/ˈtrēō/

. . .

Summer vacation had officially ended, which meant hell had finally begun for Taeyong and every student out there. He grudgingly woke up early that morning because a certain roommate of his loved his morning smoothies, throwing the covers over his head in hopes to fall back asleep. Maybe he could just skip the first day, or the first week… Or the first month… Maybe two… Maybe an entire year –

“Taeyong~” A voice sang from the hallways, “Wakey wakey!”

He heard the door fling open and suddenly his blankets were thrown off him.

“D-Doyoung…!” Taeyong covered his bottoms with a pillow, feeling his face flush.

“What? You still act like I didn’t catch you on the first day. Come on~ get up!” Doyoung pulled Taeyong up and groaned, “Y-Your heavier than you look!”

“Just let me go!” Taeyong leaned off of Doyoung, “And let me put on some pants first.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes, “Are you kidding me? We’re all guys here! No one is going to judge how small you are in this dorm.”

Taeyong threw a pillow at Doyoung who dodged it, giggling behind the door and sneaking out of the room. It had only been a few days since moving day, but clearly that short time Doyoung had gotten too comfortable with his roommates. He wandered around the dorm with his plain boxer briefs and if Taeyong was lucky, without a shirt on, and he wasn’t ashamed to pick the lock and enter the bathroom to take a if any of the other two were in the shower. Taeil never seemed so bothered by it. But then again… That kid never seemed to have a complaint about anything.

When he found a clean pair of sweats and even managed to freshen up in the bathroom before Doyoung came around to look for him again, he entered the kitchen where Doyoung was humming a musical he assumed. He glanced around to find Taeil, who wasn’t at his designated corner in the living room, and asked Doyoung.

“Where’s Taeil?”

“Left early to go meet his new professors,” Doyoung laughed, “He must be so nervous. So cute.”

“Should I be doing that too…?” Taeyong muttered. He didn’t even know that was a thing people did in university. Why make huge halls when you still need to introduce yourself to a teacher? It seemed pretty redundant to him.

“When’s your first class, Taeyong?” Doyoung asked as he slid a glass cup full of his special, homemade morning smoothie.

“At 10. You?”

“Same. I guess we’ll be leaving the same time then. Do you know where the room is?”

“Uh… No…”

Doyoung laughed, “I told you going to that orientation was going to be useful. I’ll take you there, if you insist~”

“I’m sure I can find it on my own.”

The taller boy rolled his eyes, “This campus is probably bigger than the actual city it’s in. If you think you can find it on your own, then get out and start looking.”

Taeyong blushed, “F-Fine then…”

“Stop refusing my help. I told you, I’m here to help you anytime, geez. You have my number, right?”

“No…”

“Let me write it down then,” Doyoung got up and started rummaging in his backpack that was already set on the table, scribbling a bunch of numbers on a stickie note and smacking it onto the table, “Text me whenever your lost or need help.”

Taeyong nodded, mumbling a soft ‘thank you’ that went unheard of because Doyoung’s phone began to ring. He excused himself and walked out the kitchen, leaving Taeyong alone on the island sipping Doyoung’s smoothie, which no doubt, was the best he has ever had. He glanced down at the written phone number. Why was he blushing? Doyoung pissed him the hell off. But he’s never gotten a phone number before…

University, man.

When he was sure Doyoung wasn’t coming back soon, he took out the paper in his hoodie’s pocket, unfolding it and taking a look at it. He’s checked it over twenty times. His name is still there. His gender. His age. His education. Nothing has changed on it. Yet, he still couldn’t get over the nervous feeling that he’ll embarrass himself again with an uncomplete application, or putting something wrong. It was his first time applying for a job. At the age of 22. And the highest form of education being a high school diploma. He had no idea if he was doing anything right, and he sure as hell couldn’t ask any of his roommates because they’ll just look down on him even more.

“Hey Taeyong – “

Taeyong shoved the paper back in his pocket and started sipping on his smoothie as he read a magazine on the table.

“Do you want to come with me to the cafeteria?”

“Cafeteria? There’s a cafeteria here?”

“Yes, you . Every university has one.”

Before Taeyong could even try thinking about rejecting his offer, his stomach growl answered for him. He was being dragged by Doyoung out of their dorm shortly after, seeing students coming in and out of their dorms all at the same time. He pulled his hoodie over his head and walked beside Doyoung who was certainly a popular face here. He was greeting everybody that passed by, or the other way around.

“You know, it’s weird to have your hoodie indoors.”

“And it’s rude to pick lock bathroom doors.”

“… Touché.”

Doyoung led Taeyong all the way to the dining hall, where hundreds of students already swarmed around. Taeyong could already smell the sweet aroma of breakfast, his walk speeding up with excitement to actually get inside and see what they actually have to offer.

“S-Slow down,” Doyoung pulled Taeyong back so a group of people could enter before him, “I know you’re excited but – “

“When can we go in, then?”

Doyoung chuckled and led Taeyong inside the building, taking out their I.D cards and getting scanned in. Taeyong gawked at the amount of food being served. There was food from every culture and it was all free for him!

“I know you’re excited Taeyong,” Doyoung said, “But you know about freshmen 15 right? Don’t be that.”

Taeyong pouted a bit, “I know.”

Doyoung pointed over at the salad bar, “I’m going to go over there. Meet me – “

“I’ll go with you.”

“H-Huh…? O-Okay then,” Doyoung smiled, “Come on.”

Taeyong followed Doyoung diligently like a lost puppy, not interested in the fruits or veggies at all unlike his roommate, who surely enjoyed looking after his health. Taeyong wanted to quickly get into the greasy, fatty foods already, but he wasn’t going to go alone in the crowd of all those people.

“You’re not getting anything?” Doyoung asked Taeyong when he noticed the first year simply standing beside him.

Taeyong shook his head. Doyoung got done picking out his fruit and led Taeyong around each serving place. He pitched in a few of his favorite foods to tempt Taeyong and so he can innocently steal some of his food as a good friend would be – not because he’s actually craving any of those foods, and finally Taeyong got around to picking out his food. Well, more like Doyoung.

“C-Can you get that for me, too?” Taeyong whispered to Doyoung as he pointed at an omelet.

Doyoung sighed and nodded, grabbing the tongs and putting it on his plate. He knew Taeyong was shy, but seriously? So much for being his senior. He’s just too good of a person to let his roommate starve.

When they finished going all around the room, it was now the horrible nightmare Taeyong dreaded of the moment he saw tables and chairs spread all around the empty space. Picking a place to sit. He followed Doyoung as always, who navigated the way breezily, which Taeyong figured was because he was a second year after all.

“Hey guys!” Doyoung called out to someone.

Taeyong tripped on his feet a bit. Oh no. Oh no no no. Doyoung started heading over to a table with people already at it. They all waved hi at his roommate, who began pulling the shy boy whose feet wouldn’t operate anymore.

“I-I can’t – “

“What? Taeyong, come on – “

Suddenly, Taeyong found himself turn around on his heel and abandon his roommate who was calling after him, heading straight outside of the building forgetting about the delicious food on his plate and leaving with an empty stomach.

“Who was that?” A voice asked as he ate his food.

“My roommate Taeyong…” Doyoung sighed, “He’s a bit… Antisocial, I guess you can say.”

“You don’t say,” He snorts.

“It’ll help a lot if you weren’t so sarcastic, Jungwoo,” Doyoung scoffed and suddenly sat up, “I’m gonna go after him before he gets into any other trouble. God forbid, that kid can’t stand up for himself!”

With that, Doyoung left the cafeteria as well, with a half empty stomach, looking after his roommate who hastily ran away with the thought of socializing. He knew Taeyong was shy, but he didn’t know to this extent!

“Come on Taeyong, answer…” Doyoung mumbled as he held his phone to his ear hearing it dialing his roommate’s number he got in the morning, “Answer!”

A few students passing by glanced at the impatient theatre kid, definitely overdramatic like the stigma against them. He ignored them and continued to spam Taeyong’s ty android phone, walking around the campus in hopes of seeing even a strand of hair that belonged to the scrawny kid.

He began to give up hope when he did two complete circles around the cafeteria area, knowing Taeyong couldn’t get very far because he couldn’t even find his way to the dorms most likely, and sat down on a bench.

“Oh hey Doyoung.”

“T-T-“ Doyoung turned to look at the boy sitting beside him, “Taeyong!?”

Taeyong waved hi as he sipped on a banana milk from a nearby vending machine.

“I was looking all over for you! I thought you got beat up or something! Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“I left my phone in the dorm.”

Doyoung sighed in relief, “Of ing course. You can’t just run away like that though. You’re like… My responsibility, you know?”

“… Yeah,” Taeyong began to blush, “Sure.”

My responsibility. Why did that turn him on? He was too deprived of human affection, it was becoming a bit ridiculous.

“Don’t agree so easily,” Doyoung muttered, “I’m still too young to be looking after another adult.”

“Y-Yeah,” Taeyong stuttered, “I didn’t mean –“

Just as he attempted to explain himself, he suddenly heard a crash of things down the pathway. Just like the rest of the passersby, they glanced at the incident. He was shocked to see it was Taeil, who he guessed had tripped on a crack on the floor that sent his textbooks off to the floor. Doyoung stood up quickly to go over to help but stopped when he watched a pair of shiny, leather black shoes trample on his textbook as if nothing. He felt a twitch on his temple. He was mad. But he held back.

Taeyong gawked at the trio of men walking down the path, walking all over the textbooks as if they were trash and not $140 down the gutter. Of course… To most these kids here, they were. But it didn’t matter. He’s never seen a group of guys decked out on gold and silver, high fashion brands and walking down the dirty university sidewalks as if they were a runway. He gulped and watched them ignore Taeil, who was dusting off a cart which he assumed were where the books fell.

Disrupting his own awe, Taeyong decided to ask his roommate who knew a lot more about the campus than he did, “Who are they, Doyoung?”

“The worst people you’ll ever meet,” Doyoung mumbled quite easily, “They’re the most powerful guys that come here. Everyone in campus knows who they are – well, aside from hermit you. From left to right, it’s Johnny – no one cares about him because he’s the hobbit in the middle’s servant basically. He’s… If not, the most powerful of the three. And the tiest, iest, fakest in the entire school. He will destroy anyone for fun. He’s an abuser with his amount of power. And the guy on the far right…”

Suddenly, he stopped speaking. Taeyong glanced up to see his ears were reddening from anger. Taeyong gulped, he’s never seen his roommate look mad, but he looked… Kinda hot.

Not the time, ty boy hormones. Not the time.

Doyoung trudged over there rapidly with tight fists, leaving Taeyong alone at the bench.

“Hey!” He snapped at the culprit, “What the ? Are you ing dumb?”

The trio of boys walking right over Taeil’s mess glanced over at Doyoung or so he thought, because they were all wearing brand sunglasses and he couldn’t see their ty faces. However, it didn’t take another blink to recognize a face of one of the famous boys on campus.

A sly, small smirk creeped onto his rival’s face.

“Get those stupid shades off!” Doyoung smacked the shades off the boy’s face, “And apologize for being a ing !”

“D-Doyoung…” Taeil muttered as he squatted down to pick up his textbooks, unaware that one was already doing it for him.

“Is that who I think it is?” The boy chuckled as he pulled out another pair of shades from inside his blazer.

“You just saw my ing face, didn’t you? Stop being dumb. Apologize to Taeil, now!”

“Why should we?” The little ugly hobbit butted in, “His books got in our way.”

Taeil picked up the last book on the floor and straightened himself out, the giant of the trio handing over the ones he helped picked up for him. The short boy smacked the