Junhong had a rough night, worry and stress for today having kept him up much later than he actually laid down. He stared at himself in the mirror, sighing heavily at the dark circles under his eyes, deciding to grab some makeup and cover it up. He was glad that he’d looked up how to cover his dark circles - he was always picked on about them back in middle school, he would not be picked on about them in high school. So he grabbed the makeup and covered it quickly before sitting down at his computer to check his emails and in-game messages real quick before getting his uniform on.

(1 New Message) was blinking at him when he logged into his account. He tilts his head curiously and clicked it, reading the short message from, surprisingly, Tats. The boy didn’t usually send messages first since he got them all the time - he liked the attention a lot, so he waited for people to message him first. Junhong felt himself grin at the simple, sweet message,

     “Yo, kiddo - hope you have a good day at school. Give them hell.”

He sent a quick, “thank you, you too,” before signing off and turning his computer screen off. He grabbed the crisp, new uniform from his closet, sighing at the boring color before stripping out of his bedclothes and redressing in the khaki slacks and brown blazer over a simple white button up shirt. He fixed the blazer carefully, making sure it looked nice for his father’s benefit before grabbing his backpack and skateboard, rushing out of his room. His gave a simple nod to his dad, who was sitting at the table drinking coffee, and grabbed a piece of toast before sprinting out of the door, heading off to school.

—

He arrived at the school quickly, thanks to his skateboard. He stands outside the building, staring in awe at it’s size, a heavy sigh leaving him. The stories of how freshmen were greeted at the front of his mind as he packed his skateboard away in his backpack and slowly walking up the stairs, weaving through some of the other students, hoping to blend in so he wasn’t targeted...

Unfortunately, he heard the ever feared sentence, “Hey, fresh meat!”

.

—

Bang Yongguk was staring out at the swarm of students heading into the high school from his place leaned up against the fence, boredom in his gaze as he puffed languidly on the cigarette in his mouth. He was already thinking and planning which of his classes to skip today and where he could go in the meantime.  He hated having to go at all but seeing as he was in his last year, he didn’t see the purpose of dropping out now that he’d come this far. If he’d wasted this much of his life then he was at least going to have something to show for it dammit.

That was his reasoning at least and it did help him get through days like today.

Yongguk’s eyebrows furrowed as his phone vibrated in his pocket, reaching his hand inside of it to grab the device as the fingers of his other hand slipped around his cigarette to draw it from between his lips. Flicking the ash from the end of it, he glanced at his phone’s screen and the traces of a smile immediately tilted the corners of his lips up.

     Yo, bro! Have a great first day at school and don’t get into too much trouble! We’re going to graduate together, remember?

Ah, the real reason he was putting up with the damned school.  Rolling his eyes, Yongguk placed his cigarette back in mouth and quickly sent a reply back. You’re one to talk, bro. At least I didn’t have detention for the last two months of school last year. :P He smirked at that, a chuckle leaving him when his brother texted back not a minute later with a “yea, yea ”.

“Hyung!”

Yongguk looked up from the device in his hand at the sound of the voice, pocketing as the form of one of his friends ran up to him. He pocketed his phone upon seeing the excited grin on the other boy’s face, realization hitting him that he either had something to tell him or show him. Probably both.

“What is it?” He grunted in reply.
 

The other boy merely gave a feral-like grin and gestured vaguely in the direction of the entrance of the school. “Some of the guys found our first freshman of the year. He’s some skinny thing riding a skateboard. They cornered him in one of the bathrooms and we figured you wanted in on the action.”

Yongguk grunted once more, not at all in the mood for something as silly and childish as picking on the fresh meat of the school. Nonetheless, he knew if he didn’t at least go witness the spectacle then his position as head of the group would be questioned and that he could not have.

“Alright, show me.” He sighed finally ignoring the almost cackle the other gave as he stomped out his cigarette and followed him inside the school.

—

Junhong pressed himself against the corner of the bathroom as he tried to get away from what he assumed was seniors (judging by their size at least), feeling much like a child in the face several accusing adults. His eyes widened when one left and came back soon after with another guy in tow. This guy was the leader, Junhong could tell - he had an air of confidence around him that was unmatched by anyone else in the group. He could sense they were about to do something to him - but exactly what he wasn’t sure.

Back in middle school, he’d gotten picked on because he was smaller then, but now he was as tall as a senior. He easily towered just an inch or two above the leader of their group, but having such a small stature and being surrounded by so many bulkier guys made him feel so much smaller. His eyes darted over to the sink where there was one senior doing something with the water and he didn’t have to wonder for long what he was doing.

The boy came back with a filled with water, wiggling it around to show everyone how full it was. “Alright, fresh meat, hold this,” The boy handed him the , which he refused to take, simply shaking his head “no” and pressing closer to the wall. The boy frowned unhappily and forced the makeshift water balloon into his hands, causing it to pop all over him, wetting the front of his shirt and his pants - making it look as though he pissed himself. Everyone burst into laughter and pulled him from the wall, patting him on the back as they pushed him out of the bathroom.

He looked down and walked down the hallways as the other students pointed and laughed at him - a few even kicked him! By the time he got to his locker, he was annoyed and pissed, rubbing at his shins. When another student kicked him in the back of his leg, he grunted and glared at them as they ran off laughing about it. A thought clicked in his head and he reached out over his shoulder and patted his back, feeling a piece of paper underneath his fingers. He ripped it off and glared at the simple writing on it, “Kick me, I’m an idiot.”

Yongguk watched on as his group of friends began bursting out in peels of laughter when the freshman from the bathroom finally discovered the clever note they’d taped on his back. He hardly found any of it that hilarious. Sticking ‘kick me’ signs on another person’s back was something elementary school children did to one another when someone stole their juice box - not near legal adults in high school.

Sighing heavily, he continued to watch the now flustered teen scurry off and away from the laughter all around him. Yongguk couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the kid considering he was being teased as a result of some of the most cliched pranks in history. Pranks that shouldn’t even be considered funny anymore and yet everyone around him guffawed and snickered like no tomorrow.

‘They’re all idiots...’ He thought, pushing off from the wall and heading down the hallway, desperately needing to get away from said idiocy and go somewhere he could have a cigarette in peace.

—

A hand reached out from the classroom Junhong had just been about to pass and grabbed a handful of his blazer, snatching him rather roughly through the door. Once inside, the same hand closed the door and though it was rather dark, the figure of a boy could be made out rather clearly.

“You’re a freshman, right?” The boy asked, his voice light despite his whispering. When Junhong only nodded in response, the figure laughed slightly and moved closer, what little light there was in the room shining on the boy’s face to reveal a kind smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw what they did and figured you might need a reprieve from the others.” He murmured, still smiling. He held his hand out then, “Moon Jongup. You?”

Junhong was suspicious of the other, worried he was only being nice to lure him into a false sense of security. Who could blame him for being a bit cautious though? He’d just gotten pranked with some of the most juvenile pranks and he was laughed at in the hallways. He decided to give the boy a chance though and carefully took his hand, “I’m Choi Junhong...” He nodded his head gently. Their hands pulled apart and Junhong slowly relaxed around the boy, glad he hadn’t tried anything yet.

“So um... maybe you could lead me to the office again so I can see if they’ll let me get a replacement uniform or something?” Junhong questioned, tilting his head some, still feeling a bit awkward. His clothes were beginning to make him shiver from the cool air in the school and his shins felt like they were on fire - he was sure there would be bruises, some of the students had kicked rather hard.

Jongup bit his lip thoughtfully as he looked Junhong over, obviously reluctant to say whatever was on his mind. It wasn’t until a few moments later that he released a soft sigh, “It would probably be a wasted trip. You’re so tall, you probably had to have yours custom made, right?” He asked, not waiting for an answer as he continued, “They wouldn’t have a replacement for you. They’d probably just tell you to dry it as best as you could.” He nodded.

His eyes lit up then, “We could try asking one of the girls for their blowdryer? I think I know just who to ask.” He smiled brightly.

Junhong stared down at his clothes and sighed heavily. He figured that they wouldn’t have had a replacement because he did indeed have to custom order his uniform. His father almost had a -fit when he found out how much the uniform would be had he actually paid for it. Thankfully, the school paid most of the expenses - except for shipping and handling, which Junhong’s father had to pay for. He heaved a sigh and gave Jongup narrowed eyes, unsure if he really wanted to ask any of the girls in the school - he’d never really gotten along with them.

“Well... I guess so - if you know someone to ask...” Junhong nodded, still a little wary of the idea. “Lead the way...” He cringed some, not really wanting to leave the classroom like he was.

Jongup gave the other boy a sympathetic smile and gently patted his arm, “Don’t worry. I know of some shortcuts to get us where we need to go that won’t put you in the limelight too much. You can’t escape it completely but it’s better than walking straight through all of the other students.” He nodded, making his over to the door. He poked his head out briefly, checking to see if the coast was clear, before exiting the room and motioning for Junhong to follow him.

“You don’t have to worry about Sunhwa noona. She’s very nice and she’s helped me out a lot before.” Jongup explained, turning down this corridor and that in an almost dizzying journey to wherever it was they were headed. It was obvious from his sure steps that he’d taken this route many times before.

True to his word, Jongup guided Junhong completely past most of the students, having only bumped into a couple who simply snickered at the taller boy’s appearance before going on about their way. And after just a few minutes,  the two finally reached the open door of what said tall teen noticed was the art classroom.

Jongup quickly poked his head inside, a small smile lighting up his face when he saw who it was he was looking for. “She’s here. Come on Junhong-ah...” He whispered, scurrying into the, luckily, empty classroom. “Sunhwa noona, we need your help.”

The auburn haired girl looked up from where she was sketching and smiled sweetly. “Jongup-ah! What brings you here?” She chirped, setting her pencil aside and turning to him, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looked the site of a model, good enough to be sketched and sold for a pretty penny. When Jongup explained to her what happened, she gasped softly and turned her attention to the door where Junhong was peering in warily. She beckoned him in gently, smiling bright now.

Junhong was still a bit unsure of this girl, but Jongup seemed sure she would help, so what was the harm in trying? He was sure there wasn’t much else anyone could do to ruin his already y day. He ducked into the classroom and smiled back at her, bowing his head politely. “Ah... I’m Junhong...” He introduced himself shyly.

“And I’m Sunhwa! You can just call me noona if you like!” She clapped her hands together happily and hopped off of her stool only to stumble and fall against Jongup, who surprisingly caught her without effort. “Ah... thanks, Jongup-ah. Sorry, I’m so clumsy...” She pouted and went to the door of the classroom. “Wait here - I’ll grab my hair dryer for you to use!”

Jongup merely waved after her and turned his attention back to Junhong, smile still on his face despite the slight pink tinting his cheeks. “Noona’s always stumbling... it’s a wonder she hasn’t broken anything...” He mumbled before shaking his head a little.

“I told you that she was nice.” He said then, his tone of voice not mocking in the least; simply matter-of-fact. “She, ah, she helped me out a lot last year when Yongguk’s gang kept pulling pranks on me so she understands this kind of thing somewhat. I think I took advantage of her kindness too much but she says it wasn’t a problem...” He muttered, shifting awkwardly as if the subject was uncomfortable for him. And it was because he hated having had to have the sweet girl’s help at all - he should have been able to handle a few practical jokes.

“It wasn’t and isn’t a problem, Jongup-ah. I don’t mind one bit.” Sunhwa stated as she re-entered the room, a white hair dryer in hand. She made her way over to them and handed it Jongup, giving them both a sweet smile. “You two better hurry off and take care of Junghong-ah’s uniform. I imagine the bell will ring soon and it’ll be almost impossible to dodge everyone as they try to get to class. Just return the dryer to me after school, Jongup-ah.” She nodded, gently pushing them towards the door.

Jongup threw a quick ‘thank you’ over his shoulder and then motioned for Junhong to hurry to the bathroom with him. Once there, they darted inside and Jongup took up a position  by the door. “I’ll keep watch just in case.” He stated, keeping his ears tuned for any students coming their way.

Junhong had been surprised at the girl’s sincerity - he wasn’t used to such nice noonas, they were usually all stuck up or wanted to treat him like a baby because he has such a young looking face. But not Sunhwa - she treated him just like she would Jongup - an equal, well about as equal as one could get being different ages, interested in different things.

Once getting to the bathroom, Junhong quickly rushed over to the sinks and plugged the hair dryer in, turning it on and beginning to wave the heated air over his clothes - specifically the front of his slacks. If nothing else, at least it wouldn’t look like he pissed his pants. Thankfully it didn’t take long to dry the majority of his pants on the highest heat setting, though it wasn’t the best job in the world, it would have to do since the bell wasn’t too long from ringing.

As soon as the bell rang, Junhong and Jongup walked to each other’s respective locker and got the appropriate book (also putting away the blow dryer) before parting ways to their separate classes.

The rest of the school day was, much to Junhong’s relief, peaceful and very uneventful. There were the usual crazy antics from a few people, but it wasn’t anything Junhong wasn’t already used to and at least it didn’t involve him in some way. Though he was glad to get a good laugh during science when the teacher caused a miniature explosion because someone labeled the beakers wrong.

TBC