"Sorry kid, you can't come in any more. You're late." The guard stops the teen that was just about to enter the academy, the gates were closed right in front of his face.

The purple haired boy didn't even have the time to catch his breath from all the running he did because he was surprised, and out on reflex, he had responded quite loudly with a: "But I was exactly on time!"

He really was, honestly, the exams were supposed to start at 08:30, and by 08:28 he had started running from the bus stop two streets away. It was exactly 08:29:58 (he had timed it) when he reached the gate.

So why the heck is the guard not letting him in?

"Not really. Every examiner was advised to be here by 08:15, and with the process of you trying to find your room, you'll still be late." The guard replies, and the teen's eye twiches. He's getting more late by the minute the longer this guy here talks instead of just letting him in and it wouldn't be his problem if the other just bolts around frantically to look for his room.

Oh no, the sole reason he went to Japan will be all for nothing. All because he started sprinting a minute late. He doesn't want to go back to his parents' house just a month after finally starting to get independent and just as he flew overseas too oh my goodness--

 
Suddenly, in the middle of his mental breakdown, someone covered his snow drenched hair with an umbrella. He blinked as he stopped internally screaming and met eyes with a taller guy who was looking at the guard.

"So I guess I won't get to take the exam too? It'll be quite a loss for this academy..." His voice was low and a bit gruff-- and a bit mocking, the younger could only stare at the exchange.

"What's your name?" The guard asks, a small notepad in his hand as he flipped to the back.

The man moves a little bit, closer to the gate with his hand on the back of the other guy, leading him closer as well, they were a few steps away from the gate when he answered.

"Kim Wonshik."

The guard looks up from his notepad, nodding as he probably saw the name on the paper. And so he slid the gates open, without any other word as he gestured for them to come in.

The two walked, and in the middle of the snow covered field. They both stopped as they tried to figure out where they were supposed to take the test.

"Why is this place so huge..." The purple haired guy mumbles, shaking the snow off of his head. He then looked up and grinned. "Thanks for earlier by the way. I don't know how I'll go back home if I don't make it."

The guy known as Wonshik smiles, patting the guy on the head. "It was nothing, but you have to take your exam you know." He reminds the reason for their meeting, making the shorter of the two gasp and start panicking again.

"Oh heck you're right-- but before that!" The guy exclaims, extending out a hand and looking at Wonshik in the eye. "I'm Han Sanghyuk. Thank you for your help really."

Sanghyuk felt Wonshik take his hand, warmth radiating immediately as they shook hands. "You already know, I'm Kim Wonshik."

Sanghyuk nods. "I'm glad I'm not the only guy from Korea here." He chuckles.

"You'll probably meet a bunch more." Wonshik mused, "there's going to be quite a number of students to meet." He then started ushering using his hand.

"You're really going to miss the test this time if you still gawk around like that." And the next thing he knows, Sanghyuk had already sprinted across the field, screaming at the top of his lungs.
 

⋆
 

"Hey do you have an extra pen? I haven't got one." A voice speaking in Japanese came from behind right after someone tapped his shoulder. The brown haired male turned around and saw brown eyes staring back at him. He just stared for a while, the former wondered, maybe he was a foreigner and didn't understand his rust Japanese. "... Um?"

"Here." The other guy had handed a blue pen over, then turned back without waiting for a reply.

The blond man blinked, saying a quiet 'thank you' just as the test began. He was actually feeling quite nervous, but the seeming relaxed attitude of the stranger seemed to have calmed his nerves down even just a little.

When the teacher gave them the signal, he looked down on his paper, glancing at the first question he sighed in relief. He had calmed down lots, he remembers this being something he revised just an hour before.

So he clicked the pen open and began to write down his name.

'Lee Jaehwan'

⋆

"Mom I feel like I'm not going to make it in." He uses his right hand to hold on to his device, the other in his pocket as he walks away from the academy. His mother's voice came out muffled as she answered on the other side of the line, and the guy thanks the abundance of public internet or else he won't be able to last much overseas with his phone bills alone, he plans on spending  that much money only on his temporary accommodation.

He stopped on the bus stop, listening to his mother finish her speech on why her lovely son will pass the exam and enter the academy and achieve his dreams.

He rolled his eyes, replying in Korean. "Yes mother, I know you believe in me. I did my best really, but, there were a lot of other students that wanted to get in too. And from what I saw, they all have really great potentials that I might not make it in." He laughs, glancing to the side as he saw a black haired man approaching the bus stop as well. Lower face buried on the red scarf resting around his neck. He had earphones on, and the other can't help but look at his face. He feels like he's known that man somewhere.

"Hakyeon dear are you still there?" He averted his eyes back to the front when his mom snapped him out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat as he saw the bus that will take him to his hotel approaching.

"Yes mom, I'm still here. But I'm almost boarding the bus, I'll call you again when I get back to my hotel." He explains, pulling out his fare as the bus stops in front of him. He says good bye to his mom and lets the other man enter first, then gave his fare and entered after him. It was still quite early, an hour before lunch breaks of most companies so the bus was quite spacious. He sat near the front. Pulling out his handkerchief as he sneezes, which thankfully was muffled because it will be embarrassing if he sneezes loudly on a bus with almost four people inside.
 

⋆

The next morning, a black haired male was sitting in his room, a pen in his hand as he jots down random thoughts when a knock came on his door.

"Leo?" His temporary host mother called out his nickname as she came in the door. The male had been living with them for around two months now, he had arrived and started living with them during his preparation for the exam. And the atmosphere and people living with him has helped his Japanese skills in great measures.

"Yes?" Came the answer, but when his eyes landed on the envelope he already knows what the conversation will be about. "It came already? That's fast." He mentions, gesturing for her to hand over the envelope.

"Yeah. Their evaluations has always been quick, but only the great ones really make it in." The middle aged lady laughs before she beckons Leo outside, "Read that in the living room so your uncle can find out about it too. Then let's have dinner." He nodded and followed outside. As much as the married couple wanted Leo to call them mother and father, the male insisted that he wouldn't want to make their real children feel uncomfortable if they ever do come by.

Seated at the dining table with his host father at the head. Leo traces the emblem on the envelope before he finally opened it and took the letter out.

"Mister Jung Taekwoon." He starts, eyes quickly reading the next few contents of said letter, mentally sighing in relief that he was able to read it. "Thank you for taking the entrance exam of Saotome Academy. You have done an good job, however..." He trails off, the couple looking at him nervously.

"What does it say?" Uncle urged him on.

"However, there are still two more stages to go before you can really enrol in the school and be a step closer to your dreams. Congratulations on passing the first level." He finishes, lowering the letter and meeting with the sight of his teary eyed host parents.

"I made it in."

⋆ 

He grins, "well, stage one it said. But nevertheless I made it!"

His sister screams, the video call going shaky as she jumps around and about the living room premise.

"OH MY GOODNESS HONGBIN!" She yelps, the device camera so close and under her face that all he sees is her chin and her nostrils. "I'm so proud of you." She says quietly, but her eyes were wide and she has a grin on her face.

"Thank you noona." He grins back, laughing lightly before looking around his room. He had been staying with his old high school friend in a small apartment. A favour which he really appreciated since it help saved him some cash. Not to mention that his friend thinks that he owes Hongbin a huge favour from way back before but Hongbin doesn't need to know that.

"I'm going to tell the rest of the family at dinner." She concludes, before finally saying her good bye to her brother. Left alone in silence, Hongbin smiles faintly. He hopes that this will be the start of something good.

poor hongbong doesnt know what he be getting himself into

me: makes na utapri based fic
also me: forgets the fact that they need a composer