"New kid!"

Lu Han turned, evidently the only 'new kid.'

A quartet--Kyungsoo, Jongdae, Baekhyun, and a spacey-looking kid Lu Han didn't know--claimed an entire table. Kyungsoo's elbow was on the tabletop, hand raised with his fingers pulling in and out from his palm in a grabby-handed wave. "Come sit with us."

Minseok and Chanyeol exchanged curious looks behind Lu Han, watching and waiting for the catch. It never came; Kyungsoo simply waited for Lu Han to obey.

With a smile of apology over his shoulder, the Chinese student approached the Plastics' table and sat between Baekhyun and Jongdae.

Baekhyun started conversation first. "How was your first official day?"

"Pretty good. The classes don't seem difficult at all. I was thinking of trying out for the soccer team, too." He took a bit of his chicken sandwich.

To his left, Jongdae made a face. "God, please don't."

"They're a bunch of meat-heads," Baekhyun added with an unimpressed half-frown of twisted lips.

Kyungsoo leaned forward, and both Jongdae and Baekhyun fell silent. "We have open auditions for contemporary choir all this week." He smiled. "You should try out."

"Well, I. . . I do sing, a little. My parents are both really musical."

"Great! We can hang out after that, then, too."

He had to clear it with his parents, but he didn't want to seem like a flake to his new friends right off the bar. "Yeah, okay."

The unknown fourth boy blinked, as if just waking up, and turned to Kyungsoo. "I have dance after school. They changed schedule."

"Boo, you whore."

Whether that was an unconventional petname or actual insult, it didn't seem to ruffle the boy at all. He accepted the affectionate name calling and looked to Lu Han, eyebrows raised with surprise.

Lu Han hastily bowed his head. "Hello, I'm Lu Han. I just moved here from China."

One blink.

Two.

Recognition.

"If you're from China. . . why do you know Korean?"

Wow. Lu Han didn't know how to answer that.

The rest of the table looked pained but tolerant. Kyungsoo fought to keep a patient, kind smile on his face as he faced the confused boy.

"Yixing, YOU'RE from China and speak Korean."

"Oh, yeah. . ."

"Zhang Yixing. His Korean is still a bit iffy, so if he looks glazed, just speak slower or ignore him." The Plastic Prince pulled out his cell phone and ignored the rest of the group.

A nervous nod. "Okay. . ." Lu Han really wished he'd sat with Minseok and Chanyeol.

Baekhyun lowered his voice and sat forward, looking up through his lashes in a partly scandalised and partly conspiratory way, and chided "Oh my God, Yixing. . . You can't just ask someone why they speak a language."

"Sometimes, I wonder why he speaks at all," Jongdae murmured.

Yixing cocked his head to the side like a puppy contemplating human commands. He had ear buds in his ears that Lu Han didn't notice before, but they weren't plugged into anything.

Lu Han offered a nervous grin and ate his lunch in silence, although his appetite was gone.

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