- 3 years later -

“Yah, Luhan.” Minju poked him with a mechanical pencil she found lying around on his desk. “Wake up.”

The lump underneath the covers groaned and turned over.

“My mom wants you up for breakfast, get up.”

“Go away…” he mumbled, half-asleep.

“School’s in twenty minutes. You’re going to be late.”

 “I know… just go…” he mumbled and passed out.

With a hopeless sigh, she looked around the room before pulling on Luhan's blanket - which he tugged back on.

"Yah - get up!"

"Shut up," he groaned. "You're so loud!"

Minju scowled and stormed out of the room.

She came back five minutes later with a trumpet she borrowed from Lay, her cousin.

She was just about to blow on it when Luhan jumped up and yanked it from her hands, pulling her down with it - making them knock heads. Minju fell backwards onto the carpet.

They both grabbed their heads in pain.

"Jesus," Luhan growled. "What's your head made of, bricks?"

"Give me back the trumpet."

"Hah! Like hell." He cradled it in his arms and turned over to sleep.

Minju, on her feet in flash, cracked her fingers, her neck, and rolled her shoulders before taking a deep breath... and then diving in with her hands.

Luhan let out a high-pitch scream which was followed by maniacal laughter that shook the very framework of that house.

At length, Kris, the tall athlete, burst out of the steaming bathroom, a towel around his waist and an irritated expression on his face.

"I swear to god!" he cried. "Can anyone take a shower in this house without being interrupted by people screaming like maniacs?!"

With a hiss, he stomped downstairs just when Tao, the young martial artist, walked out of his bedroom with a yawn. He took a peak into Luhan's room.

Are you guys fighting again?” he groaned. “Like a married couple these two, like a married couple.” 

Tao's bedroom door creaked open a second time to produce Xiumin, who had moved in just a day ago. “What’s all the noise?” he asked, rubbing his feline eyes.

“Domestic fighting,” replied Teacher Tao.

Finding it his duty to introduce the newbie to the reality of his new home, Tao took Xiumin by the arm and brought him to the entrance of Luhan’s bedroom as though to give him a tour. “See that girl biting his arm? She’s Mr. Ahn’s daughter.”

“I see,” nodded newbie Xiumin. “And who’s that guy screaming at the top of his lungs?”

“That is Luhan. He has been here the longest out of all of us - and he’s good at soccer... I… think that’s the only thing he’s good at – and screaming of course.”

“Oh, I like soccer!” XIumin clapped his hands.

“Then you two should get along splendidly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bath to take." He pulled out a rubber duck from his pocket, squeaked it for good measure, and waddled towards the bathroom.

--

Breakfast was a particularly awkward affair. Neighbours had come knocking on the door, concerned by "blood-curdling screams" that had emanated throughout the neighbourhood. Mr. Ahn had to assure them that everything was perfectly fine.

"You know how they are, boys on the first day of school," he said with an embarrassed smile. 

The neighbours were forced to accept the excuse with a weak smile and an "I suppose..." before making a bee-line for their homes to whisper among their families about the strange members of the boarding house.

Mr. Ahn joined the silent breakfast table for the last time and picked up his newspaper with a sigh. 

By now all the boarders had left for school except Luhan. Having used the bathroom last, he now sat at the breakfast table, gold hair damp from his recent shower and glistening from the sunlight that flooded in through the kitchen window. He and Minju sat across from each other, her hair like a bird's nest, and his arm exhibiting a teeth-bite impression as he raised it to place the glass of orange juice to his lips. Neither of them said a word, intent upon ignoring the other's existance in order to make it through breakfast with their sanity.

"Slept well, Luhan?" Mrs. Ahn asked to break the thick silence.

"Yes," he replied, and was about to end it there but, on second thought, continued sarcastically, "Although waking up was a bit of a nightmare.” He laughed before cutting it off short to shoot Minju a glare.

She clenched her teeth, feeling his intense gaze but purposefully avoiding it.

“Well that’s nice to know, I thought getting Minju to wake you up could have been a bad idea. But it’s nice to see that you're both taking this well."

The two finished their meals at the same time to both of their dismays, and headed out just as Mr. Ahn was leaving for work.

Minju found her bike broken in the backyard.

She gasped.

"Appa..." she turned around to see her father walking towards his truck. "My bike."

"Oh yes, we didn't take it to the mechanic yet."

"Appa! How am I supposed to get to school now?"

"So sorry sweetheart that I can't be of much help. Gotta get to work, I'm late darling - bye!" He got into his car, the engine, and was gone in a flash.

Heaving a sigh, she turned to see Luhan getting on his bike; her eyes lit up.

"Take me with you!" she said, adding "Please" as an after-thought. "Or I'll be late for class."

Luhan put a thoughtful finger to his lips. "Hmm... let me see... you bite my arm... then ask me for a favour... hmmmm... hmmm..." He smiled mischievously at her. "The equation solves itself," he said before mounting his bike and zooming away. 

She scowled.

A glance at her watch made her sigh deeply. She began walking.