It was three a.m. in the morning, but someone had called for a room-service and he got to do what he got to. So here he was, in the hotel suite with a freaking pot of tea because one of their VIP customers could not sleep.

“Room service,” He announces with a knock. Surely this Oh Sehun man could have asked for a bottle of wine or even coffee… But tea? Really?

Receiving no reply, he takes the card and swipes it to push the trolley in. The sweets that came along with this high-class tea looked highly inviting but Yuta controls himself, puts on a smile, and pushes the trolley in.

“Sir?” He calls out once he enters and closes the door softly. “Your tea is here.”

A haggard-looking man emerges from the bedroom and nudges with his chin towards the couch.

Yuta slowly pushed the trolley towards it and placed the pot and tray of assorted sweets. “Enjoy your tea, sir.”

“Thanks.” The man mutters and hastily poured the tea into the pot.

Just before he closes the door, he thought he heard the man mutter. “It’s not as good as Kina’s.” with a long-suffering sigh.

Principal

Jongin tapped his feet and bit his thumb as anxiety ate him up. This was not good. It was not good at all.

These rumors were escalating too quickly and it seemed as though the rumors were surrounding him and Kina… especially after what went down over the phone two days back.

He gritted his teeth but sighs miserably knowing that Byun Baekhyun has set this up for him. It certainly wasn’t a coincidence that 2 days after Baekhyun picked up his call, he was called to the office along with Kina.

That boy really complained to the authorities regarding them. He scoffs thinking all this time he had been trying to support Baekhyun as the good boy, trying to make him look positive in front of Kina and Sehun but now it was back-firing rather terribly.

He should have told Kina to stay away from him from the beginning. He should have. Now look at them… Look at their situation now.

Who would have thought Baekhyun to be this sort of guy? Some guys really do not know how to take a no and now… the consequences were terrible.

Kina came over and joined him on the seat outside the principal’s room looking dull.

“Sehun?” He asked and she shook his head. She had excused herself to call Sehun, but from her reaction, it seemed as though he did not even pick her call. “Did he even come home last night?”

She shook her head again.

“He’s not been home… regularly these days. He says it’s because of work but I think he just wants to avoid me.”

Jongin huffs a little sigh and patted her head however, retraced his hand as soon as possible. They were being suspected of being a couple right now!

“I’m sure he has a lot of work. He probably wants to see you.”

Kina says nothing, her face blank of any emotion. “He gets annoyed every single time I try to talk to him.”

She lets out a little sigh. “I know he’s tired and stressed out and everything… But… It’s hard. He doesn’t tell me what’s wrong but acts as though I should be knowing about it. It feels like he has a grudge on me.”

Jongin goes silent at that. “You know… With Sehun, it’s difficult. He acts like such a spoilt brat when he has something that’s troubling him. Instead of solving it out properly, he’ll throw tantrums and sulk over it before we, ourselves figure it out and tell him.”

Kina rubbed her face and lets out a breath. “When is that boy growing up?”

“It’s hard… But give him time. I am sure he’ll come around.”

Kina was about to say something when the door opens and their HOD steps out to usher them in.

“Please come in.”

* * *

Kina sat in her car, her head slumped down on the steering wheel, wanting to cry but unable to do so.

The principal and their HOD had questioned them thoroughly and spend almost 2 hours with them even after Hyorin had come in to tell them about their relationship.

Students in the last month had started speculating that it was between a teacher and a third-year student but no specification had been done. And yet here they were, privately sought out by their HOD in their emails to meet them once their classes were done.

For some reason, the principal had photos that were the so-called ‘pieces of evidence’ for this relationship rumor that had been going on between a teacher and a student since last year.

Funnily, it had been mostly taken out from Jongin’s IG.

The first one had been photos of Jason. They had laid out the photos side by side pictures of Jongin with Jason and Kina with Jason during the cookie sales day.

Secondly, it was a picture of Jongin and Kina alone at the camp smiling at each other. The picture looked as though they were secluded from the rest but the truth was that they were in the middle of a game and they had to play together. Gosh. Whoever took it was a genius.

Thirdly, it was a picture from Jongin’s IG again. It was a selfie which had Kina’s back bag hanging in the background and the other picture of Kina wearing the same back bag.

That photo was taken by Jongin at their apartment. That, she would admit was carelessness.

They also had several other photos similar of Jongin looking at her, the most recent one being of some days back where Jongin, seated with Professor Park Hyemi was almost glaring at her. They also seem to have certain information such as that day when Sehun’s grandma died and he had come to take her during class hours and how they were absent together the next day. Or how students from the economics department also have shared their opinions on how they seem closer than just teacher and student.

Honestly, right now she felt terrible that Jongin had to be the one in that position. She understands her predicament. She had been indeed in a relationship with a professor but Jongin? He was the most innocent person caught in all these.

Thankfully they were able to convince them that Jongin and Kina shared a sibling-like relationship. Hyorin thankfully came in time with full proved photos and had been able to get the authority on her side.

They had been laid off with amble warnings. Till the rumors go on, they were to be extremely sensitive or Jongin would lose his job.

She was causing all of these.

If only Sehun and she had not being married, her life would have certainly been normal. She wouldn’t have had to drop subjects and she wouldn’t have had to hide secrets from her friends, she wouldn’t have had to lie to her friends… she would have had great peace of mind.

She wouldn’t be caught in these rumors and be looked down on by professors she highly looked up to, as someone who sleeps around with professors. She wouldn’t be thrown disgusted faces by her juniors and seniors.

Kina sits up straight and rubbed her head. People have been giving her glances, measuring every step she took.

Though no specifications were done on who the person was, it seemed as though people knew it was her.

Even her friends were avoiding her a little and she was noticing it. They seemed really busy. Finals were coming up for sure… But in the last years, they had been busy together.

Just why was this year so ty? First, she lost her husband to a job than her friends to something she did not tell then to a rumor that was not true in the first place. Of course, the respect that she had as a model student had all gone down the drain.

All those greetings that she used to get every single day were now reduced to none. Some even have the audacity to shout profanities at her.

And seriously, she was losing her mind to all these. She cannot remember what she has to do even if she was in the middle of doing it and this time, she really wanted to study well and give her best.

A knock surprises her and she turns to look at her window. Baekhyun was crouched down and peering at her with a small smile on his face, his other hand showing a plastic bag with popsicles in it.

But at least… Kina let out a small whimper, at least Baekhyun had not treated her any different. In fact, he had become even more attentive to her and stayed by her side, trying to fight anyone who was looking down at her.

Opening the door, she steps out in all of her vulnerability and hugs him. She needed comfort right now and it did not matter anymore who gave it.

God. If only Sehun was here right now to hug her…

And yet when Baekhyun wraps his hands around her, she lets out her first cry.

Sehun had been absent during the lowest time of her life and she, as much as she tries couldn’t blame him.

“Hush…” Baekhyun smoothened down her hair, “Don’t cry. It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.”

Baekhyun had been a friend she could lean on in such times. With Sehun being busy, her friends all avoiding her, and Jongin being in such jeopardy, she only had Baekhyun to turn to and she was glad it was Baekhyun.

Baekhyun could be a goofball but he was understanding and patient and utterly sweet.

“I bought popsicles for the sad lady. That too, your favorite. Coconut and chocolates, right?” He says smiling widely as they separate. Using his sweater paws, he rubs her tears and takes her hand. “Let’s go somewhere to eat this.”

“What happened?” He asked as soon as they were both seated in one secluded corner of their college. “Did the principal call you over?”

Kina sighs and nodded. “Apparently they thought me and Jongin Oppa were dating. I don’t know where on earth they would get that ideology.”

He pauses his ice-cream and gave her a look of wonder and confusion making Kina groan out loud.

“Oh my gosh, Baekhyun. Please don’t tell me you thought I was dating Jongin Oppa.”

Baekhyun gives out a nervous chuckle shaking his head violently. “Of-of course not. I would never think that.”

“I met Jongin Oppa when I was a wee little kid,” Kina sighs, lowering her ice-cream as she thought back. “He was probably the first friend I made outside of our farm.”

Baekhyun looked surprised at that information.

“Of course, we did not recognize each other until some time back.”

“Oh… How-um… How did you two get close?” Kina throws him a questioning look at that, “I mean you two seem close. You even call him Oppa, right?”

Kina sighs and wondered if she should tell him whether it was Sehun who was her so-called boyfriend. But then if she tells him right now, her friends would feel even worse than before, and then there’ll be another cycle of a crazy episode.

“We are close… My uncle, remember Chanyeol?” Baekhyun nods, “He was Jongin Oppa’s senior so we met outside of college too and I began to address him as Oppa.”

Baekhyun frowns and lets out an ‘ah~ I see.’

“I feel bad that he’s trapped in between all these. He doesn’t deserve this.”

For a moment, a look of nervousness settles on Baekhyun’s face but he shakes it off with a smile.

“Let’s eat our Popsicles and go to Karaoke. I’ll sing you more songs.”

Kina wonders if that was okay but then Sehun was never home anymore, that mansion was just… really cold. It was okay to have fun right? She deserves so much after all that she has gone through.

“Alright… Let’s go.”

* * *

The deal was going a lot smoother these days and finally, Sehun had some hours of total freedom. No nothing on his schedule and he wanted to weep with joy. He could finally go home and rest, sleep like a log until tomorrow.

He pulls up in their new home feeling a little strange to be looking at it in broad daylight. When was the last time he saw his home in broad daylight?

It was eerie at home. The ceilings were higher, the pillars were larger, and the windows were creepily big… He wondered for a moment why on earth did they choose to stay here.

The mansion was beautiful, undoubtedly but there was no sense of home in it. Back at his family home, the place was almost the same size if not bigger however, there was absolutely no eeriness to it. It was always buzzing with a home-like feeling making him feel warm every time he stepped a foot in there.

Shaking off any cold feeling, he goes to his room, changes, and takes a long soak in a warm bath.

Mmmh. He needed that.

He nearly dozes off in his bath when his work phone buzzes several times. Please, he hoped that it wasn’t his brother sending him more files to work on.

With an annoyed sigh, he unlocks his phone and lets out a sigh of relief.

It was only Minseok.

‘Hey, Sehun. Didn’t mean to interrupt you but I came looking for you in the office and you weren’t there but thought you should see this.’

The message was attached to some images.

Downloading it, he felt blood ran to his head but dread stomping in