Byun Baekhyun finds himself humming f(x)'s Beautiful Stranger as he posts the results for the school play.

"Beautiful stranger~ oh whoa oh whoa oh, beautiful stranger~"

And then he feels an aura radiating from behind him and turns around to find Kyungsoo staring at the sheet of paper tacked onto the board.

"Who's Kim Jongdae?"  Kyungsoo asks.

"I don't even get a hello?"  Baekhyun pouts.  Kyungsoo turns his stare onto Baekhyun, eyes borning a hole into Baekhyun's face like Baekhyun's being absurd.  Baekhyun grins, mouth turning into a square.  "He's that one kid, remember?  The transfer student."

"Ohhhhh."  Kyungsoo nods, clapping his hands together.  "He's good."

"Yeah," Baekhyun says.

"It's pretty good," Kyungsoo says nonchalantly, and then walks away like the conversation is over.

"Wait up!"  Baekhyun says, hurrying to catch up to Kyungsoo, matching his pace.  "Is it alright if you get a smaller role?  I mean, it's always been us two, even in middle school."

Kyungsoo shrugs.  "Doesn't really matter to me.  As long as I know that I am the main vocalist in my heart, everything is good."  Baekhyun snorts at the cheesy line.

"Come on.  I'm the real main vocalist here."  Kyungsoo stares him down again and Baekhyun raises his hands.  "In my heart, I mean," Baekhyun adds.  Kyungsoo shakes his head and then he walks inside his classroom, leaving Baekhyun standing outside staring at the closed door.

 

Do Kyungsoo is a normal high school student.

Of course, he isn't exactly normal, because he has higher than average grades and a better than average voice.  But otherwise, he's just like any other kid walking in the hallway.

Uncertain.  Not ready.  Untitled.

Kyungsoo has no idea what he is going to do with his life.  He's good at everything, but not so good that it makes him stand out.  He likes everything, but not one thing more than the others.  Sometimes Kyungsoo even wished his parents would just tell him to do something, like other kid's parents telling them they have to be a lawyer or a doctor.  But his parents don't care what their son does, as long as he is happy.

The thing is, Do Kyungsoo doesn't know how to be happy.

He's heard about others being happy.  Some people find happiness in money, food, sports.  Others find it in love.

And then he's heard about the people that die unhappy.

Happy is a big and small word, and Kyungsoo just wishes it could be more simple.

He goes through life like a video game, all the levels designed the same way.  He thinks of school as something he just has to pass.  And at the end of the game, there's five big letters.

H A P P Y

Kyungsoo tells himself that if he pushes through, he'll see them eventually.

But right now, he's stuck.  He's going in circles like a dog chasing its tail, except Kyungsoo knows he's chasing his tail but he can't seem to stop.

 

Yixing is absent today, Minseok notices.

She's been sitting with him in first period recently, but today the seat next to her stays resolutely empty.

Minseok sighs and goes back to her notes.  For once, she can't concentrate.  She worries about Yixing; the boy didn't seem to be in a particularly bad shape.  But you can never know when it comes to Yixing.  He's a closed book with a piece of blank paper on the cover, except when it came to his thoughts about others.

Suddenly, the door opens and a student walks in like it isn't the middle of a period.  Minseok glances up at him sharply, annoyed that someone has the guts to come so late to class.

It's a tall boy with bleached white blonde hair and a tailored suit completely different from the haphazard way students usually waer their school uniforms, like they can't wait to get out of them.  This boy looks comfortable in his suit, like he was born in it.

The teacher turns around, irritated, but one look at who it is and she's a stumbling mess.  Minseok frowns at the unprofessional way she trips over her desk and shakes the student's hand like an equal.  

He's probably one of those held back seniors, or even a graduate coming back to visit, Minseok thinks to herself.

For some reason, he looks kind of familiar.  Minseok tries to think about where she's seen him before, but she's never been good at remembering faces.  She shrugs to herself.

Usually the student makes an introduction of themselves, but the flustered teacher starts talking while the student stands smugly behind her, gaze roaming over the class.  "Class, this is Oh Sehun.  He will be joining you.  He is a freshman, so please welcome him."

"There's no need for tours because my father owns this school and I know it like the inside of my hand," Sehun adds smoothly.

The whole class gasps upon the mention of his name.  Whispers fly across the room like lines of fire.

Minseok, on the other hand, goes back to refining her notes.  She blocks out the whispers like she's done millions of times, regardless if they were whispering about her or about someone else.

And then there's a foreign body sliding into the seat beside her's, where Yixing normally sits.

She raises her head and looks at him calmly.  Minseok decides to be nice, since he is a freshman and this is a senior level course.  

"Hello, I am Kim Minseok," she says, holding out her hand.  Sehun looks at her, then her hand, then turns away.

"Sorry, I can't shake your hand.  I moisturized it this morning," he says.

Minseok slowly retracts her hand.  She's never been angry before, but she finds something weird seething in the pit of her stomach.  "I see," she says mildly.  "Well, I hope it doesn't dry out, because your hand will have to move at the speed of light to take notes in this class."

"Notes?  There is no need for notes.  I know everything," Sehun simply replies.

Minseok is silent.  She hopes that he fails the class.  

"Well, make sure you show off your exemplary knowledge somewhere else tomorrow, because this is my best friend's seat and he's going to be back tomorrow."

Sehun snorts.  "He can find a new seat."

"No, you can."  And Minseok stares a hole through Sehun's sharp, defined face, until Sehun is the first one to turn away.

Minseok blinks the dry tears from her eyes and scribbles through her notes at ten times the usual pace.

 

Oh Sehun tries to keep his cool as he walks down the hall to his new class.

The walk itself isn't really a problem.  There's no swimming against the tide or pushing through gossiping crowds.  After all, he is the reason there are those crowds anyway.

It's his seatmate from the previous class that has him boiling like he never had before.

Who is she to talk to me like that?  Sehun asks himself.  Does she not know who I am?  Country bumpkin.  People like her never survive in the world.

Unlike you.  Sehun pauses at a girl's personal mirror and straightens his tie over her shoulder.  He leaves a wake of squealing girls in his footsteps.

In the end, life is a game of survival, even more so for Sehun.  Since a young age, he's been doing all he can do to meet his father's expectations.  If he exceeds them, then the high jump bar is raised.  

It's been getting harder and harder lately to jump the heights set by Sehun's father, and Sehun dreads hearing the K.O words from his father.

I'm disappointed in you.

Sehun is disappointed in himself, but his father's opinion matters more than what Sehun himself thinks.

Sehun knows he's not normal, but somewhere deep inside, he wanted to feel normal.  So he asked his manager, Kim Ryeowook, to make it possible for him.

For some reason, Sehun feel likes Ryeowook doesn't like him that much.  There's no reason not to, though; Sehun tries his best to be liked by everyone.

Which frustrates him because the Minseok girl doesn't seem to like him very much.

Sehun arrives at the door of the dance studio, his next chosen class.  He wonders if he should take a break before going in, but decides against.  He's a bit bored anyway.  Besides, dancing should be easy.  Sehun has had plenty of dancing experience; he's been to way too many fancy dinner parties and danced with way too many ladies twenty or thirty years older than him.

This class is for the best dancers.  Normally, there would be an audition process, but of course Oh Sehun doesn't have to audition.

When he opens the door, the reek of sweaty bodies hits him in the face like a punch.  Sehun shakes his head like it's waterlogged, then strides inside.

The floor is finished wood and the walls are full length mirrors.  Sehun can't help but stare at the people inside, dressed in sweats and tank tops with hip hop hats.  They're moving their bodies in a way Sehun has never seen before, and it intrigues him but he's wondering what they're doing.

A short, muscled man walks over and greets him.  "Hello, you must be Oh Sehun.  I'm Dong Young-bae, your dance coach.  You can call me Coach, or Teacher."  Sehun shakes hands with him, wincing inside at the sweat on the coach's palm.

"Kids!  Come over here!"  Coach calls.  "You gotta meet someone."

The other dancers walk over, drying their hair or faces with towels, and Sehun feels very out of place in his suit.

"Hey!  Welcome to dance class.  I'm the leader, Cha Hakyeon.  I go by N, and I'm a senior," a tall, tanned boy says.

"I'm Kim Wonsik, sophomore," says a tall girl who is standing next to Hakyeon.

"I'm Jung Hoseok, but you can call me J-HOPE!  I'm a sophomore," says a grinning boy.

"I'm Jeon Jungkook," says a meek looking freshman.

"Park Jimin, sophomore," says a short guy.

N nudges the last one, who hasn't spoken yet.  "This is Jung Taekwoon.  Say hi, Taekwoonie~" 

"Hi."

"Taekwoon's a junior," N tells Sehun.

"We're missing one," Coach frowns.  "Kim Jongin!  Get your over here."

"Just say the word, Taeyang," another tanner boy drawls as he walks over.  "I'm Kai," he says, making eye contact with Sehun.  He looks away quickly.  "Sophomore."

Taeyang looks at Sehun expectantly and Sehun gulps, a bit overwhelmed.  "I'm Oh Sehun, I'm a freshman."

"You're a freshman!?"  Wonsik exclaims.  "You're tall."

"Yah.  You're tall, too," N says.  "Honestly, it's not fair.  How can you be 175cm for a girl?"

"It's in my genes," Wonsik says smugly.  "Just like my porcelain skin."  N slaps her shoulder before turning back to Sehun.

"Anyway, welcome!  We'll finally have an even number of people.  But Jimin's band has seven people, right?"  

"It's not mine," Jimin says exasperatedly.  "I would never name my band 'Bangtan Boys'.  How embarrassing is that?  If anything, my own name is perfect."

"That's not the point."

Sehun feels a headache coming on as he hears them bicker.  Is he supposed to have class with these people?

 

Park Chanyeol zones out for the nth time that day.

It can't be helped, really.  The teachers are so boring that one can't help but look for something else that's more interesting.  Especially if you have the attention span of Park Chanyeol.

This time, his mind drifts off to a certain person.

Of course it's not Minseok!  Chanyeol is thinking about Jongin.

Chanyeol unconsciously sighs.  Honestly, he has no idea how to help Jongin, and he knows Jongin definitely needs help.  He has a feeling that Yixing is definitely a big part of everything.

That's the only reason Chanyeol is befriending Minseok.  To help Jongin.  To get Yixing and Minseok together.

It's not because Chanyeol's practiced smiles become real and easy when he watches her.  It's not because he's interested in why she always looks so emotionless.  It's not because Chanyeol wants to be friends with Minseok herself.  Or more than friends.

Chanyeol shakes his head like a dog, curls bouncing around his head, denying himself all thoughts her.

 

Byun Baekhyun stares at his History seatmate, exasperated.  The tall guy is off in his own world again.  

He watches him sigh, eyes unfocused, then start smiling as if unconsciously.  Baekhyun's heart skips a beat as he is reminded of another smile, a very rare smile.

Baekhyun shakes his head just as his seatmates does, trying to dislodge the thoughts from his head.

You put her as the female lead Jongdae as the male lead.  Don't change your mind, Baekhyun scolds himself.  But he can't help but imagine acting with her, singing with her...

He shakes his head, denying himself all thoughts her.

 

Ryeowook taps his fingers on the counter impatiently.  He's somewhere he would rather not be at the moment.  The hospital.

Minseok isn't there, of course.  She refused to see the doctor even though Ryeowook said he would pay.  Ryeowook had no choice but to watch Minseok's light breathing as she laid on her bed, hands on her abdomen.  

She had also refused to tell Ryeowook anything, which is why Ryeowook is where he is right now.  Attempting to get her medical information.  Which is not working because apparently Minseok hadn't visited the hospital since her last mandatory visit two years ago.

"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse says apologetically.  "We can't find anthing except a mild stomach ache from one and a half years ago."

"Can I see it?"  Ryeowook asks.  He is handed a thin file of papers, the only things that determine Minseok's health.

He is shocked to see that Minseok has had no vaccinations or shots since two years ago.  There is a note written at the top of the page; "Tried to get in contact with patient, but address, phone number, and email are invalid."

How can this be?

The file tells Ryeowook nothing.  He slams it on the counter with frustration.  

"I'm sorry, sir," says the nurse.

"It's okay," Ryeowook says.

Ryeowook isn't sure if Minseok is actually okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N Layout change.  Sorry for the difficulties with previous layouts.  Tell me your thoughts?