we are thankful for having you

It's only 6:20 but the line in Greenhills pool is longer than Hongjoong expects. He didn't also expect that transferees would actually attend the said party. Last year, when he conducted a party, for the transferees, only seven out of 30 attended, which made his heart ache. Hongjoong wanted to make these transferees that they belong, and they are loved by him.

"I'm so overwhelmed. I think almost of the transferees are here!" Hongjoong beamed, smiling. Seonghwa, on the other hand, smiled as well. At first, Seonghwa didn't understand why the elder loved these kids, but as he interacted with them, he knew exactly why.

"I'm so happy, Hwa! I can't believe this!" The elder giggled, clapping his hands. The two of them were already inside, preparing the area for the younger students. "Calm down, princess." Seonghwa stated, looking at Hongjoong who was definitely not listening to him.

"We are here!" Mingi exclaimed, earning a nod of acknowledgment from San. The black-haired was anxious but decided to shrug it off. He participated, he agreed, he needed to be okay.

The younger noticed that the elder doesn't seem to budge in his position.

"Change of minds? We can go somewhere." The blonde assured, looking at him softly. San breathes out, "No. I just need strength." He answered, gripping hard on his phone. Mingi nodded and rested his back.

Jongho parked the car behind the area. Wooyoung was busy tapping on his phone, not noticing that they have arrived on their destination.

Jongho clears his throat, "We're here!" Said he, sarcastically. There, Wooyoung realized that they have arrived. He puts his phone in his pocket, and when was about to grab his sunscreen, it was nowhere to be found.

"Wait. Where's my bucket hat?" The elder asked, searching. The younger replied with an "eh" and continues to arrange his things.

He sighed, "Out of all things." Wooyoung hissed, his mood shifting already. Jongho lookrd at him, "You can borrow mine." He replied.

It seemed that the younger's response didn't satisfy him. "It doesn't fit me." Wooyoung responded, his eyebrows knitting. Oh, how Jongho wanna laugh. Every time Wooyoung forgets a thing, his mood will change and his responses to things will change.

"You do wanna fix that mood or else you will be regretting your choices later." Jongho warns, trying not to laugh. Well, it happens almost every day, and he would always warn him about it. The elder sighed, gripping hard on the steering wheels.

6:30pm. All the students are already inside the area. Fortunately for them, the place was large enough to accommodate them, otherwise they are cramped and packed like sardines.

San smiled, some of the students he met earlier are nice and welcoming, especially the Year 4s that joined them. Him and Mingi decided to separate ways since he felt a little safe. He sat by the bar, watching Mingi play with other students in the pool.

"Hey, you must be Wooyoung?" San heard a student, approaching beside him. There he saw Wooyoung again, sitting and looks like ignoring the guy who called him.

"Are you deaf? I'm calling you!" The guy says, voice getting louder, enough to get some students attention. San felt that the other was frozen in his seat, clearly, he doesn't want to be bother.

San sighed, "Stop. He's uncomfortable. Go somewhere else." He stated sternly, keeping an eye contact with the guy. It was never hard for San to talk back or confront. His mother taught him to, just to protect himself.

The guy scowled and left.

"Are you okay?" San asks, looking at Wooyoung. The latter notice that San's eyes are gently looking at him. It makes him weak, why does he look like that?

Wooyoung smiled, "Yeah. Thanks." He answered, smiling. He tried to be kind as possible. It was the same guy who lent him a pen. "By the way, the pen that you lent me... I'll return it tomorrow." He added, his eyes fixated on San who is now looking at Mingi.

As he heard the other, San laughed, "You can have it. I have tons of pen in my bag." He replied, looking back to Wooyoung who's eyes are piercing him. The realization made Wooyoung turn his head away. The other giggled, Wooyoung seems kind.

"Do you hate eye contacts?" Asked San. Wooyoung chuckled lightly, "No. Not at all." He replied shortly, then turned to the barista.

"Can I have a margarita? Thanks." The younger requests. The barista nodded, "Can I have an iced tea? Do you have it here?" San follows up, making sure that the barista hasn't start to make the younger's order. The barista, again, nodded and smiled.

The younger breathes out, "What made you move to Crane Stage?" He inquired, not looking at San. He feels embarrassed and he doesn't know why. "I didn't like the previous schools." The elder replied shortly, he badly wanted to avoid the topic.

Wooyoung sensed that the other doesn't like talking about it, so he shuts his mouth and started fidgeting with his fingers. The younger, then, realized that he doesn't know the other's name. Now he feels more embarrassed.

"What's your name?" Wooyoung, with all the courage he has, questioned. The other seemed not to be mysterious or silent. "I'm Choi San." San answered, smiling. "The teacher didn't bother to let the transferees introduce themselves." He added, chuckling. "Well, Crane Stage didn't have many transferees, that's why they don't bother." The younger replied.

As both of them chat, their orders eventually came and had a drink before chatting again.

This whole scenario was watched by MIngi. The two seemed to be laughing and getting shy for whatever reason it is. Mingi nosily watched the two, forgetting that he was playing with someone.

"Mingi? Mingi?" A man called, genuinely worried for the other. He thought that Mingi was hit, or a water entered his ear making him stop. "Oh! Sorry, Yunho. I was observing a friend of mine." He replied, looking at the guy with a brown hair. Yunho nodded, "Don't worry much! Have fun first." Yunho assured him, making him smile.

On the other hand, Jongho was waiting for someone who seemed to be from a well-off family. When he says well-off, he means WELL-OFF.

"Sorry I was late, I can still come in, right?" The man, with a gray hair asked, smiling. "My mother needed me in the meeting." He added, fishing out his ID from his pocket. The guard nodded, removing the barrier and letting the man enter.

The man immediately searched for a certain red head, and when he found him, he runs to him. "I apologize I was late. Mother needed me in the meeting." He consoled the other. "You literally own this place, Yeosang." Jongho stated, making Yeosang giggle. "I apologized because I made you wait." Yeosang says, hugging him. "Dramatic. I'm fine." Jongho responded, laughing.

———
a/n: heyya! im currently watching Hannibal hahaha! im also at my father's hometown. :D