Against All Odds (Chaeryeong x Male Reader)

Do (Re-Mi) and Don'ts

"Y/N, are you okay? I thought you were good at Math!" says Yeji, looking over your shoulder in between giggles.

Staring back at you was a big, red circled 4/10, sitting on the top right corner of your very first math quiz. You offer a silent apology to the mentors who'd led you to victory in multiple math competitions in your elementary school days as you slowly meet Yeji's eyes, whose expression softens. 

"In all honesty, half of these questions aren't fair to have on the very first quiz," Yeji comments, brushing her chestnut brown hair behind her ears. "Let's study together and bounce back the next time!" she finishes, tilting her head slightly askew, flashing her signature eye-smile.

You take a moment to appreciate your friend's knack at cheering anyone up no matter the situation, and with Yeji's comforting words, the two of you set out to lunch. Approaching your usual rendezvous, in the form of a table tucked away from the open courtyard, Justin and Chaeryeong break conversation to greet the two of you. 

Taking a seat with a tray of the day's cafeteria offering, you mutter to yourself, "I really should start bringing food from home," picking at a piece of orange chicken with a plastic spork.  

"How's solfege going? Ryujin's been telling me it's one heck of a chore," Chaeryeong inquires, sliding you her thermos filled with Jjajangmyeon, which you accept. From the corner of your eye you spot Yeji's cat-like eyes widen to their peaks as she produces her notes and hastily starts practicing. A week has passed since Mr. Li introduced solfege, and today was the day of your first proficiency test. Echoing Ryujin's sentiment, you frankly didn't see any tangible benefit from the exercises, as your perfect pitch gave you a competitive advantage against the rest of the class. This proficiency, as well as everything that would come after, would be a cake walk. 

"It's so dumb," you say with no sugarcoat. "I literally feel like I've forgotten how to play the tuba when all we've done this year is sing. Last time I checked, I didn't audition for choir."

Just then, the lunch table sees two more visitors in the form of Ryujin, in addition to a tall, slender blonde girl wearing a white crop top and a pair of sky blue jean shorts, whom you don't recognize. Nevertheless, you get an idea of who she is, judging from the pace at which Justin's face turned a bright shade of red. 

"What's up yall? I'm Yuna Shin!" says the girl, confirming your suspicions.

With that introduction, you can definitely see the resemblance to her cousin. Most prominently, the charismatic, chic aura they carried themselves with, as well as the mischief in their charming smiles. Spotting the drum major mace in her right hand, you are the first to speak up in response:

"Yo, are you trying out for assistant drum major by any chance?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, it's just super cool! Are the current drum majors already hosting training sessions?" 

Yuna smiles and places the mace on the ground vertically before resting her forearms and chin on it. "Not yet, but I'm preparing early so I know for sure that I'll beat everyone else come tryout season," she finishes, tongue sticking out to the side. 

"I don't know, Yuna, George Xi seems like he'd put up a good fight with everything he's got going for him," comments Justin.

You remember George from meeting your section the day before: he was the shorter boy with a buzzcut; a junior like Mark and your sister, well-known on campus for his outstanding academic performance. While many thought he was cocky, he had the stuff to back it up. He was president of many clubs, and had big dreams to attend an Ivy League school post-graduation. His influence could be felt in orchestra and band, too, as he was well respected for his saxophone skills. Still, Yuna's charisma had earned her immense popularity in just a week's time and a promising shot at the title.