^ relevant? maybe. ^

warning: a careful reminder on why this story is tagged as crack. also, like, lots of man sweat.

hello dear readers! we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding. sorry we weren't able to do a double update on the previous week, but we're working really hard to give you one this weekend. we just got a little tied up, is all. so here's the first part of that update and we'll try to keep up with our promise and have the thirteenth chapter done by tomorrow. for those who have been waiting: yadong is finally progressing! uwu

please enjoy~

Ever since that damnable Kim Sunggyu cursed him and his luck, Howon had been seeking to remedy his shyness and awkwardness towards his youngest son's pretty teacher.

Spending some time alone to mope about and think, and with a little help from his mischievous sons, Howon admitted to himself that he does like the pink-haired teacher. He does think he's beautiful, whether it be from how he looked to how nice he seems to be. Howon does think of him as someone he'd rather be more than friends with, despite the fact that he and Teacher Jang aren't at that level of a relationship yet. Howon's aware that they're more professional together than friendly.

Howon acknowledges that he's to blame for that. No matter how hard he tries to get past small talk, he couldn't really take it upon himself to. Not comfortably, anyway. Because he has to remind himself that despite the fact that he knows things about Teacher Jang that the man hasn't told him, from reading that piece of paper over and over, he doesn't really know Teacher Jang. It's difficult to progress from their standing, considering the fact that Howon can't just throw bits and pieces of Teacher Jang's interests here and there. That would embarrass him.

Though most of Howon's peers know him for being this bold and brave man, and though Howon himself knows that boldness and confidence is up his alley, he couldn't really see himself just winging it in front of Teacher Jang like that. Howon feels self-conscious when he's around the older man, however unreasonable that feeling might be, but it's not something Howon can easily change. He's sure that he'll get tongue-tied even when he's just greeting the man.

“Does anyone know why Prosecutor Lee looks as though he's contemplating the end of the world?” Howon could faintly hear the voice of his boss, Lee Jungyeop, from outside his office. His door is closed and unlocked, and the blinds of its little window aren't set down so he's technically visible to those who decide to take a peek, “He's thinking hard.”

“If it's not still about Mrs. Park and Mr. Cha, then it's Attorney Kim's fault,” he heard one of his colleagues tell their boss with a joyful snicker. Howon snorts, upset.

“He's just bitter about having to deal with being rejected by someone he hadn't even asked out,” the voice is almost grating and definitely annoying—fitting because it belonged to Kim Sunggyu himself, “It's pitiful, though, isn't it? That a man the whole firm considers to be one tough gorilla could be so shy and awkward about such a thing? I'm actually a little concerned for poor Howonnie...”

“Ah, Attorney Kim, a bit harsh, aren't we?” Superior Lee tells Sunggyu worriedly, “Would it matter if Prosecutor Lee is shy? Aigoo, if it does turn out that whoever he's interested in rejects him before he even asks, he at least has the chance with someone else.”

But Howon doesn't want someone else.

“AIGOO! Prosecutor Lee! Are you alright!?” Superior Lee, Sunggyu and another colleague jump in the presence of one slightly fuming Lee Howon. The three others looked at him with widened eyes, fearing that they went a little too far by gossiping just outside the man's office. He looks at them with cold eyes and a hot glare, a look that makes them flinch.

Howon bows politely, or as much as he could muster with the heat burning inside of him, his eyes trained on the floor as he spoke, “Superior Lee, I will be taking an early break.”

“Y...Yeah?” The older man chokes and stammers, “Anything wrong, Prosecutor Lee?”

“Nothing at all,” he straightens himself out and dusts off his blazer, undoing a button and looking his boss straight in the eye. Sunggyu and the other colleague, who Howon recognizes as Chorong, are cowering and hiding behind Superior Lee but Howon pays them no mind. Superior Lee merely smiles at Howon nervously, “I just have business to attend to. A man's business.”

“Is it... Is it to do with what we were so openly gossiping about?” The elder looked as though he could feel nothing but the terror brought to him by Howon.

Howon shrugs, “That, mixed with a bit of revenge,” this time, Howon's gaze switches over to his copper-haired traitor of a friend, “You watch yourself, Kim Sunggyu.”

Sunggyu flinches and turns to look at their boss, “Superior Lee, isn't this viable for suing? He's threatening me right now!”

Superior Lee shudders, “I don't think you'd want to do that, Attorney Kim.”

“We certainly aren't witnesses to anything,” says Attorney Park.

“I will come back as quickly as possible,” Howon says but his superior is brushing it off, mumbling something that sounds like 'come back whenever you feel like it.' The moment Howon takes a step forward, the three flinch but Howon does nothing more. He decides to just bow and leave as quickly as possible, so that he wouldn't waste so much time.

His first destination is a flower shop.

When he reaches the place he intended to go to, Howon was sure he was a man b with pride. He has a nice bouquet of pink roses in one hand and a fancy box of chocolates; his decision is a bit cliché, he knows, but it's the safe bet. No one can hate fancy chocolates, right? And picking pink roses out of everything else was symbolic, in some way. Though Howon mostly picked the colour because of the man's hair, and roses were assumed to be best for romance.

 

“Omo!” the receptionist, Miss Yoon, almost screams as Howon enters the school. She's looking up at him with hopeful eyes, “Omo, omo, omo! Mr. Lee, I didn't expect you to arrive this early, today. But you're here for Dongwoo oppa, I bet!”

“I am,” Howon says and clears his throat, “Where is Teacher Jang, by the way?”

“Not going to ask about your son first?” Miss Yoon is grinning and wiggling her brow playfully.

“Well, I know how much my son loves his teacher. Wherever Teacher Jang is, I'm sure my Sungjong is just nearby,” Howon says confidently, though he fidgets in place. Miss Yoon looks up at him with an expectant expression, so Howon decides to do things quickly, “I would like to speak to Teacher Jang.”

“He's out in the playground with his class,” Miss Yoon says, getting up from where she sat behind the receptionist's desk. She quickly leads him down a hallway that shouldn't be as narrow as he's seeing. He starts to feel himself perspire, his clothes starting to cling onto his skin a little bit. They reach two large doors that Miss Yoon easily opens, revealing the sight of children running around under a hot ray of sunshine. He doesn't understand how the kids could bear being outside like that when it's already so hot inside the school. That or Howon is nervous.

It's probably those damn crazy kids.

“He's over there by the swing set,” Miss Yoon says as she's pointing at where Teacher Jang is standing. Howon nods and thanks her. She winks at him and pats him on the back, “Go get him, guy.”

To: Kim Sunggyu
From: Mystery Idiot
u on ur break yet? ^o^

Sunggyu picks his phone up from where he'd put it in the drawer of his desk, quickly reading the text he'd gotten. It's been five days since this idiot had started sending him text messages and, if Sunggyu could be honest to himself for just a minute, he rather appreciates the man's insistence on befriending him and often anticipates his texts. That is when he's got nothing else to do.

The guy's not very unpleasant. He gets flirty, at times, but Sunggyu easily shuts him off by not replying for an hour or two. Mystery Idiot would then apologize and press Sunggyu to continue telling him about his day, about his worries and concerns. It actually feels great to have someone listen like that. Hell, Sunggyu's even talked to the guy about his precious angel and how he feels upset about the fact that his cute little bundle of joy is best friends with the Devil's son.

His initial replies are short, but then they're talking about their lives. Sunggyu's, mostly, but that was under the other man's insistence. Sunggyu at least knows that the man he's talking to is a younger man with a relatively stable job and an interest in music. He knows that the man he's exchanging text messages with has an interest in changing professions. Sunggyu also knows that the man can be deep and profound when he wants to, but is too distracted by trying to make a move on him.

It's actually quite funny, and he finds the faceless man somewhat charming.

It's a little bothersome that the idiot only gives Sunggyu vague information about himself, but he supposes it's because the man is still hell bent on trying to be mysterious. Sunggyu doesn't get the appeal of it, but he'll let it slide. Not like telling him to quit it would change anything.

Today, Sunggyu ends up using half of his break to argue with the man about how giving his son rules on life