It started off like any other day for seventeen-year-old Kim Kibum. His alarm blared early in the morning waking him from his peaceful sleep. If he wasn't getting up for school, he was getting up for work. Holidays meant nothing to him, so when he got up this morning, on the first day of his senior year at school, he changed into his blazer, tie and button up shirt for school instead of his white and red apron for his job at the diner. He buttoned up his shirt and did up his tie, sliding the blazer gracefully onto his petite shoulders. He pulled up his black skinny jeans and tied up his old Doc Martens – his mother had bought them for him about two years back, and there wasn't another item he treasured as much. Once he was fully dressed, he started to fix up his black hair. When he was happy with his appearance, he grabbed his school books and pencil case, double-checking to make sure he had everything. He slung his bag over his right shoulder and grabbed an apple out of the refrigerator.

“Note to self: buy food.” He mumbled and closed the near-empty fridge.

“Goodbye, umma!” he called out as he grabbed his iPod off the kitchen bench, he knew she wouldn't answer but that didn't bother Key too much. He knew she heard him and that's all that mattered.

He picked up his iPod and pressed shuffle before popping in his headphones, turning up the volume of Wonder Girls’ song Like This and ignoring the world. He groaned internally looking up at the dark storm clouds that were, on most days, covering the Seoul sky. He hurried as he walked to school and hoped to any and every god that it didn’t rain. It seemed, though, that today at least, wishes were not horses because he’d barely made it down the street before the thunder clapped and he felt small droplets of cold water fall down his cheek. He groaned again – this time audibly – and clutched his bag closely to his chest, as if that would keep him warm and dry.

It didn’t.

The city was busy, but no one took any notice of the boy walking in the freezing cold rain. Then again, that was the way it always was, wasn't it? Kibum - or Key, as he preferred - was always alone and unnoticed. He wasn't top of his class, but he had good, consistent grades, so the teachers paid no attention to him. He wasn't popular, but he didn't exactly mesh well with other students, leaving him alone and friendless.

He didn't have time for friends, anyway. He was always working so he'd never get a chance to spend any real time with them; who would want such an absent friend? No one, he concluded all on his own.

He was walking past a nearly flooded parking lot when a car stopped before him. A window was wound down and the driver poked his head out. Key had to admit, he was cute. A little too old for him, yes, but still cute. His hair was short and a dark, rich chocolate colour that matched his round eyes. His lips looked soft and his skin looked perfect. He even had a sharp, strong jaw that had Kibum internally drooling. Even though he had to be in his late twenties, he could pass as a model – well, if he didn’t have a concerned frown on his face.

“Hey,” the driver called out to him, “its pouring down out here. Do you need a ride?” he asked.

Key was hesitant to answer. Seoul may seem all happy and perfect to the outside eye, but he knew all too well how dangerous it could really be. This guy may be hot, but he wasn't stupid. He knew not to trust a random person who invites you into his car.

“Um, no, I’ll be okay,” the black-haired boy told him with a nod and began to walk again, only to have the guy drive slowly beside him.

“Are you sure? You could get sick,” He said. Key stopped walking and turned to him again.

“Really. I'm fine, but thank you anyway,” he replied, trying not to think about how warm and comforting his car seemed. It'd been so long since Key had been in a car, public buses aside. The driver sighed and turned to reach into the back seat. When he was done shuffling around, he held an umbrella out of the window to pass to the young boy. The latter grabbed it and looked at it, wondering two things. One; why had a stranger given him an umbrella? And two; why did he have one if he was driving?

“What is this?” he asked since it was the first thing that came to mind. He looked at the younger boy strangely.

“It’s an umbrella,” He said, obviously. Key rolled his eyes at the man.

“I mean what's it for?”

“Well, you open it up and it stops the rain from falling on you,” Key huffed in annoyance. “Okay, okay, I just thought you looked like you could use it if you won’t accept a ride,”

“I told you, I'm okay,” Kibum said and started to pass it back but the driver just smirked.

“Too bad,” He said and drove away. Key looked at the car driving off into the distance, and then at the umbrella, secretly thankful of the perfect stranger.

∆
 

When he reached the school, the first thing Key did was head over to the head office to get his new timetable. He pulled a face when he saw that he had literature studies first thing. He frowned in confusion when he saw the name ‘Mr Kim’ under ‘Literature’. He must’ve been new because the only Mr Kim at this school was old, half-deaf and taught Economics; he could barely string two sentences together without stopping mid-way to reword them. There was no way he was going to teach Lit.

The rest of his classes for the day consisted of maths, English, history and computer sciences. He headed over to his locker and put his unneeded books into it, followed by the stranger’s umbrella. Once he was ready, he walked to the his first class of the day. He made a beeline for the solo desk in the back corner of the classroom. He was early, so the room was mostly empty save for the two girls giggling between themselves on the other side of the room. This Mr. Kim hadn't turned up yet, even as the room began slowly filling with students. Key just sat there on his own and secretly listening to bits and pieces of other peoples conversations. Most of it was gossip, but some of it was very amusing.

So far, he’d heard that the new teacher was a total hottie, a drug dealer who lives on the street and has fake credentials, an old dude and gay. He shook his head, the year hadn’t even begun and there were already rumours circulating the school.

“Uh, alright then,” a male voice that sounded all too familiar to Key said loudly and the class hushed. “Good morning class, I'm your new teacher, Mr Kim, and I hope that you all enjoy my lessons,”

Key looked up and his mouth went dry. He was the perfect stranger that gave him the umbrella! Key instantly wanted to vomit from his earlier thoughts of how hot that guy was. Now it was just weird; he should not be lusting after his teacher for God's sake.

Mr. Kim got out a clipboard and started to call out the names of the students. The list of names went on, and so far everyone was present and a few people requested nicknames over their given names.

“Kim Kibum.” He called out and looked over the class.

“It's Key,” he said with a small voice, hoping to let Mr. Kim know of his presence (he wasn't about to be marked absent and mar his perfect record because the teacher didn't hear him) but also not wanting to draw too much attention to himself.

Mr. K