Ten was very knowledgeable. He was good at math and could name many chemical elements and their properties. But there was one thing that he couldn't name, and that was the new girl in his English and Chemistry classes. As she sat with Mrs. Black, the chemistry teacher, he got distracted from his worksheet and stared at the back of the girl's head. She had long, wavy brown hair that was held back with a semi-translucent butterfly clip. She wore a simple lilac tee shirt, faded jeans, and a black jacket that accented well. The girl was probably the same height as Ten, who quickly turned his attention back to his work when the girl started to return to her desk. She had gotten the same worksheet as the rest of the class and seemed to breeze through it.
Ten debated whether he should say anything. Like maybe, hi! Are you new? But even with his gaze on his paper, he could feel many classmates' eyes on him. He never asked for it, but being friends with Lucas made Ten a school-wide popularity. The fact that he won so many dance competitions evolved him into half of the school's biggest crush. If Ten decided to speak to a random girl, he could only imagine the rumors. It was enough to make him groan inwardly and force himself to finish the worksheet.
A few minutes later, however, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. It was the girl, poking him with her pencil.
"Hi, um, what did you get for number 12? I can't seem to figure it out." The girl asked, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Number 12? I picked option C," Ten told her, showing his paper. "Look, you need to multiply the chemical equation by two to be able to divide evenly." Her lips shaped into an 'o' of realization, and she smiled.
"That makes sense. Thank you!" She said, and he slightly mirrored the smile.
"No problem."
After a long minute of staring at the page, Ten turned back to the girl.
"Hey, for number 13-" he was saying when she also turned her head towards him, opening her mouth to say something. They chuckled.
"I didn't understand that one either." She admitted, glancing down at her page. The boy followed her eyes and tried to read the uneven handwriting on the top of the page, but then her hand come down as she scribbled something.
"You're new, right?" Ten piped up, pointing his pencil at her. She nodded. "How are you liking the school so far?"
"Honestly, it's a maze," She said, leaning back in her chair. "I had to follow you here to keep myself from getting lost." She chuckled awkwardly, making Ten smile.
"Is your name Ten?" She asked, looking at him.
"Actually, no. It's Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul." Ten said, making the girl raise her eyebrows. "Exactly. I nicknamed myself Ten in third grade because it's similar to the Thai word for dance."
"Are you Thai?" The girl asked him.
"Thai Chinese."
"Cool. You like to dance?" The girl's eyes lit up a little, as they usually do whenever anyone mentions the art. Ten noticed this, making him abandon his chemistry worksheet and lean his chin on his hand.
"Yes, I do. I'm hoping I get good enough to pass an audition next year. Have you heard of the dance team here?" Ten said, looking at her.
"They've been to worldwide competitions, haven't they?" She said in fascination, looking completely invested in the conversation, and Ten nodded.
"Everyone says I'm good enough to get in, but that doesn't make the teacher bend the rules for a sophomore." Ten shrugged.
"I saw the dance studio on my way to English. Is it open after school or do you need to be on the team, or...?"
YOU ARE READING
Counting on Stars // NCT Ten
Fanfiction"It's just me, you, and the music." Byeol has moved schools again. It's normal. But just because things happen often doesn't make them easier. Throughout her difficult time adjusting to the new settings along with leaving so much behind, Byeol meets...
