Hi! I am really excited for this one-shot. It is centered around a Kpop group that I haven't written for yet. That is none other than BOYNEXTDOOR! They are slowly becoming a new fav of mine. I love all their songs and I think the boys are super talented. I just had to write something with them as the main characters. I originally was considering making this story SVT centric, but decided that the concept and everything was better suited for BND. And as I wrote it out and took notes and stuff, it just became this world that I really am considering revisiting in the future, but I will let you all be the judge of that. I hope you enjoy it!

Woonhak stares out the window as they drive up towards the academy where he will spend the rest of his school years. It is nestled amongst a forest of trees, which have spread onto the massive brick buildings, making them look like a forbidden palace right out of a fairytale. A field for sports has been built in the back along with a massive amphitheater for various extracurriculars. Beyond that stands tall white structures that provide on campus housing for all students and teachers. It's a grand place. It's exactly what you would expect of a prestigious academy. And yet, as their car loops down the curving pathway towards the front entrance, Woonhak can't help but feel as if he is slowly approaching his doom.

He should be grateful. He was forced to transfer from his last school due to an issue with a bully. One that the school board couldn't make sense of and so they simply threw out the punishment that would cause them the least trouble. The issue is that it gave Woonhak a lot of trouble. No other school would allow him to enroll. Even with his good grades, they didn't want some delinquent child, who had got into a fist fight with a fellow student, roaming their halls. That is until they got a letter from Willowfield Academy. They had personally invited Woonhak to be one of their students.

Woonhak found it odd. There wasn't a single school that had wanted him, but now some prestigious one did. It's not like he came from some well-off family either. There is no reason for them to offer him a spot. Unless there was some ulterior motive. His parents, on the other hand, didn't care. Woonhak had no other place to go. It is either the academy or he becomes a high school dropout.

And so, his parents accepted the invitation. It had taken almost half a year to work out all the details, with them moving to a new town and all, but they had eventually worked everything out for him to attend Willowfield.

Woonhak had gone along with his parents' wishes even though going to this new academy didn't sit right with him. He doesn't know why. He just has this uneasy feeling each time he so much as thinks about Willowfield. It's like there's this hidden alarm in the back of his head that rings like a warning signal telling him to stay far, far away. It doesn't make sense. He's never been to or even heard of Willowfield before. But, Woonhak has always had a good intuition. He knows that there is something off about this place, which is why as their car pulls to a stop right at the front steps of the academy, he remains on edge.

Woonhak slowly undoes his seatbelt and throws the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. His parents turn to look at him with encouraging smiles on their faces. "Are you ready for your first day?" His mom asks in a concerned tone.

"As ready as I can be," Woonhak answers, "You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I hope so," His dad sighs, "Try not to cause too much trouble. And please don't use your powers..."

"My power is useless unless someone else with powers is around," Woonhak says matter of factly, "I doubt this place has anyone else like me..."

"You said that at your last school too," His mother murmurs.

Woonhak frowns, "It's not like I went looking for someone with powers at my old school, eomma. I don't get some kick out of using my abilities. I only did it cause I had to!"

"Woonhak," His father says in a warning tone.

"What?" Woonhak huffs. Before his father can say anything more, there is a soft knock on the window of the car. The family turn to look to their left where a woman in a pantsuit and a student with long brown hair stand. Woonhak's parents quickly put smiles on as they turn to face the two, rolling down the car windows to greet them. Woonhak rolls his eyes before opening the car door and exiting the vehicle. He makes a pointed measure to slam the door as hard as possible before going to the trunk. "You must be Woonhak," The woman chimes, taking notice of the teen, "I'm Headmistress Bae. It's my honor to welcome you to our school."

"Nice to meet you," Woonhak nods in greeting as he opens the trunk.

"And this is Leehan..." The Headmistress gestures to the student, continuing to speak as Woonhak unloads his belongings, "He is a sophomore and will be your guide for the first couple days."

At his introduction, Leehan waves and speaks in a calm tone, "Hello."

"Hi," Woonhak echoes as he closes the trunk. He places his carry-on bag on the top of his suitcase and calmly rolls it along the pavement until he stands right beside Leehan. "Do you have all your belongings?" Headmistress Bae questions.

"Yeah...I'm good to go," Woonhak replies. He then turns to look at his parents to say his final farewells. He bends down and peeks through the open window, "Bye, eomma...bye appa..."

"Woonhak-ah, have fun, okay?" His mom calls, "Make sure to study hard and call us if you need anything..."

"And don't get into any trouble!" His father states sternly.

"We'll see you during your break!" His mom smiles.

"See you..." Woonhak murmurs.

"Don't you worry, we will take great care of Woonhak here at Willowfield," Headmistress Bae says reassuringly to his parents before turning to look at Leehan, "Why don't you show Woonhak his dorm room and give him a tour of the campus?"

Leehan nods his head before turning to Woonhak, "Let's go." He grabs Woonhak's carry on and swings it over his shoulder in one smooth motion before turning around and making his way up the stairs. Woonhak hesitates for a moment. His eyes glancing one more time at his parents before grabbing his suitcase by the handle and slowly following his classmate towards the dark wooden doors of Willowfield Academy.

———————

After showing him his room where he had dumped his belongings, Leehan had guided Woonhak on a brief tour of the campus. From the grand staircase in the foyer to the lounge spaces furnished for the student's complete comfort, it was exactly what Woonhak had expected from a private academy. It was a place for the best of the best and they were given the best in return. Even the lockers somehow maintained this feeling of luxury to them. Beyond that, there was this sense of history to Willowfield. The academy's roots can be traced throughout history after all and although the buildings are stocked with modern day amenities, the administration maintained many elements of Willowfield's past in its halls. Something that Woonhak takes special notice of given how desolate those very halls are at the moment. "Everyone is on lunch break," Leehan explains, "Usually it's a lot louder and crazier in the halls, but you'll get used to it..." Woonhak nods his head in response. His eyes slowly take in his surroundings as they slowly walk. "Do you want to go grab a bite to eat or do you want to explore a bit more?" Leehan asks.

"I could eat," Woonhak shrugs.

"Cool," Leehan says, "Follow me, the cafeteria is this way. I think they're serving tonkatsu today." He guides Woonhak towards the right and then down a short hall which leads to another foyer-like space in the school. Sunlight shines through a massive dome like window in the ceiling which paints a spider web like shadow on the ground. Woonhak can hear the rumbling sounds of voices speaking over one another in the distance getting louder as they get closer. They quickly pass through the foyer and make their way towards another hall where they instantly see two students. One is pinned by the other whose forearm is shoved against his throat. A loud bang echoes as the attacking student slams the pinned one against the locker.

"Hey! Let him go!" Woonhak shouts. His legs move without a second thought. He races down the hallway and pushes the bully off of the other student. The bully staggers back in surprise as his victim instantly slumps to the ground. Woonhak kneels beside him and grasps his shoulder lightly, "Are you okay?" He scans him over, taking notice of his off kilter black glasses and his name tag which reads Riwoo.

"I'm fine," Riwoo huffs. He pushes Woonhak's arm away and adjusts his glasses. He slowly rises to his feet and glances for less than a second at the bully before diverting his eyes. His head drops and he scampers away. The bully lets out a sound of annoyance and starts to rush after Riwoo. Before he can though, Woonhak blocks his path by standing right in front of him. The bully scoffs as he scans Woonhak up and down, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Woonhak," He answers simply. The bully looks less than impressed. He adjusts the leather jacket that is thrown over his button-down school uniform with a shrug of his shoulders. "He's a new student, Taesan," Leehan pipes up, suddenly appearing beside the two. Woonhak looks over at him, wondering why he had waited until now to step in rather than earlier when he saw what Taesan was doing. His guide meets his eyes and discreetly shakes his head. Woonhak frowns at the action, but doesn't comment on it. He turns to look back at Taesan who has taken a few steps back, clearly no longer going to run after Riwoo or do anything to Woonhak. Taesan rolls his eyes before looking at Leehan and smirking, "You better teach him how things work around here." He then walks away from the two and saunters away with his hands in his pockets. Woonhak turns around to watch him leave with a disgusted look on his face. "What is wrong with that guy?" His nose scrunching in disgust.

"That guy is Willowfield's resident bad boy," Leehan explains, "He is the definition of bad news. He rides a motorcycle and has a criminal record!"

"So?" Woonhak asks.

"So, it's best that you stay out of his way," Leehan hisses, "That's how things work here. We don't get involved with other groups. Just stick by me and my friends and you'll be fine."

"Huh?" Woonhak questions in a confused tone.

"Come on," Leehan sighs, "I'll show you what it's really like to be a student at Willowfield Academy." He all but pushes Woonhak in the direction of the double doors at the end of the hall that leads to a curving staircase. The smell of food reaches his nose as does the loud clamber of students chatting amicably as he stands on the balcony overlooking the cafeteria. Woonhak surveys the area, his lips curling into a frown when he notices something odd about the scene. Everyone is dressed rather stereotypically. From a group of plaid wearing, glasses adorned students whose faces are shoved into books to the horde of loud jocks with bright red letterman jackets that don't even match the academy's colors. Each of the groups pointedly ignores and stays out of the way of the others as if each exists on its own island that can't be breached. It's odd and fuels Woonhak's suspicions about this school. He moves away from the balcony and starts to walk towards the steps to join the rest of the student body, but before he can Leehan latches onto his sweatshirt hood and yanks him back. "Wha-" Woonhak begins to speak before he is cut off by the stern expression of his guide.

"Just stand there and listen," Leehan states. He pulls Woonhak right to his side by the balcony. His shoulders curl in a bit as if he is trying to be discreet even though everyone can most likely see them from where they stand. Woonhak flashes him an annoyed look. His mouth opens to protest, but he is once again cut off by Leehan saying, "I'm trying to help you survive at this school, okay?" Woonhak lets out a huff, but still falls silent. "Everyone at Willowfield has a group. People that they fit in with," Leehan explains.

"That's ridiculous. Something like that..." Woonhak comments as Leehan fixes a glare on him, "Okay, okay I'm shutting up now."

"As I was saying, we each have our own group and we never, ever cross into each other's spaces," Leehan continues, "The only exception is if you're in the same social status...for example normal people like us can interact with the drama kids..." He gestures towards a group of students at a table on the outer rim of the cafeteria. They are dressed in loose flowing outfits and seem to be singing along to some recent Broadway hit. One of them stands on top of the table without any inhibitions with a rather overdramatic expression on his face. "See that guy, his name is Sungho," Leehan points at the student on the table, "He's one of my closest friends, but we only hang out when it's just the two of us. During school hours, he needs to be with the other drama kids."

"Okay..." Woonhak says dryly. Leehan's finger moves to point to another table on the other side of the cafeteria. These students are in baggy leather jackets paired with tight fitting jeans and a gray beanie that presses their long hair against their necks. "You've already met Taesan...he runs with that group," Leehan says, "They're the skateboarders and motorcycle guys..."

"And the bullies..." Woonhak scoffs.

"Shhh! Don't let them hear you say that!" Leehan whispers. Woonhak stares at Leehan for a second as if to question if he is really serious. He blinks once. Twice. And then three times, but Leehan does not seem phased at all. Woonhak lets out an exaggerated sigh, "What about Riwoo?"

"Who?" Leehan questions with a confused expression.

"The guy that Taesan was bullying," Woonhak says simply.

"Oh, he's a nobody," Leehan brushes it off, "One of those oddball quiet nerd types."

"Great..." Woonhak sighs, "Anyone else I should know about?"

"Hmmm....oh! The popular kids," Leehan says, "They're over there. Never interact with them. As I said earlier, we are in an entirely different social status. You're a better fit with my group of the normal kids." Woonhak follows Leehan's gaze to a group of fashionably dressed and confident students. Their table is placed in the center of the cafeteria and a very noticeable space has been positioned between them and the rest of the student body. It is as if they are royalty that no one dares approach. They perfectly fit the stereotype of popular. Woonhak watches as one of them makes some stupid joke that sends the entire table into a fit of laughter. He scoffs and tears his gaze away, but as he turns his head his eyes catch a familiar smile that he hasn't seen since he was a little kid. Woonhak freezes for a second before whipping back around and looking at a student with short black hair and a puppy-like grin. "Myung Jaehyun?" Woonhak echoes. He turns and immediately walks down the stairs without a second thought. Leehan watches him with wide eyes, trying to grab him again but Woonhak moves too quickly. He can only watch as the newbie makes his way amongst the clique filled tables of the cafeteria. "Woonhak!" Leehan calls out, "Woonhak, where are you going?!" Woonhak ignores his guide as he makes a beeline right towards the popular kid's table. As he does, he catches the attention of his fellow students who stare at him and gossip in hushed whispers, which only increase as he stands before the popular kids. Woonhak's hand reaches out to clasp Jaehyun's shoulder, which immediately grabs his attention. He stops his conversation and turns to look at Woonhak, who smiles. "Hyung! I didn't know you attend Willowfield," Woonhak says in a cheery tone, "It's crazy...after all these years running into you here!" Jaehyun doesn't say anything at first. He just stares at Woonhak, scanning him up and down before asking, "Uh...do I know you?" His toneless question sends his table into a fit of laughter. "Come on, hyung," Woonhak says, ignoring the students, "I haven't changed that much. If I could recognize you, you would definitely recognize me. It's Woonhak."

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else, Woonhak," Jaehyun smirks.

"Are you kidding?" Woonhak asks, "We lived next door to each other."

"I think I would remember being neighbors with someone like you," Jaehyun chuckles, nudging one of his friends sitting beside him.

Woonhak frowns, "Hyung...why are you...why are you acting like this?"

"Cause I'm not your freaking hyung, weirdo!" Jaehyun snaps, "Stop acting like we're close just cause you want a few seconds of popularity." Woonhak's body locks in place and his eyes widen in shock. This isn't the Myung Jaehyun that he remembers. He knows it's been years but there's no way that he changed this much. It's like he's an entirely different person. "Woonhak!" Leehan hisses, grabbing Woonhak by the arm and snapping him from his stupor.

"Leehan-ssi..." Woonhak murmurs as he looks over at him. Leehan merely shakes his head in response before turning to look at Jaehyun and the rest of the popular kids with a shaky smile. "So sorry...he's new here...he didn't mean to bother you..." Leehan says, bowing his head to Jaehyun who just scoffs in reply. He turns back around, acting as if Woonhak had never come up to him in the first place. "Let's go," Leehan states, tugging at Woonhak's arm and dragging him away from the popular kid's table. Woonhak lets his guide pull him away, his gaze burning holes into the back of Jaehyun's head. "What was that? Why did you just do exactly what I warned you not to!?" Leehan hisses once they're far enough away. Woonhak doesn't say anything, still trying to make sense of what is going on. "That was Myung Jaehyun. One of the most popular kids in school," Leehan rants, "We don't interact with them. Remember!?!" Woonhak nods half-heartedly as he continues to look out onto the cafeteria floor. His eyes scan over each and every one of them until he catches a pair of eyes looking right back at him. As their gazes meet, the individual immediately breaks away and doesn't look his way again. His lips curl into a frown as Leehan grabs onto his arms and squeezes them. "Don't do stuff like that, Woonhak," Leehan says in a serious tone, "It's going to get you in trouble."

"Who's that?" Woonhak asks without missing a beat.

Leehan lets out a breath, "Who?" Woonhak discreetly points to the student who had been staring at him moments before. Leehan's eyes narrow as he locates who it is that Woonhak is speaking about. Once he does, his face blooms with recognition. "That's Seo Youngmin," Leehan answers, "He's a good guy."

"That's it?" Woonhak questions.

Leehan nods, "Yeah, he's just one of those people that fit in with any group and is nice to everyone. You just can't dislike him."

"Right..." Woonhak murmurs. No matter how much he looks at it, he can't make sense of the scene in front of him. The only thing he does know for sure is that there's something really off about this place. And even though he had promised his parents not to draw any attention to himself, he couldn't help but be curious about what secrets Willowfield Academy has.

———————

The next few days were filled with even more unnatural acting from not only his classmates, but also his teachers. The people that Woonhak should be able to turn to in this situation seemed completely unbothered by the fact that the entire academy was like a crappy teen flick come to life. The entire building was under some sort of spell. One that Woonhak has been wracking his brain trying to figure out what caused this. He refused to believe that Willowfield was naturally this way. It wasn't possible.

And so rather than spend his time with homework and studying, Woonhak spent every waking moment he could searching for the source of this messed up reality he is in. It's not like in a world like this that classes mattered anyway. Plus, his sleuthing has paid off. He finally found the one person that he thinks is the cause of this mess.

Seo Youngmin.

He gave Woonhak a weird feeling from the second he caught him staring at him. Not to mention, he is the only one that benefits from this weird scenario. After all, who else would want to live in a world where everyone was a walking talking stereotype.

He still hasn't figured out how he did it. He's never heard of anyone with the ability to do something like this, but he didn't doubt that it existed. There were all sorts of powers in this world and people all over who could have them. The problem was that Woonhak wasn't entirely sure that Youngmin was one of those people. He felt it in his gut, but he needed proof before anything else. He was going to get it though. It is just a matter of time.

Bang!

The entire class jumps including Woonhak who is startled from his thoughts by the loud sound.

"Kim Woonhak!!!" His teacher, Mr. Woo shouts. Woonhak's eyes flick to meet his upset teacher, who clearly has been trying to get his attention for a while now. His classmates all stare at him with wide eyes and begin to whisper amongst themselves. Woonhak has to stop himself from groaning at their atypical behavior lest he annoys his teacher even more. "Sorry, sir..." He apologizes quickly and bows his head.

"You've been here for only a week and you're already distracted," Mr. Woo shakes his head.

"It won't happen again, Mr. Woo," He states.

"I would hope so," Mr. Woo sighs, "Now...as I was saying...everyone please split into groups of four with the people around you to discuss your findings on this piece." The class quickly devolves into chatter as they turn their chairs to face one another and talk about anything but the topics discussed during the lecture. "So...Kim Woonhak, what's got your head in the clouds?" A girl in his group with her hair in a ponytail questions.

"Nothing..." Woonhak brushes it off.

"Come on," The boy sitting beside her says, "You can trust us." Woonhak lets out a sigh and turns to look at his last groupmate, Leehan. His guide has become somewhat of a friend to him in the past few days. Mainly because just as his role stated, he was a normal guy. Or as normal as one can get in an upside-down scenario like this. "It's up to you," Leehan says even though it's clear in his tone that he wants Woonhak to spill as well. Woonhak lets out a breath before leaning back in his chair, "Fine...I think there's something off about Seo Youngmin."

"Why?" ponytail girl questions.

"I don't know...it's just my intuition..." Woonhak shrugs.

"Well, I think your intuition is off," the ponytail girl says matter of factly.

"Agreed," the boy says, flashing Woonhak a judgmental look, "Who do you even think you are to criticize him like that?"

"I just find him weird. I mean think about it. This place is like a bad teen movie with all the cliques. You never break out to even talk to anyone else from another group and yet you all can talk about Youngmin?" Woonhak reasons.

"That's cause he's a good guy," the ponytail girl states, "He's nice to everyone. "

"Yeah, I heard that before," Woonhak rolls his eyes, "What is this? Some rehearsed thing?"

"Stop being an asshole, Woonhak," The boy snaps.

"I'm not!" Woonhak says defensively.

"You're attacking Youngmin for no reason," the ponytail girl glares at him.

"I just don't understand how everyone in this school can love him so much!" Woonhak exclaims.

"Woonhak...just let it go," Leehan says, placing a hand on his shoulder, "There's really nothing up with Youngmin." Woonhak's lips press into a firm line. His eyes flick from the firm hand holding him back and Leehan's eyes. "I thought you would have my back about this," Woonhak huffs.

"It's nonsense, Woonhakie..." Leehan shakes his head, "You sound crazy."

"Are you calling me insane?" Woonhak scoffs.

"No," Leehan says, "I just think that with moving and starting a new place...you may be a bit overwhelmed and you're just lashing out." Woonhak's face contorts with disbelief. He shrugs Leehan's hand off of him. "I'm perfectly fine," Woonhak states.

"Sure..." Leehan says as if he is trying to placate the younger. It only serves to infuriate him though. It was one thing for them not to believe his suspicions about Youngmin. He didn't think they would, but he didn't expect for them to suddenly attack him about it. They were all trying so hard to convince him to lay off Youngmin. Even Leehan is trying to gaslight him into thinking that it's stress that's making him think this way. It's absolutely ridiculous. "I am!" Woonhak snaps back. The entire room suddenly falls silent and all eyes lock on him. Woonhak grits his teeth and curses under his breath. He may have said that a bit louder than intended. "Kim Woonhak!" Mr. Woo scolds him with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Sorry, sir..." Woonhak murmurs. He waits for his teacher to give him a detention, but before he can dish out a punishment, Seo Youngmin shoots to their feet. Everyone's eyes immediately flick to stare at him now, including their teacher whose expression implores Youngmin to start talking or he would get in trouble too. "I think you should cut him some slack, Mr. Woo..." Youngmin states without missing another beat, "He's a new student. He doesn't know how things work here yet." Mr. Woo purses his lips together and considers his words for a moment before slowly nodding. He turns to look at Woonhak again, "You're lucky, Kim Woonhak. You have supportive classmates like Youngmin here looking out for you. You get one last chance. Don't act like this again or you're going to the Headmistress's office." With those words, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. Everyone immediately begins to put their belongings away except for Woonhak who is still trying to make sense of what happened. His eyes narrow as he watches Youngmin walk to the front of the class and chat amicably with Mr. Woo before leaving. "See..." Leehan says, nudging Woonhak and snapping him from his thoughts, "Youngmin just saved you. He is a good guy."

Woonhak highly doubts that. There's a reason that Seo Youngmin defended him and he hardly believed it had anything to do with the kindness of his heart. He doesn't bother to voice this to Leehan though as he shoves his belongings into his bag and gets up. "You really shouldn't keep making up crap about him just cause you're in a bad mood," Leehan murmurs as he walks alongside him. Woonhak hides his annoyance with a faux smile and a nod. This seems to satisfy Leehan as he moves on to talk about what the cafeteria was serving for lunch that day. Woonhak half listens to his friend as they walk out the door. As they do, Woonhak's eyes instantly spot Seo Youngmin standing right across the hall. He leans against the lockers with his phone in his hand. He has no reason to be standing there. It's almost as if he was waiting for him to come out. Woonhak stops walking and turns to Leehan, "I'll meet you in the cafeteria. I have to talk to Youngmin...thank him for saving me back there."

"You sure?" Leehan questions, "I don't mind waiting."

Woonhak shakes his head, "I'll only be a minute. Go ahead." Leehan shrugs before walking off. Once he is gone, Woonhak approaches Youngmin. He holds his head high as he clears his throat, drawing Youngmin's attention from his phone. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me during class," He states as he looks at Youngmin with a neutral expression.

"No worries," Youngmin says with a smile, "I know how hard it must be for you to get used to everything."

"Yeah..." Woonhak nods, "You know I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope," Youngmin chuckles.

"Oh, only good," Woonhak says, "Kind of excessively good to be honest..." He takes a step closer to him. As he does, he feels his power start to snap in his stomach. Youngmin is trying to brainwash him just like the others. His abilities push back against the attack, something that Youngmin is quick to notice as he takes a step back. "Did I do something to upset you, Kim Woonhak?" Youngmin asks with raised eyebrows.

"No, no, of course not," Woonhak says in a saccharine tone, reaching his hand out to pat the other's shoulder in a friendly manner, "Well, I have to head to lunch...thank you again-"

"What are you trying to do?" Youngmin immediately pushes him away and puts a good distance between them.

"I-" Woonhak starts.

"Don't make an enemy out of me, Kim Woonhak," Youngmin hisses, clearly annoyed.

"I'm not," Woonhak says innocently.

"Then, stay away from me," Youngmin frowns. He stares at him suspiciously before turning around and quickly walking away. Woonhak watches as he leaves, a smirk appearing on his face. He knew it. Seo Youngmin was like him. He had abilities. He had just proved it by trying to attack him and he confirmed it again when he shoved Woonhak. He was behind the situation at Willowfield. "He's a good guy...yeah right..." Woonhak murmurs to himself.

———————

With the culprit unveiled Woonhak tried to go after Seo Youngmin. If he could just touch him, he would be able to negate his abilities and free the entire school. The problem was that Youngmin was avoiding him like the plague. When Woonhak had confronted Youngmin in the hall, they both had inadvertently outed themselves as powered individuals. He doesn't think that Youngmin knows exactly what his abilities are, but the fact that his own powers don't work on Woonhak frightens him. He doesn't want to be anywhere near him, which puts Woonhak in a tough spot.

Woonhak huffs, tapping his pencil on his desk as he considers for the nth time what to do. He's in class, but once again only half paying attention to the teacher as she asks for two students to help grab something from storage. He watches as Myung Jaehyun eyes some girl on the other side of the classroom as he raises his hand to volunteer. His face scrunches up in disgust. He still can't believe that Jaehyun is like this. His hyung was always a righteous guy. If he wasn't mind controlled, he would be fighting right alongside Woonhak against Seo Youngmin.

That's it.

Woonhak sits up in his seat.

He doesn't know why he hasn't thought of this before. He can't get to Youngmin by himself, but if he had Jaehyun, he knew they would find a way to lure him in together. He would just need to get him alone and remove the effects of the brainwashing.

He looks to Jaehyun and then at the girl who he was making love eyes at. Her hand is already raising in what feels like slow motion to join Jaehyun on the teacher's errand. "I'll help him!" Woonhak exclaims, shooting out of his seat and beating the girl from volunteering.

"Wait...but I-" The girl stutters, her hand still half-way raised. The teacher doesn't seem to notice her protests though as she immediately turns to look at Woonhak. "Thank you for volunteering, Kim Woonhak" The teacher says, gesturing for him and Jaehyun to come to the front of the class. Woonhak smiles as he walks over and stands beside a scowling Jaehyun. The teacher provides them with quick instructions before shooing the two out the door.

They walk down with an awkward space between them. The halls are entirely empty of any other students or faculty. Woonhak nods to himself, this works better for him. "You're a real pain in the ass, new kid," Jaehyun suddenly says, "Somin was supposed to be with me."

"Why? Were you planning on having some secret rendezvous?" Woonhak says in a dry tone, "Going to ditch class to make out in the janitor's closet?"

"Don't act snarky, new kid," Jaehyun glares at him, "Are you trying to be a nuisance or something?"

"Something like that..." Woonhak murmurs as they pass by an empty room. He quickly looks around before charging at Jaehyun with all his strength. He thankfully catches his hyung by surprise allowing him to tackle him into the room. They both tumble to the ground with a loud thud. Jaehyun winces in pain and stares at Woonhak with wide eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jaehyun exclaims, "Are you like obsessed with me?" He shoves Woonhak off of him and staggers to his feet. Woonhak, still on the floor, grabs Jaehyun's ankles and prevents him from leaving. Jaehyun growls and tries to free his legs but Woonhak holds tight. "Just stay still and shut up," Woonhak grits his teeth as Jaehyun starts to use his entire body strength to yank at his legs. He can barely hold on with how much force Jaehyun is using. His eyes flick to look at Jaehyun for a moment before letting out a breath. He presses his lips into a firm line as he decides then to suddenly let go.

Jaehyun, not expecting this, falls instantly. He quickly crumples into a ball as he slams into the corner of the room. He groans loudly as he pushes himself up. He slumps against the wall with his legs bent in front of him. Woonhak immediately rushes close to him. His hand grabbing the sides of his head. "Hey, don't touch...." Jaehyun starts to fight before falling silent as Woonhak uses his abilities. As he does, Jaehyun's eyes roll back and he passes out. Woonhak's eyes widen in shock as Jaehyun's head slumps to the side. He moves his hands away and begins to shake the other by the shoulders, "Hyung? Jaehyun hyung?" It takes a few seconds, but Jaehyun begins to slowly stir. Soft groans escape his lips as he blearily opens his eyes. A dazed and confused expression settles on his face, "Woonhak? What...when did you get here...what's going on..." He pushes himself to his feet, but staggers a bit, "Ugh my head...." He grips his forehead in pain as Woonhak quickly grabs his arm to steady him. "Take it easy," Woonhak says, "You were under some sort of mind control."

"Mind control? What are you talking about?" Jaehyun's brow furrows. Woonhak guides him to take a seat on an empty chair before beginning to explain everything that has happened these past few weeks. Jaehyun listens while recovering, taking it all in with wide eyes. When Woonhak finishes, Jaehyun leans back in the chair and lets out a long breath. "This...is freaking insane..." He mutters.

Woonhak nods in agreement before asking, "Do you really not remember anything?"

Jaehyun shakes his head, "The last thing I remember is from three months ago..." He trails off as if he is getting lost within his memories. Woonhak watches him, not speaking either. The room falls into a lull for a moment before Jaehyun shouts out, "Riwoo!" Woonhak jumps, startled at his hyung's sudden exclamation. Jaehyun's eyes are wide and he sits upright, "We were supposed to go to the arcade after class!"

"Riwoo..." Woonhak blinks in confusion, "Wait...why were you supposed to go to the arcade? Is he your friend...is he your boyfriend!?" He stares at him with a stunned expression. Jaehyun scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest, "Don't act so surprised. We make a very cute couple..."

"But you're so....and he's so..." Woonhak muses.

"You know that I'm not actually some popular kid prick," Jaehyun huffs, "And you haven't even met the real Riwoo. I know for a fact that he isn't at all like whatever freaking stereotype Seo Youngmin is forcing him to play."

"Okay...okay...excuse me for being shocked that someone would want to date you..." Woonhak raises his hand in defense. Jaehyun sticks his tongue out at him, which just leads to a smile appearing on Woonhak's face. His expression drops seconds later though as he remembers that they still have an issue on their hands. "Speaking of Seo Youngmin...what do we do? The entire academy is still under his control..." Woonhak says.

"Did you not have a plan before erasing the mind control in me?" Jaehyung asks.

"I tackled you into an empty classroom," Woonhak states, "Does it look like I had much of a plan?" Jaehyun nods his head slowly in agreement. He sighs and leans back in his chair. He scrunches up his mouth as he tries to think. Woonhak lets out a breath of his own as he leans against the wall and stares at the ceiling. "I wasn't even entirely sure if I could erase the hold that Youngmin had over you," Woonhak mutters, "I've never dealt with a mind controller before."

"You did good, Woonhakie," Jaehyun says, nudging his foot, "If it weren't for you, who knows how long I would have been mind controlled. Now that I'm free, we'll figure this out together."

"How?" Woonhak questions.

"Hm..." Jaehyun thinks for a moment longer before turning his entire body to face Woonhak, "I think you're the key here. You can stop the hold Youngmin has and prevent him from using his power."

"I don't know if it's possible for me to do what I did with you to the entire student body and faculty," Woonhak admits.

"You don't need to free everyone. Just a few people will be more than enough to handle Seo Youngmin," Jaehyun states, "Can you do that?"

"Who?" Woonhak asks.

Jaehyun pushes himself to his feet, "Well, for starters, Riwoo."

"Are you just saying that cause he's your boyfriend?" Woonhak deadpans.

"No!" Jaehyun exclaims. Woonhak flashes him a pointed look. Jaehyun lets out an overdramatic sigh, "Okay, partially yes, but we need him."

"You mean you need him," Woonhak teases.

"Kim Woonhak!" Jaehyun yells, his face tinging red as he kicks at the younger.

———————

"W-why am I-I here?" Riwoo murmurs, his shoulders curled in on themselves, "I...I don't want trouble..." Woonhak and Jaehyun had waited until lunch time to go seek out Riwoo. It turned out to be a more difficult task than expected. Just as Leehan had first described him, Riwoo was no one. It was like he didn't even exist. They circled the building three times before finding him tucked in the bay window of the library. It took even more convincing to get him to come with them to one of the private study rooms and even now Riwoo still didn't trust them very much. A fact that hurt Jaehyun a lot. "Riwoo-ah..." Jaehyun calls out with a pout.

"Don't worry," Woonhak says, "He'll be better soon. You may want to stand behind him. He'll most likely pass out."

"I think he may freak if I go anywhere near him," Jaehyun frowns.

"Would you rather him fall on the floor?" Woonhak questions. Jaehyun hesitates for another second before walking to stand behind Riwoo. The tense student watches with wide eyes as he does. "Don't worry, I would never hurt you," Jaehyun says in a soft tone. Riwoo doesn't look convinced, but he doesn't say anything else to Jaehyun as he notices how close Woonhak has gotten to him. "Riwoo, do you mind if I just tap your forehead?" Woonhak asks.

Riwoo shakes his head violently. He steps back to put space between him and Woonhak before remembering that Jaehyun is still behind him and he then steps forward again. His body tensing up even more with each second this interaction continues. "I'm not going to hurt you either," Woonhak states, "I stopped the bully last time. Remember?" Riwoo stares at him. His eyes untrusting. He doesn't answer for a few seconds before stiffly nodding. "O-okay," Riwoo breathes.

Woonhak flashes him a small smile as he takes a step closer to him. He raises one hand up and quickly places it on Riwoo's forehead before he backs out again. As he does, Riwoo's eyes roll back just like Jaehyun's did and he falls. Jaehyun's face contorts in shock as he rushes forward, grabbing Riwoo and slowly lowering him to the ground. He holds him with care even as his expression is filled with panic. He shakes him, "Riwoo...Riwoo-ah!"

"Stop shouting, Myung Jaehyun," Riwoo groans as he starts to come to, "My head hurts."

"Riwoo!!!" Jaehyun exclaims, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

"What is with you?" Riwoo murmurs, "Why are you being more affectionate than usual?" Woonhak shuffles back and forth awkwardly. They clearly have forgotten that he was here. Just then his phone pings. He reaches into his pocket and sees a message from Leehan. He lets out a breath of relief, glad to both be getting away from the reuniting couple and to remove the brainwashing from a couple more of his classmates. "I'll let you two catch up..." Woonhak murmurs as he slips out of the study room and makes his way to the front of the library. As he does, he instantly spots his guide along with his friend-not friend. "Leehan hyung! Sungho-ssi! Over here!" Woohak calls in a hushed tone. The two turns at the sounds of their names and make their way over to him "Hey, what's up?" Leehan questions, "Why did you need to see both of us?"

"It's a long story," Woonhak sighs, "I'll explain if you could just follow me." He leads them towards a high shelf in the far back of the library. Woonhak gestures for the two to sit down, which they do without question. "So...I...uh need to touch your head to explain," Woonhak explains.

"Huh?" Leehan questions

"It's weird, I know," Woonhak says, "You just need to trust me."

"Alright," Leehan replies.

"Really?" Woonhak blinks in surprise, expecting more push back from his friend.

"Yeah, why not?" Leehan shrugs.

"Are you okay with this?" Woonhak asks, turning to look at Sungho. The drama student flashes him a thumbs up and a tight-lipped grin. Woonhak blinks again, his eyes flicking to Leehan. "It's hell week," Leehan says simply, "He's trying to save his voice."

"Right..." Woonhak slowly nods before clearing his throat and sitting upright. He raises his hands up. He places one on Leehan's head and the other on Sungho's. He lets his power flow through him, pushing past the brainwashing and freeing them from Seo Youngmin's control.

———————

"I can't believe that you left me for last," Taesan huffs.

"You were the most volatile under the mind control," Jaehyun shrugs, "We made the best decision for our safety."

"I'm not some monster," Taesan glares at him.

"But you were a bully," Riwoo comments.

"Not willingly," Taesan states. After they had freed Taesan from Youngmin's mind control, the group had made their way to an empty room in the back of the academy where they could speak freely about what had happened and their plan to stop Youngmin for good. Although their conversation has yet to talk about their next steps and rather became like a chat session amongst friends.

When Jaehyun had first told Woonhak who he would have to free from the mind control, he hadn't questioned it. But now, as Woonhak watches them joke around and poke fun at one another, he can't help but be curious. "How is it that you all know one another?" Woonhak asks loudly. They all turn to look at him when he asks the question. They then share a look with one another as if it's some inside secret that they can't tell him. "It's a bit of a long story," Jaehyun says, scratching the back of his head.

"Zico will explain later," Leehan pipes up.

"Zico?" Woonhak questions, not recognizing the name.

"Oh my gosh!" Sungho exclaims, "We have to help Zico!"

"Who?" Woonhak asks again, a bit louder this time.

"You're right!" Jaehyun exclaims, "He's still brainwashed!"

"See, you weren't the last one after all," Riwoo smirks, nudging Taesan.

Taesan rolls his eyes, "Shut up." Woonhak watches with a confused expression as they all start to get up and head towards the door. He is so confused. No one is explaining anything to him. "Who is Zico!?" Woonhak asks again, a tad bit frustrated.

"Come on," Leehan calls out to him, still not answering Woonhak's question, "We can get Youngmin kicked out with his help." Woonhak huffs before standing up and following the group, still not entirely sure what's going on.

———————

It turns out Zico is none other than Mr. Woo. And as a teacher, he did have enough pull in the academy to help them corner Youngmin and get him kicked out. Woonhak still didn't have any clue why his name was Zico or what his relationship was with the five other guys, but that was a later problem. First things first, they had to get Youngmin and put a stop to this craziness. Something that he has been itching to do since the first day he got here.

Woonhak is crouched behind Mr. Woo's desk. The others are similarly hiding, trying to make the room appear entirely empty. They're completely silent and they hold their breaths in anticipation as they hear footsteps approaching. The door knob turns and makes a soft click noise as the door opens. "Mr. Woo? Why did you need to..." Youngmin starts before trailing off. He frowns in confusion. Woonhak takes this moment to shoot out from behind Mr. Woo's desk. The sudden movement catches Youngmin's eye and he stares at Woonhak. His face contorts with anger, "You!"

"Hi," Woonhak waves. He walks around the desk and makes his way over to Youngmin. As soon as he does, Youngmin turns around and tries to dart out the door. Before he can, the door is slammed shut by Sungho, who was pressed up against the wall just out of Youngmin's view. He calmly walks over and locks the door before stepping in front of it, "You're not going anywhere." Youngmin huffs as he turns to his left where he is met by Leehan and then to his right where Riwoo glares at him. His eyes flick to look at Woonhak who is getting closer. He growls and raises his hand, which is quickly grabbed and twisted behind him. He yelps in pain as Taesan and Jaehyun hold him in place. He hisses and his eyes begin to glow. "I wouldn't if I were you," Taesan says. Youngmin ignores him and still tries to use his abilities, but before he can Woonhak cuts through his attack with his own power as he finally stands before him. "No!" Youngmin exclaims when he sees that his power isn't working, "No!"

"Yes," Woonhak says simply, "No more tricks, Seo Youngmin."

"I knew there was something off about you. My powers never worked on you, but I couldn't figure it out!" Youngmin seethes, "How are you doing this?!"

"You're not the only special one, Youngmin," Woonhak says as he takes a step closer to him. His hand reaches up and without a second of hesitation presses it against Youngmin's forehead. Youngmin struggles against Taesan and Jaehyun's hold, but can't do anything in the end as Woonhak frees all of the school from his control in less than a second.

Youngmin lets out a harsh breath. He grits his teeth and clenches his hands into tight fists. "You...you just wouldn't back off! No matter how many times I threatened you or how many people told you that you were just making things up!" Youngmin snarls, "Why didn't you just let me be!?"

"Cause I'm nosy," Woonhak shrugs as he moves his hand away and wipes it against his pants, "And I just can't let something like this keep going." He glances at Jaehyun and Taesan, nodding at them to let Youngmin go. They do as the youngest says, still wary just in case Youngmin tries something again. He doesn't. They join the others who have made a circle around Youngmin, wanting answers for what he has pulled at the academy. "What were you even thinking?" Leehan asks, "Why would you do something like this?"

Jaehyun crosses his arms over his chest, "A world of unrealistic stereotypes where you forced everyone to become an entirely different person."

"You're not even a student here," Riwoo scoffs, "Why toy with an academy that has nothing to do with you?"

"Because it should have everything to do with me! I should have been a student here!" Youngmin shouts, "I have worked towards this godforsaken place forever! But you wouldn't accept me! Things...it was all falling apart." He falls silent for a moment. His eyes lock onto the ground. "So, I created my perfect life," Youngmin continues, "My academy dream...it was something right out of the movies!" He looks up again at each of the boys in a desperate manner as if to reason his actions. None of them seem willing to take it as an excuse. They understand how prestigious Willowfield is, but manipulating the minds of others is not the way to go about this. "I had it all! My ideal life. The teachers praised me...the students loved me...it was everything I wanted," Youngmin howls, "But you...you just had to ruin it!!!"

"Sorry to ruin your dream, Seo Youngmin," Woonhak states, looking at the others before settling his gaze on the still upset Youngmin, "But, I think its high time you wake the fuck up."

———————

Seo Youngmin was escorted off the premises of the academy that same day. He would never be allowed anywhere near Willowfield ever again. From there, things at the academy went back to normal. The students and staff started acting like they normally did. There were still cliques but not to the extent of how they were when Youngmin was here. The craziness has finally ended.

Woonhak, though, doesn't believe that it truly has. The off feeling that he had lessened slightly after they had dealt with Youngmin, but it was still there. Something was still suspicious about Willowfield. And while it did bother Woonhak, he had decided to just let it slide. Whatever it was didn't seem that threatening and he had promised his parents that he would be focusing on his studies.

And while class could get boring, the academy wasn't all so bad. It helped that Woonhak had a familiar face that he could turn to and rely on. One that could give him advice about which teachers to avoid and would tell funny stories about the haunted bathroom in the left wing. And of course, would drag him to participate in things that he just wasn't interested in. "I really don't want to join any club, hyung," Woonhak huffs as he is pulled down the hallway by Jaehyun.

"Come on, Woonhak. It'll be fun," Jaehyun grins. He has led him into one of the older wings of Willowfield. A place where not many, if any, classes were held. Woonhak found it odd that Jaehyun's club was pushed to holding meetings here of all places, but he didn't ask, lest he give his hyung the idea that he was actually interested in joining. Not that Woonhak's refusal to join deterred Jaehyun in the slightest. "I would rather not draw any attention to myself..." Woonhak mutters as they finally reach a door with a set of wooden double doors.

"I think it's much too late for that," Leehan says. Woonhak whirls around to see that Leehan is standing right behind them. He waves as Woonhak looks at him with a stunned expression. "Leehan hyung? You're in this club?" Woonhak questions. Leehan nods his head as he steps around Woonhak and Jaehyun to push open the door. He props it open with his back to reveal Sungho, Taesan and Riwoo who are all inside, "We all are!" The three turns at the sound of Leehan's voice and smile when they see them. Woonhak looks back at Jaehyun who nods his head and gestures for him to go inside. He steps through the door into the large lecture hall like space. His eyes flick back and forth, taking in the space that looks nothing like the other classrooms in Willowfield. There are no desks in the space but rather tall shelves filled with old books that line the entirety of the back wall. Near them are six large armchairs in a semi-circle around a similarly shaped desk. On the other side of the room, there are these thick mahogany drapes that completely cover the walls except for a set of doors similar to the ones at the entrance. "I....I don't get it," Woonhak murmurs.

"You asked how we all knew each other," Sungho explains, "Well, this is how."

"You're in a club together," Woonhak states dryly.

"Not really," Riwoo states, "We call it a club but it's more so just an excuse for us to meet up without drawing suspicion."

"Huh?" Woonhak says even more confused than before.

Jaehyun moves over to his side and places a hand on his shoulder, "Remember how you were saying that you found it weird that you got invited to Willowfield?"

"Yeah..." Woonhak says.

"Well, it wasn't just some act of kindness," Jaehyun admits.

Woonhak blinks, not knowing what to say. If his enrollment into the academy was more than just a last chance for a student, then what was it for? And why did these guys all know about it? What do they have to do with him being here?

It's then that the doors to the room swing open again and Mr. Woo walks in. He scans over the group before locking eyes on Woonhak. He smiles and goes over to him. "Woonhak, welcome," Mr. Woo states, "I'm glad you're finally joining us. I hope the boys have explained to you what's going on."

"Sort of...but I'm still confused," Woonhak says, "Mr. Woo...what is all of this? Why am I here?"

"Ah...sorry that things are so all over the place," Mr. Woo says, "Usually this is a more put together thing...we actually have been preparing this for a while now but when Youngmin brainwashed the whole school our welcome got a bit messed up,"

"Welcome?" Woonhak questions.

Mr. Woo turns to look at the boys and gestures to them, "Why don't you show him?" Each of the boys rises to their feet. Woonhak watches as they stand in a line. One after another they exhibit a different ability. Lightning crackles in the air and blood takes the shape of a pointed needle. A sharp shriek reverberates in his bones and a book begins to glow with an ancient power. Woonhak's mouth drops in shock. He already knew that Jaehyun was like him, but he never expected for the rest to be too. "Come on...did you think you were the only one who was special?" Taesan jokes with a smirk.

"How..." Woonhak murmurs. His mind is trying to comprehend all of this. They all have powers. They are all gathered at Willowfield Academy. "You're here for a reason, Kim Woonhak," Jaehyun states, "We all are."

Sort of a cliffhanger ending and sort of not. This main plot point is pretty much concluded, but there could be more for this world and these characters based off of that final scene. Let me know if you think this needs to be fully fleshed out into a complete AU the comments below! I am really considering it cause I had a lot of fun writing this one-shot. It really played with some dark academia and magic vibes that I have really been enjoying lately. I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as well. If you did, I would really appreciate it if you could vote, comment, follow me, add this story to your library, and check out my other stories here on Wattpad. Thank you again for checking out this one-shot. I will see you next time! Bye-bye!