when opposites fall.

first encounter

woonhak bounded into the classroom, a burst of energy and laughter filling the quiet space. he had just transferred to this school, and excitement buzzed through him. he'd heard about his new classmates, and he was eager to meet everyone. 

taesan and jaehyun, his best friends since elementary school, had promised to introduce him around. but what he didn't expect was that his first introduction would be... well, a bit awkward.

as woonhak scanned the room, his eyes landed on a guy sitting near the window, immersed in his notebook. the boy's hair fell slightly over his eyes, and he held a pencil with intense focus. he looked like the type who didn't like being interrupted, but that just made woonhak more interested. 

"hey!" woonhak called, waving a hand enthusiastically. 

"you must be riwoo, right?"

riwoo barely looked up, his pencil scratching away at the paper with precision. he was clearly in the middle of something important, and a loud, overly friendly stranger didn't seem to be on his agenda. after a beat, he finally raised his eyes, taking in woonhak's wide smile and animated expression.

"uh... yeah. and you are?" riwoo's voice was flat, unimpressed.

woonhak grinned wider, almost challenging. 

"woonhak! i'm new here. taesan said he'd introduce us, but i thought i'd take matters into my own hands."

riwoo blinked, his face unreadable. he glanced over at taesan, who had entered the room with leehan, and then looked back at woonhak. 

"right," he replied shortly, then immediately returned to his notebook.

taesan chuckled, coming up behind woonhak and giving him a pat on the back. 

"don't mind him, woonhak. that's just how riwoo is." 

turning to riwoo, he added, "this is woonhak, our hyperactive, slightly chaotic new addition. he's kind of... a lot, but you'll get used to him."

"oh, i'm sure i will," riwoo muttered under his breath, his pencil never slowing.

woonhak, oblivious to the subtle jab, leaned closer to taesan and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, 

"does he always look this intense? i feel like he's staring into my soul or something."

riwoo shot him a glare, his expression sharpening. 

"if you don't mind, i'd appreciate it if you didn't disturb me when i'm working."

woonhak raised his hands defensively, an amused smirk playing on his lips. 

"hey, i'm just trying to be friendly. isn't that what new classmates do?"