red type is when a character is speaking Chinese (Mandrain)

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Under the fluorescent lights of downtown Seoul, Hangeng walked alone taking in the city he once lived in. Seoul was a city that was always changing, and after a few years it was like a completely different city. Despite that, Hangeng was able to find the café that he used to hang out with all his friends with ease.

The Chinese man stared at the neon sign that said “Start Muse Café” for a while. Unsure if he should go in and if he went in if anyone would recognize him. He didn’t get a chance to ponder that for long, because someone did recognize him.

 “I thought you were dead,” was all they said. But Hangeng knew in his heart who spoke.

“I guess it has been a while, hasn’t it?” the foreigner asked looking over to. “Heechul.” The said male changed from the last he remembered. The other now had dyed his hair a dark blond and cut his hair to just below his ears. Hangeng could also tell he gotten a nose job, even though it looked fine betore. Heechul had grown into a more masculine male, but could still be mistaken for a female.

“Tch. . .” the Heechul scoffed, “I barely noticed.” Hangeng, he was glad to see that Heechul was still the same when he left. “Stupid Chinese man. . . are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna go in?”

“I suppose so. Will you join me?”

“I guess I can kill some time.” The blond sighed as the other opened the door for him. Heechul walked into the café without thanking Hangeng.

When the duo was seated, there was awkwardness hanging in the air. Heechul was looking over to the jazz player on stage, and Hangeng was going back and forth between his hands to the man sitting across from him. There was so much he wanted to say. Yet he didn’t know how to express it out loud; after all it has been years and they hadn’t contacted each other once in that time.

It wasn’t always liked that for the two of them. In fact, they were once roommates, best friends, and lovers. However that was long ago. Besides, it wasn’t like those times were the easiest, but then again they were happy times; with all their friends, with all those memories, with each other.

Hangeng cleared his throat to get his old friend’s attention. Heechul’s hair flowed in the direction that the head moved, a pair of onyx eyes now kept watch on the Chinese man. The other knew his life depended on what he said next.

Opening his mouth, Hangeng spoke.

.

.

.

Hangeng knocked on the door to his new dorm at SJ University. He was a bit nervous coming here to Korea alone, but after all the money his folks saved up for him to let him attend here, he couldn’t back down. He swore he would make his family back home in China proud.

“Who is it?” a voice questioned as a tired looking girl open the door. She had dark black hair that was to her shoulders, and a pink Tome and Jerry nightgown on. Hangeng’s eye opened wide afraid he made a mistake between the ‘girl’s dorms’ and ‘boy’s dorms.’ 

“Ah I’m sorry miss, I think I got the wrong dorm number,” Hangeng apologized in broken Korean while bowing at 45 degrees.

“Who the hell do you think you’re calling miss?” The ‘female’ hissed. “And you sound like a five year old when you speak.”

Hangeng was at a loss of words, well more like he didn’t want to say something so the other could mock him again. Maybe he should go back to China and go to school at a Chinese school.

“You’re that Chinese guy that’s my new roommate, Hankyung, right?” the male asked. Hangeng opened his mouth to answer, and correct him that it was Hangeng, but the other cut him off. “Come on in, name’s Kim Heechul by the way.”

The other followed the nightgown wearing male into the dorm. “Set your stuff over there, there’s your bed, here’s your keys to the room, don’t lose them. And from the looks from your ID, I’m older by seven months so you better show me respect.” Heechul stated the last fact with a smirk.

Hangeng was trying to keep up with what the other was saying, this guy talked a lot, and his attitude would not be described as modest. Neither one was making a good first impression on the other.

“Sure.” was all Hangeng replied with. He then went off to organize his few belongings in the dorm.

Heechul starched his head before leaving to shower and change into his day clothes. When he came back, there was a knock at the door again. It wasn’t like the one he got earlier this morning that was short and polite from Hangeng, it was loud, obnoxious and wouldn’t stop.

“It’s open!” the Korean yelled knowing already who was behind the other side.

“Hellos!” A light brown haired greeted walking in, followed by several other guys.

“You know there is a commons area on this floor Leeteuk.”

“That’s Leeteuk-hyung to you,” he said laughing. He finally noticed the Chinese standing off to the side wondering who those people were. “Hi,” Leeteuk waved at the quite male. “I’m Leeteuk, and this is Kangin, Shindong, Shiwon, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun.”

“There’s normally more of us, but some of them are still aren’t here yet for the school year.” The one named Kangin added. Hangeng just nodded trying to process all of this information, names, and faces.

“Get off of my laptop!” Heechul demanded as one of the new faces was on the said device playing a game.

The person on the laptop stuck his tongue, “Not before I give it a virus that can’t be fixed Heechul.”

“You cheeky little brat! I’m your hyung!” The other just laughed and smiled proudly.

“Kyuhyun is still the evil maknae,” Shindong sighed, “looks like it’s going to be high school all over again.”

“Except we have a few new additions,” Leeteuk pointed out.

“Huh?” Ryeowook asked confused, “Who?”

“There are two other guys studying aboard here on this floor, Zhoumi, and Henry.”

“Oh those guys! I think I saw them unpack a few days ago. . .” Ryeowook trailed off thinking of the tall Zhoumi, and the shorter Henry.

“Haha die you bastards die!!!” Kyuhyun yelled laughing as he killed his enemies.

“Oi! If you’re gonna use my laptop least keep it down!” Heechul scolded slapping the younger upside the head.

The one who got hit scrunched up his face, in grabbed his head before feigning tears, “Leeteuk-oppa, Hee-Hee isn’t being nice to meeeee!”

“Use the right titles! Or are you a girl now?”

“Heechul as the older hyung you should be more nice to your maknae!” Leeteuk informed wagging his finger like a mother to a son.

“Tch. . .” Heechul sighed walking away to go to the mini-fridge in the room.

“I’m Siwon, nice to meet you Hangeng,” one of the males greeted Hangeng personally in Mandarin.

“Hello Siwon,” Hangeng answered thankful he found someone who spoke his mother tongue. “Is it always like this?” He asked pointing the the chaotic sight of all the guys.

“Nope, it’s worse when all of us are together.”

“How many is all?”

“In high school there were twelve of us, but with you and the other guys there’s now fifteen.”

“I’m. . . part of your group?” Hangeng asked unsure if he heard right.

Siwon smiled and nodded, “Of course you are!” The Chinese broke a small grin hearing that, he was getting excited about meeting all these new guys.

Drinking his energy drink, Heechul watched Siwon and Hangeng talk in a language he didn’t understand. It kinda pissed him off seeing them together, but then again a lot of things did with the hell he’s been through.

“So what do you think of your roommate?” Shindong asked standing beside the feminine collage student.

“Annoying,” was all Heechul described him as.

“He seems nice to me.”

“Yippee for you then.”

“Don’t be so hard on him, open up and get to know the poor fellow,” Leetuek advised. Heechul just made a grumbled finishing his drink. Leetuek and Shindong just looked at each other and held a silent conversation with one another. Heechull really didn’t care what was happening, and silently slipped away out of the dorm.

No one noticed his absences, or at least that’s what Heechul thought; when in fact, everyone did notice, even Kyuhyun who was playing video games with Ryeowook. No one questioned his actions though, because they knew Kim Heechul, and his odd way of going through life. Only one who asked where he disappeared to was Hangeng.

“He went out to get some fresh air,” was what Siwon told him. And for now, that’s what Hangeng had to accept.

When Heechul came back from his disappearance, the other guys had already left. He found Hangeng at the small stove, cooking something.

“What are you doing?” Heechul asked bluntly starring daggers into the back of the Chinese’s head. The other said nothing and simply handed the other a bowel of hot fried rice. Heechul stared at it for a bit, unsure if it was safe to eat.

“It’s not poisoned.” Hangeng answered Heechul’s unspoken question taking a swallow of his own rice.

“That’s good to know,” Heechuld said eating his own food. It was good, he thought surprisingly. The two ate the rice in silence. When he was done, the Korean’s heard a little voice in the back of his head (that sounded an awful lot like Leetuek) yell at him, saying he should be nicer to the immigrant/roommate.

Sighing Heechuld pinch the bridge of his nose before offering, “I can help you with your Korean, if you want Hankyung.”

“It’s Hangeng,” the Chinese corrected taking the two bowels away to be cleaned.

“I said I was the older one here, didn’t I?” The long haired male reminded glaring at the other.

“And sure,” Hangeng added.

“Hmm?”

“You helping me with Korean,” the Chinese clarified.

“You still sound like a little kid when you talk,” the older of the two pointed out looking away He refused to say any more positive words to his new roommate. Hangeng just laughed at Heechul shaking his head. “What are you laughing at?”

“Ni(you).”

“Don’t speak to me in goddamn Mandarin you stupid Chinese man!”

Hangeng once again laughed walking away from the other. Korea was truely a strange place, with strange people, Kim Heechul being the strangest of them all. However, strange was bad. It wasn't bad at all.