Mark has always had an interest in how the universe works. Questioning the existence of fate and if so, does destiny really bring two rightful people together? And so when he had just turned eighteen and his father announced his job promotion that requires him to live closer to Seoul he believed it was the universe preparing him for something in the future. And so without any complaint, he packed his belongings and his family moved to Seoul. His family had just settled into their new house five days ago and there were still a lot of things to unpack. As boxes after boxes of home decorations piled up in the hallway or each room in the house. Only the essential things were unpacked, such as the kitchen or bathroom essentials. Mark hadn’t had any time to unpack his clothes as he was helping around the house. Most of his clothes were still in a box but rummaged through. He stood in front of his mirror that was the only thing he had gotten around to set up beside his bed. Examining himself he was wearing his new school uniform. He was attending the School of Performing Arts Seoul and the school uniform consisted of the color that resembles mustard yellow. Mark didn't think the color would look nice on him, but now that he was wearing it he had to say otherwise. It matched nicely with his brown hair.

“Mark, hurry down and eat breakfast before you head off to school!” His mother shouted from downstairs. Hollering back a yes he looked at himself one more time before grabbing his backpack off the floor. Making his way into the kitchen he found his mother seated at the dining table feeding his three-year-old brother, Joey, his breakfast. “I made some pajeon for breakfast. Eat some before you go.” His mother said sparing him a smile and a glance before directing her attention back on his little brother. Taking his seat at the dining table he made sure to give himself enough time to walk to school. Finishing his meal he bid goodbye to his mother and little brother since his father had already left for work early in the morning.

The walk to school wasn’t hard as he managed to walk the main passage with students wearing the same school uniform as him. He couldn’t help but feel self-conscious, everyone was either talking among their group of friends or listening to music with their earphones. Clutching onto his backpack straps tighter he looks down on the pavement before hurrying to get to the gate of the school. Once he was inside finding the attendance office took a few wrong turns in the hallway before he finally found it. By the time he got his schedule sheet and assigned classroom he had only five minutes to find the place. Needless to say, he entered his classroom with his hair and school uniform all disheveled. His classmates seem nice, welcoming him into their classroom when he introduced himself. But that doesn’t mean anyone wanted to make friends with him. By the time lunch hour arrived everyone had dispersed themselves amongst their own group of peers. Mark was fine with that really, this just gave him more time to roam around the school before the next class starts. Getting up from his desk he grabs his phone and earphones to accompany his walk. Plugging his earphones in his ears, Gettin’ By from ONE was playing from his playlist.

He managed to explore the building with no trouble. He wanders off into the building side where extra classroom items like desks were stored. Turning a corner he caught a scene of two tall and built male students confronting another male student who was shorter and on the lean side. He couldn’t make out what they were talking about, but from the looks of it, it looks like the two taller males were demanding money. Wanting nothing to do with this, Mark managed to back away quite nicely until he stumbles back upon one of the classroom desks that was set aside in the hallway. He curses at himself under his breath hoping they didn’t hear anything until he saw a shadow coming down the hallway.

 .

“Hey Mingyu, look what we have here.” The one who came to check on the source of sound shouts to his other friend. Frozen in his spot Mark watched as the male, Mingyu, made his way to stand beside his friend. “I think he’s new here.”

“Maybe we should give him an initiation to the School of Performing Arts Seoul?” Mingyu suggests while looking at his friend.

“What about Taewoo?” His friend asks about the male they were bullying earlier.

“Forget him, he got lucky today.” Mingyu orders, “New kid, as your first day at this school we’ll let you off easily with no bruises. If you just give us all the money you have right now.” Gulping down his saliva Mark looks between Mingyu and his friend considering what he should do. He would give them all his money, but the thing was he left his wallet back at his classroom in his backpack.

“I would give you guys my money, but I don’t exactly have my wallet with me right now.” He was surprised that he managed to say all this without a hint of his voice wavering. Mingyu narrows his eyes on Mark before taking a step closer not believing him.

“Are you taking us as idiots? Cut the crap, what kind of person doesn’t carry their wallet on themselves?”

“Um,” Mark goes to say biting his bottom lips nervously, “me?”

“Donghae, hold his arms back while I search for his wallet.” Mingyu orders as Donghae, as Mark now presumes, bolts after him. Needless to say, Mark turned around and ran as the two males shouted after him. He couldn’t care less if his earphones get all tangled up as he tries to stuff his earphones that fell out from his ears inside his pants pocket. If he doesn’t lose the two males chasing behind him soon he knows he’s going to go home with a few cuts and bruises on his body. Making a sharp left turn down the hallway he ran straight into someone knocking them both off their feet. Rubbing his forehead Mark looks at the person he crashed upon. It was another male student unfortunately to Mark.

Could this day get any worse?

Scrambling to his feet he goes to pick up the book the male had just dropped off the ground before looking behind him.

“Where did he go?” He heard Donghae asks.

“Split up, he couldn’t have gone that far. Donghae, you take the right hallway and I’ll take the left one.” Mark hears Mingyu instructs before hearing foots coming down the hallway he was at. He turns to look back at the male he had crashed into only to find him already up on his feet and gesturing for Mark to follow him. Without a second thought, he ran after the male down the hallway making left turns and right turns. Who would have thought this school was this huge? Just when Mark thought they finally lost Mingyu he felt the male he was running with pulling him into a room before closing the door right behind them. Putting a finger over his lips telling Mark to keep quiet a few seconds had passed until they heard footsteps that were Mingyu’s outside.    

“Aish, can’t believe we lost that guy.” Mark hears him say outside the classroom door before he continues to walk down the hallway passing by Mark and the male he ran with completely.

“Thanks,” Mark says once he finally caught his breath, bending over he places his hands on his knees coughing, “I’m Mark by the way.”

“How did you manage to come across them?” The male asks not bothering to introduce himself as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“It was an accident. I was just exploring the school since it’s my first day when I stumbled upon them bullying another male student.” He straightens himself back up once he had caught his breath only for it to be knocked out of his system again. The male student he had been running with was gorgeous. Mark mentally slaps himself for not being able to notice this detail before when he straight up crashed into him. “Um--I’m sorry for crashing into you earlier. Here’s the book you're dropped.” He apologizes awkwardly while handing the book over.

Taking the book in his hands he dusts the book about of habit, “You didn’t do a lot of damage on me so that’s fine.”

They stood in awkward silence in a deserted classroom when Mark took notice of the clock hanging on the classroom wall. Time has definitely flown by while he was on the run. Class after lunch had already begun and there he was already late for a class on the first day of school. Groaning internally he was already coming up with an excuse for his teacher when he gets back to class. “I should probably get back to class now.” He manages to say before sliding the classroom door open.

“Hey,” He hears the gorgeous man calls out to him. Turning around Mark waited for him to continue to speak, “just be careful when you go back out there. Mingyu and his group of friends aren’t the easiest people to forget those who get away from them. They might start looking for you and bully you as well.” He warns as Mark could feel his mouth going dry. Just great, it’s not even the end of the school day yet and he already managed to make himself a target to a group of bullies at this school.

Well played Mark.

The gorgeous man must have sensed his concern as he reaches his hand out to touch his shoulder gently. “If you want you can come hang out with my friends. I can--I mean, my friends and I will be able to ward off Mingyu and his friends from messing with you.” He suggests, “You can find us in room 146 every day after school.” Without another word, he slides by Mark to leave. Soon after Mark follows after to get back to his classroom. The lie he told of him getting lost because it was his first day at a new school seemed to have worked as his teacher gave him a sympathetic smile. Ushering for him to return to his seat while his classmate’s snickers. Throughout the lecture, Mark couldn’t process anything else except for two things. One was the fact that Mingyu and his friends might come after him. And two was the fact he didn’t get the name of the gorgeous man and that he offered Mark a safe haven from Mingyu and his friends. But was he certain what gorgeous man said to him about Mingyu was the truth? Or if the gorgeous man and his friends aren’t other groups of bullies as well? When Mark finally snapped out of his trance school was already over as students began filing out of the classroom. Grabbing his backpack he heads for the door about to head home but stops in his tracks when he sees Mingyu and Donghae along with a few other people he didn’t recognize looking into each room down the hall. They were certainly looking for someone specific and Mark can bet that someone was him. Turning around quickly he walks the opposite direction coming up with ways to get away from them.

‘My friends and I will be able to ward off Mingyu and his friends from messing with you.’

Desperate time calls for desperate measures and so Mark went to search for the classroom gorgeous man had told him about. It wasn’t hard to find the classroom, but it took a while to get there as Mark being extra cautious made sure Mingyu and his friends weren’t at any hallway he was walking. Taking a deep breath he knocks a few times on the classroom door of room 146. He could hear laughter and voices inside until it died down when he had knocked. When the door slid open it wasn’t the gorgeous man that Mark was expecting. Instead, it was a male student with blonde hair looking Mark up and down in question. “Can I help you?” He asks.

“Um,” Mark trails off not completely sure with what to say. “I’m looking for someone?”

“And who are you looking for?” The blonde asks tilting his head to the side clearly not letting Mark into the classroom. Mark would have answered that question in a heartbeat if only he knew the actual name of gorgeous man.

“Jackson, stop scaring him.” Someone came up behind Jackson, it was the gorgeous man as a look of recognition passes through his face. “Mark, what brings you here?”

“Can I come inside and then talk?” He asks looking around the hallway feeling extra vulnerable.

“Yeah, of course, come on in.”The gorgeous man says as Jackson slid open the door bigger for Mark to step inside. Once inside he found a redhead man talking to someone who was slightly taller with jet black hair. Far off in the classroom near the window, a man had his head on the desk sleeping as someone sitting at the desk beside him was silently eating snacks.

“Wow, you guys are like the real life Ouran Host Club.” He found himself voicing his thoughts out loud because really all six of these men were handsome.

“What was that?” The gorgeous man asks coming to stand beside Mark.

“It’s nothing really. Forget I said anything.” Arching his eyebrow up he looks at Mark curiously before dismissing what Mark had said like he had asked.

“Okay,” He draws out, “Is something wrong Mark?”

“I think Mingyu and his friends are looking for me. I mean, I saw them looking into each classroom when I stepped out into the hallway when I got out of mine.” Mark voice his concern while hugging himself. Hearing this, gorgeous man ushers for Jackson to discuss something off to the side so he wouldn’t hear before coming back with a smile.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to my group of friends.” The gorgeous man says with a warm smile motioning Mark to follow deeper into the classroom. “Hey, guys this is Mark he’s a new student here.” He introduces as all four heads turn to look at Mark. “The guy with the red hair is Kunpimook Bhuwakul, but you can call him Bambam. His parents are originally from Thailand before they moved to Korea. The guy beside him with the black hair is Kim Yugyeom. These two are first-year students here at the School of Performing Arts Seoul.” Bambam and Yugyeom both gave a shy wave as Mark waves back. “The guy sitting by the window,” Gorgeous man points at the man who was asleep moments earlier but was now staring at them, “is Im Jaebum who is a third-year student the same with Jackson Wang, who you met earlier at the door, and me.”

Mark was startled when Jackson went to pat him on the shoulder suddenly. Turning to look at Jackson he found him smiling at him brightly.

“The man beside Jaebum is Choi Youngjae. He’s a second-year student at this school.” Bowing his head politely he greets the six men before him as Bambam and Yugyeom were more than delighted to have a new member to their group.

“What year are you in hyung? I mean, judging by the looks of it you look older than me.” Bambam says as Jackson wraps his arm around his neck playfully.

“Hey, I’m pretty sure he’s the same year as Jaebum hyung, Jinyoung, and I.” Jackson answers, but Mark could only register the name he could finally connect with the gorgeous man.

Jinyoung. What a nice name.

“Um, I’m actually a fourth-year student here.” Mark brought himself to say, snapping out of his thoughts. He watched as Jackson’s grip around Bambam’s neck slackens as Bambam and Yugyeom laughs.

“Dude, he’s older than the three of you guys.” Bambam teases before Jackson goes to pretend to choke him, wrestling style way.

“Ah, I didn’t know I was your dongsaeng. It’s nice to meet you Mark hyung.” Jinyoung goes to say with a smile as his words rung over and over in Mark’s head.

Sorry for any grammatical errors and inaccurate depiction of Seoul/school system. Comments are most welcome. ((: