the one that got away | cloy

Chapter 02: Man To Man.

So it took me longer than I thought... Hopefully, there are still people reading this. I'm suddenly enjoying writing this. Expect another one soon.

Zurich International School of Music is a prestigious institute. The pay was too high, as well as the perks that came with it. But that wasn't the reason Ri Jeong Hyeok had started teaching here. It was not because it was high passion, the piano, its black and white keys, the hardwood covering, everything about the instrument itself that had pushed him to pursue this job. It had been years since he had been relieved off of his military duties. His father and his reputation came in handy. It wasn't an easy task, it even took a year or two, but he had, eventually, managed to get his son safe to Switzerland with a passport and everything.

As of five years today, he was officially a Swiss citizen. His father had to pull a few more strings to send Seo Dan to him, though. They had already gotten married in Pyongyang. A small and uncomfortable ceremony with his parents, her mother, and his friends from the military. Everyone was at his father's place for some vital call he didn't quite remember, and all of a sudden, rings were presented, and both Jeong Hyeok and Seo Dan were told to get married right away instead of three months later like they had planned.

Ri Jeong Hyeok had regarded his parents with a poker face- while his mother looked apologetic, his father didn't have a crinkle of worry over his aging face. With Seri already out of his life for good, he didn't see a reason to disobey his parents. After Seri, it didn't matter what anyone threw at him, a marriage, a wife, off military duties, he simply didn't care anymore at that point.

The marriage had been a sham, just like their wedding. Eight years was exact proof of it.

Ri Jeong Hyeok had arrived an hour earlier than the scheduled time, just like he always did whenever he had a new student. It was understandable that a new student studying independently would feel like a fish out of water. It was only as essential to cater to their needs on a small scale. He had taught massive groups of students here at the same institution, children and teens as many as hundred in one single lecture, multiply the same number by ten, that many students in one seminar in the crash courses he gave quarterly year. In his years of teaching, he had realized that adhering to larger numbers was relatively more straightforward. The individuals he taught were much more challenging work- he had to focus on their precise keystrokes, the movement of their fingers, the sound they produced, all the natural things better said than done. Combine that with the room's tension, the rigid posture of the person, the sweat, and a pounding heart- it was a mess.

Ri Jeong Hyeok didn't consider himself strict. If anything, he was a straightforward person. Yes, years of military service had made him watch out for every single thing in his sight and hindsight, but it was what it was. He couldn't take that back. Maybe it was because he was so admirable that the students were so scared of him, more specifically scared to disappoint him. Everyone wanted to win his heart, gain the respect he offered, and vice versa.

He checked his phone for any messages. When finding none, he put the device back in the pocket of his jeans. The ex-captain wasn't too fond of denim, but upon hearing that his new student was someone special, he put in the effort to look better than usual- and that meant wearing jeans rather than his regular trousers. His typical side-swept hair was gelled back in a quiff that highlighted his warm, welcoming eyes. A black turtleneck complimented his pale brown long coat on combating the cold Swiss winds.

He was not usually like this, but for some reason, today, his stomach was churning with unknown anticipation. Having encountered hundreds of students daily, it should be another piece of cake for him.

Or so he thought.

Whatever it was, time will tell, won't it? Their best friend and worst enemy.