Being the second son is the worst.

As I listen to my mother ramble about taxes for the millionth time, I stir my tea.

If this was only a once in a while discussion for dinner, perhaps I'd be okay with it. But as my older brother participates eagerly in the conversation with my mother and father, it reminds me that I have no shot in owning the family business.

The maids take my plate as I stand.

"Seokjin, sit down dear. We haven't even had dessert."

"I'm going to pass on dessert tonight, mom." I kiss her cheek the way I know she loves. "I should get to studying."

"How on earth are you ever going to learn about business if you always have your head in a book?" She says.

"Not sure. Maybe I'll try and figure that one out too." I say before heading upstairs.

I sit in my room and think. Even if I was the first son, I wouldn't have wanted the business. I just don't care.

But what is a job where I don't have to care at all, and get payed for it?

~~~~~~~~~

I'm awoken by a slam on the desk.

"Seokjin! If you ever want to be a business man like your parents, you better know English! How do you expect to make new business deals?"

"Um, Korean?"

There's lots of giggles around me. "Seokjin, I literally could not care less whether or not you pass. Just stop snoring. People are trying to write their tests!"

Oh my god. This is so convienent. He doesn't care. I don't want to care.

I'm gonna be a mothering English teacher.

~~~~~~~~~

"Seokjin, are you almost done packing for university?"

"Yes mom!" I call. "Is the butler packing the car?"

"Yes dear. Are you ready to start commerce tomorrow?"

"Ah, well, mom, I have something to confess. I'm not in the commerce program. I'm studying for a B.A. in English."

"Seokjin, I thought you wanted to go for commerce like your father and I?"

"I want to teach." I explain. "There was this one teacher I had and he was such a huge inspiration to me."

"... Whatever makes you happy, son." She shakes her head.

"Thank you mom! I love you."

"I love you too. Come on, let's get on our way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I kiss my girlfriend of the moment as we all throw our grad caps in the air. I don't know it then, but she won't last much longer. Nor will the next girlfriend or the several more to come. The moment people know I'm a son from THE Kim family, they all want to spend time with me. As I realized more and more people using me for money, I'd drop them out of my life.

But in this moment, I hold my diploma from teacher's college and grin. I know my parents aren't here, but that's no shock. At least mom took the effort to send me half a dozen white roses and a congratulation card at my apartment this morning.

My girlfriend fiddles with the ring I bought her, loving how the diamond glows under the spotlight. There I was, only a year ago, thinking I was about to be married.

And in reality, she was cheating on me.

As was the next girl.

And the next.

~~~~~~~

"This is ing sweet!" I hiss as I sit in my desk, looking at the empty desks where my class will soon sit.

"Ah, Mr. Kim, right?" A female teacher pokes her head to the room.

"Yes, Mrs. Park?"

"I just wanted to say welcome to the school!" She smiled. "I'm in the classroom next door, teaching third years."

"Nice to meet you." I say.

"If you ever need anything, you can always poke your head in and ask. The first year teaching is always the worst." She smiles. "I brought you some lesson plans for the first month to get you started. I taught this course last year." There's a loud thud as she drops a binder of plans on my desk "Also, you're my on call for Friday, correct?"

I check the schedule on my desk. "Yes, I am."

"Perfect!" She dumps a huge stack of papers on my desk. "I need these marked. Summer homework, you know how it is."

"Uh, right." I stare at it in shock. It's at least six inches thick.

"Thanks Mr. Kim! See you later!" She runs out.

This is so, so far off from not a lot of work.

I may be in the wrong job.

~~~~~~~~~

"-and I will be teaching the entire graduating class English this year. You're actually my first class, which means I remember better than all the other teachers how hellish this experience is. That being said, unless I absolutely cannot avoid it, there won't be any homework except for projects. Further more, all projects will be due on Mondays-"

I stop as I hear two students arguing furiously outside my door. I sigh and pull open the door to see a girl a and a boy fighting over a bagel.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh, we're new here." The boy speaks up. "Hey."

"You can't say hey, Dip! He's your teacher!"

"You're brother and sister, aren't you?" I narrow my eyes.

"Uh, yes. How do you know? We look nothing alike."

"I have a brother. I understand." I say. "I don't want to deal with the two of you together. One of you back left, other front right."

"I'll take the back left." The boy says, going and sitting next to one of the other students while the girl sits alone at the front.

I start calling attendance. Those two delinquents are Park Jimin and Y/N. I already know they're going to cause me a world of suffering, and I haven't even made it halfway through the period.

~~~~~~~~

It's a few weeks into the semester and I was growing a little suspicious of Y/N. She only ever scored 75% on her tests. Never above, never below. It was like she worked out ahead of time how many she needed to get right and choose which ones to get wrong.

What she got wrong was so random too. Sometimes it would be as simple as a definition, and then pass with flying colours on the writing section. Other times, she'd do fine on the knowledge and butcher her writing.

To satisfy my own curiousity, I decided to have her stay for extra help. Maybe I can get her mark bumped to a 78 or higher.

The desks were in a weird position, with some chairs flipped around. The kids an extra fifteen minutes after the lesson and wanted to make a fort.

So of course, I said "Yeah, why the hell not?"

I'm looking over Y/N's shoulder as she writes the foundations of an essay when the lights go out.

I grab her shoulder. "Follow me. I'll take you somewhere with lights."

Or at least, that's what I would've said. But barely a second later, she's on top of me twisting my arm while I yelp in pain.

"Who the hell told you where I am? How many are you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?! I'm your teacher and I asked you to stay after class!"

"Cut the bull. This black out was triggered by something, wasn't it?" She twists further and I feel something snap.

"Maybe the rain!" I hiss and she looks outside to where it's pitch black.

"I forgot it was raining today." She murmured.

"Well then, let go of me!" She let's go and I hold my arm.

"Did you break it?"

"Uh... Yeah. I think so. Sorry."

"Sorry? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Um, maybe we should talk to the principal. He can explain. But I think first I should call you a cab to take you to the hospital."

~~~~~~~~

"Sir, what happened to your arm?" One of my students asked.

"I fell down the stairs." I explain as the bell rings and all the students start to pack up. I see Y/N try to sneak out.

"Y/N! Come here. I need to talk to you."

"!' She swore.

"Have fun~!" Jimin patted her back.

"Do you want a broken arm too?"

"Shut the door, Y/N." I instruct as the rest of the students leave.

"I like your cast." She says softly. "It matches your shirt."

"Funny. So, after I got home last night I thought about what the principal told me. You know, about your past."

She narrows her eyes.

"So what are you going to do, Seokjin?" Her tone reminds me so much of my mother, sending shivers down my spine. I can hear the dissapointment all over again.

"I'm going to help you how I can. And... Please. Call me Jin."

"You're asking me to call you by name? Shouldn't I be in for not calling you Mr. Kim?"

"I am now one of twenty six individuals in this country who know your secret." He says. "Don't you think you and I are so much closer than teacher and student? At the very least, you and I are friends now."

"No, we're not."

"Every superhero has a sidekick, Batman has Robin, Superman has kyrptonite, spiderman has catwoman-"

"I think you're messing up your movies. And your facts, and your... Well, everything."

"Let me get historical, then. Jason had his Argo crew, Helios had Selene, Zues had Poseidon, Apollo had Artemis, it goes on and on."

"Except I'm not a Greek god."

"Y/N, you're like a modern day Hercules. You go through so much, and you're still able to function. Do you have any idea how incredible that is?" I reach into my pocket and pull out a paper I had already written on, handing it to her.

"This is my cellphone number and address. If you ever need anything, call me or drop by. I'll do what I can."

"I won't text you."

"Hmm, okay. Doesn't hurt for you to have it."

~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Omg you jerk! I'll get you for this!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm in the middle of a lesson the next day when my phone starts ringing nonstop.

"No phone, Mr.Kim!" Several students yell at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just turning it off." I look down and frown.