I

When the Story Begins 

Somi hurdled through the crowded hallway, engrossed with her phone, as drool dripped down . Her long thick bangs that veiled her face and the muddy uniform from her fall previously this morning attracted stares and menacing whispers from the students nearby. 

"Yes! Yes! Yes! They finally got together!" Somi lifted her face up, exploding with delight and giggled cheerfully before running off to greet her one and only friend in school, Ha Eun.

"What is it? Another fanfiction?" Her friend questioned, smiling. The other girls who were talking with Somi's friend walked away with a repulsed look on their faces.

Somi's obsession with the unpopular boyband, Hot9, was strange enough to make any guy sprint away if they hadn't already been alarmed by her unkempt appearance.

"Yep. It was a PB and Neulgae one. They are forever my OTP. By the way, they're coming here next Sunday. I know you don't want to go but I'm just so excited! This is my chance to propose to Ji Hoon oppa. Hehehehehehehe. Anyways, are you coming over today again, Ha Eunnie?"

"Is Seo Jun home today?"

Somi shooked her head hesitantly.

"I see. Well, I'll probably have too much homework today anyways. Oh, looks like I have to get to class." 

Somi watched Ha Eun's back as she turned around. She knew that Ha Eun liked her brother. She knew that Ha Eun could only stand by her with the memo of her family's wealth. She knew that at school she was an outcast. She knew it all but she was only temporarily saddened by it because she had her Hot9 idols to cheer her up anyways.

"Ah! It doesn't matter anyways." She yelled acrossed the hall, frightening a poor passerby and then skipped off to class. 

Mr. Won, Somi's homeroom teacher, looked exactly like Dumbledore, except for the clothes, the hair, the beard, the oldness, and the face. But when he puts on his glasses, he looks more like a Channing Tatum minus the hair, body, face, and glasses.

He called everyone's name with a stern voice, except for when he called Somi's. His voice was a little shaky, "Somi Maria-umm are you here?" 

"It's Somi Maria Francesca Gucci Smith Park." She corrected him so he'll know in the future. 

Kim Jongin entered high school with a blank slate. He joined the basketball team to have a change of scenery, made friends to change himself, and changed his name to Kai to destroy his past completely.

However, participating in an eating contest to win a TV for Kyungsoo's room was so much like his past self. It made his stomach hurt before AND after. His best friend, Kyungsoo deserved so much more than what Kai could offer him. Kyungsoo imprisoned himself in his own box that was his medical room, fearing of leaving to the outside world. Kai's quest had been to open the doors and set his frien free, but each time he would go to see Kyungsoo, he felt the barrier around his friend that protected his heart from interferences.

Much like Kyungsoo, Kai had a barrier too. A barrier from his past. A barrier from himself. Kai had always hated himself to the point where he wanted to change the composition of who he is. But no matter how hard he tried, the old him, Jongin, continues to haunt him.

Being angry had been the result of the eating contest. It's just an eating contest, he would tell himself, but deep inside, he wanted to win. He wanted to make his friend smile and that might be a baby step to the outside world. Why was that even so hard? The outside world isn't even that great. What had been so captivating about it that he wants his friend to experience it? He didn't even know.

"You can do a lot of things if you leave this space," Kai said to Kyungsoo.

Could. He hated the word. The word had possibility, but it was always filled with doubt. Doubt meant failure and he couldn't afford failure.

Kyungsoo gave him a small smile and said after taking a bite from his cookie. 

"Jongin, I could do a lot of the stuff here. I'm not ready yet. Besides, they have the best cookies here."

"Hyung, it's always food with you. You know I could've gotten you a TV with an eating contest."

Kyungsoo laughed. It made him happier that Kai had tried more than anything else in the world, it was more then what his parents could ever do.

"Did you film it?"

"Are you that in love with me that you want a video of-" A cookie had been thrown in his face.

"I'm as straight as a pole."

"Not if I bend it."

"Who the goes around bending poles? You're such a freaking, Jongin."

Jongin smirked, "Yeah, I know because I'm freaking cute."

Another cookie to the face.

"School's starting soon. Will you come see me- I mean will you- you don't have to. I know you have priorities."

"School started a week ago and I'm here."

"THEN WHY HAVE YOU BEEN SEEING ME EVERYDAY?"

"Because I didn't want you to miss me too much."

"KIM JONGIN. GET YOUR A** TO CLASS!"

"That rhymed but okay. I got it. Oh! Make sure to take your medicine. Don't forget, hyung!"

Kyungsoo glared at Kai viciously. If Kai hadn't known Kyungsoo, he would've believed that Satan was in the same room.

The bakery shop owner offered Kai a discount. 

Man, my handsome looks are so useful.

He smiled at the owner with the grin that took him months to perfect.

He headed to his mom's grocery store around the corner. When he arrived, he peeked through the window of the store. His mom welcoming customers stung his heart too much for him to confront her. He handed the bread to one of her co-workers and headed out into the streets of Seoul. The racing cars and busy people were suffocating him. He sped off to school not knowing whether he was escaping or going somewhere to be captured again.

Kai flopped down in his seat about thirty minutes after class had already started. A week of school had already started and he finally came to class. It was a normal thing for him to be late and no one really questioned him. As soon as he entered the room, the atmosphere changed. It became more lively and happy and everyone's mood positively changed. He did that to people.

Mr. Won made a disgustingly normal face, "So you finally came to class Kim Kai."

Before Kai could answer a sound came out of Somi's mouth. "Kim Jongin." Somi had accidentally said it while thinking too hard about it. Only a few nearby had overheard her, one of them being Kai, who made a confused face at her, but ignored it. She quickly latched her hands over and remained silent.  

To be continued....

A/N: There are two writers for this story. One being me, Yang. The other one being, you guessed it, Yin. I mostly write events and thoughts involving Somi while Yang mostly writes about Kai. You can probably tell in this chapter but Yin is a KaiSoo shipper. For you non-KaiSoo shippers, I promise to keep her fantasties in check. For you KaiSoo shippers, we'll get something up for you after this fic is completed. Hopefully, you enjoyed the first chapter and see you again soon! 

(Here's a random gif of Mingyu being smug af.)