Monday comes far faster than normal, and Hongbin sees himself in a bind; how in hell he’ll find Jung Taekwoon and even if he does, how he’ll approach the unapproachable boy?

Well, wasn’t there someone that once said that the best ideas come in moments of desperation? No? Uh.

The worst part is that he can’t ask for Jaehwan or Wonshik’s help; the first a natural social butterfly thanks to a constant enthusiasm and cuteness, the second an unaware charming persona when not trying too hard. They are now the enemy, and the he won’t give them the advantage of knowing the clueless state he’s currently on, preferring to plot with the little information available.

First things come first, so he should start by going to the B1 building, to look out for Taekwoon and try to see some kind of pattern in his behavior, see what could work when the time to get close to the Ice Prince – he thinks he heard some girls calling the composer like this; it’s fitting – arrives. Also, it can be useful to notice Taekwoon’s two friends and how they act around him so he will act accordingly.

If he succeeds in subtly warning Hakyeon and Sanghyuk about Wonshik and Jaehwan…

First things first. When he manages to actually engage in some contact with his prey – he feels silly in thinking about the older boy like this, but again, it’s fitting given the circumstances – he’ll start to consider blowing up his friends attempts to do the same. Maybe say that Wonshik snores and is afraid of all bugs in this world; say that Jaehwan is stupid and can act like an ahjumma when things don’t go the way he wants it to go. They’re not lies, and they never established rules about… delaying fellow companions.

It’s seven in the morning and Hongbin only starts to have classes at nine, what gives him more than enough time to go to the B1 building – a ten minute walk from his building, the B5, for Biology and Chemistry courses – and explore. His friends, fortunately, are all in class right now, and he considers this a starting advantage.

Given the hour and the season, it’s pleasantly cloudy and windy, not overwhelmingly so; the only annoying factor of it it’s his hair, which keeps falling on front of his eyes, blocking slightly his vision.

And so, because of this, he can’t see a hat flying on his direction until it hits him square on the face, the world vanishing into black and red strips of whatever is the material used to do hats like this one. Obviously taken by surprise, Hongbin drops to the ground, hissing at the sharp pain on his bum right after.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” he hears a feminine voice, followed by a brush of cold fingers on his cheeks, as the offending accessory is removed from his face. He’s greeted by large brown eyes and fair skin, all combined to form one of the prettiest girls he’s ever seen in his life. She’s kneeling by his side, hat on her hands and matching with the red dress she wears and her black purse. She seems worried, but ready to laugh. “Are you alright?”

Who is she? How in hell has he never seen her in the campus before? “Most of me, yes. My though…” he says with a grumble, regretting his words the moment they’re out of his mouth. Smooth Hongbin, really smooth.

She blinks once – with long dark eyelashes – before bursting into little cute giggles. Involuntarily, a smile creeps its way through his lips.

“I’m sorry, but the wind…” she tries to explain, stopping to giggle some more, pale cheeks flushing adorably “… It carried my hat away. I screamed at you, but you didn’t seem to listen, I’m so sorry”

Indeed, he didn’t listened “It’s okay, I should have been more attentive”

“That you should” she smiles at him, and God, she’s even prettier smiling. He gets up by himself – to save some of his wounded dignity – and offers her his hand, so she can do the same. Once both are standing face to face, she continues “I’ve never seen you here… Are you a freshman? By the way, I’m Heo Youngji” she bows.

Hongbin quickly does the same “Lee Hongbin. I–… I’m a fourth year… For Veterinary”

“Hongbin-sunbae, then?” she tilts her head to one side, like a puppy “I’m a third year in the Drama course” after saying this, her eyes widen, and she bows again, almost 90° “Oh, I’m sorry for using informal speech, I…”

“Youngji-yah, calm down” Hongbin blushes at her manners – too accustomed with being the maknae on his group and class – and fights the urge to mess with his hair. Girls don’t like stuttering guys “I have no problem with you using informal speech, no need to get all flustered”

Youngji raises her head, and smiles sheepishly “O-Okay I… I should go, hm, I’m certain you have things to do and…”

No, no. She can’t be leaving already, they’ve just met. As Wonshik had said the other day, Hongbin is too damn selective when it comes to liking someone. He likes tall girls with long, straight hair and pretty smiles and until now, Youngji fulfilled all of his first requirements. For boys – he wouldn’t accept the bet if he didn’t swing for both genders, like Wonshik. Jaehwan is another thing; he likes who he likes –, he prefers them cute, smaller than him and lithe. Taekwoon, the little Hongbin has seen from afar, does not fit any of these, tall, cold and well-built.

Oh yes, Taekwoon!

“Wait” he says before she can leave; Youngji looks up expectantly “As you can see, I’m not from this area, and I’m looking out for someone on the composers’ class. Please, help your sunbae out here”

“Sure! Their class is next to mine! But I don’t think they have lessons until eight, so most are just dispersed on the entire building; Junhyun-sunbae stays with Yoseob-sunbae on the cafeteria, and there are rumors that the Ice Prince hides behind the fourth floor staircase” she agrees, starting to walk and motioning for the boy to follow her. She starts to babble, clearly uncomfortable with silence.

Call him lucky if you want, Hongbin just has this incredible ability of landing himself inside great situations. Maybe it’s his face, maybe some unknown aura he emanates, but people just talk when they’re near hm. If it’s an attempt to make him talk back, if they just want to say things about themselves so they can have a chance at having something in common with him, Hongbin doesn’t care.

Even if clueless, he has a lead “Ice Prince?” he feigns ignorance. As much as he wants to discover things about her, he needs to deal with the bet first.

“Yes, Jung Taekwoon-sunbae” Youngji actually flushes slightly when mentioning his name, and the veterinary student likes the older boy even less “He’s this building star, together with his friends. I must say, I never, ever heard him talk before, but teacher sometimes call him to show an example of acting while singing and… Ah” she sighs “He’s from another world”

“Sounds cocky to me”

“To most people, I bet he looks cocky. But, I don’t know, he doesn’t have an cocky air around him, like Director Han or even Hakyeon-oppa do”

“If you say so” he hums, absorbing the information. Maybe Taekwoon likes cocky types? He can be cocky. Have reasons to be cocky.

They enter the B1 building, which, differently from the other 8 in the University, is painted bottom to top in all colors known by human kind and not grayish blue, a work that joined all arts students. The structure is painted white every five years, so new works can be added, an ever-changing place, six floors filled beautifully and showing just how its’ students are singular from each other. Manga characters mix with surrealist images, realistic faces framed by psychedelic swirls of purple and blue. B1 is where events and expositions happen, from amateurs to professionals.

Hongbin identifies easily Jaehwan’s work, a cacophony of comic-like characters with bright and weird colors, and that robot thing – Rovixx, or whatever is called – to complement his ‘Ken’ signature “As expected from Ken-hyung”

“You know him? Kenny is really popular here, so is his art!” Youngji, indicates the mentioned boy’s art, before pointing to very realistic caricatures “So are Suzy’s”

They chat away as the girl leads him to the third floor. It’s a quarter to eight, and Youngji says she has class. They bid goodbye, only after Hongbin boldly asks for her number, which she gladly gives. He watches as she enters her class, turning around to the stairs by the end of the corridor, as quietly as he is able to walking towards the fourth floor, looking out for Taekwoon.

On the fourth floor, right behind the stairs, there is a place kind of dark, big enough to fit two, three people at once, at most.

It is empty, and Hongbin curses.

Missed chance.

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.

Cha Hakyeon is having a good day, considering it’s Monday and he still can feel a distant headache, consequence of drinking on someone’s – he doesn’t quite remember who, just that this person is not from the B1 – party the day before. The pile of books on his arms should be a nuisance, but the dancer is familiarized with his teachers relying on him to do errands. He indeed is reliable, so why complain?

He’s confident in his abilities as a performer and as a charming person; there’s no-one on this damn university who he can’t get along with – excluding those abusive, erts who tried to him after confessing and those who thought he was just another plaything –  and he’s proud of it. To maintain this kind of image is hard, giving he thinks anyone beyond Taekwoonie and Sanghyukkie are lame, untalented people with a preference in wasting his time. He’s the best and won’t accept less than the best. To be cheerful and amicable with everyone tires his beauty and taints his mood, so today, he’ll preferably stay on his own, hanging only with his two boys.

“Need help?”

He snaps out of his thought and automatically smiles – a positive facial expression guarantees empathy and so, it’s easier to charm whoever presents at him –, taking note at the tall – he hates guys taller than him, his boys the exception – messy black haired boy at his front, smirking charmingly. He’s attractive, and apparently is aware of that fact, wearing a tight white t-shirt under a leather jacket and ripped jeans.

A playboy, uh? “Thanks for offering, but I’m almost at teacher’s room” he (mock) kindly says, and prepares to pass through the handsome boy.

“If you insist” the boy rolls his shoulders, giving him the space to pass. However, the other doesn’t leave, soundlessly following him across the hallway, hands on his jeans’ pockets and faraway look.

For some reason, this bothers Hakyeon; normally open to company, to be silent while with someone is new. He himself talks enough for a whole group, but this boy – who he has never seen before – makes him want to nag and complain, neck chop him and show his true colors – arrogant, narcissistic, self-centered self – just because of the confused signals. What he wants? Why accompany him, if he has nothing to say, to offer? Incomprehensible, and Hakyeon’s been with him for minus than five minutes.

“Er…” he starts, descending the stairs to go to the first floor.

“Kim Wonshik”

“Wonshik-ah, why are you following me?” he asks, making sure to sound cute, blinking innocently.

The boy – Wonshik – grins softly, almost warmly “No reason but the fact I want to bask in your light”

Hakyeon stops abruptly on his pace, Wonshik doing the same, indulgent look in very dark eyes. “W-What?” the dancer gags, before exploding in laughter.

Ridiculous. Gosh, he has heard his share of bad pick-up lines, but this one… It can’t be cheesier, tackier.

With actual tears on his eyes, Hakyeon laughs and laughs, the idiotic boy at some instant picking the books he carries, after they swing dangerously on his grasp, the fit of amusement compromising his balance. His previous opinion, that his boy is a playboy, instantly dies, because really, he can’t be able to lure a slug in, not with these worthy of pity skills.

His diaphragm hurts; he has to stop “Aigoo, that was really cheesy, Wonshik-ah”

“But it managed to put a beautiful smile in a beautiful face”

Oh. Oh.

Hakyeon reconsiders his earlier mental belief; this Kim Wonshik guy is definitely a playboy, the sneaky, smart type. “Well, thank you very much for your kind compliment, but we’ve arrived” he indicates a semi-open silver door, a shining plaque with ‘Teacher’s Room’ written. He picks the books back from the other’s more muscled arms, plastering over his face his cutest, fakest smile “I suggest you to go back to your building and try to study a bit more about flirting, since you seem to be really bad at it. I apologize for my rudeness, but I can’t deal with player types like you” bowing slightly, he turns his back to the flabbergasted man, skipping cheerfully to his destination.

.

.

“… this middle term project will be equivalent to forty percent of your grade, so I expect outstanding works. I want the class…”

A cute boy with platinum hair yaws widely, not covering his mouth and giving all the other students around him the impression of complete boredom.

They are right, him being bored and all.

Sanghyuk wishes this class could end sooner; he hates this greasy teacher who thinks he’s the last cookie in the package, hates these people who keep sneaking looks at him like he’s some alien or , and specially, he hates being locked inside a classroom when the day is so perfect for his newest project. The sunbae class is on free period now, which includes his main actors.

What a way to waste his time: a teacher babbling about some assignment he knows he’s going to ace. Really, why this stupid college just don’t give him his more than merited diploma so he can get the away from here and start to work with real, talented people? Has he not proven himself as the best yet? Full marks since his admission, all of his videos a success between both the lowly, unintelligent minds – impressed with the effect, the beauty of each caption – and the dignified director – fascinated by his choice of themes and complex plot. Seriously, the directory is incompetent and plain thoughtless. When he’s truly famous, recognized around the world as a splendid director, he won’t give a single credit to this institution; he’ll say–

“… a twenty minute animation about any topic you want. You can do it alone, in pairs or…”

–Wait.

WHAT?!

“Seonsaeng~” Sanghyuk calls from his place without even asking for permission, and immediate whispers run through the room at the lack of the respectful ‘nim’. The teacher flushes in anger, and is ready to throw the younger off of his lecture, when he continues “What do you mean by animations? Are you saying that you want me to film some doll and make a short-movie out of it?”

“If you can only think of filming dolls, then yes, Sanghyuk, I want, no, I demand you to do it” the teacher crosses his arms, huffing at the disrespectful boy “Be insolent once more and you’re out of this class”

The boy holds his urge to roll his eyes “Yes, Seonsaeng-nim” he mockingly says, receiving a final glare from the older man before setting his mind to work, ignoring whatever the teacher has to say.

He doesn’t film inanimate, useless objects. It’s an insult to his person and his talent, so completely absurd he still can’t believe. Not that he doesn’t respect those who live by doing animations – he’s a fan of animes and admits the talent inside huge studios like Disney – but… He, animating something? How he’s supposed to catch the essence, the pure, raw feeling out of a drawing’s face? There’s no way to represent it through paper or Play-Doh dolls.

This, and Sanghyuk doesn’t know how to draw a stick man without messing it up with too crooked limbs and undistinguishable faces. And he hates Play-Doh.

He’s screwed.

“… o those interested in doing more complex jobs, I already spoke with the supervisor of the Painting, Modeling, Drawing and Sculpting classes, and he gave me a list of students willing to help” the greasy teacher shakes a paper on the air, several pairs of greedy eyes following the motion like hawks.

Risk the latter though.

Sanghyuk smirk. He’ll choose the best in that list and make this teacher admit his geniality.

.

.

The tree leaves are agitated, the windy morning making them fall to the ground, some landing on a sleepy figure, intertwining in between soft strands of dyed blond hair.

One, particularly playful, lands exactly on the top of a cute nose. A low sneeze follows the action, and cat-like eyes open slowly, closing immediately at the light, not too bright, but uncomfortable to his adapted for darkness pupils.

Jung Taekwoon rubs his face with the back of his hand, yawning. At a near distance, he sees a kitten carefully approaching, its amber orbs fixed in the sweet smelling packed lunch by his side. Even though his face remains expressionless, he visibly softens.

It was a good idea changing places – from behind the fourth floor staircase to the garden between the B1 and B2 buildings – today.

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Hm... this chapter we see Hakyeonnie, Sanghyukkie and a glint of Taekwoonie. What did you guys think about them? What about Wonshikkie's first move and Youngji's presence? Please tell me~

I would like to thank all of my beloved who subscribed, voted and reviewed. It made me so happy to see that you haven't forgotten me!

Please, enjoy this chapter and tell me if there is any mistake. Like always, it's un-beta-ed ^^'

I wish to all of you peace, happiness, lots of food, friends and love for this New Year that's coming. If you don't like food, has enough friends and a loving boy/girlfriend (or both), then I wish you all you may want~

Oh, and Happy (late) Christmas~