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[10 car sub – arriving: 2, 11]

The doors to the subway opened and a whole herd of people rushed out while others pushed on through the doors. He was caught up in a wave, even as this was his stop. A stream of ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ maybe also ‘please’ slipped through his lips before he was even weary, as he was taught to be. Finally, he broke through the crowd and stood before one of the pillars underground, watching as the mass of people filtered out in some minutes and trains leaving. The bustle of feet pattering the ground and constant chatter filled the heavy air and he let out a sigh. Relief filling his lungs yet fear lingered around.

“I wanna go home.”

I beg you not to laugh. All throughout middle school and elementary, I was stuck in my little hometown. Filled with rows and squares of farming and crops; peaceful, quiet, and nothing happening there. Even for school trips, I stayed home from my parents over protectiveness and I understood most of the time.

That’s me, an average boy from the country.

I came here on invitation from my best friend. He’s always been good at persuading people, and through messages and calling, convinced my parents to let me continue the rest of my high school years here, in Seoul. With many lectures and long powerpoints about the danger of the big city, I was finally let go onto a train bound to here. In this large city is the start of a new line, and to be honest, I don’t know what to expect except my luggage safely transported to my friend’s house. I’ll be living with him and helping with rent (my parents really) until I decide to get my own place or not. That idea is still in the air.

“Kim~ Myung~ Soo!”

A body crashes into the poor boy waiting beside the pillar, and he coughs when some of his breath is knocked away, then the body gets off. As he turns, there’s another person there, smiling brightly.

“Sung….Jong?”

“Is that a question?” the boy asks, scoffing while fixing his collar. Extending out a hand with three fingers, “Guess! One, Lee Howon! Two, Lee Sungyeol! Or three, Lee Sungjong!” he says the last with the palm towards his heart with the other choices lessening one finger. Twirling the umbrella in the other hand to the ground, leaning onto it.

“It is you!” Myungsoo smiles for the first time in the city. “Wow! You dyed your hair and everything, your voice change as well.”

“Aren’t I beautiful?” Sungjong flips his pink hair to the side, but another boy crashes from behind. Messing up the pink tuff into ruffles and laughs as Sungjong whines.

“You’re always going to be a brat if you keep saying stupid things like that,” the tallest of them all continues laughing, turning to Myungsoo. “Heya buddy!”

“Sungyeol!” Myungsoo feels a burden lifted off his shoulders as he hugs the other. “Man, it’s good to see you!”

Lee Sungyeol, the middle child of the three siblings, is his best friend. Sungjong, the youngest, apparently got here first. He was well acquainted with all three of the Lee trio, maybe the oldest was slightly lesser familiar with. (Only because the eldest is toughened up with awkward it hurts through the air.)

“Hoya here too?” the fresh country boy goes up onto his toes to look about around but the other two laugh.

“Nah, Hoya-hyung stayed behind in the car quite a bit aways to get free parking,” Sungjong huffs, patting his own shoulder with the umbrella. “We’ll wander around with you for a while to show you some places.”

“More like you wanted to show him the stupidest shops so he can buy you new shirts,” Sungyeol rolls his eyes, tapping Myungsoo’s shoulder to get him going from those frozen limbs. “Let’s a go!”

“W-where to?” Myungsoo stumbles along the two brothers, who kept arguing where to show him around.

They get on the escalator up, a long ride to the top so they lean on the rails as Myungsoo stands rather out of place, stiffly and holding his backpack straps tightly.

“Where do you wanna go?” Sungyeol prompts. “You look the same by the way, same naïve eyes as before.”

“H-hey!” he puffs his cheeks but even Sungjong is scuffling his laughter. “How about Seoul’s main scenic park?”

“The giant one with the fountains and trees and the square?” Sungyeol raises a brow.

“Dude, just call it Central Park,” Sungjong pipes, shaking his head. “Take your girlfriend there, not us.”

Myungsoo frowns slightly, mostly his lips turn into a line and he furrows his brows in confusion, “I thought all the Seoulians call it that.”

“Seoulians?” Sungyeol repeats and the sibling have a hearty laugh. “What is that? People who live in Seoul?”

“Yes…?”

“Okay let’s g