path to dazzling lights // ateez high school au {on hold}

1.4 lunch

"Well,  it's 11 now, so we can head to the lunch hall if you want?" Hongjoong suggests to Wooyoung with a smile. His expression showed no trace of the sullen guy a few hours back. They had stayed at the dance studio for an extra hour and a half, just chatting about life and goals and future plans.

Wooyoung now knew that Hongjoong wanted to be a musician and producer once he graduated, composing and singing his own tunes. With that skill and hardworking attitude of his, he felt certain that he would make it. On the other hand, Hongjoong found out that Wooyoung wanted to be a full-time dancer, maybe as a backup dancer as he didn't feel very confident in his own abilities, although Hongjoong kept convincing him he was amazing. He also found out that Wooyoung switched schools because his mother had taken on a job in the city, so they had to move towns.

They both realised that none of them said anything about their actual lives, but neither brought it up, for fear of triggering either.

Wooyoung so desperately wanted to decline Hongjoong's offer to bring him to lunch, he didn't want to see his childhood enemy once again. However, his stomach also seemed to want to be his enemy today. It growled as though in anger, wanting food to fill it up.

At the sound of his growls, Hongjoong made that decision for him. "All right, it seems that you agree with me. Let's head to lunch." He got up and Wooyoung grudgingly followed him as he turned off the lights and headed out the studio.

The walk to the lunch hall was pretty much the same as when they started the orientation tour. Hongjoong sharing about his experiences and thoughts, while Wooyoung stayed silent and thoughtful. To be precise, he was wondering how in the world was he going to face a person he spent ten years hating due to fear without flinching.

Unfortunately for Wooyoung, but to the pure delight of the unsuspecting Hongjoong, they reach the lunch hall fairly quickly. However, they were a little late.

By the time they reach there, most of the students were piled into the hall. Thankfully, the place was catered to house all the students, and seeing as one whole year's worth of students, or one third of the "population" was missing, there was plenty of room for everyone.

Hongjoong hurried to get them a place in the long winding line for food and Wooyoung, not wanting to be left behind by his guide, hurried after him. The queue might've been long, but it moved rather quickly, so they managed to get their food in a matter of minutes.

As they left the line and were looking for a place to sit, a voice called out Hongjoong's name. The person with that name turned towards the sound and immediately grinned when he looked in that direction. He gestured Wooyoung toward the table on the far right of the hall, urging him to move there.

It was a precarious journey, but they managed to make their way to the table, where a black haired male was already seated. He waved frantically at Hongjoong as they sat down and the latter could not help but giggle at the gesture.

The dark haired male was handsome, to say the least. His eyes which looked so soulful but lit up when he smiled, his pale skin paired with the thick dark eyebrows, and when he smiled, Wooyoung could see that he had braces, but that didn't take away from his handsomeness. In fact, they probably made him even more perfect.

(WY) "Damn you're hot, not gonna lie."

(??) "Sorry, what?"

(WY) "Oh, did I say that out loud?"

(HJ) "Yeah, you kinda did just say that. It's alright though, almost everyone says that about him."

(??) "I can't help that I'm fabulous..."

The two sit down beside each other across from the other, with Hongjoong sitting directly opposite him, Wooyoung trying to hide the blush that was raging upon appearing on his cheeks. A few seconds later, the unknown guy spoke.

"Hey Joong! Had a great day, didn't you? You're so lucky that the principal asked you to bring the new kid around. I wished I had an opportunity like that too!" he poutted and looked wistfully in the distance, like it was dream he could reach but not quite hold. "Speaking of the new kid, this must be him, isn't it?"

"Yes, and stop being so hyper, you'll scare him away on his first day!" Hongjoong playfully banters. The dark-haired rolls his eyes at his friend before turning to Wooyoung and holding out his hand. "Hi! My name's Seonghwa, kinda like the Olympic Torch but not quite. Some people also call me Mars, cause that's what my name switched around means. By the way, you are?"

"Wooyoung. Kinda like the ingredient in kimbap but not quite." Wooyoung replies cheekily, causing raucous laughter to burst from the other two. "That's a good one! I might have to think of one for myself too!" Hongjoong replies through his laughter.

"What are you guys laughing about?" a new voice booms out from behind, causing Wooyoung to jump, almost spilling his drink. "Yah! You scared me! What are you yelling for?"

"Sorry, sorry I'll try to talk a little softer." The person's volume lowers slightly. "Hey! How was your day?" Hongjoong asks as the person behind Wooyoung crosses to the other side and settles down beside Seonghwa. "It was pretty decent to say the least. I almost fell asleep during homeroom though. They repeat the same rules to us every semester! I feel like I could recite the whole thing from scratch and not miss anything."

"You couldn't."

"I soooooooo could!"

"Prove it!"

"All right, you asked for it. Ahem. *in a pompous tone* Rule number 1, don't-"

"Okay, okay I see your point. I've had enough of listening to that! Besides, I've also heard it two times more than you so far!"

The new guy leans back slightly and crosses his arms over his chest, a smug smile on his face. "I told you you wouldn't want me to "prove it"."

Now that the newcomer was seated, Wooyoung was able to take in his appearance. He was really handsome as well, with reddish hair that was fading to pink at some parts and the smile that made him look rather impish. He seemed to have the loudest personality among the three that he'd met so far.

"You must be the newbie! Hi! My name's Yunho!"

"Are you and hwa really trying to scare him off? You guys are so loud, I can't believe I'm still sitting here with such lunatics!"

"You love us though!" "Yeah! You can't resist us no matter how loud we are!"

"Uh-huh. Sure..."

"Hi Yunho! I'm Wooyoung. It's great to meet you too!"

"Oh! So kinda like that kimbap ingredient?"

"That's what he said earlier too!"

The final statement brought forth another round of laughter and they joyfully shared banters while eating.

Wooyoung couldn't help but feel pleased and surprisingly happy that he had made some new acquaintances (they're not really on good friends terms yet). They didn't seem like people who would bully him. Instead of laughing at him, they laughed with him and he was enjoying their company very much, much more than he thought he would. However, he had forgotten the thing that sparked his unwillingness to come in the first place.

Just when he thought everything was going fine, of course, everything had to crash down on him right where it hurts.

Another voice. One that he somewhat recognised.

"What are you guys up to?"