Chapter 1: Unfamiliar voice

Xiang Yuze, live in Nanshan with me.

Kring!

A metallic, loud, repetitive, and continuous noise resonated throughout the whole room, jolting the body under the covers.

"Argh, who the hell set the alarm?!"

An arm stretched out from under the covers, grabbing the phone by the bedside table, and pressing the 'stop' forcefully. The mobile phone then got tossed somewhere on the bed.

The annoyed man whose sleep got disturbed snuggled the blanket more and continued to sleep. He stayed late last night playing video games, so he needs as much sleep as he can get before school starts again.

Bam!

The door was kicked open, banging it to the wall, creating a loud noise that startled the man under the covers. The tip of his brows twitched in annoyance, and the veins on his neck popped in anger.

He was ready to shout at whoever disturbed his sleep again, but that 'someone' beat him to it.

"Song Yujin! Get up already! Do you want to be late?!"

"Huh?" Song Yujin met the furious eyes of his foster brother who pulled the blanket and threw it on the floor. His eyes were still hazy, but he scrunched his face in confusion. "Late for what?"

Kim Hajun's brow twitched. Kicking his feet on the side of the mattress, he shouted, "For school, you dickhead! Today is the first day! Get up!"

'School?' Song Yujin thought, furrowing his brows.

"The hell? What are you looking so puzzled for?! Are you still asleep or you're just dumb?!" Kim Hajun whirled around and headed to Song Yujin's closet. He took his properly ironed school uniform and tossed it on the bed.

"You better hurry up! Hajin-noona and I will be waiting for you downstairs."

The room got dark again after the door was closed.

Song Yujin yawned and cleaned his ears. He was relieved that his eardrums did not explode from his brother's yelling. He stretched his arms and slid himself out of the bed.

"Right. School. I forgot about school," he spoke drowsily and sluggishly undressed himself and went to the bathroom.

'Why do I feel as if I forgot something more important than school?' He thought to himself as the cold water from the shower washed away any bit of sleepiness left within him. He shrugged his shoulders after thinking hard about what it was.

He convinced himself that it was probably nothing important. After all, how can he forget about it?

Surely, if it was something that held significance then he shouldn't have forgotten it, right?

"Tsk. I told you to hurry up," Kim Hajun berated him as soon as he descended the stairs.

Song Yujin laughed lightly and tapped Kim Hajun's shoulders, "Sorry, sorry. I completely forgot about today. I even stayed up late last night."

He yawned again.

"That's okay, Yujin-ah," a voice sweeter than honey dripped in their ears. They both turned around and saw a graceful lady walking out of the kitchen. She smiled at the two and added, "We still have plenty of time."

Kim Hajin stretched her slender and dainty arms, fixing Song Yujin's collar with her long, white fingers.

Song Yujin's smile grew wider after being pampered, while Kim Hajun only shook his head at the childishness of his foster brother. Song Yujin hated wearing clothes the proper way, but if it was their sister who fixed them for him, he wouldn't have the guts to mess them up again.

"It's folded."

"Thanks, noona," Song Yujin smiled brightly, though he felt like his neck was being suffocated, he fought the urge to loosen the tie and endured.

Kim Hajin patted the two boys' shoulders gently and spoke to them with excitement, "This is your first day in your new school. The classes at the academy already started a week ago, so I hope that both of you will be able to catch up quickly."

"You don't have to worry, noona. A week isn't that long," Kim Hajun answered cooly. Truth be told, he doesn't need to concern himself with catching up, since he was ranked second in his previous school.

And if anyone asked who was the first… it was the guy yawning for the nth time beside him. He rolled his eyes at the unbothered guy and prayed to the heavens that his misfortune wouldn't rub on him.

Song Yujin's clothes were properly ironed and styled, but his disheveled hair and droopy eyes were ruining his good image. His slouch posture was almost groveling in the ground, and the way he walked was like a snail, dragging his heavy body with difficulty.

If Kim Hajun hadn't known that Song Yujin was actually pretty smart, he would have mistaken him for a lethargic delinquent student who always sleeps in class.

They ate breakfast in silence.

Song Yujin offered to wash the plates before going to school, but he got scolded by Kim Hajun instead, while Kim Hajin smiled at him, explaining that he didn't need to do those things anymore, as her parents had hired a helper.

Song Yujin was a child adopted by the Kim family. Though the adoption was official, Song Yujin had asked his foster father to keep his family name.

This was the reason why only a few knew that he was a legally adopted child of the Kims. His peers in his previous school only thought that he and Kim Hajun were just cousins, and the two of them never bothered to correct their speculations.

"Hey! Song Yujin! Straighten your posture, will you?! You're like an old hunchback with years of burden carrying behind his back!" Kim Hajun shouted, striking Song Yujin's back a bit hard.

The poor sleepy man groaned and then grinned at the grumpy one, "Ah, why are you so grumpy on the first day of our school? Do you want to scare our new classmate, Hajun-hyung? Or…don't tell me, you're nervous?"

His voice was teasing, as payback for the hit he received from him. He even called him affectionately which the latter hated the most.

Kim Hajun frowned and spat, "Don't talk nonsense! We're entering the school now. Do you want to be seen as a lazy student on your first day? I'm telling you now, Song Yujin, don't try doing funny things and stay away from problems!"

"Alright, alright. I'll be a good boy. Stop nagging, Hajun-ah," Song Yujin answered nonchalantly and walked to the school's main gate. His strides were like an old wise man with his hands folded on his back, looking funny and unserious.

Kim Hajin laughed at her foster brother's antics before her attention was caught by someone shouting her name in the distance.

Kim Hajin waved back and turned to them, "That's my classmate and friend. You know your classroom, boys, right? Or do you want me to show you around?"

Kim Hajun firmly shook his head, shuddering at the thought of having his sister show them around and treat them like kindergarteners. He immediately answered before Song Yujin agreed, "Yeah, don't worry about us. We can find our way. Don't worry."

He gave Song Yujin a wide eye, silently telling him not to refute him. With an obvious frown, Song Yujin reluctantly replied, "Go ahead, noona. Have fun."

"Alright. See you inside!" Kim Hajin beamed and ran to her classmate.

As the two walked to the gate, Kim Hajun fumbled his bag, looking for something. Before Song Yujin could ask him, the student guard at the gates spoke already.

"Wear your IDs around your neck, please."

Song Yujin yawned. His kind older sister was already gone, so he pulled his properly tied school necktie and grumbled inwardly, 'A school ID? Are they seriously checking it one by one?'