In The Heart of Darkness

🖤6🖤

Jieun walked into her classroom, glad to be back in some sort of a familiar routine. She ran a hand over a nearby desk, surprised that she missed it all so much. It had only been a few days since she was last here, but she missed it terribly. She glanced at the clock and took note of the time. Students would be arriving in about thirty minutes, and she needed to re-familiarize herself with everything.

Taehyung had done an excellent job keeping things neat and tidy. The boards were clean, and a new pack of whiteboard markers laid on her podium with a bow and a sticky note attached. She grinned as she read it.

"I bought some new markers as a welcome back present for you. I know the old ones were faded, and the squeaking got on your nerves. (^̮^) Welcome back, Teacher Nam!"

Jieun laid aside the note and opened the package, removing the markers and disposing of the packaging. She decided on using the green one today. She laid it next to the eraser and looked around the classroom. Taehyung must have set everything up last night, so she had nothing to do but sit and wait for her students. She sat down at a small desk and tried to think of something with which to occupy herself. 

"Why are you here so early?" Taehyung walked into the classroom, flanked by the school librarian.  "Jimin, look at this dedication."

Jimin smiled widely and greeted Jieun with a friendly wave. "Good morning, Jieun-ssi."

"Good morning," Jieun smiled. "I'm here because I thought I had some set up to do, but it seems you did it all already." 

She rose from her seat and looked around again at the room."You did a great job."

Jimin had to keep himself from smirking. If only she knew that he had done most of the work last night while Taehyung had gone to the store to buy new markers. It had taken him two hours, during which Jimin had gotten all the floors cleaned, desks returned to their places, and whiteboards wiped clean. He had even cleaned all the windows, door handles, and chairs. By the time Taehyung had returned, Jimin was sitting at the teacher's desk, reading some child's poetry book he had taken from a desk. He let his friend take the credit, though and moved to the doorway.

"Jimin did it all." 

Jimin paused and looked at Taehyung, who smiled back at him. "It was-"

"Don't say it was nothing. If I were more decisive, it wouldn't have taken me two hours to pick out silly markers."
Taehyung laughed and moved to give his friend a firm pat on the back. 

"Thanks for helping me," he said, staring pointedly into Jimin's eyes. 

Jimin nodded and leaned around Taehyung to wave to Jieun. "See you guys at lunch," he said softly before leaving the room.

Jieun looked at Taehyung and giggled. "How are you two such good friends? He's so quiet and organized, and you're so..." She waved a hand at him and smirked.

"Beautifully handsome? Chiseled? Manly? Adorable? Cuter than all of our students combined? That's what you were going to say, right?" He grinned as he inched closer to Jieun, all the while having one eyebrow raised higher than the other.

Jieun gulped and busied herself with things on her desk. "We had better get ready." 

Taehyung smiled and removed his jacket, hanging it on a hook in the back of the classroom. His appearance was crisp as usual. His outfit consisted of gray slacks, a light blue, long-sleeved dress shirt, with a navy tie. Teachers weren't required to dress formally for their class, just neatly and respectful. Taehyung decided he should take the high road and be sharp, but also he had a co-teacher to impress. He adjusted his tie gently, loosening it a bit.