All around him he could hear lockers being opened and being slammed shut. Noisy chatter from friends who haven’t seen each other since last year. Minho chewed on his lips softly as he glanced down at his schedule and then back up at the nearest locker. 178. Only about one more level and another 100 lockers to look for until it would be his. Who thought of this system anyway? He was pretty sure he saw a person in his grade near the door opening up a locker. So why was he out in literally no where? Couldn’t they do it by grade or something? Wouldn’t that make more sense? Put the freshmen who haven’t been in the building a day in their lives closer to the door so it was easier to find, and put the seniors out here where his locker just happened to be. Like really? Was the school run by people who just wanted to annoy one Choi Minho? Because it sure felt like it.

 

Another person walked straight into his shoulder. He took the hit with a sigh and pushed forward. At least the last one had said he was sorry. Minho straighten his backpack on his shoulders before flipping the page and looking at the map. His locker was number 251. Looking at the staircase before him he really didn’t want to venture up. There was a couple kissing in the corner, which he made a face at. Couldn’t that wait? Like he was pretty sure that they probably saw each other the night before, by the looks of things because how could they not with how much they were face, so why couldn’t they wait until they were maybe under a staircase or in a closet or something. He ducked his head and continued on his way.

 

He held his arms close to his chest as he wiggled and wormed his way through the mass of people that were standing in the halls. Didn’t they have somewhere to be? Like maybe their class? He grunted when he finally pushed through the crowd and made his way to his locker finally. His fingers found the lock, but even after a couple of attempts the stupid thing wouldn’t open. He moved the stupid thing that was suppose to move once it was unlocked out of frustration before just letting his head fall forward to thunk against the metal softly. How could the day be this bad and he hadn’t even made it to his homeroom yet?

 

"Do you need help Minho-shi?"

 

"Huh?" He so coolly blurted out as turned quickly. He blushed slightly when Jinki came into his sight. Long hair curled and kinked naturally around his face, a single braid on the left side ( which he really wanted to ask about), and a warm smile on his face. His uniform was that of a third year, the school’s emblem a color darker than Minho’s own, but his jacket was no where in sight. His white button up shirt hugged his body almost perfectly if Minho was to be completely honest (not that he was really looking mind you). The sleeves were rolled up to just below the elbow and there was a single bracelet resting softly on Jinki’s wrist. Minho’s eyes lowered then, his chin almost on his chest as he rubbed his neck nervously, but when he sneaked a glance up at the older boy he didn’t see the expression he thought he would see. He cleared his throat, "Uh I mean what?"

 

The small smile on the other boy’s face grew. “Do you need help opening your locker?”

 

"S-sure." Minho cursed himself. Why the hell was he stuttering?

 

Jinki stepped closer, smile still warm and inviting as he held out his hand for the paper MInho was holding. He pushed it forward, hoping that the heat he felt in his cheeks wasn’t caused by him blushing. He didn’t need that embarrassment. The older boy moved his fingers swiftly over the dial as he put in the code numbers. A moment later he was pulling the lock open with a soft, “A-hah!” and stepping back with a satisfied  smile on his face. He pressed the paper back into Minho’s hand, and the younger man thought for a moment that the boy’s fingers lingered longer than probably needed (but he pushed that thought away. Blaming it all on his not so accepted crush.) “There you go Minho-shi. You just have to wiggle it a little bit after the first digit.”

 

"How do you know that?" He asked in awe.

 

"This was my locker my first year."

 

"So.. do they always put freshmen up here?" Minho asked softly as he busied himself with putting his extra notebooks and his little cup to put his pens in into the locker. He could speak just fine as long as he wasn’t looking at the boy. Then his shyness and nervousness kicked in.

 

"No. Just ones on the soccer team. All of us are up here." Minho looked over then, because he was running out of pens to adjust in his little magnetic cup, and his words seemed to poof away in a second. Jinki smiled though and did the very attractive habit of his of running his left hand through his hair. "They put us all together so when we have to leave early for an away game we aren’t causing noise everywhere." The warning bell rang and Jinki sighed, "Well I got to get going."

 

"I’ll.. see you at practice?" Oh god he was such a lame. Who says that?

 

Jinki’s head bobbed, and Minho found he really liked the way the boy’s hair moved when he did. He then moved to walk down the hall but the older boy stopped and turned his body half way back. “Oh, and make sure to find me before you go to lunch.”

 

The boy was gone before he could even respond.

 

How the hell did Jinki even know when his lunch was? And why did he want him to find him? Minho stood there frozen in his thoughts so long he had to sprint to get to his homeroom on time.

 

 

 

———

 

 

 

First bell was History. From the syllabus it wasn’t going to be hard as long as he did the homework, and the students of the class seemed to be okay. They weren’t too loud and there was an equal balance between the teacher’s pets and the students who couldn’t care less about the class. The teacher seemed kind enough, and funny enough, so he wasn’t going to be bored out of his mind like last year.

 

Second bell was Art class, some 101 class that he had to take for graduation apparently. He always enjoyed art, but was never really good at it. He got a blue ribbon once back in the second grade for his fish sculpture. It was blue with a bright magenta fin. His Father still had it though sitting in his office at home. Right next to the family Christmas photo from the year before.

 

Third bell was study hall, which he spent trying to find his way to the library and ending up sitting in the office because he was lost and no one was free to show him the way. He felt really stupid as he sat there in his own created hell of embarrassment. The secretary kept looking over at him before quickly ducking her head. He knew she was laughing at him. She was just sitting there giggling over his unfamiliarity of this stupid school on the first day and probably his inept ability to read a map. And all he could do was sulk and wait for the bell to ring so he could go to his locker before lunch.

 

Lunch. Jinki told him to find him before going to lunch. Minho’s eyes widened as that realization.

 

What did the boy want? Had he done something wrong this morning? Maybe during conditioning? No. At least he didn’t believe so. He was maybe 86 percent sure that he hadn’t said something so stupid as to offend the boy. He was pretty sure he’d remember that mortification.

 

The shrill ring of the bell shattered his thoughts. He checked his phone for the time before making his way to his locker. He had tried to open it after second bell, but to no success. He hoped he could open it quickly when he got there because he had to find Jinki. He had to right? He was going to go find the boy right? Not go into a bathroom and hide out reading a book. He sure hoped he didn’t do that last part. That would be a really interesting conversation starter that afternoon at practice.

 

It turned out that he really didn’t have to do much searching. Jinki found him. Or more like the boy was at his own locker and just happened to look up to see him walking down the hall. A smile was flashed and a wave, and Minho found himself looking behind him to see if there was someone else there to receive the gesture. There wasn’t, and added on to his own mortification Jinki was just softly chuckling and closing his locker to walk towards him.

 

"I’m glad I caught you." Had that top button been open 3 bells prior? "I was sure that you would have forgotten."

 

"I didn’t."

 

"Good!" Jinki said with a smile. "All of the older teammates got matched with a new recruit, and I got you. So I’m here to make sure you have a great first day."

 

Oh it definitely was. “Oh?”

 

"Yeah. So put your stuff away and lets go get some food. We should be able to make it down before most of the people if we hurry."

 

"Uh.. okay."

 

Minho wasn’t sure if he was in heaven or hell at that moment.

 

 

———

 

 

 

Jinki lead him to a table near the windows by a soft touch on his arm. The table was empty and after the older boy had sat deown he motioned with both his hands for Minho to do the same with a smile. Once he did he busied himself with pushing his carrots around. Then his corn. Took a piece of his bread off to chew on. Anything really. He didn’t want to start talking and blurt something stupid out. Jinki was his captain. His senior. Above him in every sense of the word. He didn’t want to ruin his high school social life before it really even began.

 

Luckily Jinki saved him by starting out simple, ” Do you like your classes so far?”

 

MInho looked up and answered offhandedly as his eyes focused on how the boy’s lips wrapped around his rice. “They seem okay. Not too hard.”

 

The other boy hummed. “Just hope you don’t have Mr. Kwon for your foreign language.”

 

"Why?"

 

"No one ever gets above a B minus." Jinki blinked for a moment before his eyes moved across the room. The boy’s facial expression fell as he groaned. "Oh not these fools."

 

"Wha-" Minho turned to see but he didn’t have to go too far, because two boys were already moving toward Jinki.

 

"Dubu!" Both shouted and Jinki looked almost mortified.

 

"Hyungs! Come on I told you not to call me that."

 

"Why? Because you aren’t as squishy?" The taller one jabbed.

 

Jinki glared slightly before swatting at them to go away. “Shoo you pesky beasts. You interrupted my conversation.”

 

It was then that all eyes fell to him, and Minho wanted to sink further into his chair. “Who’s the noodle?”

 

"Kyuhyun!"

 

The boy held his hands up. “What! He’s all lanky.”

 

Jinki rolled his eyes. “Choi Minho meet Cho Kyuhyun and Lou Henry. Same the other way.”

 

Two hands were jutted his way and he shook them hesitantly. “Freshie?” The shorter one, Henry Minho thought, mumbled.

 

"Hmm looks like it." Kyuhyun commented.

 

But Jinki was glaring and his voice had a certain edge to it. “This one is off limits. He’s one of mine.” The other two whined before moving along. To do what Minho didn’t know, but by the rolling of the other’s eyes he believed Jinki did. “Sorry about that. It’s their Senior Year. They’re getting a little uneasy.”

 

"It’s the first day though."

 

Jinki paused in his attempts to get the pesky piece of meat that wouldn’t cooperate and looked up with a smile, “Exactly.”

 

"What.. what did you mean by the one of mine thing?"

 

Jinki visibly perked up. “Oh. One of my members. As the captain I make sure no one messes with any of you.”

 

"Really?"

 

Jinki’s smile was warm and friendly, a little warmth descended over his body and Minho felt some of his jitters calm down. “I’m your Captain Minho-shi. If you have any problem you can come to me. Even if it’s a sibling annoying you too much that you can’t sleep. My house is always open.”

 

"Really?"

 

The other boy chuckled. Soft and breathy as his eyes crinkled. “Do your eyes always widened like that when you ask that?”

 

"Huh?"

 

Jinki just shook his head, but the soft laughter was still trickling passed his lips. “Yes. I want all my members to know they have me when they need something. So, do you understand?”

 

"I.. I think so."

 

"Good." Jinki waved his chopsticks at him, "Now eat. You’ll need it for the games we have planned for later."

 

"We?"

 

Jinki’s smile was more devious then, and Minho didn’t know if he liked it as much as the other. “The other older members and I. You’ll be in for a treat.”

 

 

 

 

 

Please tell me what you think :D I tried to try a different style. But it's probably not even that different.

I hope you enjoy it :D