NOTE: Before reading, please know that I have deleted the last three chapters, basically ommitting those details from the story as they were too dramatic. I want to write this in a better tone and slow things down a lot. Not as much drama and aggression. Also, NO MORE SLURS! God, I cannot believe some of the choice words i used in previous chapters. Anyway, enjoy!

Outside, the large white flakes of snow glistened in the moonlight, reflecting Luna’s beautiful beams as they fell - drifting ever so slowly to the ground - to melt together as one. Watching as the world produced the first frost of the year, it felt metaphorical to Kyungsoo. He came alone to college, no friends and no goals to make any, yet here he was, slowly succumbing to the pretenses of love; infatuated with the way his own snowflake bumped and merged with those of Jongin and Baekhyun’s. The three of them had become rather close considering their short knowledge of each other. Jongin was a good friend, someone who gave a welcoming and understanding energy. It was enticing and Kyungsoo wanted to relish in this trust the two had for each other. Baekhyun was no different, being quick to pull the slightly older man into his and Jongin’s personal circle.

Kyungsoo had only ever heard Baekhyun and Jongin mention an old friend of theirs, Minseok, a few times when they first met. But now that three months have passed since Kyungsoo introduced himself to the younger, he’s been invited on their next trip over spring break to visit Minseok and others. Even as the break lay well over a month away, he still couldn’t help but to start planning in his head; what to wear, what to bring, what to say. Being of a quiet and more reserved nature, the prospect of meeting someone new who hasn’t a clue who he is on such a special trip, made him nervous. Excited, but nervous. 

It wasn’t like Kyungsoo hadn’t met new people before, but the situations and environments he’d be in at the time had a great affect on his attitude toward the interaction. Afterall, the man had friends of his own outside of his roommate and his new companions. His best friend from highschool, Junmyeon, got accepted to his dream University and moved too far away to visit. The two met in their 4th period biology class, Kyungsoo being a sophomore while Junmyeon was a Junior. Their teacher had been giving a lecture before the first lab project, going over the safety briefings and giving examples of how to complete different tasks. At the end of it, the class was divided into groups of two, of course at the teacher’s discretion. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon were paired up, which was met with an awkward air of silence for the first few minutes before the two boys were both grossed out by the dissection they were conducting. 

“Gross!” Junmyeon gagged at the bodily fluid that leaked from the wound created by Kyungsoo’s scalpel. It was a murky gray and smelt of a mixture of formaldehyde and moth balls, all being too much for the up-town born and raised teen. Kyungsoo only shook his head and held his breath as he tried to steady his hand through the rest of the cut. “I don’t see why we have to do this anyways.”

The younger glanced up from the small frog to his partner, a sort of blank but annoyed look on his face, “I don’t see much ‘we’ in this project,” he remarked. A gawk from the other was received before Kyungsoo went back to work, now opening the cut he made to expose the inside of the animal’s abdomen. It was gross, nothing that Kyungsoo wanted to do, but he knew he had to if he wished to get a passing grade and in turn, pass by the angry wrath of his mother.

Junmyeon crossed his arms and watched for a moment longer, squeamishly commenting on how hard-core Kyungsoo is for not letting the activity not get to him, “My grandparents owned a farm, now that they’re gone… now I help my parents run it.” Kyungsoo’s family came from an opposite economic background from Junmyeon, his parents having had to take out loans to send their only son to the best school in the area in hopes of him saving the family in the future from their debts. Junmyeon, on the other hand, lived his life with little awareness of the poverty that lay outside his city. His dad was the Chief Executive of a cosmetic hospital in the metro, and his mom was ironically a model who got work done at his father’s hospital, hence how they met.

“Oh,” Junmyeon said quietly. His grandparents on his dad’s side were still well and alive, even living in the condo apartment above his own. He didn’t know what that loss felt like, as his mother’s parents passed before he was even concieved. “I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo shrugged and set the surgical knife down on the dental bib that protected his work surface, looking back to the other boy. “It’s okay, the work isn’t too hard. Plus, my mom wants me to focus on my studies most of the time.” He pushed the silver tray of tools toward Junmyeon, gesturing for him to complete the next step as the teacher walked around the room, checking on everyone’s progress. Junmyeon picked up the forceps and hesitantly began pulling back the layers of flesh and organs, wearing a prominent grimace on his face. This made Kyungsoo laugh a little, watching the boy struggle to keep his eyes on his work as a sense of nausea visibly overcame the poor kid. “Oh- God!” The first scream came from the blonde girl who sat next to Junmyeon at the neighboring table, turning around and dramatically shielding her eyes from the ghastly sight that was Junmyeon throwing up onto the floor and table in front of him. 

Lab was cut short that day and the janitor was called in to clean up the mess. The teacher had Kyungsoo accompany Junmyeon to the nurse’s office with a paper slip that explained the situation. He sat and watched as the nurse ushered his partner to the too-small bed in the corner of the room while she called his mom. For the following few minutes before his departure, the two teen boys joked and laughed about the ordeal- perhaps going into too much detail as the nurse kept shooting them looks of disapproval. This was the beginning of their friendship, one that was unexpected and questioned by many considering the disparities between the two. Some kids thought Kyungsoo was using Junmyeon for his affluence, and others thought Junmyeon was just making friends with Kyungsoo out of pity.

Pushing the heavy oak door open after struggling with the near frozen lock, Kyungsoo heaved a sigh of relief as the warm air from inside cut through the bitter cold of the outdoors. A happy shiver ran down his spine and he immediately dropped his bag to the floor to get changed into night clothes better suited for the weather. The day spent with Jongin and Baekhyun was nice, but now he had to unpack his things for the new semester. Luckily he was alone tonight, making it easier in many ways for Kyungsoo to have a peaceful night of organization. He enjoyed these moments of quiet solitude, basking in the silence that was only ever broken by his own soft breathing. 

Before the break, things had been a little rough with Chanyeol being the way he was on top of the grueling amount of homework in the final week. Now, though, after seeing his family and spending his first day back with friends, Kyungsoo began to feel like things were going to be okay; like he could handle any problems that came his way in a different manner. While closer with his mom than his dad, he would be lying if he said his dad didn’t give great advice. Kyungsoo had brought up to his father the issues between him and Chanyeol, along with each of their friends - minus the part about starting to fall for one of these friends - and the conversation that followed was one he would have never expected.

“Dad,” The soft voice came from the doorway to the sitting room, bartering the attention of the middle aged man that was slouching on the mustard brown sofa. “Can I talk to you? About school?” His dad turned off the television before ever sparing his son a look, patting the spot next to him with his free hand.

After Kyungsoo took his seat, the older man turned to him with a look of concern buried beneath his sun-tanned and life-scorned expression. “What is it, my boy?” He asked, placing a calloused hand upon the boy's shoulder. “Are your classes overwhelming you? Or… Don’t tell me you’ve finally found yourself a girl like Ma.” The cheesy smile plastered on the older’s face was near impossible to mirror for the younger. 

“No, dad.” Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, Kyungsoo gently pulled his dad’s hand off his shoulder, opting to hold it instead. “It's just.. My roommate and I aren’t really getting along well. He doesn’t care for my friends - and I don’t care for his.”

His dad took in the information with a nod, breathing in deeply before asking simply, “Well, why not?”

“First, he’s - You know, a go-getter, party type and I’m… me.” This earned a breath filled laugh from his dad upon exhalation of his deep breath. “I’m serious, dad. We are totally incompatible. He’s mean, too. Makes fun of my friend.”

“What for?”

Now Kyungsoo was the one breathing deeply. “He’s disabled.” He stated, “Deaf and blind.”

“Hm,” His dad pondered for a few seconds, “That’s a shame, son.”

“What, that he’s deaf and blind? Or that he’s getting picked on?”

“The second, obviously.” His dad withdrew his slightly larger hand, now using it and the other to help push himself off of the sinking cushions. Meandering over to the connected kitchen-dinette, he pulled two cans of his favorite, locally brewed beers. “Son, I can’t tell you why people are the way they are, but I can tell you that how you react to them plays a big deal into your happiness.” It was said so plainly, like this was something he should have known all along, but it made Kyungsoo’s head turn and his eyebrows furrow.

“What do you mean?”

His dad cracked the first can open as he made his way back to the couch, holding out to a confused Kyungsoo, “I mean; if you let them people get to you, eat ya up inside all day, you’re not going to be happy. You just have to ignore ‘em. You can’t fix ‘em, or teach ‘em how to care.” 

This only caused Kyungsoo to go deeper into the whirlwind of thought that was already conjuring his mind. He hadn’t even told his father that he tried to mediate a conversation between Jongin and Chanyeol, but yet his dad just knew. Kyungsoo felt a smile tug at his lips, feeling grateful to have his father in this moment, as he made everything seem so much clearer. “So what should I do when I go back?” 

A short silence followed the question, leaving time for his dad to sip on his own beer while he thought. Kyungsoo sipped awkwardly from his, turning his eyes away from his old man, letting them land on the family heirlooms in the china cabinet and the pictures on the walls. It wasn’t long before his father spoke again, though, saying, “Be happy.” 

“What?”

“Be happy. Do the things and be with the people that make you happy.” Said in this way seemed too much like an ‘easier said than done’ situation. “Don’t look at me like that. If your roommate gives you any more troubles, just- y’know,” He shook his hand above his head, having lost his words but still trying to convey the message to his son.

“Just ignore him?” A nod. “I don’t think I can do that.. I’ve tried and it hasn’t exactly worked out.”
“Well then, son,” another brief pause. “Keep your peace when and where you can.”

‘Keep your peace.’ 

The phrase had been running through his head the whole bus ride back to campus, and now again as he mentally prepared himself for the moment his drunken roommate would clamor through the door like usual. Though, it never came that night. Kyungsoo awoke, surprised to see the other half of the room empty and barren of any traces of Chanyeol. ‘Weird,’ he thought, but continued his normal morning routine.