"Shion, I'll be out for awhile. You better be awake when I return."

 Silent was interrupted by her mother's voice, always too loud for her to hear in a peaceful morning. That's how she wakes up once the clock hits 10 am, but never gets on her feet. 

 Yet this time, her eyes decided to open and see the daylight earlier than usual. She couldn't fall asleep again, her body resisted the well to continue resting and it was frustrating her. 

 But maybe it isn't her body that refused to shut down, perhaps it was her brain.

 Confusion, that's what she felt whenever she recalled the last scene of yesterday's event. It kept replaying in front of her as she stared at the ceiling above her. Every time she reaches the part where they shared their first kiss, goosebumps run from her shoulders to the tip of her fingers. She wasn't ready for it, but he did it anyway. And it sure made her a little disappointed. 

 Her idea of a first kiss should be meaningful, having the two of them slowly exchanging their honest emotions in such an affectionate way. She wanted to enjoy being kissed by the one she genuinely loved, and let herself drown in the overwhelming feeling of physical contact with her lover. But she got none of what she dreamt of. 

 Yet that part wasn't exactly the problem, it was the sentence he uttered right after that made her mind ride a mental roller coaster.  

"I think I'm in love with you."

 His words were as clear as her girly sneeze, and as complicated as a rubic's cube. Did he really mean it? Or was he acting for the sake of the date? One thing she already knew was that he liked her more than just a friend, but that's different than being in love with someone. Or is it the same thing? 

 She had no experience in such matter, nor did she knew the difference between the two. It was her first time hearing someone saying those words to her, and she didn't know whether they were honest or not. Even if they were truthful, it wouldn't affect her since she probably doesn't have feelings for him. Or that's just what she told herself last night right after she walked away without giving him a proper reaction.

 Yup, she was lost for words so she decided to show him how surprised she was by pacing to her house. How unexpected.

"All of this thinking is making me sleepy again," She yawned exhaustively then shifted to her side, getting ready to drift to dreamland before her mother ruins the heavenly atmosphere.

"I hope she buys me something on her way back." 

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

 Walking around town in the early morning was a helpful way to clear off his mind from the thought of a particular person. Never did he wished to forget about his student whenever she congests his head with every single detail of her existence.

 He was already aware of his attachment to her which soon turned into something more than just admiration. But in order to know how she truly feels towards him, he had to confess first, and the results weren't what he hoped for. 

 At least a rejection or even an inconsiderate remark would've given him a clear image of what she thought of his announcement. But nothing came out of , nor did her face expressed anything.

 She was literally a blank page, he couldn't read a single emotion from her features. Maybe she was too shocked to even react appropriately, or perhaps she couldn't care less so that's why she turned around and walked away.

 He feared that his action might have been understood in a negative way, yet this couldn't explain her robotic reaction. For some reason, he assumed she didn't get what he meant by 'in love', and it somehow made sense. But still, it wasn't convincing enough to let the matter slip away, he needed the actual reason. 

 This problem could be solved by a phone call or a simple text message, but somehow it didn't seem right to discuss something through a device. A real talk is what they both needed, but it would have to wait till this day ends and another one begins. 

 As he walked along the pavement with a much lighter head than yesterday, a woman abruptly exited the store he was passing by and almost bumped into him. Luckily, his reaction was fast and his foot immediately took a step back, but somehow, the woman didn't notice him at all. Even after she turned to wave to the worker, his presence was still invisible to her. 

 Yet he didn't mind it. He wouldn't dare to ruin a cheery smile on that pretty face of hers with a lecture of how to be careful. However, her features weren't new to him, they had a strong hint of familiarity which he couldn't ignore easily. He wondered if she was a part of his past, because she definitely reminded him of the old days.

 Once he wrapped his mind around that single thought, the woman began to walk away and he decided to stay close to her from behind. He made sure his footsteps were barely audible and acted normal to avoid looking like a creep. 

 The lady wasn't paying attention to her own way but instead, she was admiring the refreshing vibes of an early morning. From the soft blowing wind that pushed back her long black hair, to the fulgent patterns of sunlight which shaded the streets in yellow. It was impossible for the female to keep her mind from drifting away, especially since every little thing about the daytime was beyond perfect. 

 But when a random rock decided to stand in her way, she cursed herself for not keep an eye on the pavement. 

 Just as the front of her shoe accidentally kicked the solid stable rock, she prepared her palms to greet the ground and prayed that nobody would see her. Before she could even close her eyes and wait for her body to collide, a strong hand pulled her backwards by her arm and prevented her from slamming onto the ground. 

 Once she was standing straight on both of her feet, she felt the stranger's hand slowly loosening their tight grip on her arm. She honestly didn't want to turn around and face her saviour, thinking that she might look like a fool in front of the anonymous. But the urge of showing gratefulness overpowered the embarrassment she mostly feared. 

 With a swift yet cautious turn, she was met by a young man's face. The lady couldn't put an age on the male standing right in front of her, but she guessed he was somewhere in his twenties. As she got a little distracted by his seemingly good looking face, she blinked a few times before she cleared to utter the most important two words of the day. 

"Thank you!" She spoke, but got no reaction. Instead, he kept on staring at her with curiosity, and it sure made her a bit uncomfortable.

"Um...," She tried to think of something else to say. 

"I was going to fall and get hurt if it wasn't for your help." She flashed him a thankful smile, one that she hoped it would decrease the awkwardness that surrounded them. But the male didn't stop observing her fine lineaments with his eagle eyes, which definitely made her feel uneasy under the pressure of his intense gaze. 

"Choi Kaera". He uttered. 

"W-What?" Her eyes widened at the mention of her own name. 

He smiled. 

He wasn't wrong. 

He still remembers her. 

"Park Jimin," He introduced himself to her, then stretched out his hand to properly greet her. 

"Nice to meet you again, teacher." 

---

"I can't believe you recognized me. I mean, it has been 10 years since the last time we saw each other." Kaera spoke. They were walking side by side in a slow pace, quietly talking to one another about matters which they needed to share. 

"You didn't change at all, you're still as beautiful as you were back then." Jimin smiled at her and watched her as she lowered her head in attempt to hide her blush. 

"And you've grown up into a handsome young man. You were just a cute little boy when I first met you." She pinched his cheeks like she used to when he had chubby ones.

"And I already found a job." He proudly announced. 

"Really?! What is it?!" She excitedly asked. 

"A math teacher at the university I studied in." He saw how her eyes glistened upon knowing what he had become after all these years of studying. 

"Really?!! I'm so proud of you!!!" She exclaimed happily while giving him a tight hug. 

 She was more than just happy with how he was able to achieve one of his goals. Starting as a student who had faced many difficulties with math, then ending up as a math teacher in one of the best universities in the country is something truly amazing. 

 He once told her, back when he was her student, about his dreams and goals, and how he was determined to work hard in order to bring his wishes to life. And now that he became someone who he had hoped of being, she couldn't be more proud of him, who was once her student. 

"It's all because of you, you encouraged me to chase my dreams." He admitted once she unwrapped her arms from around him. 

"So," He paused a little to lock their eyes in a genuine stare, "Thank you, teacher." A grateful smile took over his lips, and Kaera reflected it in an instant. 

"You deserved it." She raised her fist and gave his chest a light punch. 

"Now let's go to my house, I'll give you a reward." She started leading him to where she lives.

"A reward? Don't tell me it's a-" She instantly cut him off before he could even pronounce it. 

"Cookie."

"Seriously?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, I know you're an adult now but no, you'll only get one cookie and that's it." She spoke with a bossy tone, then flipped her hair like a diva.

Jimin chuckled quietly.

This woman can never grow old. 

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

"You weren't kidding when you said only one cookie." Jimin remarked as he lied back on the comfortable couch. 

"Obviously, you don't deserve more." Kaera said jokingly, then took her tea from the coffee table.

"That's not what a teacher should say to a student." He stated in a teasing tone. 

"I'm not your teacher anymore, I'm just Choi Kaera." She gave him a naughty smile as she lowered her cup.

 She's right, Jimin thought to himself. Ever since that day when another teacher replaced her, he realized he wouldn't be able to see her again. No a word was told to him about her quitting her job, as if she wanted to mysteriously disappeared without letting any of her students know.

 She was no longer his teacher, and he was no longer a student of hers either. 

"Why did you leave?" Jimin hesitantly asked her. 

"I was waiting for that question." She stared at the warm liquid with sorrowful eyes and half a smile. 

"I didn't want to, but I did it anyway." She placed the cup on the table and exhaled softly before turning to meet Jimin's eyes. 

"When my ex husband and I got divorced, I decided to work as a teacher to forget about the pain. Within the three months I spent teaching the students, I started to feel less miserable and became a little brighter."

"But then he offered me a part of his company, and for foolish reasons, I accepted it. I thought that maybe we could bring back our relationship, for the sake of our child. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He already had his eyes on another woman, the one he cheated on me with. And one year later, he proposed to her." 

"After witnessing how happy he was with her, I gave up on us. I moved into this house with my daughter, and threw everything I had that was related to him. I started a new chapter without him, and now I'm better off this way." 

 After she reached the end of her story, she drank her tea in order to melt down the emotions building up inside of her. It was always so hard for her to remember those tough times, especially since she wasn't able to protect her child from getting hurt at a very young age. 

"What an idiot," Jimin commented darkly, then snickered afterwards. 

"Leaving a diamond to go chase after stones, only a fool would do that." 

 His spoken words caused Kaera to smile bitterly, "You can say that about him, but my role wasn't that good either." 

"At least you weren't selfish to hurt your own family." He remarked sternly. 

"You're right." She mumbled with a weak smile curving her lips. 

"Alright then," Kaera stood up after a short moment of silencs and glanced at the clock on the wall. A childish grin appeared on her face, "Since it's already 11 o'clock," She turned and faced Jimin who looked a little confused with what she was about to do.

"It's time to wake the devil."

 With that, the mother headed to the staircase while leaving her guest alone in the living room. 

 As Jimin was patiently waiting for Kaera and her child, he spotted a frame on the table which was on the other side of the couch. Feeling curious about its picture, he got up and went to check it out. It was an old one but the colors were clear enough for him to see his previous teacher with her little daughter. 

 They were both looking very happy from the way they smiled at the camera. He noticed how the daughter didn't inherit much of Kaera's features, yet she still had a hint of her mother's beauty. Another thing he noticed was her own lineaments were awfully similar to someone he knew so well. His eyebrows furrowed once that particular person popped into his mind. 

Could it be ....?

"God dammit, Kim Shion! Get up or else I'll throw away your drawing tools!!" 

No way. 

It can't be her. 

Maybe she shares the same name. 

Or maybe not. 

 Jimin was in a complete shock. He just heard his student's name being shouted by his old teacher. And the next thing he heard was the light sound of footsteps coming from the staircase. He shifted his attention to the individual entering the living room, and he was right. 

 The female rubbed her eyes with the sleeves of the hoodie she was wearing, then yawned lazily before she opened her eyes and saw who was ahead of her. She blinked with a surprised expression on her sleepy face, and the other did the same thing. 

"Jimin?!"

"Shion?!"

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

YAAAAYYY I FINALLY UPDATED!! Not a very good chapter but ... ●-●

Did you guys see Jimin's teaser photos? DAAAMMNN HE WAS A HOT PROFFESSOR WITH THAT RED HAIR AND WHITE SHIRT LIKE ASGKLPOWUEGVK MA DREAM CAME TRUE!!!! 

Anyways, If you guys are a bit confused, Jimin told Shion about his past in chapter 5 and mentioned her mom as his old math teacher. 

It's not that surprising but at least it's kind of a plot twist... 

In the next chapter, I'll try to include fluffy scenes and maybe add a new character since I couldn't do it in this one.

Thank you for reading this chapter and I shall update with a better one next month! 

\@_@/ 

N.T.K ~♢