Jingshu stood near the door of the crowded train, his hand gripping the metal pole as the train rocked with the motion of the tracks. He was surrounded by strangers, the sounds of chatter, footsteps, and the faint hum of the train filling the air. But to Jingshu, all that mattered was the space around him. He didn't like being touched—never had, never would. People bumped into him as they moved through the train, and his discomfort showed on his face. His body tensed every time someone brushed past him.

*Do I really have to do this every morning from now on?*

He exhaled softly, trying to relax. The train screeched to a halt at the station, and he hurried to get off, eager to escape the crowd.

Just as he stepped off, someone bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry!" The girl's voice was high and flustered. She blushed and quickly ran away without giving Jingshu a second glance.

Jingshu blinked, looking down at the spot where she'd stood, then back at the girl as she disappeared into the crowd.

*Was there something on my face?*

The thought lingered, but he quickly brushed it aside, making his way toward the school gates.

---

Inside the school, people stared as he walked through the courtyard. Their whispers were like a buzz in the back of his mind, but he tried to ignore it. He wasn't used to being the center of attention, and he certainly didn't enjoy it. As he approached the entrance, a voice called out to him.

"Hey! Are you the new student?"

Jingshu turned to find a tall, confident-looking girl walking toward him. She had a friendly smile but something about her presence made Jingshu pause.

"Um, yes. I'm Jingshu Kim," Jingshu replied, a little unsure of how to respond.

"I'm Jackie, the school president." Jackie grinned. "I'll show you around. Follow me."

Jingshu raised an eyebrow, still processing. "Jackie? That's a boy's name, right?"

Jackie's grin widened, and she playfully smacked Jingshu on the arm. "It doesn't have to be. You wanker."

"Oh…"

Jingshu chuckled nervously as Jackie led him through the school. Whispers followed them as they walked, the students taking notice of Jingshu's presence.

"He's handsome."

"Do you think he's single?"

"Oh my God, he's cute."

Jingshu couldn't help but smile awkwardly. This was definitely not what he expected.

After Jackie showed him around, they reached the classroom door.

"So, this will be your class," Jackie said, pushing the door open. "I'm in A03, but if you need anything, you know where to find me."

Jingshu nodded and stepped into the room, feeling the weight of all the eyes on him as he walked to an empty desk.

---

"Good morning," he said, his voice low but clear.

The students stopped what they were doing, their eyes boring into him as if he had done something wrong. The silence was heavy, uncomfortable.

"Oh, you must be the new student," the teacher, Mr. Tio, said. "Please, introduce yourself."

Jingshu stood there for a moment before speaking, his gaze shifting to the floor.

"Um, yeah… my name is Jingshu Kim. I just moved here."

"Well, you may sit down now, Jingshu." Mr. Tio gestured to the seat next to a boy who had his head down, clearly trying to nap through the class.

Jingshu blinked in confusion.

"Um… where should I sit?"

"Next to Hunter," Mr. Tio said with a slight smirk. "He's the one with his head down."

---

Jingshu hesitated before walking toward the seat next to Hunter. As he sat down, he couldn't help but glance at the boy beside him. Hunter looked completely uninterested in the lesson, his head resting on his desk.

*He's seriously sleeping during class?*

Jingshu's thoughts were interrupted by the bell ringing, signaling the end of the lesson. As he was packing his things, his pen rolled off the table, and as he reached down to pick it up, Hunter stood up abruptly.

Jingshu looked up just in time to catch Hunter's hair falling over his face as their eyes met. The brief moment of eye contact felt charged—like something unspoken passed between them.

"What are you looking at?" Hunter's voice was sharp and unwelcoming.

Jingshu froze. "I… didn't…"

"Save it. Ugh, so annoying." Hunter muttered, pushing past him and heading out of the classroom.

Jingshu watched him go, confusion clouding his mind.

*What the hell was that?*

As he processed the exchange, a voice behind him made him jump.

"Boo!"

"Ahh!" Jingshu yelped, spinning around to find a boy with brown honey-colored hair smiling at him.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you that much," the boy said with a grin. "Name's Samuel."

Jingshu blinked before holding out his hand. "Jingshu."

Samuel chuckled as they shook hands. "So, wanna grab some food together? You look like you could use a friend."

Jingshu's eyes lit up a little. "Um… sure."