All Grown Up

Two

"Shit, I'm so late!" I whispered as I ran to orientation. When I got to the auditorium, the welcome speech was nearly over and I crouched down, sneaking over to an empty chair.

"Hi!" I looked over and smiled at the man sitting beside me.

"I'm Hansol, but my friends call me Vernon!" He whispered and offered his hand to me.

"I'm Chan, everyone calls me Dino!" I whispered back and shook his hand.

"Running late?" He chuckled and I nodded, both of us wincing as a professor passed by us and shushed us. We barely suppressed our laughter then sat together, quietly talking to each other and making quips about the orientation.

"Now, everyone, get into your assigned groups! Some of our upperclassman here will be giving you tours of SNU's Seoul campus!" The woman said and I grabbed the number I'd been given when I got here, seeing it matched Vernon's.

"Sweet! Let's go find our group!" Vernon said and we left the auditorium, going to find our group. As I walked around with Vernon, I looked around and stopped when I heard a familiar name.

"Seungcheol, over here!" I turned, whipped around actually, and followed the voice to see him. He was beefier than he was when I saw him last, his hair was short, a few strands falling over his eyes, and his plush lips were parted in a familiar smile.

"SEUNGCHEOL!" I yelled and his head whipped over, face lighting up as he saw me running to him.

"Dino!" I heard Vernon yell as I hugged Cheol, his arms wrapping around me.

"Hey, Kid!" Seungcheol laughed and I let go then beamed up at him as he stood, looking down a couple inches at me.

"You got in, huh?!" He asked and I nodded frantically.

"Yup! But I was late this morning because someone threw up on the bus I had to take then I couldn't find the right place and-"

"Dino, what the hell! We're over here!" Vernon cut me off as he grabbed my arm and I stared at him for a second then turned and saw where we had to go.

"Right, the tour! Sorry, I just saw my friend!" I said and Vernon looked at Seungcheol then frowned and looked at me.

"Come on, man! You can say hi later, the lady is leaving and I'd like to not get lost this year-"

"I have a feeling you still will! Bye, Cheol!" I waved and he gave a silent wave as I turned and jogged over to the tour guide lady with Vernon, following the group out of the cafeteria. An hour later, we'd covered half the school and were going for the sports side of the campus.

"Oh, and it looks like our baseball team is already practicing!" She said and we stopped for a few minutes to watch, but I could only stare as I saw Seungcheol in his uniform pants, a loose white shirt, and a baseball glove in hand.

"Your friend is a pitcher?" Vernon asked and I nodded, staring as Seungcheol threw the ball faster than the batter could hit it.

"The pitcher is Choi Seungcheol! He's the pride of the school! He's here on a sports scholarship and in his time here, has taken our team to nationals twice and won every game he's pitched in!"

"He's so hot!" A girl near me whispered and I frowned, feeling a green little monster growl in my belly.

"Chan!" I looked over and beamed as Cheol jogged closer, grinning wide at me.

"Hey, Chan!" He beamed and I waved.

"Hi, Seungcheol!" I said and he glanced at the tour group then hummed.

"So, you guys almost done with this bullshit-"

"Hey!"

"Ji Soo, seriously, these tours are bullshit! They're still going to find a way to get lost and we'll have to help them! I don't know why the staff bothers with these things!" Seungcheol cut off the woman, who pouted and sighed.

"Well, it's still helpful-"

"Why? So people can bother our practice? The only ones I'll allow to bother our practice is Chan and his new friend here. What's your name?" He asked and I looked at Vernon then my old friend.

"His name is Chwe Hansol, but people call him Vernon." I said and Seungcheol nodded.

"Then Vernon and... Dino, is it now?" He asked and I nodded.

"You two can come watch whenever. Or, Dino, you can bring friends. I trust you'll be nice." He grinned and I scoffed.

"And who are you to tell me what to do, you overgrown pubic hair?" I asked and he laughed as the rest of the tour group gaped at me, even Vernon.

"How about... Captain of the baseball team?" Seungcheol grinned wide and I felt slightly embarrassed.

"You didn't tell me that!" I pouted and he chuckled, ruffling my brown hair.

"Get on, Dino! Before my team accuses me of favoritism!" He said and I grinned, watching as he turned and jogged back over to the pitcher's mound, grabbing the baseball from his teammate.

"How do you know him?!" The girl from before asked and I smirked.

"I've known him for a long time!" I dodged and she scoffed, but Ji Soo led us away and we continued on with the tour. When we got our dorm assignments and I saw I wasn't with Vernon, I was a little sad, but I highly doubted I'd get to room with my new friend. I took a deep breath and went to my new dorm, slowing as I walked in and saw only a single bed, a single desk, single closet, and someone's things everywhere.

"Who are you?" I turned and looked at the man then cleared my throat.

"I-I'm Lee Chan. I-I was assigned to this dorm for this year-"

"I don't share my dorm, piss pot." He said and I whined.

"Yeah, but-"

"Get the fuck out of my room before I have security take you out for breaking in!" He spit and I left the room. Just to make sure I hadn't fucked up, I looked at the nameplate next to the door and saw both my name and this guy's. Kim Doek Min. Fuck me!