Star Stamp

Apple of His Eyes

Pairings: Baeksoo, Chansoo, Sesoo (and Kaisoo)

Three young boys were sitting neatly side by side, each one of them were determined to earn another star from him. Their backs were straight, displaying prim and proper posture contrasting the slouch of their classmates. Three heads were listening attentively at their teacher who was telling a story about a race between a turtle and a hare. Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Sehun had always been like this. They were friends, but there was a silent competition brewing between them as to whoever gets their teacher’s favor.

They each want to earn another star.

They each want to be complimented.

They each want to be the apple of his eyes.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

It was the first day of school. It was also the first time that young Baekhyun had to spend time away from his mommy surrounded by strangers with unknown faces. His heart was making a racket inside his chest fueled by the thought of that alone. Baekhyun’s two small hands grabbed the gentle hand of his mother, tears started to trek down from his eyes. He knew his mother had a weakness for him crying. His mommy wouldn’t be able to leave him alone crying, would she?

“But Mom!” Little Baekhyun whined. “I wanna go home! I wanna go watch cartoons!”

His mother patted his head. It was nice, it gave him temporary comfort, but he knew it also gave him false hope.

He wanted to cry some more, his mother would leave him, but he caught some of the other kids staring, some even dared to snicker at him. They are seeing him cry. Baekhyun was a kid with pride, his mother would always joke around that Santa might know him already because she’s sure that he would always top the naughty list. Baekhyun didn’t know whether to feel happy or bad about that, but he knew it felt amazing knowing that someone so famous knew him.

Along with Baekhyun’s pride though comes his resolve. He weighed his options and he figured that he wouldn’t want to stay in that place and if he’ll embarrass himself through the process, so be it.

A man then approached him and his mother. The man’s face was gentle, but he was still at that moment a stranger. All persons with the stranger card were still not to be trusted, that’s what his mommy said. There’s a smile on the man’s face, it was the kind of smile that he had only seen on his mother’s before. It was a perfect mix of gentleness and warmth.

Baekhyun stared at the man.

“You know ma’am since it’s his first day here, you are still allowed to stay with him.” The stranger suggested, but his mother still look conflicted. Baekhyun’s grip on her loosened, guilt started to loom within him. “I would love that, but I had to go to work, and I have a meeting to attend to.” His mother replied, “I’m sorry. Baekhyun is not always like this.”

“It’s okay, ma’am. It’s just natural.” The man was still wearing that smile. Who had allowed him to wear his mother’s smile? Was he a thief? Baekhyun looked up and he saw his mother smiling back at the stranger. No, his mother still had her smile.

“So Baekhyun, is it?” The man squatted to level his height with him, and his hand s to his hair to pat it just the way how his mom also does it. “You don’t want to leave your mother’s side, do you?”

Baekhyun nodded his head furiously, tears kept falling from his eyes. He looked up at his mother, she was smiling. Baekhyun took it as a silent plea to open up to the man before him.

“Mom, Is he my daddy?” Baekhyun asked innocently.

Faint pink started to shade both his mother’s and the man’s face. Baekhyun thought that the stranger and his mother would look good together. They were both still young, and he still has no daddy anyways.

“No, I’m going to be your teacher. Think of me as your big brother, ok?” The stranger said handing him a stuffed toy. Baekhyun accepted it and hugged it. He was still judging the stranger, quietly assessing him, but he knew that he was already veered more unto liking him. “My name is Kyungsoo by the way.”

“Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun said. The man was no longer a stranger. The name fits perfectly on his mouth. Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo. He still had the smile and the hold of his mother. Finally, Baekhyun let go of his mother.

Baekhyun wouldn’t mind being left at a sea of strangers with him.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

Chanyeol looked frantic. It’s their ‘color-an-animal’ day. He was supposed to color a tiger and he wants to color it blue, but he had now unloaded all the contents of his crayon box to the desk and he still was not able to find any blue. If only indigo could pass as blue. He just wanted to impress his teacher with his coloring, but how was he able to do that without the color blue? There’s green, orange, black, yellow, but no signs of the color that he wanted.

That color is essential.

Chanyeol looked left and saw Sehun coloring his turtle pink. Chanyeol smirked almost unnoticeably. Sehun was concentrating intently at his task, tongue darting out in concentration, but he was coloring his turtle way beyond the lines. Chanyeol knew that his teacher would not be impressed by that.

Chanyeol looked right, but he was not able to see Baekhyun’s coloring because he was covering it with his left hand. Greedy, Chanyeol thought, but he knew that Baekhyun was the best one there in coloring and he would be a competition to beat for their teacher’s favorite artist.

He wouldn’t want to be defeated by the likes of Baekhyun. He wanted Kyungsoo to choose him over that brat. With that in mind, an idea formed on his mind.

Chanyeol scanned the room for his teacher. He was attending a girl named Sohyun with her probably lousy coloring anyways. It wouldn’t be a bother to ask for his attention. He raised his right hand up in the air.

“Sir Soo, I don’t have the color blue!” Chanyeol hollered loudly. By no time, Kyungsoo grabbed a crayon on his desk then went to his direction to give it to him. “Here’s your color, Yeol.” Chanyeol look at the color then reluctantly received it.

“Thanks Sir Soo, even though this is yellow.” Chanyeol said looking at the color then to his pretty teacher. If his teacher would prefer yellow over blue then he’ll use yellow instead.

“What are you saying? That’s blue.” Baekhyun commented. A smug smile that Chanyeol had grown to dislike was plastered on his face. He was always the smarty-pants, but he was dead wrong this time. This battle goes to him.

“It’s yellow.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes. What does Baekhyun know? He was not a son of an artist like he was.

“It’s blue.”

“It’s yellow.”

“It’s blue!”

“It’s yellow!”

“Are you saying that Teacher Kyungsoo made a mistake?”

“No, I’m saying that he had an accident, but it’s cute unlike you.”

“Stop arguing again.” Kyungsoo said. The other students were now looking at the squabble between Baekhyun and Chanyeol save for Sehun who was still intently coloring his turtle pink. It wasn’t anything new, but their tiny fight was still fun to watch nonetheless.

Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol. “Yeol, this is color blue, not yellow.”

Baekhyun felt like the world was on his side, or better, his teacher was on his side. It egged him to stick out a tongue to Chanyeol.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol nodded to his teacher, trying to act cool and not ashamed. Baekhyun wasn’t helping him with that.

After the episode, all the kids returned to their task of coloring their respective animals. Chanyeol was still confident that he would get the star from his teacher because of his coloring despite the accident.

“Umm…Teacher Soo.” Sehun’s small voice finally spoke. He shyly raised his masterpiece to give to his teacher. Kyungsoo went to the small boy, and received the paper.

Both Chanyeol and Sehun looked at their teacher, the latter because of nervousness while the former out of curiosity to his teacher’s reaction.

“Wow this looks great, Sehun.” The teacher smiled. Chanyeol’s jaw drop, not expecting that critique. “There’s still room for improvement, but definitely amazing.”

Sehun smiled sheepishly, not used to being praise but ultimately still proud of his work.

“Because of this, guess who earned a star?”

Sehun looked confused, his usually droopy eyes widened for a moment.

“Ummm… Baekhyun?” Sehun guessed, answering the first name that came to his mind.

“No, it’s you, silly.” Kyungsoo smiled causing Sehun’s face to instantly light up, not expecting it to be him. His teacher got his star stamp from his pocket then placed a star on the back of his palm. Sehun smiled wider, his parents would be proud of him once he shows them he got another star.

Chanyeol looked at Sehun then at the star on his hand. Chanyeol sighed, guess he won’t be receiving a star either.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

Sehun was still wide awake. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol were snoring lightly on either side of him. It’s their nap time, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep. He looked at the curtains draped across the windows to block the sunlight from coming in. It was swaying gently because of the air from a nearby fan. The pictures of the stars and the moon were printed all over it. All lights from their room were turned off, but there was still enough light that sipped inside the room. Sehun looked at Chanyeol. He was already fast asleep, a bit of drool coming out from his mouth.

Sehun smiled.

“S-Sir soo, please give me a star.” Chanyeol mumbled in his sleep. Sehun’s smile turned into a giggle, if only he could record what Chanyeol was doing right now. He was still thinking about their teacher even in the confines of his dream.

Sehun closed his eyes and tried to sleep again, but soon images of monsters and ghost crossed his mind. Why was he even listening to Baekhyun when he recounted him a ghost story anyways? He knew he’s a scaredy-cat, and now he’s paying the full price.

Sehun covered his entire self with blanket, but that wasn’t enough to subdue his fright. He stayed like that for several minutes until he summoned all his courage to uncover himself with the sheet to sit up and look around the room. All of his classmates were now sleeping soundly on the floor except for him.

Maybe a ghost will suddenly appear and take him since he’s the only one awake?

With that thought in mind, Sehun got really scared again and returned to the covers of his blanket. He tried counting sheep but to no avail.

One Sheep

Two Sheep

Three Sheep

And then a monster came and ate the remaining sheep on the field.

Sehun started shivering in the cocoon of his blankets.

“Sir Soo,” Chanyeol was sleep-talking again.

Maybe his teacher is still awake, Sehun thought.

Sehun got up on his feet, grabbed a pillow and a blanket, and walked across the room towards his teacher sleeping a few sleeping mats away from him and his friends. Sehun scrunched to him and tried shaking him awake.

“Teacher Soo.” He whispered loudly, hoping his teacher will wake up. To his luck, Kyungsoo’s eyes opened.

“What’s the matter, Sehun? Can’t sleep?” Kyungsoo asked groggily after a yawn.

Sehun nodded, a single tear fell from his right eye. He clutched his pillow closer to him. “I’m scared.” He said shivering.

“Now, now.” Kyungsoo caressed his head. Sehun’s fear ebbed down a bit. “Why don’t you sleep with me?”

Sehun nodded again then lied closely beside his teacher. Kyungsoo kissed his forehead comfortingly. It felt really nice.

“Don’t be afraid, ok? I’ll be here to protect you from monsters.” Kyungsoo hugged him, a thin but sleepy smile was on his face.

Sehun nodded yet again, nuzzling to his teacher’s chest. His teacher smelled like cherry on a spring morning. He decided that his teacher smelt great. Slowly, that scent lulled him into slumber.

When Sehun woke up briefly, he realized that both Chanyeol and Baekhyun were now also sleeping together with them, hugging their teacher as well.

Sehun smiled.

They must have followed him.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

Their section was merged with another section for an activity. They were supposed to tell to the entire class what they want to be when they grow up. Sehun wasn’t used to talking in public. Much less, with another group of section included in the audience. He was scared for his turn. On the other hand, Chanyeol was looking, almost glaring, at the teacher of the other section sitting beside his Sir Soo. His fist clenched.

“Who is that?” Chanyeol asked Baekhyun because he seemed to know everything.

“The other section calls him Sir Kai. He is Teacher Kyungsoo’s friend.” By then, Chanyeol also noticed that Baekhyun was also glaring at the said tanned teacher. He doesn’t blame him. Kyungsoo was genuinely laughing at this teacher’s jokes. Unlike them, when Kyungsoo just laugh because ‘they were too cute when they joke’.

The kid that was talking in front bowed.

“ Next is Sehun.” Kyungsoo announced. Sehun, who was beside Baekhyun, shivered. With shaky steps, Sehun walked to the front. He scanned the entire room and it looked fuller than usual. It seemed that a thousand pairs of eyes were looking at him, and Sehun just wanted to be swallowed by the ground.

Sehun gulped.

He looked at his Teacher Soo who gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

“Umm. When I grow up, I wanna be a gardener. I had always loved the smell of flowers. They are pretty and colorful.” Sehun said while looking at his feet, and imagining that no one was looking at him. “I want to collect every flowers in the world in my backyard.”

Sehun bowed, and the class clapped. He did it better than he expected.

“That’s a great dream, Sehun. Ok, the next one is Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo announced.

Sehun returned back to his sit while Chanyeol proudly stood up then walked to the front. Before starting, he smiled to Kyungsoo then not so subtly glared at the man beside him with venom.

“When I grow up, I want to be an artist like my mom or a doctor like my dad.” Chanyeol said. He then looked at the two teachers again. “I also want to grow up as a handsome, cool, and good man because I want to be a worthy man deserving to be Teacher Soo’s husband.”

Chanyeol expected what happened next, both class either laughed or started teasing him with his teacher. Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

Sir Kai was also laughing. Why was he laughing? That was supposed to be a threat directed to him. He was in no way allowed to laugh. Let alone, said what he said next:

“Kyungsoo, looks like I have competition.”

Chanyeol glared at the teacher.

“Who said I’ll be your competition?” Chanyeol was feeling brave at the moment. Maybe, because of this surge, Kyungsoo would look at him as a man and not a mere boy. “Only Baekhyun and Sehun are allowed to be my competition, not you.”

“Well, sad to say, Kyungsoo is already tak-ouch!” Kai was silenced by Kyungsoo hitting his shoulder.

“That’s a very cute dream, Chanyeol. I’m sure you’ll grow up to be a fine man.” Kyungsoo said while the other teacher was pouting on his side, caressing the place where he was hit.

“I will, Sir Soo.” Chanyeol said before he sat back again. He gave a high-five to Baekhyun because he sent a message to Sir Kai that Kyungsoo was not available. The question still lies though if the teacher took him seriously.

For the rest of the period, the two boys kept glaring at Kai.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

Chanyeol loved the rain, more specifically, Chanyeol loved playing under the rain. He loved getting wet in its showers, running with his friends on great open fields. He also loved mud. He liked making mud pies and mud cars and mud monsters and mud balls and any shapes and sorts that could be formed out of mud.

Perhaps though, he should’ve stripped down before indulging himself with what the rain had to offer.

Now his uniform was all wet and was now covered with mud, and there’s a grumpy teacher in front of him, arms crossed and eyebrows knitted. Chanyeol’s hands and face were also covered with streaks of mud. He shouldn’t have done what he did.

“What should I tell your mother when she comes and pick you up?” Kyungsoo said, sighing at the state he was in. The teacher then proceeded to a cabinet and rummaged for some clothes that could’ve fit Chanyeol’s form.

“Umm… you could tell her we had an activity under the rain?” Chanyeol tried. Kyungsoo just shook his head in defeat, grabbing a blue shirt and shorts.

“Strip” was what his teacher said next. That took Chanyeol by surprise. His hyung had told him once that only married couples were allowed to see each other , and now his teacher was making him strip. His teacher wanted to see him .

Chanyeol blushed. Kyungsoo saw it.

“You need to change clothes and take a bath so you wouldn’t get sick.” Kyungsoo explained, knowing perfectly well about his student’s crush on him. He wouldn’t want to be misinterpreted even if he knew too that Chanyeol’s mind was still untapped and innocent.

“Oh.”

Moments later, Chanyeol was covered in bubbles instead of mud while his teacher was washing his back. He would definitely tell Baekhyun tomorrow that their teacher had washed him, something that he’s sure Baekhyun hadn’t experience before. That would surely make him jealous.

Chanyeol chuckled in his mind, imagining what Baekhyun’s face would be like once he heard it, hilarious for sure.

“Sir Soo?”

“What?”

“Will you bathe me every time I would play on the mud?”

“You would like that, won’t you?” Kyungsoo was washing his hair with shampoo.

Chanyeol smiled and nodded his head furiously.

Perhaps he’ll love the rain and mud even more.

✎✎✎✎✎✎

“Are we allowed to do this?” Sehun was anxious at what his friends were doing. One end of a rope was clutched by Baekhyun’s hand while the other end was clutched by Chanyeol. Both of them were scrunching near the door ready to trap and trip a specific person once he got inside.

“Relax, Sehun.” Baekhyun smiled mischievously, excited to trip Sir Kai. “You just need to trust your hyungs. Why don’t you be a good look-out and warn us if that old man is coming?”

Sehun bit his lower lip, still unsure of what they were doing, but he followed Baekhyun’s command and went outside leaving his two friends waiting patiently. Time was ticking, and soon their parents would come and pick them up, but Chanyeol and Baekhyun had a clear goal, they wouldn’t want to go home unless they did that task.

The door then opened, and on reflex, both Chanyeol and Baekhyun pulled each end of the rope. Sehun’s feet got trapped on the rope making him tumble down the floor with a yelp.

“Ouch, why did you do that?” Sehun wanted to cry, eyes already becoming watery because the fall was painful, but he knew Sir Kai was coming so he needed to warn his hyungs first. “Sir Kai is---“

But alas, it was already too late for young Sehun to warn as the door opened again with Kai looking down at the three kids.

Kai looked at one face to another, looking at the three kids.

“Aren’t you three Kyungsoo’s kids? What are you still doing here?”

The trap didn’t work, but both Chanyeol and Baekhyun were still determined to capture Kai. With a battle scream, the two boys lunged at the much taller man, small fist punching the teacher’s legs. After several hopeless punches, the two kids realized that they weren’t getting anywhere. Kai wasn’t threatened or at least hurt.

“What are you doing?” The teacher deadpanned, confused as to why he was being attacked by two kids with angry scowls on their faces.

“Stop touching our teacher with that dirty hand of yours!” Baekhyun shouted.

“And stop talking to him with that creepy voice of yours.” Chanyeol backed.

“And stop making our teacher laugh with that corny joke of yours!” Baekhyun ended

The two kids were trying to look tough even if he was practically towering over them. One boy though, the one that didn’t mindlessly attacked him, came to him and tugged his pants softly for attention.

“Ummm you see, Sir Kai. Sorry for Chanyeol and Baekhyun, but the three of us is just getting jealous of you.” Sehun bemused, small voice almost like a whisper.

Kai couldn’t help but giggle at the three kids.

“Well, aren’t you three just cute for having a crush on my boyfriend?” He said, hands coming down to ruffle Sehun’s hair who was leaning into the touch like a satisfied puppy.

“Hah, you wish!” Baekhyun said smugly, not believing Kai’s words. He must be a liar. There’s no way that their teacher would settle for a third-rate boy like Kai. If their teacher wants a real man, he could wait for him (or even Chanyeol and Sehun) to grow up.

“Yeah, and Sehun was just…umm… mumbling things,” Chanyeol said making Sehun pout at the comment, “there’s no way we’re jealous of you, Sir Kai.”

“Ok, you’ve got me.” Kai raised both his hands to the air in surrender. “There’s no way Kyungsoo would date a guy named Kai.” The teacher decided it’s best to humor the kids and say what they wanted to hear. After all, it will only be sometime they could experience puppy dog crushes. “He’ll go for someone with a more natural sounding name like Jongin and hmmm… I don’t know, Sehun, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun maybe?”

Glitter seemed to appear on the three kids’ eyes, easily fooled by their teacher’s flattery.

“Really, do you think Teacher Kyungsoo would like someone with our name?” Baekhyun asked.

Kai nodded.

“Definitely.”

Perhaps Sir Kai wasn’t as dumb as what Baekhyun thought he was..

✎✎✎✎✎✎

“Sir Soo, do you like flowers?” A timid Sehun asked his teacher before his mother came to pick him.

“Yeah, I like them.” The teacher smiled.

Sehun woke up early the next morning and went to their backyard to his mother’s garden. His lunch box was clutched on his right hand. A sandwich, a banana, and a bottle of water were already inside it, but there’s still room for more.

Sehun failed to ask his teacher what flower he likes best, but even if he did, Sehun knew that he still wouldn’t understand. Besides rose which he always sees on valentine’s card, he doesn’t know the names of the other flowers.

The boy opened his lunch box and started picking chrysanthemums after chrysanthemums of every color he could find. He was lucky that his mother owned a garden with varied varieties of flowers. He took the best looking one that he could find of each flower until some could no longer fit on his lunch box. What a pity, perhaps he could take a new batch of flowers tomorrow.

“Why is your lunch box full of flowers?” His mother asked him when he returned to their dining room. He was sweaty from his early morning activity.

“I’m going to give them to my teacher.” Sehun said, “Mom, Will you drive me early to school today and also could you help me write a note?”

Kyungsoo closed the door of his car, and walked to his room. He was contemplating what to cook for dinner. It had been some time since he cooked for himself. When Kyungsoo arrived to his desk, he was surprised it was covered in flowers. At first, he thought it was Jongin who placed them there, but then he saw a note under one daisy. Kyungsoo smiled.

Happy Teacher’s Day, Sir Kyungsoo.

-Sehun

✎✎✎✎✎✎

They were on a bus for a field trip to a children’s museum. Sehun, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun were seated at the back. They were all still wide awake despite it being over an hour already since they started their trip.

Baekhyun smirked upon seeing a big house in the distance that he thought was almost as big as a castle. He pointed at it, drawing his friend’s attention.

“That house,” Baekhyun started. “Will be my and Sir Kyungsoo’s house when I grow up.”

Chanyeol let out a sneering chortle while Sehun looked at the big house in amazement. The house was soon drove passed upon, disappearing from view. Another house soon loomed upon the horizon, and it’s obvious that it was a much bigger house. Chanyeol thought that that was his chance to top Baekhyun.

He pointed at the house, Sehun and Baekhyun looked at it knowing already what Chanyeol will say.

“Well, that house will be our house when we grow up. Sir Kyungsoo will like that more.”

Baekhyun shook his head in disagreement while Sehun marveled at the house yet again.

Several minutes passed, and it got quiet again between them. Sehun soon pointed at a house. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were surprised since Sehun doesn’t usually join their fight on ‘who’s better than who?’ The two boys gaze landed on a cute house that was much less bigger than the previous houses that were pointed.

“That house will be our house. I think the color is lovely.” Sehun said, smiling.

The two boys looked at each other then grinned at Sehun. They don’t want to hurt his feelings.

“Yeah, it’s great.”

“It looks amazing.”

Sehun felt contented with himself. He finds a strange piece of elation whenever an approval was given to him from his friends.

“You three need to find a job first when you grow up before you could buy those houses.”

The three boys were surprised to see their teacher awake. He had been sitting there at the back with them, but his eyes were close. They took it as to him being asleep. Kyungsoo looked at the three boys who was looking up at him.

“Sir Kyungsoo, will you accept our feelings when we grow up?” Baekhyun asked suddenly.

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo smiled jokingly making the three frustrated.

“Sir Soo, we’re serious.”

“Oh, are you now?”

“Yes, so please accept our feelings.”

Kyungsoo wanted to laugh lightly, but he saw that the three kids had serious expression etched on their faces, so he stifled it. Kyungsoo looked at a distance. They were passing a farmland. Trees of apples extended to the distance.

“You three are too young. I bet you wouldn’t even remember me in the future.”

“No, of course we will remember you. Why would we forget you?”

“Time has a way of making us forget. You three are still young. You are still too busy appreciating the little things, but soon you’ll also see the bigger picture.”

The three still couldn’t comprehend what their teacher just said. They were indeed still young, but it’s fine. There’s something in innocence that strips down what emotions could mask. There’s something in naivety that makes you think more about what you want and not the buts and the what ifs.

The three boys were sure at that moment despite what their teaching was blabbering.

There is no way that they would erase someone like him in their mind. Even time and growing up could not do that.

They looked up at their teacher again.

They assured him that “We won’t forget you.”

✎✎✎✎✎✎

They’re finally returning to their kindergarten school. Some new buildings were built, but the playground still looked the same. When they were young, they were the ones that played there without a care in the world. They were just young minds whose only goal was to have fun. Somehow it brings a touch of nostalgia into them, they couldn’t turn back the time and they couldn’t stay as a child forever. They could only bask in their memories, most of which involved a specific teacher.

“Do you think he still teaches here?” Chanyeol asks. He is a teenager now, blessed with height and what he hopes to be good looks. He is both nervous and excited. After he had moved up to grade school, he had only seen his teacher a few times; Bumping into him at streets, and coincidental meetings on malls.

Baekhyun scans their alma mater before looking at Chanyeol. He hadn’t heard the question, too focus at the moment, so his friend repeated it for him.

“Yeah, I’ve been passing this place every now and then and I sometimes saw him.”

“My little sister also studies here. She said her teacher is him.” Sehun adds.

The three of them had maintained their friendship over the years, having been studying at the same school and being classmates all throughout the years. They had grown, matured, and came of age together. It had been a running joke between them on how when they were young, they all had a crush on their teacher. His name is sometimes brought up even on the most random of conversations

“That owl plushy somehow reminds me of Sir Soo.”

“On a scale of 1 to Kyungsoo. How pretty is your new crush?”

“Do you think Sir Kyungsoo and Sir Jongin are still together?”

“You failed math again. Wonder how Kyungsoo would react that you grew up dumb.”

“Wonder how Sir Kyungsoo would react that you grew up ugly first before you worry ‘bout me.”

They didn’t know if their crush on their teacher was deep or not. If it was just a puppy dog crush or something more. It was in the past, but what they do know is that they long to meet him again, and today is hopefully the day that they would.

“Should we go now?” Sehun asks, his tone is somehow a mix of hesitant and pushy.

The two nodded and they all went inside their kindergarten school for the first time in years. Small kids were littered here and there, once they were one of those kids. One boy soon bumped on Baekhyun.

“Ouch!” The little boy said, rubbing his messy hair.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Baekhyun apologized, extending his hand to pick the boy up.

Chanyeol took the opportunity to ask the boy a question.

“Do you know someone here named Kyungsoo?”

The boy’s eye enlarged by the mention of the name. He looks up at the three men in front of him, his eyes narrowing into a squint.

“Why are you looking for him?” The boy asks carefully.

“We just want to see him.”

“I don’t know Teacher Kyungsoo. You must’ve gotten the wrong school.” The boy said then he tried to walk away, but Chanyeol grabbed him from his shirt. The little boy was struggling to free himself, but Chanyeol has no plans of releasing him.

“Let me go!”

“Why did you know that Kyungsoo is a teacher, we never said he was.”

The boy’s expression changed.

“Sir Kyungsoo has no time to entertain ugly boys like you!” The boy yells.

“Woah. Kids these days sure have bad manners and no respect.” Baekhyun comments.

“Sir Kyungsoo is mine!” The boy says.

The three teenagers were silenced at first, but soon all simultaneously started laughing. It seems that Kyungsoo still has the effect of making young boys fall for him. They were exactly like the boy when they were young. The boy tries to struggle again away from Chanyeol’s grip, but to no avail. The three older boys were looking at him, not knowing that a young teacher was heading towards them.

“Jongdae, are you causing trouble again?” The teacher says causing four set of eyes to look at him.

“Sir Kyungsoo!” The boy-- Jongdae --finally was able to free himself from Chanyeol’s now much weaker grip. He soon then hid behind his teacher’s protection, sticking his tongue out at the three of them.

“Sir Kyungsoo.” The three boys said. Kyungsoo still looks young. He was still as beautiful as what they remembered him to be. There’s still gentleness on his face, and comfort on his smile. They just realized how much they missed him.

“Chanyeol, Sehun, Baekhyun. You three have grown.”