Teacher's Pet | MarkHyuck

• Chapter 25

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Sunshine. Only one person has ever given him said nickname.

And that voice, Haechan would recognize it anywhere, since it was the one he least wanted to hear. "I said," there it was again, "that if you needed any help, Sunshine." Mark made sure to place his lips closer to the boy's ear when he whispered the last word slowly.

If there had been any space to move away to, Haechan would have probably flinched, but his body was trapped tightly in between Mr. Lee's and the book shelve. He opened his mouth as to say something, anything, but right then and there no words would come out. Only when Haechan felt like he was about to suffocate did Mark take a step back and allow his student some room to breathe.

That is, just the necessary space so that he could turn around and finally look at him, much to Haechan's dismay. Once the boy found himself face to face with his English teacher, the same man who made him feel so defenseless, he shrank, pressing his back hard against the shelve behind him and lowering his head. Mark was savoring the moment without regrets, enjoying the effect he caused on his student more than he should. 

"My friends are waiting for me outside the library," Haechan spoke rather hastily, almost leaving no spaces between words, but Mark miraculously understood. The boy felt that he needed to say that as a sort of protection spell: maybe Mr. Lee wouldn't do anything inappropriate again if he believed that Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung were nearby.

However, the teacher only tsked repeatedly as he shook his head in disapproval. "It's not very nice to lie to your teachers," there was a disappointed expression on his face. Although Mark's tone and words seemed kind of childish and harmless, they made Haechan gulp anxiously.

The student knew for a fact that there was never an indicator of how Mr. Lee was going to behave, no signal of him lashing out in the next second. His actions could never be predicted, and that was the scariest part.

"I did not happen to see any of them when I walked in," Mark finished, almost in a growl, allowing the boy a glimpse of the true facade, the real anger that lay beneath his features. Haechan felt overwhelmed, like he physically couldn't stand being there with him anymore, and so he extended his arm to grab the book from Mr. Lee, who immediately moved it behind his back so that the boy wouldn't reach it. 

"Now, now, do you care to tell me why you have skipped not one, but two of my classes?" I don't need to justify myself in front of you, he desperately wanted to shout, but he could only work out a meek "I-- I was feeling sick." Haechan hoped that his voice remained a bit hoarse, to prove that now he wasn't lying. Nevertheless, Mr. Lee was confident that he had been truthful.

Mark could read him like an open book.

How Haechan acted and reacted, mostly the way the boy was unable to look into his eyes whenever he was nervous around him, which happened to be every single time that their paths crossed. 

"Is that so? Then, I'll forgive you... this time," Mr. Lee declared proudly, without the boy missing the clear emphasis he had placed on the words 'this time.' What it could possibly imply if Mark wasn't ever so forgiving, the boy didn't know. Haechan would try to never have to figure it out, only thinking about it made him shiver.

"May you please hand me the book?" He finally gained the courage to formulate that simple request, only to be brought back to cowardy by Mr. Lee's next words, "you should look at people in the face while speaking to them." The teacher taunted, almost in a singsong way that would have made Haechan's blood boil if it wasn't for the fact that he was so obviously staring anywhere except his direction.

He glanced around swiftly to try and see whether there was anybody else near, but they had gone so far inside the maze-like library that there was nobody else. Having then lost all hope, Haechan dedicated a couple of seconds to breathe in and out deeply, mentally preparing himself. 

Mr. Lee waited patiently but eagerly for the boy to let his face finally be seen. And when he did, Mark felt his breathing hitch; Haechan was just as ethereal as he remembered. Just how had he missed this, from his wavy locks and doe eyes to his button nose and plump lips, everything about him was perfect, perfect for me. Mark would never get tired of that sight, ever.

"Please," his student cleared his throat, "could you give me the book? I need it for class." And the teacher, whose gaze kept Haechan's on him permanently, smiled so wide that his teeth showed. "Of course, only because you've asked so nicely," he declared, bringing the book back again in Haechan's view and pressing it against the boy's chest before completely letting it go.

Too distracted trying to grab the book before it fell, Haechan couldn't have ever expected his teacher's next move. Without notice, Mark leaned over the boy again, but not much since he had already been towering over him for the whole time. Out of pure fear, Haechan shut his eyes tightly, expecting the worst.

Instead, he heard the English teacher talk extremely close to his ear, like a friend telling a secret, "goodbye for now, I'll see you and your parents tonight for dinner at my place." The boy finally opened his eyes, just for his mind to go completely blank.

Mr. Lee stepped back in order to relish the astonished expression in the younger's face. After having dropped those words so casually, the teacher simply turned around and left, not giving Haechan a chance to recompose himself. "W-wait," the student, whose backpack had fell to the floor, hugged the book to his chest, with only one single thought plaguing his head.

What???

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