Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hm.

Hmm.

Something is wrong with Suryong today.

He arrived to class late. He beat up some of his students. He went to the cafeteria and terrorized some other students. He stole some food. He was late to class. He stayed at school late.

All very normal things for Suryong.

But, when he arrived late, he apologised to his students and got started with the lesson immediately. When he beat up his students, he wasn’t doing it out of pure enjoyment; he was doing it to teach them something. He terrorized students because they dumped soup all over a kid. He stole food because it was bad. He stayed at school late to finish work he had racked up throughout the day.

He’s being.. Helpful. Disturbingly so.

Namgung’s first thought was that he’d been replaced. One of his bratty students got up early, snuck into his room while he was sleeping, tied him up to a chair and stole his clothes. That could be likely. That was very likely, considering the fact that someone just bumped into him and he apologized for not looking where he was going. Yep, he’s been replaced.

As soon as Namgung was going to confront the imposter about what they did to the “beloved” teacher, the bell sounded for classes to begin once again. Unlike Suryong, Namgung cared about his reputation among the students. As he sprinted off to class, a small chuckle was heard from behind him.

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The light of dusk filtered through the paper covered windows, turning shades of yellow and gold as they reached the wooden ground. Papers were strewn across the floor, an ocher tint to them when the sunlight hit them. On the desk above, locks of long, black hair cascaded down to the floor. Baek Suryong, laid on the desk with the fistful of paper, crumpled in his hands.

Being kind had taken a toll on his soul, it seemed. Maybe the children knew this, maybe they’d specifically asked because they knew it would. Maybe he shouldn’t have terrorized them as much, so they could spare him this bit of mercy.

Baek Suryong was as good as replaced. He is half the man he always is today, for the children… had asked… if he could be… nice.

Of course he could be nice! In fact, he was probably the nicest thing that ever happened to them in their sad, little lives. He will probably continue to be the nicest thing that has ever happened to them. So of course he could share a little bit of his kindness with the rest of the world today! Of course.

He wonders what he will do when the day ends.

Just as his mind wanders, a squeak came from the door, interrupting any semblance of leisure he was having.

He turned his head up, and was met with the accusatory eyes of a purple haired bastard. Namgung Su. With his arms crossed, he strode across the room, skillfully avoiding the paper on the floor. He stared Suryong down like he was an imposter.

“What happened to you?”

“What?”

“There’s something wrong with you,” He exclaims rather rudely.

“I’m a little ticked off right now, so sorry if this is rude, but get out.”

“HAH,” Namgung cried, “Usually, you would’ve just threatened me! Or made a nasty remark!! What’s wrong with you today?”

Suryong rose from his seat, and rubbed his temples in exasperation.

“What is with everyone telling me that I can’t be nice? Multiple people today have come up to me and said the exact same thing. What if… I’m a nice person. What if… I’M DOING THIS OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF MY HEART.”

“You’ve never done anything out of the goodness of your heart.” Namgung replies curtly.

Sighing, Suryong sits back down, and places his head in his hands. He lets his head fall between his arms, and then mumbles something only a swordsman could pick up on.

“Can you just get out, Namgung?”

Namgung takes another glance around Suryong’s office. He notices the forms and unmarked assignments left around the room, and the startling lack of names on any of them. Namgung sets down on the floor, and starts looking through them.

Suryong hears the rustling, and raises his head, taking a moment to look at Namgung inquisitively.

“I too have been replaced, and the new me is going to help you.”

Chapter Text

“I am not sick”, he croaked out to Namgung.

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After Suryong missed 2 days of teaching, with no notice, Namgung decided to go check up on the teacher. Out of annoyance for his time being wasted, of course. Not because he was concerned for him.

When he arrived at suryong’s pris- training facility, he made his way to suryong’s room. He noted that the inside was almost as cold as the outside, the walls providing no relief from the cold. Upon venturing further, to his dismay, there was a rattling cough, echoing through the hallways.

He was then greeted with the sight of Suryong huddled under piles of blankets, and even more clothes.

“It really does kill you to be nice?” Namgung mused.

There was no response. He didn’t expect one either, though. The state of Suryong’s room and sleeping arrangements told him what he needed to know about his health.

Sensing Namgung’s presence, Suryong peeked out of his nest of cloth, to see what Namgung was up to.

Stifling a cough, he said “ugh- what are you doing here.. Namgung?”

Hesitating for a moment, Namgung finally said “I’m here to help you get better.”

“Yeah- get out. Also, better from what? I’m not sick,” Suryong muttered out.

Namgung stood in his place for a moment, deciding on what he would do. Obviously he couldn’t just let Suryong die, but he also didn’t want to try to help someone who didn’t want his help. But, in Suryong’s current state, what’s the worst that could happen?

In one swift motion, Namgung lifted Suryong and his mess of blankets up.

Stuttering out, Suryong said “H-Hey?! Put me d-down!”

Ignoring the man in his arms, Namgung was dead set on getting him to his home. Not for any dubious reasons, just because he couldn’t have his coworker dying on him.

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Unfortunately, the trip home, no matter how quick Namgung tried to make it, still took its toll on Suryong with the outside’s bitter cold and wind. As soon as Namgung got home, he (struggled to) tuck him into his bed, discarding his blankets in favour of fresh, clean ones.

Suryong was not making this easier, constantly trying to get up, and swatting Namgung’s hands away from him.

“You’re unwell, Suryong, rest.” Sighed Namgung.

Suryong made another pathetic attempt to get up, and Namgung pressed him back down into the bed, with alarmingly little effort. Suryong collapsed onto the plush pillows, seemingly resigned to letting Namgung take care of him. Just for today.

Finally, with the issue of Suryong’s personality out of the way, Namgung could finally let out a sigh of relief, and satisfaction of seeing Suryong asleep in his bed. Now, he could get some supplies for him.

Namgung rummaged through his cabinets till he found some tea leaves, stowed away in the back. He filled a pot with water, and watched it boil for a while, before putting in the leaves. While the tea simmered, he quickly chopped up some carrots and celery, before dropping them into a pot, along with uncooked rice and chicken broth.

He went back to the room to check up on Suryong, with a bowl and towel in hand, to find him dozing off. With a glance, he could tell there were knots in Suryong’s hair, which surely must’ve been uncomfortable to sleep on. He slowly set down the bowl on the floor. Carefully maneuvering behind the sleeping man, Namgung cautiously leaned suryong’s head on his lap, while he ran his hands through his hair.

Namgung stared a bit too long at Suryong’s features, taking in his sharp nose, delicate eyelashes and high cheekbones. As he looked more closely at Suryong, he saw the pink flush painting his face, reminding him why he had entered the room in the first place. He slowly lowered his head back onto the pillows.

Suryong blearily opened his eyes to see a purplish figure above him, reaching out towards his face. Suryong tensed up, holding his breath as he prepared for… someone wiping a cold towel over his face?

The flush of cold over his clammy face reminded him of what was happening, and he went pale.

“I- I think I feel better now. I think I can go back now, but thanks.”

“There’s food.”

Before Suryong could continue his weak attempt at persuasion, Namgung swiftly left the bedroom to get the soup and tea he left to simmer earlier. He also grabbed some medication from a cupboard adjacent to the stove.

He came back to the room to find Suryong propped up against the bed frame, staring at the bedroom entrance.

Seeing how disassociated Suryong was, Namgung decided that medication was first, tea second, and food third. He walked over to the bedside, and handed Suryong the glass in one hand, and a small pill in the other.

“It’s tea and medication for your fever. Take it,” Namgung said matter-of-factly.

Suryong took a whiff of the tea and the medication, and made a scrunched up face as he moved his face away. He looked back at Namgung to say:

“Are you sure you can brew tea?”

Though the man lying in front of him was sick, possibly dying, and someone he cough-caredabout-cough, he’d never had to suppress the urge to pummel someone, more than in this moment. Namgung is literally taking care of him while he’s sick, and this is the nicest he can be? But what was he expecting, this was Baek Suryong.

Regardless of his complaints about the tea, Suryong still downed both the tea and the pill in one big gulp. Which he soon regretted as he immediately started hacking his lungs out. Namgung stood there watching him, feeling a semblance of satisfaction that Suryong was getting what he deserved for insulting his tea.

As the coughing settled, Namgung su handed him the soup. He watched as Suryong slowly took sips of it, meticulously taking out all of the celery, and watching as Suryong held the spoon idly. Before it could fall, he took the bowl out of his hands, and pushed Suryong back into bed.

Suryong gazed at Namgung through bleary eyes, with each passing second his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier. Before he could fully fall asleep, he let out a quiet murmur.

“...This is too much, please let me do something… for… you,”

“Just go to sleep and worry about it later. It’s alright.”

“No… but that’s…”

Namgung got a little bit closer, and pulled the blankets further up, leaving only his eyes exposed. Clearly the tea, soup, and warmth were doing its job, as Suryong quickly surrendered to sleep right after.

As he left the room, Namgung thought to himself how it would be nice to have ‘Suryong’ being nice more often.