Merry laughter filled the whole Chicken Place. Glass clanking and courtesy exchanged between sunbae and hoobae. It was the welcoming party for new students enrolling in Art and Design Department. Sunbae's tried their best to impose mightiness to the young ones while the young ones tried their best to up to their seniors. Everyone was doing the typical roles assigned to them... except for Dowoon.

His awkwardness makes the whole ordeal seemed difficult. One would have thought that he was one of the freshman; socially inapt to adapt to the new beginning of school. The hoobaes all thought he was one of them and they would always nudge him to pour drinks to the sunbaes; afraid that he'd be labelled as outcast once class started. Dowoon's belief that drinking is bad and innocent chicken is being slaughtered to satisfy human's need does not help at all in lubricating the process of interaction between him and his colleagues.

Revelation that he was part of the senior line comes when Jaehyung the alpha leader of the pack spoken.

"Yoon Dowoon...Why aren't you eating? This is your first time coming as senior and your act is disappointing. You should enjoy and make the hoobaes feel welcomed do you know that. Hey you in the blue shirt pour him a drink and put chicken on his plate."

Dowoon who was almost invisible during the party was now the centre of attention. Pressure was engulfing him and right at that time he felt like digging a hole and buried himself away from the attention. Slowly, he lift his hand and reach out for the chicken in front of him while praying for God to forgive him. Panic stricken his face as his fingers are inches away from touching the crispy golden chicken when suddenly it was snatched away from his plate.

He tried to register the situation that just happened. The person sitting in front of him had gulped the chicken piece in haste.

"Sorry... His chicken seems too good and I can't help it" as he stuffed his mouth with more chicken.

Everyone was speechless...

A roaring laughter at the end of the table broke the intense atmosphere. It was Jae and he must have found the whole situation funny.

Dowoon was relieved he did not have to go through that gruesome experience. Throughout the party, his eyes were curious about the person in front of him but he was too shy to look and he thinks that looking too much would invade the person's privacy. Instead, he opt for listening to his soft voice.

Hours have passed and the party did not seem to end anytime soon. Round 2 was just about to begin.

****

Art and Design Department has a tradition where seniors and juniors are paired together as a way to strengthen their bonds and to help each other throughout the semester. It was just a facade actually. Their real intention was to increase the chances of seniors hooking up with juniors. Pathetic isn't it but that's tradition.

Dowoon was stuck in a noraebang with the hoobae that had saved him from comitting a serious crime. How'd he end up getting paired with him was a total miracle.

His voice was soft but good lord he's terrible at singing. He was a total fool with the mic and Dowoon also became a total fool, laughing at him.

"What? We only have 5 minutes left to sing.." Younghyun said as the digital timer on the tv starts counting backwards.

Younghyun.. A name that Dowoon learned as soon as he stepped his foot into the noraebang. That's how extrovert Younghyun is.

"Wait! I think you did not even sing once. Let's sing together. I'll start first"

Dowoon knew that eventually he had to sing. It's a noraebang for God's sake and it would be weird for him not to sing. His hands were sweaty and his heart seems like it would explode at any moment.

Bang Bang Bang filled the whole room and Younghyun started singing and dancing along to the music. Then, the chorus starts booming and Younghyun passed the mic to Dowoon.

He felt sick. His hands were already holding the mic and as he was about to utter the first word of the chorus he burps.
Silence that felt like eternity ensued between the two of them. Dowoon felt utterly embarrassed. His feet were ready to dash out of the room when another burp exploded, not from Dowoon but from Younghyun.

"I bet I can burp louder than you" Younghyun said with a cheeky smile. Then, both of them burst with laughter.

That is how Dowoon and Younghyun became friends.