Shen Quanrui stood in front of Jinhwa High School. His first day of high schoolâand his third transfer in less than two years. At just 15, Ricky had already perfected the art of being the new kid, thanks to his family's constant relocations. This time, they had moved all the way from Los Angeles to Seoul, and his Korean wasn't fluent, but he didn't care as he wasn't looking forward to interactions with his peers.
He adjusted his stiff blazer and signed before stepping through the gates.
The hallways buzzed with chatter and whispers. As soon as Ricky entered, all eyes flickered toward him and whispers filled the hallway.
"Is he mixed?"
"Looks kinda cool, right?"
"He looks like a vampire."
Ricky's sharp features remained indifferent to the whispers. He unfolded the crumpled map the office had given him and navigated through the corridors.
Finally, he reached his classroom. He adjusted his grip on his bag and pushed it open.
BAM!
Something cold, sticky, and sweet slammed into his face.
Ricky froze, blinking through frosting, his brain struggling to process what had just happened. The sugary scent of vanilla clung to his senses. A glob of pink icing dripped from his sharp jawline onto his blazer.
The classroom fell into stunned silence.
In front of him stood a tall boy with messy brown hair and wide, horrified eyes. His hand trembled as he held the paper plate with remained frosting. Beside him was a muscular friend who looked equally panicked.
"It wasn't me!" the friend blurted, practically raising his hands in surrender.
The boy with the cake looked like he might faint. "IâI... I didn't... It was for Junhyeon!" he said.
Behind Ricky, a boy with tousled hair and an utterly confused expression emerged from the hallway. "Uh... what?" Junhyeon muttered, blinking at the mess. "Wait, what is going on?"
Ricky wiped a glob of frosting from his face with slow, deliberate movements. His sharp features twisted into a glacial glare. "Really? How did I deserve this?" he muttered under his breath.
The boy in front of him flinched. "I'm *
really sorry! It was a prankâNOT for you! I swear! I didn't mean to!"
The apology did nothing to cool Ricky's rising irritation.
"Youâ" Ricky began icily.
"Let me fix it!" the boy blurted. "I swear I'll make it better!"
Before Ricky could protest, the boy grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hallway.
The bathroom was empty, the flickering fluorescent lights casting a glow over the tiled walls. Ricky stood stiffly in front of the sink, arms crossed as the boy was panicking.
"I got this," the boy declared, grabbing paper towels.
"Don't," Ricky warned through gritted teeth.
"I totally got this!" The boy rubbed vigorously at Ricky's blazer.
"You're making it worse," Ricky growled.
The boy ignored him. "Nah, trust me. One time my dog pooped on a carpet, and I got it outâ"
"This is not a carpet."
"Same principle." The boy leaned in closer, scrubbing with even more enthusiasm. "See? It's alreadyâ"
CRACK!
The faucet snapped under his grip. A violent jet of water shot into the air, drenching both of them in an instant.
"AHHH!" the boy yelped, flailing to block the spray with his hands.
Ricky stood frozen, water dripping from his hair and blazer. "You broke the sink."
"I didn't mean to!"
"You broke the sink," Ricky repeated slowly, "and now I'm soaked."
"I'll fix it! I swear!" The boy frantically grabbed at the pipes, only for the water to redirect straight into Ricky's face.
"STOP TOUCHING THINGS!" Ricky finally shouted, shoving the boy aside.
By the time they managed to shut off the water, both boys looked like drowned rats. Ricky's blazer was ruined, his pale skin blotchy with frustration.
The boy stood breathless, his hair plastered to his forehead. "Uh... I'm so sorry. I can fix thisâlet meâ"
Ricky's glare could have frozen fire. "No."
"Wait, at leastâ"
"I'm leaving," Ricky said sharply and stormed out of the bathroom, water dripping from his clothes.
Ricky couldn't believe his luck. The day hadn't even properly started, and he'd already faced a complete fiasco. And all because of that fool. Ricky had quickly decided one thing for his own peace of mind: stay far, far away from him.
His blazer was still damp. The stares of his classmates hadn't gone unnoticed, and each passing glance only deepened the feeling of humiliation in his chest.
Ricky clenched his jaw, counting down the minutes until the bell rang the whole day. Finally the last lesson of the day came to a blessed end. Without wasting a second, Ricky grabbed his bag and made a swift exit.
Freedom was near. He was already imagining his solitary evening at homeâwrapped in a blanket, and watching the new K-drama.
But just as he reached the school gates, a voice called out behind him.
"You!"
Ricky's entire body tensed. Of course, it was him. The last person on earth Ricky wanted to see right now.
He kept walking, pretending not to hear.
"Hey, wait!"
Ricky's strides only grew faster, but then the boy sprinted ahead and cut him off, skidding to a stop right in front of him.
Ricky glared, his sharp features twisting in irritation. "Move."
The boy was breathless but determined. "Look, I justâcan we talk for a second?"
"No."
He pressed on. "Okay, hear me out. I know I totally messed up this morning. The cake thing? I'm so sorry. And then the sink... yeah, that was also so badâ I think we got off on the wrong foot. What if we justâforget about all that? My name is Gyuvin and you're Quanrui, right? Start fresh? Friends?"
Ricky's eyes narrowed. "Friends?" he repeated as if the word was poison.
"Yeah!" Gyuvin extended his hand, hopeful.
Ricky stared at the outstretched hand for a long, cold beat. Then he looked up and said flatly, "No."
Gyuvin blinked, stunned. "Wait, what?"
"I don't want to be your friend." Ricky's voice was razor-sharp.
With that, Ricky turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Gyuvin standing there, speechless and humiliated.
As Gyuvin stood in the fading sunlight, his face still frozen in shock, two familiar voices broke through his daze.
"Wow." Junhyeon snickered, clapping a hand on Gyuvin's shoulder. "That was brutal."
Ricky approached the upcoming day with heavy eyelids and zero enthusiasm. He had stayed up until late, watching his favorite K-drama. Now he was paying the price.
As he stepped inside the classroom, he blinked in surprise. The room was oddly peacefulâno chaos, and most importantly, no obnoxious tall boy causing disasters. Just the usual morning hum of students chatting quietly.
Ricky let out a sigh of relief. Maybe yesterday's fiasco had been a one-time nightmare.
He dropped into his seat and let the sunlight from the window warm his face. His thoughts drifted to the awkward encounter after school with that boyâwhat was his name again? Gyubin? Soobin? Whatever. Not important.
Ricky frowned, remembering how he'd brutally shut the boy down. Okay, maybe he had been a bit ruthless, but it got results. No chaos, no interruptions. Just peace.
A rare smile tugged at his lips. Maybe life at this school wouldn't be so bad after all.
That fragile hope shattered in an instant.
The door burst open with a loud BANG, and in ran Gyuvin, his messy brown hair flopping wildly as he skidded to a stop. A massive bag of snacks dangled from his arm like some sort of peace offering.
"Ricky!" Gyuvin beamed, holding up the bag triumphantly. "This is for you!"
Ricky's stomach sank.
Before he could respond, Gyuvin yanked a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, cleared his throat dramatically, and began reading aloud.
"Dear Shen Quanruiâ" Gyuvin's voice boomed through the classroom. "I, Kim Gyuvin, sincerely apologize for my horrible behavior yesterday, including but not limited to: accidentally hitting you with a cake, ruining your blazer, and drenching you in sink waterâ"
Ricky's eyes widened in horror. His classmates were already whispering and giggling, their eyes glued to the scene. He felt heat rise to his face.
"Stop," Ricky hissed, but Gyuvin powered through.
"âand for generally being a nuisance to your existence. I deeply regret my actions and humbly offer this bag of snacks as a token of my sincerity. Furthermoreâ"
"ENOUGH!" Ricky shot up from his seat, flustered beyond words.
The room fell silent.
Grabbing Gyuvin's wrist, Ricky yanked him toward the door, practically dragging him out of the classroom. His sharp features were twisted in a mixture of rage and embarrassment.
Ricky said fiercely. "Are you insane?"
Gyuvin blinked, still clutching the bag of snacks. "What? I was just trying to apologize!"
"By humiliating me in front of the entire class?!" Ricky's voice was sharp. "What part of that seemed like a good idea to you?"
"I thought it was sweet?" Gyuvin offered sheepishly.
"It was stupid. And youâ" Ricky shoved the bag back into Gyuvin's arms. "Take this. I don't want it."
Gyuvin frowned, confused. "Why are you being like this? I'm just trying to make things better."
"Well, don't!" Ricky snapped. "I don't want to be friends, okay? And not because of the cake or blazer. You're loud, obnoxious, and you don't know how to mind your own business."
Gyuvin's eyes darkened. "You think I'm arrogant or something?"
"Yes," Ricky said bluntly. "You think everyone wants to be your best friend, but newsflashâI don't."
Gyuvin's jaw tightened. "Well, newsflash back at youâyou're not as cool as you think you are, Ricky."
Ricky's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"You walk around acting all aloof like nothing bothers you, but it's not cool. It's pretentious," Gyuvin shot back. "Maybe if you weren't so busy being a jerk, people would actually like you and you would have friends."
Ricky's chest heaved with frustration. "You don't know anything about me."
"And you don't know anything about me either!" Gyuvin retorted. "But guess what? I was trying to be nice. That's more than you can say."
Tense silence emerged between them.
Ricky finally broke it with a cold glare. "Stay out of my way, Gyuvin."
Gyuvin clenched his fists. "Gladly."
The heated argument with Gyuvin still buzzed in Ricky's mind like an annoying mosquito. His ears burned with leftover rage, and he clenched his fists, trying to shake off the frustration.
"Jerk?" Ricky muttered under his breath, replaying Gyuvin's words. I'd like to see him making friends if he had to change schools twice a year and couldn't even speak the language properly.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, but Ricky didn't move. While his classmates eagerly rushed out for lunch, he stayed behind, pulling out his sketchbook. Doodling always helped distract him from the mess in his head. He started scrapping lines across the page, letting the pencil move without direction.
Suddenly, a gentle tap on his shoulder made him flinch.
He turned around, ready to snapâonly to see a boy with warm eyes and a friendly smile.
"Um, hey?" the boy greeted. "I'm Zhang Hao. I heard we have a new transfer student from China." Then, to Ricky's surprise, he switched to fluent Chinese. "Nice to meet you."
Ricky blinked, momentarily stunned. It was the first time someone had spoken to him in his native language since he arrived here.
"I'm Shen Quanrui, but you can call me Ricky," he said, his voice softening.
Zhang Hao's eyes flicked to Ricky's sketchbook. "Whoa, is that your drawing? You're really good."
Ricky felt flustered. "It's just a sketch."
"Well, it looks cool. Want to grab lunch together?"
Ricky hesitated for a second but then nodded. "Sure."
As they sat in the bustling cafeteria, Zhang Hao told Ricky more about the school and they got to know each other better.
"I heard there was some chaos yesterday," Zhang Hao said with a grin.
Ricky rolled his eyes. "You mean that idiot Gyuvin?"
Zhang Hao laughed. "Yeah, he can be... a bit much sometimes."
"A bit?" Ricky scoffed. "He's a fool."
Zhang Hao shook his head, still smiling. "He's actually a nice guy if you get to know him. Just... a little hyperactive, you know?"
"I'm not interested in knowing him better," Ricky said stubbornly, stabbing a piece of rice with his chopsticks.
As he spoke, his eyes flicked to Gyuvin's table. There he was, shyly talking to a girl, his usual boisterous energy toned down.
Ricky narrowed his eyes. He definitely likes her.
Then, like a lightbulb flickering on in his mind, a genius idea struck Ricky. His face lit up with mischievous glee.
Zhang Hao tilted his head. "What's with that look?"
"It's nothing," Ricky said smoothly, though his brain was already in overdrive, plotting his next move.
After lunch, Ricky and Zhang Hao wandered through the hallways.
"I gotta go," Ricky said suddenly. "Need to grab some documents from the office."
"Okay, see you later," Zhang Hao said, waving as they parted ways.
The moment Zhang Hao was out of sight, Ricky's expression shifted to one of focused determination. He marched back to the classroom, ensuring it was empty before pulling out his sketchbook. Tearing out two clean pages, he scribbled furiously, a mischievous grin curling on his lips.
By the time the ink dried, his plan was complete.
A few lessons later, the school buzzed with excitement. Groups of students gathered in the hallway, whispering and giggling. Ricky walked through the crowd, casually curious.
At the center of the chaos was, of course, Gyuvin. He stood tall, beaming with pride as he held up a neatly folded letter.
"Read it again!" someone shouted.
Gyuvin grinned. "Okay, okay!" He cleared his throat dramatically.
"Dear Kim Gyuvin," he read aloud, his voice filled with exaggerated charm. "I've admired you from afar for a long time. Your confidence and kindness always stand out. Meet me in front of the school after the last lesson. I'll be waiting. Her grammar is kinda bad, not gonna lie."
The crowd erupted into cheers and teasing remarks.
Ricky stood at the corner, his lips curling into a satisfied smirk.
Gyuvin, completely oblivious, enjoyed the attention. "Looks like I've got a secret admirer!"
You really are a fool, Ricky thought.
The final bell rang, and students poured out of their classrooms. Whispers and giggles filled in the air as they went towards school gates, eager to witness the promised grand confession.
At the center of it all stood Gyuvin, practically glowing with anticipation. He tugged at the collar of his uniform, glancing nervously at the growing crowd.
"She'll show up," he muttered under his breath, trying to convince himself. "Totally."
A group of girls nearby whispered and giggled.
"Oh my god, who do you think it is?"
"She must be so brave to write that letter."
"I bet she's from Class 3B!"
But as the minutes dragged on, the energy started to shift. The crowd's excitement turned into confusion.
"Where is she?"
"Do you think it was a prank?"
"No way. Who'd do that?"
Gyuvin's smile faltered. He tapped his foot nervously, stealing glances at his watch.
"Maybe she got shy," someone suggested.
"Or maybe she realized it's Gyuvin," another voice snickered.
Gyuvin forced a laugh, though it came out strangled. "She's just... uh, fashionably late."
But thenâmovement.
A figure broke through the crowd, striding toward Gyuvin with purpose. Gasps rippled through the students.
Gyuvin's heart raced. This was it. His moment. He straightened up, flashing his best charming smile.
The figure stepped into the lightâ
And it was Gunwook.
The crowd exploded into chaos. Laughter, gasps, and shrieks filled the air.
Gyuvin's confident grin shattered into pure horror.
"W-WHAT?!" Gyuvin spluttered.
Gunwook blinked, looking thoroughly confused. "What's going on?"
"BRO, DID YOU WRITE THE LOVE LETTER?" someone screamed from the crowd, doubling over with laughter.
"What?! NO!" Gunwook's eyes widened in panic. "DUDE, WHAT IS THIS?!"
Gyuvin's face turned beet red as the humiliation sunk in. "NO! IT WASN'T HIM! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GIRL!"
"Sure, Gyuvin," someone cackled. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
The teasing hit a fever pitch.
"Oh my god, they're such a cute couple!"
"When's the wedding?"
"Gunwook, confess back! Don't leave Gyuvin hanging!"
Gunwook's face was now as red as Gyuvin's. "STOP SAYING THAT!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Gyuvin yelled, flailing his arms.
The crowd was in hysterics, some literally rolling on the ground.
As the chaos finally began to die down, Gyuvin stood there, utterly humiliated.
Gyuvin, now alone, scanned the areaâand there, leaning casually against the wall, was Ricky.
Ricky's arms were crossed, his expression infuriatingly content.
Gyuvin's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"You," he hissed, marching toward him.
Ricky arched an eyebrow, barely masking his amusement. "Me?"
"You were behind this," Gyuvin accused, pushing Ricky against the wall.
Ricky's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. "Prove it."
Gyuvin clenched his fists. "You just declared war, Shen Quanrui."
Ricky's smile widened, as calm and slick as ever. "Bring it on, Kim Gyuvin."