Room 803
Pairing:Â university student!Jaehyun x kindergarten teacher!reader
Genre:Â fake engagement au, neighbors au, age gap, hate to love, drama, romance, smut
Word Count:Â 26k
Warnings: reader is five years older than Jaehyun; Jaehyun doesn't treat women very nicely in the beginning; there is a lot of scheming going on; some characters have a questionable moral compass (cheating, blackmailing, lying, traditional family arrangements); there is an explicit rated scene (handjob, mc gets hand over mouth) and two suggestive ones, all of which you can skip if you want
Summary: You hate your neighbor in room 803 to the core, because his raunchy and very vocal bed activities always keep you up at night. There is no scenario in which you can ever imagine tolerating a lousy brute like himâuntil you get entangled in a web of lies and your neighbor comes into picture to play along. Your raunchy, lousy neighbor, who, to your surprise, fits the role of your fake fiancĂ© very well. Almost too well.
A/N: Hi! So this is the result of ring window shopping and the Unconditional MV. I drew inspiration for the opening scene from my very own fic "Sinned" that I've first published on Aff. Leave feedback if you want <3 Happy reading! (D-482 until Jaehyun returns)
Finding a suitable apartment in the downtown of a very busy metropolis was a challenge.Â
There were many things to consider during apartment hunting: the location, the price, the layout, the facilities, and also the distance to the next station depending on your commute. Nobody wanted to live in a rundown one bedroom on the 10th floor with no elevator and paper thin walls for which you still paid a fortune.
You were very lucky to have none of that.
Your apartment consisted of two rooms in a new building and was located on the 8th floor. It had three elevators, a concierge service, and even a small convenience store connected to the lobby. It cost more than a third of your salary, but with all the benefits, it was worth it. You couldnât have thanked your co-worker enough to have passed it on to you when she had moved away, so that you could finally live closer to your workplace.
You loved your new apartment.Â
But you hated your neighbors.
A neighbor on the 9th floor liked to play the drums for at least two hours a day and usually chose to do that when you had already returned home from work. A neighbor on the 7th floor liked to discuss things very heatedly with his girlfriend right by the window. Three rooms away from you on the 8th floor, there was a dog barking constantly, and somewhere else in the building, a tenant invited guests over to throw a party almost every Saturday night.
But your next-door-neighbor living in room 803 was the worst.Â
âYes, right there! Oh my⊠yes, yes yes!â
It was 1am on a Sunday night and you were supposed to get up in five hours, not having found even a single minute of sleep until now since the noises had been going on for an hour already at this point.
âOh⊠Jaehyun! Ahhh! Oooooh!â
You pressed your pillow against your face and muffled your agonized scream in it. Almost every night, it was the same. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later, and you were able to count yourself lucky if he paused these sessions for two or three days in a row. But then they came back even stronger. And tonight was such a night.Â
âYes, oh god⊠oh my god! Ahhh, Jaehyun!â
You clenched your fist, raised your arm and hammered against the wall.Â
But instead of slowing down, stopping or even reacting to you, you now heard his bed pound against the wall that separated your rooms, accompanied by the womanâs constant screaming.
âShut up, itâs in the middle of the night!â you yelled.
âGet lost, weâre done already!â he yelled back.
Following his words, you then noticed the silence that had suddenly filled your room, finally allowing you to welcome your well-deserved sleep as tomorrow, another long workday awaited you. But your neighbor, of course, didnât understand as he would start all over again tomorrow night.Â
He was a university student in his senior year, his naturally dark hair constantly messy and bleached blond to the brink of extinction, always dressed in joggers and hoodies, and apparently enjoying life to the fullest.Â
He was your neighbor Jeong Jaehyun, living in room 803 and your personal enemy since day one.
____
After having tried to conceal the dark circles under your eyes with heavy makeup the next morning, you were late again as you let the entry door fall closed behind you and hurried along the hallway with your heels audibly clacking over the floor. You called for the elevator by pressing the button and waited nervously, praying in silence that you would still catch the next subway.
From behind you, you heard another door getting opened and pivoting around, you spotted a woman stepping out of apartment 803. Or better say, she was thrown out as she only stood in the corridor in her underwear, another two pieces of clothing falling to her feet that had come shooting from the opened entry door.Â
âI donât even get breakfast?â she sulked as she picked up her clothes from the floor.Â
âI told you not to rummage through my home.â
Jaehyun emerged by the door now, his blond hair sticking out to all sides as he seemingly tried to block her away back in. He was wearing a bathrobe and was clearly still tired too. Even though you wanted to, it was so hard for you to look away as you were curious about what was going on.Â
âYouâre an asshole!â the woman ranted while gathering her clothes. âI was only looking for a toothbrush!â
âYou can look in your own home.â Jaehyun then dropped something else next to her on the floor while she was still crouching down. âDonât forget your purse.â
You thought you were fast in turning away from the scene without anyone noticing, but he was faster in catching your curious eyes before you were facing them with your back. You drew in a breath and hoped he wouldnât call you out on that, but Jaehyun wasnât that kind of person.Â
âHey, Miss Neighbor!â he yelled. âNext time, instead of complaining⊠how about joining?â
Bringing your bag closer to your body, you suppressed your embarrassment and looked back again to threaten, âNext time, I wonât be yelling only, but come over with my baseball bat!â
You hated the grin he then threw at you. âSo youâre into that kind of stuff, huh? Come over and weâll see about that.â
Luckily, one of the elevators reached your floor at exactly that moment and you were quick enough to get in before Jaehyunâs one night stand could make it to the door at the same time.
The entire commute to the kindergarten, you thought about nothing else than your lack of sleep and how to finally put an end to this entire nonsense. At this point, it was ridiculous. You had been enduring that kind of shenanigans for one month already, and you were slowly getting fed up. No, actually, you had reached your witâs end already. In the beginning, it had been all good and quiet, and from one day to another, it had suddenly started.
You didnât know who had hurt him so much that he needed to compensate for his pain in this manner, but youâd rather he wouldnât drag you into it. It only forced you to interact with him when you wanted to be left alone altogether to focus on your career.
âWhat is it?â your classâ homeroom teacher asked you as you entered the common room that morning. âYou look so tired again.âÂ
âAh, itâs just that I canât seem to sleep well lately,â you tried to budge as you placed your bag on the desk. âA weird planet constellation or something.â
You couldnât bring yourself to tell her the truth. What were you supposed to say anyway? That your neighbor smashed different girls so loudly every night, it kept you up for hours? People would only laugh at you.
âTry lavender tea,â she recommended to you. âThis always helps me.â
âI will. Thank you.â
On your way to your respectant classroom, you were greeted by the children who had just been dropped off and getting ready to start the day.
Teaching children had always been your dream, and being an assistant teacher at a reputable private kindergarten came with few advantages in comparison to public ones, a higher salary was one of them. The hardest part was not the amount of work or the long working hours, but the strict and high-demanding parents whose individual expectations you always had to meet.
But looking into these brightly smiling faces greeting you each morning, it was all worth it.
âThere is something I need to tell you,â the homeroom teacher then announced when you reached the door of your respective classroom.
âYes? What is it?â
She kneaded her fingers in reluctance, her bag clipped between her upper arm and body. âIâm going to transfer to another school.â
âWhere would you go?â you asked, perplexed. âThis is Shi-A kindergarten. There are no other more prestigious kindergartens in the entire district or even country if I dare say so. Except⊠Itâs not a kindergarten.â
She smiled and nodded. âIâm going to transfer to Shi-A elementary school. A teacher will quit by the next semester and they offered the position to me.â
You grabbed her hands, excitement written all over your face. âThis is such great news! Iâm so happy for you!â
âHold on, the greatest part is yet to come.â She was five years your senior, but you saw her more like a sister than your supervisor. âI recommended you to the school board as the new homeroom teacher. The principal has agreed already, weâre currently preparing your recommendation letters.â
You were too stunned to ask more than, âMe?â
She nodded and squeezed your hands back in encouragement. âThere is no one better here for this position other than you. Youâre compassionate, youâre helpful and intelligent. The kids love you and rely on you. Youâre finished being an assistant only, I can tell. And the principal as well.âÂ
âMe, as a homeroom teacher?â It sounded like a faraway dream.
âMiss!â A girl from your class, Soah, tugged on your coattail. She was holding something out to you. A yellow flower. âThis is for you! I just plucked it, it was the prettiest on the playground!â
You took the flower into your hand and thanked her.
âLike I said,â the homeroom teacher commented with a wink as you entered the classroom, âthere is no one better for this position other than you.â
____
âAhhh, yes!! Jaehyun, Jaehyun!â
BAM BAM BAM
âI swear to god, Jeong Jaehyun, itâs 2am now, I will come for you!â
You jumped out of your bed, only dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and a simple t-shirt, not bothering about throwing your bathrobe on or slipping into a pair of shoes at this point. You would only go to Jaehyunâs door and ring the bell to interrupt whatever they were doing right now.
âIf Iâm not getting any sleep, youâre not getting nutted either!â
Tomorrow, you had a very important meeting with the school board members and wanted to be well rested. So at least, for tonight only, you had hoped to get a few more hours of sleep. You had studied possible questions and answers for days by now and were not only tired, but also mentally exhausted.
But, of course, a reckless university student like Jaehyun wouldnât understand.
When you reached your entrance door, just about to exit your apartment, you halted mid-motion, interrupted by a sound you had never heard before in this apartment building.
The fire alarm.
You were petrified at first, unsure how to react in such a situation as your mind wasnât able to grasp the entire meaning yet. As it slowly sank down on you that it most likely meant danger as the alarm hadnât subsided by now, you reacted very fast by finally opening the door and looking to your left and right.
At first, nothing happened, and you questioned whether your neighbors would react according to emergency plans. But then, one door after another opened on your floor and out stormed the tenants, passing by you and running down the stairs like their lives depended on it.
âDamn it!â you cursed and left your apartment the next moment as well, thinking about all your electronics and important papers that were still inside.Â
But in kindergarten, you also regularly taught the children how to behave during a fire alarm, and the first and most important thing was to drop everything and get the hell out of the building. So when you were about to run down the stairs, you remembered that there was one person who hadnât come out of their apartment yet.
âHey!â you hammered against Jaehyunâs door after you had returned. âHey! Itâs a fire alarm! Canât you hear?!â
Your own voice didnât drown out the signal tone, but you tried nonetheless - to no avail. Jaehyun and whoever was with him wouldnât come out.
âMiss, what are you still doing here?â The middle-aged man whose dog was always barking on your floor approached you with his pet. âWe need to leave! Who knows where the fire has spread already!â
âBut Jae-â
But the man just grabbed you by your hand and dragged you along the corridor, his strength too overpowering for you to resist. Even with your head turned and your eyes fixated on Jaehyunâs door, you couldnât spot him coming out.
Inwardly, you just prayed that he perhaps had reacted fast and left already, but as all the residents slowly gathered in the front yard one by one, you couldnât recognize Jaehyun among the people storming out of the lobby.
You didnât know why you cared about that brute, just enough to look out for him.
Perhaps, your job as a teacher had made you sensitive to your surroundings and responsible for the people around you regardless of age and behaviour. You wanted everyone around you to be safe and sound, and that didnât apply to children only.
âWhere are you?â you muttered more to yourself as you got on your bare tiptoes and looked over the crowd as the last people were leaving the building, still no sign of Jaehyun.
âLooking for someone?â
âOh my-!â you called out and stumbled backwards against the person that had just addressed you.
When you turned around, Jaehyun was standing in front of you, fully dressed in checkered pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt, his blond hair reflecting the light from the street lamp. So he had really made it out without you noticing, even after getting dressed. God knew how this had been even possible.
âMrs. Choi,â you dodged the topic quickly. âI havenât seen her yet.â
Jaehyun pointed at someone only two meters away from you, an elderly lady from the same floor. âThere she is.â
âAh, I see. Thank god.â
You buried your hands deep into the pockets of your pajama pants and stepped from one foot on another to warm them up a bit. You indeed had left your slippers behind in a hurry and had only noticed when it was already too late, so your toes were now cold and your soles dirty.
âHere.â Jaehyun slid out of his slippers and then stood next to you with naked feet. âTake them.â
âI donât need them.â
âLook, your toes are slowly turning blue, and even if itâs still warm during the day, at night itâs already chilly since we almost have October already. So take them.â
You crossed your arms to warm yourself up a little more and, with much hesitation though, slid your feet into Jaehyunâs slippers. They were way too big and didnât protect your feet from the cool breeze, but at least you didnât need to stand on the cold and dirty asphalt anymore.
âThank you,â you said.
Jaehyun raised his head up to the building complex. âIt doesnât seem like there is a huge fire anywhere, otherwise there would be fumes coming out of an apartment already.â
Red and blue light caught your bothâs attention that was coming from the firetruck currently pulling up into the lane. Different firefighters got ready and stormed into the building in full attire, but Jaehyun was right. You couldnât detect a fire either.
âMaybe it was only a small one and they managed to put it out already. Or someone was illegally smoking inside the apartment and the detector still picked up the fumes.â
âWhoever that was, they robbed me of a nightâs fun.â
You rolled your eyes. âWell, isnât that unfortunate? If they hadnât done that, then I would have come for you myself, because I have an important interview tomorrow. But unfortunately, this situation is worse. God knows when we can return to our homes.â
âWhat interview? Tomorrow is Sunday.â
âFor my promotion, itâs in the headquarters. I want to be a homeroom teacher, and in my kindergarten, there is no such thing as weekends.â
âSounds annoying,â Jaehyun commented.
You flashed your eyes at him. âOf course, for someone who sleeps until midday and whose only aim it is to smash different women every night, this sounds annoying. But Iâm a full grown adult with a real job, and if only you knew about how hard it is, you wouldnât be so reckless with your noises at two in the morning!â
For the break of a second, you had hoped that you could possibly hold a normal conversation with Jaehyun. That he wasnât that much of a prick, that you could explain yourself and he would understand your standpoint. But he was nothing other than your expected player, and you had had enough of them during your own time in university.
You then fled to the very front of the crowd right by the lobby without Jaehyun following you, and luckily, not much later, the firefighters declared the building safe. The alarm had been set off on the fourth floor by the partying tenant and his guests who had indeed ignored the rules and smoked inside.
You hurried inside along with the other residents, taking the stairs instead of the elevator to linger around long enough until you weighed yourself in safety from Jaehyunâs presence.Â
You only returned much later to your apartment than all the others and were back in bed by 4am without having to face your next-door-neighbor again. Too late to get enough sleep still after all.
_____
âWe are very pleased with your answers so far, miss.â
âThank you so much, sir.â
You bowed in your seat, all the weight from the past days getting lifted off your shoulders. Despite the night before being a total chaos and you running on three hours of sleep only, you had made it on time to the interview and had even been able to revise everything during your commute.
Screw Jaehyun, you were great on your own.
âBut there is one thing weâre concerned about,â the director said.
As you looked up, you perceived how nervously he was fidgeting in his seat as were the other board members, throwing some meaningful glances at each other. You knew it had been too easy until now. A woman in her late twenties who had only been teaching for three years overall, becoming a homeroom teacher at this prestigious kindergarten that quickly? There was always a catch.
âWeâre concerned the studentsâ parents might not be content with our choice if we decide to put you in that position.â
âWhat could they be discontent about?â you asked as the director showed reluctance to continue. âI have my degrees, the experience, as well as the homeroom teacherâs and the kindergarten principalâs recommendation letters. With all respect, I am very qualified for this position, sir.â
âWe are not concerned about your qualifications, miss.â He paused. âBut about your living circumstances.â
You raised a brow. âMy⊠living circumstances?â
âYouâre a young woman living alone, whoâs also unmarried,â a board member then raised his voice to take the pressure off the director. For sure, they had talked about this in private before. This felt like an ambush. âThis is not something that is likely to be accepted among the childrensâ parents as they put great value in traditional family arrangements. As you know, itâs one of the pillars our schools are based on: tradition.â
You scoffed inwardly, but remained expressionless on the outside. Luckily, you knew how to deal with ambushes. You had so much to say about what they viewed as traditional family arrangements, but you loved it here and didnât want to lose the job on the spot, so you kept your lips sealed and responded as politely as possible,
âI donât know why my living arrangements would be any parentsâ concern. If I can afford a nice apartment close to the kindergarten where I spend many hours preparing everything for their children to receive the absolute best education, shouldnât that speak for my living arrangement? I also put great value on tradition. Just because Iâm not married yet, doesnât mean I never want to or wonât get married one day. Everyone has their own timeline and this should not block my career.â
âWeâre aware about that, miss. But as you might also know, the parents have a fundamental right of co-determination in our schools.â
âBecause since itâs a private institution, they finance everything,â you wanted to interrupt, but kept that sentence to yourself only. Instead, you said, âI dedicate all my time and passion to cater to their children. I am one of the firsts to enter and leave the kindergarten, even working more from home. I volunteer to teach on the weekends and during semester breaks. Does this not count more than the fact that Iâm an unmarried woman whoâs living alone?â
You were pushing boundaries by demanding an answer, you knew that, but it was nothing very reputable board members couldnât rationally reply to. The fact that they didnât, only proved that you were right and they were mere cowards under the invisible whiplash of wealthy parents. Without them and their money, their schoolsâ reputation wouldnât be where it was now.
âWe canât change the parentsâ opinions, miss,â the director eventually spoke up, retreating into a defending mode and putting the blame entirely on the parents instead of standing up for you, an assistant he had approved of hiring two years ago. Again, such cowards. âWe will forward your documents and records to them, but that means a background check as well. And, if I may be frank, I can tell that youâre going to get ruled out solely for that reason.â
âThen change it,â you interrupted him. âChange my status to engaged. This is what they want, right?â
âMiss⊠we cannot counterfeit your documents.â
âThey wonât be counterfeited, because itâs true,â you said with a confident voice. âI wanted to keep my private life private, at least until I get officially married. But I have no choice now to announce it before I actually wanted to. Yes, I am engaged and weâre going to get married soon.â
All the board members seemed to be taken aback by your sudden confessions. Perhaps, their reaction was genuine. Perhaps, they also knew you were lying. But what proof would they have to actually ascribe this lie to you? They threw meaningful gazes at each other again, unsure of what to make of this change in the situation.Â
âVery well, miss.â The director eventually spoke up and nodded. âI will mention this in your documents and you can hand in a copy of your marriage certificate later when the papers are through.â
âBut is this enough time, sir? It has to be decided within two months, the principal told me. I donât know whether it will be enough time since the engagement is still new and we havenât set a fixed date yet.â
âThatâs true. If you want to convince the parents of your skills and background, I would recommend you to organize the school festival together with them. Volunteer for an activity in which your fiancĂ© can participate as well and show them what a great couple you are. When theyâre convinced, the paperwork will only be formalities.â
You swore you saw one corner of his lip tug up, either in malicious glee or in pure relief. Did he know?
âI understand, sir.â You bowed deeply. âThank you very much.â
âAnd one last thing⊠You can start wearing your engagement ring from now if you donât want to make a huge announcement. Itâs more convincing.â
Oh, he knew. But he couldnât care less as long as you didnât get him in hot waters.
You nodded in understanding. âYes, sir.â
On your way home, you stopped by a jeweler and picked out a nice, but cheap ring, a replica of your own dream ring, just beautiful and sparkly enough to get this lie through.
____
You had dedicated your entire life to this kindergarten, not only neglecting your family along the way, but also your friends.Â
In fact you hadnât talked or even answered your friends in months. You didnât know what they were up to nowadays except for what they were giving away through status updates in your texting app. You scrolled through your contacts in the messenger, but sighed whenever one of the rare male names popped up. Some of them were married already, two had children.
They had all been your friends in university, but you hadnât talked to any of them in an embarrassingly long time, so there was no one you could ask. How awkward must that be for someone to suddenly get a message about going along with a fake engagement from an old classmate they hadnât seen in years?
âIâm so screwed!â you groaned and stretched out in your bed, throwing your phone aside. âOh god, why!â
Perhaps, it was time to look for a new job, even though you loved the children and Shi-A kindergarten was the best reference for your CV. There was no coming back from all your lies anyway. Until now, you couldnât quite grasp what had brought you to tell them what they wanted to hear. You should have just accepted their answer and moved on. Why did you have to be so impulsive at times, needing to get what you wanted right away?
People did separate before their wedding, that was possible, so there was a way out after all. You could stay an assistant teacher for several more years, there was nothing wrong with it. But the shame and pity you would need to deal with afterwardsâŠÂ
The next moment, you sat up, your train of thoughts getting interrupted by the door bell, and the person behind the entrance was someone you hadnât expected that day as he had never come over before.
âMy shoes.â
âHuh?â
âMy shoes.â A barefooted, messy blond-haired Jaehyun pointed at the shoe rack behind you. âYou still have them.â
âAh, right.â You quickly grabbed them and dropped the pair in front of his naked feet. âHere.â
But Jaehyun didnât slip in right away. Instead, he questioned, âHow did it go?â
You tilted your head in confusion. âDid what go?â
âThe interview.â
You growled and your tongue loosened over the newly awakened stress, âApparently, they donât want a young, unmarried woman, whoâs also living alone, teaching their children, so it did not go very well. It went all downhill when I said that I was going to get married soon to save my promotion. They invited my fake fiancĂ© to the kindergarten to help out at the festival so that the parents get a chance to bond with him.â
âSo youâre getting married?â He sounded as perplexed as the board members. Why was it such a big deal to imagine you getting married anyway?
âNo! Iâm not! Thatâs the catch. Now I have to get a fake fiancĂ© from somewhere.â
âHm. So you lied.â
âA bit.â
âHm. Doesnât sound like a bit of lying in my book.â
âI know, okay? Thanks for pointing it out.â
You didnât know why you had told him all that. Perhaps, among the path you had chosen for yourself, you had lost all your friends and now had no one you could talk to whenever you faced a problem. He was just there, at the right moment.
âReally sucks for you.â Jaehyun shrugged and slipped into his shoes. He then turned around and disappeared back into his apartment.
You could have also talked to a wall.
____
âYou never told me that you were engaged! And what an amazing ring with such a big diamond!â Your homeroom teacher jumped up and down in excitement as you two made your way to the entrance gate in the late evening at the same time as club activities ended. âI didn't even know you had a boyfriend! All this time you were keeping it a secret!â
âIt has spread quite fast, hasnât it?â you laughed out shyly.
âTotally! Is he going to help out during the school festival? My theater class still needs volunteers and your fiancĂ© can join as well.â
âSure,â you lied. âI canât promise anything for him though, because heâs so busy, but heâll try.â
âHas he ever been here though?â she asked. âHave we ever seen him?â
âNo, he hasnât.â
She pursed her lips. âThen whoâs that?â
âWhoâs what?â
She stopped in her tracks and pointed at the entrance gate. âThe dark haired man standing there who clearly doesnât look like heâs here to pick up a child since heâs only staring at you.â
Shifting your head, you spotted your neighbor standing right by the gate. You had barely recognized him, because the light blond hair was gone and now dyed dark. No way! What was he doing here? And how was he looking?
âItâs him, isnât it? Hello!â
âHey!â You grabbed her arm and pulled it down. âItâs just⊠heâs an introvert. Wait here, please.â
With hurried steps, you approached Jaehyun who didnât break eye contact along the way. Surprisingly, he was dressed business casual today, in a pair of slacks and a button up. In combination with his new hair color and the strands neatly combed aside, he looked⊠decently handsome. It was not like he hadnât been attractive before, that was a thought you had always tried to push away. But now it was like a fact you couldnât run away from any longer.
You wondered whether there was a reason. Maybe, he had a date set for later. Good for him to take the women finally out and not always straight to home. Good for him to have finally found a woman who didnât put up with his former appearance.
âWhat are you doing here?â you asked him without a greeting. âThis is my workplace, you canât just appear out of nowhere!â Your gaze scanned the environment and you could tell that you two had already caught a few parentsâ attention, so your expression softened. âWhat is it?â
âI locked myself out of my apartment,â he explained. âI kind of typed the code wrong into the system and cannot get inside anymore. So I need to open the door from the inside.â
âAnd how is that exactly my problem?â
âI need to crawl out of your window to get into my apartment since Iâve left it open anyway.â
You frowned. âAre you nuts? Just go to the lobby and let them call the landlord!â
âThere was no one there.â
âThere is always someone there!â
He heaved up his shoulders. âMaybe an emergency.â
âThen use your phone!â
âI left it in my room.â
âAnd thatâs why you came all the way here instead of asking another neighbor?â
âI thought since Iâm locked out anyway, I can just come here instead of waiting. I knew where the kindergarten was located because of an envelope that had once found its way into my mailbox by accident. And I didnât know whether youâd return directly after finishing classes or whether youâd have a date with your imaginary fiancĂ©.â He suppressed a chuckle. âOr other imaginary friends.â
âYou find that funny, right?â you chided. âBut this is the job of my life. This is my life.â
âAlright.â He lifted his hands up in defense. âCan we just go home then?â
âYeah, let me justâŠâ
âExcuse me, youâre her fiancĂ©, right?â Your homeroom teacher had suddenly popped up next to you, apparently too excited to be kept waiting around. âIâm sorry to butt in, but Iâm so happy to finally meet you, because none of us have known about you until today! Sheâs so secretive!â
Perhaps, because there was absolutely nothing you could tell about your boring life. And even if, Jaehyun surely was not included! You wanted to clear up this misunderstanding when suddenly, you realized that this was your only chance to go with your lie.
He was a man.Â
And he was here.Â
You had no other option.
There would not be another chance this easy.
You should thank the heavens that today was the day he had decided to leave his bleached hair and joggers at home.
âThatâs true!â you then declared and linked arms with Jaehyun. âHe came here today to pick me up since Iâve already come forward with the truth. Iâm sorry that I havenât introduced you sooner. This is Jeong Jaehyun.â
âNice to meet you, Mr. Jeong!â
You pinched his arm and felt how he sucked in a rush of air. Given he knew the context, he understood. You only prayed to the heavens again that he would just go with it. The logistics of this all, you would figure out only later.
âNice to meet you too! Iâve already heard so much about you,â Jaehyun greeted back politely.
You didnât believe your ears. Even if you had hoped so, you hadnât actually thought that he would play your imaginary fiancĂ© so well from the spot.Â
âI already suggested that you volunteer in my theater group for the school festival, but she said youâre always so busy. Nonetheless, I still hope for you to step by every now and then, or at least come by on the day of the festival itself. That would be awesome as many of the teachersâ families and the childrensâ families are also visiting. Itâs a chance to get to know each other.â
Jaehyun smiled broadly. âOf course I will help out as well, thatâs a given. Iâll make time, no worries.â
âSuch a polite and kind man!â Your homeroom teacher beamed at you. âWhere have you been hiding him all this time?â
That was a question you were asking yourself now as well.Â
____
âNice furniture,â Jaehyun commented when you walked into your apartment. âBut a bit too tacky for my taste.â
âI didnât ask for your opinion on my interior. I still donât know why you just didnât refer to the lobbyist whoâs already back by now.âÂ
âCalling the landlord and setting a new code is just too much hassle and takes up too much time. This way, itâs quicker.â
You opened the window in your bedroom and dragged Jaehyun across the carpet by his arm. âThen, get out.â
âWhen should I be ready?â he asked instead and turned to you.
âBe ready for what?â You blinked in puzzlement.
âThe theater activity.â
âThere is no way Iâm going to let you join me in school!â you quickly defied him. âYouâre⊠loud, rude and reckless! Only this one time was enough, there were enough witnesses to prove your existence.â
Jaehyun cleared his throat. âIn your teacherâs words, Iâm a very polite and kind man.â
âOnly to authorities, apparently.â
âI can be very nice!â
âBut not to me.â
âYouâve never given me a reason to be nice to you.â
You halted. âAnd the women you throw out every morning? Youâre not nice to them either.â
âThatâs a whole other story. I only throw out the rude ones, sometimes they get breakfast.â
You snorted when he grinned. âWhatâs differentiating me from them?âÂ
âTheyâre an obligation. Youâre a choice.â
âSo youâve chosen to be mean to me?â
âNo.â Jaehyun climbed on the window sill. âIâve chosen to act according to what youâre giving me. Have you ever been nice to me at all? All youâve ever done was hammering against my wall and ignoring me whenever our paths cross. Thatâs not very nice. Today, Iâve chosen to do something nice for you. Can I expect the same from you? Iâm not quite sure.â
And off he went, out of the window, leaving you behind with much food for thought over what had happened since you had moved in. With slow steps, you returned to your living room, taking a seat on the couch. You stared into nothingness, pondering over Jaehyunâs words thoroughly.Â
What did you know about him, actually? Not very much, if anything at all. Where you had spoken to your other neighbors almost in an instant upon moving in, you had never given Jaehyun a chance to properly introduce himself. You had quickly written him off as a player who you didnât want to get involved with. What could you have in common anyway since he was so much younger?
But as a preschool teacher, you knew how dangerous it was to hold such prejudices towards people you didnât know. This wasnât your philosophy.Â
So two hours later, you stood in front of Jaehyunâs door. It was past 9pm already, but you had to do the deeds today, otherwise you were afraid that all courage would leave your body by the end of the day.
âWhat is it?!â Jaehyun barked, then stopped. âOh, itâs you.â
You held out the plate in front of him, still not having gotten used to the dark hair. âHere.â
He raised his brows, looking at a simple chocolate cake. âWhatâs this?â
âA peace offer.â
You didnât dare to look him in the face, but his hand finally moved and clasped around the plate, touching yours in the process. With a slight smile on his face that you encountered when you lifted your head, Jaehyun took the cake.
âPeace offer accepted. So, whenâs the start?âÂ
You inhaled deeply. âWednesday.â
âIâll be there.â
âBut why?â you still wanted to know. âWhy would you do that?â
âBecause I think there might be something you can give me in return.â
Of course, there was always a catch. âAnd what would that be?â
Jaehyun made a meaningful pause. âTutoring lessons.â
You nearly laughed out loud. âI teach kindergarteners, not university students. I mean, yes I studied with the focus on elementary school, but higher education is not my forte.â
âIsnât it the same? Teaching people, who donât know stuff, stuff they must know?â
âI donât even know your major, your courses! How am I supposed to help you?â
âIâll send you my sheets beforehand and you can teach me to understand the essence of them.â
You stood there, totally flabbergasted as you couldnât quite wrap your head around the situation yet. âAnd thatâs all that you want?â
He nodded. âThatâs all.â
âItâs not on par with what you offer to me.â
He shrugged. âFor me, it is.â
You didnât know why, but you quite didnât believe him fully. Either he bore some ulterior motives or he was so bad in university that he was on the brink of failing his classes anyway. In regard to his lifestyle, you could very well imagine the latter. Why not hire a professional tutor then? What was the point of all this?
âFine,â you then gave in. âWhen do we start?â
âTomorrow right away. Iâll send you the stuff.âÂ
You walked out of the door, but not before shifting around to him one last time. âYour new hair color⊠I like it. It suits you. Though I was used to always seeing your hair first before your face.â
âI still have to get used to it as well.â
âWhy did you dye it?â
âI thought it was time for a change.â Suddenly, his gaze fell on your finger. âThatâs the ring I have supposedly given you? I should know about it.â
âPrincess cut, two carats. Or so it seems.â You held out your hand and looked at the piece of jewelry. âActually, itâs my dream ring, but itâs not real, just a cheap replica. I hope nobody will notice though as they surely wear diamonds much bigger than that.â
âWomen⊠such an enigma. I never understood why they pay so much attention to an expensive engagement ring anyway. Triple the amount of the manâs salary it should be, no?â
âFirst, that kind of scale is already dated. Second, I share your opinion. ButâŠâ You were about to say something very private, but you felt safe enough to do it at that moment, âI haven't grown up being able to afford nice things myself let alone getting these kinds of things gifted. So the thought of me being so important to someone to invest in valuable jewelry for me means very much.â
âI see.â
He nodded acknowledgement and let you leave.
____
According to his papers, Jaehyun was studying business management.Â
You didnât know much about the subject, but the papers were quite clear with what they wanted their students to grasp, and as it was indeed your job to teach even preschoolers exactly how to study the material, you didnât see a reason as to why it would be different with your grown up neighbor.
Of course, upon entering his apartment for the first time, you had also scanned the entire space that was exactly like yours in the layout, only mirrored. Against your expectations, he was furnished and equipped quite comfortably and modernly, not too spartanic as you had expected from a young man his age. The door to his bedroom was closed though. Too bad, you were curious about that one the most.
âThatâs quite a delicious cake!â Jaehyun praised as he sat down next to you at the table, the plate with the slice in front of him. âYouâre a good baker, I have to admit.â
âHaving to participate in many kindergarten events, youâll get the hang of it eventually.â
âSay.â Jaehyun put his fork back on the plate and leaned in to you. âWhy do you love this job so much? Arenât you annoyed by the children? The parents? The other teachers? Having people around you all day long?â
You flipped through his papers, marking the passages you deemed worth memorizing. âOf course it gets stressful and annoying when, for example, children wonât listen, when you canât meet the parents expectations or when the teachers put so much pressure on you. ButâŠâ A smile spread across your face that Jaehyun still encountered even though you had kept your head low. â... the reward, when they all succeed in the end, is all worth it.â
âHm.â He kept staring at you, and his unwavering gaze made you flush a little. âSounds legit for someone like you who loves her job so much, sheâs willing to put up with a fake engagement.â
âIâve worked really hard to get to where I am now,â you explained to him with a calm voice. âI donât want to throw everything away because Iâm an unmarried woman.â
âWhatâs so bad about being an unmarried woman?â
You hadnât expected such a question. âNothing, honestly. It just doesnât meet their norm.â
âAnd when itâs all done⊠What will you tell them? That your fiancĂ© left you at the altar? That you broke off your engagement?â
âBy then, if you play along, I will have the job already. And yes, then I will then tell them exactly that. That weâve broken up.â
âI see.â Jaehyun leaned back, giving you room to breathe again. âWell, if you think so.â
âCan we start with your studies now?â you asked. âWeâre not only here for you to question me.â
âOf course.â Jaehyun took the fork in his hand again and broke a piece off the cake that he then led to his mouth. âGo on, what should I know?â
In the two hours you were teaching your neighbor, you came to the conclusion that there was no difference between being his teacher or one to your kindergarteners. Even though Jaehyun was a university student, you could maintain your teaching methods despite having a different subject at the base.
âIâm done!â Jaehyun raised his arms and stretched himself. âFinally!â
You closed the books and jumped out of your seat. âItâs almost 11pm already! I need to go, catching up on some sleep.â
âAh yeah, my visitor will also be here soon, so you better hurry.â
You rolled your eyes at him. âCan you please stay a bit calmer tonight for me to sleep in peace?â
He winked jokingly. âAs I said, you can always join. But today, I will, as a thank you for your tutoring lesson.â
He didnât keep his promise.
____
âMiss, how do I look?â A little boy from the parallel group appeared next to you, dressed as an apple tree. His expression radiated insecurity, but you remembered very well how pumped he had been about finally landing a role in the play. âThe others are all laughing at me.â
You crouched down and took the boyâs tiny hands into yours. It was Wednesday, so this was another evening dedicated to the preparations for the festival. His costume consisted of brown pants and a green shirt. He also wore a headgear that framed his face from which apples made of polystyrene were hanging.Â
âYou look amazing! Donât listen to others. Your role is very much important. And you know why the apple tree is so important in the play?â He shook his head and you squeezed his tiny fingers in encouragement. âBecause youâre the only apple tree. Without you, we wouldnât even be able to perform. So regardless of what the others say, remember that youâre one of a kind, that youâre unique and very important. Okay?â
Now, a bright smile spread across his face. âOkay!â
You arose from your crouching position and turned around to let your eyes scan the hall. Then, you spotted your neighbor for whom you had waited already. And he was not alone.
With fast steps, you descended from the stage and nervously approached Jaehyun who was currently having a seemingly nice chat with a parent. And not any parent as a matter of fact. In front of him stood Shi-A schoolsâ main investor, and you hadnât prepared him for that kind of situation!Â
You had aged Jaehyun up to one year your senior and had also come up with a background story both of you agreed on was believable enough. Of course Jaehyun couldnât be a student in front of these successful parents who were all directors, doctors and builders. You had first suggested for him to be a lawyer, but, in his words, Jaehyun didnât want to be âsuch a stuck up suit-wearerâ.
âAh, miss, there you are!â Mr. Nam, Soahâs father and the owner of several bank branches across the country, welcomed you as you joined their chat and came to a halt next to Jaehyun. âIâm so disappointed that I havenât gotten to meet your fiancĂ© much sooner! Such a charming and smart man!â
You looked at Jaehyun who had dressed up in suit trousers and a white button up again, his hair neatly slicked back with only one strand falling into his face. His entire presence radiated a successful businessman, inferior to no one. You were quite impressed, he looked very much believable. And insanely handsome.
âMr. Nam, itâs so good to see you! Yes, my fiancĂ© is usually really busy, so Iâm glad he was able to make time today to help out with the preparations for the festival,â you explained.Â
âOf course.â Mr. Nam nodded. âI was only able to come today, because I canceled a meeting to see my precious Soah. I know what itâs like to run a business and having to miss important school events, so I talked about that with your fiancĂ©. I didnât know he was a COO!â
You tried to hide your surprise and forced a smile. Jaehyun had chosen to be involved in running a business according to his major, the age old enough to be COO, but not CEO yet. You just hoped he knew what he was talking about with the professionals, being so close to graduation.
âYou know, honey,â Jaehyun addressed you, and it made your skin crawl how he used this pet name for lovers, âMr. Nam invited us to his getaway in the countryside in two weeks.â
The middle-aged man nodded. âMr. Jeong and I have instantly bonded over our occupations and our weekend getaway will help him form connections. Several friends of mine as well as parents of this school and other business partners will be present too. Your fiancĂ© is still fairly young and new to the business as a COO, but Iâm always pleased to show the next generation their way. It will be a great chance for you both.â
You couldnât believe what you had just heard. Two years of working at this school and no parent had ever invited you anywhere. But it had taken Jaehyun literally five minutes only to get invited on a weekend getaway with the main investor!Â
This was such a big chance for you to strengthen the bond with the most influential parents and investors, and show them that you were indeed capable of doing this job right - with and certainly without a man.Â
âOf course we will join, Mr. Nam!â You bowed to him. âWeâre very grateful to have received this invitation.â
Mr. Nam went on with his duty of helping his daughter and Jaehyun followed you to the stage.Â
âYou know that itâs not going to be easy during that weekend, right?âÂ
âYes, but I need this weekend. If they see that I fit in, they will acknowledge me as a capable teacher, even without a marriage certificate. This will be the best opportunity to win their favor and then play the broken hearted teacher who they will all sympathize with after my breakup. Only Mr. and Mrs. Namâs approval is enough, and every other parent will do as they say, thatâs how powerful they are.â
âAnd what does being a capable teacher have anything to do with you being married or not?â he genuinely wanted to know. âYou said there was nothing wrong with you being an unmarried woman living alone.â
You stopped in your tracks and smiled crookedly. âApparently, they pay much attention to tradition, I told you already. And an unmarried woman living alone does not live up to their expectations since theyâre very conservative. But Iâm sure I can prove to them-â
âThis is bullshit and you know it,â Jaehyun interrupted you dryly. âIf I were a parent, I would favor an unmarried woman, who is a great person herself, to teach my children rather than someone trapped in a loveless marriage, who passes on her misery to her students.â
âYouâre not wrong, but what can I do? It is how it is.â You shrugged. âAre you saying youâre not with me in this now?â
âOf course I still am if you also still want it. But as I said, itâs not going to be easy.â
âWhy? Itâs going smooth now as well.â
Jaehyun cleared his throat. âWell⊠we truly have to act like a couple, you know, since itâs a private setting. With all the pet names, skinship and stuff, honey.â
Again, you cringed. âShut up, Jaehyun, itâs not that deep.â
He laughed. âIf you say soâŠâ
You two approached the stage, stepped on the platform and immediately had a group of boys run towards you.Â
âMister, youâre so tall,â one of them said to Jaehyun. âCan you help us hang these lights up please?â
âOf course!â Jaehyun agreed with genuine joy. âWhere do you need them?â
âOver there, please!â
He rolled his white sleeves up his elbows in preparation. With much caution, Jaehyun took the string of lights they had been holding out to him into his own hands and attached them shortly over his head to the background of the stage.
âYou wanna do this yourselves?â he then asked the boys as they came over to him with another chain of colorful lights.
âBut weâre too short!â
âNot anymore now!â Jaehyun got on his knees and lifted one of the boys up in the air. âYouâre tall enough now?â
The boy giggled and pumped his fist. âA bit higher, mister, please!â
âAlright!â
Jaehyun laughed along with them and stretched out his arms until the boy could reach the marked spots in the background. The child was effortlessly able to attach the lights onto where they belonged before Jaehyun set him back on the floor.
âThank you, mister!â
You watched the scene with a smile, unknowingly. The fact that Jaehyun was this good with children had been a secret to you too, until now.
Perhaps, he wasnât always your prick of a neighbor and there was much more to him than his nocturnal activities. Somehow, this piqued your interest and you wanted to get to know more about him in all sincerity.
____
âSo, you got the gist of it, right?â
Jaehyun nodded. âEnough for me to not flunk the exam this time again.â
âAlright.â You snapped the book shut and stretched yourself. âIâll get going now then.â
âAre you hungry?â Jaehyun asked instead when you made a move to raise from the chair. âItâs past 9 already and Iâm hella hungry.â
âWell⊠I havenât eaten anything since lunch and just wanted to go to the convenience store to grab a quick bite.â
âIâll prepare dinner.â
It was a subtle invitation, and although he didnât speak it out, he wanted you to stay for a reason you didnât quite understand yet. Reluctant at first, you wiggled in your seat, unsure of what to do. But Jaehyun didnât leave you much room for decision as he already opened the refrigerator and took out a sealed pack of chicken.
âShould I help you?â you asked and jumped up, eager to put this awkwardness behind you.
âYeah, you can cut the vegetables. Theyâre in the fridge, I just put them in there just in case, so theyâre not frozen yet.â
âOkay.â
When you opened the fridge, you spotted the cake you had given to him, only halfway eaten and frozen. You didnât want to admit it to yourself, and surely not openly, but it kind of hurt you. Yet, you couldnât bite down a snarky remark.
âYou could have just told me the truth instead of lying⊠that it doesnât taste good.âÂ
Jaehyun looked up from the chicken he was currently washing, his brows furrowed. âWhat do you mean?â
Your disappointment broke through your facade eventually. âThe cake. Itâs still there.â
With careful deliberation, Jaehyun put the meat on a cutting board and took out a knife. âBecause I donât want to share it.â
âWhat?â
âI canât eat too much sugar at once. So one, at the most two, slices of cake a day does suffice. I used to grind my teeth in my sleep, so theyâre very sensitive now and hurt when I eat too many sweets at once.â
âOh, itâs like that.â You paused. âIâm sorry, I wasnât aware of this problemâŠâ Again, it dawned on you that you knew absolutely nothing about Jaehyun. If you had known he wasnât able to eat an entire cake within a few days, then you would have brought something else. âBut youâve had enough visitors over the past couple of days to share it with them, you donât have to trudge through eating it to the last bites, you know.â
âBut I want to!â he then defended himself and turned around to you. âI want to eat it all by myself, I donât want to share it with anyone else what youâve made only for me.â
This was not a joke, nor a mocking comment. He meant it in all honesty. You just had no idea why.Â
âOkay.â You closed the door to the fridge with the vegetables in your hand now. âIâll help you cut the ingredients. But we should probably hurry before your visitor comes, right?â
You didnât want to sound mean by mentioning this topic, but the syllables fell from your lips much sharper than you had intended. It was none of your business anyway, but as you took the leek into your hands, you realized that you couldnât help but to be curious about his lifestyle.
He shrugged. âItâs still a few hours, weâll be fine.â
âBut every night a different woman? Why donât you get a girlfriend? Donât misunderstand me, I just genuinely want to know.â
Jaehyun didnât even bother thinking about coming up with a morally right answer. âI did have a girlfriend.â
âAnd?â
âIt sucked.â
âThen you just didnât have the right girlfriend for you.â
âWe were together for three years,â he clarified and proceeded to cut the chicken while you did the same with the leek.
âDid she cheat on you?âÂ
âNo. She stole all my money, lied about it and disappeared from my life from one day to another.â
âHoly-â You swallowed the rest of the sentence, your cutting hand now pausing too.
âMy parents werenât very fond of her from the beginning and told me to cut ties with her as she wasnât the ideal daughter-in-law for them anyway. But I was a rebel and wanted to date whoever I wanted just because I could. She only used me as a money machine, and everyone knew - except for me as I was in denial. The me back then was so blind and so in love. I did everything for her, and in the end, I was left alone, robbed of my money and unfavored by my parents.â
You didnât know what to say as you hadnât expected such an honest conversation with him. The tough and cool Jaehyun had been through some miserable phases indeed, and you somehow regretted not having asked about it much earlier.Â
âJaehy-â
âItâs okay.â He brushed it off and put the sliced chicken in the pan. âNot all women are bad, I just need to pick better. Next time, I need to be a hundred percent sure sheâll be my future wife.â
âItâs odd hearing these words from a university student.â
âWhy?â
âNowadays, from my own dating experience, I can say that marriage or children are not one of the top priorities for many people wanting to enter a relationship anymore. They struggle a lot with these nowadays for so many reasons, most of which are valid, like money and economics. So Iâm positively surprised to hear youâre not one of them and actually want to marry out of love.â
âDo you want to marry one day?â
This question took you aback. âYes, for the same reason as you, actually.â
âMhhmm. And do you believe there is someone out there for you?â
âYes, I honestly believe it. When there is you and me already, here in this very room, then there are also more people with the same mindset out there in the world. Iâm sure, there are many women who have so much genuine love to give to a man like you, even when youâre still so young.â
âA man like me?â You now made eye contact. âWhat do you mean a man like me?â
You averted your eyes again as you started to list while finishing cutting the leek, âYouâre caring, because when we were standing outside on the night of the fire alarm, you noticed that my feet were freezing. You gave me your shoes to wear even when that meant you needed to freeze yourself. And I was so mean to you that night. Youâre helpful, because you come to every single festival preparation date and support everyone wherever they need a helping hand, kids and adults equally. And not a single complaint comes out of your mouth. Youâre intelligent, because even if you need my help to understand a subject, youâre quick to solve every answer in your very own way. On top of that, you volunteered to play the part of my fake financĂ©. And to this day, I still donât know why.â
Jaehyun was about to turn on the stove, but then stalled, looking at you partially confused, partially what you somewhat interpreted as⊠touched? His features then softened and he was moved by your words, you clearly saw it in his eyes. Â
âLook at you, Miss Neighbor. Not knowing what youâre blabbering again.â
You cracked a smile and put the leek in the pan with the chicken. âItâs just the truth.â
âI help you out, because youâre a good person who is being treated unfairly. Is that so hard to believe?â
After how you had acted in his presence before all this? It was very hard to believe.Â
âSo you think itâs better if I stay in my old position and choose the conventional, non-scheming way?â
âIâve seen you around the children. I think youâre too good of a teacher to waste your potential on insufferable parents who are too stuck up to question their own values.â
After this short time only, he had seen through this all, and was holding such a high opinion of you?
As you continued preparing dinner right here in room 803, of which you had never imagined setting a foot in, you came to the truthful realization that your neighbor was not resentful towards your behavior from the beginning anymore.Â
Then, you started to forgive yourself as well.Â
This dinner had been an invitation to do exactly that, and you were grateful for it.
____
âMy, my⊠hello, miss!â
You turned around and encountered Mrs. Nam, Soahâs mother, approaching in your direction. Another Wednesday meant another preparation and practice evening for the kindergarten festival that was set to take place this weekend.
âHello, Mrs. Nam.â You bowed deeply. âWhat brings you here?âÂ
âI heard my husband talk about your fiancĂ© so fondly last time, I wanted to meet him personally since youâre going to accompany us to the getaway next weekend, right?â
âYes, we feel so honored. What a pleasure!â
A lie. You hated this woman to the core. She didnât care much about Soah, but more about her reputation and appearance. Yet, she was the main investorâs wife and thus one of the people you had to convince of your capability to be her daughterâs homeroom teacher.
âI'm going to introduce myself,â she declared and strutted away.
Jaehyun was currently sitting in a circle with several kids, helping them prepare their costumes with a glue gun. The kids were talking excitedly to him, interacting with him and laughing along with him. The scene warmed your heart and you smiled the longer you observed them. Jaehyun was so popular and got along so well with them.Â
âMiss!â Little Soah stood in front of you. âLook what Mr. Jeong made for me!â She raised her arms and presented a golden crown to you, adorned with pink plastic jewels. âHe helped me glue the jewels on. Now Iâm a true princess, right?â
You smiled and patted her back. âYes, you truly are! Here, let me help you put it on.â You got on your knees and settled the crown on her head. âAll good now.â
âMiss, when youâve married Mr. Jeong, are you Mrs. Jeong then? Should we then address you as such?â
âI guess so,â you laughed.Â
You werenât worried about the rest, because you were going to break this fake engagement off anyway. But somehow, her question had caused a lump to build in your throat that you werenât able to swallow down.Â
âThen Iâm happy,â Soah beamed through her missing front teeth, âbecause I like him very much!â
With jumpy steps, she hopped away in her crown as your own expression fell. That was something you hadnât thought about before. The fact that the kids could get attached to Jaehyun. Or the other way around. Eventually, you would need to break their world apart and rob them of a person they had gotten emotionally attached to. But that was life, wasnât it?
âEverything alright?â You got stunned as Jaehyun suddenly appeared next to you. âYouâve been standing like this, totally motionless, for a solid minute.â
You nodded. âHave you talked to Soahâs mother?â
âYeah.â He rolled his eyes. âA very annoying woman.â
âRight?!â you whispered to him with a giggle, relieved he shared your opinion.Â
âAnd she totally has the hots for me,â Jaehyun mentioned almost nonchalantly as he made his way to the stage.
âWha-â You quickly fell into his step. âWhat are you saying?!â
âThat she wants to rip off my clothes and take me right here and now. That she wants me to bend her over one of these small tables and make her scream in pleasure. That she-â
âOkay, okay, I get it!â you stopped him and feigned choking noises. âShe favors you. Itâs nothing surprising, honestly. She apparently has a weak spot for younger men and even teachers here. Itâs an open secret she stays married to Mr. Nam for the sake of their business, and itâs also an open secret that some men here, teachers and parents equally, have fallen for her charms already.â
Jaehyun grinned. âCharms⊠Exactly.â
At the same moment, you lifted your finger. âDonât you dare! I swear, Jaehyun, youâre involved here to help me with my promotion, not cause havoc. Stay as far away from my childrensâ parents as possible!â
Jaehyun stopped in his tracks, lifting his hands in defense. âI know, I know. I get it. Donât worry! Sheâs annoying and not my type either way.â
âBecause sheâs much older than you, hm?âÂ
Somehow, this assumption put you at ease, but not fully. Because, in the end, you were five years older than Jaehyun as well. You werenât quite able to wrap your head around the reason as to why this even bothered you in the first place.Â
âNo,â he denied. âI donât mind age. Neither do I mind education or status, despite my parents saying so. I embrace smartness, wittiness and the gift to enrich my life.â
âAnd the girls you bring home are none of that?â It was supposed to be a tease, but your curiosity for an answer dominated the entire question.Â
He laughed, scarcely and briefly. âHell, no!â
âI see.â This was a response you could live with very well, along with the statement that he didnât mind an age gap.Â
âBut this Mrs. NamâŠâ Jaehyun lowered his voice. âSheâs neither of those qualities that Iâm looking for. Sheâs only a shell with no personality whoâs been living in her husbandâs shadow and seeks quick affairs for validation.â
You were quite flabbergasted, because his judgment seemed totally on point. âWell, you nailed it.â
He smiled smugly. âYou said Iâm smart after all.â
You playfully slapped his arm. âThis again?âÂ
âNevertheless,â Jaehyun continued, âyouâre all that, Miss Neighbor.â
You frowned. âAll what?â
âSmart. Witty. And an enrichment to my life.â
With these words, he jumped on the stage where the children already came running towards him.
And you were left behind with hot ears and a feeling you hadnât experienced in a very long time.
____
As you had expected, the school festival turned out to be a success, and with as many parents attending as possible, you had been able to introduce Jaehyun as your fiancé to everyone who was interested in finding out who that young man was, supporting and playing with their children.
It had warmed your heart, seeing how they all got along so well with Jaehyun that, the further the day had progressed, the warmth had turned into a stingy ache. The sheer fear that probably, you would never find someone like him again to replace the hole that he would most certainly leave when you had to call this entire thing off.
After all, this was only a pretense.Â
Wasnât it?
____
The weekend after the festival, you drove all the way out to the countryside to spend two days in the Nam familyâs second residence. Jaehyun had apparently rented a car and he was a naturally good driver, you had to admit.Â
The familyâs holiday home consisted of three big houses in different sizes that were all connected to each other and formed a huge residence, surrounded by many acres of nature. There was a tennis court, a pool, a festive terrace, and even a few horses grazing in the fields. The residence overall looked both spectacular and intimidating to you, who had never set foot into such a habitation ever before.
âThis is your room,â the housekeeper announced to you and Jaehyun when she opened the door.
You swallowed, hard. This was a fact that had totally passed by you. The room where you were supposed to spend the night only had one bed. No couch, no canopy, nothing else to lie down on except for this one bed.Â
âThank you very much,â Jaehyun said gratefully, not having lost a single ounce of his composure in comparison to you who was still too stunned to speak.Â
He led you into the room and closed the door behind him, dropping your two bags on the floor. It was a nice room that, apart from the queen size bed, had a balcony and huge windows where the sunlight was able to stream in.Â
âYou brought your tennis clothes, right?â Jaehyun asked, and at that moment, you were quite relieved he hadnât encountered your sleeping arrangement problems yet or chose to purposefully ignore it. Either of it was fine for you as for now, there was another hurdle to master before this day would end: lunch, followed by tennis with the Nams, and then dinner.
âYes, I just havenât expected that you would be able to play.â
He snickered. âOh, you would be surprised about many of my skills.â
âEw, if this means what I think it means, stop it!â
âCome on, did you always have this huge stick up your-â
You lifted one finger to silent him. âDonât say it out loud!â
âFine,â Jaehyun gave in and shrugged. âBut try loosening up every now and then, even when youâre in teacher mode. I tell you, life is much more fun like that.â
You decided to ignore him and circled the bed that was somehow ironically the center of the entire room. You then seated yourself on one side of the bed where you dumped your bag on your lap and started unpacking.Â
âIâm sleeping on this side and you on the other. You're gonna stay as far away from me as possible and weâll build a wall of pillows. If I catch you breaking through the barrier at any point during the night, Iâll kick you.â
âI promise, I wonât touch you.â And then, he added sneakily, âUnless you say so, of course.â
Luckily, he couldnât see your face as you arose and put your clothes in the closet.Â
Your cheeks were so heated.
____
Lunch went by fast with you not having to interact with the Nams much as you had eaten at another table. But you were able to connect with a few other parents whose favor you had won very easily - mostly thanks to Jaehyun who was perfect in his role and did most of the chit chat himself. You didnât complain, it played all too well into your cards as smalltalk wasnât your strongest character trait anyway.Â
Jaehyun nailed the late-twenties COO scheme like he was living it in reality. It was insane how well he knew about almost everyoneâs work environment as though he had indeed already graduated years ago and could keep up with the other guests in regards to business talk. He seemed well-educated, eloquent and charming. He was perfect in his role.
"Weâre doing well, but I feel like we could improve our international growth a bit,â one man on your table, also the parent of a child enrolled in your kindergarten, pointed out. âThe European market is proving to be a bit more complex than anticipated."
"I hear you,â Jaehyun acknowledged. âExpanding into Europe can definitely be tricky. Itâs a diverse market with varying regulatory environments, consumer preferences, and competitive landscapes.â
âWhatâs been your experience so far in terms of the challenges?â the man asked back. âHave you already tested the waters?â
You inhaled sharply. How was Jaehyun supposed to answer that?Â
âYes, we did,â he replied almost nonchalantly though and sipped at his water glass. âIs it more about local market adaptation, or are there specific operational or regulatory hurdles that are slowing things down for you? Personally, I can tell-â
It was unbelievable. But you were not complaining and just let him do his job while you shifted your attention to the women at the table. One of them was the business manâs wife who had just asked about the European market, and thus a parent of the child attending your kindergarten as well.
âI heard that you were very popular among the children, miss,â she told you with a smile that didnât seem quite sincere.Â
Perhaps you were just paranoid, but you believed that by now, working among mischievous children for years already, you were able to tell the difference. With another two women turning their attention towards you, you felt like you had been thrown right into a shark tank, and your lifeline in the form of your fake fiancĂ© was in no sight but caught up with the European business market.Â
âI heard so too, miss,â one of the other women chimed in. âTell us, what makes you so different from other teachers? One would guess you arenât strict enough.â
There it was, the flash of guile that nearly simultaneously was visible in all the womenâs eyes for not even the blink of a second, yet it hadnât passed by you. You werenât determined to let these hyenas eat you up alive, you had worked too hard to come this far just to let mean girls make you give up.
âI believe I strike the perfect balance between kindness and strictness,â you explained with a calm voice, but under the table, you were nervously kneading your sweaty fingers. âEvery child knows they can always come to me, be it for struggles concerning their school experience or personal ones.â
Instantly, the eyebrows of the studentâs mother raised up. âPersonal struggles?â she nearly squealed, but the loudness luckily got drowned out by the heated business talk of the men at the same table.Â
âDoes this mean youâre asking them about personal things?â the second woman pressed the topic.
Now, you furrowed yourself. What were they on? âWhat I mean by it is that if my students ever encounter problems of any kind that they cannot share with anyone else at that moment, my door is always open for them, and they know it.â
âFor me,â the third woman intercepted, âit sounds like youâre more of a friend than a teacher.â
âRespectfully, thatâs not what I said, and I apologize if I delivered the message wrongly. But-â
âOh.â They looked at each other meaningfully and let you become quiet before the first woman picked up the conversation again. âAre you saying we are too uneducated to get the gist of your sentences?â
You were completely flabbergasted. You had already gotten to know many parents, but always in a safe environment and in the presence of other teachers where they had never acted like this in any scenario possible. Was this how the parents treated the teachers in private? Was this the environment the children grew up in and you would need to deal with on a daily basis when you got the promotion?
While you were still in your thoughts and preparing a reply in your head that didnât consist of any curse word, you suddenly felt a warm hand wrapping around yours under the table and giving you an encouraging squeeze.Â
âWhat my fiancĂ©e wants to say,â Jaehyun interrupted confidently, but politely, âis that with the educational environment given nowadays, teachers are trained to be strict and rule with an iron fist. They are pressured to push their students towards the top regardless of their feelings and needs. Thus, the children feel pressured themselves and rarely have no authority person they can turn to.â You halted your breath, and the women apparently did as well as they looked at Jaehyun with shock over his provoking words. He was harshly criticizing the entire education system for which, to a huge part, the parents were responsible for as well. âUnder these circumstances, they really appreciate a teacher like my fiancĂ©e, who does not only make sure that every child reaches its full potential at this young age, but she also gives them the feeling that not all teachers only care for their success, but also for their personal wellbeing. And if this is not a trait that more teachers need to have nowadays, then I donât know what is. I think your children are very lucky to have a teacher with a strong message like my fiancĂ©e.â
The entire table had quiet down at this point to listen to Jaehyunâs words who still had not let go of your hand. He was right, to a hundred percent, but speaking these words out among these people was like an invitation to get you fired on the spot.Â
âI agree with Mr. Jeong,â a female voice behind you then said, and as you shifted around, you spotted Mr. and Mrs. Nam standing right behind you. âHis fiancĂ©e teaches my daughter Soah and not only does she get the best grades, but sheâs also very happy with her teacher. I think we need more teachers like her.â
This was a support you had never expected of ever receiving. From them? And then, the men at your table, followed by the women, agreed with the Nams vocally. Was it really that easy, would they go with everything this married couple wanted just to stay in this circle? It was an interesting observation.Â
But then, your gaze fell upon Mrs. Nam who stared at Jaehyun, and then everything fell into place.Â
Well, if it helped with your promotion, then you would let her look at him as long as she wanted.Â
As long as he only looked at you and held only your hand, just like now.
____
âOuch.â
âI thought you were able to play tennis?â Jaehyun asked as he carried you up the stairs in a piggy-back. âI didn't expect you to trip and fall all within the first fifteen minutes.â
Even though you werenât able to see his expression, you felt that he had to clearly suppress a laugh right now. âBe quiet, I donât want to hear anything about it.â
âAh, did someone maybe sugarcoat their skills a bit too much? To your luck, the Nams were just as shocked and cared more about your wellbeing than your lack of skills, so allâs good. I believe they found it rather endearing.â
You grumbled and lowered your head, resting it on his shoulder. Jaehyun had regularly only worn loungewear, so you had never quite made out the shape of his body. Or you had never been particularly interested in it. But now that you were being carried on his back, you couldnât help but feel his strong muscles tense beneath your body, lifting you like you weighed nothing for him.Â
It was true. You had only taken three tennis lessons and had then dropped it for the lack of time and motivation. But since this had been not too long ago, you had thought the experience would suffice. You had been so, so wrong though. Mr. and Mrs. Nam were immaculate and Jaehyun didnât fall short on them.
Was there something he did not master?
âWho are you even?â you asked Jaehyun when you were finally through your roomâs door. He placed you on the bed where he inspected the wounds on both your knees. âHonestly, Jaehyun. Itâs like youâre not only blending in, youâre really⊠living this role.â
Jaehyun approached the door to leave again and get a first aid kit, but not without pivoting back to you one more time and saying with a meaningful and nearly reproachful tone, âYou still havenât cared enough to get to know me on a deeper level, right? All you wanted to know so far was about women, not me as a person. Youâd wonder how easy it is to find information about my family online if only you know enough.â
And with that, he left you alone in your room with not only scraped and bleeding knees, but a heart that slowly started hurting nearly just as much.
It was true. You had been too busy with preparations for the upcoming events, pulling through your scheme and working towards a potential promotion, that you had not once put a single thought into Jaehyun as a person. You had wondered at times, but had never really made the effort.
Wasnât that what he had preached about you earlier? That you were so open-minded, the children could always come to you? So why did you lack this skill when it came down to your personal life? That was probably also very much the reason you barely had friends left anymore. Too selfish, too focused on your career and only using people for the sake of your own benefit. Like Jaehyun.
But you didnât want to continue with this behaviour anymore and eventually become like the parents here, so bigoted, condemning and toxic. You couldnât let that happen to yourself.
So you did what Jaehyun had wanted you to do all this time: You just looked up his name online.
⊠And stared at him with your mouth agape when he returned to the room with the first aid kit.Â
He stood by the door, unsure how to proceed. âSo, you know.â
You threw your phone on the bed and folded your arms across your chest. âWhy did you never tell me?â
âWell, did you ever ask?â His gaze was sharp, but he didnât seem reproachful anymore as he had most likely caught on the deep regret reflected in your eyes. âAll you ever did was assume based on what youâve seen or heard in some cases. Assuming I was some lazy student with nothing in my mind except for women. There were enough hints given by me for you to look through this facade. But you never cared in the first place.â
That was true, but it was also part of your job. Children were more likely to never tell you what was going on in their lives, so you had to be really attentive as a teacher. Most of the time, you were right about their current feelings, especially the struggles, despite them not talking about it.Â
This skill apparently didnât apply to adults as you had gotten proven wrong several times today already. Adults were way smarter in hiding who they truly were, only revealing what they wanted others to see. Jaehyun was the perfect example.
âIâm sorry.â Your head dropped and you only heard how Jaehyun shifted in his position, followed by his footsteps approaching you.Â
He then knelt in front of you and opened the first aid kit as he started talking, âThe corporation is my parentsâ business, I have nothing to do with it and donât want anything to do with it.â
âAll this time, I thought it was just a company that youâve made up yourself when you talked to the businessmen during lunch.â
âOf course my position was made up, and it wonât take them too long to find out that a certain Mr. Jeong, who coincidentally holds the same last name as its CEO, is indeed not a COO, but an entirely different man.â He took out some disinfectant that he then sprayed on your hurt knees. You inhaled sharply and under much pain, but were determined not to make a sound. âIâve grown up in this business environment, so naturally Iâm very conversational in this matter if you had wondered about that. I just know a lot of business chit chat to make them keep talking, nothing that needs too much deep dive into a topic. I also took tennis classes when I was younger and the car we came here with? Thatâs also mine.â
You gulped. You had not even asked about the car at all. All that you had been doing was assuming and assuming and assuming. You had pegged him as a lousy student from the very beginning, and not once had it crossed your mind to ask him about anything.Â
All you ever had to do was ask, and he would have replied in all honesty - just like now.
âYou said you wanted nothing to do with your parentsâ business,â you repeated his words when he gently patted your knees with a clean cloth. âWhy?â
âCurrently, Iâm still under my parentsâ guard and sadly also financially bound to them. I didnât have another choice after what happened with my ex, even though I really despise my current situation. I was lucky enough that they didnât cut off my financial support altogether, otherwise I couldnât study at all. But at least I can live alone and thus can taste a bit of freedom and independence. They expect me to join their business after my graduation, even though I refused so many times already.â
âWhat do you want to do then?â You were genuinely curious now. âIf not joining their business?â
âStart my own business.â He then pulled out a long string of band aid and cut respective pieces from it, two in the sizes of your injuries. âI was able to enroll in this top university with a promise to my parents that I will join them after my graduation. Hell will break loose when I come forward with the truth though, but I will pay it all back to them. That is why Iâm now saving up as much money as possible to be independent after my studies. There are so many varieties of fields business management is useful for.â
Gently, Jaehyun put a bandaid on your injury, one on each side. His touch was so tender, almost feathery-light, and you shuddered comfortably. âWhat kind of business do you have in mind?â
Jaehyun shrugged. âI donât know yet, but I will eventually find out. After my graduation, I want to travel around first and go to Europe, see a little bit of the world. And then it will all fall into place, Iâm positive about that. If anything, I donât want to be dependent on my parents anymore and follow in their footsteps. I want to be my own person, I need to be.â
âThe bleached hair⊠the women⊠when you only hung around in joggers⊠Was that some kind of rebellion?â A glimpse into a life he had never been fully able to live out under his parentsâ guard. A bit of fun.
âLetâs say I got raised very strictly by my parents, just like the children in your kindergarten, so I can very much relate.â That was why he could grasp exactly how the parents and children felt. He had grown up in this exact environment. It all made sense now. âMy mother nearly fell off the chair when she saw that Iâve bleached my hair and wanted to send me to a hairdresser right away. My father stopped bothering me about joining business meetings. It worked all to my favor. Itâs not that Iâm not grateful that they still help me out, they just havenât learned to respect my own wishes. Maybe one day, when Iâm successful too, theyâll eventually understand.â
âSo, why did you agree on doing this with me then?â you wanted to know when Jaehyun put the utensils back in the kit. âJust to practice your skills for the future? For the connection? Because I donât believe you need that much tutoring after hearing all this. Or was it solely for fun?â
âPerhaps,â he interrupted hesitantly, âI just wanted to help my Miss Neighbor when she needed someone without asking for anything in return, because nobody ever helped me. Is that too far off when I need to answer this question again? Does it not fit your narrative?â
Nobody ever helped him? Ouch.
So people could really be selfless. People like Jaehyun.
Even though you were older, you were still able to learn so much from him.
âYou donât fit my narrative at all,â you reluctantly confessed. âBut I am willing to change it.â
He lifted his head to face you and smiled in agreement. âThere you go, all good now.â
âThank you.â
âThank you too.â
âSo, Europe,â you picked up the topic again, swung your legs onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows. âWhich countries excite you the most?â
That afternoon, you learned that Jaehyun had never been outside of the country, which really shocked you considering how wealthy his family was. But you also learned that, as the only son of successful business people, there had never been more to his world than his parentsâ own little world. They had offered to send him abroad to study, but he had declined as he had never been on his own and got cold feet. Something he deeply regretted now.
You realized that Jaehyun had been living under the pressure and expectations of his strict parents all along and was only now slowly discovering the world. The fact that he fully went out in university, additionally with another woman by his side almost every night, was a response to his upbringing. You had studied this in your major.
It was the mere acts of a boy who had only discovered freedom, as he should.
âLiving on my own was already a huge step towards independence. I canât wait to see more of the world,â he elaborated, sitting on your bedside now. âHave you already been somewhere out of the country?â
âJapan and Vietnam, yes,â you replied and yawned. âBut that was a long time ago, even before I studied.â
âYouâve never been to Europe either?â You shook your head. âThen you should consider coming with me.â
âIâll probably be a teacher soon, Jaehyun. Even now, I hardly get any time off, so sadly, I wonât be able to do that. But itâs nice to dream about it. Maybe in the future it will be possible.â
âHm.â He arose from the mattress and suggested, âYou seem tired, how about you take a short nap until dinner? Iâll wake you up then.â
âOh, that would be nice.â You yawned again. âBut what are you going to do until then?â
âMaking sure you'll get that job you really want.â
He was fascinating you more and more with each bypassing day.
____
During dinner, you were seated at the Namsâ table, exactly at the opposite of the married couple. You didnât miss the fact that Mrs. Nam seemed to be in really high spirits, and she and her husband had asked about your wellbeing more than once.
âTell us, Mr. Jeong, how did you meet your fiancĂ©e?â Mr. Nam eventually wanted to know from Jaehyun.Â
You had prepared yourselves for this, you had made up an entire story about your first meeting with all the details someone could be curious about, and the rest you would just improvise. Jaehyun was supposed to say that you had met in university since you had both aged him up to fit the storyline.
âWe first met when she moved into the apartment next to mine.â
Thank god you were already done with the main course, because you were sure you would have choked on your grilled beef they had served earlier.
âIt was early in the morning, just a few days after she moved in. She was in a rush and I had just come back from an all nighter at the library. It was exam time and I suppose she was also in a hurry because of these circumstances.â
At least Jaehyun stayed true to the fake story by making you both university students. But what was he up to, why didnât he follow your plan in all details?Â
You desperately tried to lock eyes with him to give him some kind of signal to stop this, but he ignored you on purpose and just smiled at the guests while telling the story. Though he reached his hand out to your lap, searched for your fingers and embraced them as though in reassurance. Reassurance about what when he was not acting according to the plan at all?
âI was in the lobby, about to get on the elevator when the doors opened and a young woman stormed out of it. She had her bag in one hand, books and her jacket in the other, as well as a cup of coffee balancing on her fingers. She unsuccessfully tried to close the lid with the hand that was holding her bag.â
WaitâŠÂ
This was not a made up story. You vaguely remembered being in such a situation shortly after you had moved in. Instead of running late to university, you were running late to work, because you had calculated the commute time wrongly from this part of the city, even though it was closer to the kindergarten. You had successfully wiped this memory out of your mind, for the reason ofâŠ
âShe was so caught up with her stuff that she didnât see me and just stormed out of the elevator as soon as the door opened,â Jaehyun continued and earned a few giggles from the listeners. âShe bumped right into me and the next moment, I had her coffee all over my shirt.â
⊠for this exact reason. It was too embarrassing to be kept as a memory. And the guy from that fateful having turned out to be Jaehyun himself was the cherry on top. Why had he never said a word about this incident?
Your embarrassment visibly showed on your cheeks as their color changed, gaining you a few amiable gazes from the guests.Â
âShe barely looked up as she apologized and tried to drop all her things to clean up the mess.â
âBut I didnât,â you remembered, speaking out loudly, âbecause you said I should hurry up and go to wherever I needed to go right now, and then cleaned everything up yourself.â
âExactly,â Jaehyun laughed and a few joined. âYou apologized three times and ran out, and I cleaned up the mess with the help of the lobbyist. I knew someone in such a haste had to be somewhere important early in the morning, and I didnât want to be a hindrance to that, even though I didnât know you yet.â
A few women at the table let out an âawwwâ, Mrs. Nam being one of them.Â
Now, Jaehyun turned to you and met your confused face with a confident expression of his own. âI had barely looked up,â you added, âbecause I was too embarrassed, so I couldnât remember your face. I was just hoping that I would never meet that person again, whoever it might have been.â
Jaehyun addressed the guests and declared, âFate was not on her side when it turned out to be her next-door-neighbor. Luckily for her, I never mentioned it.â
Laughers from all sides now and you had a hard time keeping your mouth closed that was constantly on the verge of falling agape at this story. You had had no idea.
âWhy not?â you then pressed the topic, your role threatening to crumble as you quickly filled in, âI think everyone here is curious as to why you have never told me until we got together.â
âBecause I knew how hard working and busy you always were.â You returned to looking at each other, now unsure whether he spoke through his role or spoke as Jaehyun himself. âAnd I didnât want to teeter your attention and let our first meeting get overshadowed by an embarrassing moment for you that might bear negative echoes. From that day on though, I was determined to win you over another way and kept this story a secret for later on. I just havenât expected how difficult that would be.â
âA real gentleman,â a woman commented and she gently nudged her husband in the side.
âFor two months, I was trying so many things to get her attention. But it turned out to be rather challenging, because this woman wouldnât look at me even once if it was not for pouring coffee all over me.â Jaehyun covered his face with the back of his hand as if shyness threatened to break through. âI held the door open for her, waited for her in the lobby, took the same elevator or coincidentally ran into her in the convenience store. All to no avail. She didnât spare me a single glance again. Not even when my attempts went moreâŠâ He paused and withdrew his hand, letting a serious expression full of regret flash by his face before it returned to his gleeful mien, â... vocal. I think at some point, she even started resenting me. But for me, it was enough. She finally recognized me.â
You didnât know what to feel. It was a totally new story for you, and you were so sure he had just come up with it. But on the other hand, the entire storytelling sounded too real, too full of details and emotions to have just been made up on the spot.Â
And the way he looked at you while telling all that... It was a story for the public, but the way he delivered it, the way he still held your hand under the table, indicated that he was telling it to you, and only you. The entire table, even the room, didnât exist anymore, only you two.
Your fingers started to tremble.
âSo, how did you eventually win her over?â Mrs. Nam asked curiously and Jaehyunâs gaze swiftly shifted to hers before returning to you.Â
âI found out she needed help with a small favor, so I offered it to her. As to not make it so obvious and awkward for her again, I feigned to not be as good at studying as I actually am and needed to get tutored by her. Otherwise she would have never accepted my help without giving anything in return, or the feeling of it. And the rest is history.â
The crowd was partially in awe and partially shocked at this bold move. You belonged to the latter. Was this still part of your scheme? Then why was he telling the story so close to the truth?
âMr. Jeong saw what he wanted and went for it,â Mr. Nam concluded. âThatâs a true businessman here.â
âHow did you react?â Mrs. Nam then wanted to know from you. âFinding out he schemed his way into your heart?â
It was supposed to be a funny remark, but you were not amused by it one bit. Yet, you brought yourself to crack a smile that was far too crooked to be genuine and shook off Jaehyunâs hand from yours.Â
Luckily, no one noticed.Â
Except for Jaehyun himself.
âI was totally shocked,â you answered Mrs. Nam. âBut it turns out his scheming abilities have become really beneficial for him as heâs always geeting what he wants, am I right?â
Everyone at the table failed to notice your disappointed tone and made the connection to Jaehyunâs business skills as they all started talking again, first complimenting his traits, then falling back into a talk about what to invest in next.
Dessert arrived the next moment, but as you looked at the Panna Cotta in front of you, you didnât crave for it one bit anymore. In fact, you felt sick to your stomach, and Jaehyun, whose hand now was placed on your thigh in a comforting gesture to make amends, was the cause of all this.
âExcuse me,â you quietly apologized, but nobody noticed you arising from your seat and then disappearing into the hallway.
Jaehyun followed you instantly.
____
âIâve been in love with you since the first time we met. Is that so hard to believe?â
âShut up, Jaehyun, I donât want to hear a single word anymore!â
He was right at the other side of the door, waiting patiently while you were sitting at the other side in your room, grabbing your head in despair and trying to string together the words that had just come out of his mouth.Â
âBut itâs true,â he said with a softer voice now. âWhat more can I say for you to believe me?â
âAll these womenâŠâ It just didnât make sense in your head. âYou wanted me and still were with all these women.â
âI was only with them, because I couldnât be with you. Sometimes, Iâm just⊠a little boy still. What else was there for me to do when the woman I love wouldnât even look at me? Iâd rather had her look at me with disgust than not looking at me at all.â
A long pause followed.Â
âYes, youâre just a little boy, Jaehyun. Youâd rather trick me than tell me the truth straight up.â
âWhat would you have said if I had one day just appeared at your doorstep and asked you out? Me, a student, five years your junior, who cannot even compare to the men you meet every day at your job? Sometimes, I regretted wanting to go a different path than what my parents mapped out for me just so that I could keep up with them. But I thought, if you finally got to know the real me, all my other qualities, you would eventually see that I am indeed a match to them. A match for you.â
âBut that is no valid reason to lie to me! First the tutoring lessons that you clearly didnât need just to spend time with me, thenâŠâ You gasped. âHad you also lied about getting locked out on that day you appeared at the kindergarten?â
The day he had suddenly exchanged his casual clothes for decent ones and had dyed his hair back to dark. That had not been a fateful coincidence. The fact that he had come to your kindergarten on that exact day dressed like that, it had all been carefully planned.
âI knew you probably thought I wouldnât be the right candidate for that role with my appearance back then, so I wanted to prove to you that I, indeed, was the best choice with my background, and adapted according to the circumstances. I genuinely wanted to help you, even if not for selfless purposes only. I wanted you to want me too.â
âYou tricked me, you manipulated me, and you schemed all your way into my heart.â
You heard him shuffle through the door, probably as perplexed as you were as you repeated your last words in your head. Oh no. You were grateful that he let it pass by him though.
âIâm deeply sorry. I am just a boy who didnât know how to handle his feelings and who was used to getting whatever he wanted. I think I still have a long way to go to grow up.â
You pulled your knees close to your chest and hugged your arms around your legs. âWhy today? Why did you choose today to reveal everything? In front of all these people? Was it one of your schemes too?â
âNot once did I have in mind that I wanted to hurt you. I came out with my feelings today, because they were genuine, and your reaction would be genuine too. And it worked, everyone out there believed it. Isnât this what you wanted?â
Yes, this was everything that you had wanted. But why was it hurting so much then? Not only because Jaehyun had gone through all these lengths to make your dream come true, but also because you had wasted this much time together. So, so much time.
âSo what if I disposed of you right after this?â Your voice sounded icier than it was supposed to, and he noticed it. âWould you have told everyone the truth out of spite?â
âAfter all, is that what you still think of me?â His pain was almost palpable and you regretted your question right away. Perhaps, because you wanted him to answer differently, but he replied just like you had secretly wanted him to, âIf I had helped you make your dream come true, and you had still chosen them over me, then yes, I would have been very hurt. But I would have been happy for you, too. Isnât that what love is about?â
This was probably the most mature thing he had said to you today. âAnd if I had chosen you?â
âAfter tonight, I believe that if it comes down to me and them, you would pick them.â
Was that what he was thinking of you now? Your heart ached when you asked, âWhy do you think that?â
âI saw what youâre dealing with, what you try to achieve. You are too much of a hard worker to throw this all away for a normal student with no real plans, no perspective. Someone who can offer you nothing but a promise that he will work hard to help you achieve everything you want.â
A student with no perspective. Was that how Jaehyun saw himself?Â
Yes, he had grown up in a business environment and surrounded by wealth, but he was an enrichment to your life without all that too, in ways your workplace and the people in it had never been. Yes, you loved your job and your students, they were the center of your world, and you were working so very hard for achievement after achievement.Â
So hard that it had totally passed by you that you yourself had been the center of the world for someone, and it was actually nice to finally have a person look at you when you had only been overlooked by exactly these people before, who you were trying so hard to impress. And what for?
Jaehyun might only offer promises, but he always made sure to live up to them. Wasnât this worth so much more?
âIâll go downstairs again,â he then announced quietly when you didnât say something in an uncomfortable long time. âIf you donât feel like coming, you can stay here and Iâll find an excuse, donât worry about that.â
Your front teeth sank into your bottom lip. Jaehyun had been right. Perhaps, you would have called him an idiot for having asked you out the very first day you met.Â
âIdiot!â you called out to him now for a whole other reason as you opened the door and dashed after him.
With much surprise twinkling in his eyes, you now stood in front of him and crossed your arms.Â
âWhat?â
âYouâre an idiot,â you repeated. âIf you believe that after everything, when it comes down between you and them, Iâd pick them, then youâre an idiot. Because Iâd pick you.â
Jaehyun didnât have much time to process what you had just said as you slung your arms around his neck and pulled him down to you.Â
The moment you kissed Jaehyun for the very first time you realized that all of this might not have entirely been a scheme at all, from both of your sides.Â
He kissed you back with much passion and fierceness, and you felt that exactly these feelings had been lingering inside of you as well.
You just werenât sure for how long already. In the end, it didnât really matter.
____
âHere?â you asked Jaehyun with widened eyes when you fell back on the bed.
He crawled on top of you. âDo you think Iâll wait any longer for this?â
âBut everyone is still downstairs, finishing dinner.â
âGood,â he whispered and kissed your neck. âThen no one will hear us.â
You chuckled when his playful pecks turned into sensual kisses and he eventually started sucking on the sensitive skin. Goose bumps spread all over your upper body, and you couldnât remember when you had last been with a man while Jaehyun⊠You balked.
Immediately, he heaved up his head, looking at you with a surprised expression. He stroked your temple. âWhatâs wrong?â
You didnât want to admit it. The fact that you felt intimidated by his experience despite you being older. That you felt inferior to all the women heâd ever let in his bed that were far prettier than you. Or so you thought.
But Jaehyun didnât share your opinion when you hesitantly tried to explain your worries to him.
âYou donât have to worry about any noise coming from my apartment anymore. Because youâre the only one whoâs gonna lie in my bed from now on. Okay?â
âOkay.â You giggled when he kissed your cheek. âI really like that.â
Jaehyun sat back up on his knees while suggesting you to keep laying still. He reached out his hands and unbuttoned your blouse. You helped him take off the piece of clothing by winding your body to the side for better access. He then brought his head down to the beginning of your breast and placed a light kiss on a spot that made you shudder.Â
With both his pointer fingers, he then searched for the straps of your bra and pulled them aside. You wiggled your arms out of the tightness it had provided, having Jaehyun drag the underwear down enough only for your breasts to lay bare. You turned your gaze to the ceiling and hoped he wouldn't notice your flushed cheeks as you werenât quite sure what to do or how to behave anymore.Â
But Jaehyun, on the contrary, knew exactly what he was doing and how to behave. He put your nipple between his lips and started sucking on it, supporting his body with one hand. A pleasurable feeling streamed through your body whenever he wetted the mound and had his teeth gently tug on it.Â
With his free hand, he massaged your other breast that had still remained untouched, and the blissful feeling of being pleasured on both sides suddenly started coiling between your legs where you already felt Jaehyun growing hard in between.
âYou like that?â He was suddenly up by your ear again, muttering, âBy the sounds you make, I take it as a yes.â
You had made sounds? You hadnât been aware of that, but Jaehyun seemed to enjoy it very much, judging the way he beamed at you.Â
He helped you up to a seated position so that you were able to take off your bra entirely before he let you fall back onto the mattress. Jaehyun had his own shirt unbuttoned and on the floor the next moment, and you swallowed a gasp at how well built he actually was. Prominent muscles showed off abs and his arms were unexpectedly muscular. You stared at him in awe, somehow desiring to have his arms wrapped tightly around your waist.
âLike what you see?â He flashed a grin.
Jaehyun was on his knees now, fiddling with his belt that he intended to open, but you couldnât wait that long to finally touch him. So you arose from your position and grabbed him by his belt yourself. With one swift motion, you had him freed from this barrier, but didnât withdraw your hands right away. Instead, you unbuttoned and unzipped his pants yourself.
Jaehyun stayed patiently silent during your actions, his hand entangled in the hair at the back of your head. When you were about to drag down his pants, a huge bulge was already foreshadowing what you would find underneath. Yet, you still let out a gasp when you slid down his boxers and his cock sprang free in front of you.Â
You lifted your hands, but then halted. âMay IâŠ?â
You didnât know if asking was even necessary, but given that it was your first time with him, you wanted to be sure that he really wanted his intimate favors to be returned.Â
âYou may do whatever you want with it,â Jaehyun growled in anticipation of what was about to come.
You cupped his entire length with one hand and watched in amusement how his head rolled back in satisfaction. His chest irregularly lifted with each breath when you started moving your hand up and down.Â
You cracked a smile, speeding up your motions that then elicited moans out of Jaehyun that he eventually successfully suppressed through gritted teeth. People were still dining downstairs, but you also didnât want to risk being overheard. With your thumb, you slid over the tip of his dick that was already wet and sticky from his precum.
You looked up to Jaehyun who turned his gaze down to you, probably wondering why you had suddenly stopped. But then he found you looking at him with much lust, bringing your thumb to your mouth from where you then licked up all his precum.
It was one of the hottest things Jaehyun had ever seen, and he immediately brought your faces together to kiss you passionately and fiercely.
Not much later, you were laying on your back again, entirely naked this time, and Jaehyun was settled between your legs, his elbows braced against the mattress on either side of your head. He nudged you to open your thighs, and you were more than willing to finally welcome him.
Jaehyun did everything in his might to reassure you as you distorted your face at the sharp pain shooting through your lower abdomen upon him entering you with his tip. It had been a long time, so your body was not adjusted to this kind of stretching anymore, and it let you feel it.Â
Jaehyun moved very slowly though, with pauses in between, until he was fully sheathed inside of you. And eventually, when he stilled to let you adapt, pain turned into the long awaited pleasure. Suddenly, him filling you out so fully was not an inconvenience anymore, but something inside you screamed for him to go deeper than that so that you would feel more of him.Â
Your fingers interlaced in the back of Jaehyunâs neck and his lips came down to kiss you over and over again. He wanted to be assured that you were really okay with him continuing before he ultimately started stroking.Â
It still stung when he withdrew himself. But after only two thrusts, you felt nothing anymore except for the ungraspable desire for him to push inside you again. And again. And again. Whenever he pulled out, you couldnât bear to have him in this position for too long, because you wanted him to hit the spot he had just found. And again. And again.
âShhhh-â Jaehyun halted and laughed quietly before kissing you. âYou want everyone to hear you now?â
âOh!â You brought your hands in front of your mouth to suffocate the moans that you apparently had let out unconsciously. âIâm sorry!â
âDonât ever be sorry. You can moan if you donât mind them.â
But you shook your head. âI don't want them to hear, but I just canât help it.â
Jaehyun nodded in understanding and started thrusting into you again. And again, you let out a moan despite your efforts to keep your lips sealed. You slid your arms under his and hugged his back. Simultaneously, you brought your legs up and hooked them behind him. The bed shook under you, but luckily it was not making much noise.Â
Gently, you bit into Jaehyunâs shoulder to muffle your sounds, and as he didnât react to it with a wince of pain, you got assured that it was okay for him. On the contrary, he got even braver now. Where he had seemingly been holding himself back this entire time, he was now grabbing the headboard and used it as a support to speed up his stroking game.Â
He slammed into you over and over, and you were holding onto him like a lifeline now with your head buried in his chest. Your thighs tensed around his hips as you felt the pleasure that had accompanied you all throughout the act coiling up to a destructive ball between your legs. It tugged on every fiber of your body, and you had to squeeze your eyes shut to focus on it, otherwise, you thought, it would tear you apart.
âOh, Jaehyun,â you breathed, your nails digging deep into his skin on the back. âI-â
You let out a long breath, very well aware of the fact that when the feeling finally came crashing down on you, you would be in no position to hold in the noises that would pass your lips.Â
You then were petrified, eyes widening in shock when you suddenly overheard steps and noises in the hallway. People had finished dinner and were now returning to their rooms, it seemed. There was no way you could now end this with noises!
Jaehyun was very well aware of your surroundings too though, but was not determined to let anyone disrupt what he had been dreaming to do to you for months already. He nodded in silence and pressed you back down on the mattress. With his palm flat, he then covered your mouth, but made sure your nostrils were still free for you to breathe properly. You looked at him with glistening eyes, your arms now loose around his neck.
âScream,â he summoned. âScream all you want. Iâll make sure nobody will hear you.â
And you did.Â
You screamed your heart out into his hand when you came undone beneath him, fingers scratching over his shoulders and toes curled up as your entire body convulsed. And he drowned every single sound so that nobody could hear you except for him only.
When Jaehyun let go of you with a sneaky grin, your mouth was dry and your vision blurry, but you could still watch his sweaty chest arise above you when he prepared himself for his own heights. Deep toned moans entered your ears and you smiled softly as you let him cum all inside you with a few more thrusts that eventually slowed down.
Jaehyun fell limply next to you, but, with his remaining strength, he still managed to pull you up to his chest so that you could find a comfortable spot there. It was already dark outside and you heard one door close after another, indicating that people were now ending the day.
âSo, you still want to sleep with a wall of pillows between us?â Jaehyun teased and played with a strand of your hair.
You laughed when you remembered how you had initially been so worried about the one bed setup.Â
Now, it was very conventional.
____
You only remembered falling asleep and dreaming soundly in Jaehyunâs arms after two more rounds of muffled screams and shaking orgasms.Â
When you woke up much later, still in the middle of the night though, those arms that had held you warm were no longer wrapped around you, and your bed was missing his body.
Your first thought was that Jaehyun had fled and your heart jumped to your throat. That he had realized he didnât want you after all and just dropped you like that. That you were, in fact, unlovable.
You slowly started to calm down again though when you saw his bag still laying where he had placed it and part of his clothes that he had worn the evening before still neatly folded on the chair in front of the dressing table.Â
âJaehyun?â you asked carefully when you got out of the bed and threw on your pajama pants and a t-shirt.Â
You approached the bathroom, but no light was coming from inside, indicating that no one was in there after all, and when you eventually opened the door, you found out that you had been correct.Â
Where could he have disappeared to? It was so odd.Â
You slid into your slippers with the intention of leaving the room as quietly as possible. You knew you could have also waited for Jaehyun to return, but something inside you wouldnât be able to casually get back to sleep without an anxious feeling, so you needed to get rid of it in an instant and find him.
You didnât need to look for long though. The moment you opened the door, he was already standing right in front of you, not less surprised by your sudden appearance as vice versa.Â
âWhere have you been?â you whispered when he closed the door behind him after stepping into the room.
With a swift motion, he held a bottle of water in front of you. âI was thirsty, so I went to get something to drink from the kitchen.â
âOhâŠâ You had been so anxious for nothing.Â
âWhat?â he grinned when he went over to the table and placed the bottle on it. âYou thought I sneaked out in the middle of the night?â
You shrugged and seated yourself on the bedside with a long sigh while Jaehyun opened the water bottle and drank from it. âWhen I woke up after my nap this afternoon, you werenât here either. I know you went to the talk with the Nams, butâŠâ
Jaehyun placed the bottle down again and closed the lid. âWere you afraid I had suddenly left? Or worse⊠that I was with another woman?â
âWellâŠâ You averted your gaze by turning your head to the side. âYouâve been with many women after all. And Iâve always heard everything.â
Jaehyun didnât respond until he stood in front of you and had your face cupped with his hands. âWhat if I tell you that throughout this childish act, there has always been just one woman I wanted to be with, and now that I have her, I donât need anyone else anymore?â
You lowered your gaze and smiled reluctantly. Despite the darkness, you saw the entire truth flicker in his eyes and believed every word that he said. Why shouldnât you after all? He had done all this just for you.
âI believe you.â
âVery well.â He kissed you and crawled back into the bed to where you followed him. âSo, what should we do when we return home tomorrow?â
You first got on your knees and fluffed up your pillow. âWhat do you mean?â
Jaehyun grabbed you by your arm and pulled you towards him. The next moment, you laid with your stomach flat on top of him and he brushed through your hair, gently kissing your parting. âI donât mean we have to get married by the time of your promotion. Yet.â You blushed, but luckily he couldnât see. âBut if you start going out with me, Iâd be just as happy, Miss Neighbor.â
You braced your arms against the mattress and lifted your upper body up so that you could wind yourself and face him. âIf you think I would ever give up that spot next to you on the bed now, then youâre so wrong.â
âI like the way you think.âÂ
A deep kiss followed, only interrupted by your muffled whimpers when he pulled down your pants and nudged hard between your legs again.
____
You had parted with the hosts on magnificent terms with Mr. Nam exclusively promising you that he would vote for you to get the job. As of this weekend, you, with the help of your fake fiancĂ© turned real boyfriend, had proven to be the best candidate for the soon to be open position, and if anyone still thought otherwise, Mr. Nam would convince them himself.Â
Mrs. Nam had only silently nodded, seeming displeased over something, but you didnât bother too much about her mood swings since you had never liked her anyway. If you had her husbandâs word, then nothing else mattered anymore.
You had one week left to prepare yourself for the meeting with the board, but since everything seemed to be home and dry, you could relax most days and spent every night at your neighborâs over there in room 803.Â
âScream,â Jaehyun had said the first time you went next door, sitting naked on top of him with your hips locked on his. He had let his hands roam over your cheeks and squeezed tightly into the flesh. âYou can scream as loud as you want here. Donât care about the neighbors.â
And, as a matter of fact, the screams that came out of room 803 from that night on, only belonged to you.
____
âIâm very sorry to deliver this message to you, miss,â the director said, âbut we cannot offer you the position at our kindergarten in this city.â
In front of you, you visibly saw your whole world shatter.
What had gone wrong? Had you not spoken to the Nams just last weekend, who had promised you that you had secured the position already and the rest were only formalities? What had happened in the past days that must have apparently changed their minds completely?
âIâm sorry, I think I might have misunderstood,â you apologized, âI assumed the parents who are also part of the investor group, for example Mr. and Mrs. Nam, also have a say in this. Do they not?â
You had already been welcomed with a dreadful feeling when you had opened the door and only found the director sitting in the room. None of the others had been present unlike the last time. Still, you had hoped that you were wrong.
âOh, they do, miss. Actually, every parent has approved of you.â
âThen, what changed your mind?â You had a really hard time keeping your voice at a respectful level. You had done everything they had expected of you. Save from⊠âIs it because Iâm still not married? They all know Iâm engaged and they know my fiancĂ©. I can always hand in a copy of the certificate later, but we do not have a date yet.â
âMissâŠâ The director lifted up his hand, smiling this time. âI said we cannot offer you the position at our kindergarten in this city. I repeat the last words: in this city.â
Your brows drew together in skepsis. âSo that meansâŠâ You didnât want to speak out loud what you were thinking as you didnât know yet whether these were better or worse news.
âCongratulations!â The director arose from his chair, rounded the table and approached you. âWe offer you the position of an elementary school teacher in one of our Shi-A schools in Busan!â
âIn⊠Busan?â
It was odd how the cityâs name was the first word that resonated in your head. Not âelementary school teacherâ which even meant a significant upgrade from your current position. But the cityâs name. A city on the other side of the country where you would need to move to if you accepted this position. Which meant in retrospect that you had to move out of your current apartment, away fromâŠ
âMiss?â The director looked at you curiously. âAre you not pleased about this?â
âI am!â you corrected yourself. âI am truly happy over the fact that you offer me an even higher position now.â
âFantastic! We are aware that you will have to move then, but donât worry about the logistics, we will provide for all expenses you need. You can start with the new semester, so there is plenty of time. Isnât it fortunate?â
He wasnât aware of the fact that this, indeed, was really unfortunate for you.
____
Not long after you had gotten the work contract to read through and sign until the week after that, you were standing outside of the directorâs room, petrified to the core. Too many thoughts were flying into your head that you struggled with to organize.Â
This was your dream. This was your dream coming true, yetâŠ
âNot happy about your new position after all?âÂ
In front of you stood Mrs. Nam, arms folded across her chest, standing high on her heels. Her lips were curled up to a smile that was all too wicked and did not resemble the persona she had shown to you the majority of the past weekend.Â
You were at a loss for words as you couldnât define her expression, but she was happy enough to help you out when she explained, âIn the beginning, I fancied your fiancĂ© very much. I thought he wouldnât say no to a bit of fun with me. Nobody ever had. Until then. Or should I better say⊠fake fiancĂ©?â Your mouth fell agape, but you were quick to close it with a hard swallow. âYes, my chin also dropped when I overheard your little conversation after dinner.â
âLet me ex-â
But she only lifted her hand to gesture to you to stop speaking. Her nostrils flared, anger clearly mirrored in her eyes. âAfter our tennis match, before I found out the truth between you two, I met with him and suggested that he would come to me during nighttime. I had so much fun watching you being all giddy during dinner, knowing that once youâd be asleep, heâd slip into my bed.â
You needed a moment to process everything she had said. When you had been asleep, Jaehyun had met with Mrs. Nam who had then offered him a place in her bed? You were furious. A married woman making advances on a taken man⊠you had heard about her reputation among the childrensâ mothers, but never had you thought that one day, you would become her victim too.Â
But more so⊠Another thought suddenly cut off the air in your lungs. âJaehyun has not declined?â
Her eyes narrowed. âHe hasnât declined.â Your heart dropped. âWhen we met during the night, I didnât mention what I found out. I didnât care if it meant I could see him more often. But he had recorded the entire conversation and then dared to blackmail me. That bastard had followed his own plan all along. He told me that if you wouldnât get this position without him needing to share my bed, then heâd play it to my husband, to the entire board and the school if necessary. I told him that if he did that, I would tell everyone you werenât even together. Unfortunately for me, unlike him, I didnât have any proof.â
Suddenly, you felt like you could breathe again. Jaehyun hadnât declined her invitation, because he had his own scheme mapped out and wanted to help you all along.
âArenât you ashamed of yourself?â you asked sharply. âLuring taken men into your bed as a married woman?â
She raised one brow in questioning. âAs far as I know, he hasnât been taken at that time, am I right?â Unfortunately, she was, but you kept quiet. âThe men Iâve been with have never once been happy in their marriage or have drifted apart from their partner already. At best, they already had affairs going on. The only mistake I made this time was choosing someone who I thought was a naive kid. My fault.â
âIs that why youâre sending me away? To get revenge on him for doing what was right and not betraying me?â
Mrs. Nam slowly moved her head from one side to the other. âIâm not sending you away, otherwise my husband would start questioning. Iâm giving you a choice. Either stay here in your old position or move to chase after a more glorious future. After all, thatâs what you want, right? The lengths youâre going through to get what you want? Whatâs making you so different from me, then?â
She had thrown the truth over you like a bucket of ice cold water. You had lied your way into the promotion and dragged Jaehyun along with you in the process. Were you really different from them? It was written all over your face, apparently.
âExactly.â Mrs. Nam grinned. âYou remind me of me when I was younger. I also wanted power and wealth, and eventually got trapped in a loveless marriage. Iâm not heartless, miss. After all, it only takes me a few phone calls to ruin your fake fiancĂ© and everyone related to him. His little audio has nothing on my power.â
âThen why?â The contract was rattling in your shaking hands. âWhy give me a choice in the first place and not fire me on the spot?â
âMy daughter adores you very much, she talks about you every day.â A flash of regret passed over her face, but before you could catch the entire meaning of it, it had already vanished. Perhaps, she cared more about her daughter than she had let seen past, but failed to show it. âBack in the days, I made the wrong decision on what to choose. Perhaps, I hope, youâre going to make the right one.â She turned on her heels and lifted up her hand as though she wanted to bid farewell to you. âIâm sure youâll know what to do.â
The contract was still shaking in your hand long after she had left.
____
When you walked into Jaehyunâs apartment later that day, your face was still like stone, the contract also still in your hands.Â
On your entire way back home, you had read through each paragraph over and over again. It sounded too good to be true. Nearly the double amount of salary, more days off during vacation and your own assistant teacher. You were offered to teach the first two years of elementary school and if necessary, they would even provide housing for the first three months.
This was everything youâd ever worked hard for and dreamt of.Â
âI got offered the position of an elementary school teacher from next semester on,â you declared nearly absent-mindedly as you sank down on the couch and handed him over the contract.Â
âCongratulations!â Jaehyun wore a solemn expression on his face when he flopped down on the cushion next to you. âYou want to celebrate?â
His happiness pulled you out of your thoughts and you faced him with an agonized expression. âThere is nothing to celebrate about this, Jaehyun! The position is in Busan! Thatâs on the other side of the country!â
âOkay calm downâŠâ When you made attempts to arise, he touched your upper arm and indicated to you to stay seated. âI know where Busan is. Thatâs no problem. Iâll just go with you, because Iâll finish university in two months anyway. And after thatâŠâ
You cracked a pained smile. âAfter that you want to go to Europe.â
He shook his head. âI donât need to go to Europe. I can go with you and find a job there.â
âAnd not living your dream? What you have worked so hard towards after you helped me achieve everything that I wanted? You want to drop that?â
He looked at you like you had just uttered the most ridiculous question someone could ask. âYouâre more important to me than that dream.â
âWas that what you also thought when you blackmailed Mrs. Nam?â
Jaehyun drew in a sharp breath. âSo you know.â
âYou lied to me again!â you yelled. âWhen will you ever stop lying to me about serious stuff, Jaehyun?â
âI was about to tell you as soon as I knew about the offer, when your position was secured! I saw the chance and I took it! What did she tell you?â
You told him about your encounter with the parent and had arisen from your seated position by the time you finished, walking around the living room in nervous circles now.Â
âShe didnât just suggest it,â Jaehyun opposed. âShe told me, for you to get this position, Iâd need to sleep with her, otherwise she would tell her husband what a bad teacher you are. And I was absolutely not going to do it, so I thought if she dared to blackmail me, I could do the same and pretend to be interested just to let it all blow into her face. What would you have done if you knew? There was absolutely nothing you could have done! I turned the situation to your advantage!â
âShe could have come forward with the entire truth! She could have gotten me fired and your true identity revealed!â You came to a halt in front of him on the couch and he took your hand into his, trying to calm you down. âDo you know what that could have meant? If you had informed me, we could have tried to figure it out together!â
âAnd then for you to resent them and quit what you were working so hard for? I was not about to risk that! I was only acting in your best interest.â
You wiggled your hands out of his and shifted around, away from him. âYou put both of our futures at risk by doing that, Jaehyun! What if exactly the opposite had happened? What then? Would you have taken responsibility for it?â
He didnât say anything for a long time and you braced your hands against the table, losing a long breath.Â
âI just⊠I just wanted to help.â
âI didnât ask for your help! I never had! Look at what happened!â
You were just so, so frustrated. You had only gotten this offer, because Jaehyun had interfered. You had only been invited to the getaway weekend, because Jaehyun had interfered. You had only fallen into the parentsâ favors, because Jaehyun had interfered.Â
Had you achieved all this without him as well? Something inside you was assured that you wouldnât have.
And you resented him for that.
âIn the end, youâve ruined everything Iâve planned and worked so hard for! Had you not come into the picture at all, then I would have gained their favors myself! After Iâve gotten the offer, I would have announced my separation and everything would have been fine!â
Suddenly, Jaehyun was behind you, turning you around by your shoulders. âYou know thatâs not true,â he said calmly. âI know how these people are, and you now know too. It wouldnât have worked.â
Yes, you knew. That was why your resentment was so strong. Everything you had âachievedâ was âachievedâ through a man, with the help of a man. Even the board had only consisted of men, and in the end, Mr. Nam had given you his permission after having bonded with Jaehyun, not yourself.Â
This was not entirely your own achievement. Everything you had worked so hard for, was in vain in the end, because Jaehyun had only needed to do a bit of small talk, play with his charms, and they were butter in his hands.
Yet, it still hadnât all worked out in your favor.
âI also have the option to stay, but only in my old position.âÂ
âAs I said,â Jaehyun interrupted you with a gentle voice, âIâll go wherever you go.â
But you werenât sure whether you wanted this.
You moved past him and grabbed your purse from the couch. âI need time to think.â
When you walked out of Jaehyunâs apartment, you found two neighbors in the hallway, talking to each other.Â
One of them was Mrs. Choi and the other person was the neighbor with the dog. They were trying hard to pretend that they hadnât eavesdropped all the yelling coming out of room 803 earlier as opposed to the usual noise, and greeted you, but you just ignored them.
That night, you didnât return to Jaehyunâs room.
____
When you had first voiced the desire to become a teacher, your priority was to support and foster children who really needed special attention. Those who got overlooked in school, who suffered from the intense pressure and who possessed talents that werenât recognized.
You had landed the assistant teacher position in that prestigious private kindergarten, because you had been sent there from your former teacherâs program when the previous one needed to be admitted to the hospital due to severe burnout. She had never returned and you were able to stay as it was in the middle of the semester. It had been sheer luck.
As an assistant teacher, you were only doing that: assisting. None of the things that had driven you to study this major could have come to use yet, and you were tired. You wanted to become a real teacher, because you thought you could finally get the wheels rolling this way.
Jaehyun saw it in your eyes the moment you opened the door. âYouâre going to Busan.â
You bit into your lower lip, nodding almost noticeably. âIâll go to Busan.â
âWithout me.â He smiled in defeat.
âYes.â
âIs it so hard for you?â he asked. âTo just let people you love into your life?â
âItâs not that I go because I donât love you.â
He had you in his arms and inside his apartment before the first tear fell. âI know. I love you too.â
You squeezed your eyes shut as tears dropped onto his shirt and lifted your arms, holding meekly onto the fabric. âYouâre just so young and youâre going to finish your studies soon. You shouldnât go with me.â
Quietly, he whispered into your hair, âI know.â
If Jaehyun went with you, he would give up his dream of finally breaking free from his parents and seeing the world. You were not going to rob him of that. If you didnât go, you would need to give up your own dream, and he wouldnât want that either.Â
Perhaps, it was because you were older and more experienced than Jaehyun, but you had felt from the beginning that whatever you had started was going to find an end soon anyway. There was just no future for two people who were at such different stages in their life.Â
Sometimes in life, there were no winners in love.
You snuggled up to him more and sobbed, âIâm really grateful for what you have done for me. Without you, I wouldnât have been able to come so far.â
In the end, you had come to your senses. You were not going to throw his selfless acts away and accepted the gift he had been willing to give to you without anything in return. Just because he selflessly loved you. As simple as that. You were willing to pass this message on to everyone who needed it.
At his age, perhaps it was really this simple to love so fiercely and unconditionally. Later in life though, he would realize that it would take much, much more.
âNonsense.â Jaehyun chuckled lightly. âYou can achieve anything you want, you know that. You were just in the wrong environment. You can still-â
You shook your head and withdrew yourself from his embrace. âIt wouldnât change anything. You helped me achieve my goal and Iâm not going to stand in the way of yours. You never dreamed of staying here after your graduation. If you do, even with all the love you hold for me now, youâre going to resent me one day, and I donât want to take credit for that. Perhaps you donât understand now, but you will in the future. You have to go.â
Mrs. Nam was wrong. You didnât choose wealth and power over love. There was a third option. You chose your dream. And Jaehyun should do that too.
âWhen Iâve finished my travels and started with my business, can I come find you again?â
He wanted a sliver of hope, a silver lining. If it put him at ease, you would give him that, even if the chance was so less, you wouldnât even dare to dream about it in secrecy.
âIâll wait for you.â
With the kind of lifestyle Jaehyun had been living before you, you were sure that he would forget about this sliver of hope all too soon.
When he met girls in other countries, he would forget about his neighbor in room 804 at his former apartment complex who had always been so mean to him. Soon, you would only be a blurry picture in a string of memories, joining the ranks of his many, many lovers.
He would not suffer too long, if at all.Â
He would be fine, knowing that in the end, you still had picked them over him, just like he had initially predicted.
When Jaehyun kissed you goodbye, you were quite sure that this was the last time you would ever see him again despite living next door, which made getting over this breakup even more painful.
Back in your own room, you took off your fake engagement ring and put it into the far corner of a cramped drawer.
Whenever you went to bed the following days, you hoped that noises would start coming out of room 803 again.Â
You were scared that without the noises, he would hear you cry yourself to sleep every night until you nearly passed out from exhaustion and only woke up with a swollen face the next morning over the pain of your heart breaking apart.
But no noise could be heard ever again coming out of room 803.
And it broke you even more, knowing he was suffering as much as you.
____
Two months later, in late December, Jaehyun moved out.
You came home to movers carrying box after box out of his apartment. You had lingered a bit longer at your front door, heart pounding at your throat, just to get a glimpse of Jaehyun for one last time. But he had not been present that day. When you left your apartment a few hours later to grab dinner from the convenience store, his room was entirely empty.
According to the semester plan, he must have finished his last exams by now, so he was unofficially done with his bachelor studies. You doubted he would come back for a ceremony in February, so he was free to do whatever he wanted now. Perhaps, he was sitting on a plane to Italy or France at this very moment.Â
A few days later, an elderly woman moved into room 803.
And life went on.
____
One year later
âTeacher, what are you going to do during vacation?â one of your students, a four-year-old-boy, asked.
It was the day before winter break, but working for a public kindergarten meant you would at least get a week to yourself during New Year in January apart from desk warming the remaining break. A week in two months of winter break and thanks to public holidays only, but it was better than nothing at all.
âPerhaps,â you answered while putting one hand crafted paper star after another that the children had made for christmas on the classroomâs windows, âIâll take a little trip.â
âTo where?â another girl, one year older, chimed in. âIâm going to Busan to visit my grandmother!â
âIâm going to Busan too!â the boy then announced. âTeacher, have you ever been to Busan?â
You shook your head, reaching for another star he held out to you. âIâve never come to visit there. Can you recommend it?â
âYes!â Both children yelled excitedly.Â
âThen Iâll ask you where I should visit when I go there!â
They nodded in acknowledgement and returned back to their work which was crafting more stars so that the entire windows would be covered in them by the end of the day.Â
Twice a week, the kindergarteners were divided into different groups which either focused on art or music. The main subjects taught were reading, writing and maths. Apart from that, the children had enough free time to enjoy being real children, which they spent playing together, being outside and getting taught other necessary educational topics like brushing teeth and healthy nutrition in a playful way.
In comparison to Shi-A private kindergarten, where the teachers had paid homage to the parents with impressive courses including Chinese and English, topped with real diplomas and graduation ceremonies as well as teachers who had to work all throughout each break, this public school was where you felt you belonged.
This was where you finally felt you could actually support the children like you had always wanted, in an environment safer for them and their teachers.
And that was the very reason why you had never signed the contract for Shi-A elementary school in Busan in the first place.
In fact, you had never planned on doing so. How else would you have convinced Jaehyun to leave after everything? Just because you couldnât live your dream didnât mean he shouldnât either.
You had never picked other people over him, you had always picked him.Â
Before you had gone to him to break up, you had thought about the upcoming decision for very long. You had loved those children, but eventually, they would move on and forget you. While you would have been stuck in a slave contract in a worse environment than before with parents from hell. All the money and other benefits could have never made up for the mental suffering.
It had always been your dream to work for a reputable private school, but one day, you had remembered the little girl inside of you who had not wanted reputation and recognition and was only there to help children.
So you had quit altogether.
And then you had eventually landed a job as a teacher at this public kindergarten where the salary was much lower and the commute took over an hour one way, but the work conditions were much better and the teachers and children just as lovely. The parents were not less strict, but tolerable and nobody tried to sabotage anyone.
Yet nowadays, you couldnât shake off the feeling that this was still not everything to your life as a teacher. This could not be it, there had to be more you could move in this entire system. You just couldnât point a finger as to what it could be as this was everything you had ever dreamed of having.
âWhat are you going to do during our time off?â you asked your assistant teacher.Â
âIâm going to meet my boyfriendâs family for the very first time, theyâve invited me to spend New Years with them,â she giggled shyly. âIâm so excited. And you?â
You smiled, happy for everyone who had plans except for you.Â
âPerhaps, Iâm going on a little trip to Busan. Iâve never been there before.â
____
It was already late when you arrived at home, and as always during winter, it was dark outside now as well.Â
While you typed in the door code combination, you wondered which convenience store food you would get for dinner today as again, you were too exhausted to cook something yourself. A small vacation would surely help you relax and start into the new semester more fresh. Yes, you should definitely go to Busan.
You halted though when you opened your front door. Had you accidentally left the lights on?
You hurried through the narrow hall, at one point wondering if you had been robbed during your absence when a voice spoke up before you even reached the living room,
âI still remember your passcode from the day I climbed through your window.â
Jaehyun arose from your couch and your breath caught.Â
He was still as handsome as the last time you had seen each other over a year ago. Nicely dressed, hair still dark and neatly combed aside. He looked healthy and happy, and it made you happy too to see him like this.
At one point, you had dropped your bag on the floor while you could do nothing else but stare at him and stare, wondering if this was a dream. One of too many from the past year, of which you had never hoped could ever come true.
âWhat⊠are you doing here?â You didnât know what else to say, you had so many questions.
âIâm living here now.â With a grin, he pointed at a suitcase in the corner of the living room. âTemporarily.â
âWellâŠâ You cleared your throat and feigned braveness. âAs far as I remember, your room is the one next to mine, room 803.â
âYeah, but sadly that one is already occupied by a very nice, elderly lady who was quickly able to assure me that you were still living here.â
Before you could think twice, you had already closed the distance between you two, and he held you tightly in his arms, quietly, for a very long time.
âYou liar,â Jaehyun eventually said, with no trace of reproach in his tone though, pressing you even closer to his chest. âYou big, fat liar. When I called Shi-A elementary school in Busan. They told me they never heard of you, and when I called your former kindergarten, they said you quit a year ago.â
âIâll take credit for being a liar this time as opposed to you.â You smiled through your tears when Jaehyun gently pushed you away from him and cupped your face. âI didnât want you to stay here with me. I didnât want you to give up on your dream just because I did.â
âSay no more. I understand." His expression was so gentle, his face free of any worry and doubt. âI was a regular student with no real perspective and just one dream. You just told me to do what a good teacher would have told all their students. This time, all the trickery rightfully belonged to you, but I would be really happy if we stop that now.â
You nodded, your tears salty against your lips, but Jaehyun kissed them all away from your cheeks. âIâm so glad you came back,â you sobbed.
âI told you I would.â
It had never been only a sliver a hope for him. It had always been a promise.
âBut what if I wouldnât have been here anymore?â
âThen I would have come to Busan or to wherever in the world to get you.â
You blinked through your blurry vision. âTo get me where?â
One corner of Jaehyunâs lips tilted up when he let go of you. âEventually, my parents came to their senses and didnât abandon me like they always threatened. The longer I traveled and the more people I met, the more I realized that with my background and roots, I am able to achieve something, to change something, and far faster than anyone else. I am so privileged and took it for granted when I can twist it to an advantage instead of being a selfish brat. When I have the possibility and opportunity, I donât want to throw it away. So halfway through my trip, I was just building connections for my future. I will join my parentsâ business after all, but not to work for them, but for myself. I will build my own sister company.â
âJaehyun, thatâs amazing!â you congratulated him. âIâm happy you figured out your future path! I can assure you, youâre going to do such a great job.â
Sometimes, it just took someone a few months off to figure out where they belonged, what they wanted. If he had followed you, he might or might have not come to the same conclusion. You couldnât figure out an answer. But what mattered was that he had one after all.
âSo all throughout your Europe trip, it was not only drinking and girls?â you teased.Â
âPlease.â He waved aside. âEveryone was annoyed by the fact that I kept talking about one woman only who I would return to eventually.â
You blushed. âStill, you told me you came to take me. To where, tell me?âÂ
Jaehyunâs expression turned stern, but hopeful. âTo the UK. Thatâs where I want to build my company, kind of like an overseas branch. I still canât offer you much, but in a few years, I promise you, when my business is flourishing and we live in a nice townhouse in the center of London with a small garden and a dog and children, you wonât regret it. ButâŠâ He halted as though a sudden thought had crossed his mind. âBut if you have already found someone who can offer just as much now or even better, then I understand if you decline.â
âHow many?â you asked while losing a breath you had been holding in.
âWhat?â
âHow many children?â
Perhaps, that was it, what you were missing. Perhaps, you werenât supposed to work in this environment for the entirety of your life. Perhaps, just like Jaehyun, you were destined for so much more, for another path, and that path was perhaps not etched into the grounds of this country.
How were you supposed to find out if you didnât try just like he had?
âT-two,â Jaehyun responded, unsure whether it was the right answer.
He could have said one or ten for all you cared. âSounds good. I should then tell my fiancĂ© our engagement is called off, because he wants three.â
â...what?â
You shook your head and laughed. âThere is no fiancĂ©, neither real or fake. There⊠hasnât been anyone since you.â
âGood. Itâs good to see you so happy and carefree finally.â Jaehyun approached you and put his hands on your waist, drawing you close to him. âAnd Iâm relieved there is no other man. Because when Iâm going to propose to you, itâs going to be for real this time.â
A smile radiating pure bliss left your lips when you got on your toes and finally kissed him.
You were blissfully unaware of the fact that Jaehyun had already picked out the ring before he had left the country, one identical to your fake one, just made of platinum and adorned with a real diamond. Princess cut, two carats. Just like you had dreamed of.Â
He had carried it with him whenever he went, like a lucky charm.
The ring was a reminder to him that there was always a reason to come back.
Because his future wife was waiting for him, and she deserved everything she had ever dreamed of.Â
























