"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Yifan stops writing the study plan and looks up to the source of the voice, nodding when he does wanted to see the boy. "There is something I want to ask you, August." The boy steps closer before lowering himself toward him. "Who was that sitting at the back corner of the class today? Nobody told me you guys were getting a new classmate."

The boy looks lost for a moment, brows furrowed before realizing who was Yifan talking about. "That was Joonmyeon, sir. He was suspended before you came and apparently decided to come today."

Yifan came to the school as a student teacher almost a month ago and he is still learning but isn't being suspended for a month sounds a bit much? "What did he do to get punished that long? A month is-"

"It was only for two weeks, sir but..." The boy is fidgeting in his spot and Yifan understands his situation. The class representative isn't someone who would talk bad about others but because of that too he can't ask the other students about it. The story would get blown up and he would be judging this Joonmyeon before he knows everything.

"He has problems with his family and he would sometimes vent that out toward those bad kids from other schools."

Yifan breathes in as he notices how reluctant his student is to continue their conversation. It isn't like he is their homeroom teacher or anything but he is a teacher and he just want to help in any way. "Could you tell him to meet me after school today at the office? I just want to talk to him."

August is staring at him with worry all over his face before he gives Yifan a little nod. "But, I don't think he will come, sir."

"It's fine. I will wait until he come. Tell that to him too." The boy nods and Yifan sends him away with his eyes, watching the teachers' office door being closed and looks over his shoulder when he feels a presence behind him.

"Was that August?"

Yifan nods as he straightens up in his seat.

"You know he isn't that kind of kid, right? Whatever you heard, it wasn't him. He-"

"I know," he cuts, "I didn't call him for that, Mr. Lu." Yifan turns to the Chinese language teacher. He seems to know August very well as he teaches the student's class. "Why didn't you tell me about Joonmyeon?"

Luhan's eyes widen just a little before amusement is shown on his face. "So he came to the school today? He is a lost cause, Mr. Wu. He comes to school as he pleases. We tried, okay, don't say we didn't, but he was the one that doesn't tell us anything."

The bell that ends the reccess rings and Luhan retreats to his desk to collect his teaching materials, stopping by the door to look at Yifan before he leaves, "Don't involve yourself to much with him, Mr. Wu. It's for your own good."

-----

He looks around the teachers' office. Almost everyone has left as the clock strikes six. He has waited for four hours but he didn't even see Joonmyeon's shadow. The Chinese language teacher has long gone but his words after reccess still ringing in his ears.

Maybe Luhan was right. The male has been teaching Joonmyeon for years while he just knew about his existance today. His words were harsh but Luhan isn't the kind of teacher that would bring his students down. He must have done everything he could to help Joonmyeon but it's all useless if Joonmyeon doesn't want to be helped.

He tidies his desk and gets up, looking around the teachers' office that has two other teachers finishing their works before walking towards the windows which one was left open. Watching the students leaving after their club activities, he spots a familiar face heading towards the school gate, legs heavy as if there were leads strapped around them and he rushes down, leaving the still unclosed window.

His lesson was only for 45 minutes but the student caught his eyes as soon as he stepped in the classroom. He stole glances at Joonmyeon from time to time, itching to call him to the front to solve the question on the whiteboard or have him to explain something from the book but the boy would either has his attention on his desk or gazing outside with solemn face, and Yifan, being a rookie teacher, had to admit he was scared by Joonmyeon's hostile aura.

That was why he asked the class representative to see him during recess - August is trushworthy and teachers' office comforts him - to know more about Joonmyeon but the student didn't come just like August predicted and now he is tailing Joonmyeon to a neighborhood that he hasn't explore yet.

The neighborhood is on the other side of the main road where his temporary apartment is and he doesn't really go out on weekends except for grocery shopping but he wouldn't go this far for that since there are two minimarts with walking distance from his place but maybe that is going to change when he is standing outside a different one that Joonmyeon had entered.

Yifan takes off his tie, afraid that Joonmyeon might recognise him, and stuffs it in his backpack before stepping inside the minimart. It is just like any other minimart and there are a few other people beside him but he doesn't see his student anywhere. He walks around the place, eyes sharp like a hawk that is looking for a prey named Joonmyeon before his feet stop by themselves and those eyes zeroes on a shelf of instant noodles that he has never seen before. 'Honey butter cheese' sounds delicious.

"Joonmyeon oppa."

Yifan's ears perk up at the name and holds tightly the two bags of new-flavored instant noodles - the other is carbonara bulgogi - as he walks to the end of the shelves, peeking carefully from behind it as he looks for the source of the voice.

"Here is your money. You collected quite a lot today."

He is happier than just now when he found the instant noodles when he sees Joonmyeon talking to a little girl - an elementary student it seems - and he walks closer, stopping at the nearest shelf from the two and pretends to be looking at the dental hygiene products because he just bought a new toothpaste last week.

"Did you go to school today?"

"I did."

"Really?"

"Really. Why would I lie to you?"

"Then, what did you learn today?"

"That is... er... I..."

"See?"

"I wasn't paying attention."

"You should have! How can you learn things when you didn't pay attention in class?"

Yifan wants to laugh at the scene where an elementary kid is scolding a highschooler but that would blow his cover so he just nod, agreeing with the little girl's words. Joonmyeon doesn't seem the type to be talking much but here he even get corrected by someone that is much younger than him. He really wants to know who this girl is and what she means to Joonmyeon.

"I know we have a new teacher today."

All Yifan's senses are on high alert and awake because Minseok didn't have class with Joonmyeon today so he is the only new teacher Joonmyeon could be talking about. He moves his head slightly to the side, wanting to get a clear view of them talking about him.

"Is she pretty?"

"It's a male teacher."

"Oh! He must be really handsome."

"Eh."

His smile from the girl's imagination instantly disappears at his own student's evaluation of his appearence. Joonmyeon has his shoulders shrugging with mouth twisting, disagreeing with his little friend. He might not be the most handsome teacher in the school but he certaintly doesn't deserve that kind of judgement. Minseok would differ.

"Is she home today?"

"Yes."

Their tones change and the bubbly little girl suddenly turns into a solemn one and he watches Joonmyeon fixing the her dress and hair before they wave each other goodbye. His student is staring at the entrance of the minimart for a while, the sigh doesn't miss Yifan's eyes, before he goes behind the counter of the cash register. Only then he realizes that Joonmyeon is wearing a green apron with the minimart's name sewn on it.

-----

His watch shows twelve and five minutes when he sees Joonmyeon coming out from the minimart with no green apron and he starts following the student silently. Joonmyeon apparently didn't recognise him when he paid for the instant noodles and instead of heading home and cook his new noodles, he went to a small restaurant nearby, choosing a seat where he can see the minimart clearly and had his dinner there. Thankfully the owner didn't mind when he started doing his work after finishing the meal while waiting for Joonmyeon since he doesn't know when the student's shift ends.

The night wind is cold and he is thankful that Joonmyeon had put on his sweater a while back while being jealous at the same time because he doesn't have one and is shivering like crazy. But no one can blame him. He didn't know he would meet Joonmyeon today and he certaintly didn't think he would be following - stalking - his own student like this until late at night. What he did know was tomorrow is Saturday and he could catch up on his sleep after finding out what he wants from Joonmyeon.

He stops at the upper part of the river bank when he sees Joonmyeon climbing down the stairs and heading towards under the bridge, where he can barely see from the lights of the houses around the river the vinyl-covered cardboard and his heart sinks down when Joonmyeon lies down on it like a routine.