Chapter Text
It was your typical morning - Jae was seated behind his desk in the small classroom, gazing out of the window at nothing in particular while completely ignoring what was happening around him. He was already used to his classmates who are a really noisy bunch. Jae is friendly and likes to socialize, but at the same time, when he’s in a room full of people, he prefers to sit alone. He can meet up with his classmates, the ones he wants to meet, after the class.
Chair next to his screeched a little as Wonpil threw himself onto it. It wasn’t his usual seat, but it seemed that for today he already decided where to sit.
“Suddenly?” Jae raised his brow at his friend.
Wonpil shrugged and proceeded to take out his notes and pen from his bag. “It’s not sudden. It’s usually occupied and I just happened to be faster than others today.”
“Tell me the truth… You wanted to annoy me or Sung-” Speaking of the devil. “Hey Bob!”
“Heeey-” Sungjin stopped right next to them, glaring at Wonpil a little. “Wait… you sure you didn’t forget where you usually sit, Wonpil?”
Wonpil rolled his eyes so much that Jae could actually hear the sound of it. “It’s not written anywhere that this is your seat.” He crossed his arms at his chest, squinting at Sungjin. “And also… you sit with him all the time, it’s time for a change!” He extended his arms in a way only he does, excited and overly exaggerated. Jae likes to describe it as ‘someone who teaches kindergarteners’ and he’s kind of right. Wonpil has exactly that sort of mannerism.
“And where do I sit, then?” Sungjin asked, perplexed.
Wonpil simply patted the other seat right next to him. “Or you can go oooooover there and sit next to Dowoon.” Wonpil pointed to the boy who had his head turned in their direction, his expression not the nicest one. That’s how it looks when your usual seatmate ditches you for someone else. Ultimate betrayal.
“I’ll see you after the class then.” Sungjin didn’t have anything else to say as he walked over to the row of seats where Dowoon sat, just in time as their professor walked into the room, leaving the door open. Jae raised his brow at that - what is happening...
Their professor clapped his hands to get their attention, which worked mostly on everyone. Mostly, because there were still some who pretended to be present but their mind was drifting somewhere else.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we start-”
Jae sneezed.
“-I have someone-”
Jae sneezed again.
“-I want to introduce. He’s-”
There was a series of several sneezes and Jae’s eyes were already watery, nose red. Not a pleasant sight at all, Jae knows that. He usually wouldn’t diss himself, but this was a whole new level.
“Mr. Park, is everything alright?” Professor asked, slightly irked that he was disturbed during his monologue.
Jae tries to answer. “Abso-” Another sneeze. Fucking “-lutely.” No… not alright, he was dying on the spot, or it at least feels like he was. What was happening? His allergies rarely acted up at school.
Their professor threw him a more annoyed than worried kind of glance and gestured for someone to come in.
His allergies rarely acted up… unless… unless...
And then there it was. Jae’s worst nightmare walked into the room, all eyes trained on the creature that came to stand in front of the class. Tall, strong build, and… apparently hybrid - the source of it all. Guy with a bushy tail wiggling behind him.
That long and furry thing will be a huge problem for Jae if that guy won't stop moving it.
Great Jae groans inwardly. That orange fur of his will be everywhere. Already is everywhere and he starts to panic.
Fox’s ears were folded to the back, his feline eyes scanning the classroom and his new classmates until they ultimately landed on Jae, who sneezed just when their eyes meet. For now, nameless, foxy creature smiled at Jae. That genuine kind of smile that is rare these days. Maybe except for Wonpil and Dowoon. Sungjin rarely smiles, rarely shows what he feels.
“Class, this is Brian Kang, transferred from Toronto, will be attending together with you.”
Jae sneezed again.
The fox, well... this Brian guy smiled a little bit wider and Jae is panicking. He knows where those shy smiles from strangers around him lead. Usually to awkward encounters. Don’t come over, please don’t come over.
“Take your seat Brian.” The teacher gestured for Brian to move and he does. In Jae’s direction.
He took a seat in the row right in front of Jae who desperately tries to hold everything in, but the proximity wasn’t doing him any good. Jae called it, it seemed like there is another awkward encounter ahead. That damned fox turned around, looked at Jae with his ears perked up, left one twitching from time to time. No… more fur in the air.. Jae panicked.
“I’m Brian.” New student extended his hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet-”
Jae, however, only makes a strangled noise at the back of his throat and pushed Brian’s hand away, pushing past Wonpil and hurrying the heck out of the room.
Brian sat there, frozen in his seat, still turned to the back of the room. His hand stilled mid-air. He lowered it, coughing awkwardly as his eyes met with Wonpil's. With his ears pulled back again, he pulls his tail between his legs, turning around, eyes misty. There goes his first try at making new friends.
The class dragged on forever. At least that’s what it felt like to Brian. He listened only sometimes, mostly wondering what drove the guy away. Why he seemed so disgusted. Does he smell? Is he ugly? Does that guy prefer cats? Dogs? Bunnies? Bunnies are cute, Brian admitted inwardly.
Class suddenly came to life and that's when he realised it's already over. Slight tapping on his shoulder made him turn around to face the boy with big eyes. He extended his hand and Brian slowly, carefully took it.
"I'm Wonpil." Wonpil smiled and Brian swished his tail.
Maybe he chose wrong human to befriend. "I'm Brian, or Younghyun. Whichever is more comfortable for you."
"Uhm-" Wonpil looked like was hesitating, like he wanted to say something but it might be uncomfortable. "You see Younghyun… that friend of mine he's not usually rude or anything."
Brian squinted at the other. "Funny because he seemed kinda rude when he pushed my hand away. I'm not his dog-"
"I know. You're a fox. Beautiful one at that." What a bashful compliment. "But he's allergic to many things… and you having fur doesn't help."
Brian's eyes widened. He's an A+ student yet he never thought of the possibility. "Oh…"
"Yeah, so maybe try some other time when he'll be overdosed on his medicine or something." Wonpil laughed and somehow that sound made Brian feel more at ease, so he easily smiled back. "Do you want to go for a coffee? I'm honestly falling asleep." Wonpil fake-yawned and Brian knew instantly that it was his way of asking him out for a coffee for no particular reason. They just met, yet his animal instinct told him this Wonpil guy was the one he needed to have by his side.
"Yeah, sure let's go."
They were sitting in the café quite close to campus. It was quite a busy one, people coming and going every minute. Newcomers usually startled and stopped to stare at Brian, which annoyed him to his bones.
"What is their problem? Never seen a hybrid before?" Brian said aloud without much thought.
Wonpil looked around and indeed, several people had their eyes on their table and he was quite sure it wasn’t because of him, but because of the sulky fox sitting across the table.
"There are not many fox hybrids around. At least you're the first one I've ever met."
Brian hummed - that might be the reason. In Canada he wasn’t rare at all. Foxes and bears were rather common but when he looked around the cafe he spotted two hybrids and both were cats.
"Why, you don't like the attention?" Wonpil asked, sipping on his coffee while his companion blinked, not that he doesn't like attention, he just feels out of place at the moment. "Just… feel weird to be stared at, I guess? It was never like-" He got interrupted - he dislikes it when people interrupt him.
Except, maybe now.
"Wonpil, thank God you're here-" Brian's ears perked up at the voice. His nose scrunched at the scent of familiar human rushing to their table.
Rushing until he noticed another presence at the table. Guy blink-blinked at them for what felt like eternity to Brian and sneezed rather loudly.
"Not again!!" Jae groaned, covering his nose. He looked around and spotted another two cat hybrids in the cafe. "Gee, there’s more! I gotta go Pil. Send me the notes once you’ll be at the dorms, please?" He was out sooner than Brian managed to say anything. Not even a short hello.
"As I said, he's allergic." Wonpil shrugged, not even least bothered by Jae coming and leaving abruptly.