8th Quiz - Dad

Haneul turned the cup of caramel machiato as she wait for her teacher to sit on their table. She craned her neck to search for that familiar backside squeezed in the crowd of people inside the cafe. She pouted when she failed. She turned her attention on her left instead, finding the mist on the glass wall interesting. 

"It's okay, I'm here." 

She unconsciously blushed when that sudden memory made it's way in her mind. She took a sip of her drink in hopes of calming her nerves. 

Just when she was facing a crisis, the unwanted guy returned. He was carrying a tray where a choco fudge and a caramel cake was placed. He lowered the tray, noticing the girl's red face. He quickly thought about the temperature. 

"Are you okay? Do you want the heater higher?" 

The student looked up quickly before lowering down her head again, shaking her head. "I'm fine." She uttered. 

Up until now, Hakyeon could not understand why Haneul isn't fond of looking at people's eyes for too long. 

If only he knew that she was like that only to him. 

He sat down on the seat in front of her, lifting his fork to bring a piece of caramel cake into his mouth munching slowly, studying the female in front of him. 

When she kept on looking down while fidgeting her coffee, Hakyeon pushed the choco fudge near her, successfully catching the girl's attention. She looked at him quickly before looking down at it, focusing her vision on the cherry topping in top. 

"Eat it. That's yours." He said. Haneul answered with a slight nod and then reached for the fork, getting a piece herself. Her face lit up immediately upon tasting the sweet. Hakyeon smiled unconsciously. 

At this, The male decided that it was best time to ask the girl. "Minha... Are you mad at her?" 

Haneul stopped munching, bringing her fork down. All of a sudden, the top student regretted asking her such a personal question. "Its okay, if you don't want to answer." He spoke. 

She shook her head lightly. "I wasn't mad at her. It's her decision. It's her life. I was just worried that she might ended up getting beaten up before leaving the gang. So I wanted, to see for myself." She squeaked. 

The older nodded in acknowledgement. "I want to know this, though." He leaned his elbows on the table, looking at the girl intently. Sensing this, Haneul looked up at him, being caught by his stare, as if entrenched by his eyes. The more he leaned closer, the more she leaned back, gulping. 

The guy did not notice this though and proceed to ask his question. "What right does Mari has to order Minha around?" 

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Yong Haneul banged her head on the table when she decided to bring her head down. "Ow" she mumbled, surprising her companion and the other customers in the room. Hakyeon panicked, "I'm sorry. Was I so insensitive to ask that? I'm sorry." He said in a rattle. The girl answered with a shake of her head again. 

"Does it hurt?" Haneul heard him ask before she shook her head again. His eyes, there is something in those eyes that she can't explain. Whenever she looks at those pair, something always stir inside her. She decided to answer him with her head hung low instead.

"Being in a gang, We get order by people with higher ranks." She started. "High ranks happen if that person is a pioneer or join before us. Things like those." Hakyeon nodded in understanding. 

"Ask me." He spoke. Haneul looked up all at once, hearing him say that. 

"What?!" She asked incredulous. Hakyeon looked away sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away. Haneul wouldn't admit, but she found that deed quite cute. 

"Well," he started. "I just realized that I've been getting information from you. Just to be fair, I guess you can ask me something too. It would be a good chance to start a good relationship with my student, right?" He laughed awkwardly. 

Ask him a question. Haneul blinked, her tongue has been itching to know this ever since so she asked away. 

"How old are you?" She asked loudly. All customers turned to the two, catching the student teacher off guard, bowing slightly in embarrassment before ushering her to keep quiet. The young girl looked at her surroundings before frowning. What's wrong?

"I'm 18." He answered and she nodded. "I'm 16." Hakyeon's eyes widened. "What?" 

Haneul blinked. "I'm 16. You're two years older. What's so surprising?" 

Hakyeon held the front of his shirt. She was 16. Only two years younger? Then why was she...

"And you're on your second grade in middle school?!" He asked, disbelieving. She nodded. "I've repeated second grade in middle school 3 times and stopped for two years during my elementary days." 

"Wah, jinjja." Hakyeon mused. He thought he was the strangest thing alive for skipping three grades, yet here she was. Someone stranger than him who stopped and repeated several grades.

"Quite revolting, isn't it?" She chuckled. "How about you? You're only 18 yet you're teaching already. What's your story?" She asked to quickly dismiss the topic about her. 

"Well, I've skipped three grades. So here I am. On my last year in college. I'm not a full time teacher yet. I'm currently a student teacher." He smiled. "If I get lucky and pass this internship, I might be graduating next spring." Hakyeon reached for his coffee and sip to warm his body up.

Haneul nodded in understanding. He mist be very smart then. In contrast to her. He's out of my league. She almost bang her head against the table again at the thought."Do you have a girlfriend?" 

At this the older choked on his drink, coughing. "What?!" He looked at her incredulously. He shook his head furiously as a response to her ridiculous question. The girl unconsciously smiled hearing his response. "OK." She said. "Let's go home!"

--

After the talk with him, Haneul found herself walking in Cloud Nine. He's single, and that's enough news for her. She stopped on her tracks as a unwanted thought went inside her head. She wants to be his girlfriend. She shook her head. 

No. No. No. No.

She was supposed to be mourning about Minha's departure, and yet here she was, acting like a harlot in front of her chemistry teacher. 

Hakyeon noticed that the girl who was originally walking behind him stopped on her tracks. He looked behind to see her conflicted expression. Is she constipated? He quickly shook his head at the thought. 

He walked back near her, to ask if she was alright when a shout caught the attention of the two. 

"What do you think you're doing?!" The two teens searched for the voice and both got surprised looking at a middle aged man holding a piece of rod in his hand. 

"Are you molesting my child?!"

Hakyeon frowned then whipped his head at the younger when he heard her speak, "Dad..." 

He looked back at the middle aged man again. He looked back at Haneul once more. 

He's dead.

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