‣ office

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ “Oh yeah.” Hyujung gently wrinkled her nose, thinking back to how she had requested him not to be so formal, only to be more formal herself after the fact. Up until then she had been less formal with him too, so for her to go back on it when he had not felt unfair towards him. “My bad,” she hummed, lifting one hand in a small apologetic gesture. “Kang.” She smiled ever so faintly as she took another sip of the comforting warm beverage. It really did make her feel more relaxed.

Her gaze studied him quietly for a moment, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she did. “What do you mean more appropriate?” It had already felt somewhat inappropriate the last time, the sounds she made far from any sound one should have ever made at work. The only way it would have been appropriate was in an entirely different atmosphere, one she somewhat doubted that he had meant with his suggestion.

What transpired next she could only chalk up to her own tired mind working on autopilot. When the professor had gotten up and stepped closer she had not even thought for a second before placing her hand in his, pausing only when she caught what he said. “O-oh.” Quickly withdrawing her hand, Hyunjung instead replaced it with her empty cup. Her head bobbed in a singular grateful nod. “I’ll… uhm… Finish packing my things.” A faint line of red had made itself visible over the bridge of her nose as she glanced up at him. “See you in a few?”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang’s smile deepened at her reaction, the way she tried to hide behind her tea only making it more obvious. He leaned back slightly in his chair, resting one arm on the table as he regarded her with quiet amusement. "No need to thank me. And you can just call me Kang." he reminded her with a small chuckle. "You did say we didn’t have to be formal with each other, right? I’ve been calling you Hyunjung since then. It’s a bit awkward having you still call me Professor." His tone was light, teasing, but there was an underlying sincerity to it. He didn’t mind titles when it came to work, but here, in this quiet space, it felt unnecessary.

His smirk widened slightly at the way she reacted to his playful suggestion. He caught the way her tired eyes fluttered for a moment, almost as if she were already sinking into the thought. "Perhaps next time, when the setting is more appropriate." he quipped, his voice carrying the kind of ease that suggested he wouldn’t mind making good on the offer if she ever took him up on it.

Still, when she straightened up and set her glasses aside with a sigh, he knew it was time to call it a night. Nodding at her suggestion, he reached for his laptop bag, slipping his device inside before hoisting the strap over his shoulder. With his other hand, he reached toward her, palm open. "Can I take your empty mug?" he offered, holding his own in his opposite hand. "I just need to drop by the staff room to return these if that’s alright with you?" Making it clear she didn’t have to worry about the small task.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ “You did well today.”
Hyunjung was glad the cup was rested against her lips, hiding the doofy smile on her lips at hearing those words. How long had it not been since she had gotten any affirmations like that? They were small and yet they bounced around within her like a rocket set loose, and all she could do to not grin brightly was take another sip of her tea. “Thank you, Professor.”

Though the moment of peace was short lasted as he raised his voice again, earning him a stern look over the edge of her fogged glasses that she had been too tired to pluck off of her nose. “Yah… Are you trying to make me fall asleep here?” she asked him back, finishing the statement with a short scoff before taking another sip. “You better be. I would fall asleep immediately.”

If only brains had been so great as to not immediately imagine what was put before her. Even just the mention of a massage brought back lingering feelings of the one had given her earlier, faint echoes that seemed to glide over her skin and ever so slightly ease the tension in her shoulder. Hyunjung could feel her eyelids fluttering at the sensation as she tried to cling onto reality. Eventually she sat up straighter, putting her glasses aside as she sighed. “Should we pack up and begin our path home?”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang’s smile grew when she voiced her approval of the tea. He gave a small, pleased nod. "I'm glad you liked it. I'll be sure to make you a better one next time." His voice was light, carrying the warmth of an unspoken promise.

Taking another careful sip of his own tea, he let his gaze wander back to her workspace, shaking his head slightly at her words. "No rush." he assured her. He made no effort to move, simply settling deeper into his chair and letting himself enjoy the moment. Watching her work had a strange sort of appeal. There was something captivating about her focus, the way her hands moved with certainty, even as exhaustion no doubt pulled at her. He found himself admiring that dedication.

By the time she placed the last laptop onto the finished pile, Kang had drained the last of his tea, resting the cup idly in his lap. He watched as she leaned back into her chair, taking another well earned sip of her drink. A soft smile crossed his lips. "Good job, Hyunjung." he murmured, tilting his head slightly as he regarded her with quiet admiration. "You did well today."

There was a brief pause before his lips curled into a teasing smirk. "Would you like another massage?" He threw the suggestion out in a playful tone, his eyes glinting with mischief as he chuckled softly, already shaking his head before she could respond. "Just kidding." he added, smiling as he thought about her earlier statement of him being evil for trying to make her sleep with the massage.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ With Kang to back her up on her decision Hyunjung gave a nod of determination. “One last one,” she promised. That way she would be all done and tomorrow could be a breeze. Boring maybe, but at least she would not have to stress about fixing anything. All she had to do was call in the students to pick up their gear, and it would be all smooth sailing.
She got to work quickly, giving the last PC a quick once over on the outside before looking up at him moving about. “Be careful,” was all she managed to get out before focusing back on her work, the desk-lamp by her side keeping up the illusion of it not being as late as it actually was.

By the time Kang poked his head back in she had discovered the fault. A wire connecting the charging port to the battery had frayed, the splitting end having burnt its way through its own casing until the connection broke fully. She looked up after cutting the piece of wire loose, eyeing him innocently as he stepped in. The scent of spiced tealeaves hit her before she saw the two mugs he held in his hands. She had not thought about how try was before she saw the tea being pushed towards her.

“Thank you.” There was genuine stunned confusion in her voice as she reached over, picking the mug up and lifting it closer, letting the warm aroma ease the tension in her body a little. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment as she took a sip, the warm liquid lubricating her parched throat. “It might just be the best instant tea bag I’ve had in a while,” the IT rep sighed in relief as she carefully placed it aside on the table, making sure not to bump into anything. “I’m almost done,” she quickly added as she pushed the glasses back up on the bridge of her nose. “Just need to replace this one cable and we should be good.”

It was clear that the hours of work had started taking a toll, but Hyunjung persevered, pushing herself just a little to finish up. She quickly cut off the needed length from a spool of wire, stripping the ends even before she had turned her chair back to the desk. There was nothing she wanted more than to finish up her work and get home to drift off to sleep in her bed. With some quick patchwork of solder sleeves she got it placed back into the computer, testing it by giving the battery a quick charge and seeing the meter on the side go up. With a relieved sigh she finally replaced the screws and the backplate, putting the laptop atop the already large stack. “There.” Hyunjung reached back for the tea-cup, giving it another sip as she sunk back into her chair.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang lingered for a moment, his gaze settling on the last laptop awaiting repair before nodding with a soft smile. “Alright. One last one, and then we’ll call it a day, okay?” If this was the final stretch, he figured she might as well finish so she could actually rest tomorrow, though whether she would take that opportunity was another question entirely. He then stretched slightly before glancing back at her. “Excuse me for a moment, alright?” He didn’t wait for an answer before stepping away, gathering his things just enough to make it clear he wasn’t leaving for good. As he reached the door, he cast a glance over his shoulder with a playful smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” His tone was light, teasing, as if expecting her to miss him in the brief time he was gone.

Stepping out into the dimly lit hallway, Kang made his way toward the staff room. He wasn’t gone for too long, though it took him a little longer than planned. When he finally returned, he knocked lightly before pushing the door open just enough to poke his head in. “It’s me, Kang. Back again.” he announced, as if she might have somehow forgotten him in the few minutes he had been gone. He stepped inside fully, now holding two cups of warm tea in his hands. Carefully, he walked over to her desk, setting one of the mugs down and gently pushing it toward her. “It’s not my usual tea preparation.” he admitted with a small chuckle. “Had to settle for instant tea bags, but I hope it’s to your liking.”

With that, he settled back into his seat, crossing one leg over the other as he got comfortable. Lifting his own cup, he took a careful sip, letting the warmth seep through his fingers. It wasn’t much, but after such a long stretch of work, a bit of warmth and something to drink seemed like the least he could offer. And he vaguley remember promising her tea sometime before but it was more of the ceremonial tea preparation, which he'll definitely have to do for her next time.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ Some of the repairs had been more fiddly than others. The first one after the fan had been simple, just some light water damage having rusted the USB port. But the one after was a small nightmare. Hyungjung could swore she had torn the entire thing to pieces before finding out that two of the connector points on the motherboard had been burnt off due to a power-surge, cutting of the power to the whole thing. In the end it was a quick fix too, even if everything preceding the fix had been complicated.

She sighed as she placed it atop the rest of the fixed laptops, taking only a momentary break to reach for the next. Luckily there were only a few of them left and then she would be done for the day. Using her thumb she nudged her glasses better onto her nose as she flipped another laptop over, her eyes giving the whole case a quick inspection. Nothing visual. A screwdriver twirled effortlessly between her fingers as she began undoing the screws, sorting them out in the tray as she had every laptop before it.

It had taken her a few minutes to find the fault; a loose video-cabel, before she had heard Kang’s voice. It made her jump ever so slightly, having almost forgotten he was there amidst her own focus. Yet as she looked up at him she caught the faint lack of sunlight dancing over his features like it had earlier that day, altering her to it being far later than intended. It seemed his presence had lulled her into a state of focused bliss. “I… think I am almost done with this one, and then I only have one more,” Hyunjung hummed, placing a hand on the last laptop that needed fixing. But as she glanced up at him she saw that he was distracted by something else. Her gaze followed his, letting out a small sound when she saw the time. “Oh…”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang remained focused on his own work, diligently taking notes on the changes made in the code. He even jotted down a few terms to research later, unwilling to let his curiosity go unanswered. The steady, rhythmic sounds of Hyunjung working in the background didn’t distract him, instead, they provided a quiet sense of companionship. It was comforting, almost grounding, to know someone was working alongside him. It made the usual solitude of his office feel distant, as if this space, shared in quiet diligence, held a different kind of warmth.

Every so often, he glanced up from his screen to check on her. She was, as always, deeply engrossed in her task, glasses perched on her nose, hands moving with practiced precision. He found himself smiling softly at the sight, admiring the sheer dedication she put into even the smallest of repairs. That focus, that meticulous nature, he understood it well. And perhaps it was the quiet determination in the air that made his own work flow so smoothly. Before he realized it, he had finished several lesson plans, wrapping up his tasks far faster than usual.

Eventually, with nothing else pressing to do, Kang let out a quiet breath and closed his laptop, stretching his arms before rubbing the back of his neck. His gaze flicked toward Hyunjung’s desk. Since his arrival, she had completed two more laptops on top of the one she had been working on earlier, a steady, impressive pace. Standing, he moved carefully toward her, not wanting to break her concentration but feeling the need to check in. His voice was soft when he spoke. "How’s it going?" He cast a brief glance toward the clock on the wall, only to blink in mild surprise. It was a little past 11 PM. He hadn’t even noticed how late it had gotten and been just as caught up in the work as she had.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ A man who could admit defeat. The thought itself was almost shocking. And yet here he was, smiling as he agreed with no hesitation. This professor was something else, that was for certain, and he kept proving it to her over and over. Once he had settled in she did as well, hoisting the little sorting tray back to its spot on the desk as she began working too.

She grabbed the fan from earlier, slotting her glasses back onto her nose as she studied it quietly in the light. The epoxy seemed to have hardened, proven by a little testing nudge against the blade to see if it still wobbled or not. Luckily it did not. Spinning back to her shelves of stuff, Hyunjung quickly found a set of sanding sticks, starting the slow and meticulous work of sanding down the epoxy to fit the fan snuggly back down into the casing. At least the operations did not need her to get it down to the right size on the micron scale, but she still did her very best to make it as smooth and unnoticeable as she could. Drag by slow drag of the sanding stick she whittled led it down, finally feeling satisfied when she ran her finger over the seam without feeling anything.

Placing it back into the computer she quickly began replacing screws and connector cables, giving the whole thing an extra spritz of canned air just to ensure there was no dust before placing the cover neatly back on and screwing it in place. Good as new. Or almost at least. Giving it a final once over to be certain she placed it over onto the pile of completed work before reaching for the next laptop. And so she continued for at least another good hour, going neatly through the operation of every broken laptop to find what was wrong and fix it.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang arched a brow, mirroring her expression with an amused glint in his eyes. A faint smile tugged at his lips, knowing he had successfully made his point. "Uh-huh…" he murmured in quiet triumph, nodding as if to say, Exactly. While he wasn’t entirely sure about the academy’s policies either, it seemed reasonable to assume there was no explicit rule against staff resting in a room specifically designated for them.

When she flipped his own words back on him, Kang let out a chuckle, nodding in playful surrender. "You’re right. I was just assuming." he admitted without hesitation. Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on his thighs, his gaze settling on her with a lingering trace of amusement. Seeing her smile, even just a little was surprisingly satisfying.

"Well then, I must stay to make sure you don’t push yourself too hard." he quipped, grabbing his laptop once more and flipping it open. He settled it on his lap, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Don’t mind me, Ms. Lan. I’ll just be doing some work of my own." he said smoothly. "And I’ll be sure to remind you when it’s time to call it a day, alright?" With a small nod, he shifted his focus to the screen, scanning through the edits she had made to the program. His eyes flickered between the revised code and its previous version, genuinely curious about the changes she had implemented, trying to understand not just what she had fixed, but how and why.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ “I-“ Hyunjung began as stubbornly, though her expression quickly changed. First her brows raised, her eyes blinking rapidly before her brows knitted back together. A singular hand moved up, her thumb gently brushing the bottom of her lip. When she at least spoke up again her voice was far more reserved, almost contemplative. “I guess they never strictly said it was off limits…”
Though the professor’s way of thinking strayed from her own it was no less logical. With her mindset she had simply inferred from the rest of the rules that an act like staying the night to rest was prohibited. But never once had she actually read anything stating it outright.

It was her time to switch up the tables on him. With the same puzzled expression she tilted her head lightly. “Have I actually said so?” she asked, the faintest hint of a smile dancing on her lips. “Or are we just assuming?” Humor had always seemed to be the crux of her existence as her more logical mindset had resulted in humor so dry most did not laugh. This, however, seemed a joke that anyone could laugh at, so long as they did not take themselves too seriously that was.

His notion of ensuring she did not overwork herself did earn him a small guilty smile. And as he went on the smile did not disappear, though it was soon enough accompanied by the faintest hint of red bridging her nose. “I will admit I was planning to stay until I had finished my current workload. Be that in a few hours or midnight,” Hyunjung admitted. “So perhaps some company to aid me in time management would not be so… unwelcome.”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he listened to her matter-of-fact reasoning. Her dedication to the rules was admirable, but he couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at his lips. "Fair enough.." he conceded, nodding. "Though I think even the strictest rules can make exceptions for exhausted staff." A playful glint remained in his gaze as he added, "Besides, is there actually a rule against staff sleeping in the staff room? Or are we just assuming?" His curiosity was genuine.

At her question, his expression softened. "Have I bothered you?" he echoed, his fingers drumming lightly against his laptop. "I just figured I might be intruding on your time." His smirk gave way to something more thoughtful as his eyes flickered to the stack of laptops waiting to be repaired. "But… I have to admit, it’s been nice. And I’m rather tempted to stay, just to make sure you don’t overwork yourself." He chuckled, shrugging casually before leaning back in his chair. "I mean, I wouldn’t want my massage to go to waste, you know?" He flashed her an innocent smile, showing her his hands then. "Or maybe you'd want another session?"

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ Seeing him lift his hands in mock surrender while laughing was oddly charming, causing a rare genuine smile to spread on Hyunjung’s lips. At least he did not take it as an offence, as she had not intended for it to be one. It was just an attempt to poke at him a little for what he had done, causing reactions she would rather not have had anyone else see. But he was already here.

“Though it is a room for staff, it does not mean we should brush off every other rule related to the school building,” she retorted, still matter-of-factly and with a stubborn nod of her head. Her honor as a Lan rested on her following the rules set upon them by society. And this was one of them. “The school grounds are meant for work and teaching. A nap would be perfectly reasonable, but staying the night…” Her voice drifted off with a hint of shame.

Hyunjung’s gaze slowly moved over towards the professor, the chair squeaking ever so slightly as she turned. “Have you?” The question was perfectly innocent, matching the puzzled expression on her face. She did not mind his presence there. In fact there was a lightness to the air when he was around.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Her correction earned another laugh from Kang, who held his hands up in mock surrender. “Evil man, yes.” he conceded. He had a feeling Hyunjung was the type to be precise with her words, ensuring everything was properly defined. He found that quality rather endearing.

However, when she admitted and somewhat grudgingly to having slept in the staff room before, Kang was momentarily caught off guard. He had only been joking, but it turned out to be true. Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, he leaned slightly against the desk. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sleeping in the staff room.” he reassured her, his tone sincere. “I mean, it is a room for the staff, isn’t it? I’m sure we’re allowed to use it if needed.” His voice softened slightly as he added, “Besides, you do so much for the academy. You deserve to rest when you need to.” There was no teasing in his tone now, just quiet acknowledgment.

With that, Kang gently closed his laptop, the soft smile never leaving his face as he turned his gaze toward her. "I suppose I've taken up enough of your time, Hyunjung." Kang said with a small smile. Still, he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed their time together, getting a glimpse of her personality beyond their usual interactions had been unexpectedly pleasant.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ “Evil,” Hyunjung correct, one hand lazily raised with a singular finger in the air. “Not bad.” Though the distinctions could be hard to make there was quite a hard line between them in her mind. Just because he with something that he could tell was getting a reaction out of her did not mean he did anything inherently wrong. But certainly he must have been delighting a little in her reactions, based on his melodic half-laughter from beside her.

She pursed her lips ever so slightly, running her tongue along the bottom of her teeth as she thought it through. “I guess that is a sensible solution.” He too was a Lan. At least he would be able to bring her home if needed without breaking any doctrines. But at his suggestion she shot him a little side-eyed glance, wondering if he had caught her once before doing the exact same thing once before. “That only happened once,” she commented shortly, rolling her neck a little to regain her composure. “It is rather unbecoming of me to do so, so it is a mistake I won’t let happen again.”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in her words. “That is most definitely true.” he mused, his tone light as his fingers idly scrolled through the codes on his laptop. He wasn’t actually reviewing them for he had full confidence in Hyunjung’s work, but rather just keeping his hands busy. Her groan of protest, followed by the familiar accusation of him being an “evil man.” made him chuckle. He leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, amusement dancing in his gaze. “I didn’t think giving massages would make me a bad man.” he remarked, feigning a contemplative tone.

Her question, however, had him humming softly in thought. He tilted his head slightly, genuinely considering it. “Well, I suppose I should ask for your address now, so I can help you get back home if needed..” he suggested, entirely serious. But then, his lips quirked up in playful mischief as he added, “Or… I could always carry you to the staff room and let you sleep through the night.” His tone was lighthearted, clearly teasing, though he knew well enough that he wouldn’t actually do that since Hyunjung seemed the type to fight him the entire way. Still, the mental image was amusing.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ The man seemed far to casual about the notion of Hyunjung falling asleep, as if nothing about that would have brought her any embarrassment at all. She could see how it could symbolize his effectiveness, but she had never heard anyone say it as if there was no downsides at all. The way he spoke about it one would think he was talking about any other topic in the world. All she was certain of was that if he had fallen asleep while she visited his office she would have felt frozen to the spot until he woke up.

It was far from a logical sense, and yet it was the only logical conclusion she could pull to what she felt herself. When he finally noticed the laptop on her thighs and picked it up she let out a small sigh, the tension in her thighs still just as palpable.

Hyunjung slowly rolled her chair in against the desk, finding some normalcy to her erratic breathing. Soon enough the epoxy would have hardened enough and she could continue her work, being one laptop closer to home. At most the rest would take her maybe two or three hours tops, as long as nothing intense caught my attention. “Better do today what I should not let slip until tomorrow,” she responds, unsure if it was an actual saying or just felt like it. Even if her shoulders felt like jelly she was sure she could manage a least a few more of them. And as he suggested sticking around for another massage, Hyunjung openly groaned. “You are an evil, evil man, professor,” her words passed her lips, her fingers digging back into the familiar grooves her hands had made on her dress earlier. “How would I get home if you did that?”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang quirked a brow at her words, amusement flickering in his gaze as a light chuckle left his lips. Being called an "evil man" after simply giving a massage was certainly not something he had expected, though he knew she hadn’t meant it in a serious way.

“Well, I wouldn’t have minded if you did fall asleep. It would only mean my massage was truly effective.” he mused, his voice carrying a teasing lilt. There was a subtle sense of satisfaction in knowing he had helped her relax, especially since she seemed the type to always keep herself wound up in work. Seeing her chuckle, her guard lowering even a fraction, was a small victory in itself.

His eyes flickered to his laptop still resting on her lap, and with quick but careful movements, he reached forward to retrieve it. “Ah, sorry about this.” he murmured, offering a small smile as he took the device from her. Instead of standing up, Kang leaned back into his chair and rolled himself across the small distance between them with an effortless push of his foot against the floor. He settled back into his original position across from her, propping the laptop open with a casual ease. But his attention drifted back to the stack of laptops still sitting on her desk, his head tilting slightly. “Are you really still going to go through all of these?” he asked, arching a skeptical brow curiously. After all, she had just been on the verge of melting into her seat, and yet, she was still determined to push through her workload. "I might have to stick around and five you another massage after you know." He added with a playful tone this time.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ It had taken a little bit for her to finally relax a bit more, but his hands were hard to resist for long. Hyunjung’s eyes fluttered shut as she surrendered a little to the comforting relief left in the wake of his digits, as if he had out the very tension that caused her aching shoulders and migraines. At best she could describe it as if her shoulders had turned to butter, seeming incapable of moving yet so relaxed that she would not have wanted to.

She was in fact so relaxed that when he moved to help her stretch, tilting her head ever so slightly, she let out a whiney grumble at having to move away from what had become a relaxing moment. It still felt good, but nowhere near as delightful as it had felt just a minute earlier. Yet she allowed him to do what he was doing, already feeling the effects helping

When his hands moved away she let out a low rumbled moan, all that lingered of his touch a light redness that spread across her pale skin and the warmth that followed it. Her head dipped back as she kept groaning. She had not felt this tired in a long time, feeling as if she could easily sleep for a full day if she curled up in bed. With a light kick of her foot she spun towards him, his laptop still resting in her lap. “You’re an evil man, professor,” she warned gently, eyes blinking slowly as she tried not to let herself sink too deep into the comfort. “But I shall endeavour to follow your advice. As soon as I finish the day.” Hyunjung’s eyes moved over the stack of laptops before she sighed. “I swear by Fenrir you wanted to put me to sleep,” she chuckled dryly.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang kneaded her muscles a few more times, ensuring that the last of the tension had been worked through before slowly running his warm hands down along her shoulders. It was a subtle but clear signal that the massage was coming to an end, his fingers giving her a final, gentle squeeze. “Now, we’ll just do a short stretch, okay? Just relax.” he said, guiding her through the last step.

His hands moved with ease, one resting on her shoulder while the other settled on the side of her head. With a gentle but steady motion, he applied a light stretch, pulling his hands apart to elongate the muscles along one side of her neck. He made sure to ease off carefully, letting her adjust before moving to the other side, repeating the motion with the same controlled precision.

Once done, Kang gave her shoulders another light squeeze before finally withdrawing his hands, letting them settle on his lap. A small, satisfied smile crossed his lips as he tilted his head slightly, glancing at her with a knowing look. “Make sure to take a nice, warm shower. It’ll help your shoulders feel even lighter.” he advised. He stretched his own arm slightly before letting out a quiet chuckle. “Feeling a bit better? I hope I didn’t overdo it.” There was a slight sheepishness in his tone, though his expression showed he was confident in his work. Still, he rubbed his arm absentmindedly.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ “I guess I cannot argue against your point, Kang,” the woman whimpered. It was fair enough that her sounds very natural, not holding any deeper underlying message or meaning. Yet they still made her cheeks flush and her skin tingle, sounding far too sensual for her own liking. Natural but shameful was how she saw it.

If only that meant that they were easier to keep back. Sadly for her the professor was quite skilled with his hands and far too observant. It was as if he could see through her and pinpoint each spot that would feel the most relieving by just staring at her. Even if he was dedicated to his teachings that was certainly a thing he could not. Right...?

Hyunjung’s head tipped forwards ever so slightly as his touch made its way up her neck. Every now and then he’d hit another spot that would have her voice straining to get free as she clenched her eyes shut. Her fingers had long since gripped onto the fabric of her dress, her knuckles white from the tension of fighting her own sounds.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang smiled, feeling the tension slowly melt away beneath his fingers. That was exactly what he had intended and that is to help her relax, to ease the stress she carried so effortlessly. The small sounds she made didn’t faze him for they were natural, proof that his hands were finding the right places, relieving the knots that had built up over time.

“Just one of those moments where my knowledge in anatomy comes in handy.” he mused with a light chuckle, kneading the tight muscles along her shoulders. He paid close attention to where she reacted the most, adjusting his pressure accordingly. Each subtle shift of her body guided him, telling him more than words ever could about where she needed relief. His thumbs worked their way back up her neck, pressing gently at the base of her skull before trailing back down to her upper back. He could feel her trying to compose herself, the way she stiffened slightly after every unconscious sound of relief. It was almost endearing.

“Don’t worry about the sounds you make.” Kang reassured her, his voice calm and steady. “It’s only natural.” His fingers pressed into another tight spot, rolling over the muscle slowly. “That just means I’m doing a good job, right?” He smirked slightly, though his hands remained gentle, methodical.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ Hyunjung felt conflicted. There was no doubt that his touch seemed to hit the right spot as even the slightest squeeze of his warm hand seemed to send a rush of pained relief through her shoulder. Yet it had come so suddenly that she had not been able to truly prepare herself. But it was Kang. He seemed kind and friendly from how they had interacted, so could it really be so wrong to allow him just this?

This time she did not manage to stop herself, a slight sigh of pleasure passing her lips as his other hand slid past her hair to find her other shoulder. Warm fingers gently pressed into the spots at her shoulders that were the tensest, sending short spikes of pain that soon turned to delightful relaxation. He was scarily good at this, as if he somehow knew her body better than she herself did.

As his hands moved further up her exposed skin Hyunjung closed his laptop, putting it aside on the table before reaching back to pull her hair over one shoulder, giving the professor a bit better access to her exposed shoulders. Her eyes fluttered as his movements went higher, his thumbs pressing into the spots that always ached when she sat leaned over too long.

Another small sound of delight escaped her, causing Hyunjung’s whole face to scrunch up with embarrassment. “You know bodies well,” she tried getting out, hearing her own usually calm voice laced with a hint of pleasure. It made the already exposing situation feel all the more real, but she tried to push that away. He was just being kind; trying to repay her for what help she had given him.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ "Always the hard worker, Hyunjung..." Kang commented, his voice laced with fond amusement. His fingers gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before he shifted positions, moving behind her. This time, his other hand came to rest on her opposite shoulder, settling with a quiet assurance before he spoke again. "I guess a much-needed massage is in order and a way for me to say thanks." he added with a soft hum, already rolling his thumbs over the firm muscles beneath his palms.

Kang started slow, pressing into the upper bands of her trapezius, kneading the tense fibers with practiced ease. His knowledge of anatomy was serving him well now, allowing him to pinpoint areas of built up tension and address them with deliberate precision. He hummed in satisfaction, feeling the subtle way her body responded beneath his touch.

After some time, his hands shifted, his thumbs pressing into the muscles behind her neck, working along the tendinous insertion points with careful attention. His movements were methodical, tracing along fascial knots that had settled deep into the tissue from long hours of work. With every pass, he coaxed the tension free, allowing the muscles to loosen bit by bit. "Most of the time, headaches are just the result of muscle tension right here.." Kang explained, his thumbs pressing into a particularly stiff spot at the base of her skull. His voice remained calm, almost clinical, but there was something undeniably gentle about the way he worked, each motion filled with quiet intention, a mix of expertise and an unspoken desire to help.

And with that, he continued, focused yet relaxed, making sure she got even a fraction of the relief she likely hadn't allowed herself in a long time.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ It seemed this Kang was full of surprises, as though he was a self-proclaimed newb he certainly had managed to make a competent program for a beginner. It was simple and a bit flawed, but Hyunjung was certain that if he had hooked up the arduino or raspi he was planning to use it would be able to run his software without fault.
“Oh, I barely did anything. You were already pretty much don-“

Now, if she had been surprised at his proximity earlier one could easily imagine her reaction as his hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. Her whole body froze, tensing ever so slightly beneath his grip, as if he had just grabbed her by the scruff. The breath she had suddenly withheld escaped her nose in a powerful huff, just one amongst many small things she did in hopes of calming the sudden rush.

But when his hand did not move her mind drifted back towards the innocent touch, remarking more on how warm and soft his hand felt. There was something oddly calming to it all. “I might have put in a few extra hours,” she confessed, wondering where his mind was going with that comment. Hopefully it was not the sae lecture she got almost every year about needing to ensure a proper balance between work and private life.

She had been so distracted by the flood of hypotheticals and thought that she was taken by surprise by his gentle push of his into her shoulder. It was only barely that she managed to choke down the sound about to leave her.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang's gaze remained fixed on the screen, attentively following each adjustment Hyunjung made. His mind was already making a mental note to compare her modifications with his previous version later. He blinked when he caught the subtle movement of her hand reaching up, undoing the tie that held her hair in place. The sudden cascade made him realize how close he had been sitting, prompting him to lean back slightly to give her space. A soft chuckle escaped him as she hurriedly corrected herself about the speakers. Shaking his head, he reassured her with a simple, "No worries."

As she resumed explaining the code, Kang adjusted his position, sliding his chair slightly to the side so he was beside her rather than directly behind her. He leaned in, eyes scanning where she pointed, nodding along as she described the changes she had made. The logic was clearer now, and for the first time, he felt like he truly understood what his program was trying to achieve. "Wow. Thanks a lot, Hyunjung." he said, genuine appreciation evident in his voice. Without thinking, he placed a hand on her shoulder, a natural gesture of his gratitude. "It definitely makes more sense now compared to just blindly following the guide." A relieved sigh left him as he leaned back in his chair, the weight of uncertainty lifting slightly.

It was only then that he noticed something. His hand was still resting on her shoulder, and beneath his fingers, he could feel the firm tension in her muscles. "You’ve been working a lot, huh?" he murmured, his brows slightly furrowing as he absentmindedly pressed his palm a little more firmly against her shoulder. "Your muscles are quite tense."

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ Hyunjung re-read the lines of code once more before making any changes, wanting to ensure she still made it obvious how to work with the lines she added. There was not too much for her to touch up, mostly just some better pathing and definitions for the program’s logic and it should prove itself to be quite self-sustaining. “Will you have any-“ Her voice drifted off a little as she heard him rolling his chair around to her side of the desk, quietly pushing closer to look over her shoulder. The sound had felt so loud at first until she realized she had yet to put her hair down.

“Speakers,” she eventually asked. As she turned towards him one hand casually came up to grab at the hairtie and undo its hold on her hair. It rustled a little as it settled back to covering her ears a bit, though it also doubled to shield the expression on her face a bit from where he was seated. “Forget I asked. You would not record voices if you didn’t,” she hurriedly corrected herself, giving out an awkward sound as she cleared .

“Anyways-“
The pen left her lips as she spun it between her fingers, using it as a makeshift pointer stick to indicate one of the lines. “I’m modifying a few of these lines to give you a wider option of settings for it to measure. I also added a separate code for the calculations of soil-moisture, ensuring you can know if the topsoil dries a lot quicker or slower than the rest.” The changes were quick, usually only a line here or there in his already existing work. “Beyond that I think you have done quite well with what you had before.”

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ “We should be the ones thanking you, Ms. lan.” Kang insisted, his voice carrying a warmth that made it clear he wasn’t just saying it out of politeness. “It just speaks volumes about your dedication and character. We’re lucky to have you.” He knew how much time and effort went into her work and he’d seen it firsthand. Given how busy she was, the fact that she was sparing even a moment for him meant a great deal.

A small hum rumbled from his chest as he nodded. “Hm. My plant, Hope.” His lips twitched into a smile at the mention of the name. Hyunjung’s attempt at humor was unexpected but welcome, and Kang found himself chuckling softly. “Why, thank you, but I only have one device for now.” he quipped back. He watched as she settled in and observed the way her fingers naturally gravitated toward a random pen, the cap tapping gently against her lips as she read through the lines of code on the screen. When she finally spoke, her assessment of his work wasn’t entirely dismissive and that was a small win in his book. Kang almost held his breath when she gestured towards the keyboard, asking for permission.

He immediately shook his head, waving a hand. “By all means. Do whatever you must.” he reassured her with a smile. If anything, he was eager to see what she’d do. Curiosity got the best of him again as he subtly scooted his chair closer, shifting slightly behind her and peering over her shoulder. He wasn’t just going to dump his work on her, he wanted to learn. He figured if she was kind enough to help him, the least he could do was observe and try to understand. Of course, he was mindful not to hover too close, not wanting to be a distraction.

@☁︎┊lan kang ᵃ The blank expression on Hyunjung’s face softened a little as her stoic gaze fell towards her lap. “Thank you, professor, but I only do what is asked of me in my position,” she replied politely. Yet she could not help the slight flutter of her heart at directly being acknowledge for the effort she put in. It was a small gesture, but one that weighed heavy on her scales.

“Ah yes,” she exclaimed shortly, remembering the talk they had shared not too long ago. Her legs uncrossed, dropping down to the floor again from the desk as she straightened up in her seat. Hands flattened gently over the white fabric of her dress as she scooted the chair closer. “Your little plant, right?” It was her time to look curiously at the other, studying his expression as he explained what he had done so far. “For you, I could look at two.” Comedy had never been her strong suit, but people tended to say that it helped ease someone in a conversation so Hyunjung still tried her best.

Once the laptop was before her she carefully picked it up, placing it in her lap to look at it more carefully. Her hand reached over towards the desk, grabbing a random pen to give herself a tiny bit of distraction. The cap tapped gently against her bottom lip as she began reading through the lines before her on the screen. They were rudimentary but not bad, especially for a beginner. “This isn’t too bad,” she hummed. The cap of the pen slid between her parted lips and to her teeth, locked in between her teeth as she glanced up at him. “You don’t mind if I-“ Hyunjung asked, gesturing gently to the keyboard.

@☁︎┊lan hyunjung ᵒ Kang listened attentively, nodding as he pieced together the predicament she was in. It made sense now why she opted to fix things herself rather than go through the hassle of ordering replacements. "The school’s lucky to have someone as talented as you, Hyunjung." he remarked, genuine admiration in his tone. Not everyone would go to such lengths to keep things running smoothly, and it was clear she took pride in her work.

Her next words pulled him back to reality, and he let out a sheepish chuckle, realizing he had completely forgotten why he had come in the first place. "Right." he said, shaking his head at himself. "I’m here to ask for your help with my project." Bending down, he picked up his laptop bag, ped it, and carefully pulled out his device. "I hope you don’t mind looking at another laptop today?" He shot her a small smile as he booted it up, the screen flickering to life. "I managed to follow the coding guide step by step, but honestly? I have no idea what I’m doing. I was hoping you could check it for me."

With a slight nod he placed the laptop onto the desk, as if presenting an offering to the tech-savvy goddess before him. His expression was hopeful yet slightly embarrassed, knowing full well that whatever mess he had made in the code was probably going to make her sigh.