Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

In retrospect, the eyebrow piercing had probably been a bad idea.

Hyunjin sighed as a third person nearly dove headfirst into the locker lined wall to avoid him. He shouldn’t have been surprised; it was always like this and it had only gotten worse since he’d added the shaved head and the eyebrow piercing to the mix. 

He slowed down as he approached the office, hand nervously clinging to the strap of his backpack as he felt those familiar first day nerves creep into his system.

This time, it’ll be different, he thought to himself, trying to keep his shoulders from caving in under the weight of his anxiety. 

This time, I’ll make friends.

He pushed open the glass door to the office, the rush and noise of the hallway fading out drastically as it swung closed behind him. The woman at the desk peered up, her soft, immediate smile dulling the moment she laid eyes on Hyunjin. 

He couldn’t exactly blame her. The leather jacket and ripped jeans didn’t help his case or make him look like the honor student he actually was. So he swallowed down his nerves and offered a tentative smile, approaching shyly.

“Hello, my name is Hwang Hyunjin and i-it’s my first day.” He grimaced at his little stutter. God, he was so bad with new people. Or just like, people in general. Sincerely, why his parents had ever allowed him to leave the house was a mystery. “I-I was told to stop by the office before class t-to get my schedule? And my locker assignment and…and yeah.” He looked down to his worn boots. They were perfect for riding his motorcycle and comfortable enough to wear around school all day so they got a lot of use. They were starting to show it too. He hoped no one would notice.

He heard the woman hum lightly and peaked back up at her. His shy demeanor must have softened her initial impression of him and she offered him a gentle smile. “Well, welcome to Pine Crest High, Mr. Hyunjin. We’re happy to have you.”

He nodded in thanks, waiting as she typed a few things into her computer and nodded, seemingly having found him in the system. “Here you are,” she muttered a moment before the printer behind her yawned to life. 

She collected the paper and swivelled back around, laying them out on the desk top and laying a manicured fingernail on the first one. “Alright, I’ve printed out a few things for you. The first is a map of the school. It’s two levels so page 1 is the ground floor and page 2 is the second floor.” Her nail clicked mutedly against the little “You Are Here” star sign that fell on the office that he was indeed at. “Next, I have your class schedule. You’ll have your first 4 classes and then lunch, followed by your last three.” She spun them back around and examined his schedule while rapidly highlighting the room numbers on his map.

“Thank you,” He muttered quietly, secretly so grateful she’d done that. His last school had been much smaller. In fact, this might have been the biggest one he’d ever attended and that was saying a lot because this was already his third high school. 

She smiled and nodded, flipping the pages back around and pointing to the fourth an final page. “Lastly, I’ve printed out a calendar of all the first semester events. It’ll be a good way to meet people and make some friends!” She said cheerily.

And Hyunjin just smiled back because she didn’t know that he was too shy for his own good. She didn’t know that the very thought of meeting a new person had his heart beating double time. She didn’t know that every time his family moved and he was pushed into yet another new school that he felt a bit like crying. 

So yeah, he just smiled like he was excited to meet his peers instead of mildly terrified, his blood racing too fast through his veins.

She smiled back at him and grabbed the phone on her desk. “Here, I’ll call the student body president over to show you to your locker and get you to your first class.” 

“O-oh, no! You don’t have t-”

“Bang Chan to the office please. Bang Chan, to the office.” 

He heard her voice echo through the intercom system, the student body outside the door looking up as if expecting to see god himself speaking to them. But nope, it was just Carol from the front office.

She set the receiver down with a click and smiled up at him. “He’ll be here soon, he’s always very prompt. Feel free to take a seat while you wait.” She gestured towards a line of uncomfortable plastic chairs along the wall and Hyunjin nodded with a sickly little smile. He walked over and folded himself into one, back rigid and at attention.

He let his eyes drift out the glass walled office and linger over the hustle and bustle of the first day. Students were hoisting heavy backpacks further up their shoulders, eyes bleary and still caked with summer sleepiness. Some of them were probably hungover, if it was anything like Hyunjin’s last school. He saw students screaming and running to embrace friends they hadn’t seen all summer, clinging to them like they’d been separated by space and time and not just a handful of miles and the lack of a license. He watched as a couple walked by, fingers laced and swinging proudly between them. He watched as all of these kids - his peers - seemed to move within the crowd effortlessly. 

Whether in a group or alone, they seemed to belong.

This time it will be different, he repeated in his head. This time I’ll make friends.

Hyunjin had never been a social butterfly. It simply wasn’t in his nature. And he didn’t really think it was that much of a problem, to be honest. The world needed quiet introverts just as much as it needed noisy extroverts. He was more than content to keep his head down, reading his poetry and learning to paint and day dreaming endlessly in his head. 

But when he was ten, his family moved. With the move came a big pay increase for his father but also a brand new school for Hyunjin. And a brand new school meant all new faces. And these faces weren't as content to let Hyunjin keep to himself. 

He’d always been sort of tall and lanky, a bit awkward with his limbs as they started growing longer than he could learn to use them. His mom lovingly called him Bambi but he didn’t think it was all that cute when a kid at school told him he looked like a giraffe who didn’t know how to use his legs.

And then he’d made it all so much worse by crying about it. So now, he wasn’t just the giant who couldn’t figure out his long legs, he was also a cry baby.

That year had been hard. But, at the end of it, they’d moved. Again. Turned out, his dad had received a new assignment at work. He could decide to commute, four weeks at the new location and two weeks home, or he could bring his family along. With urging from his wife and Hyunjin, he decided on the latter.

And Hyunjin was more than happy to pack up and leave to a new location. And yet another new school. But it didn’t get any better there. He was still too tall and too shy and too sensitive and kids were mean.

This pattern repeated itself over and over. Sometimes, he’d stay for a year. Sometimes less. His mom worried that all the moving was stunting his social growth. She asked Hyunjin if he’d prefer to stay, maybe just let his dad commute. But he didn’t like the idea of the family breaking apart for the sake of some kind of stability he wasn’t even sure he wanted. 

And then he’d turned fourteen. His dad had bought an old motorcycle, thinking it would be a fun way to bond with his son and teach him a new skill and Hyunjin, had surprisingly, really enjoyed rebuilding it. He also just really liked hanging out with his dad, so maybe that was the draw. They spent a whole year slowly, meticulously, fixing that bike. And once it was done, his dad had turned to him with a wide smile and a leather jacket and handed him the keys. 

And by sixteen, he’d had a license, a motorcycle and a brand new style. And the most miraculous thing happened: people started to leave him alone. The kids at his new school didn’t pick on him. They saw a tall guy, leather jacket and ripped jeans, booted feet heavy on the linoleum and they thought he was bad news. 

Nevermind that he liked to keep a copy of love poems in his backpack at all times. They didn’t see that. What they saw was an imposing figure who hardly ever spoke. Suddenly, awkward and quiet became aloof and mysterious. And Hyunjin just…went with it. 

It was better than getting teased and harassed. It was better than being called a crybaby.  

But he’d quickly realized that there was one drawback to all of this; everyone, and he meant everyone, avoided him now. Assumption about him ran wild everywhere he went. In his last school, there’d been a rumor that spread about how he’d knifed a guy in the parking lot. Hyunjin, to this day, still had no idea how this rumor had come about, but he’d watched as people parted like the red sea around him in the hallways. He watched as people whispered fearfully behind shaking hands, avoiding his eyes when he so much as tried to pass a paper back in class. 

And here, he could already tell, it would be no different. 

“Is this him?” 

Hyunjin was pulled from his musings by a sweet voice and looked up to find a guy his age looking down at him with a smile.

“Yes, yes, that’s him! This is Mr. Hwang Hyunjin. He’s new to the school and I was hoping you could show him to his locker and perhaps deliver him to his first class?” She smiled fondly at Chan, like he was simply her favorite person.

And honestly, when Chan nodded and smiled at Hyunjin, dimples popping deep in his cheeks, Hyunjin kind of got it. 

“No problem,” He said to the receptionist before turning back to Hyunjin and extending his hand aimiably. “Hey! My name’s Bang Chan, I’m the student body president for our senior class.”

Hyunjin blinked at the offered hand, hardly able to comprehend such a kind, welcoming gesture. He reached out slowly, noticing his black nail polish was already a little chipped and clasping it lightly, giving it a single shake before withdrawing and standing from his seat. 

He found it hard to look directly at Chan. His smile was so bright, so cheery. Hyunjin wasn’t used to that kind of reaction from people. 

But Chan didn’t seem deterred in the slightest as he began to lead Hyunjin out of the office, a wave thrown at the staff over his shoulder. “Alright, let me see your locker number,” He said, leaning close to Hyunjin to peep at the papers in his hand. When he located it he nodded and smiled. “Oh! I know exactly where this is. It’s right above one of my friends' lockers.”

This guy probably had a million friends. He was handsome, polite, probably smart and had an infectious smile. God, Hyunjin would kill to have even half of his charisma and easy going charm.

“Good think you got a top locker! It would really suck if you had a bottom locker, what with how tall you are.” Chan said conversationally. 

Hyunjin nodded in agreement, secretly so thankful that he wouldn’t need to put his knees or spine through all that bending.

“So, where did you move from?” Chan asked. Every few steps, it seemed like someone was saying hello to him or patting him on the shoulder. He was clearly very popular. Hyunjin hoped he wasn’t damaging his reputation by walking next to him. He wondered if by the end of the day, the student body would assume that Hyunjin had sold Chan drugs and corrupted him or something. 

“Hyunjin?”

He snapped back to reality, remembering that Chan had asked a question. “O-oh. I uh, a small town like…four hours away?” 

Chan nodded, shooting him a look of sympathy. “Must be tough. Moving so far away at the beginning of senior year.” 

Hyunjin just shrugged. Sure, it wasn’t his favorite thing but it also wasn’t like he was leaving behind a whole lot either. It was just part of the pattern. 

“Well, I think you’ll like it here! We have a lot of different clubs and sports teams, if you’re into that?” 

Once again, Hyunjin merely shrugged. Chan was probably a jock. Would he think it was lame if Hyunjin told him he liked painting flowers? 

But nothing threw this guy off. He merely kept smiling as they turned a corner. “Alright, this one is yours,” He said, pointing to a cherry red locker. 

“Thanks for your help,” Hyunjin said quietly, turning to his locker and carefully twirling the lock to open it. He got it on the first try, letting out a long, grateful sigh. Last thing he needed was to struggle with it and be late to his first class.

“What’s your first class?” 

Hyunjin startled, having expected Chan to have left by now. “I uh…” He glanced down at the schedule in his hand. “World History III,” he muttered. 

Chan nodded, watching as Hyunjin dropped a few books in his locker and crammed his motorcycle helmet in there. He smiled once he slammed the door closed and turned. “That’s upstairs, I’ll show you the way!”

“You really don’t have to.” Hyunjin hurried to say as he followed, regardless. “I know it must be a-annoying to have to help the new kid on the f-first day back.” He winced at his stutter. It wasn’t usually this bad but his nerves were through the roof. Not only was he talking to a new person but that person was talking back. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go. This was never how it went.

This time it will be different.

This time I’ll make friends.

Chan brushed it off, swatting the words out of the air. “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind at all.”

Hyunjin wanted to fight a little bit more but honestly? He appreciated the help. Plus, he didn’t want to seem ungrateful. So he followed swiftly, careful to stay close and not get lost. He’d feel so bad if he ended up causing more trouble for this poor guy. 

“Here, let me see you’re schedule.” Chan said, holding his hand out expectantly. 

Hyunjin silently passed it to him and watched as Chan flicked his eyes down, trying to keep one on where he was going and read his schedule.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m seeing if we have any classes together.” Chan furrowed his brow and handed the paper back to Hyunjin with a sad little smile. “Doesn’t look like it. But you should totally eat lunch with us. Do you have block A or B for your lunch?”

Have lunch with us?

Us.

Like…him and his friends?

“Um, block B?” It came out like a question.

“Damn, we’re in block A,” Chan said with a frown. He looked genuinely upset about it and Hyunjin, for the life of him, could not understand why. He’d hardly said a full sentence to the guy. 

But before he could ask something embarrassing like Why are you being so nice to me? They came to a stop outside a classroom and Chan smiled up at him. 

“Here we are! You’ll love Mr. Minjo, he’s super laid back. Good way to start the morning.” He smiled like he really meant it and Hyunjin couldn’t help but bow ever so slightly, gripping his papers from the office tightly. “Thank you so much for your help, Chan.” He said, proud when he didn’t stutter or choke on nothing but air and his own nerves.

Chan smiled. “Don’t mention it. And hey, I’ll see what I can do about lunch, okay?” He turned with a wave before disappearing back into the crowd, leaving Hyunjin staring after him.

See what he could do about lunch? What did that even mean?

He decided not to dwell on it as the five minute warning bell tolled. 

*****

The day was going fairly well, all things considered. He’d only had one teacher make him stand in front of the class and introduce himself along with a “fun fact” about what he did this summer. 

“I…moved?” He’d said, eyes glued to the cinderblock wall at the back of the class, trying not to feel the eyes on him. What, was he supposed to tell the entire class that he’d gotten really into pressing flowers this last summer? No way in hell. 

He’d also only been late to one class so far, realizing too late that he was holding his map upside down. He’d gotten quite a few looks as he stumbled in nearly ten minutes late. The teacher had glared at him, looking him up and down and deciding that with his tardiness and pierced eyebrow, he was going to be a troublemaker. He’d apologized quietly and made his way to the back of the class towards an empty seat and sat down, trying to make himself small.

And just as he was starting to adjust, just as he was starting to feel the attention slide off him and himself becoming a bit more invisible, the intercom crackled on overhead: Hwang Hyunjin to the office please. Hwang Hyunjin, to the front office please.

He heard the quiet, hushed ‘oooo’ that reverberated through the room. He sighed and stood, hating that he had to be so tall and noticeable. He was sure by the end of the day, every single person in the school would know that the scary looking new kid had been called to the office not even halfway through his first day. The rumors would run rampant: he’d been selling drugs, he’d been vandalising cars in the parking lot, he’d been smoking a joint outside the gymnasium. 

He kept his head down as he pulled his backpack back up his shoulder and carefully wove his way out through the desks and into the hallway. 

He could hear the whispers starting already and the way the teacher tried to shush them back down. 

Maybe this time wouldn’t be different. Maybe this time, just like every other time, people would assume, based on how he looked and the clothes he wore, that he was up to no good. Maybe this time, he’d still be socially inept. Maybe this time, he’d just sit silently, letting people make up lies about him because at least it was better than getting teased for being soft or emotional or romantic. Maybe this time, he’d sit and let the world pass him by again and again. 

He snaked his way through the quiet hallways, not a single soul in sight. The silence of the halls during class always kind of freaked Hyunjin out. It felt like the population had vanished and simply left him behind. Like he was the last person left on earth. 

He hurried his way to the office, head down and eyes on his feet. He turned the corner, the office in sight at the end of the hall when his eyes were caught by something whipping around the opposite corner and disappearing the other way. He furrowed his brow, wondering if he’d officially lost it because…had that been a tail? 

He felt the childish want to chase after it but if they did indeed have a hybrid at this school, he didn’t want to scare the poor person half to death by running after them just to, what? Gawk at them? 

Hyunjin shuddered and shook his head, keeping his path straight and avoiding the little detour his mind had suggested. 

He entered the warm, bright little office with his head ducked down.

The receptionist looked up at the sound of the door opening and smiled softly at him. “Aw, Mr. Hyunjin. Any trouble finding your way back?” 

He shook his head, standing with his shoulders a little caved in, hands clasped innocently in front of him. “Am I…in trouble?” He asked, wanting to cut to the chase. Had the rumors about him already started? Was he going to get detention for something that never even happened?

But the receptionist was shaking her head immediately. “Heavens no, nothing of that sort. She gave him that same soft smile as before and Hyunjin felt the tension in his shoulders melt a little. He looked at her curiously as she shuffled through a couple papers on her cluttered desk. 

“It seems that Chan has taken a liking to you. He asked to switch your lunch period to match his so I printed off a new schedule for you.”

“He…what?” Hyunjin took the offered paper on autopilot. He stared at it like he couldn't comprehend the words on the paper. He was utterly dumbfounded. 

He heard her chuckle a little under her breath but he couldn’t peel his eyes off his revised schedule. This didn’t make sense. It didn’t compute.

“He came back in after escorting you to class and asked if it would be any trouble to change your lunch block so he could continue showing you around and introduce you to a few of his friends.” 

Hyunjin’s head was spinning.

“And we’re not really supposed to but Chan is just so sweet. And he never asks for hardly anything so I figured it wouldn’t hurt.” She smiled amiably when Hyunjin finally looked up at her. “He’s a good kid, so be nice to him, okay?” She pointed a soft finger at him, lacking the kind of threat that most teachers and staff had for him. 

But he merely blinked and, before he could stop himself, asked, “A-are you sure?” When her brow furrowed with confusion he added, “Like, are you sure he meant me?”

Her brow smoothed out, her gentle smile back. “Well, we don’t have another Hwang Hyunjin, so yeah, I’m pretty sure he meant you.” 

He was ready to argue back more ill formed points when the bell tolled and she smiled at him. “Looks like it’s time for you to get to lunch.” Her smile brightened. “Do you need any help finding the cafeteria?”

He shook his head, feeling dazed. He was pretty sure he waved at her or thanked her or something before he drifted back out into the hall but he couldn’t really remember because seriously, what the fuck had just happened? 

He’d hardly said three words to Chan. So why was this guy rearranging his schedule? Is this what he’d meant when he’d said he’d ‘see what he could do’? Not only had he done just that but it had worked. Which meant, as class president, Chan actually had some power and sway with the staff. Hyunjin had always thought that title was sort of a hollow one. Looked good on college applications and maybe helped with popularity but he hadn’t thought they’d really do anything. Let alone decide to sherpa the new kid around. But here was Chan, having the receptionist wrapped around his little finger with his sweet, dimpled smile and his easy to like personality.

Which brought Hyunjin right back to the very question he’d started with: why? He had nothing against Chan. Not a single thing. But he also didn’t know him and it wasn’t like he attracted a lot of friendly faces. He knew how he looked. He knew how he presented and yeah, maybe he hid behind it a little too well. But that meant that Mr. Popular, Student Council President shouldn’t be knocking down his door, trying to hang out and, what, introduce him to his other friends?

What kind of twilight zone had Hyunjin entered into?

Maybe this time really would be different.

He wasn’t sure if he liked it though. It all felt a little overwhelming, a little too sudden, a little too suspicious. 

He let the crowded hallways move him, like sheep in a herd, towards the cafeteria. The smell of cheap pizza and disinfectant told him he was getting close. It was the same in every single school he’d ever been in.

He walked through the big doors, some kids sprinting towards their friends at a table and others making their way over to the line for food. Hyunjin, eyes curiously scanning the room, didn’t see Chan. 

He focused back in on grabbing a tray and following in line as a greasy slice of pizza was slapped down on his plate. He got a bottle of water and skipped any of the options for sides, his stomach too tied up in knots anyways. 

He emerged from the line and stepped off to the side so he wouldn’t block the flow of traffic behind him. His eyes wandered around the room, looking for an empty table. But this school was huge and it seemed like every table was at least half taken up. He really hoped this wouldn’t be like his seventh grade year when he’d had to eat locked in a bathroom stall. Nothing killed an appetite quicker but it had been preferable to sitting at a table and treated like a leper. 

“Ay! I found you!”

Hyunjin whirled around as he felt a steady hand thump down on his shoulder. 

Chan was smiling up at him, looking just as kind and unworried as he had this morning. This guy had endless energy. 

“Y-you…hi.” Hyunjin said lamely, not sure what he was supposed to say. Seriously, was this all some kind of joke? Did ‘introduce you to my friends’ just mean that he was gonna get jumped? Or did this guy just take his duties as student council president very seriously?

Chan smiled and, hand still on Hyunjin’s shoulder, started leading him into the maze of tables. “I hope you don’t mind that I rearranged your schedule a little.” He looked up with a nervous smile. “I just thought it might be nice to have some people to sit with on your first day and I know everyone would really like to meet you.” 

“Everyone?” Hyunjin muttered. “I…why would they want to meet me?”

Chan shrugged. “Because they’re nosy. And you seem like a nice guy.” 

You seem like a nice guy.

When was the last time someone had ever said that to Hyunjin? Usually, people thought he looked like he’d spent a year in juvie. And he got it: the safety pins in his ears, the black nail polish, the heavy boots, really, he got it. But it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt when people passed judgement so quickly based on skin deep stuff.

Hyunjin still had about a million questions but he didn’t get a chance to ask before they pulled up to a rowdy, packed table and every single head swung in his direction.

“Everyone! This is Hyunjin. It’s his first day, so behave, okay?”

“We always behave,” One of them said with a devilish smile. 

Chan rolled his eyes and sighed, sitting down and pulling Hyunjin down next to him.

Hyunjin felt a shoulder bump his on the other side as the person on his other side leaned in. The guy was built, his shoulder round and rock hard. “Don’t ever listen to a single word Seungmin ever says, he’s an absolute menace.” 

Hyunjin’s wide eyes slid off the sweet smile of the muscly man to the guy who’d spoken earlier - Seungmin, apparently. 

“Now our little Jeonginnie makane, you can trust.  He’s a total angel.” He pointed to the boy sitting next to Seungmin with a round, smiley face who was now rolling his eyes.

“Oh please, I’m not an angel. That’s Lixie.” He paused, looking around as if finally noticing something. “Speaking of which, where is he?” 

The guy next to him shrugged but Chan answered. “He had some schedule stuff to do at the office and then he had to pick up his new uniform from the gym. He should be here soon.” 

The guy next to him nodded before laughing. “Oh, I’m Changbin, by the way.” He finally introduced himself, offering his hand like a true gentleman. 

Hyunjin was only mildly horrified when he blushed like a teen girl and shook his hand. He really wasn’t good at this small talk thing. 

But Changbin didn’t seem to care. “So, how’s the first day been so far?” 

Chan turned to watch him as he shoved a fork full of salad in his mouth and chewed. 

Hyunjin shrugged, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “It’s been okay, I guess.” He hoped his voice didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.

Changbin nodded along like they were exchanging their woes at a bar. “I feel that. The first days of a new school year are always tough. Even harder when you’re the new kid. Trust me, I was the new kid last year.”

“You were?” Hyunjin said, feeling shocked. The way Changbin seemed to fit in with this group made it seem like he’d always known them. Gone to school with these guys since kindergarten or something. 

The brunette beamed back at him, seemingly pleased by Hyunjin’s surprise. “Yup! But looks like you stole the title this year.” 

“Where did you move from?” Seungmin asked from across the table, his devilish smile from earlier gone and replaced by a much simpler, peaceful one. 

Hyunjin paused to swallow his mouthful of water, coughing a little. “Oh um…really small town a few hours away. You probably haven’t heard of it.” He hardly remembered the name of it, to be honest. They’d only been there for 8 months.

Seungmin seemed about to say something back when he was interrupted by a loud whining voice saying, “Minhooooo, please?” 

Everyone at the table besides Hyunjin groaned before he heard Seungmin mutter, “And so it begins…”

Curious, Hyunjin looked over to find a small brunette tailing after a slightly taller guy who had a calm, stoic face, even under the weight of the other guy’s impressive puppy dog pout. 

“Please Minho, just this one? I promise, I’ll be good later.”

“You’ve been saying that since we were 7. How on earth did you even get behind on the first day?”

The smaller guy crashed down into his chair dramatically, flopping his head back and lamenting to the ceiling about how the teacher had been mean and given them a pop quiz on the first day and how he’d lost his lucky pencil and maybe, just maybe he’d stayed up too late last night reading manga and had woken up late and maybe had sort of fallen asleep during said pop quiz.

The other guy - Minho - watched with this tiny little mildly amused smile, like he was so beyond used to this kind of excuse. Which, considering he’d mentioned knowing each other at seven years old, perhaps he was. 

“Hey, wait! Who’s that?” The shorter boy was up and out of his seat in the next second, looming over Hyunjin where he sat, eyes sparkling as they focused in on his eyebrow piercing. “Did that hurt?”

“Ay! Jisung, manners! At least introduce yourself first,” Changbin chastised, throwing a carrot at his excited friend.

Jisung, eyes still stuck on the shiny metal in Hyunjin’s face, hurried out, “Hi, my name is Jisung, so did that hurt? Can I touch it?”

“Oh my god, Jisungie, we’ve talked about this! You can’t just ask to touch people’s faces!” His friend he’d walked up with came waltzing over like he was going to physically pull him back. 

He glanced at Hyunjin and offered a nod. “Minho.” He said simply.

“Hi. I’m Hyunjin.” He said, beyond proud of himself for not stuttering this time and then feeling pretty pitiful about how that was an accomplishment to him. Awesome. Eighteen and finally able to introduce himself without having a mild heart attack.

He cleared his throat, determined to push a little hard. “And yeah, it hurt a little but not as bad as I was thinking it would.” 

Jisung nodded, his smile a little awed like he thought Hyunjin’s piercing was the coolest thing ever before those boba eyes swelled up, getting wide. “Wait, you’re the guy who rode that motorcycle to school, right? Everyone has been talking about it.”

Hyunjin felt his tentative hope take a sharp nosedive. He was sure whatever this guy had heard hadn’t been great, if past experience was anything to go by. He really hoped none of them would ask if he sold drugs. The last time some popular guy had seemingly befriended him, it was because he was hoping to get cheap weed and adderall that Hyunjin did not have. 

“Y-yeah. I’m uh…I’m sure they are.” He said softly, looking down at his plate and hoping they’d at least let him finish his pizza before they kicked him out. 

Changbin snorted beside him, like he could read Hyunjin’s despondent thoughts. “Psh, don’t worry about it man, let ‘em talk. It’s just words. We’ll back you up.” He said it so easily, his chest puffed out and everything.

“Why?” He said, unable to hold it in. He was sure his forehead was a mess of lines and wrinkles that his mother would tell him would become permanent if he didn’t quit it. 

But Chanbin just shrugged. “Chan said you seemed nice and a little shy. He’s usually a pretty good judge of character, so you must be alright. Plus,” He added, leaning forward to grin at Chan on Hyunjin’s other side. “Chan would do anything for Lixie.” 

Hyunjin frowned. That was the second time he’d heard that name. “Who’s that?”

Changbin smirked and leaned back in his chair. “He should be here soon.” 

The taller man didn’t really know what to do with that so he focused on his pizza, taking small bites and making sure to be careful with the grease. He was enjoying the way the conversation moved around him, letting him sit in peace. But he swore, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck, unprovoked and sharp. Like a thin wire had been pulled taut inside his spine, making him shiver. 

He looked up, eyes drawn to something when he finally saw a figure emerge from the crowd and walking directly toward their table.

He walked with a confidence that Hyunjin could only dream of having. His little hips swayed so distractingly in his short, pleated cheer skirt, his legs uncovered and bare and just out for the entire world to see. His hair was falling down past his shoulders in a gorgeous starry blond that seems almost white. And it wasn’t until the very end that he realized perhaps what he should have noticed first: the ears and tail.

He was a hybrid. And based on the ears, a kitten hybrid. 

Hyunjin felt himself blush all the way up his ears and down his chest. He’d seen hybrids before, sure. But it was usually just in passing, on the streets. He’d never gone to school with one. Partially because he’d gone to some pretty small schools in some pretty small towns but also because hybrids were just rare nowadays.

His parents had told him that even when they were kids, they’d seen more of them around. They’d played with them in the neighborhood before dark and went to class alongside them. But over the decades, there had been a steady decline. From what Hyunjin could remember, it was simply being bred out. 

So here he was, eighteen and seeing his first hybrid, up close and personal and god…it was an understatement to say he was stunned. And it had very little to do with the ears and tail, if he was being honest. 

The blond stopped at their table, beaming and doing a little twirl. “Do you like it?” He asked happily.

Jisung gave a loud wolf whistle, standing up to hold his hand and make him twirl again. “Damn Lixie, none of those other bitches are going to look half as good as you in that skirt.”

Hyunjin did not know what bitches Jisung spoke of but he whole heartedly agreed. 

The blond giggled. “Thanks Jisungie.” He smiled at the table, his eyes pausing on Hyunjin and his smile getting almost a little shy for a split second. And then it was gone, as he dropped down into the empty seat across from him. 

“Who do we have here?” He asked, his eyes alight with curiosity and some internal light that had Hyunjin’s eyes drifting to his and latching on. 

“I’m Hyunjin.” He said, shocking even himself when he took the initiative but god, he wanted him to know his name.

“Hyunjin,” the blond said, his smile soft as he tried the name out. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Felix.” 

He reached a preciously small hand across the table and smiled with those strawberry lips and wow, Hyunjin didn’t think he’d ever seen someone so mesmerizing before. His skin was flawless, his makeup subtle and natural but still flirty and fun. He swore, he thought he saw a hint of freckles under his foundation but he quickly pulled his eyes away from the bridge of his nose and extended a hand of his own.

Long fingers tipped in black wrapped around the small, baby pink nails on Felix’s and Hyunjin was hooked. The very image of those soft, smooth hands disappearing inside his felt like a blessing. 

He wasn’t entirely sure how he managed to let go but he did, letting that perfect little hand drift back to its owner and take up a bottle of tea.

But the blond kept his eyes on Hyunjin as the table continued on around them. He smiled and leaned forward. “Okay, so be honest. Worst class so far?”

“Calculus.” He said immediately. That was an easy question, one he didn’t even have to think about.

Felix nodded. “I get that. Well, if you need any help, Minho is really good at math and I’m sure he’d be willing to tutor you.” A teasing little smirk bloomed on his face before he added. “I’d offer myself but you deserve better than that.” 

Hyunjin felt a little blush crop up on his cheeks, not sure how he was supposed to take that because surely, he wasn’t flirting. That would be absurd and conceited of him to even consider.

But Felix could talk enough for the two of them, it seemed because he only leaned forward even more and gave Hyunjin a conspiratorial look. “So,” he said under his breath, “What did you do to get called to the office on the first day?”

And just like that, Hyunjin felt his heart deflate like a balloon. He should have known that Felix would assume he’d done something bad. Everyone else did. And sure, Felix sure didn’t look like everyone else, but that didn’t automatically mean he wasn’t passing the same judgement. 

He shouldn’t have been surprised and, honestly, he wasn’t. He was more surprised by how much it hurt to think that Felix saw him as some troublemaker. Someone who was so far from who he really was.

For the first time in so long, Hyunjin didn’t want to stay quiet and just let him assume. He wanted to be seen. He wanted to correct him, to explain that he just liked wearing hardware in his face and dark, moody colors. He wanted to explain that the boots and leather jacket were the safest things to wear when riding his motorcycle. Hell, he wanted to explain why he let everyone believe whatever they wanted, to tell him all about the teasing when he was little and constantly having the title of new kid and what that did to someone, to him, over the years.

But Hyunjin wasn’t sure he could string together that many thoughts into a cohesive explanation so he didn’t. He just sighed, eyes dropping to the table and his half eaten pizza. “Nothing. I just…the office needed to give me an updated schedule.” 

There was a beat of silence but he didn’t look up. He didn’t want to see a skeptical look on his face.

“Hey, I didn’t-”

The bell tolled and the entire room seemed to rise at once. People raced to throw their trash away and scurry off to their next class. And Hyunjin was no exception. After all, avoiding people was something he was very good at after all these years.

He mumbled a thank you to Chan when the other boy turned to him and quickly turned on his heel to race away. He heard Changbin call after him but he couldn’t make out the words over the din of the student body. He just kept his head down and moved.

Thankfully, he only had three classes left and then he’d be free to go home. And the last one was just a study hall so he shouldn’t have to do much. So far, it seemed like his last school had been pretty in sync with this one which meant he wasn’t having to fight to catch up nearly as much. Except for that damn calculus class. God, he wished he had the guts to ask that Minho guy for help. He could really use it before he fell too far behind.

So when his last class, study hall, rolled around, he pulled his book out, already dreading the painful slog of trying (and most likely failing) to solve problems and having to consult the back of the book to be told that he was indeed wrong. It was not a gratifying feedback loop.

The class had a constant, casual chatter to it and the teacher couldn’t seem to care less. He had his feet kicked up on the desk, leaned back, scrolling on his phone. 

“Hyunjin! Hi!”

He nearly flinched at the happy voice that sounded off to his side. It was so unexpected to hear someone call his name like that. His head snapped to the side and his heart slammed straight into his ribcage like a car crash upon finding Felix standing next to him, hands behind his back as he rocked on his heels. He was smiling down at Hyunjin, biting his bottom lip and looking almost shy. Which was ridiculous, because he looked like that and, in Hyunjin’s mind, every single person must be legally obligated to be at least a little in love with him.

“H-hi…” He replied, stunned. 

The blond mistook his trailing sentence and pointed to his chest. “Felix. Remember? From lunch?”

Was he fucking serious?

“N-no! I remember. Of course I remember you.” Hyunjin was pretty sure he’d remember this face up until his dying breath but he was proud of himself for not saying that directly to him. 

He watched in amazement as Felix’s ears perked up, ever so slightly, like he was pleased. He had zero experience with hybrids and not very much with normal cats either though, so he couldn’t be certain.

“Oh.” Felix said, a pleased smile blossoming on his face as he looked down to his perfectly white tennis shoes. Hyunjin watched as his fluffy, nearly white tail wrapped gently around his hip, draping around to the front. “Do you mind if I sit here?” He asked quietly, eyes sparkling when he brought them up from the floor. 

Hyunjin tried to remind himself that Felix probably thought he was a troublemaker or a drug dealer or some one who had a severe distaste for authority but even that couldn’t stop him from nodding his head and motioning to the empty seat next to him.

Felix smiled and sat. He dumped his backpack on the ground and Hyunjin heard the way it jingled and crashed, the entire thing covered in keychains. One immediately caught his eye.

“Oh, I like the teddy bear keychain.” He said, his eyes glued to it. It was one of the lamer things he could have said but oh well, the damage had already been done. 

The blond’s ear perked up and he sat up straighter, hoisting his backpack back into his lap. “Thank you! I just got it! It was a present from Jisungie! This one was from Channie last year.” He excitedly said, pointing  to a little heart plush covered in pink fluff. “Oh and then this one I made out of clay, but the ear got broken off some time last year. But it’s still cute, right?” He asked, pointing to a little purple kitten that was lumpy and misshapen and made with so much love. 

“Super cute.” Hyunjin mumbled. He listened as the blond gave him the full tour, explaining each keychain and who it was from and odd little bits of lore about each one. His voice was hypnotic to listen to; deep and smooth and expressive. Hyunjin thought he could sit and listen to an entire lecture on literally any subject if Felix was the one giving it.

He listened silently, nodding his head to make sure Felix knew he was listening. He felt a small smile paint itself on his lips and he had to admit, it was rare for him to wear one of these around other people. Normally, he was too consumed with anxiety and wondering what was next to smile. But for as nervous as Felix’s beauty and presence made him, something about him was also so warm. He felt like sunshine, with the way he smiled like it didn’t cost him anything. Like he didn’t even have to think about it. Like it was just his default.

“But I think my current obsession is teddy bears so I’m hoping to get some more keychains like the one Jisungie got me.” He said, finally wrapping up the tour. He set his backpack back on the floor and blushed a little. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to talk your ear off about my keychain addiction.” 

Hyunjin smiled. It was sort of nice to know that he wasn’t the only one who felt a little awkward. “It’s okay. I liked it. It’s an interesting way to get to know someone.” He mused. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Like…I now know you like teddy bears.” 

Felix giggled and the sound gave Hyunjin enough adrenaline to push on.

“And, I can tell your friends really love you. Because they see these little things and think of you and get them for you. And I can tell that you really love them too, because every single one holds a special place in your heart.” He cringed a little, wondering if he was getting too sappy. But when he glanced up from his blunt, black fingernails, he found Felix with his chin tipped into his hand and staring back at Hyunjin with light eyes and a soft smile. Just listening. Hyunjin couldn’t sense a second of judgement from him.

“I can tell that you like cute things. But you don’t mind if they get a little beat up or broken, like the kitten one you made. They don’t lose all value if they aren’t perfect. Oh, and speaking of the kitten one, you made that. Which means you're probably kind of creative or at least like crafts or something. Which is really cool. And…yeah.” He finally ran out of things to say, his voice almost feeling strained with how much he’d just said. He couldn't tell you the last time he’d said that much to a stranger. 

Feeling a bit too bare, a bit too out in the open, he lifted his eyes from where they’d fallen to the scratched up desk and glanced at Felix only to find the blond looking at him with wide brown eyes.

“You got all that from some keychains?” He said finally, a little stunned laugh bubbling out of him.

Hyunjin blushed and ducked his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

“That’s so sweet,” Felix said quietly, looking bashfully down at his own desk. He watched in sheer amazement as the blond lifted his eyes, a blush high on his cheeks as he found Hyunjin’s eyes. “So…what’s an interesting way to get to know you?”

Hyunjin was pretty sure his soul left his body in that moment. Because surely, Felix wasn’t flirting, right? Was he really so delusional as to think a cute guy being nice to him would imply anything romantic? It was so beyond the realm of possibility that Hyunjin chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh, I don’t know. I’m not very interesting really.” 

“Oh, I highly doubt that.” Felix said immediately, scooting his chair a bit closer. “Come on. Tell me something about you. Something no one else knows.”

Hyunjin squirmed a little under that kind, intense stare. What was that supposed to mean? Share what? What a big loser he really was? 

But Felix was looking at him with wide, open eyes and he just wanted him to keep looking. So he admitted something safe. Something easy. “I paint my own nails. I uh…I even like to do little designs sometimes.” 

The blond’s eyes widened impossibly. “Really? I want to see! Do you have any pictures?”

Hyunjin nodded, shyly pulling out his phone and scrolling back through his endless photos of flowers and sunsets and street signs and old brick walls that looked so lonely in the cool light of evening. Pictures of vibrant red skies, foretelling impending storms and an old couple sitting on a bench together. God, he took a lot of pictures, didn’t he?

He showed Felix a few of the designs he’d done recently. One of little silver stars and one had a delicate checkered pattern that had taken him hours to finish. Each and every one with a black base to ensure it would match his wardrobe. 

Felix oo’d and awed, seeming genuinely impressed. He asked about Hyunjin’s techniques and how he learned and they even ended up watching a muted tutorial on Hyunjin’s phone of one of his favorite nail artist youtubers. 

And just as he was starting to get to last summer’s nail photos, the bell rang and the school day was over. And for the first time in Hyunjin’s entire life, he was almost disappointed that the day was over. That he had to go home.

It was such a foreign feeling that he nearly pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. 

When he glanced at Felix, he swore he caught a little pout for half a second before the blond smiled at him and pushed his chair back to where it belonged. When had he scooted so close? And how had Hyunjin not had a heart attack at the proximity? 

Today was fucking weird. Maybe he did need to go home.

This time it’ll be different.

This time, I’ll make friends.

“Well, I hope you’re careful riding that motorcycle of your’s home.” Felix said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he stood.

Hyunjin swallowed thickly, his fingers tingling with the want to grab his hand. To keep him for just one more second. To stop the school day from ending. 

He really wanted this time to be different, he did. 

“Hey, F-Felix?” He said, standing suddenly and grabbing his own bag. He held the strap like a lifeline as the blond paused and looked up at him, giving him his attention.

He took a shuddering breath, hoping the blond didn’t hear it. “I’m not…I-I know how I look. I know…I know what people say and assume about me. But I’m not…I’m not like that. I don’t…” he trailed off. Not sure how to articulate it. He’d never really tried before. “I don’t get in trouble. I’m not mean. I don’t sell drugs. I don’t get in fights. I just…”

Felix was looking at him with the ghost of a smile on his lips. His eyes were dancing all over Hyunjin’s face like he was reading every word he couldn’t find. 

“So…the buzz cut?” He asked.

Hyunjin shrugged. “It’s just…I thought it would look cool.”

Felix nodded, thinking. “And the safety pins in your ears?” 

“I went through a punk phase in middle school and didn’t have anything else to pierce them with.” 

Felix giggled a little at that and Hyunjin felt a bubble of hope in his chest.

“What about the motorcycle?”

“It gets good gas mileage.” He said simply. 

And the blond’s smile cracked wide open. He laughed, eyes sparkling. “Oh my god, you’re adorable.” He cooed, eyes simmering with something that looked dangerously like affection. 

Hyunjin felt that pesky blush flood his cheeks again and he really, really wished that would stop happening. 

But he wasn’t the only one. Because Felix, cheeks tinged pink, was looking up through his lashes at him. His fingers were gently petting the fur on his tail as it wrapped around him, almost like he didn’t really realize he was doing it. “I’m sorry if what I said earlier at lunch offended you. I really didn’t mean it like that.”

Hyunjin remembered the sinking feeling in his stomach when Felix had asked what he’d done to be called to the office. When Hyunjin had thought that he just saw him like everyone else did; a no good kid with ill intent. 

“It’s okay.” Hyunjin said. “I know everyone must have thought the same thing when they called me over the intercom.”

Felix frowned. “Sure but…I don’t care what everyone else thinks.” His frown softened as he looked up at Hyunjin with a confused sort of softness in his eyes. “I care that it hurt you. And I’m sorry.”

This time, it’ll be different.

This time, I’ll make friends.

Hyunjin looked back at Felix and for just a moment, he let himself fall a little into those eyes. They were wide open, after all. Unguarded and unmonitored and totally open for the dive. 

“I…thank you.” Hyunjin said quietly. He wasn’t sure if it was the appropriate response but he appreciated it and Felix seemed to accept it. He nodded before finally looking away and giggling.

When Hyunjin looked around too, he was shocked to find the room empty. How long had they been standing here? Even the disinterested teacher had left. 

“Shit, I’m late for practice! I’ll uh…I’ll see you tomorrow? Same time, same place?” Felix asked, already heading for the door.

“Y-yeah.” Hyunjin replied.

Felix smiled wide. “Save me a seat then!” And with that, he slipped out of the room, racing towards cheer practice. 

Hyunjin stood there, staring after him.

This time, it’ll be different.

This time, I’ll fall in love.