Mr. Chemistry

14 • Teach Me

Mae Asha • October 26, 2018

Neri and I approached the entrance to the Metropolitan coffee shop. We were on our way to school, but we decided to stop for coffee.

"What do you want?" Neri asked me as we stopped at the front door.

"Uh, vanilla iced coffee," I said. I opened the door for her.

"Cool! Grab us a table!" Neri said. She walked in and approached the counter.

I stepped inside and I glanced around the coffee place.

My eyes skimmed over everything, including some very familiar red hair, and some very familiar blue hair.

My eyes immediately shot back to the two.

Taehyung and Jimin.

They're at a table near the counter.

Taehyung looked at me while Mr. Park took a drink of his coffee. He didn't look at me, even though we both know that he knows that I'm here.

I immediately walked to the counter, to Neri. "We should go," I whispered. "We should go, like, now."

"Chillax! It's only seven thirty, we won't be late for school," Neri said, not looking at me.

"Mr. Park is here," I told her.

"Really? Where?" Neri started to look around.

"Stop being a freak!" I whisper-yelled. "He's behind me," I told her. "Don't be weird," I quietly said. "Don't look at him, and don't go talk to him."

"One vanilla iced coffee, and one herbal tea," the woman behind the counter said. "Have a nice day," she smiled to us.

Neri giggled as she looked over at me. "Aw! You're all red!" Neri squealed.

I facepalmed myself as I grabbed my drink. I walked to a table several tables away from Jimin and Taehyung, while Neri followed me.

If I could die now, that would be great.

Neri giggled as she sat beside me. "He's got a cute friend," she whispered, staring at them. "He's almost as hot as him, wouldn't you agree?" Neri cheekily smiled as she looked at me.

"Oh, my God," I mumbled. I shook my head, not looking at Jimin and Taehyung.

Neri sighed. "I know you like him," she said. "I mean, we're basically best friends now, you can tell me anything!" she told me.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt.

I glanced to Jimin. He and Taehyung are looking at me. Jimin tilted his head as his tongue grazed his bottom lip.

Wait, can he read lips?

Jimin gave me a small wave, then he looked at his friend again. He spoke to Taehyung, not loud enough for me to hear, though.

I looked at Neri and I blocked my face with my hand so Jimin couldn't see me talking.

"Mr. Park lives across the hall from me, and he just so happens to be one of my brother's friends," I confessed.

Neri's eyes widened. "Seriously!?" she squealed. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

I facepalmed myself again. "Keep your damn voice down, woman," I told her. I glanced to Jimin and Taehyung. "The one with the blue hair is Taehyung."

"Taehyung?" Neri repeated. "How old is he?" she looked at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Around Mr. Park's age, I guess," I answered. "Too old for you."

Neri snorted. "Yet you like Mr. Park!" she whisper-yelled.

"I never said that," I told her. "He's annoying, and mean," I looked at her. "He does stuff to make me feel uncomfortable," I finished.

"Have you asked him to stop?" Neri asked, slightly tilting her head.

"Yeah, but-," I stopped talking for a moment.

"But...you liked it," Neri finished.

I scoffed. "No!"

"If you didn't -- if you were truly uncomfortable -- you would have reported it to the principal," Neri said. She stared at me, waiting for my reaction.

My cheeks turned red, and I picked at the sleeve of my black hoodie.

Oh, damn, this is getting awkward.

"Listen, Asha, I won't say anything," Neri spoke again. "I may tease you, but I'm not the type to ruin someone's life. You're the first person who actually enjoys my company, and if I get Mr. Park in trouble, you'll hate me."

I looked at her, then I nodded. "Thanks, Neri."

"Of course, girl!" Neri cheerfully said. "Now, you need to help me out! Taehyung, is he single?" she questioned, looking in Taehyung's direction.

I shrugged as I glanced to Taehyung. "I don't know," I mumbled.

"Go find out!" Neri said, looking at me. "Please!?" she pouted.

"What about Jackson?" I questioned.

"Ah, screw him," Neri said. She motioned for me to go.

"Why don't you come?" I asked. Neri shook her head. "Come on! I'm too awkward."

Neri rolled her eyes as she grabbed her herbal tea. "Fine! Let's go," she mumbled. She stood up. "Wait, what's his first name?"

"Jimin," I said. I stood up after her and grabbed my iced coffee. I fixed my unzipped hoodie and looked down at my outfit.

I'm wearing a black AC/DC cropped shirt, and black shorts with black fishnets under them. My shirt reveals my belly button, along with the fishnets that are over my stomach.

Neri walked through the coffee shop, while I followed her.

"Hey-o, Jimin," Neri smiled as we stopped at their table.

"Ms. Kim," Jimin nodded to Neri, then he looked at me. "Ms. Mae," he smirked, giving me a once over. "Taehyung, these are my students, Neri and Asha."

Taehyung looked at me. "Asha, I believe we've already met," Taehyung smiled to me.

"Take a seat," Jimin told me. He pulled out the empty seat beside him.

"Well, we were actually gonna go," I said. I took a step back, glancing over to Neri, who's paying me no attention.

"Oh, no, I insist," Jimin told me. He tapped the seat beside him. "Sit."

I stared at him for a moment. Jimin placed his hand at back of the chair as he stared at me.

I looked at Neri, who's already sitting beside Taehyung, talking to him.

I squinted, then I sat beside Jimin. As I sat there, I watched as Neri and Taehyung talked to one another.

I glanced over to Jimin, who's being a creep, staring into my soul.

"Would you like a ride to school, Asha?" Jimin asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not even five minutes away," I said.

Jimin took a drink of his coffee. "It's quite cold outside," he said. He looked down at my outfit as a smirk teased at his lips. "And you are most certainly not dressed for the weather."

"I'm fine," I simply responded.

"I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I let my students walk to school in the cold," Jimin said. He stood up. "Ms. Kim, would you like to come?" he asked Neri.

Neri looked at us. "I'm good, thanks," she smiled.

"I'll drop her off in a few," Taehyung spoke up.

Jimin looked over at me as I stood up. "It looks like it's just you and I," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "I hate you," I said. I grabbed my iced coffee, then I walked to the exit.

Before I could push the door open, though, Jimin stepped in front of me and held it open for me.

I gave him a death glare. Jimin motioned for me to go.

I reluctantly walked through, then I followed Jimin to his black SUV, where he opened the passenger door for me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. I crossed my arms as I stopped at the open car door.

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't open doors for you?" Jimin asked me. His face his blank, almost confused.

Wait, what?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.

"Just get in, Asha," Jimin told me. I sighed, then I did as he said.

Jimin shut my door, then he walked around to the driver's seat. Jimin started the vehicle and he began driving.

The ride to school took a total of two minutes, if that. Jimin found a spot in the parking lot, and parked.

"Thanks for the ride, I guess," I mumbled.

"You know we live right across the hall from each other, right? You can ride with me instead of walking," Jimin suggested.

I scoffed. "Like I wanna spend anymore time with you than I have to," I said. I shot him a death glare, and he simply smiled in response.

Jimin and I walked into the building, and we made our way up to his classroom.

He unlocked his door and let me walk in. The lights kicked on immediately, and that's when I heard Jimin close and lock the classroom door.

I looked back at him. "Why do you do that? It makes it seem like you're gonna murder me," I said.

Jimin ignored me and walked to his desk. He tossed his keys onto the top of his desk, then he turned to face me.

"Were you close with your father, Asha?" Jimin asked me.

The words hit me like a ton of bricks.

Honestly, my father was awful to me. He was so mean, and he acted like Yoongi and I were a huge burden.

That's part of the reason I was so excited about coming to Seoul, so I'd be away from him.

"Not really, why?" I asked as I stopped at my seat. I dropped my backpack on my desk.

Jimin leaned against the front of his desk. "Usually, a father teaches their daughter how a man should treat her," Jimin said. "And, usually, a mother teaches their son how to treat a woman. The way you reacted when I opened the doors for you, clearly showed me that you're not used to it."

"Yeah, well, most guys are d***s," I said. "Including my father."

Jimin stared at me. "What do you mean?" he asked.

I shrugged. "He was a drunk -- a mean drunk," I said. "He was never there for me, you know?" I looked at him. "He never taught me anything. Hell, my parents never even had the talk with me."

"Oh, really?" Jimin questioned.

I could tell by the way he spoke, that he was very ready to have the talk with me.

I smiled. "Trust me, I've figured it out," I said.

A smirk hinted on Jimin's face as he looked away from me. "I'm sure you don't know everything quite yet," Jimin said.

"So," I started to say, "teach me," I said, flinching at my own words. I immediately looked away from him.

Jesus, Asha, control yourself, freak.

Jimin tilted his head as he looked at me. His mouth opened slightly, like he was about to speak, but nothing came out.

My cheeks heated up and I shook my head.

Why am I so ballsy today?

"Ms. Mae," Jimin quietly said.

Oh, here comes the intense, scary Jimin.

End me now.

"If you want me to teach you, I will," he told me. "Come here."

He didn't actually just say that, did he?

I blinked several times, and before I could speak, someone knocked on the classroom door.

Jimin glanced behind me, to the door. "We'll finish this in detention," he said, then he walked by me, to the door.

I slowly sat down in my seat, sighing.

Why do I always make this hard on myself?

•••

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please vote, comment, and add to your reading list :)

S. C. Keener

11/28/18