The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Nine - Bereavement

Jung Hoseok

Five Years Ago

The headmaster sighs and leans back in his chair. "You understand my anxiety over the situation..."

"Yes, of course." I keep looking down at the papers I'm marking, hoping that nothing seems off about my character.

"The two of you just seem awfully close for a teacher and a student, Hoseok." He shakes his head, lips pursing as he thinks.

"I'm close with all my students." I still don't look up. I have to play this very carefully. Angels cannot lie. We are genetically unable to. So, I have to keep just off the truth.

"Well, yes. I'm aware of your general relationships with the student body; mental health has been at an all-time high ever since you started working here again." He chuckles. "But Kai Finto-"

"I would never knowingly begin a relationship with a student. That would be unprofessional and disrespectful to my workplace. Am I lying?" I purse my lips, trying hard to keep calm.

"You can't lie." He sighs again and pushes himself off the chair. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"No, it's not a problem, sir. I'm sorry to have snapped." I rub my eyes, stress becoming ever more apparent on my face.

"I should have known better than to assume that kind of behaviour from an angel." He laughs and pats my back before letting himself out of my office and I watch out of my window as he leaves Glanis House. I slam my desk drawer hard and curse as I catch the edge of my finger. As my skin splits and blood begins to pool at the wound, I sprint down one floor of the spiral staircase and rummage through my drawers, applying lavender oil and the bandaging it up. I slump onto the staircase and let my head drop into my hands but I refuse to cry. Instead, I watch from the circular window in the stairwell as the headmaster walks into the main building, presumably to his office.

I rest my forehead against the cool glass as my eyes follow a running figure. Kai. He stumbles up to the building and I run down. I know this is wrong, I know I can't let him keep coming to me even when we don't do anything sexual until we're outside the walls. Usually... I know this.

I clench my jaw tightly, prepared to be strict with him as I take the steps two at a time. I always struggle but after the scare I had with the headmaster, I think I might be able to follow through this time.

The door creaks open but I put my hand on his chest before he can even enter the building.

He blinks, shocked. "I-I need you."

"Kai. We can't keep doing this. I almost lost my job today, we need to keep a low profile. Okay? I'll see you at the weekend, yeah? We can meet at my cottage and I you can have anything there. I promise. It's only four days. You can cope, right? Otherwise, someone is going to find out!" I bite my lip nervously as I watch his reaction.

He nods and turns but I catch a tear falling down his cheek. I frown and grab his wrist before he can walk away. He doesn't cry often; I've only seen it once before.

"Kai... What's wrong?" I run in front of him when he doesn't turn around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise there was something serious!"

He shakes his head and smiles, backing away from me. "No, I shouldn't be selfish. What about you're job... Glanis is your home, I can't just... I'm sorry."

"Kai, forget that. Tell me, or I'll make you." I grit my teeth.

"Please don't." Another tear falls and my mouth drops open.