Broken Dancer // Woosan

A Night Out

"Remember, your paper due tomorrow night should be written in MLA format. Anything that isn't will be an automatic zero. Do you understand?"

This is a story about Choi San. A college professor who absolutely hates everything about his life, or lack of. Every day is the same. After he comes home, he grades assignments and papers, makes his lesson plans, goes to the gym, has dinner by himself, then calls it a night. He has a couple friends he rarely sees, but a love life was out of the question.

Overall, he was completely alone.

He watched as dozens of students rushed out of his classroom, in a hurry to leave for the day. He wished he could do the same, and experience freedom like he used to when he was younger. But instead, he chose the foolish life of being a teacher.

"San, it's so late. Why are you still here?" A fellow professor, Jeong Yunho, asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." He sighed, taking off his glasses and resting them down on his desk.

"Well, I was just leaving. Can't keep the wife and kids waiting."

"You are a single man with a loser roommate that mooches off of you. Is he ever gonna move out?"

"Mingi? I hope not. He keeps me company. Maybe you should find a roommate so you're not alone all the time. You're breaking my heart out here, Sannie."

"I don't mind it." San shrugged, deciding to call it a night.

"Don't lie. Seonghwa tells me you're miserable."

"He over analyzes stuff, you know that."

"What if I thought the same?"

"Then I'd say you're also over analyzing."

"Okay, okay." Yunho sighed, not wanting to annoy his coworker. "Don't stay too late, or else you'll work yourself to death."

"I'm right behind you." San put all his papers in his bag, then threw it over his shoulder.

"Any plans for tonight?"

"The same old."

"San, get a cat or something. You're killing me, man. If you ever wanna come over, my door is always open"

"You act like I'm dying." He smiled.

"You will! Of loneliness!"

"I'm 25, not 60."

"Can't believe you're withering away so soon in your lifetime." Yunho dramatically said as they walked together towards the faculty parking lot.

"You're older than me."

"And I still make time for fun!"

"Do you not see the size of my classes? Do you seriously think I can afford 'fun'?"

"Oh, that's right." Yunho rolled his eyes. "Everybody loves Professor Choi. How many transfers did you have again?"

"Eighty two." San mumbled.

Yes, eighty two students transferred into San's English class. He figured he'd have an empty room during his 9am lecture, but that's his largest group by fifty.

"With that many, I'd think you take your shirt off and let a student lick your abs."

"Don't be gross."

"Face it, you're the hot teacher that all the students fawn over."

"Wow, I'm so thrilled that four years of college got me to where I am today." San sarcastically replied.