A small, familiar back of a little girl pulling a red wagon relieves him and he is in the verge of crying when he finally catching up with her, hugging her even when the little girl seems surprised to see him.

"Teacher..."

"I... I am so worried..." The hug gets tighter as he tries to calm his heart down. Joonmyeon didn't come to school after the incident and the manager still hasn't see him every time he asked and the vinyl cardboard was nowhere to be found. The response he got when he went to the student's house is what making him into this giant of a mess.

And this little girl in his arm is someone he never thought he would be so glad to see in his life.

"Teacher..." The little girl is struggling to loosen the arms around her as she is finding it hard to breathe and Yifan notices, taking a deep breath before letting her go, eyes staring at the pretty face.

"I couldn't find Joonmyeon and when I couldn't find you either, I thought I would die never seeing you guys again." He brushes the fallen bangs on the small forehead. "You know where Joonmyeon is, don't you? Can you take me to him?"

Sophia is biting her lips, nodding for a second before shaking her head at another. "I... I can't... oppa said, you are a bad teacher and... and told me to hide if I see you..."

He breathes out. No wonder, no matter how many times he walked around the neighborhood, he still couldn't find her, and all her words finally sank in.

"I am... a bad teacher," Yifan sees Sophia's worried face and holds her tiny hand in his, "that is why I need to see Joonmyeon. I said something bad to him and hurt his feeling. And I want to apologize to him so he wouldn't be hurt anymore but..." He stares into those innocent eyes, "Please, help me? If I said sorry and Joonmyeon is still hurt, I won't see him anymore. Then, I can't hurt him again."

Silence fills the narrow alley before the little girl gives Yifan a nod and Yifan never feel so alive. He follows her farther into the neighborhood and swallows the lump in his throat at the sight of a row of rundown houses. He looks at the little girl pushing the rusty gate open and his heart breaks even more. Has she been living like this her whole life?

Sound of creaking door being opened makes his heart pumping nervously and seeing his student standing by it, only God knows how grateful he is at the sight.

"Get away from her!" Sophia is being dragged away from him into the house before Yifan could do anything and finally come to his senses when the front door being shut closed.

He knocks and bangs the door, twisting the doorknob panickly before realizing that he might be scaring Sophia with his actions, and that Joonmyeon can't be approached like this.

"Joonmyeon," he knocks softly, "please, hear me out." He knocks again and waits, ears faintly hear voices behind the door. He lets out the breath he has been holding, one hand against the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have say what I said the other day. I... just, please, let's us talk this out. I want to help, Joonmyeon."

The time seems to be standing still as he hears no response from the other side of the door. Joonmyeon was willing to bear with him but then he just had to blow his chance by threatening the student. What kind of teacher does that? To think he is only just a student teacher.

"Joonmyeon," he breathes, "I am really sorry. I won't meddle anymore so please, come to school, okay?" He takes a step back from the door. "I'm going now. Sophia, please take care of Joonmyeon for me."

His eyes fix at the door as he backs himself slowly from it, wishing it to be opened but it doesn't, as he stares at it from the driveway. Letting out a sigh, he turns around and walks away, hand just reaching the rusty front gate when something hugs his legs from behind.

"Teacher, don't go!" Sophia is trying to pull him away from the gate and he almost fell on the little girl when he tripped his own feet. "Oppa said he is not mad at you anymore so don't go!"

Yifan loosens the tiny arms around his thighs and crouches down, meeting with teary eyes. "Really?" Sophia is nodding too eagerly and Yifan peeks from the little girl's side, heart wanting to jump out of joy when his student is standing by the door watching him and Sophia.

-----

"Will she be alright?" Yifan turns to his student that has his eyes fixed to the front.

"She is her mother afterall."

Yifan nods understand but can't really agree with the answer. He was surprised when Sophia suddenly yelled, telling Joonmyeon to go quickly and the next second Yifan was being dragged away from the house and into a corner, watching in confusion as Sophia closing the front gate and disappeared into the house not long before a woman with revealing clothes opened the gate back.

So she was Sophia's mother? But why did she ask Joonmyeon to leave as soon as she spotted her? Does she not know about Joonmyeon? He went to the bridge every night for the past few days but Joonmyeon wasn't there. And he was relieved to find Joonmyeon has been staying with Sophia but then, what happen just now happened.

Does that mean Joonmyeon only stays there when Sophia's mother isn't around? That she would left her kid alone for days just like that? Such a small little girl being forced to take care of herself at such young age. She must be so happy when she met Joonmyeon.

He slides the door open and smiles when the worker of the eatery greets them, leading them to an empty table before bringing them a couple of empty glasses and a jar of cold water.

"Anything you want to eat?" He hands over the one-page menu to Joonmyeon, staring at the student as he scans the laminated paper. He was wondering where is Joonmyeon taking him as they keep walking around the neighborhood but then he heard something grumbling before the sound came out from him too and he took turn of leading Joonmyeon instead.

Joonmyeon has his finger pointing at the fried rice and Yifan calls the worker, placing their order and just smiles when his student is looking at him with wrinkles on his forehead, silently asking why did he ask for dishes that can be finished by four people.

The place has other three tables with patrons as it is nearly eleven o'clock in the evening and Yifan's eyes never left this student of his, mind working full force at which question his going to ask first as the atmosphere right now is just perfect and he might not have this chance again.

"I'm sorry."

Joonmyeon is staring at him while sipping his water before putting the glass down, letting out a breath. "No one was supposed to know. Did you really stalk me?"

Yifan looks around, checking if the other customers had heard Joonmyeon's question and nods, because he did stalk him, when he noticed how their table is slightly far from the others. "You didn't come to the office, and I was worried."

"Why?"

He blinks. Asking him why he was worried. Because Joonmyeon is his student and of course a teacher would be worrying about his student?

The fried rice arrives before he can answer and he is actually thankful for the interruption, watching the eatery staff placing the black bean noodle, the grilled octopus and the dumplings on the table, as he doesn't think the answer would be satisfying enough for Joonmyeon.

He gestures Joonmyeon to start eating, pushing the plates of grilled octopus and dumplings towards him, replying to the student with a curt nod when Joonmyeon is side-eyeing him.

He takes a bite of his noodle after Joonmyeon rejected his offer of the dish and he never feel so happy seeing someone eat, even when Sophia's eating face was much cuter than his student right now.

He places the last piece of the dumpling on Joonmyeon's empty plate, meeting his eyes as he finishing the spoonful of his fried rice. There is only them occupying the place as it is half past twelve now and the workers are cleaning to close for the day. It has been inside his mind after seeing the first customer to leave yawned on his way out and he was afraid that Joonmyeon would stopped eating if he asked then but now is a good time as any.

"Are you going back to the bridge?" He asks right after they stepped out from the eatery and his student is staring at him for a moment before looking away, shrugging his shoulders as he starts walking.

"Joonmyeon!" Yifan calls as he tries to catch up with his student, grabbing his hand and turning Joonmyeon to face him. "Where are you going?"

A shrug.

"Back to the bridge?" Joonmyeon is staring at him with his tired eyes without an answer. "Then," Yifan breathes out, arranging the words in his mind properly for one last time, "sleep with me."