[One-Shot] Into the New World

Aug 07, 2010 16:50

Into the New World by knowmonsta

Jonghyun/Taemin; Onew/Key; Minho/Nichkhun / PG-13 / 2,644 words / AU

Summary: Four teens experience their first year of college which includes annoyance at late night parties, a Resident Assistant that seems to pop up randomly, stress from classes, and romance at every corner.

On move in day Jonghyun experiences one of the downsides of dorm life first hand.

"There's no air conditioning!" he yells angrily into his cell phone receiver. "This is bullshit!"

His best friend on the other end, Kim Kibum, laughs.

"My building has air conditioning," he says cheerfully. "And the building itself is practically new. They just built it last year."

"Well screw you and your new building," Jonghyun says bitterly. He makes a mental note to buy several portable fans. "Now meet me outside of your building so we can eat, I'm starving."

*

Kibum comes back from lunch with Jonghyun to see that his roommate has arrived and is in the middle of unpacking. He's a tall, skinny, male that looks much too young to be in college.

"Hi, I'm Lee Taemin," he says brightly. "It's nice to meet you!"

Something about his tone of voice makes Kibum want to tackle him into a hug. He resists the urge and smiles back instead.

"Kim Kibum, nice to meet you too," he replies. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen," Taemin replies. "I've skipped a couple of grades. My parents thought that I should stay with students my own age but I couldn't wait to go to college. This'll be fun, don't you think?"

His eyes are so bright and his enthusiasm is so large. Kibum can't bear to disagree with him.

"Yeah," he says beaming. "It'll definitely be fun."

They continue to talk as Taemin unpacks his things and with each sentence exchanged Kibum grows more and more worried. Taemin is far too innocent and that's the last thing that anyone should be when stepping foot into a completely different environment. He decides to protect Taemin as much as possible while they're roommates.

*

Choi Minho got into college on a full soccer scholarship. He's extremely active and competitive. His hobbies include exercising and reading fitness magazines. So when he meets his roommate he can see right away that things aren't going to work out. Kim Jonghyun looks like the thought of exercising would make him complain.

"So what do you do for fun?" he asks Jonghyun.

"I like to sing," the male replies. Minho blinks. Yep, this was going to be a very weird year.

*

Lee Jinki smiles as he stands back and admires the front door of his dorm room. It's decorated in red paper and at the top are the words 'Resident Assistant' in silver cut out letters. Under the words is a picture of Jinki smiling warmly at the camera.

"That looks inviting enough," he says. "I hope."

He decides to go back in his room and write a few positive messages in bright markers to put on his wall, just to make sure.

*

Kibum invites Jonghyun over to see his fully decorated room and is both surprised and terrified to find that he is much more interested in looking at something else. Or more like someone else.

"So you're Kibum's roommate?" he says grinning and Taemin nods in response. "You're cute! And I'm his best friend Jonghyun by the way."

"Thank you," Taemin says embarrassed. "I'm Taemin."

"Jonghyun what do you think about the curtains?" Kibum asks, annoyed at being ignored.

"Yeah, yeah, they're great," Jonghyun says waving a hand and turning his attention back to Taemin who is slowing turning pink. "So where are you from?"

Kibum sighs and flops down on his bed. However his annoyance with Jonghyun fades as he views Jonghyun and Taemin's conversation. There's clearly a connection there with the way Jonghyun hangs on his every word and Taemin can't keep eye contact for long. By the time Jonghyun leaves Taemin is smitten and Kibum is amused and still a bit scared. Protecting Taemin is a lost cause now. This isn't the kind of thing that anyone can be protected from.

*

The beginning of campus life begins after the first month of classes. The Campus Fair is held and Clubs and teams of all kinds start to advertise for new membership. The entire campus becomes set on finding a group that's best for them.

"The Modeling Club sounds perfect," Kibum says as he looks at the club master list flyer. "Wanna join with me Taemin?"

"I was thinking about joining this break dancing crew actually," Taemin replies as he looks at the same list.

"That sounds like fun," Jonghyun says as he and Minho join them and Taemin jumps a foot in the air. "I was thinking about joining Glee Club."

"Oh great," Minho groans. "As if I don't hear you sing enough in the dorm room."

"Payback for all of the times that you stay up all night watching soccer games," Jonghyun replies grinning.

They reach the Glee club booth to see a smiling student with glasses.

"Hi Jinki!" Taemin exclaims and Jonghyun blinks.

"You know him?" he asks and Kibum smirks as he hears the jealousy in Jonghyun's voice.

"He's our RA," he says and Jinki nods affirming.

"Are you guys thinking about joining the Glee Club?" he asks.

"He is," Minho says quickly pushing Jonghyun to the front.

"Great!" Jinki replies, being not at all bothered by the drop in assumed applicants. "All you have to do is write your name and email on this piece of paper and we'll contact you about our first meeting of the year!"

"Cool!" Jonghyun exclaims as he signs the clipboard Jinki places in front of him. "I look forward to it!"

He finds himself dragged to the soccer team tryouts seconds later.

*

Kibum enjoys being a member of the Modeling Club but he thinks that Minho might be enjoying his membership a bit more. He uses waiting for Kibum after meetings as an excuse to peer inside of the club's office. And each time Kibum asks him what he's up to, he pretends to be clueless.

"Why do you keep coming if you're not going to take part in the actual meeting?" he asks confused.

He gets his answer as seconds later he notices that Minho's eyes are following a male who just left the meeting room and is heading down the hallway. He has light skin and blond hair. Kibum smiles.

"That's Nichkhun," he says and Minho turns his attention back to him. "He's pretty nice. Would you like me to introduce you after the next meeting?"

"Sure!" Minho says excitedly. "I mean…that would be cool."

Kibum rolls his eyes.

*

Taemin thinks that being a part of a club that ends meetings at night time is unfortunate. The walk from the dance studio to his dorm takes ten minutes and it's not the most pleasant thing to do when it's dark and you can hear the rustle of leaves, owls hooting and frogs croaking.

It's while he's standing on the porch of the Fine Arts building, debating whether or not to use the phone number Jinki gave him to call Campus Escort Services that Jonghyun shows up, carrying a towel and a water bottle.

"You haven't been waiting long, have you?" he asks and Taemin looks surprised as the bottle is handed to him.

"How did you - ?"

"Jinki told me," Jonghyun says with a grin as he drapes the towel over Taemin's sweat soaked hair. "I don't mind walking with you if you want me to."

Taemin grins and takes a swing from the water bottle.

"I'd like that."

*

Far be it from Kibum to want to interfere with a person's social life. But there are times like tonight that a man needs his rest after staying up the previous night to finish a paper and the noise from one of the rooms down the hall is preventing him from going to sleep. This, coupled with Taemin's snores made it unbearable for him. He throws off his sheets, puts on his pajamas, storms out of his room and bangs on Jinki's door. Jinki answers it a few seconds later, wearing nothing but a cotton tank top and shorts.

"What's wrong?" he asks, and Kibum raises an eyebrow.

"Do you not hear the incredibly loud amount of noise coming from the rooms at the end of the hall?" he asks.

"Not really, I was wearing headphones," Jinki explains. "It's a wonder that I heard you."

"Well can you get them to shut up?" Kibum asks annoyed. "I'd do it myself but I can't afford to get expelled for violence."

"Yeah, that wouldn't good," Jinki replies amused. "I'll take care of it after I get dressed, alright?"

"Thank you," Kibum replies gratefully.

"…was there something else?" Jinki asks and Kibum realizes that he's been staring just a bit too long.

"Well," he says quickly. "You should also watch what you wear when you answer the door and all."

"Right," Jinki says, sheepishly.

"Right," Kibum repeats. "Well goodnight, Jinki."

"Goodnight."

*

Minho's first soccer game brings out feelings of excitement and anxiety. He's the only freshman on the team, beating out fifty other candidates that included students who were in higher classifications than him. He knows that his team mates expect him to be great, and he's not sure that he can deliver.

He steps out on the field and takes a deep breath, making a vow to do his best. As the captains of each team shake hands he takes a look at the crowd. Right in the first row above the team's bench are Jonghyun, Taemin, Kibum, and Jinki holding a banner with the words 'Go Choi Minho!'. Kibum smiles and nonchalantly points a thumb over his shoulder. A few rows up, Minho sees Nichkhun smiling at him. He grins and the worries of failing become a distant memory as he waves at them all.

"Are you ready?" the team captain asks him as he returns to his team's side of the field. Minho grins and nods.

"I was born ready," he says.

They win the game three to two thanks to Minho's goal at the buzzer.

*

Jonghyun sees Taemin as a huge motivator when it comes to getting his schoolwork done because Taemin's a genius and he doesn't want to look lame in comparison. He stubbornly sits at his computer desk, completing homework assignments days before they're due and starting term papers early. He studies for hours at a time and only breaks to eat.

When he receives a 'B-' on his Algebra I quiz he feels disappointed. But Taemin smiles, hugs him and exclaims, "yay Jjong you passed! Let's go see a movie to celebrate!"

"Should I be studying to get an 'A'?" Jonghyun asks. "I mean look at you, you got a perfect grade!"

Taemin lets out a loud, long sigh.

"This whole study obsession hasn't been about me, has it?" he asks. "I don't need you to be a smarty pants try hard. If you did your best, that's fine with me. No matter the grade, okay?"

"…okay," Jonghyun replies, surprised.

"Great!" Taemin says satisfied. "Now let's go watch that movie! You need a break from your dorm room."

Jonghyun couldn't agree more.

*

Jinki likes being involved in so many associations and activities on campus. It'll look good on a job application in the future. In addition it gives him a chance to conveniently run into a certain person around campus.

"You're the coordinator of the secret admirer candy gram thing?" Kibum asks as he reaches the front of the booth's line.

"Yep!" Jinki exclaims cheerfully as he hands Kibum a candy gram form.

"You're also the promotional events coordinator of the Glee Club, treasurer of the Student Government Association, President and Founder of the students Who Love Food Club, and my Resident Assistant. Where do you find the time?!"

"I make it," Jinki replies grinning. "And speaking of the Students Who Love Food Club, we're having an open taste testing day tomorrow. You should come. I make some awesome fried chicken."

Kibum smiles.

"I'll make sure that I stop by," he says.

On Valentines' Day Jinki and Kibum each receive one anonymously given candy gram, though it doesn't take a genius to figure out the senders.

*

First dates are always a bit awkward and it's no different for Minho and Nichkhun. Words are difficult to come by and eventually the conversation stops completely and is replaced by the sound of chopsticks moving and glasses colliding with the table.

"I've got an idea," Nichkhun says a minute later, grinning. "Why don't we move to an environment that's in your element?"

Three hours later they're still outside on the grass in the courtyard between a few of the campus buildings, talking nonstop and kicking a soccer ball back and forth to each other. Kibum, Jonghyun, Taemin, and Jinki watch unnoticed from the steps of an academic building across the street from the courtyard with perplexed faces.

"Is this a date or a practice?" Jonghyun asks.

"This is…odd to say the least," Kibum says, shaking his head.

"I think it's cute!" Taemin says.

"To each their own," Jinki comments with a smile, just glad that things turned out well in the end.

*

With finals in two weeks Jinki decides to put together a study session.

"Ugh I've already had enough studying to last me a lifetime," Jonghyun says miserably and Taemin laughs.

"Can we start with Biology?" Kibum asks. "That stuff is like a foreign language to me."

"Speaking of foreign languages, my English could use some work," Minho says.

"I can help you with that," Nichkhun tells him.

"Hold up guys," Jinki says, "one subject at a time."

After the first four hours the study session becomes a paper ball fight and six tired bodies hit the floor of Jinki's room.

"Well, we did as much as our attention spans would allow," Jinki says.

"That's your nice way of saying that we're doomed, right?" Kibum asks.

They pass the exams with flying colors, and Jonghyun dumps all of his notes minutes after seeing his grades.

*

"Now don't forget to call me this summer okay?" Kibum says as he gives Taemin one final hug before he leaves.

"Of course!" Taemin replies. "And we'll be roommates next year too right? I don't think that I'll be able to focus if I room with Jjong."

"I understand completely," Kibum says as he glances down the hallway at Jinki's room. "We're staying in the same place next year so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Great!" Taemin says happily and Kibum laughs and hugs him again. "I'll see you three months from now."

"Goodbye!" Kibum says as Taemin exits the hallway and into the stairwell. He goes back into the room and packs the last of his things. As he zips the bag Jinki knocks on the door.

"Leaving?" he asks.

"Yeah," Kibum says as he sits on the now sheet-less mattress and Jinki sits next to him. "My parents will be here any minute. What about you?"

"I've got another week here," he says. "Ten of the students on this floor still have finals that go into next week and I can't leave until everyone is gone. And I have some room condition evaluations to go through."

"That sucks," Kibum says and Jinki laughs.

"Only because you're going home so early," he says and Kibum smiles. "You'll call me over the summer won't you?"

"I'll think about it," Kibum replies but quickly adds "I was just kidding! Geesh!" when Jinki frowns a little.

Jinki walks Kibum out to the front of the dorm building ten minutes later and Kibum gives him a quick hug before he gets into his parents car. Jinki waves at him until the car disappears around the corner and then returns back inside to finalize the preparations for his RA job next year, a school year that he hopes will be just as eventful as the last.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

pairing: kim jonghyun/lee taemin, pairing: nichkhun/choi minho, group: shinee, rating: pg-13, pairing: onew/key

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