Serim almost became annoying with her incessant worrying as two days passed by without Donghyuck going to school.

He had gotten away with the first day, because he really was sick. The second day was a whole different story, though.

She figured out that Donghyuck was skipping and she kept asking him what was wrong, but he wouldn't budge.

He wasn't about to tell her that he got rejected while he was half delirious with fever and he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that it was by the school nurse.

The third day rolled around and Donghyuck realized that he needed to go back to school.

He was already a little behind in his Chemistry class, because he kept skipping it in order to watch a certain older male. That being said, he needed to confront Mark.

After two days of thinking back on Mark's words, Donghyuck knew that Mark was right. Donghyuck was under the age of consent and he was also a student in Mark's place of work.

That's two things going against them and when Donghyuck calmed down enough to think rationally, he knew that Mark was being perfectly reasonable.

Though, he should've been a bit nicer about it.

Despite knowing that Mark made the rational decision, Donghyuck couldn't settle for that. So Donghyuck decided to get up extra early in order to get to school in plenty of time before first period started.

Donghyuck was hoping that, with Mark's meticulous nature, the nurse would be there early to make sure everything was as he had left it.

If Donghyuck could have just ten minutes of the man's time, then maybe he could clear some things up and maybe even change his mind.

Shouldering his backpack, he headed out the door. Serim called out to him, but he ignored her question and jogged out to the street before she could catch up.

The sky was still a little dark despite the time and Donghyuck almost wished he could enjoy this darkness all the time. It wasn't so dark that he couldn't see, but it wasn't so bright that it blinded him.

When he made it to the school, he detoured to look into the employee's parking lot. The shiny black car was sitting plain as day in the same spot it's always parked in.

The assurance that Mark was indeed at the school already made Donghyuck quicken his pace. The sooner he got to the nurse's office, the longer he had to talk to Mark.

As he was nearing the wooden door, his pace slowed down considerably. He didn't know how Mark would react and he was scared that Mark wouldn't hear him out.

Donghyuck's heart was pounding in his chest and his stomach was twisting into knots from the anxiety to the point that he was worried he would be sick right in the middle of the hallway. Thankfully there was no one around to see his mini panic attack.

Donghyuck stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes in order to get his thoughts under control.

He inhaled deeply through his nose before exhaling slowly through his mouth. He used to have panic attacks daily after his mother passed away and had to go to a therapist once a week to work through the grief.

Donghyuck took in another deep breath before knocking on the door to the nurse's office.

A muffled "come in" reached his ears and he took one last calming breath before opening the door tentatively.

He saw Mark as soon as he opened the door and he silently sent thanks to whatever higher power that was out there that Mark was sitting at his desk with his back to the door.

Donghyuck closed the door as quietly and quickly as he could and locked the door. At the sound of the lock sliding into place, Mark flinched and turned around to see Donghyuck.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Donghyuck noted the hint of anger in Mark's voice, but chose to ignore it, "I need to talk to you"

"What about?" Mark's response was cold and calculated. Donghyuck knew that Mark knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

"The other day"

"What about the other day?"

"You know what I'm talking about"

"I believe I already said what I needed to"

Donghyuck nodded his head and folded his arms across his chest before responding,

"Yeah, but I didn't get a chance to say what I needed to and I've been avoiding school because of it"

Donghyuck watched as Mark slouched into his office chair and folded his hands over his stomach,

"I don't see why that's my problem"

Donghyuck could feel his impatience begin to grow as Mark brushed him off. This guy couldn't begin to understand how much he affects Donghyuck in the least.

Here he was, looking like he could give a shit less that Donghyuck had confessed to him just a couple of days ago.

Or that he made Donghyuck cry his eyes out with his harsh rejection. Donghyuck almost decided that it wasn't even worth getting his heart broken a second time.

That wasn't like Donghyuck at all, though. He wasn't the type to just give up because the road got a little bumpy.

No, he was one of those maniacs that dive right into something over and over until he got the results he wanted.

"Look, I'm going to say what I need to say and then I'll leave you alone for good"

Mark's eyebrows rose and a hint of a slight curve to his lips appeared for a brief second before he nodded his head and waved his arm out in front of him, as if to say that Donghyuck had the floor.

"The other day I told you something while I was out of it. I only remember bits and pieces of before getting to the apartment, but that conversation we had is clear as day. I want to clear something up"

Mark nodded his head again, indicating that Donghyuck should continue. Donghyuck took in a huge breath and let it out slowly before continuing.

"I don't love you. No, wait, let me finish," Donghyuck raised his hand, motioning for Mark to stop before any sound could come out of the older's mouth,

"I don't love you, but I do like you. I've never loved someone and I honestly don't know what love is, but I know for sure that I like you. I understand why you rejected me the other day. I understand why you're probably going to reject me today, but I just wanted to clear things up while I'm healthy so that you can't chalk it up to me being sick. And for god's sake, I'm not 5 years old. I'm 18, going on 19 in a few months and I know the difference between admiration and infatuation"

Donghyuck watched Mark's mouth close with a click and Donghyuck prayed that his next part would go just as smoothly.

"I like you a lot. I understand age of consent and I understand how unprofessional it'd be to date a student while you worked here. That being said, I want to know that if those factors weren't into play, would you even consider giving me a shot?"

Donghyuck continued to silently pray as he watched Mark's lips pressed into a thin line. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes and Donghyuck began to panic because he was running out of time.

"The fact is that those factors are into play. If they weren't, then maybe I would give you a shot. But this is the real world and laws are laws for a reason, no matter how much you don't like it"

This was the answer Donghyuck expected and he pushed himself off the door to walk and stand in front of Mark.

Mark looked up at him and instead of continuing to tower over the older, Donghyuck squatted down to look up at him. Donghyuck was going to be bold and he was going to be forward, because he had nothing left to lose.

"What if I said that I know a way to work around those things? Would you be willing to work with me?"

Mark peered down at the boy and watched the resolve and hope shine through those captivating eyes.

Donghyuck had shown him a surprising amount of maturity in the past few minutes and Mark couldn't handle it.

How dare this boy get the best of him? How dare he stand there so confident and so understanding and so fucking irresistible while Mark's inner demons have been trying to eat away at him for the past few weeks. It wasn't fair.

"How would we work around the law?" Mark gave the boy an incredulous stare, but it didn't seem to damper Donghyuck's spirit.

"Age of consent is solely about having sexual interactions, right?" Mark asked, making Donghyuck blush and look away for a brief second before facing him again with that intense stare.

"Who's to say that we're even going to be doing anything like that before I turn 19? And I graduate in a little over a year, and then you wouldn't have to worry about your job. I mean, we could keep it on the down low and no one will ever know?"

This brat.

"So let me get this straight. You want me to be in a relationship with you, forgo sex until you're 19, and hide the fact that I have a relationship with a student for a year and a half? What makes you think that I want a relationship with you in the first place?"

Donghyuck became flustered and looked away once again, "I thought you said you would give me a shot. Doesn't that mean you like me too? Then there is the kiss and the way you act around me, I just assumed…"

Mark swore as he remembered that he had indeed kissed him and Donghyuck was obviously not going to chalk it up to Mark being tired or some stupid excuse like that.

Mark leaned forward and grasped Donghyuck's jaw, making Donghyuck turn to look at him with widened eyes.

"You know what they say about assuming, right? I might like you, but you're still a kid. I don't know if you honestly know the difference between admiration and infatuation. Do you really know what you're asking of me?"

Mark observed Donghyuck as he processed everything that Mark had just said. The boy took a few minutes before responding and Mark was glad that he wasn't taking all day because the bell for first period was going to ring shortly.

Mark didn't want to wait all day to get an answer and all the sudden he felt like he was the one who just confessed and was waiting to see if he would be rejected.

How did things turn out like this? Why is that every time he interacted with Donghyuck things always got all confused and backwards?

"I completely understand what I'm asking of you. I've had a couple of days to think about it and I know that I truly want what I'm asking. I've actually never wanted something this badly in a long time"

Mark searched Donghyuck's eyes to see if there was even a hint of a lie, but all he saw was determination and honesty.

'I thought I escaped temptation. I thought that I had put an end to this the other day and that there was no way he would even come near me again. Now here he is, being all mature and shit. How do I ignore this when what I want is being handed to me on a silver platter?'

Mark shut off his internal dialogue without a second thought and leaned forward in his chair. Donghyuck looked at him with a bewildered expression, but Mark kept a firm grasp on his jaw.

Mark's lips were hovering over Donghyuck's and before he closed the distance between them, Mark let out a low chuckle and took note of the shiver that passed through Donghyuck's body as his breath caressed the boy's lips.

"Yeah, me too"