Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Sunghoon didn't hate his students, he just didn't care too much about them as parole. And frankly, they didn't care too much for him either. 

Sure, each semester there was a group of girls that fawned over him for being attractive, or the boys that admired his athleticism and physique, but they were sorta his coworkers. People he had to see everyday. 

It's not like teaching high school calculus was the most interesting job out there, even if you wanted to teach it. 

It was when you had a student like Kim Sunoo in your class. 

Sunoo was class president for good reason. He was one of those people that never stopped smiling, immediately lightening your mood. His presence was sensed from meters away, radiating like the sun. 

Sunoo would always greet him in the halls before homeroom, bowing a full 90° with his star-studded smile, eyes curved upwards. It was a small gesture, but it was the appreciation Sunghoon was looking for. 

His fatal flaw was constantly talking. It was never ending, whispering to everyone around him, yelling across the room to his friends, and never completing his work. 

"Sunoo, quiet please." Sunghoon said sternly as Sunoo rambled about some k-drama nonsense for the past couple minutes. "This is silent study for a reason." 

Sunoo shot him an apologetic pout and nodded his head before turning to his paper and staring at it. It took him five minutes for him to put the pencil to paper and start writing his name, then doodling all over the paper. 

Thirty minutes passed, and Sunoo hadn't finished a single problem. 

"Pencils down, time for review." Pencils clashed on the desks and their attention shifting, except for one student who kept his head down. "Sunoo, come show us how you solved problem one." 

The class all turn to the boy. It's clear on their faces that they knew he hadn't complete it, some stifling a laugh and others groaning. His head shot up, face changing to a look of fear and ears blaring red. 

"Oh! I haven't done number one, I-I completed it out of order." He chuckled nervously. Sunghoon's eyes narrowed as he headed for his desk. Sunoo quickly sat up and held the paper firmly against the table. 

A smirk almost cracked. "Which problem?" 

"Uhm, I'll know when we get to it." Same scared laugh. Sunghoon nodded, Sunoo's body relaxing and hands falling to his sides. In seconds, he swiped the paper out from the boy and examined it front to back. 

Not a number in sight. 

"Could someone come up and demonstrate how they solved number one?" Sunghoon asked as he slipped the paper back onto Sunoo's desk, mouthing "Stay after" to Sunoo's dismay. 

After class arrived, Sunoo stood before the podium with his head down. The classroom had cleared out with the door and windows shut for privacy. 

Sunghoon stared at him hard as Sunoo looked everywhere but at him. Tears quickly pooled down his pink cheeks, him angling his head further down in shame. 

"Are you in a cram school?" Sunghoon asked. Sunoo turned away and wiped his eyes with his arm. "Sunoo, you're not in trouble. It's my job to help you succeed." He held his hand out, something he'd never done or said before. 

The young boy sniffled and turned back. He gently placed his hand on Sunghoon's and kept his focus there. Long eyelashes wet and clumped together from his tears. He opened his pouting lips before shutting them. 

"Do you have a private tutor?" Head shake. "So cram school?" 

"I don't like it." He mumbled, stroking his small fingers along Sunghoon's palm lines. "They're mean there! You get punished with a ruler for answering wrong." His voice broke, eyes focused on their now interlocked hands. 

The older watched tears continue to roll down his cheeks and sighed. He knew the exact school, it was cheap and ineffective to teaching students. It made them fear learning. 

"Do you have your homework from that class?" Sunoo quickly scampered to his bag and fished out the workbook. He dropped it on the podium along with his head craning down. 

It was barely touched in an academic way, warped from being under whatever crap was in his bag. He flipped through to see scribbles of cats and him cursing out his teacher in Korean and broken English. He flushed as Sunghoon chuckled at each drawing. 

"Let's try this one. Together." Sunghoon offered, pointing to a rather easy problem. Sunoo looked up and locked eyes with Sunghoon. They were still filled with tears, yet somehow hopeful. He nodded fervently and leaned in as Sunghoon explained what the problem was asking. 

He didn't have a kind reputation because he wasn't. He was hard-headed and serious, something other teachers admired and many students hated. But seeing the fear in Sunoo's eyes when asked to solve the problem alarmed Sunghoon. 

The usual joy in the boy's face drained because of him hurt something in Sunghoon that he didn't know he possessed. 

The bell sang to signal the end of their break. Sunoo smiled at the two pages they managed to finish then at Sunghoon. 

"How about you come to the teacher's offices after school on days after cram school and we work on your homework." Sunghoon offered, shutting the book and handing it to Sunoo. 

He nodded with his glimmering smile, hugging the book close to his chest followed by a bow. 

"Thank you, Teacher." 

***

It started innocently, he promised. 

Sunoo would arrive with his workbook, smiling wide and they'd solve problems for one hour. It became more apparent that Sunoo was actually very good at mathematics. 

Slowly, he started participating in class, offering his work to be shown or explaining the process behind each problem with ease. Even his talking in class slowed down. 

Then, Sunoo started stopping by everyday before school as well. It wasn't always for more help, just one of his meaningless conversations. Sometimes Sunghoon arrived to his desk in the morning and Sunoo was standing there smiling wide. 

"Good morning, teacher!" He smiled and bowed. Sunghoon would hum in response, basically ignoring the boy. He would sit next to him, talking about nothing important like how he's missing a pair of socks or recent scandals to Sunghoon before leaving for homeroom once the warning bell rang. 

Other teachers found it weird, saying Sunoo was getting way too comfortable. Students and teachers shouldn't be this close, and Sunghoon knew. But he didn't mind it too much.

"It's great you're helping out Kim Sunoo, he's a sweet boy." Chaewon, Sunoo's literature teacher smiled during their break time. Sunghoon shrugged, ignoring her batting eyelashes. 

"He might start bribing you for grades." A different teacher interjected. Sunghoon finally looked up from his notebook and frowned. "You have a sweet relationship, and he'll use it to his advantage." 

"He's sixteen and needs someone to help him stay in line. I am simply doing my job." Sunghoon nearly growled. He shrugged followed by a scoff. 

"If he was a female student, I would resign." He whispered with a smirk before leaving. Sunghoon wanted to throw up. There weren't enough hours in the day for him to dissect what that meant. 

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't know Sunoo at all." Chaewon tsked followed by a quick smile. Sunghoon nodded, grateful she didn't hear the second half of what was said. 

It's not like Sunghoon hated his other students. Every semester, he had a student falling behind and he supported them in one way or another, and Sunoo was no different. 

The kid just needed a little more help than the others. Was that a crime?

***

Sunghoon walked around the classroom, passing out the papers for the next study block before the door was rudely pushed opened. It was Sunoo in his gym clothes panting like he’d ran a marathon. 

"Sunoo, you should not be here." Sunghoon said sternly. Sunoo bit his lip and swayed in the doorway with his arms behind his back. Eyes already pleading for something.

"I don't wanna play football today~! I'm so tired and I hate the captains." He whined, slumping against the doorway. Sunghoon nodded, encouraging him to finally spit it out. "Can I stay in here and hide?" He asked, eyes lighting up with hope. 

"Of course not. Get back to class." Sunghoon turned back to the desks, placing the papers once again. He heard more rattling and a chair scraping against the floor. Sunoo was about to sit in his desk. 

"Please~? I won't bother you during prep time and I've been marked present for attendance." He begged. Was he being taken advantage of? Next he was going to ask for a perfect score on his exam. The others could be right. He wanted more special treatment. 

And he granted it. 

Sunghoon scoffed and waved his hand off meaning whatever, a win in Sunoo's eyes. 

"Thank you, Teacher! Can my friend come too?" Sunoo whispered, hiking his shoulders up sheepishly. 

"Sunoo—"

"Only Jungwonie! We'll be so quiet, you'll think we're dead." Sunoo promised. Sunghoon sighed with an eye roll and nodded shallowly. Sunoo cheered loudly and ran to the hall, returning with Jungwon, the boy that sat behind him. 

"Thank you, Teacher!" He bowed before sitting down and taking out their phones. Sunoo wouldn't stop boasting about the K-pop concert they're going to this weekend while Jungwon showed him photos of the group. 

"Teacher, do you listen to Newjeans?" Jungwon asked. Sunghoon furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "Aigoo! They sang Attention, ETA, OMG!? You definitely know them!" 

"This weekend we're seeing them. We're staying with his aunt in Ulsan." Sunoo explained. Jungwon nodded, swinging his phone charm around. "Did you listen to K-pop when you were younger?" 

"Uhm, when growing up, my sister liked Shinhwa a lot." They blinked and stared at each other in confusion. "What about TVXQ or Lee Hyori?" 

"Teacher, no offense, but you're old." Sunoo giggled, Jungwon joining in. His laugh grew, contagious, eyes curved into crescents and his teeth showing. Sunghoon sucked his teeth with a slight smile. 

"I can send you two back to class in a heartbeat." Sunghoon threatened. They apologized and went back to a different conversation about their cram school.  

He looked back over and locked eyes with Sunoo resting his head on his hands. His cheeks were squished and pink lips jutting out. He winked quickly before turning back to the conversation. 

Sunghoon cursed at himself. He never found himself to be a pushover, rather the opposite. Notoriously opinionated and stubborn, not letting people sway his thinking. Sunoo always got through him, under his skin, and it never took him long.

Sunoo made him easy. 

***

It had been raining all day, monsoon levels of downpour with the wind nearly blowing the students away as they exited the school. 

Sunghoon watched them from the window, feeling pity for the ones who had to walk all the way home, or to the train station. Other schools districts closed entirely today, the elementary schools ending three hours early and afterschool programs being cancelled. 

"Teacher?" Sunghoon whipped his head around, shocked to see Sunoo. Holy jumpscare. "I've been waiting in the teacher's office. Are you ready for me?" Sunoo asked, cocking his head to the side. 

Sunghoon furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't want to postpone to tomorrow?" Translating to: Go home. 

Sunoo shook his head. "The rain will help me work better." He smiled, toying with a charm on his backpack. 

He could say no because he is the goddamn teacher and was in charge, but that word never left his mouth when it came to Sunoo. He also knew he didn't want to send him home. 

Sunoo had been sitting next to him with his workbook open. He was staring at Sunghoon as he graded papers, and the older knew. He ignored the student, feeling his ears getting hot. So much for working better in the rain. 

"Are you married?" Sunoo asked. Too close, too casual. Sunghoon slammed the red pen down, still focusing on the papers. 

"You only have twenty-eight minutes left before this needs to be done." Sunghoon pointed at the workbook, expression unreadable, but ears unimaginably red. Sunoo pouted and leaned on his hand, his rosy cheek scrunching up cutely. 

"Cram school was cancelled for the rest of the week due to the rain." He shrugged so casually. Sunghoon frowned. Of course it was, that shithole of a building was probably flooded. 

"Then you should've gone home. I'm supposed to be preparing you for those classes, this isn't social hour." Sunghoon was beyond annoyed and it was evident. There was a rainstorm outside and Sunoo wanted to fool around.

The younger pouted and shot his hands out to hold Sunghoon's forearm. "Teacher, I can't focus on my work at home! Being here with you helps me. I'm really sorry if I'm wasting your afternoon." His eyes sparkled with incoming tears, batting his eyelashes for forgiveness. 

Sunghoon had about one million sharp answers ready, all of them ending in Sunoo going home and never getting tutored by him again, but the pure innocence that radiated off of the boy was suffocating. 

"Then show me that you can focus and complete this segment." Sunghoon whispered, circling the problem. Sunoo's eyes lit up and he flashed a quick smile before getting back to work. 

Sunghoon was probably overreacting. Students ask him about his love life because they're nosy and didn't think before they spoke. Why would his question have other implications? 

He turned to see Sunoo filling out the final problem on the page, easily doing mental math. Sunghoon remembered when Sunoo refused to answer basic multiplication out loud with the fear of being wrong. Now, he doesn't ask him to check every number. 

He managed to finish relatively fast, shaking with anticipation as Sunghoon went over each problem. They were all correct. 

"Well done. You've really progressed this semester, Sunoo." Sunghoon nodded, sliding the book back to him. Sunoo smiled while holding back some noise of excitement and started packing up. 

"Thank you so much! I really am sorry I held you back in the rain today." He pouted, slinging his backpack on as he stood up. 

"Get home safe, Sunoo." Sunghoon smiled, holding eye contact with the boy. His eyes widened and cheeks flushed slightly before he bowed and ran off. 

Sunghoon sighed, scratching his neck. Sunoo was driving him mad. Exams were soon, it would be best if he studied on his own so the bribery allegations wouldn't ramp up. 

He also knew whatever they had going on couldn't continue. They needed space in order to keep their relationship normal. It already was not. The puppy eyes, gentle, prolonged touches, constant praises. Teachers and students should never be that close. 

The rain was far from slowing down as Sunghoon stepped outside. His heart went out to anyone caught in this storm unsheltered and underprepared. 

He stepped out from under the roof before turning back at the sound of a wrapper crinkling followed by a crunch.  

"Sunoo, what the fu—why are you still here?" The boy whipped his head around and laughed sheepishly, chocolate lingering on his lips. 

"I'm— uhm, waiting for my friends in photography club! We walk home together." He nearly choked with the speed he spoke, mouth full and shoving the cookie wrapper in his pocket. 

Sunghoon sighed. "Clubs are cancelled today because of the weather." Sunoo blushed. Such a bold faced lie. "Do you have an umbrella?" He asked. 

Silence. 

Sunoo twirled his foot around on the damp concrete and shook his head slowly. Of course he doesn't. 

"My eomma is going to pick me up, don't worry! She'll be out of work by six." It was barely past five and Sunghoon knew she didn't have a car, hell the woman probably couldn't drive.

It had already been a weird day for them, the line between student and teacher wearing thin, but Sunghoon would not sleep well tonight knowing his student was left in the rain until God knows when. 

He opened his own umbrella and waved the student over. Sunoo stayed where he was standing, licking the chocolate away from his lips.

"Text her I'll take you home. C'mon." Sunghoon cringed at himself as he waved him over one last time. Sunoo trudged to him with his head down, embarrassment spilling from his pores. He unconsciously held Sunghoon's bicep, face snuggled up into his sleeve. 

Sunghoon opened the passenger door for Sunoo, him not looking up with his bow and ducking in. Such a weird kid, acting bold one second and humiliated the next. 

"Just the train station. I live right next to it." Sunoo mumbled, tugging awkwardly at his uniform shorts. 

The car ride was silent, forcing Sunghoon to play one of his soft jazz cds. It gave the car life, yet it couldn't thin out the heavy atmosphere. 

The younger looked like a statue. Still yet beautiful. Cheeks flushed and wet from his deep frown and light eyes sparkling. He wanted to hold his face and tell him everything is okay, you're not a burden. 

He pulled up in front of Sunoo's apartment slowly, not wanting him to leave just yet. Sunoo exhaled softly and wiped his face, thinking Sunghoon hasn't been watching him. 

Sunoo stared out at the road, then turned to face Sunghoon. His eyes were blown wide, lips in its natural pout. The jazz playing and rain pelting down on the roof drowned out whatever the younger mumbled, forcing Sunghoon to lean in closer. 

"Thank you for driving me." Sunoo repeated, resting his hands on Sunghoon's thigh. It was too close, but Sunghoon stayed stationary. "I wish I could repay you for all the help you've provided me." 

Sunghoon shrugged. "Don't stress about that. I offered." Sunoo nodded, looking down at his hands. His nails were starting to dig into his slacks, a slight pinch Sunghoon didn't enjoy. He gently held his thin wrists and moved them to the center console. 

"You never answered me," Sunoo mumbled. "Are you married?" 

Oh yeah, "No." 

Sunghoon wasn't embarrassed about it either. He was still young enough and above average. Marriage was not on his radar at the moment. 

Sunoo unbuckled his seatbelt and slid his hands up to Sunghoon's chest. He gnawed at his pink lips, gears visibly turning in his head. Sunghoon blinked twice, brushing his hand on the side of Sunoo's face. 

The boy exhaled hard, leaning into his soft touch. His wet eyes fluttered as he opened his mouth to speak before Sunghoon ran his thumb over his bottom lip.

It was dangerous, but too late. It was subconscious, unavoidable, a Freudian slip. He knew it was wrong. He knew they had been getting too intimate, but he couldn't go back as his lips pressed against Sunoo's. 

He felt the boy melt in his hold, hands draping over his shoulders, chest flushed against his. Sunghoon held his neck tight, maintaining his control. This was his idea. He initiated this. 

Sunoo whimpered as his grip tightened on his hair and kiss grew hungrier, messier. The real Sunghoon was slipping, the urge to swallow his student whole was stronger than ever. No guilt remained with Sunoo kissing back like he was oxygen. He could feel his desperation, his desire to open Sunghoon's chest and curl up with his heart. 

Sunghoon released him, eyes focused on his very red lips and messy hair. Sunoo held his hot face and licked his lips while fighting a smile. 

"Teacher—" 

"Call me hyung." Sunghoon huffed out, stroking Sunoo's hair. He nodded slowly, smile finally slipping. "Take my umbrella, and do not forget one next time." He whispered, handing him the wet umbrella. 

"Okay, hyung." Sunoo nodded, stepping out of the car. He leaned down to make eye contact with Sunghoon and flashed one last smile. "Goodnight. Dream of me." 

The door slammed and Sunoo disappeared into his apartment. 

***

Sunghoon did dream of Sunoo that night and for many more. 

He brushed his teeth a little harder that night, drawing blood from his gums and lips somehow. That non-existent guilt came fast and hard once he realized what he had done. 

It was horrid, disgusting, it was not him. He needed to be punished, chastised, arrested at this point. 

Sunoo wasn't even on the path to graduation, a whole year and a half with the threat of being his teacher again for four more semesters. 

He knew he had fucked up, breaking down that barrier, but a small part of him swelled with pride. 

Okay sure, he was a minor, but he wanted this. He wanted to be with Sunghoon. It was obvious from the first day of school when the boy asked to be president, promising he'd be a model student. Sunghoon knew Sunoo wasn't a model student, but he was a likable one, one that enjoyed standing out. 

Also, Sunoo wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't act lovestruck by his teacher in front of his classmates, he'd be expelled and never see Sunghoon again. And Sunghoon knew neither of them wanted that. 

Everything was the same for the rest of the week with Sunoo greeting him at his desk in the morning, participating well in class, and his constant talking. 

The only difference was Sunoo's gaze. 

It was begging, as if Sunghoon had something Sunoo wanted for decades. Sunghoon couldn't pretend to not know what his constant stare meant in the middle of quiet study, pleading. 

The bell rang with the students flooding out for their break. Sunoo made his way to the podium and folded his arms. 

"So, what now?" 

Sunghoon blinked. "I'm sorry?" 

Sunoo sighed and watched the last student shut the door behind herself. He sauntered to the other side and leaned his elbow against the wood. 

"Hyung, we both know this is more than a teacher-student relationship." He giggled, sliding his hands out to meet Sunghoon's. 

It was true. Sunghoon tried to ignore his racing heart when Sunoo would write the problem on the board next to him, sweet and clean scent deep into his nose. They both couldn't ignore it now. The cat's out of the bag. 

"That does not mean you are not my student, Sunoo. We still have a somewhat professional relationship." 

Sunoo groaned. "When can I kiss you again?" Sunghoon's face burned. Okay, wrong direction. "Hyungie, I know you've been dreaming of me. I have too." 

He released Sunoo's hands and handed him a packet of paper towards him. 

"Exams are coming up, so I cannot tutor you anymore. Here's a study guide for you to work with." Sunoo stared at the packet, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm handing these out at the end of the week, get ahead so you can pass well." 

"So, no kiss?" Sunoo pouted, sliding between Sunghoon and the podium. The position was tight, his senses filled with Sunoo, their bodies flushed. If someone were to run back into the room, he'd be doing ten years to life. 

He gave in, like always. It was languid, Sunoo throwing his arms around his neck like a teen romance, Sunghoon's sliding around his lithe waist. His body relaxed, not even realizing he was holding so much tension. 

Sunoo pulled away first, slipping away to his desk with the packet. They held eye contact as he zipped his bag and headed for the door. 

"Thank you, hyung." He smiled before vanishing into the hallway. 

***

It had been a weird day with the class president missing. A female student delivered the attendance to Sunghoon that morning, avoiding eye contact and bowing at him before rushing out. 

He was visibly off-kilter, spacing out when students spoke to him and not explaining himself well to adults. 

He finally managed to make it to the end of the school day, staring blankly at his monitor that was stuck on the attendance page. Three other students around Sunoo were excused for a baseball game. Four Kim's missing. 

"Turns out Kim Sunoo has the flu." Chaewon sighed. Sunghoon shot his head up and watched two other teachers walk over to her desk with concern. He slowly followed after. 

"What a shame, I hope he can get back in time for exams." Another teacher pouted. They were all staring at the note to allow his absence. "His eomma must be so worried." 

Sunghoon furrowed his eyebrows. It was just the flu and the season when everyone is constantly sick. Most likely just one day out of school. 

"Aigoo-yah, such a sweet boy with a broken home." Chaewon winced as the others walked to their desks. Jongseong turned back toward her, eyebrows furrowed. 

"A broken home?"

"Well don't you know? His appa left 'cause his eomma is totally mental. And yet, he manages to keep that warm smile on." 

Sunghoon frowned. Was this common knowledge? Sure, she was his past homeroom teacher and is in touch with his mom and grandmother, but Sunghoon felt hurt that all of this had been hidden for him.

"It's amazing that you've taken him under your belt, Sunghoon oppa. He needs all the support he can get." She smiled, rubbing his forearm. He nodded and bowed wordlessly, heading back to his desk. He scratched his neck awkwardly, feeling a set of eyes on him. 

"Yeah, Sunghoon-ssi is rather close with him, no?" 

Sunghoon recognized his graving voice, sitting down and pretending to type something important. Others hummed softly, no malice behind it. 

"I just think if he was a different student, people would turn heads." He shrugged. Others let out an inquisitive noise. 

Sunghoon's blood boiled. Sunoo was different. He needed all the help he could get, he needed Sunghoon. 

"Not all of us are rapist." Sunghoon scoffed, packing up his bag. The office was silent as he headed for the door. "I'm done for the day, have a goodnight all of you." He grimaced, bowing before his exit. 

He didn't care that it was odd to leave after accusing his innocent coworker of such a heinous crime, it just slipped out. There was no reason for him to say that, Sunghoon didn't like to be petty, he was past that age. 

He entered his car, hands shaking as the key turned in the ignition. He wanted to scream, crash the car or hit that stupid teacher. That asshole didn't know jackshit about him and Sunoo. Honestly, he was probably jealous that he could create such a close bond with Sunoo. 

Whatever, it didn't matter in the slightest. What mattered was Sunoo and if he was okay. He didn't need to go to his house to check on him, the flu wouldn't kill him in the twenty-first century. But it wouldn't hurt to check up on him. 

He inhaled three times before knocking on the front door. The sound of the door unlocking rattled in his head. Maybe he could run back to his car in the time it takes for the door to open.

"Hyung? Why are you here?" Sunoo asked, jumping and beaming ear to ear. He looked perfectly fine. Sunghoon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have the flu?" He huffed out. He looked perfectly healthy. Sunoo's shoulders dropped and face changed, shocked.

"N-no." He stammered, ears now red. Sunghoon started walking away before being yanked back. Sunoo's eyes were wide, begging for him. "I'm sorry I lied! It was the only way my eomma would let me stay home today." 

"Why did you stay home today?" 

Sunoo shrugged, bashful. 

"Well I'm glad you're okay. This is a critical time for you to be in school, don't skip tomorrow."

"Will you stay? Eomma won't be home until later and I don't wanna be alone." He mumbled, looking down at his slippers. They were white and fuzzy with a polar bear heads. 

No. Sunghoon needed to leave. He had zero business being at Sunoo's apartment especially now he knows Sunoo is in perfect health. 

"Only a little bit. I have things to deal with." 

Sunoo pulled him in and slammed the door shut. The apartment was small and messy with everything somehow everywhere. Counter tops covered in untouched mail, a broken glass in front of the sink. The neatest thing were Sunoo’s two pairs of shoes at the door. 

His eyes immediately went to the framed photo of a young Sunoo with both parents right next to the front door. He wore a matching polo shirt as his dad while holding a white kitten and his mom dressed in a long skirt and lovely top. A standard Korean family. 

"Are these your parents?" He asked as he slipped his shoes off. A stupid question, yeah, but it was for science. He managed to have stolen his mom's face entirely, round cheeks and fox eyes, but still resembling his dad. 

Sunoo nodded, not looking back.

"Where's your dad?" 

"I dunno. Eomma says he'll be back soon, but it's been twelve years, four months, and sixteen days." He shrugged so casually. 

"Oh, I didn't—" 

"Hyung, come to my bedroom." 

Sunoo didn't give him much of a choice, dragging him into the first door on the right. His room was exactly what he expected— small and bright. He had probably a million posters ranging from K-pop girl groups to cats cuddling in a bed. Above his bed were tally marks surrounding the words APPA R̸E̸T̸U̸R̸N̸ GONE. The median changed from crayon to colored pencil to gel pen. 

"Is it nice?" He asked, rocking back on his heels in anticipation.  

Sunghoon nodded absentmindedly, looking down at a photo of him. Something to ease his mind. He was smiling wide with two missing teeth in a ballet tutu with a boy holding him in his arms and kissing his cheek while a man stood behind them both. The man looked nothing like his father.  

"Those are my old neighbors! They were like family." He giggled, skipping over and holding up the frame next to Sunghoon's face. "You guys are somewhat similar." 

His face wasn't so innocent anymore. 

"Where is he?" 

Sunoo sighed, placing the picture down and flopping onto his bed. "They moved to Australia and never came back."

Sunghoon's blood ran cold. His mind was reeling with. questions. Did he touch Sunoo too? Was Sunghoon like that pervert, in the bedroom of his sixteen year old student? 

Sunoo pulled Sunghoon for the nth time and yanked him onto his bed. He finally got a good look at his home clothes that were swallowing him. His sweater white and fuzzy, exposing his collarbone. Bare and bone prominent. 

"Why do you cry so much?" Sunghoon asked, brushing Sunoo's hair back. The younger stayed silent, holding his soft gaze. "Your smile is too beautiful for you to not be happy." 

Sunoo laughed, rubbing his legs together. His shorts shifted around, plush thighs on display in a new light. Knees pink, legs bare and smooth. Sunghoon swallowed, realizing how young he truly was.  

"You have so many questions today. Was school that boring with me gone?" He batted his eyelashes, so pretty. 

Sunghoon rolled his eyes and leaned down to peck Sunoo's lips. It was chaste, quick, but Sunoo's head jerked up to meet Sunghoon's, begging for more. The older paused, sitting up at the other side of the bed. 

"My turn for questions: When will you have sex with me?" Sunoo pouted, rolling over onto his side. His shirt rode up to reveal his soft belly and small waist. He was like a succubus, luring in the older. 

"Sunoo, that's—" 

"I'm a virgin. Break me in for when I go to university." 

A pang of jealousy shot Sunghoon straight in his chest. He couldn't imagine Sunoo with another man in whatever university he ended up at, but it would be far from their rinky-dink small town. 

"Where do you want to go to university?" 

"Yonsei. Just like you." His smile was so innocent like he didn't ask for Sunghoon to take his virginity two minutes ago. 

Sunghoon slid his hand up Sunoo's shirt, thumb stopping right beside his hard nipple. Sunoo exhaled shakily and dropped his arms limp by his head. He was sprawled out like a doll, lips parted and plump as always. 

"You're not ready." He said flatly. 

"Just 'cause I'm a virgin doesn't make me inexperienced." Sunoo shrugged, using his socked foot to play with Sunghoon's belt buckle. "I've made others orgasm." 

Sunghoon sputtered. "Sunoo—" 

"Hyung, please? I'll do whatever you want me to. Enticing, right?" He smirked. Sunghoon blinked, taken aback. 

Sunoo threw his arms around his shoulders and pulled Sunghoon down into a kiss. He couldn't reject it, immediately taking control. The younger sighed, Sunghoon slipping his tongue into his mouth. He tasted like mango and papaya, just as sweet as he remembered. 

He kissed down his jaw, licking a long stripe back to his ear. Sunoo shivered, hips bucking for contact. 

"You're impatient, huh?" Sunghoon smirked, palming Sunoo's growing erection. He mewled in response, rolling his hips on his hand. "Do you touch yourself, baby?" 

Sunoo whimpered, turning his head away. Sunghoon chuckled against his ear, teeth tugging at his lobe. He wanted to draw this out as long as possible to wear Sunoo out and hear his sweet little noises, even his breathing was adorable. 

He left his face alone and pulled his sweater up to reveal his entire upper body. His chest was flat and moving fast, rib cage poking through with each inhale. Sunghoon peppered kisses around his nipples, Sunoo hiding his head in a pillow. 

"C'mon, you can't get all shy now after begging me to do this." Sunghoon said against his right nipple. "Do you touch here when you jerk off?" He was so lewd and grew more confident seeing Sunoo crumble under him. It was go big or go home now. 

"N-no. Stop talking so dirty, hyungie~ it's embarrassing." Sunoo whined. 

"It's not embarrassing, hyungie just wants to make his baby feel good." He prodded his tongue at the hard nipple before fully sucking it, his free hand thumbing his left nipple. 

Sunoo bit the hem of his sweater, moaning and whimpering muffled yet still loud. His hips rolled against Sunghoon's abdomen with his shorts slipping down. 

Sunghoon sat up and shoved his hand into Sunoo's shorts, stroking his clothed dick. He was scarily hard as if his erection wanted to break free. He looked back at Sunoo whose face was scrunched up and had his tongue lolling out onto his wet sweater. 

Then it all stopped. 

"Sunoo-yah~ where's my aegi~?" A voice yelled in the distance. 

The air in the room went still, Sunghoon shooting off him at record speed and Sunoo fixing his clothes. He slammed his door and put his desk chair underneath the doorknob. 

"Wait a second! I'm dressing up!" Sunoo shouted followed by a horribly fake cough. Sunghoon had no time to register what was happening before he was yanked out of the bed and pushed to the ground.

He looked up at Sunoo in disbelief. This kid wanted him to hide under his bed.

"Get under, she'll murder you." He threatened. 

It was unbelievable. He was double this kids age and stuck hiding under his twin bed. He could hear Sunoo rearranging his room and lay down in his bed. All he could do was pray the bed would break and kill him. 

"My sweet aegi, don’t get shy with eomma~ I birthed you.” His mom chuckled, pecking each cheek.  “How do you feel?" She whined, sitting on the edge of the bed. Sunghoon held his breath as he felt pressure on his legs. Sunoo hummed sadly, coughing and sniffing his nose dramatically. 

"A bit better. I think I just need to sleep more." 

His mom whined, pressing her forehead to his. He winced, her using too much pressure. 

"You're still hot, do you need a bath or maybe change clothes?" She asked, pulling at his sweater. Sunoo quickly grabbed her wrists and shook his head. 

"I'm fine eomma, I just need to lay down." 

She pouted. "Please feel better, baby. I'm going to your grandma's house. Appa said he'd go eat with you, okay my little kitty?" She giggled, squeezing his round cheeks. 

Sunoo hummed, closing his eyes. "We'll eat chicken tonight. I'll make sure he leaves your favorite." She nodded and kissed his forehead before slamming his door shut. 

Sunghoon stuck his hand out from under the bed once she was for sure gone, Sunoo having to pull him out. He had a thick layer of dust on his slacks and felt like he had been wrung out. 

Sunoo held his face and pouted apologetically. 

"She really is insane and you feed into it." Sunghoon scoffed, wiping his body clean. Sunoo's pout changed to disapproval, not appreciating those words about his own mother. 

"She’s a little sick, have some compassion!" Sunghoon was out the room at the front door with Sunoo whining throughout the house. "Aren't you hungry? I have a coupon for some food, or I can cook us something fast? Leftover kimchi jjigae?" He tugged on Sunghoon's arm, nearly pulling it from its socket. 

Sunghoon looked at the state of the kitchen. He’d be dammed if there was any food in that fridge. The time on the stove was a blinking 00:00 and missing three of four burners. 

"This is why you're not ready." Sunghoon scoffed as he slipped into his shoes. Sunoo pouted and snuggled up into his arm. 

"She's gone now for the night! Please stay, I don't wanna be alone~!" He cried. Sunghoon looked down at him and sighed. 

Sunoo was so visibly young. His eyes still filled with childlike wonder and that spark that hasn't been put out yet. Sunghoon couldn't bring himself to have sex with him, or carry on with whatever this was. 

"Hiding under your bed? Sunoo, you're sixteen, of course your mom wouldn't want someone in your bed, let alone your fucking teacher!" 

"It won't happen again! I promise I’ll be careful!” He screamed back, Sunghoon flinching away. “We can go to your house, you live alone!" Sunoo offered as if Sunghoon was looking for solutions. 

Sunghoon sighed, holding his pink cheek. So round, so supple, so malleable. 

"Come to class tomorrow, hm?" 

Sunoo nodded slowly, holding his wrist. "Will you change my attendance to present for today? What kind of class president has an absence." He whispered, pout deep. 

Sunghoon sucked his teeth. Special privileges. "Of course." Another light tug at his wrist. 

"Don't leave me." He mumbled, pulling his hand tight. Sunghoon pecked the back of his hand and slipped out of the house. 

He needed to leave all of this. 

***

Sunghoon didn't drink much, if ever. He found it not satisfying to wake up with a migraine and not remembering the night before. He only got drinks with Jongseong when he'd visit. 

Park Jongseong was Sunghoon's only friend— in Jongseong's opinion— from childhood. Jongseong ended up using his degree for something useful:— once again Jongseong's words—being an accomplished accountant. He was in town to receive an award at the high school for doing something important after college. 

It was the same type of restaurant every time, some Italian place with baffling prices for three strands of pasta. Jongseong liked it because it allowed him to flex his salary, at least that's what Sunghoon believed. 

"So how are the kids?" Jongseong asked as he swirled his glass of wine that grossed about €500 in France, something he had mentioned twice. 

"It's finals soon." Sunghoon shrugged. Jongseong tsked in annoyance. 

"Are you still an asshole, or do they like you?" 

Sunghoon stared at his plate of carbonara. It looked repulsive, too creamy and oddly sweet when he tried it. He didn’t even like Italian food. Nothing was going right for him. 

"I'm thinking of moving to Seoul." 

Jongseong's eyes widened in excitement. He slammed his hands onto the table, calling the attention of the other patrons. He'd been begging Sunghoon to come to Seoul for years. There was more for him than their boring small town. 

"You're gonna take that Yonsei professor job after all? This is why you need to talk with me more, I'm always right!" He scoffed. 

Sunghoon was offered the job out of school, but repeatedly denied it. Everyone called him an idiot for becoming a high school teacher since he was too smart to teach pubescent children, so he used his dying mom as a deflection. Now, she'd been dead for years and he had a reason to leave. 

"Yeah, whatever. High school isn't working for me." 

"You'd probably have tenure by now—" Jongseong paused, furrowing his eyebrows, confused. "You said that about university. Why the change of heart?" 

Sunghoon hated that Jongseong had a brain and actually remembered their conversations. He had dissed their professor that offered him a job out of university, calling higher education elitist and not inspiring. He found high schoolers to be more driven in life, still young and impressionable with unrealistic dreams—

"Is it someone?" 

Sunghoon froze, holding eye contact with him. 

"That chick that sits across from you?"

"Her name is Chaewon. And no, it's not her." His voice was shaky, now realizing he can't lie and needs to confess that he's having relations with his student. 

"It's a student." How does he always guess right? 

Sunghoon sputtered. "Can you chill? My mom died."

"Dude, it's been like four years and you said you'd move once all her stuff was situated, and that's not an excuse. Something, or someone, is pushing you out." 

Of course he could read him so fast and easy. Sunghoon didn't have to use words, just his ambiguous, stern look that would falter when caught. 

"What's his name? Sure, he's a minor, but I won't judge young love." His tone was teasing almost, playing with his veal. It was still bleeding on the plate. 

"His name is Sunoo. Kim Sunoo." 

"Have you raped him?" 

"What?! Jongseong—" 

"It's statutory." He shrugged, pointing the veal on his fork at him. Sunghoon blinked twice. "Look, I won't judge you because I'm evading my taxes now, so you can be a criminal too." 

He couldn't believe his life had came to this. A future sex offender and tax evader eating overpriced Italian food on a Thirst evening. Soon, they'll be burning coal in the prison yard. 

"I wouldn't do that. I need to leave—" 

"Before you fuck him? He must be gorgeous for you to not be able to resist him. You're picky." Jongseong's mouth was full, his hand covering the nasty site of chewed baby cow. 

"He's too attached to me." Jongseong stifled a laugh. 

"You? Wow! I didn't know you were Mr. Charisma now! What did your last ex call you; soulless and ghastly?" His laugh was loud and obnoxious. Sunghoon heard an older couple grumbling about him. 

Sunghoon groaned. He was never the dating type, solely dating for marriage at this point and having two failed engagement attempts under his belt. He didn't want to marry Sunoo, there was some third thing he wanted from him. He wanted to be a mentor to the boy while waking up next to him every morning. It was perplexing, almost incestuous. 

"You could frame him for promiscuity." Jongseong shrugged. Sunghoon furrowed his eyebrows. "Say he came onto you. You saying he's gay is way more powerful than his word." 

Sunghoon's stomach churned. Jongseong was no upstanding citizen, quite the opposite. He was notorious for being shady with his money and screwing people over— including Sunghoon himself.

"His father is gone which probably lead him to like older men and his mom is… she’s got something going on up there. I can't have him expelled, I'd feel even more guilty." 

"You're a predator, taking advantage of what, a fatherless sixteen year old?" Jongseong snickered. "Look, I think taking yourself out of this is good, but this Sunoo kid is for sure not okay in the head either. Don't ghost him, break up with him. In real life." 

"We aren't dating."

Jongseong scrunched his face and rolled his eyes hard, them staying stuck for two seconds too long. "That's all you heard?" Sunghoon pushed a chunk of bacon away and cleared his throat. 

"Whatever, I'll tell him after the exam results come next week." 

Jongseong scoffed. "If you move, I'll finance your apartment for the first year."

Sunghoon squinted, unsure and surprised. "What?" 

"I know people who are selling high-end apartments in Seoul. With this new job, you'll be able to afford it in a year, so I'll support you for that first year as you get your feet off the ground." 

"Why was this never an option before?" 

"Since you're pretty hellbent on leaving, I just wanna give you a little push to confirm it." Jongseong shrugged. "Also I'm rich now." 

Ah, there's the real reason. 

Sunghoon nodded and smiled. Anyone would say the actual moving the hardest part, but knowing Sunoo, he might erase the plan entirely. That kid had something no one else had, it was alarming. 

Jongseong waved for the check and leaned in quickly.

"Hey, do you wanna pay for tonight?" He smirked and played with the leather booklet. Sunghoon frowned deeply. "You're right, it's not like I'm about to pay for your entire apartment for the next year, hell, maybe, hm, 18 months if I'm feeling generous by then. It's also not like I drove down here since you invited me out to—"

"Give me." Sunghoon grimaced, snatching the booklet and placing his card inside. "I don't even like stupid Italian food." He mumbled under his breath. 

They walked out of the restaurant, Jongseong immediately lighting up and offering Sunghoon a cigarette of his own. He took it fast. He wasn't a smoker, only when his life was falling apart. 

"Are you staying with your parents?" Sunghoon asked, taking a slow drag. Jongseong smirked followed by a tsk. 

"God no. In my Iron Man bed and have my mommy read me a bedtime story? I'm visiting them tomorrow then I'm flying out to Shanghai. Important account shit and whatnot." He shrugged casually. 

Sunghoon didn't react. 

"Don't worry Mr. Charisma, I'll be back next week for them to honor my glory and money." 

"You're pretentious." 

"I donated to that fuckass gymnasium, of course i'm getting an award. What the hell have you done, Park Sunghoon?" He tsked. "Having sex with your students." 

"Can you shut the fuck up?" Sunghoon yelled. Jongseong just smiled. Wolfish. 

"Speaking of, you should give the kid a proper goodbye. Is he a virgin? Are you gonna let some random take that from him?" Jongseong exhaled. Sunghoon nearly choked on his smoke. 

"Stop." 

Jongseong smirk grew followed by a smug shrug. "Picture this: it's fifteen years from now, you see the boy walking around Seoul because he moved after university— he's going to SNU most likely, I can see it in his future already— and you lock eyes with him. You're old, gay and lonely while he's happily married with two kids and all you can think is We should've had sex before I left. Am I right?" 

Sunghoon just glared. "You disgust me." 

"I disgust you? I'm about to finance a sex offenders house!" 

"Don't you have taxes to pay?" 

"Tread lightly or that apartment is history."