hoodie season || stray kids

1 - hwang and bang

Chloe trudged through the hallways of the JYPE building, trying to find her way. Stupid long corridors, she cursed to nobody in particular. 

Every time a trainee or staff member passed, she put her hands in her pockets and plastered a content face on, as if she knew exactly where she was headed. 

Which she didn't, but you gotta fake it till you make it. 

"Hey there," a voice called from behind her. Definitely not creepy at all.

Chloe whipped her head towards the owner of the voice, a dimpled boy with jet-black hair and a friendly smile on his face. "Are you lost?" 

"Me? Lost? Pfft, no way! I'm just... wandering around. Yeah, just wandering..." she blabbered. 

"I'll take that as a yes, then." he chuckled. 

Chloe looked down at her feet, embarrassed. Damn it! she whispered to herself. 

"Oh, you speak English?" the boy asked. chloe scoffed. "Speak english? I am english!" 

The boy was confused.

"I mean i'm from England. Hence, the English."

"Oh, that's cool! I'm from Australia!" he happily chirped. "My name's Chan. Bang Chan."

"Chloe Hwang, although i prefer my Korean name, Hyunseo," she spoke in Korean again. 

"Which room are you looking for, then?" 

"Vocal practice room 7," she answered. 

"Oh, the sign is right there!" he signalled to an overhead sign at the end of the corridor. "It literally says 'practice room 7' on it" he realised, puzzled. 

"Yeah, about that. I..." the embarrased girl trailed off. "I can't read in Korean."

The boy was confused again. 

"I was taught to speak Korean, but not reading. It's... complicated," she scratched the back of her neck. 

"That's okay, I'll teach you!" Chan seemed almost enthusiastic about the matter. 

"What? You don't-"

"It's okay! Hey, we can be friends from now on!" 

Chloe thought about it for a bit. "What about payment then? I don't have that much money, you know." 

"Your friendship, silly!" her new friend grinned. 

He held his hand out. She looked at him before shaking it as a sign of acceptance. "Corny, but okay!" she said.

"We start tomorrow, then," he grinned as he started to walk off. 

She smiled back at him "see you then, Bang,"

"Bang?" Before he could get an answer, she had already entered the room into an ongoing lesson. 

"Guess i'll catch you later, Hwang."

--------

One very long lesson later, Chloe was in the break room, enjoying a well-deserved snack. She had almost eaten half an entire Swiss roll when the happy boy entered. "oh, hey there, Hyunseo!" he frantically waved at her.

"Er, hi?" she replied, unsure of what to say. Sounds silly, really, but that's what happens when you have zero social skills. However, Chan had no intention of leaving at that, and strolled over to where she was stood. 

"So, i take it that was your first vocal lesson?"

"Yes actually, i'm a new trainee here. I was scouted last month."