Chapter Text
Zanka’s been at his new school for a week, and he’s decided he likes it, for the most part. When he heard his family was going to ‘allow’ him (more like ship him off to) to go to America to study abroad, he was kind of glad, honestly. He’s always been interested to know what the states are like, and he’d take anything to be away from his family. So, a twenty hour plane ride and two weeks later, he’s finally settled into a life where he can just keep his head down and work.
He has a job, an apartment (paid for by mother dearest), is responsible for his own studies. He has a good life here already, and it was easy to not think about how quick his family was to get rid of him.
Speaking of his job, he just got a text. He checks his phone, since he’s in homeroom.
It’s from Enjin.
-Yo, can you work today? Rudo’s the only one on staff rn, and i’d really appreciate it!
He contemplates for a bit. He has a big assignment he needed to finish for tomorrow, and the resturaunt closes at 8. He’d be up until practically midnight if he took a shift. Besides, he wasn’t really the biggest fan of Rudo. Nothing against the kid, honest, he just….he was a kid, he wasn’t as good at his job as a few of his other coworkers. And he was Enjin’s favorite, besides Riyo, which was to be expected considering he’s her adoptive dad. With all of that, it left Zanka as the new kid nobody cares about.
In the end, he agrees to take a shift after he gets off of school. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gain some brownie points from his favorite manager. He’ll just take a nap in homeroom tomorrow, maybe.
The bell rings, and he gets up. heading to his English class. He likes English. He was taught it almost relentlessly throughout his schooling, and his family saw great importance in it as well. If he says so himself, he was better at his second language than half of the kids in this school. If there is one thing he thanked Kyoka for, it was the straight up disgusted look she shot at the phone when they suggested he be put in an ESL course. He got to prove himself to his family when they gave him an English placement exam and he passed with ease.
He sits next to a shy girl wearing headphones. She’s been wearing them the last week, and if he was honest, it confuses him. Do they allow students in America to just wear those in class? He’s seen a sophomore with hair he assumed was dyed orange highlights too, wearing jewelry also. He’s heard some outrageous whispers about fellow students in the halls as well. The less strict nature of the school compared to academics at home was both a comfort and caused some distress. It’s like everywhere he looked was a reminder that he wasn’t home, that things were different.
They’re given a test, which Zanka can pass with ease, and are assigned another chapter of Frankenstein after their discussion. He rolls his eyes at the collective groan of the class. He liked the story a lot so far, it was a good classic, and he found it to be awfully relatable at some points, not that he would admit it.
After long, they’re dismissed for lunch. This was probably one of his least favorite parts of the day. They shared it with all ages, so annoying freshman, sophomores, and juniors were all gathered in annoying cliques. Everyone already had their friend groups, which lead Zanka to sitting on his own. He normally wouldn’t care, if it weren’t for the loud and obnoxious freshman who sat at the table next to him. He liked his lonesome quiet, at least.
Not that he was complaining. He loved his new school, he loved America.
Next on his schedule was math, which he didn’t like as much as English, but he didn’t mind.
He takes his seat, pulling out his textbook and notebook, when someone slides into the previously empty seat besides him. Zanka looks over and gathers his appearance quickly. A light-skinned kid he assumes is around his age, in rather inconspicuous clothes, a shirt and sweatpants, a hoodie tied around his waist. His dreads are long tied back into a ponytail, with gold rings placed in them. He doesn’t pay much mind. He smells like weed (half the students in this school do) and this is his first time showing up to class after it’s been in session for a week.
Considering this, he wrote him off like he does most of the student population. Jabber, he learned, did not seem like anyone special. Just another kid who didn’t take anything seriously. He’ll need to make sure he doesn’t cheat off him.
“Hey.” He taps Zankas desk, whispering during the teachers lecture.
He turns towards him, giving him a questioning look.
“Do you have a pencil?” He asks. Looking down at the wrinkled piece of scrap paper he has sitting on his desk.
Wow. Zanka couldn’t believe it, but he has to be nice, he supposes. He graves an extra pencil from his bag and hands it to Jabber.
“Thanks! What’s your name?”
“Zanka.” He says rather coldly.
“I’ll give it back at the end of the class.” Jabber smiles.
“Keep it…” He responds.
When he gave Jabber his pencil, he expected him to be using it to take notes. So imagine his surprise when he spots Jabber doodling on the paper.
Ok, so he doesn’t even try and he’s definitely going to cheat off of him. Whatever, not his business he supposes, just another annoying kid wasting their potential.
The rest of the class goes by fine. A test is handed out, and to Zankas surprise, Jabber doesn’t take one look at his exam the whole time.
The bell rings shortly after, and the school day is dismissed. Getting in his car, he turns up the volume to his favorite kpop group as he drives to Table Scraps, the restaurant he works at.
He grabs his apron out of the back, tying it on his back as he walks in.
He’s greeted by Semiu, the manager mused have been stuck to hosting as he walks into the back to clock in. Rudo’s sitting in the break room, staring at some piece of paper when Zanka walks in.
“Rudo? Aren’t you ‘sposed to be serving the customes?”He asks
“There’re like two, and I need to get this math homework done.” He sighs.
Zanka rolls his eyes. “Guess I gotta do your job for ya.” He glances at the paper for a second. Sophomore year algebra, easy stuff for Zanka. He points out three out of the five problems Rudo had down on his book. “Those’re wrong.” He says, as he walks out of the back and onto the floor.
“Hey, what the hell, get back here asshole!!” Rudo calls out to him.
As he walks onto the floor, Enjin comes from the back room, just finishing a smoke break and claps Zanka on the back. “Hey Zanka! Thanks for coming in man.” He smiles.
Of everyone he worked with, Enjin was his favorite He was really sure why, but he was nice, and he was just a cool guy. He liked his tattoos, and he always smelled like cigarettes, which he would usually find obnoxious, but he found endearing on him. He was a fun manager, his favorite.
“Of course.” He says, turning towards him and smiling.
Semiu walks up to him, “Hey Zanka,” Sbe says. “We had a few more people come in. Can you tell Rudo to get off his butt and take care of these two. You’ll have the other two.” She says.
“Yeah sure.” He sighs. He pops open the door to the back, yelling out to Rudo, who sighs and gets up.
The rest of the night goes fairly well. Rudo, Zanka, and Semiu stay after to close the store, and Zanka finally enters his cozy little apartment around 9pm.
He sets his stuff down with a huff, quickly getting into the shower and washing the day away. After his shower he cooks his lonely dinner of rice, eggs, and chicken, before he sits down at his floor table. It’s late, tired nights like these where he feels the most lonely. He sits in silence as he chews his rice, the day replaying in his head. Most of his days were like this, mundane. School, work, homework, sleep.
The most interesting part of his day was probably…Jabber, that new kid he met. It wasn’t every day a new kid comes and sits right next to him, after all, let alone one who forgot something as simple as a pencil.
The thoughts pass through his mind as he remembers he still has to finish that paper that’s due tomorrow. He grabs his laptop, groaning as he buckles in for an even later night.
It’s so difficult, trying to be great at things.
The next day, Zanka wakes up to his normal alarm, extra sleepy due to the late night, but it’s fine. He finished his paper and went about school as normal, until he sits down for math.
“Alright class, i’ll pass out the quiz results from last class.” The teacher announces.
She quietly passes back grades, and Zanka eyes his 90 percent with disdain. He thought he did everything perfectly. He isn’t even sure where he messed up. He’s scrambling through his paper, trying to compare notes and see what happened, when Jabber gets his back.
He wasn’t paying much mind to anything besides his own test, when he sees it.
100%, on Jabbers paper. No way. Did he cheat? He was so sure he didnt see him look at anyone’s paper.
“Hey, I heard the game the other day was cool!” Jabber attempts to make conversation with a kid in front of him. The kid, Zanka assumes is a football player, turns back to him.
“Yeah, it was fine…” The kid responds.
He looks back to his own paper, ignoring the awkward one sided conversation and instead blinking at the few questions he missed points on, turning through his notes once again.
Jabber now peeks over at him. “Oh!” He says. “I almost got tripped by that question but I caught it last second.” He points. “You forgot to subtract the three from the final answer.” He says
“Oh…” Zanka says.
“Happens to the best of us.” Jabber shrugs. “Hey—“
“I have to use the restroom.” Zanka interrupts, slamming his hands on the table. He gets up, rushing off the bathroom.