Mark sighed at another day in Seoul University. He leaned back on his chair and stretched before he folded his arms and closed his eyes. Nothing but chatter could be heard. Mark distanced himself from the others because he didn't believe in letting people in too close to him. Most of his classmates were busy at the back with their partners. Mark was the only one in the entire class who didn't have someone and for the moment and for a good while, he didn't seem to care at all. Deep inside, he longed for someone of whom he could place his trust in and also to confide his bottled up emotions into.

Suddenly, the door opened after the bell rang and someone that Mark had never seen before walked in. Everyone who was "busy" before separated quickly and took their spots. Mark's eyes widened at the new face.

‘No way…there's no way in hell someone can look so amazing…’

Long raven hair, flawless creamy white skin, modestly sized endowments, delicious looking pink lips and a figure that could be compared to supermodels across Seoul or pretty much anywhere else in the world. Much more could be said about the girl in front of his eyes. She wore the lecturer's uniform that consisted on a button up shirt together with a skirt and he noticed that she chose to wear black and white. Mark thought that the color suited her. She walked towards the lecturer's desk and stood behind it before putting down her folder and books.

The girl cleared before she started to introduce herself. "Good morning class. My name is Im Nayeon and I'm going to be your lecturer for the rest of this year since your old lecturer is very sick and currently being hospitalized."

‘OMG… even her voice is amazing…’

Yugyeom raised his hand and Nayeon nodded at him indicating that he could continue with his question. "You look a little young Ms. Im." He said politely.

"Well, I'm actually a teacher in practice and I will turn 20 years old this year." Nayeon explained with a smile that showed her cute bunny teeth.

Mark looked back and noticed Junhoe, Bobby and Hanbin staring at her hungrily. He knew they had dirty mind towards the new lecturer. Nayeon then began to call out names so she could identify each student.

"Kim Yugyeom?" Nayeon called and Yugyeom raised his hand as she looked at him with a smile.

"Hirai Momo?" She continued and a sleepy looking girl with light brown hair raised her hand with a bright smiled in which Nayeon mirrored.

"Kim Hanbin?" She called.

Mark looked at Hanbin from the corner of his eyes.

"Nice to meet you." Hanbin said in flirty tone as he raised his hand but Nayeon didn't smile at him like she did with the others.

"Mark Tuan?" Nayeon called.

Mark's eyes drifted to her brown eyes. He slowly raised his hand but remained silent which makes Nayeon to smile more brightly at him than all the others and he held back an involuntary blush.

Soon, all the names were called and classes began. Nayeon was new to the teaching role but Mark seemed to understand her better than any of his previous lecturers. He was an average student, never usually getting over a C or sometimes a B here and there but he had a feeling his grades would improve with her teachings. He knew Hanbin wasn't paying much attention to her teachings but rather to her.

 

During lunch time, most of Mark’s classmates left to the cafeteria. Mark began to pack his bags calmly when suddenly he noticed Hanbin approaching Nayeon's table.

"So…are you single?" Hanbin asked with a smirked.

"Nice try, but I'm not interested." Nayeon said coldly as she threw back some of her hair.

Hanbin wasn't amused by Nayeon’s reaction so as she got up, he trapped her between his arms against the whiteboard which makes Mark to get irritated. She tried to escape but Hanbin was one of the strongest boys in the entire university and he was just so persistent.

"I'm going to report you if you keep this up." Nayeon warned.

"My uncle is the principal of this university. I don't think he'll be listening to you." He told Nayeon with an evil snicker.

Nayeon swallowed the lump in visibly and she continued to try breaking free but Hanbin wouldn't let her go.

‘Should I help her? What’s this feeling in my heart… it says to…but why?’

Acting out on his impulse, Mark rose to his feet, walked up to Hanbin and pulled him away from Nayeon, making him nearly trip into the desks behind him. Hanbin shot Mark a deadly glare but Mark wasn't the type to be easily intimidated.

"Tuan, get out of my way." Hanbin warned.

"No." Mark responded instantly calmly. ‘Jeez…it's like I'm being controlled by my heart! What's going on?!’

Hanbin snapped his fingers signaling Bobby and Junhoe to enter the classroom, cracking their knuckles.

"I'll tell you one last time Tuan, move!" Hanbin warned once again.

"And I said no." Mark answered calmly.

Mark walked and stood almost protectively in front of Nayeon as both Hanbin and Bobby approached them slowly while Junhoe stayed at the door to guard it. Mark closed his eyes and managed to catch Bobby’s fist before it landed on his face and tossed him aside, making Bobby nearly stumble to the ground. Bobby tried again but Mark diverted him with quick hand movements. Then, Bobby picked up one of the chairs and folded it before he swung it at Mark's face. Mark leaned back and it breezed past it before he punched Bobby in the nose. He felt the bone snap but not break and Bobby grunted loudly in pain before stumbling back.

Hanbin tried to finish Mark by himself but Mark quickly kicked him in the stomach before kicking him in the head which send him tumbling to the ground. Just then, Junhoe managed to grab Mark from behind but Mark was still perfectly calm. Hanbin tried to punch him again but Mark pushed his weight back, allowing him to lift his legs and kick Hanbin in both his ribs. Next, Mark stomped on Junhoe's foot and turned around as he grabbed Junhoe’s arm and threw him effortlessly into the stunned Hanbin, sending them tumbling onto Bobby. Nayeon was amazed at his skills and her eyes widened but Hanbin was seriously annoyed by this.

"Let's go, we'll get you sooner or later." Hanbin declared to both his minions as they ran out.

Mark waited till they were out of his sight before he moved. Nayeon continued to stare at the blonde, who was now her savior. Mark slung his bag onto his back before walking towards the door.

‘When did I get so fast…? Oh yeah! The training with Taecyeon hyung!’

"Mr. Tuan?" Nayeon called Mark which makes him to stop walking and turned his head towards her. "Why did you help me?" She asked.

‘Think Tuan…think!!! You can't tell her you like her!!! You know it's illegal!!!’ Mark was silent for a few moments before he spoke. "I didn't think you deserved to get treated like that, especially on your first day." Mark replied coolly.

"You didn't have to help me." She responded.

"I wanted to."

"Why?" She asked.

"For the very reason I just told you. In addition to it being Hanbin, he's nothing but a womanizing douche bag." Mark explained to Nayeon.

Nayeon's eyes softened while Mark sat down on the chair in front of her desk and she sat as well across him.

"Tell me Mr. Tuan, why are you so quiet all the time? You're not brilliant but you're not terrible either." Nayeon began to ask Mark.

"I have nothing to say." Mark replied solemnly.

"With these grades, you realize that you aren't likely to continue next semester right?" Nayeon asked while looking at the students’ report.

"I'm well aware." Mark confessed.

"Then why don't you do better?" Nayeon asked out of curiosity or maybe a bit of concern.

Mark kept quiet and thought for a moment. "My lecturers were all terrible. You're the only one who I actually learn from." Mark stated unconsciously and his eyes widened as he realized what he just said. ‘Ahh crap! Why did you say that?! IDIOT!!!’

"Oh? And why is that?" Nayeon asked again which makes Mark to smile.

"It’s because you're interesting. You make learning fun." Mark responded.

To his surprise, Nayeon’s cheeks became red just from his simple compliment. "Well, I have a suggestion to how we can improve your grades." Nayeon announced to Mark.

"And how is that?" He asked.

"I could give you private tutoring." She suggested.

‘Holy crap! This is not good! SAY NO!!! SAY NO!!!!’ He swallowed hard.

Mark didn't know if he could control his hormones around her. They maybe around the same age but it would be trouble for a student and a lecturer to have anything further than just mutual respect. Nayeon gave Mark her pretty smile.

"How about outside of school? I could come to your home and we could work on some concepts." Nayeon suggested more.

"Sure, that sounds good." Mark replied quickly, trying to be casual though it didn’t sound like one. ‘You just screwed yourself… Way to go Mark Tuan!’

Nayeon made a sound that was in between a giggle and a sigh of relief. "Ok that's settled. Every day after school I'll come to your house and we can go for as long as you'd like." Nayeon said to Mark.

"Ms. Im? Can I ask how you became a teacher in practice at such a young age?" Mark asked out of curiosity.

Nayeon smiled at him again before saying, "Well, since I was a top student in my school, I skipped a few years in which I guess it was because of my performance. After that, my principal told me about your lecturer’s condition so he gave me an exam and I passed it with flying colors."

"So, you're saying you're an absolute genius?" Mark asked while raising an eyebrow.

Nayeon blushed at his question and denied it. "No, I just work very hard and I love what I do."

Mark nodded slowly and he was starting to admire almost everything about Im Nayeon. She gathered her books in her arms before she turned to him.

"I'll see you after lunch Mr. Tuan." Mark nodded and as she was about to walk out, she turned her head back to show him another heartwarming smile. "Mark? Thank you for your help. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." Nayeon confessed with a blush before she walked out, leaving Mark dumbfounded and also confused.

"Is this right?! Is it right for a student to like the lecturer? Is it right for the student to get so close to the lecturer? Oh man… I sure know how to get myself into these awkward situations." Mark worried by himself before he walked out of the room.

"Ready to go?" Mark asked.

"Sure, lead the way." She replied.

 

They began to walk to Mark's apartment which wasn't far from the campus. As they arrived, they entered the small but comfortable apartment. Nayeon was still surprised that Mark lived on his own and that his apartment was so tidy and neat. He put down his bag before walking into the bathroom to take a shower. She sat down at his desk and while waiting for him, Nayeon looked around to see paintings upon paintings and pictures upon pictures. A few moments later, Mark came out of the bathroom and walked into his room with only a towel around his lower body. He didn't even notice that Nayeon was there staring at him. She blushed madly when she saw his toned torso.

‘He looks so handsome… NO! SNAP OUT OF IT NAYEON!! HE'S A STUDENT!!’

Mark grabbed his clothes before he left the room, still not noticing Nayeon. Then, he returned back to the room while wearing a white T-shirt and black cotton pants. He was kind enough to bring her a snack in which she took from him with a grateful "thank you" and he responded with a subtle "you're welcome". After that, the class began and Nayeon decided to do Chemistry with him for today. She reinforced many concepts about the subject and Mark was sure that after about two more weeks of this, he would be an A student in Chemistry without a doubt as right now it was his worst subject. After an hour and half, Nayeon stopped teaching to give Mark a break.

Mark sighed but smiled at her. "You're really a good teacher Ms. Im." Mark complimented.

"Thank you Mr. Tuan. You've said that a lot." She thanked him with a light blush.

"It’s only because it's true. In two months, you've gotten me into the honor role and I can't thank you enough for that." Mark declared.

Nayeon blushed brightly again by his exaggerating compliment. Suddenly, she accidentally dropped her pen on the carpeted floor and leaned down to get it. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the distance and slipped off the chair. She waited for the impact with the carpet and a chuckle from Mark but there wasn’t any of it. Instead, she was held up by strong arms and she looked back up to see Mark with concern on his face.

"Careful. Are you okay?" Mark asked in worried tone which makes Nayeon to just nod her head and he balanced her on the seat before he got up. "Would you like some tea Ms. Im?"

"Oh yes, thank you."  

Mark nodded and walked out of the room and as soon as he’s out of the room, Nayeon’s face turned as red as a tomato.

‘He's really nice and he's so quick on his feet too. Is it really wrong for a teacher to be this fond of her student? OF COURSE IT IS YOU MORON!! IT WOULD CAUSE NOTHING BUT PURE AWKWARDNESS!! NOT TO MENTION YOU COULD GET THE BOY ARRESTED!!’

Five minutes later, Mark arrived with two steaming hot cups of chamomile tea. He wrapped a napkin around Nayeon’s cup and handed it to her, giving her a soft warning of the heat. Nayeon sipped it before she put it down as Mark silently sipped his too.

"So Mr. Tuan, tell me more about yourself. In all this time you never did say much." She suggested but Mark was silent for a few moments. "Oh… You don't have to tell me. I forgot you were so… Secretive…" She whispered.

"No it's okay… I'm just trying to find things to say that's all." Mark shrugged.

"There has to be a lot more to Mark Tuan than meet the eye." Nayeon stated with a wink which makes Mark to chuckle softly and she really liked his voice.

"Where should I start?" Mark asked.

"Well, you can tell me how you ended up living alone for starters." She said.

"My parents lived in California, so I worked at JYP Entertainment for a while as soon as I arrived in Korea until I got enough money to buy this place and I worked hard enough to get a full scholarship to Seoul, but I began to slack because I honestly didn't see much point in trying so hard. Seoul wasn't really a school that recognized achievements in academics, they care more about the music industry than the debating team if you know what I mean." Mark explained.

Nayeon nodded her head and tried to comfort Mark. "Well… I'm sure you miss your parents since you live far away from each other."

"Yeah… Especially my mother." Mark stated honestly.

"When's your birthday? You never did tell me that." Nayeon tried to change the subject from a depressing one.

Mark suddenly stood up to take a look at the calendar and he chuckled which makes Nayeon to raise an eyebrow.

"September 4^th. It looks like I'm now older than you Ms. Im." Mark declared with a smirk.

"Aww… Happy birthday!" Nayeon announced as she hugged him which makes his body paralyze for a moment.

‘Damn it! So close and she had to be dressed like this too! DOWN YOU STUPID HORMONES!’

Nayeon released her embrace from Mark and he turned his face away from her to hide the blush.

"I can't believe a student is one year older than me. You're 21 and I'll turn 20 in a few days…" Nayeon said with a pout.

"Youth seems to be all the rage these days."

Nayeon giggled and she thought that Mark did have a good sense of humor for someone of his nature.

"So Mark, what do you want for your birthday?" Nayeon asked.

Mark fell silent again but his eyes focused on Nayeon’s face. Unknown to him, those eyes of his had always made her insides melt whenever she saw them. He was about to say something but he scoffed and swung his hand at the idea. Suddenly, his hormones kicked in again and shoved more possibilities into his mind so he desperately tried to shake his mind clear.

"What is it?" Nayeon asked out of curiosity.

"It's rather childish. I'm not really keen on getting material objects for presents and a crazy random idea flew into my head." Mark explained with a scoffed.

"You can tell me, I won't laugh." She insisted which makes Mark to scratch the back of his head nervously.

"Well… Uhh…" Mark started and looked at Nayeon who was currently staring at him with anticipation in her eyes which makes him to release a deep sighed.

‘Will she be okay with this?’

"Well… Ms. Im, I don't think it's appropriate." Mark told Nayeon honestly.

"Let me be the judge of that." Nayeon declared which makes Mark to sigh.

‘Damn it… I knew she would say that…’

"Ms. Im, it's going to be awkward if I say it so… Could you close your eyes for just a minute? I'll show you what I mean."

Nayeon closed her eyes and Mark took one more a very deep breath. He scooted closer to her and moved his face close to hers.

"What is it Mark? It sounds like fun!" Nayeon said with a childish tone and that made Mark to gulp loudly and he stopped all of a sudden.

‘I can't do it! It may feel right but I would hate to destroy this friendship. One wrong move and that's the end of it and I don't want to lose her as even a friend. This isn't right at all and I really don't want to get us both into trouble with Seoul police.’ Mark thought deeply and closed his eyes.

Nayeon peeked with the slit of her eyes and noticed that Mark’s face was so close to hers which makes her to smile.

‘I don't have a problem with it Mark. Why are you hesitating? No one's gonna see us.’

Mark was pulling away with his eyes completely closed when suddenly Nayeon held the back of his neck with her hands which makes his eyes shot wide open.

"Ms. Im what're you-" He was about to ask but got cut off when Nayeon’s soft lips encased his own. ‘No way! I've got to be dreaming! The hottest… No, that's not like me to say… The most beautiful teacher on the planet… The closest friend I have… The woman I like so much is kissing me?! Out of her free will?! We are so screwed but that doesn't mean I don't like this!’

Mark legs became weak which makes him to fall on his bed but Nayeon managed to adjust her hands and wrapped her arms around him instead as he fell. Now, Mark was lying on the bed with Nayeon on top of him. He couldn't move and he could barely even think. The only thing he could feel in his body was his heart beating and his brain sending futile impulses to his limbs to move. After that, she released his lips from her passionate kiss and looked at his eyes.

"Happy birthday Mark." Nayeon whispered with a wink.

"Nayeon…" Mark called her softly.

Mark’s eyes lit up and his face became almost serious yet his stare was a gentle one. He knew what he was going to do next and his hormones did nothing but drive him on.

"That's the first time you called me­-" Nayeon was suddenly got cut off by Mark’s lips.

Mark kissed Nayeon hungrily and she happily accepted his affection. His arms held onto her waist in a firm but gentle grip and she melted right into his arms. Her body fit in with his perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle. Mark’s tongue began to graze her lips and she parted her lips to allow him to explore inside the foreign cavern. After a little while, he stopped kissing her and she moved her face just barely off of his and looked into his loving eyes. She had never seen such passion in any man before.

"Nayeon… You're my gift but I don't think we could go to school like this. I know it would be awkward for the both of us, not to mention we just broke a major law here." Mark whispered.

"I know but I don't care. I really… I really think that I… I…" Nayeon whispered as her voice began to get more excited and giggled. "I can't say love you. I haven't known you long enough to say that but I can definitely say I like you a lot." Nayeon continued.

After that, Nayeon crashed her head into Mark’s chest and her grip tightened. He smiled and his hands slowly caressed her back.

"I like you a lot too." Mark mumbled but loud enough for Nayeon to hear it and she looked up at him.

"Nayeon…Would you be my girlfriend?" Mark asked Nayeon shyly.

"Did you seriously just ask that? Of course it’s a yes!" Nayeon giggled and she pecked him several times before she laid her head just below his chin.

"I don't know how I'm going to go through school and not stop looking at you… Not to mention resisting the urge to do things likes this and there's also the matter of hiding this from the authorities." Mark sighed and Nayeon raised her head to look at him again.

"We'll figure something out." Nayeon replied.

Mark nodded and embraced her lovingly before asking, "Want to stay the night? It's pretty late and I don't feel safe with you walking home by yourself in the dark."

"Sure! Good thing I brought the clothes I was going to use for jogging after class but I never thought I'd be here this late. I guess I can just sleep in those rather than in my uniform." Nayeon giggled cutely which makes Mark to pinch her nose.

Then, Mark got up and walked into the bathroom after gently removing Nayeon’s body from his and planting a tender kiss on her lips. After that, he the shower and sighed with great relief.

"So what if it's illegal. I think I just scored myself the best girlfriend in all of Seoul. I'm one lucky guy! Nothing else matters to me except her happiness and also my own." Mark smiled when suddenly the shower door opened which makes Mark to smirk.

##TO BE CONTINUED##