#soobin smut

[dryhumpr]

he makes me feel comfortable

[honeybinie]

˙⋆✮ Homeroom Hearts ˙⋆✮

Chapter 10: Worlds Collided

Wc: 8,844

pairing: idol!soobin × kindergarten teacher!f!reader

genre: idol romance, strangers to lovers, slow burn, toothrotting fluff (like sickly sweet), angst (barely!), secret relationship, slice of life, smut (later)

cw: idol/fan dynamic, secret dating, emotional pining, media scrutiny, jealousy, eventual mature themes/smut, emotional angst, updates warnings as needed.

⋆HH masterlist⋆ Prev chapter

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The second you opened the front door, you knew you weren't going to get away with it. Not that you were exactly trying to or possibly could for that fact. Your clothes were still damp from the walk home, the fabric clinging uncomfortably in places and your hair still holding onto droplets from the rain. You could feel the coolness of it against your skin as you stepped inside, leaving a faint trail of water behind you.

And now you are home. Still smiling. Still thinking about him.

The apartment was quiet except for the low hum of the television coming from the living room. The last glimpses of sunlight spilled through the windows in pink and orange hues, catching on the damp strands of hair framing your face.

Nara was curled up on the couch beneath the same blanket she'd claimed that morning, one leg tucked underneath her as she scrolled through her phone. She looked up. Her eyes traveled from your damp hair, to your soaked sleeves, to the smile you were very unsuccessfully trying to hide. Her eyebrows slowly lifted.

"What happened to you?"

You glanced down at yourself. "...Rain." Halfway shrugging your shoulders up as if it was obvious. 

Nara stared at you. "I can see that."

You laughed quietly as you shut the door behind you, the soft click of the lock echoing through the otherwise quiet apartment.

For a moment, you simply stood there. Water still clung to the ends of your hair, occasionally slipping down the back of your neck. Your sleeves were damp, the fabric of your clothes still cool against your skin, and your shoes made a faint, squeaking sound against the floor as you shifted your weight.

You could still feel the warmth of Soobin's hand in yours. Still hear the quiet laughter you'd shared on the walk home. Still remember the way he'd looked at you and the kiss he pressed to your forehead before finally letting you step through your front door.

You smiled again without meaning to. From the couch, Nara noticed. "He walked me home." That was all it took. Nara's phone slowly lowered into her lap.

Her eyes moved over you again, taking in your damp hair, the rain-darkened fabric of your clothes, and most importantly, the expression you hadn't been able to wipe off your face since you'd left him.

"He did?"

You nodded, slipping off your damp shoes and setting them beside the door.

"Mhm."

Nara didn't answer right away. She simply watched you. There was something almost suspicious in the way her eyes narrowed as she looked you over, as though she were piecing together a puzzle you hadn't realized you'd been leaving clues for.

"And you're smiling like that because..."

You felt your cheeks warm. You turned toward the hallway, hoping you could escape before she finished the sentence.

"Nara."

The couch cushions shifted behind you. She stood. "No."

You glanced back over your shoulder. "No what?"

"You are not walking away from me looking like that." Throwing an accusing finger pointed to you. 

You bit back a laugh.

"Like what?"

"Like you just had the best day of your life."

You looked down, suddenly very interested in the damp hem of your sleeve.

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to." She crossed her arms, watching you with an increasingly amused smile. "Your face is saying it for you."

A laugh escaped you despite yourself. "Nara, I'm soaking wet."

"I can see that." She gestured vaguely toward you. "You're leaving little rain puddles everywhere."

You glanced down. Sure enough, tiny droplets had collected beneath your shoes, and a few had already fallen from your hair onto the floor. "I need to change." You started toward the hallway again.

"You can change after you tell me."

You stopped. Slowly, you turned around. Nara was still standing beside the couch, arms folded, looking far too pleased with herself. "You've been waiting all day for this, haven't you?"

"Absolutely."

"You're impossible." You shook your head, but your smile only grew.

"And you're smiling."

You looked away, unable to hide it anymore. "I know." Something about those two words made Nara's expression change.

Her teasing smile disappeared. Her eyes widened. She stared at you for a long second.

"Oh my God."

You laughed softly, finally giving up any hope of keeping it to yourself. "We kissed."

The words barely had time to settle before Nara's entire face lit up. For a moment, she simply stood there. Then she grabbed the nearest pillow, buried her face into it, and let out a muffled scream so loud that you burst into laughter.

You covered your mouth, trying to contain yourself as you hurried down the hallway. "Please calm down!"

"I WILL NOT!" Her voice followed you through the apartment, accompanied by another muffled scream from behind the pillow. You shook your head as you disappeared into your bedroom, still smiling so hard your cheeks hurt.

And somehow saying it out loud made it feel even more real. You had kissed Soobin. And you were still smiling about it.

You changed into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, tossing your damp clothes into the hamper before making your way back toward the living room.

Nara was exactly where you'd left her. Still on the couch. Still clutching the pillow. And, judging by the expression on her face, nowhere near finished.

The second she saw you, she sat up straighter. "Okay." You stopped at the edge of the hallway. "I need details."

You laughed. "There aren't that many details."

"There are enough." She moved over, patting the empty spot beside her. "Come here."

"Nara..." You hesitated.

"Come. Here." You sighed, but a smile tugged at your lips as you crossed the room and dropped onto the couch beside her. She immediately turned toward you. "So." You already knew that tone. "How did it happen?"

You looked down at your hands. The memory returned so easily that you could almost hear the rain again. "It was raining."

"I gathered that."

"We were standing under this little gazebo." Nara's expression softened as she listened. "We'd been talking for a while."

"About?"

You smiled. "Us."

"Us?" Her eyebrows lifted.

You nodded. "We talked about yesterday." Nara leaned back slightly. You took a slow breath. "We both admitted we hadn't imagined it."

"Okay." She smiled.

"And then he told me..." You paused, remembering his voice. "...that he didn't want to wait until Friday to see me again."

Nara's smile grew. "That's pretty cute."

"I know."

"And then?"

You laughed quietly. "And then he asked if he was going to get interrupted again." Nara's eyes widened.

"No."

"Yes."

"That's adorable."

"I know." You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, your cheeks warming at the memory. "And then we kissed."

Nara studied your face. "What was it like?" She asked softly. 

The question made you pause. Not because you didn't know. Because you did. "It was..." You searched for the right word. "Easy."

Nara smiled. "Easy?"

You nodded. "It didn't feel scary." Your fingers intertwined loosely in your lap. "It felt like we'd been trying not to do it for so long that when it finally happened, it just..." You smiled. "Made sense."

Nara's expression softened completely. "You're really happy."

"I am. The happiest I’ve been  in a while" You looked at her. There was no hesitation. No nervous laugh. No attempt to convince yourself otherwise. You were simply happy.

Nara reached over and squeezed your arm. "Then I'm happy for you."

You leaned your head against her shoulder for a moment. "Thank you."

She rested her cheek against the top of your head. "Although..."

"Here we go." You already knew.

She pulled back. "If he breaks your heart, I'll find him."  You laughed at this "I'm serious. I don’t care how many fancams I’ve watched or the fact that I know every song."

"I know." You squeezed your best friend lovingly. At that moment your phone buzzed from the coffee table. You both looked toward it. You already knew who it was.

Nara grinned. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." You reached for your phone, unlocking it as your heart gave that familiar little flutter.

Soobin: Did you get settled in?

You smiled at the fact he was checking in on you so soon from seeing him. 

You: Just changed. I'm finally warm again.

A reply appeared almost immediately.

Soobin: Good. I was worried you were going to stay soaked all night.

You laughed softly. Nara peeked over your shoulder. "He's worried about you."

Another message appeared.

Soobin: I had a really nice time with you today.

You stared at the screen for a moment before typing.

You: Me too. Really nice.

The typing bubble appeared. Then disappeared. Then appeared again. Your heart fluttered. Finally his response popped up. 

Soobin: Would it be too soon if I asked to see you tomorrow?

You looked up from the phone. Nara was already smiling. "Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to."

She shrugged. "Maybe."

You looked back at the message. Yesterday, you would've wondered whether seeing him again so soon meant something. Today, you didn't need to wonder. You wanted to see him. Your fingers moved across the screen.

You: Not too soon. Never too soon with you. 

A moment later, his response appeared.

Soobin: Good. I'll pick you up tomorrow?

You: I'd like that very much :))

You set your phone down against your chest, staring up at the ceiling. Nara watched you.

"You're really gone."

You turned your head toward her. "What? I am not!"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders teasingly. You narrowed your eyes. "Nara."

She laughed. "I'm just happy for you." You couldn't help smiling again.

For so long, Soobin had been someone you admired from a distance. Someone who existed on screens and posters and songs playing through your headphones. Now he was texting you from his own phone. Asking when he could see you again. And tomorrow suddenly couldn't come soon enough.

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Sunday afternoon came with a strange sense of anticipation. It wasn't the nervous kind you'd felt yesterday. Yesterday had been filled with questions. Today, there was only the quiet excitement of knowing you were going to see Soobin again. You stood in front of your mirror for what was probably longer than necessary, smoothing down the front of your sweater before stepping back to look at yourself. Nothing too fancy. Nothing that made it seem like you'd spent an unreasonable amount of time getting ready.

Just something comfortable. Something that felt like you. Your phone buzzed from the bed.

Soobin <3: I'm outside.

Your stomach fluttered. You grabbed your bag and hurried downstairs, finding him waiting near the curb. He was leaning casually against his car, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his attention wandering across the street until he noticed you.

The moment he did, his entire expression changed. A smile spread across his face. You couldn't help returning it.

"Hi."

"Hi."

For a second, neither of you moved. It was strange how different it felt seeing him today. Yesterday, you'd still been figuring out what the two of you were. Today, you knew. There was something between you. Something real.

Soobin pushed away from the car and stepped toward you. "How are you?"

"Good."

His eyes lingered on your face. "Good." His hand came up to brush a stray hair that had been pushed with the wind. 

You smiled and your cheeks warmed.

You looked away, pretending to adjust the strap of your bag. "Where are we going?"

He smiled, the familiar pools in his cheeks deepening as his lips curved upward. Your eyes immediately found them, lingering for a second longer than you probably should have.

There was something about seeing him like this relaxed, standing only a few feet away from you without the usual distance of a stage or screen between you that still felt strangely surreal. You caught yourself staring.

Soobin seemed to notice, his smile growing just a little as he tilted his head. "I thought we'd figure it out."

You blinked, pulling your attention away from his face and glancing toward the street instead. Cars passed occasionally behind him, the afternoon sunlight reflecting off their windows while a cool breeze stirred the leaves along the sidewalk.

"That's your plan?" you laughed.

He gave a small shrug, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket as though this were the most perfectly reasonable plan in the world.

"Pretty much. The only plan I had was I was going to be with you"

You shook your head, a quiet laugh escaping as you looked back at him.

"Very organized."

"I try." The corners of his mouth lifted again, and there was something so effortlessly amused in his expression that you couldn't help smiling with him. Maybe having no plan wasn't such a bad plan after all.

You climbed into the passenger seat after he held the car door open like the gentleman he was before he walked around to the driver's side. 

The drive was easy. There was no pressure to fill every second with conversation. Music played quietly through the speakers while sunlight slipped between the trees and moved across the dashboard. Every now and then, you caught yourself looking over at him. And every time, he seemed to notice.

"What?" His voice pulled you back from your thoughts. You hadn't even realized you'd been looking at him again.

A small smile tugged at your lips as you shook your head. "Nothing."

Soobin watched you for another second, his expression shifting into something quietly amused. The sunlight coming through the windshield caught along the side of his face, highlighting the soft curve of his smile.

"You keep looking at me." There was no accusation in his voice. If anything, he sounded pleased by it.

You glanced down at your hands, suddenly aware of the warmth creeping into your cheeks. "So do you."

That earned you a pause. His eyebrows lifted slightly, as though he hadn't expected you to call him out on it. Then his lips curved into a slow smile. "Fair."

You laughed softly, turning your attention toward the passing scenery outside the window. But even as you watched the trees blur beyond the glass, you could still feel his eyes on you. And this time, neither of you bothered pretending otherwise. You turned toward the window, trying to hide your own smile.  

The afternoon passed without either of you needing a strict plan. You stopped for coffee. Walked through a small bookstore. Spent far too long looking at things neither of you needed.

At one point, you found yourself standing beside him in front of a display of children's books, picking up one with brightly colored illustrations. "This one would be perfect for my classroom." Soobin leaned closer to look at the cover.

You turned the book over in your hands, tracing your thumb along the edge of the colorful cover. Bright illustrations filled the front, the kind of cheerful artwork you already knew would have sixteen little hands reaching for it the second you placed it on your classroom's reading shelf.

"You think they'd like it?" Soobin stepped closer, leaning slightly over your shoulder to get a better look at the cover. His gaze moved over the illustrations before he looked back at you.

"They'd love it."

You smiled, imagining the inevitable excitement that would follow when your students realized there was a new book waiting for them.

"They're going to fight over who gets to read it first."

A quiet laugh escaped him. "Then we should get it."

You looked at him. "We?" The question made him glance back at you, almost as though he hadn't realized how naturally the word had slipped out.

He gave a small shrug, his hands tucked casually into his jacket pockets. "I want to contribute."

Something about the simplicity of his answer made your smile soften. You looked down at the book again, then back at him.

"You don't have to."

"I know." His voice was gentle, but certain. He reached out and carefully took the book from your hands, his fingers brushing yours in the process before leaning forward to press a quick kiss onto your hairline. "I want to."

For a moment, you simply watched him. There was no grand gesture behind it. No expectation. Just Soobin, standing in the middle of a quiet bookstore, holding a children's book because he wanted to give something to the little people he'd only recently met.

It was such a small thing. But somehow, it meant so much.

He glanced back at you before turning toward the register. "Come on." You followed him, your smile lingering as you watched him carry the book through the rows of shelves.

And as you walked beside him, you couldn't help thinking that maybe this was what you liked most about him. He never seemed interested in simply being a part of your life from a distance. He kept finding little ways to step closer. Something about the gesture warmed you more than it probably should have.

It wasn't really about the book. It was the fact that he remembered your classroom. Your students. The little world you'd invited him into. And now he seemed to want to leave a little piece of himself there.

Later, you found yourselves sitting at a quiet café near the park, your drinks cooling slowly between you as the conversation wandered. You talked about your week. He told you about his. You laughed over things that weren't particularly funny. You learned little things about each other that somehow felt more important now that you weren't wondering whether there was a future for the two of you.

At some point, the conversation began to slow. You were halfway through telling Soobin about something funny one of your students had done when you noticed he wasn't quite as focused on the conversation anymore. His attention had drifted toward the cup between his hands.

His thumb moved slowly along the cardboard sleeve, tracing the edge absentmindedly as his thoughts seemed to wander somewhere else. You paused.

"What?"

His eyes lifted to yours. "What?"

"You got quiet." For a moment, he simply looked at you. Then a small smile appeared, almost as though he'd been caught thinking about something he wasn't quite ready to say.

"I'm thinking."

You raised an eyebrow. "That's dangerous." A quiet laugh escaped him, and some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to disappear.

"Maybe." He glanced down again, slowly turning his cup between his hands. There was something different about his expression now. More thoughtful. A little hesitant. You waited without pressing him, watching as the sunlight from the nearby window fell across the table between you. 

Finally, he looked back up. "The guys know about you." You blinked. For a second, you weren't sure you'd heard him correctly.

"The guys?"

"My members."

Your eyebrows lifted slightly. "Oh." His smile widened at your reaction, and you could see the amusement beginning to return to his eyes.

"I've mentioned you."

You couldn't help laughing. "How much?"

"Not that much." The answer came a little too quickly, the tips of his ears immediately going pink. You gave him a skeptical look. He immediately laughed. "Okay." He lowered his gaze, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. "Maybe a little more than that."

You leaned back in your chair, folding your arms loosely across your chest. "And…What did you tell them?"

He thought for a moment. "Mostly about your students." Something in your expression softened immediately.

"The gifts?"

He nodded. "The gifts. Your classroom. How you met me."

You smiled, remembering how carefully he'd kept everything your students had given him. "And what else?"

That question made him pause. His fingers stopped moving around his cup. For just a moment, his eyes dropped toward the table. You watched him quietly, suddenly aware that whatever he was about to say mattered. Then he looked back at you.

"I told them I like you."

Your heart skipped.mThe words were simple. There was no dramatic confession behind them. He said them almost matter-of-factly, as though admitting it to his members had been the most natural thing in the world. Still, warmth immediately crept across your cheeks.

"You did?"

His eyes stayed on yours. "Yeah." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "They figured it out anyway."

You laughed softly, trying to ignore the way your heart was beating a little faster. "Apparently you're not very subtle."

He leaned back in his chair, his smile growing. "I never said I was."

You shook your head, your fingers wrapping around your drink as you tried to settle yourself. "So what does that mean?"

His expression softened. "They want to meet you." You paused. The words seemed to settle between you.

"Me?" You voice quiet and in shock at this revelation. 

He nodded. "They've been curious."

A nervous little laugh escaped you. "Why?"

His smile returned, but this time there was something almost shy about it. "Because I talk about you. And I’ve never talked about anyone like I do you, let alone someone I really like"

Your heart fluttered again.

You looked down at the table for a second, unable to stop the smile that had begun tugging at your lips. "So you've been telling them about me?"

"Only good things."

You looked back up. "I hope so."

His eyes softened. "I wouldn't tell them anything else." For a moment, neither of you said anything. His gaze stayed on yours. There was a warmth there that made you forget about the people moving around you, the half-finished drinks on the table, even the book sitting in the bag beside your chair.

Then his voice softened. "I'd like you to meet them." The invitation carried more weight than the words themselves. It wasn't just about meeting a group of people he'd mentioned in passing.

These were the people who knew him when the cameras were off. The people who had been beside him long before you ever knew his name. And now he wants you to meet them.

You swallowed, your fingers tightening slightly around your cup. "I'd like that." There was something different about the invitation. This wasn't Soobin stepping into your world. This was him opening the door to his.

His members.

His friends.

The people who knew him in a way you were only beginning to.

You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "I'd like that." You said again, sounding more sure this time. His shoulders relaxed slightly, as though he'd been waiting for your answer.

"Really?"

"Really." 

A smile spread across his face. "Good."

You took a slow sip of your drink, hoping the cold sweetness would do something to settle the nervous flutter that had suddenly taken up residence in your stomach.

Meeting his members and not because you and Nara scored lucky tickets to a fanmeet.  The thought alone felt strangely surreal.

You'd spent so much time knowing Soobin as the person on the other side of a screen that the idea of meeting the people who knew him best felt like stepping even further into a part of his life you had only ever imagined. 

Your fingers tightened slightly around your cup. Then you looked at him. "Can I bring Nara?"

A smile immediately spread across his face, softening his features. "Of course." The answer came so easily that some of the tension in your shoulders disappeared.

You smiled. "She'll probably be less nervous than I am."

Soobin laughed quietly, leaning back against his chair. "I think the guys might actually be more nervous."

You raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because they'll have to behave."

A laugh slipped from you. "You say that like they usually don't."

His smile widened. "They do." There was a brief pause. "Most of the time."

You narrowed your eyes playfully. "Should I be concerned?"

"Probably." You both laughed, the nervousness between you dissolving into something lighter. Soobin glanced down at his phone when it buzzed against the table. His eyebrows lifted slightly as he read the notification.

"What?"

He looked back at you. "They're asking what time I'm coming back."

You smiled. "Your members?"

He nodded. "They're having dinner at the dorm tonight." He hesitated for just a second before looking at you again. "You guys could come tonight."

Your heart gave a sudden little jump. "Tonight?"

"If you want."

You blinked. The invitation hadn't been what you'd expected. You'd imagined some carefully planned dinner sometime in the future, giving yourself plenty of time to prepare for the fact that you'd be meeting the people Soobin spent nearly every day with.

Not tonight. Not suddenly. But somehow, the spontaneity made it feel less intimidating. You glanced down at your drink.

"I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't." His voice was gentle. Reassuring. "They'll be happy you're coming."

You looked back at him. "And Nara?"

"Bring her."

A smile slowly spread across your face. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." He reached for his phone again, typing something quickly. A moment later, his eyes lifted toward you. "I'll tell them you're coming."

Your stomach fluttered again. "They're going to know?"

He laughed. "They already know."

You covered your face for a second, laughing. "That's not helping."

"I think you'll be okay."

"You say that now."

"I'll be there."

Something about those three words made your nerves settle. He'd be there. You wouldn't be walking into his world alone. You smiled.

"Okay."

His smile returned.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He nodded, looking almost relieved. "I'll pick you up later."

You tilted your head. "You're picking me up again?"

"Of course."

"You know I can drive." You laughed softly.

"I know." He smiled. "But I want to."

There it was again. That quiet certainty. That way he had of saying things so simply that arguing didn't seem worth the effort. You shook your head, smiling.

"Fine."

He grinned. You glanced down at the time on your phone. The afternoon was already beginning to slip toward evening, sunlight warming the windows of the café as the sky outside slowly shifted toward softer shades of gold.

Somewhere between finishing your drink and deciding what you were going to wear later, the reality of what you'd agreed to began sinking in. Tonight, you'd be sitting around a dinner table with the people Soobin had grown up alongside.

The people who knew his habits, his jokes, his embarrassing stories.

The people he'd apparently already told about you.

And you were going to meet them.

Not because of a fansign.

Not because you were his fan.

Not because you happened to be the kindergarten teacher whose students had made him gifts.

But because you were becoming someone important enough for him to bring into his world.

You looked across the table at him.

He was already watching you.

The afternoon light had begun to soften through the windows, casting a warm glow across the café as the last few customers quietly gathered their things around you.

"What?"

"Nothing." You smiled.

His eyes narrowed playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me."

You felt your cheeks warm. "So do you."

His smile deepened. "Fair." For a moment, neither of you said anything. You simply sat there, looking at each other across the small table, the sounds of the café fading into the background. Then Soobin leaned forward slightly.

Your breath caught. He glanced around briefly, almost instinctively checking the room before looking back at you.

"Come here." The words were quiet enough that you almost wondered if you'd imagined them. You leaned toward him. He met you halfway, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

It was brief. Sweet. Nothing like the nervous uncertainty of your first kiss. There was no hesitation this time. Just warmth.

When he pulled away, he stayed close for another second, his forehead nearly brushing yours. A smile immediately spread across your face.

"So that's why you kept looking at me?" You questioned him teasingly. 

"Maybe." He laughed softly.

You shook your head, trying to hide your own smile. "You're ridiculous."

"And you like me."

You looked at him. "...Maybe."

His dimples appeared. "Fair."

And just like that, the nerves didn't seem quite so overwhelming anymore. Neither of you knew it yet, but the invitation meant more than simply meeting a few people. It was another small step into each other's lives. You'd already welcomed him into your classroom. Soon, you'd be meeting the people who had known him long before you ever did. And instead of feeling like you were crossing into a world that didn't belong to you, You were beginning to feel like he was making a place for you in it.

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By the time Soobin dropped you off with another sweet kiss to your forehead, you had filled Nara in on the last-minute (but very important) dinner plans you both had. It was of course met with a screaming Nara, fussing about how short notice “one of the most important nights of her life” was, and approximately four crashouts over what to wear.

You'd barely made it through the front door before she was already disappearing down the hallway, opening and closing her closet doors with increasing desperation. "I don't have anything to wear." She groaned loudly. You leaned against the doorframe, watching another shirt land on the growing pile at the foot of her bed.

"You have an entire closet."

"Exactly."

You blinked. "How does that make this worse?"

"Because now I have too many options."

You laughed, shaking your head as you pushed yourself away from the doorframe. "It's just dinner."

Nara stopped rummaging through her clothes. She slowly turned toward you. "Just dinner?" Her expression was almost offended. "You're about to introduce me to TXT."

You bit back a laugh. "You're acting like you're meeting royalty."

"I might as well be." She disappeared back into her closet. You shook your head, leaving her to her crisis as you headed toward your own room. Your own nerves were beginning to settle in now that you were home. Or at least, that was what you told yourself. The moment Soobin had suggested dinner, excitement had been much easier to focus on than the nerves. Now that you were actually getting ready, though, the reality of it was beginning to sink in.

You were going to meet his members. Not through a screen. Not from the audience at a concert. Not as a fan standing in a crowd. You were going to walk into their home and sit down at their dinner table. And they already knew about you.

That thought alone was enough to make your stomach flutter.

You changed your outfit twice. Then a third time, finally settling to wear something comfortable rather than performative. By the time you stepped back into the hallway, Nara was standing in front of the mirror, carefully fixing an earring while her discarded clothing covered half the bed behind her. You stopped in the doorway.

"You look fine." 

She turned toward you. "Fine?"

"Good."

"Better."

You laughed. "Very good."

She narrowed her eyes. "You look good too."

You glanced down at yourself. "Thank you." Laughing at her reassurance over your simple jeans and white top. 

"Okay." She grabbed her bag from the bed. "Then we're ready."

You checked the time on your phone. "We still have ten minutes."

Nara's eyes widened. "That's not enough time."

"Ten minutes is plenty."

"It is absolutely not."

You laughed as she hurried toward the living room, checking her reflection in the hallway mirror one final time. Your phone buzzed. You pulled it from your pocket.

Soobin <3: I'm outside whenever you're ready.

A small smile immediately appeared on your face. You typed back.

You: We're coming down now!

You slipped your phone into your bag and looked toward Nara. "He's here." She froze.

"Already?"

You nodded. Her entire expression changed.

"Oh my God."

"Nara.” You laughed.

"I know, I know." She grabbed her bag. "I'm ready. I think"

The two of you headed downstairs together, and the moment you stepped outside, you spotted Soobin waiting by the curb. He was standing beside his car with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his attention drifting toward the building until the doors opened. His eyes found you almost immediately. A smile spread across his face. You couldn't help returning it.

"Hi."

"Hi." His gaze briefly moved toward Nara. "Hi, Nara."

"Hey Soobin." She smiled.

Soobin stepped around the car and opened the passenger door for you.

The simple gesture made your cheeks warm and you were met with your best friend teasingly waggling her eyebrows up and down at you. 

"Ready?"

You glanced toward Nara. She gave you a small, reassuring nod. You looked back at him.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

His smile deepened. "I'll take that."

You climbed into the passenger seat, and Nara settled into the back. As Soobin closed the door and walked around to the driver's side, you caught your reflection faintly in the window. You were smiling.

Nervous, definitely. But smiling. A moment later, he climbed in beside you and started the car. His hand briefly settled over yours on the center console. Just for a second. A quiet reassurance.

You glanced at him. He looked over, his expression soft.

"You okay?"

You nodded. "Yeah."

His thumb brushed lightly over the back of your hand before he returned his attention to the road. "They're going to love you." You smiled.

"You're very confident about that."

"I am."

From the back seat, Nara leaned forward slightly. "He's right." You laughed.

"You're supposed to be nervous with me."

"I was." She settled back into her seat. "Then I realized I'm going to be too busy being excited." Soobin laughed quietly.

The city lights began to blur past the windows as he drove, the three of you slowly making your way toward the dorm. And with every passing block, the reality of where you were going became a little harder to ignore. You were about to meet the people who knew Soobin best. And this time, you weren't meeting him by chance. You were being brought into his world.

The elevator seemed to take forever. You stood between Soobin and Nara, your fingers curled loosely around the strap of your bag as the numbers above the doors slowly changed. You glanced at the glowing display. Then at Soobin. Then back at the display.

He noticed. "You okay?"

"Yeah." You let out a quiet breath. Not even convincing yourself at the way the word comes out of your mouth. His eyes stayed on you for another second.

"You've said that three times."

You smiled sheepishly. "Because I am."

"Mhm." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. You suddenly felt the warmth of his much larger hand enveloping your slightly trembling one. You looked at him.

You narrowed your eyes. "You don't believe me."

"I believe you." The corner of his mouth lifted. "I just think you're nervous."

You sighed. "Maybe a little."

From beside you, Nara gave a quiet laugh. "A little?"

You turned toward her. "You're supposed to be helping."

"I am." She smiled. "I'm reminding you that you're not the only nervous one."

Soobin glanced between you both. "Trust me, they're nervous too." The elevator chimed before you could respond. The doors slid open. Soobin stepped out first, his hand slipping from yours before turning back to make sure you and Nara were following.

The hallway was quiet, with warm light spilling from the fixtures overhead. You could hear faint sounds coming from farther down the hall. Voices, laughter, the muffled sound of something playing from inside the dorm.

Your stomach flipped. Soobin noticed your expression. He slowed his steps until you were walking beside him. "It's okay." You looked at him. He gave you a small smile. "They're just excited to meet you."

You nodded.

He reached for your hand again.  His fingers slipped comfortably between yours, and the simple gesture immediately made some of the tension leave your shoulders. You squeezed his hand.

"Thank you." You whispered quietly to him. 

"For what?"

"For making this less scary."

His expression softened. "You don't have to be scared." He gave your hand a gentle squeeze. Before you could answer, he stopped in front of the door.

You looked at it. Then at him. He smiled. "Ready?" You took a breath.

"Ready."

Soobin opened the door. The noise from inside immediately became louder. Conversation. Laughter. The clatter of dishes. Someone calling something from another room. It felt warm and lived-in in a way you hadn't expected.

Soobin stepped inside first. "Guys?" The room quieted. Not completely. But enough.

You stayed close behind him, suddenly very aware of the fact that you were about to meet everyone.

One by one, faces turned toward the doorway. For a brief second, you froze. Then Yeonjun smiled. "Finally." 

You blinked.

A laugh escaped another member. Taehyun looked at you kindly. The warmth of his kindness already radiating off of him.  

"So this is her?"

You felt your cheeks warm immediately. Soobin glanced back at you, looking far too amused. "Yes." 

Nara leaned slightly closer to you. "Okay," she whispered. "They're already making this less terrifying." You fought back a laugh. Soobin stepped aside, giving you a little more room.

"This is Y/N and—" Before he could finish introducing you, Kai stepped forward with a friendly smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

You smiled back. "You too." The greeting was simple. Normal. And somehow, that was exactly what you needed.

Beomgyu waved from the dining area. "Come in. Dinner's almost ready." You looked toward Soobin. He gave you an encouraging nod. You stepped farther inside.

The apartment was warmer than you'd expected, filled with the smell of food and the comfortable mess of people who clearly lived together. A few jackets had been tossed over the backs of chairs, shoes were scattered near the entrance, and the dining table was already crowded with dishes.

It didn't feel glamorous.mIt felt like home. And that made your nerves ease more than anything else could have.

Nara stepped in behind you. "Hi, I'm Nara. I’m Y/N’s bestfriend" A few of them greeted her at once, and she immediately relaxed into conversation.

You looked around the room again. This was Soobin's world. The people here knew the version of him you were still learning about. The version who laughed too loudly at something stupid. The version who probably stole food from other people's plates. The version who didn't have to think about how he stood or smiled or spoke. And you were being allowed to see it.

Soobin came to stand beside you again. His shoulder brushed yours. "How’re you feeling?"

You looked up at him. This time, your smile came easily. "Like I was silly to even be nervous in the first place." He smiled back.

"Good." Then someone from across the room called his name. "Soobin, come help!" He sighed. "I knew this was going to happen." You laughed. He glanced at you before walking away. "I'll be right back."

You watched him disappear toward the kitchen, surrounded almost immediately by the others. Nara appeared beside you. She leaned closer. "Okay." 

You looked at her. "What?" She smiled.

"I get it now."

"Get what?" You laughed softly.

She glanced toward Soobin, who was currently being handed something by one of the members while another tried to steal food from the counter. "Why you like him so much." Your smile softened as you watched him laugh.

"Yeah." You looked around the room. "I think I do too."

Nara had barely finished introducing herself when a voice from somewhere near the kitchen caught her attention. "You're Nara, right?" She turned. Beomgyu was leaning against the edge of the counter, one hand loosely wrapped around a glass as he looked at her with an easy smile.

Nara nodded. "Yeah."

"I've heard about you."

Her eyebrows lifted. "You have?" Beomgyu's smile widened.

"Apparently, you're the one who keeps her sane. Soobin also mentioned that you’re apparently the girl version of me"

Nara glanced toward you. You were busy watching Soobin attempt to help with dinner, completely unaware of the conversation happening behind you.

"Someone has to."

Beomgyu laughed. It was a warm, unrestrained sound that made Nara smile before she could stop herself. "That's a pretty big responsibility."

"Trust me." She folded her arms, her tone playful. "It's a full-time job."

He laughed again, his eyes lingering on her for just a second longer than necessary. "I believe it." For a moment, neither of them said anything. It was brief. Barely noticeable. But when Beomgyu looked away, Nara found herself still watching him. She quickly turned back toward the table.

You glanced at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Your eyes narrowed at her lack of an answer. That answer also sounded suspiciously familiar. Nara gave you an innocent smile. "Go help your boyfriend."

You blinked. "He's not—" You stopped yourself.

Nara's grin widened. "Exactly."

Before you could respond, Beomgyu called from across the room. "Nara?" She looked over "Can you help me with these?" He gestured toward a stack of plates.

Nara walked over, trying very hard not to look as pleased as she suddenly felt. "Sure." As she reached for the plates, their hands brushed. Both of them paused for half a second. Beomgyu looked at her. Nara looked at him. Then he smiled. "So... full-time job, huh?"

She laughed. "Unfortunately."

"I think you might be good at it."

Nara shook her head, smiling as she carried the plates toward the table. "Don't encourage me." He watched her walk away before quietly laughing to himself. Neither of them noticed Soobin watching from the other side of the kitchen.

He looked from Beomgyu to Nara. Then toward you. A knowing little smile appeared on his face. Maybe tonight was going to be more interesting than he'd expected.

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You eventually found yourself sitting back from the table, your hands wrapped loosely around your glass as you watched everything happening around you. It was strange.

Not uncomfortable strange. Just... surreal.

When you'd first walked through the door, you'd expected to feel like an outsider. You'd expected to sit quietly beside Soobin, carefully choosing every word you said and wondering whether you were taking up too much space in a room that wasn't yours.

Instead, somewhere between dinner being served and everyone talking over each other, you'd almost forgotten to be nervous. Your eyes wandered around the table.

Nara was currently in the middle of a story, her hands moving animatedly as she explained something that had happened at work. Beomgyu was listening with an amused smile, occasionally interrupting with a question that somehow made the story even more ridiculous.

You couldn't help smiling as you watched them. They'd known each other for approximately an hour. And somehow, they were already arguing like they'd been doing it for years.

Across the table, another conversation was happening entirely separately.

Kai was trying to convince Yeonjun that a particular food was better than the one he'd chosen, while Yeonjun stubbornly defended his original choice. Taehyun glancing back and forth between the member amusingly. 

"You haven't even tried it."

"I don't need to."

"How do you know?"

"I have instincts."

Taehyun eventually joined in on the teasing. 

And then you looked toward Soobin. He was sitting beside you, watching the chaos unfold with an expression of quiet amusement. His eyes met yours. You smiled. He smiled back. It was such a small exchange that no one else seemed to notice.

But you did. You noticed everything about him now.

The way his shoulders shook when he tried not to laugh.

The way he looked down when someone teased him.

The way his eyes crinkled whenever he genuinely found something funny.

And you realized something as you looked around the table. This wasn't just his world anymore.

Not entirely.

Because somehow, yours was sitting right here too.

Nara was laughing with his members like she'd known them longer than one evening.

His members were asking you questions about your classroom.

Soobin was listening to stories about your life while you listened to stories about his.

The two worlds you'd once thought could never possibly overlap were sitting around the same table, passing dishes back and forth and laughing over dinner.

These two world colliding shouldn't have worked this easily. But it did.

Someone reached across the table for a dish and accidentally knocked into another person's glass.

"Careful!"

"I didn't do anything."

"You almost spilled it."

"Almost doesn't count."

"It absolutely counts."

Nara laughed.

"You guys are children."

The entire table went quiet for half a second. Then everyone started laughing. You covered your mouth, trying not to choke on your drink.

Soobin leaned toward you, his shoulder brushing yours. "I told you."

You looked at him.

"Told me what?"

"They're a lot."

You glanced around the table.

Beomgyu was still arguing his point. Nara was laughing at him. Someone else had started a completely unrelated conversation. Another voice was calling Soobin's name from the kitchen.

You smiled. "I think I like them."

His expression softened. "Yeah?"

You nodded. "Yeah." He looked around the table before turning back toward you.

"They like you too."

Something warm settled in your chest. You looked down at your hands, suddenly feeling a little shy beneath his gaze. Then Nara's voice cut through the moment.

"Okay, I have a question." Everyone looked toward her. She pointed toward Soobin. "Is he always this quiet?" Soobin's eyebrows shot up. You burst out laughing.

"Nara!"

"What?" She looked completely innocent. 

"Actually, that's a good question." Beomgyu immediately joined in.

Soobin stared at them. "Why am I being attacked?"

"You brought her here," Beomgyu said.

"So this is my fault?" He laughed incredulously

"Completely."

Nara nodded. "Agreed."

You laughed so hard your stomach hurt. Soobin looked at you, pretending to be offended. "And you're laughing too?"

You tried to compose yourself. "I'm sorry." You weren't. He knew you weren't. His expression cracked into a smile.

"Traitor."

You smiled at him. And as everyone around you dissolved into another round of laughter, you leaned back in your chair and let yourself take it all in.

The noise.

The warmth.

The teasing.

The comfortable chaos.

For the first time, you weren't thinking about how impossible this all should have been. You were simply sitting in the middle of it. And somehow, it felt right.

Dinner had slowly begun to wind down.

The table was still scattered with empty plates and half-finished drinks, but the energy in the room had shifted into something quieter and more relaxed. A few of the members had migrated toward the living room, their voices mixing with the occasional burst of laughter coming from the other side of the apartment.

Nara was still talking with Beomgyu near the kitchen. You weren't entirely sure what they were talking about anymore. Your attention had been stolen by the person sitting beside you. Soobin had been unusually quiet for the last few minutes. Not uncomfortable quiet. Just... thoughtful. You glanced over at him. He was already looking at you.

"What?"

A small smile appeared on his face. "Nothing."

You laughed softly. "You've said that about five times tonight."

"I know." His eyes lingered on yours. "I just like looking at you."

Your cheeks warmed. You looked down at your hands, trying to hide your smile. "So you keep saying."

"Because it's true." There was something about the way he said it that made your heart flutter. He leaned back slightly in his chair, glancing toward the living room before looking at you again. "Do you want to see something?"

You looked at him. "What?"

"My room." He answered simply as if those two words didn’t immediately make your heart stumble. 

Your eyebrows lifted slightly. "Your room?"

He nodded, suddenly looking a little more sheepish. "Yeah."

You glanced toward the others. "Is that okay?" He smiled.

"They'll survive without me for five minutes."

You laughed quietly. "Okay." He stood first, pushing his chair back carefully so it didn't scrape too loudly against the floor. He waited for you to stand before leading you down the short hallway. The further you walked, the quieter the apartment became. The sounds of conversation faded behind you until they were little more than muffled voices.

Soobin stopped in front of a door and turned toward you. "Don't judge."

You smiled. "I wasn't planning on it."

He opened the door. His room was... exactly what you should have expected and somehow nothing like what you'd imagined. It was comfortable. Quiet.

There were little pieces of his life scattered naturally throughout the space—books stacked neatly on a shelf, his glasses and framed photos of what looks like schoolmates sitting on his desk, clothes folded over the back of a chair, and small decorations and figures he'd collected over time. It didn't feel like the room of someone whose face was recognized by millions. It simply felt like his room.

A place where he could close the door and just be Soobin.

You stepped inside slowly. "It's nice."

He leaned against the doorframe. "Really?"

You nodded. "It feels like you."

He smiled. "What does that mean?"

You glanced around again. "I don't know." You laughed softly. "It's just... cozy."

His smile widened. "I'll take that."

You wandered toward his desk, looking at a few things sitting there without touching anything. "Do you spend a lot of time in here?"

"When I can." He stepped farther into the room. "It's usually the only place where it's actually quiet."

You laughed at that. "I can imagine."

He smiled. "You met them."

"That's true." You turned toward him. "They're really funny."

"They're a lot."

"I like them."

His expression softened. "I'm glad." You stood there for a moment, the two of you simply looking at each other.

The room suddenly felt smaller. Quieter. You could hear the faint sounds of the others somewhere beyond the closed door, but they seemed impossibly far away. Soobin took a slow step toward you.

You didn't move.

Another. His eyes stayed on yours.

"Are you still nervous?"

You shook your head. "Not anymore." Suddenly feeling very small but comfortable under his gaze. 

A small smile appeared. "Good." He stopped in front of you. Close enough that you could feel the warmth coming from him. His hand gently found yours. Your fingers intertwined.

Neither of you spoke. You simply stood there, letting the silence stretch between you. Then his gaze dropped briefly to your lips.

Your heart skipped. When he looked back into your eyes, there was a quiet question there. You smiled.

He leaned closer and his lips met yours. Warm, slow, not in a hurry. Simply relishing in each other after being away for so long. One of his hands came up to gently hold the curve of your jaw, the other settling just in the curve of you waist. A soft sigh escaped your lips at the feeling of his hands finally finding their way to touch you. 

He let out a cocky smile upon hearing your noise. Immediately surging forward to chase your lips again. This time running barely a ghost of the tip of his tongue across the seal of your mouth, almost as if he was asking for permission. 

Just as you were about to open up to him a loud knock sounded against the door. You both jumped apart. "Soobin hyung!" A loud voice from the other side of the door yelled. 

You covered your mouth, trying not to laugh. His eyes closed for a second, sighing frustratedly from his nose due to the interruption. "Yes?"

"Are you coming back or did you move out?" The voice now unmistakably belonging to Beomgyu.  You heard Nara's unmistakable laugh from farther down the hallway.

Soobin opened his eyes and looked at you. You were both trying desperately not to laugh. He shook his head. You leaned forward to rest your head against his chest. "I think that's our cue." The words falling sadly from his pouted lips. 

You smiled. "Probably."

He squeezed your hand once before letting go. But as you walked toward the door, he leaned closer and quietly murmured, "We're finishing that later."

Your cheeks immediately warmed. You looked up at him. "Promise?"

His dimples appeared. "Promise." And with that he pressed a chaste kiss to your lips and opened the door.

The noise of the apartment rushed back in. But the warmth of the moment and tingles that started at the base of your spine followed you back out to your shared friend group.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Author's Note: And just like that, she’s officially met the boys! I loved writing this chapter and getting to bring their two worlds together. And of course… I couldn’t leave you without a little Soobin moment at the end. Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story! I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. MWUAH!

tag list: @deliriious-minds @icouldbelove @fairfootedflekk @aribomb @chai-soobin @mo0nstardust @ayoash405 @tomochey @tricky-ritz @yawneunz @csbenthusiast @beomgyusluver

[honeybinie]

˙⋆✮ Homeroom Hearts ˙⋆✮

Chapter 9: Rain Check

Wc: 6,834

pairing: idol!soobin × kindergarten teacher!f!reader

genre: idol romance, strangers to lovers, slow burn, toothrotting fluff (like sickly sweet), angst (barely!), secret relationship, slice of life, smut (later)

cw: idol/fan dynamic, secret dating, emotional pining, media scrutiny, jealousy, eventual mature themes/smut, emotional angst, updates warnings as needed.

⋆HH masterlist⋆ Prev chapter

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Saturday morning arrived far too soon. You woke slowly, the warmth of your blankets and the soft pillows making it tempting to close your eyes and fall back asleep. For a few blissful seconds, your mind was quiet.

Then all at once, yesterday came rushing back. The classroom. Sixteen excited little faces. Soobin standing in the doorway for the first time, looking almost as nervous as you felt. The chaos that followed. The gifts of scribbled crayon and glitter glue he'd remembered. The way he'd crouched down to speak to the children at their level, answering every question they threw at him as though he had all the time in the world. And then...

Your eyes snapped open fully, the sleep that was threatening to pull you back in completely vanishing. 

The empty classroom after a day of chaos that you grew to love. The quiet conversation shared between the two of you after everyone had gone home. His soft and sincere voice when he'd told you he'd noticed how much you loved what you did. The way he'd looked at you with a spark you couldn’t quite decipher. The way he'd stepped closer. The way you'd stepped closer too without a thought.

You stared up at the ceiling, your heart beginning to beat a little faster despite the fact that you were lying perfectly still.

You had almost kissed Soobin. The thought still felt strange enough to be unreal.

For months, he'd been someone you'd admired from a distance. Someone whose songs you'd listened to on your way to work, whose face you'd recognized long before you'd ever known the sound of his laugh in person.

And now he was someone who texted you silly pictures from dance practice and bought you strawberry milk on Friday nights. Someone who you’ve grown so close to. Someone who you would miss not having around. 

He had almost kissed you.

You pressed your lips together, trying unsuccessfully to hide the smile forming across your face.

Then the visual of Mrs. Kim walking in flashed through your brain. The way you both jumped backwards to create space that was lacking between you. You groaned softly and pulled the blanket over your face.

Of course she had. Out of every possible moment.

A quiet laugh escaped you as you lowered the blanket again. You couldn't even be embarrassed about it anymore.

Not when you could still remember the way he'd looked at you before the interruption.

Not when you knew you hadn't imagined it. He'd wanted to kiss you. And, perhaps more frighteningly, You'd wanted him to.

You rolled onto your side, staring at the sunlight beginning to spill through the curtains. Yesterday something had changed. You weren't entirely sure what yet. But for the first time, you weren't as afraid of finding out.

A few minutes later, you finally dragged yourself out of bed. By the time you wandered into the living room, Nara was already curled up on the couch with a blanket around her legs and a half drank coffee in her hand. She looked up from her phone, Her eyes following the sound of your footsteps into the shared living space before slowly narrowing in on you.

"What?” 

You paused at her question being thrown at you. All you had done was walk in the room. "Nothing? What do you mean?” 

"You're smiling."

You immediately stopped in your venture to the kitchen, tired body searching for the caffeine that you can smell coming from your best friend's cup. “Is it a crime to be happy that I am awake and alive on a Saturday morning?” 

“You never smile this early in the mornings. The only people who smile this early on a Saturday are psychopaths.” 

You reached for your coffee mug, hoping it would distract her. It didn't. Nara watched you over the top of her phone for several seconds. Then she set it down.

"So."

You closed your eyes, already mentally preparing yourself for what was to come from Nara’s mouth. There it was. That one word. You already knew exactly where this was going and that it meant she was not going to let this slide. "What?"

"Nothing." She shortly quipped, although her eyes were still narrowed in on you. 

You took another sip of the Lord’s nectar. Nara continued staring.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're being weird."

"I'm drinking coffee." You glanced down at the cup in your hands. "Maybe I'm enjoying it."

"You're not enjoying it that much."

"Nara." You sighed making your way around the furniture in your living room and plopping on the opposite side of the sofa. 

"So? Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

You stared at the television, pretending to be interested in whatever was playing across the screen.

"Nothing happened."

Nara's eyebrows lifted. "You are a terrible liar." Of course she instantly sniffed you out. You had only been best friends forever. 

"I am not."

"You absolutely are."

"It was just a really long day." You tried to hide your smile behind your coffee cup.

"Uh-huh."

"And the kids were excited."

"Uh-huh."

"And Soobin came."

"I know, you mentioned it earlier in the week.”

"Exactly." You looked at her.

"And?" She questioned you expectantly, practically sitting on the edge of the couch now. 

"Why are you like this?" You groaned.

"Because I’m your best friend and I live with you." She shifted closer, clearly settling in for the interrogation. "And because you walked through that front door last night with the biggest smile I've ever seen."

Your cheeks warmed.

"I was happy."

"I know." She grinned a shit eating grin "So tell me why."

You looked down at your hands. The memories from yesterday came rushing back. The classroom after the children had left. The quiet. The way Soobin had looked around the room as he talked about your students. The way he'd told you he noticed how much you loved what you did. And then… You swallowed.

"He almost kissed me." You barely got out in a whisper, the words feeling like a secret. 

"What?" Nara froze.

You winced. "I said he almost kissed me." Your voice still barely above being heard, eyes finally shifting away from your hands to look at your best friend. 

Her mouth fell open.

"You cannot just say that like it's nothing."

"I didn't know how else to say it."

"Start talking." She turned completely toward you “And I mean quickly.”

You laughed nervously.

"It wasn't planned."

"Obviously."

"We were just talking after everyone left."

"Mhm."

"He was telling me how amazed he was by everything." You could feel your smile returning. "He said he didn't realize how much I loved my job."

Nara's expression softened.

"And then?"

"He said he noticed." A quiet beat passed. You looked toward the window. "It got quiet." Nara didn't interrupt. "We were just looking at each other, and then..." You swallowed. "He stepped closer."

"And you?"

You smiled shyly.

"I stepped closer too."

Nara's eyes widened.

"Oh my God." She whispered. The serious shock settled across her features. 

"I know."

"Oh my God." The volume in her voice raising slightly. "And then?!"

"Mrs. Kim walked in."

Nara stared at you. There was a beat of silence. Then another. And suddenly she burst out laughing. "NO."

"Yes." You covered your face, the heat and embarrassment making their full return. 

"She actually interrupted you?"

"At the worst possible moment."

Nara laughed harder, falling back against the couch. She threw an arm over her eyes, her entire shoulders shaking as the cushions absorbed the impact of her amusement. "I cannot believe this."

"Neither can I," you admitted, your hands nervously twisting the hem of your shirt. You were still vibrating from the sheer adrenaline of it all.

She peeked out from under her arm, a wide grin plastered across her face. "And what did you do?"

"We both panicked."

"Obviously." Nara sat up, wiping a stray tear of laughter from the corner of her eye. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, completely invested. "And?"

"We tried to act normal."

"And?"

"We weren't." You winced at the memory, burying your face in your hands. "It was like we forgot how to be human beings."

That only made her laugh more, a loud, barking sound that echoed through the room. She curled inward, clutching her stomach as if the mental image of the two of you fumbling around each other was too much to bear. You couldn't help but let out a small, self-deprecating smile, the knot of tension in your chest finally starting to loosen.

Eventually, her laughter faded, replaced by the soft, rhythmic hum of the apartment. She took a deep breath, smoothing down her hair, and looked at you again. The humor in her eyes softened into something warm and fiercely curious.

"But..." You hesitated. Her expression changed suddenly, turning serious once again ready for you to drop another bombshell.

"But what?"

You looked down at your coffee.

"I wanted him to."

Nara's smile disappeared. Not because she was upset. Because she understood.

"You wanted him to kiss you?"

"Yeah." You nodded.

She was quiet for a moment. Then she nudged your knee with hers. "Okay."

You looked at her, your eyebrows pulling together above your eyes. "Okay?"

"Okay." A small smile appeared on her face. "Then maybe you don't have to figure out what this means yet."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to decide what you two are." She shrugged. "You just have to decide if you want to see him again."

Your answer came immediately.

"I do."

"I know."

Your phone buzzed against the coffee table. You both looked down. Your heart skipped when you saw the name on the screen.

Soobin

Nara's eyes widened. "No way." You reached for your phone. "Don't." She grabbed your wrist. "Wait."

"Nara."

"Let me see."

"No."

She laughed, finally letting go. You unlocked your phone. One new message.

Soobin: Are you busy today?

You stared at it. A smile slowly spread across your face. Nara watched you. "Oh, you're definitely going to see him." You couldn't stop smiling.

"I think I am." You had barely set your phone down when it buzzed again.

Soobin: I was wondering if you'd want to get lunch with me?

You smiled. There was something almost endearing about the way he'd asked.Not assuming. Not demanding. Just asking. You typed back.

I'd like that.

The reply came a moment later.

Soobin: Good :) There's a little place I've been wanting to try.

You smiled at the screen. He sent you the address. You recognized the area immediately. A small neighborhood café tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop. It was somewhere you'd passed dozens of times but had never actually stopped to visit.

You: What time?

Soobin: Around noon?

You glanced at the clock. It was still early enough that you had plenty of time.

Perfect.

The typing bubble appeared. Then it disappeared. Appeared again.

Soobin: I'll meet you there?

Your fingers paused. For some reason that tiny question made your heart flutter.

You: Sounds good :) I’ll meet you there!

A few seconds passed.

Soobin: See you soon :)

You stared at those words for a moment before locking your phone, the screen going dark but the text still burned into your mind.

"You're smiling again."

You looked up, hastily trying to smooth your expression into something neutral. Nara was watching you from the other end of the couch, her chin propped in her hand and an unbearably smug expression on her face.

"I am not."

"You are." She pointed a finger at you accusatorially. "Your eyes get all crinkly. It's disgusting. I love it."

You let out a defeated sigh, the smile breaking through your defenses anyway. "I can't help it."

"Clearly." She pulled the knit blanket tighter around her shoulders, burying half her face in the fabric as she leaned in. "So, what's the plan?"

"Lunch."

"Just lunch?"

You gave her a look, raising an eyebrow to signal that she needed to drop the matchmaking tone. "Just lunch."

Nara nodded slowly, her expression blank, though her eyes danced with mischief. "Right."

You narrowed your eyes at her total lack of sincerity. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Nara."

She smiled innocently, waving a hand toward the hallway. "Go get ready."

You laughed and shook your head, leaning back against the cushions. "I'm not getting ready. It's just a casual diner down the street."

"You have an hour."

"I'm wearing normal clothes."

"Obviously," Nara said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as if she already knew you'd spend forty minutes picking out the perfect 'normal' t-shirt.

You stood up, pushing off the couch and carrying your empty coffee mug toward the kitchen to escape her scrutiny. The ceramic was warm against your palms, a grounding contrast to the fluttery feeling in your stomach.

Behind you, Nara called out, her voice echoing clearly across the apartment. "Try not to almost kiss him this time!"

You nearly dropped the mug, your grip slipping as your face instantly flared hot. "Nara!" you yelled back, your voice cracking slightly.

Her loud, triumphant laughter followed you all the way down the hallway.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

The café was quieter than you expected. Soft music drifted through the speakers as the smell of fresh coffee and warm pastries greeted you the moment you stepped inside.

You glanced around the room. It didn't take long to find him.

Soobin was sitting near the front window, one hand wrapped loosely around an untouched iced coffee as he looked out onto the street. He looked incredibly homey in a dark hoodie and jeans, his black rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Almost as if he could feel your eyes on him, he looked up.

The moment he saw you, he smiled. The kind of smile that reached all the way to his eyes. You smiled back before you even realized you were doing it.

He stood as you made your way over, his tall frame rising quickly from the booth.

"Hi."

"Hi."

For a split second, neither of you moved. It was almost funny. A week ago, you wouldn't have thought twice about walking over and sitting down. Now, the memory of yesterday making both of you just a little unsure of yourselves. He shifted his weight, his hands sliding awkwardly into his pockets.

"So..." you laughed softly, finally breaking the spell and slipping into the vinyl chair across from him. "This feels weird."

A sheepish smile tugged at his lips as he slid back into his side of the booth. He rubbed the back of his neck. "...A little."

"I was worried I was the only one."

"I don't think you're ever the only one." His answer was so matter-of-fact, his eyes locking onto yours with total honesty, that it caught you off guard.

The intensity of his gaze was a little too much for your racing heart. You quickly looked down at the laminated menu in front of you, partly to hide the smile threatening to spread across your face and partly to give your eyes somewhere safe to land. "You got here early."

"I usually do."

"How early?"

He glanced toward the fogged-up window, tracking a rogue raindrop on the glass. "...About fifteen minutes."

You looked back up at him, your eyebrows rising. "You've been waiting fifteen minutes?"

"I didn't want to risk being late." He confessed it so simply, without a shred of pretense, that a quiet, breathless laugh escaped you.

"You know I would've understood if you were."

"I know." He smiled, the tension finally leaving his shoulders as he leaned forward slightly. "I still didn't want to be."

The waitress appeared a moment later, dropping off two waters and giving the two of you a chance to hastily skim the menu and order. As soon as she walked away, taking the brief distraction with her, the comfortable silence returned. It wasn't awkward. Just different. The air between you felt charged, heavy with a new kind of awareness. You tapped your fingernail against your cup, then traced absent circles against the cold condensation on your glass.

"So..." You looked up, meeting his eyes through the steam of the diner. "How are you feeling today?"

A small, breathless laugh escaped him, his broad shoulders rising and falling. "I think I'm still recovering."

"From the kids?"

"Mhm." He rested his forearms on the table, leaning into your space. "I don't know how you do that every day."

You laughed, the domesticity of the complaint making you feel entirely at ease. "Neither do I."

"I'm serious." He shook his head with an amused smile, a soft look taking over his features. "I think I answered more questions in forty-five minutes than I have all year."

"That sounds about right."

"And they never seemed to run out."

"They don't."

He let out a quiet laugh, his eyes dropping to the scratched wood of the table for a moment as he recalled the chaos. "I kept thinking..." He looked back at you, a playful glint in his eyes. "'There's no way another one has a question.'"

You grinned, leaning your chin in your hand. "And?"

"I was wrong."

"Every time?"

"Every single time," he said, his smile widening until his eyes crinkled at the corners, completely erasing any lingering awkwardness from earlier.

The two of you laughed together.

The conversation slipped into an easy rhythm after that. You found yourselves talking about Min-jun's insistence that every dinosaur deserved a birthday party. About Eun-woo's never-ending campaign for pajama day. About Soo-ah proudly telling everyone she'd spotted your friendship bracelet before anyone else had.

Each memory only made the other laugh harder.

At one point, you noticed Soobin smiling to himself.

"What?"

He shook his head.

"I was just thinking..."

"About?"

"I miss them already."

Your smile softened.

"You've known them for less than an hour."

"I know. And yet..." He laughed quietly. "I've been wondering what they're doing all morning."

You couldn't help it. Your heart melted a little.

"They're probably going to be asking me where you are."

He looked genuinely pleased by that thought.

"I hope they know I'll come back."

You smiled.

"I think they'd be very happy to hear that."

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The bustle of the café faded into the background. You watched him stir the ice in his drink absentmindedly, a small smile still lingering on his face. It struck you then that he hadn't been exaggerating yesterday. He really had fallen a little in love with your classroom.

Not because of the colorful walls. Not because of the tiny chairs or the finger paintings. Because of the children. 

The waitress returned with your lunches, setting the plates down between the two of you. For a little while, the conversation drifted to lighter things.

Whether Min-jun would ever outgrow dinosaurs. How Ji-ho somehow managed to ask the most unexpected questions at the most unexpected times. The fact that Soo-ah had proudly informed three different teachers that morning that she knew Mr. Soobin.

Each story was followed by another laugh. Another memory. Another reason to smile.

It wasn't until the two of you had nearly finished eating that the conversation settled again. Not awkward. Just quieter.

Soobin absentmindedly turned his glass between his hands, watching the ice slowly melt. "I've been thinking about yesterday."

You looked up from your plate.

"I have too."

He smiled faintly.

"I figured."

For a moment, he didn't say anything else.

It almost looked as though he was trying to figure out where to begin.

"I don't think I told you this yesterday..." His eyes met yours. "...but thank you."

You blinked.

"For what?"

"For trusting me." The words caught you off guard. He glanced down at the table before continuing. "I know those kids mean everything to you."

"They do."

"I could tell."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"You know every little thing about them."

"I should hope so." You laughed softly.

"No." He shook his head. "I mean..." He searched for the right words. "You don't just know their names. You know when one of them is getting frustrated before they even say anything. You know who needs a little extra encouragement. You know who likes being first. And who would rather let everyone else go before them."

Your smile faded into something softer.

"You noticed all that?"

"I noticed you." The words left his mouth so naturally that neither of you reacted at first. Your heart stumbled. He seemed to realize what he'd said a second later. A faint pink dusted his cheeks. "I mean..." He laughed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I noticed the way you took care of them."

The warmth in your chest only grew.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone make sixteen different children feel like they were each your whole world."

You looked down, suddenly fascinated by the edge of your plate. "I try."

"I know." His voice was gentle. "And they know." You looked back up. "They adore you." A lump formed in your throat.

"Soobin..."

"They do." He smiled. "You should've seen their faces every time you walked over. They looked at you like..." He paused. "...like they knew everything would be okay once you got there."

The café around you seemed to disappear. People continued talking. Coffee machines hissed in the background. Plates clinked together somewhere behind you.

But all you could hear was him.

No one had ever described your job like that before. No one had ever noticed the things you never thought anyone would.

"You make what you do look effortless."

You smiled, shaking your head.

"It definitely isn't."

"I know." He returned the smile. "I think that's what amazed me the most."

You tilted your head.

"What do you mean?"

"You never stopped moving." He laughed quietly to himself. "I swear every five seconds someone was calling your name."

You laughed.

"That sounds about right."

"But every time they did..." His expression softened. "...you answered them like they were the only people in the room."

You didn't know what to say. You weren't used to people seeing that part of you. Not really.

"You make a difference." The words were quiet. Certain. "I hope you know that."

Your eyes stung unexpectedly. You blinked a few times before smiling.

"I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before."

He looked genuinely surprised.

"They should."

A comfortable silence settled over the table. This one felt different. Full. As though neither of you needed to fill it with more words. You looked at him for a long moment before smiling.

"I'm really glad you came."

His smile mirrored yours almost instantly.

"So am I."

Those three words felt like they meant far more than just yesterday.

Neither of you seemed to be in any hurry to leave. Your plates had long since been cleared away, replaced by two half-finished drinks and a conversation that somehow never seemed to run out. 

Eventually, Soobin glanced toward the window. "It's nice out." You followed his gaze.

The afternoon sun had settled comfortably over the street, casting a warm glow across the sidewalks.

"It is."

He looked back at you.

"Would you want to walk for a little while?"

"I'd like that." You smiled. A few minutes later, the two of you stepped back outside.

The gentle hum of weekend chatter surrounded you as people wandered in and out of the neighboring shops, children tugging excitedly at their parents' hands while couples strolled by carrying iced coffees.

Without really thinking about it, the two of you fell into step beside each other. No destination. No plan. Just walking. Every few steps led to shoulders bumping softly against each other and hands brushing as they swayed in between the two of you. 

"I've actually never been over here before," you admitted as you glanced into the windows of a small stationery shop.

"Really?"

You shook your head.

"I usually just drive past it on my way home."

"You should come more often."

"I think I might."

He smiled "There are a lot of little places around here." As if to prove his point, he slowed in front of a tiny independent bookstore tucked between the café and a flower shop. The display window was filled with colorful children's books, journals, and handwritten staff recommendations. Your eyes immediately lit up.

"You've got to be kidding."

"What?"

"You found a bookstore."

"I didn't find it." He laughed. "I remembered seeing it."

"You remembered there was a bookstore..."

"...next to a café." He shrugged sheepishly. "I thought you might like it."

"You thought about what I'd like?" Your heart melted just a little.

"I..." He blinked, almost caught off guard by your question. "Well..." A faint blush crept across his cheeks. "I remembered you telling me your class was running low on books about the ocean."

You stopped walking. Your mention of upcoming lesson plans that you had said in passing didn’t cross your brain after that fleeting conversation weeks ago. He noticed a second later and turned to look at you. "You remembered that?"

He looked genuinely confused.

"...Of course."

"It was weeks ago."

"I know."

"You remember things like that?"

A small smile spread across his face. "I remember the things you tell me Y/N." For a second, all you could do was look at him.

He'd remembered. Not because it was important to him. Because it had been important to you.

You smiled to yourself before looking back at the bookstore window. "We should go in."

His smile widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Together, you pushed open the little bell-adorned door, the soft chime announcing your arrival as the comforting scent of old pages and freshly brewed coffee drifted through the shop.

Almost immediately, you found yourself wandering toward the children's section. Of course you did. You ran your fingers lightly over the colorful spines, smiling as familiar titles caught your eye.

"You know..." Soobin said from beside you, "...I had a feeling this is exactly where we'd end up."

You laughed.

"I think my students would be disappointed if I walked into a bookstore and didn't come over here."

"I think they'd expect nothing less from Miss Honey."

The nickname caught you off guard. Not because the children called you that. But because hearing him say it felt different. Softer. Warmer.

You looked over at him. He was already smiling at you. Neither of you looked away. Not this time. Not right away.

The bookstore was quiet enough that every turn of a page seemed to echo.

You and Soobin had long since drifted apart, each wandering your own aisle before inevitably finding your way back to one another.

He was standing in front of a display of children's books when you found him again, carefully flipping through the pages of a beautifully illustrated picture book.

You smiled. "I think my class would approve of that one." He glanced up at the sound of your soft voice in the bookshop. 

"You think?" 

"Mhm." You stepped beside him, looking down at the watercolor illustrations spread across the pages. "They'd ask me to read it at least three times."

"So... a normal Tuesday?"

"Exactly." You laughed.

He closed the book gently before placing it back on the shelf. For a few moments, neither of you spoke. The comfortable silence settled between you again.

It wasn't uncomfortable. If anything It has become one of your favorite things about being around him. Simply just existing next to each other without feeling the need to say anything. 

You wandered slowly toward the back of the store, absentmindedly tracing your fingers along the rows of neatly arranged books.

"Soobin?"

"Hm?"

You didn't look at him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

Your heart beats just a little faster. Yesterday had been replaying in your mind since the moment you'd opened your eyes that morning. You'd told Nara. You'd convinced yourself you could let it go. But now standing beside him again you realized you didn't want to.

You wanted to know.

You stopped walking.

"So..." You let out a nervous laugh. "About yesterday..."

He stopped beside you. You noticed the slightest change in his expression. Not confusion. Recognition. He knew exactly what you meant.

Neither of you said anything for a few seconds.

The sounds of the bookstore faded into the background.

"I've been thinking about it too." His voice was quiet. You looked up at him, the feeling of hope suddenly crossing your still thundering heart.

"You have?"

He nodded once, "I wasn't sure if I should bring it up."

"I wasn't either." You answered honestly. 

Another small silence. Then he smiled—small, almost shy. "I kept wondering if I imagined it." You felt your breath catch.

"You didn't." The words came out more softly than you'd intended.

His eyes searched yours. "I didn't?"

You shook your head.

"No."

His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. "I thought maybe..." He laughed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "...maybe I'd read the moment wrong."

"You didn't." This time, there was no hesitation. No uncertainty. You watched as a smile slowly spread across his face. One that looked equal parts relieved and hopeful.

"I'm glad."

"So am I." Your words hung gently between the two of you.

No grand confession. No dramatic declaration. Just two people finally admitting they hadn't imagined what had happened. Neither of you looked away. Not this time.

The silence settled around you once more. Only now it felt like something was waiting.

Neither of you spoke for a few moments. You didn't need to. Somehow, simply knowing you had both been thinking about the same moment was enough. The knot that had settled in your chest since yesterday had finally begun to loosen.

"So..." Soobin smiled. "I think we finally cleared that up."

A laugh escaped you, "I think we did."

The two of you wandered toward the front of the bookstore together, each carrying a small stack of books you'd somehow managed to convince yourselves you needed. "You two have good taste." The cashier smiled knowingly at the two of you as she rang up your purchases. 

You exchanged an amused glance.

"I'll trust your opinion," Soobin replied.

A few moments later, the little bell above the bookstore door chimed as you stepped back outside. The sun had started to dip behind the skyline and the late afternoon had changed. The bright blue sky from earlier had disappeared behind soft gray clouds. You barely had time to notice before something cool landed on your arm.

You looked down.

A raindrop. Another landed against the top of your hand.

"...Uh-oh." Soobin glanced upward. "I don't think that's a good sign."

Almost on cue, the drizzle became steadier. People around you hurried toward nearby storefronts, laughing as they pulled jackets over their heads. You looked at Soobin.

"I checked the weather this morning."

"So did I."

"It definitely didn't say rain."

"It definitely didn't."

Within seconds, the drizzle had become a proper shower. You laughed. "We should probably find somewhere to wait." He nodded, already looking around.

"There." He pointed just across the sidewalk at a small covered gazebo tucked into the edge of a nearby park.  It wasn't far. Soobin gently took the paper bag that contained your shared books and tucked them safely beneath his jacket, hoping that would be enough to shield them from the rain. 

"Ready?" His eyes met yours, filled with anticipation, already pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over his messy dark locks. 

You nodded.

"Ready."

The two of you broke into a run, Soobin’s hand reaching out to grab yours as you both raced through the cold droplets.  By the time you reached the shelter, both of you were laughing and completely drenched through. You brushed a few damp strands of hair away from your face, trying unsuccessfully to catch your breath.

"I think..." you laughed. "...we lost."

"I know." He looked down at his sleeves that have gone a shade darker from being damp. "I think the rain won."

You couldn't help smiling. Tiny droplets still clung to the hair that fell in front of his eyes, catching the afternoon light filtering through the clouds. He noticed you looking. "What?"

"You've got..." You reached up without thinking. "...a leaf." It had caught near the sleeve of his jacket while the two of you had run. Your fingers brushed lightly against the fabric as you plucked it away.  

You were closer than you'd realized. Close enough to see the tiny raindrops resting against his hair and clinging to his lashline. Close enough to notice the way his eyes searched yours. Your hand lingered for only the briefest moment before you lowered it again.

"...Thanks," he said quietly.

"You're welcome." Your voice only barely above a whisper, your heart slamming against your ribcage. 

The rain continued falling around you, muffling the sounds of the city beyond the gazebo. Neither of you seemed particularly eager for it to stop. You rested your forearms against the wooden railing, watching tiny ripples spread across the puddles forming along the walking path.

"I don't think it's letting up anytime soon."

"I don't mind." Soobin stepped beside you.

You smiled to yourself. "I didn't think you would."

Another quiet settled between you. Different from before. Lighter. As though admitting what had almost happened yesterday had finally allowed both of you to breathe again.

"So..." you said softly. "Were you really just looking for an excuse to get lunch with me today?" Looking over at him with a half-teasing smile pulled on your lips. 

He laughed under his breath. "A little."

"I knew it."

"But..." He looked out at the rain. "It wasn't just lunch to me." You turned toward him.

"No?"

He shook his head.

"I wanted to see you." Your heart skipped at his honest words. "I kept thinking about yesterday."

"So did I." Your response came out softly. Completely honest. 

"I know." He smiled faintly. "I don't think I would've been able to wait until Friday." The words settled warmly in your chest.

"You wouldn't?"

He looked at you then. Not hurried. Not nervous. Just honest. "I missed you."

Your breath caught. "It had only been a day."

"I know." He smiled sheepishly. "It sounded a little ridiculous when I said it out loud."

"It doesn't."

"No?"

You shook your head. "Not to me."

The rain continued falling around the gazebo, creating a little world that felt separate from everything else.

"I've been trying to figure out when everything changed," Soobin admitted quietly.

You tilted your head. "Changed?"

He nodded.

"I don't think it happened all at once." A small smile crossed his face. "I think it happened a little every Friday." You felt your own smile grow.

"The strawberry milk. The lunch breaks. The gifts your students made. The phone calls." He laughed softly.

"The dinosaur conversations." You laughed with him.

"So many dinosaur conversations."

"So many." You repeated his words, although yours came out a little breathless. 

His smile lingered. "I think somewhere along the way..." He paused, searching for the right words. "...you stopped feeling like someone I looked forward to seeing on Fridays." Your heart began to race. "You started feeling like someone I wanted to see every day."

Silence. Complete silence. Your eyes searched his. But you found nothing but complete honesty and fondness. 

"I don't really know when it happened." He smiled. "I just know that it did."

The lump in your throat made it difficult to speak. "I think..." Your voice came out barely above a whisper. "...the same thing happened to me."

Something in his expression softened. Almost as though hearing you say those words had lifted the last bit of uncertainty he'd been carrying. 

Slowly. Carefully. He took one small step closer. Close enough that you could hear the quiet rhythm of his breathing beneath the rain. His eyes searched yours.

"If I try again..." His voice was gentle. "...am I going to get interrupted?"

A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "I certainly hope not."

He smiled. "So do I." He hesitated.

Just enough to give you every opportunity to step away. Instead, you closed the distance. He paused, his breath feathering over your lips just enough to give you every opportunity to step away. 

Instead, you closed the remaining distance. Your hands found Soobin’s shoulders, clinging to them like an anchor in the downpour, while his hands slid upward, cradling your jaw with a gentleness that made your chest ache. His fingers were instantly warm, a stark contrast against your rain-cooled skin. The exact moment your lips met his, a soft, trembling sigh escaped him. It brushed against your mouth, a quiet release, as if a long-held breath or a long-awaited dream had finally found its home.

There was nothing faint or hesitant about the way he pressed into you; it was a deep, consuming alignment, an unspoken surrender to everything you had both been holding back. The kiss was soft, yet entirely heavy with a shared, desperate relief. It was unhurried and tentative at first, almost shy, as if you were both learning the language of each other’s mouths but it was anchored by the undeniable certainty that you were finally exactly where you belonged. The storm raged around you, but between the two of you, the world went utterly still. When you finally pulled back, neither of you moved very far, breathing in the shared air of a space too sacred to leave. Though the world had gone completely still. It wasn’t groundbreaking, there weren't any fireworks. But it felt like home. Like you had finally found the missing piece that you had unconsciously been searching for. 

Your foreheads almost touched. You couldn't stop smiling. Neither could he. The dimples that you craved to see emerge within any interaction with him proudly standing out against his cheeks

"So..." You laughed quietly. "I guess we finally got to finish yesterday." You smiled, your cheeks already beginning to ache.

"I think we did." He looked at you for another long moment before letting out the smallest, happiest laugh. "I've been wanting to do that for longer than just yesterday."

"Oh?" Your eyebrows lifted.

He nodded. "I just didn't realize it until yesterday."

You reached over, gently taking his hand. Neither of you said anything else. You didn't need to. Standing there together while the rain continued to fall around the little gazebo everything suddenly felt exactly as it was supposed to.

The nervous hesitation that had stretched between you all day was entirely gone, washed away by the storm.

He let out one more quiet breath. His grip that was weaved between your fingers was firm and protective. "Come on," he murmured, his smile bright against the gray afternoon. "Let's get you home before you freeze." The downpour of rain had slowed into the lightest of mist, making the trek home feel possible now. 

The walk back to your apartment building blurred into a rush of splashed puddles and shared smiles and hands still woven tightly together. Neither of you cared about the cold mist or soaked clothes anymore. Every time the wind picked up, Soobin subtly shifted his weight, using his tall frame to shield you from the worst of the cold gales.

When you finally stepped into the dry, quiet warmth of your building's lobby, the sudden silence was jarring. You both stood there for a moment, completely dripping wet, leaving a pool of water on the linoleum tiles.

Soobin walked you all the way up the stairs to your apartment door. When you reached it, you turned around to face him. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his jacket was completely soaked, but his eyes were incredibly warm.

"Thank you for lunch," you said softly, your voice echoing slightly in the empty hallway. "And for walking me back."

"Anytime," he replied. He stepped in a fraction closer, his hand reaching up to gently tuck a wet strand of hair behind your ear. His fingertips were still warm against your skin. He lingered there for a second, his thumb brushing the apple of your cheek. "Get changed into something warm, okay? I'll text you when I get home."

"Okay."

He leaned forward to press a soft whisper of a kiss to your hairline and gave your hand one last, lingering squeeze before finally stepping backward toward the stairs. You unlocked your door and slipped inside, the lock clicking securely into place.

Leaning your back against the wood, you let out a long, breathless sigh, your heart hammering against your ribs. Your clothes were damp, your shoes were ruined, and your hair was a disaster but as you looked down at your hands, you could still feel the weight and  warmth of his fingers tangled in yours.

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Author's Note: IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!! Thank you for being so patient with me as this chapter took a while to drop :) I'm trying to make sure I find time to balance work, school and feeding you guys chapters and I want to do justice to all of those things :) MWUAH!

tag list: @deliriious-minds @icouldbelove @fairfootedflekk @aribomb @chai-soobin @mo0nstardust @ayoash405 @tomochey @tricky-ritz @yawneunz @csbenthusiast

[soobmissives]

gooner soobin who acts shy but watches hentai and jerk off thinking abt u. that gets a boner frol hugs u give him. that "acidentally" humps u in public. that pretends to be sorry when u find out but he enjoys it. that cums in his pants from eating u out. that take pics from u riding him to jerk off later.

[aweinkai]

Can you write more fanfiction about Soobin? Or a link? All of my X links have been deleted :((

HWUAHAUAHAH u are so lucky, anon... really lucky... for all the right reasons, of course :p

⋆ soobin and his long cock kissing your tumtum from behind with how deep he is

⋆ his lap has always been the perfect place for him to take care of your wailing pussy

⋆ he loveeeees boobies, and hitting it from the back won't stop his large palms caressing them

bonus ! (for my sub!soobie enthusiast ><)

⋆ sensitive bunny and his leaky veiny cock being overstimulated with mommy's two fingers

⋆ soobie recording himself fucking a poor pillow while whining that it wasn't as plush as you are

full soobie meal, just for u ! enjoy, anon <3

[soobmissives]

i wanna ruin him .

[honeybinie]

˙⋆✮ Homeroom Hearts ˙⋆✮

Chapter 8: A Special Visitor

Wc: 6,214

pairing: idol!soobin × kindergarten teacher!f!reader

genre: idol romance, strangers to lovers, slow burn, toothrotting fluff (like sickly sweet), angst (barely!), secret relationship, slice of life, smut (later)

cw: idol/fan dynamic, secret dating, emotional pining, media scrutiny, jealousy, eventual mature themes/smut, emotional angst, updates warnings as needed.

⋆HH masterlist⋆ Prev chapter

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Monday morning this week felt a little sweeter than normal. Before the first bell had even finished ringing, before the last of tiny backpacks being dropped into cubbies, and before the last of the jackets shielding your littlest friends from rain were put on hooks, the swell of your heart began. 

“Miss Honey!” 

You barely had time to brace yourself before the tiny body of the loudest voice in your room crashed into your legs, arms wrapping firmly around your upper thighs and little fists clutching tightly into the skirt you put on this morning. 

You smiled brightly at Soo-ah, returning her hug just as affectionately. 

“Good morning, sweetheart!” 

“You came back!” She clutched a little tighter, “I told my Mommy you were sick forever”

You laughed fondly at her silly thought “Forever?! It was only a few days!”

“That is forever!” She tilted her head 

“Fair enough” You shrugged along with her while smoothing your hands across her silky black hair. 

Across the room, Eun-woo was already trying to convince Yuna that today should somehow be pajama day despite his own little body wearing jeans. Your ears peeked at the adorable back and forth of “You can’t just decide it’s pajama day” “Why not?” “Because Miss Honey would’ve told us!”. Yuna looked at you quizzically looking for the answer of what today was. 

“No pajama day today” You raised an eyebrow, a smile still slapped on your face as Eun-woo’s mischievous smile grew. Some things never changed. And honestly, You’d missed them. 

The constant questions. 

The tiny voices. 

The organized chaos that somehow made perfect sense once you stepped into it. 

Being home while you were sick had been nice for exactly one day. After that, the apartment had felt far too quiet, minus Nara’s constant teasing over your (very sweet) visitor. 

“Miss Honey?” You heard the quietest voice in your classroom, Min-jun’s. You looked down to find him standing beside you, hands folded neatly behind his back, his eyes resembling moons as he looked up at you 

“Hey buddy” You smiled fondly, noticing the cute dinosaur shoes on his little feet. 

“You don’t sound sick anymore.” You nodded at his observation as your hands came up to brush the hair sticking to his forehead back. “I told everyone you would come back to us,” your lips tugged up in a true smile “You always come back”. His answer had made your heart squeeze 

“For you guys, I would do anything” You looked at him honestly, his little hands now coming to wrap around your neck in your crouched position to give you a hug. A first from him, and the pride you felt for the shy and timid little boy almost made your heart burst. 

“Alright my friends!” You clapped your hands together, gaining the attention of 16 eager eyes on you. “Lets move our bodies to the carpet so we can start our morning!” A chorus of tiny “Okays!” echoed through the room as little feet and light up shoes hurried to the rug. 

You took one last glance around your classroom. Right where you belonged. 

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

A few hours later, the classroom was noticeably quieter once the students had headed to specials. Construction paper scraps littered one of the tables, uncapped markers waited to be sorted, glitter sneaking its way over every and anything, and somewhere beneath the mess was the lesson plan you'd been looking for five minutes ago.

You sighed to yourself, stacking a pile of picture books against the shelf.

A familiar knock sounded against the open classroom door. "You alive in here?" You looked up with a smile, immediately recognizing the voice to be of your best friend. This wasn’t the first time visiting your classroom on her day off. The clerk at the school entrance by now just let Nara slip through without a word recognizing who she was and who she was here for. 

"Barely." You huffed out in mock tiredness.  

"I figured." Nara laughed as she stepped inside, two iced coffees balanced carefully in her hands. She held one out to you as your eyes lit up in appreciation for not only the caffeine but how thoughtful she was "Peace offering for coming back to war"

"You are my favorite person."

"I know." She shrugged her shoulders, rolling her eyes teasingly. 

You accepted the drink gratefully, taking a sip before letting out a satisfied hum. "I needed this."

"I could tell." Nara leaned against one of the student tables, glancing around the room. "How's your first day back?"

"Busy." You sighed moving back to the table where the tornado of 5 years with art supplies took place. 

"So... normal?"

"Exactly." You smiled.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of you as you gathered stray crayons and markers into their respective containers. Then Nara spoke again. "Im sure the kids are happy you're back."

"They made sure I knew."

"Oh?"

"They've informed me I don't sound like a frog anymore." Nara laughed so hard she nearly spilled her coffee. "They've also decided soup is apparently the cure for everything."

"Well..." she shrugged. "In this case, and thanks to your amazing, loving, gorgeous best friend, they weren't exactly wrong."

You couldn't help but smile into your drink. "They kept asking about him."

Nara's eyebrows lifted immediately.

"'Him,' huh?" 

You rolled your eyes.

"You know exactly who I mean."

"I do."

You thought back to the questions from that morning. The innocent curiosity. The matter-of-fact way they'd referred to him as Mr. Soobin. Ever since the fan sign, the children had asked about him every now and then.

Had he liked their gifts?

Did he keep their drawings?

Did he still remembered them?

Each question had been asked with the simple curiosity only children possessed.Nara watched you absentmindedly straighten a stack of construction paper that had already been perfectly straight.

"You've got that look." She quickly cornered you 

"What look?" You questioned, glancing over at her and too quickly looking away. 

"The one where you're thinking too hard."

You smiled sheepishly, not bothering to deny it this time. "It's just..." You hesitated, your fingers tracing absent circles against your coffee cup. "When he came over..." Nara looked at you expectantly. "...he mentioned wanting to meet them someday."

Her eyebrows lifted. "He did?" You nodded.

"It wasn't anything serious. Just..." A small laugh escaped you. "He said after hearing so many stories, he felt like he already knew them a little. And that he feels like he owes them a talk after getting me sick"

"That's actually really sweet." Nara smiled.

"I know." You whispered, eyes finally meeting your best friends. 

"And now you're wondering if he meant it."

You looked down at your coffee. "I don't know."

"You don't think he was just being polite?" Nara asked while setting her coffee down on your cluttered desk full of papers.

"I honestly can't tell."

"He doesn't strike me as someone who says things he doesn't mean." Nara’s voice soft.

Your thoughts drifted back to that evening. The way he'd smiled when he looked at the latest drawing taped to your bedroom walls. The way he'd listened as you talked about your students as though he already knew each of them. He hadn't laughed it off. He hadn't changed the subject.

If anything… He'd seemed genuinely interested.

"You know," Nara said after a moment, "I think he'd probably love it." You glanced up. "But..." she added before you could respond, "only if you want him there."

You nodded slowly. Carefully considering her words. 

"I'd have to ask the principal first."

"Obviously."

"And the parents."

"Obviously."

"And I'd need to make sure it doesn't interrupt anything with his schedule."

Nara grinned. "There she is."

"There who is?"

"Teacher mode." She pointed at you matter of factly

You laughed softly. "I can't help it." You shoved her shoulder teasingly. 

"I know."

Your gaze drifted toward your phone resting on the corner of your desk. Not because you were planning on texting him. Not yet. Just because for the first time since he'd mentioned it...

The idea didn't seem so impossible anymore.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

The last of little feet going home had padded away nearly twenty minutes ago.

The once lively classroom had settled into its familiar end-of-day silence, save for the soft hum of the heater and the occasional scrape of a chair as you pushed it back beneath one of the tiny tables. You gathered the last few worksheets from your desk before letting out a quiet sigh.

Another Monday down.

Your phone buzzed from where it sat beside the attendance binder. You glanced at the screen.

Soobin: How was your first day back Miss Honey?

A small smile found its way onto your face before you could stop it. You leaned against your desk, typing your reply, the organizing of your desk suddenly pushed to the back of your to-do list. 

You: Better than expected, I survived.

The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.

Soobin: That's good to hear.

Then another message.

Soobin: Did they behave?

You laughed softly.

You: They're kindergarteners.

A few seconds passed.

Soobin:I'll take that as a no ;)

Your smile grew as your heart did a strange squeeze in your chest at his teasing. 

You: They were pretty good today, I think they were as excited to see me as I was to see them. 

You thought back to what Nara had said earlier.

"He doesn't strike me as someone who says things he doesn't mean."

Your thumbs hovered over the keyboard. Before you had the chance to overthink it, you typed—

You: Although, I bet they would go absolutely crazy if it was their class mascot they saw instead :)

The message sent before you could second-guess yourself. Almost instantly, the typing indicator returned. Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Then it appeared again.

Soobin: I think I would love that. 

You couldn't help but smile. There was something about the simplicity of his answer. No teasing. No joking. Just... honesty. Before you had a chance to set your phone back on the desk another message appeared.

Soobin: I meant what I said the other day, by the way. If you ever think it’s okay I’d still love to meet them. 

Your heart skipped as you hearted his message before gathering your things to go home for the day, but not before making a beeline towards the office. 

The principal's office always felt a little too quiet. You shifted the folder in your hands as Mrs. Lee looked over the weekly calendar on her desk.

"So," she said, setting her glasses down, "what can I help you with?"

You took a small breath. "I wanted to ask about something... a little unconventional." Nervously switching your feet while standing infront of her. Principal Lee was not an overly intimidating woman. Her black hair with glimmers of gray streaks, kind eyes hidden behind big framed red glasses. 

Mrs. Lee smiled. "Those are usually my favorite kinds of conversations." You laughed softly.

"I have... someone I'd like to invite to visit the class." Her expression remained open, encouraging you to continue. "You remember the fan sign I went to a few months ago?"

"I do."

"The children made gifts." She nodded. "I actually met someone there." You smiled to yourself. "And we've become friends since then." Mrs. Lee didn't seem surprised, only curious. "He mentioned he'd love to meet the kids someday, and..." You paused, choosing your words carefully. "They've been asking about him for months now."

"The 'banana milk man'?"

You blinked. "You know about that?" Mrs. Lee chuckled at your surprise. 

"I know more about your class than you think."

You couldn't help but laugh.

"They tell everyone."

"They certainly do." She folded her hands together. "So, tell me about him."

You found yourself smiling before you even realized it. "He's... kind." The answer came far too quickly. "He remembers all of their names from the drawings they made."

"They're always asking if he still has their gifts." 

"And honestly..." You looked down for a second. "I think they'd really enjoy meeting him." Mrs. Lee listened quietly before asking the question you knew was coming.

"Is he comfortable around children?" You immediately thought of the way Soobin had smiled every time you told him another classroom story. The way he'd laughed over Min-jun's latest adventure. The stories of his nephew that he shared with you. The way he'd asked follow-up questions instead of politely changing the subject.

"I think he'd be wonderful with them."

Mrs. Lee smiled knowingly. "I wasn't asking if he'd enjoy it." You looked up. "I was asking if you'd trust him with your students."

The room fell quiet. You didn't have to think about it. "...Yes." There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in your voice and Mrs. Lee noticed.

"I can tell." She reached for a notepad on her desk. "If we move forward, we'll need parent permission forms." You nodded immediately.

"Of course."

"No photographs of the children."

"Absolutely."

She smiled again. "If the parents are comfortable with it..." A hopeful feeling bloomed in your chest. "...I'd be happy to welcome your special visitor." For a second, all you could do was grin.

"Really?" 

Mrs. Kim laughed.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile quite like that."

Heat rushed to your cheeks. "It's just..."

"I know." She stood, offering you the permission forms. "I have a feeling sixteen kindergarteners are about to become very excited." You accepted the papers carefully, already picturing the little hands that would soon carry them home. As you reached the door, Mrs. Lee called after you.

"Oh Y/N—and one more thing." You turned around. "When you tell your class..." She smiled. "...prepare for absolute chaos." 

The following morning, sixteen brightly colored slips of paper sat neatly stacked on the corner of your desk. You waited until the morning meeting had wrapped up before picking them up. "Okay, friends," you said, earning all sixteen pairs of curious eyes. "Before we start our next activity, I have something important to give you."

Instantly, the room buzzed with whispers.

"Are we going on a field trip?"

"Is it a party?"

"Do we get snacks?"

You laughed, shaking your head. "No field trip. No party." You paused for just a moment. "But... if your grown-ups say yes, we're going to have a very special visitor come spend some time with our class."

The whispers turned into excited gasps.

"A visitor?"

"Who is it?"

"Do we know them?"

You smiled, already expecting the barrage of questions. "I can't tell you just yet."

"Aww."

"But," you continued, holding up the permission slips, "I need everyone to take one of these home tonight. Make sure your grown-up reads it, signs it, and brings it back tomorrow." Sixteen little heads nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. "I'll remind you before you go home and I’ll make sure to send your grown-up’s a message just to be sure they see them" you added.

Soo-ah carefully tucked her paper into the front pocket of her backpack immediately.

Min-jun raised his hand.

"Yes Sweetheart?"

"I won't forget."

"I know you won't." You smiled impossibly at the thoughtful boy. 

By the next morning, the stack in your "Returned Forms" tray was already growing. As each student walked through the classroom door, another permission slip found its way into your hands.

"My mom signed it!"

"My dad read it twice."

"My grandma put it in my backpack."

You smiled as you accepted each one, adding it neatly to the pile. By lunchtime, only three were missing. "You've got some impressive parents," Mrs.Kim commented, peeking into your classroom. You laughed, tapping the growing stack against your desk to straighten the edges.

"They're incredible." As if on cue, Eun-woo came running back into the classroom, slightly out of breath.

"Miss Honey! My mom forgot!" he announced dramatically before proudly holding up the folded permission slip. "...But then she came back!" You laughed as you accepted it.

"You’ll have to tell her thank you for making the trip back." He nodded enthusiastically before hurrying back down the hallway.

Mrs.Kim watched him disappear before looking back at you. "So..." She glanced at the nearly complete stack. "I'd say that's a pretty good sign."

You looked down at the papers in your hands, unable to hide your smile. "Yeah..." It was starting to feel real. 

The final permission slip rested neatly on top of the stack. Sixteen. Every single one had been returned. You smiled to yourself as you slid the papers into a folder, closing it with a satisfied tap against your desk.

You reached for your phone. Your thumb hovered over Soobin's contact for a moment. Would calling be weird? It wasn't exactly something the two of you had done before. Texting has become easy. Comfortable. A phone call somehow felt... different.

You laughed quietly at yourself. "He's the one who offered to meet the kids." Taking a small breath, you pressed Call.

The phone rang once. Twice. Before the line clicked.

"Hello?" His voice was softer than you were used to hearing it. Without the chatter of a convenience store or the bustle of the city around you, it was almost startling how familiar it already sounded.

"...Hi."

There was the slightest pause. Then—"Hi." 

You couldn't help smiling. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all." You heard what sounded like a chair shifting. "I wasn't expecting a phone call, though."

"I know." A quiet laugh escaped you. "I almost talked myself out of it."

"I'm glad you didn't."

For reasons you couldn't quite explain, that simple sentence settled your nerves.

"So..." you began. "I have an update."

"I'm listening."

"I talked to my principal."

"And?"

"She loved the idea." A smile crept into your voice."I sent permission slips home yesterday." Another brief pause. "...Every single one came back."

For a second, neither of you spoke. Then—

"They all said yes?"

"They all said yes." You could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"That's... really incredible."

"It is."

"So..." You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, suddenly feeling oddly nervous. "If you still wanted to..."

"I do." His answer came so quickly that it caught you off guard. "I'd really love to."

A smile spread across your face before you could stop it. "Good." You both laughed softly. The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was comfortable.

"So," he said after a moment, "when am I meeting them?"

"Friday? If that works for you, of course."

"Friday." He repeated the day quietly, almost like he was committing it to memory. You heard the faint tap of what sounded like keyboard keys in the background, followed by another brief pause. "I'll clear my schedule."

"You don't have to rearrange everything."

"I want to."

There it was again. That quiet certainty he'd always had.

"I've been looking forward to this." There was something about the way he said it. Quiet. Sincere. Not in the exaggerated way people sometimes spoke when they were trying to be polite, but with the kind of honesty that made it impossible to doubt him.

Your heart warmed. "They're excited."

A soft chuckle came through the speaker. "...I think I'm more nervous than they are."

"You? They're five."

"I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better."

You laughed, leaning back in your chair.

"They're going to adore you."

"I hope so." His voice softened just enough that you almost missed it.

You found yourself smiling, wondering if he was wearing the same shy smile you'd seen so many times whenever someone complimented him.

Somehow, even over the phone, you could picture it perfectly

"I know so."

Another small silence settled between you. Not because either of you had run out of things to say. Just because neither of you seemed to be in a hurry to hang up.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Friday arrived much faster than you expected. The entire week had passed in a blur of lesson plans, returned permission slips, and children asking the same question every morning. "Is today the special visitor day?" By Wednesday, you'd started writing the countdown on the whiteboard.

2 more sleeps.

Then...

1 more sleep.

Now, tucked neatly into the corner of the board beside the date, was a simple message written in blue marker. Special Visitor Day  You smiled to yourself as you capped the marker. Almost immediately, tiny footsteps came pattering into the classroom.

Soo-ah was the first to notice. She pointed dramatically toward the board. "It's today!" Within seconds, the room erupted.

"It's today!"

"I told you!"

"I remembered!"

"Who's coming?"

"Is it a firefighter?"

"My dad said maybe it's a magician!"

You laughed at all your littlest friends' predictions as you hung your cardigan on the back of your chair. 

"My grandma guessed a princess."

"I don't think it's a princess." You smiled. 

"A dinosaur?" Min-jun excitedly shot his hand up.

"...Definitely not a dinosaur. I don’t think that possible. Remember, they lived a long long time ago." A chorus of disappointed groans filled the room. You shook your head, laughing. "I promise you'll find out soon."

"When?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

You pretended to think.

"Hmm..."

"After morning meeting?"

A collective gasp.

"So soon!"

"So soon."  You nodded. The excitement never really faded. Even during calendar time, half the class kept glancing toward the classroom door. During story time, Ji-ho raised his hand.

"Miss Honey?"

"Yes?"

"What if our visitor gets lost?"

You smiled at his concern,  "I don't think he will."

"What if he forgets?"

"He won't." The words coming out of you confidently. 

"How do you know?"

Because he'd been looking forward to this just as much as they had. The thought made you smile before you realized it. If there was one thing you were absolutely sure about, it was that Soobin would not miss this for the world.  "I just do." 

By the time morning meeting ended, you had answered at least seventeen different guesses. None of them were correct. Min-jun had confidently decided the visitor was a zookeeper. Eun-woo insisted it had to be an astronaut. Soo-ah remained convinced it was secretly a princess despite your earlier denial.

As the children settled back onto the carpet after washing their hands, your phone vibrated quietly inside your cardigan pocket. You glanced down.

Soobin: I'm here.

Your heart gave a small, unmistakable flutter. You looked toward the classroom door without meaning to. He was here. After weeks of talking about your students. After months of hearing stories about them. He was finally here. You looked back at the sixteen little faces waiting expectantly in front of you. None of them had any idea.

You couldn't help smiling. "Okay, friends." The room fell quiet. "I think..." You glanced toward the hallway one last time. "...our special visitor is here."

The classroom fell into a rare silence. Sixteen pairs of eyes shifted between you and the classroom door, each child sitting just a little straighter than usual. You smiled, trying your best not to let your own excitement show.

A gentle knock sounded against the open door. Right on time. Mrs. Lee stepped inside first, her familiar smile immediately putting the children at ease. "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Mrs. Lee!" The class chimed back.Pride taking over your heart for a second at their polite greeting. 

"I hear you've all been waiting very patiently for your special visitor." She clapped her hands together in front of her chest, exaggerately so.

"We have!" Soo-ah answered before anyone else could.

Mrs. Lee laughed softly. "I know you have." She glanced over her shoulder before stepping aside. "I'd like you all to meet a friend of Miss Y/N’s."

For just a moment nothing happened. Then a tall figure stepped into the doorway. You watched as Soobin paused just inside the classroom. His eyes immediately swept across the room, taking in the tiny tables, colorful artwork covering every wall, the alphabet rug, the cubbies overflowing with little backpacks. Exactly the way you'd imagined he would. He looked almost in awe before his eyes found you and softened. 

"Hi." He offered the children a slightly nervous smile before giving a small bow and wave. "My name is Soobin, It's really nice to meet all of you."

The room stayed completely silent. You had exactly enough time to wonder if maybe everyone had suddenly become shy— Before sixteen little voices exploded at once.

“MR. SOOBIN?!”

"HE'S SO TALL!"

"WHOA!"

"MISS HONEY!"

"HI!"

"HE'S REALLY HERE!"

You couldn't stop yourself from laughing. Beside you, Mrs. Lee pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to laugh herself. Soobin blinked in surprise, looking up at you before laughing too, the sound mixing with the children's excitement.

"I know," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've been told I'm kind of tall."

Eun-woo stood up without waiting to be called on. He walked right over until he was standing directly in front of Soobin. The classroom suddenly grew much quieter. You knew that look. Eun-woo was thinking very hard. He slowly tipped his head back.

"...Wow."

A few giggles rippled across the carpet. Soobin smiled. "Hi." Eun-woo looked at him for another few seconds before asking, completely serious— "How do you fit through doors?"

The room erupted into laughter. Even Mrs. Lee let out a quiet snort. Soobin looked back at the doorway they'd just walked through before answering with equal seriousness.

"...Very carefully."

The children dissolved into another fit of giggles. Just like that...The nervousness disappeared. Mrs.Lee excused herself back to her office after dropping your special visitor off. You watched from the side as Soobin crouched down until he was much closer to their height. It was such a small thing. Something he probably hadn't even thought about doing. But seeing him kneel so he could speak to them eye-to-eye made something warm settle in your chest.

He wasn't trying to impress anyone. He was simply meeting them where they were.

"So..." he said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about all of you."

Sixteen little faces lit up.

"You have?" Soo-ah asked.

He nodded. "I have." He glanced over at you for just a second before looking back at the children. "You all made me some very special gifts."

The room grew noticeably quieter. "I still have every single one." Several little mouths fell open.

"You do?" Soo-ah asked.

"Of course I do! They're at my home." A tiny gasp rippled across the carpet. "I still remember some of them."

"You do?" Soo-ah asked.

He nodded. "Soo-ah..." He smiled. "You made me a picture with lots of pink flowers."

Soo-ah's eyes grew impossibly wide. "I did!"

"And Min-jun..." He looked toward the timid little boy. "You drew me next to a dinosaur." 

Min-jun ears immediately turned bright red as he shyly smiled "A T-Rex" He answered softly

"That's right, I remember because I was a little shorter than the dinosaur." The class burst into laughter. He looked around the rug again. You watched in amazement as each child lit up when they realized he remembered their gift. Not just that they had made one. But exactly what it was. 

The next forty-five minutes passed in an absolute blur. You'd barely finished introducing Soobin before the classroom seemed to come alive in a whole new way. Tiny hands shot into the air from every direction.

"Miss Honey!"

"Miss Honey!"

"Can I show him my drawing?"

"Can he see my cubby?"

"I have a question!"

"So do I!"

You laughed, trying your best to restore some semblance of order. "One at a time, friends." Whether they heard you or not was another story. Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Soobin crouched beside the carpet as three students proudly crowded around him, each trying to be the first to show him something.

A drawing.

A stuffed bunny.

A slightly squished sticker they'd been saving all week.

He accepted each one with the same careful attention, smiling as though he'd been handed priceless treasures. By the time he'd finished admiring one masterpiece, another was already being held in front of him. Then another. And another.

You couldn't help smiling to yourself. He was trying so hard to keep up.

"Miss Honey!"

You turned just in time to catch Ji-ho before he accidentally bumped into one of the easels. "Walking feet," you reminded gently, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. We just have to be careful!"

Across the room, Soo-ah had somehow convinced Soobin to sit at one of the tiny classroom tables. His knees were nearly level with his shoulders. You bit back a laugh. The chair looked impossibly small beneath him. He looked over at you, offering an almost helpless smile. You only smiled wider.

You're doing great. You mouthed to him. His smile growing deeper until the divots of dimples appeared.  Before he could stand again, Eun-woo climbed into the chair beside him. Then Min-jun. Then another. Within seconds, he'd become the center of a tiny semicircle of eager faces.

You watched him glance between them, doing his best to answer every question thrown his way. Some made perfect sense. Some… Not so much.

"Do you like broccoli?"

"Can you whistle?"

"Why are your hands so big?"

"If you were a dinosaur, which one would you be?"

He answered each one as sincerely as the last. By the third dinosaur question, you noticed the faintest look of defeat cross his face. It disappeared almost as quickly as it came. Another little hand was already tugging gently at the sleeve of his cardigan. 

You moved through the room on instinct. Helping Ha-eun tie her apron before painting. Refilling the glue basket. Settling a disagreement over whose turn it was to feed the class fish. Reminding everyone that markers belonged on paper. Not sleeves. You'd hardly stopped moving.

As you passed by the reading corner, you caught Soobin watching you. Not for long. Just long enough for your eyes to meet. There was something almost amazed in his expression. As if he couldn't quite believe how effortlessly you moved from one child to the next. You smiled.

Then Ji-ho announced—far louder than necessary— "Miss Honey! I accidentally glued my fingers together!" You were already walking toward him before he'd finished the sentence. Behind you, you heard Soobin laugh. A genuine, uncontrollable laugh.

When you glanced back a moment later, he was shaking his head to himself, smiling as another child proudly placed a plastic toy dinosaur into his hands. He looked wonderfully overwhelmed. And somehow, perfectly at home.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Gone were the excited questions, the tiny footsteps racing across the carpet, the constant chorus of "Miss Honey!" and “Mr.Soobin!” Now, It was just the quiet hum of the lights overhead. You let out a slow breath as you began absentmindedly stacking a few stray picture books back onto the shelf.

"I think..." Soobin's voice broke the silence. "...I understand now." You glanced over your shoulder. He was still standing near the reading corner, one of the tiny classroom chairs tucked neatly beneath the table where he'd insisted on helping clean up after the children left. 

"Understand what?"

"Why you love this so much." He looked around the room before his eyes settled back on you.

"I've always loved teaching." A small smile spread across your face.

"No, I knew you loved your job." He shook his head gently. His smile softened. "But I didn't know why." 

The words settled somewhere deep in your chest. He took another slow look around the classroom. At the paintings hanging from the ceiling. The tiny backpacks still waiting to be taken home after after-school care. The crayon drawings taped proudly along the walls. "I don't know how you do it."

"I ask myself that every Friday." You laughed quietly. 

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"I don't think you sat down once."

"I probably didn't."

"They all needed something."

"They usually do."

"And somehow..." He smiled to himself. "You always knew who needed you first."

"I've had a lot of practice." You looked down for a moment.

"I don't think it's just practice." Silence settled between the two of you again. Comfortable. Easy. He stepped a little closer, stopping beside one of the child-sized tables. "They trust you."

"I hope they do." You followed his gaze toward the rug where the children had sat only minutes earlier.

"They adore you."

Your heart warmed. "I adore them too."

"I know." There was something about the way he said it. Not teasing. Not playful. Just… Certain. "I don't think I've ever seen someone love what they do the way you do."

You swallowed around the sudden lump in your throat.

"I never really thought anyone noticed."

"I notice." The words were quiet. Barely above a whisper. Yet somehow they echoed louder than anything else he'd said all afternoon. You looked up. He was already looking at you.

Not with the bright smile he'd worn while answering dinosaur questions. Not with the shy laugh that had escaped him every time another child interrupted. Just him.

The room suddenly felt much smaller. The silence stretched. Neither of you looked away.

Without thinking, you took a small step toward him. He did the same. It wasn't planned. Neither of you seemed to realize you were moving until there was barely any space left between you.

Your heart beat just a little faster. His eyes flickered down to your lips for the briefest moment. Then back to yours. The world around you seemed to disappear.

No excited voices.

No classroom chaos.

Just the two of you standing in the middle of a room that had somehow brought your worlds together. He leaned in—hesitant enough that you knew he was giving you every chance to pull away. You didn't. His hand came up to hold your chin with his thumb and pointer finger. Your breath caught.

Just as the distance between you disappeared, a sharp knock echoed through the classroom.

"Oh!" The sudden voice made both of you jump apart so quickly you nearly bumped into the tiny table behind you. Mrs. Lee stood frozen in the doorway, a folder tucked against her chest.

"...Am I interrupting something?"

Your face burned. So did his. For a moment neither of you could find a single word.

Mrs. Lee’s lips twitched ever so slightly before she lifted the folder. "I, um..." She cleared her throat. "I just came to bring back your copy of parent permission forms." You blinked.

"Oh! Right."

"So..." She took one careful step backward into the hallway. "I'll... leave these here." The folder was placed gently on the nearest table.

Another painfully quiet beat passed. Mrs. Lee offered the two of you an almost apologetic smile. "...Have a nice weekend."

The moment she disappeared around the corner, the silence returned. Different now. Warmer. Embarrassed. Neither of you knew quite where to look. Then, almost at the same time, you both laughed.

It started as a quiet chuckle before turning into the kind of laugh that only happened after an impossibly awkward moment.

You shook your head, covering your face with one hand. "I don't think I'm ever going to recover from that."

"I don't think Mrs. Lee is either."

That only made you laugh harder. When your laughter finally settled, your eyes met again. The almost-kiss still lingered quietly between you. Unspoken. Unfinished. Waiting.

"I should probably go," Soobin said softly.

"...Yeah."

Neither of you moved right away. And somehow neither of you minded. 

“I’ll text you when I make it home” He smiled softly at you, the warmth of a blush still very evident on his cheeks and ears 

“I’ll do the same” You returned his smile, your heart still beating as if it was going to jump out your chest and straight into his arms. 

It wasn’t until you were home, in the warmth and comfort of your bed when your mind started to spiral of what almost happened between the two of you. It wasn’t just you, he had leaned in too. He had looked at your lips. You groaned and ran your hands down your face. The buzz of your phone made your eyes peek through your fingers. 

You reached down to retrieve it from the tangle of blankets and what was waiting for you made your heart thump even faster. 

Soobin: Thank you for today and for inviting me. I don’t think I’ll forget today for a long time. 

You smiled softly at the message before responding 

You: Thank you again for coming. I know it was probably hectic but the kids loved it. I don’t think they wanted to leave lol. 

Three dots. Disappear. Reappear.

Soobin: I didn’t want to leave either :) 

The weight of his words settled quietly over you, leaving you wondering if he'd meant leaving the classroom or leaving with that unfinished moment still lingering between the two of you.

A smile spread across your face, so wide your cheeks began to ache. You tapped the little heart beneath his message before locking your phone, rolling onto your side and letting yourself drift off with thoughts of today still replaying in your mind.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Author's Note: OKAY GUYS IM SO SORRYYYYYY FOR DOING THAT TO YOU!!!! Miss Honey's worlds have collided :') and in the cutest way possible!!! Before you go, I just wanted to say thank you for all the love you've shown this story. It truly blows my mind that you guys like it so much to keep up with it <3 MWUAH!

tag list: @deliriious-minds @icouldbelove @fairfootedflekk @aribomb @chai-soobin @mo0nstardust @ayoash405 @tomochey

[01beomz]

source: ojaerocks instagram

if he keeps spreading his damn legs like that he WILL be facing the consequences (not being able to close them ever again 😁). god. choi soobin. your existence alone truly does things to me that are unspeakable.

but since we're here we might as well get into it... there's very obvious reasons he's a repeat offender of manspreading. more like one big reason.

three words: massive fucking cock. and he needs to make sure everyone knows about it, even if it's kept under layers of fabric. that doesn't matter to him, though. in fact, it makes the entire experience even better. teasing everyone by flaunting off the waistband in his underwear, pitching a tent in the tight pants needed for performances, threatening to undress on camera if he's ordered to. it teeters the line between cockiness (heh) and confidence in his body and plain old exhibitionism. and he gets off on it. so damn much.

when he's at home with the members in nothing but boxers, he enjoys swanging that thang even more now that he has pairs of eyes completely focuses on him in his natural state. beomgyu catching him without pants in the living room? he WANTED him to see. yeonjun slapping his ass whenever he has the chance? well, what else would his juicy ass be made for if not to slap and hold? kai shoving his hands up his bare stomach, rubbing and grabbing like there's no tomorrow? it's just one of the few reasons he's decided to get back to working out. and taehyun eyeing soobin out with a look in his big brown eyes that says nothing else but "if you don't let me bounce on it right this second..." (so real). it's mission accomplished for soobin at this point.

in conclusion, soobin is a fucking whore who loves showing off his body to basically everyone in the whole damn world and reaping all the benefits because he knows he's that fucking hot. thank you for coming to my ted talk 🫡