Chapter Text
FANG RUNIN
Life is, definitely, a whole piece of shit.
Rin needs to hold back a roll of eyes while aunt Fang bothers her and Kesegi from the passenger seat of the old car of the Fang's family. Since the ride to Sinegard started, the woman makes a full, long and boring monolog of the advantages both of them will have since they moved in to Shanghai, one of the big cities of China. Kesegi can't help but scoff in low tone, and Rin almost let a sigh of tiredness herself.
She's tempted to turn on her headphones, which is now around her dark-skin neck, waiting to be used. But she can't, since aunt Fang hates when Rin put on her headphones while talking to her. Rin happens to get lost on the music pretty easy, forgetting about the real world while she listen to her favorite rock bands. So no, is better for her to wait until she gets to the new school.
Kesegi tries to lift up her shitty mood, bumping on her shoulder and smiling as if he quietly says "Hey, don't worry, we're hicks in a big city with a thick south accent but everything's going to be fine". Rin gives her young brother a small smile, even though she doesn't believe a thing.
Sinegard is a new school at the center of Shanghai, probably doesn't have even ten years since it's foundation. New or old, the institute is destinated to rich kids. The tuition is almost three times a minimum wage and when uncle Fang show Rin the photos of some students on the school's website, she almost laughed. All of them were white and spoiled, no surprises.
Rin didn't want to study there. But the whole family, even Kesegi, wanted her to at least try to do the scholarship's exam to see if she could get a chance. Unfortunately, she passed the exam and got an integral scholarship. But the thought of being the only black skin girl on the school made her heartbeat increase in a worried way. She bites her thumb nail, unconsciously ripping off the piece of keratin from her hand. They were always stump and short, but Rin always painted the small nails in black.
She looks through the window of the car backseat. Everythin inside Shanghai borders is in full movement. There's not even an inch of the big city where's empty or without people walking, entering stores or crossing the streets. It's been only seven minutes they left their new house and Rin realized she never saw a crowd bigger than a dozen citizens together in a small park.
Unconsciously, she remembers of Guizhou. The small, countryside city she lived her past sixteen years. It was larger than Shanghai' territory, but much much lesser populated. Rin shrinks on the backseat, feeling even smaller than she already was on that crazy traffic and that crazy city.
— Runin, if I hear about you causing trouble, you'll get yourself even in a bigger one at home young lady. You hear me?! — aunt Fang almost barks at her and the only thing Rin does to reply is a simple nodd.
She could show a middle finger. Hell, she want to. But it's not worthy of another three hours monolog with every single bad adjective a language can have.
Finally, after what it seems to be hours, uncle Fang parks the car next to the Sinegard' entrance. Rin swallows her dry throat, gripping harsher on the backpack at her lap. Her gaze falls on the teenagers walking and talking and entering the school and she can't help but shiver. She new it wouldn't be a lot of hick students at Sinegard, but everyone was white and rich and intimidating and that would be a nightmare.
Sinegard is only a high school institute, so Kesegi won't be studying here. The little brother gives her a last hug, whispering good luck words that Rin can't hear over her nervousness. She thank him, though.
— Good luck, kid. Take care. — it's the only words of uncle Fang. Rin nodds and murmles a goodbye to the family before getting off the car.
Rin holds her breath as she makes her way to the entrance, not looking back since she heard the engine of the old car driving away. Sinegard looks like a shopping mall, a huge building facility with off white walls and a lots, lots of big windows exactly as the majority of the Shanghai' architecture.
When the girl walks through the entrance, she already realizes the attention she gets. Of course. Dark-tanned skin and old All Star shoes are a completely different thing in the middle of those spoiled, pampered teens. She tries to not show her discomfort as she put on the headphones, playing a random song of Rammstein while she walks through the main hall.
Thank the gods, the school has indication signs that shows where's the direction room. As the loud rock song calms her down enough to not pay attention to the stares, Rin turns to the left and find the room. She knocks softly on the door, taking off the headphones as a tall, beautiful pale woman smiles at her.
— You must be the scholarship girl.
Rin nodds, trying to not fidget her fingers and keep the neutral face.
— Yes. That's me. Fang Runin. I...I don't know the school yet.
— It's a pleasure, Ms. Fang. You can call me Jing, I'm the secretary of the president Yin Vaisra. — the woman surprisingly shakes Rin's hand without making a face about her calloused knuckles from playing guitar and house labor. — Mr. Yin is currently on a meeting with some teachers and I'm finishing some paperwork. If you want, I can do the tour around the school with you if you wait for me.
— Of course — Rin agrees eagerly. She won't waste an opportunity to get along someone who actually see her as more than a hick girl. Actually, she's even more impressed with Jing, because the woman didn't even mind her thick, weird accent or her disgraceful moves as she took a sit and look around the room.
It was tidy, full of archives and folders with information. Jing stays behind a computer, so Rin can't really see her face. There's two other doors behind Jing table, one with the name "President Yin" and the other looking like an elevator. After a cautious watch atound the room, Rin keep her eyes on her own uniform, trying to not be too evasive.
After five or six minutes, the elevator dings and the doors open, revealing a...wow.
Wow. Wow because the guy is a regular, pale-skin city teenager that's probably rich too, giving to his clothes. But he's the most different person Rin saw since she came to Shanghai.
He's tall. Definitely between 6'0 or 6'2 and for a boy who seems to be Rin's age, that's tall as fuck. He's wearing the Sinegard uniform and All Stars just like Rin — the two differences: his shoes are blue while hers are red and his are clean and new while hers...well, are a little too much old. But the most impressive thing about the boy is his face. Regular white skin with weird red scars on his left chin. As if he was kissed by a red lightning on the past. It's odd and...quite beautiful to watch. Intriguing, to say at least.
Rin didn't realize before, but the boy looks a little angry. He frowns when he sees her, sizing her up from head to toe before scoffing. Rin sharpen her gaze and it didn't take long for her to realize he's not a nice guy.
— Jing, where's my father? — he asks coldly to the secretary, and his arrogant tone makes Rin wonder if his father is...
— The president Yin is on a meeting, little boss.
Yeah. She got it right. In addiction of being a completely spoiled brat, the Yin guy is the president's son. A complete frat boy. How fitting.
Rin can help but notice the small playfull wink Jing gives to the boy, who only scoffs. Jing called him "little boss" so they can't be strangers to each other.
— And what's she doing on my father's room? — the Yin boy speaks again and she realizes he's pointing at her. Great.
— Waiting for a tour. New at school. — she replies, short and as cold as he was being.
Is it normal to hate someone you barely met? Cause Rin has the feeling she already does hate him.
The Yin boy stares her and raises an eyebrow, still analyzing her. Rin crosses her arms, tempted to scoff. But she knows better. It's only her first day, she can't punch the president's son and loses her scholarship. At least not yet.
He looks at the computer and probably realizes Jing has too much work to do with the new students. The guy sighs heavily, taking a folder from Jing's hand.
— I present her the school. But you own me, granny — the Yin boy says to Jing, who chuckles and winks playfully at him again.
— I knew you would do it for me. You're the best nephew aren't you, little boss? — Jing smiles before looking at Rin — Ms. Fang, this is...
— Yin Nezha — the boy says before the secretary. Rin didn't expected him to offer her a hand and, meeting her expectations, Nezha did not. He only walk to the door and open it, looking at her to leave the room.
— Thanks you — Rin says, smiling politely to Jing before walking with the boy out of the room. — I'm Fang Runin.
— Didn't ask your name.
Right. Rin rolls her eyes as she follow him through the hallways. Nezha does speaks rude with her, but at least he does a great job while presenting her the school places. The classrooms, the restrooms, the places that she can or cannot enter. She finds herself mesmerized to the Sinegard structure and even though there's a bunch of rich stupid teenagers, she's excited to study here.
While they make their tour, a lot of students waves and speaks shortly with Nezha. Of course. He's a frat boy and the president's son. It's easonable for him to be popular. But after some minutes, Rin starts to realize he's not the usual frat boy. He's famous around the school, yes, but he's quiet. When someone waves or speaks with him, he nodds in recognizing or speak few words, not bragging about or flirting with the girls who giggles to him. It was weird, but Nezha is completely weird, appearance and personality.
At the end, Rin decided it was better to stay away from him.
When they stop on the last spot, she realizes is the canteen. She looks around the crowded room full of tables with people sipping coffees and eating pricey breakfast. Rin takes a look on her wristwatch and realizes it's almost time for her first class of the day.
— This is our last stop. Here is your classes schedule. — Nezha says as he nonchalantly gives to her the folder.
Before Rin can say anything, a dark-skin arm wrapps around Nezha's shoulders. He groans, getting of the much taller guy's grip.
Rin breathes as her gaze falls on the guy. He looks like her. Sun kissed skin, dark brown hair and faint reddish eyes. He's even taller than Nezha and has a playfully grin directed to the president's son. Nezha doesn't looks pleased at the guy's presence, so she understands they're not friends.
— Trengsin, how dare you to-
— Oh please, short stick, save me from your threats about making your daddy expell me. We both know he won't — the Trengsin guy winks in a teasing way to Nezha, who only scoffs at him. — Come on, introduce me.
Rin doesn't need him to be introduced. The Trengsin guy has, too, a hick accent and is hated by Nezha. She already like him very much.
— Fang Rose, Altan Trengsin, Altan Trengsin, Fang Rose. — Nezha says mechanically and Rin scoffs.
— It's Runin. Fang Runin.
— Yeah, that's what I said — he groans before walking away, since his job of introducing Sinegard to Rin was done.
She sighs heavily, relieved Nezha is not here anymore.
— Is he always an asshole? — she asks. Somehow, this other guy, Altan, makes her feel a little less out of place. He's...exactly like her. They can be confounded as siblings.
Altan smiles, showing off his dimples and sharp, white teeth. He was beautiful. And more than a foot taller than Rin.
— Yes. Always. Get used to it. — Altan gently taps her shoulder — don't worry about him. Worry about you. You must be scared.
Rin runs her eyes around the room. The pairs and pairs of eyes on her figure, on her poor, sharp and not pretty figure. She gulps, returning her attention to Altan, or at least his chest. God, she needs to yank her head to stare him on the eyes.
— A little bit, yeah.
Altan chuckles, mentioning her a table with the weirdest people on the canteen. Somebow, she feels a pang of relief as she realizes she's not the only dislocated one.
— Don't worry, Runin. You can always have a seat with us. Wanna meet my friends? I liked your wristband, by the way. It was sold on the Rammstein's gig right? I was there too – Altan shows her the same wristband on his fist and Rin' eyes shine with excitement. She never met someone who liked rock too.
— Yes. And you call me Rin. — she speaks as Altan guides her to the table. He is probably two or even three years older than her, but she feels, somehow, safe around him.
She sighs as she sits on an empty seat next to Altan. Suddenly, Rin feels like Sinegard won't be that bad at all.