One Small Step|| Taekook

"Are you scared?"

"I cry myself to sleep at night
Just wishing it would stop.
Maybe tomorrow it will cease.
Then again, maybe not."

-----

Taehyung took a deep breath as he faced himself in the mirror, adjusting his collar.

Today was a new day.
Today was a new beginning.
You are loved, Taehyung.
You matter.

He whispered to himself, as he took a final look of himself at the mirror. Feeling satisfied, he took his bag and car keys, and came out of the apartment. It was his first day as a primary school teacher in a new school.

As he drove along the streets, he came back to wondering again why he became a teacher. School was the last place he would rather find himself in. His memories of his school days were not sunshine and smiles. He swallowed, trying to think of anything else. But, it was hard to forget, when the supposed prime joyful years of your life were nightmares which left you broken and scarred for your entire life.

When you had to be an adult too early, it was hard to forget.

Perhaps he didn't want to forget, That is why he became a teacher. That is why he surrounded himself with the walls of a school. He wanted that uncomfortable reminder, those memories, etched in his skin. He wanted to burn in that pain every time.

Or Perhaps, he wanted to save others. Others like him, he wanted to stop another blooming flower to eventually wilt away. He wanted to see it bloom. He wanted to be a teacher who understood. He wished to be a matchstick to rekindle their flame. He wanted to be sure there was someone for them, unlike him, who had been all alone.

As he parked in the teachers parking lot, he scanned the area. It was the third school he was joining. Teaching in the small towns had been great and he had never wanted to move back to Seoul, but when his last school closed down and nearby schools had no vacancies, he had to join one in the city.

Besides, Seoul paid better for him to save some more and send it back to grandma Oh, back in the town, for her regular checkups.

"Good Morning, Mr Kim.." Mrs Min, the school principal welcomed him as he sat down in her office.

"Good morning, Mrs Min" He greeted back, noticing the trophies won by the school teams and other perhaps fundraising pictures of her, hanging on the beige coloured walls of her office.

"I am very glad you could join us, I personally wanted to meet you after hearing so much about you from Hongshik" She smiled and shook his hand. Taehyung smiled in return. Mr Lee Hongshik was his former school's principal, a person he could look up to. That old man treated him like his own grandson.

She continued, bringing out a file from her drawer and handing it to him. "Here are your class routines, The lesson plan, the list of the students of the class you are the class teacher of and a code of conduct for teachers."

Taehyung took the file from her politely and gave a once over to it, before he focused his attention back to her. "I welcome you here, I hope your first day goes very well. Also, do you need someone to take you to your first class?"

"Thank you Mrs Min, and no, I can find it myself, you don't need to send anyone in."

"Okay very well, So, Mr Kim, i won't take your time anymore, All the best for your first class."

Taehyung bowed and mumbled a thank you once again as he made his way to his first class.

------

Turns out, He easily found his first class.