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A/N:

Hello, sorry again for the long wait, I have started holidays very recently and had to catch up with a few things jejeje hopefully I have more time for writing now

As a kind of apology, I posted this as soon as I had finished it, without waiting until sunday, and also wrote a chapter that's a bit longer than the others, so please enjoy!

Votes and comments are very motivational!!! <3

An awkward silence followed.

Sungchan's words lingered in the air, and Haechan could almost feel his heart sinking. "W-wait," he laughed nervously, "what?" The boy hoped that he hadn't heard that correctly, but deep down he knew that was not the case. So Mr. Lee did see me before, Haechan concluded dejectedly.

By now, both Shotaro and Sungchan understood that there was something else going on that they didn't know about. "That's his teacher," Shotaro mouthed to Sungchan, the latter nodding. Still, neither of them comprehended why that seemed to be such a big deal. They thought that perhaps that man is a really strict or rude teacher, which is just a fraction of the whole truth.

"Oh..." Sungchan cleared his throat, "alright, I can just tell him that you're not available right now, no problem." Haechan recomposed himself quickly, also helping Shotaro get up. "No, no, it's okay, I've got this. What did he order?" He finally spoke, hoping to change the topic.

"Just a bagel and an iced coffee." Sungchan handled him the note containing more detail and Haechan started working on preparing the food. The boy made sure to always give his back to the tables in case Mr. Lee was looking his way and pretended not to know that he actually was.

Five minutes later Haechan found himself with his head lowered, taking in the entire order he had just finished preparing for his teacher, realizing that the next step was to actually bring it to him. "No big deal, you can do it," he whispered, only for himself to hear.

Bring him the food.

Say hi.

Leave.

The boy repeated those words inside his head like a mantra. His hands, shaking more than he would have preferred, grabbed tightly the ends of the tray containing Mr. Lee's order. He made his way around the counter and towards his teacher's table, at the farthest corner right next to the window.

Each step felt harder to do than the previous, and Haechan had to place his feet on the ground thoroughly, afraid that his legs might just give up on him. Mr. Lee was getting his laptop ready to do some work, pretending that he did not see his student walking towards him with his food.

Said student, not knowing how to get his teacher's attention, straight up placed the tray on the table, behind his laptop. When the boy stepped away, Mark finally looked up to him, his eyes finding Haechan's. One single look from the older caused his words to die on his throat before he could even begin to utter them.

Say hi.

Leave.

Easier said than done. "U-hm..." and just like that, his voice died once again. Haechan mentally slapped himself. "Good evening, Mr. Lee," he finally let out, this time mentally congratulating himself. Even so, he hated with his whole the way he acted in front of that teacher; all the sass and confidence that characterized him, washing away whenever Mark Lee was present.

"Haechan," Mark said his name, slowly, as if its mere pronunciation was a privilege. His pearly white teeth showed as he smiled, resembling those of an animal ready to pounce. "So it was really you, I was wondering I had mistaken you for somebody else." The boy chuckled, trying to ease the increasing tension he felt. "Well, yeah, you were right."

Leave.

"I should get back to work, please enjoy your food," Haechan excused himself, slightly bowing and using the opportunity to turn around and come back to the security of being behind the counter. "Of course, thank you," he heard Mr. Lee faintly.

Once back in his safe place, Haechan pretended to be busy by making up random tasks like cleaning the counter for the third time that afternoon. Sighing, he tried to avoid Sungchan and Shotaro's confused and questioning glances. As much as he wanted to chat and have fun with them while they worked, Haechan knew that he wouldn't be able to relax until Mr. Lee leaves.

Speaking of the devil, Mark worked on his laptop, not making any effort in hiding that he looked at the boy from time to time. In one particular occasion, Haechan was the one guilty of taking a look at the other. Still leaning down to reach the other end of the counter while cleaning it, and just out of curiosity, he let his eyes wander towards Mr. Lee, nothing but another mistake.

Haechan gazed his teacher freely. His messy hair, the look of determination in his eyes, the way he flexed his jaw as he probably graded some students' papers... all of him was entrancing and the boy found himself unable to take his eyes off him. Until a second later, when Mark reciprocated eye contact.

As much as Haechan wanted to look away as to save a little bit of his remaining dignity, he couldn't. Gulping, he could see how Mr. Lee offered him a smirk, which woke the boy up from his trance and he finally looked back down, resuming to clean the counter. The boy was trying his best to act as if nothing had happened, but the redness in his cheeks was impossible to hide.

This moment of shame felt like an eternity until the clock struck 7:30 p.m., time for him to have his fifteen-minute break. Sighing tiredly, Haechan went to clean his hands, running a hand through his hair afterwards and untying the first button of his shirt to get more comfortable.

"Are you guys doing okay or do you need me to stay a while more before leaving?" He asked Sungchan and Shotaro to make sure that they don't get too much work while it's only the two of them. "Don't worry, we'll manage," Shotaro answered. "Also," he heard Sungchan, "you're the last one to have a break, so just go and rest a little already."

"Yeah, byeeee," they said jokingly, pushing him out of the counter. "Fine, fine," Haechan lifted his hands up in surrender. After a quick goodbye, he made his way towards the exit of the café, wishing nothing else but to catch some fresh air and stretch his tired legs for a while.

But halfway there, he heard his name being called by a voice he wished he hadn't even heard that day, to begin with. Haechan stopped on his tracks, turning to face Mr. Lee, who moved his hand as to tell his student to come to him.

The boy stood still for a moment, wondering what to do, assessing all the options he had in front of him, and Mark remained with a serious expression on his face, daring Haechan to ignore him and find out what happens next. Accepting defeat, the boy approached his teacher while rehearsing what to say.

"Mr. Lee, I'm really sorry but right now I'm on my break, so I can't help y--" "You're on your break?" Mark interrupted, and only then did Haechan become aware of his mistake, Mark's next words confirming his worst fear.

"Then why don't you sit down with me?"

Teacher's Pet | MarkHyuckOnde as histórias ganham vida. Descobre agora