To say he was surprised was an understatement. To say he was confused, was an even bigger understatement. What was Kris doing here, at the doorway to his room? Had he been spotted before? No, he couldn't have been. Kris hadn't even looked his way, there's no way he could have noticed him. The said blonde looked down at him with a bemused expression, looking Tao up and down thoughtfully and finally giving the latter a good look at his face. And sweet Jesus, he was handsome in every sense of the word.

His blonde hair was kept short but marvelously styled, swept to the side in a way that made Tao want to pet it. Okay, he could have worded that better, but it was true either way. And if his hair wasn't amazing enough, his glowing skin and chiseled facial features made him look like a living, moving sculpture. He was tall, surprisingly taller than himself, and exceedingly well-built. And those muscles. They were visible even from under the thick confines of the school uniform. Tao was sure he sounded very, very gay right now but he didn't even care. Kris was just that drop dead y. He'd bend over for that any day. And he totally did not just think that.

Tao blinked up at the other and a faint blush planted itself on his face when he realized he'd been staring at him this whole time. He moves his gaze elsewhere and clears his throat, desperately trying to cling to any dignity he might have left. He paints his face with a mask of cool indifference, but accompanied by the blush on his face, it just ended up making him look like a shy little boy. "You knocked?" He said.

Kris just chuckled, forming a knot in Tao's stomach. "What's so funny? What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked. Kris shrugged, continuing to look him over, and to be honest it was kind of starting to make Tao feel a little uncomfortable. Actually, it might just have been the charming smile on his face making him feel uncomfortable. He seemed a little too friendly, considering they weren't exactly friends.

"You slammed your door pretty loudly." Oh. God damn it, so he had been noticed.

The black haired teen puffed his cheeks, trying to appear somewhat intimidating. The amused look on Kris's face told him he wasn't succeeding, however. "Did I disturb you? You and that Soojung person weren't exactly using indoor voices over there, y'know." Kris's smile faltered slightly. It was then that Tao finally noticed the angry red hand mark that stained the taller man's otherwise flawless face, and he suddenly felt guilty. 

"Oh man, I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to come out like that, really I didn't." Tao gave a few small bows in apology. Kris merely continued smiling at him. Okay, now it was getting a little creepy.

"It's alright." Was all he said. 'Oh, it's "alright," then, of course. That sure settles my nerves. Throw me a ing bone, why don't you.' Tao thought.

It was silent between the two for a while and it almost drove him insane. He didn't know what to think of this guy. He both irritated, confused and unnerved him, and on the other hand made him want to be ed senseless against a wall. And you don't just think that kind of stuff when you first meet someone, which is why Tao was suspicious of this guy. Was he some kind of mind-?

"So.." "You're a new student, right?"

Tao blinked, slowly nodding his head at the question. "Y-Yeah. I just transferred here." He mentally cursed himself at the stutter. Stutters are for sissies. You're a man. "Eheh, big school, huh?" Tao says, leaning against the doorway. "Almost as big as a mall. Fancy, too. Real fancy." He nods. 'Oh my God am I really spewing this crap right now.'

Again, Kris did nothing but smile a little wider. Great, he was practically laughing at him. Just. Not aloud. "Yeah. It's nice, isn't it?" His tone is calm, mellow. Add it with the low octave of his voice, and it's like music to his ears. More like , actually, but you get the idea.

Tao just nods along, pretending to the best of his ability that he knows how to socialize. "Very nice. Very nice, very clean." Please, let God kill him at this precise moment.

The silence started again, and this time Tao was ready to end whatever conversation they were supposed to be having. He stood up and rested a hand on the door handle, ready to shut it in the beautiful not-so-stranger's face. "Well, it was nice meeting you--"

"You're also from China, right?"

Once again his expectations were just not being met. Where the hell did that come from? It took a few minutes for the raven haired boy to nod his head in response to the question. "Yes.. From Qingdao, in the Shangdong province. I moved to Korea a little over a year ago, with my mother. How did you know I--"

"I could tell by your accent." Kris stated simply.

Well, if there's one thing Tao has learned about this guy today it's that he's incredibly good at making him go full retard. "Oh." Was it really that noticeable? And he'd spent hours practicing his Korean, too. Sigh. He thought he was actually getting good at speaking without an accent, he didn't even realize he was.

"What's your name?" Kris asked. And this was where things got weird. There was something odd about this question, something that Tao didn't realize until a good 20 seconds later. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Did... Did Kris just speak Mandarin? Zitao, feeling slightly bewildered, answered in the same tongue. "Huang Zi Tao, but my friends..." He cleared his throat. "... Everyone calls me Tao. Your name is Kris, right?" He asked, his words slightly rushed in embarrassment and confusion.

"Actually, my name is Wu Yi Fan, or just Wufan. I'm from China, too." Well, me sideways against the fridge, this day was just full of mind , wasn't it?

Tao didn't know how to respond to the simple statement. He didn't mask his surprise, either; his panda-like eyes wide and staring into Kris's golden brown ones. He didn't think there were any other Chinese students here besides himself, and dared to even think that there was a spark of hope that he could possibly fit in here. But at the same time, for some reason, it made him feel only that much more self-conscious around this guy.

Obviously sensing that he wasn't going to reply anytime soon, Kris continued, "That's where I was born, but I've lived in Canada for most of my life. That's why people call me Kris, it's the name I used while I lived there. I moved here three years ago." He grins. "I see I've had better luck working on my Korean, hm?" 

The look on Tao's face sent Kris into a laughing fit, "I'm just teasing, I'm sorry." He said, adjusting his school blazer. He'd switched back to Korean again. "It's nice to meet you, Tao. Did you just get here? Have you had a chance to check out the rest of the school, yet?" Tao simply shook his head and almost fainted right then and there when Kris eagerly took the boy's hand in his and pulled him along, the door slamming shut behind them. "I'd be happy to give you a tour." His hand was so warm, and so gentle, the way cradled his own... But...

Before Kris could pull him too far, Tao snapped his hand out his grip and took a few steps back, holding his hands up defensively"Look, that's nice and all, but I'd really prefer to be alone right now. Nice meeting you." With a low bow, adverting the taller man's eyes, Tao straightens and makes his way into his room, closing the door without another word.

A few minutes later, once he was sure Kris had gone, Tao let out a heavy sigh and planted himself onto his bed, both physically and mentally exhausted. Okay, that was a bit of a move, but he'd been pushed and shoved around for the past 24 hours and things were moving too fast and he just, he just needed a break from all of the commotion. 

Truthfully, a huge part of him wanted to kick himself. He'd just ruined what may have been his one and only chance of making a friend in this fest. He was positive Kris, or Wufan, hated him now. He'd slammed the damn door in his face like a jerk, and he was just trying to help. Letting out a grunt of frustration, Tao rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. It didn't matter, he told himself. It's like like I had a chance, I mean, did you even see him? He's got to be Mr. Popular. He probably wasn't even being nice, just doing charity for the newbie. The thought both hurt, and made Zitao a little angry. Maybe he'd been right to ditch.

Deciding not to put anymore thought on the matter, he picked himself up off the bed and returned to unpacking his belongings. He came to the conclusion that he'd turn in early tonight. It was only reasonable, considering he had to get up at the crack of dawn. Whatever, he'd get used to it eventually.

 - - - - - -

Of course, he hadn't expected to sleep in on his first day, either.

The digital alarm clock that sat on his bedside table had been ringing off the dot for a good half an hour, and Tao, being the comatose sleeper that he was, hadn't so much as stirred. It was only until he rolled off the bed and toppled the nightstand over that he finally came back to earth.

Shooting up off the floor, in nothing but his boxer briefs, he could have died right then and there when he saw the numbers 5:35 on the digital screen.

, he was supposed to have been in class five minutes ago.

"Oh my God oh my God oh my God." Tao chanted as he hurriedly stood and ran over to his closet, desperately searching for where he'd put his school uniform. Finally remembering he'd put it in his dresser, he mangled through the drawers until he'd pieced together his uniform; with exceptional accessories of course, including his favorite Gucci bag. It was his first day, it was okay to be a little daring. He'd skip the eyeliner this time, though. His eyes were bad enough already, and make up didn't hide it.

Once he was finally dressed, to his standards at least, he grabbed his bag and hurried out of the room, not even remembering to lock the door.

In a school as big as this, and without a map, you could probably guess it wasn't the easiest thing to find your way around. Every hallway was like a maze, seemingly endless and leading to nowhere. Of course, Tao thought he could use this to his advantage. This was the perfect excuse for being late, it's not like anyone bothered to show him around the school to try and make anything easier for him.

Oh, wait. Someone had. Kris, that's right.

Tao rolled his eyes out of habit at the thought of the blonde, "Please, that's over and done with. I just need to find a teacher, there ought to be some walking around, right? Right?" He spun around, an expression of utmost confusion plastered on his face. He hadn't been paying attention to where he was going, and now he didn't know where the hell he was. Nothing looked familiar, he couldn't even trace his steps back to the main entrance. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just perfect. If one minute will get me detention, I'll probably be expelled by now. Sigh. It was fun while it lasted." 

"Do you usually talk to yourself? You know that's a sign of insanity, right?" The voice made Tao jump. He turned around to see another student staring at him with a blank expression. His first thought was that this guy was kind of creepy, but in the less charming way and in the more I'm-going-to--you-up kind of way. "Well? What are you doing here, anyway? This is where the girl's locker room is. Tryin' to get a peek?" 

"W-What? No! Of course not. I'm just lost. Do you know where this room is?" Tao handed him the schedule that Sunho had given him.

Looking it over, the boy replied. "Yes. It's far on the other side of the school. You're the new student, I assume? I was told to come get you." He hands the schedule back to Tao, who slides it into his bag. "My name is Oh Sehun. Feel free to call me whatever you like, though. I don't really care what. Now, if you want to get to class, please follow me and make sure not to lag behind." With a wave of his hand, Sehun turned and swiftly walked away. Blinking, Tao hurried after him. 'This place just gets weirder and weirder.'

- - - - - - -

It felt like Sehun had dragged him across the pacific ocean by the time they'd finally gotten to the requisite classroom. Although Sehun strolled right inside, Tao hesitated. This was it, get ready to be poked and prodded by dozens of criticizing eyes. Of course for once, his day had decided to meet up with his expectations. With a quick exhale, Tao straightens himself up and glides into the room, immediately being met with millions of gazes.

He was used to the stares, of course. He wasn't exactly the kind of eyecandy you'd expect to see in such a high class place as this. He looked like a ing drug addict, for pete's sake.

The teacher was probably the scariest person in there. Like the instructor that he'd met on his first day here, the woman who sat at the front desk had an equally hard if not twice as scary look on her face as well as stone cold eyes that said, "Mess with me, you're going down."  Tao chose to heed the silent warning.

"I found the new student wandering the halls, Yoonha seonsaeng-nim. He was lost." Sehun hummed, taking an empty desk in the front row. The other students had since lost interest and had continued conversations with one another.

"I see that," The teacher replied, looking the foreign boy up and down. There was that silence again.

Awkwardly clearing his throat, Zitao gave the woman a polite bow accompanied by a small smile, "Annyeong Hasaeyo, my name is--"

"I know who you are, idiot." The smile dropped off his face. A few students snickered at the remark.

Without another word, Yoonha turned around in her chair back to the desktop that sat in front of her. After briefly typing something in her computer, she abruptly stood from her desk and addressed the class. "Alright, gather around kiddos." She walks over to Tao and slaps a hand on his shoulder, which he assumed was meant to be a friendly gesture but only resulted as painful.

"This here is Huang Zi Tao, he'll be joining us for the rest of the semester. I don't expect you to bring out the welcome wagon but keep in mind if I catch any smartassiness around here there's going to be trouble, understood?" She paused, sighing when only a handful of students nodded their heads.

Turning back to Tao, the teacher shrugged. "Kids, what are you gonna do? Anyway, I guess I should find you a seat." She looked over the room and pointed to an empty seat in the far back of the classroom, "Ah, you can sit right over there, by Kim Jongin." Yoonha leans in and whispers, "He prefers to be called, 'Kai,' says it sounds cool." The roll of her eyes made Tao grin inwardly. Okay, maybe she wasn't so bad after all. This might get interesting.

Zitao adjusts the bag on his shoulders and makes his way towards the back, trying his best to ignore the stares and disapproving looks being sent his way. Setting his bag on the floor by his chair, he takes a seat and allows himself to get comfortable. Out of curiousity he looks over at Kai and finds the boy passed out cold on his desk, a trail of drool making it's way down his face. 'Well, that's attractive.' Tao thought, grabbing his books. He was flipping through the english text book he'd been given when something smacks him on the head. Looking at his desk, he sees it's a balled up peice of paper, most likely a note. 

Opening it, he almost wants to giggle at the entirely too-cute message written in an even cuter handwriting.

Hello! My name is Lu Han. It's nice to meet you!! \(o w o )/

The raven doesn't know how the hell to react. He lifts his head and looks around the room only to find a boy energetically waving his hands in an attempt to catch Tao's attention. The latter gives a small wave in response, still unsure what to think of this. 

Luhan simply continued to grin idiotically at the taller man. His all around appearance and baby-like face made him a very cute figure indeed, but Zitao felt he was intirely too bubbly. Maybe it was some kind of fascade, maybe he was only acting sweet and cute and then when Tao wasn't looking the boy would shave his head. Yes. This theory seemed legit.

At the sound of the teacher's voice, signifying class had officially started, Luhan turned his attention away from Tao and immediately began writing down whatever notes they had to take today. On the other hand Tao had decided to dedicate this period to his thoughts, going over the events of the other day. Would he see Kris during school hours? The man looked to be in his grade, if not a senior. Of course it's not like he looked forward to seeing that guy again. Kris was probably still angry about Tao's ty behavior. With a sigh, he rested his cheek in his hand and stared boredly at the front of the room. He'd worry about that later. Besides, what are the odds that he'll just casually run into him?

If yesterday was anything to go by, the odds were pretty damn good.

T B C

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I apologize for any spelling, grammatical, or punctuational errors.

I also apologize for any late updates, seeing as how I'm starting school very soon.

Thank you so much for reading.