Lay It All On Me • Chanrosé

1

"Mr. C!"

Park Chanyeol looked up from the crisp pages of his book, bringing his fingers from the words to take his glasses off. His first student of the day was walking into the classroom, bright and all smiles.

"Good morning, Big Man Soobin!" Chanyeol smiled as he high-fived the small, dark haired boy. There was something about 1st grade student that he always found so inspiring. They were so young yet so fearless, waiting to take on the world.

Soobin leaned over and observed the book that Chanyeol was holding with wide eyes, "That's a big book."

"It sure is," Chanyeol chuckled, looking down at his copy of The Odyssey. "One day you'll read this book."

"What is it about?" The boy blinked.

Chanyeol had read this book multiple times, the first being when he was in high school. Everyone hated it, but he loved the book and read it at least once a year since. His own father told him the tall tales of Odysseus when he was a child, giving Chanyeol his special copy once he had graduated university. It was a special book.

He ran his hands over the weathered cover, "Well, it's about a very long journey with monsters and evil mermaids." Chanyeol tried to keep it short, knowing that anything more would go straight over the young boy's head.

"Woah, that sounds so cool!" Soobin beamed.

This is what he absolutely loved about teaching. He had the power to inspire their young minds with creative thinking and new subjects. Chanyeol's way of teaching wasn't old fashioned. He wanted to enlighten them with more modern subjects, broadening their horizon instead of constricting them to the same curriculum. Something about the way their faces lit up at a science experiment or pictures of Machu Picchu always pushed Chanyeol to bring more to the table for them each day.

Straight out of high school, Chanyeol dived straight into university majoring in Education. He had always known what he wanted to do, especially coming from a long line of teachers that ran in his family for decades. Starting with his great grandfather and all the way down to him, Mr. Parks just wanted to educate minds of many.

Even when he enlisted into Korean military, he spent most of his free time in his barracks studying new topics himself. The more he taught and absorbed himself, the more he could spread into fresh minds. It was a full 18 months of time spent just learning, working out and serving his country. Chanyeol felt more humble and centered in his own self and life after it was all over, eager to get back to his teaching job.

Nothing could beat the feeling of returning to work and meeting his new class for the first time. Three years and three classrooms later, he still loved every second. Every bad or good day, every question and scuffle on the playground.

One by one, his students trickled into the classroom and brightly greeted him. Their spirits were high and bold today, he knew it was going to be a good day. There was something in the air.

It was a good day to introduce the new student.

His good friend, and principle of the school Kim Jongdae, had pulled him aside while he waltzed into the building early this morning. A new student, a girl named Park Minjee, was transferring from a different region.

Chanyeol stood up and rolled his dress shirt sleeves up his arms as he clapped once, getting their buzzing attention.

"Good morning, little geniuses. How is everyone today?" The class responded, some in unison but mostly not. He smiled at their disorganized greeting, the volume of sound in the class room rose gradually with each hello.