One of the main differences between S.M. and E.X.O, you quickly recall when you step into the sprawling ballroom, is that S.M. is mainly made up of Supers compared to Mutants. E.X.O, is the other way round.

 

That explains the curious myriad of strange beings in the brightly lit ballroom; mutants with blue/red/green skin, heads that look like fishes (but dressed in suits), eyes that are not in their sockets, too many eyes on a face, claws that drag on the floor (or is that his hair?)... They look totally out of place and they probably feel it too, as many shift uncomfortably when more and more students trickle in.

 

Two huge crystal chandeliers suspend in thin air and the marbled floor shimmers like fluid glacier. Everything looks so sparkly and astral and you marvel how you are not turning blind already.

 

"Did you... see that?" Amber whispers as the two of you move towards the reception area.

"See what?"

"That mutant has hanging on his face." She hisses.

You cast a glance in the direction she is gesturing with a twitch of .

"I believe he's a mutant from the proboscis monkey, don't be rude." You lightly slap her on the arm.

"Oww... What is that anyway? A monkey with a on its face?"

"A monkey with a very large nose on its face. Now drink." You give her another smart slap as you pass her a glass of beverage from the counter.

 

She takes a sip and chokes.

"Yah! Is this your way of silencing me?" Amber pouts. "I know you don't wanna come but, hey, it's important my best friend stands by me when I'm in the rut ok?"


 

You swallow the orange liquid and nearly gags on it too. What the heck is this? You wipe the offending liquid off your lips and turns to her.

"Firstly, I'm not silencing you, I can do better than this... this... whatever juice this is, if I really wanted to and secondly, the principal basically threatened us to come else our grades are ka-poof and you know where I am with Dr Song already and lastly, you are not in the rut, you just have to tell him your true feelings. Is that so difficult? You are Amber for goodness sake, the Amber Liu!"

"I know, I know, but somehow I just freeze in front of h-- "

And then she freezes.

 

You follow her gaze.

Kris is striding into the ballroom in his usual offhandish fashion with a few others you recognize from the basketball team. Krystal, a slender, attractive Super with Agility skills, Chanyeol, the wild, brown haired 1.85m tall Fire manipulator and Minseok, the not very tall but swift as hell Ice Manipulator (you highly suspect the motorcycle incident was his doing).

 

"Amber!" Chanyeol waves frenziedly when he notices her. "Oh! And ____________ !" You don't think it's possible but his grin cracks wider when he sees you.

"Playing favorites here, Chanyeol sshii?" Amber teases as she gives him and Krystal a high-five and a shy smile for Kris.

 

Chanyeol breaks into his usual over-exaggerated thigh slapping, manic laughing routine, like he's just heard the funniest joke in the entire universe. It scared you the first time you witnessed it, but after a year or so hanging around with Amber and getting acquainted with the guy, you know that's his "normal" reaction to almost anything.

"So, has it started yet?" Kris interrupts the now breathless Chanyeol with a grip on his shoulder.

"We're slightly early, it should be starting soon." You speak up since Amber suddenly seems more preoccupied with her disgusting beverage than having a decent conversation with her crush.

Kris nods.


 

Just then, Principal Lee's voice booms through the ballroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Mutants and Supers, tonight, we let go of our differences. Tonight, we party." There's a glint of humor in his voice that you find highly disturbing. Before you can put your finger on it, boisterous dance music fills the ballroom.

 

"Tonight will be interesting." The Ice manipulator scans the hall as he wiggles his eyebrows.

You think so too.
 

__________________


Do Kyungsoo finds himself in yet another predicament as his two best friends stare at him expectantly, waiting for his answer to their ridiculous proposition.

The first predicament is when he realized wriggling out of the Summer Party is not an option as Principal Kim used their grades as threat. Being a Mutant and Super hybrid means that Kyungsoo has to juggle both disciplines. He hasn't been doing so well in his Super Strength classes since it's so unstable (Just last month he successfully ripped through not only the stipulated area in the training ground but also an entire row of classrooms, spending the better half of the week repairing the fissures on the ground) and his Shapeshifting ability is so far limited to only morphing into people and not very much with inanimate objects.

 

Kyungsoo, however, is uncomfortable with crowds and moments ago, has been trying to morph into the white washed walls of the ballroom to no avail. He then settled for making himself as inconspicuous as possible, which is predictably, interrupted by his two best friends, Kai, a Teleporter and Sehun, the Wind Manipulator, the handsome twin that has girls and boys prostrating left right center. 

Kyungsoo always wonder what they see in him to make the elder a part of their highly coveted clique.

 

"Look, it's just once ok? When will we ever have this chance again? That girl is hot, hot, hot!" Kai eyes the lanky subject across the ballroom, sandwiched between an androgynous person and a quiet looking girl.

"And why should I participate in this devious scheme of yours?" Kyungsoo blinks, unrelenting. The obnoxious dance music pounding through the ballroom is just loud enough to keep their conversation private yet sedated enough for proper hearing.

"Because hyung is the kindest and most helpful person in the whole wide world!" Kai shakes the older boy's shoulder earnestly.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Sehun!"

Sehun widens his eyes in surprise. Kai raises an eyebrow. Catching his hint, the younger balls both hands into fists at each side of his cheek, acting cutely, "Buing Buing?"

"Urgh. Oh Sehun, don't do that." Kyungsoo groans.

"It's not working hyung, sorry." Sehun shrugs apologetically at Kai.

 

"Hyung..." Kai drawls, still shaking the older. "Please... You are the only person I know who can Shapeshift well enough to fool even lecturers! All you have to do, is turn into a girl, walk over to that pretty lady over there... Tell her some good things about me and I'll take it from there, easy right?"

"Why don't you just skip me and go straight to her yourself?" Kyungsoo deadpans.

"Because, that girl looks like a hard nut to crack. And girls are strange creatures, they tend to soften their stance a bit when the same gender approves of Prince Charming himself, me!" Kai grins.

"For the last time, no." Kyungsoo crosses his arms.

 

Kai pouts and frowns.

Kyungsoo shakes his head.

 

After a beat, the Teleporter's scowl gives way to a crooked smile.

 

"Hyung... You know I know you can fool even lecturers... right?"

Kyungsoo doesn't like where this is going.

"So?"

"So... You know I know that you entered the vocal practice studio though all of us know only Mrs Kwon has access to the room?"

Kyungsoo's eyes turn as big as saucers.

 

"What, has a Shapeshifter and Super Strength student got to do with vocal practice I really don't know, it's not like you are taking mimicry classes right, hyung? I'm sure Mrs Kwon will be eager to teach a new student but, if they knew that you pretended to be Mrs Kw--"

Kyungsoo slaps a hand across the younger's mouth.

"Shhhhhh!!! Th-That was only one time!" He protests.

Kai just giggles against his hand.

"Y-You promise not to tell?" Kyungsoo squeaks.

Kai muffles something and Kyungsoo removes his hand.

"If you consider my humble proposition."


 

The monotonous dance beats isn't helping with his throbbing headache and Kyungsoo thinks he should really start finding new best friends. The two devils just stare at him expectantly.


 

"You are the worst, Kim Jongin." He sighs defeatedly as he says the younger's born name in a last attempt at dignity.

"Uh uh, call me Kai." The younger wags a finger at him. "And hyung?"

Kyungsoo looks up from his despondency.


 

"You look ravishing as a girl, you know?"

The Shapeshifter is just a hair away from crushing the Teleporter into the ground with his Super Strength. But he has his grades and self-preservation to think about. So he simply closes his eyes and morphs.