tuition and fees ☆ z.cl | ✔

01

"Something like that."

You had decided not to tell your friends about what happened in the bursar's office, the deal you had made, or even mentioning Zhong Chenle at all. First, you had to see if you could actually be friends with him before trying to introduce him to your own.

Donghyuck held the door open to the library for you, shutting it not-so-quietly behind the two of you. The study hall monitor snapped her eyes up from her book, already glaring at the both of you. Peering around, you spotted Chenle sitting at a table against a window towards the back of the library as your friend had already spotted another teammate of yours, waving to her eagerly. She rolled her eyes, focusing back on her notes she was rewriting.

"Don't bother Jiwon too much." You requested quietly to him, knowing how much he loved picking on her. They were childhood friends and neighbors, and their friendship—if you could really call it that—was the strangest thing to you.

"You're about eighteen years too late on that." He whispered back before leaving you to take the empty seat across from Jiwon.

Steeling your nerves, you walked past the long table where all your friends were starting to set up at, sights set on the nearly empty one only containing Chenle and his schoolwork. He had just highlighted something in his book when you stopped in front of his table and looked up at you with wide eyes. After several blinks, no sort of words had come from his parted lips, and you took it upon yourself to say something.

"Hi, I'm Y/N." You said brightly, earning no response.

The boy seemed even more startled, as if he hadn't expected you to actually speak to him.

"Uhm, you're Chenle, right?" Well, that was a dumb question.

Finally, he formulated a response, "Yes."

Biting back a short sigh, you pulled out the chair in front of him, sitting yourself down. Now Chenle looked actually terrified, and you decided not to push it any further. At this rate you might make the poor boy pee his pants instead of befriending you.

The two of you worked in absolute silence, and every so often you could hear a loud eruption of laughter from your friends' table that was always shushed by the monitor immediately. Bitterly, you gripped your pencil tighter before bubbling in your answer. You'd much rather be over there, having fun with your friends instead of sitting in a tense and awkward silence, doing a take-home practice test that wasn't due for another week as you pretended not to be aware of Chenle staring at you.

Glancing at the time, you were so thankful that you could start packing up and getting ready to leave. And then you remembered what you had next, lunch. Looking up from your backpack you had just zipped, you were somewhat amused as Chenle quickly tried to look away from you. You reached forward, tapping his arm to get his attention.

He immediately snapped his head up to look at you attentively. Steeling your nerves, you asked, "Where do you sit for lunch?"

"Outside."

"Could I sit with you today?"

"Yes."

And so when the bell rang, you watched longingly as your friends ran out together all in a loud, joyous mass. Donghyuck stayed back to wait for you to join them, but you dismissed him with a short wave. Hopefully, if this went according to Mr. Zhong's plan, you could introduce Chenle to them soon and be back in that mess you loved so much.

He quickly went to put his things away, then led the way out of the now-empty library. Chewing on your lip, you walked beside him through the halls, occasionally exchanging passing greetings to your friends and teammates. You knew that they were all wondering who you were with and why. Not necessarily in a snotty popularity way—well, in most cases—but because you had genuinely never mentioned Chenle before or even talked to him before today. Pushing the doors to the outside quad open, you let Chenle lead you out to a table settled underneath a tree in the far corner.