CHAPTER ONE

– AN OLD START –

WANNA ONE – LIGHT

2020

AUCLAIR VINCELLETE MANSION, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

THE bird chirping sounds and the beautiful sunlight that came through his pink curtain make Jaemin smiled widely. He stretches a little without even caring to wake up from the bed. Glancing at the alarm clock on his nightstand, Jaemin smiled.

“Only 6.45. Still early. Oh! Good morning, Mr. Dalsoo.” He groaned out lazily while grinning at his human-sized teddy bear.

“Jaemin-ah! My dear Jaeminnie! Wake up now, baby boy! You need to go to school!” Another smile bloomed on Jaemin small face as he purposely wrapped himself around his cute pink duvet with his teddy bear underneath him. Waiting for someone to wake him up by themselves.

“Hey, Jaemin? Are you up? I know you’re up! Chop! Chop! Wake up now! you need to get ready for your class now and I’ll make sure that you won’t skip breakfast!” The voice said loudly as he felt himself being pull up.

“You’re exaggerating, Taeil hyung! I never skip my breakfast! It was you who always force me to eat! Remember?”

“What the –… Yah! I’m being the most lovable older brother that you ever had and you said I forced you? Wake up now before I smack you in your face! I’ll tell Taeyong about how you bully me! Yah, Lee Taeyong! Na Jaemin is bullying me! Again!” Taeil yell before he walks out from the room. Jaemin only chuckle at his cute older cousins. With so much effort, Jaemin get up from his bed taking his towel to bath. Staring himself at the mirror in the bathroom, Jaemin smiled sadly. All the scars he did himself when he’s a wreck seven years ago is still there on his both arms, chest and stomach.

“Jae honey, are you done?” He could hear Taeyong sweet voice calling for him downstairs.

“Not yet, hyung! Give me 10 minutes!” He hollered back and quickly start his morning routine. It just took Jaemin a short five minutes to finish bathing as he quickly going through his dresser room right beside his bedroom only to pick his usual uniform. A plain shirt, an oversized sweater, an oversized jeans and a pair of worn out blue sneakers.

“This will do. As usual.” He mumbled. Sitting right in front of his dressing table, his eyes catches a picture of him, Kun and Ten when the three of them still studying at Oxford University in London. It was at 2016 which Kun and Ten last year in PhD of Business & Management course while Jaemin still has a year to finish his PhD on the same course. It was such a happy and memorable memory if he was to say. The hyungs always fly to visit them. They would never let Jaemin going back to Korea. The younger know they’re still wary about him. They afraid Jaemin would do the same things again.

“I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t mean to make you guys worry about me.” He said sadly. For now, he’s happy. He’s leaving the dark past behind. He no longer cut himself, no longer keep his own feeling inside and most importantly, he no longer let all the mocking and insult words get to him. Beside the picture, there’s another picture. It was two years ago, the very last year he made a memory with his Uncle. Celebrating his birthday only with his Uncle and hyungs but it was enough to make him happy. He contented with what he had at that time. Tae Joon never tell all of them about his illness. Jaemin chuckled sadly.

“I miss you, Uncle. You tell me to not keep everything to myself but you yourself never tell us that you also suffer from heart attack and critical high blood pressure. You’re not being fair, Uncle.” He sighed staring himself in the mirror again. The blonde hair is the only thing he had to remember that he’s not fully Korean. That he had another blood running in his body.

“Raphael Auclair Vincellete.” He said with a perfect French accent. Mama told him that it was Papa that gave him the name but now the person who gave him the name is hating him. Staring into nothing, Jaemin slowly grab his bowl cut black hair wig. He can’t help but to laugh whenever he saw his reflection wearing the wig on the mirror.

“Until this day, I still can’t move on with how hilarious I look in this wig.” He continued to laugh while taking out his black lens to cover his blue eyes. Last but not least, he made sure to always make a freckles on his face using the freckles sticker.

“All of these just because of Papa.” He said softly. When Jaemin deems it’s enough, he grabs his backpack on the study table right across his bed and quickly walk out from the bedroom.

“Good morning, hyung.” He greets happily as he climbed downstairs and straight towards the dine table. Taeil rolled his eyes.

“You said 10 minutes, Jaemin. I take that 30 minutes is actually 10 minutes for you?” Jaemin laughed at Taeil sarcasm. He shrugs playfully grabbing a toast and take a sit to start his breakfast.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make 10 minutes as 30 minutes. It’s ing hard to start all these disguise. You should know it.” He pouted at the end of the sentence.

“Stop reminiscing the past. I know you always did it.” Taeyong said softly getting a nod from Taeil. Jaemin only smiled.

“It’s nothing, hyung, Anyway, where is Johnny hyung?” It’s obvious that the younger trying to change the topic but Taeil and Taeyong didn’t say anything about it.

“He’s already at the office. The both of us also should go by now. There’s a meeting about the new summer collection. I’ll send you the design later, alright?” Hearing Taeil, Jaemin quickly finish his breakfast.

“Hyung, I’m done! I’ll go first. Send my love to Johnny hyung, okay? Bye!” Jaemin peck both his hyung cheeks. Taeyong and Taeil stares at each other sadly. Thinking how Jaemin had suffer for all these 10 years.

SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

AS he usually does it, Jaemin walked silently while passing through the sea of people in the hallway to go to his locker. It’s not an easy task though. Jaemin really had a hard time every time he needs to go to his locker.

“OUCH!” Jaemin flinched at the sudden sharp pain on his shoulder. Students around already giggled and talked among themselves while watching him.

“Sorry, Chulsoo. Didn’t saw you there.” The student who bumped onto him apologize. Jaemin want to curse. How fake the students here can be again?

“It’s nothing.” He said softly although his heart already cursing the student for millions times. He really stands all of these for a long two years just because of his Papa. He can clearly hear them snort and chuckling at him.

“Who is he?”

“Him? You don’t know him? He’s Yoon Chulsoo. The creepy ugly fat dumb nerd senior here. Look at how he dressed. Always the same things.”

“My clothes worth more than half millions, idiot! My whole dresser is not even half your importance.” He muttered cutely. Of course. only for himself.

“Really? How do you know him?”

“My older sister, Irene is in the same class as him. The whole SNU know him. He’s popular, yes. But, well, negatively.” A cringing giggle could be heard right after that. Jaemin tried really hard to control himself from bursting out as he slowly taking out his needed books for the day.

“It was always the same uniform on him. People wearing beanie to look stylish and hip but he used it as a scoop on his head to hide his bowl cut hair. That big and old-fashioned spectacle. Those oversized sweater and jeans. Does he even know about fashion? And, his course is Fashion Design Technology. Third year.”

“Fa –… What? Fashion Design? Is he for real? For someone who looks like they didn’t bath for over a year and maybe… just maybe, he overeats because of depression!” Another laugh sound could be heard. Jaemin purposely close the locker door harshly leaving a loud ‘DANG’ noise surprising the junior.

“Hey! He heard us!”

“Don’t bothe