This Love Is...|| TAEKOOK ||

|2| fortunate coincidences

A few days had passed since Mr. Kim's unexpected stint in Mr. Jeon's history class. The school was bustling as usual, with students chatting and hurrying to their next classes. Mr. Kim walked through the crowded hallway, his mind occupied with thoughts of lesson plans and grading, and his hands rummaging through the countless papers in his notebook.

As he rounded a corner, he bumped into someone, nearly dropping the stack of papers he was carrying. He looked up to see Mr. Jeon, who seemed equally surprised.

"Mr. Kim," Jeon said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

Mr. Kim chuckled, straightening his papers. "Mr. Jeon, I was beginning to think you were stalking me."

"Stalking? Hardly," Jeon replied with a grin. "I prefer to think of it as a series of fortunate coincidences."

Mr. Kim laughed, shaking his head. "It does seem like we keep running into each other at the most unexpected times."

Jeon leaned casually against a locker. "Maybe the universe is trying to tell us something."

"Or maybe the universe just has a sense of humor," Kim retorted, a playful smile on his lips.

The students had started to slowly return to their respective classes, leaving them a bit more privacy, Jeon's expression turned curious. He crossed his arms, "So, Mr. Kim, how long have you been at this school? I don't think I've ever seen you around."

Kim shrugged. "I've been here for quite a long time, but I tend to keep to myself. Between lesson plans, grading, and trying to keep my students from falling asleep in history class, I haven't had much time to socialize."

"Ah, a dedicated professional," Jeon said with mock seriousness. "All work and no play makes Mr. Kim a dull boy."

Kim smirked. "I suppose I could use a bit more 'play' in my life. Speaking of play, I realized I didn't know much about the other subject teachers until I met you. It seems I've been missing out."

"Well, consider yourself enlightened," Jeon replied. "And if you ever need a tour guide to navigate the social maze of our immensely boring faculty, I'm your guy."

Kim's smile softened, and he felt a flutter of excitement. "I might just take you up on that. How about we exchange numbers? In case I need more rescuing from historical crises."

Jeon's eyes twinkled with amusement as he pulled out his phone. "I suppose I could be your rescue contact for historical emergencies."

They exchanged numbers, the casual touch of their hands and the veins on Jeon's arms sending a subtle thrill through Kim. He glanced at the time and realized he needed to head to his next class.

"I should get going," Kim said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "But maybe we could meet up sometime? Outside of school, I mean."

Jeon raised an eyebrow, a sly smile spreading across his face, weighing his options. He doesn't have much work to do anyway, just the infinite amount of papers and material to write and read. But he didn't have the heart to reject the man's offer and besides, he wanted to accept it.

"Well," Jeon replied, feigning deep thought. "I suppose I could clear some time in my busy schedule. How about this Friday? There's a great little coffee shop downtown."

"Friday it is," Kim agreed, unable to suppress a grin.

As they parted ways, Kim couldn't help but feel a flutter of butterflies in his stomach. The promise of a meeting outside of school felt exhilarating. He never looks forward to Fridays. It is always boring and the same thing repeated over his schedule for several years since he joined as a teacher. This time he is not able to contain his anticipation.

Jeon's parting words echoed in his mind, laced with that trademark sarcasm of his that somehow felt comforting and exciting all at once. "Don't be late, Mr. Kim. I might just start the historical discussion without you."

Kim chuckled and rolled his eyes to himself as he headed to his next class, the feeling of butterflies intensifying with every step. For the first time in a long while, he felt like his life was about to become a lot more interesting.