IV ~ Still a Dongsaeng

Buzzing. That was all Jaehwan could hear. He was surrounded by people left and right, front and back. Their lips moved rapidly, and some doubled over with pink cheeks and a hand to their bellies. So many new faces and voices, but the nineteen-year-old couldn’t make out a single word, let alone what voice belonged to which person.

He was part of the few prospective students wanting to study the architecture of the university buildings and elegant design of the campus garden, but while those students managed to stay on the outskirts of the crowd to take it all in, Jaehwan was unfortunate enough to be stuck in the chatty swarm of people, not having the heart to maneuver and risk bumping into anyone. Despite standing over two-thirds of the gathering, Jaehwan felt small. It was suffocating. It was uncomfortable. It was not where he wanted to be. The atmosphere took the energy out of him. He could not run, jump, and frolic along the crisp grass and flower bushes even if he wanted to—though, even if he could, he wouldn’t. There was no one there to have fun with him, and playing by himself only ever brought more sadness to the blonde. Not happiness.

He glanced about, then turned his gaze to the silver concrete beneath his shoes. It had been years, and he began to get comfortable where he was. He never expected to be in this position again…

Suddenly, the soft thuds of several pairs of shoes meeting concrete steadily rose above the buzz, and all at once, the loud chatter ceased—only to make way for soft squeals and excited whispers. Jaehwan slowly raised his head in time to see a small group consisting of two men and two women stop in front of them, and his eyes instantly lit up. Among the four was a casual, yet dignified male whose golden skin reflected the soft sunlight in a gentle radiance while his eyes sparkled and danced like twinkling stars.

Hakyeon stood in one half of the center of the group with a pleasant smile that grew just a bit wider when he met Jaehwan’s wide eyes. As the crowd continued to whisper and settle, the twenty-one-year-old snuck a quick wink to the blonde, and his features softened as Jaehwan visibly began to relax until he was able to give a shy smile back.

The group of four wore a pair of slick casual pants and a dark blue shirt that bore the university’s name proudly embroidered above the heart. The young man also in the center swung his arms at his sides slightly. He surveyed the group of students with a squinty gaze, then broke out into the brightest grin Jaehwan had ever seen. “Hello, everyone!” The four bowed in unison. “We of the student council are your student leaders and tour guides, and we’d like to officially welcome you all to campus.” The crowd cheered, and the young man chuckled. “I’m Lee Jinki, a senior, student council president, and a resident assistant at the dormitory. If you have any troubles transitioning into campus life or have personal concerns, come to me anytime. I’ll be there to listen.”

Several girls squealed when Jinki smiled again while some placed a hand to their chests. Hakyeon clapped along with the crowd before stepping forward and giving a small bow. “Hello. I’m vice president, Cha Hakyeon. If you have any questions or concerns about the academic system, or are in need of advice, I am here. I can point you in the right direction or give study tips.” The twenty-one-year-old bowed once more, then covered a bashful grin as squeals rang through the air once more. Jaehwan chuckled, though he agreed with the squealing girls. His hyung was much too dashing on his own; a single smile had the power to make anyone’s—girl or guy—heart flutter, a feeling the blonde knew all too well.

“Hey, is he that Cha Hakyeon?” a young man near Jaehwan whispered. “The fake who thinks he’s better than everyone?”

Jaehwan turned, wide-eyed.

The boy’s friend leaned in and nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. My brother was right. He’s as ugly and egotistical as he said.” He scoffed. “Look at that. The ‘almighty Cha’ is in-charge of helping us academically, but the only thing he’s doing is showing us where the library is and telling us how to hold a pencil ‘properly.’” The boy barked a quiet laugh. “Some vice president. What a joke.”

Jaehwan gaped at the two. Who were these boys? How did they know Hakyeon? Who was this kid’s brother that spoke so badly about him? Above all, how in the world could anyone think something so ridiculous of his hyung?

Frozen in place with his breathing irregular and a mouth too dry to form words, the blonde could only watch as the duo cackled and continued to give snide comments about the golden male only several meters away. The introductions of the female student council members barely made it to the blonde’s ears. Did he hear an ‘Amber’? Probably not. That’s not a name usually found in Korea. ‘Seohyun?’ Hakyeon was obsessed with a Seohyun for goodness knows how long. Surely, he would have mentioned if that Seohyun was part of student council as well.

Hakyeon-hyung…

The second boy clapped. “Know what?” He didn’t wait for his friend to guess. “I’m going to see just how ‘smart’ this Cha Hakyeon is. Bet you he’ll falter faster than you can blink.”

The gears in Jaehwan’s head instantly began working again. He stepped forward towards the duo, but was suddenly held still by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Hakyeon’s concerned eyes. “Hyung…?” The world moved again, and Jaehwan realized that the majority of the crowd was already half-way into one of the nearby campus buildings.

“Jaehwan-ah? Is something wrong?”

“Um…” Jaehwan glanced back where the two boys were, but they were already at the building’s entrance. “N-No…” He slowly turned back to Hakyeon. “Nothing…”

Hakyeon studied the blonde’s furrowed brows and bewildered orbs. He narrowed his eyes. “Jaehwan-ah…”

The younger cringed at the stare, but sighed in defeat. “T-There were some people talking bad about you, hyung,” he whimpered.

When he looked up, h