Chapter Text
It was the first week of orientation, and Zanka already wanted to go home. He didn’t want anything to do with being back here, considering how suffocatingly prestigious the school he was attending actually was; it made sense why he was feeling this way.
Since the school was filled with smart asses, Zanka knew exactly where that left him, he hated to admit, but he was average, not stupid, but just disgustingly average. He hated how hard he had to work to even come close to the other students.
His family was extremely wealthy and were able to cover his school costs easily, and yes, he could go on and on about how tough it was for him, but at the end of the day, he could admit that he was very much privileged in that sense.
He just let out a deep sigh before he adjusted the strap of his bag and moved deeper into the main quad, where orientation had already gone berserk.
There were club booths lined up along the walkways, students shouting over each other, music being played from somewhere, and volunteers giving out tours around campus.
Zanka had taken three steps into the crowd before a flyer appeared directly in his face. “Join the Student Debate Union?” she asked, smiling ear to ear.
“Yeah, sorry, I'm not really interested,” Zanka said, slightly smiling, pushing the flyer away from his face.
The girl holding the flyer blinked a couple of times before she muttered out the words. “You didn’t even let me explain-”
“I understood enough,” he said, cutting her off as he walked away.
Of course, he felt bad about being so blunt about it, but if he didn’t that girl wouldv’e kept blabbering about a club he had no interest in. He was already going to have to deal with a shit ton of school work, and not to mention he was already in a club with his friends. He didn’t need extra weight and pressure on his shoulders.
Suddenly, he heard a sharp laugh coming from behind him. He spun around and found Riyo smirking. “Damn, Zanka. You’re already being rude to strangers?”
She then immediately shoved a drink into his hand before he could complain. “You look miserable.”
Zanka glanced over back at her as he grabbed the drink, “Well, yeah, I kinda don’t want to be here right now.”
Riyo just laughed and hooked her arm loosely around his; she leaned into his side, and he just let her. Anyone else would have gotten shoved off.
“Thanks for the drink, by the way,” he said, offering her a small smile.
Riyo waved a hand dismissively and shrugged. “Yeah, don’t mention it.”
Riyo had been one of his closest friends since middle school. At this point, they considered each other family more than friends. Truthfully, he was grateful for the small, tight-knit group he had. There were only three other friends he considered close besides Riyo, but he wouldn’t have traded them for anything. They were close, loyal, and trusted each other completely, something he never wanted to take for granted.
Zanka and Riyo wandered through the rows of club booths, taking their time as they looked over the various clubs that had set up displays around the campus.
Suddenly, Rudo's voice cut through the noise from across the quad. Both of them turned toward the sound and spotted him waving his arms frantically in the air.
"Over here!" he called out.
The Cleaners Club booth sat near the outer edge of the club section, away from the loudest tables but still visible.
Their uniforms hung neatly on a rack behind the booth. The gray work jackets were sturdy and practical, with reinforced stitching, heavy collars, and enough pockets to hold gloves, trash grabbers, notebooks, and whatever else a cleanup shift might require. A patch bearing the club's emblem was sewn onto each sleeve, giving the uniforms an oddly official look that made campus cleanup feel more like a coordinated operation than volunteer work.
The club itself was responsible for keeping the campus and dorm grounds clean. Members spent their free time picking up litter, helping maintain common areas, and organizing cleanup events around the school. Whenever they had the opportunity, they also partnered with local organizations for community service projects off campus, cleaning parks, trails, and public spaces around the city.
Zanka had joined because he liked the idea of helping out. Keeping the campus clean wasn't exactly glamorous work, but someone had to do it, and he didn't mind getting his hands dirty if it meant making things a little better for everyone else. If he was being honest, though, that wasn't the only reason. The club met almost every day, giving him a convenient excuse to spend time with all his close friends.
Rudo stood at the table holding a paper bag of sweets, his dark eye bags still being noticeably visible.
Riyo pointed at the bag. “Cream buns?”
Rudo pulled back quickly. “Members only.”
“We are members,” Riyo said bluntly.
“You haven’t signed in yet, though...” Rudo said, pouting.
Riyo laughed and signed her name on the sheet before waving Zanka over. He stepped up beside her and added his name beneath hers.
With that done, they gathered around the booth and shared the cream buns while they waited for the rest of the club members to arrive.
A few minutes later, Enjin appeared behind Rudo, already dressed in his cleaner's uniform. His face lit up the moment he spotted everyone. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Rudo's shoulders and ruffled his hair enthusiastically.
"Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late!" Enjin said with a sheepish grin.
Riyo glanced over at him and shrugged. "You're fine. Tamsy's still a no-show, anyway."
"Hey!" Rudo protested, swatting at Enjin's hand as he tried to fix his now-messy hair.
“Hey, what did I miss?” Tamsy said grinning as he walked over carrying a box of folded gloves and a small sewing kit tucked under one arm. He set the box down, adjusted one of the displayed uniforms, and nodded at Zanka.
Tamsy arrived last. He waved, “Morning.”
"Morning," Zanka replied with a nod.
Enjin clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone. Orientation briefing."
Riyo leaned against the table, a grin spreading across her face. "And what are we doing today, Captain?"
Enjin placed a hand over his chest and gestured dramatically toward the booth.
"We recruit. We explain. We look cool." He pointed at a nearby recycling bin for emphasis. "We remind students that trash belongs in trash cans, recycling belongs in recycling bins, and anyone who litters on campus is personally insulting me."
Rudo snorted. "You say that every year."
"Because every year it's the same, ya’ll get the drill, no need to explain further," Enjin replied without missing a beat.
For the next hour, the Cleaners worked the booth.
Riyo drew people in through sheer friendliness, complimenting hair, nails, makeup, and outfits until it seemed like half the cosmetology students had stopped by just to talk to her.
Rudo somehow got into an argument with a business major who claimed cleaning work had no real value. Five minutes later, he was passionately defending bakers, janitors, delivery drivers, and everyone else who did the jobs people only noticed when they weren't getting done.
"If nobody cleans anything, your bakery's gonna suck!" he argued. "Nobody wants to buy pastries from a dirty bakery!"
The business major had no response to that.
Meanwhile, Tamsy quietly adjusted the uniform display until it looked polished enough that several fashion students stopped to ask where they could buy one.
Enjin spent the hour bouncing from conversation to conversation. He flirted shamelessly with two third-years, recruited an engineering student by comparing cleaning equipment maintenance to working on cars, and somehow fixed the booth's wobbly table leg with a screwdriver he'd pulled from his pocket.
As for Zanka, he handed out flyers, answered questions, and corrected anyone who thought the ground was an acceptable place to leave their trash.
At one point, a student casually dropped a wrapper at his feet.
"Pick it up," Zanka said flatly, fixing the student with a stare that made it clear he wasn't asking.
The guy immediately bent down, grabbed the wrapper, and walked away in a hurry.
Everything was going fine until Zanka heard loud music coming from the other side of the quad.
Zanka looked over first, and the rest of the Cleaners followed shortly after.
Enjin's expression suddenly turned serious. "Raiders," he said.
Across the quad, the Raiders' booth had come alive. Students rushed over to check it out, drawn in by the black tablecloths, red lighting, huge speakers, party posters, and a cooler that definitely did not contain only soda.
The members wore heavy boots, layered black clothes, silver jewelry, dyed hair, and bored expressions.
Zodyl stood at the center of it all. He was tall, with black-and-white hair, and watched the quad like he was deciding which parts of it bored him most.
Momoa sat on the edge of the table beside him, she looked tired like she was about to fall asleep, headphones in as if she wasn't paying attention to anything at all.
Cthoni leaned against the booth, adjusting party flyers while talking to someone from the chemistry department.
A voice shouted out of nowhere as a skateboard sliced through the crowd. "Move, move! This thing don’t got brakes!"
Zanka turned just in time to see students scrambling out of the way.
The skater laughed as he zipped past, then kicked the board up with one foot and caught it effortlessly in one hand. Without breaking stride, he spun on his heel and sauntered toward the Raiders' booth.
His long wick locs framed his face, some gathered into a half-up style secured with gold bands. Silver rings decorated his fingers, flashing whenever he gestured. Dressed in dark, baggy layers, he looked effortlessly cool, though the mischievous glint in his eyes ruined any chance of him appearing intimidating.
He casually reached over and stole Momoa's drink.
Momoa's eyes followed the cup as it disappeared from her hand.
The skater took a sip, made a face, and handed it back.
Momoa stared at him for a long moment before quietly taking the drink from his outstretched hand. She checked the straw, rotated the cup once in her hands, and took another sip without a word.
Zanka stared after the skater, "Who's that?" he asked.
Riyo followed his gaze and immediately snorted. "Oh. That's Jabber."
As if hearing his name, Jabber threw an arm around Zodyl's shoulders. Zodyl responded by shoving him off without even looking at him.
Rudo let out a long, suffering groan. "I hate that guy's energy."
"You've met him before?" Zanka asked, glancing over.
"No." Rudo crossed his arms. "I don't need to."
"That's fair," Tamsy said.
Across the quad, Jabber was now balancing his board on one foot while attempting to drink from Momoa's cup again.
"He looks exhausting to be around," Zanka muttered.
"He is," Riyo replied immediately.
Enjin leaned over, joining the conversation. "He's a second-year chemistry major. Raiders member. Walking campus complaint."
Zanka raised an eyebrow.
"All his friends do is party, drink, and smoke," Enjin continued with a shrug.
"That's a little harsh," Riyo said.
"It's also true," Tamsy replied without looking up from the uniform he was adjusting. “I think all of his friends are chemistry majors.” Tamsy continued, “A real nutcase of a group.”
"Yeah, but I've heard their whole group's ridiculously smart. Especially Jabber," Riyo said, folding her arms as she watched him from across the quad. A look of disbelief crossed her face as he attempted another questionable skateboard trick. "I don't know how that's possible, but apparently it's true."
Something twisted in Zanka's chest for a second. His jaw tightened, and he found himself staring a little too long at the Raiders' booth.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't jealous.
Then Jabber looked over, and their eyes met across the quad.
For a brief second, his grin faltered. His brows lifted slightly, his head tilting as if he'd just realized Zanka had been watching him.
Then his expression shifted.
The corner of his mouth curled upward, slow and deliberate, amusement settling back onto his face. He lifted his hand and gave Zanka a small wave, wiggling his fingers like he knew exactly how irritating he was being.
Zanka broke eye contact first, turning his attention back to the booth.
Riyo caught it instantly.
She leaned into his space with a knowing grin, resting her chin in her hand as she peeked up at him.
"Oh?" she said, her voice dripping with amusement.
Zanka didn't respond.
Unfortunately, Jabber crossed the quad to their booth ten minutes later.
He came alone, carrying his skateboard under one arm. A Raiders flyer flipped lazily between his fingers as he approached, completely at ease despite the way every eye seemed to follow him.
Zanka disliked that immediately.
Jabber leaned one hand on the Cleaners table and looked directly at him.
“Well, damn.” Jabber said out of nowhere
All of the Cleaners looked up.
Rudo glanced between Jabber and Zanka before throwing his hands up.
"...What is happening?" he asked.
Jabber ignored him completely, his attention still fixed on Zanka.
Jabber tilted his head, eyes dragging over at the other cleaners for a second before landing back on Zanka again. “So what do you do around here? Or are they just keeping you around to scare people into recycling?”
Zanka set the flyers down slowly. "Are you always this annoying, or is orientation special?"
Jabber's grin widened. "Oh, you're mean."
"Good observation," Zanka said, crossing his arms.
Jabber tapped a ringed finger against the table, his grin widening. "That's a hell of an attitude."
His eyes gleamed with amusement. "I kinda like it."
Zanka's expression went flat. "I'll staple this recycling guide to your forehead."
Jabber burst out laughing, loud and shameless.
"My bro, that was violent." He pressed a hand to his chest, still grinning. "I respect it."
"I don't need yer respect," Zanka said calmly.
Then, to everyone's confusion, Jabber bit down on his lower lip and huffed out an amused laugh. His grip tightened slightly around the skateboard tucked beneath his arm.
"Aw, man."
The grin that spread across his face was somehow even worse than before. He leaned forward onto the table, resting his weight on one arm as if he'd suddenly forgotten anyone else was standing there.
"What's your name?"
The Cleaners reacted immediately.
Riyo's eyes narrowed. She stepped a little closer to Zanka, one arm moving protectively across his chest. "Why?" she asked.
Jabber finally glanced her way. "So I know who to bother later."
"No," Riyo said flatly.
"Didn't ask you."
Across the table, Enjin folded his arms and fixed Jabber with an agitated look, "Find someone else to annoy."
Jabber laughed under his breath, completely unfazed. "Aw, but he's funny, though."
"I haven't said anything funny," Zanka replied.
Rudo pointed accusingly at Jabber. "See? This is what I'm talking about. I don't like your energy."
Jabber tilted his head, grin still in place. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough to know I don't want you associating with our group."
Jabber pressed a hand dramatically to his chest as if wounded. "Damn. That one stung, man."
Tamsy snorted.
The sound was brief, but it was enough to make everyone look at him.
Jabber immediately pointed at him. "See? He gets me."
"I don't," Tamsy replied.
Jabber nodded as though that somehow proved his point.
Meanwhile, Zanka was starting to understand why everyone seemed so exhausted whenever they talked about this guy.
Jabber turned back to him, grin still firmly in place.
"So?"
"So what?"
"Your name."
Zanka stared at him for a moment.
"Zanka," he finally said.
The rest of the Cleaners exchanged looks.
Why Zanka had decided to give his name to this guy of all people was beyond them.
Jabber, meanwhile, looked entirely too pleased with himself.
He held Zanka's gaze and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Zanka."
Then he tapped a thumb against his own chest. "Jabber."
"I heard," Zanka replied flatly.
Jabber's grin turned cocky. "Oh? So you already know who I am?"
Zanka squinted at him. "Yeah. You're loud enough that it'd be hard not to."
Before Jabber could fire back, a voice called out from the Raiders' booth. "Jabber, stop harassing the janitor club!"
Every Cleaner at the table stopped for a second and looked in her direction.
Jabber glanced over his shoulder before laughing. "My bad. She's got no manners."
Zanka's voice immediately went cold. "Neither do you."
Jabber looked back at him. "Yeah? Is that right?"
"Yeah," Zanka replied swiftly.
For a moment, neither of them looked away, and the air between them tightened.
Across the quad, Zodyl watched with half-lidded eyes, one hand tucked into his pocket. Beside him, Momoa lowered one side of her headphones just enough to see what the commotion was about.
Jabber broke first. Resting both hands on the table, he leaned forward again.
"Are you always this serious about trash?"
Zanka didn't answer.
At this point, he just wanted Jabber to leave.
Jabber's gaze drifted downward. His eyes landed on the enamel PRE-MED pin clipped to Zanka's bag. "Pre-med?"
Again, Zanka ignored him, not even batting an eye in his direction, yet Jabber kept bombarding him with questions.
Jabber hummed thoughtfully. "Ignoring me, huh?"
He continued, "Are you taking Organic Chemistry this semester?"
Zanka fell silent, his eyes widening ever so slightly. It only lasted a second, but it was enough for Jabber to notice.
His grin widened. "Oh, you are."
Zanka sighed through his nose. "Don't sound so happy."
"Can't help it," Jabber said with a grin. "Looks like we'll be seeing each other."
Before Zanka could reply back Jabber pushed away from the table and began walking backward toward the Raiders' booth.
"Later, Mr. Bad Attitude!"
Zanka's eye twitched. "What did he just call me?"
"Oh, he likes you." Riyo said it with a wince, like she genuinely felt bad for him. Her nose scrunched up slightly, and she reached over to pat his shoulder in consolation.
Zanka slowly turned his head toward her and Riyo immediately recoiled back.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" she yelped, throwing both hands up and taking a step back. "I'll take it back!"
"He threatened to bother you in the future," Enjin added, folding his arms across his chest. "That's basically his version of saying he's interested in you."
"That's even worse," Zanka muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It is worse," Tamsy agreed without hesitation.
Rudo shuddered dramatically. "If Jabber started paying that much attention to me, I'd transfer schools."
"You say that like he'd notice you long enough to remember your name," Riyo shot back.
Rudo gasped and clutched his chest. "That was uncalled for."
"Was it?"
"Yes."
Thankfully, the rest of the afternoon passed without any further incidents, much to Zanka's relief.
As the orientation fair began winding down, students gradually filtered out of the quad. Booths started disappearing one by one as clubs packed up their displays and folded away their tables.