Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Abilities: Part I

Every person is born with an innate potential to wield powers, simply called “abilities”. They can almost seem supernatural as mankind has yet to provide a plausible explanation despite years of studying these manifestations in human beings.

However, the science discourse has found the mechanisms in specific neural circuits (made up of special nerve cells named DTH) that do not die after birth.

Except for the high heritability of DTH cells, we have yet to uncover how these cells work and why there is a discrepancy of activity between individuals. Due to the volatility of these abilities, NCT, the Federal Agency of Neural Competency, was formed to be the authority regarding “supernatural” incidents in Korea.

NCT, the Federal Agency of Neural Competency, assesses each individual in terms of the following factors to categorize an individual’s overall strength from a level from 0 to 10:

1. An abilities’ natural limits (also known as the Baseline): This is set from birth (and is highly heritable from parents), although the science behind the differentiation of abilities is not yet scientifically known. Most abilities do not reveal themselves until puberty. A data chart for the baseline score for common abilities is available, and a very brief table excerpt is displayed below to show the breadth of abilities individuals may have.

Table 1: Excerpt from the ability baseline score database. Authorized redistribution by NCT. 

Biological: Abilities with the interaction of biological species. Usually referring to non-human species.

Enhancement/Embodiment: Mimicry, changing the users’ own characteristic/property, all fall into this category. Ability users in this category usually call themselves "wielders". Note: They are different from manipulators as they cannot change the environment, and only themselves.

Manipulation: Changing a property in the environment. Just as how wielders can only change themselves, manipulators can only change the environment.

Mental: Mind-related abilities. Usually referring to humans.

Other: Miscellaneous abilities the agency is unable to categorize into the above fields. People can apply to be categorized in one of the above if appropriate justification is given in the categorization application.

2. Stamina: This factor is considered for manipulators and embodiment-type powers (as well as a few other special cases considered by the federal agency). Operationally defined as “the duration and effect an ability-user can wield their powers for”. Similarly to physical exercise, it can be trained and increased.

3. Individual skill: An individual user’s magnitude and precisional use of their ability. It can be improved with practice and training. Many people choose to study the science behind their power to have a better understanding of their ability (and therefore utilize their abilities in more innovative ways) to increase their score in this category.

4. Potential: The Federal Agency understands that there are special cases where specific abilities can become extremely potent under certain circumstances or specific uses. This is reviewed by the board of abilities on an individual basis if see fit.

Based on the categories above, an individual is ranked, 0 indicating an individual having no ability whatsoever. The agency mandates that children must be tested at the age of 10 and once again at the age of 16. An annual check for individuals who are ranked level 6 and above is mandatory, and failure to comply will result in legal consequences.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

To say Donghyuck was excited was an understatement.

He’s admitted to the university of his dreams as one of the two students with a full ride scholarship in this admission cycle, and he couldn’t be ready-er. (He knows it's not a word, but he's not a language major, so.)

His heart is thrumming with excitement, and he’s donning a pair of new shoes and a comfortable NCTU hoodie. Casual, but a good sort of casual— like he’s not trying too hard but still dressed to impress.

The whirlwind blur of university campus buildings passes quickly as Dongyoung, who is currently driving a rented van with all of Donghyuck's stuff, concludes lesson 152 of what not to do at university. The topics so far have ranged from the good old days when Dongyoung was an engineering major to not letting hookups use Donghyuck for their electricity kink; Donghyuck isn't sure he wants to hear anymore after that one.

“Yes, Dongyoung-hyung, I'm going to call you my Dad if you don't stop acting like one.” Donghyuck cuts him off to hopefully put a stop to his “lessons”. Dongyoung continues his rant anyways, turning the wheel with as much vigour as his lecturing.

“I know you’re a good kid, but don’t party too much, focus on your classes, achieve your goals, yeah?”

“Yes Dad, I don’t want my scholarship to get revoked either, or I’m going to be homeless— How would I afford to live on campus if not for my scholarship privileges? I even got the fancy dorm with the living room and everything!” Donghyuck grins, legs swinging back and forth from his side of the van.

“Well, if you do find yourself at risk of losing your scholarship, you can ask me for help in your classes… Though I doubt you’ll need it.” Dongyoung frowns in annoyance after realizing what Donghyuck had called him.

“Well, you are talking to the major NCTU scholarship recipient here. Wouldn’t have gotten it if I hadn’t worked my ass off, but hey, my academics clearly aren’t too bad!” Donghyuck replies casually.

The van eventually slows down in front of a large apartment-like building, rows of windows lining the walls. Unable to withhold his excitement, Donghyuck hops out the van before it fully comes to a stop. He immediately jogs up to what looks like the front of the apartment complex and he takes in the details of his new home for the next few years.

Like the rest of the university, the exterior of the building is built with the newest technology and has a clear modern feel to it. In contrast, the front entrance has a homey-brick ambience, vines intertwining the two pillars on both sides of the glass doors.

The hustle of other students and what looks to be volunteers surround him, and the occasional levitating pile of boxes and furniture enter to and from the building. Eventually, Donghyuck finds what seems to be the volunteer overlooking the move-ins and heads over.

The volunteer (Jihyo, Donghyuck notices from her name tag) clearly looks very busy talking to what appears to be another incoming student so Donghyuck is okay with waiting for her to finish up. But Jihyo quickly swipes a finger to call up her holoscreen that immediately displays Donghyuck’s student ID the moment she notices his presence, and seemingly decides to help Donghyuck first.

“You must be Lee Donghyuck! The 6.8 NCTU major scholarship recipient, yes? Bring me to your van and I’ll get everything into your flat right now.” Donghyuck can see the slight irritation flash across the other student’s eyes, but they stay silent.

“Yes, but you can finish helping the other stude—”

“No worries, if I’m not helping them someone else will eventually. Let’s head over to your stuff, shall we?” The volunteer pushes him away in what is probably meant to be a friendly gesture, and Donghyuck can only give the other student an apologetic smile and mouth a quick sorry before being whisked towards the parked vehicles.

“So, Lee Donghyuck, what are you studying?”

“Engineering, I’m hoping to specialize in Ele—”

“Oh, does that have something to do with your ability? You didn't state your ability on your ID even though almost nobody actually does that!” Jihyo interrupts, overly excited at getting to know him.

“Heh, I just don’t want my level or ability to deter people from becoming my friend—”

“Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a 6.8? I’m speaking as a 5.9, you’ll have no trouble with that, I guarantee—”

“Here’s the van, Jihyo-ssi.” Donghyuck gives a tight-lipped smile, arm gesturing to Dongyoung who had finished moving the majority of the boxes out onto the sidewalk.

“Ah, yes,” Jihyo focuses on the actual reason she is here and reaches out to shake Dongyoung's hand enthusiastically.

“You must be Donghyuck's father, it's very nice to meet you.” Donghyuck almost bursts out laughing at Jihyo referring to Dongyoung as his father, something Dongyoung had adamantly refused to be called just moments ago.

“Oh no, I'm just Donghyuck's close friend, Kim Dongyoung.” Dongyoung replies in a fluster.

Jihyo pauses, seemingly waiting for Dongyoung to finish his introduction, then gingerly releases her hand when she realizes that there isn't more.

“A friend, I see.” She keeps up her smile, but Donghyuck can see the slight change in the look of her eyes.

“Okay Donghyuck, these are all the boxes?” Jihyo returns to talking to Donghyuck, facing the boxes Dongyoung had unloaded.

Donghyuck nods politely, and she immediately brings up both her arms, gesturing over to the boxes as her eyes start emitting a forest green glow. All the boxes easily lift off the ground, startling Dongyoung. She then turns towards Donghyuck, gesturing towards the main entrance as she starts heading towards the dorm.

“You have the entire first floor suite with the Johnny Seo scholarship student. Everyone else has a single room on the rest of the floors, so both of you should expect a lot of students asking you to host parties and what not.” She explains quickly to Donghyuck while walking swiftly to the entrance, Dongyoung following in time. “The other scholarship student already arrived, you two should get to know each other in case someone forgets their key.” They walk past the bustling lobby with the elevators up to the dorms on the upper floors, eventually walking into a quieter hallway.

There’s one door at the end of the hallway, and once they reach it, a lanyard floats out of Jihyo’s pocket and gently taps itself on the hotel door-like lock mechanism. After a soft beep, it hovers in front of Donghyuck until he grabs it. As soon as the door opens, his boxes glide gracefully into what Donghyuck guesses is supposed to be the open living area.

“Would you like me to put these right by the door of your bedroom?” Jihyo interrupts Donghyuck’s quiet observations of the space he can see. Not that he’s really able to, not with the boxes piled high all around.

“Yes, that would be great, thank you Jihyo,” Donghyuck replies, not really listening as he walks towards what looks to be a boy of around his size (maybe a little bigger) huddled over a half-unpacked box... Sleeping? He isn’t sure if he should wake the boy up— that boy’s neck will probably make him regret napping in that position when he does— but he is a stranger, and Donghyuck doesn’t want to risk it if the boy is the cranky type who wants to be left alone during his naps.

“There you go!” Jihyo swipes both her hands after having gently dropped the boxes outside what Donghyuck can assume is his bedroom. “I recommend you try to unpack as much as possible because we have a freshers event this evening. As a major scholarship recipient, you get first pick on your faculty mentor, so tonight would be a good time to get to know some of them!” Jihyo adds cheerily as she shuffles between the narrow passageway created where boxes didn’t cover the floor. As she holds onto the door handle, she adds a preppy “Welcome to NCTU!”, gives him a wave, and closes the door behind her.

The moment Donghyuck can no longer hear Jihyo’s footsteps, he heads straight for one of the boxes, the one he’d been keeping track of the whole time, and then straight into his room, plopping it right under the bed. He wouldn’t want his roommate to accidentally see the contents of that box after all.

Dongyoung follows swiftly, observing to make sure that the box is put in a reasonable hiding spot for now. He hums in what seems to be approval, so Donghyuck starts heading to the living area to gather more boxes.

“Donghyuck,” Dongyoung puts his hand on Donghyuck’s shoulder while talking in a somewhat hushed tone. “Make sure you don’t get found out okay? Especially since you live with a roommate.”

Donghyuck looks back at Dongyoung’s worried face indicated by the slight furrow of his brow. With all they’ve been through, Donghyuck knows Dongyoung cares deeply about Donghyuck and that they would both sacrifice their own livelihoods to keep the other safe.

“Don’t worry. If I was careless, we would’ve been caught a long time ago,” Donghyuck replies easily, wearing a mischievous grin that Dongyoung can only shake his head to.

“Sometimes I don’t know why I let you kids do such dangerous things,” Dongyoung sighs as he follows Donghyuck into the living area.

Dongyoung continues to help Donghyuck unpack with occasional quiet chatter, finishing in a little less than two hours. Donghyuck continues to watch his roommate for any evidence of stirring, but the only thing he could see is the soft raven hair moving in sync with the boy’s breathing.

“I’ll head out now then, Donghyuck. I’ll see you soon.” Dongyoung gives a dismissive wave as he heads for the door. Donghyuck runs (or tries to amidst his roommate’s boxes) and flings himself towards Dongyoung, grabbing onto Dongyoung’s worn out sweater to smell the familiar scent of his detergent, to wrap his arms tight around the hyung that he’s treated as his real brother for the last three years. Dongyoung only huffs and ruffles his hair, then heads for the door.

With the door closing, Donghyuck once again focuses his attention on his still sleeping roommate. He’s still mildly shocked at how the boy has managed to sleep through the ruckus he and Dongyoung had caused for the past two hours (although they had tried to stay fairly quiet), but Donghyuck is glad that his roommate is a heavy sleeper (After all, getting caught sneaking out during the night would be bad, Donghyuck notes to himself). However, if his roommate isn’t going to wake up soon, he won’t be able to clear out the living room in time for the freshers event, and as the second major scholarship recipient, he probably wouldn’t want to miss out on meeting his potential mentor. Donghyuck decides then and there to prod his roommate awake, hoping his roommate’s first impression won’t be of him being the jerk who woke him up from a much needed nap.

Donghyuck bends down and hugs his knees to keep his balance as he reaches eye level to his roommate. He then gently pokes the crown of his roommate’s head, where the soft black hair originates from on the top of his head.

His roommate gets up almost immediately, fast enough that Donghyuck’s defend-yourself-from-whatever’s-moving-so-fast instinct would have initiated if he had been out on a mission. Instead, because he was caught unaware, he falls backward, hard onto the wooden floor on his behind. His roommate is freaking out, so much so that his flailing arms knock the round glasses Donghyuck hadn’t realized his roommate was wearing off his face. The boy then bends down, scrambling as he tries to find his glasses (and possibly still trying to get a sense of his surroundings) as Donghyuck continues to look in awe at this fumbling boy in front of him.

Oh— he’s cute, is the first thought that comes to Donghyuck’s mind during his roommate’s spectacle. His roommate had covered his face while he had been sleeping, but now Donghyuck can see the crooked imprint of the nose pads on his long slender nose bridge (probably from squishing his face into his arms and the box he was laying on), a bewildered look in his large round eyes as his dark brown pupils shift around frantically for his glasses, flustered noises coming from his hoarse just-woken up voice.

Donghyuck only comes out of his trance when he sees flashes of light in the boy’s originally brown eyes. He doesn’t know what ability the boy has which could spell disaster for both of them if his roommate doesn’t calm down now.

“Ahhhh— It’s okay, everything is fine, I’m just your new roommate—” Donghyuck frantically scrambles towards the boy while swiping his glasses up from the floor. The slipperiness of the wooden floor helps him move quickly, and he helps the boy put his round Harry Potter-like glasses back on. Donghyuck pauses slightly when their fingers brush against each other, but as the boy’s green eyes return to its normal shade, Donghyuck lets go to allow him to gather himself.

He watches the boy again, no longer fumbling about, adjusting his glasses nervously.

“I am so sorry I was such a mess— Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Minhyung, 5.2. You’re…?”

“Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you.” Donghyuck smiles and puts a hand out as a sign of friendship.

Minhyung’s eyes widen and then smiles wider as he reaches for Donghyuck’s hand, shaking it formally.

Donghyuck laughs. Minhyung was so awkward it was endearing.

“No hyung, I want to be friends! We don’t have to be so formal with each other.” Donghyuck uses his spare hand to close Minhyung’s hand into a fist, then gives him a fist bump.

Mark tilts his head to one side as he retracts his hand. “Hyung? Then can I call you Hyuck?”

Donghyuck laughs harder this time, almost falling backwards again from the suddenness of Minhyung’s remark. “I called you hyung because you're probably older than me. I graduated a year earlier! You can call me Hyuck if you want though!”

A red flush instantly surfaces on Minhyung’s cheeks as he sputters out another incoherent apology, and Donghyuck can only put his hand on Minhyung’s shoulder for support as he bends over from his laughter-induced stomach pain. Minhyung eventually joins with a light chuckle, and the laughter dies down into a comfortable silence.

“Anyways, I woke you up because we have a freshers event later tonight and I didn’t think you’d want to miss it,” Donghyuck eyes the boxes still piled around them before returning his gaze to Minhyung. “I can help you unpack if you’d like? We can also discuss dorm responsibilities and get to know each other while we’re at it.”

“Oh, sure. Thank you, Hyuck.” Minhyung smiles back shyly, and Donghyuck has to hold back the little somersault his heart is doing.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck realizes three things when talking to Minhyung while they are unpacking. The first is that Minhyung is a night owl (not so good for Donghyuck’s late night escapades) that prefers studying at the library late into the night (slightly better for that). Donghyuck replies with the excuse that he too is a night owl, but only because he enjoys going out to parties and studies better at night with a red bull in hand. Donghyuck assures Minhyung that he enjoys going to parties and not hosting them, and this settles the potential sleeping schedule issue and the questions when he'll eventually run into Minhyung in the middle of the night.

The second is that Minhyung is not as awkward as he initially seemed (which Donghyuck finds even more charming). Donghyuck has a lot of fun talking to Minhyung and getting to know how he decided on going to NCTU (he wants to go to school without constant supervision like in his boarding school, plus NCTU’s chemistry department is excellent), where he’s from (originally Canada, but he moved to Seoul at a young age, which perks up Donghyuck’s interest), if he has any siblings (Minhyung is an only child, and Donghyuck replies that he is too), if he likes pineapple on pizza (Donghyuck doesn’t even like pizza, but it would have slightly deterred his growing crush if Minhyung had said yes), and anything in between. Donghyuck can feel Minhyung slowly come out of his shell as they delve deeper into conversation, laughing more freely at the jokes Donghyuck throws in occasionally into their conversation.

Lastly, the third (and favourite) thing Donghyuck notices is that teasing Minhyung is very entertaining as his responses (Donghyuck readily admits) are very cute.

“Oooh, not that box. Don’t worry about it.” Minhyung quickly kicks said box under his bed when Donghyuck reaches for one of the remaining two boxes left to unpack, and Donghyuck laughs at how Minhyung decided to keep his secret box in the same spot as him.

“I put my secret stash under the bed too. We’ll make an agreement that I won’t look under your bed, and you do the same for me, yeah?” Donghyuck smirks and waves his brows dramatically, and Minhyung makes a noise resembling a mix of a squeal and a groan, most likely in response to Donghyuck’s insinuation about the contents of his box as well as Donghyuck revealing having his own.

“I— it’s not—” Donghyuck keeps his eyebrow raised waiting for Mark to give him an intelligible answer, but it never comes.

“It’s okay Hyung, no need to be embarrassed,” Donghyuck pats Minhyung’s shoulder and moves on to unpack the other remaining box.

They finish thirty minutes later, and Donghyuck finally has a clear view of what the living area looks like. It is very spacious, a decently sized coffee table in front of the couch facing a TV, and an open kitchen with what looks to be a marble countertop surrounding it. Donghyuck and Minhyungs’ bedrooms are facing each other on either side of the couch, and the single washroom is by the open kitchen. There are fancy windows to let the natural light in as well as to match the modern feel of the exterior of the building, the fridge is probably way too high tech for a pair of university students, and the couch is surprisingly not run-down like Donghyuck had expected it to be— He’s impressed at the interior design and can see himself enjoying living in this space with Minhyung.

“The university really outdid themselves with this space.” Minhyung observes.

“Well, NCTU has such a big sponsor that it probably has spare money to spend on things like this.” Donghyuck muses, thinking about whether he should bring in a fluffy blanket and some pillows for the couch for when he wants to lounge and watch TV.

Minhyung continues observing the premises until he catches sight of the clock hanging on the wall.

“Uh, Hyuck, we probably want to make a run for the event…”

In a matter of seconds, Donghyuck jumps out of the sofa, grabs Minhyung’s arm, and drags both of them out the door with a wide grin.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

They’re both a panting mess, but they do make it on time to enter the stadium where the opening for the event is held, just barely. Donghyuck is mildly surprised by Minhyung's stamina; not a lot of people can keep up with him when he sprints since most people his age don’t spend their nights running around the city. He eyes Minhyung (and his biceps hidden underneath his hoodie), wondering if he works out frequently. Maybe he should ask Minhyung to teach him how to use the machines.

They quickly sit down on the nearest empty seats they can find as a tall suited man walks towards the podium. Minhyung does a little gasp, and Donghyuck looks back and realizes why— It’s Johnny Seo, the current head of operations of NCT.

Donghyuck has only ever seen Mr. Seo on a screen before, so it feels somewhat surreal as he watches the real deal confidently walk up the steps and adjust the microphone with the poise that only someone who knew of their influence would. As the youngest head of operations in the history of Korea, Mr. Seo saw crime rates in their country drop dramatically and the number of field agents increasing within a span of 5 years. Rumour has it that he was a previous field agent for NCT but had accomplished so much that he had started leading missions and then eventually the agency itself. As the face of NCT, many people admired him, wanted to work for him and make meaningful contributions to society because of him. His level and ability are classified (like those of field agents and higher ups of NCT almost always are), but Donghyuck wouldn’t be surprised if it was some sort of manipulation-type ability; the most elite ability users were usually in that category.

“Greetings, new NCTU students. Everyone feeling excited?” Donghyuck yells some sort of generic response but then notices Minhyung’s stunned silence. Donghyuck eyes Minhyuck with a wordless question but Minhyung only shakes his head.

“...As you all know, NCT was founded to maintain the peace in Korea. People of higher intelligence, of higher ability, have the responsibility to help others who do not possess such. Consequently, NCTU was created as a place for scholars to develop the knowledge and skillset to do so— to contribute back to our parents, our siblings, our country, our world for what they have given us.”

A spine-tingling chill runs across Donghyuck’s body when he swears Mr. Seo looks him straight in the eye as he says the previous sentence. Minhyung also tenses up where their legs are slightly grazing each other, and Donghyuck wonders if Minhyung can sense the director’s gaze too. The director of operations eventually turns his gaze towards other students as he continues his speech and Donghyuck lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Wisdom is power— Sapientia est potentia. We want you to learn, strive, achieve, so one day the next generation can do the same.” Mr. Seo brings out his dazzling smile, and Donghyuck can practically hear the girls swooning. “Perhaps one day, you will be working beside me at NCT for the betterment of our country. Thank you.”

A loud round of applause erupts as Mr. Seo smiles charmingly and heads offstage. He definitely has the authority and charisma of a leader, and Donghyuck can’t help but commend Johnny for how he’s managed to rally up a nation to support his cause with an almost idol-like fan base in a span of a short few years.

“He’s got a strong stage presence huh,” Donghyuck remarks while eying Minhyung. Minhyung has a grin on his face, practically starry-eyed at the operations head who just disappeared backstage. “Yeah, he does.”

Donghyuck bends over and examines Minhyung’s facial expressions amusedly. “Are you one of those NCT Johnny Seo fanboys as well? The ones who are like my dream job is to work at NCT as a field agent and save the day so I can get the approval from Johnny! type of fanboy?”

Minhyung almost chokes and immediately reverts to his panicky-self, instantly going into denial. “No no no no, not at all. I just admire his work ethic and how he’s managed to lead NCT with this much success, that is all.”

“Mmhm, so a toned down fanboy.” and Lee Donghyuck laughs at the pout that he manages to elicit from the boy beside him.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

As Donghyuck and Minhyung leave the stadium and its bleachers behind, the bright blue that the sky originally was has changed into a burnt orange. However, the festivities of the university campus light up the surroundings with life.

Donghyuck notices a sign indicating the location of the engineering mentors, and turns to look at Minhyung to plan their return to the dorm. “So, do you want to meet up after this and head back together?”

Minhyung shrugs, looking around. “I’m actually going to head in early and start reading the syllabi.”

Oh, Donghyuck thinks. The Johnny Seo Scholarship recipient doesn’t want to meet his potential mentors? He points this out to Minhyung verbally as well.

“Ah, I already decided on my mentor,” Minhyung replies easily, which Donghyuck finds suspicious (because when would he have had a chance to meet all the mentors?) but he quickly chalks it up to Minhyung probably knowing someone in the university prior to his admission.

“Okay then. I’ll see you later!” Donghyuck waves Minhyung goodbye and heads towards the engineering sign he had seen earlier.

Donghyuck tries to shake off his nervous energy as he giddily walks towards what looks to be an outdoor patio. He wants to make a good impression on the possible mentors, and even if he only gets to pick one, he hopes he can still be on friendly terms with the rest. As he walks closer, he notices the fairy lights decorating the patio, illuminating more brightly as the sky gets darker. There are a lot of students here, many dressed in engineering-branded attire as they roam around getting to know one another. Amidst the students, he can see a very tall individual looming above the others with a very wide smile on his face, laughing about something Donghyuck can’t discern above the chatter.

He looks friendly, Donghyuck thinks, and so he decides to approach his first target. As he gets closer, Donghyuck notices the boy’s tan skin, black hair, big eyes. They inadvertently make eye contact, so Donghyuck smiles and introduces himself.

“Hey! I’m Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you!” He once again puts his hand out as a sign of friendship, and the boy returns it with a fun handshake.

“Hey, what’s up! I’m Xuxi, 5.0. You’re in engineering too?”

“Yeah, maybe we have classes together!”

Donghyuck and Xuxi become very comfortable with each other very quickly. Besides being extremely friendly, Xuxi is very easy to talk to. After comparing their schedules, they realize they both have a fair amount of classes together, and Donghyuck thinks that he wouldn’t mind attending lectures with him.

Xuxi is very open, talking about how he is ethnically Chinese but was raised in Korea his whole life, how he needed to reroute his brain to use Korean again after going to Hong Kong for exchange in the last three years etc., etc. Donghyuck volunteers to help him out with any engineering terms he might have trouble understanding in Korean, so they both quickly decide to add each other’s contacts. Xuxi’s ID pops up on Donghyuck’s holoscreen, and he quickly accepts.

Xuxi’s a fire wielder, Donghyuck reads, which he thinks is very suited to Xuxi’s vibrant and almost hot-headed personality. When he returns his focus to Xuxi, he notices his new friend’s wide eyes growing even bigger after taking in the details of Donghyuck’s ID.

“Wait a second… You’re a 6.8? I thought you were a lower level since you didn’t say anything about it when you introduced yourself!”

This is the one time Donghyuck wishes Xuxi was not so naturally loud and crowd-attracting, for Donghyuck can see some nearby students’ sudden interest in their conversation peak. “Oh, yeah. I just don’t like introducing myself with my level unless someone asks for it, sometimes I wish people would be friends with others no matter if they know each other’s level or not...”

A flash of an apologetic look flickers in Xuxi’s wide eyes and he tones down his voice a little.

“Oh Donghyuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that loudly. I’m just naturally really loud, and…” Xuxi continues his apology animatedly as Donghyuck thinks about how Xuxi really is just like a large boisterous puppy.

Donghyuck shakes his head, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. Plus, you were just as friendly to me when you thought I was a lower level, so I know you’re not one of those people I was worried about.”

Xuxi’s happy smile returns after, and if Xuxi wasn’t older than him, Donghyuck would think he was cute in a younger brother sort of way.

“Have you met the potential mentors yet?” Donghyuck brings the topic up as their conversation drifts elsewhere.

“No, I haven’t. Too busy meeting other freshmen, I haven’t actually gone inside yet,” Xuxi laughs, hands comfortably in the pockets of his varsity jacket.

“Oh! Do you want to go together?” Donghyuck is still nervous about meeting the possible mentors, and having Xuxi around would definitely make it more comfortable and liven the overall atmosphere.

“Yeah! I’m down!” Xuxi excitedly heads towards the entrance of the indoor portion of the building that reveals a nice coffee house set up. A semi-circle of tables surrounds the walls of the open space, each table with what looks to be a grad student with a name tag. With a quick scan, Donghyuck notices the left end of the semi-circle being much busier than the right. Logic tells him to start from the right to save time, but Xuxi hooks his arm and drags him in the other direction instead. And boy is Xuxi strong because Donghyuck can’t even attempt to drag himself the other way. They both head straight to the crowd, but because Xuxi is so tall, the crowd starts dispersing so as to not get hit by 180cm of what Donghyuck thinks is probably pure muscle. Before he knows it, he’s right in front of the first grad student, a warm smile and dimples on both cheeks.

“Hey! I'm Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you!” Donghyuck doesn't have time to think of something interesting to say as he quickly sits down on one of the two chairs facing the grad student with the name tag that reads “Yoonoh”.

“Ah, I've heard about you. The incoming NCTU major scholarship recipient right? I'm Jung Yoonoh.” He shakes Donghyuck's hand warmly. “Are you here to find a mentor?”

“Yeah, I want to get to meet everyone before I make a decision.”

“Of course, Of course.” Yoonoh waves dismissively. “For convenience, all the grad students are placed in ability order, and it descends this way.” Yoonoh points to himself, then waves his arm to the end of the semi-circle where the crowd is much thinner.

“Okay, thank you for letting me know.” Donghyuck ignores Yoonoh’s veiled implications and brings Xuxi a little closer, patting his arm. “This is my friend Xuxi! He's in engineering as well!”

“Hm, Xuxi, hey?” Donghyuck can feel Xuxi freeze up as Yoonoh lets the name roll off his tongue.

“Yeah, nice to meet you, Yoonoh,” Xuxi adds after a somewhat awkward laugh.

“So, Yoonoh, what’s your master's thesis on?” Donghyuck brings up after all the introductions are over.

“Streamwise flow-induced oscillations of bluff bodies,” Yoonoh replies smoothly.

Xuxi blows a low whistle, sounding impressed. “Wow, that's— I didn't understand a single word you said.” and Yoonoh laughs.

“You wouldn't have had much chance to learn engineering-related concepts until now,” Yoonoh explains. “You can come over and see the experiments I'm doing at the lab if you're my mentee? That should help with your understanding.” Yoonoh smiles while responding to Xuxi’s comment, but watches Donghyuck instead.

“Thank you, that sounds very interesting! I'll definitely do that if I end up under your wing.” Donghyuck smiles politely. Yoonoh is friendly, but he wants to see the other grad students and their topics before deciding. Besides, mechanical engineering isn't what he's most interested in.

Yoonoh leans back into his chair, taking the hint. “Alright. I'll see you around on campus, I might even be a TA in one of your classes!” Yoonoh rises from his seat first, offering Donghyuck a handshake. Donghyuck takes it warmly after getting out of his seat, and both him and Xuxi head for the next mentor's table.

After about thirty minutes and halfway through the row of mentors, Donghyuck notices Xuxi getting increasingly anxious with each mentor that they talk to. Sitting down on a cramped seat, having small talk with grad students probably isn't Xuxi’s cup of tea, and he's probably begging to go on a run outside or something. Donghyuck voices those observations, and Xuxi readily confirms, taking it as a chance to leave. He promises to contact Donghyuck so they can sit together for the classes they have together and runs off, probably to expend the pent up energy.

When Donghyuck finally gets to the end of the semi-circle, there are a lot fewer students loitering around, and even less in this corner. The last mentor has his head down, scribbling into a notebook. Donghyuck had noticed him doing that the whole evening, and wonders how many of the freshmen ended up talking to him. Donghyuck sits down, and the shuffling of his seat startles the grad student.

“Oh hello,” the grad student pushes up his glasses and closes his book. “I'm Sicheng, nice to meet you.” Donghyuck smiles, offering a handshake. “Sorry about being distracted just now. There hasn't been that many students approach me so I thought this would be a better use of my time.” Sicheng adds while flipping quickly through his notes for Donghyuck to see. Donghyuck makes out pages and pages of scribbles lined with circuit diagrams and is intrigued.

“Are those…?”

“Ah, I study embedded system designs of bioelectronics, but these are just some random ideas of devices that I might make. I'm trying to propose some ideas for NCT’s use that are so good that they can't refuse to hire me regardless of my level, but we'll have to see how that goes.”

Sicheng’s fiery incentive as a young aspiring engineer resonates with Donghyuck, and he can see glimmers of Dongyoung in Sicheng.

This is it, Donghyuck thinks. This is who I’ve been looking for.

“Sicheng— I'm very very interested in your project. I'd love for you to take me on as your mentee, and I would really like to help you out with your theses, as well as your side project.” He looks all starry-eyed at the stunned grad student.

“I— I don't even know your name,” Sicheng points out, unsure.

“Oh! I'm so sorry.” Donghyuck quickly whips out his holoscreen and sends a request for contact to Sicheng. “I'm Lee Donghyuck, incoming engineering student!”

Sicheng hesitantly pulls out his own holoscreen, examining the profile in front of him. “You’re the 6.8 scholarship recipient?” He immediately frowns, almost as if he thought Donghyuck was playing a trick on him. “Why would you want to be my mentee? Why not Yoonoh? He’s a 7 point something.”

“Sicheng,” Donghyuck puts both his hands in front of him as a sign of sincerity. “His level has no correlation as to whether I find his research topic interesting. I'm more interested in biotech, which is exactly what you're studying.”

Sicheng still looks hesitant, so Donghyuck pushes on. “Your level shouldn't deter people from wanting to be your mentee, and I hope mine doesn't deter you from letting me help with your project. I promise I'll be a good mentee!”

Donghyuck focuses earnestly on Sicheng and watches his finger eventually press accept on his holoscreen. Donghyuck excitedly takes Sicheng’s hand, shaking it vigorously.

“I'm so excited to work with you! I'll submit the mentee application tonight!” Donghyuck smiles brightly, excited at the prospects of working with Sicheng.

Donghyuck and Sicheng talk for the rest of the evening so they can get to know one another, and Donghyuck eventually sees the first semblance of a genuine smile on Sicheng's face.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck returns to the dorm right around dinner time. True to his word, Minhyung is sitting at his desk scrolling through multiple holoscreens of text. He doesn’t look like he’s eaten, so Donghyuck offers to cook.

“You can cook?” Minhyung swivels around on his chair, eyes shining like an excited puppy waiting for his meal.

“Yes sir, what would you like today? I grabbed some groceries from the market just now, but I only got the basics.”

“Anything would be good,” Minhyung looks so excited Donghyuck can almost see the imaginary tail wagging behind him. “I was planning on living on take out for the whole year, thank god you know how to cook,” He pauses, then adds more hesitantly, “but of course you only have to cook when you feel like it though! I don’t want you to think that I’m treating you like a maid or something,”

“Have you never cooked before?” Donghyuck asks curiously while he lays the ingredients on the countertop.

“Ah, a little… I never really had a chance to when I was younger, and then I had canteen food for the rest of my high school years so I haven’t been near a kitchen in years,” Minhyung emphasizes while getting up from his seat.

“Okay, so it’s not that you’re naturally bad, you just haven’t had a chance to practice. I can teach you if you want? Then eventually we can take turns cooking or something,” Donghyuck suggests.

Minhyung perks up immediately. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah, it’s less work in the long run and in the beginning we can treat it as roommate bonding time,” Donghyuck smiles, waving at Minhyung to come over.

In thirty minutes, Donghyuck and Minhyung manage to make beef and kimchi fried rice for the both of them. Minhyung doesn’t know the names of some of the appliances and ingredients, so Donghyuck has a fun time laughing at the names Minhyung comes up with.

“I’m sorry but cornstarch literally looks like every other white powder there is in the kitchen,” Minhyung says with a cute pout on his face while scooping rice into his bowl.

“That’s why the bags are all labeled, hyung!” Donghyuck laughs as he does the same. “How do you like it though? Not bad right?” They’re both sitting on the floor, the bowl of kimchi rice on the coffee table between them.

Minhyung has a big grin on his face, cheeks full of rice. “This is great— I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in so long,” and if Donghyuck notices how Minhyung’s eyes are suspiciously glassy, he doesn’t mention it. They both eat in comfortable silence after that, until the rice is all gone.

“We should have made more so we could pack it for lunch tomorrow,” Donghyuck leans back and pats his stomach after finishing. Minhyung also does the same, eying the bowl as if staring at it would make more rice magically appear.

“What are you planning on doing now?” Donghyuck asks. After all, he has plans tonight, and it would be very humiliating to get caught right after promising Dongyoung to be careful.

“I want to start my readings; I have to make sure I don’t get behind later in the term or it’s not going to be a fun year,” Minhyung shrugs, wrinkling his nose as he pushes his glasses up.

“Ah, ever the studious type I see,” Donghyuck smiles as he starts gathering his plates and Minhyung starts doing the same. “Well, I’m going to the party someone’s hosting for the start of the year so I won’t be back till late. Don’t stay up too late studying, yeah? You don’t want to burn yourself out.”

“Yes I won’t, have fun at the party! Don’t get too drunk, aha,” Minhyung replies as they both head towards the sink.

“Yep,” Donghyuck replies, popping the p, “You won’t have to worry about me,” and gives Minhyung the biggest smile.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

It’s 5 minutes to midnight and Donghyuck is sitting on his bed, legs swinging where his box originally had been placed. He’s moved it to a much safer place now— He knows he made the pact with Minhyung but that was mostly a joke to lighten up the atmosphere. He’s currently in his full gear, waiting, watching his bracelet. It's the one that he'd hidden underneath his hoodie the whole day, and its steady glow of electric-blue peeks through the five dots on the outer rim.

Injun-ah, anytime now.

Within seconds, a portal appears on the wooden floor. Donghyuck checks the doors and windows one last time, then jumps in, and the portal closes soon after.