Sehyun's POV
'Amazing.'
It was just one word but thinking about it made me happy. My lips couldn't help but curve upwards whenever I thought about how Sensei held me close, like I was something he was scared of letting go.
Even now.
I was being held in his arms as he slept soundly. This was the the first I'd seen him asleep and he looked so peaceful. His sharp features fading into something soft and gentle.
He looked harmless and somewhat cute.
I let out a breathy laugh. Sensei was undoubtedly a creature crafted beautifully.
I ran a finger over Sensei's neck stopping at his collarbone.
He was surprisingly lean. It was almost as if he never really ate at all. It wasn't an alarming skinniness however, I was concerned.
Sensei was always looking out for me ensuring I ate healthy, how could he forget to care for himself?
I watched his sleeping frame, his chest rising and falling with every heartbeat.
I too was going to look out for Sensei—prepare meals for him too.
Wriggling out from his hold, I slipped outside my bedroom after pulling a shirt over my head.
I noticed the bowl on the table and remembered Sensei had been cooking before I arrived. The soup had gone cold but the faint enticing aroma still lingered.
How did Sensei manage to be perfect at everything? I wondered heading to the kitchen to reheat the soup.
I had no microwave so I had to reheat the old-fashioned way—pour it into a pot and let it steam.
After Sensei's arrival in my life, my house wasn't as empty as it was anymore. The worn-out refrigerator had been replaced and stocked with food items. I remembered how stunned he was seeing how devoid of food my house was.
"How have you been surviving?!" He'd questioned his voice incredulous.
Peanut bread and fast-food—ofcourse I didn't dare buy what was beyond my pocket. Homemade meals were luxury for me.
To think it'd become something I let get cold. "I must be getting spoilt." I muttered under my breath turning off the stove.
I gathered the trash outside to have them recycled. In the process, I noticed a black bag emitting a strange smell. It wasn't repulsive neither was it enticing—it smelled oddly familiar.
I definitely didn't keep this….
Curiosity got the best of me and I loosened the bag to have a look inside. "What's this?…"
Inside was a grayish watery substance with bits of solid floating in it. I reached inside holding up what seemed to be "Meat?!"
"It couldn't be…." I hesitated, the realization dawning. I rummaged through the remaining bags and found not just one but five more bags with similar content.
Each one looking slightly worse than the former.
A quiet laugh escaped my lips my eyes glinting with amusement. "Sensei made this?"
"What are you doing in the midst of all that dirt?" I heard Sensei ask behind me his tone chastising.
My body moved naturally to face him still holding the fat covered meat in my hand. He still had sleepy hair and his eyes seemed a bit unfocused but his gaze became clearer once he saw what I held up. He blinked, caught off guard.
"How did—" His remaining words flattered as he seemed unable to find out a way to escape.
"Was that what Sensei meant by a little ruffled?" I probbed gently, my eyes wide with childlike mischief.
"It was my first time, it's only normal I'd make mistakes, I'm not perfect after all." He blurted smoothing his hair out with his hand. "Who says Sensei is not perfect?" I countered with a teasing smile.
I wriggled the bag holding back a giggle. "Sensei's perfect regardless." I said with a toothy grin.
His brows furrowed together like he was mad. "I'm heading back in, Sehyun can keep teasing." he turned about to leave.
"Huh?" I dropped the bag and hurried after him wrapping my hands around his abdomen. My head pressed on his back. "Sensei's mad?" I asked.
He scoffed. "Why would I be mad at a kid who's just being childish?"
I peeked at his side frame, "Really? Then why a scowl resting between Sensei's brows?" I asked further my voice playful.
He stiffened as though caught right in the act. "Where's the scowl?" He huffed.
I walked infront of him and massaged between his brows with my thumb. "Right there. There's a mighty scowl settled here, it's so scary…" my voice dipped low, words taunting gently, teasing him with every syllable.
He looked at me like he'd seen me for the first time. "You— have you always been like this?" came his curious question.
I shook my head grinning playfully. "Have Sensei always been like this? Going an extra mile to prepare a meal perfectly?" I asked back.
His eyes clouded over for a moment before replying. "What does Sehyun take me for? Why would I go through all that hassle?"
"My point exactly. I am like this because Sensei is an important person to me and Sensei's like this because I'm important to Sensei right?"
His lips parted to no words. I leaned into his chest once more. "Sensei doesn't need to be perfect because for me, Sensei has always been perfect." I whispered, my voice almost inaudible but just enough for him to hear me.
I felt Sensei's hands wrap around me crushing me into his embrace. "If you keep acting like this, it makes me unable to pull away."
I giggled softly my ears tinging a soft shade of red. "I'm not letting Sensei go, no matter what."
****
~Hamgyeom High.
'Hangyeom High Harmony Festival:2020'
I stood by the gate reading the banner hung over my head repeatedly.
Harmony festival?
We'd never done sports day before, why now?
"Did you see the sign? Sports day? Is Hangyeom losing it finally?"
"The principal must've gone bonkers."
"It might not be that bad, maybe Gangwon is about to be redeveloped?"
"Get out of your fantasy land. Redeveloped? What a joke."
"At least we get to do something fun, be glad."
"Its time to impress those beauties from class three with my biceps."
"Staying in this crappy town must've messed with your brain. Calling those fleshy skin biceps. You'd get laughed at for weeks."
Even as I walked to my class, the surprise was evident in everyone's words. Why host a sports day when clearly they lacked the capacity to keep the school together.
"I might just have to skip after all.." I sighed tiredly. The day was already exhausting before it even begun. I dropped my backpack on the table taking a seat the conversation of my classmates floating towards my ears.
"Did you see the news?"
"About sports day?"
"It's related to that, but it's concerning the activities that's going to be taking place."
"What's happening?"
"There's going to be a teacher × student race!"
"What?!" My head snapped towards their direction. They gave me a 'what the hell is wrong with you look' and I srunk back into my shell.
Talking to others weren't my thing. At all.
But, I was curious to hear about what they were discussing about but unfortunately, they moved to another place thinking I'd been eavesdropping on their conversation even though I wasn't.
I merely happened to hear it.
Shortly after, the bell indicating the beginning of class rung. Sensei walked in alongside our P.E teacher a man with an odd standing posture.
His name had a 'sang' in it but the students nicknamed him 'Mr. Weak legs.' because he always seemed to be resting on his right leg whenever he stood for long.
"I'm sure you must've heard, the school's sports day is taking place for the first time after the redevelopment crisis." He began his baritone voice resounding through the fragile walls of the class.
The room erupted in mummurs instead of excited screams.
"Just fucking cancel it!"
Sensei's head snapped towards the direction of the voice. "Language." He hissed.
After his previous outburst, the students fear of him lingered subtly.
The P.E teacher continued like he was giving a memorial speech. "This event is being held because we wish to ensure you all leave Gangwon with complete memories of your school to prevent you all from being looked down upon by others once a conversation of sports day comes up." He waited an heartbeat his brown eyes peering at everyone as if digesting their current expression before adding.
"Believing that is at your risk. Hangyeom personally doesn't care if you're looked down upon or not. Being stuck here is more than enough skin hardener in such situations. The event is hosted for all of you brats to have fun. Therefore, each and every one of your scoundrels must participate in any activity that will be taking place."
My heart rammed against my ribcage. I winced. All of us, I was going to participate with people who loathed me?
"We don't want to!"
"We refuse!"
The P.E teacher dropped his book on the podium with a thud silencing their words. Even my thoughts came to a standstill.
"You don't have a choice. So quit making a fuss. Mr Yoon will hand out the activity sheets take a look and mark the sport you wish to take part in. It must be handed back in three days from now otherwise penalties will be melted out."
My belly churnned. He wasn't kidding.
"Also," he continued like he was issued a death sentence. "for this year's sports day, teachers aren't going to be exempt."
Finally, the class erupted in the expected cheers of excitement.
"Does that mean, teacher is going to be part?"
All eyes turned on Sensei including mine.
He nodded with a smile on his lips, his eyes roaming over the class and resting finally on mine.
"There's no escaping it."