BAEKHYUN STEPPED OUT OF HIS PARENT’S SLEEK BLACK LINCOLN AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 3 MONTHS, FELT  ALIVE. IT’S NOT THAT HE DIDN’T ENJOY HIS PARENT’S COMPANY, QUITE THE CONTRARY HONESTLY, BUT HE WOULD MUCH RATHER BE HERE, WHERE HE FELT AT HOME.

HE BREATHED IN THE MUCH FRESHER AIR THAN AT HIS OWN HOUSE, AIR THAT WAS POLLUTED BY FACTORIES AND BIG BUSINESSES. HE SMILED AND WAVED GOODBYE AT HIS PARENTS WHO HAD BEGUN TO TEAR UP, LIKE EVERY YEAR. BAEKHYUN INTERNALLY ROLLED HIS EYES BUT NEVERTHELESS REASSURED HIS PARENTS THAT HE WOULD BE OK AND THAT HE WOULD MAKE SURE TO CALL OFTEN, OR AT LEAST AS MUCH AS HE COULD. ONCE HIS PARENTS WERE SATISFIED, THEY DROVE AWAY MAKING SURE TO WAVE ONCE AGAIN, SOMETHING TO WHICH BAEKHYUN RESPONDED TO WITH A SLIGHT NOD AND A BIG SMILE.

BAEKHYUN LET OUT A PUFF OF AIR AND PICKED UP HIS LUGGAGE AND BEGAN TO WALK TO WHERE HIS DORM WOULD BE. IT WASN’T BECAUSE IT WAS A NEW YEAR THAT HE WAS NERVOUS, IT WAS BECAUSE HE WOULD BE GETTING A NEW ROOMMATE, UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM. HE HAD BEEN XIUMIN’S ROOMMATE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, BUT THIS YEAR, THE SMALLER HAD DECIDED THAT HE HAD FALLEN IN LOVE AND HENCE WANTED TO BE HIS ROOMMATE INSTEAD OF BAEKHYUN’S. AT THE REMINDER OF THE OTHERS ACTIONS, BAEKHYUN BEGAN TO POUT BECAUSE HE WOULD DEFINITELY MISS SHARING A ROOM WITH HIS BEST FRIEND.

THE DORMS THAT BAEKHYUN WAS LOCATED IN WERE FAR, BUT HE APPRECIATED THE BEAUTY THAT THEY GAVE OFF. MOST STUDENTS DID NOT LIKE THOSE DORMITORIES FOR THEY WERE CALLED “OLD” AND “UGLY”, BUT BAEKHYUN LOVED THE ELEGANCE THAT WAS PORTRAYED BY THE BUILDING, IT WAS PERFECT FOR HIM, IT WAS PERFECT FOR HIS PAINTING. BAEKHYUN HAD TO ADMIT THOUGH, THE DORMITORY WAS NOT OF BEST QUALITY FROM THE INSIDE. THE WOOD FLOOR TENDED TO GROAN AT EVERY STEP AND DUST WOULD QUICKLY ACCUMULATE. BAEKHYUN WALKED INSIDE THE BUILDING, PREPARING FOR THE WORST, BUT WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE NEW ARRANGEMENT OF IT. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE DORMITORY HAD NEVER LOOKED THIS PACKED AND… LIVELY. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING HANGING UP LIGHTS AND ATTEMPTING TO DECORATE THE PLACE, SOMETHING THAT IN, BAEKHYUN’S OPINION, WASN’T TURNING OUT SO WELL.

INTERNALLY, BAEKHYUN LAUGHED AT THE OTHER STUDENTS BUT DECIDED TO MOVE ON AND WALK TO WHERE HIS ROOM WAS LOCATED. TO HIS SURPRISE, HIS NEW ROOMMATE HAD ALREADY ARRIVED AND CLAIMED HIS SIDE OF THE ROOM. BAEKHYUN LOOKED AROUND TO TRY TO SPOT HIS NEW ROOMMATE AND POTENTIALLY INTRODUCE HIMSELF BUT THE SAID ROOMMATE WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. HE SHRUGGED AND DECIDED TO PLACE HIS LUGGAGE IN THE REMAINING BED, LOCATED NEXT TO THE WINDOW. HE WAS THANKFUL, IF ANYTHING, THAT HE WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE WINDOW BECAUSE IT MEANT HE COULD BE MORE INSPIRED BY THE OUTSIDE BEAUTY.

AFTER HE HAD PLACED HIS THINGS DOWN, HE WENT OUTSIDE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. TO BE FRANK WITH HIMSELF, BAEKHYUN WAS MORE THAN EXCITED TO FIND OUT WHAT ALL THOSE STUDENTS WERE DOING ON THEIR FIRST DAY BACK TO COLLEGE. HE SMILED TO HIMSELF AND WALKED OUT OF HIS ROOM AND IMMEDIATELY EMERGED INTO A HALLWAY FULL OF PEOPLE. HE WAS AMAZED, TRULY, THE STUDENTS WERE TURNING THIS PLACE INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONE. THEY HAD HUNG COLORFUL LIGHTS ACROSS VARIOUS WALLS OF THE HALLWAY, MAKING IT LIGHT UP IN A RAY OF DIFFERENT COLORS. THERE WERE VARIOUS TABLES BEING SET UP IN THE MAIN LIVING ROOM AND TABLE CLOTHS HAD BEEN PLACED ON TOP OF THEM, ADORNING THEM WITH VARIOUS PATTERNS. WHAT REALLY CAUGHT BAEKHYUN’S ATTENTION THOUGH, WAS THE BIG STEREO SET THAT WAS BEING PLACED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE LIVING ROOM. WITH THAT, BAEKHYUN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN THAT NIGHT, A PARTY.

“BAEKHYUN!” XIUMIN CALLED OUT TO THE SMALL BOY.

“XIUMIN!” BAEKHYUN YELLED. THEY BOTH HUGGED, HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS. “IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S A-”

“PARTY!” XIUMIN SQUEALED. “HERE! THERE’S GOING TO BE A PARTY HERE! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? THERE’S NEVER BEEN A PARTY HERE.”

“YEAH…” BAEKHYUN TRAILED OFF, AFRAID OF WHAT HE KNEW WOULD COME FROM XIUMIN’S MOUTH NEXT.

“WHICH MEANS-”

“NO.”

“THAT-”

“PLEASE.”

“YOU HAVE TO-”

“I WON’T.”

“GO!”

BAEKHYUN ROLLED HIS EYES, EXPECTING WHAT HAD JUST ESCAPED XIUMIN’S LIPS. “XIUMIN, YOU KNOW THAT I REALLY DON’T LIKE GOING TO THEM. I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE-”

“DRAWING. YES I KNOW. BUT YOU CAN’T EXACTLY ESCAPE THIS ONE NOW CAN YOU BAEKHYUN? IT’S AT OUR DORM. IT’S INESCAPABLE.”

BAEKHYUN SIGHED, ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRUTH IN XIUMIN’S STATEMENT. “THAT’S TRUE. I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO THEN…”

“FINALLY!” XIUMIN SCREAMED, SOMETHING THAT EARNED A GLARE FROM OTHERS. AFTER HE HAD CALMED DOWN A LITTLE, HE TURNED BACK TO BAEKHYUN AND SAID, “OH AND BY THE WAY, THE BAND IS PLAYING TODAY AND YOU CAN’T SAY NO. YOU HAVE TO COME BAEKHYUN, IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERTS OF THE YEAR AND YOU KNOW IT. YOU HAVE TO GO AT LEAST ONCE, MIGHT AS WELL BE TODAY RIGHT?”

“I’LL THINK ABOUT IT.”

XIUMIN GROANED AND WITH A POUT SAID, “FINE.”

BAEKHYUN DIDN’T REMEMBER WHEN, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW HE HAD GOTTEN HERE. ALL HE KNEW WAS THAT MUSIC WAS BEING BLASTED INTO HIS UNACCUSTOMED EARS AND THAT TO HIS SIDE XIUMIN WAS LAUGHING AS HE JUMPED TO THE ROCK RHYTHM BEING PLAYED BY THE BAND. THE BAND, BAEKHYUN DID NOT KNOW THE NAME OF IT, ALL HE KNEW WAS THAT XIUMIN, ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, WAS OBSESSED WITH IT.

BAEKHYUN DIDN’T PARTICULARLY ENJOY THE SOUND THE PLAYERS EMITTED, IT WAS TOO LOUD FOR HIS TASTE, BUT NEVERTHELESS HE APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT THEY COULD INDEED PRODUCE MUSIC, SOMETHING THAT HE LOVED. HE DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE XIUMIN, BUT HE ALSO DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE BEING TRAPPED INSIDE THE MOB OF STUDENTS THAT ENCIRCLED HIM. BESIDES, BECAUSE HE WAS SHORT, HE COULDN’T EXACTLY SEE ANY OF THE BAND MEMBERS BESIDES THEIR MAIN SINGER WHO WAS AT THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. HE SIGHED QUIET LOUDLY BUT NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WAS BEING PLAYED TO EVERYONE. KNOWING THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE BY HIM, HE DECIDED TO ENJOY THE MUSIC AND LET HIMSELF GO.

HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO BEGIN, HE HAD NEVER DANCED TO THIS TYPE OF MUSIC, ONLY TO POP, MOSTLY TO GIRL GROUPS IF HE WAS FRANK. BUT THIS, ROCK, WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, SOMETHING THAT HE WAS NOT USED TO. SO HE BEGAN IN THE ONLY WAY THAT HE COULD THINK OF, BY TAPPING HIS FOOT TO THE BEAT. IT WASN’T MUCH BUT IT WAS A START AND HE COULD ALREADY FEEL HIMSELF BEGINNING TO ENJOY THE CONCERT. HE GLANCED AT XIUMIN WHO HAD BEGUN TO LOOK AT HIM WITH A FACE OF ENCOURAGEMENT, URGING HIM TO CONTINUE ON. AND SO BAEKHYUN DID. HE BEGAN TO MOVE HIS BODY, MIMICKING XIUMIN’S MOVEMENTS AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN, BLENDING IN WITH THE ECSTATIC CROWD. IT FELT GOOD, VERY GOOD TO BE EXACT AND BAEKHYUN HAD NOT FELT THIS GOOD IN A LONG TIME, TOO LONG. HE LAUGHED ALONG WITH XIUMIN AND THE REST OF THE CROWD AND SIMPLY LET HIMSELF GO, HE LET HIMSELF BECOME ONE WITH THE MUSIC THAT HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED SOUNDING OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD AND INSTEAD HAD BEGUN TO SOUND PERFECT.

HE DIDN’T IMMEDIATELY NOTICE HIM, IN FACT HE ONLY NOTICED HIM AFTER THE SONG HAD CHANGED INTO A MUCH SLOWER ONE, ONE THAT REQUIRED A PARTNER TO DANCE WITH. SEEING AS XIUMIN HAD COME WITH HIS LOVER, JONGDAE, BAEKHYUN KNEW THERE WAS NO REASON FOR HIM TO STAY IN THE DANCE FLOOR ANY LONGER. HE OPTED OUT TO INSTEAD GO GRAB A DRINK AND LET HIMSELF BREATHE AFTER DANCING SO MUCH. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE REST OF THE BAND MEMBERS. HE WAS ASTONISHED OF COURSE AT THEIR BEAUTY, AT ALL OF THEIRS, BUT HE COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE A SPECIFIC ONE. HE WAS SWEATING SO MUCH THAT DROPS FELL FROM HIS FACE CONTINUOUSLY ONTO HIS LAP, MAKING IT SEEM AS IF HE WERE CRYING. AND BAEKHYUN COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE HOW PERFECT HIS FACE LOOKED UNDER THE SPARKLING LIGHT. HIS BEADS OF SWEAT SMOOTHLY ROLLED DOWN HIS FOREHEAD TO HIS CHEEKS TO HIS MOUTH AND FINALLY DISAPPEARED FROM HIS FACE AND MOVED ON TO APPRECIATE THE REST OF HIS BODY. HIS SLEEK BLACK HAIR SEEMED AS IF IT HAD JUST COME OUT OF THE SHOWER AND IT CONSTANTLY KEPT MOVING, RESPONDING TO HIS HEAD’S MOVEMENTS. HIS NECK VEINS WERE POPPING OUT, SHOWING THE DEDICATION THAT WAS BEING PLACED INTO EVERY HIT. HIS ARM MUSCLES WERE CLENCHING TIGHTLY, MAKING IT SEEM AS IF HIS SHIRT WOULD RIP AT ANY SECOND. HIS ABDOMEN WAS DRENCHED IN SWEAT AND THE ABS HIDING UNDER THE PIECE OF CLOTH SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY VISIBLE TO ANYONE WATCHING. HIS HANDS WERE PERFECTLY FORMED, BEING ABLE TO EASILY HOLD ONTO THE STICKS AND HARSHLY SLAM THEM ON THE DRUMS. THE DRUMMER. TO BAEKHYUN’S EYES, HE WAS PERFECT. IT HAD SEEMED TO HIM AS IF TIME HAD STOPPED AS HE HAD LOOKED ONTO THE BEAUTY OF THE DRUMMER, BUT HIS THOUGHTS WERE INTERRUPTED WHEN XIUMIN SUDDENLY PULLED ONTO HIS ARM AND GAVE HIM A SPIN. BAEKHYUN LAUGHED AT THE ACTION AND BEFORE HE KNEW IT, HE WAS AGAIN DANCING ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, MIND NEVER LEAVING THE BEAUTY HIS EYES HAD JUST SEEN.

HE THREW HIMSELF ONTO HIS BED, TIRED OF THE NIGHT’S ACTIVITY. SWEAT WAS BEAMING DOWN HIS NECK BUT HE DID NOT CARE AT THE MOMENT, HE WAS TOO TIRED TO THINK PROPERLY. HE BEGAN TO CLOSE HIS EYES, PLACING HIS ARM ON TOP OF THEM, AND TRIED TO FALL ASLEEP.

“BAEKHYUN!” XIUMIN YELLED. “THE PARTY'S NOT OVER YET YOUNG MA