“Who could you possibly be texting right now? It’s like, 2am,” Jongin said to Chanyeol, who was tapping on his phone. 

Chanyeol looked up at Jongin, who was looking half dead in his chair, eyes lidded with sleep and his face relaxed. Honestly, Chanyeol wasn’t even sure why they were in class this early on a Monday morning. The room was almost completely empty, with 10 minutes until class started. He grinned.

“It’s 7:40 in the morning, mate. Not exactly 2am. And I’m not texting. Deleting texts, actually. Hyoyeon won’t stop messaging me, hasn’t given up since yesterday morning.” He leaned over to show Jongin the ridiculous messages the girl Hyoyeon had been sending him ever since they’d hooked up at a party on Saturday night.

"You’ve no idea. I have half a mind to tell her I was just drunk and I’m actually gay, just to get her off my back.”

Jongin laughed. “It’d never work. You’ve hooked up with too many girls. God knows why they like you so much,” he teased. 

Chanyeol’s jaw dropped as he gasped in mock offense. “I would’ve thought that’d be obvious, Kai. It’s clearly my affinity for everyone- the minute I start quoting them all inhibitions fly out the window.”

“Ha ha,” said Jongin, rolling his eyes. “Seriously though, why do you always have girls as well as guys lined up when they know they’ll never be anything more than a hook-up?”

“The charm, mate. It’s everything. I could make anyone fall in love with me, all I need is the charm.”

As these words registered in Kim Jongin's mind, a wicked idea began to form. He was glad Kyungsoo wasn’t in this class with them to talk him out of it.

“Anyone, you say?” Jongin asked. Chanyeol was oblivious to his suddenly overly casual manner.

“Definitely.”

“Would you be willing to place a bet on that?”

“Sure, but you’d lose. Think you can handle it? You realize I’d win and get money, right?" 

Jongin rolled his eyes again. "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, hyung. You have to win first." 

Chanyeol grinned a truly -eating grin. "Name your terms, Jongie. Whose pants do you want me to charm off? 200.000 won says I can do it in a month.”

“You’re on, mate,” Jongin said.

“One rule though,” Chanyeol said quickly, “Don’t make it someone completely unreasonable. Like, no teachers or adults. Don’t be creepy.”

Jongin laughed. “Agreed, no creepiness. Let’s shake on it.”

They shook hands. No backing down. Now all Jongin needed to do was name the person.

Jongin thought for a moment. Who should it be? He wasn’t about to make it easy for Chanyeol. Jongin needed that 200.000 won. His eyes glided around the slowly filling up room, searching for the right person.

Suddenly, about 10 seconds after the bell rang, Byun Baekhyun stumbled into the room looking like he’d just rolled out of bed, hair flying everywhere and skin flushed like he’d sprinted to class. Mumbling an apology to the teacher, he shyly made his way over to his seat next to a Chinese kid named Zhang Yixing. 

Jongin watched Yixing say something to Baekhyun, and him reply tiredly. Baekhyun let his head rest on his arms on his desk, apparently too tired to keep it up. Yixing patted his shoulder.

Jongin considered them. Chanyeol and himself were considered popular in their school, and none of the two had ever spoken to either Yixing or Baekhyun. He knew the quiet Chinese had friends through music class, but as far as he knew, Yixing was Baekhyun’s only friend. He was quiet  as well and tended to keep to himself. He seemed to have trouble connecting to people.

No one in their school seemed to really, honestly know Byun Baekhyun. He had moved to their town, about two years previously and had only made one friend. Nothing about the boy’s outward appearance gave any indication that he was a social misfit. His friendship with Yixing was like the only connection he had with his classmates. Baekhyun was an enigma, and he was not normal. He was a challenge.

As he stared at the pair and realized this, a dirty smirk twisted its way onto Jongin's face. Byun Baekhyun. He would be the perfect person to be in the bet.

Chanyeol noticed the filthy grin on Jongin’s face and was instantly apprehensive. “What’s that look on your face for?” He asked somewhat nervously.

Jongin’s smirk grew into a full blown evil grin. “I think I’ve found a subject to be in the bet." 

Chaneyol beamed. "And who might the lucky winner be?” He asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

“Byun Baekhyun.”