“So you were serious.”

I said quietly but Hyukjae must have heard me because he let out a hum of agreement. I was leaning against the door frame of his office with my arms crossed and watching him pack his things. I was pretending to look unaffected but inside I was dying. I thought about our small conversation through the whole Sunday and although I haven´t really understood everything there was; I definitely realized one important thing. I didn´t want Hyukjae to leave.

“What about the TV?”

I asked him stupidly and couldn´t believe how insensitive I sounded. It was as if I told him to pack faster, to disappear from my sight. Partially it was the truth, I couldn´t handle seeing him go away. Hyukjae straightened his back and grinned at me and his smile looked so professional, beautiful, charismatic and all but it wasn´t that charming smile I adored the most.

“Keep it, I´ll buy a new one since my next office is going to be much bigger,” he answered.

“You already have a new place to go?” I asked terrified. I can´t believe he was this fast.

“Yeah, I already promised that at the beginning of the year. I usually check when I come to a new school and make plans for my leave beforehand. I don´t like being unemployed although I´m not in need for money. It´s my principle,” Hyukjae talked and didn´t stop cleaning the office.

“So you were prepared to leave around this date?” I asked him shocked. Hyukjae stopped packing and turned to me.

“Yes,” he answered coldly and I almost felt tears prick my eyes. “At first I thought it will take longer but the moment I met you I knew everything will be fine in no time.” Hyukjae smiled at me and I couldn´t be more surprised.

“Me? But I´m a bad teacher and I don´t know what to do now that you are leaving,” I said in a bit louder voice that intended. I´m not Hyukjae, I can´t do wonders!

“You aren´t supposed to be like me, Donghae,” Hyukjae said as if he could read my mind. Which honestly he might really be able to do, or I don´t know how else is for him possible to understand me so well. “You alone are capable of changing the ways in this school. Your mindset is what makes you a good teacher. You understand the basic and that is the fact that you are a teacher. You aren´t your students´ friend, parent, enemy or judge,” Hyukjae smiled again, “you are a teacher, a magnificent one at that.”

“What are you talking about? I´m surely not! Where are you going?” I asked him nervously when he put a huge bag over his shoulder.

“I already packed all my stuff on Sunday. These were the last things,” he didn´t even stop.

“So quickly?! You only told me on Saturday and on Monday you´ll be gone?” I couldn´t believe my ears. Was he for real?

“I told you it was planned far beforehand and we had a goodbye party, didn´t we?” Hyukjae was walking down the hallway not even turning his head towards me.

“It was your farewell party? But I didn´t know!” I yelled at him catching attention of other students.

“Calm down, I haven´t told anyone accept for Choco, right baby?” Hyukjae cooed and only then I noticed the fluffy dog following us. Since when was it here? Choco barked back at its owner and I face-palmed. According to statistics eighty percent of owners talk to their dogs and their pets prove their understanding by barking or reaction in some way. Should I bark too to get some more attention from the white head?

“Hyuk, listen to me. I called you this morning but the call wasn´t connected, don´t tell me you already changed your number,” I finally pulled the reason I was so agitated this morning.

“I did, I don´t want every single school to call me whenever they have a problem. I would go crazy and they need to know how to solve their problems themselves,” Hyukjae´s tone was slightly different as if he was a little irritated too.

“Then give me your personal number!” I immediately demanded trying to not fall from the stairs we were currently descending.

“Don´t have any,” Hyukjae stated. “Liar!” I couldn´t believe him. “It´s the truth, I don´t lie,” Hyukjae reminded me once more and I sighed.

“Then how does your girlfriend contact you?” Hateful remark slipped from my tongue. Hyukjae stopped.

“Girlfriend?” He asked and raised his eyebrow at me. “I don´t have any, my only love is Choco,” he said with an expression that said he was telling the truth. I breathed in sharply and almost choked. So he´s single? Why does my chest feel so hot and stuffy suddenly?

“But on the phone you,” I trailed away. On Saturday he had a suspicious phone call and the caller was probably a girl as I remembered the tone of her voice when she yelled from the other line. And she was surely talking about some other ´sweetheart´. Don´t tell me it was Choco she was talking about or I´m going to jump from the window embarrassed because of my misunderstanding.

“Okay, I admit there are two ladies in my life. I almost forgot,” Hyukjae sighed, “apart from Choco there´s also my older sister and she´s the only one that gets informed of my new number,” he explained and I was about to open the window but unfortunately we were already on the ground floor.

“Nobody else has your number?” I inquired once more when we started moving towards the exit.

“No,” Hyukaje answered coldly without looking back.

“Make me an exception then!” I pulled on his sleeve desperately and Hyukjae finally looked at me. “Why?” He asked.

“Won´t you be lonely?” I asked almost pleading.

“I have Choco and she loves me,” was Hyukjae´s stubborn answer. I was becoming mad again.

“Of course she does since dogs can fall in love. Their brains release a chemical called oxytocin when they fall in love. So basically, they experience love in the same way that we do,” I sprawled harshly some of my stupid data on him.

“Excuse me but for me it´s enough,” this time the older of us didn´t mask his irritated tone.

“Ninety percent of owners expect their dog to come in rescue when in distress. But, Hyukjae, that´s pathetic.”

Hearing my last sentence Hyukjae´s eyes widened in shock and then quickly narrowed in anger. He didn´t spare me even his last good bye before he picked his lovely dog with his hand and walked away. In a frozen state I watched him through the glass door as he put his bag into the white Audi and climbed inside together with Choco. I watched him start the engine, reverse slightly and lastly speed away. When the red lights disappeared from my sight, boiling hot tears slid down my cheeks.

“But I want to love you too, Hyukjae, why don´t you understand?”

Hi! So we´re surely nearing the end. I hope you liked this chapter! :D SS6 has officially started, I hope they´ll come to Europe again this year. Be careful, guys and thank you for reading and commenting. - Mover PandaHero