TIP #2: “Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu’il tue ses élèves”
(Time is a great teacher, it's too bad that it also kills all its students)

In Hya slept at the sauna that night. After much contemplation, the sauna seemed like the most ideal refuge.

She hasn’t called home, taking into consideration her mother’s anger. She will rather she simmers down first before apologizing.

In Hya had spent the whole night dialing her phone. Frustration is completely an understatement.

After losing her phone yesterday, she panicked as she tried to retrace where she might’ve drop it but nope. Not a single lead.

She tried to call for her phone number, hoping that a good Samaritan would have retrieve it along their way but no one answered her calls.

In Hya packs up her stuffs as she wash up and got dressed. It is her first day at the new center and she is feeling extremely jumpy and excited about it.

A new semester means a fresh new chapter of her life.

She would appreciate it if things didn’t get any messier than it already is. Please.

In Hya skips to work with light steps as she tries to surrounded herself with nothing but positivity. Yes, yesterday’s dramatic turn of events may have been tough but it is in no way going to ruin her new job that she has been looking forward to.

She reaches the front yard of the school and takes a good glimpse around her surroundings.

Swings, potted plants, sand box, little children playing around. Laughter filled the fresh air as In Hya takes in her daily dose of happy pill.

Exactly her style of workplace.

In Hya enters the general office as she takes a deep bow.

“Oh hello. I’m the new intern teacher assigned here. Please guide me along in future.” She introduces formally.

“Ahh.” The principal rushes from her seat to greet her, “You must be Miss Bae In Hya?”

In Hya steals a glance at her gold engraved plate quickly before shaking her hand. “Yes Mrs Kwon. Pleasure to meet you.”

Mrs Kwon smiles as she acknowledges the polite girl.

“Pleasure is all mine. Now come with me. I’ll show you around the nursery.”

* *

“Nini Oppa, why are roses red?” She chirps.

Jongin peers down to his cheerful 5-years-old niece and shrugs. “I don’t know Yunae. Stop asking me question that I don’t have answers to.”

“Hmpf.” Yunae stubbornly pulls her hand away from his grasp and pouts, “I’m not going to move if you don’t tell me why!”

Jongin sighs at his niece throwing her daily tantrums. He thoughtfully squats to meet her avoided gaze and holds onto her small shoulders.

“Hmm.” He purses, “If you really wanna know, should I tell you why?”

The frown on her face fades as her sparkly eyes hovers to Jongin.

“You’ll tell me why?”

“Err.. Of course!” Jongin gives off a queasy chuckle as he tried to make up something quickly, “R-Roses are red.. because.. err b-because.. our h-hearts are red!”

Yunae stomps, “That doesn’t make sense.”

“It does!” Now Jongin is childishly getting into an argument with a kid, “Err.. when we love someone, our heart gets connected, right? We usually give a flower to the person we like. Roses represents love, so that’s why it’s red, just like our heart.”

Jongin knows it’s a ridiculous theory but he hopes that Yunae buys it anyway, seeing that they are running late.

Yunae narrows her eyes for a while before breaking out in a toothy grin. “Really? The rose is like our hearts?”

Jongin brushes the nape of his neck, “Yeah yeah..” He puts away the topic and holds her inviting hand again, “Let’s get going, we don’t want you to be late for school.”

They barely make it in the nick of time and Yunae runs inside as soon as she sees her friends beckoning at her.

“Woah, slow down, sweetie. You’ll hurt yourself if you knock into others.” In Hya soothes as she pats the girl’s bag.

Yunae looks up at her with a confused face.

She has never seen this pretty teacher before but nevertheless, she grins and give her greetings. In Hya smiles in return before urging Yunae to get to class.

“I’ve never seen you around before.”

In Hya spins around to see a man around her age, dressed simply yet chic in a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. Even the sunlight kissing his face shone perfectly against his bronze skin.

Such a good-looking stranger.

And he is looking straight at her.

“Are you new here?”

Her heart skips a beat as he flashes her one of his really attractive smiles.

“H-Hello.” She fumbles in a stutter, “I’m Miss Bae. I just transferred here as an teacher.”

“You look quite young to be a teacher.” Jongin remarks with inquisitive eyes.

“Ah,” She nods her head, “I’m still an intern teacher. I’m actually 22 this year.”

Jongin rounds his orbs in glimmer, “Wow really? That makes us the same age then.”

No way. How can someone at 22 be this handsome?

“Eh really?”

“Yeah. It’s my first time seeing such a young teacher, so I’m kind of amazed.” He casually comments and In Hya blushes pink.

Jongin checks his wristwatch and sighs, “I wish I can stay around to chat more, but I have to go now.”

In Hya pinks, “Ah yes yes, I understand.”

Jongin grins at her flustered antics, “The little girl who bumped into you earlier is my niece, Yunae. Please bear with her. She’s a nice kid but can be really stubborn at times.”

In Hya suppresses a giggle, “I will, don’t worry. That’s my duty as a teacher.”

He hums in relief, “Anyway, feel free to call me Kai. You can drop the formalities since we’re the same age.”

In Hya nonchalantly nods and waves farewell. “Okay Kai s-si, I-I mean Kai.”

He turns on his heels and give a friendly wave too, “I’ll see you again when I come to pick Yunae up later.”

In Hya is still waving mindlessly, unfazed, even when Jongin has walk out of the front gate. Her face falls shortly and she stops waving when she realizes the sin she’s committing.

Jongin is her student’s uncle. How can she even harbour such thoughts towards him?

In Hya fans her hot face but she can’t seem to get his face out of her mind. She covers with her cuff, trying to hide the wide smile stretching.

God, it is so unlike her to be like this.

Her momentary euphoria is broken when a flustered senior teacher hurdles towards her.

“M-Miss Bae?” Her voice is in a state of frenzy to the extent of shaking.

In Hya drops her hand as a knot ties in her stomach, “I-Is there something w-wrong?”

The senior teacher takes a few moment to collect her nerves before exhaling, “Y-You got a call from home.. It’s an emergency.”

* *

Not far from the heart of the nursery, the crude man, better known as Wonwoo, has skillfully positioned himself in the shadow of a towering tree.

“Curses!” He hisses as he sees her talking to Jongin.

His mouth forms into an ugly snarl as In Hya smies sweetly into the his face.

He detests this.

How dare she can even smile again? After putting him through such a turmoil.

What right does she have?!

Wonwoo pauses, had Jongin been the reason why she didn’t show up in the hotel room yesterday night?

He grunts inaudibly as he watches Jongin leave the gates before punching into the oak wood.

He studies his sturdy built and tall height and lets out a twisted smirk.

So now, she has a boyfriend?

This is a twist of events.

* *

If there is an award for the best son, Jongin will totally wing it.

Here he is at the prime supermarket, shopping for grocery items at 11AM in the morning because his Mom had instructed him to.

She even told Jongin not to come back without running his errands.

Of course, he whined about it at first but relented.

He sets the almost full grocery basket at the checkout point as he hands over his credit card while the cashier lays out his items to scan.

“Yeah Umma?” Jongin wedges his phone between his ear and his shoulder, “Yeah yeah, I’m almost done with the groceries.”

He picks up the two heavy plastic bags and leaves the supermarket, “What? No! I’m not wasting time on purpose I— Arasso, I’ll be home soon.”

He places the bags into his convertible and starts the engine. Jongin also turns on some classical music while he straps his seatbelt and starts driving off.

He taps his fingers against the steering wheel as the radio plays their hits. Unlike Baekhyun, who prefers loud and eccentric music, Jonging prefers a quieter scene.

It’s quite a ride back home, so he leans further into the black leather chair.

He stops right before traffic turns red. Jongin’s eyes flicker as he waits for the commuters to cross when his gaze lands on a familiar person amongst the bustling crowd. He peels away from his seat to get a clearer squint of the lady.

“Miss Bae..?”

Jongin sees her walking quickly, bumping into other passer-bys but she doesn’t seem to be bothered about them. Rather, her face looks perturbed, as if disturbed by something.

He turns off his engine and steps out of the car.

“Miss Bae?”

In Hya jumps a little, almost crashing into Jongin when he stumbles before her.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be at the nursery?” He grazes her forlorn dilated eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go somewhere.”

“Somewhere?” He asks once more in confusion, “At this timing?”

“It’s urgent.”

He tries to fish out more answers but holds back when he senses something off. Jongin hesitates for a while before speaking out, “Where do you need to go? I’ll give you a lift.”

* *

The entire ride is engulfing. Well, mainly for Jongin.

He just can’t comprehend this sudden situation at all and her silence isn’t helping it. Jongin steals a glance but only catches on her side profile as she gazes out of the tinted window, as if in a trance.

His line of sight slowly falls to her elbow to see her fingers scratching apprehensively eventhough it has been going on for a while.

Jongin wants to point it out but he is too timid. Why he is afraid is something he doesn’t know either.

They fin