops of the keyboard.

His fingers combed through his usually perfect, brown hair that had become rather disheveled by the large amount he’d repeated this action. The sunlight in the room was fading out behind pale blue, dirty curtains that hung from a broken rail above a dingy window. The student closed his eyes, huffing out yet another sigh as he leaned back in the chair, propping his legs up on the desk before him. His uniform was in a bit of disarray, but that didn’t faze him. Not anymore.

He’d loosened his tie after the first reading of the article and then ed his collar after the second. Somehow, it seemed that the more he read it, the more suffocated he felt. This time, eyes still closed, he kicked off perfectly polished shoes and pulled the tie from around his neck completely. This article was awful. He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to publish it, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

Lazy eyes opened once more, staring hard at the screen again. He had almost hoped that maybe, just maybe, the article had re-written itself in between closing and opening his eyes. He was only partially disappointed to find that it had not. Another sigh and he slammed the cover of his laptop down, only wincing mildly at the hard smacking noise. His sine hope was that he hadn’t broken the screen, again.

A small noise emitted from his school bag and he looked down at it unimpressed with the sudden disturbance. He checked his watch and groaned. Screw the deadline. He dug around in his bag, retrieving a shiny gold coloured cell phone and groaned ever louder at the caller ID flashing across the screen.

“Hello?” his voice came out hoarse from having not spoken in several hours.

“How’s the article?” the voice on the other end asked over-excitedly.

"Ah, it’s… It’s interesting.”

“Is it that bad, hyung?” the voice now dejected, he could practically hear the pout.

“You could use some work on your prose…”

There was a mild pause before the person on the other end sighed, “Maybe I should just quit…”

“No!”

“No?”

"We need you…”

“Kim Junmyeon, no one even reads this paper anyway. What does it matter?”

“It matters to me, Chanyeol. Please, just… I’ll publish it. Just don’t quit on me, okay?”

“Alright, hyung. I’ll work harder next time, I promise.”

"Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon at the meeting.”

"Of course.”

Junmyeon hung up his phone and slumped back against the chair before he decided to open his laptop again. The sun had long since set and he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, but that didn’t matter. Not at the moment. He had other things to take care of. For example, copying and pasting this article into the newspaper document. A few more clicks here and there and it fit perfectly in the column space he’d left especially for Chanyeol’s new angle on why students skip school. He sent the final draft to the printers with a heavy sigh.

✐✐✐

When Kim Jongdae was forced into enrolling at the private Monarch Academy for boys simply, because “your cousin goes there too, wouldn’t it be nice to see a friendly face around campus?” (direct quote from Mrs. Kim, Jongdae’s mother) he was by no means thrilled. As much as he adored his cousin, he was always being compared to him by his parents. It was annoying.

It didn't help that the academy dress code meant polishing shoes before bed and crisp, pressed white shirts with stiff collars. It also didn’t help that Jongdae now had to find a club to join just to get extracurricular activity hours in order to graduate. He huffed at the notion and rolled his eyes several times while reading through the academy’s handbook, How To Be a Rolemodel Monarch. Perhaps Jongdae didn’t want to be one.

Jongdae hastily buttoned up his double-ed jacket as he walked towards the school. His brown leather backpack hung from one shoulder as he readjusted his tie maybe three times before he was satisfied with the way it fit around his neck. The professor at the front gate of the school, however, seemed to be quite dissatisfied and made the boy retie it while he watched with narrowed eyes. It now felt like a noose constricting around his throat and somehow this was all too fitting for the first day of a new school.

“Class,” Mrs. Yoo addressed the class with a rather bright smile, “We have a new student here with us today. Will you introduce yourself?”

Jongdae cleared his throat and pulled at the tie around his neck. He hated self-introductions and hated even more that nearly thirty people were now staring at him, half-curious and half-asleep. There was too much pressure to make a good first impression amongst your peers and standing there without any plan of what to say to them was not a good way to start. He tugged at his tie again and then finally composed himself long enough to bow almost 90 degrees, a cat-like smile forming on his thin lips as he greeted them.

“My name is Kim Jongdae. My parents and I have just moved back home from overseas. Please take care of me.”

The introduction was short and sweet and to the point. Maybe that was why it had caught the attention of two peculiar students sitting at the back of the class. They grinned at him goofily as the professor directed him to sit in front of the taller one, whose smile was particularly goofier than the shorter’s. Jongdae promptly plopped down into the seat.

“Hi,” the boy behind him whispered, basically breathing down Jongdae’s neck, “I’m Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol.”

Jongdae turned to get a good look at the boy. He definitely was tall. his hair was almost curly, but not really and a dark shade of brown. Jongdae had to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling at the large, toothy beam on Chanyeol’s face. He noticed that Chanyeol’s ears poked out from behind his hair and looked almost elf-like.

“And I’m Byun Baekhyun,” came another voice, closer to Jongdae’s left ear. He turned his head slightly from Chanyeol and came face to face with another boy who leaned closer to him, elbows propped on his knees and face resting on delicate hands. The boy was wearing, Jongdae noted, too much eyeliner.

“Nice to meet you both,” Jongdae whispered back.

Something about this pair of students made Jongdae feel comfortable, the worries of having to find friends melted away. Like he had nothing to worry about at all.

Oh how wrong he was.

✐✐✐

“I see you’ve settled in already,” Junmyeon smiled as he greeted his cousin, “Welcome to the academy, Dae.”

“Thanks,” Jongdae mumbled shoving books into his locker, a heavy load had been into his arms by quite a few professors since classes had started at 8 am.

“Curt,” Junmyeon mused, “I like it.”

Jongdae finally succeeded in forcing all of his books into his locker before slamming it shut with a clang of metal against metal. Without doubt, when he opened it again, the books would fall all over him in an avalanche of math, science, language and other such courses. He sighed in satisfaction anyway before finally taking a look at his cousin. Any annoyance he felt towards his too perfect cousin slowly faded.

“You’re still short,” he observed, blank expression.

“So are you.” Junmyeon deadpanned.

They stared at each other for a while before finally cracking grins, unable to hide their laughter. Junmyeon was the first to instigate it (he was always the hugging type), the hug that squished the air out of Jongdae’s lungs. It was easily returned with a similar soul-crushing embrace. They laughed at each other and basked in the delight of having the other around again.

“I’ve missed my partner in crime,” Junmyeon said, slinging an arm around Jongdae’s shoulders, “You’ll have to tell me all about Canada when we get some free time.”

"Of course! And you'll have to tell me all about your life here. I haven't seen you in, what? Five years?" Jongdae said teasingly.

"Seven," Junmyeon scoffed, "How dare you not remember?" He asked in mock disappointment.

They laughed. And they would have continued to laugh at Jongdae's next remark, but it had suddenly slipped his mind when another student, just a little taller than Junmyeon, came running up to them. He looked relatively frazzled, breath coming out in puffs as if he'd just come from gym class. He somehow managed to look as though he'd walked out of an IvyClub advertisement. Perfect.

His hair was prim and proper, black and styled neatly. His skin was flawless, or it looked flawless in the sunlight, his eyes sparkling and wide and his mouth formed a sweet smile. He looked foreign. Jongdae frowned. No one was this good-looking. It was unfair.

"Junmyeon," the boy huffed, "we're in trouble!"

Jongdae almost snorted. Good boy Kim Junmyeon was never in trouble. But as Jongdae glanced at his cousin from the side he noticed that the boy was nervous. Unusual.

"What it this time?" Junmyeon bit his bottom lip.

And hold up.

Wait a minute.

This time?

"It's not that," the boy sighed, still looking rather panicked, "They changed their statement on school clubs in the handbook and, oh what was it?" He squinted and tried to think of it for a moment before taking in a quick breath of air, "Anyway, the director wants to meet with us."

"I really don't think I can handle another meeting with Mr. Lee," Junmyeon moped, "Alright. Let's just get this done and over with then." He turned to Jongdae, "Sorry, kid, our catching up will have to wait for another time."

Jongdae shrugged, "No problem. I have a class in five minutes anyway."

"See you around," Junmyeon smiled before walking off down the hallway.

The boy who had run up to him gaped at Jongdae before bowing quickly and turning in his heels to join Junmyeon.

Jongdae groaned and slumped to his next class.

✐✐✐

Mr. Lee was a typical, run-of-the-mill academy director. He was middle-aged, wrinkles covering his face from dealing with years of delinquents, eyes tired and his hair, the little he had left, was very much grey. He sat behind his desk, staring at the new policy for clubs and the school newspaper, The Monarch Times. The article about why students skip school made him chuckle. Not because it was funny, but because the writer had misused the term 'pip.'

A knock on the door made him look up from his desk and call for the knocker to let her or himself in. Two boys stood on the other side of the door as the wood creaked open. Mr. Lee stood and smiled, motioning for them to take a seat before he took off his glasses and folded them carefully and placed them on top of his stack of paperwork.

"Afternoon, Junmyeon and Yixing."

"Afternoon, Sir." The two students said in unison. It sounded almost rehearsed. Or as if they'd done this a thousand times before. Well, thirty-four times to be exact. This would be the thirty-fifth.

"I'm afraid I have some troubling news," Mr. Lee began, he shuffled for the student handbook and opened it to page fifty-three, "There's a new policy in place, as decided by directors across the board, that in order to have a club, you must have at least six members."

Junmyeon gulped, quite audibly.

The Monarch Times was a school newspaper that Junmyeon had started in his freshman year. It seemed like a good idea since his Father ran several publishing companies, starting with his biggest industry, the newspaper. And, at the time, it had been a great success. The newspaper sold almost five hundred copies a month with twenty pages of articles, photographs, comics, columns and so much more. Junmyeon had worked hard at it. And so had his thirty other club members.

By Junmyeon's sophomore year, the paper had died down significantly. Selling maybe a hundred copies a month with only maybe twelve pages. Most of the members had been seniors and were now graduated. Others had simply lost interest when the social media club came into existence. Junmyeon secretly curses that club and admits so at confession - his darkest sin. New students took no interest in the newspaper, except for a few, and so the club was down to fifteen.

This was now Junmyeon's junior year. Five students had graduated, three lost interest, two transferred schools and the other moved away. Then there were four. Until Junmyeon managed to convince a senior to join, because he needed the extracurricular activity hours in order to graduate.

The bottom line was that-

"You don't have enough members to keep the newspaper going." Mr. Lee said finally, "It's probably best if you shut down now before this issue goes into print."

"Sir," Junmyeon gasped, "I... Give me a week! Give me a week and I'll find someone to complete the new club criteria!"

"Junmyeon," the director's voice was stern, "I doubt that you will find anyone to join you. Be realistic, the newspaper was a great success while it lasted, but it would be best if you ended on a positive note."

Junmyeon worried his bottom lip between teeth, "Sir," he croaked helplessly.

Yixing stood suddenly. He had been silent this whole time, processing information and holding Junmyeon's hand beneath their chairs. He smiled warmly, but his eyes were sharp.

"Sir," Yixing said calmly, "Please allow us one week to find another student. If we can't, we will cease the printing of the newspaper and the club will come to a close. All we ask for is one school week."

Mr. Lee smiled taking the offer into consideration and then nodded, "One week, boys. Please don't be too disappointed if you can't find someone."

Junmyeon nodded, holding back his tears and swallowing the lump in his throat, "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." His tone was more than appreciative.

Yixing's eyes softened as he put his hand on the small of Junmyeon's back, gently leading him from the office.

"We'll find someone," he whispered encouragingly into his classmate's ear, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed it himself.

✐✐✐

"They're shutting us down?" The one senior student on the school newspaper looked blank, "I need these credits..."

"I know, I know, Minseok," Junmyeon breathed, "We all do... We just," he tried desperately to compose himself, "We just need one more student... One more. Someone. Anyone. I don't care who."

Yixing rubbed at his temples and suddenly his eyes lit up with an idea, "What about that new student you were with this morning?"

Junmyeon blinked stupidly, "Jong... Dae...?"

"Jongdae? Is that his name?"

"Kim Jongdae... That twerp!" Junmyeon exclaimed before dashing out of the room.

Yixing and Minseok exchanged very confused looks.

✐✐✐

There was a plan turning in Junmyeon's head. Jongdae had just transferred here, he needed to fulfill his credits for graduation too and they needed one more member. It was perfect. Jongdae would never say no to his hyung either! What could go wrong?

"No."

Well, there's that.

"But, Dae, listen, I need you," Junmyeon was practically begging.

"Look, Myeon. I like you, you're a great cousin. But I don't think it would be a good idea for me to join a school newspaper. I'm new and I don't even know what goes on at this school. What would I do?"

Junmyeon gulped, "I, Dae please. You... You were always a good writer! You could edit articles and... Please, Dae! I just need one more person!"

"Junmyeon," Jongdae sighed, "I'm not interested." He said this before turning on his heels and walking towards the school entrance. He had homework to do. At home.

Junmyeon watched after him, jaw hanging open in shock. This hadn't gone according to plan at all.

Well, here it is, dear readers! Chapter one in all of its unedited glory! I hope to edit it after work... Sorry if any of the layout seems off or anything, I typed this up on my phone while on break at work... Aha ^^;