Myungsoo looks at the reflection of himself in the mirror, wondering if he looks okay. Today is officially the first-day school starts and he really wants to have a good first impression in front of people. But he is not sure if it’s okay for him to go to class like this—wearing a black shirt with black trousers. He thinks he looks neat, but he still wonders if this is too formal. Honestly, he feels a little suffocated.

He hears the bathroom door opens, his head automatically looks towards the door and he sees Woohyun coming out of it, finished taking a shower. He takes a bath later than Myungsoo, because he only has class in the afternoon while Myungsoo has a morning class. It has been several almost a week since they started living together, and thankfully so far there is no problem between the two of them. They even talked about their classes and turns out they took one same class, which is Woohyun’s afternoon class. So, Myungsoo feels a little relieved because at least he already has one friend in one class.

“Are you really going to class?” Woohyun asks him upon seeing him, still drying his wet hair with a tower. That question makes Myungsoo looks at himself again, wondering if his feelings are right.

“Yes, why?”

“I don’t think you should dress like that,” Woohyun simply says. Myungsoo waits for more explanation but doesn’t get any.

“Why?”

Woohyun looks up and down on him, as if trying to say something that won’t offend Myungsoo even though Myungsoo doesn't think he won’t get offended by anything Woohyun says. He thinks he accepts criticisms well.

“It’s too…gloomy,” Woohyun finally declares and then continues to add, “And eye-catching. I thought you don’t want to be eye-catching.”

That’s true. Myungsoo has said that he doesn’t want to be eye-catching when Woohyun said that he is naturally eye-catching a few days ago. He doesn’t like to be the center of attention of strangers, it makes his heart pounds crazily and overwhelms him. Being the center of attention of people he loves is a different story, though.

“I am not sure how I should dress,” Myungsoo admits, “I heard that people at business school have to dress really well…”

And Myungsoo doesn’t remember where or when he heard that, but it is embedded in his mind. He doesn’t know if it’s true, but it’s not a bad idea to try to dress decently. He rarely has to dress well when he was in high school because he mostly wears uniforms.

“Really?” Woohyun asks, throwing his towel to the bed and then crosses his arms, “Well, even if that’s true, you are too formal, you look like you going to a job interview.”

So, Myungsoo’s guess is right then. He is looking too formal. He sighs and then asks, “So, how should I dress?”

He doesn’t know if it’s right to ask Woohyun or not. He doesn’t know Woohyun’s fashion sense.

“Hmm, let’s see what clothes you have,” Woohyun says, walking towards Myungsoo’s wardrobe and opens the door. He analyzes Myungsoo’s clothes and then declares, “Your wardrobe is so boring.”

Myungsoo doesn’t understand how a wardrobe can be boring, but he doesn’t ask. Instead, he just watches as Woohyun goes through his clothes. He suddenly feels the chill from the AC and looks at Woohyun who is currently shirtless, only wearing a boxer to cover himself.

“Don’t you think you should put on a shirt first?” Myungsoo asks.

Woohyun stops looking at Myungsoo’s clothes to look at Myungsoo and asks in a teasing tone, “Why? Are you uncomfortable?”

“No…” Myungsoo answers right away.

He just doesn’t want Woohyun to get sick.

***

Myungsoo comes to class too early.

When he arrives, no one is there so he has no choice but to sit down in the front seat alone and has to wait for others to come. He is determined to talk to someone today, to introduce himself on his own without others prompting him to. After he sits down, he brings out his book from his bag and then starts to wait. The class will start in twenty minutes, so he doesn’t have to wait for long.

He ended up switching the black shirt to a white shirt—a shirt which is not even his but Woohyun’s. He doesn’t have a white shirt but Woohyun insisted that he should wear a white shirt instead of a black one and that he would look much better. Personally, he doesn’t really know what is the difference between a black shirt and a white shirt, the only difference he is sure is that he likes black much better than white.

Not long after he arrives, people start arriving one by one. A pair of girls come after him and Myungsoo looks up, looking straight at the girls. The girls, upon catching his gazes, suddenly stops walking and seems astounded when they see Myungsoo.

“Hello…” Myungsoo dared himself to greet them, feeling painfully awkward with the way they are looking at him.

“Hello…” the girls hurriedly greet him back, before walking towards the back seats together, walking past Myungsoo and ignoring. Myungsoo pouts a little since that means it will be hard for him to talk to him. He waits for another person to come but every time someone comes, they keep walking past him and choosing to sit in the back. Even when someone chooses to sit in the front, they sit away from him and makes him feel more awkward.

Why does it feel like everyone is avoiding him?

***

Woohyun taps on his foot, waiting for people in the classroom to come out. He has been standing in the floor hallway for fifteen minutes, and he has started to feel bored. He feels so relieved when he finally hears the students inside of the classroom standing up and walking out of there. He is also lucky that it doesn’t take long for Myungsoo to come out of the class, he doesn’t want to go inside just to pick up Myungsoo.

“Hey,” Woohyun calls out to Myungsoo, when Myungsoo doesn’t seem to notice his presence and walks straight past Woohyun. Though, it’s because Woohyun is covered by some tall guys standing near them.

Myungsoo turns around and seems surprised seeing Woohyun there, honestly asking, “Oh, what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you,” Woohyun answers, before walking beside of Myungsoo, “Let’s go to class together.”

Woohyun doesn’t know why he doesn’t want to go alone. When he knows that there are people who take the same class as he does, he wants to go there with them. Myungsoo doesn’t say anything and only nods in agreement.

Their class is in the social studies school building, which is where Woohyun has most of his classes held. Luckily, the business school building and the social studies school building are just next to each other, so they don’t have to walk far. Myungsoo is silent during the whole walk, it makes Woohyun curiously study him. He looks quite down, which means that his first class didn’t go as well as Myungsoo has hoped.

“So, how is your first class?” Woohyun finally asks when they are finally in the hallway, walking towards their class.

“It’s…boring,” Myungsoo tells him, “I didn’t talk to anyone and it felt like everyone was avoiding sitting near me.”

Oh. Woohyun understands then. Myungsoo has been hoping to gain some friends in his classes, and he must have felt that people are avoiding him for some reason.

“Really? Where did you sit?” Woohyun asks, trying to find reasons to comfort Myungsoo.

“In the front.”

Well, that’s easy to explain, hen.

“Ah, that’s why, maybe they don’t want to sit in the front,” Woohyun says, actually demonstrating what he is saying since they’re entering the class and Woohyun goes to the seats in the middle right away, while Myungsoo follows him like a duckling, “I wouldn’t want to sit in the front, too, in case the lecture is boring.”

They sit down, not minding their surroundings. Myungsoo looks down and wonders loudly, “Am I being too nervous?”

“Being nervous is normal, don’t worry about it, you will get used to it soon,” Woohyun says, patting Myungsoo’s shoulder. Myungsoo does seem too nervous facing this whole new era of his life, but Woohyun can understand because it’s just normal for people to be nervous in the face of something new and unfamiliar. You can’t force humans to not feel humans’ feelings.

“So, you’re already getting close to each other?” a voice from behind both of them surprises them, giving them chills to their neck. Both of them looks at their back in unison, and then says, ‘Whoa’ at the same time.

“Sunggyu Hyung? What are you doing here?” Woohyun asks when he sees that Sunggyu is sitting behind of them and none of them realizes that. It has been such a long time since he last seen Sunggyu in flesh, even though they do chat each other. Sunggyu has been away for almost two years to serve in the military and has only been discharged a few weeks ago.

“What do you think I am doing?” Sunggyu asks, reminding Woohyun how puzzling Sunggyu can be.

Woohyun knows that Sunggyu is officially back in school now after being away, so it’s normal to meet him around the area, especially since the law school building is also not far from this building. But this is a basic English class which only first-year students take. So, if Sunggyu takes this class, there is only one conclusion Woohyun can deduce.

“Don’t tell me…” Woohyun gasps dramatically and then yells loudly, “You failed this class?!”

It’s funny if Sunggyu who was known to be studious failed a basic English class.

“Of course, not!” Sunggyu smacks Woohyun’s arm, making him yelp. He crosses his arms and then starts to “I got an A in this. I just want to study again and since no one will know that I am not supposed to be here...”

“Okay I get it,” Woohyun says. Sunggyu is freeloading. He remembers Sunggyu saying once that he likes to attend other major classes and classes he can’t sign up for just because he wants to study new things. Woohyun mutters under his breath, “Weirdo,” which thankfully Sunggyu doesn’t hear.

Sunggyu turns his attention to Myungsoo who has been silent during their whole conversation and only smiles sweetly as he listens them talking.

“So, Myungsoo.”

“Yes?”

Sunggyu pointed at Woohyun using his thumb, “He didn’t do anything weird, right?”

Woohyun looks at Myungsoo pleadingly, hoping that Myungsoo will say no. Woohyun still remembers that he unconsciously called Myungsoo ‘Angel’ during their first meeting, but Myungsoo didn’t seem to hear that or maybe he just pretended to not heart that. If it was the latter, Woohyun is afraid that Myungsoo thought it was weird.

“No, he didn’t,” Myungsoo answers even though he doesn’t see Woohyun and has his gaze fixated on Sunggyu. Woohyun feels relieved because he thinks that if Myungsoo says yes, Sunggyu will scold him. Woohyun doesn’t know why he thinks that Sunggyu might be protective of Myungsoo even though he doesn’t have any reason to think so.

“I see, I guess I am worried for nothing seeing how you guys are getting along well, not even realizing that I am sitting here,” Sunggyu says, sighing dramatically and then finally leans on his chair.

“Why aren’t you asking me if Myungsoo did anything weird?” Woohyun asks. That’s unfair.

“Because I am sure he wouldn’t do anything weird.”

“Hyung, do you know that ever since you got discharged, you became more annoying?”

To Be Continued

Character Introductions Part I

Kim Myungsoo
18 y.o | First Year | Majoring in Business

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A sheltered bird who have only started spreading his wings and embrace the real world. Naturally introverted, he has a hard time reaching out to people and is determined to learn how to be more open to people. Doesn't have a lot of friends because of that, but unexpectedly he has some really close friends and often shows a different side of him in front of them.

Nam Woohyun
19 y.o | First Year | Majoring in Psychology

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Someone who likes being with other people. Being alone makes him feel easily depressed, so he continuously reaches out to people because he is afraid of feeling lonely. Took a gap year before deciding to start college, he said it's because he wanted to be sure of what he wants to do, but it's mostly because he wants to live a freer life after the hecticness of last year of high school.

Kim Sunggyu
21 y.o | Second Year | Majoring in Law

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He used to be a rocker back in high school, but decides that he doesn't want to pursue music and instead decides that he want to work in the law field. Unexpectedly smart and likes to study. Even though he is supposed to be in his fourth year, he is still in his second year of college because for unknown reasons he suddenly decided to do his military service after finishing his first year. 

See you on the next chapter!