Kim Heechul, university-wide known philosophy professor, was going to hell for this.

In retrospect, he always figured that was his route from the very beginning even as a joke, but it was actually pretty rare that he truly, genuinely felt that it may be true. There may have been a few odd times in the past where he felt this way whenever he’d get lectured by Siwon, one of the university’s theology professors, but those moments were short and fleeting. It was nothing compared to his current crisis, a dilemma that’s been going on for weeks now, ever since the school year started.

A problem that went by the name of Wen Junhui.

There was a still, small voice within him (that sounded vaguely like Ryeowook) chastising him that all this was narcissism at its finest.

It wasn’t, just to make things clear; Heechul wasn’t interested—that’s all he was, interested, and even then it still felt morally wrong—in a student just because of the boy’s looks that may or may not look similar to his own. He’s heard that a lot, from both his other students and even from the other university staff members who has had Junhui in their class. He looked even better than Heechul did at the same age, Leeteuk would joke, which the philosophy teacher didn’t completely believe until he saw Junhui himself. Still, there was much more to Junhui than a pretty face and soft brown hair, even if it was a good bonus.

For starters, Junhui was actually one of the few students who listened in his class and did well enough not to give the professor a headache; Heechul appreciated that greatly. It was always great not being the sole person speaking in the room, even if he was used to blabbing on about everything and nothing. Plus, Junhui’s insights were actually interesting and not just mindless comments so he’d have something to say in class. Sometimes it would get even Heechul himself thinking and re-thinking his entire stance on a topic. Whether that was the wonders of philosophy or of Wen Junhui, he didn’t know.

What Heechul did know was that the Theatre major was a whole 13 years younger than him.

He wasn’t a saint or anything by all means. Throughout his years teaching at the university, he’s had a few students catch his eye and a few actual flings here and there, but that was when he was also still a fresh graduate who didn’t think he’d spend the rest of his career teaching when he started out. The s then weren’t that big and certainly not as big as what he had with the senior student. It usually also didn’t last more than a few days.

It’s been three weeks.

“Do you think it’ll be better when he graduates?” Heechul asked the philosophy staff room amidst the piles of papers to read and grade, absentmindedly twirling a strand of his blonde hair between his fingers.

The room was usually empty save for Heechul and Jung Yunho, who loved staying in school every moment he got. The other teachers, especially the much older ones, usually did their work outside of the small, cramped room. They really needed an upgrade, something Heechul’s been trying to suggest to the school board for a while now, too. Anyway, perhaps he was glad that Yunho was the only person who had to endure his dramatic little rants about crushing on a student. The other man actually listened to him.

“It depends,” Yunho replied eventually, eyes still focused on the paper in his hands. “What’s the problem, anyway? His age or his status as a student?”

Heechul considered this for a moment before stating, “both.”

“Then you’re ed either way.”

“ you, too, Jung Yunho. I hope your students give you bad reviews.”

“They love me” Yunho commented lightly, turning a page before finally shifting his focus to Heechul’s face. Sometimes, if he looked too quickly, the other professor really did feel a lot like Wen Junhui. The opposite of that, where Junhui looked like Heechul at a glance, was also true. It was unnerving to know the two of them, even more so thinking of them together, but at least Junhui was sweet and kind in all the ways Heechul was not.

He was a few words into the second page of the paper when Yunho decided to stop and set it down; a paper by Xu Minghao always meant having to re-assess his own beliefs, since the boy knew his stuff and chose his words very well. He saw a future for the boy in the philosophy department, if he’ll take it. Upon seeing his now free state, Heechul perked up and also stopped pretending to read his own stack of papers.

“Honestly, help me out here,” Heechul whined, pushing the stacks out of the way to clear space for his arms to rest on the table. “Leeteuk is useless, Donghae is useless, Ryeowook just nags; you’re my last shining light of hope.”

“You cussed me out just 2 minutes ago.”

“A cuss out of love,” the blonde said dismissively.

Yunho rolled his eyes, but obliged to finally give the other man his two cents. It wasn’t like they haven’t had this conversation before, although it definitely mellowed down since the first time it happened, which was into the start of the semester. Heechul had entered the room clearly flustered and in a rare state of panic, mumbling about Junhui. The mumbles have only grown louder since then.

“I believe,” the raven haired man began to say, clearing his throat. “The rightness or wrongness of an action does not depend on their consequences, but on whether they fulfill the duty—“

“ing philosophy professor.”

With his colleagues of absolutely no help and a whole semester to go with Junhui in his class, eyes bright and heart shaped lips distracting, Heechul figured it was something he just had to live with. He was by no means going to act upon the human desire of wanting to maybe see where things would go; would Junhui be coy and seductive or innocent and shy? How would he sound as he writhed under Heechul’s touch, shivering with anticipation, the professor’s name on his lips—

“Professor Kim?”

Exactly like that, Heechul mused, staring at nothing in particular as he continued his wild imagination. The setting could even be an empty classroom, after class, with Junhui staying for some extra points. Philosophy was a hard course, he’d need to do some more work if he wanted to stay in Heechul’s good graces. Maybe get that pretty mouth doing an oral exam of other sorts, before bending his performer’s body over the table and—

“Sir?”

, the kid was in front of his desk. This was what he got for getting distracted after dismissing class. Heechul would have jumped in his seat if he wasn’t careful about his image as the calm, col