The red head digs his nails in the leather strap over his shoulder. Trying not to stare so blatantly at people around him, he makes his way past the gathering masses, eyes cast downwards.
His senses pick up on the constant shift of energies as his skin almost tickles from the looks he is getting.
A drop of rain lands on his bare nape, reminding him of this morning's weather forecast.
The male walks through the open doors inside a hall, which is even more packed than the outside. The male is about to turn on his heel and wait in the front yard when a soft ding comes from the pocket of his jeans.
He takes out his phone, reading the only new message on his otherwise dry device.
I see you
The young man lets out a snort at the horror movie worthy message.
He lifts his chocolate-coloured eyes to look at the crowd.
There a rather particular male is making his way towards the latter.
He has a fashionable, black uniform and the jacket has a badge in the place his heart should be with a raven on it. The animal is looking sideways, perched on a small branch.
The red head knows for a fact that thankfully, the man coming his way has a beating heart under all the fancy clothes.
"Welcome to the house of the forgotten yet still living!"
"Look, instead of greeting someone's already making jokes about his sleep deprived organism."
"Ha, ha, ha."
The males go in for a handshake before hugging.
"Good to see you here, Mingi."
"I missed you. A tiny bit."
"A tiny bit it is." the black-haired man steps back and his ring adorned fingers reach to his neck, yanking the tie slithering around like a snake.
"You look quite put together if we overlook your dead eyes and wrinkly shirt."
"I was born with these eyes, and you haven't seen the full package yet. I left the vest in my dorm to not seem too dressed up for your arrival."
Mingi smiles, a row of teeth appearing.
"It's quite crowded though."
"Yeah...most of them are here to check in their dorms, meaning they have at least a temporary stay and aren't seeds like you."
The taller of the two rolls his eyes.
"Not the nonsense words again."
"Hey, it's the language around here, get used to it."
"You have seriously lost all language skills while being here for three years, Hongjoong."
"You will get used to it. And for your information, starting this year I count as a fourth year, show some respect."
"All hail the master of seeds." Mingi voices out loudly. A dull sound comes from his chest as Hongjoong's hand collides with the skin.
"Ouch." he says without any real pain.
"Do not say that. If only you knew how wrong that sounds...you will get it eventually."
"If I get accepted, that is."
A dissatisfied glint appears in the male's black eyes.
"Don't speak nonsense. From the moment you stepped on my sand skull, I knew there was something different about you."
"A newly unlocked level of clumsiness in the local sandpit?"
"That too but it's the least of your worries. We also accept everyone with birth defects."
"Hey!"
Hongjoong lets out a wild laugh.
Some heads turn their way but all they see is Mingi's fond expression as he looks at the shorter male, who has leant his head back to laugh.
"Alright, alright... my apologies. When is your exam taking place? I will gladly accompany you there."
"I still have half an hour, but I'm expected to be in the Storage room fifteen."
"Did you arrive early to meet me?" Hongjoong asks.
"In fact, I did. Calms my nerves."
The black hair's expression softens immensely.
"Let's go, you big sack of fluff. I want you to meet someone and grab a snack. Too many creatures in here."
Mingi follows his friend through the crowd.
They pass the big hall with four columns on each side, which seems to be supported by the many people resting their backs against them. Loud girls and joking boys walk by them in groups as they reach a staircase.
"Upstairs you will find hallways dedicated to classrooms while down here is a cafeteria and rooms for potion brewing etcetera. We just call them labs around here, but they are nothing like the usual ones in schools."
Even though Mingi nods his head enthusiastically, he can't help but overthink.
It wouldn't do him any good if he gets too acquainted to this place just to later find out he didn't make it.
He descends after Hongjoong, feeling like he's in some old castle's tower, moving down to the grand floor. His palm slides around the rock wall that spirals down along the stairs.
The male keeps lowering his head slightly to not get his hair on fire. The lit torches light their way all the way down.
First thing he notices when the rock changes to smoothly shaped cobblestones is the soft vibes the room gives off.
The cafeteria has the look of an old tavern and the smell of a newly opened bakery.
In front of the open spaced cafeteria is a table and a few chairs, all varying in style and use.
Mingi notices a bar stool, a leather chair with an armrest, a typical school chair and a bean bag among them.
"What's with the chairs?"
Hongjoong leans his head back to make eye contact.
"We have everything for everyone here, no matter how weird the taste is."
Mingi eyes the bean bag but decides to walk past it in order to catch up with the smaller male.
The cafeteria takes up two sides, the right wall next to the stairs, which is full of round tables and chairs for small companies to eat together while the wall opposite the stairs shows a clear view of the cashier register and food.
And oh boy, even if Mingi did start to drool, Hongjoong could only agree to the silent compliment exchanged.
"What do you want? I'm paying."
Mingi's eyes sparkle like the Christmas tree in his hometown's main street every year.
They stand in the line, only two guys in front of them.
A black-haired male finishes paying for a drink and turns to leave, his eyes drifting to the line behind him.
Even a few feet away Mingi can tell that his eyes are an unnatural colour. They look light yet not in any shade of blue.
The stranger catches Hongjoong's gaze and lifts his chin up in a swift motion, walking past them afterwards.
"Did he just send some cryptic message to you or wanted to look at the ceiling for a split second?"
The black haired one only chuckles and steps forward.
"Move that brain of yours, you will need it in the exam. Was he sending a signal or checking if the ceiling won't fall on us?"
Mingi groans. He would much rather not think.
"Hello, what can I get for you?"
"Green tea with two caramel eclairs, please." the male looks at Mingi, who takes a deep breath before ordering.
"Iced white chocolate mocha with caramel and whipped cream, one cheese sandwich and one chicken sandwich, small fries with mayonnaise and one caramel bun and-"
"And that would be all, thank you very much!" Hongjoong interrupts him.
"I still wanted a-"
"Hey, you're lucky I'm a top student here otherwise you would have just cost me my whole month's pay." the male says as the woman behind the counter begins to look for the mentioned items.
"What?"
"I get money for my grades at the end of every month, that's how I survive, and I need to be thrifty."
"Hey, if you're so economical then don't say you will pay for me too next time."
"Don't get all sulky at me now, young man."
Mingi crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the cookies he wished to get as a snack for later.
"I'm sorry, what came after the fries?" the woman asks.
"Mayonnaise and one caramel bun." Hongjoong answers her, looking almost as displeased as Mingi, just for different reasons.
Some minutes later they get two paper bags placed on the table.
"Here you go."
"Thank you. Have a good day." Hongjoong says after swiping his card and taking his bag.
When they turn to walk away, the black-haired male taps on Mingi's arm.
"Let's go meet my friend now."
"Friend? oh...you wanted me to meet someone, right."
"Yes, and he has waited enough."
The male goes to the tables. When the only person in the cafeteria turns out to be the secret messenger or ceiling's admirer, Mingi's still not sure, they sit opposite of the black-haired man.
"This is the seed I told you about. Yeosang, meet Mingi. Mingi, this is one of my friends, Yeosang. He is a fourth year."
"Hello."
"Hey." Yeosang nods his head.
"So, you're the same year as Hongjoong?" Mingi asks, his mouth getting busy right after with a chicken sandwich.
"We came here in the same year, but he skipped a rank. By our ranking system, we are in different ranks with him being one above me."
The red head nods his head as if he understood clearly.
Yeosang turns to Hongjoong.
"You missed so many parties while studying, it's almost like a legend, which needs to be passed down for centuries. The man who only flipped books and scored zero goals in other areas."
"A bit too long for a name, don't you think so?" Hongjoong takes a bite out of the caramel eclair, licking the whipped cream on the sides.
"Right, sorry. Kim Hongjoong. Literature read - who knows, hookups visited - no one knows."
The cheese sandwich has a hard time going down Mingi's throat due to the male laughing with his mouth wide open.
Yeosang seems pleased with both of their reactions, even Hongjoong's unimpressed eyebrow raise.
"It's more surprising to see you still having one-night stands, doesn't it get a bit harder at your age? We wouldn't want your partner to suddenly call an ambulance in case you get a sprain."
The coughing next to him ceases.
"Is Yeosang older than you? Even you?" Mingi wonders loudly.
"He will outlive us all. He already has."
The male looks at the other full of puzzlement.
"Huh?"
The black haired one leans closer and smiles, his lips parting. Two fangs rest on his lower lip now.
The coughing fit resumes. Hongjoong drinks the green tea and eyes the caramel bun but decides to not let the temptation win.
"Are you a vampire?"
"Flesh and blood yet I'm not sure how accurate that description is."
"You're doing quite shitty if we are taking into account that you have no real blood."
"Well, but are we taking it into account? Your friend looks full to the brim with information as it is, look, the poor thing is suffocating."
A few bone crushing hits on the back later, Mingi raises his head, not being able to look at his feast like breakfast or anything else that isn't the creature opposite of him. He doesn't even let out a whine at Hongjoong's smacking.
"Do you really sleep in a coffin? Isn't it a bit cramped there?" Mingi asks with sparkling eyes.
Yeosang glances at Hongjoong and seeing his friend's grimace, laughs.
"I actually prefer a bed."
"Do you even sleep?" the red head keeps the questions going.
"Since my reply would consist of one word and I see a certain someone is dying to share their knowledge about vampires, I'll give the word to Hongjoong. Take it away."
The male takes a loud inhale before opening his mouth, the words flowing almost like from a waterfall.
"A hormone called melatonin is responsible for our sleep processes, it gets produced in our brain. It helps with the timing of our circadian rhythms, which are basically twenty-four-hour internal clocks to help us understand time better." the male takes a breath to continue.
"Hongjoong..." Mingi almost shakily raises his hand.
"Yes? Any questions?"
"Could you break it down in words I would understand?"
The question makes the vampire opposite of them snort in amusement.
Hongjoong glares at the male yet understands that he has no choice.
"Yeosang's blood flow and heart is fucked up but his brain even though not getting-" he sighs.
"Fuck it, I will say at least this much! His brain doesn't get oxygen and needed nutrients from blood yet still works, at least most of the times-"
"Hey!"
"So, he does need some amount of sleep even if it isn't that necessary for him than it is for you and me. That's it, I'm finished."
The black-haired male bites his second eclair, almost frustrated while licking the caramel off his fingers.
"Well, got anything useful from this two-legged encyclopaedia?" Yeosang asks while leaning towards them.
"You could have just said yes." Mingi whispers even though Hongjoong still hears him.
The male dips fries in mayonnaise and eats at least three at once.
His brown eyes are still regarding the vampire with curiosity.
Yeosang smiles after making eye contact with him.
"You better pass the exam, Hongjoong will be overjoyed with you joining."
"I'm not the one grinning ear to ear right now, Yeo." the third male comments before taking a sip of his drink.
The vampire shrugs.
"I wouldn't mind a new friend. It's time for us to expand our friend group."
"How big is your friend group?"
"Just me and the creature besides you."
"You were always the beast between us two, since when did the honour befall on me?"
Ignoring Hongjoong, the black-haired male turns his head to Mingi.
"I see you are not a vampire, yet you don't have any forest smell as well. Will you be the same as Hongjoong then?"
"Do not make it sound so bad." the male interrupts.
"Yes, if I pass the exam I will be learning about necromancy." Mingi answers, all giddy inside.
"Glad to hear that otherwise a bit too many blood suckers are roaming these halls now."
"Are there many vampires?" the red head asks.
"Yes, but most students are still enrolling as well as all the seeds haven't taken the exam yet. In the end werewolves take the majority of students here, the statistics haven't changed for years now."
"Vampires are rare while necromancers show up once in a full moon so to speak." Yeosang continues his friend's sentence.
Mingi nods along while the two males talk.
"I have never seen a werewolf before."
"What about vampires?" Yeosang asks, showing his fangs playfully.
The male smiles yet scoots further back a bit.
"I had two families in my neighbourhood."
A lazy smirk appears on Hongjoong's lips.
"You even played with one of them in childhood. That is, before he decided he wants your blood."
"Don't act like you weren't there either!" Mingi murmurs.
"I handled it appropriately." the male answers.
"What did you do when he attacked you then? It's hard to fend off a vampire. No offence, Mingi but you don't look like you work out and about Hongjoong, well...there's nothing to really look at to confirm it either."
"Watch it." the black-haired man hisses.
"Well, we were kids at the time. Hongjoong threw sand in his face while I ran home screaming." Mingi laughs and lowers his gaze.
"But for your information, I run in the mornings!" he adds.
"I will keep that in mind." Yeosang chuckles.
His fingers tap against his empty drink as he watches Mingi almost swallow the whole straw of his sweet drink. Some whipped cream ends up in his mouth corners, causing Hongjoong to shake his head.
"Say, how much time do you have before the exam starts?"
For a minute, which could have been used to rush to the stairs, only a loud slurping noise fills the silence.
"Fuck."
Mingi shoots up from his chair, trying to grab the empty food containers scattered on the table.
"Go, I will throw these away." Yeosang calmly says.
"Go, go, go." Hongjoong is up like a bolt, trying to get around his own chair to the staircase.
The red head pushes his caramel bun in Hongjoong's arms due to heavy disorientation that takes over his senses.
He has five minutes to find Storage room fifteen, so he runs to the stairs, hoping that his friend is behind him.
Hongjoong flaps his hands in confusion before dashing after Mingi, the transparent bag with the caramel bun still in hand.
Mingi, almost bent in half and not seeing anything except the shadows created from torch light, takes a step in the hall he was before.
It's still full of people yet he doesn't get a chance to look at them much since a hand fists the back of his shirt and pulls him back in the staircase.
"One more flight of stairs, Mingi. It will be closer from this side if you don't want to push through the crowd." Hongjoong informs him.
They reach the second floor and keep running.
Mingi would stare with his jaw on the carpeted floor if not for the voice behind him.
"Right, again right, now left."
Both males keep turning in the similar looking hallways. The red head just sees lacquered furniture and doors in umber colour.
"Maybe we should switch places, don't you think so?" Hongjoong's annoyed voice asks.
The male knows the way but the tall, moving tower in front obstructs his vision and he can't tell the way from the identical walls.
"Left, or right?" Mingi decides to settle more important matters - three different hallways approaching.
He hears a frustrated breath leaving the other.
"Left."
They turn in another similar hallway but the doors there are only on the right side.
"We're here!" Hongjoong announces, sounding happier than Mingi.
He stops and tries to catch his breath while the red head also comes to a halt, visibly in a better state than the black-haired male.
"Second to last doors, go." the male ushers.
"Thanks, Hongjoong. I wouldn't have made it without you!"
"I think now I will be the one not making it." the male admits with hands on his knees.
Mingi laughs at the sight and takes fast steps to the doors.
"Good luck! Don't worry, you won't fuck this up!" his friend's voice calls behind the opened doors.
"I really hope so." the male whispers and takes a step inside the Storage room fifteen.
He is about to reach for the door handle until the doors close on their own.