“Hey, thanks for helping me out yesterday, Baekhyun,” Sehun sighs as he nudges his door closed with his foot, arms full of textbooks. He shifts the stack of books in his arms awkwardly. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if it weren’t for you.”

“Don’t sweat it, Oh Sehun!” Byun Baekhyun, his junior friend (sort of) next door, chirps with a bright smile as he pats his head. He offers to help carry his books by opening his own arms. Sehun gratefully deposits half the books into Baekhyun’s surprisingly sturdy arms. “It happens all the time, I’m just happy to help.”

Sehun smiles. “Thanks again, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun is kind of (really is) like that hall-monitor that everyone despises and grudgingly looks up to at the same time. He has a bad habit of calling people out by their full names, but it’s not that big of a deal. He says it’s because that names are precious gifts from your parents that should be treasured, so he makes sure to appreciate everyone’s name appropriately each time he finds someone new (Sehun had heard, through the paper thin wall, Baekhyun reciting his name at least a good fifty times before going to sleep).

Of course, Baekhyun, being a stickler for the rules, also has odd ways of enforcing the rules. Sehun had learned this the hard way when he was sternly reprimanded about the practically non-existent dress code and was forced to go around campus (Baekhyun insisted on showing him around again) wearing Loaners because of his apparently ‘way too short shorts!’

But his heart’s in the right place.

“So, where are we going with these books, Oh Sehun?” Baekhyun asks conversationally as they wander down the hallway. “What are you doing with all these books, by the way?”

“Oh, these are all my books from home,” Sehun says as he blinks down at the cover of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. “Some of them I don’t really need so I figured I could, y’know, donate it to the library.”

Baekhyun squints at him suspiciously. “This isn’t because of—“

“Hey!” Sehun shouts abruptly as he drops the books onto the ground, “What’s this?”

Hastily, he walks over to a table placed at the end of their dorm hallway, right next to the entrance. Organized neatly on it are stacks of flyers for clubs, job openings, and lunch menus. A suggestion box sits primly on the table as well (which is filled to the brim), and above it is a bulletin board displaying important announcements.

“Oh, that?” Baekhyun asks nonchalantly. “That’s just a little something I came up with. It’s the place you go to for announcements in this dorm. Pretty neat, huh?” Although Baekhyun looks at it briefly, there is clearly a hint of pride in his voice that he has done something for the good of the people who live in these dorms.

“Oh, yeah,” Sehun responds eagerly to the topic change. “Yeah, that’s really cool. Helpful, too.” He inwardly breathes a sigh of relief when Baekhyun beams and reaches for the suggestion box.

“This is the suggestion box,” he says, as though it isn’t obvious enough from the blaring red marker that someone had written ‘SUGGESTION BOX! (-:’ on it (curiously, there is also a very impressive unicorn drawing on the side that’s been signed by someone, presumably the drawer, and then scratched out earnestly to say ‘BY: PICASSO KRIS’ followed by another strike drawn neatly through it all that says ‘knock it off, guys’). “Usually it’s not very full,” Baekhyun admits with a slight tilt of his head. “So, I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.”

Sehun laughs genuinely.

Baekhyun daintily takes the top off of it and laughs in absolute delight. Sehun smiles at him. The moment he had set his sights on the box, his eyes had lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s adorable. Sehun chuckles and surveys the table for something interesting to look at as Baekhyun reads some of the things written down.

He ends up holding the only stack of papers that are messily made, as though someone had thrown it on the table before strolling away. It looks like someone’s Architect test results (all of which are poor), with the back of the papers being some sort of quiz on its’ own.

KIM JONGIN’S ING QUIZ ((((((((----;;;; [slip this under the dorm room #503 before I ing graduate at least thanks]

1.)    What’s your ideal type? (me OR mE)

2.)    I lost my number, can I have yours? ________________

3.)    Favorite position?? ______________

4.)    ?????? ________________

5.)    I hate architecture why am I taking this class?? _______________

6.)    So how about them ???? ______________

7.)    KIM JONG-ING-DAE: do I look like I give a about Joonmyun’s ‘pretty pink lips’? (no or hell no)

8.)    That was a trick question.

9.)    Yes, I do.

     10.) He can put it to good use.

     11.) Kim Joonmyun can my . (that wasn’t a question bee-tee-dubs)

     12.) Would you like to too? (yes or hell yes)

Sehun takes in the information and crudely written questions laid out before him, as well as the massive amount of obscene doodles scattered on the page, and seriously rethinks his decision of coming to SNU.

“What?” Baekhyun asks as he leans over curiously, noticing Sehun’s sudden stiffness, but Sehun leans away, face stony. “What is it? Let me see!”

Sehun attempts to hide the stack of papers behind his back, but it’s too late because Baekhyun has already snatched it away and his eyes are already roving the paper incredulously and his expression is becoming one that is horrified and his mouth is opening to let out a loud scream—

“KIM JONG-ING-IN.”

“Yes?” Kim Jong-ing-In asks cheerily as he pokes his head around the library door. “You called?”

“Yeah, I did.” the librarian replies gruffly as he leans backward in the seat at the front desk, face unimpressed. “I wanted to talk to you about your attempt at an Architect report.”

“What about it?”

He slides the packet of papers in Jongin’s direction with a single finger to keep minimal contact lest he get Jongin germs from it. “Get someone else to read it.”

“But Joonmyuuuun—“

“Listen, the last time I tried to proofread something for you it turned out to be gay fanfiction. And even that was better than this.”

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.” Jongin slips through the doors with a sniff. “Hey, did you change the air freshener? It smells like oranges. And spice. Like Jongdae.” He turns to look at Joonmyun, eyes wide. “Wait, did you guys—“

“There are so many things wrong with this essay.” Joonmyun interrupts loudly as he grabs the packet again and flips past the title page, clearing his throat to recite Jongin’s essay. “’The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the world’s most greatest landmarks’—”

“Hey, wait answer my question!” Jongin sprints to the front desk, slamming his hands down on it and lifting his feet up in excitement. “Can he move into your dorm now? Please? Pretty please?”

“—‘and is known famously for its’ unique structure. But do you understand how it got that way?’ Informal language, Jongin, and never start an essay with a question as a grabber—”

“I feel bad for you, if Jongdae is gonna be your new roommate.” Jongin muses as he sniffs at the air again and wrinkles his nose. “Jesus, it smells rank too. Like ual frustration.”

“’It leans, because, on one side of the structure, the foundation is weak as it is on inadequate ground. And Jesus I can’t do this anymore I just want a good grade and pass is that too much to ask should I just attach a selfie to this would that help maybe’.” Joonmyun looks up from the paper with a perfectly blank face. “Run-on sentence, Jongin.”

“Hey, Word didn’t correct me on that.” Jongin scowls. “You know I have a Word program. Jesus, mine is ten years old!”

“So update it.”

“Just keep reading.”

Joonmyun sighs and drops the packet, rubbing his temples tiredly. “That’s it. That’s all you wrote.”

“Oh.” Jongin observes his sad excuse of an essay, eyes the multitude of corrections Joonmyun has made despite the lack of an actual thesis statement, and frowns mildly.

He flips past the simple title page, as well as the half-assed introduction paragraph. Ten pages of blankness greet him, save for “Architecture won’t get you a job!” scribbled by Luhan in glaring red ink on the third page, an encouraging “I know you can do it!! ^______^” written by Kyungsoo and agreed by Tao (if a panda that looks like it was drawn by a kindergartener is anything to go by) on the fifth page, and an admittedly good sketch of a unicorn no doubt drawn by Lay on the sixth page (with the usual BY: PICASSO KRIS signed at the bottom and crossed out by Lay with a note politely saying, ‘ you Kris this is why you can’t get ugly ’ with what appears to be an insulting Kris portrait accompanying it).

He appreciates the genuine concern and love his friends harness for him. (Jongin thinks he might have to sit down as he is so overwhelmed by these feelings of friendship.)

“Hey, so, what about that selfie idea. Would that. Y’know. Help.”

“Who’s your TA?”

“…Kyungsoo.”

“Do Kyungsoo?” Joonmyun asks, but it’s not even a question, more of an incredulous statement. He whistles when Jongin mournfully nods his head. “Wow, yeah, uh, don’t try that.”

“God dammit, I blame Baekhyun for influencing him.” Jongin wails before he slams his head down on the front desk, rattling the nameplate beside him that reads ‘Kim Joonmyun Joonmoney’. He raises his head up again when Joonmyun pushes his head off the desk with a pen.

“Hey, so, uh, why don’t you help me write this thing?” Jongin perks up and takes his phone of his pocket, sliding it across the desk slyly. He winks slowly and whispers, “Tons of selfies on there.”

“Kim Jongin. I know you are not trying to bribe me with poorly taken, selfies right now.”

“What who me?” Jongin flings his phone off the desk and it clatters somewhere under some desks. He looks shocked and surprised as he takes a step back. “How could you accuse me of such a thing.”

Joonmyun shakes his head with a frown. “You and Lay are so alike.” He goes back to stamping due dates on books before he squints at Jongin, who remains unmoving with a blank stare at Joonmyun. “What?” he asks suspiciously, but Jongin only blinks slowly and continues to stare. Bewildered, Joonmyun continues stamping, and he swears Jongin gets a little closer to his desk each time he looks up.

A few more minutes of uneasy stamping goes by, and Jongin continues to stare at Joonmyun like he’s trying to figure out how to burn holes into his head. Joonmyun’s more than a little unnerved as he finally snaps, “What?”

“…Do you think Tao could help me out with my essay?” he wonders out loud, looking down at his fingernails with mild interest. “I think Tao needs a break from librarian duties.”

Joonmyun’s response is immediate, as he slams his stamp down with an intense thud.

“What?! No! Absolutely not! I need Tao this whole week, starting tomorrow. We’ve got a new shipment of textbooks, and freshmen need them like crazy.”  Joonmyun glares and starts stamping with a newfound ferocity, eyes never moving from Jongin’s. “Ask somebody else.”

“No, all of my other friends are stupid! You don’t understand, Joonmyun, you don’t understand! Have you ever had Lay study with you before? NO! You haven’t!” Jongin looks like he’s about to hyperventilate before he finally breathes out slowly and says in a semi-calm voice, “Okay, okay, how about today then, mother? Just for today and you can have him for the whole week.”

Joonmyun puffs out a sigh and looks away, dropping the stamp and frowning. “I don’t know. Maybe. Why don’t you ask him? He should be awake by now. Lord knows that child wakes up at horrendous hours in the afternoon.”

Jongin breathes out loudly and says petulantly, “Fiiiiiine. I’ll go look for him.” But he sounds upset about this prospect, because everybody knows that when Tao wakes up, he literally just walks everywhere and anywhere, trying to find people to help. “Do you know if he has classes right now?”

“No, he’s got night classes now,” Joonmyun replies smugly. “SNU is a big maze, Jongin. You’re going to have a hard time.”

“’You’re going to have a hard time’,” Jongin mocks in a high-pitched voice. “FINE, BYE LOSER.” But before he leaves the library, the door opens and in walks Kris, who looks a little unnerved by Jongin’s appearance. Jongin surveys Kris up and down before patting him on the shoulder sympathetically and strolling out the door.

Kris makes a face when Jongin leaves. “What’s his problem?”

Joonmyun shrugs, “I’ve been trying to figure that out since last year.”

Kris grunts before asking where the math section is. Joonmyun directs him politely and tries to not think about the possibilities of Jongin finding Tao. He shivers when he thinks about it in depth.

There’s a comfortable silence as Kris scavenges for who-knows-what and Joonmyun continues stamping books thoughtfully. But it’s not long before he’s stamping books faster and faster with the thought about his beloved assistant helping Jongin.

Five minutes later, and Kris is walking to the front desk with his arms full of math textbooks and Joonmyun is now tapping his foot agitatedly as the ink spreads from the books and onto his fingers.

“Hey, do you think you can do me a favor?” Joonmyun blurts out finally as he checks the books out quickly, eyes darting from the computer screen to Kris’ blank face.

Kris makes another face like the thought of helping Joonmyun is the most disgusting thing. “Depends.”

“Well, it’s about Tao…”

AUUUUGH, sorry for the long wait. ; m ; i've just been busy with school and stuff. v_______v actually, i would've had this chapter up a lot sooner bUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE I'M SUCH A LOSER. no but seriously i had to go through three/four rough drafts of this before i finally came to the conclusion i liked this one better than the rest bUT EVEN THEN I STILL AM NOT SATISIFIED WITH THIS. again, i'm really sorry. I SWEAR THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BEGIN TO GET INTO TAORIS AND STUFF AH.