chapter 1

Sunggyu thinks he’s pretty normal. He’s just the average hard-working university student struggling to pay tuition and regulate his sleeping schedule. He is not extraordinary in any way -- average in grades and looks with no special talents. 

And as an average university student, he's got a job that he has to work late hours for and it takes a toll on him but he has no room to complain. More often than not, he gets stuck with the late shift and the job of closing. He doesn't remember the last time he left work when the sun was out.

Tonight is no different. Shouldering his bag, he locks the back door behind him and checks thrice to make sure it is locked. It's cold and he burrows further into his muffler, wind biting at his nose. He tries to walk as quickly as he can, hoping that the movement will warm him up. The street is quiet at this time of night and he glances around. In fact, it's more quiet than usual. He is never usually alone even at this time, but today there is no one in sight. It unnerves him and he pulls his hood up over his head.

As he nears the end of the street, he hears footsteps behind him. Unnverved by the silence of the street and the sudden presence of someone else, he wonders if he is being followed. He could be overreacting. It could be nothing more than someone else walking down the street. He speeds up anyways just to make sure. For a moment, the footsteps seem to fade and Sunggyu thinks he is safe, but the footsteps come again, faster this time. Sunggyu's heart drops and he speeds up, unsure of what he should do. His nerves fire up and his heart rate increases in response. Should he call the police? But if he pulled out his phone, would the person attack him right then and there?

The end of the street is near and perpendicular to the street is one with lights and people. If he can get there, he should be safe. 

He breaks into a sprint then and doesn't stop until he's reached the train station a block away. When he looks behind him, he sees no one. Around him are just people waiting to go home. At the realization that he's no longer in danger, the adrenaline wears off and his shoulders sag. He doesn't run or exercise very much in the first place, and he can feel the exertion coming in waves. His shins throb and his lungs burn. 

When he gets home later that night, he is unable to sleep. Unable to shed the feeling of fear and eyes watching him, he lies in the darkness with open eyes and trembling fingers. 

____

The next morning is colder than usual and Sunggyu curses under his breath approximately every four seconds. His first class that day starts at 8:00 a.m., which is just downright wrong. But it's his only one that starts that early and he can deal with it. 

He doesn't live in residence but he'd found a very cheap apartment not too far from campus, and it's a hole, if he'll be honest. But he can afford tuition this way (barely) and that's all that matters to him. On particularly colder days, he really regrets his decision, though. Like today. The walk is only ten minutes, but it feels like two hours have passed by the time he reaches the campus. He checks the time on his phone and figures he has enough time to grab a coffee. 

He swerves and heads in the direction of the coffee shop in the center of the campus. It is, of course, crowded when he gets there. He files into line, glancing up at the menu. He always has the same thing, but it's nice to have an option.

"Excuse me," a voice says behind him. Sunggyu half-turns to look at the source of the voice. 

Before him is one of the most beautiful men he's ever seen in his life. The man is all black hair and skin so pale Sunggyu wonders if he's sick. Radiant might not be the right word to describe the stranger, but he's got this ethereal beauty about him that makes Sunggyu wonder if he's even human. In the stranger's hands is a wallet -- Sunggyu's wallet -- and he's holding it out. "You dropped this," he says. 

"O-oh. Thanks," Sunggyu says, reaching out to retrieve his belonging. He hadn't remembered dropping it at all, but perhaps it had slipped out of his pocket without him noticing. He turns back to face the front, still mezmerized by the beautiful man. 

"Sorry, but are you Sunggyu?" the man behind him says, and Sunggyu whips around embarrassingly fast in response. He'd never met this person in his entire life; he would surely remember someone so captivating. 

"I- how do you know me?" he asks timidly. 

"I guess you wouldn't know me," he says, eyes so intense that Sunggyu can't look directly into them. "But my friend knows you."

"Your friend?" 

When Sunggyu glances up, he accidentally meets the strangers eyes and suddenly, he can't look away. His body starts to tingle and he finds it hard to breathe. A similar feeling to the one he'd felt the previous night washes over him and he starts to panic a little. 

"He's been waiting for you for a long time," the stranger continues. 

Sunggyu can't seem to find his voice. His legs are shaking, he realizes, and something in his brain is screaming at him to run away. But the stranger's eyes hold him and he can't escape. Can anyone else notice his panic? 

"Are you okay, Sunggyu? You seem a little... shaken." 

Somehow, and Sunggyu really doesn't know how, he forces his eyes away. He seems to relax a little, almost as if the stranger's gaze was a tangible thing that pinned him down mercilessly. He breathes out haggardly and stares at his shoes as he says, "I-I'm sorry, I'm going to be late for class and I think you have the wrong person."

Before the stranger can say anything else, he books it out of there. His pace had started as a quick walk but by the time he reached his class it had escalated into a full on sprint. His classmates stare at him funny as they file into the room but his legs and lungs are on fire and he can hardly care about everyone else. 

When he finally calms down a little and catches his breath, he enters the classroom.