The next day was less overwhelming for Mark, as he was able to gain familiarity with the event schedule. Today there was an event where the groups gathered in one of the University's largest lecture halls and the floor was opened for questions, aiming to clarify any confusion the first years had. Jaemin had said it was called Cheers, Fears, and Unclears. 

While Mark and his roommates were deep in discussion, debating on whether they wanted to attend or not, a knock rang out from the front door. Mark perked up, head turning quickly towards the door. 

"Come in," Jeno chimed out.

The door swung open and Jaehyun strode into the room with a bark of let's go, ultimately leading to a resigned and collective decision to follow the icebreaker. 

The lecture hall seats were practically filled with first year students and the icebreakers stood at the front of the room, amphitheatre style. Mark could make out Taeyong, Jaehyun, and two other leaders from the 127 building, Doyoung and Jungwoo. Yuta was nowhere to be seen, not that Mark was looking anyways.

The chatter in the room died down the moment Taeyong stepped forward, clearing his throat as he stated, "hello first years, welcome to Cheers, Fears, and Unclears. For those of you who do not know, my name is Taeyong. And now that introductions are out of the way, let's begin the presentation."

The icebreakers had essentially planned a list of the most common questions regarding classes, residency, and yearly school events. A few of the more inquisitive and brown nosing students raised their hands with questions, but for the most part there was relative silence within the room. That is until the hall door slammed open and a flurry of silver rushed in. Haechan casted a knowing glance at Mark.

"Sorry I'm late," Yuta announced apologetically, fingers brushing through his unruly hair.

Taeyong smiled tightly at the other icebreaker, clearly pressed but choosing not to make a scene,"that's fine Ta, you're here just in time for the group activity anyways."

At the announcement of a group activity, hushed whispers broke out across the room.

Taeyong turned to the mass of students again and raised his hand in a placating manner, "Yes, yes, I know, a group activity.  But trust me, it'll be pretty chill." 

He then patted Doyoung on the shoulder, telling the other boy to explain the rules. Essentially from what Mark had managed to gather, the students would be divided according to their major and paired with icebreakers from their program. Mark moved off to the left corner of the room and settled into a chair beside Maria. For some unidentifiable reason, he could not help but find her practiced and perfectly polished smile and striking powder blue eyes rather bothersome.

She turned to him, batted her eyelashes and fiddled with her long blonde hair, as she saccharinely said, "You're in English too? How fun!"

Mark nodded at her and smiled politely, "Yes, I am, and I think Taeyong is too."

Before Maria could respond, their conversation was cut short, much to Mark's relief. Taeyong had assumed his position as their group leader and began the activity, along with another girl named Palm, who was not only drop dead gorgeous, but also just as nice as she was pretty. Her skin the colour of raw umber, which seemed unfairly even more flattering under the ghastly white fluorescent light of the hall. 

A quick scan of the room revealed that apparently Yuta was a business major. Which Mark found unexpected, but fitting. Especially with a marketable face like his, Haechan had quipped later in the day.

The discussion within the group centered around any questions the students had, the majority regarding requirements, courses, professors, and assignments. Maria had spoken a lot and for some reason, her voice set Mark on edge. She seemed to like attention, so maybe sitting beside her hadn't been the best idea.

On the contrary, Mark had kept mum for the majority of the activity, only speaking when asked to introduce himself. Social anxiety was a real pain and Mark was painfully shy. That's why, ever since he was introduced to journaling by his grade six teacher, writing had become one of his most treasured and useful outlets. 

English had become such an integral part of him that he could not even imagine where he would be without it. And then music came along and the two had merged perfectly. However, his parents had stressed that music wasn't a practical career, so Mark had settled halfway. He would not be a doctor, but he would also not be a musician. Instead, he decided to be a teacher. The career choice pleased his parents and he liked kids anyways. They were easier than adults, that's for sure.

_________________

The event ended without another hiccup and the students were turned loose to do as they pleased until another event in the evening at 8:00 pm.

Mark and his now deemed friends, according to Jeno, who had stated such with a proud, eye crinkling smile, set out to explore the campus. They visited the library, wellness centre, science labs, mini-cafeteria, bookstore, and several of the randomly placed study areas.

After exploring the majority of the campus, the group eventually stopped for burgers and before they knew it 8:00 pm had rolled around. 

The second event of the day was a poetry slam. And despite the fact that his nerves were still running high from the group activity, Mark was actually looking forward to the poetry event. He was not going to participate, but hearing other peoples' work could possibly inspire him and that thought excited him. His steps no longer dragged but were taken with a renewed purpose as he followed the other boys. 

Haechan, being the mood maker, had felt out the general vibe of the group and was riding it, cracking joke after joke. Renjun merely shook his head at the tanned boy's antics, while Jaemin giggled into his own hand and then Jeno's shoulder, when the other boy pulled him close. 

After a particularly bad joke, Renjun began to lag behind Haechan, who moved on to monologue with Jaemin and Jeno as his audience. 

"It's nice to see you genuinely smile," Renjun commented, looking at Mark. 

Mark's smile slipped off his face, taken aback. He hadn't realized that he had been forcing one for a while, but now that the shorter boy had mentioned it, he did feel lighter than before. Freer. 

He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets, "I think I'm happy."

Renjun nodded and slung an arm around Mark's shoulders, "good. Now let's catch up with the others, we don't want to be left behind."

_________________

The event was held in one of the cafés the boys had scouted yesterday. The patio fairy lights glittered under the evening sky, as faint jazz music trickled out from beneath the glass door. A fireplace in the far corner of the café, behind the stage, crackled. Mark could feel the cozy atmosphere from outside. It wasn't cold, but tonight felt like a night for hot chocolate.

Mark slipped into the café after Renjun. His group immediately found a booth to claim. The brown leather was soft underneath them and the overhead light shone down gently, illuminating the booth. A tall, willowy girl stood on the stage, speaking into a microphone about leaves and something existential. 

Jaemin gently tapped Mark's shoulder to get his attention before asking for his order. Mark, feeling particularly comfortable under the soft glow of the fireplace, instantly responded with a white hot chocolate. Jaemin smiled, said he'd be right back, and grabbed Jeno's arm as he walked over to the counter to order.

Haechan and Renjun had also gotten up to