Chapter 1.  

Kyungsoo tried to ignore the prickling sensation on the back of his neck as he quietly wrote on the whiteboard in front of his class. The soft sounds of paper rustling and pens scratching from behind his turned back were only sign of his students paying attention to the English lesson he was giving them. 

  He strained as he wrote on the board, somewhat embarrassed by the fact that he had to tiptoe — his height was making it difficult for him to reach the top of the white board to write. He stepped back and drooped in defeat at the sight of the awkward slant his writing had taken on during his vain struggle to reach, and he sighed before turning to face his year 11 advanced English class.    "Once you finish copying down what I've put up on the board, please start a practice essay on your prescribed and related texts. Remember the simple essay format and use it to your advantage" Kyungsoo smiled slightly, his gentle voice seeming to carry well through the quiet classroom. The heads that had risen quickly fell back to return copying down notes, and Kyungsoo walked over to his desk and sat down, returning to marking the latest creative writing pieces that had been handed in.    "Mr. Do?"    Kyungsoo's head snapped up, and he took in the sight of a tall teenager with sharp features and milky skin. His hair was an alarming assortment of rainbow colours and  Kyungsoo's brow furrowed as he struggled for a moment to remember the youths name while simultaneously contemplating whether or not he should (gently) reprimand the boy for ignoring school rules by dying his hair in such vibrant shades. The need to remember the boys name won over and it was with a click of relief that it came to him — Oh Sehun.   "Yes, Sehun?"   "I've finished copying the notes and I was wondering if you'd read the practice essay I wrote in my free time. Last exam I didn't do as well as I hoped I would, so I've been trying to improve" the boy began to mumble half way through his request, clearly embarrassed to be speaking aloud to explain to his teacher when the rest of his class could overhear.    Kyungsoo smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Bring it up here and I'll mark it for you. You can start your next practice essay while I go through it."   Sehun looked grateful as he handed over his essay, and Kyungsoo began immediately reading through it, marking with a red pen diligently. With his head turned down, Kyungsoo focused on Sehun's slanting cursive. His essay was written on on poetic techniques and the way interpretations changed through their use, and all in all, Kyungsoo would have graded the paper with a solid 9 out of 15 — a pass, at least. Kyungsoo was sure that the teen had much higher expectations of himself though, and there was certainly room for improvement. He began to jot down tips and feedback as he went through it for a second time.    Kyungsoo paused suddenly, his red pens smooth glide coming to a abrupt halt as the strange feeling that he was being watched washed across him, distracting him from the task at hand. The back of his neck was prickling again, but this time the feeling had seemed to intensify, traveling down his arms to his fingertips.    When he glanced up to check, all his students appeared to be looking down, focusing on their work. That was one of the few surprises Kyungsoo had had when he had first been employed as a English teacher; he had expected a class of uncontrollable and havoc wrecking teenage boys, but he was pleasantly shocked at how well behaved his year eleven class was (the behaviour of many students out of class, however, was another story). The students of Malhana Boys High were unusually dedicated to excelling academically — no doubt the prestige of the school had weeded out any unwilling students early on.   Lowering his head again, Kyungsoo frowned for a moment before getting up from his seat. He pushed his chair back softly and made his was quietly down the aisle of seats to hand Sehun's essay back to him. Sehun was easy to spot with his messy rainbow hair, and Kyungsoo couldn't help the twitch of his lips as he struggled to bury the unprofessional side of himself that actually liked the way the teenagers hairstyle looked — he was still only 24, after all! Still young enough to appreciate the popular fashions and trends of the younger generation! Kyungsoo suppressed a groan, realising he sounded like a middle aged man who's only wish in life was to remain youthful and 'in the loop'.    "It was structured well, you just need to focus on expanding further" Sehun looked up with a jump, not having spotted his teacher approaching.  Kyungsoo smiled at the teenager as he placed the essay onto his desk in front of him. Sehun's widened eyes returned to normal quickly and he picked up his paper — frowning when he saw the grade his teacher had given him.    "Don't let it bother you. There are still ten weeks till your next set assessment, which gives you plenty of time to prepare and practice. I've written tips and feedback on the back of the last page – I hope that's okay" Kyungsoo smiled timidly, and Sehun's creased eyebrows smoothed when he saw the information his teacher had written.    A relieved sigh slipped from Sehun's lips, and the rainbow haired teen looked up with a grin. "You're the best, Mr. Do. Thanks so much. I'll make sure to remember your pointers and hopefully I'll improve"   Kyungsoo couldn't help but glow happily at the compliment from his student. Although it was coming from a seventeen year old, Kyungsoo still couldn't help but feel strangely satisfied knowing his teaching was appreciated – even if only by one student.    "That's okay, if you have any more questions or things you'd like me to check over for you, don't hesita