» Prologue 

Wednesday

August 21

10:34

Dorm's Entrance

Kim Jongin groaned while rubbing the side of his head. Just beside him, on the back seat of their black Hyundai, a caramel brown-haired girl opened her eyes in surprise to look at him. Within a second, she took in the sight of her brother, having been awakened by a hit of his head to the window because of the slightly bumpy road they were on, and started laughing. Not amused, Jongin gave her a side glare.

“Had a good sleep, dear brother?” she .

“The sleep was good, but the awakening was tougher,” he answered. Then, with a hint of a smile he continued. “Dear sister, maybe you’d like to share my pain. Isn’t that what siblings do?”

Hwang Hyelim jerked back her head as she felt something approaching her face at a very high speed. Closing her eyes, she wondered if Kai would really dare to hit her. Not feeling any sign of impact – like the peculiar feeling of a broken nose, for instance – she slowly opened her brown eyes to meet her brother’s, twin crescents upon a toothy smile. He was only joking, she realized. Lowering her gaze, she found herself nose to nose with a small furry creature, sitting in Jongin’s hand.

“Binx!” she exclaimed, cuddling her baby ferret.

“I won’t hit you. Even if I admit your face does look like a tennis ball…”

She stuck her tongue out in a very childish manner that made him wonder how exactly that same girl had been chosen as President of the Student Council for being “very charismatic and possessing highly developed leadership abilities”.

“Anyway,” Kai continued while looking through the window. “I think we are here.”

Hyelim looked outside at the modern building that formed Unmyeong. In shades of wooden orange and glass-like blue, the three wings of the college were casually sitting downside a hill where the dormitories were. As their car began the ascension of the hill, passing by the soccer field and the swimming pool, Hyelim and Jongin really began to feel like the year was truly starting.

The black Hyundai came to a stop in front of the dorms’ main entrance and the chauffeur emptied the trunk. As soon as Hyelim had put her feet on the college’s ground, her expression changed to something more serious, as if, suddenly, the weight of her duty came crashing down on her. Proudly lifting her head, she hid Binx inside her blazer and picked both her suitcases. With a glance over her shoulder, she made sure Jongin was doing the same and that their chauffeur was following them, holding in his arms few cardboard boxes full of their stuff. Hyelim walked to the reception desk, fumbling through her pockets to find an identity proof and a copy of her inscription form. Handing her passport and a sheet of paper to the receptionist, she waited for her room’s keys.

Jongin arrived at that moment and made a head sign toward her belly, his hands being full with his stuff. Mostly sport trophies, Hyelim thought. He made her a sign again and she looked at her stomach. The white nose of her sable ferret was poking out of her blazer and looked very suspicious. Quickly, she pretended to adjust her clothes while pushing back Binx’s head. The receptionist didn’t seem to notice and handed her the keys to her room.

“Do you want me to wait for you?” Hyelim offered Kai.

“No, it’s okay,” he answered while handing his own papers, “I found out Sehun has arrived too and we’ll meet in the room.

“You are very lucky to be able to room with your friends,” she remarked.

“If you didn’t chose to room alone, you could have actually asked for the same thing. If you have any friend, that is…”

She laughed and shook her head, going toward the elevator. Her room was supposed to be on the third floor.

“311,” she sang in her head in an effort to remember the number.

On her way, she noticed very little students. It was quite early to arrive, but her father thought it’d be respectful to come early and be available in case trouble erupted. Well, since she liked helping others, Hyelim didn’t mind one bit. And she would have a lot of time to unpack and get her room ready.

Finally, she found her room. Unlocking her door, she asked her chauffeur who was still following her with boxes to set down what he was carrying and that she would take care of it. Thanking him respectfully, Hyelim made sure he sent her best regards to her father as well. Wasn’t it just too bad that he couldn’t make time to send his daughter off when she was going to live in a dorm for the whole year?

Wednesday

August 21

11:23

Dorm Room B-327

Kai dumped his luggage on one of the beds. Further inspecting the disposition of the room, he moved his bags from the door-sided bed toward the window-sided bed. The one in the middle was just the worst of them all, he decided. Even if all beds were facing the same direction and that they were separated by nightstands, at least the ones on both extremities of the room appeared less crowded. Slightly bored, Jongin eyed the dresser facing his bed and wondered if it would be a good idea to start tidying up. He quickly decided against – that mere thought was only a product of his sister’s influence – and threw himself on his bed. From the window, he had a good view of the swimming pool.

The door burst open to reveal a man with dyed cinnamon-colored hair. Lifting his eyes, Jongin recognized the guy from around the campus.

“Hi. I guess you are my new roommate,” Kai wondered aloud. “I’m Kim Jongin, but everyone call me Kai.”

“Hi,” the guy answered, while carefully putting his stuff next to the door-sided bed – which Kai secretly approved – and closing the door afterward. “My name is Lee Taemin.”

And said Taemin extended his hand to Jongin, who shook it firmly.

“Nice to meet you. I think I’ve seen you around, which Department are you from?”

“I’m from Performing Arts,” Taemin answered. “But I’m also taking Organic Chemistry, Communication and Geography. So who knows where I’ll end up…”

He laughed like a little kid and this sufficed to install a comfortable mood around the room.

‘So far, so good,’ Kai thought. ‘Now let’s see if he’ll get along with Sehun too…’

“What about you?” the shorter guy asked.

“I’m a General Dep,” the taller guy simply stated.

“I thought so. You give me the feeling of an athlete. Do you do any sport?”

Kai started laughing and pointed at the cardboard box on the floor beside his bed. Trophies were sticking out and the name of the sport as well as his name could clearly be seen. Seeing that, Taemin chuckled.

“Seems like I missed something funny,” a voice intervened.

Both guys looked up to see Oh Sehun nonchalantly leaning on the doorframe, bags in hand. Jongin quickly made the presentations and filled the guy on what just happened. Taemin learned that Sehun was also a General Dep and that he had met Kai in their dance class last year.

At that moment, a tall and muscular guy appeared and Taemin left with him, not without offering at his new roomies the possibility to join them in their little get together on the football field. Kai and Sehun politely declined, indicating they were leaning toward a dip in the pool. For an August day, it was very hot outside and since both were taking swimming classes, why not familiarize themselves with the pool already?

“Sure,” Taemin agreed, recognizing how it was a good idea, “but I’m pretty sure that most of your classes will be in the indoor swimming pool.”

And with that last word, Taemin left with his friend and both taller guys were left to finding their swimsuit in the mess of luggage they both had. Of course, Kai was the fastest and despite his friend’s request to wait for him, the younger guy did no such thing and instead went straight for the pool.

Wednesday

August 21

11:46

Outside Pool

Changed, a towel on his shoulder, Kai made sure no one was around before jumping into the water. It was cold and clear and very satisfying after a day of moving. Immersing himself completely under the water, he barely heard when someone fell in. Splash!

Alerted by the noise, Kai swam to get closer to the body that was falling toward the bottom. He could still see the girl, judging by the long hair, trying to swim despite being caught in the water-soaked clothes she was wearing. Catching her by the waist, Kai pulled her up at the surface and led her to the stairs. Grabbing his towel, he gave it to the girl.

“Thanks,” she said, shivering despite the hot temperature.

“What are you doing here?” Kai asked, slightly irritated.

The girl’s face turned into something harsher. He did not appreciate the tone he used with her.

“Excuse me?” she said, offended. “Do I need a reason to walk on my own campus?”

“So you are going here?” the guy said, rolling his eyes. “Great…”

“Is that sarcasm I sense in you tone?” the girl said, furrowing her brows.

“Is that gratitude I sense in your tone?” he mimicked her.

She straightened and blinked. Seemingly remembering about the incident and whose towel was on her shoulders, she gave a bright smile.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m Park Skylar.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jongin.”

And silence filled the air as they just stood there without doing anything except smiling. As awkwardness became heavy enough to spread on a loaf of bread, Skylar excused herself, saying she had to go find her friend, and gave Kai his towel back. She stared at her soaked sweat pants that were already beginning to dry and at all the layers of shirts, she had on that day that were clinging to her skin. Not the best way to start the year but she couldn’t be picky.

“See you around,” she said, going back inside the ladies' changing rooms with one last smile.

Weird, but she was actually nice…

It was the time Sehun chose to exit the men’s changing room. Running toward the pool at full speed, he launched himself in the air, only to fall back in the water with the loudest possible noise and biggest splash possible.

“Yah! Sehun!”

“That’s what you get for not waiting on me!” the younger guy retorted with only his head outside of the water.

“Oh, really now?”

And they continued to bicker without realizing that someone was listening to them. Behind the door she left ajar, Park Skylar was fuming. Did she hear him say ‘Oh Sehun’ reason for all the world’s misery? Reason for all her world’s misery? Oh, the war was on. 

Wednesday

August 21

12:28

Outside Unmyeong

“Suzy!” Skylar called loudly, running toward her friend.

A beautiful young woman turned around, making her long black hair spin in a fan shape. As soon as she saw her friend’s face, Skylar was filled with an intense joy. How long has it been since they last saw each other in person (because Skype really didn’t count)? The black-haired girl’s face seemed to light up, as opposed to her usual sadder face.

“Skye!” she exclaimed. “How have you been?”

Skylar noted the tone of her friend, soft and happy, but still quite heavy and she swore for the nth time that she was going to make him pay. But, for now, all she could do was be by her friend’s side.

“Did you receive you schedule yet? Maybe we have classes in common! And what about your roommates? Are they nice?” Skylar bombarded her friend with questions.

Bae Sooji giggled softly before pulling Skye into a tight hug.

“Thanks,” Sooji stated. “I know what you are trying to do and I really appreciate it.”

“What are friends for?” Skylar said with a grin. “Though I really want to know. Whom are you rooming with?”

“One of them,” Suzy began telling, “is a writer, I think. I’ve seen her write inside her notebook and I’m pretty sure it’s not a diary. She doesn’t struck me as being the diary kind… The other one is very happy and always smiling. She seems like she has a lot of energy. Both of them are very pretty!”

“It seems like an odd combination,” Skylar laughed.

“Oh well, they seem to be getting along quite well after all. When I left the room they were talking together.”

“I’m sure you’ll get along just fine,” Skye reassured her friend with a warm smile. “Want to hear about my day?”

Sooji agreed and her friend began telling what had happened before they met, expressly staying quiet over the whole ‘Sehun matter’.

“And he was cute?” Suzy inquired.

Skye took a moment to think about it. She remember the black hair and slightly tanned skin, the smile and the piercing glaze…

“Very cute.”

Sunday

July 14

14:55

Park Manor

Looking at the huge manor in front of him, Yoon Yongsoo’s first reaction was to believe he had made a mistake. Surely he had crossed a door to a parallel universe and ended up somewhere in America or Europe because there was just no way this building belonged to South Korea. Two stories high, it was all arches and pretty white stones, with columns at the entrance and a high fountain welcoming the guest if they were daring enough to pass the gates and the stone lions. Furrowing his brows, Yongsoo noted the waste of space – many families could live on this parcel of land – and checked the pocket of his jeans. Fishing a piece of paper with an address, he made sure to double-check the numbers by the gates before ringing the bell.

“Hello?” a feminine voice was heard through the intercom.

“Hi. My name is Yoon Yongsoo,” the boy introduced himself politely. “I had a meeting with Mr. Park.”

“Wait a minute.”

As the woman indicated, he stood there, waiting. Slightly uncomfortable, Yongsoo patted his bangs down, staring up at the blonde strands and wondering if maybe it would be the time to go get a haircut.

“Mr. Park will receive you,” the woman suddenly said.

There was a beep and the gate unlocked in a screeching sound of metal. Carefully opening it, Yongsoo moved forward, closing the gate behind him and making sure to lock it. Going around the fountain, he went toward the door and as he reached it, noticed someone was waiting for him. He was then escorted to Mr. Park’s office in complete silence, not that he wasn’t used to it.

“Please sit down,” Mr. Park offered him after they introduced themselves.

Seeing his guest oblige respectfully and silently, Mr. Park decided he might as well start talking himself.

“I brought you here because I have a job offer for you. I have a friend, Mr. Kim - who you might recognize as your former Martial Art Teacher – and when I talked to that friend about a needing someone, he immediately thought of you. You see, he thinks very highly of you and keep praising your abilities. That’s quite an accomplishment in itself.”

Mr. Park chuckled and looked at Yongsoo, expecting a sign of acknowledgement, a smile maybe, but he received none. With a raised brow, he continued.

“You know why you are here, do you? When I talked to your brother on the phone, he seemed very reliable and I hope he transmitted the entirety of my message.”

“Yes, he did,” Yongsoo stated. “I’m here because you need a bodyguard for your daughter. Someone who could follow her to school while protecting her.”

Mr. Park seemed overjoyed to hear his guest wasn’t mute.

“Yes, yes, exactly. While you’ll be at Unmyeong, you are free to take classes on your own thought you might want to follow Jiyeon’s and we can provide you with a dorm, given that you don’t live in the area.”

A dorm sounded good, especially if it meant his brothers would get more space to live in and wouldn’t have to care for him.

“You will be paid 4 million won every month and you only have to protect her on the week and exceptionally during the week-end which you will get a bonus for. So most of the time, your weekend will be free. With the dorm and the access to Unmyeong’s infirmary in case of problem, I dare say that it’s a very good situation.”

Thursday

August 22

9:31

Dorm Room B-150

Of course it was a very good situation, too good to refuse anyway. Yongsoo had realized he could keep 5 hundred thousand won for himself and send the rest to his brothers. Maybe then they wouldn’t need to work so hard.

Just as he was putting away his stuff in one of the room’s closet, someone knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer.

“Hi!” a guy with messy chestnut-colored hair said, entering the room.

“Hello,” Yongsoo answered, staring at the newcomer, meeting a warm smile and a full set of teeth.

“I’m Park Chanyeol,” the guy with the messy hair said.

“I’m Yoon Yongsoo, nice to meet you.”

Chanyeol stared at him, blinking, and the next second was skipping joyfully toward one of the beds of the room. He carefully placed what seemed to be a guitar case on his bed and sent his other bags flying through the rooms. The taller guy gave a smug smile as his bags landed at the exact spot he wanted them to be, next to one of the desks, effectively claiming that desk as his.

Noticing how Yongsoo was staring, Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

“Maybe you wanted that spot?” he asked pointing his bags.

“No, it’s fine.”

Chanyeol nodded while tapping his fingers against his thigh. Falling backward on his bed, he took out his guitar and began strumming absentmindedly.

“Tomorrow~,” Chanyeol began singing, “Tomorrow is orientation day… And after that the school shall start for real. For reaaaaaal~!”

Surprised, Yongsoo could only blink while staring. They heard the door’s lock being fidgeted with and the knob being twisted and a guy entered the room with a side smile.

“Nice song,” he said, closing the door behind him.

Chanyeol blushed as he burst out laughing.

“Come on, I know the song !” he admitted to the new guy, a tall boy wearing a leather jacket.

“Not the playing and not the voice,” the leather jacket guy retorted. “Only the lyrics. You should find someone to write them for you, you really are no good at it. Right?”

And he looked at Yongsoo for support.

“It’s true the playing was good…” Yongsoo said, tentatively, but it seemed to satisfy the guy.

“Thanks,” Chanyeol said with a smile. “By the way, Yoon Yongsoo, this is my friend Ko Jaemin. He usually doesn’t dress this nicely, but I gave him these clothes and I think he fit them. Well, not as good as I would, but it wouldn’t match my image...”

Jaemin quietly snickered thinking it would fit his image quite well, in fact, and Yongsoo finally understood why the two boys were acting so familiar toward each other. They were already friends.

“Nice to meet you,” Jaemin said with his calm voice. “What are you planning to do today, since as Chanyeol said so beautifully, orientation day is tomorrow and there is no class until then?”

“I might just explore the school a little,” Yongsoo answer after thinking about it.

“Oh, new student!” Chanyeol exclaimed. “Welcome to Unmyeong~!” he sang, playing few chords at the end for a more dramatic ending.

“Okay…” Jaemin said slowly, stretching the word to indicate that it had been weird. “What about you? I mean, other than staying here and pretending to be a great musician?”

“First, I am a great musician,” Chanyeol said, pretending to be offended.

“With lousy lyrics,” Jaemin muttered jokingly.

Chanyeol turned a deaf ear and continued. “Second, I think I’ll go help my friend unpack.”

The blonde guy raised a brow as he stared at the bags beside the desk. Maybe he should start by unpacking his own stuff?

The oldest gave a nod. “Then I won’t feel guilty about leaving.”

And as he said that, a knock was heard and two persons appeared by the doorframe.

“Hey,” a tall and muscular guy wearing a plaid shirt said looking at Jaemin.

“Oh, Daesung,” Jaemin stated. “Guys, this is Kwon Daesung and…”

Jaemin stopped, realizing he didn’t know whom the other guy was.

“Lee Taemin,” the guy introduced himself.

“Lee Taemin and Ko Jaemin…” Daesung rhymed with a side smile.

“Hello. Well, this is Chanyeol and Yongsoo,” Jaemin continued, un-puzzled by his friend’s strange poetic outburst. How out of character…

And with the presentations made, everyone left the room, going in different directions. Chanyeol headed toward the elevator to go see his friend in another dorm, Yongsoo went to explore the dorms before going to see the real school’s buildings and the three other guys went to hang out on the football field.

“Your roommates seemed nice,” Taemin said, trying to break the silence between him and Jaemin.

“Sure, they seem easy to live with…” Jaemin admitted. “What about yours?”

“Well, they both are fun, but I can sense Kai is a little bit confident…”

“Like Daesung,” Jaemin interrupted saying it as if it was a fact, not minding the glare his friend threw at him.

“And Sehun,” Taemin continued, “He seems to have a certain childish side.

Jaemin nodded. He knew Sehun, after all and it was true that at times, he could be childish. Taemin looked like an excellent judge of characters.

“And Daesung, your roommates?” Taemin asked the guy who had stayed silent for most of the conversation.

“I have only one and I haven’t met him yet, he was gone when I arrived.”

And they arrived on the football field and lay down except Daesung who decided to sit and started playing with a coin. They spent the next hour talking about their vacations and the classes they took for the semester, well, Taemin was talking while the other two only bothered to answer his questions.

Then, as Daesung was telling about his latest skydiving trip, under the snickers of Jaemin who really thought his friend had money to blow, he spotted a girl coming toward them. Believing she was trying to sneak behind their back, he raised an inquiring brow but kept quiet.

Successfully managing to be undetected by her target, Hwang Kiyoung pressed both indexes on Lee Taemin’s shoulders, quickly stepping back to enjoy him jump in surprise. Giggling, she kept moving backward, efficiently tripping over her own feet and falling on the grass. Taemin, who had turned to see who it was, though he could have guessed, quickly helped her up.

“I’ve just spent the morning talking with your mother,” Kiyoung told him as she brushed off the green leaves from her clothes.

“My mother?” Taemin inquired, wondering how exactly that would be possible since she was supposed to have left hours ago with his father.

“Yes, she met my sister and I in front of the dorms and helped us move in,” Kiyoung joyfully filled him up on the details. “Beside, I’ve come to get you since it’s almost time for dinner. Tiffany is offering to pay, you should definitely say yes.”

“If she’s offering…” Taemin said with a smile.

Bidding his friends goodbye, Taemin walked off with his hands on Kiyoung’s shoulder.

“Girlfriend?” Jaemin asked Daesung once they were no longer in sight.

Daesung shrugged and without Taemin to put try to make conversation, silence swiftly filled the air.

“I bet you can’t pass your Differential Calculus class without opening your book once in class and that also counts for homework notebooks,” Daesung stated calmly after a few seconds of nothingness.

“Oh really?” Jaemin reacted with a smile. “I bet I can!”

“What about the loser?” Daesung asked with a smug smile.

“Honestly, if I lose it means I don’t pass my class, isn’t it enough of a punishment?”

“Sure,” Daesung admitted. “If I lose, I’m ready to run around the school…”

“I know some girls who will be very happy. Okay, deal!”

And both guys sealed the deal with a manly high five. That’s when Daesung stated laughing.

“What’s so funny?” his friend asked.

“Did you forget who’s your teacher for Differential Calculus?”

As Jaemin remembered, shock could be seen on his face.

“Kim Taeyeon,” he said. “Crap!”

And Daesung just kept laughing, visibly enjoying the trouble his friend was in.

Thursday

August 22

11:54

Restaurant

Hwang Kiyoung on her straw, slowly drinking her bubble tea. After having driven them to the restaurant, Hwang Tiffany, her sister, had suddenly remembered some urgent stuff to do and left them with enough money for both their meal. She looked up at Taemin from behind the curtain of her hair and pulled her brown locks back behind her ear. He looked at her with a smile, unfazed.

Kiyoung had beautiful hair. Of course, she was also quite pretty, but her hair what out-of-the-worldly. It was straight and cascaded down her back to just below her bust. While the strands seemed to have a mind on their own, they stayed soft and easily manageable with the right products. It was the kind of hair to cause car accidents as she was walking down the street under the summer breeze. It was the kind of hair guys would whistle at. It was also the kind of hair that her previous boyfriend had loved to run their finger through and the reason they went out with her in the first place. However, no matter how beautiful her chocolate tresses were, Taemin never emitted a single comment about them nor had she ever spotted him staring a them for longer than necessary. He just wasn’t interested in her, beautiful hair or not. That was exactly what she liked about him.

“Why are you smiling?” Taemin wondered, dipping a French fry in ketchup.

“Nothing,” she answered, going back to drinking her bubble tea. There was nothing better than bubble tea in summer.

Friday

August 23

7:52

Unmyeong's Entrance Court

Lee Jieun checked for the nth time her schedule of the day. Being part of the Welcoming Committee, she had been put in charge of orientation day. From her experience, she expected at least half the students to show up. Mainly those who lived in dorms because the dorms supervisors made sure it happened. At 9:30, students had to gather in the auditorium to listen to their Principal’s speech. Given that it was the beginning of the year, he would most likely go over the rules and the calendar. “And maybe introduce the teachers,” Jieun thought. She made a note on her pad to make sure there were enough microphones in case the teachers wanted to speak.

As she lifted her head, she saw one of her friend heading her way. Lifting her hand and giving a bright smile, Jieun waved at her, hoping she’d be noticed. Not that anyone else was near, it was 8 in the morning and she was alone in the middle of the entrance court. Yeah, for sure her friend would notice her.

The girl in question was gracefully striding through the gates, duffel bag on one shoulder and school bag in hand, managing both weights like they were feathers. She twirled her pigtails around her fingers, making sure they stayed curly and took a second to appreciate the nice texture. Of course! Her shampoo had been a real bargain… Noticing someone who was waving at her, Baek Minjae squinted to be able to see Jieun by the door. She lifted her chin in acknowledgement. It could easily pass for something haughty to do, but Minjae didn’t really care at this point. Jieun would understand that she wasn’t trying to be mean but rather that both her hands were occupied and that screaming just wasn’t lady-like.

“What are you doing this early?” Jieun asked as soon as Minjae entered a respectable speaking-distance.

“I thought I might arrive early and go for a swim. It’s one of my classes this year and I’d really like to be able to do well.”

“Aren’t you an overachiever,” giggled Jieun. “Sure, go practice and woo everyone with your amazing skills. Everyone who’s not already smitten with you, that is.”

Minjae laughed wholeheartedly, very pleased with the compliment. “Thanks.”

She placed a hand on Jieun’s arm, allowing a little bit of warmth to seep through her usual colder façade, before walking inside the building.

Jieun smiled. Complimenting someone, especially when she meant it, always felt good. Earlier in her life, she had come to the conclusion that if she managed to make three people smile each of her living days, her existence would have been worth it.

“One,” Jieun whispered, mentally checking her good action. Two more to go.

“What are you saying?” a voice asked, making her jump slightly.

Winding to see who was talking, Jieun was met with a very kind smile. “Joonmyun,” she stated. “Hello.”

He smiled, secretly enjoying that someone remembered his name.

“I didn’t think I would see people this early,” Jieun continued. “Are you here for a particular reason?”

“I forgot this was orientation day and came as if it was a normal school day,” Joonmyun sheepishly admitted.

“Oh, really? What are you going to do, there is still an hour an a half before the beginning of the Principal’s speech!”

Joonmyun who was feeling a little bit shy around girls could only manage to blabber about how he would go at the library and maybe start to take advance in his classes. Deciphering what he said, Jieun kindly admitted it was a good idea and that he was very smart to do so and also very motivated.

Encouraged that way, Joonmyun gave a small nod and a bow before going inside the school as well.

Jieun laughed at his antics. Why would he bow to her? He was older than she was by a year. It took a while before anyone else appeared and Jieun knew it was going to be that way beforehand. Nonetheless, she enjoyed greeting people and it was the reason why she had volunteered for morning duties. One could say she was genuinely interested in what other students would say and she felt it was very important for all of them to feel welcome. The school was to become a second home for them, possibly a third for those who lived in dorms, and she made it her mission to say hello to everyone who went by that door today. “Between 8:00 and 9:40,” Jieun added as an afterthought. Despite her willingness to stay, she couldn’t stand there all day as she had other activities to take part in as a member of the Welcoming Committee.

The next to arrive was a girl with long brownish hair and very casual clothes. She also wore a bored looked on her face, as if she was tired of this term before it actually started. Unknown to Jieun, this girl was actually thinking of the school year, already knowing how it was going to go and expecting the worst.

“Hello,” Jieun welcomed her.

“Hey,” the girl answered. And it could as well have meant “whatever” because the girl certainly looked like she didn’t care.

“Can I help you with something?” the welcoming committee member asked far from being discouraged by the other girl.

Go Jiwon stared at Jieun for a very long time, making the later wondered if she had grown a second head. Then, Jiwon clicked her tongue on the roof of , remembering why she was there so early.

“I have to meet with the Principal before the assembly. Do you know if he’s in his office already?”

The younger girl nodded and indicated the direction, although aware that Jiwon had attended Unmyeong longer than she had.

After a couple minutes, Jieun saw the opportunity to greet not only one, but two people that were walking in her direction. “Hello!” she practically yelled joyously.

One of the guys gave her a look before turning back to talk to his friend.

“Kwon Daesung, explain to me what we are doing here this early?” one of the guy lazily said, and Jieun noticed he had pretty grey eyes.

“It’s good to exercise early, beside, you like being indoor better, so we are going to the gym,” Daesung stated before nodding hello to Jieun.

Dumfounded by their rude attitude, Jieun opened without saying anything. Crossing her arms she muttered about politeness and how it was cruelly endangered lately.

“Don’t worry, they are not bad guys,” Chanyeol said as he took a spot next to her.

She raised a brow, wondering if he had just appeared from nowhere, before deciding that she didn’t care about these guys. It’s not like she was going to see them again. Unmyeong had thousands of students, after all.

“Finally deciding to come?” she fellow Welcoming Committee member.

Repressing the yawn that was practically hanging off his lips, Chanyeol gave her an apologetic smile.

“I wouldn’t miss that for nothing. I mean the early waking, the waiting, and the students’ indifference… It makes it all worthwhile!”

Jieun elbowed him with a smirk. It was just his weird humor. By now, she was getting used to it.

From the moment Chanyeol arrived, though, other students began arriving, making it seem as if they took the tall guy as their cue. A small crowd began assembling in the yard, some of them coming to talk to both Chanyeol and Jieun. After all, both had their little popularity, although Jieun’s didn’t rival Chanyeol’s. In fact, as soon as the later found some of his friends, he was totally mingling, not really paying attention to his committee job.

Friday

August 23

9:02

Unmyeong's Entrance Court

“How’s the roommate?” Chanyeol asked his best-friend Jaesun.

“You mean Jung Daehyun?” Jaesun confirmed. “He likes to eat. In fact, I met him while he had his head in the refrigerator.”

“A good fit, I see.”

“I guess. I cook and he eats.” Jaesun laughed at his own statement.

“Yah! Don’t forget about me. I’m still your number one recipe tester, right?”

The chocolate brown-haired guy gave the taller guy a reassuring pat on the shoulder, which was a strange sight given their 16 centimeters height difference.

“Anyway,” the shorter guy said, excusing himself. “I’ve got to report the auditorium to prepare the material for today.”

At his friend incredulous look, Jaesun added: “I have to take picture of this day for the school’s newspaper. I hope you planned something great because Baekhyun wants to start the year with a bang…”

Chanyeol waved his hand in front of his friend’s face nonchalantly as if to say ‘don’t worry’.

“Is Baekhyun the new president of the newspaper club?” he asked after Jaesun playfully slapped his hand away.

“Yes, and I feel like he wants to mark his territory,” Jaesun laughed. “You know, as one of the power figures of the school…”

Both guys sighed. 

Friday

August 23

9:13

Unmyeong's Entrance Court

This morning, as Jiyeon woke up to go to school, she felt something was different without really being able to put her finger on it. She curiously looked around, even after her chauffeur dropped her off at Unmyeong. Surrounded by dozens of faces, some of which she didn’t even knew, she finally gave up, thinking maybe her hunch was wrong after all. She cheerfully skipped through the crowd, saying hello to students she knew. She noticed Raehwa, the daughter of her father’s friends, and gave an enthusiastic wave. The shorthaired heiress just returned a small hand sign, acknowledging they had seen each other’s. To Jiyeon, Raehwa was the closest thing she had to a friend, even if they didn’t speak much for Raehwa was rather distant. In fact, she had begged her father to let her move into the dorms and possibly share a room with another girl, naming the other heiress as an example, but her father had shut down her project as soon as he heard of it. He kept telling her she was in danger outside the house and that she had to remain home.

Danger… What was danger? Did Jiyeon even know what it meant? For sure her father was overreacting like always.

Friday

August 23

9:26

Unmyeong's Entrance Court

“Aren’t you glad to move back to the dorms?” Kim Jonghyun asked his friend, Im Jaeun.

“No, JR, I liked it better when I was home,” she answered flatly. “But you should be glad, aren’t you part of the Student Council?”

JR giggled softly, saying nothing. She was also part of the student council, this year, and she was going to assist the secretary, Im Jinah. Even if she didn’t have an official position in the Council, she was still proud to be part of what they called the P3: The Powerful Three. This restricted group included the Student Council, of course, as the political aspect of the school, the Student’s Tribunal, as the judiciary side and the Medias Alliance (the newspaper club and the broadcasting club). It was said that because of these three, Unmyeong actually looked like a little city. And talking of the wolf…

Hwang Hyelim proudly walked toward the school, her brother following lazily a few steps behind her. Head held high, she distributed a few of her rare smiles, ever so polite and ever so cold.

One look at JR was enough to notice how smitten he seemed with the girl. Sighing, Jaeun elbowed him in the ribs.

“Stop making a fool of yourself,” she said a little bit too coldly, jealousy obviously pointing out toward the end.

Blissfully unaware, Jonghyun tore his eyes off the President. “She’ll never notice someone like me, right?” he asked Jaeun with a sad smile.

“It’s her loss, really! You are a wonderful guy and the girl you’ll love will be really lucky.”

She tried to cheer him up but none of them mentioned the fact she hadn’t contradict him. Maybe they both knew that there was no chance. And Jaeun secretly hoped JR would give up on this foolish puppy love and grow up to realize that it was she who had always stood next to him. As she glared at Hyelim, Jaeun noticed Kai looking her way. He put both his hands in front of his face, in a way they mimicked her glasses and he snorted. Rolling her eyes, she decided that definitely, they were not people she should get associated with. Neither should JR.

Friday

August 23

9:54

Unmyeong's Auditorium

During the assembly, Chung Hana took a seat down in one of the last rows. She was actually trying her best to listen to what the Principal was saying, but somewhere along the overview of week 5, she tuned him out unconsciously. It was that boring. Taking out her notebook, she tenderly caressed the purple cover. Maybe there was something about the way it looked slightly used and ragged on the edges, or maybe it had to do with the fact that this notebook contained absolutely all of her thoughts, but she felt like the notebook represented herself.

Opening it to where she left, Hana took out a pen a neatly marked down the day’s date. It was dark and she had to squint, but she managed to get an idea of where the lines where. Twirling her hair around her finger, she began to write down what she would want the school regulation to be. Immersed in a poem about learning music through the wind and algebra with the stars as all classes were conducted outside, she didn’t notice a curious girl who looked over her shoulder. She didn’t notice her even as Hana flipped the page to read some of her previous poems. With a smile, the other girl went back to listening to the Principal’s speech.

Friday

August 23

10:47

Outside on Unmyeong's Campus

Baekhyun walked through the stands that had flourished on the school’s land, taking notice of how the different clubs tried to collar the freshmen into joining. “All is fair in war”, he mumbled after noticing how most the clubs had used their most beautiful members to promote. Jaesun, who was closely following him, made sure to take Kim Jongin’s picture as well as Oh Sehun’s and Wu YiFan’s.

“Soccer club, swimming club and basketball club,” Baekhyun stated as these were the clubs they were in.

As Jaesun stopped for a second to talk to Yifan, alias Kris, who was in the same photography club, Baekhyun continued his journey through the stands. This was still the first (unofficial) day of the semester, and the journalist didn’t really feel like there was something worth writing about. Sure, he saw some blonde guy sneakily taking a flyer from the Animal Protection club or a girl draw a purple diamond on an exterior wall of the building, but it wasn’t a story. He had to find some gossip to use and fast. Students were all about rumors. Well, he did hear that the hot couple of the previous year had broken up. Maybe that was worth seeing what he could do. He took off to try to meet with Bae Sooji, as Sehun was circled with people.

Friday

August 23

11:02

Fate's Café

Raehwa, ignoring the swarming of hundred of students around her, managed to take an empty table at the Fate’s Café. Digging out a white notebook, she opened it to a blank page, the first page. Hovering above the paper, Raehwa’s pencil followed a Mobius loop pattern before she actually set it down. She confidently wrote down a first name:

Chung Hana.

She drew a double-pointed arrow, leaving some space on the other side for another name before smirking. She was going to make sure this year was memorable.

Author's Note :

Here goes what I have to say... In light pink or in peach, I don't know yet...