A/N: Warning, there is use of sensitive language that may offend some people. You have been warned. Also, Unbeta'd. Sorry.

Sehun didn’t need him. After all, he invented Chen - the persona that everyone admired and acknowledged but never really knew. Jongdae was a loser back then, victimized by insecurity and helplessness. It was because of Sehun that he was even able to walk these halls without fear of bullying or getting beaten up. And now he had the audacity to oust him as the school's King?

Jongdae needed to learn one thing - popularity was fickle. It was easy to instill that popularity and it's just as easy to take away. Oh Sehun had worked hard to secure his place atop the hierarchy and he wasn't going to let some ignorant social-climbing mongrel dethrone him. 

It was Jongdae's first day. As a transferee, he wanted a new life away from the previous school he once inhabited. There was a social niche there and he found himself quickly in the bottom of it. Soon, he was bullied and made fun of. The labels came and stuck with him. He was known as a nerd, a , a loser. It became too much that he once thought of taking his own life. But Jongdae knew better. He knew he could talk to his parents about it.

Once they heard all the gruesome stories of how he was beaten to a pulp, of how he lied about staying over at a friend's house to recuperate, and of how he decided to hide this fact from his parents --- they were mortified. They immediately contacted the school board, expelled Jongdae's bullies when enough proof surfaced and transferred Jongdae in efforts to remedy his suicidal tendencies. 

The new school they chose boasted a no tolerance policy for bullying and after extensive research - Jongdae's parents deemed it safe. The school was a bit costly but for the protection of their child, they were more than willing to pay the fees.

They, however, didn't account for the fact that schools can just easily hide skeletons in their closets. Despite boasting a safe-environment, it really wasn't. It still had cliques, and among them bullies to terrorize the less fortunate.

Jongdae learned this the hard way when he was simply perusing his schedule when someone slams into him and holds his head against his own locker. He moaned in pain and the person, along with his groupies, interpreted this as Jongdae being ually aroused.  

"You like that huh? I bet you're getting off as we slam you into your locker. Just admit it. We won't laugh. Much." Eli, the school's notorious bully said as he continuously slammed Jongdae on his locker. His posse was staring and laughing along, taking pictures of the said event.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" A voice said as he made his way towards the group.

In hushed whispers, everyone started to leave. If there was one thing that bullies feared more than teachers was popular kids. They had the power to instill fear with a mere statement or look. 

But Eli didn't know this unspoken rule. He too was a transferee, albeit a couple days older, and apparently his friends neglected to tell him that bullies weren't the alpha pack of the school. He let Jongdae go and he proceeded to hold this mysterious boy by the collars of his shirt - "What's it to you huh? Are you a too? Trying to save his friend?"

"Big Mistake." The boy simply said. With a snap of a finger, a couple of people - hired men in fact approached the boy and the bully. Eli, shocked by the current development, let the boy go and tried to run away. "Beat him up a couple of times, and videotape it - share it to all social media outlets. That's all." The mysterious boy roared and the hired men bowed and ran after him.

All this time, Jongdae was staring. He was in awe. He thought that the world was a dark place and that he was alone. But he guessed wrong. There were still good people in the world.

"Get up." The boy simply said and Jongdae followed suit. As he stood, the boy waltzed away, leaving him there alone.

"Wait! Thank you!" Jongdae bowed in gratefulness.

"What's your name?" The boy responded.

"Kim Jongdae."

"Tell me Kim Jongdae. Are you tired of all this? Of being bullied? I can take that away."

"How?"

"You'll see. But first, come, we need to reinvent you. I can't let people see that my new bestfriend wears things from THE GAP."

Jongdae smiled. He finally had a friend.

He didn't sign up for this - for a total transformation. But Sehun, the boy finally had a name, insisted.

"You're my little project. You're going to be known as Chen."

Things went to rest after that. Sehun taught him everything, from the way he should act, talk, and his general attitude. 

It was hard at first, learning about a different world, a different culture, and a different mindset so quickly but Sehun was patient. He told him that he needed to carry himself in this way. 

"In order to be popular you need to be three things:

1) Attractive

2) Confident

3) Socially Competent"

"Attractive, Confident, Soci...." Jongdae muttered to himself. It became his new personal mantra. 

And that was the story of how Chen came to be, and Jongdae the nerd, and the bottom feeder was forever buried.

That was two years ago, and Sehun and Jongdae were now seniors. Sehun was still the King of the school and Jongdae was his right hand man. But lately, things seemed out of place. He felt as if loyalties among the student population was being split in half. One group remained faithful towards him, and the other towards "Chen". 

It didn't help when rumors of some kind of revolution surfaced. Many, according to his information gatherers, were of Chen straying from the fold. They mentioned how Chen was planning to establish his own seat as the King of the school, ousting Sehun along the way. Sehun never really cared for rumors. He was in bliss just being King and he didn't want to jeopardize that by acting upon simple rumors. But when one of his faithful "friends" told him that Chen personally asked him to rebel against Sehun, he was infuriated.

He decided to confront the boy, amongst all of their "friends". It was tatertot Wednesday, but the populars were treated to steak instead. Chen was busily chewing his meat in the cafeteria when Sehun pops the question.

"Chen."

"Hmm?" Jongdae continuously chewed as he spoke.

"Is it true what they're saying? That you're trying to steal my spot in this school?" All chatter ceased to exist. Chen who wasn't intently listening started choking on his food.

"Wait what? That's not true." He sounded guilty. And it was all the confirmation that Sehun needed.