Chapter Text
Here are the aesthetics of joong and hwa i envisioned:
After three long years of university, the end finally grew nearer. As a senior, the stakes of grades and performance grew higher, and the final exams of each semester became harder. The last few new classes Seonghwa had to take were being added to his schedule as he started his last year, and ones he had been working on for years were coming to an end. It was exhausting, but Seonghwa was good at it. He had always been somewhat of a nerd, aiming to perform well in every subject, and he did his absolute best to fully understand everything he learned. But as he started his first day, something changed.
***
As Seonghwa walked into his new class at the end of his first day, music & arts, he was beyond excited for what this new learning experience had to offer. Seonghwa had taken a course about basic music production, and he chose this class aiming to get a deeper understanding of the art behind it. Seonghwa knew the professor wasn’t going to be the same as his previous class, but he thought it would just be another old, gloomy, and strict professor like usual, nothing interesting.
As he pushed open the doors to the lecture hall, he spotted Mingi, sitting at the front all the way by the right wall. He gave the younger a small wave and slowly walked to sit next to him.
As he walked, he really took in the lecture hall, decently sized, with a big row of seats growing higher as they went further back, almost like a theatre. The air was somewhat suffocating due to the amount of people. The front of the classroom held the whiteboard and the professor’s desk, although he noticed the spot was empty, for now. Furrowing his eyebrows slightly, he went to sit down next to Mingi.
“Has the professor been here yet?” Seonghwa asked curiously, starting to unpack his bag, bringing his notebook and laptop out, setting them gently on the table.
“No clue. I haven’t seen him, but I only arrived a few minutes ago.” Mingi replied, not seeming to care that there were only 5 minutes till class started, yet the professor's absence hung heavy in the air. Mingi was Seonghwa’s friend, one of many in their friend group. He was glad Mingi was taking this class too, so he could at least see one familiar face. Even after three years, socializing was still difficult for him.
The class started to settle down, most students having chosen a seat by now, and the chatter that had lingered slowly drifted into silence. Just as Seonghwa was about to whisper to Mingi, the door to the lecture hall burst open. With a loud sound of the door hitting the wall behind it, the professor stepped in, apologizing profusely for being late on the first day. Seonghwa didn’t hear what he said, though; his eyes were fixed on the man's face, his body, and his movements.
He couldn’t take his eyes off him.
“Holy shit,” Seonghwa whispered under his breath, quiet enough so only he could hear. This was the most beautiful man he had ever seen, and he was his professor? Seonghwa’s heart suddenly started beating faster, and his eyes continued to follow the man as he put down his bag and began to get ready to start teaching. Seonghwa’s senses dulled completely; every sound around him was muffled, and the only thing he could focus on was the man before him.
The professor was wearing a white button-up with a dark grey blazer over it, the skin of his chest slightly peeking out behind the white sheer fabric of the shirt, and that alone was enough to make Seonghwa’s cheeks turn an embarrassing shade of pink. His pants were flared at the bottom and made him look stylish, fitting his slim legs perfectly, framing him in a way that made him seem ever so elegant. He had a defined jawline and beautiful, simple glasses resting on his sharp nose. The glasses really contributed to the look of his face and complemented his glistening eyes perfectly.
Mingi must have noticed Seonghwa spacing out, because he punched his shoulder with his elbow, making Seonghwa snap back into reality. Mingi gave him a concerned look, Seonghwa only answered with a small smile as if to say “I’m fine.”
What was he thinking? This was his professor, his teacher, who was probably way too old for him anyway. Regardless, he simply couldn’t think of a teacher this way, he thought, and he shook his head slightly as if to rid himself of any incoming thoughts or ideas. He didn’t even know his name, for god’s sake, Seonghwa scolded himself, but his mind was abruptly cut off when the professor started talking, fully bringing him back into consciousness now.
“Greetings, class.” The professor began, “I am ever so sorry for arriving slightly late; I hope you will all forgive me.” He said, a small smile tugging at his lips, as his eyes grazed every row of the seats in the hall. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he announced, making Seonghwa shift in his seat, feeling himself getting excited to get to know the teacher.
“My name is Kim Hongjoong, and I expect you all to call me by the name of Mr. or Professor Kim,” he said sternly, yet there was still a softness in his voice, grounding, even, contrasting to the typical behavior of teachers at this institution. Seonghwa felt even more drawn to the professor, who is now known as Kim Hongjoong. He knew it was wrong, but something about him just seemed to hold an invisible force, like a magnet, pulling Seonghwa in. He had barely met the man; why was he feeling this way? His stomach turned slightly, giving Seonghwa an uneasy feeling, and he bit his inner cheek to ground himself and to avoid his mind wandering, not realizing that Professor Kim had already started the lecture.
to be continued…