Sehun stood before the gates of the looming building with the words 'Seoul Central High School' on it. He felt intimidated by the massive building that held so much unknown to his future. But then again, no matter where he went, it was all the same, the kinds of people and the way they will treat him will always be the same. Upon the thought, Sehun's grip on the straps of his backpack grew tighter. Shakily, he exhaled and timidly started towards it.

As he walked towards the entrance, he was welcomed by the cool breeze from the air conditioners in the building, and it felt nice after spending almost an hour under the summer sun. Sehun kept his head hung low and nervously gnawed oh his bottom lip as he could feel the stares boring into the back of his head and his knuckles turned white as he squeezed the straps. He dragged his feet and said under his breath, "Just keep walking."

Students all peered at him curiously, intrigued and scared by the new student. They all shuffled off to the side when he passed by and whispered amongst themselves about him.

"Who is he?"

"He looks scary."

Almost immediately after entering the building, Sehun bumped into someone. He stumbled back and saw a student with a large frame glaring at him.

"I'm sorry," Sehun apologized quietly while bowing deeply.

The student stared at him in disgust and dusted off his shoulder with a scowl on his face. "Why don't you watch where you're going, freak?" Sehun bowed once again and watched the student walk away while cursing and muttering insults.

Sehun sighed and muttered to himself, "Off to a great start already."

The brunet wandered around the school in attempt to search for the office. With the school being massive and more like a maze than a building for educational purposes, it did not make Sehun's attempt any easier. He tried to ask students he saw loitering in the hallways but once they saw him, they all dispersed while giving him a disgusted or sorry look. He sighed yet again and started on his journey to find the office.

Sehun searched the hallways for that one room and as his search continued to show no progress, he started to grow anxious. At that moment, the bell rung and he started to panic. Students begun to flood the hallways, all but Sehun making their way to their classrooms. Not wanting to be late for class, although he couldn't really avoid it at this point, Sehun reached to grab the person closet to him. He lifted his head with great courage and just when he was about to ask where the office was, his breath hitched as he stared at the beautiful girl before him.

She had gorgeous brown eyes with a certain undefinable sparkle to them that did nothing more but make her eyes seem more alluring and sensual. Her eyes were warm, full of heat, compassion, and forgiveness; they were nothing like the numerous pairs of cold eyes Sehun had came to face in his seventeen years of life. Pink cheeks, full lips colored like spring cherry blossoms, and long black hair just mesmerized him even more. 

She looked at him in surprise and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Sehun snapped out of his daze and stuttered, "D-Do you know where the office is?" He was taken aback by her beauty and couldn't stop staring at her.

The girl smiled warmly and pointed down the hallway. "Go down those stairs and swing a left. It should be right there when you turn. You're new here, aren't you?"

Sehun meekly nodded and she grinned widely. "In that case, let me be the first person to welcome you to Seoul Central High. Hope you enjoy it here."

He found his cheeks growing warm and he bowed. "T-Thank you very much."

She gently pulled her wrist from his grasp and waved. "Have fun. I hope to see you around."

Sehun absentmindedly waved. He found himself still starring at the direction she went even after she was out of his sight. The girl was beautiful, everything that Sehun wasn't. He was suddenly reminded of his flaw and one hand absentmindly reached up and covered his left cheek.

She saw this.

The second warning bell rang, signaling that all students should already be in class by now. Sehun shook his head and turned around. "Office, office..." He muttered as he started down the hallway. He walked down the stairs the girl told him and then turned left. His eyes brightened at the sign that read 'OFFICE' and opened the door.

The room was empty save the few teachers that did not have classes at that time. Sehun looked around and shyly called out, "Hello?"

One of the teachers looked up from their desk and jumped in shock at the sight of the brunet. He stood up and replied, "What can I help you with?"

"I, uh, I just transfered here. I'm Oh Sehun," He said.

The teacher nodded, coming over to offer his hand for a handshake, which Sehun took. After withdrawing their hands, the teacher looked around the office. "Just give me a sec. I should be able to find your schedule somewhere." He dug through the piles of paper on his desk and eventually went to look through other teachers' desks. He straightened up and scratched the back of his head. "Huh, I can't find it. Let me go ask the principal. You can take a seat there if you want." The teacher gestured to one of the swivel chairs before leaving to go to the principal's office.

Sehun sat down awkwardly on one of the chairs the teacher had gestured to and hugged his backpack close to his chest. He looked around the large room, the office set off the mood of seriousness and officialism, as expected of the most prestigious high school in Seoul. He softly exhaled. Sehun always hated being the new student, but it wasn't avoidable given his father's job made them move around a lot. It made him feel more awkward. Sehun struggled with adapting to new environments often times and the students' constant judging didn't really help much. It takes a while for his fellow classmates to get used to his presence, but before Sehun can blend in more, he would be told by his father that they would be moving. Again.

The door flew open, causing Sehun to jump in shock. The teacher from before had a wide smile on his face and a familiar looking piece of paper in his hand.

"Got your schedule... Oh Sehun? Yeah, Oh Sehun. Anyways, here it is and here is a map of the school. Being that you're in your second year, your class will be on the second floor which is just a floor above. Once you go up the stairs, turn left and you'll be able to find the classroom for 2-2."

The boy got up from his seat and bowed deeply. "Thank you."

The teacher laughed and patted him on the back. "It's what I'm here for, kiddo. Now off you go!" He handed the papers over and rushed Sehun out of the office. Once Sehun was gone, he sighed and said to himself, "I hope the kids won't be too harsh on him."

What happened in the office had lessened Sehun's nervousness, all thanks to the teacher's friendly actions. Following the directions given, Sehun walked up to the second floor and went to find his classroom. When he found it, he meekly looked through the window and saw the students all jotting notes down diligently while the teacher quickly wrote on the chalkboard. His hand shakily reached for the doorknob and just when he was about to grab it, he dropped his hand. He took in a deep breath and grabbed the brass doorknob. He twisted it and pushed it open, making everyone in the classroom turn their heads.

The middle aged man in the front cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Who are you?"

Sehun dipped his head and shakily started, "I-I'm sorry for being late. I'm the transfer student, Oh Sehun."

The man nodded. "That's right, I was expecting you earlier."

He bowed again, lifting his head just the slightest. The teacher gestured to the front. "Well, why don't you come up to the front and introduce yourself to everyone?"

Sehun gulped and hesitantly nodded. He shuffled towards the front with his head hung low and hands wrapped tightly around the straps of his bookbag. He peeked through his bangs and saw everyone staring at him and his palms started to grow clammy.

"H-Hello, my name is Oh S-Sehun. I just moved to Seoul recently. Please take good care of me," He said quietly. Bowing once more and when he lifted his head up, he saw his new classmates' judgmental stares. Sehun's shoulders deflated and he played with the hem of his shirt nervously.

The teacher looked around and pointed to a seat in the corner of the back. "That's the only available seat left, but I'm sure you'll be fine since you're a tall fellow."

Sehun nodded and quickly made his way to his seat, not wanting to be subjected to his classmates' cold stares again. He took a seat on his chair and pulled out the usual pen and notebook needed for class. The lesson he interrupted began once again and he tried his best to catch up with the large amount of notes. Sehun noticed how every student had a textbook on their desk and he sighed. He contemplated asking the person in front of him or next to him if he could look along but later decided he'd rather spare the person and just cluelessly listen to the rest of the lecture.

The bell rang and the teacher left the classroom to head to the next class. As students waited for the next teacher, some approached Sehun.

"Hey, what the hell's wrong with you?" One of them asked.

The boy looked up in bewilderment and another sneered, "Seriously, it's a bit disgusting to see your face."

Sehun's face fell and he dropped his head back down again. The other boys continued to throw insults at him openly while everyone else stared at him pitifully.

"Poor guy." He heard one of the girls muttered to her friends.

"Yeah, it must really to be him."

Sehun balled his hands into fists and exhaled. It's okay. It's okay.

Luckily, the next teacher walked in soon after, demanding everyone to take their seats. The brunet started to take notes when he felt his lips quiver and eyes burn. He set his lead pencil down and rubbed at his eyes. Don't. He demanded himself. Especially after what those guys said. I'm used it. I will be okay.

The day quickly went by, time flying by fast except for when Sehun had to eat lunch by himself, and it was soon the end of school. The bell had rang and students started to crowd the hallways while making their way home. Although Sehun didn't want to leave the now empty classroom, he had no choice but to do so in order to get home. He packed his things and left the room with his backpack on his shoulders.

Given that he was pretty tall for his age, Sehun stood out a bit. Even with his head lowered, he still managed to stick out and grab everyone's attention.

The brunet wasn't one for the center of people's attention. He preferred being a wallflower, a shadow, someone that people knew of but didn't care for. Someone no one looked at to constantly judge, point, and laugh at. That was what he wanted. Yet things just never worked out for him.

Sehun walked down the hallway and with each step he took, students moved off to the side, not wanting to be in his way. They all stared at him with judging eyes and couldn't refrain themselves from saying things behind his back. The boy couldn't do much. It was just how he came to be. It's not like he had a choice.

All of a sudden, Sehun heard a familiar voice and he lifted his head to see where it was coming from. His eyes caught sight of the girl from earlier and his cheeks grew warm. He wanted to thank her for her help and started towards her. Sehun's steps came to a stop when he saw a group of people surrounding her. The girl laughed and smiled widely at one of the boys that owned a dimpled smile, making Sehun sighed dejectedly. There was no way he would be able to say anything to her without being given weird looks by her friends. In the end, Sehun decided to call it a day and head back home, his cold empty home.

His journey home was slow and leisurely despite the many stares he received from strangers. Throughout the years, Sehun had learned how to ignore everyone and try to not let them get the best of him. It was a hard and long process but he managed to block all the insults and looks of disgust or pity. It all came with a price though, the price of having to remain in solitude despite whatever feeling he held. Sehun had to resist the urge of throwing a tantrum or blaming the others. He was no longer young, he was only a year away from becoming legal. As a young adult, he couldn't just start crying every time someone insulted him. How would people take him seriously if he constantly cried? Then again, no one would even look at him for a second time, nevertheless take him seriously.

The boy soon found himself standing in front of his new home. He blinked at how quickly he arrived back. After rummaging through his pockets for his keys for a couple of minutes, he pulled them out and unlocked the door. Not being used to the new locks, Sehun turned the key the wrong way a couple of times, causing him to spend more times opening the door than usual.

He swiftly stepped into the home and sighed when he was finally inside. After kicking his shoes off and slipping on his slippers, Sehun padded through the house and after dumping his belongings in the living room, made his way to the kitchen. As Sehun walked towards the kitchen, he noticed his father quickly making his way down from the second floor clad in a clean crisp black suit.

"Hey dad," Sehun greeted softly.

The adult halted midstep and turned to look at his son. His gaze first landed on Sehun's cheek, then quickly darted to his son's eyes, lingering there for a couple of seconds until the guilt started to overwhelm him once again. He lowered his head and awkwardly said back, "O-Oh, hey Sehun."

His son shuffled in his spot and asked, "Do you want anything to eat? I'm about to make a sandwich and I was just wondering if you wan-"

"Sorry but I have a really important meeting so I have to get out of the house now. Are you okay with eating alone again tonight? I have several other appointments with important clients afterwards so I won't be able to make it home," The man interrupted.

Sehun's shoulder deflated a bit. "Yeah, it's fine. You should probably get going."

The man nodded and after slipping on his sleek black pantofel shoes, he stepped out of the house. His steps halted for a few seconds at the doorsteps, as if he wanted to make one last comment. But whatever he wanted to say, he didn't say it and continued on walking.

Sehun sighed a bit and forewent the sandwich he was craving, making his way upstairs. His eyes caught the bathroom door left open and he stepped in. Out of habit, Sehun picked up a few discarded pieces of clothing on the floor and dumped them in the hamper. When he straightened up, Sehun looked straight into the mirror and his reflection stared back at him. His hand slowly reached up to his left cheek and covered it.

"If only I didn't have this."

Laying flatly on his left cheek was a long jagged line, its tip running down from his temple, stopping a few centimeters shy the corner of his lips. Its journey towards his lips was not smooth as the line was interrupted by smaller lines perpendicular to it, where the needles had poked in with threads to sew the wound close years ago. An incomplete blend of different shades of red had manage to add more hideousness to it. The scar reflected back to the mirror innocently, almost as if oblivious to the pains it had brought to Sehun throughout the eleven years of life it had accompanied him.

omg i'm so excited to finally put up the first chapter for this collab between deer-of-dawn and i! i'm sO EXCITED /heavy breathing
i hope you guys look at us with kindly and enjoy this story that we're finally putting up ^^
if i wrote this story myself, i bet it would be super ty so i have to thank deer-of-dawn for editing and making things 10x better
hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one!
- pipoomica

Yehet! Ohorat! pipoomica had the honor of writing the body of the first chapter ^^ while I added on the eyes, nose, lips.
Many thanks to her for putting up with my annoying questions and doubts XD I hope you guys will like this chapter.
Also I am super nervous cause I am writing the next one. Please do subscribe and comment~ Send me courage!!
- deer-of-dawn