Kim Jonghyun had always taken life very seriously. He studied hard, followed the rules, and kept out of trouble. He never allowed himself to be distracted from his dreams of fame with things as trivial as friends…or human contact. Don’t get the wrong idea. He wasn’t a recluse, he talked to people, but only enough to maintain a normal reputation and appease his parents and teachers. It was easy for him to get by with little interaction since his parents were workaholics and he lived at a boarding school.  He didn’t feel he was missing much; his only focus, his only desire was to sing, all the time. Naturally when he passed the SM auditions he was excited – he knew it would require an almost inhumane amount of work, but he was prepared for that: what Jonghyun was not prepared for was working in a group.

                “What?” he stared blankly at the recruitment staff; suddenly he saw all his dreams slipping through his fingers.

                “You and four other young boys are going to make up an idol group,” the man obviously could not sense Jonghyun’s shock.  “Starting next week you will be living in a dorm and training together with them.”

                This is never going to work, Jonghyun thought to himself.

Five days later… Jonghyun dropped his red Nike duffle bag onto the lower bunk of one of the two sets on bunk beds set up in the dorm’s small bedroom. He then flopped back onto the mattress himself and heaved a sigh. He was the first of the members to arrive at the dorm. They probably all had friends and family to say goodbye to, he mused apathetically. He had just shut his eyes when the sound of another person entering the room sprung them open again.

                The first thing Jonghyun noticed upon sitting up were the two enormous, bright purple suitcases, then the boy fumbling all over trying to maneuver them in to the room. When Jonghyun examined the boy he found dark straight black hair (much like his own) deep, brown cat-like eyes, flawless pale skin, and a thin frame slightly taller than his own.

                “!” the intruder muttered as he dropped one of his many additional bags. After retrieving it from the floor, the boy looked up and he finally noticed that there was another person in the room. “Oh, hi.” He flashed a small friendly smile in Jonghyun’s directions.

                Jonghyun was worried that the boy seemed like the social type, but there was something comfortable and relaxing about him that put Jonghyun’s nerves at ease. He watched as the boy dropped all his luggage by the lower bunk opposite Jonghyun’s and then, for lack of a better word, sashayed towards him, extending a hand.

                “My name’s Kim Kibum. Looks like we’ll be working together.” Jonghyun, still sitting down, took Kibum’s hand and shook it.

                “Yeah. I’m Kim Jonghyun.”

“Nice to meet you.” Kibum then turned his attention back to his luggage and began unpacking. Jonghyun was pleased with the fact that, although obviously friendly and social, his new band mate wasn’t nosy or determined to “get him out of his shell” as so many of his classmates had been.

                What in the world is he doing? Jonghyun questioned with startled confusion when he finally noticed what Kibum was unpacking. Astounded he watched as the younger delicately removed a hairdryer, a straightener, various eyeliners, and a full range of expensive looking skin care products.

                Who packed that suitcase? His sister? Jonghyun was surprise to find himself suppressing a chuckle; he wasn’t exactly one to take interest in others. And yet despite himself he continued to watch with a big grin on his face, just waiting to see what the strange boy would do next.

                Kibum had, at some point, begun rambling on about his hometown, his school, and his grandmother. Jonghyun really didn’t mind; to him Kibum appeared the type to talk no matter who the other person was or if they were listening or not, and as long as Kibum wasn’t asking him any questions (which would force a reply) Jonghyun was content to just let him prattle on.

                “…anyway I’m so happy to be in Seoul now, it’s like a fashion capital of the world! You should have seen how the kids at my old school dressed. Total bumpkins, it was like they lived in burlap sacks! Ugh!” After pulling some clothes, which Jonghyun noticed to be very brightly colored, out of his suitcase Kibum stood up and walked past Jonghyun’s bed to the door just beyond it. “Is this the closet?” he asked spinning on his heels to face the nearly comatose boy. Jonghyun just shrugged and closed his eyes, figuring he could fall asleep without Kibum actually noticing. But once again his napping plans were foiled by Kibum as a loud shriek sounded from only a few feet away.

                “Ahhhhhhhhhh!” Jonghyun sat up in his bed, thinking there was some sort of vermin or dead body in the closet. However, all that was to be seen was Kibum, one hand on a cocked hip and the other pointed ferociously towards the closet.

                “That is not a closet! You can’t even walk into it! No, that is just a dinky little hole barely big enough to fit my shoes in. And you can bet your size six I will not be living here if that is the only closet space available!”

                Jonghyun merely stared at the infuriated teen for a few silent seconds, and the he just couldn’t hold it in any longer. The cocked hip, the sassy attitude, the raised eyebrow, and heap of clothes (which included a pair of Hello Kitty pajamas) discarded in disbelief, it was all too much.

                “Hahaha! Hahahahahaha! *snort* Hahahaha!” Jonghyun doubled over in laughter, something he couldn’t remember ever doing before. “Well Princess,” he managed to articulate between chuckles, “looks like you’ve got some renovating to do.”

                Kibum’s perfectly groomed eyebrows furrowed, but softened quickly as he watched the previously stoic boy still laughing with one hand covering his mouth. Yes, he should probably be offended…

                But hey, at least he finally smiled.