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[color=slategray][sub]Location: Professor Savage’s Classroom
Featuring: [color=7fc19e][b]Kit Thomas[/b][/color], [color=ffefd5][b]Chae Min-seo[/b][/color], and introducing [color=a8ea35][b]Professor Savage[/b][/color]
Collab with [@Fabricant451][/sub][/color][/center]
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[indent]Kit Thomas was having a helluva day. It all started 28 hours ago.

See, Kit had been awake for that fucking long, so as far as she was concerned, she was still in the same day! But anyway, it all started 28 hours ago… when she proved to the entire Fighting Game Community that she was the cream. And you know what the cream does? It always rises to the top. Kit Thomas, was the cream of the crop.

She had gotten to the Tekken God rank! That meant that she qualified, should she so choose to involve herself, to participate in the qualifiers for the upcoming Tekken World Tour. Well rested, tired as fuck doesn’t matter she’s better than most of the game’s community.

But her most glorious day didn’t stop there! Step one of Make Selena Kiss Me was well underway and was way more successful than she’d thought it would be! She’d managed to infiltrate the Candies, now she just had to ace cheer tryouts later today and then she was going to go to their top secret Candyland meeting! Which, Kit hoped, would include snacks and a place to nap.

Now, her day was getting forever worse. She was having trouble getting through to her next class! She was gonna be late, no matter what. No matter she did, there was no way to get through these assholes, dude. She was small! Half the people that went to school seemed to be veritable giants! She stumbled through the doorway to her science class (chemistry, this semester) no less than four minutes, and twenty-seven seconds late.

Without even looking up at first, their teacher Professor (Kit had once protested to this, she wasn’t much of a professor, she was a damn high school teacher, but she insisted, and the principal didn’t take Kit’s side on this one) [url=https://ewedit.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/glee-jane-lynch.jpg?w=612]Savage[/url], spoke to Kit. Yes, Savage. Kit hadn’t thought [i]that[/i] was real either, but had finally yielded after the teacher had yielded and shown Kit her driver’s license.

[color=a8ea35][b]“Miss Thomas. You’re late. What’s your excuse this time?”[/b][/color]

[color=7fc19e][b]“Look, in my defense I’m super small! It’s almost impossible to get past people in the halls! There’s like seventy-five thousand people in this school, and there’s only one route to get to different classes, man. I never stood a chance! If there wasn’t a passing period, I’d be like [i]fifteen[/i] minutes late.”[/b][/color] Kit replied. She’d thought that all up on the way, time to see if it worked. 

Professor Savage signed and looked up from the paperwork she was on. [color=a8ea35][b]“Well, your work is usually on point, so I guess it’s fine. But! We’re pairing up for the second half of the school year, and you’re the last one in, so I guess that leaves you with the only person who didn’t pair up with a friend instantaneously: Min-seo.”[/b][/color]

[color=7fc19e][b]“Who? That’s not a real name. You’re making that up.”[/b][/color] Kit retorted, looking around the class before she eventually found the only partner-less person in the room. She squinted, and realized that Min-seo (definitely not a real name) was cute. [color=7fc19e][b]“Oh, her. She must be new. I will take it upon myself to help her attempt science.”[/b][/color]

[color=a8ea35][b]“[i]Please[/i] don’t blow anything up.”[/b][/color]

[color=7fc19e][b]“I make absolutely no promises.”[/b][/color] With that, Kit went to the desk tucked away in the back of the room, and sat down beside her new lab partner. [color=7fc19e][b]“Hey, what’s up? I’m Kit. I’ll be your lab partner for the rest of the year.”[/b][/color]

The best thing about a chemistry class was that when it came to experiments it frequently came down to numbers; Min-seo might not have been the best when it came to words - and chemistry did have its fair share of overlong words - but numbers remained the same regardless of language. [i]Du gae deohagi du gae[/i] still added up to four. When it came to the more experimental side of chemistry, Min-seo wasn’t quite sure how well she’d do, but measuring out liquids and mixtures and making sure they were right and on the line seemed well within her wheelhouse. When Professor Savage announced that there would be partners for the second half of the year, partners who would likely share grades on experiments and projects, Min was quite excited at the prospect. She’d never worked with anyone on a daily basis. The most she’d done was doing Parker’s homework with her and then just doing Parker’s homework by herself so Parker could go off and play but that hardly counted. The excitement carried on her face. 

Up until the students paired up and left Min-seo alone at a lab table. 

She understood well enough. There were friends in the class who wanted to work with each other. Min’s friends were Henry and Parker and sometimes that Fawn girl that sat with them in homeroom. But all of them were in different grades than Min-seo and in chemistry she had no friends of her own. What she had was the reputation of being a transfer student with a struggling grasp of the language and that made for a less than ideal partner. As she looked around at the different lab stations she couldn’t help but to feel a little hurt. No one had even considered her; her work would just have to be twice as good to make up for the glaring lack of help. 

The slightly disappointed Korean glanced up when the classroom door opened and a late arrival stumbled in. Though Min wished Professor Savage phrased it differently, it was unfortunately the truth. Min-seo gave a small wave when her partner glanced over. She seemed...hyper? Hyper Min could deal with, she had ever since she arrived. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”Kit?”[/b][/color] She repeated when Kit introduced herself, nodding to show she heard and understood. [color=FFEFD5][b]”Like Kitty cat or...Kit Kat...candy.”[/b][/color] Little devices like that helped Min remember people’s names. She pointed to herself. [color=FFEFD5][b]”Min-seo.”[/b][/color] After nodding she extended her hand towards Kit for a handshake of a greeting. [color=FFEFD5][b]”I am...happy work with you. Very fun.”[/b][/color] With her non-handshake offered hand she gave Kit a thumbs up. 

Min-seo was just happy not to have to do science alone.

[color=7fc19e][b]“Yeah, just like the candy bar! Not like kitty cat. But you can [i]totally[/i] call me kit kat. Yeah this is gonna be totally fun. Science owns,”[/b][/color] Kit accepted the outstretched hand and returned her own thumbs up. [color=7fc19e][b]“Science is my jam, so we’re gonna coast through this, don’t worry. I love chemistry too. You might get to see me…”[/b][/color] Kit leaned in closely and whispered quietly, [color=7fc19e][b]“[sub]...blow something up.[/sub] But don’t tell the Prof. She’ll send me to detention or something wack. You don’t speak English too good, do you? That’s okay, I know some Korean! Well, I know like… Korean Soloq phrases.”[/b][/color] Kit frowned, realizing that her attempt at being cultural and worldly wasn’t really very helpful, since the only Korean words she knew were things the angry natives said to her when she tried playing on their servers…

[color=7fc19e][b]“Well, anyway. Do you like science? If you do, you should totally join the robotics club with me! Robots are so cool and like they build battle bots and have them fight in tournaments and stuff, man. We could be a battle bot team, too. They could call us Kit-seo. Wait, you’re Korean, right? Do you know any e-sports pros? I’m gonna be an e-sports pro myself. Dude, you’re Korean. [i]You should be my gaming coach![/i]”[/b][/color] As she spoke, Kit reached town into her backpack and pulled her her book and notepad, sitting them on the table and finally, mercifully, giving Min-seo a chance to process everything she’d just said.

There was little Min-seo could do other than smile and nod as she picked up on every other word or thereabouts. Kit seemed excited which was a good sign, but hopefully Min’s comparatively quiet nature wouldn’t result in a barrier to entry. When Kit finally paused long enough for Min to get a word in edgewise, she wasn’t quite sure how to begin. There had been many questions, some of which she picked up on, but the most important one seemed obvious. [color=FFEFD5][b]”I...like science...yes?”[/b][/color] She wasn’t getting bad marks in science, she had gotten a B minus on the first test she took in a science course, but it was too soon to say how she felt about the subject as a whole. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”Coach?”[/b][/color] With Min’s accent, she pronounced coach as ‘co-chi’ complete with a blank look and the disarming smile that had gotten her this far. [color=FFEFD5][b]”I play games at..Henry and Parker sometimes. Very...very fun.”[/b][/color] When it came to playing games with Parker and Henry, most times Min came in second and even then only because Parker very often didn’t manage to finish when they played racing things or other three player games. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”You..play sports?”[/b][/color] Min was surprised when Kit mentioned sports; not that Min exactly knew the type but Kit didn’t seem to be a sports type of person. Still, Min was impressed, though it honestly didn’t take much.

Kit froze, with the sudden realization that Min couldn’t keep up with what she was saying. Now, it wasn’t Min’s fault. Learning a second language, especially when you’re just thrown into it wasn’t easy. Kit wasn’t exactly being easy, either… Then, she had an idea. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her tablet, standing it on the table. She tapped it and it whirred to life. [color=7fc19e][b]“Hey, Echo, could you do me a favor? Pull up a blank word doc, and just transcribe whatever I say.”[/b][/color]

As she spoke, the tablet reacted, doing what she said. Then, Kit began to speak, pointing at the tablet. [color=7fc19e][b]“Here, just read what I say, okay? I’ll try to like, slow down too. Maybe I can try to help you out with talking and understanding English. Ask me any questions you have, okay? I wanna be helpful.”[/b][/color] As she spoke, the words generated themselves on the tablet and Kit smiled, finally opening her chemistry book.

Initially, Min wasn’t sure what the tablet was for but all became clear. That was actually incredibly helpful and Min was optimistic that this little solution would make working together easier. Min was learning, or trying to, by the day and she was much better along than she had been two months ago, but native speakers just spoke so quickly sometimes and reading it was more palatable. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”Thank you. That is very good help. I am...learning but it...slow.”[/b][/color] She was determined to at least sound less obviously foreign before the end of the school year, in addition to simply passing her classes and trying not to get caught up into anything...overwhelming. [color=FFEFD5][b]”I can do math in...in reports. Math is...best. I will be helpful too. Okay!”[/b][/color] Min smiled towards Kit, giving a single nod of encouragement meant more for herself. 

[color=7fc19e][b]“I can understand why you like math. Math is… universal? It doesn’t change. No matter where you go or who you’re talking to, math is constant. But language… isn’t. It changes, even driving to another part of LA, it changes. Isn’t that crazy? Hey, what’s your phone number? If you’re gonna be my lab partner we might have to work on projects together sometime.”[/b][/color] Kit explained, smiling as she turned to the assigned page. [color=7fc19e][b]“Oh, to answer your question, yes. I play sports. I like soccer, and stuff, but I mostly play electronic sports. Like, pro video games? Starcraft. I think that’s the most popular one in Korea…”[/b][/color] Kit shrugged her shoulders and began to look over what they needed for their first experiment.

[color=7fc19e][b]“With my help you’ll be a pro English speaker by the time you go home. If you go home! Maybe you’ll just stay forever. The states own. Have you ever been bowling? Like, to a real, old fashioned, American bowling alley. Where they give you fancy shoes. And they have really greasy nachos. It’s an experience. Trust me, this is where you want to grow up. You’re friends with Henry Green, aren’t you? He’s a baller I think. I bet he takes you on wacky adventures all the time.”[/b][/color] Kit smiled and tapped her pen on her paper, writing in her careful, meticulous handwriting, taking notes on the subject. [color=7fc19e][b]“So, I’m pretty good at this whole science thing… do you have any ideas for what we should do for our actual project, though? No volcanoes. Too boring.”[/b][/color]

Min found herself nodding in fervent agreement as she read along; that was what she enjoyed about math and why she had found math to be her strongest subject even before her transfer. Before she finished reading everything, Min tore out a small section of her notebook and wrote down her phone number; Kit raised a valid point, but more importantly it was the first fellow classmate who she had given her number - that was basically like making a new friend. A science friend today was an all around friend down the line. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”Oh! Video sports. My [i]sachon[/i] went on dates with video sports player. He was very good.”[/b][/color] Back home, Min’s parents didn’t much like to talk about their extended family, likely because of the lack of success her parents’ siblings had found. Still, Min was at one time close to her cousin, before being relocated to Seoul. [color=FFEFD5][b]”Bowling? No. Is it...fun?”[/b][/color] The idea of fancy shoes and greasy nachos didn’t sound immediately appealing but maybe it was an American thing? She would add it to the list of things to try while she was here, somewhere between corn dogs and football. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”Project...I only have...boring ideas...turning gun...gunpowder to caffeine...or….getting salt out of water. Not exciting, just...science.”[/b][/color] 

[color=7fc19e][b]“Bowling’s awesome! Wanna go maybe… Friday night? That would work for me, I’ll be free! I sometimes go to Captain Cuddles, but I can skip it for bowling honestly. We can think about our project later! Savage does this thing where she gives you like handouts, but like 85% of her [i]classwork[/i] revolves around the project. So just worry about the homework. That’s where most of the book stuff comes in hand. BUT we can link up to work on that after school, or on weekends. I think it’s important, if we’re gonna be partners, to be partners in homework too.”[/b][/color] Kit nodded, mostly to herself. She looked down at her notebook, where she’d copied the assigned pages and questions down, then looked again at Min, [color=7fc19e][b]“If we can decide on a day, maybe we can switch houses and like one week you come to mine, one week I go to yours. And once a week we can get together and work on our science homework and project together! That’d be ace. What do you think?”[/b][/color] There. Kit and Min were in similar situations: they both needed friends. And, in this instance, Professor Savage had set up a potential friendship! Sweet. 

Friday...as far as Min was aware she didn’t have any outstanding plans on Friday. She did know that Friday’s were often when pizza was on the top of people’s mind. Kit seemed to really like bowling and it could be fun. Should she invite Parker and Henry? She could bring it up. [color=FFEFD5][b]”Friday? I think...okay. It will be...fun.”[/b][/color] Min nodded, as much as a confirmation as she could give. It wasn’t as if she needed to ask parental permission. It was the second part that gave Min a bit more pause. 

[color=FFEFD5][b]”My house? My house is in Korea. I stay with Henry. But...it is...okay. I think. He is nice.”[/b][/color] In the span of a class, Min had gone from feeling left out to making a friend to potentially going bowling at the end of the week. She was having a very good day. Her potential first American friend made all on her own. She hoped Kit was the patient type.[/indent]