1980s. Stanford University, California, United States of America:

Ryusang Park did not like academics. He didn't like studying at all. In fact, he really wasn't even great at it, heaven knows how he managed to get an acceptance letter from Stanford University the year before. But there was one thing he disliked even more than academics. Actually, it was a person. Hwaseong Park. Rich, snobby and extremely smart, he was the college campus heartthrob. Ryusang couldn't understand why though, being very honest. Hwaseong Park always found a reason to try and annoy Ryusang. They were in the same law degree and cohort, and it was pointless to try and hide. Flanked alongside his three sidekicks, Edward, San, and Mingi, they always found a reason to tease Ryusang, whether it be because his class rankings or for another reason, it was tiring to say the very least.

It was the summer holidays, and he was dreading the return of the new fall semester next week. He was going to spend his sophomore year at college on a campus dormitory. He wondered who he was going to share the room with. He barely made any friends during his freshman year, and the friends he had made were all already sharing a room together. He heaved out a big sigh turning around on his bed to bury his face in his pillow.

--- Fast forward 1 month. ---

Ryusang was standing in front of his campus dormitory room and he was positively fuming. Just what kind of stupid ed up luck did he have that he just had to be roomed with the three people that consistently made his life a living hell at college?

Hwaseong, Edward and Mingi were all standing right in front of him, smiling widely. "Welcome!" Hwaseong said, trying his best to stifle his laughter.

"Hi, Ryusang! Fancy seeing you here! I thought we annoyed you so much during our freshmen year that you'd hate to be within even 10 miles of us!" Edward chimed in, grinning widely.

"Of course you guys think this is funny," Ryusang said through gritted teeth, pushing through the three troublemakers into their room. There was one unoccupied bed and he quickly unpacked his luggage and climbed onto the bed and flopped down.

If Ryusang had thought his first day back on campus was bad, his classes proved otherwise. Every single class he was in, Hwaseong seemed to magically be in as well and he just wanted to bang his head against a wall. Every lecture ended with Ryusang being one step closer to just wanting to drop out and becoming an exotic dancer. He knew he would be disowned by his family if he did and he was already well into his law degree, he would just have to try his best to pull through.

The worst news came though when one of his course lecturers decided to randomly pair students together for an assignment during an elective course.

"Hwaseong and Ryusang?" the professor had called out, unnecessarily loud deciding not to use the microphone right in front of her.

"Hwaseong and Ryusang. You will be working together on this essay about music through the eras from the Renaissance era to the Romantic era.", the professor further announced, "You will have 2 weeks to complete it. You're required to write 10 000 words on a composer of your choice from each era. Chop, chop!"

Ryusang looked like he had just swallowed a whole bottle of wasted milk. He picked musicology and musicianship for his elective because he didn't think he'd have to encounter Hwaseong. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever think that they'd have to work together. Hwaseong smirked. The essay was not going to be a problem, music was a hobby of his, and studying was no problem. Annoying Ryusang was going to be the highlight of the next 2 weeks.

A.N. I'm splitting this into two, maybe three parts. As usual, Stanford era will only end when the music box appears and is opened and played. Let me know what you think.