Haneul steps out of the bustling university building, letting the crisp afternoon air fill his lungs as he begins his walk back to his dorm. The day has been a whirlwind of lectures, and the weight of exhaustion clings to him, settling into his shoulders and legs. The sun hangs low, casting a warm glow over the campus grounds, and though he feels weary, he takes comfort in the familiar path back to his room.
His mind drifts to his next task of the day: his tutoring session with Jihoon. It's a weekly appointment he looks forward to. Unlike some of his past students, Jihoon is earnest, eager to learn, and refreshingly open to Haneul's structured style of teaching. But as much as he appreciates Jihoon's enthusiasm, he knows he can't show up looking like he's been through the wringer.
By the time he reaches his dorm building, his only thought is to clean up and get himself back in professional mode. As he enters his room, he kicks off his shoes and lets out a long, quiet sigh, savoring the peaceful solitude. The dorm is simple but comfortable—a narrow bed against the wall, a small desk cluttered with books and notes, and a neatly organized bookshelf filled with study materials and a few personal items he's collected since moving to Korea.
Haneul grabs a fresh towel and heads into the small adjoining bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the steam fill the room. As the water flows over him, he closes his eyes, feeling the warmth ease away the stiffness in his muscles. His thoughts wander as he stands there, going over the day's events, mentally organizing the material he plans to review with Jihoon.
Focus on problem-solving techniques today, he reminds himself, already planning how to break down the concepts into digestible parts. Jihoon is quick to grasp big ideas, but sometimes the smaller details slip past him. Haneul smiles to himself, his mind shifting to the look of concentration Jihoon always wears, eyes narrowed in focus. He huffs as he's reminded of Jihoon's elder brother, Hanbin, who'd interrupted his thoughts several times recently, much to his irritation.
Once he's washed off the day's exhaustion, Haneul steps out of the shower, feeling refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day. He dries off, ruffling his hair with a towel until it's mostly dry before reaching for his clothes. A light blue tank top catches his eye, and he pulls it on, the soft fabric comfortable against his skin. He slips a blue and black checkered shirt over it, leaving it unbuttoned for a relaxed look. For his jeans, he opts for a pair of light-wash denim, loose but fitted enough to look put-together. After a glance in the mirror, he grabs his messenger bag from the desk chair, carefully packing it with his notes, a few textbooks, and a fresh notebook for Jihoon's exercises.
With his bag slung over his shoulder, he gives his reflection a final, approving nod before heading out. He checks his wristwatch, the bus comes in 3 minutes so he hurriedly walks to the bus stop. The bus soon arrives and he greets the familiar bus driver with a brief bow before finding a seat near the window at the back.
Haneul puts on his ear buds, humming along to "APT", barely resisting the urge to move his body to the catchy melody. Thankfully, the song ends soon enough, switching to another girl group song.
Haneul reaches the stop 10 minutes later and climbs out of the bus. The walk to Jihoon's house is a quick one, and Haneul enjoys the familiar rhythm of his steps on the sidewalk, the way the sun filters through the trees lining the path. As he approaches the front door, he takes a deep breath, preparing himself to switch gears from his own studies to his role as a tutor.
He knocks, and within seconds, the door opens to reveal Jihoon, who beams at him, practically bouncing on his feet.
"Haneul hyung!" Jihoon greets him with an enthusiastic smile. "Come on in!"
Haneul can't help but return the smile, his exhaustion melting a little under Jihoon's bright energy. "Hey, Jihoon. Ready to get started?"
Jihoon nods eagerly, motioning for Haneul to follow him inside. Haneul steps over the threshold, noting the cozy, welcoming atmosphere of the house. He's been here a few times now, and each time, he feels a small sense of familiarity. Jihoon leads him down the hallway, past the living room and into his bedroom, which is neat but filled with the little touches of a teenager's life—a few posters on the wall, a stack of gaming magazines on the desk, and his school bag tossed casually in a corner.
Jihoon gestures to a small desk by the window, already set up with his notebook and a pencil case. "I made sure to get all the stuff you told me to bring last time!"
Haneul chuckles, setting his bag down and pulling out his notes. "Good job. Let's take a look at where you left off last time, and we'll go from there."
As he settles into the seat next to Jihoon, Haneul's expression shifts to one of focus, his mind already diving into tutor mode. For the next hour, he intends to be the best tutor he can be, guiding Jihoon step by step through his studies.
Haneul sits at the small desk in Jihoon's room, flipping through his notebook as he explains a problem step by step. His voice is calm, methodical, and his mind fully engaged in the material he's carefully tailored to Jihoon's learning style. Every so often, he glances over to check Jihoon's understanding, pleased to see his student's eyes shining with that familiar focus and determination.
Just as they move on to a new concept, there's a sudden sound from down the hall—the faint, unmistakable beep of a code being punched into the front door lock, followed by the creak of the door swinging open. Haneul tenses instinctively, recognizing the sequence of sounds that signals the arrival of someone new. Before he can even begin to wonder who it might be, Jihoon looks up, his face lighting up with a wide grin.
"Oh, that must be Hanbin hyung!" Jihoon exclaims, already half out of his chair in excitement.
Haneul's lips press into a thin line, his grip tightening slightly on his pen. Hanbin. He hadn't expected Jihoon's older brother to be home today, let alone right now, during their session. He feels a familiar prickle of irritation rise in him at the mere thought of Hanbin disrupting their focus. Hanbin had this infuriating ability to draw attention to himself, whether he intended to or not.
He sighs, dismissing the thought. Focus, Haneul. He's here to tutor Jihoon, not let himself get distracted by his irritatingly persistent older brother. Taking a deep breath, he leans back into the lesson, asking Jihoon to refocus on their work.
"Alright, Jihoon," Haneul says, his voice steady. "Let's go over that last problem one more time."
Jihoon nods, giving the problem his full attention once more, and Haneul tries to follow suit. But despite his efforts, his eyes flicker over to the door every few seconds, half-expecting Hanbin to come strolling in with that all-too-familiar smirk. He can almost picture it: Hanbin leaning against the doorway, his gaze lingering a bit too long, some casually flirtatious comment on his lips that Haneul would have to brush off.
But as the seconds tick by, no one appears. The door stays closed, and the house remains quiet.
Haneul frowns slightly. Maybe he's keeping to himself today, he thinks, a mixture of relief and irritation tugging at him. Hanbin never struck him as the type to exercise restraint, especially if he knew Haneul was here. Then again, maybe Hanbin is unaware of his presence this time. That thought brings Haneul a small sense of peace, a momentary reprieve from the ongoing tug-of-war between his irritation and his... well, he's not sure what to call it.
As he continues the lesson, he eventually gives Jihoon a short task, flipping to a new page in his notebook. "Try this one out," he says, handing over the pen, "and I'll check on your work in a minute."
Leaving Jihoon to concentrate, Haneul heads out of the room, aiming for the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He's halfway down the hall, his mind drifting, when a voice calls out to him from the kitchen, stopping him in his tracks.
"Haneul hyung!"