Chapter Text
Mrs. Han was going to kill him.
Jeongguk glanced at his watch and winced. It was already one in the morning; he had promised Mrs. Han he wouldn't come home after midnight.
Steeling himself, he opened the door as quietly as he could. Jessica was a light sleeper.
Jeongguk closed the door, flinching when it creaked. Damn it.
"Mr. Jeon?" said Mrs. Han, rubbing her eyes and sitting up on the couch.
Jeongguk glanced at the twins, but they didn't seem to have woken up. He walked over to his babysitter. It didn't take long — the apartment was small.
Mrs. Han was frowning deeply, a sad look on her face.
"I'm sorry," said Jeongguk before she could say anything. "I'm really, really sorry. It won't happen again, I swear. I couldn't come back earlier. It was a slow night and I didn't get many tips. I didn't have enough money to pay you for this week, so I ended up staying until I did."
Mrs. Han's lips pursed. She sighed. "Mr. Jeon Jeongguk. I understand your situation, it's the only reason I'm still here, but you have to understand mine too. I have a family as well, yet I spend up to fifteen hours a day here, looking after two energetic four-year-old girls. You don't pay me enough for that."
"I'll find another job," Jeongguk said quickly, trying to smother the rising panic in his chest. "I'll find a better job and pay you more."
She sighed again, shaking her head. "That's what you said last month, Jeongguk." She looked at the girls. "I admire your dedication, but you can't keep going like this. You're only twenty years old. You deserve better. They deserve better too. Why don't you find them a good family?"
"No," he said, his voice hard. "They already have a family. They have me."
"They barely see you. They ask about you all the time. They miss you."
Jeongguk looked at them. Jessica and Krystal slept curled toward each other, their chubby cheeks almost touching. A knot formed in his throat.
"I miss them too." He looked at Mrs. Han. "Please. I'll find a solution. It really won't happen again." Taking his wallet from his back pocket, he gave her all the money he had. "Here, take this."
She shook her head, but accepted the money. "Think about what I said, Jeongguk," she said before picking up her bag and leaving.
Jeongguk closed the door and went back to the room. He knelt beside the bed, rested his chin on the mattress, and watched the twins. The dim light made their light brown hair look almost golden.
They looked like little angels.
Jeongguk closed his eyes. God, he was so tired, but sleeping was the last thing on his mind. He didn't need to open the fridge to know they were out of groceries: he knew how long it took to run out. They wouldn't have anything to eat the day after tomorrow.
Desperation clawed at his throat. Then came resentment and anger. Jeongguk shook them off. Being angry at his parents for having numerous debts, dying, and leaving them penniless was pointless. He couldn't afford to waste time. He needed money. Now. But how? He already had two jobs.
"Ggukie?"
Jeongguk opened his eyes. One of the girls was awake. A wave of panic swept through him when he realized he could no longer tell them apart.
Was it Jessica or Krystal?
"Baby?" he croaked through the knot in his throat.
The girl sat up slowly, careful not to wake her sister, and Jeongguk exhaled. It was Jessica: she was more mature and considerate than Krystal, who was often a ball of energy without direction.
Jessica moved toward him, and Jeongguk lifted her in his arms. "Hey, princess," he whispered, kissing her temple and breathing in her sweet scent.
"You're home," said Jessica, wrapping her small hands around his neck. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," Jeongguk murmured, stroking her back. "I'm sorry. Did you have fun while I was away?"
Jessica nodded. "We played a lot, but the Hawk wouldn't let us go outside."
"Don't call Mrs. Han that." Though he had to suppress a smile. "Anything else?"
"A big man came after breakfast. He had a letter for you, but the Hawk didn't let us touch it."
"A letter, huh?" Jeongguk stood up, holding Jessica against his chest, and walked to his desk. "Let's see."
He grabbed the envelope and turned on the desk lamp. He squinted at it and his stomach dropped when he saw who it was from.
"What is it?" Jessica asked.
Jeongguk opened the envelope, pulled out the piece of paper inside, and began to read.
"...unacceptable grades..." "...in case of failure to improve..." "...the scholarship will be revoked unless the student manages to..."
The paper slipped from his fingers to the floor and he didn't notice.
"Ggukie? Did something bad happen?"
He looked down into Jessica's wide hazel eyes and forced a smile. "No, pumpkin. Everything's fine." He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes.
When it rained, it poured.
"Something wrong?" said a familiar voice before an arm draped over Jeongguk's shoulders.
Jeongguk looked at Jimin but kept walking. His next class was about to start and it was one he couldn't be late for.
"Nothing."
"Bullshit. Spill it." His friend's dark brown eyes were fixed on him with curiosity.
Jeongguk shrugged. "I'm broke. And on top of that, they're going to pull my scholarship if I don't improve my grades in three classes."
Jimin frowned. "I thought you'd already talked to Choi and Lee and explained your situation."
Sighing, Jeongguk ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. But there's also Fluid Mechanics."
Jimin winced. "Kim."
"Yep," Jeongguk said miserably.
The youngest tenured professor at the school, Kim Taehyung had earned the nickname "Professor Asshole" for a reason. Strict and harsh, he set impossibly high standards for students and held those who failed to meet them in contempt. He did not tolerate "laziness." And since Jeongguk had missed too many of his classes and often didn't have time to complete his assignments, he was probably one of Kim's least favourite students —if the man even had favourite students.
The possibility of Kim allowing him any flexibility was non-existent. Kim offered no one any flexibility. His demands bordered on the ridiculous, but in the eyes of the board, Kim could do no wrong, since he brought in a substantial amount of research grants — a lot of them.
Jeongguk had to give Kim credit, one didn't become such a highly respected researcher by age thirty-three if one wasn't incredibly intelligent, but that didn't change the fact that the guy was a complete asshole.
"What are you going to do?" said Jimin.
"No idea." Jeongguk made his way to their usual seats at the front of the lecture hall: Kim had ordered him and Jimin to sit there at all times after catching them talking during class. Jeongguk sat down and sighed. "What should I do?"
"I wish I could help. But you know I'm a little tight on money too."
Jeongguk nodded. Jimin lived at his grandmother's house and helped her as best he could. His parents worked abroad and weren't much help.
"What about your aunt?" said Jimin. "I thought she used to help you out when things got tough."
Jeongguk stopped and looked at him. "She died last year, Jimin. I told you that."
Jimin's face flushed bright red. "Shit, I'm sorry, I don't know how I..."
"Forget it."
It wasn't that Jimin didn't care; he was very sociable and had more friends than Jeongguk had acquaintances. No wonder it had slipped his mind.
"What about your cousin... Seokjin?" Jimin smiled shyly. "See, I'm not a total lost cause! I remember him!"
Jeongguk laughed. "You're hopeless. He just got out of prison, and he has to sort out his own life. He doesn't need my problems on top of his. Anyway, I wasn't asking for money. I mean, about Professor Kim — if I don't get good grades in his class, I'll lose the scholarship and have to drop out." Though sometimes Jeongguk wondered if it would be better to drop out: if he didn't have school to attend, his chances of finding a decent job would improve.
Except that a university degree would increase his chances of finding a well-paying job and giving Jessica and Krystal everything they needed as they grew up.
"Actually," said Jimin suddenly, "I've heard an interesting rumour about Kim."
"What rumour?"
Jimin looked around, as if to make sure no one could hear them, before leaning in and whispering in Jeongguk's ear:
"Hoseok says Professor Kim has a weakness for pretty boys."
Jeongguk blinked. "Definitely. He was messing with you!"
"Nope, he was dead serious. Apparently, someone saw Kim with a young guy all over him."
Jeongguk chuckled, shaking his head. "Even if it's true, what does that have to do with me?"
Jimin gave him a pointed look.
Jeongguk opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You have got to be joking."
Jimin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Hoseok says Kim has a thing for brunettes."
"Tough luck for you, then."
Smiling, Jimin ran a hand through his messy red hair. "Pfft. If I wanted him, it wouldn't matter. But you've got it easy, brunette. Come on, man — it's a perfect solution!"
Jeongguk gave him a tired look. "There's one small problem, though. I'm straight."
His friend didn't seem fazed; in fact, he had the nerve to laugh.
"So? I'm not telling you to take it up the ass. Though actually it can feel really, really good if the other guy knows what he's doing." Jimin grinned, and Jeongguk snorted. Jimin was bisexual and had no problem admitting it.
"Jimin..."
"I'm just saying you can flirt and stuff without actually doing anything with him, you know? You've got the style. I mean, you're not my type, but I'm not blind. You're hot. Easily the hottest guy in school."
"You're not exactly an ugly duckling either." Everyone loved Jimin.
He might not be classically handsome, but practically everyone found him attractive. It was hard to look away from Jimin. Jeongguk might be straight, but even he sometimes stopped and stared when his friend smiled.
Jimin winked. "Definitely not an ugly duckling, but I'm not as pretty as you, princess."
"Oh, I'll show you, princess!" Jeongguk put him in a headlock, both of them laughing.
"Mr. Jeon, Mr. Park. Are you done?" Said a cold, deep voice behind them.
Jeongguk froze before releasing his friend and straightening up. He didn't dare look at Kim as the man passed them toward his desk. The classroom suddenly went silent.
"Shit," Jimin whispered when Kim stopped in front of his desk and stayed quiet.
Jeongguk bit his lip hard and stole a glance at the professor.
Kim's dark eyes were fixed on Jimin, his dark brows furrowed and his lips pressed together with distaste. Even when he wasn't displeased with someone, Professor Kim's gaze could make anyone squirm. When he actually was annoyed, no one wanted to be on the receiving end of his sharp looks. Jeongguk thought he looked like a hawk, ready to dive and catch his prey.
Kim's eyes moved from Jimin to him. If anything, he looked even more displeased now, a muscle twitching in his cheek. Jeongguk's stomach knotted. He moistened his dry lips and tried to look as respectful as possible, forcing himself to meet the professor's gaze steadily. He wasn't a coward, damn it. Kim was just a man.
Kim's lips tightened into a thin line. "Mr. Jeon," he said in a calm tone.
Jeongguk swallowed convulsively. There was something about Kim's voice that made it sound more threatening the quieter it got.
"Yes, Professor?"
"If you and Mr. Park are not interested in what I'm teaching here, you should leave."
Looking at the man's hard expression, Jeongguk suddenly remembered Jimin's advice and nearly laughed out loud at how ridiculous it was.
"No, sir. I mean we're very interested." When not a single muscle moved on Kim's face, Jeongguk added: "In fact, I wanted to talk to you after class about my grades."
Kim looked at him for a few moments before offering a cold reply: "I don't have office hours today." He sat behind his desk and began his lesson.
Jeongguk stared at him blankly, unsure what Kim's answer was supposed to mean.
Was that a yes or a no? As in, I don't have office hours so you can come, or I don't have office hours so I can't?
Excellent. Fantastic.
Jeongguk sighed.
Professor Kim's office door was dark and very shiny.
Jeongguk stood staring at it, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. His palms were starting to sweat, so he wiped them on his jeans.
"Don't be ridiculous," he told himself. "Kim is just a man, not a monster. The worst thing the guy can do is say no."
He would just talk to him, explain his situation, and hope that Kim wasn't the bastard everyone thought he was.
"Did you want something, Mr. Jeon?" said a low, grave voice.
Jeongguk almost jumped. Turning around, he tried to find something to say.
"Mr. Jeon?" Kim was frowning, a crease between his brows.
"I wanted to talk to you, sir."
"It's not office hours," said Kim, unlocking his office and walking in. He didn't push the door closed behind him, and Jeongguk hesitated, unsure if he should follow. Kim sat behind his enormous desk and turned on his computer. "I don't have all day, Jeon," he said without looking up.
Jeongguk hurried in. He closed the door, approached the desk, and stopped. He glanced around, but there wasn't much to see.
"Well?"
Jeongguk forced himself to look at the other man.
Kim was studying him with a touch of impatience.
Jeongguk gripped the back of the chair in front of him. "As I said, I wanted to talk about my grades."
Kim's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not sure what there is to discuss. I don't give second chances to students who don't deserve them. You don't bother attending most of my lectures, the quality of your coursework is abysmal, and now you want a passing grade. The attendance policy is clearly stated in the school syllabus; students should read it carefully and organise themselves accordingly. Frankly, I'm surprised you're a scholarship student. If you're worried about your scholarship, I'm afraid the only thing you can do is drop the class."
"I can't drop your class — it's a prerequisite for another class I'm currently taking, and I can't drop both without losing my scholarship. So I can't fail your class and I can't drop it. I need to pass it, sir."
Kim gave him an unimpressed look. "You have only yourself to blame, Jeon. You don't deserve a better grade. Your attendance, assignments, class participation, and assessments have all been below course expectations. If you came here to tell me some tearjerker story and ask me for a better mark, save your breath. I've heard it all: sick elderly mothers, small children to care for, working three jobs, and so on. If you can't or won't study and learn, do us both a favour: stop wasting our time and leave university."
Jeongguk's heart sank. Part of him had hoped Kim would take pity on him if he explained his situation and let him make up the work later. But apparently Kim didn't care and didn't want to hear "tearjerker" stories.
Jeongguk's jaw tightened. His pride urged him to turn and leave, but he couldn't. He couldn't lose the scholarship. His sisters depended on him.
Suddenly, he remembered Jimin's ridiculous advice:
"...Hoseok says Professor Kim has a weakness for pretty boys... I'm just saying you can flirt and stuff without actually doing anything with him..."
"Mr. Jeon?"
Jeongguk startled, flushed, and looked back at the man.
"What are you still doing in my office? You've been dismissed."
Looking at Kim's hard expression, Jeongguk couldn't imagine flirting with him in his life. Flirting and Professor Kim shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence, full stop. And Jeongguk didn't have much experience with flirting anyway: the few girls he'd slept with hadn't required any seduction. Truth be told, he usually didn't have to make any effort at all.
Jeongguk took a deep breath and met Kim's eyes. "Sir, I... " He swallowed. "Is there any way I could get a better grade? I'll do anything. Anything."
Kim stared at him.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Mr. Jeon," he said at last. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
Jeongguk swallowed again. Was he? He wasn't even sure what he was suggesting himself.
"Um... yes?"
Kim's nostrils flared. He leaned back in his chair and stared at him.
"Please clarify, to avoid any misunderstanding."
Jeongguk swept his gaze around the room before looking down at his feet and shrugging. His sneakers were worn out, but he couldn't afford new ones.
"I think you know, sir."
Silence.
Seconds passed.
"I see," said Kim. "Close the door and come here."
Jeongguk's stomach lurched. His legs were trembling as he approached the door and locked it, all the while trying to ignore the small panicked voice inside his head screaming:
"What are you doing?!"
Looking anywhere but at Kim, he rounded the desk and stopped beside his professor, his heart pounding in his throat. Kim turned in his chair so he was facing Jeongguk now. Jeongguk focused his gaze on the dark fabric of the professor's suit.
"On your knees," Kim said softly.
Dropping to his knees was almost a relief, given how unsteady his legs were. Kim took his chin in his fingers and tipped his head back, forcing Jeongguk to meet his gaze.
"I could have you expelled for this," he said. Jeongguk's eyes widened. Kim fixed him with a look of such contempt that Jeongguk flinched. "I have students who never miss a class and work very hard to get a C. And then there are pretty, empty-headed boys like you who think that if they suck my cock, they'll get a good grade."
Jeongguk felt his face ignite. Hearing the word cock from Professor Kim's mouth was strange as hell. Strange and frankly obscene.
Kim's grip on Jeongguk's chin tightened.
"Do you think that's fair, Jeon?"
Jeongguk swallowed, but forced himself to hold the man's gaze steadily.
"If you're going to report this to the board, remember that I haven't said a word about sucking anything, Professor. You did. If you report me, I'll report you."
A muscle in Kim's jaw jumped. "You little shit." His other hand sank into Jeongguk's hair and pulled him closer to his crotch. "Fine. You want a passing grade? Go ahead. Try to impress me." Jeongguk inhaled. Kim smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "Having second thoughts already?"
"No," said Jeongguk firmly, reaching for the man's zipper, telling himself it was just a penis. He would suck the guy's penis and get a passing grade. How hard could it be? It would probably taste unpleasant, but it wouldn't kill him or anything.
Right.
He slowly unzipped the professor's trousers and then... then stopped. No matter what he told himself, he couldn't move, staring, paralysed, at the bulge beneath the man's black boxers.
Kim let out an irritated sound. "As I thought. Get out, and if you bother me again..."
"No." Jeongguk slipped a hand into Kim's boxers and grasped him.
A beat passed.
Jeongguk was torn between laughing hysterically and panicking. He had his hand on another guy's penis. Professor Kim's penis.
It was warm in his hand. That was his first thought. It was growing and thickening with every second that passed. It scared him a little, but also gave him confidence. Whatever Kim said, he wanted this.
Jeongguk gave an experimental squeeze and looked at the man. Kim's face remained impassive. For some reason, that annoyed Jeongguk. He smiled.
"Looks like you have a thing for 'pretty, empty-headed boys,' Professor."
Kim's lips pressed together. If anything, he looked almost bored.
"It's just a physiological reaction to stimulation and a pretty face. You're not responsible for your physical appearance, so it's hardly anything to be proud of. Now, if you really intend to go through with this, stop wasting my time."
Watching him, Jeongguk stroked him to full hardness, noticing a subtle shift in the man's breathing. The angle was uncomfortable, so he took him out. He was large and thick and very close to his face. Inches away. Jeongguk licked his lips nervously, unable to look away. He had to be at least eight inches.
Kim sighed, as if disgusted by his own body's reaction, and shifted slightly. The head of his cock pressed against Jeongguk's lips.
"Suck."
Jeongguk inhaled carefully. It didn't smell too bad. Tentatively, he licked the head. The taste was... strange, but nothing as terrible as he'd expected. He ran his tongue over it again.
The professor groaned, his hand gripping Jeongguk's hair more firmly.
"Open your mouth." It was an order.
Jeongguk did as he was told, and the thick head pushed into his mouth. Jeongguk sucked gently. Part of his mind was still stuck on the fact that he had Professor Kim's penis in his mouth and couldn't believe it, but the heat and weight of him stretching his lips wide made it very, very real.
Kim's eyes were fixed on his face as he pushed deeper, his heavy hand at the back of Jeongguk's neck. Jeongguk met his gaze, flushed, and closed his eyes, determined to focus only on getting the job done. The sooner Kim came, the sooner this would be over and the sooner he could forget about it.
But with his eyes closed, his other senses came to life and he could feel everything with more intensity.
It was... so strange. Kim was hard and thick in his mouth, tasting of skin and something more. Strange, but not terrible. Jeongguk pulled off, breathed, and sucked the head again, going a little further, exploring. He had a brief moment of worry that he wasn't doing this correctly, but he told himself not to be stupid: there's no such thing as a bad blowjob, right?
Jeongguk went a little further, trying to take as much of the large cock inside as he could. He went down, then back up, setting a rhythm, trying to get used to it. He was focusing so hard on this, trying to count in his head, that it took him a while to notice that Kim was saying something to him.
Jeongguk pulled off with a small pop and looked up at Kim, still tasting him on his tongue. He blinked at him and had to suppress the ridiculous urge to ask if he was doing it right, like an eager student wanting to please his teacher.
"What?" he said instead. As usual when he was nervous, his voice came out a little arrogant. He tended to overcompensate sometimes.
Kim just looked at him for what seemed like an eternity, his dark eyes glassy, heavy-lidded. Finally he said:
"Is this your first blowjob, Jeon?" Kim's voice was rough and guttural, despite the fact that he was the one who had just spent the last few minutes with a penis in his mouth.
"Does it matter?"
Kim's lips twisted. "No. But it explains why you're so bad at it."
Jeongguk frowned and squeezed the man's erection.
"Your cock seems to think I'm doing fine."
Kim scoffed. "That just proves how simple we men are." He looked at Jeongguk's lips. "Continue, but stop overthinking. You don't think in class, but now you seem to be thinking too hard when you're not supposed to be thinking at all."
Jeongguk glared at him, but nodded.
He gave Kim's cock a few licks before wrapping his lips back around it and doing what he wanted — rhythm and concentration be damned.
It was much messier this way. He went down as far as he could without choking, back up and out, licking a long stripe up the underside of Kim's cock and slowly licking the slit, tasting the salty bitterness.
Jeongguk tried not to think about how obscene he probably looked — head bobbing and drooling everywhere while sucking his teacher's cock. Kim was groaning and pushing down on his head, so he was clearly doing something right. More settled, Jeongguk kept sucking, working his mouth faster now, ignoring the ache in his jaw and moving his hand faster along the part of Kim's cock that couldn't fit in his mouth.
"Open your eyes," Kim snapped.
Jeongguk did, and raised his gaze to him. Their eyes met, and Jeongguk flushed, very aware that his lips were still wrapped firmly around his professor's cock.
His professor's cock. Jesus Christ.
"I'm going to fuck your mouth now," said Kim, conversationally, as if he didn't have his cock in his student's mouth. "Lean back and let me do the work. Look at me."
Jeongguk felt his cheeks and neck flush, but did as he was told. Kim shifted, his strong, large hands cupping his face.
His cock slid out of Jeongguk's mouth until only the head remained inside. Jeongguk watched Kim. The man met his gaze and thrust deep into his mouth. Jeongguk gasped, fighting his gag reflex and desperately trying to breathe around the cock, but still holding his professor's gaze, as instructed.
Kim's nostrils flared, his eyes roaming over Jeongguk's face. He pulled out and pushed back in. Then again. And again. All the while watching him. Jeongguk was sure he was blushing, because he felt incredibly filthy. His professor — the most feared professor in school — was using his mouth for relief. It all felt too overwhelming: the taste, the weight, the sensation of Professor Kim's cock in his mouth, the strong hands holding his face firmly as Kim thrust in and out, Kim's breathing growing increasingly ragged, his dark, intense eyes fixed on Jeongguk's.
Kim bucked his hips and Jeongguk almost choked, but he slid out, feeling heat hit the back of his throat, spilling out in rapid succession. Coughing, he let the softening cock slip from his mouth.
"Swallow," Kim ordered.
Jeongguk glared at him, but did as he was told, though with some difficulty. Fortunately, it didn't taste as disgusting as he'd expected.
Looking down at him through heavy-lidded eyes, Kim breathed deeply. In a moment, his expression shut down. He removed his hands and adjusted himself.
"Passable."
Jeongguk didn't know whether to laugh or punch the son of a bitch in the face. He stood up, wiped his swollen lips, and said:
"Thank you, Professor." His voice was hoarse and raspy from sucking his professor's cock. "So... What about that grade?"
A muscle pulsed in Kim's cheek. He looked frankly angry.
"You're dismissed, Jeon."
Jeongguk left.
As the professor's office door closed behind him, Jeongguk exhaled. He couldn't believe he'd actually done it. He had sucked another man's cock. He had let Kim Taehyung, of all people, fuck his mouth in exchange for a grade.
Jeongguk flushed and looked around, suddenly paranoid that everyone could guess what had happened just by looking at him. But no one was paying him any attention. No one knew.
Everything was fine.
What was done was done. He could put the incident behind him and pretend it never happened.
Now he could only hope that Kim kept his end of the deal.
"Relax, man," said Jimin, dropping into the seat beside him.
"What do you mean?" Jeongguk said, glancing around the classroom before looking at his hands.
"You're so damn tense. Are you nervous about your grades? Didn't you say you talked to Kim and convinced him to give you a second chance?"
"Yeah, I did. He didn't fail me yet. I just found out he gave me a D." And God, what a relief that had been. Jeongguk didn't think he had ever been so happy to receive a D.
"Congratulations," said Jimin with a smile, patting him on the back. "I'm still amazed you managed to convince him."
Jeongguk carefully avoided his friend's eyes.
"Speaking of the devil," Jimin murmured.
The instant silence that fell over the classroom was almost funny. Almost.
Jeongguk caught a glimpse of Kim's tall, imposing figure before dropping his gaze.
"Mid-term grades have been entered," said Kim, without preamble. "I reported the grades of thirty-eight students whose marks were below a C. The reports were sent to the Secretary's Office, which distributed them to each student." He paused. "If you have any questions, ask."
Silence.
A guy raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Jung?" said Kim, walking toward the student.
Jeongguk didn't look; he only saw him in his peripheral vision.
"I don't understand," Jung said. "I have an F, and apparently that's final! Can't I even improve my grade? In every other class, mid-term grades don't affect our GPA. They exist, more or less, to tell us where we stand in the class, and whether or not we need to work harder? but apparently not in your class. I don't understand!"
Jeongguk cringed.
"Poor guy," Jimin murmured.
There was a pause.
"Mr. Jung." Kim said at last, his voice dangerously soft. "Have you read the syllabus?"
"Well, yes, sure." Jung sounded anything but sure.
"If you had read the syllabus, you would know that in my class, mid-term grades do affect your final grade. In other words, if you receive a failing mid-term grade, you will not receive a passing final grade. No exceptions."
"But that's not fair!" said Jung. "That's not how things are done!"
"That is how things are done in my class." Kim's voice grew even softer, if possible. "I will not pass a student who has a poor attendance record through the midpoint and failed to submit assignments or submitted them late. If you had read the syllabus, as I told everyone to do on the first day of the semester, you would not be in this situation. You have only yourself to thank. Do you have any other questions? Intelligent ones?"
"No," Jung whined.
"Are we done, then, or does someone else want to waste my time with questions they're supposed to know the answers to?" The silence was almost supernatural. No one dared breathe. "Good." Kim returned to his desk.
"Wow," Jimin whispered, barely audible. "What crawled up his ass and died?"
"Probably the anger and frustration of not being able to fail me," Jeongguk thought.
His skin prickled. He looked up and found Kim giving him a look of such hatred that it made him feel as if he were being repelled from the room. Jeongguk lifted his chin and met his gaze steadily.
Seriously, what was the guy's problem? It wasn't as if he had forced Kim to put his cock in his student's mouth.
The thought, the memory, made Jeongguk flush and shift uncomfortably in his seat. Looking at Kim's stony face, it was hard to believe it had really happened.
But it had.
Jeongguk looked at Kim's hands, gripping his face as Kim thrust his cock into his mouth. Jeongguk ran his tongue over his lips, his skin uncomfortably warm, and fixed his gaze on the front.
He wouldn't think about it.
He wouldn't.
***
He had thought he could put the incident out of his mind.
He had thought Kim would simply ignore him after it.
He had been wrong on both counts.
Jeongguk sighed and stared gloomily at the assignment in front of him. Kim had been incredibly harsh in the past few days, giving him brutally difficult tasks and constantly berating him in front of everyone when Jeongguk failed to complete them to Kim's satisfaction.
"Finished, Jeon?" said a familiar cold voice, and Jeongguk tensed.
He glanced at Jimin on his left, but his friend was studying the book in front of him with exaggerated interest. "Traitor."
"I'll be done soon," Jeongguk lied. He went rigid when Kim placed a hand on his desk and leaned over to look at the blank paper in front of him.
"I see," said Kim.
Jeongguk looked up at him and was surprised by how close the other man's face was. Inches away. Dark eyes met his for a moment before their owner's lips twisted mockingly. Kim straightened to his full impressive height and said:
"Your assignment must be ready in ten minutes, Jeon."
"But you said— "
"Ten minutes," Kim cut him off in a tone that made it clear he would accept no argument. He walked away, and Jeongguk stared at his back.
He returned his gaze to the paper in front of him and looked at it grimly. It wasn't fair. How was he supposed to complete this assignment in so little time? The questions were ridiculously difficult and dubiously reflected what they'd learned in class. Why couldn't the asshole just leave him alone? It felt like Kim was determined to make his life hell —and succeeding.
Jeongguk frowned, trying to keep his temper under control and failing. He was tired, sleep-deprived, hungry, and angry, never a good combination.
Later, he would blame his lack of sleep for everything. He would blame his lack of sleep for writing what he never would have written if he hadn't been so damn tired, hungry, and angry.
Jeongguk handed in his assignment exactly ten minutes later and returned to his desk. He wasn't even halfway to his seat when Kim said, very softly:
"Mr. Jeon, my office after your classes."
With a dry mouth, Jeongguk nodded.
"Idiot," he told himself. He shouldn't have let his temper get the better of him.
***
When his classes were over, Jeongguk headed to Kim's office, as ordered.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the familiar door.
"Come in."
Jeongguk entered and closed the door carefully.
Then he walked toward Kim's desk.
"Well?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Slowly, Kim looked up. His expression was positively stony as he slid a piece of paper toward Jeongguk, the assignment he had handed in.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Jeongguk picked up the paper and reread the single sentence written there, as if he didn't know what it said.
"Do you want to fail me so I'll have no choice but to suck your cock again?"
Inwardly, Jeongguk cringed a little. He couldn't believe he had lost control and actually written that.
But aloud he said: "Don't you know how to read, sir?" Only a few days ago, he wouldn't have dared use this smug tone with Kim, but apparently having had the man's cock in his mouth worked wonders.
Kim stood up and walked toward him. He stopped only a few inches away.
Jeongguk didn't move, refusing to be intimidated.
"I can have you expelled for this," said Kim.
"Sure, but you'd get fired and your career damaged when everyone found out you were trading grades for sex."
Kim grabbed him by the throat. "You little shit." His hand tightened around his neck. "Are you threatening me?"
"No," Jeongguk rasped. "But I really don't enjoy being intimidated. I didn't force you to push your cock into my mouth, Professor."
Kim's nostrils flared. He said nothing, the muscles of his jaw working.
"Seriously, what's your problem with me?" said Jeongguk, struggling to breathe through the pressure of Kim's grip. "I can't be the only student you've used. I'm not proud of what I did, but it was a fair deal: we both got something out of it. Why are you always on my case?"
"I have never changed grades for sex," said Kim through his teeth. "You are the only exception."
Jeongguk blinked. "What? But I've heard..."
"Yes, I get offers all the time, but I report anyone stupid enough to suggest it openly. Do I look like someone who would trade grades for anything, Jeon?"
Well, no. That was why Jeongguk had had trouble believing it when Jimin told him the rumour.
"But then..." Jeongguk studied Kim. "Then what about me? Why me?"
The silence stretched. And stretched. And stretched a little more.
Oh.
Jeongguk ran his tongue over his lips. "You want me." He let out an uncertain laugh. "Wow. I'm... I'm kind of flattered, I guess."
Kim glared at him, his grip tightening on Jeongguk's throat. "It's just lust, nothing more. I won't give you any special treatment."
"That's already been made clear, Professor. You've been a complete idiot lately, even more than you usually are." Jeongguk held his gaze. "Let's be honest, man. I needed to not fail your class, so I went down on you. I didn't force you to accept my offer. You wanted your cock sucked and you got what you wanted. It's not my fault you couldn't resist. And it's sure as hell not my fault that I turn you on. So please stop taking it out on me. I get it: you're sexually frustrated, but go masturbate, or sleep with someone..."
"I don't think so," said Kim, very quietly.
Jeongguk didn't like the gleam in his eyes. "What?"
"I always get what I want," said Kim, his tone soft in contradiction to his hard grip on Jeongguk's throat, here would probably be bruises later. "If I want your mouth, I'll have your mouth, not someone else's. On your knees."
Jeongguk stared at him. Was this man serious?
"I don't think so, Professor," he said equally softly. "You're the one who wants your cock sucked. I'm straight. What's in it for me?"
Kim's eyes narrowed. "I won't repeat my mistake again. You're going to have to earn your final grade like everyone else. I'm not going to give you a grade you don't deserve."
"Then it looks like this will be the first time you don't get what you want. Sir. Let me go. Now."
Kim didn't release him, his gaze evaluating. "Two thousand," he said.
Jeongguk frowned. "What?"
"Two thousand dollars a month."
Jeongguk laughed, incredulous, at his limit. "You have to be kidding me. I'm not a whore."
Kim raised his eyebrows.
Jeongguk frowned, though he felt his cheeks heat.
"It's different."
"How is it different?" Kim's lips twisted, but Jeongguk would never call it a smile. "It's actually much more honest and straightforward than prostituting yourself for a grade. You need money, Jeon."
"How do you know that?" Jeongguk said sharply.
"I have eyes. Most of your clothes are worn and old."
Kim's tone was matter-of-fact, and yet Jeongguk suddenly felt very self-conscious of his humble appearance compared to Kim's immaculate suit.
"Don't you have better things to do than study your students' clothes?"
Kim stroked his thumb over the pulse in Jeongguk's neck. "Two thousand a month just for sucking my cock. Think about it, Jeon."
Jeongguk didn't want to think about it. He wanted to laugh in Kim's face and leave, but...
But...
He thought about the empty fridge and cupboards at home. He thought about the rent, due next week. He thought about the coming winter, and the heating bills. He thought about Mrs. Han's salary. He thought about the fact that he barely saw Jessica and Krystal because he worked two jobs and still barely scraped by.
He was tempted. Fucking hell, he was tempted. It didn't exactly make him proud — Kim was right: he needed money and he was in no position to be picky about where it came from.
"Three thousand," said Jeongguk. If he was going to prostitute himself, he wasn't going to be cheap. Kim wasn't married, had a comfortable job, and had published several award-winning books. He could easily afford it.
Kim scoffed. "You can't be serious. I could find fifty prostitutes for that money."
"I'm sure you could. But you want me. And I'm not a prostitute."
"Could've fooled me."
Jeongguk ignored the provocation and said quietly, meeting Kim's eyes:
"It's not like you can't afford it. Three grand for fucking my mouth whenever you want."
Kim's nostrils flared. His face was hard to read, but the hunger in them as he looked at Jeongguk's lips was harder to conceal. It made Jeongguk feel strange. He was straight, but he was honest enough with himself to admit it was infernally flattering that this man, this powerful man whom everyone feared and respected, wanted him so badly.
"Whenever I want?" said Kim, raising his gaze to Jeongguk's eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, Jeongguk nodded. How often could Kim claim it? Probably a couple of times a week, at most. About ten times a month. And he would get three thousand dollars for it. He'd be able to quit one of his jobs and spend more time with the girls.
It would be worth it.
"Very well," said Kim, releasing his throat. He returned to his chair and looked at Jeongguk. "What are you waiting for, Jeon?"
Jeongguk swallowed and looked at the impressive bulge in the man's trousers. He could totally do this. Just ten times a month and three thousand dollars for his trouble. He'd already sucked Kim's cock once and it wasn't repulsive or anything. He could do it.
Jeongguk closed the door and then dropped to his knees in front of the most hated professor in the school.