Year One

Prologue

Choi Minki, also known to most as Ren, stood in a very large, very confusing underground train terminal, a backpack on his back, a duffle back around his shoulder, and two medium sized suitcases stacked on top of each other so he could roll them both with one hand next to him. He was dressed casually, yet stylishly in white shorts with thin, gray pants underneath, a black belt, a light pink t-shirt, blue and white high tops and a light blue and lemon yellow hoodie. His pale blonde dyed hair fell down to just centimeters above his slim shoulders and dark eyes lined with even darker lashes pierced the air in front of him from underneath a thick fringe. He was mystifyingly beautiful, more beautiful than any woman could hope to be.

He glanced around the terminal, at the myriad of gates and railways organized throughout the station. This station was brand new and unavailable to the normal, everyday citizens of South Korea. The station was painted white and gray with a high, arching ceiling and numerous help desks, ticket booths, resting areas, convenience stores, fast food places, and other shops. People of all shapes, sizes, looks, and even races skittered around either heading to their work station or trying to catch a train. The trains, which ran on electricity and batteries, since they would be carrying passengers underneath the sea that stretched out South from the city of Busan, were white and modern looking, like all trains these days. Some were preparing to leave, others were just arriving. Ren was eager to hop on one of them and head out to some distant place he was unfamiliar with. Someplace anonymous and unaware of his existence. Someplace where he would be regarded normally and indifferently. Where he would have more than just one or two friends that he had known his whole life. But today, he couldn’t just hop on a random train. He had a specific one to catch that, hopefully, would take him to someplace just as good as the place he had dreamt of for so long.

Ren was just starting to get antsy when he heard someone calling out his name. “Hey! Ren!”

He turned to see his best friend since middle school, Lee Taemin, running towards him, waving two train tickets in the air as he ran. He was dressed in black skinnies with rips and tears over the legs, a white tank top, a gray collared dress shirt left open, white high tops and a black fedora, deep red dyed hair peeking out from underneath his hat. He was nearly equally as beautiful as Ren was, but still lacked a few girlish features  that distinguished Ren from Taemin. While Ren always seemed to be fixed with a calm, maybe even bored, expression, Taemin was always happy and perky.

“I got the tickets just in time! Our train is boarding now and leaves in twenty minutes! We have to hurry if we’re going to catch it!” Taemin said as he stopped front of Ren. He handed Ren a plastic card fixed onto a neck strap. “Here’s your pass back.”

Ren took the card and stared down at the piece of plastic with his picture and information on it. At the top was the name of the place they were headed to: Mystic Institute for Gifted Students. Ren sighed and placed the student’s pass around his neck.

Taemin, sensing his friend’s unease, patted him on the back. “Aw, it’s alright, Ren. It’ll all be okay. You’ll see! This school will be a lot better than all the rest! It’s for people like us!”

“People like us”. The “gifted students” that were mentioned in the school’s name. Ren knew all too well what those phrases meant.

“Yeah, hyung. I know. But that doesn’t help much. True, it’s going to be different, but I’m not so sure about ‘better’. I’ll believe that when I see it,” Ren said.

The look Taemin gave Ren and look of understanding and empathy before placing his arm around Ren’s shoulders and saying, “Come on. We don’t want to miss our train and be late for our first day.”

“Right,” Ren sighed again as Taemin led him off to find the gate their train was leaving from.

Ten minutes later, they had found their train and boarded in one of the many connected cars. They were able to snag one of the last booths in the last car that was considered “first class”. They shoved their luggage into the compartments above them and rested down onto the soft, sky blue seats.

Taemin bounced in his seat and looked out the window, gawking at the view even though they were still in the station. “Wow! This is so cool! First class seats! We’re lucky, huh Ren?!”

“Yeah,” Ren said absentmindedly, fiddling with the t of his shorts.

Taemin pouted at the other. “Ren-ah! Lighten up! Worry about everything once we get there! Enjoy the ride for now! After all, you love to travel!”

“I know, hyung. I just-”

Just then the booth door banged open and in barged two other boys. One was tall and cutesy looking with soft, black hair and bright eyes. He was dressed in slim cut blue jeans, a lavender cotton shirt, white high tops and a white scarf around his neck. The other was a little shorter with dirty blonde dyed hair on top and dark brown dyed hair underneath. He was dressed in gray skinnies, a long sleeve white shirt with the sleeve pushed up to his elbows, a silver belt, and white and gray high Converse. Several pendants and necklaces hung from around his neck and gold and silver bangles clinked and chimed from his wrists. He was very fashionable and diva-like.

“Maknaes!!!” said the diva boy, beaming from ear to ear like a mother does when her son comes home from school. He plopped down next to Taemin and engulfed him in a hug. “Good morning my son! And good morning, Ren-ah!”

“Good morning Key hyung. It’s good to see you again,” Ren said as Taemin laughed from the boy’s embrace.

“My Minki-ya! How are you?” the other boy sat next to Ren and hugged him like the other was doing to Taemin.

“Hello, Minhyun hyung. I’m fine.” Ren graced his old childhood friend with a small smile.

The taller one was Hwang Minhyun, Ren’s childhood friend. The other was Kim Kibum, or Key, who was Taemin’s own childhood friend who thought of him as a son.

The train sounded it’s loud horn and a conductor shouted something from the terminal outside. The train slowly started to move, gaining speed as they went, taking off towards their destination.

“So, are you two ready for your first day at your new school?” Key asked.

“Better yet, Taemin hyung’s first day of college, and Ren-ah’s first day of high school!”

“Ah, hyung, it’s your first day of high school too,” Ren pointed out.

“Oh yeah…” Minhyun pouted. “I forgot.”

Taemin laughed. “I’m excited! I can’t wait to start my college courses! I’m going to major in the Performing Arts and become a teacher!” Taemin’s expression got serious. “But Ren-ah isn’t so enthused.”

“Minki-ya! My baby! What’s wrong?” Key asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing really. Just…” Ren looked out the window at the passing marine life scenery as they ventured off under the surface of the sea. “I have this feeling…Like strange things are going to happen…Like maybe this is dangerous…I’m…kind of scared. I just want a normal life without all the craziness, abandonment, and danger. But maybe I’m asking for too much.”

“Ah, Ren,” Minhyun hugged him again. “It will be okay. You’re just nervous.”

“Yeah,” Key agreed. “After all, what with a school like we’re going to, danger would be normal. Of course strange things are going to happen. It’s a strange school. It’s a perfect fit for us.”

“Don’t worry, Ren! You’ll like it there! I’m sure of it!” Taemin encouraged.

Ren just sighed again and returned to the window, gazing off into the dark depths of the sea, which he found was an accurate analogy for their unclear future at Mystic Institute. It gave him even more of an unsettling feeling.

a/n: only four people. )'X And so short! It was 3 pages on Word!!!!But that's okay, there will be plenty more in the first chapter. Also, I'd like to say that this will be like Rosario + Vampire and YuGiOh! GX. (Can't really explain it that well...) So that's it for now. See ya!