* American High School AU 

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“Are you even trying?”

“Of course I’m trying!” Soonyoung exclaims, pencil dropping on his rather blank paper as he clutches his aching head. The oncoming headache from trying to process all of the new information accompanied with the stress of having to do so in such a short amount of time made his head feel like it was going to explode. He thinks he’d be thankful if it did, then he could avoid his upcoming Chemistry final. It’s not that Soonyoung is particularly bad at science, he just doesn’t like it, Chemistry especially. He doesn’t really care for elements or their reactions. A future professional soccer player doesn’t need to know how to balance equations, but his parent’s didn’t really share the same mindset, because they had frowned and threated to make him quit the soccer team if he didn’t bring home at least a B on his final. Hence his current position, having a mental breakdown in the school library.

“Hyung, writing the number eight, erasing it, and then rewriting it repeatedly is not trying. Stop waiting for me to tell you the answers. You have to actually know how to do it on the test.” Mingyu admonishes gently, before leaning over to take a peek at the problem, laughing afterwards, “Besides, eight is nowhere near close to the answer.”

“Shut up, brat” He grumbles, pushing the younger away, “And don’t lean so close, I can see the hickeys on your neck.”

Soonyoung doesn’t have to look to know that Mingyu is blushing, trying to wave off his embarrassment by pretending to suddenly be interested in explaining how to solve the problem to the elder. When he does look up, he can see Wonwoo’s smug smirk from where he’s seated across from them, glasses perched on his nose as he struggles with his Economics homework.

“Hyung, how is this a synthesis reaction? See how the Fluoride and Chlorine swap places? It’s a single replacement reaction.” Mingyu explains, pointing to the only other problem the blonde had attempted to solve, and apparently, didn’t do so well in doing so.

“What?” Soonyoung mumbles, scrubbing furiously at his face, “Can we just take a break, please?”

Hesitantly, Mingyu nods, before moving away to pester his boyfriend.

“Five minutes, hyung.” He says, poking Wonwoo’s cheek, cooing over how cute he looks with his glasses and pouty, concentrated look. The elder rolls his eyes in turn, swatting the younger away absentmindedly.

Soonyoung just shakes his head at the pair, smile fond as he hurries out of the rather empty library into the hallway. Almost immediately, he bumps into someone. It’s Chan, looking rather out of it, before glancing up at Soonyoung, a bright smile spreading across his face.

“Soonyoung Hyung” He grins before a rather solemn look crosses his features, “Do you have a hall pass?”

“What?” He asks, because he’s not quite sure if the younger is being serious or not, but when his expression doesn’t change, the same somber look in place, he knows the younger is in fact very much serious.

“Hyung is always so nice to me and gives me candy, but- “Chan rambles, voice rising with his panic, “A lot of people having been skipping class lately and it's my duty as the hall monitor to slacken the influx of-"

"Chan, what the hell. Get out of my way!"

Soonyoung pushes past Chan, but the younger is resilient, blocking his path.

"Just so you know" He murmurs, before taking on a rather grave tone, "I'd hate to do it hyung, but if I catch you in this hallway again without a hall pass there will be serious consequences.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll have a pass next time, I promise.” He says because he really just wants to go get a chocolate bar, not be lectured on the importance of a hall pass. He can’t take the younger serious and he’s pretty sure most of the student body don’t also, besides the gullible, easily frightened freshman. They were in high school for crying out loud! Besides, the only time someone actually volunteered for the job was to be able to skip any class, scot-free, with the claims of hallway monitor duties.

“You do that hyung” Chan says, petting Soonyoung’s head like he’s the some sort of dog.

“Whatever” He mutters, rolling his eyes as he breezes past the younger.

Heading to the familiar locker in one of the rather abandoned hallways, he finds Hansol, leaned against it, a baseball cap covering his brunette curls and a pair of the darkest shades Soonyoung has ever seen perched on his nose.

“What’s up hyung?” He grins.

“I want a chocolate bar, the one with the almonds-“ Soonyoung says straight away. Hansol jumps, eyes darting rapidly around the empty hallway.

“Shh” He shushes the elder, Soonyoung’s eyes widening when the younger’s finger comes to rest on his lips, “Are you trying to get me caught? Do you know what kind of time I would have to do if I get caught-“

“Yah, just give me the damn candy!” He exclaims, trying not to lose him temper as he shoves the money in the younger’s shades, making him fumble and sputter.

“Okay, okay- Just remember, you didn’t get this from me.” The brunette reminds him, slipping the elder the requested candy, before moving back to his previous position, leaned against the locker, scouting the hallway for more potential customers (and Chan and the administrative staff just in case).

Tearing the wrapper off with a satisfied, giddy smile, Soonyoung begins heading back to the library. Briefly, he wonders when all of his dongsaengs were so… weird. He brushes it off as a phase, shoving his unoccupied hand in his pocket. He’s just passing the music room when he hears it, the most angelic voice.

Never one to easily resist temptation, he peeks into the room. Seated at the piano in the middle of the room is a rather small boy, pink haired boy. The boy appeared to be in his own world, playing a key or two on the piano before resuming his singing. Soonyoung thinks the boy is cute, with his oversized sweater and frustrated pout when he gets one of the keys wrong, but what really captivates the blonde is his voice. He’s not familiar with whatever the boy is singing, but he finds that he doesn’t mind because the other’s voice is so… so-

“Amazing”  

The boy jumps, startled, hitting his knee on the piano in the process. He doesn’t seem to care though. Soonyoung watches with a small frown as the other begins shoving various notebooks, music sheets, and pencils into a messenger bag he hadn’t noticed before.

“Sorry I- I mean, I’m sorry I didn’t know anyone was using the music room-“ He stammers, slinging the bag over his shoulder so hard it almost knocks his tiny frame over. Soonyoung’s eyes widen then, as he takes in the boy’s words.

“No, no, I’m not using it-“ He tries to amend, but the boy is having none of it.

“S-sorry, I’ll be sure to check the schedule more thoroughly next time.” He mumbles, bowing repeatedly, before practically scurrying out of the room.

Soonyoung simply stands there, bewildered. What had just happened? He didn’t recall doing anything offensive. Maybe the boy was just easily frightened. He pegged it down to that, shrugging before taking another bite of his candy bar, exiting the music room and heading back toward the library so Mingyu can fry his brain once more.