She tried to escape, but they kept pulling her back...

She had emotions... but she locked them away...

That was her way of coping with it...

Previous day...

Online company meeting 

They began the meeting like usual, a group video call. Every teacher began telling the reports, comments, or in some cases, they talked if they don't like the behavior of students. Her boss was quiet as always, which some teachers are particularly scared of. Diana? She had grown used to it. She wasn't the one who'll be scolded. She did admit some teachers are not doing their job and they simply don't care if their students do well. 

The result?

Their students selected Diana or Alexandra, claiming they know how to explain better. Diana had no problem with that. She watched her boss, leaning into his chair, expressionless. This is what freaked her out sometimes. She doesn't know in which mood she'll encounter.

His eyes flicked towards Alex and Diana. Diana cleared . 

"As always, students were very good, they don't misbehave. The new students show big effort to learn." 

He nodded. "And you received all-5 from each student. Good job, LeBon," he praised, "Morino? What's with the solemn face? Live up."

Alex chuckled. “Sorry.”

"What did I say about the sorry part? Apologize only when you truly did wrong. Relax... I don't bite heads off," he said.

“You can be scary sometimes,” She smiled. 

"Yeah, when people piss me off," he said, "now, the report. I'm all ears, Morino."

“So far I can’t complain, you’ve seen the comments and the ratings, although I have difficulties with a child,” She said. 

He nodded. "I see you have the highest rating this week, good job, Morino," he said, "with that said, you and LeBon earned vouchers, you can use them at any time, the same goes with vacation. It's not mandatory to use them." 

Diana was taken aback. Vouchers used only workers of the week. It's a special privilege for those who had a raise. 

"... And with that said, you two got a raise. Other teachers should have learned from you two. See you all tomorrow. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, sir!” Alex grinned. 

"Thank you, sir." Diana smiled. 

He chuckled. "It's six in the afternoon. Go. Do the thing you women do."

With that, the meeting ended. Diana ran from her room downstairs where her father played with her puppy Max. 

"Max! Guess what?!" 

Jean chuckled. "What got you so happy?" 

"I got a raise, papa!!" She hugged him tightly. 

The male stumbled almost as he chuckled. She ran to her mother and hugged her tightly. 

"I have a handful, child!" 

She walked to her puppy and hugged him, the puppy happily wailed. 

"I got a raise, little one! We are going together on vacation!" She giggled happily. 

She got up and took his leash. She called out and the puppy happily ran. Her parents chuckled. 

"You just finished class, Di!" Louise called out. 

"Will be back soon, mama!" 

Diana and Max ran out of the door. She never felt this happy. She was glad that she was able to achieve this finally. She thought she wouldn't get the raise she needed. But she was. 

She could finally sleep better. Diana dialed her friend's phone number. 

"YAH! I'm so happy!" She giggled.

“Any plans?”

"Right now? I'm with the love of my l-- Max, don't chase birds!! Jesus..." 

Alex chuckled. “He’s the same as T!”

"His favorite thing is to chase after cats. Good lord... He's worse when he sees a cat." Diana sighed.

“T does it all the time,” Alex said. “Don’t ask.”

"When are we using the vouchers?" 

“Hmm, I’m still thinking, and you?”

"I think around December, which is in a couple of weeks.

“Any special place?” 

"Korea." 

She didn't know why she said that country. Was it because Jongin was there? Or is it because she truly wanted to visit it?

Alexa chuckled. “Any reason for that, Di?” 

"No particular reason." Diana smiled.

“Uh-huh, I believe you.” 

She grinned. "Well... It's... Jongin," she mumbled.

“I want details!” She huffed. 

"It's nothing really... I just plan to... visit him as a friend." She grinned.

“As a friend? Right.”

"I think I like him, Al..." She sighed.

“Why are you sighing?” 

"Because.." She mumbled.

“You can tell me…”

"I wrote a status on FB... And he commented on it... I don't know what to say..." She stammered.

“What did he comment?”

"Go to my page. It's there." 

“Mhm, alright. Just a moment,” Alex said.

Silence set between them for a moment before Alex cleared .

“I don’t see anything bad in this, let me quote this ‘Married to your job, huh? Is that so?’ And then he added the smirk emoji. Why do you sound worried?” 

"I'm not... I think I like him... But... You know... I'm scared of being hurt and it would be a distant relationship ...."

“Get to know him first, baby step at a time,” Alex said softly. 

"I guess, you're right..."

“Does he text you outside of classes? Chanyeol does.”

"Yes he did, he texted me wishing me good night," she grinned.

Alex smiled. “Just give yourself time and don’t stress about what might happen, okay?”

A notification popped up with another comment. He liked a couple of pictures she took with her puppy. I don't know who looks cuter. Diana grinned. 

"Talking about the wolf..."

Alexa giggled. “Shall I leave you?” 

"Yeah, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

“See you.”

Her heart raced as his name popped up. He was calling her. She froze for a moment and she answered. She was trying not to sound nervous.

“Hello, beautiful.”

She blushed. "Hey..."

“How was your day?”

"It was okay, I'm with my puppy now," she replied, "and... Yours?”

“I’m in my office,” He said. “I am reviewing the test you gave me.”

She smiled. "And? How's it going?"

“I am stuck with grammar, but I think I can manage. When is your day off?” 

"Don't worry, we can go through grammar together," she said, "uh... it's the day after tomorrow. Why?"

“So I don’t wake you up early. Around what time do you wake up?” 

"At 2, knowing me, when I'm tired I sleep longer," she chuckled, "oh by the way I got vouchers to use."

“That’s great! Any plans?” 

She smiled. "I plan to take a vacation in a couple of weeks I'm traveling to Korea."

“I will be your guide,” He said. “Are you coming alone?” 

"I am all alone." She blushed. 

Her heart raced so fast until the point of exploding.

“When you get the ticket and make plans, let me know. I want to wait for you at the airport.”

She blushed at the very last sentence. She grinned. "I will," she said. "About the status, I wrote on, um, Facebook.."

“Yes?” 

"It's kinda true..." She said.

“You were hurt, weren’t you?”

She bit her lip as her puppy whined sensing her sadness. She smiled and scratched him behind his ears. Max is a very gentle and empathic creature. Ever since her father brought him to her, he never left her side. 

"Yes, I was... What gave it away?"

“I’m the same, so it’s easy to figure it out.”

"Tell me your story," she murmured.

"She ended engagement on the day of the engagement party. She waited for all of us to organize everything. And then she went with my cousin. So she had a parallel relationship with him," he explained. 

She had a similar situation though slightly different. She never told anyone that her boyfriend and she were in an open relationship. Instead of choosing her, he chooses infidelity. Her own friend told her that open relationships are based on constant communication instead of hiding things and doing things behind back. That's what he did. Why did she accept it? It's simple, she loved him and didn't want to lose him. She realized it was not for her and she ended the relationship. But it left an impact on her. Each time a guy told her he liked them to be something more, she ends the relationship. 

Out of fear. 

"My situation is complex. I think people would judge me for it..." She spoke after a moment of silence

“Try me.”

"In order not to lose the love of my beloved, I was in an open relationship... I did it for him, I researched. I was okay with it at the beginning... But I realized I was only pretending..." She trailed off.

“You did what you thought was best.”

"It backfired on me... I fell into depression. And he and I sat to talk, it turned into an argument... He laughed when I mentioned marriage... He said... How can I marry a boring, insecure, fragile girl like you?" 

“Di, no one is perfect. It’s his loss.”

Tears began to fall and she whipped them. "I guess..."

“Don’t cry, please. It’s in the past,” He whispered.

"Because of him I couldn't have a normal relationship, I was always in fear that they may ask the same thing he did..."

“Not all men are the same. There are men out there who cherish their women, regardless of their state. If he truly loved you he wouldn’t turn his back on you.”

She smiled. “I wish all men would be like you...”

“Darling, it took me years to understand some things. Women are not to be used, they are to be loved and cherished. I had my fair shares of mistakes, no one is perfect.”

“Darling, huh? So we are already in a relationship?” She was blunt.

“You are an attractive woman,” He spoke. 

“And you are walking roman god,” she bluntly said.

“I wish you were here. I would like to get to know you better,” He said. “My Aphrodite.”

She blushed. “You need your eyes checked. I am not...”

“You are,” He said softly. “It was love at first sight. From the moment I saw you.”

Her heart gave out. She couldn’t believe this was happening, she pinched herself. She closed her eyes. 

“I am falling hard… for you and you aren’t making things easy,” she grinned.

“Is that so, my French girl?” He teased.

She blushed and grinned wildly. “I...y-yeah,” she mumbled. 

“Loss of words, huh?” 

“I am,” she smiled, “why me?”

“You are smart, charming, polite, beautiful,” He said. “I never believed in love at first sight until it happened to me.”

“I thought you, Koreans, are freaked out from us strangers,” she , as the puppy pulled the leash impatiently. 

She grinned and got up, she took off the leash and let him run freely down the park. 

“Only the ones who have never traveled abroad, those traditional ones.”

“So I heard,” she responded.

“I like the way European people are blunt.”

She grinned. “I like typical Korean sarcasm and bluntness.”

He chuckled. “Is that so?”

I like you. “Uh-huh.”

“Darling, I need to go now as I have a meeting, but can I call you before you go to bed? Or text you?” 

“Yes, yes, of course, I need to finish tending my puppy,” she smiled. “Thanks for the call… baby.” 

She quickly hung up grinning. But soon her phone went off again.

Baby? I like the sound of that, amore.

- Jongin

She grinned at the text and placed her phone inside her jacket.
 

France


Another working day...

Another usual morning...

But was it really that usual...


She clicked on the program on her laptop while drinking her coffee. Her movements paused when she saw something that caught her eye. The same person’s name has booked all classes for that day. Her heart raced when she recognized the student’s name. Jong. She rubbed her eyes. She must be so sleepy she doesn’t seem right. She was amused. It all made sense why he had asked her when she started her classes. She chuckled. When the clock showed six o'clock, here he was. He’s right on time. She grinned. 

He smiled and waved. “Good morning, amore!”

She chuckled. “Hello. What is the meaning of this surprise?”

“I cleaned my schedule so that we can talk and get to know each other better.”

She blushed. “I like the sound of that,” she whispered.

“I’ll be blunt,” He said. “If we want to make this work and start a relationship, communication is important.”

She blushed and looked at him. “I agree,” she said.

“Feel free to drink, eat, even stretch if you have to,” He smiled. 

She looked at him. She couldn’t take her eyes from him. He was simply...beautiful. 

“Likewise.”

“Did you have breakfast?” He asked, leaning in his chair. 

“Yes, I did, it was quick,” she said softly. 

He nodded. “Before we start, I first want to send you back the homework you gave me. Can you check it, teacher?” He smirked. 

She blushed a deep red. “Y-yes, of course. Let me check.”

He sent her the PDF file and grinned. “I tried my best to focus, but the image of you kept playing in front of me.” 

She knew this would be a long day. Especially since he was gonna have his revenge for last night. She started it, and now he is going to continue. She began checking his homework. 

“Oh yeah? What image?”

“Of the two of us, finally meeting.” 

Her mind was filled with the same image. “And?”

“There are many places where I want to take you,” He said. “Don’t get me wrong. I am not a freak or creep. I know that we don’t know each other for long, that’s why I want us to get to know each other first.”

She won’t deny it. She wanted them as well to visit places together. She smiled. “I’d love that.” She said placing her legs on her chair and her chin on her knee.

“Ask away,” He winked.

“Stop looking at me like that...” She covered her face.

He chuckled. “Like what?”

“You know!” She mumbled.

“I don’t,” He raised an eyebrow. 

She blushed deep red. “Yes, you are...as if I am...beautiful sculpture...”

He chuckled. “You are...” 

She retreated back to his homework. As expected he had difficulty with grammar, but he tried his best, and she appreciated it. Everything else he did good, she gave him the highest points. Diana was known to be a teacher who praises the effort, not just the final outcome. 

“Well...y