Unvoiced Secrets
Title: Unvoiced Secrets (1/?)
Author: his_angel16
Characters: Dongho-centric, slight!XanderHo, slight!HyunSeop
Genre: Angst, AU
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Shin Dongho was sent to a boarding school by his parents, who wish to disown him. Among the other students, he meets his cousin and their family's secrets begin to unravel, stunning everyone involved. When the time for being the hero falls upon young Dongho's shoulders, will he be able to prove himself or will death ultimately have the final say?
Warning: Violence
Chapter One:
Dongho gazed out the car window at the building. His parents were sending him to a boarding school for getting expelled from his old private one. They had vehemently refused to hear any excuses from him, deciding that sending him away to be someone else’s problem would be best. They were even too vain to drop him off at the new school.
“Need any help carrying your things in, boy?” the cab driver asked, staring at him in the rearview mirror.
“No thanks, I can get it,” he replied with a small smile. He opened the door of the cab, grabbing the handle of one suitcase while getting out. He turned to grab the other one, seeing someone standing at the gate to let him in. “Thanks for bringing me all the way here.”
“No problem, kid. If you need a lift anywhere, here’s my card.”
Dongho watched the cab drive away, finally starting toward the gate. The person behind it looked like he was about four years older. He wore dorky glasses, his hair was a little longer than most guys’, and he didn’t look overly friendly.
“Welcome to our school. My name is Kim Kibum and I will be your guide for today,” the man said, opening the gate a little. “Please, follow me.”
Dongho nodded, walking through the gate before the elder closed it with a clank. It made him uneasy for some unknown reason. He followed the other up to the front door. It creaked when Kibum opened it. Walking inside, Dongho noticed that the halls were bare of any students.
“Um, hyung, where is everyone else?”
“They are in class. The class president is out of the building for personal reasons, so I was asked to show you around. Now, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your room.” As they climbed the winding staircase, Dongho noticed two people standing in the hall, obviously skipping class.
“Hyung, who are they?” He nodded to the two rebelling students at the top of the stairs.
“Stay away from them, kid. One is Shin; the other is Lee. They belong to the two mafia families that run this city. They’re dangerous when unprovoked.”
“What happens when you provoke them?”
“You’ll die.” The look in the elder’s eyes and the seriousness of his voice startled him. He knew who not to talk to now. Already he was hating this school. “Keep up with me, okay?” They reached the top of the staircase, Kibum walking somewhat quickly toward the end of the hallway.
“Yah, Kibum, who’s the new kid?” Lee Kiseop asked, smirking at them as they tried to flee nonchalantly. “You know that the Lee Mafia sees all. So, tell me your name, kid.”
Dongho glanced to Kibum, seeing him trying to hide his panicky expression before he turned back to the other two. “It’s Dongho. S-Shin Dongho.”
“I thought that was you,” Soohyun said, smiling. “It’s been a while, Dongho-ssi.” He walked over to the younger, not missing the way Kibum practically cowered away from him. Throwing his arm around Dongho’s shoulders, he looked toward Kibum. “This is my little cousin. Take care of him, got it?”
“I’ll look after him, hyung,” Kibum stated. He waited for Soohyun and Kiseop to walk away before he sighed in relief. “You’re his cousin?! The notorious Shin Soohyun’s cousin?!”
Dongho shrugged. “My parents aren’t close to anyone. And when I was little, I never knew his last name or that my uncle is the leader of a mafia. Maybe that’s why my parents stayed away from them…”
“Let’s get you to your room. Since you arrived a few days into the new year, you’ll have to have your own room. All the others are paired up.”
“I don’t mind having my own room. It’ll be better that way.”
Leading him to the very last door, Kibum opened it, turning on the light. “Here you are. Your class schedule is on the desk in the corner and all classes are on the bottom two floors.”
“Thanks, hyung.”
“I’ll get someone in one of your classes to come here and get you when the first class is over. Until then, please get settled in.” Kibum turned, leaving Dongho alone in his room.
Walking over to the closet, he opened his suitcases on his bed. Situating everything inside the small space, he closed the door, turning to stare out the window. “I would write you, but the reason you sent me here is to never hear from me again…” A knock on his door caught his attention, forcing him to answer it. “Yeah?”
“My name is Lee Kiseop. We weren’t properly introduced earlier.” The elder offered his hand, smirking when Dongho took it. He pulled the other closer, startling him. “Look, I like hyung, so don’t do anything to embarrass him while you’re here. You may be a Shin, but I don’t want anything to do with you. It’s only out of courtesy for Soohyun that I’ll leave you alone.”
Dongho watched as Kiseop left after warning him. He shook his head, seeing a couple of spectators who obviously witnessed the little exchange. “What are you looking at?” he grumbled, slamming his door shut shortly after. Leaning against it, he closed his eyes. “The first day and already I’ve got enemies.”
*****
Shin Estates-
“I see. So they sent my nephew off to a boarding school in the South?” Boss Shin asked from behind his desk.
“Yes, Father. I met with him today and flew here straight afterward to inform you,” Soohyun replied. “It seems that Uncle wants nothing more to do with him.”
“Really? Then that is good news for us.”
Soohyun stared at his father, trying to conceal the majority of his confusion. “Why exactly is this good news, Father?”
Standing, Boss Shin walked to his bay window, pulling the drawstring to open the thick curtains. “If my brother’s son is away, there’s no one to stop me from contacting him. My brother refused to allow his son to be a part of what our ancestors began nearly seven hundred years ago.”
“Father, are you saying that you’re willing to accept Dongho-ssi into Shin Estates?”
Nodding once, he turned to face his son. “On the next new year, he shall be inducted into our home. He shall become a true Shin, not just by name, but he should be aware of his role in our society. You know the reason your uncle left estates?”
“Uncle didn’t want to be a part of our family, is what I had concluded. Now that I’m older, what is the true reason he left?”
“He left to save his little family of three from their fate inside these walls. He married an outsider, had a child with a woman who was not approved of by anyone. He left to ensure his family’s safety, but if what you tell me is correct, he has abandoned his son for the taking.”
“Father, if you don’t mind my asking, what was to happen to them if they had stayed?”
“Your cousin would have grown up as a bodyguard. He would have been assigned to protect you from any and all threats, even if it cost him his life. My brother didn’t agree with our way of doing things, so he vanished.”
“What will happen to Dongho-ssi once he is brought here?”
“I will accept him as a son and you will have gained a brother. After so much time elapsed, I can’t allow him to be your bodyguard. He lacks not only the training, but the heart of a protector. He will be treated as you are.”
“So long as no harm comes to him, I will bring him here on the next new year. I will not let you down, Father. Until then, I will return to school and see to it that he is under my watchful eye at all times.”
Bowing in respect, Soohyun left his father’s office. He walked down the hall, two men falling in step behind him. The only thing I have to do until the new year is keep him out of trouble, he thought to himself. This will be easy. How much trouble could a kid cause?
*****
School-
Dongho sat at an empty table in the far corner of the cafeteria. The other students dumped off there kept a safe distance from him. He shoved some rice into his mouth before glaring at the nearest two students. They were sitting a few tables away, both of which were staring at him. He noticed that they were the ones outside his room that he had encountered a few hours ago. Rolling his eyes, he opted to look elsewhere.
“Yah, kid,” Kiseop called to him from a few tables away. “Come here.” Dongho rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his tray and ignoring the elder altogether. “Yah, I said come here. It wasn’t an option, it was an order.”
Dongho picked up his thermos of lukewarm coffee, unscrewing the lid as he walked over. “Why would I want to be affiliated with you in any way?”
“Look, kid, I’m trying to be nice since-”
“I have a name so why don’t you try calling me by it?”
Kiseop glared at him as the entire cafeteria went silent. They were all waiting for him beat the hell out of the younger. “Look, you’ll answer to whatever I decide to call you. Right now, you’ll be my bitch.” He grabbed the younger by his hair, smirking at the defiant gleam he noticed. “You seem to have a pretty good spirit. Too bad I’m going to break it.”
Smirking back, Dongho threw the liquid into Kiseop’s face. Soohyun walked into the room to hear Kiseop yelp and Dongho shove him away. “Y-yah!” Soohyun shouted, being completely ignored.
“Next time you decide to pick a bitch, pick one that wasn’t expelled from their old school for fighting!” He ducked under the elder’s swinging arm, nearly dodging it. He took off for the door, maneuvering around Soohyun and barreling down the hall.
“Get back here!” Kiseop started after the younger, stopping when he saw Soohyun standing at the door. “H-hyung, did you just get back?”
“I’ve been back for a few minutes. Didn’t I tell you to leave Dongho-ssi alone?” Soohyun’s steely eyes caused the younger to take a step back. “Clean yourself up before you come to find me. I’ll be with Dongho-ssi.”
Soohyun found the younger in his room, door locked securely in an attempt to keep anyone from getting in. He knocked on the door, gaining no response. Sighing, he walked down the staircase, out the front door, and around to the back. He smirked at his challenge. Scaling the wall was easy for a member of the Shin Mafia. He hoisted himself up smoothly, using the gaps in the large bricks as leverage. Arriving at the window, he shoved it upward, climbing into the room.
He approached the younger silently. “You should keep your window locked,” he said, making the other jump and fall off of his bed. “Yah, calm down, Dongho, it’s me.”
“H-how did you get in?” Dongho looked at his door, seeing no signs of forced entry.
“I used the window. Keep it locked from now on. I’ll get a key made so I can get into your room if I need to.” The elder thought for a moment before pulling a cell phone from his pocket. “Use this to contact me. My number is already in it, so you don’t have to register it. This will be your phone to use as you wish, I just ask that you don’t go overboard on the minutes.”
Taking the phone, Dongho rolled his eyes before tossing it onto his bed. “Why the hell would I need a cell phone? The people here are all terrified of me by now and my parents dumped me off here. Who the hell would I even call?” He climbed onto his bed and buried his face into his pillows. “Leave through the window. I don’t feel like locking the door behind you…”
Soohyun sighed. “Just keep it with you, okay? I might need to contact you, so just keep it on and with you. I’ll be going now.” Just as he got to the window, someone knocked loudly on the door. He strode over, unlocking it before pulling it open. “Kiseop, apologize to Dongho.”
“What?” Kiseop questioned. “Why do I have to apologize to him?! He’s the one who threw coffee on me! Make him apologize, hyung!”
“You were trying to order him around. Knowing my uncle, he’s been ordered around all his life. Knock it off, okay?” Soohyun went to leave, turning back as he remembered something. “Dongho-ssi, put Kiseop’s phone number in the phone I gave you. Kiseop, put Dongho’s number in your phone, too.”
“Why, hyung? I don’t want your cousin’s number in my phone!”
“Well, then I guess you’ll just have to be around him all day to keep an eye on him. I’ll see if hyung will assign someone to look after him for-”
“I don’t need a babysitter!” Dongho complained, sitting up to face Soohyun. “Don’t treat me like I’m some stupid five year old! Hell, Soohyun, I’m almost an adult. I can take care of-”
“Watch your language, Dongho. Kiseop, let’s go.” Soohyun grabbed the other’s wrist and pulled him from the room, closing the door behind them. He began walking down the hall, Kiseop following him. “Kiseop, help me keep him out of trouble.”
“Why is it my business, hyung? He’s your cousin, so you do it.”
“It’s the first day and he already caused trouble. Why exactly did Uncle send him here? I thought he was their one and only golden child…”
“Your uncle just…dumped him off? As in, he doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore?” Kiseop didn’t understand the reasoning behind it, but he was starting to understand why Dongho had acted the way he did.
“Yah, do some investigating, Kiseop. Go to the school archives and see just what caused him to be thrown out of his old school. If we find it out, maybe it’ll help us understand why a kid like him is so angry at everything.” And it’ll help me explain things to Father when I get back.
“I’ll go immediately. Oh, hyung?”
“What is it, Kiseop?”
“What did your dad have to say?”
“Hm? Oh, it’s just family business. Father wanted to speak to me about Dongho-ssi and his parents. Nothing more…” He smiled a little, pulling Kiseop a little closer. “Come to my room tonight?”
Rolling his eyes, Kiseop pecked the other on the cheek. “I’ll be there. Kick your roommate out and have him stay with mine. I have to go home for a family dinner, but I’ll be back shortly afterwards.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight, Soohyun. Oh, I’ll go look into the archives, too.” After another peck, Kiseop strode off toward the staircase. He would have to be careful in order to sneak into the basement. The archives were confidential and strictly off-limits to students.
A car pulled up to the gate, a hand reaching out to key in the password. Smirking, the driver pulled into the private lot beside the building. Climbing out, the man walked to the front door, meeting the boarding school director.
“You’ve been gone for a while, dear,” the director said. She smiled at the man that had pulled up.
“Well, Mom, I had fun on my trip with Dad, but I’m back for school,” Alexander replied, returning the smile. “Now, which room is the new student in? I should go introduce myself to him.”
“He’s in the last room on the fourth floor. His name is Shin Dongho and-”
“Did you just say that he’s a Shin?” At his mother’s nod, he went racing inside and started up the staircase. He passed by Kevin, the school’s foreign dancer, and Eli, the other foreign student.
“Hyung, you’re back from your visit with your dad?” Kevin asked, standing to the side of the stairs. “Why are you in such a-”
“I have to see something. I’ll talk to you later, Kevin!” He went running down the hall. Reaching the last room, he knocked on the door, awaiting to see the face of another of the Shin family. When the door slowly opened, he was not expecting what he saw. “Y-you’re Shin Dongho?”
“Yeah, I am. Who else would I be?” Dongho replied. He gazed lazily at the elder, yawning before rubbing his eyes. “If you don’t mind, hyung, I’m going to go back to sleep.” He closed the door, his footsteps leading over to his bed before he finally flopped down to return to sleeping.
That’s a Shin? But where’s the air of arrogance? Why doesn’t he think he’s better than the rest of us like Soohyun unknowingly does? This kid is weird… Xander stared at the closed door, somewhat baffled that he met another Shin. He would have to ask Soohyun about him later. He wanted to know more about this kid.
Chap. 1 End
Author: his_angel16
Characters: Dongho-centric, slight!XanderHo, slight!HyunSeop
Genre: Angst, AU
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Shin Dongho was sent to a boarding school by his parents, who wish to disown him. Among the other students, he meets his cousin and their family's secrets begin to unravel, stunning everyone involved. When the time for being the hero falls upon young Dongho's shoulders, will he be able to prove himself or will death ultimately have the final say?
Warning: Violence
Chapter One:
Dongho gazed out the car window at the building. His parents were sending him to a boarding school for getting expelled from his old private one. They had vehemently refused to hear any excuses from him, deciding that sending him away to be someone else’s problem would be best. They were even too vain to drop him off at the new school.
“Need any help carrying your things in, boy?” the cab driver asked, staring at him in the rearview mirror.
“No thanks, I can get it,” he replied with a small smile. He opened the door of the cab, grabbing the handle of one suitcase while getting out. He turned to grab the other one, seeing someone standing at the gate to let him in. “Thanks for bringing me all the way here.”
“No problem, kid. If you need a lift anywhere, here’s my card.”
Dongho watched the cab drive away, finally starting toward the gate. The person behind it looked like he was about four years older. He wore dorky glasses, his hair was a little longer than most guys’, and he didn’t look overly friendly.
“Welcome to our school. My name is Kim Kibum and I will be your guide for today,” the man said, opening the gate a little. “Please, follow me.”
Dongho nodded, walking through the gate before the elder closed it with a clank. It made him uneasy for some unknown reason. He followed the other up to the front door. It creaked when Kibum opened it. Walking inside, Dongho noticed that the halls were bare of any students.
“Um, hyung, where is everyone else?”
“They are in class. The class president is out of the building for personal reasons, so I was asked to show you around. Now, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your room.” As they climbed the winding staircase, Dongho noticed two people standing in the hall, obviously skipping class.
“Hyung, who are they?” He nodded to the two rebelling students at the top of the stairs.
“Stay away from them, kid. One is Shin; the other is Lee. They belong to the two mafia families that run this city. They’re dangerous when unprovoked.”
“What happens when you provoke them?”
“You’ll die.” The look in the elder’s eyes and the seriousness of his voice startled him. He knew who not to talk to now. Already he was hating this school. “Keep up with me, okay?” They reached the top of the staircase, Kibum walking somewhat quickly toward the end of the hallway.
“Yah, Kibum, who’s the new kid?” Lee Kiseop asked, smirking at them as they tried to flee nonchalantly. “You know that the Lee Mafia sees all. So, tell me your name, kid.”
Dongho glanced to Kibum, seeing him trying to hide his panicky expression before he turned back to the other two. “It’s Dongho. S-Shin Dongho.”
“I thought that was you,” Soohyun said, smiling. “It’s been a while, Dongho-ssi.” He walked over to the younger, not missing the way Kibum practically cowered away from him. Throwing his arm around Dongho’s shoulders, he looked toward Kibum. “This is my little cousin. Take care of him, got it?”
“I’ll look after him, hyung,” Kibum stated. He waited for Soohyun and Kiseop to walk away before he sighed in relief. “You’re his cousin?! The notorious Shin Soohyun’s cousin?!”
Dongho shrugged. “My parents aren’t close to anyone. And when I was little, I never knew his last name or that my uncle is the leader of a mafia. Maybe that’s why my parents stayed away from them…”
“Let’s get you to your room. Since you arrived a few days into the new year, you’ll have to have your own room. All the others are paired up.”
“I don’t mind having my own room. It’ll be better that way.”
Leading him to the very last door, Kibum opened it, turning on the light. “Here you are. Your class schedule is on the desk in the corner and all classes are on the bottom two floors.”
“Thanks, hyung.”
“I’ll get someone in one of your classes to come here and get you when the first class is over. Until then, please get settled in.” Kibum turned, leaving Dongho alone in his room.
Walking over to the closet, he opened his suitcases on his bed. Situating everything inside the small space, he closed the door, turning to stare out the window. “I would write you, but the reason you sent me here is to never hear from me again…” A knock on his door caught his attention, forcing him to answer it. “Yeah?”
“My name is Lee Kiseop. We weren’t properly introduced earlier.” The elder offered his hand, smirking when Dongho took it. He pulled the other closer, startling him. “Look, I like hyung, so don’t do anything to embarrass him while you’re here. You may be a Shin, but I don’t want anything to do with you. It’s only out of courtesy for Soohyun that I’ll leave you alone.”
Dongho watched as Kiseop left after warning him. He shook his head, seeing a couple of spectators who obviously witnessed the little exchange. “What are you looking at?” he grumbled, slamming his door shut shortly after. Leaning against it, he closed his eyes. “The first day and already I’ve got enemies.”
*****
Shin Estates-
“I see. So they sent my nephew off to a boarding school in the South?” Boss Shin asked from behind his desk.
“Yes, Father. I met with him today and flew here straight afterward to inform you,” Soohyun replied. “It seems that Uncle wants nothing more to do with him.”
“Really? Then that is good news for us.”
Soohyun stared at his father, trying to conceal the majority of his confusion. “Why exactly is this good news, Father?”
Standing, Boss Shin walked to his bay window, pulling the drawstring to open the thick curtains. “If my brother’s son is away, there’s no one to stop me from contacting him. My brother refused to allow his son to be a part of what our ancestors began nearly seven hundred years ago.”
“Father, are you saying that you’re willing to accept Dongho-ssi into Shin Estates?”
Nodding once, he turned to face his son. “On the next new year, he shall be inducted into our home. He shall become a true Shin, not just by name, but he should be aware of his role in our society. You know the reason your uncle left estates?”
“Uncle didn’t want to be a part of our family, is what I had concluded. Now that I’m older, what is the true reason he left?”
“He left to save his little family of three from their fate inside these walls. He married an outsider, had a child with a woman who was not approved of by anyone. He left to ensure his family’s safety, but if what you tell me is correct, he has abandoned his son for the taking.”
“Father, if you don’t mind my asking, what was to happen to them if they had stayed?”
“Your cousin would have grown up as a bodyguard. He would have been assigned to protect you from any and all threats, even if it cost him his life. My brother didn’t agree with our way of doing things, so he vanished.”
“What will happen to Dongho-ssi once he is brought here?”
“I will accept him as a son and you will have gained a brother. After so much time elapsed, I can’t allow him to be your bodyguard. He lacks not only the training, but the heart of a protector. He will be treated as you are.”
“So long as no harm comes to him, I will bring him here on the next new year. I will not let you down, Father. Until then, I will return to school and see to it that he is under my watchful eye at all times.”
Bowing in respect, Soohyun left his father’s office. He walked down the hall, two men falling in step behind him. The only thing I have to do until the new year is keep him out of trouble, he thought to himself. This will be easy. How much trouble could a kid cause?
*****
School-
Dongho sat at an empty table in the far corner of the cafeteria. The other students dumped off there kept a safe distance from him. He shoved some rice into his mouth before glaring at the nearest two students. They were sitting a few tables away, both of which were staring at him. He noticed that they were the ones outside his room that he had encountered a few hours ago. Rolling his eyes, he opted to look elsewhere.
“Yah, kid,” Kiseop called to him from a few tables away. “Come here.” Dongho rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his tray and ignoring the elder altogether. “Yah, I said come here. It wasn’t an option, it was an order.”
Dongho picked up his thermos of lukewarm coffee, unscrewing the lid as he walked over. “Why would I want to be affiliated with you in any way?”
“Look, kid, I’m trying to be nice since-”
“I have a name so why don’t you try calling me by it?”
Kiseop glared at him as the entire cafeteria went silent. They were all waiting for him beat the hell out of the younger. “Look, you’ll answer to whatever I decide to call you. Right now, you’ll be my bitch.” He grabbed the younger by his hair, smirking at the defiant gleam he noticed. “You seem to have a pretty good spirit. Too bad I’m going to break it.”
Smirking back, Dongho threw the liquid into Kiseop’s face. Soohyun walked into the room to hear Kiseop yelp and Dongho shove him away. “Y-yah!” Soohyun shouted, being completely ignored.
“Next time you decide to pick a bitch, pick one that wasn’t expelled from their old school for fighting!” He ducked under the elder’s swinging arm, nearly dodging it. He took off for the door, maneuvering around Soohyun and barreling down the hall.
“Get back here!” Kiseop started after the younger, stopping when he saw Soohyun standing at the door. “H-hyung, did you just get back?”
“I’ve been back for a few minutes. Didn’t I tell you to leave Dongho-ssi alone?” Soohyun’s steely eyes caused the younger to take a step back. “Clean yourself up before you come to find me. I’ll be with Dongho-ssi.”
Soohyun found the younger in his room, door locked securely in an attempt to keep anyone from getting in. He knocked on the door, gaining no response. Sighing, he walked down the staircase, out the front door, and around to the back. He smirked at his challenge. Scaling the wall was easy for a member of the Shin Mafia. He hoisted himself up smoothly, using the gaps in the large bricks as leverage. Arriving at the window, he shoved it upward, climbing into the room.
He approached the younger silently. “You should keep your window locked,” he said, making the other jump and fall off of his bed. “Yah, calm down, Dongho, it’s me.”
“H-how did you get in?” Dongho looked at his door, seeing no signs of forced entry.
“I used the window. Keep it locked from now on. I’ll get a key made so I can get into your room if I need to.” The elder thought for a moment before pulling a cell phone from his pocket. “Use this to contact me. My number is already in it, so you don’t have to register it. This will be your phone to use as you wish, I just ask that you don’t go overboard on the minutes.”
Taking the phone, Dongho rolled his eyes before tossing it onto his bed. “Why the hell would I need a cell phone? The people here are all terrified of me by now and my parents dumped me off here. Who the hell would I even call?” He climbed onto his bed and buried his face into his pillows. “Leave through the window. I don’t feel like locking the door behind you…”
Soohyun sighed. “Just keep it with you, okay? I might need to contact you, so just keep it on and with you. I’ll be going now.” Just as he got to the window, someone knocked loudly on the door. He strode over, unlocking it before pulling it open. “Kiseop, apologize to Dongho.”
“What?” Kiseop questioned. “Why do I have to apologize to him?! He’s the one who threw coffee on me! Make him apologize, hyung!”
“You were trying to order him around. Knowing my uncle, he’s been ordered around all his life. Knock it off, okay?” Soohyun went to leave, turning back as he remembered something. “Dongho-ssi, put Kiseop’s phone number in the phone I gave you. Kiseop, put Dongho’s number in your phone, too.”
“Why, hyung? I don’t want your cousin’s number in my phone!”
“Well, then I guess you’ll just have to be around him all day to keep an eye on him. I’ll see if hyung will assign someone to look after him for-”
“I don’t need a babysitter!” Dongho complained, sitting up to face Soohyun. “Don’t treat me like I’m some stupid five year old! Hell, Soohyun, I’m almost an adult. I can take care of-”
“Watch your language, Dongho. Kiseop, let’s go.” Soohyun grabbed the other’s wrist and pulled him from the room, closing the door behind them. He began walking down the hall, Kiseop following him. “Kiseop, help me keep him out of trouble.”
“Why is it my business, hyung? He’s your cousin, so you do it.”
“It’s the first day and he already caused trouble. Why exactly did Uncle send him here? I thought he was their one and only golden child…”
“Your uncle just…dumped him off? As in, he doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore?” Kiseop didn’t understand the reasoning behind it, but he was starting to understand why Dongho had acted the way he did.
“Yah, do some investigating, Kiseop. Go to the school archives and see just what caused him to be thrown out of his old school. If we find it out, maybe it’ll help us understand why a kid like him is so angry at everything.” And it’ll help me explain things to Father when I get back.
“I’ll go immediately. Oh, hyung?”
“What is it, Kiseop?”
“What did your dad have to say?”
“Hm? Oh, it’s just family business. Father wanted to speak to me about Dongho-ssi and his parents. Nothing more…” He smiled a little, pulling Kiseop a little closer. “Come to my room tonight?”
Rolling his eyes, Kiseop pecked the other on the cheek. “I’ll be there. Kick your roommate out and have him stay with mine. I have to go home for a family dinner, but I’ll be back shortly afterwards.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight, Soohyun. Oh, I’ll go look into the archives, too.” After another peck, Kiseop strode off toward the staircase. He would have to be careful in order to sneak into the basement. The archives were confidential and strictly off-limits to students.
A car pulled up to the gate, a hand reaching out to key in the password. Smirking, the driver pulled into the private lot beside the building. Climbing out, the man walked to the front door, meeting the boarding school director.
“You’ve been gone for a while, dear,” the director said. She smiled at the man that had pulled up.
“Well, Mom, I had fun on my trip with Dad, but I’m back for school,” Alexander replied, returning the smile. “Now, which room is the new student in? I should go introduce myself to him.”
“He’s in the last room on the fourth floor. His name is Shin Dongho and-”
“Did you just say that he’s a Shin?” At his mother’s nod, he went racing inside and started up the staircase. He passed by Kevin, the school’s foreign dancer, and Eli, the other foreign student.
“Hyung, you’re back from your visit with your dad?” Kevin asked, standing to the side of the stairs. “Why are you in such a-”
“I have to see something. I’ll talk to you later, Kevin!” He went running down the hall. Reaching the last room, he knocked on the door, awaiting to see the face of another of the Shin family. When the door slowly opened, he was not expecting what he saw. “Y-you’re Shin Dongho?”
“Yeah, I am. Who else would I be?” Dongho replied. He gazed lazily at the elder, yawning before rubbing his eyes. “If you don’t mind, hyung, I’m going to go back to sleep.” He closed the door, his footsteps leading over to his bed before he finally flopped down to return to sleeping.
That’s a Shin? But where’s the air of arrogance? Why doesn’t he think he’s better than the rest of us like Soohyun unknowingly does? This kid is weird… Xander stared at the closed door, somewhat baffled that he met another Shin. He would have to ask Soohyun about him later. He wanted to know more about this kid.
Chap. 1 End