"It kind of feels like we're the last ones left, doesn't it?"

__________________________

JUNGKOOK

"You're still going to stay?"

"Yup." I say, flipping through the kids' worksheets. "I'll probably get all of these done soon."

"Mr. Jeon, can I have a candy?" Jia pipes up, clinging to Jimin hyung's side. She was his eight year old daughter— one of my students.

"Haven't you already had one?"

She shakes her head.

"Alright, then. Don't take two."

Jimin hyung smiles at her lovingly before switching the main light off in the halls. It was only the three of us left, with all the other teachers gone for the night.

"Don't stay too long— I heard that it was going to be storming."

I wave back when Jia waves at me, chocolate staining her fingertips.

"I won't. I'll see you next Monday, Jia. You too, Jimin hyung."

"I'll leave the back door open. So just remember to lock it, alright?"

Then he leaves.

It was already eight at evening. I only had one more assignment left to do— and I'd leave.

But my eyelids feel heavy when I look down at the blank sheet of paper, and I slowly lean back against the back of the chair.

I'd close my eyes for just a minute.

And then I was going to get this done.

_______________________

SOHEE

I'm walking back from work. My car had broken down today, so I'd done this since the morning— walking to work.

And I had all my work clothes on too.

It's late at night, and I'm thinking whether or not I should start using the flashlight on my phone or not when the sky rumbles.

At first, I don't think of it as much.

But when something cold and wet lands right on my nose, I stop.

Holy crap.

It's raining.

Clutching my jacket to my chest, I look around frantically. I hadn't even reached the middle point of getting to my apartment yet.

Then I see a large building, just to the right of the corner.

A school.

It's the elementary school in this area.

And for a second, I hesitate. What if the doors were locked? And it wasn't right, to just trespass into a kids' school.

Then the rain starts to pour harder.

Never mind.

I run, finding shelter just barely underneath the narrow shelf of the doorway.

The skies are completely dark now, and all I can hear is the sound of rain getting heavier.

My teeth starts to chatter.

Cold. I didn't mind getting wet a little bit, but it was so cold and windy that the rain was blowing all under the small roof over the door.

Please.

So it's actually shocking when the door pulls open.

Unlocked.

I rush inside, my hair dripping water. My clothes aren't completely soaked, but it's glazed with rain.

But that's the least thing I can think about right now.

The school hallway is dark, the lights all shut off. Except for the little beam of light on the far end of the wide hall.

And it's kind of scaring me.

This entire place is kind of scaring me.

Carefully, I turn on the flashlight of my phone and listen to the crashing sound of rain outside. It was full on storming— and it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

Then a noise echoes down the hall.

I instantly jerk, shoving my phone into my pocket and covering the light with my hand.

I'm shaking so hard, body pressed up against the wall next to the back door.

And then footsteps.

Footsteps.

The fear from earlier turns into terror when the steady sound gets louder, coming towards me.

I push myself behind the lockers, hand wrapped over my mouth.

What in the world.

Why would someone be here this late? Was it even someone? Maybe a thief? But why would a thief rob an elementary—

It's a man.

He brushes past me, not having seen the small figure curled up next to the lockers. His body is dark, and I can't see his face.

My heart's racing so hard it's a miracle he can't hear it.

He looks out the door, sighing heavily at the storm. But then all of a sudden, he looks down, at the floor.

Holy crap.

The water tracks. I'd tracked water into the school when I'd come in.

And when his eyes land on me, I jerk up to my feet knowing that he'd already noticed.

"W-Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

I shake my head firmly. "Are you a thief or something? Why are you in—"

"I'm a teacher. Now tell me who exactly you are because you nearly scared the daylights out of me just now."

I frown. He didn't look at all scared.

"I-I was trying to find shelter from the storm." I whisper, then realize what he'd said.

"You're a teacher?"

"What else would I be, I'm in a school." He says, looking curiously in my direction. "And you? You're—"

His eyes fix at the tag on my bag.

"Saon? The company down the street from here?"

I nod, blushing as I hurry up to my feet. My hair's still dripping water to the ground, and I feel myself flushing harder when his eyes scan me up and down.

He motions.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"I won't kill you, I promise." He laughs, and I blink. "But you'll catch something in those clothes. Even your hair's soaked wet."

So I follow him, listening to his soft humming as he lights up the hallway with the flashlight on his phone.

His voice is kind of soothing.

"I'll get one of the large kids' clothes for you." He says, laughing when I flush. "It's the new ones for their field trip next week."

"I-It probably won't fit me. Isn't this the elementary school?"

He smiles, tone teasing.

"Hm...I think it will, actually."

And it does end up fitting so nicely that when I come out of the bathroom, he instantly bursts into laughter. The sweatpants are his, and it comes down to the ground.

I twist my fingers together, so embarrassed.

"It's okay." He tells me when he notices. "Besides, this is good. If you hadn't fit, you'd still be wearing the wet clothes."

And then the lights of his classroom flicker.

No, no, no.

"Uh oh."

And that's the last thing he says before the classroom turns off completely. The storm sounds like it's gotten even worse outside.

I freeze, shivering.

"Hello?" His voice comes, and I answer back all hushed. "Don't worry— I still have my phone. Hold on."

He lights up his face, making me laugh with the goofy expression.

"I'll put it right here."

"T-Thanks." I say, and he smiles before placing the phone on the table, backside up. He'd even told me to go find a place in the reading corner, where there was a lot of blankets and it was warm.

And this embarrassment won't go away.

"Why the blush?" He asks, and I chew on my lip as I press my back further into the padded chair. "I can see it through the dark, and that's kind of a problem."

Dammit.

"Because I just feel like..."

I feel like I'm being taken care of, when I was supposed to look after myself. I was an adult for a reason.

It's like he reads my mind.

"Like I said." He smiles softly, watching me twist the corner of the blanket around my finger. "I'm a teacher. I'm especially good with taking care of kids."

I jerk my head up.

"Ah ah ah." He says, lips still slightly curved up. "I never said you were a child."

I fist the fabric underneath my fingers. "You basically just did."

He makes an innocent face.

"I think I know why you're a teacher."

"Do you?" He says, finally looking a bit more serious as he raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

I blink sleepily. Now I was getting tired, being all warm under this blanket. And the chair was so soft.

"I just think you'd be really good with kids."

"Thanks, Miss." He laughs, quietly. "And you should go to sleep if you're tired."

I quickly blink. When had he even seen me? I'd closed my eyes for a brief second.

"I'm not tired."

"Of course you are." He says casually. "Do you realize it's my job to know? So many of my kids think that I don't notice when they take five minute naps in these chairs. I just let them."

I smile sleepily.

That was cute.

"I bet those kids like you, Mr. Jeon."

"Of course. I was voted favorite teacher three times in a row. It didn't make Taehyung or Yoongi hyung very happy."

He taps his fingers against his desk, with a reminiscing smirk.

"No, that did not."

A dazed smile still on my lips, I close my eyes— thinking that he might not notice in the darkness. Then all of a sudden there's light, and I blink in surprise.

It's a small lamp.

"Go back to sleep." He says sweetly, and I blush heavier. "This doesn't run on a plug— I thought it might be better than being all dark."

So I hesitantly lean back into the soft chair.

The light is warm and golden, and soon my head's tilting towards the side in half-sleep. I'd been too self-conscious of him watching me, but after a while the sleep had won over.

In the distance, I can feel my body shift.

Then in my unconsciousness, I feel someone's hand rest under my head— righting it back to position.

There's warmth as another blanket is tucked on top of the one I already have.

*END