Hi guys :) Sorry for the late update. I'm getting busier and also struggled for inspiration for this. Enjoy :)

I smile around at my friends, all slightly tipsy and very rowdy. We’re in the kitchen, slightly bigger than the one from our second year, and are celebrating the end of our exams. This was my last year here and I have my graduation ceremony tomorrow. I will be graduating with Joonmyun and also Baekhyun, but the others; Chen, Luhan, Kyungsoo, Jongin and Sehun will be graduating in another year or two.

Luhan and Sehun will be here longer than the rest of us because the medicine course is longer than most.

I jump, cringing back in my seat before laughing as Joonmyun, who’s normally very restrained, trips on Chen’s foot and goes flying to the floor with a yell. I laugh for a few seconds, as all good friends should, before helping him up and shoving him back towards Chen who manhandles him back to his seat.

I hear noise from the door and turn to see Luhan and Sehun arriving with food. I grin hungrily, before getting up again to help them distribute the food around. I hand Kyungsoo the bag with some random ingredients before helping Sehun take the take-away foods out of the bags and spreading them out on the table. We work in comfortable silence, listening to the people chatting around us.

Jongin has, as usual, drifted to Kyungsoo’s side and is ‘helping’ him with the food. At least, that’s what he tries to do, but this usually ends up with him being sent away by a flustered Kyungsoo. Luhan’s sat down and is chatting with Baekhyun.

I hand Sehun a box of dokbokki because I know he’s got a thing for it, and he gives me a nod of thanks.

I’m far from being as close with Sehun as I am with Jongin, but we’ve spent the last almost two years trying our best to be polite with each other and now we can interact without feeling uncomfortable. Managing my dislike of him has become much easier as I’ve witnessed how close he has become with Luhan. He’s so devoted to him it’s almost ridiculous.

They’re not as cute a couple as Jongin and Kyungsoo, but they have something between them that’s so strong, that you can tell is there by just watching the way they unconsciously seem to reach out for each other. Even now, Sehun has taken his seat next to Luhan who has, without even seeming to have seen him there, stretched out a hand and linked their hands together.

Sehun spoke with Chanyeol last year, after keeping his relationship with Luhan a secret for a few months and somehow, he’s managed to retain his friendship with him and the others, however Chanyeol had decided he was uncomfortable with having a gay roommate. Sehun moved in with Luhan which caused quite a stir within our group, but was soon accepted, mainly because I told them I had no problem with it.

Jongin and Sehun had several arguments but it was obvious they wanted to be friends again. We’d left them alone together one day, to go shopping and had returned to find them yelling. We’d rushed in to find them both on the floor, engaged in a very vocal competition on the play station. Since then they’d worked to rebuild their friendship. They’re not the same as they once were, but they’re still close, just in a different way.

I turn to help Kyungsoo plate up some food. He sends me a grateful smile before turning and glancing at Jongin who has drunk too much and is making a fool out of himself. I smirk in amusement and head to the cupboard to grab some glasses to hand out. I plan to make everyone drink at least one glass of water tonight to try and combat their appalling hangovers tomorrow.

It takes some persuading but eventually I manage to get even Jongin to drink some. Twenty minutes later it seems to have done something as he’s acting less uninhibited.

We eat and play games and just have fun as we spend our last evening here together as a group. We’ll all be doing our own thing next year. I’ll be applying for a job, some of us will still be studying and others will be travelling. I plan to still hang out though, these friendships mean too much to me to just let them go.

“Huang Zitao.” I swallow nervously before walking up to the stage to receive my certificate. “Congratulations Tao.” I smile at my tutor who happens to be handing out certificates at the ceremony.

“Thank you,” I reply before turning and walking down the steps on the other side of the platform. I scan the crowd of parents and friends to find my parents. One particular face catches my attention and I stumble slightly in shock as I walk back to my seat. It’s Kris. This time I manage to maintain my composure and make it to my seat before I let out a quiet sigh of distress.

Of all the times he could turn up. I decide he’s probably here for Chanyeol’s graduation ceremony, or maybe Lay’s or Xiumin’s. To be fair, I haven’t really heard much about Xiumin during my time here. I’ve seen him occasionally as I’ve walked through the university grounds but he’s never approached me and I’ve never spoken to him. I think he studied cooking or something in order to take over his fathers company which owns a string of bakeries.

I take deep breaths as more people are called up and try to follow the meditation aspect of my martial arts training that I’ve mastered over the years. Gradually I can feel myself calming down as I tell myself that he can’t hurt me anymore and that there’s so many people here that I probably won’t even see him again.

I walk out in a slight daze once the ceremony is finally over. Somehow I find my parents, who pull me back down to earth, and I try to put Kris out of my mind. It’s frustrating though, that even now after all this time has passed, he can have this effect on me.

I let out a gasp as someone jumps on me from behind, and turn around, a grin forming on my face as I see Baekhyun with his parents. He’s dressed in the graduation robes too and I decide we look pretty awesome due to his fashion skills that he put into play here. I bow in greeting to his parents who smile back and start a conversation with my parents, who they’ve grown to know over the years that I’ve been rooming with Baekhyun.

We decide to leave them to it and slip away, heading off to find the others. We finally spot them in a far corner and start working through the crowd towards them. Someone bumps into me from my left and I turn to apologise.

“Sorry,” they say, before I can speak. I freeze, recognising the voice, before lifting my gaze to their face as my heartbeat speeds up. Kris’s eyes widen in recognition and he opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to it. I feel Baekhyun’s hand touch my arm and take strength from his presence.

“Long time no see Kris.” I say, making my voice smooth and calm, as though he had no effect on me at all. I fist my hand behind my back fighting to remain in control of myself. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me crumble again.

“Tao,” he says emotionlessly, after a moment, before glancing at my clothes. “You’re graduating this year? Congratulations.” I nod, before glancing behind him towards my friends in the corner, as though I’m barely paying attention to him.

“I’m sorry, I have someone to see. Excuse me.” I walk past him, not even sparing him a glance, and follow Baekhyun through the crowd. I can feel his eyes on my back as I leave and fight a shudder, keeping my back straight. When we arrive, the others crowd around, congratulating us, and I force myself to relax, allowing their smiling faces and happy voices to calm me.

Joonmyun appears at my shoulder, also dressed in the graduation gown. He pulls me in for a quick hug saying “it’s finally over.” I chuckle and nod.

After a few minutes, Baekhyun pulls me to one side. “Are you ok?” he asks, worry in his voice. I think for a moment, before nodding. He smiles, gripping my shoulders and saying “good.” I smile back at him, really feeling like I’m ok. Whenever I’m near Kris I feel like I’m falling apart, but once he’s gone I feel like I can get back to normal again.

That evening, after saying goodbye to my friends and arranging to meet up sometime, I get a taxi with my parents to their rented apartment near the centre of town. I’ll be staying there with them for a few weeks as I search for a job. They plan on spending a while here before returning to China, and have told me that if I get a job here in Seoul they will continue to rent this apartment for me to stay in.

I shower and change into more casual but smart clothes before heading into the living room. My dad is sitting on the sofa, reading a Chinese newspaper and I join him as we wait for my mother. Eventually she joins us and I smile, and dad tells her she looks nice. At least all the time she takes to get ready has a nice outcome, I think to myself in amusement.

We head downstairs to the underground garage where my dad walks over to an awesome black car that he’d purchased that afternoon.

“Nice” I say appreciatively as I climb in the back. He grins at me in the mirror, “I know.”

I hear my mum laugh from next to him as we drive out of the car park, “you two and your cars.”

I roll my eyes with a smile and relax back in my seat.

I’m hungry when we arrive at the restaurant, only having eaten a small amount of food today from the refreshments at the ceremony. I order the same as my dad, not really caring what I eat as long as there’s lots of it, and knowing that my dad usually makes a good choice; we have similar tastes.

We talk comfortably whilst we wait for the food to arrive. “Tao,” my dad says. I face him, giving him my full attention. “I’ve been thinking about the type of job you want to apply for.” I cringe inwardly, oh man here we go.

“I’m sure you’re aware that there are risks associated with that job, so I’m not going to try and talk you out of it. Instead, I’ve decided that I won’t oppose your decision, but I’ve got some conditions. I want you to get a job working for someone who’s in a good business and who has a position similar to the one you will have. That way, you can do the job you want whilst also learning and observing the type of role you will have to play when you start your training for me.”

I nod after a moment, deciding that this is reasonable and having no objection.

“I’ve done some research,” he continues, “and collected information on a number of vacancies going at the moment. It’s your decision, but I’ve chosen one that I think is the most suitable.”

I nod again, listening carefully. “The person you would be working with is the son of a CEO and is one year older than you I think, so you should be able to get along well. He’s a very important person to that company as he will inherit, and he has been experiencing some harassment from people that are assumed to be working for rival companies. He’s even been attacked at one point. I’ve spoken with his father and he’s looking for someone with skills like yours to work with his son. He wants to interview you in two days, are you willing to go?”

I think for a moment, considering this idea from all viewpoints, before smiling, “yes. Thank you for doing this, it means a lot that you’re willing to support me.”

My dad smiles at me, glancing at my mum who’s looking pleased and relieved, before replying “I’m glad you don’t resent my input in this. I just think it’s important that you do what you want for a while and it seems a good idea to enable you to pick things up from this job that will be useful to you later on.”

Our conversation ends as the waiters bring out our food and I tuck in hungrily.

I wake up early the next day, my body clock still used to getting up early for revision, and glance at the clock with a groan. I laze around in bed for another hour before grabbing some sweatpants and my Ipod, padding quietly out of my room and heading out the apartment door. I climb the stairs and unlock the door to the roof. I glance around in appreciation, glad that my parents had chosen to rent the apartment on the top floor.

I spare a moment to take in the view before putting my headphones on and slipping easily into my usual routine. It’s hot, and after a few minutes, I tug off my t-shirt before continuing. I concentrate on working my muscles loose, testing my flexibility, and working out harder than normal to make up for the fact that yesterday I’d had to skip my workout in order to finish packing and prepare for the graduation ceremony.

I’m sweating profusely when, just over an hour later, I decide I’m too hot to continue, and after stretching, turn to head back inside, grabbing my discarded shirt and slinging it over my shoulder. I come to a stop in surprise when I see my mum standing in the doorway.

I tug my headphones so they’re around my neck, and accept the drink that she’s offering me. I drink eagerly as she speaks. “I had a feeling you’d be up here when I couldn’t find you inside. When I spoke with Baekhyun yesterday he told me you spend a lot of time on the roof practicing. I’m impressed.”

I smile, returning the glass and wiping the sweat off my forehead with my shirt.

“I’m glad I saw that,” she continues, “now I think I’ll worry less when you’re working.”

I nod, “there’s no need to worry mum, I can take care of myself.” She laughs quietly before nodding and heading back inside. I follow and head for the bathroom once I’ve grabbed some boxers and a shirt. Something tells me that putting on skinny jeans in a damp bathroom would be totally unpleasant.

I take a quick shower before heading out with my mum to get my hair cut. It’s quite long now and still red; I’ve had it dyed the same colour over the years I spent at Uni, but now that I’m applying for jobs I need to make myself look less like a rebellious teenager and more responsible.

I get it dyed black and go for my usual style; shorter at the sides, and longer on top with a fringe, but this time I get the fringe cut slightly shorter than normal to ensure that it doesn’t obstruct my vision.

Next we go clothes shopping. I need some clothes that are smart but also suitable for my job. We decide to go with a black theme so that it all matches, and we choose clothes that don’t impede my movement.

Later that afternoon, after visiting another restaurant, we stagger into the apartment laden with bags.

The evening is spent with my dad going through what I’ll have to do tomorrow when I meet the CEO. I fall asleep restless with anticipation.

Can any of you guys guess what job he's going to apply for? :D XD I've not been overly subtle with it but..... XD :)

Hope you enjoyed that, I know not much happened but.... :D This fic is going to be more Taoris centred now :)