JeonSang’s Number One
26th November

Students filed into JeonSang University’s main building as sleet poured down from the slate skies. Everyone’s shoes were covered in melting snow and the frigid air was saturated with the classic smell of a city during winter. It was the final day before the vacation which many had been looking forward to after being bombarded with tests for the past few months. Today was Friday and for most, there was only a single lecture. Beside that, there was the Senior's Goodbye Ceremony, and a three hour block of free time to use school resources and speak to the Professors before the campus closed down for the Christmas break.

Walking promptly over to his locker space, a man shorter than many of his male peers twisted his code into the lock and pulled back the thin metal door. Inside, text books covering law and business filled the majority of the small square; the rest of it was taken up by two packed lunches, a thick puzzle book, and a pair of high heeled booties. Large almond eyes scanned the confines of the space which was supposed to be his and his alone in order to collect the things he would need over the vacation but instead, an envelope decorated in the school's standard colours of white and teal with silver accents stole his attention.

Hand outstretched for the foreign item, the young man nibbled on his lower lip, knowing exactly what it was. After all, he had overseen the drafting of the message which was awaiting him inside the fancy envelope. Taking a deep breath, the owner of the locker took the cardboard slip and hastily ripped it open to get it over and done with.

'Kim JunMyeon,
You have been selected to take part in this year's Development Program.
Please attend the meeting in the assembly hall at 4:30pm - November 26th.
Congratulations on your acceptance.'

The man stood frozen as he kept rereading those words over and over, his heartbeat pounding in anxiety at his luck. Kim JunMyeon was JeonSaeng University's number one student. He was a good son; he was more than even the most demanding parents could ask for. He was the youngest Student Council President in the last two decades – earning the title just before he became a Sophomore, and without fail, he always came top of the year with his grades. He'd fill in for the University's sports teams when they were short a decent player, and he was no doubt a pleasant, polite young man without counting on his family’s name. He tutored study groups three nights a week, and in his free time he would volunteer at the local youth centre where he would read to, and teach, disadvantaged children. He despised smoking, and the most he ever drank alcohol was when he took a sip of champagne at an Uncle’s wedding to toast. He was a good boy whom would take up his mother’s chores no matter how tired he was just so she didn’t have to strain herself, and always made time to eat at least one meal every day with his parents despite their clashing schedules. He even managed to keep his head around his wily sister, whom was the personification of rebellion.

He would have been Canonized, if not for the fact he was still alive.

Still, for the life of him, he couldn't find himself popular by his personality alone. There was nobody who would mention how interesting or funny he was as himself. Without fail, things like 'you took one for the team' or, 'I'm glad the smart guy was here' were added at the end of their compliment. JunMyeon wouldn't say anything about it. He wouldn’t because he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to ask why. It bothered him deeply, but he still couldn’t work up the courage to ask those around him why he wasn’t appreciated beyond a half-hearted “thanks, you’re a life-save” after doing somebody a favour.

There were many times when he wondered if there was something wrong with him. His sister, the devil incarnate, did the opposite of him at every turn. She was downright rude to most people, and skipped classes to play around with whatever nefarious events she indulged in, yet she was still admired and a sought after acquaintance. JunMyeon couldn’t understand it. He worked himself to the bone every single day and gave everything he had to those around him whether he knew them well or not. But there hadn’t been a single person in the three years he’d been at JeonSang that had asked him to grab lunch together or offered to help him. It was a damn cert that nobody asked the question, “How are you doing?” and actually wanted an answer. Perhaps he was odd; he knew he wasn’t the best in social situations as he found out at his parents’ soirees, and he would never put himself out there and strike up a conversation with a ‘friend of a friend’ just for the sake of it. It left him frustrated. It made him shrivel up whenever he thought about breaking out of his shell.

Now, discontent with letting the man struggle alone through the time he was supposed to be building friendships and making connections for his impending adult life in the working world, the university had slapped him with a ticket to his own personal Hell.

Updated: 29th December 2018 - 17:20

(Lengthy) Author's Note:
I think that picture was a good intro. However, my excuse is not as enlightening.

Normal readers: “Hey, why didn’t you update? I was waiting…”

My Readers: “You ing ! I thought you died. I was waiting. What do you call this? I expect at least fifty updates by the end of the week!”

Honestly, if you messaged me the second one, I would laugh and get to it like some kind of Stockholm Syndrome captive. But, some of you actually talk to me, so you know I have NFO [New Fic Obsession], and I come up with at least five new ideas a week.

I got distracted, Mian.

My AFF is turning into a written Youtube account. I should call updates to my old fics ‘Throw-Back ….Saturdays'. It can’t be the usual ‘Throw-back Thursdays’ because I’m allergic to popular stuff. You can call me a hipster, but I was doing this before it was cool [Deer God, I’m Inception’ing the Hipster concept]. Fear not! I’m wearing glasses that I’m prescribed, Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore pj pants, a tanktop, an electric blue satin kimono robe, and there is no kind of hat on my head. I’m safe, for now.

The point, Tasha...get back to it.

Yes. The point.

The point…The reason why I’m posting this ‘message’[?] is to let my lovely ladies who applied that I have not forgotten about this fic. I’m currently re-doing the chapters I had already posted, and working on my updates. Because, I mean, WTF was this? I’m not even sure it could be called a hot mess. My old gramming and speller haunts me, I can only lower my head and apologize to everyone for the effort it must have taken to fathom wtf I was trying to say. At least these days I can blame it on ‘Drunken writing’.

LOL, JK. No, but really, if you find a typo, mention it and I’ll make it into a joke or event the next chap.

It only took over five years to get around to this....

Happy Un-Birthday to p3acexl0vexsuju, Radio_Active, Iefa_San, Kestrelsong and ElectricBleu, if you're all still here.