Jungsoo does not want to go outside. He can hear the humming masses of the student body gathering in the Bailey on the other side of the door, but it’s cold and it’s still wet from yesterday’s rain and he does not under any circumstances want to go outside.

His cell phone vibrates in the pocket of his wool coat and, transferring his cup of steaming coffee to his other hand, he digs the device out. He makes a face when he sees the name on the caller ID. Then he sighs and answers. “Yes, your highness?”

“Kiss my ,” comes the expected reply. “Where are you, Jungsoo? The ceremony is supposed to start in less than five minutes.”

“Don’t get your in a twist, Junyoung,” Jungsoo mutters to his best friend. “I’m coming.”

“Are you still in bed?” Junyoung asks suspiciously.

Jungsoo pretends to be hurt by the accusation, though it’s actually a pretty reasonable assumption. “Your words wound me to the quick,” he teases.

Junyoung sighs, but Jungsoo likes to think that it’s a fond sort of sigh. “How an idiot like you got to be president of the student council, I’ll never know.”

Jungsoo scoffs. “It’s because everybody loves me.”

“Yeah, well everybody doesn’t love waiting around in this ty weather for their slacker of a student council president to show up,” Junyoung points out. “Get your over here already.” And he hangs up on him.

Jungsoo sighs and stows his phone back in his pocket. He supposes he has no choice now but to brave the weather outside.

Like he’d predicted, the Bailey is cold and wet and uninviting. The sky is tinged with pinks and yellows as the sun slowly rises behind the castle. The student body is crammed onto the damp, springy grass, wrapped up in heavy coats and gloves and scarves, huddled together to try and stay warm. The rest of the student council is gathered beside the platform erected for the ceremony. Junyoung checks his watch impatiently.

Jungsoo grins as he saunters over to them, trying to ignore the way his dress shoes sink into the springy earth. “Good morning, boys,” he greets them loudly.

“Don’t ‘good morning’ us,” Himchan says grumpily, glaring at Jungsoo with his arms crossed over his coat. “We agreed to meet at six. It’s six-thirty, Jungsoo. It’s six-thirty and we’re all ing freezing.”

Jungsoo shrugs noncommittally. Being on time isn’t one of his strong points; his friends know this. “I needed a pick-me-up,” he explains, holding up his coffee cup.

Junyoung rolls his eyes. “I should’ve known.”

Jungsoo looks around at the assembled young men of the student council, smiling. He knows most of them fairly well. He and Junyoung had been roommates their first year and, despite being complete and polar opposites, they are close friends. He’s known Himchan since first year as well, though they hadn’t gotten to be friends until they’d both joined the student council during their second year. Hyukjae, Jiho, and Jonghyun are all third years as well, but he hadn’t gotten to know them well until the end of last year when they’d been assigned their new roles for this year’s student council.

He only knows a little about Donghae and Youngjae, the two second years in the student council. He knows that Donghae is best friends with Hyukjae and that Youngjae is something of a nag, but he likes them both pretty okay. He has to admit that he knows next to nothing about the only first year, Minseok, but he likes what he’s seen of the little guy.

In fact, he’s pretty sure that this is the best student council Peritia Academy has ever seen.

Junyoung makes a face at him. “Yah, what are you grinning about? Idiot. Let’s get the service started before Mr. Kwang starts yelling.”

“Do you even have a speech prepared?” Jiho demands, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling wryly at Jungsoo.

Jungsoo grins. “Of course not,” he says. “I’m gonna wing it.”

“Oh boy,” Hyukjae mutters, but Jungsoo likes to think that he says that in an amused, fond sort of way.

The assembled students quiet down as Jungsoo leads his student council onstage in a single file line. There is one microphone on stage, so he lifts it up and looks out over the crowd of students. “Good morning!” he booms, loud enough that several of the sleepier looking first years near the front jump in surprise. “Welcome to another year at the wonderful and esteemed Peritia Academy.” In the back, he can see a few of the teachers rolling their eyes at him.

Though he doesn’t have anything planned, like he’d told the others, but he prides himself on his ability to bull his way through everything. He starts out by having each of the members introduce themselves and their position in the council. Then he tells a joke that makes the students laugh uproariously but doesn’t go over too well with the teachers, who give him the evil eye and whisper to one another about how seriously he’s taking his job. To salvage that situation, he plunges into a long-winded discourse about how seriously academics are taken at the Academy and how important it is to focus on studies and so on and so forth. Finally Junyoung has to elbow him to remind him that there is a time limit.

“So, in conclusion, I hope that everyone has a fantastic first day of class and a wonderful semester,” he says. He’s still smiling, but that’s only because he’s pretty sure his cheeks are frozen that way by now. “If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak with me or any other member of the student council. Please be safe on your way to lessons.” And he bows to signal the end of the ceremony.

Everyone else bows and the students make a mad dash for the castle doors and the relative warmth the building will offer.

“Hmph,” Junyoung says, eyeing Jungsoo with pursed lips. “I guess you did okay.”

“Even if you did pull the whole thing out of your ,” Hyukjae grins.

Jungsoo laughs as the student council members head inside at a more reserved pace. “What are you talking about? I’m awesome at giving speeches.”

The group splits up at the bottom of the main staircase to go to their respective classes. Jungsoo, instead of heading right to go to his AP Language and Composition class, starts heading up the stairs with his mostly-empty cup of coffee in his hand.

“Aren’t you coming?” Jonghyun, who is in Jungsoo’s first period class, asks, heavy brows furrowing together.

“Nah,” Jungsoo answers honestly, trying to massage some of the feeling into his cheeks.

Jonghyun can’t help but chuckle. “Skipping class on the first day, eh? What a role model you are.”

“I try,” Jungsoo replies cheekily. “Take good notes for me, Jonghyunnie!”

The other male salutes before heading off to class, and Jungsoo continues up the stairs to the fifth floor.

Being president of the student council has its perks, he knows. Like getting his own room. He has the only single room in the entire castle, and it’s nice not having to share his space with anyone – Jungsoo’s not good at sharing, at any rate. But it also because the single room is on the fifth floor. He’s out of breath and sweating by the time he reaches his room.

Despite not having a roommate, there is someone already in his room when he unlocks the door. His best friend is spread across his double bed, flipping through a fashion magazine absent-mindedly.

“You didn’t go to the service, Heechul,” Jungsoo pouts, shedding his coat and draping it over the back of his desk chair.

Heechul gives him a flat look over the top of his magazine. “Like hell I’d go stand out in the cold while you rambled on about absolute bull. Your bed is much comfier.”

“I know,” Jungsoo grumbles. “So scoot over and make room.”

Heechul reluctantly complies, inching over so there’s enough room for Jungsoo to lay down as well. “So how are the new kiddies?” Heechul asks, sounding like he doesn’t really care.

Jungsoo shrugs, reaching for a pack of candy left on the nightstand. “They’re kids,” he says. “And there’s a lot of them. Loads of them, actually. And they’re all my little slaves!” He laughs delightedly at this.

Heechul flicks him in the forehead, none too gently. “Power trip much?” he teases. “Those little first years will forget your name and face by the time the day is over.”

Jungsoo pouts. “How could anyone forget my beautiful face?”

Heechul stares at him, but Jungsoo is too busy patting his rosy cheeks and fixing his hair to notice much.

Jungsoo suddenly looks up, so Heechul quickly looks back at his magazine. “Hey, let’s do something fun today to celebrate the first day of class!”

Heechul rolls his eyes. “You’re not planning to go to any of your classes today, are you?”

“Nope,” comes the cheerful reply. “Let’s go see a movie, okay? My treat.”

“Well,” Heechul drawls, closing his magazine. “If you’re paying…”

Park Jungsoo (Leeteuk): Super Junior

Moon Junyoung: ZE:A

Kim Himchan: BAP

Lee Hyukjae (Eunhyuk): Super Junior

Yoo Youngjae: BAP

Woo Jiho (Zico): Block B

Kim Jonghyun: SHINee

Lee Donghae: Super Junior

Kim Minseok (Xiumin): EXO

Kim Heechul: Super Junior

I promise, most of the characters are being introduced up front. This many introduced in a single chapter again OTL