Korean Boys and Being the New Kid
Title: Korean Boys and Being The New KidAuthor: B2utifulyoebo
Pairing: None
Genre: Comedy
Word Count: 1,290
Rating: G
Summary: Yoseob has moved to Australia.
A/N: This is the first installment in a non-linear series, don't expect too much because all the fun stuff comes later
Yoseob had never even once in his life been the new kid. He had never before felt that terrifying, soul crushing dread, fear of being all alone in a new, scary place where he didn’t know anyone and everyone looked at him funny. Even on his first day of school he hadn’t been the new kid; he hadn’t been alone because he knew three boys and one girl that was going to be in his home room for that year, and by the time he moved up to the next year he knew almost all the other kids.
However, suddenly he was the new kid. Suddenly, in his eleventh year of school (reception counted), he was getting funny looks. He was feeling lonely and insignificant as a bunch of teens- speaking a language he sucked at- were jumping and running around. All throwing things at each other and generally making a ruckus and he wasn’t a part of it- even though back home he would be the instigator.
The teacher in front of him smiled and pointed to his locker, spewing out some English he couldn’t process. As she left, a group of what must have been exchange students swarmed over to him. They started asking him question after question. Some had assumed he was Chinese and were speaking in their native tongue to him, while others were less presumptuous and were speaking English. Either way he couldn’t understand them when they were all talking over the top of each other. He blinked at them with his best “I’m a lost, confused puppy- please help me!” look. Mostly, he hoped they would quiet down enough for him to ask where the toilet was because he had forgotten since his tour a few days ago. He really needed to pee.
It turned out that although he was a permanent resident, and now student, in Australia, he had still been given an exchange student’s locker. This meant he had to walk half way across the school to get to his class, even though everyone else’s lockers were beside the door. That little mishap made him late for his very first meeting with his new teacher. He was sure he was going to get a detention or a demerit or something severe to remind him that just because he was new didn’t mean he could waltz in after the bell and make himself at home. All his teachers back home had told him such things every time he was late. However, none of that happened. He walked in, cheeks flushed in embarrassment and eyes glued to the floor and his teacher, a portly man with a bold head, told him to take a seat anywhere and let him finish marking attendance before he was introduced to his new class mates.
Looking around the room, Yoseob noticed a few things.
Firstly, there weren’t that many Asians in his class, though he had seen a lot around the courtyard before school, it seemed like none were in his particular class.
Secondly, everyone in Australia felt the need to tan, or fake tan, as one girl’s particularly orange coloured skin told him- seriously, it looked like someone upended a bag of doritos over her.
Thirdly, even sitting down he could tell everyone would be taller than him, this did not amuse him. Though, even back home he was known as a shorty.
Lastly, no one was doing any form of work, there were students with their lap tops open and watching videos on youtube. There were students on their phones, some students were even taking pictures and videos of themselves and their friends. That never happened back home- as soon as the teacher appeared all electronics disappeared.
On the teacher’s instruction Yoseob rose from his chair. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment again and he managed to let out a stutter and slurred greeting that he was sure sounded like gibberish to the people listening, so he tried again.
‘H-Hello, my name is Yoseob Yang, my English name is Joseph, so you can call that me, I move from Korea to live in Australia, I am very glad to meet you all,’
The class was quiet for a minute before slowly a gentle clap started. Yoseob knew it was just them all being polite, but he bowed, before remembering that he was in Australia and no one bows in Australia. The teacher briefly read out something from his laptop screen that sounded like nonsense to Yoseob, and the short boy readied himself for his first lesson. He neatly piled his brand new exercises book labelled “English” in front of him. He noticed some of the boys looking at his pencil case like it was the spawn of Satan. It was covered in marshmallows and pictures of his favourite singer and he tried to remember if marshmallows were offensive to anyone.
A girl sitting not far away turned to him smiling- she was sitting next to the girl Yoseob had dubbed as Dorito until further notice- and introduced herself as Tracy. She seemed very interested in his pencil case, even picking it up and examining it for a minute or so, before asking where he had got it from.
‘In Korea, many store have these type of thing,’ he explained, straightening it up from the diagonal position she had placed it in. He was absolutely was not obsessive compulsive.
‘Did your mum buy it for you?’ She quizzed, he look quite offended at the implication, shaking his head and snatching it up.
‘I bought it for me!’ He grumbled, flipping it over to look at the logo on the other side.
The girl didn’t know what to say to that, so she backed away and sat back in her own seat until the bell went. Yoseob was a bit put out that no one had offered to show him to his first class, especially since he had always shown new kids around at his old school. He sighed and picked up his stuff, looking at the little map in the front page of his diary.
‘Where the hell is the English block?’ He asked himself in Korean, frowning at the map.
A hand tapped him on the shoulder as he looked around the courtyard curiously. He turned and blinked blankly at the black haired boy watching at him. He grinned at the other, happy to have someone acknowledge his presence, finally.
‘Where English block is?’ He asked, trying his best to form a coherent sentence.
‘I’ll show you, follow me,’ the boy smiled back, leading the way.
On the way, Yoseob introduced himself as Joseph- his English name having trouble tumbling from his mouth- and the other boy was revealed to be Adam. They had the same English class. The Asian boy smiled as they chatted, trying his best to keep up with the sudden rush of English to his system, he supposed he was going to have to get used to speaking and listening in English.
When they got to their English class, Adam invited Yoseob to sit with him and a few friends, the boy agreed eagerly. Their seats were at the back of the class and when he walked in, Yoseob heard a couple of whispers, though he couldn’t work out what they were saying. He had barely sat down when the teacher had spotted him and forced him to the front.
Yoseob swore he was having the same nightmare over and over again over the next week. Every lesson he went to, he was forced to introduce himself. He had a few lessons with Adam, but a few alone, too and he sat in the back, completely ignored by most of the class. In all honesty, he thought his pencil case was to blame.