Rubbing his hands against his face in an effort to wake himself up, Kihyun walked drowsily into the teacher’s lounge, eyes directed resolutely at the coffee pot. His students knew him as the charming, put-together Mr. Yoo, but before he could be the endlessly cheerful man about Korean History at 8 AM, he needed his coffee at 7:25. Grateful that somebody else had already made a pot before him, Kihyun poured out a large serving into his travel mug, adding only a splash of cream and sugar before screwing the lid on. He brought the mug up to his mouth and took one gulp, quickly followed by another. Better.

“Did you hear about the new guy?” a familiar voice called from beside him, and Kihyun jolted a bit, his eyes flashing over to the man who had somehow teleported beside him. Leaning against the counter was Minhyuk, one of his teacher friends, his slightly tired eyes sparkling with interest.  Kihyun quirked a brow and shook his head. “Some of the D-wing teachers saw him getting a tour of the building, apparently he’s a foreigner and is scary as ,” Minhyuk informed Kihyun, whispering the last bit in case there were any students milling around outside the room.

“Hm,” Kihyun responded, taking another sip from his coffee and slowly waking up bit by bit. “Sounds interesting, I’ll be sure to welcome him to the school if I see him,” he said, faking enthusiasm mostly to annoy his friend. Minhyuk rolled his eyes, resting his designer shirt-wearing elbows against the not quite clean counter surface. 

“He doesn’t sound like the type I would want to talk to personally, but you do you, sweetie,” Minhyuk said, smiling smugly down at Kihyun before grabbing a powdered donut and making his exit. Kihyun rolled his eyes, but wasn’t the least bit offended- he knew Minhyuk, and this kind of talk was child’s play at this point. Clearly the new guy was a bit intimidating, but Minhyuk wouldn’t have told him if he didn’t think the dude was at least a bit interesting. Kihyun sipped his coffee again, actually looking forward to meeting him.   

As if on cue, a strange man walks into the longue with slightly tentative steps, glancing around before fully walking in, as if he wasn’t totally confident he belonged in the room. This must be the new guy, and judging by his all-black, edgy ensemble and completely deadpan expression, Kihyun could see why people might be a bit intimidated. He was young, too, probably a few years younger than Kihyun, and incredibly fashionable. Intrigued, Kihyun approaches him, putting on his bright, teacher smile and walking up to the man.

“Hi there, I can see that you’re a new teacher here, so on behalf of my fellow educators: welcome to our school!” Kihyun politely greeted, sticking out his hand and looking the man perfectly in the eye. He stiffened under Kihyun’s gaze, but his eyes stared perfectly into Kihyun’s, something very poised and calculated about his posture.

“Hello,” the stranger greeted- in English. Kihyun wasn’t intimidated. “I’m Im Changkyun, I’m going to be teaching English I and II this year,” he greeted, finally grabbing Kihyun’s hand and shaking it, his stance and words so perfect and stiff that Kihyun could practically see the authoritarian way he ran his class. He was obviously the serious type, but what surprised Kihyun was how deathly sultry and seductive Changkyun’s voice was. He was practically drowning in the rich, sultry tones of his voice. It took him a few seconds to process that his y voice had said words in Korean, and he smiled as he quickly collected himself.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Im. I’m Yoo Kihyun. Is this your first year teaching?” Kihyun asked, laughing a bit in an attempt to lighten the mood and distract himself from how ridiculously attractive this man was up close. Changkyun was so young, and it wouldn’t have been a stretch to assume he was this professional and stiff to cover up his nerves. But, being so close… he couldn’t tell from far away, but damn, this man was wasted as a teacher- he could easily model for any brand on the market. His body was slim and shapely, but it went beyond that. His face was stunningly handsome, his eyes sharp and intelligent whenever their gazes would meet. His features were unique and a treat to look at, and nothing about him was standard in the slightest. Kihyun his lips slowly, his mind getting slightly distracted as he realized that he hadn’t been on a date in months…

“It’s actually my fifth year teaching, but it is my first one here, that part you’re right about,” Changkyun replied, his tone flat and serious. “I’m very proud of my accomplishments as a teacher, and my dedication to my profession is what led me to getting hired at this school,” he added, and Kihyun flustered slightly, straightening and re-straightening his posture as he attempted to formulate a reply. He was a lot more professional and intense than Kihyun had anticipated. 

“Ah, I see, sorry for assuming,” Kihyun said, smiling warmly before stepping away from the man, trying to shrug off what could only be a miscommunication. “Let me know if you ever need anything, I’d be more than happy to help,” he said, nodding once before walking out of the lounge. Changkyun nodded as well, giving Kihyun a thoughtful look as he exited the room. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he mysteriously replied, and that was the end of their first interaction. The rest of Kihyun’s day went by far quicker than he anticipated, but despite its speed, he was still exhausted by the time 3:00 rolled around- having to make the same introductory speech six times to 140 strangers tended to do that to a person. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, Kihyun walked down the hallway, his posh shoes clicking on the cheap tile. He had to make some copies of a hand-out he had prepared for class the next day, and was headed to the copy room before he went home. 

“Ah, Mr. Yoo. Could I ask for your assistance with the copy machine?” a deep, rumbling voice called as he entered the printer-filled room. Kihyun’s eyes flickered to the only other current occupant, and he nodded slowly as he recognized the voice’s owner- the frighteningly handsome new teacher.

“Of course! It’s really easy, here,” Kihyun began, walking up behind Changkyun and tapping some controls on the machine. He stood rather close behind him, realizing distractedly that they were the exact same height. “Just set the document text-down onto the scanner- yep, like that, and then scroll to these settings. Now type in how many copies you want to make and there you have it!” Throughout his demonstration, Kihyun’s arm had been touching Changkyun’s, and he distractedly noticed just how nice it felt to touch another person. God damn, he was touch starved. 

“T-thank you,” Changkyun replied, his voice soft and clearly trembling. Kihyun looked down at him, seeing the flush to his cheeks and how pretty his eyelashes looked as he stared down at the copy machine. It was a vast change from how he’d seen him earlier, so composed and strict. In that moment, Kihyun felt his heart surge with a shocking fluttering of attraction, his chest tightening and eyes sparkling with a strange sense of hopefulness. Maybe Changkyun was feeling similar attraction, and Kihyun leaned a little bit closer, resisting the urge to brush his hand against Changkyun’s arm.

“It’s no problem, seriously, I don’t mind helping a fellow teacher out,” Kihyun replied, smiling a bit. God, and his mannerisms were so cute, too. He was easy to read like this, cutely looking down at the copy machine and politely saying his thanks.

“Well, that’s all I needed,” Changkyun suddenly concluded, his voice stern and resolute, and Kihyun blinked several times, frowning a bit in confusion. He was acting just like he had this morning, all stiff words and leaving no room for argument. Kihyun clenched his jaw tightly, his expression turning from adoring to put off in record time. Obviously, he had come here for a purpose besides helping Changkyun, not that the boy saw that.

“Uh… okay,” Kihyun replied, nodding his head and walking away from him with unhurried steps. He passive-agressively decided to hover just a few feet away, and watched as Changkyun did his copying, his eyes unconsciously drifting down his body and noticing with slightly guilty eyes that the man’s was absurdly large in proportion to his legs. He was slender in general, but his was… well, it was plump and luxuriously plush-looking, like his hand would disappear if he were to press his palm against it—Okay. Time to stop thinking like that.

Kihyun rapidly prostrated his back, his cheeks dusting pink as he realized that he’d actually been fantasizing about touching his coworker’s . Not only that, but he actually found him cute earlier, and… yep, he still found him pretty damn attractive now. Even after his admittedly cold behavior. Not quite knowing what to do with this information, Kihyun consciously makes the effort to think about something else- that kid in the back of his classroom during fourth period, with the weird bandages all over his legs. He clearly wasn’t a sports player, so why was he so banged up?

Content to think about that instead, Kihyun almost doesn’t notice when Changkyun starts collecting his copies and making his way out of the room. Kihyun watches him as he leaves, shocked when the man actually bows his head at him and gives him a look of gratitude before exiting the room. Huh… and Kihyun pegged him as the egotistical type. Maybe he was a bit more complying than he initially came off.

Truly intrigued, Kihyun makes his way over to the copy machine and does what he came here to do, his mind filled with thoughts of this new teacher and all of his mysteriousness. Maybe he was the answer to Kihyun’s recent loneliness, or maybe he was just an interesting new friend, but either way- Kihyun was dying to get to know him better.

They’d met a few times over the following week, greeting each other in the hall and teacher’s lounge. Changkyun had even summoned him from his room during their shared free period, and Kihyun had helped him figure out the school’s grading software. Kihyun never outright flirted with him, but they shared looks and dialogue that bordered on it often. The more Kihyun saw Changkyun, the more he wanted to break every code of conduct that prohibited him from outright seducing him like he so desired.

Throughout the week, besides appreciating Changkyun’s sensuality, Kihyun also learned bits and pieces of Changkyun’s life, finding out that while he was a strict teacher, he was a caring son to his parents. He was funny sometimes, too. Cracking jokes in English that probably would’ve went over the other teachers’ heads, but Kihyun was pretty confident in his grasp on the language and caught the ual innuendo, much to Changkyun’s pleasant surprise. It was a new thing to look forward to, a daily treat that made Kihyun excited to go to work every day. Now it wasn’t just the thrill of expanding the knowledge and perceptions of his students, but the thrill of expanding his own knowledge and perception of Changkyun.

The following Monday, after a rather sad weekend of working on lessons for class and overall being alone in his house, Kihyun was excited to get back to work for a number of reasons. He showed up a bit earlier than usual, making a fresh pot of coffee with an energy he hadn’t felt this early in the day in a decade. As the coffee was brewing, Kihyun turned to face the door, half-expecting to see Changkyun pop in any minute. He normally wasn’t here this early, but Kihyun couldn’t help himself. Changkyun was new, interesting… incredibly attractive. He wanted to talk to him again, and it’s not like they’d exchanged phone numbers or anything.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a man walked through wearing dark purple and black, his dark hair falling into his eyes in a way that shouldn’t have been so ridiculously alluring to Kihyun in that moment, but it was. He smiled a bit when he saw Kihyun, and Kihyun’s heart pounded in his ears. He felt like one of his high-schoolers, head over heels for a person they’d just met, and he couldn’t even hate himself for it, not when Changkyun gave that crooked, cute little smirk-smile to him at 7:15 AM on Monday.

“Good morning, Mr. Im,” Kihyun greeted, watching as the man walked beside him, grabbing a powdered donut and napkin from the tray beside him. He took a few bites of the sugary treat, and Kihyun diverted his gaze back to the coffee pot, watching the dark liquid drip into the pot.

“Morning,” Changkyun replied after a few bites, and Kihyun looked up at just the right moment to watch him dip his fingers into his mouth, the sugary powder from his fingertips in a way that was definitely too for school. Inhaling sharply, Kihyun diverted his gaze, his actually twitching in his pants. , right now? Really ?

“Are you attracted to me?” Changkyun whispered lowly, his voice completely devoid of emotion and making Kihyun damn near choke on his next breath of air after just a few simple words. Kihyun glanced around the room, seeing that nobody was within ear shot. He looked back over to Changkyun, trying to get anything out of his expression but he couldn’t. Changkyun was looking at him almost passively, as if the answer to his question really didn’t matter. The slight tinge of pink on his cheeks betrayed his otherwise calm façade, and Kihyun risked a noncommittal reply. 

“What led you to that conclusion?” Kihyun asked, realizing belatedly that he’d put on his teacher voice and was talking just as Changkyun had spoken to him. Changkyun hummed, but he didn’t answer right away, instead choosing to his fingers again, the gesture completely lewd and now obviously intentional.

“You watch my mouth,” Changkyun began, and it sent a chill down Kihyun’s spine. “My lips, usually. But sometimes my tongue,” he continued, and his voice was low and sultry, as if he were admitting to a great secret. “Those are usually mannerisms associated with attraction,” he concluded, and flashed Kihyun a cheeky look, his dark eyes sparkling in the crappy lighting of the lounge. Kihyun frowned a bit, honestly having not noticed that he did that. He admired many parts of Changkyun, it was hard to notice a particular fixation, but now that he’d mentioned it… yes, Changkyun had nice lips. They weren’t plump or round, but very pretty and almost feminine. Kihyun rather liked them. 

“Hm, maybe I do. I didn’t notice,” Kihyun replied, shrugging a bit. He couldn’t tell if Changkyun wanted him to be attracted to him or not, so he didn’t risk anything just yet. Changkyun’s façade broke a bit, and he scrunched his eyebrows together, his cheeks reddening just slightly. Clearly Kihyun’s reply had frustrated him. 

“No… you most definitely do. Quite often. It’s quite unprofessional, really,” Changkyun replied, and his gaze dropped to the floor in a way Kihyun couldn’t tell was discomfort or attraction. Kihyun opted for taking a safer route, not wanting to make a coworker feel uncomfortable at work.

“I can stop doing that, then, if that’s what you want,” Kihyun replied, even though he wasn’t totally sure he could. Changkyun flustered a bit, a sudden panic filling his eyes that made Kihyun’s chest throb. 

“N-No, wait,” he suddenly said, eyes darting around the room. “I just meant that it’s not professional for school,” he elaborated, but he said nothing else, leaving Kihyun to come to the proper conclusion on his own.

“Would you like my number then?” Kihyun ventured, quirking a brow and smiling flirtatiously at the other man. Changkyun brought a hand to his face, eyes flashing down to the counter as he thought about the question.

“This is very unbecoming between teachers,” Changkyun replied, but he pulled something out of his pocket, handing a strip of paper to Kihyun and immediately walking out of the room, leaving one last sentence to grace Kihyun’s ear. “And this never happened,” he added, as if concerned that they’d somehow get fired for exchanging phone numbers. Kihyun chuckled a bit, looking at the piece of paper thoughtfully. It was wrinkled, and clearly had been folded multiple times, as if Changkyun had been thinking about doing this for a while but had been going back and forth on his decision to actually do it. How cute.

Pulling out his phone, Kihyun clicked the ‘Add New Contact’ button and put Changkyun’s number into his phone. He wasn’t the type for prolonging things like this, and quickly sent Changkyun a text.

>Yoo Kihyun

            Hello Mr. Im! This is Yoo Kihyun. Thank you for giving me your number, I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.

He debated adding an emoji to the end but decided to just keep it professional for now. Changkyun seemed more comfortable that way, anyway. Less than a minute passed before Kihyun got a reply, and he bit his lip on a smile as he took a sip of his coffee.

>Im Changkyun

            Hello. I wasn’t expecting you to send a text so quickly.

>Im Changkyun

            I’m flattered.

Kihyun’s smile widened and he quickly typed out a reply.

>Yoo Kihyun

             I couldn’t help myself~ 

Quickly putting his phone away, Kihyun grabbed his coffee and made his way to his room. He was already starting to feel hot, and an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment filled him as he started laying out his materials for class that day. Now that they could communicate privately, he could actually flirt and seduce Changkyun exactly as he wanted. He hadn’t been this excited to have a man’s number in ages, and it was fascinating that he was feeling this way for the cold, serious, and professional Im Changkyun. Maybe he was a bit crazy, but he couldn’t wait to see where this was going~