Archive of Our Own ^beta

“I don’t know Soo…” Baekhyun shook his head and looked up from the papers he was grading. “The last time I thought a guy had the slightest chance, Mongryong bit him.”

Kyungsoo snorted a half laugh. “Yeah, but the prick deserved it. We didn’t know Nini’s coworker was such an arse in real life when he wasn’t kissing my boyfriend’s arse at work.” He straightened up from where he had been leaning against the teacher’s desk. “I guess we could start having Mongy meet any potential suitors first, since he seems to know what’s what.”

“Yeah. I mean, he’s never bit ME, so…” Baekhyun cocked his head a little and pursed his lips as though thinking seriously, but then caught eyes with his friend. Both men broke out into peals of laughter. Right on cue the bell rang in the corridor. 

“That’s the end of lunch. I’d better get back across the hallway before the kids start coming back.” Kyungsoo started walking to the door.

“We know they’re all DYING to take that math quiz you threatened yesterday.” Baekhyun grinned.

“I only threatened the late ones, Baek.”  Kyungsoo said, walking out into the hallway.

“Hey, you said Nini is late all the time! Do you make him do math quizzes too?” Baekhyun called out, biting back a smile.

Kyungsoo looked back and forth quickly to make sure he wasn’t being watched, then flipped his friend off, sticking both of his middle fingers up while sticking his tongue out. Baekhyun cackled uproariously and shook his head, then went back to grading papers.  

Kyungsoo went over to his own desk and sat down with a sigh. It was good to see Baekhyun in a happy mood. But his friend deserved to be happily in love as well. It had been too long since Baekhyun had been in a relationship. He was smart, sweet, funny, and sincere. A total catch for some lucky guy that just hadn’t come along yet. 

Finding that mystery man had proved to be a huge challenge so far. Baekhyun didn’t deserve to be hurt again and although Kyungsoo had tried his darndest, he hadn’t found a lot of guys that might be worthy of being someone special to his friend. Unfortunately, for every one sliver of possibility, there were at least ten idiot losers lurking around. It was understandable that just last week Baekhyun had said he was getting tired of blind dates.

Baekhyun had always been an angelic-looking guy with an angelic personality. Freshman year of high school the girls all flocked to him, hoping to eventually be asked out. He respectfully turned each of them down, explaining it wasn’t their sexuality, but his own that was the reason he didn’t want to date them. Some of the girls and a few guys that had an ounce of sense became friends with the quiet yet perky student, increasing Kyungsoo’s circle of friends in the process. By Baekhyun’s Sophomore year the entire student body knew of the kind, optimistic beauty with the perfect GPA.

Evidently that was enough for one of the popular jocks to arrogantly demand Baekhyun to go out with him. The jock’s attitude and demeanor were a complete turn off, so the outcome was predictable. But when Baekhyun turned him down, the guy took his hurt pride and started talking behind closed doors to whoever would listen. 

What followed over the rest of Baekhyun’s high school career was an almost laughable nightmare where he would be wooed by a seemingly sincere individual, only to be called all sorts of things and dumped when he didn’t let them take him to bed within the first week or two of dating. It wasn’t that he was against sex. Baekhyun just thought it should mean more than just satisfying hormonal urges. So in return for his reluctance, he was ridiculed and dumped, and then ridiculed some more. This happened time and time again, and eventually Baekhyun turned down any prospects regardless of their personality. He just couldn’t trust in romance. 

College brought new opportunities. But since Baekhyun wasn’t keen to follow the trend of jumping into bed with random hookups, he wasn’t very active in the dating world. He did finally lose his virginity late in his second year, but things went downhill after the fellow decided he now owned the studious beauty. Thankfully, shortly after that Baekhyun was granted a chance to study in America, which he happily accepted and got away from the clingy casanova. But American guys turned out to be just as fickle as Korean guys, and once again Baekhyun didn’t have a lot of success with romance as he finished his college years. 

Now here he was, two years back in Korea, and a year and a half into being an English teacher. He taught the older classes at the elementary school only four blocks from the house he had grown up in as a child. 

Kyungsoo had grown up just down the street from him in the large town, and by luck the childhood friends had both ended up as teachers in the same school. It was a comfort to both of them to see each other each day just like they did growing up.

And now Kyungsoo was in a successful long-term relationship with his loving boyfriend, Jongin. Why couldn’t Baekhyun have a great love in his life as well? It wasn’t fair.

A few weeks later, the heavily pregnant music teacher for the upper classes decided to start her maternity leave early. At assembly the last morning before the weekend, the principal, Kim Junmyeon, announced there would be a new teacher filling in the music teacher’s position for the remainder of the school year. The whole school was curious to see who this mysterious Mr. Park might be. Coach Oh, the physical education teacher seemed to be pleased at the principal’s announcement, although Baekhyun and Kyungsoo both knew the enthusiasm that Oh Sehun showed was likely because it was Kim Junmyeon doing the talking. The principal and the P.E. teacher had embarrassingly huge mutual crushes that were obvious to everyone except each other. Kim Junmyeon could have announced that a dancing monkey would be the one filling in and Oh Sehun would still be the most supportive and happiest man in the room.

Baekhyun went home with Kyungsoo that evening and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal. They spent most of the evening gossiping about the principal and P.E. teacher, while only briefly speculating about the new music teacher.

By the following Monday, Baekhyun had almost forgotten about the new teacher that would be starting that day. That morning, he ran out of time to bring his coffee from home, so Baekhyun decided to get some from the teacher’s lounge. As the English teacher walked into the room he saw a group of teachers, most of them female, that were crowded around a tall man. Baekhyun went over to the coffee pot and emptied a packet of sugar into his cup then began to pour coffee for himself, internally shaking his head at the excited chatter of the teachers. Just as he finished pouring and put the pot down, the tall man in the center of the room turned around, and Baekhyun had to catch himself from letting his coffee cup slip out of his hand. Large eyes of a rich chocolate color, a soft nose, dark hair with bangs arranged in a comma style while allowing a wide forehead to show, shyly smiling mouth with plush lips, and the cutest little dimple on the man’s left cheek all but took Baekhyun’s ability to think away. The English teacher stood there for a second without realizing he was staring. 

Mr. Kim, the over-enthusiastic science teacher, bounced over to Baekhyun. “Mr. Byun! Come meet our newest faculty member!” 

Baekhyun tried to cover his startled reaction by taking a quick drink of his coffee. Which was a mistake because then he was coughing the steaming liquid back out of his suddenly scalded windpipe. A deep voice was immediately at his side. “Goodness! Are you alright Mr. Byun?”

“I-ugh! I’m fine! Thank you…uh..” Baekhyun looked up into the chocolate eyes that had distracted him only seconds before. “You know my name?” he asked, slightly dazed.

“Well, Mr. Kim just said it, so…” the tall man said a little sheepishly, then seemed to remember himself. “I’m Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol.” He offered his hand in greeting.

Baekhyun transferred his coffee to his left hand and shook the proffered hand briefly. “P- pleased to meet you Mr. Park. I’m assuming you’re the new music teacher.” He pulled his hand back and mentally patted himself on the back at his quick recovery as he held his coffee cup with both hands and took a careful sip.

“Yes. I’m filling in for Mrs. Choi for the remainder of the year.” the tall man confirmed.

Baekhyun nodded but then the first bell of the morning rang loudly, saving him from having to respond verbally. He smiled at the new music teacher then moved past him to leave the lounge. As he carried his coffee cup out into the hallway Baekhyun missed how the tall man’s eyes trailed after him and lingered on the doorway long after.  

The rest of the day, the only thing all the students seemed to be interested in talking about was the new music teacher. It was almost to the point of distraction in class. Later that evening as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun talked on the phone, they compared notes about how many times they had to say “I don’t know." to a student when asked about Mr. Park. Baekhyun laughed hysterically when Kyungsoo told him that his boyfriend, Jongin, had suggested they make that into a drinking game.

On Wednesday, right after the bell rang for lunch, Kyungsoo jogged across the hallway into the English teacher’s classroom. “C’mon Baek! You said you’d eat with me today.”

Baekhyun grumbled good naturedly. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.” He closed his textbook then pulled out his desk drawer and put his pencil and notebook away. “I don't know why I have to come with you, when you’re the one that got suckered into being one of the cafeteria monitors this semester.” 

Kyungsoo laughed. “You know you’d miss me if you didn’t come along. Besides.. “ he shrugged. “I didn’t actually get suckered into it. Principal Kim asked nicely and I agreed.”

“Why did you agree, anyway?” Baekhyun asked as they walked down the hallway.

“I figured a change in scenery for lunch wouldn’t hurt once a week.” Kyungsoo said. He stopped at the entrance to the cafeteria then raised an eyebrow at the scene. “And there’s another change in scenery..” 

Baekhyun looked where Kyungsoo was looking. Within line of sight of the doorway, the new music teacher was seated beside Oh Sehun, the Physical Education teacher, and the two men were carrying on an obviously engaging yet hushed conversation. 

This wouldn’t be so strange, except that the P.E. teacher generally didn’t show a lot of change in expression, and he also didn’t stay in the cafeteria to eat his lunch, opting instead to take a purchased sandwich and sit on the bench under the large oak tree outside. The fact that the usually stoic P.E. teacher was smiling at the new music teacher made many of the students in the room very curious. 

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun exchanged a glance. Then they walked towards the food kiosks while doing like everyone else in the large room was doing and trying to not so obviously watch the unlikely couple sitting together. The friends each selected food and placed the items on their trays, not saying a word as they made their way over to the register.

“Do you think they’re dating, Mr Doh?” the lunchlady asked as she totaled the cost of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s food and rang it into their school charge accounts. The old woman didn’t even have to mention the two individuals she was speaking of, instead making it very obvious by turning and looking over her shoulder.

Kyungsoo made a slightly pensive face. “I don’t think it’s wise to jump to any conclusions, Mrs. Jung.”

The lady leaned in, obviously excited to share gossip. “Evidently they’ve been spotted outside of school together. Three of the older students said Mr. Park and Coach Oh were seen together at the same movie theater the girls went to Monday evening.”

Kyungsoo picked up his tray of food with finality. “He is new to the area, so I’m sure it’s comforting to him to be able to make friends.”  He indicated with his head to Baekhyun and they both walked away from the curious woman. About three tables over from the subjects of gossip, two students were just vacating a table as the two teachers walked up so Kyungsoo and Baekhyun set their trays down at the handy spot and sat down.

 Kyungsoo scoffed as he picked up a french fry. “The guy’s been here less than a week and they’re already gossiping about him.” He glanced at Baekhyun who seemed to be lost in thought as he looked across the room at the other two teachers. “Hey, Baek. Is something wrong? You haven't even touched your food yet.”

“Oh. No, I’m fine.” Baekhyun responded, and quickly turned his attention to his friend. He grabbed one of Kyungsoo’s french fries and stuck it in his mouth with a grin. 

“Hey!” Kyungsoo protested but the fake offended look on his face turned to real surprise when another hand appeared and grabbed a fry. 

“Hi Principal Kim!” Baekhyun smiled at the principal as the man sat down with them at the table. 

Kyungsoo sighed in resignation and turned his tray around for all three of them to reach the fries on his plate. He reached for another fry then nudged his friend under the table with his foot. “So our new staff member seems to be making friends easily.” he then commented in a casual tone and indicated over his shoulder with his french fry while looking closely at the principal. 

Baekhyun enjoyed being able to hang out with his long-time friend every day and the students could be nice when they wanted to, but the most fun thing about working at the school was the daily drama of the principal and the Physical Education teacher and their not-so-secret interest in each other. Ever since the P.E. teacher had joined the staff last year their mutual attraction had been obvious to everyone within practically a mile radius of the school. There was no end of speculation as to what would finally make one of the should-be-lovers snap and finally make a move. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were just as eager to see the two get together, and they didn’t mind trying their luck at getting a rise out of one of the two ignorant men from time to time. 

Baekhyun swallowed his smirk and kept his tone casual as well. “Very easily.” 

The principal took the bait. “Well! I guess some people just know how to get along with strangers!” he said, and grabbed another fry from Kyungsoo’s plate.

“They don’t seem like strangers to me.” Baekhyun commented casually. 

“Yes, well. Good for them!” the principal snapped, angrily munching on another french fry. 

Kyungsoo grinned. “Leave some for the rest of us, Principal Kim,” he said with a teasing tone. 

The principal startled and looked down at the small pile of what was left of the fries. “Oh! I’m sorry boys! I’ll.. I’ll go get you some more.” He gave one last look over at the music teacher and P.E. teacher, then got up and hurried away to the food kiosks. 

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo barely kept their laughter in long enough before he was gone, then dissolved into snorts of hilarity. As they bent over the table in laughter, they missed where the two teachers across the room looked over at the sound, and the calm smile of the music teacher.  

Later that afternoon the last bell rang and the students all piled out into the hallways to get their belongings together and go home. Baekhyun lingered like he always did, slowly gathering leftover pencils and occasional trash, straightening chairs, erasing the whiteboard, and other tidying up. He had just put the last whiteboard marker away when a tall shadow loomed in the doorway of his classroom. As he looked up, the new music teacher knocked lightly on the doorframe. 

“Um, hi..” The man’s deep tone was as gut-stirring as Baekhyun remembered from his encounter in the teacher’s lounge Monday morning. 

Baekhyun had to internally collect himself quickly before he responded. “Yes?”

The music teacher walked into the room. “I was wondering if you might know of a place where I can get good tteokbokki around here? Since I’m new to town I don’t know all the restaurants that well.” he said, propping himself against the wall next to the door.

Just at that moment, Kyungsoo walked into the room, not noticing the music teacher as he walked over to his friend’s desk. Baekhyun jumped at the lifeline. “Hey Soo, what was that place your auntie loves to go when she doesn’t want to make her own tteokbokki?”

Kyungsoo quirked an eyebrow. “You mean the Lee’s place next to the fancy new hair salon with the pink and purple doors?”

Baekhyun smiled his thanks then leaned around his friend to speak to the tall man next to the doorway. “That’s the place. It’s only three blocks from here so you should be able to find it easily.” He ignored how Kyungsoo whipped around in surprise to see who Baekhyun was talking to. “All the food is good there, actually. So if you change your mind before you get there, you should still be able to find something you’d like to eat.” 

The music teacher blinked but then smiled. “Oh, that’s good. Thanks for the info!”

Baekhyun smiled back then turned to Kyungsoo. “I’m ready to go if you are!” He slung his carrier bag over his shoulder then walked over and nudged his friend by the elbow to get him to walk out the door. 

Kyungsoo had a feeling he might have interrupted something. He made a mental note as he let himself be maneuvered and smiled apologetically as he and Baekhyun walked by the music teacher. “Have a good evening Mr. Park.” 

The tall man gave a half smile and small wave, then stood in the hallway, watching the friends leave.

The next day Baekhyun didn’t see his friend arrive at his classroom until just as the bell rang to start the morning class. It wasn’t like Kyungsoo to be late, so this was a little concerning to Baekhyun but he wrote it off to possible influence from his friend’s boyfriend. Jongin was perpetually late to almost anything, but he was a loving and caring boyfriend and Baekhyun couldn’t be happier that his long-time friend had gotten himself such a wonderful guy. 

By the time the bell rang for lunch, Baekhyun was ready to tease his friend about possible extra-curricular activities (read: sex with the boyfriend) that had made him arrive late to school that morning. But after the students cleared out of his classroom, the English teacher was surprised to find that instead of his friend, it was the music teacher once again knocking at his door.

“Mr. Park..?” he asked hesitantly. 

The tall man’s smile grew a little wider. “Mr. Byun! I wanted to thank you for your recommendation yesterday. The tteokbokki was delicious, and I also enjoyed the side dishes and the atmosphere in the restaurant. Great choice!” 

“I’m glad you liked it.” Baekhyun smiled back. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?”

“No, it was easy to find, just like you said!” Mr. Park seemed to bounce on his feet a little in his eagerness.

Baekhyun couldn’t help an inward chuckle. It was cute to see a grown man acting childish like that. He waited but the music teacher lingered without saying anything further, still bouncing just a little as he looked at him. “Um.. Did you.. need anything else?” Baekhyun asked slowly. 

This seemed to snap the man out of his reverie and he stopped bouncing. “Oh! Yes. I wanted to ask if you knew of other places that you might recommend I discover.”

Baekhyun looked puzzled. “I thought Coach Oh had been showing you around town already?” he asked.

The music teacher seemed a little surprised. “Oh um.. Yes. He has. But I wanted to get your opinion.” he added emphatically. 

Baekhyun tried to look and see if Kyungsoo would be coming over to his room, but oddly the math teacher was nowhere in sight. And the tall man at the door was still looking at him expectantly, making Baekhyun feel a little panicked. “Um. I- I have a dog!” he blurted out.

“That- uh..” It wasn’t a surprise that the music teacher was confused. “That’s nice? I like dogs.”

“Sorry- I mean- I could show you the park where I like to take my dog. It’s not as well known, and I’ve never seen Coach Oh there so he probably doesn’t know about it, but it’s really nice so.. If you want- I mean I don’t know if you want to go.. to a park. ” Baekhyun tried to explain himself but then realized he was rambling. 

But thankfully, Mr. Park smiled. “That sounds fun. When do you plan to take your dog there this week?””

“Oh, Mongryong would go every day if I let him. But I try to hold him to four times a week.” Baekhyun replied, not knowing Kyungsoo was right around the corner, facepalming at his friend’s awkwardness.  

“So.. how about this afternoon?” The small bounce was back as the music teacher asked.

Baekhyun shook his head with a small frown. “No... He went yesterday so he’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” 

“Oh. Well, that’s ok. Maybe you can show me somewhere else instead this afternoon. If you’re not busy, I mean.” The tall man seemed determined to be in a positive mood. And for some reason he was also determined to spend some time with Baekhyun. Baekhyun wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

He decided to stick with his routine for now. “Actually, tonight is my laundry and catch up night. I don’t like to leave my laundry for the weekend, and while it’s washing is the perfect time to catch up on my reading that I usually have to put off till the weekend.” Baekhyun explained.

The music teacher looked amused. “Sounds sensible. I guess I could follow your example and take care of my laundry tonight as well. What are you planning on reading?”

“I’m over half-way through a book titled Northanger Abbey. I’ve read it before but it’s been a while since last time and I’m hoping to finish this week. I read in English to keep my skills up..” Baekhyun said but caught himself as he realized he was starting to ramble again.

Mr. Park didn’t seem to mind. “Austen. Nice…” he said appreciatively.

“Oh!” Baekhyun remarked in surprise. “You’re familiar with Jane Austen?”

“My mother has a full set of translated works by Austen that she read out loud to my sister and me when we were younger. I was actually a great fan of Captain Tilney.” 

“Wow..” Baekhyun was amazed. But his additional comments were cut off by Kyungsoo choosing that moment to enter the room. 

“Oh hi there Mr. Park! Hey Baek, I brought you some gimbap.” He plopped the food down on the English teacher’s desk. “I didn’t see you in the cafeteria so I figured you might run out of time to buy something for lunch.” He looked back at the music teacher. “Sorry I didn’t bring you anything.” 

Mr. Park chuckled. “Not a problem. I have a peanut butter sandwich in my classroom. I plan to have that as long as no one tells on me about eating near the instruments.” 

Kyungsoo grinned. “Your secret is safe with us.”

Baekhyun pointed out the window to the large oak tree where a figure was sitting. “You could also avoid that problem and join Coach Oh outdoors.”

The music teacher made a wry face. “Actually I think he wants to be alone today.”

“Ohhh.” Baekhyun lifted his eyebrows as he picked up his food. ”Lovers quarrel?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

“Wha-? Oh, you think we-” Mr. Park’s response was interrupted by the smiling, energetic science teacher knocking soundly on the doorframe of the English teacher’s room.

“Mr. Doh! There you are!” the newcomer exclaimed loudly. “I could really use your help!”

“We’re all friends, Kim Jongdae. You can call me by my first name.” Kyungsoo responded, rolling his eyes.

“Whatever! There’s an argument going on in the cafeteria and several of the students are trying to turn it into a food fight!” the teacher said hurriedly. “C’mon!”

“Well shit!” Kyungsoo jogged to the door and quickly followed the man down the hallway, leaving Baekhyun suddenly alone with Mr. Park again.

The music teacher cleared his throat. “Well…I guess I’d better go eat my sandwich before the lunch period ends.” he said awkwardly.

Baekhyun held up the food that Kyungsoo had brought him. “And I’d better go ahead and eat this before my students start showing up.”

Mr. Park backed reluctantly to the door and gave a little wave. Baekhyun caught himself almost waving back with the gimbap, so he just smiled instead and put the food back down on the desk. The music teacher responded with an affectionate smile and left the room.

That afternoon as they were leaving the school building Baekhyun remembered how Kyungsoo had arrived at his classroom seemingly at the last minute that morning. 

"So…  Did Jongin give you a good reason for running late today?" he cheekily asked his friend with a nudge and a wink. 

Kyungsoo was puzzled for a moment.  "No? We've actually only been texting the last few days. He and Yixing have been working overtime on a work project. I'm looking forward to this weekend though.  Nini promised me date night on Saturday with a sleepover." He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned before walking over to his car.

Baekhyun laughed as he walked up to his own car. “Well at least you should be getting some soon then!” he called out before getting in and closing his door.

Kyungsoo sputtered in embarrassment and quickly got into his own car as a couple of students stared in amazement at the exchange.

At the last bell the following day Baekhyun was not surprised to hear a knock at his classroom door. He looked up from the papers he was grading to see the now familiar tall figure of the music teacher coming into the room. 

Baekhyun couldn’t help a little smile. “Mr. Park…”

“Mr. Byun.” the music teacher smiled back. “I was hoping it would be ok if I join you this afternoon at the park you mentioned yesterday?” 

“Oh! Right… Um. Do you know the river that runs through the east side of town?” When the music teacher nodded, Baekhyun continued. “There are two bridges that cross it. I can meet you on the bridge that has the blue handrails.”

“Blue handrails. Got it. At what time?” Mr. Park asked.

“Is seven o’clock ok?” Baekhyun responded with his own question.

“Sure! Seven sounds great!” The bounce was back in the music teacher’s response. Baekhyun couldn’t help his grin, which the tall man easily returned.

Baekhyun felt startled at the bright teeth-rich smile being directed at him, but he tried to hide his suddenly pinking cheeks as he tucked his head to look down at the papers he had been grading. Mr. Park noticed the appealing blush but wisely chose to leave the English teacher alone for the time being. “I’ll see you at seven, then!” he said. After the blushing teacher had nodded his agreement the music teacher left the room.

Baekhyun left out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. This Mr. Park was very attractive. But Baekhyun knew better than to get his hopes up. He’d been disappointed by romance far too often to read into anything the music teacher might say or do. The man was just a colleague and Baekhyun was just giving him information to learn how to better get around town.

At 6:55pm Baekhyun let Mongryong lead the way as they walked onto the bridge with the blue handrails. The dog was in a great mood since he knew where he was and that the park was close by. Baekhyun was also in a good mood as he quickly spotted the music teacher standing on the top of the arch. 

As the tall man turned around, a small light-colored dog in his arms came into view. Baekhyun couldn’t help inwardly cooing at the cute puppy that looked so much smaller in her owner’s large hands. The music teacher introduced Baekhyun first and the English teacher was immediately smitten with the maltese-poodle named Zzar. The little baby and her owner were then introduced to Mongryong, who seemed to be happy to meet both of them. They all walked to the far side of the bridge and then Mongryong eagerly showed the way to a walkway that led to a park situated on the banks of the river, below the traffic line and partially underneath the legs of the bridge. They all followed the eager corgi, and soon came to a wide grassy lawn with trees sporadically lining the fully fenced in area. 

Mongryong bounced and barked at his owner, which made Baekhyun laugh as he bent down and unclipped his pet from the leash. Zzar had been wiggling eagerly in her owner’s arms as well, so the music teacher finally relented and reluctantly put her down on the ground. Within seconds Baekhyun was laughing at the tall man as he was pulled away from the English teacher with Zzar’s leash still looped around his wrist. Mr. Park valiantly followed his baby around for a little while, although he often looked up to see if Baekhyun was still watching him struggle. After the two men exchanged smiles half a dozen times, the music teacher finally bent down and unhooked the leash, letting Zzar run free with Mongryong barking encouragingly beside her. 

“I’ve only had her for three weeks so I’m still a little protective.” the music teacher explained as he walked back over to where Baekhyun was standing.

“That’s so sweet. I didn’t know you were a brand new daddy!” Baekhyun remarked. He was watching the dogs and didn’t notice the tall man’s eyes growing wide from the comment.  Baekhyun continued, “I’ve had Mongy for over seven years but I remember those early days as well.”

“Er-m.. Yeah!” Mr. Park seemed to struggle and his response was delayed for a second. “She- she’s seemed to warm up to me quickly and I’ve been happy with our progress so far.”

“That’s good!” Baekhyun replied.

They stayed silent for a few minutes, just watching their pets playing in the grass together. Just as the music teacher opened his mouth to say something, a man called out Baekhyun’s name and jogged over from across the park. Baekhyun turned to speak with the man so the music teacher moved a little away to give them privacy. He couldn’t be sure but he thought he heard the English teacher call the man Minseok, and they seemed to be very close friends. In fact, the man seemed to be flirting with the cute English teacher. Baekhyun just laughed and even let the man pet his hair at the end of their conversation. Then the man left, jogging back across the open area.

 Baekhyun turned back to the music teacher and gave a small smile, then took a breath and let out a loud two-tone whistle. Mongryong immediately perked his ears up and came running over to the two men, with Zzar following closely behind. Baekhyun bent down and reclipped the leash onto his dog’s collar then in consolation vigorously rubbed the corgi on the head and shoulders. Mongryong seemed to know what was going on because he strained on his leash and whined a little.

Mr. Park seemed to have the same tone as he spoke. “Are you leaving already?”

Baekhyun smiled apologetically. “I have papers from two classes to grade and I like to get all school work done early so I don’t have to worry about it the rest of the weekend.” he explained.

“I see.. That’s smart.” The music teacher bent down and picked up his baby. “Well, thank you for showing us this park. Zzar seems to really like it so I’m sure we’ll be back again soon!”

“That’s great! The park is open till dark, so stay as long as you’d like!” Baekhyun smiled and pulled at the leash a little to get his own baby to start heading in the right direction. “We’ll get going. See you at school then!” He gave a little wave then turned and walked with Mongryong to leave. 

The music teacher stood where he was, holding Zzar as he watched the English teacher and his dog all the way until they were out of sight. 

Monday morning Baekhyun parked his car in his usual spot in the school parking lot and got out just as Kyungsoo was pulling his car into his usual parking space. The two friends greeted each other and walked into the school, chatting casually about their upcoming classes. As they came down the hallway, they noticed Mr. Park was standing by Baekhyun’s classroom door. 

“Good morning Mr. Park.” Baekhyun greeted him. “Is there something I can help you with today?”

The music teacher smiled but turned to Kyungsoo. “Actually I needed to speak with Mr. Doh for a moment if that’s ok.”

Kyungsoo gestured to his classroom directly across the hall. “Certainly. How about we talk in my classroom?”

The math teacher opened his door and the music teacher followed him into the room. Baekhyun was left standing in the hallway, slightly surprised at the interaction. He shook his head and turned to go into his own classroom, but the energetic science teacher came bouncing up the hallway. 

“Baek! Minnie told me he saw you on Friday! And you were with someone..?” The teacher had a cat-like smirk on his face as he opened the conversation.

“Jongdae! Lower your voice and get in here.” Baekhyun frantically ushered his coworker into his classroom. “You know I don’t want rumors started about me! And yes I did see Minseok at the park on Friday afternoon. He called me a puppy like he’s always done since we roomed together in college.” 

The science teacher laughed. “And like I’ve said all along, he’s not wrong. But who was it that you were with? He said it was someone tall and handsome.”

“I was taking a turn like many of the others at school and showing Mr. Park a part of the town so he can learn more about it and find his way around better.” Baekhyun explained, trying to not flush at the “tall and handsome” description. 

“Taking a turn? Baek, besides you, only Coach Oh has been showing our handsome new music teacher around town.” the science teacher stated.  “And I learned the coach is a close friend from his college days, so I’m surprised Mr. Park wanted anyone else to show him new places in town. Unless he really wanted to spend some time with you…?”  he wiggled his eyebrows with an extra smirk of his smiling mouth.

“Jongdae, I hardly think it's any of our business who he decides to spend time with. I didn’t know he and Coach Oh were friends from before. But just because they told you they were friends at college doesn’t mean they weren’t or aren’t something more than that. Regardless, we don’t need to be sticking our noses into their personal lives.”

 “You’re right.” Jongdae sighed. “I just wondered if our perpetually single English teacher might be finally putting romance in your vocabulary instead of just reading about it in those books you’ve always got your nose in each weekend.”

Baekhyun looked skeptical. “I think books are the ONLY place where romance is in my vocabulary.”

“I dunno…” the science teacher replied in a sing-song tone. “Minnie said the tall man looked kinda upset when you ignored him and talked to my hubby instead. Might be..something to-oo that…”

The first bell rang before Baekhyun could respond, so he avoided the subject and pushed his friend towards the door. “Better hurry. Your first class is always the rowdiest of the day!” Baekhyun laughed at the face the science teacher made as he ran out of the classroom. 

Across the hall he could see the math teacher’s classroom door was open with students entering the room, but there was no sign of the tall music teacher. Baekhyun sighed, inwardly scolding himself as students began pouring into his classroom. He shouldn't be curious. If Kyungsoo wanted him to know what they talked about, he would tell him.

“Are you alright Mr. Byun?” one of the students asked as she walked past his desk. 

Baekhyun looked up with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Minji. Thank you for asking.”

The girl deliberately turned her head to look out the door across the hallway to the math teacher’s room, then turned back with a barely hidden smirk. “I’m sure you are..” she said cryptically. She then turned and walked over to her seat, leaving Baekhyun to wonder what-in-the-heck she meant.

Monday’s were a shorter work day for Baekhyun. He had classes all morning but only one class immediately after lunch, and then was done with his teaching for the day. So as the other classes continued into the afternoon, he collected his belongings and headed out to where his car was parked in the school parking lot. When he got to his car, it took a moment for him to remember where he had put his keys, checking all his pockets and then the compartments of his bag. He finally found them in one of the side pockets of the bag. As he unlocked his car and climbed in, Baekhyun giggled to himself at how silly he must have looked if anyone was watching.

Inside the school, a few of the students noticed how the music teacher seemed distracted for a moment, smiling as he stared out the window. 

Tuesday morning Baekhyun arrived at the school as usual and walked into the building with his friend by his side. This time there was no one in the hallways to greet them. Baekhyun inwardly scolded himself for feeling let down about that. 

But as he arrived in his classroom, the English teacher noticed a large carry-out coffee cup sitting on his desk. There was a sticky-note stuck to the side that had what looked like a lower-case B written in cursive and a smiling dog drawn beside it, but nothing else to indicate why the coffee cup was placed there. As luck would have it, Baekhyun had not been able to bring his coffee from home that morning. So it was a bit of a gamble, but he was hoping the drink didn’t belong to anyone else. He was sure he would appreciate this unexpected gift, if it actually was for him. 

Baekhyun waited until all his students had filled up the room and the bell rang for class to start before he took the cap off the cup and sniffed at the contents. There was no foam on the top but the rich aroma filled his nostrils and he couldn’t resist. Whoever’s coffee this was, it belonged to him now. A sip of the dark liquid confirmed that it was a coffee of much higher quality than the stuff available in the teacher’s lounge, and it had somehow been sweetened just enough, just how he liked it. Baekhyun took the sticky note off the side and smiled as he took a larger sip.

“You seem to be in a good mood today, Mr. Byun.” one of the female students remarked. 

Baekhyun recognised her as the one that had been worried about him the day before. “I am.” he responded, discreetly placing the sticky note inside his notebook then taking another drink of the delicious coffee.

“Maybe you’d like to share that mood and let us have an extra day to study for this week’s quiz…” she added with a hopeful tone and sly smile.

The English teacher chuckled. “Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead.” he commented in English. A few of the students groaned, obviously understanding what the teacher meant. For the rest of them, Baekhyun translated his comment and then explained. “Die-hard Harry Potter fans should recognise that quote. Harry says it when he’s faced with having to go back to spend time with his relatives that don’t want him around. What he means is that unpleasant things, such as tests,” he added with a grin, “do not go away even when we delay them. The sooner we face those things, the sooner they are over.” The rest of the students made various noises of dissatisfaction and Baekhyun chuckled again. “Nice try though, Minji.” he said to the student that had asked for the delay. She just smiled back and shrugged her shoulders.

The rest of the day went smoothly, aided in part by Baekhyun’s good mood over the surprise gift of the coffee. Immediately after the bell for lunch rang, he surprised Kyungsoo by going over to the math teacher’s room and suggesting they grab lunch together in the cafeteria. His friend agreed and they headed down the hallway. Soon they were sitting with their food and enjoying the gossip swirling around them about Coach Oh and his lunchtime companion, which this time, interestingly, was not the new music teacher. Instead, the principal was sitting across from the P.E. teacher and they both seemed to be in a competition as to who could blush harder at whatever the subject was of their hushed conversation. The students sitting near Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were obviously confused and it took a great deal of willpower for the two friends to not laugh out loud at the comments being made around them.

Baekhyun took his dog to the park later that afternoon, and he was still laughing about the lunchtime situation as he texted with Kyungsoo while he let Mongryong play. He was so distracted by his phone conversation with his long-time friend that even after he called his furry friend back over so they could leave, he didn’t realize one of the dogs Mongy had enjoyed spending time with was a small light-colored maltese-poodle.

The next morning Baekhyun arrived just after Kyungsoo pulled into the parking lot, and they walked into the school together as usual. Kyungsoo stayed with him as they entered the English teacher’s room, and he was the one to notice a carry-out coffee cup, identical to the one from the day before, sitting on Baekhyun’s desk. There was another sticky note stuck to the side of the cup and Kyungsoo squinted at it, trying to decipher what was on the note. 

“There’s a hashtag, and then a picture of… a phone?” the math teacher said with his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

Baekhyun was also confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he wondered out loud.

“Your guess is as good as mine!” Kyungsoo responded. He pointed at the cup. “But I’m also guessing this is supposed to be for you.” 

“If it is, this is the second day someone’s left me a coffee. Before you ask, I have no idea who’s been leaving them, or where they got it, but the brew is delicious!” Baekhyun took the lid off the cup and sniffed. “Yup! Smells the same. Here..” He held the cup out and Kyungsoo sniffed at the coffee. 

“Mmmm! That smells like it might be one of those Colombian coffees.” the math teacher commented. “You’re lucky whoever’s been leaving these for you has good taste!” 

“Well, good taste in coffee, anyway.” Baekhyun commented. He took a sip of the coffee. “Yup. It’s the same as yesterday. I brought coffee from home today but I’m not going to turn down such a delicious gift.”

“Wonder why they left it? Do you think it’s a secret admirer?” Kyungsoo asked.

“No. I think it’s probably a student trying to get on my good side. Although I don’t understand the notes..?” Baekhyun opened his notebook and showed his friend the note from the day before. “I mean, look. Today's note is totally different than the one from yesterday.” 

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement. “Well, I’d better get over to my classroom. Enjoy your mystery gift.” He walked out, hiding a smile.

Baekhyun wondered to himself as he took another sip. It was definitely the same as yesterday. Which student was leaving the drink? Maybe it was Minji? Regardless, he never talked about his drink preferences so how in the world did they find out what he liked in his coffee? 

Baekhyun joined Kyungsoo for lunch in the cafeteria like he usually did on Wednesdays, but this time neither the music teacher nor Coach Oh or Principal Kim were in the large room. The two friends still enjoyed listening to the gossip from the students sitting around them, but Baekhyun couldn’t help feeling he was missing something. 

He finished his last class of the day and started getting his things together like usual when there was a knock on the open door of his classroom. Baekhyun looked up to see the music teacher and the math teacher both crowded in his doorway, goodnaturedly roughhousing over who was going to enter the room first. 

Baekhyun laughed. “Alright, alright.. Who was here first?”

“Me-” “I wanted-” “No, I wanted-” “No, ME-'' Both men laughingly squabbled, talking over each other.

When Baekhyun laughed even harder at this, both men in the doorway stopped talking. The music teacher seemed entranced with the view of the laughing man, and Kyungsoo very deliberately elbowed the tall man in the ribs to get his attention. Baekhyun was bent over in his laughter and didn’t notice the interaction. 

As the English teacher’s laughter died down, Kyungsoo spoke up. “So Baek... Mr. Park is joining Nini and me for dinner tonight. You wanna come too? We’re introducing him to that barbeque place near the freeway.” He spoke casually but his eyes twinkled a little as he talked. He knew his friend loved that place.

Baekhyun’s eyes had lit up at the mention of the restaurant, and he couldn’t help himself. “When do I ever pass up going there?!” he said excitedly. “What time do I meet you?”

The music teacher smiled happily. “We’re meeting there at 7:30. Is that ok with you?”

Once again the teeth-rich smile being directed to him made Baekhyun’s pulse race, and he faltered briefly before managing a “Y-yeah!“ but quickly followed it with a smile that he hoped wasn’t too creepy.

Kyungsoo noticed his friend’s flustered state but wisely didn’t mention it. 

“I need to get my stuff together then go home and spend some time with Zzar first, so I’ll see you later.” Mr. Park did that small happy bouncing thing again for a moment then left the classroom, heading up the hallway. 

The two friends turned from the door and looked at each other with grins on their faces. They shared a little laugh then Baekhyun shook his head and grabbed his bag. “Are you ready?”

Kyungsoo nodded and they walked out of the classroom.

Later that evening Baekhyun found himself in the barbeque restaurant, sitting beside Mr. Park while Kyungsoo and Jongin sat on the other side of the table. Meat was sizzling on the grill in the center of the table, and plenty of side dishes filled the rest of the space, making the small area feel even tighter. A few times the grease on the meat made the flames flare up which caused the men to jump and laugh each time. The conversation was fun and light-hearted as they ate, and Baekhyun could tell they were all having a good time. 

Although everyone had decided to not drink alcohol because of having work the next day, there was a table of rowdy businessmen across the room that obviously didn’t mind getting drunk on a work night. After a while Jongin decided to start a game of acting like he was getting drunk every time one of the businessmen laughed loudly or made any other sound of being intoxicated. Baekhyun joined in, and soon Kyungsoo and Mr. Park were both laughing uproariously at their tablemates' antics. 

The music teacher whacked Baekhyun on the shoulder as he giggled loudly. “You guys are hilarious! This is the most I’ve laughed in two months!” 

Baekhyun rubbed his affected shoulder but grinned back. “What happened two months ago?” he asked, not thinking that he might be prying into the man’s personal life.

“My sister tripped going up the ramp into the moving van, dropped the box she was carrying and fell on her face. When she rolled over, there was a huge red spot on her forehead with a small lump in the center. Mom and I called her cyclops-klutz for the next few hours.” Mr. Park burst out laughing all over again.

“Oh my GOD!” Baekhyun felt shocked but still had to laugh. “I can’t believe your sister didn’t try to kill you for that.”

The music teacher grinned. “She wanted to but she knows I’m just as klutzy as she is so she was confident she could get me back.” 

“And did she?” Jongin asked. 

“Oh yeah. Karma took care of it for her later that afternoon when I realized the moving van was a straight shift and I hadn’t ever driven one before. It took me forever to get going and I killed the engine every time I came to a red light. What should have taken me 45 minutes took almost 2 hours to drive to my new place here! Yoora laughed basically the whole way.” 

The whole table erupted into laughter at the music teacher’s story, who sat and grinned proudly, waiting for the laughter to die down. 

Jongin spoke up through the last of his giggles. “You are a very funny man, Mr. Park! I’m glad we’ve met you!”

The tall man smiled. “I’m happy to include you as friends as well! And I’d really like it if you called me Chanyeol.” He spoke to the whole table but at the end of his sentence he turned to the English teacher at his side. 

Baekhyun was still laughing slightly, but with the unexpected eye contact his pulse began to race like before and he couldn’t help feeling a little dazed. 

Kyungsoo could easily see what was going on. He decided to save his friend’s dignity. “Alright then! Chanyeol, it is!” he said, bringing the music teacher’s attention back to the rest of the table. He lifted his half-empty glass of soda. “Here’s to new friends and lasting relationships!”

“Hear Hear!” The others at the table all raised their glasses and clinked them loudly together. This caused the drunk businessmen across the room to also give a rowdy and somewhat uncoordinated cheer, obviously giving back as good as they had been getting all evening. Baekhyun and his tablemates looked at each other in amusement then burst out into fresh laughter. 

Baekhyun got home later that evening with a very full stomach and equally full heart. He took a shower while thoughts of the previous hours went through his head. Being asked to call the music teacher by his first name seemed like a big deal, but Baekhyun was satisfied to now consider the tall man one of his friends. The whole evening had been a lot of fun, so he was happy. 

He gave Mongryong a few more treats than usual, which his pet then thanked him by curling up at his side as they sat together on Baekhyun’s bed. After a little reading, the English teacher decided it was bedtime. He gave up on fighting for more covers, since his dog was hogging most of them by that point, and went to sleep with pleasant thoughts. 

The next morning Baekhyun arrived in his classroom and immediately noticed another carry-out coffee cup sitting on his desk with a sticky-note stuck on the side. This time there was a stylized symbol that looked like a backwards C with two dots on the side, and then a picture of a flame. The English teacher was still confused with the drawings, but happily took a sip of the yummy drink as he put the sticky-note next to the other ones in his notebook.

The music teacher smiled and gestured from where he was sitting across the cafeteria at Baekhyun and Kyungsoo when they came in to buy their lunch later that day. Soon the friends were seated at the same table as Chanyeol and Coach Oh. Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the science teacher when Jongdae came over and plopped his tray down on the table. But a chair was easily borrowed from another table and the five men crowded in together to enjoy their lunch. Kyungsoo made the remark that they should start sitting at a larger table and everyone laughingly agreed. The students in the cafeteria were all amazed and talking about the group of men all sitting together, and the teachers tried to not laugh at the gossip that swirled around them. Baekhyun decided he had never felt so happy. 

That evening as his laundry swirled in the washer, instead of reading his book, Baekhyun pulled his notebook out of his bag. He opened it to the page where the three sticky-notes were sitting then started his laptop. There wasn’t much to go on, but his curiosity was getting the better of him and he wanted to figure out the messages. Looking at the three notes, Baekhyun decided to start with the hashtag note that had been on the second day’s coffee cup. But Google searches for “Hashtag phone” had confusing results. 

He then looked at the note from the first day. It seemed like calligraphy, so he entered that in the search bar and pulled up pages of the fancy writing, then began comparing all the lowercase “B” letters he could find to see if any might match the letter on the sticky-note. After going through several pages of letters, one in particular caught his eye. He clicked to open the website. Within minutes Baekhyun had an answer, and he smiled at his discovery. It was almost too easy after that to try to understand what part of the drawings on the sticky-notes represented. 

The washer buzzed to indicate the end of the cycle, so Baekhyun carefully stuck all the notes back into his notebook. He unloaded the wet clothes into the dryer then closed the door and started it with a satisfied grin. He had made a decision. 

If there was a coffee cup with a sticky-note waiting for him tomorrow, he would know what to do.

The next morning Baekhyun tried to act like it was just another ordinary day, but on the inside he could feel his nervousness. If he was wrong about his guess and there wasn’t a coffee waiting for him in his classroom, then he would definitely be disappointed. And he would have to wait until the entire school day was over before he would be able to talk to Kyungsoo about the whole situation. His friend was the only person that he could trust with what was going through his head. And he would be the only one to understand if Baekhyun ended up yet again frustrated and sad.

Kyungsoo noticed his friend was unusually quiet as they walked down the hallway to their classrooms. And Baekhyun took an extra breath before turning to look at his desk. Kyungsoo’s worry changed to understanding as soon as he saw how Baekhyun went straight over to his desk and picked up the coffee cup that was waiting for him. Baekhyun took the sticky-note off the side of the cup and smiled at it before removing the lid and taking a sip of the hot liquid. 

A satisfied look replaced the smile and Baekhyun turned to his friend. “I need to go talk to someone. I’ll see you later.”

Kyungsoo looked astonished as Baekhyun carried the coffee cup back out of the room. But as soon as his friend was completely out of sight, the math teacher grinned and pumped his fist. “YES!” 

Baekhyun walked quickly down the hallway and around the corner to the classroom at the end of the long hall. Peering in the open door, he could see an upright piano surrounded by chairs arranged in a half-circle that filled the room. The English teacher knocked on the doorframe.

Chanyeol’s head popped up unexpectedly over the top of the piano. “Oh hi!” The music teacher smiled his greeting.

Baekhyun grinned back. “Hi yourself! I need to ask you something.” After their dinner out together, Baekhyun felt much more comfortable around the tall man.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened and he cocked his head. “Sure. How can I help?”

Baekhyun lifted his coffee cup. “Where are you getting this coffee? It’s delicious!”

The music teacher looked sheepish. “Oh you figured it out. Yeah, um.. That’s my sister’s blend. She and her husband own a coffee shop and they acquire and roast their own beans then blend them to create specialty flavors. I’m glad you like it.” His almost bashful smile was adorable.

Baekhyun smiled as well and nodded. “I really do! But it’s not fair that you’ve been leaving them with only the notes. I should be able to return the favor in some way since we’re friends now!”

Chanyeol walked around the piano to stand directly in front of the English teacher. He seemed nervous, but determined. “Baekhyun. I actually have more than one reason for giving you the coffee and notes.”

For some reason that he couldn’t explain Baekhyun felt a little flustered and he averted his gaze. But then the tall man bent down to look him in the eye and reached out to gently grasp the hand that wasn’t holding the coffee cup. Baekhyun’s eyes flew to their now joined hands. His pulse began to betray him and do that racing thing he was becoming used to whenever the attractive music teacher was around. “Uh..what?” he said eloquently.

Still holding the English teacher’s hand, Chanyeol carefully moved closer, as though he was trying to not scare a wild animal. He spoke in a quieter tone. “I have nothing but good intentions but I don’t want to embarrass you here at work or say things to start rumors. May I bring Zzar and join you and Mongryong at the park this afternoon? Seven o’clock? I will be very happy to explain all the notes and my meaning behind them then if that’s ok with you.” 

Baekhyun looked up at the hopeful yet kind smile on the music teacher’s face. He waited for a second but then nodded, and Chanyeol immediately looked relieved.

“Good.” Chanyeol looked down at their joined hands. “Oh. Sorry..” he said sheepishly, and let go of Baekhyun’s hand then stepped back.

Baekhyun felt the loss of the warmth from the tall man’s hand, so he put both hands on the coffee cup to keep himself from reaching back out and embarrassing himself. He started backing towards the door. “OK.” He felt lame walking backwards so he half turned. “This afternoon then.”

The music teacher smiled widely. “Yes. See you..” He put a hand up and waved cutely.

By now Baekhyun was at the door, so instead of waving like an idiot he just smiled back and nodded, then turned and walked quickly back up the hallway. But his mind was racing and he felt dazed, like he was moving in his own bubble as the students streamed around him, all headed to the first class of the morning. 

Baekhyun tried to concentrate on teaching the rest of the day, but during the lulls he couldn’t help wondering what Chanyeol had meant and what he was going to say later that afternoon. At lunch time Baekhyun stayed in his classroom and graded papers. He didn’t think he could eat anyway with the way his stomach was feeling. The uncertainty was a little unnerving. He didn’t want to hope that maybe the tall man was attracted to him. Basically every time romance had tried to enter his life, it ended with disappointing results. Chanyeol was probably just wanting to explain a hidden message on those notes. The last one had an overly stylized symbol that looked like a combination of a cursive S and an ampersand drawn on one side. Beside it were two smiley faces, both drawn with realistic eyes and noses, and one had a dot just above the corner of its upper lip. Baekhyun recognized everything on this note, but he still wasn’t sure of the meaning. The wait was killing him but he was determined to act as if everything was normal, even if it was just for the sake of his own sanity. No one  seemed to notice Baekhyun’s inner turmoil trying to spill over, not even the astute Minji. So he guessed he was doing a good job.

At the end of the last class, Baekhyun quickly erased the board and gathered everything up into his bag. Then he went over to the math teacher’s classroom and popped his head in the doorway. “Hey Soo! You ready?” 

Kyungsoo looked up in surprise at his friend already standing there, ready to leave the school. “Oh! Yeah, just a sec’..” He scrambled to stack the papers on his desk evenly then slid the stack into his bag and grabbed his travel mug from the corner of the desk. “Ok, let’s go get the weekend started!”

Baekhyun tried to hold back a grin. “I might already have started my weekend early.” he said in what he hoped was a nonchalant way as they started their walk down the hallway. 

His friend whirled around. “What?! My introverted bestie is making weekend plans on his own??” Kyungsoo asked with a fake sound of amazement. 

The English teacher giggled. “Yeah. I’ll have to text you later tonight and tell you all about it.” 

“Ohhh. So the plans are for todaaayyy.” Kyungsoo sing-songed in a teasing way as he opened the school door that led outside to the parking lot.

Baekhyun increased his walking speed and tried to not blush. “That’s all I can tell you for now. You’ll get the details later like always.”

Kyungsoo kept time with the faster walking. “I hope they’re GOOD details.” 

“Me too.” Baekhyun said as he arrived at his car. “I’ll text you later.” He got into the vehicle and waved at his friend before starting the engine and backing out of the parking space.

The math teacher smiled as he waved back and watched his friend leave. He could only hope Baekhyun was ready to learn to love again.

When Mongryong led Baekhyun down the walkway to the park that afternoon, neither of them expected to see the tall music teacher and his little maltese-poodle rolling around on the grass together. The sight was adorable and although there weren’t many individuals at the park, all eyes were admiring the cute scene.

Baekhyun let Mongryong off his leash and the corgi immediately ran over to the duo on the grass. Zzar announced that her friend had arrived by sitting on her owner’s chest and barking happily. Chanyeol was surprised, but understood as soon as he noticed the excited dog at his side. He sat up and carefully placed Zzar on the ground all in one motion. Just then another set of shoes appeared at his side.

The tall man followed the shoes and looked up then smiled broadly. “Baekhyun! You came!” 

Baekhyun grinned. “Of course I did! I told you I would!”

Chanyeol scrambled to his feet. “I was- uff- worried.. you’d change your mind.”

Baekhyun couldn’t stop grinning. “Of course not!” He reached up and brushed some grass off the music teacher’s shoulder.

Chanyeol looked at the spot and also brushed at it. “Thanks. Um. Can we- can we sit?” He indicated a nearby bench. 

Baekhyun wordlessly went over to the bench and sat down then looked up expectantly. Chanyeol seemed lost in thought for a second but still went over and sat down beside the English teacher. He obviously wanted to say something so Baekhyun waited patiently for the man to get his thoughts in order. He didn’t have to wait long.

“I talked with Kyungsoo.”

That was not what Baekhyun had thought the man would say, but he tried to keep his surprise from showing too much and just hummed in answer. Chanyeol nervously eyed the English teacher for a moment but then continued. “I wanted to know if I had a chance and to get his advice. He told me I should take it slow and be completely honest.”

“OK?” Baekhyun cocked his head a little in confusion. “I didn’t know he was into polyamory but if he was willing to listen to you then I guess…” The idea that the tall man liked his friend hadn’t occurred to Baekhyun and for some reason it made him want to cry. He quickly schooled his face to not show how his heart was breaking a little and carried on with the conversation. “So, what does this have to do with the notes and the coffee?”

Chanyeol shook his head as he turned on the bench to fully face the English teacher. “They’re for courting,” he explained hastily.

“...What?” The conversation wasn’t making any sense and Baekhyun was starting to be a little impatient. “I don’t understand. The pictures on the notes? Courting? Shouldn’t you be giving them to Kyungoo?”

“Yes! No! I mean- basically yes. See- I’m-” 

“Chanyeol. Please just say what you’re trying to say already. You’re starting to sound like a skipping phonograph record!” Baekhyun couldn’t help his frustration.

“They’re not for courting Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol blurted out, trying to keep his tone low but failing. Baekhyun jumped back a little in his surprise and a few dogs in the area paused in their playing to look over at the now pink-faced music teacher. Chanyeol looked down at his lap and took a deep breath then looked back up at Baekhyun. “They’re for courting you,” he explained as his face continued to redden in embarrassment. “I don’t like Kyungsoo like that. I like you.” Chanyeol slowly reached over and gently took Baekhyun’s hand, just like he had done in the music room earlier in the day. He took a breath again and spoke quietly but insistently. “Baekhyun, I like you.”

Baekhyun didn’t know what to say or do. He was happy that Chanyeol liked him but he felt confused because he still didn’t have an explanation for the writing on the sticky-notes and he was flustered that the tall man was holding his hand. It was all very confusing. It must have shown clearly on his face because Chanyeol was quick to continue explaining and to reassure him.

“If you will let me, I would like to court you. I’ve been told to treat you with the deepest respect, and progress only how and when you decide, if you decide that I am worthy of your time and attention.” the music teacher said, still holding Baekhyun’s hand. 

Baekhyun remained silent, not sure of what to say. He looked down at their joined hands, letting his swirling mind slowly calm down. This tall handsome man claimed to like him. He had been burnt before in romance. Could this time be any different? There was always a chance, but there was also the chance that he could be left with a broken heart. It was risky. But was it a risk he was willing to take? There was plenty of time to figure all this out if Chanyeol was willing to take things slowly. They were mature adults, not hormonal teenagers with raging hormones. This time could be different if he gave it a chance.

Chanyeol bent his head to try to let their eyes meet. “If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy.” the music teacher said with a lilt in his tone.

Baekhyun scrunched his eyebrows and looked up. “Did you just quote Marianne Dashwood from Sense And Sensibility?” he asked with barely hidden amusement. 

Chanyeol gave a little grin. “Maybe. I was trying to lighten the mood, but the Austen quote was all that came to me as I watched you thinking. And it’s true.”

“You can tell I’m thinking, huh..” Baekhyun said with a small huff and a smile.

“I can’t hear them, but I can tell when your thoughts are loud.” Chanyeol said kindly. He carefully sat Baekhyun's hand back down and patted it once before pulling his own hand back and placing it in his lap. “I think you should know I’ve wanted to spend time with you from the moment I first saw you. If I may adapt Mr. Darcy’s comment..., My purpose became to see if I could, whether I might ever hope to make you love me.”

Baekhyun blushed but couldn’t help his smile. “You really do know your Austen.” He looked up at the music teacher and saw the gentle yet hopeful expression on the tall man’s face. Baekhyun looked back down and took a quick breath then blew out slowly. After a moment he looked back up. “I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.” 

Chanyeol’s hopeful expression didn’t falter, and he reached back out to take the English teacher’s hand again. “I will be patience personified if you will give me a chance.” 

Baekhyun chucked. “That was very Austen-esque of you.” he said appreciatively. 

The music teacher looked pleased with himself for a moment but stayed silent. 

Finally Baekhyun smiled and loosened his hand, then let out a loud two-tone whistle. Mongryong immediately came running over, and his owner sat down on the grass to let the dog half-climb into his lap. “Mongy, keep a good eye on this tall man cuz’ we’re going to be seeing a lot more of him in the future. And he knows that he has to be good friends with you so that Daddy can trust him more. Right?” As Baekhyun petted his dog and talked to him, the furry boy looked up and eyed Chanyeol as if he understood he was to be the judge of the tall man from that point forward. 

By this point Zzar had followed her friend over to the bench and Chanyeol took the chance to pick her up and start wiping off her paws as he listened to Baekhyun interact with Mongryong. The words seemed to finally hit home as Chanyeol jerked his head up and looked at the English teacher still sitting on the ground. “Does that- Is that a yes?” he asked tentatively. 

Baekhyun clipped the leash on Mongryong’s collar and stood up, brushing his pants off. Then he turned and looked at the music teacher who was still on the bench, looking at him with barely concealed shock. Baekhyun smiled. “Let’s take it slow.” he said with a small nod.

Chanyeol scrambled up off the bench to follow as the English teacher began walking towards the park entrance. Baekhyun let the tall man catch up to his side and they walked together a little before he continued. “For the record, I felt that too.”

“Felt.. what, exactly?” Chanyeol asked, curious.

Baekhyun grinned shyly and glanced up at the tall man before replying. 

“Everything.”

– – –

– EPILOGUE – 

Baekhyun learned many new things in the following months. 

He learned that Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol had been best friends since the first day they met in college, and the coach had been trying to find a way to get his friend on staff at the elementary school since the first day he had started working there. Although that had been Coach Oh’s original reason for talking with Principal Kim, he soon realized that the handsome man in charge of the school made his pulse race and ability to think clearly be compromised in the most beautiful way. And of course he told his bestie about this.

So when Chanyeol had applied to be the replacement music teacher, he also promised his friend to be his wingman and do things to try to get the principal to become jealous and possibly show his interest in the physical education teacher. Everyone realized those tactics had evidently worked when Coach Oh and Principal Kim began acting very happy and comfortable in each other’s presence and referring to each other with first names instead of titles, oftentimes outside of the vicinity of the school. 

Baekhyun learned that Chanyeol had private conversations with Kyungsoo twice in his first two weeks teaching at the elementary school. Once in the music room the morning that Baekhyun thought his friend had been home canoodling with his boyfriend, and the second time in the math teacher’s room when Chanyeol met them in the hallway that Monday morning. At first the music teacher thought, like a lot of the students did, that Baekhyun was dating his long time friend. But when Chanyeol found out the truth about their relationship, he explained his intentions to Kyungsoo and politely asked for advice on the proper way to possibly win the English teacher’s heart. Kyungsoo was a good friend and didn’t go into details about Baekhyun’s reluctance towards romance, but he did give pointers about how Baekhyun liked his coffee and which foods were his favorites, all while cautioning the music teacher to be patient and take things slowly. Chanyeol also asked for clarification on the man he had seen in the park being so affectionate with the English teacher. Kyungsoo had reassured him, telling him that the man he had seen was only a close friend who happened to be married to the elementary school’s overly-enthusiastic science teacher. This information settled Chanyeol’s mind and convinced him that his affection for the English teacher was not misguided.

Baekhyun finally learned that the messages on the sticky notes left on his coffee cups those four mornings were simply a combination of a musical notation and a small representation of what Chanyeol had observed the English teacher doing. 

The stylized B was actually the musical symbol for Flat, and the dog drawn beside it was because Baekhyun owned Mongryong and was also so enamored with Zzar. The hashtag sign was actually the musical symbol for Sharp and the phone drawn beside it was because Baekhyun had been so distracted as he texted on his phone that he didn’t notice Chanyeol and Zzar were also at the park that particular afternoon. The backwards C with the two dots next to it was actually the musical symbol for the Bass Clef, and the flame drawn next to it was because of the barbeque restaurant and the way the grease from the meat flared up from time to time as they ate there that evening. The final note with the stylized S that looked like it was combined with an ampersand was actually the musical symbol for the Treble Clef. And of course the two smiling faces represented Baekhyun and Chanyeol, since they had smiled at each other so much since they met. 

After getting the official explanation, Baekhyun made the remark that he felt like an idiot for not figuring it out since the drawings were all rather elementary. Chanyeol defended his drawing skills, declaring that was a fitting description since they worked in an elementary school.  

To which Chanyeol learned that Baekhyun was adorable when he snorted as he tried to hold back his laughter.

Baekhyun learned that Chanyeol had named his cute little maltese-poodle after Mozart, and that he actually owned another dog named Toben, which was short for Beethoven. Toben lived with Chanyeol’s mother because the black poodle had become so attached to her that it refused to mind Chanyeol no matter how much he tried to bribe or beg. 

Baekhyun learned that Chanyeol was patient and kind with everyone, but he knew how to stand his ground and could be a strong supporter for those that deserved and needed it. He had strong morals and even better manners, both things that Baekhyun had always hoped for in a partner but had never actually voiced out loud. 

Baekhyun learned that even without Chanyeol quoting Austen, the tall man was sincere in his adoration and love for Baekhyun. He listened with his ears and his eyes, taking note of what the English teacher enjoyed or disliked, and kept all this in consideration as he continued to court Baekhyun throughout the following months. They spent time together enjoying many long walks with entertaining but not hyper conversations, occasional movie nights where they ate dinner AFTER the movie instead of before, and long car rides with cold sodas to drink while the windows were rolled down halfway so the wind wouldn’t whip their hair around too much and they could still hear each other as they talked and sang along with whatever song came on the radio. And their first kiss happened after Chanyeol had asked gently and Baekhyun had given his permission. It was soft and sweet, and left them both with wide smiles and happy hearts.

Throughout everything, Chanyeol’s actions spoke even louder than his words, and he took time to allow Baekhyun to work through his own feelings as well.  

And by the end of the school term Baekhyun also realized that he had learned to love. 

– END –