Into the Blue

Online Love

A/N: This is just a short one-shot based on a random RiRi prompt I thought of while I was coaching my nephews through their online modules. Hope you like it!

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"Arrrgh!"

Hearing the call of distress resounding from the study room all the way to the kitchen where he had been preparing lunch, Ri Jeong-hyeok abandons his chopping board, leaving his apron on, and sprints towards the danger zone.

"Buddy? What's wrong? What happened?"

He grabs a mono block chair from the corner of the room, drags it next to his distressed nephew whose hands are currently clutching his head so tight, Jeong-hyeok fears the teenager had somehow hurt himself while working alone and with no supervision.

But then the boy releases his head, heaves a huge sigh that sounds like it came from the deepest recesses of his guts, then scowls at the worried adult.

"This module is too hard, Uncle Jeong-hyeok. I can't do it anymore, I need a break."

Now that he had confirmed that his charge is nowhere near the brink of death, Jeong-hyeok runs a hand through his forehead in equal parts relief and frustration. "Ji-hwan, you almost gave me a heart attack. I thought something bad had happened to you."

But the teenager isn't backing down. "But it is bad," he insists, pushing his glasses up. "I'm tired, I really am. I want this pandemic to be over and done, Uncle. I need to live normally."

"I don't know what you're complaining about, buddy," his Uncle cajoles, peering at the screen, making sure the camera doesn't capture his face, but he immediately notices that the online class was empty.

Ah. Lunch break.

Jeong-hyeok scoots closer to the young boy and gestures towards the desktop computer.

"C'mon. Everything you need is right there on the Internet. Do you know how hard it was for your father and I to do our assignments back when we were your age? We certainly didn't have everything at the snap of our fingers."

"But Uncle," Ji-hwan tries again. "At least you didn't have to sit around all day, staring at a screen, and waiting for time to pass you by. I don't even get to talk to my friends in person!" He laments profusely. "And whenever I get confused, it's not like my teacher can come over to explain stuff to me one-on-one..."

The confused Uncle is about to chide the boy again, when their conversation is suddenly interrupted by a surprisingly welcome sound.

"That is actually true, you know."

An elegant feminine voice suddenly booms through the monitor, drawing Jeong-hyeok to look away from his nephew and turn towards the screen.

...where he is greeted by a pair of expressive almond eyes embedded prettily under immaculate eyebrows, and set on a small face that looks more porcelain than human and draped with black silky hair.

While Jeong-hyeok stares at the screen with impeccable stillness, Ji-hwan straightens up to form, managing a polite smile at the sight of the beautiful woman.

"Hello, Teacher Se-ri," the boy greets politely.

"Hi, Ji-hwan. Have you had your lunch yet?" The teacher called Se-ri appears to be shifting in her seat and arranging a bunch of papers on her desk.

As Ji-hwan shakes his head and chats more with her, Jeong-hyeok stealthily tries to back away from the camera's visual zone, but the pretty teacher, obviously already used to observing people through the screen, immediately figures out what he's trying to do.