• 24 •

296 28 10
                                    

Then, Haechan skipped the first half of the following school week.

From Monday to Wednesday, which so happened to be the days including the first two English classes for the week. It's not like Haechan had done it on purpose, but he couldn't deny being thankful for the coincidence. Regardless, the boy would have to face the real world sooner or later, and that thought tormented him thorough his health recovery.

Haechan's parents took good care of him, and also Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung, keeping in touch daily. The group updated him on the homework, but mostly on any new entertaining gossip going on with their classmates.

As time passed by, his temperature slowly but surely went down to the normal degree. His dizzyness and body ache lessened significantly, although they were still present on some occasions. Thus, before he realized, Haechan was already back in class and ready to catch up with everything.

Thursday was no problem. High school was as chaotic as ever, and he finally could reunite with his friends after what felt like an eternity without them. One class after the other, Haechan watched the day go by, and just like that, the school week was almost over with. However, what the boy failed to grasp is that the worst was yet to come, because the next day they would have yet another English class.

Friday had arrived. The four boys returned to class after the lunch break and sat on their usual spots, eager to get over the last two periods of the day. Haechan found himself daydreaming at ease, enjoying the luxury of keeping what happened last weekend out of his mind. However, the very second he noticed students anxiously separating their previously paired desks, reality came crumbling down on him.

It was a warning, a sign of what was about to come.

Renjun and Haechan unwillingly separated theirs while the only thing that could be heard in the classroom was the table legs screeching across the floor as they were dragged around. Afterwards, they were invaded by a dead, uncomfortable silence.

Confused, Haechan leaned closer to Renjun, "am I missing anything?" He asked, feeling the atmosphere much more tense than he remembered, which was saying something. His best friend nodded his head, a hint of worry in his eyes, "it's just that this week Mr. Lee has been angrier than usual."

Without the chance to process the new information, Mr. Lee arrived in the classroom, and it was only then when sudden flashes of the last time they'd seen each other plagued Haechan's head. The boy had been so desperate to forget about it that he couldn't even dedicate time to process it. And now he was back, his sole presence making him tense.

Like it was second nature, Mark's eyes searched for Haechan's desk, almost at the back of the class. After two sour discoveries of the boy's absence on that same week, this time Mr. Lee spotted him instantly while he glanced down to try his very best to go unnoticed.

Haechan's plan continued; behave perfectly, he repeated in his head every single time he sensed himself about to get distracted by something. Just as it had worked during the previous month, Mr. Lee didn't have any valid reason to reprimand him or make him stay after class. Unlike the rest of the class, Haechan failed to realize that somehow the teacher's mood wasn't as menacing, as if he felt pleased by something.

When the clock strung the hour marking the change of period, Haechan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Still, he didn't dare lift his gaze, looking at his hands on his lap instead. Renjun easily noticed just how stressed the boy had been the entire hour, and he offered him a comforting smile once they placed their desks back next to each other after the English teacher had left.

One last period and they were ready to go home. Still, Haechan stopped in his tracks just about to leave the building, "I forgot, I need to grab something from the library... wait for me?" He informed sheepishly, the rest of the group nodding.

"Sure." Not wasting any second, Haechan sprinted towards the school library, and with his backpack hanging on one shoulder, he silently wandered around the area. The boy made his way in between towering shelves of books, looking for a very specific one that he'll need for an upcoming school project.

Trying not to yawn, he let his fingertips caress some book spines as he walked by, his eyes following those that caught his attention. With each step he took, the murmur of people working on the tables by the library entrance faded away gradually, as Haechan got lost farther and farther into the labyrinthine room.

Nevermind, he quickly recognized the book he came searching for when he lifted his gaze to the upper shelves. It was three slots above from his eye level, so, puffing the hair out of his eyes, Haechan stood on his tiptoes to get it, but he still couldn't reach it at all. Oh, how he wished in that moment that he had brought his baby giant friend Jisung along with him.

Not ready to give up yet, Haechan tried one last time, failing to hear the footsteps approaching him from behind. Just as his fingertips almost grazed the bottom of the book, he saw another hand appear out of nowhere and grab it first before he had the chance to.

Startled, Haechan gasped out loud. He immediately stepped backwards out of instinct, only to collide with the sturdy chest of whomever was right behind him. The boy could feel the other person breathing down on the back of his neck, and he stood there frozen, not knowing exactly what to do next. Or that was until he heard a low chuckle that sent shivers down his spine.

"Need any help, Sunshine?"

A/N:

My, oh, my. Thoughts? 

Don't forget to vote! <3

Btw, tomorrow I start classes again, I'll try my best to stick with the weekly updates! Still, I may need some more time depending on how busy the week is :')

Teacher's Pet | MarkHyuckWhere stories live. Discover now