#sorry its so late fjkdsjf

[straykidsscribbles]

It All Started with Carrots

An Anne of Green Gables AU, for the person who has supported this blog since it was just a tiny idea in my head. Thank you for everything @strayboys and Happy Birthday! 

Summary: Han Jisung seemed like a terribly interesting person... Too bad he didn’t want anything to do with you. 

Or- where Han Jisung and Anne Shirley have quite a few traits in common...

Word Count: 2670, the first in my classic literature AUs series!

See my masterlist for other works! Also, I do believe this needs a sequel....

You dropped your rather heavy bag onto the floor with a thump and flopped into your chair. First day of school, new year, new classes. And so, of course, you had all kinds of extra supplies in your bag, not knowing exactly what you’d need.

Luckily, you were right next to a window, and you could see the school lawn and duck pond outside. At least that would be something of a welcome distraction during Literature class. I hope this year goes well, after transferring over the summer I’m not entirely sure how this will work out. Why did I have to move so late in high school? You wondered as you pulled out a pen. Every single class, first we get a syllabus then we get the nice lengthy lecture about how “academic dishonesty will not be tolerated” I mean really you’d think people would understand that by now.

The boy sitting in front of you seemed to be far too occupied with the window as well. He kept staring outside and ignoring the pile of papers on his desk, which he was supposed to have passed back by now.  

He really was oblivious. No amount of tapping or whispering seemed to get his attention; he was well and truly lost in his own little world.

Finally, frustration spilled over.

“Psst! Carrots! Carrots!” you hissed, tugging a small lock of his hair lightly. It had been one of the first things you noticed about him, the outlandish color a spot of brightness.

He snapped out of his daze in a flash. “What the—” clearly stopping himself from cursing in class “You little brat! How dare you!”

Anger rose in his voice, and he scrunched up the syllabus he had just been given and threw it right at your head. It hit you right in the face, leaving you with a small paper cut on your upper cheek.

“Excuse me! What on earth is going on here?” barked your new teacher, clearly infuriated by this display. “Throwing projectiles is forbidden in my classroom. Does this look like some sort of gym? I will see you after class, to discuss your punishment young man.” Soft sniggers rose up around the room, and you felt your face grow hot.

It was my fault, I shouldn’t have pulled his hair… Biting down the retort, you slumped forward in your seat, happy daydreams vanishing into thin air. The stinging on your left cheek didn’t help either. I guess it was semi-deserved… I did provoke him. But really? Throwing paper?

Public humiliation on the first day of school? Check. He threw paper at your face after all. Your friends would never let you live this down.

Truly a fantastic start to the year.

---

After receiving a rather blistering warning from his new literature teacher and a threat of “detention if this happens again _____, and the only reason I’m letting you off is because it’s the first day” Jisung stomped outside towards his locker, annoyed. Well, annoyed was putting it a bit mildly.

He was seething.

“Hey _____, wait up!” came the voice of his best friend. Jisung slowed just a touch to let Jeongin catch up. I’m not taking my anger out on him, that’s unfair. “What happened? What did the teacher say?”

Pro of having your best friend in class with you: you got to chat over the homework and you always had a partner for group work.

Con: you’d never be able to hide your fights.

Whoops.

“I got out of detention since it’s the first day, but he was really mad. I was lucky,” he replied as  he opened his locker. Suddenly, he felt someone tapping his shoulder again.

“Ummm… Jisung?” you asked hesitantly. Why are you bothering me again JUST LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BLITHERING IDIOT. “I wanted to apologize for startling you and calling you Carrots, I just thought it was a cute nickname. I didn’t mean to offend you.”   

“Your apology is noted. Excuse me, I need to get home.” _____ is getting absolutely nowhere with me. No. Where. He turned on his heel and stormed angrily towards the hallway exit, leaving you gaping behind him.

Jeongin quickly caught up with Jisung. “Jisungie, I can’t believe you were so harsh! You do realize who that was right?”

“No, and I don’t care.”

“That was _____, half the school pines after them. I can’t believe you just left them like that!” The amazement in his voice only exacerbated your annoyance.

“Well if half the school pines after them then they can go and bother that half. I’m never going to acknowledge them again.”

He weren’t entirely right about that. _____ turned out to be a pretty hard person to ignore.

---

These kinds of parties are always nice. It’s fun to hang out outside of school. You thought to yourself as you chatted with a few of your classmates. Our of the corner of your eye, you spotted one of the more irritating girls in the school, Josie, trying to talk to Jisung.

After a brief discourse, the two came over to your little group, Jisung trudging after her. His expression was one of acute distaste, and you couldn’t help but smirk. Clearly he finds her as irritating as everyone else does.

As your little group  walked over to the fence, Josie clambered on top of it and slowly balanced her way across it. She jumped off at the end and looked right at Jisung. “I suppose you think that was oh so easy for anyone to do?”

What is her issue? Does she have to make everything a contest? Things are a lot more fun if it’s friendly competition, not the cutthroat fights she loves. That girl and her drama obsession.  Still, you stayed silent. Talking to her just gave her more ammunition after all.

Jisung rolled his eyes and turned to Jeongin. “I suppose some people think balancing on a fence is impressive. I saw a kid walk across the portables’ roof a few years ago, that was way more interesting.”

Josie looked almost apoplectic at his calm response. “Well, we have portables right there! Why don’t you walk across it then if you think walking on top of a chain fence is easy.”

Jisung’s somewhat legendary temper appeared to be making a reappearance. “Fine then. Watch me.”

“No, _____, you’ll get hurt!” you cried.

“I will be perfectly fine _____, thank you for your unnecessary concern. Excuse me for a moment.” He maneuvered himself up the adjacent fence and stood on the portable roof, about eleven feet in the air. That looks awfully high… I remember we tried to climb on the shed to set up a water bucket to drench the bio teacher last Sunday. We almost fell, and he really looks like he’s about to fall off. Plus that shed was half the height of the portable.

“Be careful!” called Jeongin from the middle of the crowd. Jisung slowly walked across the roof, trying to maintain his balance on the slippery tiles. Who knew it would be so slippery? No turning back now I suppose, he thought.

Just as he reached the end, where the others all stood waiting for him to get down, his foot slipped.

Jisung lost his footing.

And tumbled straight off the edge of the roof and onto the ground below.

“Jisung!” yelled Jeongin as he ran over to him. “Are you okay? Oh no you’re dead this is awful my best friend is dead.”

“No, I’m alive you idiot. I think I hurt my foot though.” Jisung tried to sit up, and immediately Jeongin and Felix came around to help him up.

You knelt and slowly pulled off Jisung’s sneaker, trying your best not to move it much. “I think you broke your ankle _____, I broke mine last year with soccer. Come on, we should get you to the nurse.” You reached over to help him up, but he batted your hand away.

“Thank you for your concern _____. Jeongin can help me over there and it’s already stopped hurting a lot.” Well. I was just trying to be nice. I mean, how long is he going to hold a grudge I literally just called him Carrots, it’s not like it’s something bad. He turned away and began limping towards the office, gingerly avoiding putting weight on his right ankle.

You stared after him, disappointed. I wish I hadn’t opened my big mouth. I wish we could be friends.

Too bad the day Han Jisung forgives me is the day hell freezes over.

---

“Come on Jisung, it’s a perfectly safe boat! You’ll be fine! Just paddle over and we’ll meet you on the other end of the river!” Jisung, Felix, and Jeongin were at the park in the middle of the town, and the two boys had had the utterly brilliant idea of teaching Jisung how to handle a small rental paddle boat.

Unfortunately, their concept of teaching was basically just telling him to let the current carry him and leave him to try it on his own.

Such excellent teaching, really.

Still, he gingerly stepped into the boat and settled in, oars in the oarlocks. “And I don’t need to row at all. I just let the current float me over there.”

“Yup! Easy!” chirped Felix as he untied the rope. “We’ll see you on that side!”

Easy my foot, he thought

Still, things seemed to be going alright. It was actually quite peaceful on the stream, and listening to the light rush of water was very soothing.

Wait.

Rush of water?

Are my toes getting wet?

He stared down in horror at the small leak in the corner of the boat that was filling the space with water. And they said this was safe. Guess not.

Brain working at light speed, he stared around, wondering how on earth he’d get out of this predicament. Then, he spotted it.

The bicycle bridge over the stream. The support beam for the central arch was just close enough for him to grab it.

Here goes… Jisung reached over and jumped from the boat onto the pillar. Thankfully there was a small ledge that was just big enough for him to land on.

Okay. Soaking avoided. Now how do I get out of this without getting wet?

Just then, he heard the soft stroke of oars.

See, you’d discovered the little river close to your house soon after you arrived. And it was one of your favorite places to just take a boat and relax with a book.

So of course, you were enjoying the light breeze and soft splashing of the water, when you saw the bedraggled figure clinging to the bridge.

“Well well well. Jisung, how do you get into these scrapes?” You couldn’t hide the wry humor filling your voice. How the tables have tabled… look who needs my help now. Luckily for him, I don’t keep the kind of grudges he does.

“Magic.” Jisung replied flatly. “Do you mind giving me a ride to the other shore?”

“Oh wow, you’re asking for my help? Well, be my guest, your highness, step right in.” You gestured to the seat opposite you, holding out a hand to help him in. He batted it away, clearly not willing to take any more aid from you than he could help.

In silence, you headed down the small river until you reached the other landing, where you both stepped out onto the wood planking. Well, surprise surprise, he didn’t shove me into the water. Maybe he’ll listen to some sort of apology attempt?

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was a slight pause, as you steeled your nerves to say something. “I… I wanted to apologize for my stupid comments that first day. I shouldn’t have said that, especially to a stranger.”

He wavered for a moment. Please, just accept the apology. You can’t hate me forever. Just then, you heard a yell from Jeongin, who was standing at the water’s edge.

“Jisung!! You’re alright! We were so scared when we saw the boat disappear under the water!” He yelled.

“I have to go,” he muttered to you as he clambered over the coils of rope towards his friends.

“Wait, Jisung!” you called after him. I’m sorry. Your hair was the first thing that caught my attention and I love carrots it’s not even like I meant it as an insult. I was wrong to say it and I’ve been beating myself up over it ever since.

Still, you swallowed down the words.

After all, he didn’t look back.

---

“Here are your final exams. You all did extremely well, and I’m proud of you. Jisung, _____, you two especially, your essays were phenomenal.” Your teacher smiled as he handed out the corrected exam papers. “I’d like to see you both after class, alright? Don’t worry, neither of you is in trouble.”

“Of course,” you replied, pulling your paper towards you. I wonder what all of this is about… I hope it’s nothing bad.

As the rest of the class filed out, happy that the day was over, you and Jisung made your way over to the front of the class.

“As you two may know, I’m the head of the summer camp at the school. I needed a few students to help lead the project this year, and I was wondering if one of you would be interested.” Your eyes widened in excitement. A summer camp? Where I’d get to teach? This would be amazing.

“Of course I’m interested sir!” you replied, excitement filling  your voice.

“_____, I know you’ve been doing quite well in your science classes, especially biology. Perhaps you’d be able to hold little nature walks and talk about the different plants and bugs you see. And Jisung, your writing is amazing, you could do a lot of good teaching these kids how to express themselves through words.”

I mean, biology is one of my favorite things, and I was considering going into pre-med… this is a huge opportunity. I just don’t know how it will work with Jisung constantly angry with me.

Your teacher continued, “You see, the only problem is that I know you two absolutely do not get along. So I would like to ask if you two think you can put your differences aside.”

Jisung drew breath to reply, but you beat him to it. “If Jisung wants to work alone, I don’t mind. This whole thing started because of me anyways.” You looked down, embarrassed. “It’s up to you really. And for what it’s worth, I really am sorry. Can’t we be friends? Please?”

After this I’ll give up. At this point, nothing else seems to work.

“No, _____, I was wrong. I’d… I’d like to be friends too. Working with you this summer should be fun. Besides, Carrots isn’t a terrible nickname, I was just a little too sensitive about my hair.”

“Can I ask why?” It had been bothering you ever since he took offense to your comment. Why did it bug him so much?

“This was the first time my hair had been such an outlandish color at school, and I was sort of nervous about it and how it would be received… and then you teasing me about it just sort of made me snap.” I’d never have guessed it was something like this. He always seemed so confident.

“For what it’s worth, the orange looks great on you, Carrots!” You threw in an exaggerated wink for good measure, eliciting a laugh from the boy.

He has a cute giggle. He should laugh more.

Your teacher smiled knowingly in the background. “Well, I’m glad you two got this straightened out. You two will be unstoppable together.”

Smiling over at Jisung, you couldn’t help feeling like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

Now maybe things would be better.

A new beginning, a new season.

#I hope you like it #sorry its so late fjkdsjf #i had to rewrite a great deal of it unfortunately only today because my brain stopped working last night #stray kids #sk-writersnet #straykidsdirectory #stray kids han #han jisung #han #jisung #stray kids scenarios #stray kids x reader #stray kids x neutral reader #stray kids jisung #stray kids han jisung #classic literature au #anne of green gables au #frostscribbles