Sungmin woke up with a jolt. If it had been summer he would have probably calmly woken up at 11am, got up at 12pm and had breakfast by 2. But today was different. Sungmin hated hearing his alarm clock set on 5:45am screech like a dying gazelle sohe hurriedly turned it off. His younger brother shifted on the other bed signaling that he was awake and the other Lee didn’t need to kick his .

Sungmin had a terrible feeling about this day. It was actually the first day of school which meant the start of hell. Sungmin was now a senior and needed to start getting ready for exams and choosing his job and working harder than he had ever done before.

Being the perfectionist Sungmin is his uniform was already ironed and folded by his bed. He put it on making sure that everything was in place and perfect – being a senior is serious business.

His brother finally decided to get up as well, lazily pulling on his brand new uniform. Sungmin loves Sungjin but sometimes the younger was so messy that it made Sungmin wonder whether he was living with a human or a King Kong. Seeing the look his older brother was giving him Sungjin raised his eyebrow but then signed and redid his tie so it would look half as sloppy. Sungmin nodded in satisfaction – after all he didn’t really want his friends to question the blood relation between the two brothers. Sungjin rolled his eyes and headed towards the question where the smell of fresh-baked eggs was already occupying the whole area. Sungmin just chuckled at the younger’s action -  he couldn’t believe how the other had already grown up – in fact today was Sungjin’s first day of high school.

Suddenly Sungmin stopped smiling. He just realized that even though he was older than his brother by 3 years, Sungjin was way taller than him. It was unfair though. Sungmin drank way more milk when he was younger yet somehow he was still only 175 cm. Sungmin bit his lip as he suddenly remembered that the lady at the cashier of the donnut store had actually told Sungjin that “his younger brother was waiting for him”. Younger? How on Earth could he be considered as the younger one when he had…. Such a childish face. Crap.

30 minutes later the two brothers had finally left the house in order not to be late on their first day. Even though Sungjin had insisted that they walk separately so that nobody would think that his brother was babying him, Sungmin pointed out that the other didn’t really know the way to school.

Sungjin was quite surprised to find out that the school was so big. Sungmin chuckled – his reaction was the same on his first day of school, - and signaled the younger to follow inside.

The school seemed smaller inside – well, maybe because it was so packed with students all in matching uniforms.

Sungmin briefly pointed Sungjin towards the principal’s office and the other was gone. Sungmin chuckled – he would never get over his brother’s cuteness, - before slowly heading down the corridor for his first class. On the way he tried to find a familiar face – his friend Shindong or Leeteuk. Even Heechul would do although Sungmin had to admit that the other male was a bit strange.

Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder. Sungmin turned around and his eyes immediately went up – the other guy was taller.

“Hey…. Are you looking for the principal’s office?” – The guy asked. Sungmin looked at him and wondered why he hadn’t seen that student before because he sure looked like a senior – a rather attractive senior.

“Principal’s office? No.” – Sungmin shrugged and kept looking up. He was surprised when a smirk formed on the stranger’s lips.

“You don’t have to be worried. I am a freshman too” – Sungmin processed the information and then his eyes widened at the realization to what the apparent freshman has said.

“You are a freshman? Really?” – Then he stopped. Something was off. – “Wait…. A freshman… too? What do you mean ‘a freshman too’? I am not a freshman!!” – It was the other guy’s turn to get surprised.

“Really? You’re not?” – And what pissed Sungmin the most was that the guy still had a cocky smirk on his lips.

“No!!! I am a senior!!!” – One thing Sungmin hated was people mistaking him for a freshman, middle schooler, kid, baby. Anything. He was already 18. Of course he was short, had a cute face but if people took a look at his eyes – his eyes were serious and that of a grown-up not a kid.

“Sheesh! Calm down, not my fault you look like you’re twelve.” – Sungmin opened his mouth to retort something but then closed it. What was he doing? He is old enough to know not to argue with a freshman.

“Listen, freshman…. I better not see you closer than a kilometer away from me. Cause if I do….. You’re dead.” – With that Sungmin turned around and left.

***

The lessons went by slowly for Sungmin. Each teacher kept saying how important this year was and how each student must work twice as hard and how important his or her subject was in order to pass the exams. Also they were told to start thinking about their profession because next week each student would have a meeting with the guidance counselor. This worried Sungmin more than anything. He still hasn’t figured out ho he was going to become. He was never too good at anything but not bad either. Just average. He didn’t really have anything he liked besides karate and music but he was pretty sure it was damn hard making a career out of those two things. He never talked about his future with anybody. All his friends seemed to already know each second of their future and that bothered Sungmin even more. Whenever Heechul, Leeteuk, Shindong and some other friends of them who he wasn’t particularly close to discussed their future Sungmin just sat quietly listening to everyone else and feeling a certain respect for each one of them – they were trying so hard to accomplish their dreams. If only Sungmin was like that.

***

The day ended and Sungmin was really tired. His last class was with a really strict teacher who seemed not to care that today was only the first day. Heechul waved Sungmin goodbye and ran out of the classroom presumably because his new boyfriend was picking him up. Yep, Heechul was gay and pretty much the whole school knew it. But a person would have to be crazy to actually confront Heechul about that plus all of his boyfriends were always so buff it was kinda creepy.

Sungmin strolled out of the classroom with the other students and headed for the door leading to the street. He wanted to meet up with Sungjin so they could go home together but then again his brother would probably be mad if Sungmin picked him up like he was little.

He felt somebody pat his shoulder and turned around to find his junior Donghae smiling widely at him. Last year Sungmin found this fellow on the first day of school completely lost like a confused puppy. After helping him get around the school the younger treated him as a sort of consulting figure. Sungmin found himself even pursuing Donghae to join the dance club. Even though the two didn’t talk that often they knew that they could count on each other. Sungmin liked Donghae’s never-ending energy, sense of humor and most of all the fact that Donghae’s mouth is almost often open. It was just too cute.

“Was sup, Hyung!!! Oh, I better run – my dad is picking me up today and I see his car.” – And he was off running toward a royal blue prius – almost flying in fact. Sungmin signed – sometimes the younger boy was just a bit too fast for him to handle.

Then Sungmin saw his brother but he was not alone. Sungmin walked over to Sungjin a bit curious about the other’s friend.

“Hey, Sungjin!” – His brother glared at him and Sungmin chuckled mentally. – “How was your first day? I hope you didn’t get Mrs. P-“ – Suddenly Sungmin noticed that the person who was standing next to his brother. It was the freshman from this morning. Sungmin gulped as he noticed the cocky bastard smirk. Sungmin shot him a glare before turning back to Sungjin who seemed to miss the exchange between the two.

“It was okay. Oh! And by the way, this is my friend – Cho Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun, this is my brother Lee Sungmin.” – Sungmin tried his best to smile reminding himself that it was for Sungjin and extended his hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Kyuhyun-shi.” – Kyuhyun seemed to be surprised that Sungmin was acting so calm after his tantrum earlier that day but his smirk didn’t falter even for a second as he reached out his hand to shake Sungmin’s smaller one.

“Pleased to meet you, Sungmin-shi.” – Sungjin signaled Sungmin to basically get the hell out of there and the older one was more than happy to do that.

“Well, then I’ll get going. Sungjin, you are….?” – Sungmin was hoping that Sungjin wouldn’t get too cuddly with that Kyuhyun – h looked like a cocky rich bastard

“Coming home some time later. Kyuhyun and I want to check out the clubs in this school.” – Crap…. Way too friendly. Sungmin didn’t want his brother to be friends with Kyuhyun.

“Sungmin-Hyung…. If I may call you that?”- It pissed Sungmin that Kyuhyun first called him a 12-year old and now was emphasizing the “Hyung” part.

“Sure.” – Sungmin tried his best to smile.

“Sungmin-Hyung what club are you in?”

“Music club.”

“Perfect.” – Sungmin narrowed his eyes and Kyuhyun’s smirk grew even more if possible.

“Well, then I’ll be going. You two have fun.” – Sungmin waved a bit and turned around finally escaping from Kyuhyun’s playful smile.

Kyuhyun’s POV

I watched Sungmin walk away and laughed mentally. It was pretty cute how Sungmin was hiding his hatred just for his brother. Actually a lot about him was rather cute. He reminded me of a rabbit I had when I was younger. And he was just way too fun to tease. And he was a member of the music club – the one I wanted to join.

I smiled yet again. Maybe this school is not as bad as I had expected it to be.