cued romance | kim jungwoo
PAIRING: math teacher!jungwoo x english teacher!fem!reader
GENRE: fluff, teacher au, coworker au, school au, club au
WARNINGS: swearing, mentions of drinking, kissing
SYNOPSIS: as the new english teacher in school, you've piqued one of the math teachers' interest
WORD COUNT: 7.9k
The lunch bell rings as Jungwoo erases the lesson from his chalkboard. He had heard the students packing up as he was finishing up his lesson, knowing their eyes were on the clock, despite it only being the first day back.
"See you guys tomorrow." He calls out as he hears footsteps already heading to the door. A chorus of "Bye, Sir" hums in the classroom as Jungwoo turns around to face the emptying class. He grabs a wet wipe from his desk to rid his hands of chalk dust, smiling at the students still getting ready to leave.
"You have the new English teacher, right?" Jungwoo hears Riku ask Sion. Their desks are situated right in front of the teacher's desk. "How is she?"
"Oh shit, yeah, I forgot to tell you. She just went through what we're doing this year. It looked light, and she's really fun. She's so much better than Mr. Jeong." Sion replies, and Jungwoo can see the two subtly glance at him, checking if he heard them insult his friend, but he keeps his gaze on the computer in front of him. He takes note to tell Doyoung, the music teacher, later so that they can make fun of Jaehyun.
"Okay. I'll try to transfer to your class tomorrow." Riku whispers to Sion, feeling self-conscious with Jungwoo in front of them, as they are the only students left in the room. The boys say their goodbyes to Jungwoo, who waves in return. He remembers when Jaehyun mentioned a new teacher joining his department.
"Sorry I'm late," Jaehyun apologizes after blowing on his just-bought coffee. "We have a new teacher in for English. We were finalizing some assignments on call."
"Don't worry. Is he nice?" Doyoung asks as he munches on a pastry. Jungwoo silently watches the dialogue happen from his seat, sipping his tea.
"Is she nice." Jaehyun corrects his senior. "Yeah. She seems to know what she's doing. Her assignments were more interactive and creative than mine. Not just straight essays."
"The kids are gonna like her more than you, for sure." Jungwoo teases, causing Jaehyun to roll his eyes as Doyoung laughs.
Jungwoo gets up from his chair, ready to go to the teacher's lounge. He remembers putting his lunch in the fridge that morning. I forgot how hungry teaching makes me, he thinks as he smiles and waves to the students he recognizes around him in the hallway.
He enters the lounge, nodding at the teachers around him, looking for his friends. He sees Jaehyun standing by the fridge and quickly walks up behind him. Jungwoo watches as Jaehyun reaches for his lunch, quickly slapping the English teacher's arm away.
"Fuck!" Jaehyun exclaims, looking back in anger before having a guilty look on his face, realizing he's been caught.
"Stop stealing my lunch all the time." Jungwoo scolds as he puts his container in the microwave, "Bring your own or go to the cafeteria."
"Fine." Jaehyun laughs, turning to leave for the cafeteria. Doyoung walks in as Jaehyun leaves, and they greet each other. He grabs his food from the fridge before walking up to Jungwoo, whose lunch has finished heating up.
"Let's eat in my room." Doyoung suggests, and Jungwoo nods in approval, grabbing his phone to tell Jaehyun where they'll be.
The two teachers walk in silence as they approach the music room. Doyoung gestures for Jungwoo to sit at a table with two chairs, grabbing a third one for Jaehyun. Jungwoo opens his container, smiling at the fried chicken in front of him.
"Have you met the new teacher?" Doyoung asks as he opens his salad. Jungwoo looks up from his food, raising an eyebrow.
"Why is everybody talking about her so much? It's not rare to get a new teacher." Jungwoo asks before taking a bite. No teacher has been talked about like this, and he was curious after hearing Sion's praise.
"She's nice. I met her when I saw Jaehyun this morning," Doyoung shrugs before smirking, "and I think you'd really like her."
This makes Jungwoo stop chewing and raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah, she seems to be exactly your type." Jaehyun's voice rings as he enters, sitting on the empty chair with his plate of rice and side dishes.
Jungwoo widens his eyes slightly in shock, "What? Really?" He watches his friends nod, now focused on their food as if they hadn't just told Jungwoo huge news. "How do you guys even know my type?"
Doyoung and Jaehyun look at him with blank stares. He suddenly remembers the number of times he'd ramble about being alone and wanting to find someone his type on their drunken escapades. "Okay, whatever." He blushes.
"Talk to her after school. I can introduce you if you want, just come to my room at the end of the day." Jaehyun suggests in between bites. Jungwoo mulls over the idea, wondering if after school is the best time. Surely it won't inconvenience you?
"Okay," He accepts, "but don't say anything weird." Jaehyun laughs at the request before they all talk about their plans for the week.
As the kids filter out of his class at the end of the day, Jungwoo starts to feel a little nervous. Why should I be nervous? He thinks, It's just meeting another teacher. He waits for all the kids to leave, gathering his things and locking his door before finally going to Jaehyun's room.
From the hallway, he can see your back to the door, Jaehyun and Doyoung smiling as they talk to you. He looks over your clothes and hair, styled in a way he really likes. Doyoung notices Jungwoo standing outside the door and ushers him in.
You turn around to look at the math teacher that Jaehyun and Doyoung kept talking about, now standing beside you. Oh shit, he's cute. You think he looks good with his glasses on, hair falling on his forehead, and his sophisticated outfit. If you were in his class, you'd be inclined to focus on his lessons.
"This is Jungwoo, the friend we were talking about." Doyoung says, standing beside Jungwoo and patting his back. Jungwoo wants to glare at Doyoung, but he can't tear his eyes off you now that you're smiling directly at him. "Jungwoo, this is Y/N, the new English teacher."
"It's nice to meet you, Jungwoo." You greet, bowing to him. He can't believe his luck to have met someone of his type, down to a T. They weren't lying.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Y/N. I hope you're liking the school so far." Jungwoo bows back. You both can't see Jaehyun's smirk as he crosses his arms, and Doyoung's smug look as he moves to stand beside him.
"Yes, I am." You nod. "I was at a public school before; this is my first private school. It's huge. The kids are really sweet, too." Jungwoo finds it cute how you've already managed to bond with the students.
"I think they just really like you." Jaehyun cuts in, and you and Jungwoo turn your bodies to them. "They don't like English class. Clearly, you've made it enjoyable for them."
"Jaehyun doesn't care to make the kids enjoy English. He just does his job." Doyoung explains, and you can see that Jaehyun doesn't take offence to his words. Must be true, then.
"Doyoung and I never liked English, though, so we might be biased to think English is unenjoyable." Jungwoo remarks, causing you to giggle as you turn to him. He smiles at the sound, happy to have made a good impression on you already.
"It makes my job more enjoyable if everyone's happy." You happily shrug. The men smile at your positivity, Jungwoo the most.
"Have you met any other staff members?" Doyoung asks. You nod.
"I'm familiar with everyone in the office, the gym teachers came earlier to say hi, and Jaehyun introduced me to the cafeteria staff earlier at lunch." You recount.
"You should have brought her to eat lunch with us!" Jungwoo says pointedly at Jaehyun. You laugh, missing the shock on Jaehyun's face and teasing look on Doyoung's face.
"I tried to, even though you usually don't like when other people join us." Jaehyun shoots back with an annoyed tone, but the smirk on his face shows his true meaning. You giggle, and Jungwoo shakes his head, feel a blush creeping on his face.
"I didn't wanna intrude into your guys' lunch." You reassure Jungwoo, who smiles sheepishly in return.
"Nonsense! Join us next time!" Doyoung exclaims, moving back to standing beside Jungwoo as Jaehyun packs his things. You laugh before nodding.
Jaehyun ushers you all out of his room so that he can lock up. Jungwoo tries to stand close enough to you without it seeming weird.
"I think you might be getting a new student soon." Jungwoo says to you, and you perk up at the words, "Before lunch, I heard Sion tell another student, Riku, that he should transfer to your class."
"Oh, cool! It's nice to know which kids are with which teacher. You probably know a lot of them, huh?" You ask as you start to walk to the parking lot. Doyoung and Jaehyun walk a short distance behind you, hearing your conversation without being part of it.
"Yeah. I've probably taught more than half the school." Jungwoo responds. "They're all great. They like new teachers, but they've never had one as sweet as you." Jungwoo smirks at you, and you try not to raise your eyebrows.
"You don't even know what I'm like." You tease, leaning closer to him with a playful smile. Doyoung and Jaehyun look at each other in surprise, hearing your flirting.
"I will soon, though. If you let me." Jungwoo says in a volume just above a whisper, stopping once you've reached the parking lot. You shyly smile and nod as you wait for the other two to get out the door.
"Alright, well, it was nice meeting you all. Hopefully I can see you more now that I know I can bother you." You start, reaching for the car keys in your bag.
"I don't think you could ever be a bother." Jungwoo counters, and you try to hide your blush by looking at your feet. You caught a glimpse of Doyoung and Jaehyun, who look surprised at their friend's boldness. They had never seen him flirt with anyone, and didn't know he would do so brazenly.
As you drive off with a wave, Doyoung and Jaehyun turn to smirk at Jungwoo, who watches you drive away with a longing look.
"Damn, you guys are about to be annoying." Jaehyun jokes as Doyoung giggles. Jungwoo rolls his eyes as he hits his two friends, who laugh harder.
During the next three weeks, you join the trio for their lunches, now alternating between the four of your rooms. You've become much closer to the men, and you find the other staff at the school to be nice as well.
Sometimes, Jaehyun and Doyoung go to the cafeteria to grab food to leave you and Jungwoo alone. When they stand around in the hallway, waiting for something to happen, just for you two to talk about anything and everything, their anger grows. They've started to get tired of your flirting and the lack of action.
One day, when the bell rings and the last student presentation ends just in time, you start to get ready for the next class to come in. As you hear their footsteps fade, though, you can hear one pair of footsteps get louder. You look up to see the student who had just presented, Jaehee, nervously fidgeting.
"Hi, Jaehee. What's up?" You ask, smiling to lift his spirits. It works slightly, and his shoulders relax.
"Hello. Um, I need your help with something." He responds, lifting his arm to scratch the back of his neck. You get up from your seat and move to stand closer to him.
You nod, and he continues, "I don't know if you could tell, but I really like musical theatre. I noticed that we don't really have a drama or musical theatre club, and when I went to ask Mr. Lee in the library about it, he said I'd need two teachers to help make the club. I already have a few friends who would join." You remember everything about his presentation on the importance of theatre and playscripts.
"If you want my help, then yes, of course I'd help." You respond, and you smile at the excitement on Jaehee's face. "Do you have a second teacher in mind? What about Mr. Kim from music?"
"I already asked him, and he said he couldn't because he's already head of the music club." Jaehee frowns. You rack your brain for who you could ask who would be qualified enough. You could help with the acting and monologues, sure, but dancing and singing?
"Wait," You start, and he looks at you, curious, "whose class are you supposed to be in right now?"
Jaehee blushes, "Oh, I'm probably late to that, you're right. It's Mr. Kim in math." You breathe in sharply and look at the students coming in.
"Class, I'll be back soon. Just tell everyone else coming in to wait for me until I come back." You announce and beckon for the confused boy to grab his things and follow you.
You walk up to Jungwoo's door and knock. He looks over, smiling brightly when he sees you. His students, all in the same grade as Jaehee, giggle at the sight. It's no secret to the whole school that you two have a crush on each other, and they, too, are waiting for you to get together.
"Why don't you go to your seat, Jaehee? Can I talk to you, Mr. Kim?" You whisper the first part and announce the second part, motioning him to come out into the hallway. Jungwoo nods, getting up to join you as Jaehee sits down.
There are still students in the hallway when he closes the door for privacy. He stands close to you so that you can talk without anyone hearing.
"Is everything okay?" He says in a voice above a whisper, and you blush at being so close that you could feel how warm his breath is.
"Yeah, no, everything's okay." You nod, and Jungwoo can feel how shy you are from the distance, or lack of, between you. He decides to not move, though. "Jaehee just talked to me about how he and his friends needed two teachers to make a musical theatre club. He already asked Doyoung, and apparently, he can't be in charge of more than one club. I remembered your singing and dancing videos, though."
"You want me to run it with you? My dancing and singing impressed you that much, huh? I told you I'm good." Jungwoo teases, and you teasingly roll your eyes as you giggle.
A few weeks ago, the boys were talking about their past karaoke adventures and how you should join them sometime. You asked for videos to hear them, and were stunned at how professional they sounded. Doyoung informed you that they all met in singing class when they were kids, and how Jungwoo was in competitive dancing.
You made sure that Jungwoo didn't leave that day without showing you videos of his performances. He boldly handed you his phone and got up, asking you to play any song from his dance playlist so he could sing and freestyle. You played a hip-hop song and watched in awe as Jungwoo, as well as the two men in the room with you, sang and danced all together. Jungwoo reached forward to hold your hands, bringing you up to join their singing and dancing.
"I'm just an English teacher; I can only help them understand the script and know which expressions to use. I think you could help them greatly with choreography and vocal coaching. You can be the 'musical' to my 'theatre,' you know?" You explain. Jungwoo tries not to get shy at the idea of being, in a way, your other half.
"I'd be happy to be a part of this with you, Y/N. I'll talk to Jaehee about who else might be interested when lunch starts. Why don't you go talk to Haechan about what we specifically need to make this club?" He suggests, and you nod. You know Haechan is going to make it a big deal that you and Jungwoo, his favourite ship in the school, want to do this together. You wonder how such a talkative and energetic man ends up as a librarian.
"Thank you!" You give him a quick half-hug, "I'll let you know what he says. Your room?" You ask to find out where he and the other two will be eating lunch. He giggles at your enthusiasm, nodding.
You say your goodbyes before going back to your classes. As you enter your class, your students stop talking to each other, radiant smiles still on their faces.
The lesson flies by quick, and the students wave as they leave for lunch. You get up quickly, letting the kids know you're in a rush to get out.
"We heard about you helping with making a musical theatre club. Thank you, we can't wait to join!" Riku excitedly says, and Sion nods beside him. They stand behind you as you close the door.
"Of course! I'm excited to see you guys more often." You smile at the popular yet kind students, who nod and walk away. You head to the library, which is conveniently right in front of yours and Jaehyun's classes.
You look at the desk and see one of the other librarians, Kun. You smile at each other as you approach him.
"Good afternoon, Y/N. Did you need anything?" He asks, pushing his glasses up. Before you can reply, you get cut off by the rush of students entering the library to hang out in. You've only ever seen groups of people goofing off in here, but because it's so big, there are many quiet spots.
"Is Haechan here?" You ask, turning back to look at the bespectacled man in front of you. He doesn't say anything as he leads you behind the counter, opening the door to the librarian's lounge. You are immediately greeted by the younger librarian lying on the couch, who seems to have accidentally fallen asleep while reading, as seen by the book lying on his face.
"Haechan! The principal is here!" Kun loudly says, startling the junior awake. You and Kun turn to each other to laugh before he leaves, closing the door for your privacy. Haechan whips his head to you, visibly relaxing when he sees it's just you.
"Ugh, I have to stop falling for that. Taeyong rarely steps foot in here." Haechan groans as he gets up, motioning for you to sit on the couch while he fixes himself a cup of coffee. "Did you need me for something?"
"Yeah," You start, nodding when he silently offers to make you a cup as well, "I needed your help with making a club."
"Oh, wow. You just started working here and already wanna do so much. What's the club?" He asks. If you didn't know how passionate Haechan was about expressing oneself in different ways, you wouldn't have thought he was the one behind the actual formation of clubs.
"Musical theatre." You answer, and he raises an eyebrow as he sits down with his coffee, handing you yours. "Some of my students turned to me to run it. I didn't wanna say no, and I guess since we don't have a drama class here, English was the next best option for them."
"And who is the second teacher? You probably need someone with musical experience, and I know Doyoung isn't available." He asks, crossing his leg and leaning in, wanting to know your answer. He gets even more curious when you look away shyly, a blush appearing on your face.
"Jungwoo..." You mutter, but Haechan hears it perfectly. He quickly gets up with a loud gasp, and you've never seen such a big, teasing smile on someone's face.
"Holy shit, seriously? Oh my god, I'm so excited!" He squeals. You roll your eyes as he sits down, still smiling brightly, "I can't wait for you guys to fall in love. I never thought he'd use his singing and dancing skills outside of karaoke, but I'm happy you're able to get it out of him."
"Thanks, I guess. So? What else do I need to make this club?" You wonder out loud.
"Well, I give you permission, so you and your club right now can recruit. I think you'll have a good amount of kids in there. Johnny runs the AV club, so once you and your boyfriend find out what play to do, just talk to him about performing." Haechan explains, and you choose to ignore his comment about Jungwoo.
"Alright, thanks." You say, patting his back as you get up, throwing away your coffee cup, not realizing how fast you drank your coffee. He gets up to wave, seeing you off.
You leave the library, waving at Kun, who smiles back. You spot Jaehee with Yushi as you exit, and you can see curious expressions on their faces.
You motion for them to come towards you, and they oblige. "Meet me in my room after school. I think Jungwoo will also be there, and tell Riku and Sion to come, too. We'll discuss what to do for the club." You give them a thumbs-up and a smile, and the joy on their faces as they nod frantically makes your day.
You run to the teacher's lounge, grabbing your lunch before running upstairs to Jungwoo's room. You open the door, out of breath, and the three men's heads whip to you.
"Haechan approved." You pant out, forgetting just how big the school was. Jungwoo has a toothy smile as he stands up. Jaehyun and Doyoung smile lightly as they stay seated. "I told Jaehee and his friends to meet me in my room after school to talk about things. Will you come?"
"Of course." Jungwoo affirms. Jaehyun and Doyoung share a look, more annoyed than excited. You smile back, sitting down beside him and Doyoung to eat, trying to ignore the looks the two men threw Jungwoo, as if to say, "Hurry up and ask her out."
You sit in your room, waiting for everyone to leave. You wave at the last students leaving the room. Jungwoo is the first of the club members to reach your room, waiting for the last of your students to leave. The kids giggle as they look between the two of you, and you can see Jungwoo's slight blush.
"Hey," Jungwoo greets, "Johnny said tomorrow at lunch, he'd show us the basics of the auditorium. That way, we can start tryouts sooner and he'll get his club to help more later. Haechan might be there too, hopefully he'll be helpful and not annoying."
You laugh at Jungwoo's comment as he moves to stand beside your chair behind the table. You offer for him to sit, and he shakes his head. You get up from your seat anyway, feeling shy at his close figure towering over you.
"You came with Jaehyun, right?" Jungwoo asks, and you nod. That morning, your car had an oil leak, and you had to get it towed. The mechanics told you it wouldn't be ready till the next morning. You called Jaehyun to pick you up, as you realized that the mechanics were near his house, and his location showed that he hadn't left yet. "He said he had to leave early and asked me to drop you off home."
"Oh, yeah. Thanks." You timidly reply. Jungwoo wasn't lying; Jaehyun did tell him to drop you off, but in a different way.
"You're taking her home. You'd better stay there with her and make sure something happens between you two."
"Good afternoon!" Jaehee sings, his voice ringing through your class. You and Jungwoo look toward the door, putting some space between you. All the boys you've talked to about the club enter the room.
"Are you trying to prove your singing talents already?" Jungwoo asks as the boys approach your desk. Jaehee giggles as he nods, and you try not to admire Jungwoo's ability to talk to the kids in a comfortable manner.
"Yushi, I didn't think you'd wanna be part of this." You mention to Yushi, who nods with the tight-lipped smile he usually sports.
"He's actually crazy at both singing and dancing! It should get his confidence up!" Riku hypes up his friend, putting his hands on his shoulders, massaging them a little. You find the group's tight-knit friendship adorable.
"Okay, well, to start-" You begin, but one of the boys cuts you off.
"Yushi designed a poster for recruitment." Sion quickly mentions. You turn to Yushi, who nods and pulls up his design on his phone to show he has a design ready. You lean in to view the graphic, even though he was on your end of the table. It surprises you how he even had a logo and club name ready; all he needed was the date for tryouts.
"You really are an all-rounder, huh?" Jungwoo says, and you try not to get startled at the warmth of his cheek beside yours, looking closely at Yushi's phone as well. You pull away a little to throw a small look at Jungwoo's proximity, which he catches.
"It's perfect, to be honest. You're really talented, Yushi." You smile, and you see all the boys smile at their friend, who you've never seen so red before. "How do I really know if you guys are talented enough, though?" You joke.
Jaehee is the next to pull out his phone. You turn to Jungwoo with a quizzical look, and you notice he was already looking at you. He just shrugs his shoulders.
Jaehee turns his phone around for both of you. Since he was on Jungwoo's side of the table, your face is once again close to his face as you lean to watch the video clearly.
All four of the boys are in a dance studio, and you think it's funny how they were all still in uniform, their bags haphazardly thrown in the back. You hear a popular song start playing quietly, and all the boys get in formation, turning around.
You're shocked to hear their singing in the video, now realizing exactly why the music was quiet. They sounded really good together, and Jaehee was a strong singer.
"Wow." You hear Jungwoo breathe out from beside you. You nod, your jaw slightly open, and you can see the happy faces of the boys as they hear your praises. You silently watch, interested in their skills.
"You guys are amazing!" You exclaim, and Jungwoo nods from beside you, pushing his glasses up his nose. The boys shyly thank you, and you already start to feel maternal towards them. "I think, if you could promote to students and put the posters around, we can start tryouts next week? Jungwoo and I can print out some posters in colour; just email me the poster with next week's date, Yushi, and we can set sailing!"
"Okay!" The boys say at the same time, and you smile at Jungwoo, who was already smiling at you. You felt a strange feeling in your stomach, as if the students were your kids and Jungwoo was the dad. You look down, feeling weird for thinking that.
You hear a chorus of goodbyes, and you wave at each of them as they leave. Yushi informs you that he will send his design once he gets home. You get ready, putting on your coat and reaching for your bag, but before you can get to it, Jungwoo grabs it.
"You have your keys?" He asks nonchalantly as he carries your bag on one arm and his own on the other, and you just nod, trying not to look shocked. He follows you to the door, stepping outside and waiting as you lock it. You walk in silence towards the parking lot.
"I'm excited." He breathes, hoping to break the silence. Your eyes snap up to him, already looking at you. You smile slightly.
"Yeah, me too. Sorry for dragging you into this." You mutter, moving to the passenger seat door. He follows behind you, unlocking the car and pulling the door open for you.
"You're not bothering me at all." You try not to blush at his words and actions as you quickly move inside. He closes your door, and you let a deep breath in as you hear him put your bags in the back seat before rushing to his spot behind the wheel.
"They're really good, thankfully." You exasperate, turning to face him. He nods with a cute smile as he backs the car up.
"I feel like I don't need to do much. Let's hope we get more people in who are also good already." He replies. "Hopefully more girls, too."
"Yeah," You continue, "I think only after we figure out what musical to do once we figure out how many girls come in. We need to figure out how to let them each shine."
"I think I know some girls who would join." You turn to Jungwoo, wondering who. "Wonyoung and Liz. Just watch. I hear them sing and dance all the time. They're amazing."
"Hm, that should be fun." You smile. He smiles at you, though you don't notice.
The rest of the ride to your house is silent, but it's not awkward with the music playing and the slight singing you hear from Jungwoo. It doesn't take long to reach your house.
"Thanks," You say as you open the door and pick up your bag, "Did you wanna come in? I can make you something if you're hungry."
"Oh, I would love to, but I have some errends to run." Jungwoo frowns. He would have, but he felt bad; he didn't want you to do anything special for him.
"Alright," He frowns more at the dejected look on your face, "Then I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" He nods at your question. You close the door and step away, waving at him. He waves back as he leaves your driveway.
The next week, you and Jungwoo sit through audition after audition after school. Students would go up on stage with a paper you had handed them to act out, as well as singing a song of their choice.
You didn't think that as many kids who showed up would. You and Jungwoo decided to have a small musical since it was the school's first, and you were unsure how to keep within the budget Haechan gave you for a new, small club.
"How are we supposed to condense 45 students into just nine?" You huff when all the students who tried out leave after you give a hearty goodbye. You said you'd post a list of the cast on the auditorium door by tomorrow morning.
"Technically five, we already have Jaehee, Sion, Yushi, and Riku." Jungwoo corrects you, rubbing your back as you bring your head to your hands.
"Are you thinking who I'm thinking?" You ask, raising your head to look at him. You can see a smile grow on his face.
"Liz, Wonyoung, Yujin, Gaeul, and Rei? The strongest ones?" He answers, and you nod. At least we agree, you think to yourself.
Suddenly, you hear the door open, and you jump away from each other, turning around to see Haechan walking in with a spring in his step and a smirk on his face. You let out a sigh, not wanting him to say something embarrassing.
"You guys done?" He asks as he walks up to you, and you nod, "Which musical did you think of doing? Sorry that it's small. Taeyong and I were shocked at the number of people waiting to audition. Trust, though, next year you'll be able to recruit more."
"The Dwarf Who Loved Snow White. Classic." Jungwoo answers, and you smile. Haechan's eyebrows raise, and he has a big smile on his face.
"Oh, well, I can't wait! I know your performance will be packed. Alright, I'll stop annoying you. Get to recruiting!" He waves before he leaves. You wait yet again for him to leave, and you sit down on one of the chairs, Jungwoo following you.
"Jaehee can be Bandari, and Liz can be Snow White. They're the most powerful singers." You start, "Wonyoung can be the evil stepmother. I think she'll have fun in that role. Everyone else will have to switch between the other dwarves and villagers."
"I agree 100%. Kinda ironic how Bandari is mute, but he sings and talks the most, huh?" Jungwoo asks, and you look at him with an eyebrow raised, and he laughs at your face, causing you to hit his shoulder.
You two had gotten much closer over the past week, meeting up a lot after school at cafes or at your homes to discuss which play to do and how to allocate the budget. Of course, you would goof off more than do serious work.
"Alright," Jungwoo starts, "I guess since we already have our cast ready, why don't we get some food and go to my house to look over the script and order props? Your choice, of course."
"Okay." You blush, thinking it's sweet of him to let you choose. You remember to let him choose next time.
Once every week, your nights end up like this. You go to one of your houses to go over the script, talk about changes to the choreography or small problems in the plot while munching on takeout, mostly whatever you choose because Jungwoo wants to eat whatever you want.
At school, the students in your club and around school notice how close you two stand and how he always wants to do things for you.
"It's okay, I can carry at least one." You whine as Jungwoo takes out the three boxes of props from your car and stacks them on top of each other to grab them. You didn't have time to bring them in before school, so you waited until lunchtime. You didn't think Jungwoo would sneak up on you when he noticed you heading straight to the parking lot instead of the lounge.
"Nuh uh," He says as he shakes his head and walks towards the entrance doors, "just tell me where to go. You can be my eyes." You feel slight embarrassed as kids around you watch as you maneuver him with your words.
"Do you need help, Mr. Kim?" You hear from behind as you walk down the hall. You spin around, while Jungwoo turns slightly to look at where the voice came from. Yujin has a concerned look on her face as Riku looks between the two of you.
"He's fi-." You begin before Jungwoo cuts you off.
"How kind!" He exclaims as he puts down the boxes. He gives Riku the bigger one and Yujin the two smaller ones. "Just put it on the stage with the other props, thanks."
You look at your coworker in bewilderment as the students take the boxes. "So it was heavy? I told you to give me one." You pout, and Jungwoo thinks you look adorable. He decided then not to let you carry anything else so that he could see your pout more often.
"You do enough work; let me take your stress away." He says with the lightest smirk before walking ahead, leaving you behind, flustered.
Jaehyun and Doyoung have noticed yours and Jungwoo's flirting; everyone has. Except you two.
Your own club members are sick of it, too. They've watched you two stand very close, whispering into each other's ears when they were rehearsing. Sometimes, when you're too engrossed in your conversation, they have to cough loudly multiple times to get your attention.
You wonder when or if Jungwoo will make a clear move on you. Jungwoo can't seem to find the confidence within himself to confess, despite everyone telling him to do it immediately.
Finally, it's the day of the show.
You and Jungwoo had supply teachers fill in for you as you got the stage and sound ready for the night, with Johnny's help during his breaks. Your students were excused from their classes, and you told them to come a few hours before the show with all their hair and makeup ready to rehearse a few more times before the actual show in the evening.
Jungwoo watches and assists Johnny and his students in the AV club as they make last-minute stage changes before parents and other students are let in by Haechan and Taeyong. Jaehyun and Doyoung are already seated at the front, reserving the seats in the exact middle for you and Jungwoo.
You walk around backstage, checking in on your performers. Some of them are nervous, some of them are excited. However, you can't find Jaehee.
"Jungwoo?" You call from behind the man. He turns around as you put a hand on his shoulder, and he hopes you don't hear his breathing quicken. "Have you seen Jaehee?"
Your eyes follow the finger he uses to point towards the door at the other end of the auditorium, where people aren't lined up. You see Jaehee in his dwarf outfit peeking out the door slightly, surveying the crowd. You let out a breath as Jungwoo pats your shoulder, silently encouraging you to go comfort your student.
You walk down the stairs, moving out of the way as Jaehyun and Doyoung come up after waiting for you. They walk straight to Jungwoo, whose face contorts in confusion. Before he can say anything, Jaehyun points a finger at him.
"You're confessing. Tonight. After the show. We'd better see you guys walk in holding hands during dinner tonight." Jaehyun sternly says, and Doyoung nods. Jungwoo stands stunned as the two walk away, then stares at you as you approach Jaehee.
"Hey," you start, and Jaehee jumps, closing the door. "You okay?"
You watch Jaehee's hands fidget as they play with a string on his pants, his ears and cheeks turning pink, and the slight shiver of his teeth. He nods without making eye contact. You clasp your hand onto his shoulder, forcing him to look into your eyes, hoping he tells you the truth.
"I'm just scared. I need to get rid of my stage fright, but sometimes I can't help it. And I've never been the main character, especially in front of so many people." He confesses.
"Jaehee, your nervousness shows how much you care. I've always seen how nervous you are before presentations, but then I get to see how you let that motivate you to do your best. You're incredibly talented, and before the show starts, I wanted to thank you for how much you've done for this club. You've given Mr. Kim and me the ability to become close to each other and to all of you guys, as well as to all the other staff who want to see this show. You're the reason why there is a nice, sibling-like relationship between you, the boys, and the girls of the club. All the parents and students are out there for their own reasons, but they also want to see you, and we all know you'll do an amazing job."
You notice the sudden confidence in the student before you. He's no longer slouching, his eyes are wide, and the smile on his face tells you your words worked on him.
He quickly hugs you, catching you off guard, before you reciprocate. Jungwoo smiles from where he's standing and only snaps out of it as he hears the curtains start to close. You and Jaehee look toward the stage, and you can see Jungwoo motioning for you two to return backstage as people will be seated soon.
"Let's go." You smile at Jaehee, who nods and walks towards the stairs, ready to take on the stage.
You've never heard such a loud roar from an audience until your students all bowed in front of them. You found it cute that the standing ovation was started by their friends before all the parents and teachers in the audience joined in.
Jaehee and Liz dragged you and Jungwoo out on the stage during the applause, and you held each other's hands as you bowed, ignoring the smirks on the faces of all the staff, Haechan especially.
The kids have left after cleaning, hugging you both tightly. You tried to hold back tears, feeling loved as Jungwoo encouraged the kids to express their appreciation for you.
Jaehyun, Doyoung, Haechan, Taeyong, and Johnny were on their way to the restaurant to have a drink early, while you and Jungwoo stayed behind to make sure the auditorium was fully cleaned for the weekend. You turn off the backstage lights and make your way to center stage, taking a moment to rest and bask in the silence.
"I can't believe we pulled that off. I knew they were talented, and it makes me sad that we're done." You sigh, looking at the empty seats in front of you. Jungwoo stares at the way the stage lights illuminate you, feeling as if you were a work of art that he gets to admire alone.
"I'm proud of all of us." He smiles before wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, "I'll remember all of these memories, but to be honest, my favourite part about being in this club was all the time we spent together."
You look over at Jungwoo, who is standing to the side of the stage, and you wonder if he meant spending time with everyone or just with you. Your question is answered, however, once you see the look of adoration in his eyes. His eyes shine in a way that isn't from the bright stage light.
He starts walking toward you in the middle of the stage, and you blush at the determined look in his eyes. "I'm so happy you asked me to be part of your club, Y/N. I wanted to get close to you since the day we met. I think I've liked you since then, and Jaehyun and Doyoung are so mad at me for not doing anything since."
You laugh at his words and look at his hands, which seem to be twitching as he hesitates to hold yours. You bring your hands to his and look up into his eyes, smiling softly.
"I like you too, Jungwoo. Even if you weren't good at singing and dancing, I would have asked you anyway just to get closer to you." You joke, making him giggle.
Jungwoo stares at you with a pleading look in his eyes, which you never realized resembled a dog till then. You lean up slightly, and he takes that movement as permission, bringing his lips down to you.
His lips are plush as they peck yours for a few seconds before he goes back in with a firmer kiss. He takes his hands out of yours to put them on your neck, and you put yours on his sides.
You pull away from the kiss, and Jungwoo opens his eyes, pouting. You jokingly roll your eyes before you peck him again, but he grabs the back of your head to keep you on his lips as he kisses you harder, which you melt into.
Signaling to stop the kiss, you squeeze his arm, and he pulls away immediately. "I really want to keep kissing you, but I'm so hungry." You softly say as you caress his cheek with your thumb, and he laughs silently.
"Let's go, then. The guys are gonna be happy about this." Jungwoo chirps as he grabs both your bags with one hand and places his other hand in yours, leading you to his car.
The following Monday, Jungwoo waits on your chair while you pack your stuff up. He watches as you arrange papers to mark in a binder to take home. He can't help but be really close to you, his cheek nuzzling into your sweater.
"You wanna stay over at my house?" He asks, and you smile.
"As much as I want to," You reply, "I'm too lazy to pack my things to bring to your house for the week."
"Well, I can pack my stuff and stay at your place?" He offers, and you turn to face him. "If you say no, then I'm gonna be really hurt." He pouts again. You think he's figured out that you can't resist his pout.
"I wasn't gonna say no in the first place." You say, placing your hand on his cheek, feeling it puff as he smiles.
"NO FUCKING WAY." You jump slightly away from Jungwoo as you both whip your heads toward the door, where Riku's voice came from.
All the students from your club stand together with their jaws dropped, and you can see Yushi and Rei holding frames, turned so that you can't see what's in them.
"You guys are finally dating?" Yujin exclaims, and everyone's shock has simmered into happiness.
"Oh... yeah." You answer embarrassedly, and Jungwoo quietly laughs at your awkwardness as he scoots his chair over to you.
"I feel like I shouldn't be seeing this." Jaehee mutters, but you can tell he's lying from the smile still evident on his face.
"We're so happy for you!" Gaeul exclaims, and you blush. You can hear Wonyoung and Sion laugh at your shyness.
"Give them the thing!" Wonyoung urges Yushi and Rei, and they jump, having forgotten the gifts in their hands.
All the kids walk up to you and your boyfriend. You look at each other in curiosity, wondering what they have for you. Yushi and Rei turn their frames around, and you let out a light gasp.
In each frame, there are small notes of appreciation for you and Jungwoo, as well as polaroids and drawings of everyone in the club together, including some where you and Jungwoo look at each other lovingly.
"You're gonna make us both cry again." Jungwoo scolds as he gets up to stand closer to you, inspecting each frame.
"We all had photos, and Yushi and Rei had drawings, so we decided to put them all together and give you something to remember us by. It was actually Jaehee's idea." Liz explains. You smile at all of them, taking the frames from the two students and placing them on your desk before bringing everyone in for a group hug. Jungwoo joins too, placing one arm around your waist.
"You guys are the best, thank you." You express, looking at everyone before landing on Jaehee, who smiles back.
"We had so much fun thanks to you and Mr. Kim." Riku says before the kids start to leave, waving at you and Jungwoo.
"They're the sweetest." You swoon, looking over the frames, and put your head on Jungwoo's shoulder.
"All because of you." Jungwoo whispers fondly, kissing your forehead.
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