Word Count ⋆ 2356

𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘

You hate pottery with every fiber of your being. You despised it that you look like you have personal issues with it but no, you just hated the fact that you are taking pottery class because your crush teaches pottery. Nothing else.

You are still not realizing how crazy it is and you are still in agonizing pain and you know it's because of pottery but still you don't wanna stop.

"Maybe I don't like him that much," you say to yourself because you know no one there in the class except the very reason of your presence there, Song Eunseok. He is so perfect at everything and everytime you see him, there's just sense of urgency telling you to run and kiss his face. But that's only an imagination and you are too coward to actually do it. And self respect to do something as disrespectful as kissing someone without their consent.

You are once again at the pottery class. You are cutting the three quarters of the clay, attempting a small vase but it is shaped weird so you have to make it all over again. You wish you could ask for help but you realize Eunseok is nowhere to be seen. This might be your chance, to push the fear away and approach the man of your dreams but you remembered the grumpy man telling the class that Eunseok had an emergency so this man who is in his late twenties is filling in.

You realized most of the students wanted Eunseok as they groaned in annoyance. Most of them were women in their late forties and fifties but that didn't stop them obsessing over the young man.

You would think he does it on purpose, making you suffer by his beauty because for a brief moment your eye meets, you can swear he is giving you a smile but that's not possible. He smiles at everybody. Even if it was a tight lip smile and he is expressionless most of the time, it still is sincere and you stop yourself before you assume you are any special.

"How is it coming along?" The woman infront of you asks, straddling the clay between her legs. You recognize her as Haneul, the flowerist next to your house, probably in her mid thirties.

"It's bad. I'm not doing it right," you complained.

"It's alright. Just shape it up slowly the same speed as the spin." She does the same with hers and makes it perfect, making you jealous.

"Are you sure this is your first pottery class?" You watched her in awe.

She cupped her mouth and whispers, "It's actually my third time. I heard the teacher is super hot. That's why I joined in."

You gave her an awkward smile. It was weird seeing all these people taking the class because of him but who are you to judge? Just because you are the same age as him doesn't give you the right to crush on him.

Just when you were contemplating whether to risk your chance with him by leaving the class, the door behind you opened. You hear relieved sighs but you didn't glance because probably the women are relieved the grumpy man left for restroom break.

Haneul turns her head. "Did you finish it yet?"

You shake your head. 

You hear Haneul clearing her throat and see her straightening up. 

"Good for you, you can do it do easily," you tell her.

You shake your head again, regretting all of your life choices.

"Why am I taking this class anyway? I don't even like pottery."

"You don't?" A deep, familiar voice asks.

You nodded, clueless who it was, while your bottoms lip folds and you are pouting like a child.

"Then you gotta learn to love it."

Eunseok is crouching infront of you, too close that you see every feature of his face you never noticed before. 

"T...each?" You said, dumbfounded.

Eunseok fakes a frown. "Teach? I thought we were same age."

You blinked at him slowly as if he rose up from the dead.

"Please, call me Eunseok."

Then he gives you that tight smile of his. Your heart did cartwheel and somersault all at once. Your face is flushed and you are trying to hide it by cranking your neck and looking elsewhere and fail.

"Keep your eyes on the clay," Eunseok says. Then he gently touches your both hands that was on the clay.

Your hand gripped on the clay hard that you jabbed ten holes with your fingers into it.

Eunseok softly laughs. "You are nervous, huh?"

"Huh? No, no. I'm not nervous. I'm very comfortable around you. You are very comfortable to be with. Not nervous at all," you breathed. 

What the heck, Y/N? You ask yourself. 

Eunseok chuckles lightly, his touch burning into your hands. "I meant about pottery but now, I sure know you are not nervous around me."

He then guides your hand towards the neck of the vase. He was attentive about the shape while you are only focusing on the shape of his hands over yours. It was just like the movie Ghost and you're back to daydreaming again. 

“Focus, Y/N,” he said in the deep voice of his.

"Thanks," you croaked.

He gives you a smile and then nods. "I could teach you more if you are struggling with it after regular class."

"Huh?" You said even though you heard him right but you can't decide if it's the delusion or what he actually said. 

"I can teach you after class. If you want, that is. I mean if you don't wanna hate pottery anymore." Eunseok looks from your right eye to the other, blinking. 

You didn't need to think twice but you act like you are. So you slowly nodded your head.

He stood up and smiles at you again which again did something to your heart.

𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘

You are not sure when the trajectory of your relationship with Eunseok changed but at some point, you seem to forget how nervous he made you feel.

Now, he is all you ever find comfort in.

You skip the regular class and just arrive ten minutes after it ended and Eunseok would be scolding you for not attending classes but still teaches you with a smile on his face.

You started with small thing at first. You molded it into a wonky shaped bowl that Eunseok clapped unnecessarily for. It was so crooked that a water would drip out the moment it is poured. But Eunseok told you it looked perfect and if he says so, that's all you need to hear.

The most prominent thing, you can say, is when he has to teach you things and you don't seem to make it right so he has to show it to you by cupping his hands over yours and guiding you. You become a blushing mess and you're not aware he notices that too. A smile spreads across his face and he keeps doing it even when you are turning red.

He also finds it comforting to be with you, unbeknownst to you. He always look forward to give you classes even if the owners of the pottery house doesn't know about this. But as long as he is not charging you and isn't taking anything from the budget, he doesn't care. In fact, he enjoys the session with you more than the regular classes he teaches.

The after class is going as you intended it to go until it didn't. There is another person who couldn't fit in the regular schedule so they had to put him in the after class that only you and Eunseok was supposed to be in. You have no idea how the owners found out about you and Eunseok's plan and you were quite annoyed. This was supposed to be your chance. Turns out the person was relative of the owner and he wanted the guy to have freedom.

"Hi," the guy says, extending his hand to you. "I'm Sungchan. Nice to meet you."

He was cute but that didn't give him the right to intrude into your once in a lifetime chance. 

You gave him a smile and take his hand. "I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you too, Sungchan.”

“I was quite surprised to see you here,” Sungchan says.

“Why is that?”

“I thought I was gonna get private lessons. I'm opening my own shop, you see.”

“Oh,” you simply said. “That's nice.”

“Yeah. My uncle said this teacher is the best. I quite find it awkward to be taught by someone my age.”

“You have no idea how many people joined because Eunseok was the teacher.”

Sungchan narrows his eyes at you, a smirk playing in his lips. “I hope your not one of them.”

You didn't have  because your cheeks obviously said everything.

“I'm just playing.” He playfully bumps his shoulders with yours.

Then Eunseok clears his throat to get your attention. He had a stone face and no smile and was furrowing his brows a little bit.

“Welcome,” he says in a cold tone. You expected him to say more but he turns around and went to get the clay.

“I understand why the ladies fall for him,” Sungchan says, winking at you. “He is the cold one.”

You opened your mouth to defend him (even if what he said was true) but Eunseok comes back and put the clay infront of you two.

It goes like every other classes. He teaches Sungchan and you were surprised to find that he is fast learner unlike you.

“Maybe Y/N can teach me since she's been here longer,” Sungchan says to Eunseok. 

Eunseok clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes. He glances at you and averts his eyes quickly. “That's not neccessary.”

“Why not?” Sungcahn says in a fake child voice. 

Eunseok clicks his tongue. “Because I said so, Mr. Jung.”

Sungchan pouts and says quietly, “It would have saved your time.”

“My time is not of your worries,” Eunseok says and makes his way to the back room.

Sungcahn looks at you and says, “He is so moody and why did he say it like he's from the Regency era?”

“I swear he is not always like that,” you say with a giggle.

“Maybe not for you,” Sungchan says.

You avert your eyes from him because you suddenly feel hot. The idea of him being soft for you is giving you some kinda bubbly feeling and you have no idea why. 

You get back to the pot making and as always, you are messing it up.

“I can help you with that,” Sungchan says as he sees you struggling. 

You shake your head. “No, it's ok. I'll get the hang of it soon.”

But you didn't get the hang of it and the pot you're making is badly shaped, worse than it was. Sungchan smiles at you before pulling his chair and sitting directly in front of you.

“See,” he says. “You're holding it too loosely.”

Then he cupped your hands and makes your hand move in steady pattern. You were surprised to see he understood it before you. You have to admit you are ashamed of yourself because of this.

“Wow, you're good at this,” you tell him.

Sungchan shrugs. “It's a talent.”

While you two were shaping that god awful pot, someone from afar is watching with unreadable expression on his face. Eunseok's jaw was clenched and he is glaring at both of you. He obviously doesn't like the sight that's folding infront of him. He wished he didn't agree to teach this awfully tall and attractive guy who is now stealing the person who makes his heart flutter.

Sungchan's hands was still on yours and Eunseok wants to do anything to yank his hand off of you. He seemed comfortable with you and you seem not to be bothered by his touch. He is making you laugh and Eunseok is frustrated that he never made you laugh like that. You even looked like your enjoying his company so much that you might as well forget about the pottery.

This is driving him crazy and it's even driving him crazier because he doesn't know why he is angry. 

“Alright,” Eunseok says, clapping. “It's closing time. We're gonna continue this tomorrow.”

“But Eunseok—” Sungchan began.

“It's Mister for you,” Eunseok says without even glancing at Sungchan.

“We're literally the same age,” Sungchan mutters under his breath. 

Eunseok side eyed him. “What was that, Mr. Jung?”

Sungchan rolled his eyes. “Nothing.”

“Good. You're now excused. Have a nice night and see you tomorrow,” Eunseok says, still looking disappointed.

Sungchan sighs heavily and it took every patience in Eunseok to ignore him.

Sungchan gestures at you to walk out together and suddenly being eagle eyed, Eunseok notices that.

“Y/N?” 

“Yes, Mr. Song?” You reply as you get up from your seat.

“Please call me Eunseok,” he says and glared at Sungchan.

Sungchan smirks slowly. His face brightened because according to him, he just realized the biggest mystery in this pottery shop.

Sungchan waves at you and then bows at Eunseok before walking out, still smiling.

“Did you want me, Eunseok?”

“Umm… can I ask you something?” He scratches his head and looks at the ground awkwardly. 

“Sure. What is it?”

“Will you go out with me sometimes?”

That baffled the hell out of you. Suddenly, the cold expression faced Eunseok is no longer but shy, red all over his face Eunseok is standing in front of you, staring immensely at the ground.

“What?”

“Um… I…”

“Actually, I heard you,” you say, trying to save him from the embarrassment he clearly looks like to avoid.

“Um… and… so…” he stammered again.

That put a smile on your face. You never see him in this state and it's new and cute. He is fidgeting, looking everywhere but at you and his cheeks are turning red. 

“And I'm saying yes,” you say with a small giggle.

Eunseok slowly looks at you as a smile gradually forms on his face.

𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘𔓘