It was cowardly, extremely cowardly, but it was the only thing he could think of: Kyuhyun faked being sick.

It wasn’t hard for him since he was known to get sick easily. Faking a few sneezes and running the thermometer under hot water was enough to fool his mother by some miracle.

The minute he was alone left, Kyuhyun shifted around trying to find a comfortable position. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to return to the precious sleep that eluded him. It took all of two minutes before he groaned in defeat, moving around until he was lying flat on his back to stare at his ceiling. Despite his best intentions, the kissing moment was replaying in his mind, as if to torment him for making such an incredibly stupid mistake.

It was all his fault and he couldn’t blame it on anyone but himself for losing control. With that knowledge in mind, Kyuhyun spent the rest of the day playing StarCraft, trying to numb away all the feelings of guilt and regret. Getting lost in the virtual game only provided temporarily comfort though, vanishing the moment a particular thought struck him. What am I going to do tomorrow?

Merely the thought of going back to school tomorrow already sent a sinking feeling in his gut as his character died in battle.  There’s no way I can go back to school. I’m going to have to move away or study abroad like China. I always wanted to visit China but then I have to learn a whole new language. Maybe I can switch schools…

He frowned, immediately realizing the one biggest flaw in his plans – his parents. He had no idea how to persuade his parents to switch schools without it being suspicious, especially since he was doing so well academically. How does one explain to their parents that they kissed their music teacher?

Kyuhyun froze, body tensing further when he realized another possibility; what if Ryeowook told the Principal? Am I going to get expelled?

That thought unsettled him the rest of the day, leaving behind a lingering fear of what will happen to his bright future which suddenly looked so bleak. It was impossible to sleep; horrible thoughts of suspension were taunting him as nearly every memory of every mistake he had ever made around Ryeowook was replaying endlessly. He woke up every few minutes to toss and turn, tangling himself further in his blankets in a desperate attempt to sleep.

When morning came, he didn’t even have to fake being sick – one look at the dark circles under his eyes and his pasty pale skin color; his mother already knew. Groggily, Kyuhyun sent a quick text to his friends saying he was sick, before shutting off his phone. His day wasn’t much better than before as he spent most of his time watching a marathon of his favorite historical drama; taking short naps every few episodes.

Just as he was about to take another nap, he was jolted awake by the sound of someone knocking on the door obnoxiously fast. Not bothering to check who it was, he opened the door, giving the unwanted guest a very dry glare.

“Well you look like .” Eunhyuk greeted him with a cheeky smile.

Kyuhyun glared at him, preparing to slam the door in his friend’s face. “What do you want, Hyuk?”

“To hang out,” Eunhyuk said as he slipped his way past Kyuhyun, taking off his sneakers. “You were absent for two days, so being the awesome hyung that I am, I’m going to let you copy my notes.”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes as he closed the door. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing a few snacks and two water bottles before guiding Eunhyuk to his bedroom. Eunhyuk just arched a brow, not commenting on the junk food while he observed his friend closely.

“So, how are you feeling?” Eunhyuk asked, plopping himself down on the edge of Kyuhyun’s bed.

“Like ,” Kyuhyun grumbled, dropping all the snacks on his computer desk. He took a seat on the desk chair, spinning around a bit till he faced Eunhyuk. He threw him a random bag of chips and a water bottle, before picking his own snack to munch on.

“How’d you get sick anyway? You were fine Tues-”

Kyuhyun quickly averted his gaze with noticeably pink cheeks.                     

“-day.” Eunhyuk finished his sentence, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He leaned forward in his seat, carefully observing his friend’s fidgety posture. “What did you do?”

Kyuhyun flinched at his words, shifting nervously in his seat as he kept his gaze locked on his window.

“I…kind of…confessed.”

“You did?!” Eunhyuk practically screeched, bouncing on the bed. “How? We hadn’t even thought of a proper plan yet!”

“I…um, kissed him.”

“What!? When?” Eunhyuk asked, his mind racing with possible scenarios. This was the best gossip he has heard in months and the fact that it was happening to his best friend provided him all the best information.

“On Tuesday…” Kyuhyun sighed, closing his eyes. “He’s been giving me piano lessons after school, every Tuesdays and Thursdays. I just couldn’t help it. He was talking and I leaned in before I could stop myself.”

“Whoa. Did he respond to the kiss?”

Kyuhyun opened his eyes to look at his friend, shaking his head sadly. He brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them. “No. He just sat there.”

“What did he say?” Eunhyuk furrowed his eyebrows, trying to piece everything together.

“I don’t know. I kind of…ran away.”

“Oh,” Eunhyuk frowned, finding the ending so anticlimactic. “Why didn’t you wait for his answer?”

“I panicked and it was the first thing I could think of! I didn’t mean to kiss him! I wasn’t planning on confessing that day. Plus, I think we both know he was going to immediately reject me anyway.”

Eunhyuk nodded thoughtfully, seeming to think of something else. The tense silence only lasted for a few minutes before Eunhyuk spoke again. “Well now it all makes senses.”

“What does?” Kyuhyun peered at him curiously, resting his chin on his knees.

“Seonsaengnim has been acting weird lately. He’s been acting all anxious lately and fidgety too – kind of like you only it’s whenever someone gets close to him. He’s gets distracted easily too that he barely can focus on the lesson. It had gotten so bad apparently that one of the teachers from the Language Department had to substitute one of his classes for him. Or at least, that’s what someone told me.”

Kyuhyun pursed his lips, not really sure what to say. He doubted he had that strong of an influence over his music teacher. “He’s probably stressed out over grading papers.”

“Or stressed out because he realized he might like you back,” Eunhyuk countered evenly. “I’m not trying to raise your hopes up or anything, but his reaction to when you kissed him isn’t exactly normal. If someone tried to kiss me, I would shove them away so fast and start yelling about ual harassment. Yet the fact that he just let you kiss him must mean something. I really think you should talk to him.”

“Are you crazy? The minute I try to talk to him, he’s going to report me to the Principal. Don’t you understand? What I did could get me suspended or possibly expelled!” Kyuhyun hissed, completely ignoring Eunhyuk’s prior reasoning. He was just too focused on the fact that he would have to face his teacher.

“Then why hasn’t he?”

“What?” Kyuhyun blurted out in confusion.

Eunhyuk sat up a little straighter, feeling more confident in his theory. “Why hasn’t he reported you? He could’ve easily done so two days ago. The school would’ve called your parents immediately and told them the news but they didn’t. Seonsaengnim probably hasn’t told the Principal.”

“Yet,” Kyuhyun added pessimistically.

Eunhyuk rolled his eyes, tossing the nearest pillow at Kyuhyun. “Stop being stubborn.”

Kyuhyun easily dodged the pillow, scowling at Eunhyuk while rolling in his chair to retrieve it.

“Make me!” He stuck his tongue out, throwing back the pillow.

“Why you little brat!” Eunhyuk laughed, right before getting hit directly in the face.

-------------------

“Have I ever told you I hate you?”

“All the damn time,” Eunhyuk quickly assured, not deterred in the slightest as he continued to drag his lanky friend down the hallway. “Now move it maknae!”

Kyuhyun groaned, shifting his weight around to make it difficult for Eunhyuk. He honestly couldn’t believe it when Eunhyuk showed up to his house early in the morning, intent on dragging him to school. No matter how much he protested or resisted, Eunhyuk had death grip on him since school had started.

“I really do hate you,” Kyuhyun promised, struggling to loosen Eunhyuk’s grip around his wrist. “Can you please just let me go?” Kyuhyun whined, quickly shifting tactics. If being stubborn wasn’t working, then he had no problem acting whiny if it meant having freedom.

“No. You’re just going to run away the minute I let you go.”

“Where are we even going?”

Eunhyuk stopped to smirk at him, “We’re going to music class, of course.”

Kyuhyun froze, mouth agape as blood drained from his face. Before he could process anything, he was pulled into the classroom, stumbling after his friend. He stared wide-eyed at the floor, fearful of meeting his teacher’s gaze.

“Aw, Seonsaengnim isn’t here yet. I thought he was always here early.” Eunhyuk grimaced, glancing around the empty room.

Kyuhyun peeked up, a slow smile of relief spreading as Ryeowook was nowhere in sight.

“I wouldn’t look too relieved. We still have class,” Eunhyuk grumbled, disgruntled that his plan failed so horribly. “Looks like I’m going to need a new tactic,” He muttered to himself, tossing his bag on his chair.

Students started filing in soon after they settled in their seats, Kyuhyun watching the entrance anxiously. A sense of dread settled in his stomach, along with a little longing, as he had not seen his teacher for two days. He’s too busy trying to think of how he should act around Ryeowook that he didn’t notice a sulky Donghae walking towards them.

“You guys are so mean! Why didn’t you wait for me?” Donghae pouted, making himself look extra pitiful.

Kyuhyun didn’t pay attention as Eunhyuk tried to console Donghae for ditching him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the thin figure of his music teacher, surprised to find Ryeowook looking worn out with an unreadable expression; he looked like an entirely different person walking around with a pale complexion of his usually cheerful face.

 Ryeowook immediately began reading the attendance, marking students accordingly to those who were absent.

“Cho Kyuhyun,” His teacher mumbled, his disinterested gaze fixated on the paper.

Kyuhyun bit the inside of his cheek, having dread this moment from the start. He honestly didn’t mind getting marked absent – he was even willing to risk it until Eunhyuk nudged him with his elbow, staring pointedly at him. Kyuhyun sighed heavily, cursing under his breath for ever admitting anything to his nosey hyung. Never again.

“I’m here.”

Ryeowook paused in his movement to mark Kyuhyun absent. He immediately glanced up, not even bothering to mask his surprise. However, the look of surprise was fleeting as Ryeowook managed to compose himself quickly.

“Kyuhyun, see me after school.” The words were spoken so sternly, it prompted a few sympathetic glances from his fellow classmates including Donghae. Kyuhyun involuntarily winced, feeling a chill run down his spine.

 “Yes, Seonsaengnim,” He muttered weakly. His day just got even worse.

-------------------

Kyuhyun rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants, leaning forward to peek inside the Teacher’s Office. The large faculty room was comprised mainly of a numerous amounts of computer desks with some desks sectioned of by dividers while others were not. It took him less than a second to spot a puff of auburn hair, as there weren’t nearly as many teachers in the room as he thought there would be.

Mustering up what little courage he had, he opened the door and made his way towards the back of the room, where he spotted Ryeowook to be. He approached slowly, his steps quiet as he carefully maneuvered through empty desk chairs and office machinery.

He gulped uneasily when he saw Ryeowook sitting at his desk; head bowed with his hands ruffling through his hair. As much as Kyuhyun didn’t want to disturb him, he knew he had too.

“Seonsaengnim,” He spoke softly, keeping his voice low.

Startled at the sound, Ryeowook immediately stood up. “Oh…Kyuhyun….”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Kyuhyun mumbled, looking everywhere but at his teacher.

“You can sit down…if you like,” Ryeowook gestured towards the two chairs placed in front of his desk, slowly sitting back in his own chair. Kyuhyun didn’t see the gesture but took a seat anyway, shifting his gaze to his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing to look at. “Um…You know what I want to talk to you about, right?”

“Yeah.” Kyuhyun fought off a frown, picking meticulously at the lint on his pants. “…about Tuesday, right?”

“Yeah. Tuesday.” Ryeowook shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. “…You know what you did could’ve gotten us in a lot of trouble if anyone saw. I would have gotten fired by now, and you would have been expelled. It would’ve put an immediate end my teaching career and ruin your perfect school record.”

“I know.”

“Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook stressed, hoping to gain his student’s full attention. “Look at me.”

Kyuhyun shook his head, focusing harder picking the lint off his pants. He didn’t budge even when he heard Ryeowook’s disappointed sigh. His heart started beating faster when he heard the soft shuffling of clothes, along with footsteps as Ryeowook stood up and walked around his desk.

Ryeowook stood in front of him, squatting down until they were eye-level. He stared at his one his favorite students, completely at a loss on how to deal with this situation. They didn’t train teachers on how to deal with student confessions. So, what was the right thing to do?

“Kyuhyun-”

“Don’t give me your answer just yet.” Kyuhyun interrupted him, his voice strained in a barely concealed plead. His fingers unconsciously curled into fists as he tried to muster up enough strength to continue. This whole situation was just overly embarrassing but he could think of no better solution than this one. “I like you. A lot. More so than I should but I can’t help it and before you say it’s just some passing crush, it’s not. I’ve never liked anyone in this school before you showed up.”

Ryeowook blushed at Kyuhyun’s honesty despite his best intention not to.

“I know…that you don’t feel the same. But that’s why I want you to give me a chance. I know I’m asking for a lot…but please give me a chance to prove myself.”

Kyuhyun flinched when Ryeowook firmly meet his gaze; staring at him with such intensity as if he was searching for his soul. Though in all honesty, he could be, seeing as he just poured his heart out to the man just a second ago.

“Please,” Kyuhyun asked, feeling rather anxious. “Give me your answer on Graduation Day. That way we both won’t get in trouble.”

Whatever Ryeowook seemed to be looking for, it looked like he found as he flashed Kyuhyun an indecisive grin.

“I…okay.” Ryeowook said softly, his cheeks heating up further. “I’ll give you my answer then.”

Kyuhyun couldn’t stop the giddy smile on his face.

Maybe listening to Eunhyuk isn’t bad after all.

A/N: Confessions are hard to write and I'm not sure how to make it better. I promised to update sooner but work caught up with me and the confession was the hardest part! (I don't know why though!) Anyways, thank you for reading and commenting - I really appreciated all the comments last time. :)