a/n: mini chapter~ happy new year everyone! (i'm sorry it's not the chapter you're probably all wanting happen...yet) enjoy! <3 
-it's in 3rd person but focuses on Sungjae ^^

-Sungjae-

*FLASHBACK TO MOVE-IN DAY*

Sungjae cursed his family six ways and then some as he lugged the first of his luggage down the freshmen corridor of the dormitory. He was thankful that the freshmen only resided on the first floor, at least. He knew without a doubt that he’d be dead if he had to walk up and down the stairs with the amount of luggage he brought to the Academy. And as he came to a stop outside his dorm room he decided that his parents and siblings would be getting cheap gifts for Christmas in return for going on vacation the week of move-in.

It was whatever, really. Who cares if his entire family was on an international cruise without him for the first time? You see one exotic island, you’ve seen them all, Sungjae reasoned with himself as he fumbled with the key to his door.

Before he could even figure out how to work the lock the door swung open before him revealing a slim boy that couldn’t be much older than himself. He was clad in a simple white t-shirt with black ripped skinny jeans, but shone like a christmas tree with various rings adorning his fingers and a couple of long necklaces around his his neck. His hair was a bleached yellowish-blonde, parted tastefully down the middle and Sungjae could swear the stranger was wearing some sort of eye makeup.

“Let me help you with that, these doors seem to have minds of their own.” Sungjae noted that the stranger had a soft and almost feminine voice as the boy reached over the slide one of the bags from Sungjae’s shoulder.

“You must be my roommate!” Sungjae greeted the boy with a polite bow after they’d managed to set all of his luggage down on the untouched side of the dorm room.

“Ah, not exactly, no. I’m uh, I don’t attend the Academy.” The bleach blonde paused for a moment and Sungjae could tell he was trying to find the right words. After a moment of silence the boy sighed and sheepishly scratched at the back of his neck before continuing, “I’m actually your roommate’s boyfriend, he’s currently gone to buy us some lunch.”

Oh…oh! The stranger must have been wary of how Sungjae would react to him being gay. Even if Sungjae himself was straight, he was a firm believer in that it love is love and it shouldn’t matter who you like. He smiled warmly now, wanting to make sure his roommate’s boyfriend knew that he was free to be himself  around him.

“Well why didn’t you just say so? It’s nice to meet you, either way. Thank you for the help! It’s nice of you to help your boyfriend move in and such, he’s lucky. My family texted me a ‘good luck’ on their way to the cruise ship terminal.”

“Haaarsh.” He sympathized with a chuckle. “Maybe they’ll bring you back a nice souvenir?”

“Probably,” Sungjae sighed with a bored shrug and turned so that the cold flow of air coming from a vent in the ceiling blew directly on his face. “But I highly doubt whatever they bring back will be of any interest to me.” The boy looked at him with an amused expression before he picked up a box full of snacks and brought it over the set of cabinets and began to unload it.

“Well if you don’t want it I’ll take it!” He joked good naturedly, not at all expecting Sungjae to actually agree.

“Deal. Will you be visiting often, or..?” Sungjae trailed off, leaving the question open for him to answer.

He didn’t answer right away, momentarily pausing his actions with a box of granola bars reached halfway toward the cabinet.

“I probably won’t visit directly,” he began and finished shelving the box, “but I landed a job at a cafe down the street from here so please stop by whenever you’re free!”

“Does that mean I can visit you at work and pester you for free coffee?”

“Mmm, how about I promise a free coffee for each holiday and I’ll throw in a free muffin when it’s your birthday?”

“Ugh, fine. It’s a deal.” Sungjae half whined. “But my birthday isn’t until Maaaaaay..! And Halloween is so far away!” The stranger giggled at his complaints and moved to sit on the bed in the room that was already neatly made. He crossed his legs in an elegant manner and Sungjae couldn’t help but feel like he was in the presence of a prince with how regal he looked just from sitting there. His roommate had struck gold with this one.

“So, are you going to tell me your name or will I have to wait until I’m writing it on the first coffee cup you will eventually buy from me?”

Sungjae had just finished pulling on the fitted sheet over his mattress and paused.

“Ah, right a name. I have a name.” He declared with a giggle and shook out his top sheet before answering. “Sungjae, Yook Sungjae.”

“Wow..” The boy balanced his elbow on his knee and rested his chin on his palm, admiring Sungjae in amazement as he made his bed. “I can’t believe I’m in the presence of a Yook! It’s really a pleasure to meet you, I’m a fan of your family’s work.”

“Yeah, well it bores the hell out of me. I decided to take a different route, as you can see.”

“Clearly!” He said with an amused smile as he gestured around the room.

“And your name is, oh amazed one?” Sungjae joked as he finished laying his duvet neatly over the sheets and promptly plopped down onto the bed.

“I’m just boring ol’ Taemin. Nothing special to see here.”

“Oh please, you’re plenty special. Must be if you’re willing to help your boyfriend go through the hell of moving in like this. Ugh, I am envious of him. Maybe I should have found a girlfriend who would do the same before enrolling.” Sungjae sighed wistfully.

He purposefully left out the part about his girlfriend of three years breaking up with him when he chose to pursue a career in dance rather than following in his father’s footsteps to take over the ginormous company. He should have known better, really, than to think that she stayed with him all that time because she loved him rather than because of his parents’ money.

“I was actually kind of worried about him being here without me, but you seem like a great person. I think it would be really nice if the two of you became friends. He’s a great guy, really… I just know that he’s torn over the fact that I wasn’t able to enroll and it’ll take him a while to adjust without me.”

“Without.. you? Do you dance too? I just assumed that you were here for moral support and--. Sorry, I’m prying…”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind telling you, it’s just a really really sore subject with Kai-- my boyfriend. Just.. keep it to yourself and promise to be a friend to him?”

“Of course!”

“Ah.. well… My parents don’t make much money and even with the job I had during high school I didn’t make enough to cover tuition for any universities. Long story short: his parents are against our relationship and decided to send him here where they knew I couldn’t afford it. Kai found out that there was a scholarship I could apply for that would take care of all of the tuition and fees, so of course I applied and went for the auditions as early as possible.” Taemin paused and smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes like the ones before had. “Apparently I was put under consideration until all auditions were over, but they ended up granting the scholarship to someone who auditioned at the last minute.

“I was angry, sooo angry at first.. But I know that anyone who auditions for such a scholarship must have their reasons. Plus, there’s always next year. I just have a longer time to prepare now, those judges haven’t seen the last of me.”

“Oh wow.. I’m so sorry I was practically just bragging about--.”

“Don’t be sorry, I got used to it from Kai’s parents so that kind of thing doesn’t bother me. But you still owe me that souvenir, don’t think that knowing all this crap changes anything!”

“Fine fine, but don’t forget my holiday coffees either!” Sungjae bartered back without missing a beat.

“I won’t!” He replied and they both began to laugh at the silly promises. Just then the door swung open to reveal another young boy in mid-rant. He was carrying a large plastic bag of food and was reading off what looked like a receipt as he talked.

“Can you believe that they charge extra if you want more than three things of ranch sau--. Oh?” The boy stopped mid-sentence when he spotted Sungjae.

“I was just getting to know your roommate!” Taemin greeted the boy with a warm smile while eying the bag of food that Sungjae could swear was fried chicken just by the smell. The latter stood from his freshly made bed and bowed politely, he decided that now was as good a time as any to go and fetch the rest of his things from his car so the two could have some alone time before Taemin had to leave.

“Ah, well I’m glad you’ve met my.. friend.” He hesitated on the last word and sat down next to Taemin on the bed to distribute the food he’d bought.

“He know’s, Kai.” Taemin said and placed a hand over Kai’s thigh, successfully getting the other to pause his fidgeting. “Everything.”

“Oh.”

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-Taemin