The New Kid
The New Kid
It's 6 AM. Oh Sehun should not be awake at 6 AM.
He is though, and it's all because of Do Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo is an adorable (Sehun thinks) college student that sits next to Sehun in Mandarin 101 and flashes him smiles before waving and heading out the door to wherever it is he goes (Sehun wouldn't know. It's not like he's ever followed him or anything).
Sehun rolls out of bed with messy hair and the taste of morning heavy on his tongue. He scrunches his nose in distaste and makes a beeline for the kitchen where he knows his roommate Wu Fan is already up and brewing a pot of coffee.
Wu Fan is tall, well, taller than most people, and the most responsible person Sehun's ever met. He gets up and makes a small breakfast (which became bigger as Sehun started to steal more of it every day) and a pot of coffee (which became less black as Sehun started to pour more of it down the sink every day) before Sehun even opens his eyes. Sehun is grateful for Wu Fan, and they're on good terms. They aren't best buddies and don't have sleepovers in the living room every weekend, but they're friends.
"Oh, you're up early," Wu Fan quips, stirring the usual, small amount of sugar into his coffee as he watches Sehun walk like the dead into the kitchen.
Sehun grunts, too tired to even speak, and pours a cup of coffee for himself. He adds generous amounts of sugar and creamer, satisfying his sweet tooth for the moment being. He doesn't know how Wu Fan only uses one packet of sugar.
Wu Fan chuckles, patting Sehun on the back before heading toward the door, grabbing his bag on the way. "There are eggs on the stove."
Sehun mutters a small thanks, hoping that Wu Fan heard it. He probably didn't. Sehun eats the eggs anyway, and figures that he might as well leave a sticky note in gratitude.
☼
It's 6:47 when Sehun gets off the bus in front of the primary school. He merges into the flow of parents and children, some crying, some racing ahead to the building without giving their mothers and fathers a second look. Sehun doesn't exactly blend in, being that he's basically still a teenager and isn't in possession of a young child. He's getting weird looks, but brushes them off because Kyungsoo.
Sehun walks through the front doors and is assaulted with the smell of apple juice and cheerios. And children. It smells like children. He faintly remembers the scent from childhood, but that was a long time ago. He makes his way down the hall until he finds a door decorated with Pororo character cut-outs, with the names of the children in the class written neatly on them. Definitely Kyungsoo's room.
Sehun peeks through the small window of the room, silently watching Kyungsoo tidy up the room before the kids arrive. Sehun smiles to himself because he knows that the little devils will just destroy Kyungsoo's handiwork by the end of the day.
While Kyungsoo's back is turned, Sehun raps on the door a few times, laughing when Kyungsoo jumps in surprise, eyes wide. Sehun thinks it's endearing.
When Kyungsoo spots Sehun through the window, a wide smile breaks out on his heart-shaped lips, and Sehun's stomach does a little flip. Kyungsoo opens the door with a bright "Sehun-ah!" and the cutest eye smile Sehun thinks he's ever seen.
"Hey," Sehun says lamely, waving like the awkward teenager he is.
"I'm so glad you're here. The kids are just such a handful, I can't believe I made it this long without any help," Kyungsoo rambles, still putting a toy truck away here, a stuffed animal there. "This means a lot."
Sehun doesn't trust himself to speak, but he forces out a strangled "No problem" despite himself.
Luckily for Sehun, a small child saves him from further torture when she bursts through the door and lets out a shrill "Kyungsoo-oppa!" She's a tiny little thing, black hair long and shapely bangs framing her slightly chubby face.
She's cute, Sehun admits to himself, feeling his heart melt when he watches Kyungsoo scoop the little girl up in his arms and coo over her for a moment before the girl's mother drops her school bag off and is out the door.
"Why don't you go start drawing a picture until the others get here, okay, Hyori-ah?" Kyungsoo smiles at the girl, setting her down and letting her take a seat at one of the very low-to-the-ground tables.
"Okay, oppa. I'll draw you a pretty picture!"
"That would be lovely," Kyungsoo says to her, then turns to Sehun. "I'll just introduce you to the kids when they all get here, okay?"
Sehun nods, mustering a smile of his own, but it is in no way comparable to Kyungsoo's.
☼
Sehun understands why Kyungsoo was so desperate for help when the last kid, out of fifteen, arrives and takes her seat after giving her dad a kiss on the cheek. Fifteen four and five year-olds really is a handful, and Sehun decides that he never wants to be a teacher. Ever.
"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" Kyungsoo claps his hands in a short rhythm, and the children copy him. It's strange, Sehun thinks, but it works. "Sehun-ah, come here," Kyungsoo waves Sehun over, who had previously been standing awkwardly in the corner of the room, avoiding children and parents alike.
"Kids, this is Sehun-ah. He's going to be helping out around here from now on, okay?"
The children chorus a cute "Yes~" but it's interrupted by a little girl who raises her hand high, waving it in the air so Kyungsoo will notice her.
"Yes, Sooyoung-ah?"
"Where is Sehun-oppa from?" she asks, giving Sehun a curious look and narrowing her eyes.
Kyungsoo laughs, but Sehun doesn't really get it. "Sehun-ah is from Korea, he just likes the color yellow."
Oh. His hair. Sehun's face flushes red, and he almost gets mad at himself because he really shouldn't care what a bunch of little kids think about his hair color. But apparently he does, and it's embarrassing because he can feel the tips of his ears burning, and he doesn't even want to know how red his cheeks are.
As the day progresses, there's snack time, then a math lesson, crafts, lunch, nap time, phonics, learning animals, story time, and finally recess to finish out the day. Sehun's favorite part is nap time. All of the children are asleep on their mats, quiet and unmoving. They aren't running around and screaming and demanding things like more juice and a white crayon (who even uses a white crayon?).
Sehun sighs as he sits on the floor, leaning his head back on the wall and closing his eyes. The scent of his cologne has mixed with that of banana milk and goldfish, he feels sticky because craft time involved macaroni and glue, and his limbs feel like they're jell-o because he's never had to pick up so many five year-olds in his life before.
"Liking your first day so far?" Kyungsoo's whisper comes from Sehun's right, startling him a bit.
Sehun looks at Kyungsoo, who looks equally tired, but infinitely happier. "Yeah," he half-lies, offering a small smile.
"It's a lot of work, right?"
Sehun blushes because Kyungsoo read his mind. "It is. How do you do it every day?" Sehun asks, following the path of Kyungsoo's vision with his own eyes as it lands on a small girl who, Sehun learned, was part Canadian. He had smiled and thought of Wu Fan, and how he couldn't wait to get home and annoy the Chinese-Canadian with his tales of Kindergarten.
Kyungsoo smiles softly. "They have to depend on someone, right?"
Sehun nods. He's nineteen, and he still depends on someone (Wu Fan) to make him breakfast and the occasional dinner.
"I felt like, once I got started with all this, I couldn't stop. They look up to me, and they rely on me to protect and take care of them. They look up to you, too, you know," Kyungsoo turns to Sehun, eyes crinkling at the corners and white teeth peeking out from pink lips.
Sehun soaks in Kyungsoo's words and feels a bit of the pressure lift off of his shoulders. Now that he thinks about it, he actually is doing something worthwhile. Even if he just does this for one day, he's pretty sure the children would remember him (even if it is as "the boy with the yellow hair"). Sehun lets a smile of his own tug his lips up, and this time it's not forced at all.
After nap time, it's all actual school work until recess. Sehun helps a little boy named Jongin with his phonics, reading through a small book with the boy until he knows how to pronounce every word that rhymes with "look."
Jongin stays attached to Sehun's hip the rest of the day, demanding that Sehun let him sit in his lap during story time and play tag with him and the other kids during recess.
Kyungsoo just laughs whenever he sees Jongin tugging Sehun along, babbling about his new stuffed animal or the ballet class he just started.
Sehun can't help but smile, too. Kyungsoo's laugh is near contagious, and Jongin is a kid Sehun thinks he can come to like a lot.
☼
It's 2:30 by the time the last child is picked up, waving bye to Kyungsoo and Sehun enthusiastically. Sehun waves back, and sighs when the door closes.
"That was the longest day ever," he whines, rolling his shoulders to try and get the knots out of his muscles.
Kyungsoo laughs. "I thought I only had fifteen kids in my class."
Sehun flushes, but throws Kyungsoo a playful glare. "I am not a child."
"Good, because I can't invite children out for bubble tea after work."
Sehun splutters. "Wh- What?"
Kyungsoo seems to laugh at Sehun a lot, as he does now. "Is that a yes?"
Sehun nods quickly, gathering his things and helping Kyungsoo with his. They wipe down the table with disinfectant wipes and clean up the room as much as they can before heading out the door and down the street.
"So do you really like it? Working with the kids, I mean," the elder asks, letting the spring breeze flit through his hair and ruffle his loose shirt.
Sehun figures he might as well be honest. "Yeah, I did. It's hard, and my body hurts because wow they're a lot heavier than I thought they would be, but it was still fun."
Kyungsoo smiles and Sehun's heart does that little flip again. "I'm glad."
They arrive at the bubble tea shop, Sehun ordering taro flavor and Kyungsoo strawberry, and they take it with them to walk to the bus stop. Of course they take the same bus; they're both heading toward campus, after all.
Sehun frowns when the bus stops, and they have to get off. He would much rather walk around and talk to Kyungsoo all evening than go back to his dorm and procrastinate on that biology homework he has due next week.
But they eventually part ways, Sehun waving and Kyungsoo smiling that cute smile of his.
When Sehun gets back to his apartment, he flops on the couch and doesn't even care that he left his bag in the middle of the floor. There's this feeling in his chest and it makes him happy, a smile creeping its way onto his lips and his heart squeezing relentlessly in his ribcage.
"So you finally got your first kiss today?" are the words that come out of Wu Fan's mouth the minute he spots Sehun on the couch.
Sehun cracks one eye open, glaring at the taller man. "No."
"Aw, better luck next time, kid."
Sehun frowns indignantly. He is not a kid. The four and five year-olds that he taught today are kids. Oh Sehun is not.
"I'm just kidding. But really, what happened today that's got you all smiley?" Wu Fan is unloading groceries: kimchi, milk, eggs, ramen noodles.
"Nothing," Sehun responds too quickly, which earns him a look from the other man. "I mean, I like my new job. It's nice."
"Right. New job."
☼
Getting up so early the next day is almost just as hard as it was yesterday. Sehun is still beyond tired, still stalks into the kitchen like a zombie, but is somewhat more energetic as he gets off the bus and walks into the classroom with a small bounce in his step.
Kyungsoo is already there, of course, and greets him with a heart-shaped smile and a stack of papers to pass out on the tables, one to each seat.
"Since it's almost Mothers' Day, I'm going to let them make cards."
Sehun nods, agrees that it's a good idea. Cards are nice, easy crafts that don't involve glitter, glue, or glitter glue. He can do this.
Just then, a knock on the door followed by a click interrupts the peaceful silence, and a head pokes through the opening. "Good morning!" The person chirps, looking much too excited for 7 AM.
"Oh, Lu Han!" Kyungsoo brightens, and Sehun deflates. The elder hurries over to the boy -- man? -- who is standing just inside the room now and greets him with a small hug. "Sehun, this is Lu Han. He teaches first grade, just down the hallway."
"Hello Sehun-ssi," Lu Han greets with a bright smile that makes him look like an actual doll and his eyes literally sparkle.
"Hello," Sehun mutters back, a bit discouraged at the sight of Kyungsoo speaking so animatedly with someone. He's probably just overreacting, though; they do work together, so of course they'd be at least somewhat close.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. I have to get back and set up the volcano demonstration for later today," Lu Han waves goodbye and is out the door just as quick as he came in.
Kyungsoo hums as he goes about tidying up the room, smiling and tapping an unknown tune on whatever he touches.
Sehun watches, admires Kyungsoo's side profile and the way his hair falls in his face slightly when he bends over. An image of Lu Han suddenly invades his thoughts, all perfect lines and wide doe eyes. Sehun tries to shake it out, but fluffy honey brown hair and a sculpted nose fills his mind. Sehun pushes against his eyes with the heels of his palms and wills the image away. It's just replaced by the one of Kyungsoo and Lu Han hugging and matching eye smiles that Sehun is jealous of.
He mopes around for a bit until a little boy runs in the door and immediately clings to Sehun's leg like a koala.
"Oh, good morning Jongin," Sehun blinks down at the boy, a smile making it's way onto his face.
Jongin just smiles up at Sehun, small eyes forming crescent moons.
Sehun has the overwhelming urge to pick Jongin up and hold him, so he does. The child doesn't protest, and just wraps his arms around Sehun's neck as Sehun settles Jongin on his hip and goes about erasing the whiteboard.
"Hyung," Jongin pokes Sehun's cheek, obviously not satisfied when Sehun doesn't promptly pay attention to him. "What's wrong?"
Sehun didn't know kids were so smart. Jongin picked up on Sehun's sour attitude the minute he walked in, and Sehun thought he had been hiding it pretty well. "Hyung's just tired," Sehun lies. He couldn't exactly confess his feelings and lament over his unrequited love to a five year-old. Well, he could, but that would be dumb.
Jongin gives Sehun a look that clearly says "I don't believe you," but doesn't ask any further questions. Sehun is grateful.
He sets Jongin down when class officially starts, and lets the day pass just as the previous one had. Lunch time comes, and Kyungsoo's classroom gets another unexpected visitor. This time it's a taller, more lithe boy, with dimples adorning each cheek when he smiles.
Kyungsoo introduces him as Yixing, the second grade teacher on the second floor. Apparently he and Kyungsoo talk a lot because Kyungsoo likes to sing, and Yixing likes to compose. Sehun likes this explanation better than the lack of one that he had gotten with Lu Han, and treats Yixing a bit more friendly because of it (yes, he's immature).
"So, do you like music Sehun-ssi?" Yixing asks, and Sehun detects somewhat of a Chinese accent.
Sehun nods, wiping a bit of peanut butter off the side of Jongin's face. "I like to dance."
"Oh, me too, me too!" Jongin suddenly interrupts, his eyes big and bright.
"Oh, really?" Yixing smiles at the boy, ruffling his hair.
Jongin nods determinedly. "I take ballet."
"You'll have to show me what you know sometime, then," Yixing laughs when Jongin makes him pinky swear that he'll come watch him one day during recess. "Oh, I've gotta go. My class is coming back from the gym soon. See you guys later," Yixing leaves with a dimpled smile and a big wave to the whole class.
Phonics is replaced by Mothers' Day cards for the day, and everyone is busy decorating their cards with pink hearts and yellow flowers (even Kyungsoo) when Sehun feels a small tug on his jeans.
He looks down to see Jongin, who is staring at the floor with a blank piece of paper in his hand. "What's wrong, Jongin-ah?"
Jongin mumbles something, but Sehun can't hear him so he picks the boy up and signals to Kyungsoo that they're going out in the hall. Sehun sets Jongin down and kneels so that they're almost at eye level with each other once they're outside. He asks what's wrong again, and this time Jongin looks up at him with watery eyes.
"Can I make my card for Kyungsoo-hyung instead?"
Sehun frowns. "Why do you want to make a card for Kyungsoo-hyung?"
Jongin fidgets for a minute, wrinkling the paper and biting his lips red, all while avoiding Sehun's eyes. "I don't have anyone else to give it to," he finally says.
Oh. Oh. Sehun blinks rapidly when he feels the backs of his eyes sting. He clears his throat. "Of course you can make a card for Kyungsoo-hyung. I'm sure he'll love to have one."
"Really?" Jongin looks up at Sehun with wide eyes, like he doesn't believe Sehun is telling the truth.
"Mhm," Sehun nods. "He even told me yesterday that he really wanted someone to make him a card since he's never gotten one."
Jongin gasps because who has never gotten a card before? He then hurries back inside and starts on Kyungsoo's card immediately.
Kyungsoo smiles at Sehun when he walks up, and Sehun gives him a questioning look.
"You handled that well. Whatever you said helped," Kyungsoo nods towards a now happy Jongin, coloring away on his no longer white piece of paper.
Sehun blushes. "Thanks."
Recess is particularly eventful, as Yixing's class is on the playground at the same time as Kyungsoo and Sehun's, and this time Yixing brings his own assistant, an older boy named Junmyeon who has the brightest smile Sehun's ever seen.
Yixing keeps his promise and watches Jongin go through one of his newly learned ballet routines, and applauds him at the end along with the small crowd that had gathered around him.
There's also an incident when two of the boys from Sehun's own class try to go down the slide together, but end up on their butts on the cement, one with a bruised forehead, and one with a knot on the back of his head. They're both crying, not wailing though, and Sehun is relieved; they aren't hurt too badly.
Kyungsoo rushes over, scooping up one boy while Sehun takes the other. They try and calm the children, rubbing soothing circles on their backs and cradling them in their arms until the tears subside and only little sniffling noises are left.
Sehun remembers one time, during a Christmas family get together, his father had hoisted Sehun's niece up over his head and sat her on his shoulders, letting her tower above everyone else; she had giggled until everyone in the room was laughing. He figures it can't hurt. All little kids can't be that different, right?
So he raises the child in the air before setting him on his shoulders, grabbing hold of his hands so that he doesn't fall.
The boy immediately laughs, the sound bubbling up and spilling over in a contagious manner that has Sehun laughing as well.
Kyungsoo tries to copy Sehun, but his arms are too short to get the boy over his head. Junmyeon has to come over and help, though he isn't that much taller. Finally their efforts pay off, and the boys are now laughing at each other from their perches on the teachers' shoulders.
Sehun and Kyungsoo are facing each other, laughing along with the boys, and Sehun can't help but notice that pressure in his chest that squeezes his heart and makes his throat dry. He wants to stay here all day, all night with Kyungsoo and the kids (and Yixing and Junmyeon; maybe even Lu Han). So as long as he has Kyungsoo's smile and kind words, Sehun is happy and satisfied.
Recess ends all too early, and soon enough, the last of the children and their parents are trickling out the door, leaving Sehun and Kyungsoo together in the classroom. The silences they share are no longer awkward, and Sehun enjoys the quiet as they both clean up before walking to the bus stop together.
Sehun doesn't need bubble tea today, not when he feels like he's going to explode from the sheer happiness welling inside his chest.
☼
It's Mothers' Day, and the children are filing into the room, giving their moms extra-tight and longer-lasting hugs, making promises of flowers and nice dinners.
When Jongin walks through the door, Sehun immediately goes to him and picks him up, smiling when he gets a hug and a wide smile in return.
Today isn't any different than the others, but Sehun can't seem to care. It's not like school, boring and monotonous; there's always something going on, and the kids are bound to do something ridiculously cute sooner or later.
Nap time is quiet, as usual, save for the occasional snore or shuffle of blankets.
Sehun watches Jongin, the little boy's dark hair falling into his eyes, brown teddy bear held close to his chest. Sehun finds himself smiling, wondering if he'll ever have a child like Jongin, bright smiles and bright dreams with a hint of stubbornness and defiance. He wonders who he would raise Jongin with, if it would be someone like Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo who is caring and careful, paying attention to detail and always on schedule, the total opposite of Sehun.
Sehun supposes that it doesn't really matter, that his dreams are just that: dreams.
Lost in his thoughts, Sehun doesn't notice the bleary-eyed Jongin stumbling over to him, stuffed animal loyally by his side. It takes a tug to the hem of his shirt and a poke to the cheek for Sehun to snap out of his daydreams.
"Hyung," Jongin whispers, trying to keep his voice down.
Sehun blinks, finally realizing there is a child standing in front of him. "Oh. Sorry. What is it, Jongin-ah?"
"Can I give Kyungsoo-hyung my card now?" Jongin asks, playing with his bear's arms and looking at Sehun with those big, round puppy eyes that are just cute enough for Sehun to fall for every time.
Sehun sighs. It's not the best time, but he knows Jongin won't sleep unless his mission is accomplished. He nods and tells Jongin that Kyungsoo is just outside, in the little play area outside of the classroom.
Jongin hugs Sehun tightly, whispering an excited thank you before grabbing his card and rushing out the sliding doors.
Kyungsoo comes in shortly after, a very happy Jongin situated on his hip. There's a smile on Kyungsoo's face, and it makes Sehun's insides twist with a feeling Sehun has decided to leave unnamed. He takes a seat beside Sehun, letting Jongin go back to his mat and fall asleep with a smile on his lips.
"So, Jongin gave me this just now," Kyungsoo is still smiling, his tone teasing as he holds up Jongin's hand-made card.
"Did he?" Sehun asks, playing dumb. He turns away in hopes that Kyungsoo can't see the light dusting of pink now on his cheeks.
Kyungsoo lets out a small laugh. "He did. I wonder who gave him such an idea, giving me a Mothers' Day card."
"Who knows? Kids do strange things sometimes." Sehun supposes he must still be a kid, then.
☼
Jongin's dad is running late picking him up that day, so Kyungsoo offers to walk him home when the father calls in, frantic and apologizing profusely because his boss is keeping him late.
Sehun, of course, tags along, not passing up an opportunity to be around Kyungsoo longer than the hours of the school day.
"So Jongin-ah, you never told me why you gave me that card today," Kyungsoo says, holding Jongin's left hand while Sehun holds his right as Jongin swings them both back and forth.
They reach the bus stop that will take them to Jongin's neighborhood and board a very empty bus. "Well," Jongin starts matter-of-factly, taking his seat on Sehun's lap and grabbing the teenager's hands to compare size. "Hyung is like an umma, right? You feed us, take care of us, and all of that."
Kyungsoo blushes faintly. "Am I now?"
"Yep! And Sehun-hyung is the appa."
Sehun's face flushes a bright red, and he can see Kyungsoo's ears doing the same. But he agrees anyway, letting Jongin sit in his lap and play with his hands for the whole time. He daydreams of a house, Kyungsoo in it, and a small child that looks like Jongin running around and learning dance from Sehun. It makes butterflies flutter in his stomach, there's a lump in his throat, and Sehun almost dreads summer, when school will be out.
Sehun thinks the bus ride doesn't last long enough, that Jongin's father gets home too quickly, that the bus ride back is going to be painfully awkward. He boards the bus once again with Kyungsoo, though, and they sit beside each other, hyper aware of each brush of their shoulders.
"I suppose since we're already married, we should go on our first date," Kyungsoo says, looking away with a faint smile on his lips.
Sehun can't help his own smile that feels like it's splitting his face in half. It probably looks really dumb, and Wu Fan will probably for it when he gets home, but Sehun could care less.
Maybe being a teacher isn't so bad.
~
i'm cry there's so much cute and fluff in this i'm going to puke glitter
anyway. yoojin i hope you're happy. this is enough fluff to last you until exo's comeback
KID JONGIN I COULDN'T RESIST ISN'T IT THE CUTEST ;A;
p.s. will edit tomorrow it's 12 AM and i have to go to school tomorrow orz
ALSO, SEQUEL IS NOW POSTED HERE
Comments