9th of june 2015

"Just blend in," Seungchol muffled hansol's messy hair with a slight grin, right before he said goodbye in front of the freshman's class. His heart felt heavy, it's like he didn't want to let his brother walk in there. "See you at home"

"At home?" Hansol wondered, "okay, then, ehm, see you," He bowed a little and walked into the open door. After a few steps, he looked back and found traces of his brother. He then scanned at the homeroom, that was going to be his second home for the next one year. It was still early, yet everyone seemed to be there already. 

All of them are divided into circle of groups. The noisy one, the diligent one, the sporty one, the silent one, and the one last group of two people who doesn't fit anywhere. The only two people who were awkwardly sat in their own seats. Hansol walked in their direction "May I sit here?" Since he found the only empty seat in the class was next to them.

"Sure," the boy with a sunglasses attached to his collar looked up and put his phone away. "Ah, sure " He said it again in English. "You new? I'm seungkwan" he put some thought before saying another word.

"Ah, yes I am. I'm Hansol," Hansol nodded. He then sat on the chair and checked on his paper for the schedule. Seungkwan kept his eyes on him, as he watched every movement that Hansol made. From the way he blinked, he read, he flipped his book, all the way even up to the way he coughed. "Eh, can I help you?" Hansol tried to understand his new bench mate. After 12 hours of living in Korea, he was starting to used to people to stare at him for his foreign looks, but then the guy who sat next to him was different. He just stared too much.

"Eh? No," after some time, seungkwan finally blinked. He set his view back to the white board in front and pretended to not care about a thing, when in truth, he got his eyes back on him after some minutes passed by. " Usually, new kid introducing their selves in front, with teacher, eh, "  he shut his mouth as his brain worked to find the right sentences to be saidd, " usually the teacher is the person who introduces the new student"  He looked at hansol and found him already staring at him with a thinking look. "Don't mock me, its not like English is my first language or anything" He muttered while rolling his eyes to the side, "what a good first impression..."

"Oh, should I do that? Should I find the teacher first?" Hansol asked, "I'm sorry I didn't know that, my brother told me to just go to class so--"

Seungkwan gasped, "wait, wait, wait, you can speak Korean?!?"

A part of him wanted to laugh over that silly reaction of seungkwan, "yes, I can" but he chose to not too.

Seungkwan nodded in understanding and politeness, with a slight embarrassment spread through his cheek. He then checked on the clock on the wall, and saw that there's still 15minutes of awkwardness to be spent with hansol until the first class started. "Well, then, I think your brother is dumb"

Hansol dropped his chin from his hands, "eh?".

Seungkwan got up and walked outside. He waited for Hansol to look at his way, "lets go, follow me,"

"Where?"

"To the administration room, of course. You can't just barged into a class like this" He clucked.

"I'm surprised that your brother doesn't even know the standard regulation of a new student," Seungkwan was always a few steps in front of the clueless Hansol. He led him straight to the second floor while playing the role of a tour guide. Surprisingly, seungkwan knew the school more than he knew about what he's actually doing in class. "Ah, anyway, this one is the library, heard that we got the largest school library in Seoul," He shrugged, "and-- oh crap! The class is about to start!!" The people in front of them who started to run their best to their class is a sign of they better go now, "But you still need to go to the administration room, which is.... There!" he pointed at an opened door at the end of the hallway."good luck!"

Hansol was left alone in a hectic of people and their needs to go back to class right on time. They just ran in the opposite direction of his goal, which is the room ahead, And made it harder for him to catch in the situation. Once he thought that there were too many people to deal with, he chose to stay on the side and leaned on the locker. Just so he could watch more than 50 people having a race in front of him. Just how big is this school actually?. He thought, looking at the amount if students who passed in front of him. 

He fixed his collar first, then moved his feet again soon after he sure that everything has calmed down. Never once, he felt like a lonely salmon on migration. 

"Watch your step--".

He fell and found himself sitting on the floor. Everything was too sudden, he just bumped into someone who's bigger than him. And that someone, just dropped something that he knew he shouldn't have seen.

"," he picked up a cigarette that fell off in his pocket. His eyes were set to glared at Hansol. "What's your name?! Which class are you in?!" He used his hand to grab Hansol by the collar once he felt like he need to.

Hansol kept his mouth shut.

"I said, what's your name," He repeated.

Both Korean and English didn't matter to him, he understands it either way. But then, he just wanted to keep his mouth closed.

"You dumb white , answer me!!"

Hansol found no choice but to open his mouth, "Han--"

"Lee Youngjae! Go back to your class!" A staff came out of the office and break them up. "Now!"

Hansol was released in a second, "I might kill you if i feel like too"  with a warn as he left him be and walk away.

The staff made her way to the boy who still seemed to be in shock. "You must be Choi Hansol?"

"Yes," Hansol bowed.

"I'm Raina, I'll help you with the administration, just follow me".

He followed her into the room that filled with adults and their business. It was more like an office rather than a staff room. There were just so many people and paper. "This school has about 500 students, so as you can see, we're trying our best to fulfill the needs of each student" They stopped on a desk, "you just have to sign this paper and I'll give you the books and your locker key".

Hansol grabbed the nearest pen he could find and sign the paper. "Like that?"

She smiled, "Yes," and in return, she gave him a bundle of book and a key. "Should I assist you to your class?"

"Oh, no, it's okay, I know the place" He refused.

"Well, okay then, you can go to class and the homeroom teacher will help you from there"

"Woah, what a system" Hansol read a paper about the school regulation on his way back to class. "Coming late to school is minus 20, missing a period is minus 40— smoking and drinking are minus 70! Ah, no wonder.....".

He put back the paper once he arrived in front of his homeroom. He peeked inside, and found the class has already started. A man in a shirt and tie opened the door, and told him to get in, "you must be the new kid,"

Hansol checked for himself first before he got in, making sure that he'll leave a good impression. "Okay, Hansol you got this!". Right after he stepped into the classroom, everyone just stayed still and smiled at him. Well, not really smiling, more like being friendly. So quiet, does an all boy school always like this in the morning? I mean—

"Please introduce yourself," The man, who apparently also his teacher woke him up from his dazed as he let him to speak in front of the class.

"Oh, yes, My name is Choi Hansol," He bowed to everyone and everyone just nodded. "Nice to meet you"

The teacher pointed at the only empty desk on the classroom "Please sit yourself next to Seungkwan," He said as he started to write down the notes for geography.

Aside for one kid next to seungkwan, No one in the room really cares about him making his way to the back row. "Hi! I'm chan, Lee Chan!" He greeted Hansol before he got to sit. Seungkwan just hissed and leaned backward so he won't be a barrier between those two guys.

"Hi Chan," Hansol replied.

"So, Hansol—"

"This guy over here is weird and oftenly loud," Seungkwan patted Chan's back, "Bear with him"

Hansol tried to understand whether seungkwan was joking or not, but either way, he found it funny and within seconds, he liked them already.

“Who’s seat is that?” Jisoo brought up his curiosity on the empty chair between him and Jeonghan. “Can I sit there?”

Jeonghan just smiled and shook his head, “Come on, do you really want to sit here?”

Another smile to be shared, but this time with the additional of Jisoo leaning for a whisper onto Jeonghan’s ear, “Is just that,” He lowered his voice, “The guy in front of me stinks”

“Ahahahahahaha,” both of them cracked up, blended in with the noises that the other makes before the class started. “Ahahaha, yeah, sure, I think you—“

“Cant,” A guy stood in front of them. He broke the two of them as he occupied his seat. “Its my seat,” He added with a glare.

 “Oh, sorry,” Jisoo nodded. 

He didn't reply and just rest his head on the desk and gave a space for Jeonghan and Jisoo to hold a staring contest.

‘Who is he?’ Jisoo mouthed.

‘I dont know—‘

Jeonghan replied was disturbed by a loud noise that the guy made for hitting his desk. “Choi Seungchol!” And right at that time, the teacher just made it to class, “Do I need to reduce your point?”. Even before the class started, the teacher already marked her mood for the day.

“Mrs, Can I go to the toilet?” rather than answering the question, Seungchol chose to throw another  'question' of formality because even before the teacher allowed him, he already made his way out of the class.

“So I guess, that's seungchol for us” Jeonghan mumbled.

The class got dismissed about 10 minutes earlier for the boys in the eleventh grade. Those who loves the heat and the thrill just went out to play football on the field. Those who wants to keep their grade descent went to the library to make more notes, those who are hungry just went straight to the cafeteria and those who are none of the above just stayed in the class.

“Ming, have you bought the chicken's food?” Soonyoung went to the desk behind him where Minghao and Seokmin took their place to chat, “Today is your turn already to feed chicken”

“Oh! Wait, it’s today??” Minghao heaved, “Ya! I totally forgot about it!”.

“Stupid,” Wonwoo muttered as he intentionally walked amongst them when he could just walk in the side way.

“Move,” Mingyu sighed at the guy who stood and blocked his way out of the desks. “Now. I’m hungry”

Jihoon rolled his eyes and gave Mingyu the space to walk. “Those two kids,” He hissed as he watched the two boys laughed when they made their way out of the class.

“They only have minds about themselves, I am disgusted” Seokmin stuck his tongue out, “anyway, where were we??”

“We were talking about life when Soonyoung come and interrupt us, about me forgetting to buy the chicken's food” Minghao answered, “yeah, I feel bad”

“Minghao are we even friends,” Jun muttered.

“We are,” Minghao turned his face on Jun, “aren't we?”

“Ya! You guys are weird! I’m out!” Seokmin got up from his chair, “Jihoon, let's go! I bet seungkwan and Hyung have been waiting for us”. Jihoon leave no reply and just continue to  write something on his notebook. “Jihoon?” He called again.

“Eh?” Only after Soonyoung poked his shoulder, Jihoon looked up and respond, “Ah, yeah, you go first”

“Alone?” Seokmin frowned.

“Nope!” Soonyoung exclaimed, “With Minghao and Junhui, of course!”.

They scanned at each other, Minghao, Junhui, and Seokmin. 

“With them?”

“With him?”

And pointed at each other at the same time.

Soonyoung nodded and gave them two thumbs, “You go guys!”

Junhui, and Minghao got up to catch up on Seokmin, “Soonyoung, did you just send us off?” Minghao left a question. “Is that a punishment for not buying the chicken’s food?”

“No, Minghao,” Jun whispered, “He wanted some time alone!” But ended up talking normally like always.

Minghao mouthed an ‘O’ and leave the desks with Junhui. “Okay, We’ll reserve a seat for you! Take your time!” 

“Hoon, are we going to be on the same table as them,” Seokmin looked at his two new lunch buddies, “Or not?”

“Up to you,” Jihoon nodded as he told everyone to leave the class.

“And what are you doing here?” He moved on to Soonyoung who sat next to him on the top of his desk. “Aren't you hungry?”

“Your hair,” Soonyoung went straight to the point, “why is it still white?”

Jihoon drop his pencil, “Goes the same to you” and stole a glance on Soonyoung. “Look, you don't have to believe me, but I swear to god, I tried—“

“I tried to dye it back, but it just won't come off” Soonyoung wrapped the thought of Jihoon, “I did it at home so I thought maybe I did something wrong and not following the instruction but—“

“I'm not wrong, I did exactly the same, but it just stays” And then it was Jihoon’s turned. “I spent 100,000 won for dying it black, temporarily. The moment I came out of the salon and checked for myself in the mirror, it went back to white” He fisted. “Soonyoung, do you have a scissor?”

“Yeah, in my pencil case— wait! What are you going to do??” Jihoon went to Soonyoung desk and opened the pencil case. He grabbed the scissors and aimed for the fringe above his eyebrows. “Ya! Jihoon—“

Strains of hair fell and scattered on the floor. “so?”

Soonyoung jaw dropped for real, “Jihoon,” as he was more liken to be scared rather than fascinated by Jihoon’s hair that “grows back, it grows back…”

Jihoon took out his phone and open the front camera, “What the hell…” Just like what his friend say, it grows back. “Soonyoung don't you think this is all just— ARGH!!!!!”

He dropped not just his phone, but also his body to the ground. Curled up in pain as he tried to hold on his right wrist.

“Jihoon!!” Soonyoung came and held onto his hand. Witnessing the same view of looking through the flesh, tissues, veins, and the bones of a human being. “Hey! Hold on!” Jihoon couldn't hear a thing as he kept rolling on the floor. Soonyoung tightened his grip on Jihoon’s shoulder and put an enough force to make him stop moving, “Hey! Hey—“

He looked through his eyes, literally. Witnessing the blood and neurons of Lee Jihoon. “Soon— soonyoung!” After a blinked, He calmed down. “What— what happened?”

“I— I dont—“

“Ya!! What are you guys doing here?!?” A voice called from outside the class, “there's a fight in the cafeteria!! You don't want to miss it!!”

“!” Seungchol held his wrist, “!!” And dealing with the pain that he went through. He was already alone in the bathroom and even make sure to lock the door so he could kick everything that he found inside. As the pain on his right wrist start to test his limit, he used his feet to kick the sink and trash bins, Argh!!” He ran out of curse and just fell on the ground while rolling with the trash that scattered around him, “Argh—“

Guys, I just bumped into this snobby kid in the morning, and I wanted to punch him already.

He stopped groaning.

, I think that kid is a freshman or something, he was shocked when he saw this fell out of my pocket,

The pain was just gone like that, and Seungchol quickly got up.

you need to see his face! He was like, what is that , is that even legal! 

He ran outside and looked around the empty hallway.

Yeah, I just had to gave him a lesson. I mean, I’ll kill him for sure if he’s a pity white baby, He’s sickening, like a mix breed dog—

“Woah!!! Lunch! Lunch! Let's go!”. People just popped out of the classroom, and crowding the hallway.

Seungchol looked around and found himself amongst the crowd that headed to the cafeteria. He looked at his phone and found the weirdest thing happen. It was 12.45 already yet he felt like he just came out of the bathroom five minutes after the first lesson of the day started. “What the—“

Who is he acting all mighty like that? Ah, that er, can I just throw him now?

He pushed everyone who was blocking his way and ran towards the cafeteria.

“So, actually, Me and Chan is not really a friend,” Seungkwan wiped his sunglasses, “I’m rich and he’s not. I’m cool and he’s not”

“Eh, hyung?” Chan was surprised.

“Oh, so now you’re calling me Hyung? Great”.

Hansol kept his mouth quite soon after they walked to the cafeteria. He just likes to listen to his new friends talking about nonsense things that he didn't really understand. “Hyung?” Chan waved his hand in front of his face, “You okay?”

“Ah, yes,” He shook his head, “I guess I’m just hungry”

Seungkwan nodded, “Ah, alright, we can eat, but only after we met up with my awesome hyungs!”

“Or we can just sit on a big table and wait for  everyone to gather around the table with us!” The youngest came up with a solution, “Right??”

“No! My group of people belong to my group of people, and your group of people belong to your group of people!” Seungkwan insisted.

Chan nodded with a grin, and pointed at a table, “Oh really?” where Seokmin, Minghao and Jun shared the same table.

“Ya!?! What are you doing Hyung!?” He walked toward the table “Hyung!” for an explanation.

Chan kept on giggling as he followed seungkwan from the back.

And again, Hansol didn't really understand what was going on. So much talking just for a table He chuckled himself. But then he looked around and noticed the obvious state he was in. He doesn't have a place to sit. Turning his head from left to right while walking around, he tried to find an empty table to sit on.

“Ah,” He saw a hope when he laid an eye to one table in the corner, where Mingyu and Wonwoo shared their laughter. 

But his steps stopped by a person who was heading his way. Hansol sure of it, after he recognized who the person is. Is the guy that he bumped into from earlier this morning.

Each step that the guy took to approach him, he took it in reverse. Stepping backward with a goose bump and fear in his eyes, Hansol was scared. 

“You,” The guy clearly addressed it to Hansol as he made it almost halfway through the cafeteria, “You— !”

Someone stopped him from making anymore move with his hand as he held onto the wrist with a force of not planning on letting it ago. Had it against the table, and twist it around. 

People were staring at the two guys on their struggle of letting and not letting go a hand. Whispers were getting louder as it turned into a real talk about what they saw. “Again?? I heard he ditched three classes already!”

“Why is he even here?”

“What the hell, Youngjae just walked and he attacks him like that?!”

“Hyung!” Hansol exclaimed, and got everyone shut their mouths up. He locked his eyes with his brothers, hoping for an explanation.

“Hansol,” But Seungchol only called for his name as he tightened his grip.

“! Its Seungchol again!” 
 
“ that guy is a monster!”
 
“An ! I bet he does that for fun!”
 
“Go to hell Seungchol!!”

And as if it was a fair, the crowd started to fill up the place with noises. 

“Choi Seungchol Turn yourself to the principal office, now” One last call before everything ends came out of the rusty microphone.

He let go of the hand and walked his way out. He dent need to ask people to make a way for him, by just him glaring at the ground, they have already moved a few step to the side. The only time when he held his head up was when his eye met with his brother, “This is why you better not sit with me,” before he erased himself from the attention.

Hansol couldn't move an inch, he could only watch sungchol’s back disappeared after he got out of the room. “Hyung...”

“Do you know why you are here?” It was only yesterday he met him, But Seungchol already need to remember the face. 

“To sign the drop out paper?” He asked.

“Choi Seungchol,” The man who sat on his desk smirked back at him. “I never once saw a kid as troublesome as the kid who stands in front of me”

Seungchol just closed his eyes. 

“Just why,” he shook his head, “Why would you attack a person who did nothing wrong—“

Seungchol couldn't help it “Nothing wrong, you say?” he just had to talk back. “He threatened my brother, was about to throw another punch and being disgustingly racist, it was all because a rolled of weed fell out of his pocket” He fisted, “so, Are you going to say Lee Youngjae did nothing wrong?”

The smirked turned into a glare, “So detailed for a cover up story,” as he rested his head on his joint finger, “Where’s your proof?”

He couldn't talk back, not when he’s proof was a voice he heard in his head. 

“I’m disappointed, Seungchol, I thought you were better than this,” He took out a paper from his drawer. I’ve been keeping this paper since I don't know when, And if you could just make yourself quite in your last year I might just burn this thing” He signed it, and show it to Seungchol.

He let go of his fist and grab the pen to fill the only empty space for his signature on the bottom. “Have a nice day sir, this school is ed up” He turned his way and walk out outside.

“Your brother, he’s the freshman Choi Hansol, right?” One last question before He opened the door. “Should we keep an eye and a paper for him too?”

Seungchol opened the door and excuse himself, “dont waste your energy on him, he’s a nice kid”

“Sunbae—“

“Call me by name, I’m no longer your sunbae” Seungchol walked away and let the other two guys following him right after he got out of the principal office.

“Seung— seungchol—“

He aimed for his bag on his locker before he went straight home. “And you guys are?”  So he cared about nothing but his bag.

“Jihoon, Lee Jihoon, a sophomore”

“Soonyoung, Kwon soonyoung, we’re from the same class” 

Seungchol kept walking without a bother.

A silent walk for three of them happened until they reach the twelve grade classroom. When they arrived, The class was empty so it seemed like everyone was still on their break. “What do you want?” After he realized that the two of them still following him even until he got back to his class, he knew that he just has to make them go.

“Its, its actually about—“

“If you’re going to ask about this ing nonsense white hair or the triangle stained on my right wrist, then I can't help you” He found his bag and walked outside, “Oh, and tell your friend he can have my seat”.

there was only two classes remained after lunch and Hansol used it to study properly. Proper enough to made Seungkwan and Chan have no chance to talk to him. After the bell rang, the first thing he did was ran outside and looked for his brother.

“Have you seen Choi Seungchol?” He asked to  the other student whom he just met.

“I have no business with him, you” And it was a wrong thing to do.

“Where is he??” He called for his number but the phone was inactive. It was just getting harder and harder for him to look for Seungchol in a large, complex he just attended to with no one who can give a useful information. The more he walked, the more people laid their eyes on him. The rumor of him being a young brother of Seungchol has spread and it effected every movement his made. 

“Yo! Brother Choi!” From the field, Two guys were standing under the tree and waved their hands on him, “Come here!”

“Wonwoo hyung, Mingyu hyung,” he panted, “Have— have you seen my brother?” 

“Nope,” Mingyu shrugged, “Ey Hansol, isn't she cute?? Her name is chicken!” and then showed him his science project. “Say hi to Hansol, chicken!” 

“I’m going to look for him,” Hansol wasn't in the mood for that kind of thing. How could they seem so relaxed?!. 

“Where?” Wonwoo stopped him from leaving, “You’ve only breath in Seoul for 18 hours and only walked two alleys or so, where are you going to find him?”

He was right. Hansol knew nothing about the ground he’s stepped on.”Then— wont you guys help me?”

“Wait! What are they doing with the chicken?!” Minghao widened his eyes. From the hallway, He almost ran across the field to stop the three people from running away, until he was stopped by Jun and Seokmin. “Hey! I think they bring Chicken along with them!”

“Where are they going?!” Seokmin exclaimed, as he saw the shades of Wonwoo, Mingyu and another guy did running away from the tree. “What?! What is wrong with those two asses!!!”

Jun initiated the run, followed by Minghao and Seokmin. “We can't let them hurt Mrs. Chicken!!”

"No, its not it," Seokmin heaved “Jihoon will definitely kill me if he saw his grade running away like this”

From the third floor, Seungkwan hissed in despair, “Just look at what's gotten into Seokmin Hyung after hanging around with your people,” He shook his head as he watched three of his upperclassman ran like they have seen the hell behind them. “He lost his mind,”

“Then, he already lost his mind since he was born,” Chan was laughing at what he found amusing, “Our group of people only hangs around people who are like the one in our group!”

Seungkwan moved a few steps away.

“Hahahah, Hyung, it's true!” 

He shook his head and walk away, “Okay, bye chan, see you later— Jihoon hyung!!” Seungkwan almost hugged the guy who just made his way up to the third floor. “Where were you?? I couldn't find you during lunch!”

“Ha— have you seen—“

“Hyung? are you okay?” Chan checked on the other guy who just arrived not long after Jihoon.

Soonyoung just nodded, “Eh— guys— have you seen that sunbae??”

“Which sunbae?”  Both freshman's asked the same question.

“The—“ Soonyoung and Jihoon still need to catch their breath, “The white haired and sad looking sunbae!”

“Oooh, that sunbae!” Seungkwan thought of an answer, “I haven't seen him— HYUNG!!?! Are you okay?!?!”

Both Soonyoung and Jihoon fell onto the ground at the same time, letting Seungkwan and Chan on a panic and confusion. “Hyung!!”

Wait, what is wrong with me— why is it so hot in here??. A drop of sweats started to fall from Jihoon’s forehead. 

“Hyung! Are you okay??” Seungkwan was relieved for a little after Jihoon managed to get up again.

Wait, what— what the hell??. Jihoon looked in every direction and found the weirdest thing to happen. The people around him, he didn't see them, not in a normal form of what a human supposed to look like. What he saw was just a blue-red-yellow-green colored figure. “What— what the—“

“Chan! Seungkwan! Don't panic!” Soonyoung shouted while closing his eyes.

Chan and Seungkwan looked at each other first before they eyed on the two hyungs who look more like a drunk person. “Panic? Why would we?”

Soonyoung was still sitting on the ground when he looked up and open his eyes, “Ah! You guys are okay!” To find no change on the two of them. “Ah, maybe I was just—“ But when he turned his way to the hallway and people around him, He started to pinch his hand. Why— what— what’s happening?. Like Jihoon, He shared the same view of everyone who turned into an abstract figure that was supposed to be a human. 

Jihoon looked back at his dongsaengs, “You— you guys have you— weird— have you seen anything weird?” It wasn't like himself to be fidgety like that. “Oh !! What is that!” He  jumped and pointed at the same thing in a different form. This time, it formed as lines and move right beneath his feet.

“That? That is a trail of ants, Hyung” Seungkwan shook his head.

“A— a trail of rainbow ants?” Soonyoung made sure.

“No, a normal small tiny trail of black ants”. 

Soonyoung and Jihoon looked around and still find no difference. Everything that moves, that breath changed form into some kind of shades with specific colors of heats. Anything aside from that, like the floor, the locker, the window, they saw no different from before. “And what is that?! A rocket?!” Soonyoung looked into the sky and found the similar thing crossing the sky in a flash.

“Thats a bird,” Chan widened his eyes, “Hyung—”

“Thermal, we— we— soonyoung we see things in thermal…” Jihoon summed, “No! no!” He shook his head, and found another weird thing to happen when his sign on the right wrist that was covered by his watch glowing white. He took off the watch and showed them his hand “This! Guys, do see this?! It's glowing! guys! the tattoo!”

“You’re crazy hyung,” And that was it, Seungkwan and Chan gave up “what tattoo?".