He was donning a pristine white dress shirt with a navy tie and knee-length dark blue pants. His black, wavy hair was styled so that it looked effortlessly messy and he sat there alone—save for a plump, bouncing toddler on his lap.

It was admittedly an unusual sight, seeing a kid like himself without any adult around. But what stole five-year-old Minseok’s attention was the fear in his doe eyes.

Minseok took his time to watch the boy who was darting his eyes at every possible direction before he finally wiggled his hand out of his mother’s hold and ran to him.

“Are you lost?”

The boy looked up and unconsciously held the toddler tighter protectively, eyes wide. And only then Minseok realised the boy had been crying.

“Are you alone? What is your name?” Minseok still tried.

The boy continued to gape at him, but at least he didn’t look so frightened anymore. Minseok furrowed his brows.

“Can you talk at all?”

Now the boy bit his lip. He opened his mouth and closed it again soon after, as if he was going to say something but then decided not to and apparently, this only depressed him more if the fresh tears that were starting to fall weren’t enough proof.

Minseok cautiously pulled the boy’s right hand and shook it with his own. “Minseok. My name is Minseok.”

The boy tilted his head and Minseok thought, Bambi…

The boy must have been very frustrated because despite all the cuteness he was displaying, the tears just wouldn’t stop and he even begun to sob now. Minseok felt so bad for the boy and he still didn’t know; did the boy understand him? Could he even speak?

The toddler on his lap then reached out and cupped the boy’s cheeks with his tiny palms, touching the tears like he willed them to disappear. And when they didn’t, the toddler sobbed lightly.

“Lu Lu…” he whimpered.

Minseok smiled warmly. “See? You’ve made your brother sad, too. So, don’t cry.” With his thumbs, Minseok erased the tears from the boy’s cheeks.

The next thing he knew, however, was that there was a deep, booming sound followed by a horde of people in suits coming his way, then proceeded to held the boy (and the toddler), peppered them with kisses, and took them away, uttering words Minseok didn’t understand; words he hadn’t even heard before.

Minseok could only see the boy mouthed something while looking at him over the father’s shoulder.

Editor-in-Chief Note

Hello, my fellow students! How was your weekend? I hope yours were tons of fun. Mine? Not so much. I spent Saturday and Sunday buried under my comforter, tortured by fever (please, take care of your health for it’s the only thing that stays when all your money and friends leave you). So, with nothing productive to do, I chose to conduct a private movie marathon. One from eight movies I watched was Serendipity.

It wasn’t like that was my first time watching it but on that particular day, this movie had sent me thinking about something, about fate. Now, I’ve heard countless time people blaming fate when their plans went awry, when the outcomes failed to meet their expectations, or simply when bad things happened. They’d say something like, ‘well, this is my fate and I have to endure’.

Frankly, this kind of attitude annoys me. I don’t think Universe is that cruel and honestly, imagining one sitting, waiting in uncertainty if a brick is going to smack him in the face or a billionaire will offer a ten million won is laughable. Life doesn’t work that way. If you want something, then run and chase after it. If the things don’t work on your favor, do what it takes to turn the tide.

Don’t wait, my friends. Let’s run and hustle ^^ (and no, no quote for today, Kim Jongdae, because I’m tired of you mocking me).

Regards,

Kim Joonmyeon

Baekhyun cursed every deity he might or might not know exist, Jongdae, and the fact that he basically didn’t know anyone in Sooman High basketball team. And while he was at it, he might as well curse Lu Han hyung and Yixing hyung for quitting the basketball team just before the new academic year had started. He was also painfully aware of how he looked right now; standing in the middle of locker room with a recorder, notes, and a fuchsia SNSD ballpoint slipped behind his left ear.

“Where’s Kris-sunbae?” Baekhyun asked a boy (a fellow sophomore, he reckon; just didn’t remember the name) who was walking past him.

“Who are you?” he shot back. Baekhyun’s mouth agape before he giggled.

“Nice try, but everyone knows who I am.” Baekhyun flung his bangs. “Now where’s your captain?”

For a terrifying second, he looked like he was ready to pounce before an unusually large hand clamped on his shoulder, making both Baekhyun and Whats-his-face looked up in surprise.

“What’s going on here?” Kris quirked his bushy eyebrow.

“I was looking for you.”

With a wave of hand, Kris dismissed his team member.

“Okay?” he folded his arms in front of his chest, urging Baekhyun to continue.

“I’m Byun Baekhyun from class 2-A.”

“I know what your name is.”

In his mind, Baekhyun let out a smug ‘ha!’.

“Then you can guess what I’m here for.”

Kris went silent for a moment; a silence he used to examine Baekhyun unabashedly with a scowl on his face. Truthfully, he kind of scared Baekhyun even when he did nothing and with him being especially like this forced Baekhyun to remind himself not to pee his pants.

“Should it be you?”

“Uh, what?”

“I don’t want you.”

“Well, that’s too bad—“

“Why didn’t Joonmyeon do the interview?”

“He’s the Editor-in-Chief.”

“And above that, he’s a journalist. He should be able to do this.”

“Wha—“ Baekhyun growled. “He is. Doesn’t mean he has to. Being Editor-in-Chief means he has other people to do mundane things like interviewing a freaky basketball captain. Don’t you think he has other things to do?”

Baekhyun gulped as Kris walking forward to stand in front of him, taking full advantage of his imposing height.

Seeing him like this, Baekhyun couldn’t seem to remember the reason of him harbouring a tiny crush on Kris during half of his freshman year. He was an intimidating person to begin with and an angry, offended Kris was absolutely something Baekhyun didn’t want to deal with.

 “Tell him to interview me himself or there will be no article at all.”

“Then no article, it is.”

Baekhyun was at loss. He had expected Joonmyeon to furrow his brow in thought; considering a bargain to find a middle ground, or simply do the report himself just like Kris Wu had wanted.

Obviously drinking his ginseng tea calmly while assessing his Biology essay wasn’t what Baekhyun had anticipated.

“Sorry, but what?”

“We don’t have to cater to his demand. If he doesn’t want to, then we won’t force him.”

“In all honesty, hyung, he didn’t exactly refuse. He just asked for a different reporter.” Baekhyun eyeing Joonmyeon. “He asked for you.”

“He might as well say no, then.” Joonmyeon smiled and for some reason, it looked menacing. “And it’s not like I intend to involve with someone as arrogant as him. Now scoot.”

Baekhyun could only nod dumbly and when he was sure he was out of Joonmyeon’s hearing distance, he shrieked.

“Did I miss something here?”

ASK THE DUO!

Before we officially open ATD for this week, I’d like to voice out the very question Sooman High students here have been asking all morning. –JdMaster

And that would be: WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON WHY OUR EiC IS SUDDENLY TALKING ABOUT FATE? –TFTE

Excuse the caps lock, dear readers –JdMaster

This is a situation where such thing is excused, tbh. –TFTE

But you see, he’s actually a very mushy person. –JdMaster

Ah, of course. But we have to agree with what he said. You don’t wait for fate. Try with all your might to make it happen. –TFTE

—or to change it. Nothing is set in stone. –JdMaster

IDidntMeanIt wrote:

Hey, it’s me again. I did what you told me but now the girl hates me. Like, really really hates me. Abhor me, if you will. And I don’t know what she told her friends, but half the girl population in my class hates me, too. I’m not like what you had implied, TFTE-sunbae. I never had any intention to lead anyone on. In fact, I have neither the courage nor the confidence. I’m a freshman, so getting the hate like this is very burdensome. I’ve tried not to care, but with all eyes on you and whispers behind your back everywhere you go, that’s not an easy feat.

Jdae Master: Okay, we’re sorry to hear that. Do you have something to say, TFTE-sshi?

TooFabToExist: Hey! Ugh, okay. I’m sorry for assuming the worst about you but what’s done is done, alright? The thing about prejudice, IDidntMeanIt-sshi, is that there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. Humans are like that. We judge people even when we don’t mean to. It’s an autopilot thing; it happens just like that.

Jdae Master: Aaand~ this is totally not my partner being defensive.

TooFabToExist: Yes—hey! I’m not. Okay. If you’re really not what I thought you were, and that you’re a kind of man you’re claiming you are, then what I’m about to tell you is not all that difficult for you to do. Be yourself. Stay nice and respectful towards the girls. If they hate you, just let them be. Don’t retaliate. Don’t go into ‘oh-you-think-I’m-a-jerk-then-I’ll-be-a-jerk’ mode. If the girls were smart, they’d come to their senses. Good luck.

Black Soda wrote:

Where is Kim Joonmyeon? I asked you to bring him to me but I haven’t seen any Joonmyeon so far. Are you trying to mess with me?

Jdae Master: Wha—

TooFabToExist: Dear God. No one is trying to mess with you, okay? If you haven’t met anyone from TTH, that means the interview is cancelled. Ha.

Jda: Wait. What? Who is this? What is happening?

DunWorryBeHappy wrote:

Hey, guys. Remember me? I was your first asker. Uh, so, yeah. This is about my best friend whom I may or may not have a crush on. Let’s go with the alias Y (stands for yeppeo, of course). So I heard Y has something going on with a senior (goes by the alias X). I might have been able to ignore the gossip if not for the fact that they had a bit of history. You see, Y was like crazily infatuated with X back when we were freshmen. And to make things worse, X isn’t your regular senior-slash-love rival. He is perfect (or so the female students said). You can’t even compare us because I’m a pebble and he’s, you know, granite.

Master Jdae: … DunWorryBeHappy, you sounded so distracted. And defeated.

TooFabToExist: And what’s with all the initials (or alias, whatever)? I feel like I’m reading some Blind Items on Instiz.

Jdae Master: ‘my best friend whom I may or may not have a crush on’? So you haven’t even figured out your own feelings towards Y? And yet, here you are being miserable and all. DunWorryBeHappy, you really need to set your priorities right, okay? How can you be like this when you’re not even sure what Y is for you?

TooFabToExist: Please, do what MJdae-sshi said and then come to us again.

Jdae Master: We’d like to know the development, DunWorryBeHappy. We do care.

“We need new recruits.”

Jongdae stopped just before he touched the door knob. He turned around.

“We do?”

Joonmyeon nodded while his hand was busy making circles on Jongdae’s paper. “Only three, though. Make the announcement and put it in front of the office.”

“And what will these three newbies do?”

“Junghee and Hyeseul were no longer our crew, so the travelling section is now vacant. And the other will work with Kyungsoo.”

Jongdae laughed snidely. “He didn’t ask for it.”

“No, he didn’t.” Joonmyeon agreed. He looked up and fixed his reading glasses.

They stare at each other for a weird minute before Jongdae sighed.

"Okay, what did his mother ask of you?"

Joonmyeon half shrugged. "She didn't."

Jongdae didn't seem impressed in the slightest and this made the older one exhaled in defeat.

"Only a small favour. A generic one."

“Hyung, he’ll chew the poor soul alive. Besides, he’s doing fine with not having a partner.” Jongdae folded his arms. Not only Do Kyungsoo didn’t need an assistant, he also didn’t want any. Giving him one would only evoke negative response from him and no sane individual would want to deal with that.

“Have you ever watched him in the kitchen?” taking off his spectacles, Joonmyeon now focused fully on his friend.

“It’s his kitchen, in his house. Of course I haven’t.”

“Well, I have and it isn’t easy making all those cakes and food alone. Not to mention he still has to create new recipes all by himself.”

“That’s not something you should feel guilty about. He doesn’t want assistance. We’ll only, I quote, ‘ruin his heaven’. If you have humanity left in you, you’ll spare anyone from his wrath.”

Joonmyeon chuckled. “You’re overreacting. He’s not some devil spawn like you guys are making him out to be.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Of course he isn’t. He’s just not a man people want to be next to when he isn’t pleased with something. This idea of yours obviously falls under that Unpleasant category.”

Joonmyeon only smiled. “Just make the announcement, Jongdae.”

“You know he’ll kill you when he knows.”

“Oh, let me worry about that when the time comes.”

What happened between you and Kris? I heard people talking –Ch

Baekhyun scrunched his nose and looked at the desk next to his. Chanyeol was staring at him expectantly.

Chanyeol, I’m thinking here. So maybe you can just, I don’t know, let me be? –B

He folded the paper and threw it back to the lanky young man.

You weren’t even paying attention to Jang-seongsangnim so don’t give me that. Okay, so I’ll rephrase: what business did you have with Kris? –Ch

And why is that important to you? –B

Because you’re  

of cours

Because I’m thinking about joining his team. –Ch

Apparently reading it five times proven to not change anything, Baekhyun realised as he continuously gaped at Chanyeol’s reply with rounded eyes. He was torn between laughing like crazy and… uh, laughing quietly.

He opted to just write, anyway.

Don’t. You’ll only force the team take a nosedive. –B

What? No, I’ll be giving the team contributions they need. A lot of seniors quit clubs to focus on getting into SKY. Kris needs me –Ch

Chanyeol, the only thing you’ll contribute is Kris’ migraine. You don’t play sports, okay? The only time you touch ball (that isn’t attached to you naturally), you ended up hitting our PE teacher in the head.

... I need activity –Ch

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. What did Chanyeol take him for, an idiot? He had his own music column where he can write to his heart content what people wouldn’t listen to or understand in real life and on top of that, he had his band. Need activity my , Baekhyun thought.

“By the way, he doesn’t need any more personnel in his team. I checked.”

With that final information, Baekhyun was back contemplating and speculating about the beef Joonmyeon-hyung and Kris Wu seemingly had with each other.

The fact that Chanyeol was slumped on his desk with resignation written all over his face went completely unnoticed by the ATD columnist.

The library wasn’t exactly the most favourite place to visit during recess and Minseok was thankful for that. That way, he could roam around looking for books without having to worry about people with inquiry eyes trying to inspect him. He knew he was likely being paranoid, but with all the things had happened to his family within the last six years, he didn’t want to take a risk. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to survive another blow to his already carefully patched pride.

He liked to think of himself as a regular here in library. He knew the patrons and he remembered what book was where and unfortunately, this also made him well aware that what he was searching for wasn't going to be easy to find. He even doubted they have sufficient collection for the topic but beggars can't be choosers, he supposed. He'd just take what he can, because all those dreams were starting to seriously disturb him. 

Dreams about things he didn't have memories of having or knowing.

Minseok was going to enter the nonfiction section when his vision caught the sight of Zhang Yixing. His steps immediately came into a halt.

It wasn't about the sophomore, really. Well, okay, a bit. But it was more about what people associated him with--about whom Minseok associated him with. 

Everybody and their mothers knew he was a good friend of Lu Han. The closest among the rest. The bestfriend of someone who was more or less a royalty in their school. Someone who, for some reason he couldn't explain, had made him come into football practice every weekends with such a spirit if only to make him notice his talent, his entire existance. To ing look at him in the eye when they were talking.

Minseok knew, of course, about the so-called The Golden Six but Lu Han was in a different league altogether. He was one of very few seniors (the others being Kim Joonmyeon and Kris Wu) who didn't quit extracurricular activites in favor of studiying 20 hours a day, crying blood and sweat to secure a seat in SKY because he could pass the entrance test with eyes closed. And if not, he could very well study abroad because he came from old family with old money and he had every resources needed to ensure his future. Was known widely as a polite young man, he had earned himself a recognition from teachers and students alike. A son every mother would have wanted, a man every girl would have dated.

A man whose light was shining so bright Minseok couldn't bear to stare at.

He carefully, quietly, his heels, attempting to flee before Yixing even had the chance to see him. But because it was Kim freaking Minseok, with his freaking luck, he ended up bump into a ladder.

"Oh, Minseok-sunbae?" Yixing perked up. "Fancy to see you here!"

Minseok cleared his throat. "Yeah. Me, too."

"Looking for a book to aide your homework or just to read?"

"Just to read, I guess."

"Oh?" Yixing lifted his eyebrows, eyes warm and comforting. "What about?"

Why did he have this conversation with him, again? "About dream."

Yixing suddenly looked very interested. "You won't find anything helping here."

"And where could I find 'anything helping'?"

"I can lend you some good books. Nothing too fancy, just books with basic things one would need to know about dreams, how and why they are formed. I'm sure my father won't mind."

Minseok found himself considering Yixing's offer. "Really? What does your father do?"

Actually, Minseok had heard about Zhang Yixing's father, a neuroscientist, about him being the head of some research institute. Minseok inwardly sighed. Lu Han's inner circle was no joke.

"Oh, basically learning about things," Yixing shrugged nonchalantly without an ounce of hubris in him. "Ah, but if my memory serves me right, some of those books are in Lu Han's possession. I can ask him to give my books back--"

"No!" 

They both were taken aback by Minseok's outburst. Yixing stared at him in confusion, his hand was still deep inside his pocket in effort to fish out his cell phone. Minseok didn't know what had caused his sudden reaction and he wouldn't dwell to find out the reason.

"No need to. I mean, I don't even want to read them that much." With that, he bowed and vanished.