{infinite; ot7} redemption (o2/?)
Title: redemption (2/?)
Fandom: infinite + ukiss, block b, etc.
Pairing: various
Word count: ~5700
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Lee Howon has long accepted his life as a Beta, at the bottom of South Korea's social class. However, the government gives him and his family an opportunity to join the Alpha class, through the Omega Plan at Sanghwan Academy, but this chance isn't as wonderful as it seems.
A/N: nothing too exciting happens in this very long chapter but you should read it anyways!? hoya is so precious omg, i love writing from his pov :( i also greatly enjoy writing woohyun HAHA
more a/n at the end!
redemption
Despite his new surroundings, Howon's internal clock wakes him just after the break of dawn, the first, feeble rays of sunlight filtering through the crack in the window curtains. Seeing as he remembers seeing them closed when he first entered the room, he decides Myungsoo must have opened them. It's like home, when his mother unpins the coarse cloth that usually blocks out the harsh light of day and lets the day begin; the light is different here, softer because of the dense trees planted around the buildings, but still warm. In contrast to the bustling, dynamic cacophony at home, the school is dead silent, and that makes him nervous yet calm, catching a bit of relaxation before the chaos begins.
With his eyes open, however, it's another matter.
Instead of patchy, dusty brown, his eyes find a creamy shade of blue, smooth and delicate, so strange that Howon bolts straight up in bed and looks around wildly. The room is still relatively dark. Myungsoo is only a lump in his bedsheets, breathing softly, a shadow on the far side of the room. It takes a long moment for Howon to read the clock--a pretty, analog antique-- between their beds, its gentle ticking the loudest sound in the room. It is 5:37 in the morning, and Howon can't help but remember how things would have gone at this time of day at home. For him, school started at six in the morning instead of Sanghwan's 8. His mother and father would be awake already, of course, having had risen out of bed when the sky was still dark, and Howon would find breakfast ready in the kitchen without fail. Sometimes he woke early enough to say goodbye when his father left for work in the fields, usually not. After school, Howon would join him too, but not anymore. Will one less worker make a difference? he asks himself doubtfully. Do Hojae and Hojun miss me? He vaguely wonders whether the others have siblings or not.
The sun has risen almost completely past the horizon when Howon finally climbs out of bed, careful not to disturb Myungsoo as he makes his way to the bathroom. As always in this world, he pauses before entering the room, taken aback again and again by the pearly white bathtub, the smooth, polished counters, the rich rug under his bare feet. The bathtub is an unfamiliar feature but he decides on a shower, to freshen himself up for the day ahead of him.
When he comes out of the bathroom, toweling his head and shivering at the drop in temperature, Myungsoo is awake and greets him with a nod. "Good morning," Howon replies tentatively. As Myungsoo disappears into the bathroom to shower too, Howon crosses to his closet, surprised to find a full wardrobe of clothes in his size. The fabric of the autumn uniform is stiff and strange against his skin, but Howon knows to feel thankful. With these new clothes, he can send back the ones he brought to his brothers, seeing as he doesn't need them.
"Woohyun will be here soon," Myungsoo calls, and Howon peeks into the bathroom to see him styling his hair, fully dressed.
"Oh, I...thanks for the warning," Howon says softly, retreating back to his desk and self-consciously peering at himself in the side mirror. His life has always been focused on things like food or work, not his own appearance, but values are different here. Unsure, he brushes his hair out of his eyes, the brown locks air-drying and still tousled from his shower. At home, his mother would have cut it already, but maybe there's someone here who can do that too. The formal collar of his shirt is also unfamiliar, and he unbuttons the first button, fingers lingering on the Sanghwan crest stitched over his pocket. The thought of his stern but caring father, his sweet, hard-working mother, his gentle older brother and energetic younger one, all of their futures dependent on his work here, makes Howon resolve to study hard. As an Omega, he'll be able to send high quality things home, and maybe even money, clothes, good food.
He stands and takes a deep breath. When he opens the door to leave for breakfast, however, he takes a step back in surprise--Dongwoo is there, standing in front of the doorway. Sungjong is in his usual spot of clinging to Dongwoo's arm, but it's the sight of Woohyun, talking to Dongwoo easily, that throws Howon off. When Myungsoo speaks from behind him, "I'm surprised you didn't speak up sooner," Howon jumps and lets go of the door accidentally, but Dongwoo notices and quickly catches it, holding it open.
Woohyun shrugs flippantly. "Looks like you're not the only one who craves my attention, Kim."
Dongwoo laughs brightly, then directs his grin at Howon. "Jong and I were waiting for you. Aren't you hungry for breakfast?"
"Yeah," Howon manages, shock and gratitude making him clumsy. Dongwoo keeps the door open patiently as Howon hurriedly retrieves his jacket and materials for their morning classes, packed neatly into his bag as instructed. Woohyun and Myungsoo have waited as well, and Howon sees why when the five of them start walking. Somehow, Dongwoo has broken past Woohyun's haughty attitude with a few words and that disarming smile, so that Howon finds himself walking on the other side of Sungjong instead of his usual position by Dongwoo, which Woohyun has claimed. Myungsoo doesn't seem to mind walking at the edge of the group, but Howon can't help but glance towards Dongwoo and Woohyun repeatedly. Only when Sungjong slips a skinny arm into the crook of his own does Howon jerk and realize he's staring; they meet eyes and Sungjong smiles at him, coyly, but doesn't speak.
Breakfast is another plethora of food Howon doesn't know, but he's wiser today and only picks the ones he somewhat recognizes, and some fluffy pastry Sungjong insists is delicious. Sanghwan boasts a variety in nationalities and styles when it comes to food, and even some of the better off Omegas seem wary of a few dishes on the buffet line. He bumps into Sungyeol at the end of the line, almost spilling his plate onto the tall boy, but manages to hold onto its contents. "S-Sorry," he stammers.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Sungyeol answers immediately, putting down his own food. It is considerably fuller, loaded with the same pastry Howon has but covered with something that looks like the molasses his family covets and only uses during the new year. "You didn't put syrup on your pancakes," Sungyeol says with horror, obviously noticing the same.
"No?" Howon says in confusion.
Sungyeol drags him over to the little bowl labeled "Maple Syrup" and liberally ladles syrup until Howon sadly wonders if his pancakes have drowned. They go to the Level 3 table together, where Dongwoo has twisted around to speak with some of the Level 2 Omegas. All of the Level 1's have come down for this meal, clearly close in the way they laugh and joke around and touch without a second thought. Howon sits beside Sunggyu again, and he talks sporadically with Sungyeol in between the other boy's insults and jabs at Woohyun, who has no problem returning them.
Some of the Level 2's, done eating, have come to stand behind Dongwoo as they talk, an easy hand on his shoulder, more laughter. When Howon chances a look at them, the boy with a strong jaw and broad shoulders but a sincere smile, notices. "Hey, I'm Soohyun," he introduces to him, then gestures at his friends. "This is Eli, Kevin, and Kiseop." Eli is the one laughing at the joke Dongwoo just cracked, spiked hair and muscles and, Howon notices with surprise, an arm around Kevin's waist. The effeminate features quickly match him to the blond boy who waved last night at dinner, sweet and delicate. Kiseop is gorgeous as well, but in Woohyun's style rather than Sungjong's, big eyes and straight nose on an angular face.
"Hi," Howon says awkwardly; it feels like he's spending all his time at Sanghwan meeting new people and failing to make friends as easily as everyone else does. "My name is Howon."
"Howon?" Kevin repeats, peering at him with a smile. "Where are you from?"
"Gangjeong," Howon answers. His classmates have always joked that Gangjeong was the smallest village of South Korea, but he's starting to guess their banter was more truth than not. Here in this part of Seoul, everything is bigger and more extravagant. Seoul is the Alpha capital.
"Ooh, far," Kevin says, interested. "How do you like Sanghwan so far? Kiseop and I are from another district of Seoul, so it's not too different than what we grew up with."
"Ah, Seoul?" Howon asks curiously. "Really?"
Kiseop answers instead. "I was born on the outskirts of the city, and went to the local school. When Kevin moved back--he was studying abroad in America--we became friends."
"We both like music," Kevin explains, grinning at Kiseop. "When we made a duet in high school and started singing together at local gigs, our faces made us popular fast. Our Sanghwan letters ended our career, but we'll go back to singing when we're Alphas."
Sungjong pipes up from beside Dongwoo. "We'll hear you two sing before then, right?"
"Sure," Kevin laughs.
"What did you do to get into Sanghwan?" Kiseop asks Howon interestedly, who glances up into his face with a shame that makes his cheeks burn. Judging from his casual tone of voice, the question is a common one once it's clear that looks didn't cause the raise in classes.
"I--I'm not anything special," he mumbles.
Soohyun raises his eyebrows. "That, I doubt. The government doesn't give out things like that tattoo on your neck for free."
A bell rings before Howon can answer, and he picks up his bag hesitantly. "Do you--"
"Know where to go?" Kevin finishes. "Of course. Level 3's out that door, into the West Hallway. And don't be too scared of Professor Jihoon!" He calls a cheery farewell as he and Eli leave first for the opposing East Hallway, followed by the rest of the Level 2's.
The hallway to class is shorter than the one from the dorms to the cafeteria--the way the dorms are laid out, the 3's are the farthest--and Sungjong lets go of Dongwoo to attach himself to Howon. The physical contact makes Howon flustered; neither his brothers, especially Hojun, are particularly inclined to clinging, but Sungjong is always curling a hand around someone's bicep, pressing his skinny body close as if for warmth though the temperature is comfortable. Dongwoo is his usual target, but already Sungjong is tolerated by Myungsoo and even Sunggyu. Being pretty has its benefits, Howon supposes.
As the Minister explained briefly, they would have "Alpha" education in the mornings and more general courses in the afternoon with a different set of teachers. Upon entering the room, they do not sit immediately at the directions of a well-built man sitting at the teacher's desk. He would be handsome if he didn't look so stern, hands folded over his chest as he appraises them with clear, hard eyes. "Sit."
They take their seats silently, Howon reeling at the tiny class of 7 in contrast to the 30, sometimes more, at home, as well as the teacher's attitude. He shrinks back in his seat slightly at that unforgiving glare as the teacher surveys their choices of seating, then snaps for them to stand and sit in alphabetical order by last name, Dongwoo in front and Woohyun in the last seat. Howon sees Sungjong's fingers trembling when they pass each other, and touches his hand lightly to his wrist, hoping to offer comfort. His new seat puts him behind Dongwoo and beside Sungjong, and Howon carefully averts his eyes from the back of the other boy's neck.
"While you are here," the teacher begins again, "you will address me as Professor Jung or Professor Jihoon." He stands and begins pacing around the room, intimidatingly tall. His voice is clipped, sharp, strong. Everything about him expects obedience, and the entire class is quiet without direction.
"You seven are here because you were born into the Beta class but deserved a chance at Alpha. You are here because of the endless planning and hard work and dreams of your families as well as the generosity of the government, and at Sanghwan, we won't let you forget that." Howon thinks of his own family and shivers.
"Here at Sanghwan Academy, we won't only educate you in math and science and literature. We'll introduce you to the biting world you wish to join. For you, the troubles are easily seen, in a grumbling stomach or aching hands. After we're done with you, you'll be begging for them back. Because in our world, our weapons are words, straight into your back. Because in our world, your outside appearance matters the most--because in our world, there are people just waiting for you to stumble and then they'll rip your throat out, for power and money and just for the sadistic fun of it."
Professor Jihoon looks at them for a long moment, and Howon instinctively lowers his eyes when the teacher's eyes pass over him. Woohyun, Howon notices, is sitting straighter than ever, and Sungjong is just short of cowering back into his chair, fingers crossed tightly in his lap.
"We teach you to be confident and proud--some of you need it more than others. We teach you how to survive in society, and you'll get plenty of practice. You'll be protecting your families if you do make it out of here, as well as your own reputations. Remember, appearances come first.
"So let's begin." The Professor briefly outlines what they will learn in the next 3 years, especially the Level 3 Alpha lessons--course names like "Etiquette," "The Art of Appearance," "Linguistics," and other technical-sounding names that fly straight over Howon's head--and eventually he fixes them all with a serious look, appraising their faces, and gives a short goodbye before he leaves. Howon groans under his breath, pressing his forehead onto his desk, and misses the next person entering the room.
"I'm Professor Daniel, but you can just call me Tablo," he says, leaning back against the desk and examining them with much friendlier eyes. "Mithra and I will be in charge of your education here at Sanghwan this year--we were, in part, in charge of selecting the seven of you for Level 3." At that, Howon shifts uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if it would be weird if he asked Tablo and Mithra why he'd been selected, without seeming ungrateful or unworthy. For all he knew, a question like that could send him back home; the meals and room he'd had for the past two days definitely would not be cheap.
"Jihoon only left me twenty minutes with you guys today, so I didn't plan any coursework in particular for now to lunch," Tablo says thoughtfully. "How many of you have computers?"
When everyone but he and Sungyeol raise their hands, Howon is not surprised. He has seen Myungsoo's already, and he caught a glimpse of the pink laptop case in Sungjong's bag earlier.
"Okay," Tablo nods. "We'll get the two of you computers to use while you're here at school, and then we can just talk. Sound good?"
At the murmur of vague agreement, Tablo straightens, beckoning for Howon and Sungyeol to follow him down the hall they came, pulling out the key for a storage room Howon hadn't noticed on the way to class. "You guys are in luck--most students come with their own laptops, so the good ones aren't even taken."
Sungyeol rushes into the room immediately, pouring over the gleaming electronics lined up neatly along the far wall. "Oh, man, these are the best!"
Hesitating, Howon follows at a slower pace, unable to differentiate which computers are better. Sungyeol, however, is happy to explain, rambling freely as he points around the room. In the end, Sungyeol selects a glossy black laptop he claims has the fastest connection to the internet, which makes Tablo laugh, and Howon just picks a vaguely familiar looking blue one that he later realizes is the same model as Myungsoo's. He wonders if he can get designs on his own too, then laughs at himself for being so shallow.
Back in the classroom, Woohyun has leaned back as far as his seat will allow, talking at Myungsoo and ignoring a just as silent Sunggyu, and Dongwoo has turned around completely in to chatter with Sungjong, who looks much more relaxed than before. Even so, Howon gently touches his shoulder on the way to his seat, the precious computer in the other arm.
"Oh, you're back," Sungjong says brightly, and Dongwoo looks up to greet Howon with a grin so open and welcoming it makes Howon's chest tighten.
Howon takes his own seat, surprised when Sungjong and Dongwoo turn automatically to include him in their conversation. "We were just talking about our hobbies," Sungjong explains. "What do you do in your spare time?"
"I--what did I do?" Howon asks.
"Yeah, for fun," Dongwoo says. "Jongie and I both like to dance, for instance!"
"Different styles though. I could never do hiphop," Sungjong laughs.
"I'm hoping you can, though, seeing as you certainly have the body type for it," Dongwoo says, his gaze expectant.
It hurts to disappoint him. "I--I--don't dance," Howon confesses, somehow feeling ashamed. "Back at home, I studied and helped my mother around the house when I wasn't working or at school. I guess I...never had the time to develop other interests."
"You'll have to try it here, then--dance, I mean," Sungjong pleads. "It's fun."
"It really is," Dongwoo tells him excitedly. "There's nothing like it. Honestly."
Howon caves to the two of them embarrassingly quickly, agreeing to join them later to search for the practice rooms Kiseop told Dongwoo about earlier. With the generous amount of time they have allotted for meals and the time after classes--thankfully, neither Professor Jihoon or Tablo gave them homework--they will be able to explore the school on their own. Howon has never seen buildings so big and lavish, let alone stepped foot in one. That he's going to be living here for the next three years makes him curious to find out just how Alphas live.
Claiming to be benevolent, Tablo dismisses them early, but the lunch bell sounds about a minute after they leave the room, which makes Myungsoo roll his eyes. Howon tags along with Dongwoo and Sungjong as is becoming his habit, and allows himself to be pulled forward to walk by Sungjong's side as per usual too.
"I'm starving," Woohyun complains as they near the cafeteria, and Howon bites his lip to hold back an uncharacteristically sharp retort. Woohyun, with his sleek hair and ostentatious style, such as today's tight leather jacket and the silver jeans hanging low on his hips, his obvious air of luxury and Alpha, has never known hunger the way Betas do. The way Howon does, all too well--the insistent growl of his stomach, roaring in his ears when he cannot sate it; the constant despair of watching Hojun whine weakly about rice cakes and kimchi to him and Hojae, the feeble promise of a trip past the local bakery. It's no use being over-sensitive, even if Woohyun has unintentionally touched upon a nerve, but Howon looks at the buffet of food laid out before them to eat, and he knows that he won't forget to be grateful, that Woohyun will never understand what it's like to actually starve.
"Are you okay, Howon?" Dongwoo asks, placing a warm, large hand on Howon's forearm. The touch jerks him out of his thoughts, a hot flush spreading over his skin.
"I--I'm fine," Howon says, his tongue thick and awkward, blotting his words. "Just a bit hungry."
They sit at the table on either side of Sungjong after they get their food, and this time Howon finds himself across from Sunggyu and beside Woohyun. Despite his whining earlier, Woohyun is speaking much more than he is eating, delicately pushing his food around his plate as he rants to an ever-patient Myungsoo. He has his peas lined up in four perfect lines of five, then he rearranges it to five lines of four before he slowly eats two and tries three by six, two by nine. Howon finally tears his eyes away to meet Sungjong's expectant gaze. "What?" he fumbles, trying to cover his lapse in concentration.
Sungjong laughs easily. "I said, do you want to go now or later? To find the dance rooms."
"Couldn't we just ask Kiseop or Eli?" Howon asks. A glance over at the Level 2 table shows the laughing camaraderie Howon has gotten used to from the group. Kevin is tucked under Eli's arm as he chats with Kiseop, and Soohyun seems to be lecturing the smallest boy at the table. This boy is almost as little as Sungjong but not quite as skinny, lean and relaxed. His face is facing away from them, and all Howon can see is his black, smooth hair, and his laughing profile when he turns to talk to the two muscular, more mature-looking guys beside him; judging by Soohyun's irritated expression, the boy is teasing about his paternal tendencies. The Level 1 table is even more unfamiliar than these three, and Howon glimpses a flash of red hair--a brighter shade than Sungjong's--and maybe even an unconventional bright blond among the black before he returns his eyes back to Sungjong and Dongwoo.
"What would be the fun in that?" Dongwoo asks, actually pouting. "We should make it a quest!"
Howon laughs. "The quest to find the dance practice rooms?"
"We can come up with a better name later," Dongwoo says, carefree. "My point is, we should have fun while we search! we might find other cool things even if we get lost in here."
Sungjong is, unsurprisingly, all for this idea, and wins Howon over with clinging hands and pouts much more effective than Dongwoo's. By then, however, lunch only has enough time to greet the Level 2's and, in Howon's case, run back to his room to retrieve a notebook, and then Howon finds himself in another classroom. This time, the seven seats are arranged in a semi-circle around the room, facing forward towards the teacher's desk and the board. It isn't blackboard and chalk like Howon has always known, instead a panel elevated off the wall with multitudes of wire and cording coming out of the sides and quickly disappearing into the walls.
"Hello, and welcome to Sanghwan," says the female of the two teachers after they're all seated, free to choose their own places. Her smile is warm, hair twisted up into a bun and exposing her elegant neck, her pale skin. "I am Professor Boa Kwon, and this is Professor Lee Seunggi. We'll be covering the more standard part of your schooling here."
"Subjects like math, science, literature," offers Professor Seunggi. "We leave the specialized classes to the morning classes." He is tall and handsome in an open, comforting way, his trim, black suit a contrast to Professor Boa's floral print dress. Despite the same formal wear, he is significantly less intimidating than Professor Jihoon.
Sungyeol's hand shoots into the air. "Will we have a lot of homework?"
Professor Boa laughs. "Unfortunately so. But don't worry, we aren't cruel."
There are no syllabi to go over, no threatening speeches made, and Howon finds himself relaxing around these two good-natured teachers. He finds himself actually looking forward to the classes he'd grown up taking and enjoying, textbooks and exercises are familiar in this otherwise new world, and Howon is glad.
"We'll take a general diagnostic test tomorrow," Professor Seunggi says before they leave for dinner. "Just to see how all of you are doing--there's no need to study anything." The bell rings at the end of his sentence, and Howon grabs his things and follows Dongwoo and Sungjong into the hallway.
"They both seem nice," Sungjong says, pleased, as he slots his arm through Howon's. He takes Dongwoo's hand in his other one, tugging him close as they walk.
"Nicer than Professor Jihoon," Dongwoo remarks, laughing to take the bite off of his words. "Are we going to go looking for the dance practice rooms after we eat dinner? I didn't expect to get no homework on the first day. Isn't Sanghwan supposed to be really intense? It is an Alpha-rate school, after all."
"We might as well enjoy it while we can," Howon says with a nod of agreement. He doesn't mind the thought of a workload--it's been too long since he's worked hard, and his easy passing of time here these past couple days have been a nice break but subtly uncomfortable; his mind and body are too used to heavy toiling to fully relax.
Sungjong makes a face. "I hate homework."
Dinner is quiet, mostly because Woohyun finishes his tiny meal extremely quickly and drags Myungsoo off in the direction of the South Hallway where the shops and salons are apparently located. Howon catches a bit of a rant, "I have nothing to wear!" as Woohyun passes---besides his appearance, Woohyun already has Alpha characteristics and tendencies cultivated--and refuses to let himself feel bitter. After all, Sanghwan has a uniform dress code on the weekdays.
When they are done with their food, Howon and Dongwoo wait for Sungjong to finish eating as well, Howon seated beside him and Dongwoo wandering over to the Level 2 table to talk about his first day of lessons. When Howon looks at them, Kevin catches his eye and gives him a friendly smile, inclining his head in a gesture for him to join them.
"I'm almost done, if you want to go talk to them," Sungjong mumbles through a mouthful of food, apparently watching Dongwoo as well.
"No, it's okay," Howon says. "I'll wait for you."
Sungjong swallows, taking a sip of water, and smiles at him. Though his sweet smile is definitely prettier than Hojun's clumsy grin of crooked teeth and too much gum, it fills Howon with the same warmth.
When Sungjong's emptied tray is taken away, Dongwoo notices immediately, cheerily bidding his Level 2 friends goodbye and good night before joining Howon and Sungjong. "Where do you want to start?"
Sungjong picks the North Hallway, seeing as East would be their own dorms and Dongwoo learned from Soohyun that the West houses the Level 2's. Despite the fancy decor of red and black designs on cream walls, however, there isn't much to this long hallway of closed doors and unfamiliar nameplates. When they reach the end of the hall, they simply turn around and start walking back.
"D'you think these are the Level 1 dorms?" Sungjong asks curiously.
Before Dongwoo or Howon can reply, one of the doors open and a boy steps out, noticing them with surprise. He's the one with red hair that Howon noticed earlier, with a broad build and a face made for smiling, judging by the gentle, curving lines around his mouth. He is unsurprisingly good-looking, Omega tattoo dark against his neck. "Oh," he says.
"Sorry, we were just looking around," Dongwoo says, his voice casual.
"This hall is just our dorms," the boy replies. "If you want the shops, you'll have to go to the South Hallway."
"Thank you," Sungjong says, politely, sweetly.
He is about to reply, but someone shouts, "Yukwon!" from behind him, forcing him to turn around and go back into his room with a sigh. The door closes behind him, labeled "Kim Yukwon and Lee Minhyuk."
The three of them continue on their way, finding the South Hallway directly across the building. This part of the school is significantly richer, if it was possible, with glittering gold, smooth marble, expensive furnishing everywhere. And, with every shop and boutique, people. Howon hadn't seen any of the staff since the Beta woman who showed him in on his first day, but how his former tattoo peers out at him behind long hair and turned up collars. Betas run the cashier, sweep the floor, and straighten displays of every shop. They do much better than the Betas out in the rural areas, but devastatingly worse than the Omegas and Alphas. Besides the teachers, not a single Alpha steps foot in Sanghwan.
Dongwoo spots Woohyun and Myungsoo in one of the men's clothing stores and promptly veers off the main path and into the shop to say hello; Howon, caught off guard, can only follow him to the cologne stand where Woohyun is currently offering his wrist to Myungsoo for a sniff.
"Woohyun," Myungsoo is saying, a bit impatiently. "It smells the same as the last one, and the one before that. Can I go try on my shirts now?" On further examination, Howon sees the bundle of plaid fabric he holds in one arm.
"They'll all fit you and they'll all look great," Woohyun says without looking up from the tiny bottle in his hands. "Why do you need so much plaid anyways? You just got, like, 10 fedoras."
"Not my fault you're colorblind," Myungsoo says drily. "I don't know why you're getting so many bottles of the same cologne."
"They're different," Woohyun snaps. He looks up and catches sight of Dongwoo, dragging him over to smell. Howon stands off to the side, staring at a sunglasses display as Sungjong chats with Myungsoo about his plaid shirts. With his natural charm, Sungjong has the taciturn Myungsoo talking naturally, and Howon only wishes he could draw Myungsoo out of his shell so easily. Listening to their conversation reveals a past career of modeling for a few Alpha friends on Myungsoo's part, but not how he knows them. Dongwoo and Woohyun wrap things up with the decision to get all three bottles and the two groups are on their way again.
Dongwoo explains what he's learned about purchasing things at Sanghwan at Sungjong's prodding. They all have credit accounts, apparently, with an unlimited capacity. Things like boarding and food are automatically counted, and then the extra items are added when bought in the stores. If they pass their exams, the debt will be unconditionally erased; if not, that's the amount to be paid back. Howon immediately decides to refrain from getting anything extra to make sure the money won't be any harder to repay than it should be. The toy shop he passes at that moment, boasting the toy trucks and planes Hojun has begged for since he learned what they were, makes the promise hard to keep. He makes a note to come back sometime, then has to run to catch up to Dongwoo and Sungjong.
Eventually, the shops end in a flurry of salons and saunas, and more artistic-oriented things begin. Howon opens a door to a complete theater, stage and audience empty but clearly kept in good condition, while Sungjong finds a room filled with different art mediums, including a filled canvas signed "Hoon" messily in a corner beside a work in progress. Music is the next few rooms, with brass and woodwind instruments laid out neatly, and they hear the sound of a gentle, wistful melody from a grand piano; Sungjong peeks in and reports Sunggyu has, predictably, beat them to the South Hallway.
It is Dongwoo who hits the jackpot, pulling the door open to a huge room with smooth, wooden flooring and a wall completely made of mirrors. He cries out in delight, running into the room, "We found it!" He is clearly at home in a room like this.
Sungjong follows, catching onto Dongwoo's infectious mood, and they roll around the floor and laugh as Howon follows them inside hesitantly. He notices a stereo tucked into the corner and several CD's in a disarray around it despite a post-it note saying, "Eli, don't mess up the CD's!" A black sweatshirt lays beside the stereo in a heap, accidentally forgotten in a place its owner frequents enough not to rush back for it. A peek next door yields another practice room, identical in set up but personalized with a small refrigerator and a two-doored closet labeled "Minhyuk and Yukwon" on one side and "Zico" on the other. The clock high up on the wall, a surprisingly girly one shaped like a white cat, "Hello Kitty," reports the time 10:49pm. It's getting late.
"Howon?" calls Dongwoo from the doorway. "Oh, is this the Level 1's dance practice room? We found a cabinet in the other room with things belonging to some of the Level 2's--Eli and Jaeseop and Hoonmin."
"Ah--yeah," Howon says. "There's the guy we saw earlier, Yukwon. And his roommate, Minhyuk. And a Zico." He gestures at the closet.
"The oldest of the Level 1's? Interesting," Dongwoo says, coming over to look. His body, still radiating heat from his earlier excitement, is so close it makes Howon nervous, but it would be rude to move away when all Dongwoo is doing is looking at some labels over his shoulder. He inhales deeply, curling his fingers into fists in his pockets.
"Let's get going," he says finally. "It's late and we have class tomorrow."
His voice must give away more of his nerves than he is willing to let on, because Dongwoo draws back sharply, giving him a confused look before nodding in agreement. He does not speak again until they meet up with Sungjong next door.
A/N: basically, me @ tlist: would it be too shameful to write "to see Myungsoo carefully styling his hair, naked save for a towel slung low on his hips."
tlist: NO OF COURSE NOT DO IT DO IT DO IT
me: I--I CANT
also, i know this kind of seems like hojong so far but no! i have better plans for these guys 8)
and the professors are going by their first names because professor jung could just as easily be dbsk's yunho, kwon could be jiyong (gd from bigbang), and dont even get me started on lee :| so not to be informal and awkward but its necessary..........
Fandom: infinite + ukiss, block b, etc.
Pairing: various
Word count: ~5700
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Lee Howon has long accepted his life as a Beta, at the bottom of South Korea's social class. However, the government gives him and his family an opportunity to join the Alpha class, through the Omega Plan at Sanghwan Academy, but this chance isn't as wonderful as it seems.
A/N: nothing too exciting happens in this very long chapter but you should read it anyways!? hoya is so precious omg, i love writing from his pov :( i also greatly enjoy writing woohyun HAHA
more a/n at the end!
redemption
Despite his new surroundings, Howon's internal clock wakes him just after the break of dawn, the first, feeble rays of sunlight filtering through the crack in the window curtains. Seeing as he remembers seeing them closed when he first entered the room, he decides Myungsoo must have opened them. It's like home, when his mother unpins the coarse cloth that usually blocks out the harsh light of day and lets the day begin; the light is different here, softer because of the dense trees planted around the buildings, but still warm. In contrast to the bustling, dynamic cacophony at home, the school is dead silent, and that makes him nervous yet calm, catching a bit of relaxation before the chaos begins.
With his eyes open, however, it's another matter.
Instead of patchy, dusty brown, his eyes find a creamy shade of blue, smooth and delicate, so strange that Howon bolts straight up in bed and looks around wildly. The room is still relatively dark. Myungsoo is only a lump in his bedsheets, breathing softly, a shadow on the far side of the room. It takes a long moment for Howon to read the clock--a pretty, analog antique-- between their beds, its gentle ticking the loudest sound in the room. It is 5:37 in the morning, and Howon can't help but remember how things would have gone at this time of day at home. For him, school started at six in the morning instead of Sanghwan's 8. His mother and father would be awake already, of course, having had risen out of bed when the sky was still dark, and Howon would find breakfast ready in the kitchen without fail. Sometimes he woke early enough to say goodbye when his father left for work in the fields, usually not. After school, Howon would join him too, but not anymore. Will one less worker make a difference? he asks himself doubtfully. Do Hojae and Hojun miss me? He vaguely wonders whether the others have siblings or not.
The sun has risen almost completely past the horizon when Howon finally climbs out of bed, careful not to disturb Myungsoo as he makes his way to the bathroom. As always in this world, he pauses before entering the room, taken aback again and again by the pearly white bathtub, the smooth, polished counters, the rich rug under his bare feet. The bathtub is an unfamiliar feature but he decides on a shower, to freshen himself up for the day ahead of him.
When he comes out of the bathroom, toweling his head and shivering at the drop in temperature, Myungsoo is awake and greets him with a nod. "Good morning," Howon replies tentatively. As Myungsoo disappears into the bathroom to shower too, Howon crosses to his closet, surprised to find a full wardrobe of clothes in his size. The fabric of the autumn uniform is stiff and strange against his skin, but Howon knows to feel thankful. With these new clothes, he can send back the ones he brought to his brothers, seeing as he doesn't need them.
"Woohyun will be here soon," Myungsoo calls, and Howon peeks into the bathroom to see him styling his hair, fully dressed.
"Oh, I...thanks for the warning," Howon says softly, retreating back to his desk and self-consciously peering at himself in the side mirror. His life has always been focused on things like food or work, not his own appearance, but values are different here. Unsure, he brushes his hair out of his eyes, the brown locks air-drying and still tousled from his shower. At home, his mother would have cut it already, but maybe there's someone here who can do that too. The formal collar of his shirt is also unfamiliar, and he unbuttons the first button, fingers lingering on the Sanghwan crest stitched over his pocket. The thought of his stern but caring father, his sweet, hard-working mother, his gentle older brother and energetic younger one, all of their futures dependent on his work here, makes Howon resolve to study hard. As an Omega, he'll be able to send high quality things home, and maybe even money, clothes, good food.
He stands and takes a deep breath. When he opens the door to leave for breakfast, however, he takes a step back in surprise--Dongwoo is there, standing in front of the doorway. Sungjong is in his usual spot of clinging to Dongwoo's arm, but it's the sight of Woohyun, talking to Dongwoo easily, that throws Howon off. When Myungsoo speaks from behind him, "I'm surprised you didn't speak up sooner," Howon jumps and lets go of the door accidentally, but Dongwoo notices and quickly catches it, holding it open.
Woohyun shrugs flippantly. "Looks like you're not the only one who craves my attention, Kim."
Dongwoo laughs brightly, then directs his grin at Howon. "Jong and I were waiting for you. Aren't you hungry for breakfast?"
"Yeah," Howon manages, shock and gratitude making him clumsy. Dongwoo keeps the door open patiently as Howon hurriedly retrieves his jacket and materials for their morning classes, packed neatly into his bag as instructed. Woohyun and Myungsoo have waited as well, and Howon sees why when the five of them start walking. Somehow, Dongwoo has broken past Woohyun's haughty attitude with a few words and that disarming smile, so that Howon finds himself walking on the other side of Sungjong instead of his usual position by Dongwoo, which Woohyun has claimed. Myungsoo doesn't seem to mind walking at the edge of the group, but Howon can't help but glance towards Dongwoo and Woohyun repeatedly. Only when Sungjong slips a skinny arm into the crook of his own does Howon jerk and realize he's staring; they meet eyes and Sungjong smiles at him, coyly, but doesn't speak.
Breakfast is another plethora of food Howon doesn't know, but he's wiser today and only picks the ones he somewhat recognizes, and some fluffy pastry Sungjong insists is delicious. Sanghwan boasts a variety in nationalities and styles when it comes to food, and even some of the better off Omegas seem wary of a few dishes on the buffet line. He bumps into Sungyeol at the end of the line, almost spilling his plate onto the tall boy, but manages to hold onto its contents. "S-Sorry," he stammers.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Sungyeol answers immediately, putting down his own food. It is considerably fuller, loaded with the same pastry Howon has but covered with something that looks like the molasses his family covets and only uses during the new year. "You didn't put syrup on your pancakes," Sungyeol says with horror, obviously noticing the same.
"No?" Howon says in confusion.
Sungyeol drags him over to the little bowl labeled "Maple Syrup" and liberally ladles syrup until Howon sadly wonders if his pancakes have drowned. They go to the Level 3 table together, where Dongwoo has twisted around to speak with some of the Level 2 Omegas. All of the Level 1's have come down for this meal, clearly close in the way they laugh and joke around and touch without a second thought. Howon sits beside Sunggyu again, and he talks sporadically with Sungyeol in between the other boy's insults and jabs at Woohyun, who has no problem returning them.
Some of the Level 2's, done eating, have come to stand behind Dongwoo as they talk, an easy hand on his shoulder, more laughter. When Howon chances a look at them, the boy with a strong jaw and broad shoulders but a sincere smile, notices. "Hey, I'm Soohyun," he introduces to him, then gestures at his friends. "This is Eli, Kevin, and Kiseop." Eli is the one laughing at the joke Dongwoo just cracked, spiked hair and muscles and, Howon notices with surprise, an arm around Kevin's waist. The effeminate features quickly match him to the blond boy who waved last night at dinner, sweet and delicate. Kiseop is gorgeous as well, but in Woohyun's style rather than Sungjong's, big eyes and straight nose on an angular face.
"Hi," Howon says awkwardly; it feels like he's spending all his time at Sanghwan meeting new people and failing to make friends as easily as everyone else does. "My name is Howon."
"Howon?" Kevin repeats, peering at him with a smile. "Where are you from?"
"Gangjeong," Howon answers. His classmates have always joked that Gangjeong was the smallest village of South Korea, but he's starting to guess their banter was more truth than not. Here in this part of Seoul, everything is bigger and more extravagant. Seoul is the Alpha capital.
"Ooh, far," Kevin says, interested. "How do you like Sanghwan so far? Kiseop and I are from another district of Seoul, so it's not too different than what we grew up with."
"Ah, Seoul?" Howon asks curiously. "Really?"
Kiseop answers instead. "I was born on the outskirts of the city, and went to the local school. When Kevin moved back--he was studying abroad in America--we became friends."
"We both like music," Kevin explains, grinning at Kiseop. "When we made a duet in high school and started singing together at local gigs, our faces made us popular fast. Our Sanghwan letters ended our career, but we'll go back to singing when we're Alphas."
Sungjong pipes up from beside Dongwoo. "We'll hear you two sing before then, right?"
"Sure," Kevin laughs.
"What did you do to get into Sanghwan?" Kiseop asks Howon interestedly, who glances up into his face with a shame that makes his cheeks burn. Judging from his casual tone of voice, the question is a common one once it's clear that looks didn't cause the raise in classes.
"I--I'm not anything special," he mumbles.
Soohyun raises his eyebrows. "That, I doubt. The government doesn't give out things like that tattoo on your neck for free."
A bell rings before Howon can answer, and he picks up his bag hesitantly. "Do you--"
"Know where to go?" Kevin finishes. "Of course. Level 3's out that door, into the West Hallway. And don't be too scared of Professor Jihoon!" He calls a cheery farewell as he and Eli leave first for the opposing East Hallway, followed by the rest of the Level 2's.
The hallway to class is shorter than the one from the dorms to the cafeteria--the way the dorms are laid out, the 3's are the farthest--and Sungjong lets go of Dongwoo to attach himself to Howon. The physical contact makes Howon flustered; neither his brothers, especially Hojun, are particularly inclined to clinging, but Sungjong is always curling a hand around someone's bicep, pressing his skinny body close as if for warmth though the temperature is comfortable. Dongwoo is his usual target, but already Sungjong is tolerated by Myungsoo and even Sunggyu. Being pretty has its benefits, Howon supposes.
As the Minister explained briefly, they would have "Alpha" education in the mornings and more general courses in the afternoon with a different set of teachers. Upon entering the room, they do not sit immediately at the directions of a well-built man sitting at the teacher's desk. He would be handsome if he didn't look so stern, hands folded over his chest as he appraises them with clear, hard eyes. "Sit."
They take their seats silently, Howon reeling at the tiny class of 7 in contrast to the 30, sometimes more, at home, as well as the teacher's attitude. He shrinks back in his seat slightly at that unforgiving glare as the teacher surveys their choices of seating, then snaps for them to stand and sit in alphabetical order by last name, Dongwoo in front and Woohyun in the last seat. Howon sees Sungjong's fingers trembling when they pass each other, and touches his hand lightly to his wrist, hoping to offer comfort. His new seat puts him behind Dongwoo and beside Sungjong, and Howon carefully averts his eyes from the back of the other boy's neck.
"While you are here," the teacher begins again, "you will address me as Professor Jung or Professor Jihoon." He stands and begins pacing around the room, intimidatingly tall. His voice is clipped, sharp, strong. Everything about him expects obedience, and the entire class is quiet without direction.
"You seven are here because you were born into the Beta class but deserved a chance at Alpha. You are here because of the endless planning and hard work and dreams of your families as well as the generosity of the government, and at Sanghwan, we won't let you forget that." Howon thinks of his own family and shivers.
"Here at Sanghwan Academy, we won't only educate you in math and science and literature. We'll introduce you to the biting world you wish to join. For you, the troubles are easily seen, in a grumbling stomach or aching hands. After we're done with you, you'll be begging for them back. Because in our world, our weapons are words, straight into your back. Because in our world, your outside appearance matters the most--because in our world, there are people just waiting for you to stumble and then they'll rip your throat out, for power and money and just for the sadistic fun of it."
Professor Jihoon looks at them for a long moment, and Howon instinctively lowers his eyes when the teacher's eyes pass over him. Woohyun, Howon notices, is sitting straighter than ever, and Sungjong is just short of cowering back into his chair, fingers crossed tightly in his lap.
"We teach you to be confident and proud--some of you need it more than others. We teach you how to survive in society, and you'll get plenty of practice. You'll be protecting your families if you do make it out of here, as well as your own reputations. Remember, appearances come first.
"So let's begin." The Professor briefly outlines what they will learn in the next 3 years, especially the Level 3 Alpha lessons--course names like "Etiquette," "The Art of Appearance," "Linguistics," and other technical-sounding names that fly straight over Howon's head--and eventually he fixes them all with a serious look, appraising their faces, and gives a short goodbye before he leaves. Howon groans under his breath, pressing his forehead onto his desk, and misses the next person entering the room.
"I'm Professor Daniel, but you can just call me Tablo," he says, leaning back against the desk and examining them with much friendlier eyes. "Mithra and I will be in charge of your education here at Sanghwan this year--we were, in part, in charge of selecting the seven of you for Level 3." At that, Howon shifts uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if it would be weird if he asked Tablo and Mithra why he'd been selected, without seeming ungrateful or unworthy. For all he knew, a question like that could send him back home; the meals and room he'd had for the past two days definitely would not be cheap.
"Jihoon only left me twenty minutes with you guys today, so I didn't plan any coursework in particular for now to lunch," Tablo says thoughtfully. "How many of you have computers?"
When everyone but he and Sungyeol raise their hands, Howon is not surprised. He has seen Myungsoo's already, and he caught a glimpse of the pink laptop case in Sungjong's bag earlier.
"Okay," Tablo nods. "We'll get the two of you computers to use while you're here at school, and then we can just talk. Sound good?"
At the murmur of vague agreement, Tablo straightens, beckoning for Howon and Sungyeol to follow him down the hall they came, pulling out the key for a storage room Howon hadn't noticed on the way to class. "You guys are in luck--most students come with their own laptops, so the good ones aren't even taken."
Sungyeol rushes into the room immediately, pouring over the gleaming electronics lined up neatly along the far wall. "Oh, man, these are the best!"
Hesitating, Howon follows at a slower pace, unable to differentiate which computers are better. Sungyeol, however, is happy to explain, rambling freely as he points around the room. In the end, Sungyeol selects a glossy black laptop he claims has the fastest connection to the internet, which makes Tablo laugh, and Howon just picks a vaguely familiar looking blue one that he later realizes is the same model as Myungsoo's. He wonders if he can get designs on his own too, then laughs at himself for being so shallow.
Back in the classroom, Woohyun has leaned back as far as his seat will allow, talking at Myungsoo and ignoring a just as silent Sunggyu, and Dongwoo has turned around completely in to chatter with Sungjong, who looks much more relaxed than before. Even so, Howon gently touches his shoulder on the way to his seat, the precious computer in the other arm.
"Oh, you're back," Sungjong says brightly, and Dongwoo looks up to greet Howon with a grin so open and welcoming it makes Howon's chest tighten.
Howon takes his own seat, surprised when Sungjong and Dongwoo turn automatically to include him in their conversation. "We were just talking about our hobbies," Sungjong explains. "What do you do in your spare time?"
"I--what did I do?" Howon asks.
"Yeah, for fun," Dongwoo says. "Jongie and I both like to dance, for instance!"
"Different styles though. I could never do hiphop," Sungjong laughs.
"I'm hoping you can, though, seeing as you certainly have the body type for it," Dongwoo says, his gaze expectant.
It hurts to disappoint him. "I--I--don't dance," Howon confesses, somehow feeling ashamed. "Back at home, I studied and helped my mother around the house when I wasn't working or at school. I guess I...never had the time to develop other interests."
"You'll have to try it here, then--dance, I mean," Sungjong pleads. "It's fun."
"It really is," Dongwoo tells him excitedly. "There's nothing like it. Honestly."
Howon caves to the two of them embarrassingly quickly, agreeing to join them later to search for the practice rooms Kiseop told Dongwoo about earlier. With the generous amount of time they have allotted for meals and the time after classes--thankfully, neither Professor Jihoon or Tablo gave them homework--they will be able to explore the school on their own. Howon has never seen buildings so big and lavish, let alone stepped foot in one. That he's going to be living here for the next three years makes him curious to find out just how Alphas live.
Claiming to be benevolent, Tablo dismisses them early, but the lunch bell sounds about a minute after they leave the room, which makes Myungsoo roll his eyes. Howon tags along with Dongwoo and Sungjong as is becoming his habit, and allows himself to be pulled forward to walk by Sungjong's side as per usual too.
"I'm starving," Woohyun complains as they near the cafeteria, and Howon bites his lip to hold back an uncharacteristically sharp retort. Woohyun, with his sleek hair and ostentatious style, such as today's tight leather jacket and the silver jeans hanging low on his hips, his obvious air of luxury and Alpha, has never known hunger the way Betas do. The way Howon does, all too well--the insistent growl of his stomach, roaring in his ears when he cannot sate it; the constant despair of watching Hojun whine weakly about rice cakes and kimchi to him and Hojae, the feeble promise of a trip past the local bakery. It's no use being over-sensitive, even if Woohyun has unintentionally touched upon a nerve, but Howon looks at the buffet of food laid out before them to eat, and he knows that he won't forget to be grateful, that Woohyun will never understand what it's like to actually starve.
"Are you okay, Howon?" Dongwoo asks, placing a warm, large hand on Howon's forearm. The touch jerks him out of his thoughts, a hot flush spreading over his skin.
"I--I'm fine," Howon says, his tongue thick and awkward, blotting his words. "Just a bit hungry."
They sit at the table on either side of Sungjong after they get their food, and this time Howon finds himself across from Sunggyu and beside Woohyun. Despite his whining earlier, Woohyun is speaking much more than he is eating, delicately pushing his food around his plate as he rants to an ever-patient Myungsoo. He has his peas lined up in four perfect lines of five, then he rearranges it to five lines of four before he slowly eats two and tries three by six, two by nine. Howon finally tears his eyes away to meet Sungjong's expectant gaze. "What?" he fumbles, trying to cover his lapse in concentration.
Sungjong laughs easily. "I said, do you want to go now or later? To find the dance rooms."
"Couldn't we just ask Kiseop or Eli?" Howon asks. A glance over at the Level 2 table shows the laughing camaraderie Howon has gotten used to from the group. Kevin is tucked under Eli's arm as he chats with Kiseop, and Soohyun seems to be lecturing the smallest boy at the table. This boy is almost as little as Sungjong but not quite as skinny, lean and relaxed. His face is facing away from them, and all Howon can see is his black, smooth hair, and his laughing profile when he turns to talk to the two muscular, more mature-looking guys beside him; judging by Soohyun's irritated expression, the boy is teasing about his paternal tendencies. The Level 1 table is even more unfamiliar than these three, and Howon glimpses a flash of red hair--a brighter shade than Sungjong's--and maybe even an unconventional bright blond among the black before he returns his eyes back to Sungjong and Dongwoo.
"What would be the fun in that?" Dongwoo asks, actually pouting. "We should make it a quest!"
Howon laughs. "The quest to find the dance practice rooms?"
"We can come up with a better name later," Dongwoo says, carefree. "My point is, we should have fun while we search! we might find other cool things even if we get lost in here."
Sungjong is, unsurprisingly, all for this idea, and wins Howon over with clinging hands and pouts much more effective than Dongwoo's. By then, however, lunch only has enough time to greet the Level 2's and, in Howon's case, run back to his room to retrieve a notebook, and then Howon finds himself in another classroom. This time, the seven seats are arranged in a semi-circle around the room, facing forward towards the teacher's desk and the board. It isn't blackboard and chalk like Howon has always known, instead a panel elevated off the wall with multitudes of wire and cording coming out of the sides and quickly disappearing into the walls.
"Hello, and welcome to Sanghwan," says the female of the two teachers after they're all seated, free to choose their own places. Her smile is warm, hair twisted up into a bun and exposing her elegant neck, her pale skin. "I am Professor Boa Kwon, and this is Professor Lee Seunggi. We'll be covering the more standard part of your schooling here."
"Subjects like math, science, literature," offers Professor Seunggi. "We leave the specialized classes to the morning classes." He is tall and handsome in an open, comforting way, his trim, black suit a contrast to Professor Boa's floral print dress. Despite the same formal wear, he is significantly less intimidating than Professor Jihoon.
Sungyeol's hand shoots into the air. "Will we have a lot of homework?"
Professor Boa laughs. "Unfortunately so. But don't worry, we aren't cruel."
There are no syllabi to go over, no threatening speeches made, and Howon finds himself relaxing around these two good-natured teachers. He finds himself actually looking forward to the classes he'd grown up taking and enjoying, textbooks and exercises are familiar in this otherwise new world, and Howon is glad.
"We'll take a general diagnostic test tomorrow," Professor Seunggi says before they leave for dinner. "Just to see how all of you are doing--there's no need to study anything." The bell rings at the end of his sentence, and Howon grabs his things and follows Dongwoo and Sungjong into the hallway.
"They both seem nice," Sungjong says, pleased, as he slots his arm through Howon's. He takes Dongwoo's hand in his other one, tugging him close as they walk.
"Nicer than Professor Jihoon," Dongwoo remarks, laughing to take the bite off of his words. "Are we going to go looking for the dance practice rooms after we eat dinner? I didn't expect to get no homework on the first day. Isn't Sanghwan supposed to be really intense? It is an Alpha-rate school, after all."
"We might as well enjoy it while we can," Howon says with a nod of agreement. He doesn't mind the thought of a workload--it's been too long since he's worked hard, and his easy passing of time here these past couple days have been a nice break but subtly uncomfortable; his mind and body are too used to heavy toiling to fully relax.
Sungjong makes a face. "I hate homework."
Dinner is quiet, mostly because Woohyun finishes his tiny meal extremely quickly and drags Myungsoo off in the direction of the South Hallway where the shops and salons are apparently located. Howon catches a bit of a rant, "I have nothing to wear!" as Woohyun passes---besides his appearance, Woohyun already has Alpha characteristics and tendencies cultivated--and refuses to let himself feel bitter. After all, Sanghwan has a uniform dress code on the weekdays.
When they are done with their food, Howon and Dongwoo wait for Sungjong to finish eating as well, Howon seated beside him and Dongwoo wandering over to the Level 2 table to talk about his first day of lessons. When Howon looks at them, Kevin catches his eye and gives him a friendly smile, inclining his head in a gesture for him to join them.
"I'm almost done, if you want to go talk to them," Sungjong mumbles through a mouthful of food, apparently watching Dongwoo as well.
"No, it's okay," Howon says. "I'll wait for you."
Sungjong swallows, taking a sip of water, and smiles at him. Though his sweet smile is definitely prettier than Hojun's clumsy grin of crooked teeth and too much gum, it fills Howon with the same warmth.
When Sungjong's emptied tray is taken away, Dongwoo notices immediately, cheerily bidding his Level 2 friends goodbye and good night before joining Howon and Sungjong. "Where do you want to start?"
Sungjong picks the North Hallway, seeing as East would be their own dorms and Dongwoo learned from Soohyun that the West houses the Level 2's. Despite the fancy decor of red and black designs on cream walls, however, there isn't much to this long hallway of closed doors and unfamiliar nameplates. When they reach the end of the hall, they simply turn around and start walking back.
"D'you think these are the Level 1 dorms?" Sungjong asks curiously.
Before Dongwoo or Howon can reply, one of the doors open and a boy steps out, noticing them with surprise. He's the one with red hair that Howon noticed earlier, with a broad build and a face made for smiling, judging by the gentle, curving lines around his mouth. He is unsurprisingly good-looking, Omega tattoo dark against his neck. "Oh," he says.
"Sorry, we were just looking around," Dongwoo says, his voice casual.
"This hall is just our dorms," the boy replies. "If you want the shops, you'll have to go to the South Hallway."
"Thank you," Sungjong says, politely, sweetly.
He is about to reply, but someone shouts, "Yukwon!" from behind him, forcing him to turn around and go back into his room with a sigh. The door closes behind him, labeled "Kim Yukwon and Lee Minhyuk."
The three of them continue on their way, finding the South Hallway directly across the building. This part of the school is significantly richer, if it was possible, with glittering gold, smooth marble, expensive furnishing everywhere. And, with every shop and boutique, people. Howon hadn't seen any of the staff since the Beta woman who showed him in on his first day, but how his former tattoo peers out at him behind long hair and turned up collars. Betas run the cashier, sweep the floor, and straighten displays of every shop. They do much better than the Betas out in the rural areas, but devastatingly worse than the Omegas and Alphas. Besides the teachers, not a single Alpha steps foot in Sanghwan.
Dongwoo spots Woohyun and Myungsoo in one of the men's clothing stores and promptly veers off the main path and into the shop to say hello; Howon, caught off guard, can only follow him to the cologne stand where Woohyun is currently offering his wrist to Myungsoo for a sniff.
"Woohyun," Myungsoo is saying, a bit impatiently. "It smells the same as the last one, and the one before that. Can I go try on my shirts now?" On further examination, Howon sees the bundle of plaid fabric he holds in one arm.
"They'll all fit you and they'll all look great," Woohyun says without looking up from the tiny bottle in his hands. "Why do you need so much plaid anyways? You just got, like, 10 fedoras."
"Not my fault you're colorblind," Myungsoo says drily. "I don't know why you're getting so many bottles of the same cologne."
"They're different," Woohyun snaps. He looks up and catches sight of Dongwoo, dragging him over to smell. Howon stands off to the side, staring at a sunglasses display as Sungjong chats with Myungsoo about his plaid shirts. With his natural charm, Sungjong has the taciturn Myungsoo talking naturally, and Howon only wishes he could draw Myungsoo out of his shell so easily. Listening to their conversation reveals a past career of modeling for a few Alpha friends on Myungsoo's part, but not how he knows them. Dongwoo and Woohyun wrap things up with the decision to get all three bottles and the two groups are on their way again.
Dongwoo explains what he's learned about purchasing things at Sanghwan at Sungjong's prodding. They all have credit accounts, apparently, with an unlimited capacity. Things like boarding and food are automatically counted, and then the extra items are added when bought in the stores. If they pass their exams, the debt will be unconditionally erased; if not, that's the amount to be paid back. Howon immediately decides to refrain from getting anything extra to make sure the money won't be any harder to repay than it should be. The toy shop he passes at that moment, boasting the toy trucks and planes Hojun has begged for since he learned what they were, makes the promise hard to keep. He makes a note to come back sometime, then has to run to catch up to Dongwoo and Sungjong.
Eventually, the shops end in a flurry of salons and saunas, and more artistic-oriented things begin. Howon opens a door to a complete theater, stage and audience empty but clearly kept in good condition, while Sungjong finds a room filled with different art mediums, including a filled canvas signed "Hoon" messily in a corner beside a work in progress. Music is the next few rooms, with brass and woodwind instruments laid out neatly, and they hear the sound of a gentle, wistful melody from a grand piano; Sungjong peeks in and reports Sunggyu has, predictably, beat them to the South Hallway.
It is Dongwoo who hits the jackpot, pulling the door open to a huge room with smooth, wooden flooring and a wall completely made of mirrors. He cries out in delight, running into the room, "We found it!" He is clearly at home in a room like this.
Sungjong follows, catching onto Dongwoo's infectious mood, and they roll around the floor and laugh as Howon follows them inside hesitantly. He notices a stereo tucked into the corner and several CD's in a disarray around it despite a post-it note saying, "Eli, don't mess up the CD's!" A black sweatshirt lays beside the stereo in a heap, accidentally forgotten in a place its owner frequents enough not to rush back for it. A peek next door yields another practice room, identical in set up but personalized with a small refrigerator and a two-doored closet labeled "Minhyuk and Yukwon" on one side and "Zico" on the other. The clock high up on the wall, a surprisingly girly one shaped like a white cat, "Hello Kitty," reports the time 10:49pm. It's getting late.
"Howon?" calls Dongwoo from the doorway. "Oh, is this the Level 1's dance practice room? We found a cabinet in the other room with things belonging to some of the Level 2's--Eli and Jaeseop and Hoonmin."
"Ah--yeah," Howon says. "There's the guy we saw earlier, Yukwon. And his roommate, Minhyuk. And a Zico." He gestures at the closet.
"The oldest of the Level 1's? Interesting," Dongwoo says, coming over to look. His body, still radiating heat from his earlier excitement, is so close it makes Howon nervous, but it would be rude to move away when all Dongwoo is doing is looking at some labels over his shoulder. He inhales deeply, curling his fingers into fists in his pockets.
"Let's get going," he says finally. "It's late and we have class tomorrow."
His voice must give away more of his nerves than he is willing to let on, because Dongwoo draws back sharply, giving him a confused look before nodding in agreement. He does not speak again until they meet up with Sungjong next door.
A/N: basically, me @ tlist: would it be too shameful to write "to see Myungsoo carefully styling his hair, naked save for a towel slung low on his hips."
tlist: NO OF COURSE NOT DO IT DO IT DO IT
me: I--I CANT
also, i know this kind of seems like hojong so far but no! i have better plans for these guys 8)
and the professors are going by their first names because professor jung could just as easily be dbsk's yunho, kwon could be jiyong (gd from bigbang), and dont even get me started on lee :| so not to be informal and awkward but its necessary..........