“Ugh, school is always so boring,” Jongin groaned as he kicked a rock across the sidewalk. “We never do anything exciting. We always just sit there all day and listen to the teachers yack on and on. Then we go to lunch, and then it’s back to the same thing. Day after day. It’s so dumb!”

“Why don’t you just drop out, then?” Zitao asked, walking beside him. Jongin had become his only friend since he transferred from China a few months prior. “You’ve already got the grades to get into that dance school you’ve always wanted. Why don’t you go?

Jongin scoffed as they approached the school. “My parents want me to finish out the year. I’m failing English right now, so that’s their main concern.”

As Jongin and Zitao made their way through the crowd in the hallway, a faint voice could be heard. It didn’t fully catch up with Jongin until they reached the door of their homeroom class. The two friends turned around to see a shorter boy standing before them.

“Hi, umm…” the short boy mumbled, shifting his feet nervously. “Umm, I didn’t bring enough money for lunch today, so I was just wondering if…maybe you guys could let me borrow some change?”

Jongin rolled his eyes. “Nah, get lost, kid,” he snarled as he waved his hand and walked into the classroom.

Zitao glared in the direction of his friend before turning back to the short boy and pulling a few bills out of his pocket. “Here, this is all I have. But I think it should be enough. Just pay me back when you can, okay?”

The boy’s eyes widened, and he bowed profusely. Zitao smiled at him before walking over to his best friend’s desk. “Why are you always so mean to Jongdae? He’s really nice. And what’s with all this ‘kid’ stuff? He’s a year ahead of us!”

“Dude, I don’t care. He’s weird!” Jongin made a shivering gesture, not looking up from the book he was pretending to read. He’d already read it ten times and analyzed it to death, so there really was no point in it anymore.

Zitao sighed and shrugged it off before retreating to his desk near the middle of the room. He pulled out his textbook and other materials for class and arranged them neatly on his desk. While he let himself become absorbed in his task, he didn’t notice the teacher walk in with somebody else.

“Good morning, students,” Mr. Lee called with a clapping of his hands. “I would like you all to give a nice welcome to our new student. Her name is Alejandra, and she has transferred here from Mexico.”

Zitao lifted his head up and felt his breath catch in his lungs. Alejandra stood at the front of the room with a beautifully crafted smile. Her skin was a decadent mocha color with shoulder-length dark brown hair that shimmered in the fluorescent lights. Her brand new school uniform was a tad bit tight, but it helped accentuate the perfect hourglass shape of her body. She giggled softly before bowing a little and speaking in extremely shaky Korean. “Hello, everyone. I hope you will all treat me well!”

The Chinese boy felt his heart flutter as he turned to look at his best friend. But Jongin was already staring over in Alejandra’s direction, looking her up and down. He suddenly seemed to acknowledge the gaze and turned to meet Zitao’s wide eyes. The two boys exchanged a moment’s silence before mouthing the same exact words to each other:

“That girl is MINE.”

“Dude, no, I already called dibs.”

“How can you call dibs on a human being?” Zitao grumbled, sitting down across from Jongin with his tray. “Can’t I like one girl without having to compete with you?”

Jongin smirked as he took a bite of his kimchi stew. “Not my fault we always seem to have the same type: y as hell.”

Zitao rolled his eyes, stirring some soy sauce into his rice. He suddenly looked up and nudged Jongin with his foot. “Look. There she is.”

Alejandra walked through the cafeteria with her tray, her eyes gazing over the crowd. She seemed to swing her hips in an exaggerated fashion with a perky little smirk on her lips. She tossed her hair slightly before sighing and sitting down at an empty table.

“She’s not sitting with anyone,” Jongin pointed out. “Dude, this is perfect.”

“What about this is perfect?” his companion scoffed.

Jongin smirked. “Open opportunity.”

He trudged over to Alejandra’s table and stood there for a moment, clearing his throat to get her attention. “Hey, is this table taken?”

The girl narrowed her eyes, confused. “I’m sorry, what? I’m new to Korea, so I—“

“Music please!” Jongin called out with a snap of his fingers as he climbed on top of the table. From somewhere, a song began to play and Jongin started dancing. Immediately, the entire cafeteria was in awe, watching his fluid movements and perfect popping. Even Alejandra seemed surprised (less from the wonder and more from the shock of how this was being allowed to happen).

Jongin finished his dance with a powerful spin. His foot slipped a little, but he still smiled brightly, receiving cheers from all over the room. He stooped down, close to Alejandra’s face. “Are you thoroughly impressed?”

Alejandra swallowed hard, her facial expression unchanging. “Your. Foot. Is. In. My. Rice.”

Jongin looked down to see that his foot was, in fact, in Alejandra’s rice. No wonder my ending was so slippery, he thought. He began to chuckle nervously before climbing down from the table and scurrying off to hide from Alejandra’s steady glare.

“Brilliant,” Zitao chortled as Jongin slipped back into his seat. “That was really smooth.”

“Shut up,” Jongin grumbled. “Like you could do better.”

“Actually I can,” Zitao decided as he stood up. “Watch and learn, my good buddy.”

“May I have everyone’s attention please?”

Everyone in the cafeteria turned to face Zitao as he stood in the middle of the room. “Today I would like to demonstrate my amazing Wushu skills by showing one of my high kicks!”

The crowd ‘ooh-ed’ as Zitao found a boy at a table (whose name was Jiaheng and had been transferred from China as well) and balanced a milk carton atop his head. “I am going to kick this carton off this boy’s head!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Jiaheng began to protest, but Zitao ignored him as he turned to see Alejandra’s eyes filled with anticipation. He flashed her a cocky smile before spinning fully around, lifting his leg, and giving a swift kick—

to Jiaheng’s face.

And just as quickly as it happened, everyone was rushing toward Jiaheng (whom was now knocked out on the floor) except for Zitao standing in shock, Alejandra screaming, and Jongin sitting at the table doubled over in laughter.

As two guys quickly dragged Jiaheng off to the infirmary, Zitao chose to ignore the dirty look Alejandra was throwing at him as he sulked off to join his best friend at the table of shame.

“Real smooth,” Jongin called in a mocking voice before turning to look at Alejandra, who was now pushing her tray towards to other end of the table. She was able to get in a few more minutes before her peace was interrupted yet again.

“Dude, Zitao, you have got to see this,” Jongin said, gesturing for his buddy to turn around.

The short kid from earlier, Jongdae, adjusted his glasses before preparing himself with a deep breath and waltzing up to Alejandra’s table.

“E-Excuse me?” he called nervously and slowly. “Your name is Alejandra, right? From Mexico?”

Alejandra nodded, happy that someone was actually speaking at a tempo she could understand. “Yeah. Today’s my first day.”

“Ah, I see. Well, my name is Jongdae,” the boy smiled brightly. “How do you like it here so far?”

“Unbelievable,” Zitao mused, watching as Jongdae and Alejandra laughed an exchanged pleasant conversation. Then the second lunch bell rang for the students to return to their classrooms, and the two walked out together, still chatting away.

“Who would’ve thought the best way to impress a girl is to just talk to her?” Jongin grumbled as he kicked the milk carton that was once on Jiaheng’s head across the room. “That damn kid.”

Zitao chuckled. “He’s still older than you. And apparently wiser and a lot smoother with the ladies.”

“Shut up, Zitao. Just shut up.” 

Totally cliche. I apologize for that. But I love a story where the underdog wins.

Thank you to Lexy for suggesting this plot and letting me TiaR!

And special thanks to Lex, whom when I couldn't come up with a good enough victim for Tao suggested it was "time to bring in the Jiaheng" (which is Kris's birth name, for those who don't know). And whom also came up with my little Mexican girl's name (named after one of our favorite Gaga jams, and because Lexy wanted the girl to be Latino for once!)

Thanks for reading, and comments help me sleep at night!

Expect more EXO from me in the near future! :)