I feel that it is entirely necessary to apologize to all of you right now, and tell you how bad I feel for only updating this now.  I can't give you a good explanation, to be honest, and anything will just feel like an excuse anyways.  But, it's been a rough year for me.  I've recently been writing a bit, which you may have noticed with the three other short stories I published.  For some reason though, this was hard to return to.  I went back and I edited all of the previous chapters (there's really no reason to reread them).  And now, I return to you officially with a new, albeit short, chapter.  I hope you enjoy it, and I will definitely be updating this more regularly.  Thank you, and I love you guys. <3 -Yee

Chapter Nine

     Baekhyun groaned as he made his way down the stairs the next morning, slippered feet dragging against the polished wood and his thin fingers absently digging sleep from his eyes.  The light that filtered in from the oversized windows was dim as it fell in scattered patterns across the art covered walls, the intricately woven carpet resting at the foot of the steps where two maids stood, clad in black and white uniforms and pleasant smiles.  They were young and beautiful, and they bowed deeply once he reached them, his own form reciprocating despite what his father had always said about bowing to the help.

  "Miss Hyunsook is already making breakfast, Young Master Baekhyun," the taller of the two informed him with a gentle and respectful tone, her silky black hair styled around her face conservatively.  "Could we get you anything in the meantime?"

     He smiled.  "No.  Thank you, Victoria, Luna."  They bowed again, wishing him a good morning before making their way to their assigned duties.  Baekhyun slipped the book bag off of his shoulder, setting it down neatly by the front door before starting off down the hall.  He slipped his way through the double doors quietly, immediately basking in the smell of freshly baked muffins.  It was a scent he had come to associate with his caretaker over the years, Hyunsook often indulging his sweet tooth more than she should, perhaps.

  "You're up early," the woman chuckled, turning away from the counter where she was chopping fresh fruit on a wooden cutting board, the smell of strawberries and melon mixing with that of the blueberry filled bread in the oven.

  "Good morning to you too," he grinned tiredly, taking a sip of the orange juice she pushed in front of him.  "I'm meeting the foreign exchange students this morning.   It's their first day."  Baekhyun set the glass down, running a hand over his face as Hyunsook went back to the fruit.

  "Students from China, right?"  She was quite possibly the only person in his family that listened when he talked, let alone took an interest in what he talked about, no matter how small it might have been.  He couldn't help the smile that found its way to his lips as Hyunsook passed a crystal bowl of fruit chunks to him.

  "Yep, one second year and two third years.  The older students will be here for the rest of the year, but I heard the younger is transferring officially if he likes it.  We're going to show them around the campus and help them find their classes today."  He popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth.

  "And they speak Korean?"  She took a strawberry for herself.

  "I'm not sure," Baekhyun hummed, mostly to himself, "they probably do, but Headmaster Kim didn't tell me much."

     Hyunsook chortled airily as she pulled on a pair of hot pink oven mitts from the drawer.  "Does he ever?"  She placed the fresh muffins onto a hot pad near Baekhyun, swatting at the back of his hand when he surged forward, fingers extended towards the scalding pan.

  "I'm saving you from yourself."  He pouted, but didn't try to snatch one when she turned around.  He usually would.  He didn't have a whole lot of self-restraint when it came to sugary treats.

  "Oh, Baekhyun."  Hyunsook stopped from cleaning up for a moment.  A sigh made its way past her lips as she turned back to the boy.  "Your mother called me last night.  Your parents will be coming home early.  They will be here when you get home from school."  She glanced at him expectantly after she finished speaking, most likely examining his face for any adverse reactions.

     Baekhyun, himself, wasn't sure how to feel.  He was glad that his parents would be home, of course, but how long would they stay?  Would they even stay at all?  Maybe they would be back on a plane an hour after they got off their last and he would be stuck at home for another week or two, wondering where his parents were and what they were doing, if they wondered the same things about him.  Baekhyun decided that he should be happy for the moment.  He would get to hug his mother, and maybe she would answer his questions this time.

     He schooled his expression, plastering a gentle, hopeful grin on his cheeks.  "I'm glad.  Do you know how long they'll be here?"

     Hyunsook offered him a half-smile, one that never reached her eyes as she laid her frail hand on top of Baekhyun's.  "You know I don't."

     He nodded.  "I know.  It was worth a try."

     It was about an hour and a half before classes began that Baekhyun, with Lu Han and Junmyeon in tow, made it to the door of the headmaster's office.  A massive block of solid, polished wood separating them from the uniform sitting room and the extravagance of the interior office that they were well aware awaited them.  Baekhyun gave a firm set of knocks to the center before stepping back.  Lu Han stood on his right, a shrug of indifference and a bored glare that would likely disappear once they were granted entrance.  Junmyeon stood to his left, arms occupied with a familiar binder, filled to the brim with information for the new students and a couple of Chinese conversational books that the other two wouldn't need.  He fidgeted slightly in the seconds they were left waiting.

     A masculine, halfway deep voice beckoned them from the inside.  It was a voice Baekhyun recognized well.  With a friendly beam, he pushed the door open without another second wasted.  Headmaster Kim sat behind a lofty desk, body framed with an expensive suit and face lit up with an equally expensive smile.  He stood as his students entered.

     Headmaster Kim, otherwise known as Kim Seokjin, was a bit taller than himself with soft brown hair and broad shoulders, handsome, and fairly young to even be considered for the position he held.  He had been a good student back in time as well, the studious senior to a younger, equally studious Yejun.  Baekhyun had recognized him the instant he set his eyes upon Seokjin a couple of years before, his mind only recalling positive memories of the older man, times when he went out of his way to be nice to Baekhyun, to help him in any way that he could.  He found it fitting that Seokjin was now in charge of the academy.   He was genuinely a warm-hearted, likeable person, if not a bit vague and forgetful at times.  It could be overlooked once you knew him.

  "Baekhyun, Lu Han, Junmyeon.  You're just in time.  Please, have a seat."  The man gestured to a costly leather couch, its base and sides adorned with intricately carved wood pieces.  It sat opposite to an identical match, this one composed of three quiet teenage boys, unobtrusively soaking up the sight of their surroundings with keen eyes.  The council members moved to take a seat across from them as Kim Seokjin made for the matching armchair nearby, swooping down with a graceful precision.  They exchanged brief pleasantries amongst each other, as per their culture requested of formal meetings, the Chinese students remaining silent on the sidelines.  Baekhyun wondered briefly if it was a question of not understanding the language so well, or if they were just politely passive.  Seokjin, who must have noticed the president's questioning gaze, offered an indulgent smile.

  "Let me introduce you all," he turned towards the exchange student at the very end first.  "This is Huang Zitao.  He will be transferring in as a second year."  The boy lifted his dark eyes to meet those across from him.  He stood, bowed, saying a hello in heavily accented Korean before sitting back down, gently.  Zitao was soft spoken and skittish, his demeanor reminding Baekhyun of a shy child that would hide behind his mother's legs when asked for his name.  He was tall also, and mature looking for his age.

     The headmaster went on.  "This is Zhang Yixing, a third year, like the three of you."  The boy stood with a dimpled smile and repeated Zitao's demonstration, his kind face bright and satisfied with an enthusiastic sort of happiness.  Baekhyun watched as Yixing caught Junmyeon's gaze momentarily, just before he took his seat again, the latter opening his mouth in what appeared to be awe.  Yixing sent a pointed smile towards the other, one that was specifically for him, as he adjusted beside the other two exchange students again.  Seokjin must have noticed the interaction, Baekhyun considered, if his hardly veiled smirk was any indication at all.

  "And finally, this is Kim Minseok, although I believe he prefers to be called Xiumin."  The boy nodded.  "He is also a third year."  He looked too young to be a third year already.  He was probably the epitome of attractive (really, they all were), but there was something more youthful about his appearance.  His cheeks, while slim, were fuller than the others', his feline eyes wide and sparkling with mischief and charisma.  Xiumin's hair wasn't dark either, unlike Zitao's and Yixing's.  It had been dyed a lighter shade of brown with undertones of reddish-orange.

  "Kim Minseok?"  Lu Han questioned lightly, the syllables comfortable on his palate.  "Are you Korean?"

     Xiumin nodded, this time answering for himself.  "Yes.  I was born in Namyangju, actually."  His voice was smooth, hardly accented at all, and only if you were listening for it.  "I've been living in China since I was seven."  This, Lu Han considered to be a feat, having moved to South Korea at an even younger age and still struggling to form the unfamiliar words until he was well into primary school.  Korean, he figured, was probably easier for one to learn than Mandarin, as well.  He nodded, interested at the student's words.

  "Oh, I forgot to introduce you three," Seokjin expressed apologetically.  "This is Lu Han," he gestured accordingly, Lu Han attempting a half-assed bow of sorts.  "He was born in China, moved here when he was-"

  "About three," Lu Han supplied.  Xiumin smiled, having already made the connection with the male's name and distinct lack of accent.

  "This is Byun Baekhyun," he continued as the other three shifted their focus.  "He is the class president, if you ever have any questions or need help.  He is also fluent in Chinese, if that makes it easier."  Zitao's eyes seemed to brighten.  Being the youngest, he probably didn't receive as much training in the language as of yet, and Baekhyun knew for a fact that Seokjin barely spoke a word of his native tongue.

  "It is very nice to meet you," Baekhyun added with a rectangular shaped smile, bowing a respectful ninety degrees.  He was pretty sure he heard Lu Han mutter 'show off' behind him but hardly paid attention to it.

  "And this," Headmaster Kim finished again, "is Kim Junmyeon, or our vice-president."  Junmyeon gathered himself, and with a pleasant grin, released a string of greetings in broken Chinese.  Neither Lu Han nor Baekhyun bothered to correct him, and for the record, the exchange students didn't make mention of it either, despite how the boy had so horribly butchered their once beautiful dialect.  Yixing seemed elated as Junmyeon finished, bowing directly towards the boy.

  "Right, so I already spoke to the boys yesterday about all of their classes and duties as students here after they settled into their dorms.  Do you have any questions before I leave you to go tour the campus?"  The Chinese students each gave a shake of the head as the headmaster stood.

  "Alright.  I guess I will release you then.  But remember, you can always come to me if you ever need anything."  They smiled and thanked him, following the council members out with over an hour left to kill.

  "Well," Baekhyun announced once the door had shut behind them.  "Let's get started."

     There wasn't much to show in the long run, even for a large campus like their own.  Core classes were universal, just with different variations of textbooks and teachers.  Once you've seen one history classroom, you've pretty much seen them all.  Still, the council members led them briefly through each of their schedules.  The school was set up in such a way that they could easily navigate alone if they wanted, with like style courses arranged in clusters and directional signs posted nearly everywhere in Korean and English.

     They wandered loosely in a group, having separated into pairs early on.  Yixing was clearly more forward than Junmyeon was, making the first move to begin a conversation.  Quite slyly, one might add, with the way he claimed to need Junmyeon to explain the purpose of having two cafeterias when it clearly wasn't necessary.  Lu Han all but cooed over the two, Xiumin neatly attached to his side, Baekhyun and Zitao leading the group at the front.  Zitao was eager to ask questions about the school, even attempting to ask them in Korean first.  He was persistent in only switching to Chinese when he really needed to, and Baekhyun was overjoyed to answer either way.  It only took a few minutes for Zitao to warm up to the older, though he didn't appear to make such progress with Junmyeon or Lu Han, and Baekhyun just as quickly found himself responding.  The exchange student fell into step with him, matching his stride like an adorable little brother might.

     The six neared the activities building.  It was a medium sized structure, smaller than the Center of Common Learning, which was the first building anyone entered when they arrived through the main gates.  But it was probably five times the size of the technology based building right next door.  The outside was set in a smooth, sand colored stone with tall columns winding up past the second floor, connecting to an elegant parapet lining the edges of the tiled roof.  Trees and shrubs filled the sides of the brick walking path that connected every building throughout the campus, and the plants, much like everything else in or around their classes, had always been well kept and maintained.  The front entrance remained dark and eerily silent at this time of the morning, but the door easily gave way when Baekhyun attempted to push it open.

  "Are you guys considering any of our clubs or teams yet?" the class president directed to the exchange students, holding the door open for the others to file in.

     Yixing was the first to answer, an excited grin tracing his lips.  "I heard there was a pretty good music club here."  He rejoined Junmyeon's side once they had started off down a corridor.

  "One of the best in the city," Junmyeon supplied helpfully.   "Baekhyun and Lu Han would know.  They're in it."

  "Baekhyun is the president of that too," Lu Han added, a wistful sigh falling dramatically from his lips.  "Our seniors are probably laughing at us now, knowing what kind of hard- they left in charge.  I swear, you should've seen the routine he had the dance club choreograph for us last showcase.  We almost died."  He clutched at his heart.  "I can still feel the pain today.  When it rains, you know?"  Baekhyun smacked him in the shoulder with a good-natured smile.

  "I'm sure I can keep up," Yixing chuckled.

  "Are you a dancer?  You look like a dancer," Junmyeon admitted suddenly, his eyes going wide when he realized what he had said.  "I mean, I just mean-"

     Yixing laughed again.  "I am a dancer, actually."  He gave Junmyeon a considerate once-over.  "You look like you could dance well too."  Junmyeon bloomed in a scarlet blush, uttering an awkward thank you as the Chinese boy continued to grin.

  "Xiumin, you were in our school's music club too.  Are you going to join here?"  Yixing shifted his focus behind them, where the boy had been trailing beside Lu Han, making short but pleasant conversation for a while.

     Xiumin seemed to weigh his options mentally, eventually settling for a shrug in the end.  "Maybe.  I was thinking more about soccer though.  Headmaster Kim said they were just starting back up again so it wouldn't be too hard to try out late."

     It was Lu Han's turn to brighten, body shifting to the side with his eyebrows raised and a happy lilt in his tone.  "You could always do both.  I do."

     The other seemed surprised.  "Really?  The coach doesn't mind?"

  "Our coach?"  Lu Han laughed loudly.  "I'm not sure our coach minds much of anything.  His name is Jinki.  He was a really good player before he graduated a few years ago.  He still is, I guess, but I have no clue how.  He's always tripping over himself and getting injured."  He paused, recalling the last scrimmage when the team had convinced Jinki to join in the place of a student who had sprained his ankle.  That was a month ago, at the very least, and their coach still had the bruises as proof of the game.  Lu Han shook his head.  "Anyways, he's pretty awesome.  I could help you if you wanted.  He should be in his office at lunch."

     Xiumin looked like he wanted to argue at first, his hands coming up as a way to deny the gracious gesture.  But after a moment, he dropped them back down to his sides, his head tilting thoughtfully.  "I would appreciate that.  Thank you."

     Lu Han grinned.  "No problem."

     The group continued to the end of the hall, occasionally stopping in rooms that were open and explaining the purpose of some others that weren't.  They did the same upstairs.  Although, the majority of the second floor was dedicated to physical art rooms for painting and pottery, which none of them held much of an interest in.  They took a different set of stairs this time, heading back down to the area where the primary gym and sports practice rooms were located.

  "Hey, Zitao," Baekhyun nudged gently at his side.  The tall boy turned questioningly, waiting in silence for the other to elaborate.  "Is there anything you want to do here?  We have a lot of different groups you can sign up for."  They made their way through another set of doors.

  "I took private wushu lessons in China.  But I-" Zitao paused, pursed his lips.  "I wanted to play basketball for our school."  He didn't look at the others, instead kept his head down as they walked.  Yixing and Xiumin shared a pointed look though, one that was filled with inside information they seemed to have no intention of sharing with the other three.

     Baekhyun didn't ask why he wasn't on the team, sensing that it was a bit of a delicate situation.  Though, he secretly hoped that Zitao would confide in him eventually.  "Well, you're in luck," he gave the younger his best grin as they neared the gym doors.  "I know just who to talk to then."

(Edited August 20, 2017)