"Can I sit here?"

 Kris lifted his head and squinted into the face of a boy who's too-bright smile looked as if it was about to fall off his face. Kris glanced around the still empty lecture hall that boasted 200 seats. He looked back up at the guy.

For a split second, Kris considered saying no. He sat in the back far right corner of the lecture hall for a reason, and that was so no one would bother him. Obviously, this guy did not understand the implicit rules of society. But he looked so cheerful and expectant and pathetic but mostly just...oblivious. Kris couldn't bring himself to burst his bubble.

"I guess," Kris replied quietly.

"Thanks," the guy said gratefully, flopping into the seat. Kris was silent. For the next few minutes, the guy busied himself with arranging items on the small desk in front of him, muttering to himself. Kris ignored him and tried to doze off.

He felt something poking his shoulder a moment later and glanced up with a frown.

"Sorry to bother you, but do you have a pencil I could borrow?" The guy asked sheepishly.

Kris reached into his backpack and fished out a pencil before handing it to the guy.

"Thanks," he said with toothy grin. Kris nodded and rested his head again.

"I'm Chanyeol, by the way. Park Chanyeol."

Kris looked up and blinked at the guy--Chanyeol--with slight annoyance. Did he not understand that Kris preferred to be left alone? Apparently not, because he was holding out his hand as if he expected Kris to shake it. Kris sighed and reluctantly took Chanyeol's hand. It was warm and clammy and way too huge.

"What about you?" Chanyeol asked, not letting go of Kris's hand. If anything, he just squeezed it tighter. Kris's entire arm was starting to feel numb.

"What about me?" Kris murmured, staring at their hands nervously. The sleeve of his shirt had shifted, and a scar on his wrist was in plain sight.

What's your name, I mean?" Chanyeol asked with a chuckle. The cheerful sound threw Kris off guard and he looked up into a friendly pair of warm brown eyes.

"Oh. Uh, Kris. Kris Wu," he answered distractedly, taking his hand out of Chanyeol's iron grip and self-consciously pulling his sleeve over his hand.

"Are you new here?" Chanyeol questioned, fully turning his attention to Kris, once again catching him off guard. People who had ever dared to sit next to him were usually gone by now, put off by his cold aura.

Maybe his aura was broken.

"I've been attending this school for three years now," Kris replied, trying to sound irritated so Chanyeol would get a clue and maybe go away and never talk to him  again.

"Really? What's your major? I'm doing psychology."

"Interpretive dance," Kris replied, in a rather sarcastic tone.

That wasn't really his major; he was actually trying his hand at mechanical engineering. The interpretive dance thing just threw people off and made them realize Kris didn't want to be talking to them.

Unfortunately, Chanyeol didn't seem to get the hint.

"Wow, that seems fun. Maybe that's why I've never seen you around before. You're probably always off somewhere, dancing," Chanyeol mused, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Kris gave Chanyeol a sideways glance to see if the man was serious or joking. The teasing grin on his face gave him the answer.

"Or maybe," Kris said coolly, "it's because people like you don't notice people like me."

"Well...what's that supposed to mean?" Chanyeol asked, his smile fading.

"Your the psychology major. Figure it out."

Chanyeol looked a bit taken aback by that statement, but Kris was putting his foot down. He'd already invested too much time in this Park Chanyeol. Kris usually did not allow himself to get close to people, even random acquaintances. He rarely ever made small talk, and if he felt himself getting even mildly interested in someone, he'd force himself to never speak to them again. Though this way of life was sad and lonely, Kris preferred it to be that way.

It left less room for heartbreak and disappointment.

"Does it mean you don't want to be friends with me?" Chanyeol asked after a moment of silence, looking a bit sad.

"What are you, twelve?" Kris scoffed.

"What are you, Mr. Krabs?" Chanyeol shot back.

"Just go away," Kris muttered.

"Look, I'm just trying to be nice. You seem like a cool dude. I thought we could hang," Chanyeol shrugged.

"Thanks, but I don't 'hang'," was Kris's reply.

"You mean you don't hang with people like me," Chanyeol corrected.

"No, I don't hang with people period."

Chanyeol was quiet again, and Kris hoped this meant he'd leave him alone for good.

But no.

"Well, I like proving people wrong, so I guess we'll have to change that," Chanyeol said suddenly. Kris looked at him in surprise but mostly horror.

"What?" He asked faintly.

His fail-proof plan had...

…failed?

But how?

Now Chanyeol was grinning and clapping him on the back as if they'd been friends for ages, as if all the things they'd just said to each other were simply a game.

"From now on, you're stuck with me, Kris Wu," Chanyeol stated cheerfully.

Kris stared at Chanyeol in absolute horror.

His cold guy aura was definitely broken.

*