This is stupid, Kyungsoo thinks as he sends deadly stares at the back of the guy currently posting the new memorandum in the Main Hall FYI wall. The feeling of annoyance intensifies as he hears their dorm head talk through the speakers, rough voice scratching through the air, and despite the small joke he has just mentioned before the impending speech of doom, Kyungsoo is so not amused.

“Due to the previous dorm issue, it has been decided by the academe that, from this day forth, raising any kind of pets shall be banned within the dormitory premises.” Cue the loud groans and boos from the hallway.

“Students who are caught still keeping pets in their dorm rooms will receive necessary punishment from the dean, least of which is suspension from the academe.”, the dorm head continues.

“Well, it’s not that bad to be suspended though” Kyungsoo hears his floor mate Jongdae muss over while checking the script for the next play. “More time for rehearsals.”, he adds, flipping the page and underlining parts of it with his pen highlighter.

“Of course, suspension means you are also banned from participating in any Academe related activities, which includes the upcoming excursion and club events.”, the dorm head adds, clearly teasing the hell out of the students.

“Bull!” Jongdae yells over, slamming his script notes on the table. Kyungsoo internally groans as the orange juice he just bought from the long lines of the cafeteria spills over due to the impact.

“I’ve got a freakin’ turtle for a pet what kind of hellish chaos can Tuttles bring?‼!”Jongdae screams back at the speaker.

Kyungsoo sighs as he watches Jongdae pull his hair in uttered disappointment and defeat. The older gathers his stuff immediately and leaves after sending a short apology for Kyungsoo’s spilled juice.

“If Loki's like Tuttles, things would’ve been easy. Jongdae’s still luckier.” Kyungsoo mutters as he wipes over the spilt juice. He sees Baekhyun come over to his side, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Stay away from me Byun, unless you want me to strangle you instead of that idiotic boyfriend of yours.” Kyungsoo threatens, although there wasn’t much of a bite in his words. Baekhyun settles for the seat Jongdae previously occupied.

“You know how he is Kyungsoo. Chanyeol likes challenge~” the last syllable drags on with some emphasis and Baekhyun smiles again at the mention of his boyfriend.

“And Chanyeol is a freakin’ idiot for thinking that it was such a great idea to take care of a snake as a challenge.” Kyungsoo bites back.

“Well, it wouldn’t have been that bad if he didn’t forget to close the cage.” Baekhyun supplies. Kyungsoo sighs, completely annoyed and frustrated at the same time.

“Yeah right because he had the entire dormitory evacuating in record time the moment he screamed his pet snake’s missing from its cage.” Kyungsoo could clearly remember how everyone suddenly panicked and ran outside the dorm. He remembers someone though, that didn’t run and talked to Chanyeol instead. The physical stature seems familiar but Kyungsoo wasn’t able to see his face back then.

“At least Jongin found Snappy though.” Beakhyun pipes up, piquing Kyungsoo’s interest.

“Jongin?”

“Yup, that batchmate of ours that volunteered as the dorm SA? You know, that guy putting up the announcement bulletins just a while ago? Mr. I’m-hot-behind-these-glasses?” Baekhyun mimics the action tapping an invisible eye glass on his face.

“That kid’s our batch mate? Are you serious?” How come I don’t know him?

Baekhyun opens up his binder while speaking. “Well for starters Kyungsoo, you’re not even a person who likes to socialize. Your days comprise of waking up, classes and Loki, Loki, Loki. You didn’t even register to any of the clubs this year.”  The older takes out a piece of paper and gives it to Kyungsoo.

"But. You see this? That’s our excursion last year. See, you two were beside each other when this was taken. Such an oblivious kid you are.” Baekhyun chuckles.

Kyungsoo stares at the photo, trying to recall that moment the said photo was taken. It was the last day of the trip and the entire class was out on the sand box to take one last batch photo. Kyungsoo was running towards them like the others but there was a sudden impact on his side and last thing he knew his face was already covered with sand.

“Oh I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” he feels himself being lifted from the ground, hands all over his shirt and face, trying to remove the sand that stuck to it.

“My… my glasses! I can’t see that well without them.” he drops back on the ground, hoping to get a feel of his eyeglasses.It would be a pity if they got damaged considering he just replaced the glass a week ago.

“Hurry up we’re taking a shot in five!” he hears their professor shout.

“Find it later! We’ll miss the batch picture!” Fingers hold his tight and then they we’re running towards the coast. Kyungsoo could feel the gust of the wind and the smell of the ocean.

“Five…. four… three…”

“We made it!” The other boy laughs as he drags Kyungsoo near the front. He’s sure the boy’s smiling despite the blurriness...

“two.. one!”

…and sure as hell his cheeks are dusted with pinch of red from running, hair dishevelled from the wind, and probably because of the warmth enveloping his left hand.

He remembered the boy giving him back his glasses after but as soon as he wore them, he was already out of sight.

“You’re so flustered here though, Kyungsoo. And why was Jongin laughing at you? Did you two know each other back then?” Beakhyun inquires, seeing Kyungsoo in deep thought while looking at the picture.

“Ah.. no, he just… he uhmm... I think he was that guy who happened to bump into me before the picture was taken.” Kyungsoo hastily replies after returning the photo to Baekhyun.

He’s not sure why there’s a soft tingling sensation on his left hand but he hopes the older doesn’t notice the blush he’s sporting while staring at the photo.

  ******** 

That afternoon, students are all asked to contact their relatives so they could take home the pets staying at the dormitories. Clearly, a whole bunch of students hates the idea of parting from their pets since KJM Dormitory is the only remaining pet friendly dorm. Some cried a bit and some kept giving non-stop instructions about caring for their pets to their parents. Kyungsoo holds on to Loki, his baby golden retriever as he stares back at his older brother.

“It’s not like Loki’s leaving for good, Kyung-ah. You can still see him by the end of the semester.” his brother softly smiled while leaning against his Ford Everest. Kyungsoo could make out Loki’s cage inside the passenger seat. The tight feeling in his chest gets heavier.

“But Jungseok hyung….I don’t want Loki to go!” Kyungsoo reveals his best teary-eyed pout. He knows too well that his brother won’t be able to say no to him with this.

Jungseok groans, removing his tinted sunglasses.“Damn it Kyungsoo you can’t do that!” Kyungsoo is pleased with his reaction.

“Please??” a little more pleading should do the trick

“Aish. Fine. I’ll teach you how to keep him tame, but make sure, make sure no one catches you. Mom will kill me for this.” he motions for Kyungsoo to give Loki and started giving out instructions. Bingo~

Kyungsoo’s thankful enough that he has a vet-slash-pet trainer for a brother.

************

After a whole weekend of training with Jungseok and Loki, Kyungsoo has practically mastered how to keep Loki entertained and tame. Jungseok placed a bark limiter on Loki’s neck as a final precaution because the pup’s bark could reach miles from where he is.

“Remember all the things I’ve pointed out especially the cage Soo. You know how Loki is when he’s left to roam around.” Kyungsoo nods before giving his brother one last hug and thanking him for the lift back to the campus. Jungseok kisses his forehead after giving Loki a final pat and leaves.

Kyungsoo had to bring Loki inside the dorm through a package box with the excuse that it’s for the drama club.Luckily no one asked for it to be opened. Everyone’s probably being cautious after Snappy’s outbreak before. The elevator is almost closing when a foot and a hand suddenly shot through the closing gap.

“Made it!” the other person cheers as the metal doors open once again. Kyungsoo’s sweating bullets because this could make or break his plan.

But his heartbeat skyrocketing is probably more because of the smile the other person sends him the moment he alighted the elevator.

“Hey Kyungsoo.”

It was Jongin.His batchmate. The student dorm assistant.

Everything about him is screaming danger and Kyungsoo is wishing to all the gods that Loki is still asleep inside the box.

Kyungsoo sends him a strained smile.

“Just got back?” Jongin continues the conversation while looking at the floor number light up after he pressed 9.

“Yeah. Spent the weekend with my brother and Loki.”

“Oh, Jungseok hyung?” Kyungsoo double takes. Did he just hear his brother’s name from Jongin’s mouth?

“Y-yeah. You know my brother?”

Jongin smiles and Kyungsoo is reminded of cherubs.

“I met him before. I brought Monggu to his vet clinic one time.Monggu’s my pet dog by the way. Your brother really did me a favor back there. I’ll always be thankful for it.” there's a soft pause between them, Jongin staring off the door and Kyungsoo staring at him. He knows his brother’s known as a great vet but actually hearing it from one of his patient’s owners really makes Kyungsoo proud to be his younger brother. He could see how genuine Jongin was with what he just said.

“So I guess you spent the weekend saying goodbye to your pet too?” and a peace too soon to end because Kyungsoo remembers the current dilemma and what he needs right now is to get off of that elevator before Loki wakes up and hell breaks loose.

“Ah...y-yeah.” Kyungsoo gulped, for a second he thinks he felt some movement from the box beside him.

“Must’ve been hard on you too. I can’t blame the heads though. They can’t just give excemptions for those pets tamed enough to stay. That would be unfair for the others who can’t keep theirs.” Kyungsoo remembers Jongdae who’s got Tuttles the turtle for a pet and their class president Junmyeon’s Minnie the white short tailed rabbit. Both pets haven’t done any harm at all, and probably will not ever.

“I still need to put some talking into Chanyeol though. Still his fault, in my point of view, that is.” Kyungsoo grumbles.

“Park Chanyeol really is a one of a kind guy. I like animals but I never dared petting the wild. Although Snappy’s quite domestic. I caught her easily.” Jongin chuckles at the memory, where Chanyeol was going around the place if anyone had seen a yellow snake and that in a split second the dorm became chaotic.

“YOU’RE THAT KID!” Kyungsoo accusingly points at him, eyes wide.

“What “kid”?”

“That kid! The one that approached Chanyeol in the middle of the chaos.” Kyungsoo was about to say something but his floor number lit up. “Oh. This is me.” He bent down to grab the box where Loki is when he felt Jongin bending at the same time too.

“You seemed like you need help. It’s a huge box, Kyungsoo.” Jongin’s hands were already at the tip of the box when Kyungsoo slightly moves it away, panic lurking at the edges of his skin.

“NO! I... I mean that’s okay I… can carry this. My room’s just in the middle.” Kyungsoo hauled the box in his arms. He felt slight movements coming from it. Some scratching. ! Loki’s awake.

“I know. I stay beside your unit. Guess you never noticed.” Jongin shyly informs him and Kyungsoo wanted to curse all his existence because great the hot student dorm assistant is his neighbor and wait he did not just say the kid’s hot.

“Oh uh I’m sorry?” he started walking towards the dimly lit hallway in hopes of getting to his room without Loki pawing his way out of the box. The tape surely won’t hold that long.

“You really don’t need help with that?” Jongin walks behind him but suddenly stops when he heard some tapping.

And scratching.

“Did you hear that?” Kyungsoo’s feet got caught 2 steps away from his unit.God please just let me get in.

“Hear w-what? I didn’t hear anything.” He hurriedly pulls the keys from his pocket and quickly placed it in the keyhole. It's a huge struggle considering he had to balance Loki’s box on one hand.

And Loki just had to scratch the box harder.

“There! I heard it again!” Jongin’s eyes are roaming the corridor until he’s left with the view of Kyungsoo and the box.

“I didn’t really hear anything. It was nice talking to you Jongin. Bye!”Kyungsoo quickly steps in and closes his door, catching a short glimpse of a surprised Jongin before the door completely shut. Carefully placing the