Kris Wu was a mystery to her.

Choi Sooyoung was sure, as far as the numerous rumors she heard were concerned, that Kris wasn’t even his real name. She and this mysterious boy were classmates this junior year but they never really had a proper conversation with each other. All she knew about him was that they were of the same age, that he was Chinese and he came from Vancouver… and she knew those things mainly because they were the meager information he’d shared about himself when he first arrived in class and was asked to introduce himself. She still remembered that day well. She remembered how a boy too tall for his age with dyed blonde hair, a guarded look in his dark eyes, and a black backpack slung over his shoulder walked in class with this blank expression on his face, looking far from interested to notice the adoring looks several of the girls gave him and the measuring ones the boys had. He stood there, eyes on the opposite wall as he introduced himself, and politely thanked the teacher when he was told to pick a seat.

He sat in the seat in the corner at the back of the classroom, the one nearest the wide window on one side of the room overlooking the football field. He always kept to himself, always staring out into the sky and zoning out every word that would come out of any teacher’s mouth. It always seemed like whatever was going on outside – even when there’s absolutely nothing there – was far more interesting to him than anything that happened in class. Many had tried and utterly failed, especially the girls, to come to him and strike a conversation and it really just enforced that idea that he really was an introvert at heart, it seemed, only coming out of his shell whenever he was around people Sooyoung assumed to be his friends. But even with Luhan and Kim Xiumin, he didn’t say much. He was always so silent, like he had an invisible barrier around him.

He was such an irony to her.

Sooyoung lost count of the many jocks who wished that they had his six feet two inch-frame. Many more wished they had his skill in the sport that one time they saw him play for the school sports festival (and he was because the teacher had made him play). She didn’t get it either because anyone could see he loved the sport. So why had he never attempted to join the basketball team or to even play with the rest often? Sooyoung also lost count of how many people in the general male population of their school wished they had his model-like looks. Even more, she lost count of how many fangirls he had unwillingly gained because he simply was swooth-worthy as far as they were concerned. Sooyoung didn’t understand. The fame, countless friendships, attention were all within his grasp but he simply ignored them.

Kris was, to no one’s absolute surprised, christened with a bad boy – and no, it wasn’t because he always wore black and nothing else.

He wasn’t that type of bad boy often associated with rudeness and trouble. A lot of boys in their school were like that. He was that type of ‘bad boy’ who Sooyoung would always describe as enigmatic because of the proverbial walls and mystery and isolation he surrounded himself with. There was something about him that captivated her and pulled her to him. It could possibly be his impossibly good lucks… maybe even this aura that he had that called for her to solve the puzzle that was Kris Wu.

For the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out.

“It’s that time of the semester to begin your research paper. Remember, it’s worth thirty percent of your grade. I also took the liberty of picking out the pairs.” Kim Heechul, their research teacher, announced and almost immediately, the class groaned in unison in both dread and fear. The junior year research paper certainly had a reputation, an initiation, if you will, before senior year. “Your partners are non-negotiable so once I call out your name, find your partner and start brainstorming.”

“I hope he partnered us together!” Im Yoona whispered to Sooyoung urgently and hopefully; a pout settling on her beautiful best friend’s features. “But the chances are slim, right?”

“I really hope so... even if the chances are slim.” She fought the urge to wring her fingers in her chocolate locks. This research paper has a big weight on their grade. “We work best together.”

She beamed, winking for effect. “That’s how best friends roll after all.”

“Lee Hongki and Nam Jihyun.” Sooyoung was spared from having to reply when the professor began calling out names. “Lee Junho and Hwang Chansung.”

“Lee Taeil and Han Sunhwa.”

“Yang Yoseob and Lee Kikwang.”

“Lucky.” Yoona exchanged a look with Sooyoung. “He already called out two pairs of best friends. I hope we’re like that.”

“Im Yoona and Lee Seunghyun.”

“…Or not.” Yoona sighed, taking her things before she stood up and went to where the guy everyone called Seungri was seated. Sooyoung smiled encouragingly, reaching out to squeeze her best friend’s hand before she let go and waited for her turn.

As she sat there absently listening to the name after name being called, Sooyoung couldn’t help but feel a bit restless. The last thing she wanted was to have someone lazy to be her partner, which was basically sentencing herself to do all the work. But her thoughts couldn’t help but wander to the man in all black seated at the corner at the back of the room. Luhan and Xiumin were both in a different class for this period and Sooyoung knew for a fact that Kris had no friends in their section.

“Nam Jihyun and Song Jieun.”

Sooyoung blinked. It was just her, Kris, Lee Jonghyun and Choi Jonghoon left. Out of her three possible partners, two were actually people she considered as friends; one of them even being her other seatmate. As if on cue, Jonghyun reached out a finger to poke her side to get her attention, the hopeful look on his face screaming how much he wanted to be her partner. But before she even really a had a chance to do or say something, aside from squirming when he’d poked her, the second to the last pair was called out.

“Lee Jonghyun and Choi Jonghoon.”

Sooyoung’s heart fell to the ground with a loud splat. That coul