DAY 13 - HIS OTHER SIDE

"Lunch box, lunch box..." Jinyoung moved to check the kid's lunch box after feeding him with a healthy breakfast. The clock's ticking fast and he was already in the state of panicking from organizing Gom's things for his first day of school. He woke up three hours ago, ironed the child's uniform, heated his water for bath, sweetly woke the grumpy child, dressed him up in complete uniform, and since cooking wasn't his forte, he did not expect that he will take too long to cook. "Alright. Bread, meat and eggs, bananas, yoghurt, and chocolates. What else did I forgot?" he checked each and every item inside the child's lunch box, frowning a bit while scratching his nape in uncertainties.

"Daddy Nyoung... daddy Nyoung, I don't know how to wear this one," he heard Gom mumbling from the living room. He perked up to check him and found out that the child was struggling to wear his socks.

"Ah! Water... You're so stupid to forget water, Jinyoung," then he flicked his fingers, remembering the sponge bob tumbler that he kept chilled an hour ago. As soon as he had scooted towards the fridge, he heard the grumpy child once again, who was probably getting frustrated that he cannot wear his socks properly. "Wait me for a while, baby," he sweetly hummed even though his patience was slowly deteriorating. His head was aching, he hasn't eaten breakfast yet, and he practically just wanted to flip Jackson, who ended up sleeping at the couch and has totally become a big fat nuisance from his way.

Jinyoung kneeled down, getting the pair of socks from Gom's palm. The child continued to rub his eyes while yawning, but he still managed to keep his eye wide, knowing that it was his first day of school.

"Can you brush up my hair, daddy Nyoung?"

Jinyoung beamed a smile as he stood up to reach for the brush. He rarely brushes up his hair, so he didn't have enough wax to hold the child's hair. But it wasn't a problem since Jackson has enough organic hair wax, and it wouldn't really matter taking a sufficient amount in return for secretly using his shampoo. "Omo! Omo! Look at you. My baby is so handsome," he gasped softly from seeing the outcome, which brought the child to giggle.

"Heehee! Like Dada Mark?"

"Erm, yeah?" he flinched a bit but he couldn't deny a fact. "But you're way better!!! Are you excited to go to school?!"

Gom actively nodded, "Am I going to meet new friends and play with them?"

"Of course, you will! But aside from playing, you also need to learn. Kids go to school to gain knowledge," he spoke while spraying a sufficient amount of cologne onto the child's uniform. "And remember that in meeting new people, you should not fight with them, alright? Just tell your teacher when someone's bothering you, but do not harm anyone. Also, you should participate and be active in class. Raise your hand if you know the answer. Do you understand what I am saying?" he inquired, pursing his lips after, and Gom simply nodded with a wide smile as his response. "Come on. Give me a hug before we go..."

After asking for a warm hug, he rose on his knees, directly proceeding at the kitchen to place the child's packed lunch inside his lunch bag.

"Another thing, you should eat everything inside this lunch box but you can only eat during your break and if the teacher only tells you so. Always listen to your teacher and don't be too naughty," he strictly reminded while visibly raising his index finger.

"Yes, Daddy Nyoung!!!"

Gom marched his little feet towards the entry door as he spun and jumped from excitement while carrying his newest bag pack. Whereas, Jinyoung took a minute to grab his purse and keys at the mirror shelf, which brought him to realize that he looked awfully haggard with his bare face. He had taken a bath an hour ago but didn't have the time to fix himself. In all honesty, he could care less about his appearance and simply leave the apartment with his bare face, he'll just need to cover it up with a mask and he's already up to any activities. But this time seemed different, he couldn't get out with a bare face, remembering that there's a great possibility for him to casually bump at someone in school.

"J-Jaebum? You're working here?"

"I am a Professor but from the other campus. We actually have separate campus for each levels. I just came here because we have a meeting. You? It was unexpected to see you here."

"I- uhh... I am enrolling this child. You had met him already, and I am still nursing him."

"Great! I think the timing is perfect! I am free for an hour, maybe I could assist and tour you around?"

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Jinyoung settled to wear his favorite stripe sleeve collared shirt as he had lavishly sprayed himself a sufficient amount of perfume. He brushed his hair at the side and wore an eyeglass to perfectly suit his college student look, which was enough to steal all of the mother's attention in school.

He lead Gom up to his classroom. And before leaving him, he had repeated all of the reminders that he said a while ago starting from actively participating at school activities to lessening his naughtiness by listening to his teacher. Unlike the other children inside the room, who couldn't be stopped from crying, Gom seemed to have immediately adapt with the situation. He just politely sat at his seat while keeping himself busy from observing the new environment.

Jinyoung satisfyingly smiled from seeing his little angel inside the classroom. He stayed outside for a moment and waited until the child had managed to talk to someone. When it seemed that Gom finally grew comfortable around the place, he secretly took a video with the purpose of sending it to Mark, just in case the latter wanted to know how was Gom's first day of school.

"It looks like he's adjusting well with the environment," he was about to leave when someone spoke beside him. He shifted his gaze to the left and found Jaebum smiling with his eyes and lips.

Both of them took a moment to catch up with each other's lives as they walked around the campus. Jinyoung could sense the forming awkwardness for the first few minutes, but since Jaebum was pretty much a good talker with a sense than him, all his worries simply vanished. Years probably passed but the friendship that they created throughout their memorable project experiences were something that cannot be easily forgotten. He had admired Jaebum, everything about him including his physical features, his eye smile, his virtues, his philosophies in life, and his great passion for studying and work. For Jinyoung, Jaebum's beyond of a person's ideal. It was as if the world has poured out good qualities and looks, and Jaebum had caught all of it. The latter was clueless about his growing attraction when they parted away, which was probably one of his greatest regret in life so far. However, it was as if the heavens just heard his prayers, the destiny had sent that person back next to him without a warning.

"I didn't notice but this campus is really big," he looked around, resting his hands behind his back.

"Ah, yes. The school just recently decided to have an expansion to accommodate the pre-school level, so basically, all of the facilities here are new," Jaebum smiled. The smile that he was always wearing back then when they were still in college. The smile that lights up his day. And, the smile that he liked the most.

It was surprising that he didn't even age a bit, and even more amazing that he looked much better than before, Jinyoung thought while he was subconsciously staring at him.

"Would you like to check out the campus for the middle school level?"

"W-What?" he blinked, slightly taken a back that he was caught shamelessly staring.

"Didn't you mention that you wanted to become either a pre-school or middle school teacher? Just tell me I can volunteer to tour you around."

"No need, Jaebum. I don't think I can anyways. I still haven't acquired my last units," he looked down, heaving a deep sigh.

"You think you can't? Wasn't it your dream?"

"It is. But I guess it's really impossible, now that I am spending half of my salary to provide my family's financial needs and the other half to raise the child. Mark's probably right, I always think of others that I rarely think about myself. And look at me, I am this hopeless."

"Mark?"

"Ah yes, that Mark, who can't draw a pig. It was a long story but we both agreed to raise the child," he tried to brush off the name out of their conversation.

"I always believe that it's our will over timing. And I believe you can do it, Jinyoung," Jaebum rest assured him with his comforting smile. "How about you take a scholarship? You only need to ace the entrance examination with 90% average score for you to be able to study without thinking about the fees at all. Some universities do not credit the rest of your units when you're a transferee with only two or more units remaining, but that's something I can help you out with."

"90% average rate, are you kidding me?" he enormously laughed but Jaebum looked hell of a serious. "Well, okay... Tell me the process! I guess I have to live and try my luck."

"First, you should consider to grab some lunch with me. This is the easiest route I could suggest you. Some students take a month to register their names on the list. But since you have my back, that'll only take one moment of lunch with me."

He blinked and felt his heart racing for a second. He was uncertain if he had misheard it or he was hallucinating, "Lunch with you? Today?"

"Ah, yeah. Just lunch... Also, I'll hand you the books, which could help you to study, then maybe I'll discuss the rest of the scholarship process for your convenience," Jaebum casually responded, causing him to mentally slap himself for raising his hopes high. Of course, the lunch that Jaebum was talking about probably meant a friendly lunch, and Jinyoung just wanted to curse himself for thinking that it was an official date. "Well, It's up to you... Just call me anytime when you're free!!!"

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Comfortably sitting down at a bench under a tree, Jinyoung took the peaceful moment to carefully deliberate and to decide about Jaebum's offer. There's no doubt that he really wanted to finish his studies. He wanted to share his knowledge by the means of teaching. And being a teacher, he wanted to become a professional and a licensed one. But no matter how much he wanted to continue studying, there were some factors that could affect his decisions and it might be too risky to handle it sooner or later.

Jinyoung knew how hasty he seemed to be when it comes to decision making, so this time, he wanted to take a moment to breathe out first before anything else.

"Where are you looking at-"

Then suddenly, he heard a deep voice whispering so close to his ear.

"Oh my! Y-You scared me!!!" he moved an inch away, furrowing his brows at Mark, who casually sat beside him while unwrapping his popsicle ice cream.

"Someone's in deep thoughts?"

"Nothing... I am just thinking about possibilities," he admitted, looking faraway with an empty thought.

The two of them quietly settled at the bench, just in front of the pre-school building, while waiting for Gom's dismissal. Mark was supposed to be the only one to fetch the child, but since Jinyoung was too occupied with his thoughts, he had forgotten to check the time.

"Do you think I should study again?" Jinyoung mumbled, anxiously biting his lower lip after. Mark only stared at him as he looked totally clueless and somewhat conflicted while his ice cream. "Ah. You probably didn't know... I dropped the university for my last semester in college two years ago. My father needed the money so I used my tuition fee since I had to prioritize his health first, but up till now, he can't still work so I am the one providing the family's financial needs."

Mark flinched from biting the ice cream tip, and later on, had blinked out of curiosity after hearing Jinyoung's thoughts, "Sorry but what are you asking me about? Do you need money?"

"I don't! That's not it!" Jinyoung immediately objected, unintentionally raising his voice, as he heaved a sigh. "Can't I just ask you this as a person? Why do rich people always think we are for their money..."

"You're the one who always think that I think that way. I was just surprised that you're randomly telling me these things. So, what are you asking me about again?"

"Well, um, I'm planning to take a scholarship examination," Jinyoung spoke to admit, but he sounded quite hesitating. He met gazes with Mark, who was nodding to encourage him to open up his thoughts. "But I just thought, can I really finish my studies? Thinking about some factors, it might not work well for me..."

"What factors?"

"Time and focus. I need to work for my family but I also need to take care of Gom."

Mark chewed to finish his last piece of ice cream first, before throwing out the stick to seriously focus from Jinyoung's not-so-stressing problem in his opinion. "Can't you do all at the same time? Like multitasking? I am not really the right person you could talk to since I also did not finish my studies, and multitasking is something that I am not really fond of doing. Basically, we are on the same boat-"

"I don't think so. Yours is a ship, mine is just a kayak," Jinyoung interrupted to argue, causing Mark to scoff in between his sentences. When will Jinyoung ever stop from bringing up their social status' differences?

"But since you already mentioned that you are a very passionate person in everything you do, then I can't see no reason for you to doubt yourself if you really wanted to finish your studies," Mark coolly shrugged his shoulders while stretching out his numb arms and legs.

Hearing these words from the latter, certainly helped Jinyoung out to ease his anxieties. It was true that he's a very passionate person, and its even more true that there's no reason to doubt himself if he really wanted to achieve something. He was maybe arguing with Mark most of the time, but the latter knew what right words to say at times like this, and Jinyoung was grateful that he had asked him. He only plastered a genuine smile as he eyed Mark from hea