This Love Is...|| TAEKOOK ||

|8| everyone hates exams

The library was eerily quiet, the silence broken only by the soft rustling of papers and the occasional sigh of frustration. It was late on a weekend night, and the only people in the vast, dimly lit room were Mr. Kim and Mr. Jeon. With end-term exams approaching, they had been granted special access to the library to prepare their exam papers.

Taehyung rubbed his temples, staring at the blank sheet in front of him. "Why do exams even exist?" he muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance. "I mean, seriously, who thought it was a good idea to torture teachers like this?"

Jungkook chuckled from across the table, flipping through a stack of notes. "Probably someone who never had to set one themselves. It's a cruel irony, isn't it? We love teaching, but hate this part."

Taehyung nodded in agreement, leaning back in his chair. "Exactly. Teaching is great. You get to see the lightbulb moments, watch students grow and learn. But setting exams? It's like pulling teeth."

Jungkook smiled sympathetically. "You're preaching to the choir, Mr. Kim. I've rewritten this one question three times already, and it still doesn't feel right."

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook's paper, squinting to read the handwriting. "Math problems, huh? I'd rather stick with history essays, thank you very much. At least with those, there's a bit of storytelling involved."

"Well, I guess there's some storytelling in math too," Jungkook said, smirking. "If you consider equations and numbers a narrative."

Taehyung snorted, shaking his head. "I think I'll pass on that kind of story. Give me tales of ancient battles and it will intrigue me all day."

Jungkook leaned back, stretching his arms over his head. "You know, Mr. Kim, it's moments like these that make me question my life choices."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow, a grin playing on his lips. "Regretting becoming a teacher, Mr. Jeon?"

"Only when I'm stuck in a library at midnight trying to come up with questions that are both challenging and fair," Jungkook replied, chuckling. "The rest of the time, I love it."

Taehyung nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, same here. It's just this part that's a pain."

They fell into a companionable silence, each focused on their work. The minutes ticked by, punctuated by the sound of pencils scratching on paper and the occasional frustrated groan.

After a while, Taehyung looked up, rubbing his eyes. "You ever wonder if the students realize how much effort we put into this?"

Jungkook shrugged, a wry smile on his face. "Probably not. To them, exams are just something to get through. They don't see the hours we spend trying to make them fair and comprehensive."

"Maybe we should tell them," Taehyung suggested, half-joking. "Give them a little insight into the teacher's perspective."

Jungkook laughed. "Oh, I'm sure they'd love that. 'Attention, class: Here's why you should appreciate your exams!'"

Taehyung chuckled along, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Okay, maybe not the best idea. But it would be nice if they understood."

"True," Jungkook agreed. "But then again, maybe it's better that they don't. Let them think we just magically produce these exams overnight."

Taehyung sighed, tapping his pencil against the table. "Yeah, I suppose. Still, a little appreciation wouldn't hurt."

Jungkook gave him a sympathetic look. "Hey, I appreciate you, Mr. Kim. And I'm sure your students do too, even if they don't always show it."

Taehyung smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him at Jungkook's words. "Thanks, Mr. Jeon. I appreciate you too."

Hours passed, and the library grew quieter, the only sounds being the scratching of pencils and the occasional frustrated groan.

Jungkook glanced up from his messy desk, his eyes landing on Taehyung, who hadn't moved in a while. Taehyung's face was illuminated by the soft glow of his laptop, his brow furrowed and asleep.

Jungkook couldn't help but admire Taehyung's features up close—the way his hair fell slightly over his forehead, the sharp line of his jaw, and the intensity in his eyes. Jungkook's breath hitched, his heart beating a little faster.

What am I doing?

He leaned closer, his gaze lingering on Taehyung's face. But just as he was about to lose himself in his thoughts, he pulled back. This isn't right, he reminded himself.

Instead, Jungkook set an alarm for an hour, deciding it was best to keep things professional. He settled back at his desk, his eyes flicking between his papers and Taehyung.

Time seemed to crawl, but eventually, the alarm went off, startling Taehyung awake. He blinked, looking around in confusion before his eyes landed on Jungkook.

"Sorry," Jungkook said, offering a sheepish smile. "I figured we could both use a short break."

Taehyung stretched, wincing slightly. "Thanks, I needed that. How's your paper coming along?"

Jungkook shrugged. "It's getting there. Slowly but surely. How about yours?"

"Same," Taehyung replied, rubbing his neck. "I just hope the students appreciate the effort we put into these exams."

Jungkook chuckled. "They probably have no idea. But at least we can appreciate each other."

Taehyung smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him at Jungkook's words. "Yeah, I appreciate you, Mr. Jeon. Thanks for keeping me company."

"Anytime, Mr. Kim," Jungkook replied, his smile genuine. "We make a good team, don't we?"

Taehyung nodded, feeling a sense of contentment despite the late hour and the piles of work still ahead of them. "We do. And hey, at least we're suffering together."

They returned to their work, the atmosphere lighter now, the bond between them growing stronger with each passing hour. As the night wore on, they continued to share comments and jokes, finding solace in each other's company.

"You know," Jungkook said after a while, "we should make a pact. Next time we have to set exams, we do it together. Misery loves company, right?"

Taehyung grinned. "Deal. At least that way, we can suffer together."

They shared a laugh, the camaraderie between them bringing a sense of ease and comfort.

As the night grew even later, Jungkook glanced over at Taehyung, who had drifted off again. Jungkook couldn't help but admire him once more, a soft smile playing on his lips. He knew it was best not to act on his feelings, but he couldn't deny the growing attraction.

Setting another alarm, Jungkook settled back at his desk, his eyes occasionally flicking to Taehyung's sleeping form. He continued working on his papers, the hours slipping by in the quiet, shared space.

Eventually, as the early hours of the morning approached, Taehyung stirred, blinking sleepily. "Time to go?" he mumbled.

Jungkook nodded, packing up his things. "Yeah, I think we've done enough for one night."

They left the library together, the cool night air brushing against their faces. Taehyung glanced over at Jungkook. "Thanks for keeping me company, Mr. Jeon."

"Anytime, Mr. Kim," Jungkook replied, smiling. "Here's to surviving another round of exams—and to many more late-night library sessions together."

Taehyung nodded, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment. "Here's to that."

And with that, they parted ways, each heading home with a lighter heart and the promise of something more that made even the toughest parts of teaching a little more bearable.

A/N
Who likes exams anyway, ew