Stay (A KaiSoo Fanfic)

Red Flags

Kyungsoo

I really should have known our relationship would end up the way it did. It wasn't like he had never talked about his wife before. He actually talked about her a lot, and of course, I had seen the ring on his finger on multiple occasions. I guess they both had an interest in English literature and that's what they bonded over. Unfortunately for me, so did I.

A year and a half ago:

I was in my last year of college at the National University in Seoul. My original plan was to major in music since I always enjoyed singing and was told I was pretty good at it too. However, once I actually got there and started taking other courses, I got into studying English literature, so much so that I decided to switch majors. It wasn't a big deal to me or my parents, but they said they at least had some idea of what I could do with a music degree. 

Ryeowook, or Mr. Kim as I called him back then, was one of my professors in that department, teaching most of the introductory-level courses and a few upper-level ones as well. Most of the teachers in the English department were approachable, but he stood out from them still. He was just such a personable and friendly person that I couldn't help but feel a certain attraction to him, whether that be on a strictly professional level or not. Most of his students said he was their favorite professor, which always made me feel uneasy especially after things became romantic. Was I his first? Would I be his last? Questions like that plagued my mind. Maybe I should have taken that as the first red flag. 

I remembered that day perfectly. We had a big analysis paper due soon and I wanted to get his opinions on it before I handed it in. I thought it was damn near perfect and I probably could have turned it in and still gotten a pretty high grade. That was what I was going to do until a bunch of other students told me they were going to ask him to look over theirs. Right there, I guess, was red flag number two.

"Mr. Kim, are you in there?" I said as I knocked on the polished wood that made his office door.

"Who is it?" his voice from the other side of the door said. 

"Kyungsoo." There was a few seconds of silence before he responded again.

"Oh yes, Kyungsoo-ah, come in," he said. I turned the knob attached to the door and slowly stepped into his cluttered office. Three of its four walls were lined with bookshelves of various sizes with what seemed like trillions of books weighing down the boards inside of them. I remembered asking myself if he had read all of them. He was at his desk and spun around when he saw me enter. "What can I help you with today?" he said with a friendly smile, taking off his glasses and setting them on top of an open book. 

I always got flustered whenever he did that. He looked good in glasses, but there was something about seeing his entire face that made me blush. Or maybe it was the way he took them off so casually yet with so much intent.

"Oh, I just wanted some help, or f-feedback rather, on the analysis paper," I said, a hint of nervousness present in my voice. "Unless I interrupted you...I can always come back another time or just email it to you."

"No, no, it's fine," he said with a few shakes of his head. "I was just trying to get ahead on next semester's syllabus before I headed home for the evening. But I'm always happy to help you in any way I can." I shyly smiled and pulled my sliding bag back on my shoulder. "Here, have a seat please."

"A-Are you sure?" I asked, overwhelmed with concern that I was being a burden. "Don't you want to get home?"

"Well, of course, I do, but I'd rather spend the night here than alone at home," he said, slightly chuckling.