Chapter Two - The Audacity

It was early morning October 7th. Jimin stirred around his classroom, laying out test papers for the day’s spelling test. He walked up and down the aisles, picking up chewed erasers, passed notes, broken pencils and tissues from the floor. He made a mental note to start making the children clean their areas before leaving for the day. As he walked back to his desk, he glanced through his large picture window that overlooked the playground. Two figures stood near the tree line and they seemed to be arguing. He tried to look away. Afterall, it was none of his business. 

But when a second glance revealed one of the men to be Jeongguk, all pretense vanished. He pressed against the window, eyes glued like a magnet on Jeongguk and - he wasn’t quite sure who the second man was until the man turned slightly, allowing Jimin to get a better look.

“What the hell?” Jimin whispered as he continued to watch. “Yu-jon? What’s he doing here?” He whispered to himself. 

Part of him was elated to see the two talking again…a very, very, very small part of him. However, his majority opinion was that Yu-jon meant trouble and he hoped that Jeongguk didn’t fall into his trap and take him back. Jimin also had to admit that he felt a tinge of jealousy as he watched the two very attractive men spar with each other. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Jeongguk. Somehow, in the chill of the morning, across the frosted playground, Jeongguk looked particularly beautiful. Jimin longed to be closer to him, to get to know him better and possibly buff the jagged edges that Yu-jon left in his life. He wasn’t after anything romantic - not immediately - but he did want to be friends, close friends. 

His curiosity was piqued. What could the two of them possibly have been talking …no arguing…about? Even though it was ill-advised, he cracked the window open just a sliver to hear more of their conversation. The voices were muddled and he couldn’t hear much, but the two were definitely speaking with raised voices. His chest burned when he saw Yu-jon attempt to grab Jeongguk’s hand. But a satisfied grin erupted across his face at the moment that Jeongguk ripped his hand away and forced it into his coat pocket.

“That-a-boy. Resist,” Jimin whispered through the window. 

Jimin was so focused on his spying that he didn’t even realize that several students had arrived to class. They immediately ran to the window when they saw Jimin standing there.

“Morning Mr. Park. What are you looking at?” Eun asked.

Donghyun, Eun and Hee all gathered at the window. Before Jimin could say anything, Eun yelled as loudly as possible, “Hey Mr. Jeon. Good Morning!” She waved at Jeongguk with a broad smile.

“No, no shhh, no don’t do that,” Jimin tried to hush Eun and close the window, but it was too late. The two men had already heard her.

Jeongguk and Yu-jon immediately turned towards the window where they saw Jimin and his three students glaring at them. Jimin’s covert surveillance had been exposed by a seven year old. Before Jimin could retreat, Jeongguk eyed him pathetically; clearly disappointed. It was a nightmare. Jimin stepped away from the window and quickly ran towards the blackboard, out of view of Jeongguk’s peering eyes. He could feel himself turn three shades of pink as his heart fluttered in his chest. The last thing he wanted  was for Jeongguk to think that he was some kind of social degenerate who didn’t respect his privacy. The whole thing was a mistake and he regretted it terribly. 

But…even though his spying ended in disaster, that didn’t take away from his concern about Jeongguk. After three months, why was Yu-jon suddenly in the picture again? What did he want? And why was Jeongguk so upset about it? And what had been so urgent that he had to come to the school to talk to Jeongguk in person? 

As Jimin’s student’s arrived, he instructed them to remove their pencils and prepare for their spelling test. Just before the bell rang, he caught the shadow of Jeongguk rushing past his classroom, headed to his own. He didn’t bother to give Jimin a wave like he usually did in the mornings. Jimin felt sick. He wondered if he had ruined their very special friendship before it even began.

 

It was lunchtime. Due to inclement weather, the food trucks that regularly parked on the street near the school, were not there. In addition, all of the nearby cafes were closed. Jimin’s lunch, a bowl full of Budae Jjigae that he had cooked over the weekend, sat on his desk. Despite doing his best to eat it while cold, he just couldn’t. It had to be warmed to even be palatable. He sat at his desk staring towards the hallway that led to the teacher’s lounge on the other side of the building. Dread filled his veins. Walking through the ganglands of the middle school was the only way to get to the microwave. He could hear the angry growl of his stomach as he procrastinated by grading the spelling tests from earlier that morning. His fate was inevitable, at some point he was going to have to risk it all to warm up his Budae Jjigae.

Jeongguk’s voice cast an Angelic echo from the hallway, “Want to go warm up our lunch?”

Jimin’s head snapped up and his eyes sparkled, “YES!” He couldn’t believe his luck. Not only was Jeongguk still speaking to him, but he offered to partner with him and walk with him through the gates of hell known as the middle school hallway. “Thank God I don’t have to wander into Satan’s alley alone. You know how much I hate middle schoolers.”

“I’m aware. I too share that same disdain.” Jeongguk laughed. “I had high hopes for us getting our own microwave in this building but I seem to have made an enemy of the Principal. I doubt she’ll give us anything at this point, no matter how much support we have from the other teachers. Let’s go.” He led the way as they headed towards the middle school hallway. “Most of the wretched subhumans are in the cafeteria.”

“We should be able to get in and out without smelling any of them,” Jimin teased.

“They stink. They do. All of them,” Jeongguk agreed.

As they walked through the main hall that led from the lower school into the middle school, Jimin took the opportunity to try to explain himself, “Listen…about this morning. I wasn’t spying on you or anything. I was just…well…I saw Yu-jon and I was worried…and…,” Jimin’s speech was interrupted by more screams.

Once again they heard a commotion coming from the middle school hallway as they rounded the corner. Except this time it wasn’t a puking kid, it was a fight. Two younger students had an older student pinned to the shiny white linoleum floor and they were pounding him in the chest with their fists. 

“Aish. Shit. Can we pretend we don’t see it? I just want to warm up my stew,” Jimin complained.

“I….” 

Before Jeongguk could speak, a panicked girl came rushing around the corner, “Mr Jeon, Mr. Park I’m so glad to see you. Come quick! Lee-Jyung is getting his ass kicked.”

“Come on Jimin. We can’t let them beat the kid to death on our watch.”

“Fuck I hate this school,” Jimin complained again.

They both placed their cold lunches safely in the corner and headed towards the brawl. Indeed, two tiny sixth graders were wailing on a rotund, rather awkward eighth grader. The smaller kids were not really large enough to do much harm to the older kid. In fact they seemed to be landing punches that did nothing but bruise their own knuckles. The older child shielded his face and randomly threw punches that landed nowhere. If the older kid had been any bit of a fighter, he would have easily overpowered both of them.

Jimin contemplated hanging back and just yelling instructions to the big goofy kid on how to not get his ass kicked. But Jeongguk insisted that they needed to get involved.

“Chin-Lee, call a resource officer. Tell them we need help breaking up a fight,” Jeongguk ordered. 

Jeongguk and Jimin took a few wordless glances towards each other to quietly agree on who would take who. At the count of three they reached in to separate the three youths.  

“All right break it up, break it up,” Jimin grabbed his designated kid and yanked him by the collar.

As luck would have it, just as Jimin grabbed the arm of one of the bullies, the older student who was being attacked took an errant swing which hit the kid square in the nose. Blood gushed from his face. He clamped his hands against his nose, but it continued to pour through his stretched fingers. All of the kid’s blood landed on Jimin’s white polo shirt. 

At the same time, Jeongguk pulled his designated kid free, allowing the older kid to not only throw a punch at Jimin’s designated kid but also launch a few kicks. Every sloppy unanchored kick missed its target and instead landed on Jimin’s knee and then his thigh - and then his nuts.  

Jimin howled and covered his crotch, letting go of the big bulky uncoordinated eight grader. The smaller kid still lurched towards the bigger one. With one hand holding his nuts and another hand trying to stop the kid’s bleeding nose, Jimin once again proclaimed his hatred for middle schoolers. 

Jeongguk finally got a handle on all three of them. He held them apart and threatened each of them with suspension. The three kids swore at each other, completely disrespecting both Jimin and Jeongguk’s presence. After what seemed like forever, the school resource officer finally showed up to assist with containing the brawl. Jeongguk handed all of the kids over to the resource officer who marched them straight to Principal Han’s office. 

Jeongguk had spent so much time wrestling his designated kid from the ground that he didn’t even realize that Jimin was covered in blood until after he cleared all of the onlookers from the hallway. 

“Shit! Jimin, you're bleeding. And your face is beet red. Did you get slugged? Do you need a doctor?” Jeongguk asked, eyes large with worry.

Jimin still had his hand cupping his balls. He leaned against the row of lockers not far from where he had belly flopped on vomit three months earlier.

“Not my blood,” he grunted through the pain of his swollen balls. “the fucking kid on the ground got a punch in and he hit the other kid.” He breathed heavily as he waited for his nut pain to subside. “He bled all over my shirt. This fucking shirt was expensive,” Jimin swore through his teeth. 

“Why are you leaning over like that?” Jeongguk was still confused.

“Because after we got the two buffoons off of the big kid, he started swinging and kicking. Landed a kick right in my nuts. What kind of gorillas raised these children,” Jimin grunted again.

“Hyenas. These are hyena children. Gorilla children are raised with discipline, very classy, very mindful, very demure. Only hyenas raise kids like these,” Jeongguk explained seriously. 

“This is what happens when you try to educate a bunch of rich kids who’ve never been given boundaries or held accountable for their behavior.” Jimin was seething, mostly because his balls hurt.

Jeongguk helped him walk. He was a bloody mess and there was no way he could go back to the classroom in that state.

“I have a shirt you can borrow if you need it.”

Jimin smiled, “Thanks but I’m ok. I learned my lesson. I now keep a change of clothes in my car.”

“Fuck!” Jeongguk suddenly swore. He turned around in circles, looking all around the hallway.

“Ok now what?” Jimin asked reluctantly.

“These little rich assholes stole our lunch…,”

“What?” Jimin kicked the locker closest to him.

In summary, the teacher’s had succeeded in breaking up the fight but Jimin was bloodied, and ball-raked in the process. And to tie it all into one miserable little shit bow - their lunches were gone.

***

 

The local bar was aptly named the Hard and Heavy Metal Pub, the most popular bar in Busan. With its dark mahogany walls, hard wood floors, litany of top shelf liquors, blaring music and friendly staff, it was a well known hang out for teachers at the Hagwan. The pungent odor of hops could be smelled as soon as they approached the wrap-around bar. Each of the padded bar stools was covered in soft green leather, appropois for long nights of drinking and sports watching.

 Jeongguk climbed onto the bar stool and gave a friendly, albeit anxious, smile to the bartender. Jimin stood behind him staring up at the soccer game that was playing on the eighty-inch television on the wall. Jimin did his best to make their interaction friendly. Even going so far as to leave an empty barstool between as they settled in at the bar. With Jeongguk fresh off of a break-up, Jimin didn’t want to come across as a predator, ready to pounce on a man who was still reeling from a nasty relationship. In the purest sense, the elder just wanted a friend; to have one and to be one.

They slowly worked their way into conversation by talking about their families and their mutual love of football As well as their mutual hatred for the Academy. A few glasses of wine turned into a few bottles of wine before they moved on to very potent Stout beers.

Jimin dove right in, sharing the thoughts that had plagued him since the start of the school year, “I think I made a mistake. I don’t know if I belong here - teaching,” he admitted. 

Jeongguk balked, “Nonsense. You’re an incredible teacher. You love your students and they love you. I think we’re just suffering from burnout. It happens, even to teachers who are new to the job. So much bullshit that we’ve endured from the administration. We don’t get the support we need and I think that’s why you feel this way…shit why we both feel this way. If I’m honest, I question my choice to teach sometimes too. It happens. But I think we’re both right where we belong.”

“I love my students. I really do. You’re right about that part. But I just don’t know if I have it in me to do this long term. I think I want to teach older students. They seem to have more control of their body fluids.”

Jeongguk tilted his head back and laughed. Jimin found himself staring into his mouth, counting his beautiful teeth, and admiring the rich texture of his tongue.  Jeongguk leaned in and rested his hand on Jimin’s knee. Jimin glanced down at the man’s large hands and strong fingers. He remained perfectly still, praying that the hand would remain there for as long as possible. 

“Older students have their advantages. But the young kids need us. They need strong male role models at that early age. The question becomes, are we at the right school? I accepted this position because of the pay. Now I’m wondering if it was worth it.” Jeongguk ordered a dark merlot. He swirled it around the glass before sipping it delicately. 

“We’re never going to thrive at this school. Too many politics. Too many agendas. I truly believe Principal Han hates male teachers and doesn’t think we belong in the classroom.”

“She’s had it out for us since the beginning. I reported her. I also filed an appeal over her suspending me without pay for the time that I was out. She makes up the fucking rules as she goes. It’s inane.”

“That suspension was total bullshit. If you need me to testify or make a statement, I will. I’ll support you however I can,” Jimin assured him. He glanced down quickly to see that Jeongguk’s hand was still on his knee.

A few moments passed in silence with both men alternating between glances at the television and glances at each other. They were comfortable, relaxed. Two hours in and the night was going well. However, Jimin knew that if they were going to continue enjoying their time, he needed to address the awkward situation from a few days prior.

He blurted it out with full honesty, “I wasn’t eavesdropping that time I-I overheard you and Yu-jon.”

Jeongguk raised his hand in a stop gesture, “Jimin, it’s ok…,”

“No. It isn’t. Please let me finish. I saw Yu-jon and I was immediately concerned. I could hear you two arguing across the playground. I was curious, but mostly worried. I want you to know that I didn’t actually hear anything. Just loud voices. I would never…,”

“Jimin…it’s ok. We were making a public spectacle in front of children. You had every right to be concerned.”

“But I wasn’t concerned about that,” Jimin found Jeongguk’s large brown eyes and spoke clearly, “I was concerned about you.” 

“Me? You were worried about me?”

“Very much so. I care about you. I’m invested in your well being, especially since I played a role in making this situation what it is.”

“Please let that go. You know that I don’t blame you for any of this. Listen to me, the reason I agreed to finally have drinks with you is because you offered to listen without judgement and be my shoulder to cry on. Well, sometimes I really do feel like crying and I could use a sturdy shoulder. Tonight was one of those nights.”

Jimin could see a hint of moisture in Jeongguk’s eyes. Tears no doubt. “Are you two getting back together?” Jimin asked timidly. He tapped two fingers on the bar, signaling a request for two more beers which were both delivered within seconds.

“Of course not. It’s over between us. And even if that door was still open, he definitely closed it this morning.”

“Oh. Well good for you for staying strong. I probably don’t have a right to say this, but I don’t trust him. Especially after what you told me about him.” Jimin swirled the foam of his beer with his index finger.

“You have just as much of a right as anyone. After all, you were at the scene of the crime when it all happened.” Jeongguk sipped on his beer as he glanced around the crowded bar.

“Just say it,” Jimin found Jeongguk’s eyes and rested his hand on top of Jeongguk’s hand that still rested on his knee.

“Say what?”

“Whatever it is that has you close to tears. You aren’t over him are you?” Jimin asked.

“It’s not that. I don’t love him, but I’m angry with myself for blaming myself and for taking so long to see the light. I’m over him - don’t worry. And he’s definitely over me. In fact he’s already dating someone else.”

“How is that even possible? It’s only been a few months. He found someone else already?”

“Yea. And I think that’s the part that hurts. He didn’t even give our relationship a mourning period. I’m internalizing it and making it all about my inability to keep him satisfied. I wonder if he really ever loved me. I just feel so stupid. Three months since we broke up and he’s already fucking someone else. Claims to be in love too. That’s the best part,” Jeongguk shook his head in disgust, “Sometimes he made me feel so worthless.  He made me think that everything that happened bad between us was my fault. He even blamed me for him having an affair. I should be relieved that he’s gone, but his fucking mind games left me feeling that I caused all of this, when I know that I didn’t.  How did he move on so fast? Am I so forgettable that he was able to move on that fast?”

“Oh Jeongguk, no, no you mustn’t think that. You’re not forgettable at all, in fact you’re quite the opposite. I’ll never forget the day I first laid eyes on you. Remember the teacher orientation over the summer? You walked in with those ratty jeans and fitted black t-shirt. Your hair was damp with sweat and you used the tail of your t-shirt to wipe your forehead. Your smile lit up the entire room. I almost forgot my own fucking name, you were so stunning. It was so hot that day, yet you felt like a cool summer breeze. Like you were fresh off of a college campus. I remember…,” Jimin caught himself. He sounded like a teenager with a crush. He pulled his glass to his lips to drink more beer. It was the quickest way to make himself stop talking. The flushed skin in his cheeks was partially hidden behind the large frosted mug. 

“Wow,” Jeongguk released a sultry laugh that made Jimin’s heart flutter, “I didn’t realize you were so uhh…observant.” 

“My point is…you are not at all forgettable. His moving on has everything to do with his whorish tendencies and nothing to do with you and how incredible you were as a boyfriend. That asshole has no idea what he’s lost. I would give anything to have a man like you...” Jimin grimaced. “Fuck,” he whispered under his breath. Why couldn’t he keep his affinity for his co-worker contained? Every time he opened his mouth, his lustful thoughts came pouring out. The liquor didn’t help. 

“Don’t be shy, speak your mind,” Jeongguk tightened his grip on Jimin’s knee.

“Look, I’m not here to degrade your ex. Sometimes, people don’t realize what they’ve got until it’s gone. I’ve been there, made my share of mistakes and lost some really good guys because of it. I’ve learned my lesson and learned to recognize an incredible man when I see one. You’re incredible.”

Jeongguk had never been referred to as “incredible” before. He hid his face behind his hands and smiled. “Thank you,” he mumbled humbly. “You seem to always have the right words that make me feel better.”

Jimin could feel the chemistry between them. The walls were down and both were at their most vulnerable. He handled it with as much grace as possible, “Why did he come to the school? What could he possibly have wanted?” Jimin leaned in closer. He could see that Jeongguk was visibly shaken by all of the Yu-jon talk. He treaded lightly, but needed to understand the full story…

 

The Hard and Heavy Metal Pub wasn’t just popular amongst teachers. It was a gathering place for many young professionals who worked in the area and that included the clan from Mindshare, the company where Yu-jon served as the Director of Marketing. In his haste to find a place for their conversation, Jeongguk had completely forgotten that Yu-jon and his team visited the bar once a month for their team socials. And Mindshare’s team social just so happened to be scheduled for the night that he and Jimin were there for drinks. 

Jeongguk was so engrossed in his conversation with Jimin, that he didn’t even realize that his ex had walked through the door with his team of employees. As he continued to pour his heart out to Jimin, oftentimes smiling to keep from crying, he leaned in close to him so they could hear each other over the growing crowd of patrons at the bar. It was just Jeongguk’s luck that Yu-jon spotted them right away. 

He attacked, “Well what do we have here? You always want to play so innocent and swear that you’ve done nothing wrong. Once again, I’ve caught you in a lie. You have the nerve to be all cuddled up with him in public. Tell me again how you’re just friends and not fucking?”

Both men snapped their heads up and glared at Yu-jon. Jimin was a mild mannered man, but something just came over him. The false accusations, the hatred he had in the pit of his stomach for Yu-jon, Jeongguk’s painful tears, the fact that Yu-jon already had another lover, and the fact that he was a cowardly, morally corrupt snake - all of it made Jimin snap. He hopped up from his bar stool and stood unflinching in Yu-jon’s face. 

“You have some nerve, coming in here and accusing him of being a liar. He has never lied, unlike you, you gutless snake,” Jimin’s words were short and vitriolic. He was ready to fight. Very unlike his soft first grade teacher personna. 

Yu-jon scoffed, “Letting your new boyfriend protect you? You’re a fucking joke and so is he.”

Jimin balled his hand into a fist. He took several breaths to calm himself. He hated that man, for no other reason than how he had treated Jeongguk. Jimin knew all too well the type of man Yu-jon was  inside. He was dangerous, destructive and dead set on ruining Jeongguk’s life. Jimin wanted with all of his heart to punch him right in the mouth. 

Jeongguk stood to his feet. He was quite a bit taller than Jimin, but still paled in size compared to Yu-jon. He stood chest to chest with his ex, “Such a display of jealousy from someone who is already fucking someone new. You can dish it out, but you can’t take it. Yes, Yu-jon, I’m dating him now. And yes…he’s better looking than you, stronger than you, and much better endowed…than you,” Jeongguk said just to be spiteful.

Jimin’s jaw dropped. The words that came out of Jeonggukk’s mouth made him gasp. His eyes bulged and he stared back and forth between Jeongguk and Yu-jon. Jeongguk craftily stood between them to keep them separated. Even he knew that Jimin was on the verge of beating Yu-jon’s ass. Jimin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jeongguk claimed him as his lover even though they had never so much as held hands. It was a fascinating turn of events. 

“I knew it. I knew there was something going on between you two. And to think, I almost came crawling back to you,” there was pain in Yu-jon’s eyes. For the first time, Jeongguk had the upper hand. He knew exactly how to hit him where it hurt. 

Jimin felt Jeongguk’s hand around his waist. The younger glanced at him. His eyes begged him to play along. He strained his neck and bit his lip, anxiously waiting for Jimin’s response.

“You’re the dumbass who let him go. Don’t be surprised that a man this beautiful found someone better than your cheating ass,” Jimin quipped. 

Jeongguk buried the dagger even deeper, “Oh and about your selfish request for the cabin; my answer is no. I’ve already invited Jimin to spend the week with me at the cabin. Since I paid for it and I booked it, it belongs to me. You and your new conquest, can find somewhere else to vacation.” Jeongguk held Jimin’s hand and leaned over to whisper into his ear. “Just play along,” he said.

Jimin played along, “I’m so excited. I’ve already started packing. I’m going to rail you against the wall as soon as we get there,” Jimin playfully nibbled on Jeongguk’s ear and down the side of his face. He could feel the softness of Jeongguk’s skin and taste the trail of beer foam that had dribbled down his cheek. He continued to cuddle with him just to piss off Yu-jon.

“You’re taking him on our vacation?” Yu-jon screamed. 

“My vacation. Remember, you promised to pay your half and never did,” Jeongguk said savagely.

Yu-jon was wrought with anger and hurt, even though he tried to hide it. “Good riddance. Thank God I found a real man so that I don’t have to deal with your bullshit anymore.” Yu-jon turned and headed towards the door. Without saying a word to his team, he fled into the cool fall evening.

 

Before Yu-jon was even through the door, Jeongguk was already doubled over in laughter. He was elated with he and Jimin’s little performance.

“Was I just used as revenge bait?” Jimin said, not quite sure of how to process what had just happened.

“You sure were. The best revenge bait ever! You were so good. Thank you for playing along.” Jeongguk gave Jimin a big bulky bear hug. You have no idea how good it felt to really get back at him and hit him where it hurt,” Jeongguk was still smiling. His smile was brighter than Jimin had seen in months. He was truly happy.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what cabin?”

“Sit down, I’ll explain,” Jeongguk ordered another round of drinks. Once again he placed his hand on Jimin’s leg, but this time it was closer to his crotch. “First, let me apologize. It wasn’t fair for me to put you in that situation and it was nasty business. I didn’t mean to involve you. It’s just that…I’m so tired of the accusations. Whenever he’s doing something wrong, it automatically gets redirected at me, as if I’m the one at fault. He’s intimidated by you and probably a bit jealous. I used you and I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for it to go that way, but I just couldn’t resist twisting the knife. Did you see his face when he saw us huddled together? It was priceless!” Jeongguk laughed again. 

“I saw his face. I wanted to put my fist through it. Thank goodness you calmed the situation. But why would Yu-jon be jealous of me? I don’t understand that part.”

“You said that I could be truthful and you wouldn’t judge me. Did you mean that?”

“Of course I did. You can tell me anything. I have no right to judge.”

“I like you. From the day we met, I’ve always thought you were kind, intelligent, funny. The fact that you’re incredibly handsome doesn’t hurt either. Sometimes I would talk about you. It was just small talk, about my day. Like if you and I met up in the lounge or worked on a lesson plan together, I would tell him about it. Yu-jon didn’t like it. He accused me of lusting after you. I never gave him that impression at all, and it was all in his head. It got so bad that he would blow up whenever I even mentioned your name.”

“So that’s why he went ballistic when he found me in your apartment? Now it all makes so much sense,” Jimin gulped down his entire mug of beer. Jeongguk’s information was mind blowing. 

Jeongguk continued, “That’s why you were the perfect person to really get under his skin. That bit about railing me against the wall was perfection. He used to love to fuck me against the wall. Now he thinks that someone else is doing it. I bet he’s peeling off his face right now.” Jeongguk continued laughing. 

“You really are over him, aren’t you?” Jimin realized that Jeongguk meant it when he said he was over Yu-jon. He wouldn’t have lashed out so viciously otherwise.  

“I’m so fucking over him. But I’m also petty. I’m tired of him always winning. I just….ugh…I just wanted him to feel one iota of the hurt he caused me.”

“I think you succeeded.”

“And it was glorious,” Jeongguk gulped down more beer and requested another. “Again, I’m sorry to involve you. I really am. From now on, I’ll ask for your consent before dragging you into my shenanigans. Deal?”

“Deal. I was happy to do it if it meant a little sweet revenge. And the cabin? You keep skipping that part.”

“For our anniversary. I booked it a year ago. One week at the secluded Ananti cabin in the mountains. He promised to pay half, and he would have, eventually. He makes a considerable amount more than I do, so money has never been an issue between us. But that morning a few days ago, when he showed up at the school, he tried to “negotiate” his use of the cabin. He wanted it for the full week for him and his new boyfriend. He even tried to pay me for it. That was a cabin that I booked. ME! I planned everything. And he wanted to take it and use it for his new boyfriend. Oh Jimin, I wanted to kill him. If you and the kids hadn’t distracted me, I may have actually started a fight right there on the playground. That’s how angry I was. I knew my answer was no. There was no way I was going to allow him to fuck another man in the cabin that I booked for our anniversary. But I told him that I would think about it, just to make him go away.”

“I don’t blame you for not allowing him to have it. I would have done the same thing. I’m happy for you. Somehow I feel like it was a victory for both of us. The look on his face will make me smile for weeks to come. He deserved it. No offense but your ex is a jerk, a dangerous jerk.”

“Seeing him tonight made me question what I ever saw in him.”

“After tonight, I think you can officially say he’s gone for good. How do you feel?” Jimin asked.

“I feel like I wasted the last three years of my life. There are so many other men out there. Good men, who deserve everything that I have to offer. Men like you…,” Jeongguk leaned in and gave Jimin a hug.

***

Jeongguk was the scout. He tiptoed quietly down the hallway, eyes sharp, ears open, listening for any sound of the enemy. With his Hello Kitty lunch box gripped tightly in his large hand, he waited. Signaling for Jimin to advance, he pressed his back against the locker in wait. As Jimin moved forward, he was startled by the sudden ringing of the lunch bell. 

“Stay calm soldier, the war is just beginning,” Jeongguk teased.

Jimin crept alongside him. They held their position until the hallway ahead was clear. Middle Schoolers…the enemy. The untamed. The Devil's spawn. They were to be avoided at all costs. Crossing the middle school hallway to get to the teacher’s lounge was the equivalent of going into combat. Rarely did they emerge unscathed. All was quiet. For the first time in several months, they made it to the teacher’s lounge without some horrific middle school encounter along their route. 

They were pleased. They gave each other high-fives as they unpacked their lunchboxes in preparation for warming their food. The teacher’s lounge was the only space for teachers and administrators. The lower school had a small closet size room with coffee and a mini-fridge, but no real accommodations for the lower school teachers. This was it, the middle school teacher’s lounge was the only place where teachers could congregate to warm their lunches and sit at tables like proper adults. 

As usual, it was packed. With autumn in full swing, most of the lunch dates had been driven inside. There were only seven tables and most of them were full. While Jeongguk grabbed two microwaves to warm the food, Jimin looked around for a place to sit. 

He found a table in the far corner where three of the middle school teachers were already seated. 

“Room for two more?” Jimin smiled. His face was full of color. His smile was bright and cheerful. He was the antithesis of the crowd around him. His presence was like introducing techni-color to a black and white univision world. 

“Be our guest,” the teachers smiled. “You can always tell when the lower school teachers are around. They’re always so bright and cheery, full of hope for the future,” they laughed 

Jimin smiled politely, not sure if he understood the joke. All of the faces looked familiar. He’d undoubtedly seen all of them before. But he knew none of their names by memory, so he reintroduced himself. They chatted politely as they reacquainted themselves. He looked around at the teacher’s who sat at the table. Their faces were grey, sucken, reminiscent of patients in a mental ward. The children had taken everything from them, drained them of their energy, hopes and dreams. His dire interpretation of them was overly dramatic; congruent with his bleak outlook on middle school. He would gladly take the sweet innocence of first graders over pubescent teens any day. It was true, middle school was the most difficult grade to teach. The children were mini adults without the cognitive reasoning of actual adults. Between puberty, growth spurts, chronic social media, sexual curiosity, and bullying, they were a collective mess. Jimin didn’t envy any of the teachers who had to deal with them. 

Jeongguk arrived. He had steaming bowls of ramen for both he and Jimin. As he stood there, Jimin found himself staring at him. The more he got to know him, the more attractive Jeongguk seemed. The days since their encounter with Yu-Jon had only brought them closer as friends. Where they historically only met for lunch once or twice a quarter, they were now dedicated to having lunch together every day.

The growing bond between them left Jimin in a vulnerable position. He liked him. He really, really liked him. The crush that he had long denied was no longer deniable. He wasn’t sure if Jeongguk felt the same, so he kept his feelings safely locked away.

“Careful, these microwaves get really hot,” Jeongguk smiled gorgeously as he sat Jimin’s bowl down in front of him.”

“Thanks. These are my new friends. Han, Lila, and Sanwoo. They teach eighth grade.”

“Oh what a joy,” Jeongguk bowed to them as he sat down.

The time passed quickly as the five teachers chatted about life at the Academy. There were only ten minutes remaining before the end of the lunch period. Jimin and Jeongguk packed up their things and headed back towards the lower school building. They were almost back to their building when Jimin heard his name being called.

“Mr. Jeon. Mr. Jeon, I don’t feel so well. Do you know where the nurse is?” It was one of Jeongguk’s former students. He had instructed her during his student teaching internship. He had known her since she was in fourth grade. She was one of the few students he knew well in middle school. 

He gave her a polite hug, “Mina! Hello. I haven’t seen you in a while. You’re not feeling well?”

“Not at all,” Mina advised. 

She was a tall girl, almost as tall as Jimin. An eighth grader who should have been lined up for the end of lunch but was instead floating through the hallway looking for the nurse. Jimin didn’t like the way she looked. Her color wasn’t right and she seemed weak. Definitely sick. She was susceptible to barfing at any moment, so he kept his distance. His four week streak free of children’s body fluids was well intact and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Do you know where the nurse has gone?” Mina asked.

“She’s probably on lunch, Mina. If you head over to her office, you can wait outside. The bell is about to ring. You better get moving. Here, I’ll write you a note so you can get past the hall monitors.” Jeongguk searched his shirt pocket and pulled out a pad full of hall passes. He patted his pockets looking for a pen. “Uh, Jimin, do you have a pen I could borrow?”

“Yea, sure.” No sooner than Jimin stepped forward, Mina unleashed a gargantuan, spit filled sneeze that landed all over Jimin’s face. 

Legend has it that the gates of hell swung open as Jimin released a string of abbreviated profanities. He couldn’t say any of the words in full because no matter how upset he was, he couldn’t curse at a student. But he was not pleased. He gagged and immediately began wiping the remnants of sneeze juice from his face. 

“Oh GOD. OH GOD! NO! This is not happening,” he yelled as he desperately wiped his face.

“OH MY GOD!” Jeongguk’s eyes widened. “Calm down, oh Jimin.”

“Sorry,” Mina said as she grimaced and wiped her mouth. “Told you I didn’t feel well.”

“Stay calm, stay calm…,” Jeongguk searched his back pocket for a packet of disinfectant wipes that he always kept with him for emergencies.

“CALM! HOW CAN I STAY CALM? She just sprayed me with the bubonic plague.”

“I seriously doubt she has that,” Jeongguk tore open his disinfectant wipes and began to vigorously wipe Jimin’s face. 

“I hate this. I hate this. This is my last day here, Jeongguk. You know why? Because I quit. I QUIT!”

“Mina, get to the nurse. If you get stopped, tell them I gave you permission.” Jeongguk continued to try to clean all of the wet from Jimin’s face. He felt terrible. And if Mina really was sick, she had just spread everything she had to Jimin and possibly Jeongguk as well. 

Jimin continued to fuss. He held his face as still as possible hoping that Jeongguk’s wipes could save him from Mina’s cataclysmic cooties.

“Mr. Jeon. Mr. Park. What’s going on here? Why aren’t you two in your classrooms? Who’s with your students?” It was Principal Han. She was on the warpath. 

In the midst of the fiasco with Mina, the ending lunch bell had rang. Jeongguk and Jimin were both out of place. They should have been in their classrooms and there was no one watching either class. Jeongguk awkwardly shoved the spit-covered wipes into his pocket as he turned to Principal Han to try to explain.

“We were over here to warm our lunches. We ran into Mina. She’s sick and she was looking for the nurse. We were just helping her. We’re on our way back to class right now.”

“Suspension without pay for both of you. Now get to your classes. Those children are unsupervised. You will be written up for this!” Principal Han lectured. It was as if her dreams had come true. She had caught the two in a violation so egregious, that she could suspend them for good, per her own manufactured rules. “Your jobs are in peril. Relationships between teachers is strictly forbidden…,”

“...RELATIONSHIP?” Jeongguk yelled over her, “I was wiping the spit off of his face after a student sneezed on him. How is that a relationship? Besides, there is no rule anywhere in our ethics and standards guide that says teachers can’t date. You’re making this up.”

“I will be the judge of that. Mark my words, I will do a full investigation and speak with every teacher in this school to find out what is really going on between you two. Every day, I find you huddled up, sharing secrets and acting inappropriately towards one another. I’m no fool,” Principal Han threw around baseless accusations.

“Fine with me, I fucking quit anyway,” Jimin said spitefully.

“No, you do not quit,” Jeongguk hushed him, “Principal Han, be reasonable. We were helping a student.”

“What student! I don’t see any student. All I see is two teachers being wholly inappropriate with your hands all over each other. GET TO CLASS!”

“You can’t talk to us like we are children!” Jeongguk yelled again.

“Keep your fucking students. You can have them. Especially these middle school creatures,” Jimin was seconds from walking out of the door and never coming back. He was just that angry.

“Foul language, insubordination. Failure to follow procedure. Failure to follow direct orders from a superior. You’ll be lucky to keep your jobs. Get back to your students. Effective tomorrow, you will begin a five day suspension without pay. Now that’s final!”

“You can’t do that!” For the first time ever, Jeongguk showed terrifying anger. He glared at Principal Han. “I have worked my ass off to get this job. You’ve had it out for both of us since the day we started. You want to file a complaint with the board, then go right ahead lady. Because we’ll be filing one as well. The way you have treated us has been biased, sexists and unjust. NO MORE! We’ll take your suspension, but there is no way we’re going down without a fight.” He grabbed Jimin by the hand and pulled him, “You’re not quitting. You’re not going to allow her to force you out. Let’s get back to class.”

Principal Han marched towards the teacher’s lounge in search of another teacher to terrorize.

Jimin rationalized his quitting, “Technically I kind of hate this place. That’s why I’m quitting. Can I go ahead and just let her fire me?”

“NO!” Jeongguk yelled once they were out of earshot of the Principal. “If you let her fire you, it will go on your permanent record and you’ll never be able to get another teaching job again.”

“I cannot handle any more body fluids Jeongguk. I just can’t!”

The two of them were having two different conversations because as Jeongguk droned on about justice and equality, Jimin waxed poetic about vomit and cootie spit. They both talked over each other as they marched back to their classrooms. 

“What if it’s tuberculosis, or measles, mumps or rubella?”

Jeongguk slowed to a stop, “Would you please stop it? You’re immunized for that, remember? Besides, I hugged her. She didn’t even have a fever. At most it’s probably just a nasty cold. We have bigger problems. Delores is setting us up. We can either lay down and take it or we can fight.”

“I don’t want this anymore, Jeongguk. I don’t want this job. The constant harassment from Delores Umbridge. The disrespect. The lack of microwaves. This is not what I signed up for. I can’t do this. Now we have to fight just to keep our jobs when we’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t want it. It's not worth it,” Jimin said sadly. He was still wiping at his face to clear it of Mina’s spit.

“Come here,” Jeongguk found another disinfectant wipe. “May I?” He asked for permission to touch him. Jimin nodded. Jeongguk cleaned Jimin’s face again. “Wait for me after class, ok? I need to talk to you, it’s important. In the meantime, don’t quit. If you do, I’ll find you and have Mina sneeze on you again.”

His laugh made Jimin’s heart stop. He closed his eyes as he felt Jeongguk’s strong hands press gently across his face. 

“I guess I can wait until tomorrow to officially quit,” Jimin teased.

***

 

Despite several unwelcomed visits from Principal Han, the two made it through the remainder of the day without confronting her. During the last hour of class they were both served with official paperwork advising them of their suspensions without pay. There was also a hearing scheduled for a later date where the two would have to go before the board and explain themselves. Principal Han was true to her word. She saw a chance to get them out and she took it. 

The dismissal bell finally rang. The two embattled teachers met in the parking lot after dropping their classes off at the carpool line. Jimin leaned against his Hyundai Palisade as he watched Jeongguk approach him. Jeongguk looked stressed, upset, but determined. Jimin was anxious to hear what he wanted to talk about.

“Remember that new teacher burnout we talked about a few weeks ago?”

“Yea,” Jimin laughed.

“I think we’ve crossed that line. As of today we are officially on leave without pay, thanks to Principal Han. Jimin, I think this is a sign.”

“What kind of sign?” Jimin questioned.

“A sign that we need a break. You almost walked out on seventeen first graders. You know how much you love your students and you would have never forgiven yourself for that. And I well…I almost said some really profane things to a senior board member that would have surely gotten me arrested and fired on the spot. We can’t go on like this. We need a respite. A break. Burnout is real Jimin.”

“Ok. Fine. So we accept the suspension and just move on?”

“Yes. But there’s more to it. I have an idea.”

“An idea?”

“I still have that cabin…you know, the one that I booked for me and Yu-jon’s anniversary. I tried to call a few weeks ago to cancel it, but it was too late. So I was planning on keeping it and going alone. As luck would have it, it’s available immediately for the next week. I know that I gave you a fake invitation before just to irritate Yu-jon, but what if you really came with me? Everything is all paid for. We’ll go half on food and gas. Let’s take some time to get away, recharge and just have fun. Seven full days of hayrides, fine wine, pumpkins and apples. Come with me.”

“Wait, you want me to go on vacation with you?”

“Yes. Might as well. You’ve got nothing else to do. Besides, if I leave you here alone you’ll surely spend your time plotting against the entire middle school.”

“You know me so well,” Jimin laughed. 

“So is that a yes? You’ll go?”

“This is kind of sudden. Are you sure about this? I mean…we’re friends, but this seems to toe the line between friends and something else,” Jimin said shakily.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say…when this trip was planned it was for a couple. We are not that. So how is this going to work?”

Jeongguk smiled, “Two bedrooms. Two beds. Two bathrooms. Two friends and coworkers sharing expenses for a mutually beneficial trip. Simple. Platonic friends,” Jeongguk stressed again. “I have no hidden motives.”

“I’ve heard of those cabins, it’s pretty nice up there. I’ve always wanted to go.” Jimin stared towards the ground. He didn’t want Jeongguk to know how captivated he was by the invitation. “Must have cost you two month’s salary to afford a full week.”

“Three months. So…is that a yes?” Jeongguk pressed again.

Jimin gave it some thought, he avoided Jeongguk’s searing glare out of fear of appearing love struck, “It’s a yes.”

Jeongguk clapped his hands together, “Perfect. We leave tomorrow around 11:00 am. It’s a three hour drive from here up the coast. I’ll drive. Should be a really fun time,” Jeongguk said happily.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t take separate cars in case one of us needs to escape?” Jimin was apprehensive. This was a bold step forward in their friendship.

“Have a little faith. We vibe, Jimin. There won’t be any escape plans required.”

“Thank you for inviting me. I’ve never really done anything this spontaneous before. We’re definitely taking a risk. I mean this could go bad and we could end up hating it.”

Jeongguk moved closer to Jimin. He brushed his hair lightly and looked into his eyes, “Yea, that could happen. We could absolutely hate it. But we could also...love it.”

***

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Chapter Links | Posting Schedule

Chapter 1 - Odor of Mendacity - 3/1/25

Chapter 2 - The Audacity - 3/1/25

Chapter 3 - The Complexity - 3/2/25

Chapter 4 - The Tenacity - 3/2/25

Chapter 5 - The Intensity - 3/7/25

Chapter 6 - The Sensitivity - 3/8/25

Chapter 7 - The Atrocity - 3/9/25