'I don't have the energy to deal with the screaming today'. This was the first thought that crossed Daoming Si's mind as he was rudely jolted awake by his blaring alarm clock. The first day back at university was always the most annoying he lamented to himself. Lots of catch up seminars, special guests to greet, and worst of all, screaming girls just desperate to catch a glimpse of him and the rest of F4. It grated on his nerves; although uneducated in the art of romance, he was shrewd enough to realise that most of those girls only had shallow intents, and were only interested in his money or his (admittedly devastatingly handsome) face. Ah Si angrily flopped against his pillows and considered just closing his eyes and pretending he hadn't heard his alarm, bypassing this day completely. However, he knew if he did that, Mr. Liu would rat him out to Zhuang Jie, and then there would be hell to pay. He shuddered as the taste of pumpkin pie (that rancid, disgusting vegetable) suddenly flooded his mouth. It wasn't worth it. With a sigh, he heaved himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom with a scowl on his face. Today was going to be the worst, he could feel it in his bones.
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Ah Si crossed one leg over his knee with a sigh as he awaited Mr. Bobbit to finish his vague and uninteresting speech. He knew he was being churlish, however, he could feel the stares boring into the back of his neck and the hushed whispers crawling over his skin like ants during the entire welcome back ceremony. For all intents and purposes, seniors shouldn't even be required to attend these ceremonies any longer, however, Xi Men was valedictorian, and as such, his presence was expected - he had asked F4 to come along as well. And what kind of friend would Ah Si be if he refused?
He amused himself by sighing dramatically and fidgeting in his chair, deliberately jostling Huaze Lei, who knocked away his knee with a small but playful grimace directed his way. Ah Si grinned and glanced around the room, not noting anyone in particular, and not realising the ceremony had ended until everyone surged to their feet in one fluid motion. He scrambled to his feet, earning a suppressed laugh from Meizuo, causing him to adjust his lapels in mild embarrassment and push past his friends in order to haughtily stalk off. However, as usual, they knew him too well and fell into step beside him; he was grateful, as the crowd had not completely dispersed yet, and he could see through the open door the gaggle of girls (and a few token boys) who eagerly awaited them outside. Oh, it was a chore to be handsome, he thought to himself sardonically, although he couldn't pretend he hated the admiration completely; after all, one does not go through life being worshipped for their looks without cultivating an ego. No, it was the screaming and shallowness of his pursuers that bothered him for the most part. He found it hard to entertain the thought of being with someone who only wanted him because of his healthy bank balance or chiseled face. 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown' he reminded himself arrogantly as he and his companions pushed through the door and began to navigate through the harem awaiting outside.
Ah Si noted that Xi Men and Meizuo looked delighted at the new crop of pretty girls that the new year had gifted them. The screaming began almost immediately, and Ah Si's eyes would have began to twitch had he not violently schooled his face to project only a stony indifference. As his mother had always told her children, image was everything, and revealing the wrong emotion could be catastrophic. There was a reason Daoming Si was widely acknowledged to have the best poker face in Ming De. He prided himself on his emotionlessness and wore his indifference like a suit of armour - there was nothing that could phase him!
It was with this in mind that he began to stride through the mass of giggling females, careful not to catch any eyes lest these girls think they actually had a chance. He was vaguely aware that several of the girls had began to shove their way nearer to him, and he even thought he might have caught a glimpse of a mobile crashing to the ground. Nevertheless, he strode on, not even faltering when he felt something crack beneath his feet; it was probably just a glass bottle anyway, and Doaming Si stopped for nothing and nobody! He only let his glare drop when they were finally outside and Xi Men was introducing him to the guest speaker. Ah Si was mildly amused when their conversation was interrupted by Mr. Bobbit's bodyguards dramatically placing a random student in an armlock for having the audacity to approach the guest speaker without invitation. He didn't manage to see much of the attacker, just a glimpse of dark hair and a surprisingly short build. He chuckled to himself as the student was led away like a criminal. At least now he had something interesting to tell Zhuang Jie about today.
