The new teacher

Loading. . .

Jake feels a knot in his stomach. The fear for Jungwon's safety grips him tightly. He knows he's in a dangerous game, and the stakes are higher than ever. The threat to Jungwon is real, and Jake realizes he must be careful with every move he makes.

The next morning, Jake wakes up with a heavy head and a congested chest. He realizes he left his window open all night, and the cold air has taken its toll on him. Despite feeling under the weather, he knows he can't afford to miss another day of university. He drags himself out of bed, gets dressed, and heads out.

The cold air outside matches the chill he feels inside. His thoughts are consumed with worry about Jungwon and the ominous stranger who seems to know too much. The conversation from the previous night keeps replaying in his mind, making it hard to focus on anything else.

As Jake arrives at the university, he realizes he's running late. His student ID card fails to recognize at the entrance, causing further delays. Frustrated, he finally gets through and rushes to his biology classroom. When he enters, the teacher looks up, clearly irritated.

"This isn't your class," the teacher says sternly.

Jake is puzzled. "But I'm sure it is."

The teacher sighs and checks the attendance list. "You're supposed to be in the next room. Hurry up, and don't make a habit of this."

Jake quickly gathers his things and rushes to the correct classroom. As he enters, he spots Sunghoon at the front, glasses perched on his nose, surrounded by a stack of books. Sunghoon looks up, and their eyes meet. Jake is taken aback by how different Sunghoon looks in this setting.

"Jake," Sunghoon says, his voice cool and formal. "You're late."

Jake, flustered and red-faced, stammers an apology. "I'm sorry, I got held up."

"It's Mr. Park to you," Sunghoon corrects, his tone firm.

Jake nods and quickly takes a seat. As he settles in, he overhears Sunghoon scolding him gently for being late, which only adds to his embarrassment. He can feel the eyes of his classmates on him, and he wishes he could disappear.

"What did I miss?" Jake whispers to the classmate next to him.The classmate leans in and whispers back, "We're starting a new unit on religions. Mr. Park is our new teacher."

Jake's heart sinks. Of all the people to be his teacher, it had to be Sunghoon. He steals a glance at Sunghoon, who is now addressing the class, discussing various world religions.

Throughout the class, Sunghoon occasionally glances in Jake's direction. Jake can feel the heat rising in his cheeks every time their eyes meet. At one point, Sunghoon asks a question about a particular religion, and a girl named Wonyoung eagerly answers with detailed information."Very good, Wonyoung," Sunghoon praises, smiling warmly at her. She giggles, clearly pleased with the attention.

Jake feels a pang of jealousy. He tries to focus on the lesson, but his mind keeps wandering. He can't help but feel a mix of admiration and frustration towards Sunghoon. The way Sunghoon commands the classroom, the way he interacts with the students, it all makes Jake's feelings even more complicated.
As the class ends, Jake gathers his things, ready to escape the awkwardness. But before he can leave, Sunghoon calls out to him.

"Jake, can I see you for a moment?"

Jake freezes, then slowly approaches Sunghoon. Once everyone else has left, Sunghoon speaks."I apologize for not telling you yesterday that I'm your new teacher," Sunghoon says, his voice softer now. "I didn't want you to be caught off guard."

Jake nods, feeling a mix of relief and confusion. "It's okay. I was just surprised."

Sunghoon steps closer, his eyes locking onto Jake's. "I noticed you watching me in church. I just want you to know, I noticed you too."

Jake's heart skips a beat. The way Sunghoon is looking at him, the intensity in his eyes, makes Jake's pulse quicken.

"Don't be late again," Sunghoon says, his tone suddenly more playful. "I might have to give you extra assignments."

Jake nods, barely able to find his voice. "I won't be."

Jake wanted to tell Sunghoon something important, but before he could get the words out, a wave of dizziness hit him. His vision blurred, and the room started to spin. He swayed on his feet, and everything went black.

Sunghoon reacted quickly, catching Jake just in time, preventing him from hitting the floor. His heart raced as he gently laid Jake down, his concern evident. "Jake? Jake, can you hear me?" Sunghoon's voice was filled with worry.

When Jake woke up, he found himself in his own bed. Confused, he heard noises coming from the kitchen. He got up slowly, feeling weak but determined to find out what had happened. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Sunghoon bustling around, making what looked like soup.

"Sunghoon?" Jake's voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

Sunghoon looked up, a soft smile on his face. "You're awake. I was worried."

Jake rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of everything. "How did you know where I live? And the door code?"

Sunghoon chuckled softly. "Your address and phone number were in the university documents. As for the door code, I asked Jungwon."

Jake felt his face heat up with embarrassment. "You brought me home? And... you changed my clothes?"

Sunghoon nodded, his expression serious but gentle. "You were soaked in sweat and burning up. I had to make sure you were comfortable."

Jake's mind raced with a mix of emotions: embarrassment, gratitude, and a fluttering feeling he couldn't quite name. The realization that Sunghoon took care of him so attentively made his heart race.

A moment of silence fell between them, and the tension grew thick in the air. Jake fidgeted, unsure of what to say or do. Sunghoon stepped closer, his eyes intense and unreadable. It seemed like he was about to kiss Jake, and Jake, feeling the pull, closed his eyes and leaned in.

But just as their lips were about to meet, Sunghoon stopped, a smirk playing on his lips. "Got you," he teased.

Jake's eyes flew open, and his face turned a deep shade of red. "You... you were teasing me?"

Sunghoon laughed softly. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You're too cute when you're flustered."

Jake felt his heart pounding in his chest. The mixture of relief and frustration was overwhelming. He couldn't believe he almost kissed Sunghoon and that it was all just a tease.

"Stay home and get well soon," Sunghoon said, his tone more serious now. He took off his gloves, placing them neatly on the kitchen counter. "I'll check on you later."

As Sunghoon turned to leave, Jake's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The entire situation left him flustered, embarrassed, and longing for clarity. Did Sunghoon like him back, or was this just a game to him?

Sunghoon paused at the doorway, looking back at Jake. "Take care of yourself, Jake," he said softly, his eyes lingering on Jake's for a moment longer than necessary.

Jake nodded, still too stunned to speak. As Sunghoon walked out the door, the room seemed to grow colder. Jake sank into a chair, replaying the entire encounter in his mind. The memory of Sunghoon's smirk and the feeling of being so close to something more gnawed at him.

He couldn't shake the tension that had built up between them, the almost-kiss that had left him yearning for more. The uncertainty gnawed at Jake, making him question everything. Did Sunghoon feel the same way? Or was it all just a cruel tease?

Jake sighed, feeling more confused than ever. He knew one thing for sure: his feelings for Sunghoon were real, and he needed to find out where he stood. But for now, he had to rest and recover, even though his mind was anything but at ease.

It was evening, and Jake was in his apartment, feeling a bit under the weather. He was washing his clothes and tidying up his room when he heard a knock at the door. At first, he ignored it, too lazy to answer. But after three persistent knocks, he finally decided to see who it was.

When he opened the door, he found an old woman standing there with a cat in her arms. She looked annoyed. "Your water is leaking into my apartment," she said sharply. "I live on the 9th floor, right below you."

Jake sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, I have a problem with the floor in the bathroom. I'm sorry, I'll get it fixed as soon as possible."

The woman huffed, clearly not satisfied with his response. She muttered something under her breath and stomped away towards the elevator. Just as she was about to get in, the elevator doors opened, and Jungwon stepped out with his hands in his pockets.

The old woman aggressively pushed past him, nearly knocking him over. Jungwon looked after her in shock. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, looking back at Jake.

Jake rolled his eyes. "That's Mrs. Kim. The most hated person in this building."

Jake looked at Jungwon and realized. "How did you manage to escape?"

Jungwon laughed, shaking his head. "Haha, I will tell you. Mind if I come in?"

Jake stepped aside, gesturing for Jungwon to enter. "Sure, come on in."

Jungwon walked in, looking around the apartment. "You look like you've been busy. Everything okay? I heard you were sick"

Jake shrugged. "Just trying to keep things in order. Plus, I'm feeling a bit sick. I think I left the window open last night and caught a cold."

Jungwon raised an eyebrow. "You should take better care of yourself, Jake."

Jake smiled weakly. "Yeah, I know. It's been a rough couple of days."

They moved to the living room, and Jake offered Jungwon a seat. "Want something to drink? I've got tea and water."

"Tea sounds good," Jungwon replied, settling into the couch.

Jake went to the kitchen and prepared two cups of tea, bringing them back to the living room. They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their tea.

"So, how's everything with you?" Jake asked, breaking the silence.

Jungwon shrugged. "Same old, same old. Missing classes to catch up while I am at home are killing me, but I'm managing. How about you? Besides the crazy neighbor and being sick, anything new?"

Jake shook his head. "Not really. Just trying to keep up with school and... other stuff."

Jungwon looked at him curiously. "Other stuff? Like what?"

Jake hesitated, thinking about the mysterious messages and the encounter with Sunghoon. "It's complicated. Just some personal issues I'm dealing with."

Jungwon nodded, not pressing further. "Well, if you need someone to talk to, you know I'm here for you."

The conversation drifted to lighter topics, and for a while, Jake felt a sense of normalcy. It was comforting to have Jungwon there, someone who understood him and didn't judge.

As the evening went on, Jake couldn't help but think about the day's events. The encounter with the old woman, Jungwon showing up unexpectedly, and the lingering thoughts of Sunghoon. His life felt like it was spinning out of control, and he wasn't sure how to handle it all.

Jungwon noticed his friend's distant expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

Jake snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind."

Jungwon smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. You'll get through it. And remember, I'm just a call away."

Jake smiled back, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Jungwon. I appreciate it."

As they continued talking, Jake felt a sense of gratitude for having a friend like Jungwon. Despite everything going on, he knew he wasn't alone. And for now, that was enough. After the tea party they had Jungwon grabbed Jake's hands. 

"Hey I need to tell you  something" 

"What about?" Jake tilted his head and faced Jungwon as well

"It's about Jay"