Chapter Text
“They were careless people—they smashed up things and then retreated back into their money and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Yunho has never seen something so grand before. Something so excessively large it’s almost like a mini-town. He can’t even believe he walks on a tiny bridge over a river just to reach the university’s front doors. Was there no better use of all the money thrown at the university?
Though the university seemed to disappoint him, it still didn’t change that he was in awe of its campus and architecture.
Prestige University. The place where the people at the top of the world send their children. Its academics were rigorous, its athletics competing with little to none, and the professors each had multiple degrees and awards on their belts. It was the dream school. Attending it meant you were set for life, but of course that only applied to the people who could afford it.
Until his mother exposed her affair with the ambassador, leaving Yunho to live as the bastard son of his absent father—Ambassador Jeong Doyun. Now, he’s forced to attend Prestige so that his “father” can live up to his caring and loving image. After all, he only wanted the best for his son.
Yunho hated that he’d been used as some pawn in a game of wealth and status, and he hates even more than it won’t be the last time he’ll be used to push some other political agenda. Especially when he’s entering a university of this caliber.
His step-mother, a kind woman even though Yunho was living proof of her husband's infidelity, had laid out his uniform on his bed the night before. It had been sent to him just a few weeks back and he remembers looking at the box, thinking it had more value than most of his clothing.
She had carefully pressed the white dress shirt, the gray trousers, and the gray blazer with the Prestige logo embroidered on, his initials on its pocket. Its lapels were bordered with a deep crimson, almost too dark to see the red tone, the tie a matching color. He thinks his mother would’ve freaked out when she had seen the uniform, but she’s somewhere else now, living lavishly on the money his father paid her to clarify that he had no idea Yunho was born.
A lot of money had been thrown on that lie, but his mother was convinced they’d both be better off and happier this way. Her with loads of hush money, and him living in a delicate show-and-tell of politics and wealth.
He was never meant for this world.
Yunho has never minded uniforms, however, so he certainly doesn’t mind the one he wears now. Uniforms were meant to make everyone seem the same. However, he doubts uniforms do much to hide the wealth of each student at Prestige.
He ignored the glances of students who surrounded the school, coming and going through the doors. Their whispers to each other and judging eyes didn’t bother him, he didn’t think they were any better than him. He thinks they are the worst, really.
The inside of the university is just as beautiful as the outdoors. Smooth concrete floors, bright lights, and a clean appearance. Once again, things seemed bigger than they needed to be. He looks up at the ceilings. Higher than they needed to be, too.
His gaze moves from the ceiling as he sees someone approaching him from his peripheral and he glances over, noticing the man who appears to be the same height as him, if not an inch shorter. His uniform seems to be all out of place and that's enough for Yunho to know the man had status here. Enough that teachers passing by didn’t tell him to fix it as he’d seen them do for others.
Yunho nearly feels his heart stop when he recognizes the face of the student approaching him.
“Never thought I’d see you here,” Mingi says, voice low but it’s not surprising. It suits him, Yunho thinks. He’d always had a deep voice when they were younger, but that was nearly seven years ago. Mingi’s eyes unabashedly moved up and down Yunho’s appearance, assessing it, as many others already had. Or maybe he was processing how different Yunho was from the young boy he was when Mingi dissappeared.
Yunho’s forced back into the reality that he was seeing Mingi again after all these years when he feels his bag slip from his shoulders. He hikes it back up, trying his best to appear casual.
“Why? Because I was so beneath you?” Yunho says cooly, narrowing his gaze at Mingi whose eyes widen.
“N-no, of course not—” Mingi stutters, “I just—”
“Save it. I’d rather we be strangers than suffer with being old friends.” Yunho cuts him off, giving Mingi a sharp look that makes the younger swallow tightly.
“Suffering is a strong word.” Mingi finally says, seeming to regain what little composure he had at the start.
“It’s accurate.” Yunho corrects, and he glances past Mingi, down the hall where students opened lockers, chatted, and roamed. He’s surprised his words haven’t given Mingi the message that he doesn’t want to chat. Or maybe they did and Mingi was just chosing to ignore it.
“What happened back then—” Mingi stops himself, and Yunho’s gaze flits back to Mingi. Truly, the last thing he needed right now was a half-assed apology for Mingi being a shitty person, “I’m different now.”
Yunho stares at him, “Is that supposed to be an apology?”
Mingi’s lips part slightly, then shut once more. Yunho scoffs, but he wishes he could say he was surprised. Mingi was a distant part of his past, and Yunho didn’t need him dragged into his present or future.
“Leave me alone, Mingi.” Yunho says, walking past Mingi with the slight shove to his shoulder. He doesn’t get far, though, when Mingi reaches for his wrist, holding him back. Yunho turns, glaring at Mingi.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” Mingi questions. Yunho stares at him. Mingi looked so much like the person Yunho once knew, but his face had grown mature, his height skyrocketed, and he carried a different air—the same air every stupidly rich person carried. He was a stranger in designer clothing.
But perhaps thats how he looked to Mingi now too.
“I do.” Yunho simply says. He was headed to the headmistress's office because she wanted to personally greet him when he arrived, surely to maintain good relations with the ambassador.
Mingi hums, still holding Yunho’s wrist. Yunho’s eyes fall to the man’s neck, out of sheer subconscious curiosity if the alpha still smelt the same, or if it had changed. Yunho’s lips pressed into lines at the scent patches at each scent gland and he could imagine that he had the same patches over the other scent glances on his wrists. Then he’s questioning why he’d want to know what Mingi smelt like—and why he was itching to smell that familiar sweet cinnamon.
“You don’t have patches.” Mingi notices, his own eyes having fallen to Yunho’s neck once he sees him do the same. The patches are a part of the uniform, he knows that. Yunho also knows that the patches do little to nothing considering the amount of scents wafting through the air. It’s interesting, however, that the patches seem to work with Mingi. Maybe others also decided against patches to either flaunt their scent or sub-gender, or maybe to entice others.
Yunho had forgone scent patches because he’d learned how to control his own scent without the need of itchy patches. It also gave no key into what his subgender was, considering only omegas and alpha’s really wore patches.
“No, I don’t.” Yunho decides to confirm Mingi’s statement rather than offer any other words, and Mingi’s eyes meet his, almost intrigued yet concerned. Yunho thinks its insulting for Mingi to look at him like he cared.
“They’re dress code, you know.” Mingi points out and Yunho hums. He does know, so he only stares at the alpha disinterested. “You’re breaking the dress code.”
Yunho sighs, “Are you going to write me up then?”
Mingi blinks, seeming to be taken aback by Yunho’s sharp words and tone, “No, I–”
“Then does it matter?” Yunho raises his brows at the younger, cutting him off quickly, and he feels like he can read each emotion and thought that comes across Mingi’s face. Disbelief, offense, curiosity. Good, as long as there wasn’t concern.
“It’s your first day.” Mining seems to say after gathering his thoughts together, and Yunho once again sighs.
“Your point?” Mingi’s eyes widen slightly before he scoffs.
“I only wanted to help, but suit yourself.” Yunho’s lips press into a thin line, and he adjusts his backpack on his shoulder.
“Because the poor kid needs it, right?” Yunho narrows his eyes, rolling his eyes as he sidesteps the man, someone who was truly a stranger now. Yunho has no desire to converse with him because he hates the people who think they are better for simply being wealthier. Especially those who grew to wealth and understood what it meant to be poor.
Even in his own elevated status and wealth, he doesn’t think he could get so blindsided by money considering it was only being thrown at him to keep up appearances. Not out of love.
Mingi lets him go this time and Yunho is grateful that he seems to finally want to leave Yunho alone. He rounds the corner, seeing the doors to his intended destination at the end. A man leans on the wall beside it, his leg kicked up behind the wall as he scrolls on his phone, a small lollipop in his mouth.
He is quite beautiful, as it seems the university doesn’t have a shortage of beautiful people. His detached look, however, makes him look bored. He doesn’t seem to notice Yunho, at least not until Yunho is pushing the headmistress' doors open and he glances over, making brief eye contact before Yunho is inside the office.
The woman at the desk stands up immediately, her hands out with a large smile, “Yunho!” She rounds her desk, walking up to Yunho with her hand outstretched, “It’s a pleasure to meet and welcome you to Prestige. I am Headmistress Park.” He shakes her hand with a polite smile.
“It's a pleasure to be here.” Maybe the people weren’t the most pleasant, but he does think being here is important to his future. It was certainly a much better education than the college he studied at before. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to study here, where dreams seemed so much closer than before. Not only that, but he wouldn’t have to live in the suffocatingly large house his father owned and try to act cordial with him.
She gestured to a seat that was placed before her desk and he sat, just as she did the same against the edge of her desk.
“I’m glad.” She smiles, yet it doesn’t entirely meet her eyes. “The move-in was well, I hope?”
“Yes, it was.” He nods. He’d moved in just a few days ago, or rather, his things were moved for him. As soon as he could, Yunho wanted out of his father’s house, so he was eager to get comfortable in a different space. The dorms were extravagant in a way that seemed fitting for a school so exclusive. They were also separated into two buildings. Omegas and alphas. The omega’s dorms were in Elysian House and the alpha’s in Aetherian House.
Betas were placed in either; however, Yunho knew that betas were rare when it came to influential and wealthy families. They were discouraged from letting betas into their bloodlines, deeming them too ordinary to have any meaning. Every marriage was always between an alpha and an omega. It was the way things were as families got wealthier. It’s why his mother was never taken seriously by his father. He doubts he’ll truly find a beta wandering these halls.
“Well,” She sits up from her seat on the desk and moves back behind it, “There will be a new year orientation at 8:45, but until then, I have assigned a student to give you a tour of the campus and hopefully you will have some time to sort out your locker and so on. I assumed you didn’t need a tour of the dorms.”
Yunho shakes his head.
“I understand the switch to a new school can be hard, and the switch to this school specifically will be especially challenging, but it’s important you uphold the academic requirements.” Her face grows serious and Yunho nods, swallowing tightly. Maybe not even his father’s money was enough to keep him here.
“Don’t let the students here get to you, hm? You belong here as much as everyone else does.” Yunho nods, though he feels like laughing. She seems to want to reassure him that even as a bastard son, he still had as much value as everyone else. Maybe in a world without money and power, he really would. But they weren’t in that kind of world. He was of less value because he was the product of an affair. He wasn’t stupid.
“I doubt you’ll have much trouble getting accustomed, however. You seem like a bright kid.” She smiles at him and Yunho can only mirror it with a humble thanks.
“Well, you should get started on the tour now. Your guide, Yeosang, is just outside the door.” She dismisses him and he nods, thinking back to the pretty man, disinterested and casual. He isn’t sure how he has become a tour guide for the school, but regardless. He stands, bowing to Headmistress Park before he exits the office, glancing over at the man—Yeosang, who looks up at him.
He takes the lollipop from his mouth, “Jeong Yunho, I’m guessing.” Yunho nods, confirming.
“Kang Yeosang, I’ll give you a tour.” The man introduces himself and Yunho isn’t used to recognizing last names. He must be the son of Assemblyman Kang Yechul.
If he’s right, wasn’t he the husband of Headmistriss Park?
That might explain why he was a tourguide, Yunho thinks.
Yeosang pushes off the wall, beginning to walk ahead and Yunho follows, just a pace behind him. He doesn’t want to guess if Yeosang was the son of the assemblyman or not, so he tries his best to pay attention as Yeosang gestures around the halls.
“Classes are down that way, and athletics are up that hall to the right. It’s a separate building since no one likes wearing scent patches when working out and no one likes to smell a bunch of sweating alphas and omegas.” Yeosang explains, and Yunho isn’t sure if Yeosang adds the last bit to truly explain why they had another building dedicated just to their athletics or simply to say it. Yeosang glances back at him, down to his neck, then straight ahead, “Are you a beta?”
Yunho is surprised by the question, partially because no one usually asks about someone else's sub-gender so upfront and partially because Yeosang doesn’t look at him when he addresses him, “No. Why?”
“You don’t wear patches.” Yeosang glances over his shoulder. “Usually betas are the ones that don’t wear patches.”
It makes sense, Yunho thinks. It's not often that alphas or omegas go without a scent patch considering how strong their scents can become, how pungent or enticing. Betas had little to no scent, so they often went without them.
“So then an alpha?” Yeosang looks back at him this time and Yunho nods. “That was my first guess. The patches threw me off.” Yeosang says and Yunho hums. He can’t tell what the man before him is. He guesses either beta or omega since alphas usually have a brooding presence, more susceptible to anger.
But even then, people can be deceiving and so can stereotypes, so he’s not about to pin Yeosang to a single subgender simply because of the Yeosang acted.
“Do I seem like an alpha?” Yunho wonders. He may have height, but his personality doesn't often align with the common traits of his subgender. He isn’t quick to anger, and he isn’t often possessive of things. He cares deeply for those close to them, but he thinks that is the same with everyone. He’s often misunderstood as a beta because of it. He’s surprised to hear that only the lack of patches had thrown Yeosang off from his original guess.
“No, but I could tell.” Yeosang says honestly, and Yunho appreciates the honesty, but he wonders how Yeosang had just known , “Over here is the student lounge, then there are lounges for subgenders on either side. Left for omegas, right for alphas. Betas can go in either.” Yeosang explains and Yunho glances into the middle lounge, seeming to be the only one where all subgenders could mingle. He understands having separate ones on either side, however.
“Which one do you fall into?” Yunho looks down at Yeosang who lends against the wall, raising his brows.
“Are you asking me about my sub gender?”
“You had done the same.”
“Wrong, I guessed.” Yeosang corrects and Yunho thinks the man is peculiar, but fun regardless.
“A beta?” Yunho guesses and Yeosang shakes his head. Yunho narrows his eyes, “Omega?”
Yeosang nodded this time and Yunho smiled at the fact that he had gotten it correct, “I’m dating someone though, so don’t get all alpha-weird—”
“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t mean offense, but you’re not my type.” Yunho interrupts Yeosang quickly, worried that he had given off the wrong impression with his smile but Yeosang tilts his head slightly, curious.
“You hardly know me.” Yeosang almost seems offended.
“As do you.” Yunho reminds Yeosang and the omega’s eyes narrow.
“Then how can you say I’m not your type?” Yunho’s eyes widened at the question.
“I didn’t mean offense. I just prefer someone closer to my height.” Yunho wonders if mentioning that Yeosang seems short compared to him would only offend the omega more but Yeosang hums, nodding slowly before his eyes fall behind Yunho. He nods in the direction and Yunho looks over.
“Then is he more your type?”
“The man at the locker?” Yunho questions and Yeosang hums, coming to stand beside him. The person was focused on their locker, oblivious to their conversation, mentioning him. Yunho tilts his head. The man was taller than Yeosang, but something about the air he carried was far too heavy. “Well, he’s tall but…no, more like him.”
Yunho’s eyes fall on a man who walks down the hall, face stoic and a book in his hand. He has long black hair that falls around his face gracefully, framing his high cheekbones. His eyes were decorated with a soft eyeliner and his plump lips tinted a soft pink. He’s gorgeous and he’s close to Yunho’s height too. Though, slightly shorter. Yunho doesn’t think that the man carries a particularly light air, an exuding confidence that seems to demand the attention of those around him and some of the students in the hall. Yunho can tell that he must hold some form of high influence in the school.
“Seonghwa?” Yunho looks down at Yeosang, unsure if that is the same man he was looking at, “The one with the book?” Yeosang adds, and Yunho nods, attention turning back to the man. He sees the way others look at him, some cowering in fear, others with admiration. The man reveals nothing on his face, an interesting change from the first student he had met today.
“He’s everyone’s type.” Yeosang murmurs, and Yunho isn’t sure if that statement could be true, but he doesn’t think it’s entirely false either. He glances back at the omega.
“Is he your type?”
Yeosang snorts, “He’s pretty, but he’s my brother.”
Yunho’s eyes widened slightly at the words, cheeks warming with embarrassment because he had openly told Yeosang his brother was his type. On his first day too, no less.
“I’d avoid him,” Yeosang says and Yunho glances back at him with furrowed brows then over it Seonghwa who is stopped by another student, falling into an easy conversation.
“Why?”
Yeosang steps slightly ahead of Yunho, gaze falling over to the other end of the hall where a student stands, a tall student beside him. Mingi. Yunho’s jaw tightens just a fraction.
Yunho notices, however, that the man beside Mingi is watching Seonghwa. His gaze is intense and Yunho can already understand the man is an alpha. His aura seems to radiate heavily, making him seem intimidating despite his short stature.
“He’s taken?” Yunho tilts his head slightly, wondering why the alpha stares at Seonghwa from such a distance, his glare enough to kill and Yunho looks back to where Seonghwa and the student stand, watching as the student seems uneasy, his eyes glancing back to where he’s sure they meet that alpha before the students running away from Seonghwa.
Seonghwa seems confused before turning around and Yunho thinks it’s curious that Seonghwa doesn’t seem happy to meet the alpha's gaze. He rolls his eyes instead.
“He’s got an alpha.” Yunho’s lips part in understanding, even if the glances between the pair don’t make sense, “Well, not exactly. They’re exes.”
Yunho thinks that explains the intense gaze of the alpha and the annoyance lacing Seonghwa’s features as he turns away and down another hall. Yunho watches him, wondering why Yeosang would say he has an alpha if it seems Seonghwa wants nothing to do with him.
“Common knowledge at Prestige: Park Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong are each other’s,” Yeosang says and Yunho glances at the alpha who now stares at him. Kim Hongjoong. “And they’ll make sure it stays that way.” Yeosang adds the last part, almost under his breath, as if thinking back.
Hongjoong’s gaze is harsh and intense. Even as an alpha himself, he doesn’t feel like challenging his gaze, instead, he almost withers under it.
“Don’t mind him.” Yeosang wiggles his fingers in a wave at Hongjoong, turning on his heel and glancing back when Yunho doesn’t budge, “He’s just sour.”
Yunho swallows, eyes flitting over to the man beside Hongjoong. Mingi’s staring at Yunho too, his stare as hard as Hongjoong’s. Mingi is a stranger.
Yunho turns around, following Yeosang into a different hall.
Yunho’s gaze moved around the array of pictures, framed jerseys, and trophies that lined the walls of this hall. He isn’t too sure where they’re headed but he can hear whistles and calls out further down the hall where two tall double doors remain.
“Whats with you staring at Song Mingi?” Yeosang glances back at Yunho, lips tugged up into a smirk, “Have the hots for him?”
Yunho’s eyes widen, taken aback by the question and he quickly shakes his head, “No…just an old friend.” His voice is tight when he says it, and Yeosang seems to pick up that there is far more than just being old friends. Yunho would rather keep silent, for now however, unless he knew Yeosang was someone he could trust.
“Then you know he’s a little rough around the edges.” Yeosang pushes the double doors open, “But we all are.” Bright sunlight hits Yunho’s eyes, making him blink rapidly, not having expected such vibrant light suddenly, “You’ll find that out soon enough.”
The shouts and whistles became a clearer sound, no longer muffled by the doors and they stepped out onto a field completely enveloped by bleachers on all sides. It seemed like he was stepping out onto a stadium right now considering the immense size of the field and the amount of seats surrounding it.
“This is the Prestige Stadium. All outdoor sports practice and play here, though you’ll usually really only find the soccer team out here.” Yeosang explains, walking out onto the turf as Yunho saw people on the field, all wearing different practice shirts, a few with their last names and numbers on the back. They were playing soccer, the coach watching carefully from the sidelines with a clipboard in hand and a whistle sitting between his lips. Prestige’s soccer team was the best in the country, one of the prized possessions of the University. The Panthers. A powerful creature that still held a graceful air. Of course.
“This isn’t practice though. Pretty sure the coach is just assessing our new athletes.” Yeosang tilts his head, crossing his arms and Yunho hums.
“Do you play?” Yunho looks down at Yeosang and he nods. Yunho wonders why he was so surprised considering Yeosang had no frail build by any means. He just supposes his personality was what threw him off.
“I know I don’t seem like I play, especially since I’m an omega.” Yeosang stares at the field as he speaks and Yunho’s eyebrows furrow, wondering why Yeosang mentioned his subgender.
“Not to me.” Yunho says, confusion laced in his features. He knew omegas often were frowned upon in certain aspects, especially when it involved things “reserved” for alphas. Yeosang looks at him, eyes curious.
“I mean no offense,” Yeosang starts and Yunho wants to laugh because nothing following those four words could succeed at not offending him, but he decides against taking any words personally should they truly offend him, “Perhaps where you come from, it means nothing, but where I come from, subgender means everything. You’ll figure that out soon enough too.”
Yunho lets a swallow chuckle escape his lips and Yeosang’s eyebrows raise slightly, “You’ve told me that already. That ‘I’ll figure it out soon.’”
Yeosang’s lips tug into a small smile, though his eyes lack humor, “There’s a lot you’ll learn here, about my world. About Prestige and the people in it.”
Yunho hums, “So far I know about Seonghwa and Hongjoong and that they’re off limits, and now subgender is everything. Is there something else I should know before being thrown into the teeth of the panthers?”
Yeosang laughs at his words, finding it amusing that Yunho had used their University’s mascot as a figurative way to refer to students, “Not everything here is how it seems.” Yeosang says ominously and Yunho stares at him.
“That’s enigmatic.” Yeosang shrugs.
“That’s the truth.” Yunho stares at Yeosang, question formulating on his lips and he blurts it out without much thought.
“And you?” Yeosang stares at him, eyes swirling, “Are you not what you seem to be?” He’s only meant for it to be a harmless question, but with the way Yeosang’s lips tug into the faintest smile, eyes disappearing off the swirl they once had, regaining the distant look he previously sported.
“No one ever is.” Yeosang murmurs, turning on his heel before Yunho can display any regret for the question on his face. Yunho bites at his lip as he follows, wondering why Yeosang had reacted like that to his question. He trails behind Yeosang as they push back past the double doors leading to the stadium and re-enter the hall littered with trophies. Yunho is silent as Yeosang guides him down another hall, so similar to the others he has passed though now it was lined with windows, some fogged and others clear, revealing a room with a large table in the center, chairs all around and a board at the front.
“This is the study hall. When the room is occupied, the glass fogs and it gives you privacy. You have to reserve the rooms, though, in the library which is at the end of the hall.” Yeosang says, breaking the uneasy silence that had seemed to settle between them and Yunho hums, looking over to the tall door that reaches the ceiling down to the floor. He assumes that it leads to the library, and when Yeosang swings the door open, his lips part when his eyes fall around the library.
Rows upon rows of books line the large room with ceilings too high to be true. A long chandelier dangles from the ceiling over the center of the library where a circular desk with librarians sit behind computers. He’d heard rumors of the library. Supposedly every piece of literature from the BC’s existed in here, and Yunho hadn’t believed it at first but seeing the expanse of the library, he began to believe it.
“The library is pretty self explanatory. It’s the same as any other you’ve been too—borrow a book, return it within a month.” Yeosang says, tone seeming bored and Yunho wonders what kind of person Yeosang truly was. Was he always disinterested in the things and people around him, or was it merely a front to conceal something much deeper that he wanted no one else to know.
Knowing Prestige and the people within it, he knew it was the latter option.
“What's your type?” Yunho questions and the question clearly takes Yeosang aback, looking up at Yunho with a few blinks. He seems to process the question, not understanding the motives behind it nor its random nature.
“People closer to my height.” Yeosang says and his lips tug into a faint smile and Yunho mirrors it, recalling sharing words similar to those when Yeosang had asked him the same question.
“Your partner then?” Yunho suddenly recalls Yeosang having previously mentioned he had been dating someone and Yeosang’s eyes grow distant before he hums. Once again, something Yunho had said seemed to be wrong even if the words were so simple and meant no harm. He felt like he had been waving a bubble gun at Yeosang only for the bubbles to turn into bullets, making Yeosang bleed before him.
“He’s the same height as me.” Yeosang says, voice tight and Yunho nods, choosing against offering words that might only seem to make Yeosang act so strangely, “Though I prefer my partners taller.” Yeosang looks up at Yunho, lips tugging into a small smile but Yunho can tell it doesn’t reach his eyes, “Don’t tell him I said that.”
Yunho shakes his head, “I don’t even know anyone here.”
“That's the beauty of it, though.” Yeosang’s eyes latch onto something ahead in the library and Yunho stares at him, before his own eyes follow Yeosang’s to see a man staring at Yeosang further back in the library. Unlike Hongjoong’s intense stare, this stare makes Yunho stand straighter, brows furrowing as his stomach churns, something ill about the man’s look. Violent, almost. It’s unsettling and yet, he isn’t the one on the receiving end of it. He looks back to Yeosang who seems distant but Yunho sees the underlying fear behind his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Yunho asks gently and Yeosang looks up at him, eyes snapping up.
“Avoid him.” Yeosang says earnestly, tone warning and Yunho lets worry crease his brows. Yeosang had said something similar about Seonghwa earlier, but not in the same desperate tone.
“He’s no good.” Yeosang’s voice is hushed and Yunho wants to ask him why. What exactly struck Yeosang so strongly that his entire face fell, disinterest falling into numbness and eyes empty. He doesn’t get the chance because Yeosang turns, guiding him back out of the library.
Yunho thinks that Yeosang could be a friend in a place crawling with people who will no doubt find fault in him simply because of his parent’s mistakes. He was a bastard, a child of an affair. And that was frowned upon.
Though Yeosang’s attention shifts between disinterest and amused glints in his eyes, he has not mentioned Yunho’s status. He has seemed to give him warnings rather, of the people at the school and how it functioned. He has managed to make Yunho feel a little less lost, in a way.
Yeosang had walked Yunho through his schedule, guiding him to each classroom and lecture hall, mentioning here and there of students and professors to look out for, some good and others toxic poison under the guise of rose.
Yeosang pushes open doors to the auditorium, where the orientation would be held in just a few minutes. It was already filled with students, some sitting and others standing in large groups. Some glance up when he and Yeosang enter, some eyes falling to Yeosang who walks casually ahead of him and others to Yunho who desperately tries not to wilt under the amount of eyes watching him. He ignores the whispers and the words he picks up, some too strange to really make much sense of. Some were saying something like “half-blood” and others saying “pity case.”
He can make sense of the latter name. Yunho’s face hardened. He was no pity case, though he’s sure they all thought that. He may have risen in wealth and social class because of the press surrounding his birth and his parents, and his father only sent him here and acted kindly because of maintaining an image. But it didn’t make him a pity case. Nor did it make him any less deserving of walking the halls as the other students here. Though, he was certainly out of place.
His uniform begins to feel uncomfortable on him and he adjusts the collar slightly.
“Ignore them.” Yunho's eyes slide to Yeosang who has slowed his pace to walk alongside Yunho, “They are just sheep.” Yeosang looks ahead and Yunho’s gaze remains on him momentarily, noting Yeosang’s serious expression, the calm on his face before he looks ahead to where Yeosang stares. It was two men, one he recognized—Seonghwa, standing with a man shorter than him, his uniform loose and appearing casual on him.
Yunho thinks back to Yeosang’s referral of the other students as sheep. If they were sheep, who were the true panthers that preyed on them? Was it Yeosang? The two men they now approach? Perhaps even Hongjoong and Mingi. He doesn’t know that he could imagine Yeosang to be someone who filled the role of a panther, his expression too bored and face too kind to be one of the people he assumes runs the school. Though, he knows appearances can be deceiving.
That becomes abundantly clear when he and Yeosang catch the two men’s attention, Seonghwa turning to look at Yeosang then up to Yunho, face revealing no hint of his churning thoughts. The other man at his side stares at Yunho immediately, tongue poking out to toy with the lip piercing at the corner of his mouth.
“This is the new student, Yunho.” Yeosang introduces, “Wooyoung and Seonghwa.” Yunho smiles at the pair, though while he expects Seonghwa to be the one to reciprocate the smile and for Wooyoung to sneer, their appearances deceive him once again.
Wooyoung’s smile is wide, brightening up his face instantly, making the sharp features of his face soften and the lip piercing appear less threatening than it had been before. Seonghwa’s face remains unmoving, only his eyes flitting over Yunho’s appearance.
“The ambassador’s son?” Wooyoung asks, tilting his head and Yunho nods, though unused to being referred to in such a way. “The headmistress doesn’t usually like accepting transfers. You must be special.”
Yunho lets out a small laugh, unsure about the real truth behind those words, “I’m not sure about that.” Yunho’s eyes glance back at Seonghwa, still seeing the man watch him carefully, as if peeling back all the layers and the walls Yunho has put up. He had thought the gazes of all the others had been uncomfortable, but Seonghwa’s watchful eyes made him feel unsettled and smaller than he really was. He was not the sheep Yeosang had called the others—with just his eyes, he had made Yunho feel insignificant. He can’t imagine what his words might do.
He takes a small breath, trying to break free from the force of Seonghwa’s stare because he wouldn’t let himself be a sheep like the rest of the school, even if he seems to be such an easy target. Such easy prey.
Wooyoung’s smile eases the nerves he had gotten from Seonghwa, but something about his smile seems to be as unsettling as Seonghwa’s stare. It was too sweet and too bright, almost entirely fake. “So modest.” Wooyoung chimes, voice playful though Yunho can note the venom in them.
Yunho wishes he could bite back his own words at him, but he holds his tongue. Prestige was a massive chessboard, and every move would lead to consequences. The last thing he needs is to upset a person with great influence over the university. He’s got a feeling the two standing before him are those kinds of people.
He only smiles at Wooyoung in return.
Eyes shift instantly as the doors open again and if Yunho had thought the chatter and whispers had been too much when he and Yeosang entered, this was an entirely new level. Even Wooyoung and Seonghwa’s sharp eyes slide over, watching.
Yunho looks over, catching a glimpse of Hongjoong, his presence demanding attention and Mingi’s looming figure seems to demand the same. Mingi walks with a heavy air around him, but the way he carries himself is light and Yunho has an odd feeling he’s probably a massive flirt—if his undone uniform and wandering eyes told him anything.
Yunho’s eyes slide to the man who walks just beside Mingi, shorter than him yet taller than Hongjoong. If Yunho thought Mingi was a flit, this man radiates seduction. His uniform lacked the tie and his top three buttons were left undone, revealing a slim gold necklace that rested against honeyed skin. His face is stern and his features are sharp, but they seem to warm as Wooyoung beams at him, rushing over to him and taking his arm. He drags the man away from Hongjoong and Mingi who watch, eyes moving over Yeosang and Yunho. Yunho feels like his throat constricts when Mingi looks at him, suddenly more aware of his commanding presence. Of the words they had shared when he first entered the school.
The pair walk past them, and Yunho feels like he could suffocate from the tension that grows when they get near. He can’t tell if it’s entirely due to Hongjoong and Seonghwa making eye contact or if the pair no longer was close to the people Yunho is surrounded by. Whatever it was, he thought being around it was a bad idea.
Perhaps he was already becoming friends with the wrong people.
Eyes seem to fall on Seonghwa once Hongjoong finds a seat with Mingi beside him. Seonghwa’s unbothered demeanor seems to finally have a crack in it, revealing more emotion than he had seen on the man's face before. Seonghwa seals the crack quickly though, eyes moving to the new man that Wooyoung still latched onto.
“San. It’s nice to see you again.” Seonghwa says and Yunho feels that Seonghwa’s voice is almost unexpected. The keyword being almost. It’s deep and velvety, like honey to his ears, and with a draw sultry enough he thinks he could be seduced by it. He wonders if this was why Yeosang had mentioned that Seonghwa was everyone’s type. Everything about him seemed so perfect. In a way.
Yunho looks at the new man—San—who nods, “I haven’t seen you at a game.”
“You know why I don’t attend them,” Seonghwa says, jaw clenching but his words remain soft and San hums, eyes almost appearing sad before he turns them to Yunho. His eyes remind Yunho of a cat, observant and sharp.
“The new kid?” Yunho nods when San asks.
“Jeong Yunho.” Yunho introduces himself with a small smile and he’s glad that San’s lips tug up into a small reciprocating smile.
“Choi San.” Yunho recognizes the name instantly. Like he had recognized Yeosang’s last name, he can recognize San’s full name. Choi San, as in the star soccer player at Prestige. His parents had been famous athletes too, his father having gone pro and having claimed the World Cup for his team, while his mother was an Olympic gold medal gymnast. San has gotten much recognition from news stations and awards from all around the world. He was a big name, not just because of his parents but because of his skill. Yunho hadn’t expected to have met someone so close to him.
“Do you play a sport?” San asks, tilting his head and Wooyoung looks at him curiously. Wooyoung seems to have feline eyes, just as San does, though he resembles more of a fox than a cat.
“Uh, no. I dance.” Yunho says, eyes falling on Wooyoung when his eyes widen and he beams.
“Oh my god! Me too!” Wooyoung’s giddy nature doesn’t surprise Yunho, but it’s the uneasy feeling he gets from the true sincerity of both Wooyoung who smiles at him brightly and Seonghwa who stares at him with slightly raised brows, the only indication he had been following the conversation. Their sincerity is false—not entirely, but something about it makes Yunho wary of their eyes and polite smiles. “You should try out for the team!”
“Day one and you’re already recruiting people,” Yeosang mutters, shaking his head slightly as San’s lips curl into an amused smile as Wooyoung rolls his eyes, shushing Yeosang before bringing his attention to Yunho once more.
“I’m serious. If you like to dance, Prestige’s team is the best for it.” Wooyoung continues, staring at Yunho with intent and though Wooyoung seems to be somewhat insincere at times, the way he looks at Yunho now, eyes wide and almost pleading, he’s much more inclined to trust the man. It’s almost like Wooyoung wants Yunho on the team, for whatever reason. Perhaps Wooyoung was the captain. “Right, hyung?”
Wooyoung looks over to Seonghwa who seems to have lost track of the conversation, gaze fixating on Wooyoung before he looks over to Yunho carefully. His gaze moves up and down Yunho before settling on his eyes once more and Yunho tries to shake off the way he wants to straighten his posture, “If you’re good.”
There’s an implication resting on his tongue and Yunho isn’t bothered by it, even if Seonghwa’s stare is perhaps the most judgemental he’s fallen victim to. He was used to it by now, the implication of him being worse at something simply because he was poorer.
“I am,” Yunho says confidently, staring back at Seonghwa. The man’s eyes reveal fleeting amusement, leaving as quickly as it had appeared. Yunho wonders if his amusement was a good thing.
“Students, please settle down. The assembly will begin shortly.” A woman’s voice booms through the auditorium and students begin to file into rows of seats. Seonghwa glances towards the stage, momentary amusement gone as he straightens slightly.
Wooyoung is whispering in San’s ear before the man parts with an amused smirk, walking in the direction of where Hongjoong and Mingi had been.
Yeosang looks at him, “Sit with us.”
Yunho nods, thanking him for saving him from what could’ve been a rather awkward moment of leaving to find another seat. Wooyoung beams as he agrees and Yunho is surprised when Wooyoung is latching onto his arm.
“You’re already making good moves toward being somebody here.” Wooyoung giggles, and with Wooyoung so close, he can smell the soft peach of Wooyoung’s scent and its sweet nature is enough for Yunho to note that the man was an omega. He doesn’t suppose that surprises him much.
When they reach the seats that Seonghwa leads them to, it's much further in the front than he had expected. There is also a perfect amount of seats saved—for everyone but him, however. He stares at the three empty seats and heat rises to his cheeks because he worries he may have already fallen victim to a humiliation attempt. However, Wooyoung glances at the student who sits beside the last seat and it’s immediately the way he gets up, evacuating the seat.
Yunho feels bad to be the reason the student had been kicked from his seat, so he sends a sorry look to the person as Wooyoung sits him down right beside him. Seonghwa sits on the other side of Wooyoung, and Yeosang on the other side of Seonghwa.
“You didn’t have to make him move. I could’ve found anoth–” Yunho begins, keeping his voice hushed as the headmistress approaches the podium again, presumably beginning the assembly.
Wooyoung shakes his head, leaning close to Yunho, “Don’t worry about it. I would prefer you sitting with us as opposed to others.”
Wooyoung’s tone seems to imply that the “others” he speaks of are not people he takes too kindly and so Yunho only hums, nodding slightly before he brings his attention to the headmistress, who has already begun her introduction.
“Welcome, students, to Prestige University. You are all sitting in a seat for a reason, and that reason will get you very far in life.” Yunho’s thought immediately drifts to the reason being that every kid here was rich and a nepotism baby. Though, he supposes he’s become them both in just a night. It almost makes him laugh but he bites down on it.
The headmistress's speech does not get any more entertaining than her beginning sentences. He’s unsurprised to see students dozing off around him, heads and eyes drooping while he can see Wooyoung passed out, lips slightly parted as his head rests against Seonghwa’s shoulder. Seonghwa has his eyes on the headmistress, but Yunho can tell he’s not present, not actively listening. He seems to be lost in his thoughts, yet he can’t blame him, nor Wooyoung. Here, Yunho had been thinking about anything but what the headmistress was saying.
“I don’t appreciate the staring.”
Yunho blinks, heat rushing to his face in embarrassment as Seonghwa speaks—still not even sparing him a glance.
“I wasn’t—” Yunho stops himself. No point in lying, he’s sure Seonghwa will catch him immediately and he’s not eager to make enemies on his first day—especially someone who had a stronghold on the student body, perhaps the school itself. Yunho had already gotten the vibe that Seonghwa wasn’t particularly interested in him, or all that entertained by his new presence, as Wooyoung had been. He can’t decide if it’s a good or bad thing—hopefully it’s good. Well, it should be considered if Seonghwa seemed to get interested, Yunho would likely become the target of Hongjoong’s death stares. A man who was also friends with Mingi, someone he’d stupidly made an enemy of. He winces lightly, god he was too tangled up in this mess of a group and he’d barely been here for over an hour.
Instead, he shifts, straightening his shoulders like that’ll somehow make him feel less scrutinized. “I was just… wondering when you’d decide to say something.”
Seonghwa’s eyes flick to him then, like he’s indulging Yunho by acknowledging him at all. His gaze drags over him, sharp and assessing, unimpressed. Though, it’s not nearly as unfriendly as before. There’s a flicker of interest, but it’s buried beneath cool indifference.“And why would I?”
Yunho’s pulse picks up. He knows he’s being tested, but he can’t tell what kind of answer Seonghwa wants. Yunho thinks—no knows, his answer matters. He has to be right. He has to. He’s already stepped into a viper’s nest the moment he set foot in this school, and Seonghwa, by all accounts, is one of the ones who can decide whether the vipers strike or not. Yunho meets his stare, keeping his shoulders squared even as something uneasy coils in his stomach. “Because everyone else already has an opinion about me.”
Seonghwa hums, tilting his head slightly. “Yes,” he muses, like it’s an unfortunate reality. “They’re easily amused.” He finally shifts, crossing one leg over the other, his posture so effortlessly composed that it only highlights the difference between them. Yunho bites back the urge to frown. Seonghwa makes it clear that he doesn’t consider himself part of that ‘they.’ That he’s above it. Above them. Above Yunho, too.
Yunho exhales through his nose, keeping his voice even. “And you’re not?”
Seonghwa lets out a quiet laugh, more air than sound, “If I wanted entertainment, I wouldn’t look to them.” Seonghwa’s eyes carefully watch Yunho, “They just need something to talk about. And you—” he gestures vaguely at Yunho with a flick of his fingers, “—are convenient.”
The way he says it makes Yunho feel like he’s just been reduced to a passing distraction, the same way one might comment on a mildly interesting headline before forgetting about it entirely.
Yunho clenches his jaw, trying not to bristle. He wonders if Seonghwa was just like Wooyoung—only more subtle, gently baiting Yunho instead of openly doing so. He thinks the silent predators are the most viscous, so he’s wary. “I didn’t exactly choose to be the bastard son of the ambassador,” Yunho says, tone even, but there’s something weighted in it.
A beat of silence stretches between them. Seonghwa is still, unreadable, but Yunho can feel himself being assessed, like Seonghwa is deciding what box to put him in—someone useful or someone disposable. Then, Seonghwa’s lips curve slightly—not quite a smile, but something close, as if Yunho had said something right.
“Yet you walked in here,” Seonghwa says, like it’s obvious. “You bear his name like you have something to prove. You want to be seen.” His lips twitch. “So what exactly do you want to show?”
Yunho feels off-balance, the weight of Seonghwa’s questions and the truth behind it that Yunho hadn’t given himself time to accept throwing him off.
“I—” Yunho stops, then steels himself. “I’m here to prove something to myself.” He supposes he is, and perhaps that's why he didn’t argue greatly when his father forced him to attend. He wanted to prove that he could resist the lure of money, the power plays of politics, and that he could do as well as them all without the help of money. In a way, he wants to prove that he’s better than them all.
“You want to be better.” Seonghwa says, staring at Yunho. He swallows tightly, unsure how Seonghwa could see right through him. Though, he wasn’t nearly as well trained in the art of masks and facades as Seonghwa likely was. Or maybe it was because Seonghwa saw himself in Yunho, in his desperation to prove himself.
Perhaps that was his first fault, and the first sign that Yunho was just like the rest of them.
“Don’t we all?” Yunho questions, keeping his voice level and refusing to back down from whatever game Seonghwa was playing with him.
Seonghwa’s silence stretches, and Yunho wonders if that was the wrong thing to say. But then, finally, Seonghwa hums, “Don’t we.”
It shouldn’t make his pulse pick up. Yunho tells himself it doesn’t. But there’s something about the way Seonghwa speaks, how easily he dictates the terms of the conversation, the way he forces Yunho to wait on his judgment, that unsettles him. But Yunho doesn’t break eye contact. He won’t.
Seonghwa’s usually stoic face revealed nothing that Seonghwa didn’t want to show, as Yunho has come to understand now. Yet, it seemed that Yunho had said something that pleased Seonghwa because his flat lips curled into the slightest smile.
“You should come tonight,” Seonghwa says shortly and Yunho can’t contain his shock that whatever Yunho said not only pleased Seonghwa, but it seemed to make Seonghwa inviting, not nearly as cold and harsh as before, “We’re meeting at a friend’s.”
The invite is fairly enigmatic, but Yunho could’t help the thrum of excitement under his skin. It was suspicious, yes, that a friend group so predatory which Seonghwa seems to be the head of, was eager to welcome him.
Yunho hesitates, his mind running through the possibilities. This could be a trap—a test, just like their conversation. A way for Seonghwa to decide exactly what kind of person he is, where he fits in the grander scheme of their group. Or maybe, it’s a warning. An invitation that isn’t really an invitation, but a statement: he’s being watched.
But despite the warning bells in his head, he finds himself asking. “Where?”
Seonghwa studies him for a second longer, and Yunho swears something flickers in his gaze—something knowing, as if Seonghwa had expected Yunho to accept from the very beginning. He leans back against the chair, tilting his head slightly.
“A club.” He says casually, and the invite is a lot less vague now. Seonghwa had said a friend’s, and Yunho had foolishly assumed a house, but it seems that at a university like Prestige, that could mean a numerous amount of things—one apparently being a club.
Would that be foolish? Probably, to go clubbing after the first day of school with people he’s not all that familiar with. However, as odd as they were, in their ways Yunho could tell they were genuine with each other, perhaps not with him quite yet, but they were possibly of being decent people. Besides, Yeosang seemed to be the least odd of them all, and Yunho felt a little more comfortable knowing Yeosang would be there too, perhaps willing to help stop the judgy looks or aggressive comments from others. If that’s what he was like.
Yunho needed this university, and while he knows he should stay in his dorm and get situated, he also knows that maybe having these people close to him was better than having them too far. They were influential, and it was best their influence impacted him in better ways rather than bad.
His eyes slid back to Seonghwa, letting his lips curl into a small smile, “Okay.”