FILTHY || J.JK

18| Safe around him

. . .

"Are you done...?" Mister Jeon raises his eyes from the novel he's been holding for some while now, he's trying to look into my notebook that I've hidden with one of my arm from the front, "what's the answer for the ninth question?"

I search for the answer I've written, then struggle, but having no choice, I tell him, "sporoderm..." Having said the right answer, he affirms with a nod, "hmm, do you want to hear the explanation for it again?" I shake my head kindly, still finding it hard to look up right at his face, I only glance at his lips. He sighs, the sound of it too loud or maybe the silence was just too much for the small noise. "Now what's the answer for the tenth one?"

Since I still haven't completed this, and he saw it, I give a totally blank look at him, not speaking. "You don't know? It's okay," he takes the pencil from my hands and I frown at the sensation provoked by the slightest touch.

"It's going to be Winkler." He writes the answer down on the page, his handwriting sloppy but pretty and neat. "The term apomixis was coined by Winkler in 1908. Ernst and Schnarf gave significant inputs in the study of polyembryony. And Mendel is the father of genetics. So did you understand now, sweetheart?" His intense eyes gaze at mine, "I did." I take my stuff as he handed it back.

"Good," he leans back and grabs his novel, the only book here that I'm interested in. The cover looks fascinating. "Will you be fine with some homework?"

"Okay." He slides on his glasses up, positioning it properly, "give this to me." Mister Jeon who now looks taller and bigger as he's standing, takes my notebook, "don't worry, it'll be only two or three questions. But you have to come back tomorrow and tell me if you have any problems and doubts while solving it, or this will be of no use."

He suddenly gives me a glimpse, but I shake my eyes and stop observing his tattoos, "I will ask if I have any questions." Knowing that I might not be able to do this, I anyways tell him those words.

While he's writing down something inside my notebook, I take a slick minute to eye the adorable dog who's been here for some while now, roaming around here and there, sometimes coming to me and then being shooed off by his owner, "so these are the questions that y-"

My head turns around at the sound of his manly voice, I stare at him to pretend that I was listening.

He turns but looks at the dog as if he tried to check on what I was busy peeping at, "these are three questions, one is a multiple choice, the other one is reasoning, and the third one is subjective."

He gently keeps the notebook back on the table, right in front of me, his eyes always seeming soft when he looks my way, "try solving it without the help of anything, but if you can't, seek some hints. But then you come back here tomorrow, ready with your doubts. Is that alright?" His strict, deep voice contrasting with his faint smile, he makes me smile, "yes. I will."

"Good girl," he turns away, closing the book which he was reading. I stand up and pack my bag, keeping all the stuffs inside, one of my pencils fall down, distracting the attention of this puppy. He doesn't help by coming so close to me once I bend down. I flinch on my way to pick that up, afraid if he's going to bite me or hurt me in any way. "Hoshi..." Mister Jeon calls his name out, walking to us, he smiles at the dog holding the pencil between his big mouth, "give it back, you kid." He asks the other one to stop being a baby and hand me the wooden stick right away.

Without any forcefulness for doing so, Hoshi comes by my feet and drops my pencil on the floor then stares at my face with his sparkly eyes, the big ones that resonate innocence.

"He won't hurt you," mister Jeon steps forward and bends down to take the pencil. He gives me the pencil, being too close to me. His heavy perfume is still fresh, I sunk my breath in and take the pencil, glancing at the cute puppy who I had been scared of earlier. "You want to touch him?" I nod, feeling like he'd been in my mind for him to know this thought, and he chuckles, holding Hoshi's paw after he squats down to reach his level.

I bend a little, hesitating, slowly touching the hairy and soft hand of Hoshi's. This is so cute, I feel so happy. His hand is just the size of mine, and the look he gives me, it's like we're instant friends.

"You can play with him sometimes when you come here, he'd be less lonely, and you'll find a friend here as well so that you're not too bored." He discloses a feeling which would not only be nice for him and his dog, but also for my mood. I gaze up, straightening my posture, "I'll ask my sister at times, is that...okay? She likes puppies." His eyes brighten at this, some crisscrossed wrinkles forming around the outer corner evidently, "that'd be great. You can bring her."

I nod, picking up my bag to hang it onto my shoulders, "thank you for the class." I bow towards mister Jeon, seeing a tired smile form on his lips. He replies to my action by repeating what I had done, bowing down half-way, "you're welcome."

Without further ado; glancing at Hoshi, I leave the room. His footsteps to be heard from the behind, he keeps up with me and once we reach the main gate, he unlocks the door for me to go. "Wait a second, I'll drop you home." Turning to the right, he states these words, holding his jacket to put it on. I highly object to this, but because I'm in a hurry today, I let it be. "Well, I can walk. It's okay because I take the train. You don't have to drop me, mister Jeon."

He looks down, passing his hand to the knob to twist it, "you must be tired, it's alright for me, I dont have any work right now. It's difficult to manage both school and work, I know that."

His sweetness making me feel worse, I step out with him, taking my mask out to wear it around my nose and mouth. We both walk through the front porch, he unlocks the car and opens the passenger seat for me. I sit inside, then he goes over and takes a seat next to me. The seats are so comfortable, the interior beautiful and minimal, this car really is luxurious. "Where do you live?"

"Nonhyeondong," I answer in a silent voice, my eyes on his fingers that are pressing something on the screen of the GPS, he sets the location to help us go there, "street?"

"Street nine, this one." I point my finger to the name which pops up in the search bar, and he presses it then starts to drive. "Put on your belt." I hurry to put on my seatbelt, cursing at myself in my head that I forget this important rule.

Mister Jeon silently drives across the road and I just wait for the time to pass so that I can see my sister and have her close to me, trying my hardest to not have this person next to me in my thoughts.

. . .

"Here," my eyes open, my vision a little hazy as I sit up at the sound of mister Jeon's voice. "Thank you." Without much painstaking effort to be loud, I whisper a 'thanks' to this kind man, opening the door of his car to get off. "Is this your home?" He points his finger at the house in his front, his manly hands still on the steering wheel. "No, but I have to see someone so I got off here."

I squint my eyes, unable to see clearly because of the wind. "Alright. Have a good evening, take care then." I don't pay much heed to mister Jeon's expressions but force a smile before I turn away to walk to the house which isn't mine but Haerin's babysitter's.

Now I didn't want him to do much for me, he's done a lot already. He's basically kind of wasting his time and personal space by teaching me for free, and he even dropped me here. It would be unfair if I made him wait here so that he can drop me and my sister there on the street next to this one, which apparently isn't much of a walk. "Bora, I'm here."

I knock on the door, impatiently waiting for this wooden structure to move and open so that I can see Haerin. "Oh, just on time. We finished this book today." Bora opens the door, showing me the storybook they both would read, the one they both finished reading. "Yes!"

My little sister steps down and instantly comes to me, hugging my waist as I take the bag of stuffs from her babysitter, "oh, that's a good news. Then you'll have to start another one soon." Smiling at the older woman, I step down the porch and bow, "thanks for today, Bora, see you tomorrow. Goodbye." She waves her hand at us as we leave, "goodbye, take care!"

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