Of Scrapbooks, bubble tea and SuJu bias
The Beasts of SM Academy2. Of Scrapbooks, bubble tea and SuJu bias
Kyungsoo sighed sleepily, shifting on the soft mattress. He frowned when he found himself unable to get in a comfy position and squint open his eyes. He was in a grandiose room and for a minute Kyungsoo panicked before he remembered where he was. His grey blazer hung on a coat hanger on the wall and his luggage, which were sent to the academy beforehand, was unopened and stacked neatly against a work table. This must be his room. But how did he get here?
With a gasp, he remembered and sat up. "I'm in the same dorm as them!" Kyungsoo groaned, running a hand through his hair. His eyes looked around the room again before it landed on the wall clock and blinked. 7:19? "I'm going to be late!" Kyungsoo yelped, scrambling off his bed and running to the huge shared bathroom Suho showed him yesterday. Within 10 minutes, Kyungsoo had brushed, washed and was out of dorm, sprinting in an Olympic worthy speed.
For god-only-knows-why reasons, the Exo dorm was secluded, in the hills instead of being in the residential area along with the other dorms. Kyungsoo cursed his legs in his head as he ran. Exo dorm being up in the hilly part of the campus meant that Kyungsoo had to run past the tunnels, SM town, the residential area before reaching the study halls building; his destination. Thank god for his homeroom being in the first floor.
"Kyungsoo! You made it!" Eunwoo laughed whole-heartedly, slapping the panting boy's back as he slumped over the table just as the bell rang. “We got free period for homeroom. What luck, huh?” Kim Eunwoo was the first person that befriended the doe eyed boy. And was the one who pitied Kyungsoo for being put in dorm Exo. "So how was it? Did you meet the terrifying beasts of SM?" Eunwoo asked excitedly, eyes gleaming brightly.
Kyungsoo shook his head, forcing down his blush of embarrassment when he remembered that he'd fainted -FAINTED!- in front of his new dorm mates. Why did he always have the misfortune of giving bad impressions, Kyungsoo wondered. "Erm.. not really. I did meet Suho-ssi though."
"Ah Kim Joonmyeon huh? Was he like the rumours say? A two faced manipulator?" Eunwoo asked curiously. Kyungsoo blinked. Two faced manipulator? That angelic Suho?
"Yah! Kim Eunwoo! Who are you to make such accusations against my oppas?" The girl sitting in front of Kyungsoo snapped at the boy. Lee Sherry, she'd introduced herself as yesterday. "Don't listen to him, Kyungsoo. He's just jealous that the oppas are set to launch while he'd still be training. Probably for the rest of his life too."
"Launch?" Kyungsoo blinked at the girl with bicolored hair; pink and blonde. She nodded, clasping her hands together and smiling dreamily to herself.
"The top students of SM who gets a chance to debut are usually hand picked by chairman Lee Soo Man and they get put into separate dorms by the group's name. Like Taemin oppa and Luna unnie there." Sherry pointed the feminine looking boy with long hair with the window seat and the cheery looking girl who was speaking to her mini circle of friends.
Kyungsoo made an understanding ‘o’ with his mouth and nodded. Whilst he had dreamt of being in SM academy ever since learning who their past alumnis were and of the music courses that won awards for being the best of the nation, Kyungsoo had little knowledge about how the academy actually worked.
Sherry's dreamy expression is wiped clean as she shot the ginger haired boy a condescending look. "Since carrot top here got placed in the common dorm, we can assume he's not debuting anytime soon."
"That goes the same for you too!" Eunwoo said indignantly.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Sherry smirked widely at Eunwoo. “Unlike you, I’m training to be a journalist so the dorm placement doesn’t matter for me.”
Eunwoo clicked his tongue at Sherry annoyedly before turning back to Kyungsoo. "But seriously man, while I still pity you for being stuck with those guys, you really lucked out with the common dorms filling up. Just getting into a labelled dorm can raise your status around here."
Kyungsoo 'ohhh'ed once again before he turned to the pair with an anxious expression. “Who are the exo members anyways? And are they really that bad?” He asked in a small voice. Sherry huffed like she couldn’t believe Kyungsoo didn’t know her oppas before she rampaged her bag and pulled out a scrapbook; black and pimped out with an angular ‘Exo’ in silver ink. She flipped through the scrapbook with flourish and turned it towards Kyungsoo.
“Kim Jongin.” Sherry said. “But everyone in his close circle knows him as Kai. 1st year but already very popular with all the ladies since he’s so cool and y.”
“Probably one of the most dangerous of the beasts.” Eunwoo interrupted, pointing at the huge picture of this ‘Kai’ stuck on the black page of the scrapbook. “Fights, smokes, drinks. The whole badboy package that attracts girls.”
Sherry snorted. “As if you know anything about attracting girls.” She turned the page and Kyungsoo recognized the face of this one. He was at the tunnel last night. “Huang Zitao. Tao for short. He’s in our class.” Sherry smiled dreamily before continuing. “He’s from China and really quiet. I think I’ve only heard him talk, like, twice. But it’s so cute because he has this cute little stutter when he speaks!”
“Everyone knows he knows kung fu and stuff-”
“Wushu, you babo.”
“Whatever. He is definitely on the list of people to not mess with. Unless you don’t might eating out of a straw.” Eunwoo said airily. Sherry glared at the ginger haired boy, flipping the pages again.
“Chen.” Kyungsoo gasped out at the photo of the familiar face smiling impishly up at him. His savior. Kyungsoo felt himself blush slightly at the term since it kinda suggested he was a damsel in distress. But honestly, he was grateful that Chen helped him out last night.
Sherry nodded. “Kim Jongdae but he calls himself Chen. One of the funniest guys from exo and has a killer voice. He always aces the vocal tests and his neck when he hits high notes is just...mmhm.” Sherry purred before giggling at the sight of Kyungsoo flushing a bright pink.
“Also one of the slyest guys from the dorm. Seriously, doesn’t he smile too much?” Eunwoo shuddered. “Gah, reminds me of those happy looking serial killers. Rumors are that he once beat a guy half to death. Like until he was all bloody and stuff and Chen just laughed.” Kyungsoo flinched at the imagery.
“Oh Sehun. Also a 1st year.” Sherry flipped the page, totally ignoring Eunwoo’s commentary. Kyungsoo recognized the boy from the tunnel as well. “I heard he got invited to the academy at 12 years old! But obviously because of his young age, his parents turned it down. He only got enrolled officially this year but his cuteness has won the hearts of most of the female population.”
“I always wondered about that. I never see him with any expression other than his ice king expression.” Eunwoo said, pointing out Sehun’s pictures. Kyungsoo looked and sure enough Sehun had blank expressions on only.
“That’s because he only shows his cute side to people who deserve it.” Sherry snapped as she turned the page. Her angry expression quickly melted and turned into a soft smile at the multiple snapshots of a good looking male with deep dimples. “Lay oppa. Real name is Zhang Yixing. A 3rd year and the most gentlemanly and the kindest soul that could've walked this Earth. I bet even you have nothing to say about Lay oppa.”
Eunwoo sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seriously, god only know how he got associated with those guys.” Eunwoo quickly elaborated to the lost looking Kyungsoo. “Usually you need the whole ‘would-be’ dorm members to consent to the members in the special dorm before Chairman Lee Soo Man officially puts you in the dorm. So when you debut there’ll be no group tension and stuff like that.”
“Anyways, we have Kim Minseok sunbae. Stage name Xiumin. 3rd year. A football star and a cutiepie with an amazing high pitch range. He also won second place in the academy's singing competition.” Sherry continued, flipping the page to a profile of a boy puffing out his chubby cheeks cutely. Kyungsoo found it hard to believe this guy is actually his senior. He looked to be around his age. Maybe even younger. Sherry flipped the page again to the profile of another of the guys he recognized from the tunnel.
“Byun Baekhyun. Also known as the eyeliner prince. Despite his weird love for eyeliners, he packs a mean kick. I think he did some kind of martial arts as well.” Eunwoo said before Sherry could open his mouth. “But other than that, he’s actually a pretty cool guy. He and Xiumin hyung plays football with us a lot.” Eunwoo grinned. Kyungsoo and Sherry shared a look of amused disbelief that Eunwoo actually said something nice about an exo member. Eunwoo saw their expressions and scowled. “What? So they’re not all that bad.”
Sherry and Kyungsoo burst into fits of laughter. Eunwoo flushing a little, flipped the page. It opened to Suho’s profile. Sherry calmed down and cleared . “You know Kim Joonmyeon sunbae. We call him Suho as in the guardian angel. He’s really kind and really smart. He’s like the top 40 students in academics. He doesn’t really fight but rumors say that he’s the battle tactician. But that’s just rumors.”
“Next we have Wu Yifan or Kris. Also a 3rd year and a Chinese exchange student from Canada.” Ah! The blonde leader from the tunnels! “No one really knows much about Kris. He has this lone wolf kind of attitude and doesn’t socialize with people other than his dorm members and those in his immediate social group.”
Eunwoo flipped the page. “Park Chanyeol. Like Baekhyun hyung, he’s pretty cool. They call him and Kris ‘the twin towers’ but I’ve seen him in action. There’s a reason why he’s known as a ‘wolf’ despite his kiddish face.” Sherry rolled her eyes at Eunwoo, turning the page once again.
Kyungsoo gapped at the profile. “Luhan hyung?”
“Oh? Kyungsoo you know him?” Sherry asked.
Kyungsoo nodded. “We transferred on the same day. He was really nice to me. Is Luhan hyung also in Exo?”
Sherry nodded. Kyungsoo felt a surge of relief fill him. He wouldn’t be alone with those terrifying delinquents from the tunnel then. Luhan hyung was safe. The good looking male made Kyungsoo laugh like there was no tomorrow during the tour around the academy and was protective over him, which kind of reminded him of his own hyung Seungsoo. Plus there’s Suho hyung also. Despite what Eunwoo said about him being a two faced manipulator, Suho was kind to him and honestly, Kyungsoo thought Suho was too angelic to be a beast.
"Lu Han. 3rd year. Chinese transfer student who started just yesterday. His good looks and princely personality has won the hearts of almost all the of the female population. Apparently he is cousins with Sehun." Kyungsoo hmm'ed, nodding to himself. Luhan hyung had mentioned his cousin. So it was Sehun, huh?
"He's also an exceptional football player." Eunwoo chimed in before he turned the page. A snapshot of Kyungsoo spacing out graced the page. Noticing his surprise, Eunwoo and Sherry smiled at Kyungsoo. "Well, it's only right you're on the book as well now that you're a member, man." Kyungsoo felt an odd flutter of pride and beamed at the pair who, unknown to Kyungsoo, was thoroughly dazzled by the smile.
The bell rang again, signalling homeroom was over. "Anyways, I wonder if Tao oppa will show up today." Sherry wondered dreamily. Before anyone could say anything, the door slide open with a bang and a young man walked in slowly. "Yes! He turned up!" Sherry hissed, pumping her fist in the air.
Sharp dark eyes that were circled with dark bags flitted around the room before he casually walked to the back of the classroom. The class was silent at the appearance of this guy, who Kyungsoo recognised from Sherry’s scrapbook and from the tunnel; one of his dorm mates. Who he fainted in front of last night. Kyungsoo cringed, sinking in his seat trying to make himself look smaller and shield his face using one hand. Maybe he won't recognise him...
Tao's seat, unfortunately for Kyungsoo, was right behind him. Kyungsoo peeked over his hand to catch Tao's eyes at the exact same moment and he smirked amusedly as he breezed past the doe eyed boy.
"He totally recognised me." Kyungsoo moaned to himself, slamming his head onto his table. The teacher soon came in and slammed his wooden ruler against the table, startling everyone and making Kyungsoo jump. Kyungsoo thought he heard a low chuckle from behind him.
"Alright. Settle down! Those who are old know me already and those who are new, you will know me as Yoo Teacher. I'll be teaching you Math.” There was a small collection of groans which the math teacher silenced with another smack of his ruler on the table. “You can whine and cry about why we're teaching Math at a specialist place like SM but if one day, after you debuted and a TV show or radio station asks you to do some Math and you can't answer then congratulations, you just won the title of 'stupid idol'." Yoo Teacher said with a menacing smile. "So open your textbooks-"
Kyungsoo diligently took notes, did the exercises and jolt down the questions that Mr. Yoo said would feature in the exams. He fidgeted a lot in his seat, though, because he could feel himself being watched. Watched by a pair of dark circled eyes. When the double period of Math finally came to an end and Tao went out for break, Kyungsoo sighed in relief.
"Hi. You're the new student right? I didn't catch your name yesterday." The feminine looking boy with long hair who Sherry pointed out as Taemin smiled as he stopped in front of Kyungsoo’s desk. Well, whoever gets fooled by the feminine features and long hair most certainly will not get fooled by the deep voice. Kyungsoo looked around to see both Sherry and Eunwoo had gone somewhere without him. Oh well. Time to make friends then.
"I’m Do Kyungsoo." Kyungsoo said with a determined smile. Taemin blinked before grinning widely.
"Lee Taemin. Wow. You're really cute. I'm in dorm Shinee. It's good to finally speak to someone who's not in the common dorm. Everyone else acts weirdly around me. I mean, just because you get in a special dorm doesn't mean you're royalty all of a sudden right? But they just don't get it. Tao's here too but he's no fun at all. Doesn't talk much." Taemin pouted, speaking rapidly. He giggled at Kyungsoo's deer-in-headlights expression, looking slightly lost. "So how're you finding your first official day here at SM?"
Kyungsoo blabbered all that happened to him in the tunnels and finding out who his dorm mates were to the boy in an unstoppable word vomit. Taemin listened patiently, giving appropriate chuckles here and there before the bell rang. "Come, we have Home Economics next."
Kyungsoo blushed slightly when Taemin grabbed his wrist and dragged him after him towards wherever the Home Eco room was.
~ * ~
"D.O!" Taemin waved manically at the boy who immediately smiled and walked quickly over to the taller boy. After Taemin caught sight of one of Hyunsik's many MANY texts which Kyungsoo had forgotten to reply, he started calling Kyungsoo by his childhood nickname. "Wanna go to town with me? I'll introduce you to my dorm mates!"
"Oh. Sure but is it alright if I go change first?" Kyungsoo asked. He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday after all.
Taemin nodded before pointing to a vague direction. "Then I'll see you at the bubble tea store in town in 15?" Kyungsoo nodded and they parted. Kyungsoo grinned to himself as he walked towards his dorm. His smile became a frown when he reached the tunnel once again. He looked around making sure he won't be sandwiched between some thugs from the other school like yesterday before he ran for it.
"I'm back." He called out softly, out of habit. Silence greeted him. Was no one in the dorm? Well, that's better for his nerves so he wasn't going to complain. Kyungsoo slipped off his shoes and slipped into his Pororo indoor slippers, making his way to his room.
"Ah, hyung, what's with all these-"
Kyungsoo stared unblinkingly, hand frozen on the door handle at the sight of a tanned male standing there, holding up his baggage half . Kim Jongin. Kai. He obviously just got out from the showers; a white towel was wrapped dangerously low around his waist, hair wet and dripping water droplets that rolled down the bare board shoulders and jutting collarbones, down his defined abs and-
Kyungsoo slapped his hand over his eyes with a squeak. He could tell that his whole visage was imitating a tomato as heat spread from his neck to the tip of his ears. "I'm so sorry!" He choked out, slamming the door behind him as he shot back outside the hallway, ran out of the dorm and leaned against the front door. "Oh my god!" Kyungsoo groaned, thumping his head against the door. "He must think I'm a ert!" He whined.
"Kyungsoo what are you doing?" Kyungsoo jumped when Suho appeared from behind him wearing a worried expression. 2 other boys were with him; Luhan and Xiumin. They both were wearing amused and slightly worried expression.
"It-It's nothing." Kyungsoo said quickly, shaking his head and hands.
"Something obviously happened," Suho frowned. Kyungsoo’s mind went back to what he saw and he turned an alarming shade of red. "Ah! But if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine." Suho said quickly to put the almost hyperventilating teen at ease. "This is Xiumin and Luhan by the way."
“Ye. I know Luhan hyung.” Kyungsoo smiled easily at the long haired male. He immediately felt himself calm down. Perhaps, it was because Luhan was the first person he befriended but he found it easy to be comfortable about him.
"I heard there was another new addition to the dorm. So it was you huh, Kyungsoo?" Luhan smiled up at Kyungsoo from the steps. Kyungsoo nodded with a bright smile; Luhan had to keep a wolfish grin from consuming his face and freaking out the human bunny. It was too soon to show his true colors. "Baozi and I are in the M-wing by the way." Luhan smiled pleasantly.
Realising that he hadn't greet the cheerful looking Xiumin, Kyungsoo quickly bowed. "I'm Do Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, my Donut~" Xiumin said brightly. Kyungsoo felt his dying blush come back to full effect at the nickname making the trio chuckle. He heard loud thuds, footsteps, coming from inside the dorm building and yelped.
"I.. Ah, made plans to meet a friend.. So I'll see you later!" Kyungsoo said quickly and took off running. The trio watched as the small boy disappeared around the corner and looked at each other, shrugging before turning to the door which swung open.
"Kai!" Suho gapped at the tanned, wet and very teen.
"Why are you running around without clothes on? Are you some sort of ert?" Luhan laughed as the younger flushed. The 'papa' of the K-wing of the dorm fussed around the younger, chiding him about how he'd get a cold if he keeps walking around in the while Xiumin poked Kai's abs with childish fascination. Luhan then cocked his head sideways as a thought crossed his mind. "Is this why Kyungsoo ran off looking all flustered?" He wondered.
That shut everyone up.
~ * ~
On the other side of the campus, Kyungsoo panted harshly as he got inside the bubble tea store. He in his breath and exhaled noiselessly when he caught the other patrons watching. "Are you okay there, little one?" A playful voice asked him.
Kyungsoo bristled at the 'little' comment and frowned at the staff at the counter. "I'm not little!" He snapped which seemed to amuse the wheat haired male.
"Wow. Feisty and cute, my two favorite combination." He laughed as Kyungsoo blushed brightly. Seriously, what is with the people in SM and making him blush? With all the blood rushing to his face frequently, Kyungsoo was surprised he wasn't getting massive nose bleeds everyday. "Here."
Kyungsoo snapped out his musings at the plastic cup of bubble tea that slide across the counter towards him. By the subtle smell coming from the cup, it was chocolate favored. He eyed the cup and raised an eyebrow at the guy whose employee name tag read 'Ryeowook'. "Ah don't look at me like that. I don't have any ulterior motives. Students from SM gets free drinks." Ryeowook laughed and pointed at the poster on the wall which said exactly that; students from SM gets free drinks.
"Oh! In that case, thank you Ryeowook-ssi." Kyungsoo said with an embarrassed smile, taking the cup and tried the bubble tea. Ryeowook chuckled at the adorable blissful smile that took over Kyungsoo's face. This bubble tea shop wasn't popular for no reason after all.
"Seeing as you have this lost little bunny-" Ryeowook grinned at Kyungsoo’s sulky expression as he chewed on the bubble-y bits of the tea. "-look, I'm guessing you're new in SM."
Kyungsoo nodded. "Ah yes. I transferred yesterday. 2nd year, class A. I'm staying at the Exo dorm." At Ryeowook's impressed whistle, Kyungsoo quickly shook his head and added, "All the other dorms were full up!"
"Hm..? Is that right? But the chairman is a pretty iron grip man. Perhaps, you are on the launch list too." Ryeowook said with an eyebrow wiggle.
"D.O!" A cheerful voice called out. Taemin appeared, skipping into the cafe-styled store. He blinked at the small boy with confusion when he saw the smaller male was still in his school uniform. "I thought you were going to change." Kyungsoo just scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh sunbaenim! You're here today?"
"Where else would I, a bubble tea maniac, be?" Ryeowook chuckled. Kyungsoo's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Sunbaenim? "Oh I'm Kim Ryeowook. Used to be in dorm SuJu before we ‘launched’ or debuted."
SuJu?! Wait... Ryeowook? As in Super Junior Kim Ryeowook?! One of his bias from Super Junior Kim Ryeowook?!
Ryeowook chuckled again, taking off the thick ray bans off along with the messy shoulder length wig he was wearing. "Yes. As in Super Junior." Apparently Kyungsoo thought out loud again. Omo! He snapped at a sunbae! A hand gently ruffled Kyungsoo's dark hair making Kyungsoo look up. "I'm flattered that I'm the bias of such a cute hoobae." Ryeowook grinned down at Kyungsoo and winked. Kyungsoo felt his cheeks burn for what felt like the hundredth time that week.
"Anyways! Kyungsoo! Meet my dorm members!" Taemin chimed, stealing away the moment.
Fiend's Thoughts
Aigoo! This lazy author is not deserving of you beautiful Exotics' comments and love~ So to make up for the wait, a longer chapter? Muahaha! Please shower this undeserving author-nim with more love because more love means a happy author. And a happy author means more faster updates~ Once again, a sneek peek at the next chapter!
Heads turned up and faced Kris whose eyes widened and jaw slackened. Kris could only shake his head furiously at Kyungsoo's accusing glare.
"Roommates? But there's only one bed?"
Taemin gapped at Kyungsoo. "I didn't know Kai had a side." He said almost to himself.
Comments