✨THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY ✨|| JIKOOK ✅

4.

🌈JUNGKOOK POV

"Did you hear? They are doing another one of those auctions this year?" Sally, the history teacher whose classroom was across the hall from mine, asked.

"The one that helps the hospital?"

More specifically, the
children's wing.

Obviously a small town fundraiser wouldn't be able to buy medical equipment but
from the article I read last
year, they had been able to
make things easier for kids
who had to be there.

I hated that any child needed
to be in such a situation and
was happy about any project
that helped them get through
it easier.

"Yeah, It's at the hotel again
and this year it's a mix of
baked goods and candy."

She started to unpack her lunch bag, which was a good idea, given we had a whole fifteen-minute lunch break when all
was said and done.

"That's great, I hope they
make a ton of money." I didn't have any to give that would make much of a difference.

Not only was my teaching salary not the best but I'd had some house repairs I hadn't planned on this past year, I was officially a paycheck-to-paycheck statistic.

"I think I'm going this year."

"I won't be able to bid but the tickets are reasonable enough and it's always fun to get
dressed up." Sally picked
up her phone and tapped
away, turning it to me.

"I was thinking of making something like this."

We spent the last of our short lunch chatting about the style she found and how she was going to put it together using only thrift store finds.

Sally was gifted when it came
to sewing and creating, She
had fancy period pieces for nearly all of her units
throughout the year.

The students loved it almost
as much as she did.

"See you on the flip side."

I held the door for her when
the bell rang and off we went back to classes.

The rest of my day went quickly.

That was one thing about teaching the hours sped by.

It wasn't like when I was in
high school and working at Burgers and More, Those
shifts felt like decades apiece.

That's the difference between having a job you love and one that gives you money, I guess.

Today was one of the odd days
I took the car to school and that was because it was grocery day.

My house was like Old Mother Hubbard's only without the
cute dog and I decided to
drive a couple of towns over
to my favorite grocery store.

The one in town was nice but small and pretty pricey.

I definitely got more bang for
my buck taking the drive.

I cranked up the music and
sang along the entire ride.

No one ever accused me of
being a good or even halfway-decent singer.

But what I lacked in skill, I
made up for in enthusiasm.

And really if I was the only one
in the car, who cared if I didn't even enter the same county as the note I was trying to reach?

Certainly not me.

The parking lot was pretty
empty when I arrived but I still parked on the far side of the lot.

I learned long ago that once more traditional office-type job hours ended for the day, this place got packed and it was much easier getting out when you were away from the foot traffic.

I grabbed a cart and started through the aisles.

I grabbed some bananas and berries and was on my way to the melons when I caught sight of a table in the corner with a couple of older people sitting at it, balloons tied on their chairs.

It wasn't uncommon to see
kids doing school or sports fundraisers here.

The store was really generous like that and even let them
inside and out of the elements, unlike most places but this was different.

These weren't school kids at
all and that had me curious.

I walked over and the
gentleman on the left waved,
his face lighting up in a smile.

"Have you heard about the upcoming auction?" he asked.

"I'm from busan." I explained, assuming they meant something local and not the auction I'd
been chatting with Sally about
at lunch.

"So you have heard."

The second gentleman held
out the papers for me.

"We are here today to find two groups of people, people who would like to donate to the auction and people who would like to attend the event and possibly go home with one of
our prizes."

I glanced down at the paper
and saw the ticket prices.

It was doable—ish but it would be a stretch, and there would
be nothing left over to even make a starting bid.

"I can maybe buy a ticket?"

The last thing I wanted to do
was turn down something as important as a fundraiser to
help sick children.

"Or." the first gentleman said.

"Or you could make something sweet and put yourself up on
the auction block."

"I really wouldn't have enough for the date." It was sad but true.

I heard that last year one of
the couples flew to Europe
and another took a cruise.

The best I could hope to offer was a dinner at home or possibly a picnic if they wanted to wait until the weather warmed up.

"But I do have a good candy recipe."

It was my mother's famous hard candy and by famous, I meant throughout the neighborhood.

One of the first things I was asked by not one, not two but three neighbors when I moved
in was if I was going to make them candy for the holidays
to take over from my mom.

And after a few lessons from Mom, I did exactly that.

"Excellent."

"Let's get all your information and make this official."

The second man reached
for a clipboard.

"Let's start with your
first name."