After their classes, Jeongguk needed some extra time to pack his things and lock his locker. Although his friends asked many times if he needed help, he said no. But being unable to use his right hand — his good hand — was quite frustrating. And he usually wasn't a big fan of curses, but oh boy did he curse when he missed the bus and had to wait twenty-five minutes for the next one.

"I can't believe this shit is happening to me today, what else do I have to go through today, goddamn it, fuck, fuck, fuck!" he murmured angrily, well, to himself since he was sitting at the bus stop alone. He was too immersed in his little rambling he didn't perceive a certain someone standing next to him.

"Are you okay?"

Jeongguk let out a gasp as he snapped his head to the side. "Fuck, you scared me!" he cried, annoyed.

"Sorry," mumbled Taehyung, and a moment of silence rolled by. "How's your wrist?"

He glanced at him for a slight second. "It hurts, but it's gonna be okay."

Taehyung was tense. He knew he shouldn't even be talking to him and just follow Hoseok's advice, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to know if he was okay, and judging from all the cursing he did just moments ago, he most certainly wasn't.

"You missed the bus?"

"Um, yeah."

"You know I can give you—"

"Mr. Kim..." he interrupted, voice sharp but fading. He knew pretty well what he was about to say. "Doing that goes against the whole clear teacher-student relationship."

Taehyung sighed softly. "It's been a long day for you. I just wanted to help you out a little."

"Why do you even care?" he asked in a murmur.

"I usually care about my students, you know." A trace of vexation was mixed in his calm tone.

"Just leave, Tae—I m-mean Mr. Kim." His eyes widened upon realizing what he almost tossed off. In his head, he wasn't referring to him as Mr. Kim or Mr. Daddy material. He was referring to him as Taehyung, and he almost made the mistake of calling him that. And calling him by his name was something only a student who was close to his teacher would do. And were they close? No.

Taehyung, of course, registered that he almost called him by his name, and honestly, he was a little disappointed he didn't say it. He wanted to hear how his name would sound from Jeongguk's lips.

"I won't talk to you at all. I won't even park the car. Think of me as an uber driver."

And Jeongguk pondered over it. It had been a long day for him indeed, and he was already exhausted. He just wanted to go home. "Fine."

A delicate smile dangled on the corner of Taehyung's lips as he trailed behind the younger, who was trudging towards his car.

And Taehyung kept his promise. He didn't talk to him at all — he didn't even glance at him until they arrived outside of his house.

Jeongguk was ready to get out without saying anything but stopped his movements abruptly, making the other raise his eyebrows. "We don't have to be strangers," he said with a smile that didn't really reach his eyes.

"We don't?"

"Yeah, I mean... you're my teacher, and I'll be seeing you every day either way so..." He peeked at him thrice. "And I just thought that if I befriend you, you'll be offering to drive me home after school every day," he added in an impish tone, leading the other to chuckle.

"Well, I offered to drive you home today when we're not friends and you still hate me."

Jeongguk's smile melted away as he turned his head and set his eyes on him. "I don't hate you, Ta—Mr. Kim, damn." He tossed his gaze down and shook his head. He almost did it again for fuck's sake.

He bit back a smile at the sight. "You slapped my hand away, Jeongguk."

"I don't know why I did that. I guess I'm just overwhelmed."

"By what?"

"By w-what I'm feeling..." he trailed off as his cheeks turned into a reddish color and had to touch them with the back of his hand. The other looked at him with big surprised eyes, and he was about to say something when Jeongguk beat him to it. "It doesn't matter though. You m-made clear what we... are... and I get it, and I'm just s-saying that we don't have to be strangers."

Taehyung was left speechless. He thought the younger had just a simple crush on him. He never thought he could have actual feelings for him. But saying that he felt something he couldn't explain for him too would be throughout wrong, and he was bitterly aware of that.

So he decided to give him a tiny smile and nod his head. "Okay, let's not be strangers. And if you want, you can call me by my name. I don't mind."

"Sorry about that, it just comes out."

"I don't mind," he reassured again.

"But not in front—" The two boys said in unison. They looked at each other and broke into soft giggles. They didn't want Hoseok to know they started talking somewhat casually to each other since he repeatedly told them to forget about what happened.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then, Taehyung." A dulcet giggle slipped past his lips. "It's nice saying your name."

Taehyung couldn't help but chuckle too. "It's nice hearing it from you," he admitted with a low, tender voice.

His grin only grew bigger at his words. "Thank you for driving me."

"Anytime."

Jeongguk took a final glimpse of him and got out of the car. He waited for him to drive off but furrowed his eyebrows when he didn't. "Why aren't you leaving?"

"Why aren't you going inside?"

"I'm waiting for you to leave."

"And I'm waiting for you to go inside." A round of fierce eye contact began as silence swept over them. "Wait, do you need help?"

"No no no, it's fine, I can just—"

"I'm such an idiot." Taehyung burst out of the car and rushed to his side. "Give me your keys."

"Taehyung, I can open the door myself—"

"Give me the keys."

Jeongguk sighed as he rolled his eyes. He was about to take his backpack off when the older stopped him. "Just tell me where they are."

"In the front small pocket."

He spotted his keys easily, but as he took them out, a small piece of paper fell out of the pocket. "Oh," he uttered as he leaned down to grab it. "I dropped—" Words caught in his throat once he discerned what was written on it. "This." He passed it over to him as his expression hardened, petering into a wooden one.

His brows crumpled, completely confused by the change of his expression. He took a look at what was written on the paper and his eyes swelled. "What is this?"

"It looks like a phone number to me."

Apparently, Dongmin wrote his phone number on a piece of paper and put it in his backpack without the younger noticing it. But his mind didn't go to why he did that. It went to why Taehyung was rather cold towards him right now.

"Why the cold tone?" Jeongguk asked with a pout.

"Nothing, I'm sorry." He spun around and walked to the door.

He was still quite curious about why he was acting this way but decided to drop it. "Thank you," he said once Taehyung opened the door.

"Do you need help with something else?"

"Um, no, I think I'm good."

Taehyung's scowl dropped from his face upon seeing him smile, and he returned the sweet smile, peering at him. "If you need help with anything, you can tell me, okay? Don't be shy."

"I'm not shy. I just don't like being a burden to others."

"Stop thinking stupid things. If you need help, ask for it. You're not a burden to your friends or me, Jeongguk. And I'm sure you're not a burden to anyone."

"Thank you, Taehyung," he whispered, glancing around, timid.

"Don't mention it." He couldn't help but chuckle fondly at the sound of his name from that adorable boy's lips.

"Why are you laughing?" His bottom lip jutted out in a pout as he asked that.

And Taehyung's subdued chuckle switched into a sonorous, throaty laugh. "Bye, Jeongguk." He walked past him to get to his car.

"You're just gonna leave without answering me?"

"Yes. If you need anything, call me."

"I don't have your number."

Taehyung paused in his tracks. He pulled his phone out, and after a few seconds, Jeongguk's phone beeped, indicating he had a new message. He glanced at the screen and studied the unknown number that just texted him. "Is this you?" He fixed his gaze on him and received two nods. "Why do you have my phone number? And how?"

Taehyung's shoulders lifted in a shrug as he smiled at him. "Take care."

"Is this a new thing of yours? Why aren't you answering my questions?" he whined with a pouty face as he edged closer to the car and looked at him through the window.

"Stop being such a baby." Freaking goddamn cute baby. "You don't have to know."

He huffed at his words, still sulking. "I'm already regretting befriending you."

"I'll be your uber driver if you continue to talk to me, and I'll open the door for you for as long as you need," Taehyung said, playful, and cracked another smile when the other's pout disappeared.

"You're right. Thank you for your services, Mr. Kim."

"My pleasure, Mr. Jeon."

They chuckled at the small, spontaneous sketch they played, eyes lingering on each other. Taehyung ceased his laugh with a blithe sigh and started the engine.

Jeongguk waved at him as he finally drove away. Even after Taehyung's car was out of his sight, he was still smiling like a little kid. Why is he so perfect? Why can't I stay away from him?

Taehyung entered his house with a sigh. He plopped down onto the couch and ran a hand through his hair. What the hell is happening to me? He closed his eyes at his thoughts. The only thing he could think about was Jeongguk. After realizing that the younger had feelings for him, he felt lost.

He shouldn't be thinking about a seventeen-year-old boy, who was even his student, but there he was, thinking about how effortlessly beautiful he was when he was smiling, when he was just standing, doing absolutely nothing, and even when he was pouting. He was effortlessly beautiful all the time, actually, and in everything he did. Why can't I stay away from him?

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