Mr.Park
I could hear someone yelling, demanding I get up. I didn't register the time, didn't care about whatever obligations awaited. All I could think about was my dream—a fleeting image of a stranger, taller than me, staring down with a mocking laugh. He somehow looked older, impossibly so.
“Y/n, get up!” The voice screeched, and a splash of cold water soaked my bed, seeping through my pajamas. The damp fabric clung to my skin.
“Okay, you guys have three seconds to run, whoever it was,” I muttered, turning to see Taehyung and Jungkook doubled over with laughter as they bolted from my room.
“This is why nobody can handle you two, and you’re single!” I yelled, chasing after them, then headed straight for the kitchen where my parents were making breakfast.
“Eomma, look what those two did!” I whined, grabbing a piece of bacon from each plate as leverage.
“Get ready for school, or you’ll be late,” Dad said, smiling wryly. “First year in college, might as well make a good impression.” He nudged me toward my room before I could protest.
“Fineeeee,” I complained, rummaging through my closet. Black jeans and a yellow Champion sweater would have to do. Brushing my hair into something resembling order was always a challenge. Finally, I glanced at my phone—ten missed calls.
“Shittt, they must be waiting outside already.” I grabbed my plate and walked toward the door. “I’ll be home late today after school,” I yelled, waving goodbye to my brothers and parents.
Outside, a white pickup truck held five grinning faces. “New car,” I said, squeezing into the cab and hugging Jin, J-hope, Suga, and RM. They’d been my best friends since childhood, and now we were all going to the same college.
“You know Jin, he wants the best for the younger ones,” J-hope laughed, driving to school. Worst driver ever—we sailed through four red lights and parked crookedly. No one dared correct him; he’d throw a fit.
“Guys, I had a dream,” I blurted out, then Suga cut me off.
“I heard there’s a new teacher,” he said, air-quoting “new.” “A lot of the girls—and even some guys—are already talking about him.” Suga rolled his eyes as we climbed out of the truck.
“As long as my grade doesn’t drop, I don’t care who the teacher is,” I laughed, taking Suga’s hand.
We walked toward the school, noticing a crowd gathered outside my classroom. “Hey, what’s going on? Why is everyone staring?” I asked a girl who was practically glued to the window.
“That’s the new teacher,” she answered, her eyes fixed on the glass. I followed her gaze.
He was wearing a black suit, currently scrolling through his phone. He looked impossibly young—there was no way he was a teacher, especially not mine. Now I understood the buzz. He had a 10/10 looks. The bell rang, and everyone rushed inside. The guys looked at me and laughed.
“Unlike the others in your class, you make sure you pay attention,” they teased, heading into the room across the hall. It wasn’t fair how I always had to be alone. I used to have a class with Suga and RM. Hopefully, I’d see them in other classes, or I might actually die of boredom.
I chose a seat at the front. The others would just gossip about the teacher in the back. It didn’t help that the girls were whispering about him, too.
“Y/n, what do you think about him?” a small, brown-haired girl asked, her cheeks flushed. She was clearly smitten.
“Nothing in particular. He hasn’t even introduced himself,” I shrugged, glancing at the front of the room. The teacher—still nameless—was just standing there, waiting for everyone to settle down. It took ten minutes for everyone to quiet.
“Good morning, class. My name is Mr. Park. It’s a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope we get to know each other better.” He looked directly at me and smiled. I felt a wave of heat rise in my cheeks, but I just kept my gaze fixed on the floor.
“My name is y/n,” I said, standing up for my introduction. As soon as I stood, I felt his gaze lock onto me. Something unexpected happened—I lost my train of thought. “And I’m single,” I blurted out, feeling my face flush crimson. I immediately sat down, burying my face in my hands.
I could feel giggles erupting from beside and behind me. But I also heard them in front of me—from him. I looked up and saw Mr. Park looking at me and laughing. My dream was becoming a reality. I felt like facepalming myself.
“Good to know. I hope we can get along well,” he said, a slight smirk playing on his lips. I felt uneasy.
After class, I met up with the guys.
“So, he seduced you,” they teased, chuckling as I recounted the story. RM shook his head but couldn’t suppress a laugh, nearly dropping his sandwich.
“This is serious. It’s only been a few hours, and I already feel like he hates me,” I complained, collapsing onto the grass.
“I don’t hate you,” a voice said, making me sit up abruptly. I noticed all the guys were staring at their food in shock.
“Mr. Park, hi. What are you doing here?” I scooted back slightly, signaling my need for backup.
“Well, I just came to say hi. Oh, and y/n, I need to talk to you after school—it’s about your grades.” He bowed slightly and walked away, phone in one hand, lunch in the other.
“Your grades? You always get good grades,” Jin blurted out, continuing to eat his bento.
“Maybe I’m finally getting some recognition,” I smiled, stealing a small egg roll from his tray.
“Oooo, you just stole from Eat Jin,” J-hope laughed as we continued chatting about class.
What did he want to talk about? Was it really about recognition? Why after school, not after class? And who was this mysterious teacher who had everyone swooning?