Chapter Text
The courtyard was a mess of people; students scurrying this way and that as they tried to find shelter from the downpour of rain. It had started with a light drizzle in the early hours of the dawn, but escalated into a full blown torrent by the time mid-morning came around. Not many lingered outside for long, waving goodbye to whoever had dropped them off and quickly disappearing into one of the many buildings littered around the campus. Most headed for one of the dorms, their luggage in tow, but some opted for other shelter: the cafeteria, library, a sparse several even taking a look at the assembly hall. Few, if any, students stayed out in the deluge for longer than necessary, and only one of these few wasn’t even moving, his eyes wide in awe of the scene around him, indifferent to the water that soaked into his once perfectly pressed uniform. A small nametag hung from his shirt, the pin reading ‘Do Kyungsoo’. The campus was a beautiful sight, even in the dreary grey of rain, and one that Kyungsoo had worked long and hard to get a chance at staying at. Yeobo Academy was the most prestigious school around, one whose tuition alone would empty his parents’ bank account six fold, not to mention the secondary costs such as uniforms, food, and books. Still, he had his eyes set on this school for years and in his final year of high school managed to win one of the scarce full scholarships to the academy.
It took a couple more seconds of gawking at the beauty of the quad before Kyungsoo seemed to become aware of his surroundings, cursing the streams of water that trickled down his body as he joined the many rushing towards a building, only to find that it was not his dormitory but rather a large, mostly empty cafeteria. It took no time until he was completely lost; the buildings, though beautiful, all looking vaguely similar under the overcast of clouds. A triangle of roof jutted out high over the ground, providing merciful shelter from the rain, though it did nothing for the cold wind that swept through Kyungsoo’s soaked clothes, chilling him to the core. As he huddled under his makeshift shelter, the sound of footsteps and giggling sounded over the rain, echoing against cobblestone and brick. He looked frantically for the source, dejected eyes brightening at the sight of a pair of students walking together under an umbrella, huddled close together for warmth. It seemed like they were arguing over the effectiveness of the umbrella; the large height difference between the two making it difficult to keep them both dry at once. Despite this, they seemed impartial to the dismal weather, arguing just for the sake of arguing, and their voices brought their own short of sunshine to the sodden grounds as they teased one another.
“Excuse me,” Kyungsoo stammered, arms wrapped around his body as a feeble attempt at warmth. As he approached the pair their talking ceased, breaking eye contact to look him over with warm smiles. Their eyes held no judgement, which Kyungsoo was grateful for, only a cheerful curiosity as they waited for him to speak, “Do you know where I can find the male dormitory?”
The shorter of the pair regarded him curiously for a second, realization dawning on his features. He had a soft face, brown locks streaked with highlights. It was nicely styled, contrasting to the taller, whose black hair sat in a mess on his head. “Yeah, we just came from there actually.” The student nodded, looking back in the direction the two had just come from. He peered back at Kyungsoo, a knowing grin on his face. “You must be new, right? Come on, we’ll show you where it is. I’m Baekhyun. This is my friend slash roommate, Chanyeol.”
At the sound of his name, Chanyeol gave a smile and a wave too happy for the mood of the day, but Kyungsoo was glad for their hospitality. It was mere chance he had found people willing to help his lost, confused self, especially considering it meant they had to back track with him. The three chatted cheerfully the whole way of the short walk, Baekhyun helpfully pointing out buildings of interest along the way. Kyungsoo discovered they were in his year, but unlike him, had been attending since they were freshmen, though they had been friends for much longer.
“There are girl dorms and boy dorms.” Baekhyun was explaining, gesturing as they passed what Kyungsoo guessed was the one designated for girls, “Each is 5 stories tall. Everything you need is on campus, though I suggest doing any shopping for food or clothes or whatever in the city. The prices here are ridiculous. If you do decide to leave campus, just remember not to be out too late. The front gates are closed from midnight to six, so if you get locked out, you are stuck there for the night. Not fun.” Baekhyun made a face at this, as if grimacing from a memory. Kyungsoo wondered if he was talking from personal experience, and had been locked out in one of the years prior. He decided that he wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.
After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at a building that Kyungsoo had passed a couple times before, when he was wandering around lost in the rain. A worn brass plaque was hung beside the heavy double doors, reading “Boys’ Dormitory”. Kyungsoo felt foolish for not seeing it before, even if the weather covered everything in a hazy filter. The doors remained shut, most likely to fend off the bite of the wind, but Kyungsoo could already hear the muffled voices of those within.
“Well, this is it. Me and Yeol are heading to the auditorium. There is a mandatory assembly at one, and we want to get seats in the back so we can sleep through it. You’re welcome to join us.” With a small smile and the pat on the back, they turned and walked back towards the auditorium, leaving Kyungsoo at the doors of the dormitory.
Inside the lobby of the dorm was chaotic. Any attempt of civility was lost as prefects scrambled to keep up with the influx of people in the lobby, matching students with their designated room and providing the code that would grant access to what they were to call home for the next ten months. There were shouts as friends were reunited, grinning and hugging, and Kyungsoo would have been happy for them had they not been adding mass to the already packed area. Most people had attended Yeobo for the entirety of high school, so large groups of reunited friends pushed through the throng of people; their voices loud as they gossiped about their summer and tried to figure out where all of their rooms where located. Kyungsoo chewed on his bottom lip, feeling out of place and, for the second time today, lost. He knew nobody here, this having been his first time on campus. Still, he was grateful for the opportunity; a diploma from Yeobo meant almost a sure acceptance into the many universities dotted around the city. He made his way past huddles of students, managing to catch the attention of one particularly stressed out prefect.
“Do Kyungsoo” he said, voice rising over the commotion of the many people still crammed into the tiny lobby. His fingers fiddled with the straps of his backpack while he waited the short time it took to look up his name, room number, and door key.
“Do… Do… Ah, here it is. Room 407. Fourth floor, end of the hall.” The prefect scribbled the password for the door on a small piece of paper, handing it into the eager hands of Kyungsoo. He said a quick thank you and wished the other luck before quickly turning on his heel and escaping to the elevator, away from the suffocating atmosphere that such a high density of people had created.
The elevator ride up to his floor was blissfully quiet, nobody else concerned with unpacking in the same eagerness that Kyungsoo had. It took his shaking fingers three times to press the buttons of the keypad correctly, and the moment the lock clicked, he was falling into the room, the light he flicked on having to contest it’s brightness with the smile on his face. It was a small but well-furnished room, which was to be expected when you dormed at Yeobo. A single bed was shoved up against the back wall under a window that overlooked part of the campus, framed on one side by a small nightstand and on the other a desk. Though they were expected to share a kitchen with the other students on their floor, each room housed a mini fridge, parked along with a garbage bin under a small amount of counter space hovering an inch above. Against the wall across from the meager kitchenette sat a worn leather couch, settled behind a low table. Kyungsoo was impressed at the way they had managed to fit everything in such a tiny space without making it looked cramped. On the wall to his left, situated beside the couch, a closed door sat, and Kyungsoo assumed it would lead to a bathroom. Looking around the room, he felt pride bloom in his chest. It was small, but it was his. It was home. Even now it seemed surreal. A quick glance at the clock told him he had enough time to unpack before leaving for the assembly, and he put everything away neatly before slipping back out into the hall.
Kyungsoo was startled by the presence of another, whose fingers danced uncertainly over the keypad of the door across the hall. The beeping of the keypad each time he put in the wrong password was punctuated with a soft thud as the boy hit his head against the door, clearly frustrated. At the sound of Kyungsoo clearing his throat, he spun around, his soft looking face tinted pick with embarrassment. He was cute, Kyungsoo noted, his round face and slightly chubby cheeks making him look years younger than he must have been. Gentle looking lips formed themselves into a slight pout; the boy casting his eyes downwards as he suddenly took great interest in grinding his toe into the tile.
“Having difficulties?” Kyungsoo offered kindly, to which the colour of the boy’s cheeks darkened.
“Yeah…” he replied, his voice as soft as his face even though it was full of annoyance, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I did the exact code they gave me, but it’s not working.” He sighed, leaning back against the door, his head hitting the wood with a soft thump. It sighed under his weight but did not open, determined to keep the room to itself.
Though Kyungsoo didn’t know the first thing about digital locks, he squinted at it, as if the answer would be written on the door itself. Discontent with the lack of answers the smooth wood provided, he offered an encouraging smile to the other, “You should go down to the lobby and see if they gave you the right password. You can put your bags in my room for now if you’d like, and I could walk with you down. I was about to leave for the assembly myself, so I’ll be passing by there anyways. I don’t mind.”
The boy brightened at this, his gummy smile contagious enough that Kyungsoo found himself grinning back at him, glad that he could reciprocate the same kindness shown to him earlier. “Really? That would be great. I’m Minseok. Senior.” Minseok held out his hand, and Kyungsoo took without hesitation despite being surprised at the boy’s age. With his childish face, Kyungsoo had thought him to be at least a year younger. He didn’t voice this thought however, as he had just met this new friend and didn’t want to come off as rude.
“Kyungsoo. Senior.”