The experience of being shouted at traumatized Chan so much that he neither attended forums nor did his job as a PIC. He didn’t even come when he and Hyojung were stripped off their PIC status (that was staged, of course, all groups changed PIC that day), replaced by two other club members. He rarely talked to her ever since. He didn’t even attend mentoring sessions. Chan even thought of giving up being a club member.

But then the rigorous academic life of Seoul High School made him forget all those traumas, at least a little bit. The trauma for getting a 60 out of 100 in a math test (even a mark that bad placed third in class) was more traumatic than the deafening ridicule from the sunbaes.

Speaking of academic life, their lessons were so hard that most students found it necessary to take extra classes, held after school in a house neighboring to the school building. Chan was one of them. He attended these classes every Tuesday and Friday, four thirty until eight in the evening. He chose Fridays because there were no class on Saturday, so he could doze off right after coming home from the extra class. However, not many students agreed with Chan – evident in the small number of students, dominated by girls, in Tuesday-Friday class.

One of the few was Kim Dahyun, a bubbly kid who was almost as young as he was. Chan didn’t know why, but he got along quite easily with her.

One Tuesday, when the teacher was out to the toilet, the students chattered.

“Hey, we are going to choose clubs this week!” Dahyun said excitedly.

“Really?” Chan exclaimed, surprised.

“Yeah, on Friday, so we won’t have class. So… Decisions?” Soohyun, who attended the class for the first time that day, asked.

“You first” Chan said.

“I, of course, choose Red Cross. I’m planning to major in medicine, you know” Soohyun answered.

“How about you, Chan?” Dahyun asked.

“I don’t know… Maybe Home Economics”

“That’s quite rare for boys, to be honest” Lee Eunha, Chan’s classmate, chimed from the front.

“I know… I just feel interested”

“Oh, that’s okay! That’s okay! I’m not judging you…” she immediately said, sounding uneasy.

“Haha, relax. I understand”

“So, Home Economics?” Dahyun reassured. Chan nodded.

“I’m also eyeing on that” she continued.

“Me too!” Eunha joined.

“Okay, let’s go together, shall we?” Chan said.

“It’s a deal”

~o~

That small talk sparked a little optimism in Chan’s heart. A small failure during the pre-admission should not prevent him from achieving and learning more. He had found some nice friends who were planning to enter the same club. He also had high expectation on the club itself – he was planning to study overseas, and a little entrepreneurship skill would come be handy in case he needed some extra cash.

Three days after their small talks, they had to decide their clubs, simply by attending the first club forum.

“Chan!” someone called him.

“Oh, Yuju!”

It was Choi Yuju, a classmate of Chan. He wasn’t too close to her, mainly because she was absent quite often due to her health condition – she had severe gastritis.

“You’re going to Home Economics Club, right?”

“Ah, yes I am. Why?”

“Uh… I’m not feeling well today. I cannot attend the forum. Can you please sign me up?”

“Of course”

“Thanks, I’m going home, bye!”

“Get well soon!”

Chan walked to Classroom 3-2, where the first forum for Home Economics Club would be held. There, a group of girls had been waiting. One of them waved at Chan. It turned out to be Dahyun.

“Hey!” she called.

Chan ran a bit to meet Dahyun.

“Just like what we agreed” she nodded, satisfied.

“A man’s gotta keep his promise” Chan said

“Speaking of man… You seem to be the only one here”

“Hopefully I’m not”

Chan’s hope was granted. A boy came running from behind.

“Home Economics?” he said, strangely not out of breath.

“Home Economics it is” Dahyun answered.

“I’m Vernon Choi”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kim Dahyun”

“And I’m Lee Chan. We seem to be the only male here”

“Not really. We have one more, his name is Im Changkyun. He’s not coming today, sadly. He asked me to sign him up” Vernon said.

“Ah, it’s good to know then” Chan said.

“Still, this club is still dominated by girls” Dahyun commented.

One sunbae got out from the room and smiled at them.

“Good afternoon, everyone! Can you guys line up? Make… Uh… I think one line is okay. One male in front, one at the back”

Chan got to the back. There, a girl greeted him.

“Hello, what’s your name?” she asked.

“Lee Chan, Class 1-1. And you?”

“Yoo Jungyeon, 1-4. Nice to meet you”

“Nice to meet you, too. By the way, you look like that actress… uh… Gong Seungyeon?”

“I get that a lot. We share the same surname too – her actual name is Yoo Seungyeon. Maybe I’m her long-lost sister, hahaha”

“Hahaha, that’s possible”

After they lined up, they entered the room and prayed as usual. The sunbaes were still nice and sugary. That sunbae who greeted them earlier even joked with a student looking for the Football Club, saying it was full and he should sign up for Home Economics instead.

“Welcome to Home Economics Club, everyone!” a short-haired girl yelled cheerfully.

“First, let me read you the forum rules” a tall guy said. The rules was same to those in pre-admission training.

“Okay, now please introduce yourself and your reason behind choosing HEC as your club. Starting from the male there on the far left” he said.

“While introducing yourselves, please fill the new members’ data sheet that will be passed around. If your friend cannot come today but has chosen our club, please fill in his or her data as well”

Vernon began the introduction. He was from Class 1-3 and his motivation was to learn entrepreneurship skills – he was also eyeing to major in business.

Next was Chan. He stood up and cleared his throat.

“My name is Lee Chan from Class 1-1, my motivation in joining HEC is to become more independent mentally, and gain experience to be independent financially”

“That’s quite a huge reason, good luck with that” a sunbae commented, “Next!”

~o~

Later that night, Dahyun invited Chan to a chat, which turned out to be HEC’s group chat. They were discussing a task given by the sunbaes; making nametags and books for each member with the same format, just like in pre-admission training.

            Im Nayeon       : welcome to the HEC, guys

            Hwang Shinbi : hi!

            Park Jiwon      : hi!

            Park Jihyo      : hi!

            Park Jihyo      : okay guys what should we do?

            Hwang Shinbi : nametags and notebooks

            Hirai Momo    : hi!    

            Hirai Momo    : yea, and has to be in one format

            Park Jihyo      : okay, I’ll do the nametags.

            Hirai Momo    : for nametags, just use the same format as in pre-admission training, but add like “Home Economics Club” or sth

            Park Jihyo      : Names, please?

            Im Nayeon       : just write them in the notes section

            Park Jihyo      : can anyone buy our notebooks?

            Vernon Choi   : I can, also with the covers

            Vernon Choi   : what color for the covers?

            Hwang Shinbi : green will do

            Im Nayeon       : how about red?

            Park Jiwon      : gold!

            Park Jihyo      : we should also think about the meaning

            Vernon Choi   : yea the sunbaes will ask

            Kim Dahyun    : hi, sorry for being late, what’s being discussed?

            Lee Chan         : hi too

            Yoo Jungyeon : hi too

            Vernon Choi   : tasks

            Park Jihyo      : mainly cover color

            Lee Chan         : ah, alright… I think I’ll go with green, but can’t think of a good reason

            Kim Dahyun    : #TeamGreen

            Yoo Jungyeon : green!

            M. Sana           : hi! Pleased to meet you guys

            M. Sana           : can I give my opinion?

            Park Jihyo      : sure thing

            M. Sana           : I think green is good, plants are green, so we hope our club will grow

            Yoo Jungyeon : money is green too hahah

            Vernon Choi   : I know I’m only seventeen, I only got a few dollars, and it’s green

            Yoo Jungyeon : OMG Seventeen

            Kim Dahyun    : Shining Home Economics lol

            Park Jiwon      : lol good point

            Park Jihyo      : so everyone agree with green?

            Hirai Momo    : okay

            Im Nayeon       : okay

            Yoo Jungyeon : yes!

            Kim Dahyun    : ok

            Park Jihyo      : okay, green it is

            Vernon Choi   : I’ll buy that now, bye guys

            Park Jihyo      : Thanks, Vernon.

            Park Jihyo      : Oh yeah, we should know each other

            Park Jihyo      : Pics please!

            Park Jihyo      : Also pictures of our members not yet in the chat, please post them

The chat was suddenly flooded with selcas. After sending a decent picture of his, Chan re-read their chat, analyzing how the members interact with each other. Dahyun and Jungyeon were the funny ones. Vernon was quite nice. Some gave out little ideas, like Nayeon, Minatozaki Sana, and Park Jiwon. And Park Jihyo was quite dominant. She could be their PIC.

~o~

Their second forum was held the next Monday. Before entering the room, they gathered beside the football field to distribute their nametags and books.

But Chan was still running down the school corridor because his math teacher dismissed the class really, really late (you know, the typical “the bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do” ). Lucky for him, a student from another class was also running.

“Oh, hello, I think I know you,” she greeted him, huffing and puffing, “Home Economics Club?”

“Oh, yes”

“I’m Minatozaki Sana, from Class 1-9” she said and smiled. Chan smiled back.

“I’m Lee Chan, Class 1-1”

“That will be useful if the sunbaes ask us to mention each and every one by name”

“That’s right, but I’m still unprepared and I’m so nervous right now”

“Relax… Take it easy”

They finally arrived. Everyone was busy distributing nametags and books. It was loud and quite messy.

“Hey, it’s Sana and Chan. Give them theirs” Jihyo said. Jiwon quickly passed two nametags.

“Where’s the book?” she shouted.

“Here, with me!” Shinbi shouted back. Chan went to her, took his and Sana’s book and passed it to the owner.  

“Names, names!” Vernon shouted.

“Come on, let’s memorize!” Nayeon shouted.

Chan immediately looked around and made a quick scan. Here is Sana… that one’s Jihyo… beside her, Jiwon... then Nayeon… behind her, Minyoung and Momo… Dahyun, already know… that guy… Vernon, not Changkyun… Yuju, Eunha, easy… Jungyeon, there… and so on and so on.

“Damn, how am I gonna memorize all sixteen members?” he mumbled.

“We’re lucky we’re only sixteen. Look at the football club!” Sana, as if reading his mind, talked to him and pointed at a long line of students, mostly male, wanting to enter football club’s forum.

“I’m so glad I’m here, but still… I hope the sunbaes won’t pick me” he said.

“You’re a guy, guys always get picked. Try going to Vernon. At least the two of you should be able to do it, and I think he has memorized all” Sana gave an advice. Chan nodded and went to Vernon.

“Uh… Vernon, can you help me memorize our names?” he asked.

“Oh, sure! Okay, point to those you don’t know”

Chan was about to point to a girl when the same sunbae who greeted them the previous Friday went out of the classroom and shouted.

“Home Economics! Come here, quick!”

Chaos ensued as the new members scrambled to tidy up their stuffs and line up in front of the angry sunbae. She stood in front of the door, folding her hands and making a -face.

“Nametags! Nametags!” she shouted.

“Chan! That’s Myoui Mina, Class 1-5!” Vernon shouted while packing his bag.

“O… Okay, now you or me in front?” Chan asked.

“I’ll stand in front, but we sit together as usual. Now come on, run!”

Vernon then ran to the front of the line while Chan went to the back. Then they entered the room, and as expected, they were welcomed with deafening shouts from angry sunbaes. Just like the first forum, Chan and Vernon took the far left seats on the front row.

“Now what?”

Everyone was more experienced, so there were more hands raised, including Chan’s. Jiwon was picked.

“My name is Park Jiwon from Class 1-7, before we begin our forum, I want to request for us to be allowed to sit, and after that I’d like to lead the prayer”

Her request was granted. After everyone sat, she led the prayer. This time she used “religions”.

“That’s the end of our prayers”

“Thank you, Jiwon. Now what?”

Jihyo raised her hand and handed in their attendance list. Everyone came except for two, Changkyun and Kim Umji. Now that they knew what to do, the forum became more fast-paced and dynamic. That was, until they were asked to mention every member by name. Everyone immediately became silent. It went back to the sunbaes’ horribly disgracing taunts.

“Hey, come on! Talk!”

“Didn’t we tell you to memorize their names? This is a task! Take it seriously!”

“You don’t know each other, how can you work together? As simple as names!”

“Don’t just sit there! Answer me!”

“Maybe they’re sleeping, as the lamps are turned off…” This sunbae was hinting that the lamps were turned off and the new members should request for them to be .

“Walls, talking to walls again!”

Vernon raised his hand, deciding to take on the challenge.

“My name is Vernon Choi from Class 1-3. I’d like to mention everyone’s names. Here is Lee Chan, beside him Yoo Jungyeon, then Kim Dahyun…”

He succeeded.

“Anyone else?”

No one raised their hands.

“Okay, let’s put it this way. Who cannot mention the names? Who have not memorized the names?”

No one raised their hands.

“Huh? When we asked you who can, no one raised their hands. When we asked you who cannot, no one raised their hands either? Do you guys even exist?”

Actually Chan was not sure rather than unable, but as he didn’t raise his hand before, he decided to take responsibility by admitting he didn’t know. He raised his hand.

“Yes, you?”

“My name is Lee Chan from Class 1-1. I admit that I haven’t memorized all of the names”

“Task, failed…” the sunbae who welcomed them in front of the door, whom her friends referred to as Hyeri, said sarcastically.

 “Okay, now” another sunbae said, “Can you tell us the reason why you can’t do it?”

“Uh… It’s because…”

“Holy crap calm your hands, man! You’re moving like a drag dancer! Oh my God, are you really a guy… Please…” a high-pitched, sassy male voice cut him. Chan knew who it was, it was Huang Zitao, a sunbae notorious for his femininity and questioned ual orientation. In a conservative environment like Seoul High School, students like Zitao were extremely rare.

Like you’re manlier than I am… And who the hell doesn’t move his hands when talking? Chan thought, a little annoyed.

“Okay, okay, Zitao. Now Chan, please continue”

“I think it’s because it’s the first meeting, and…”

“First meeting? You came on Friday, didn’t you?”

“I did, sunbaenim”

“So today isn’t the first meeting, isn’t it?”

 “N… No, it isn’t”     

“So…”

The room went silent. Chan thought hard, but couldn’t find a satisfying answer.

“Okay, you may sit down”

Then they ranted.

“How are you guys going to work together if you don’t even know your friends’ names!?”

“That was an easy task! Just names! Your own names! Not even ours!”

The rants were too much for one new member, Myoui Mina. She couldn’t hold back her tears and had to be brought outside for a while.

It was a good seven minutes (Chan knew because one sunbae said if the new members had done a better job, they wouldn’t have to waste seven minutes worth of time) of belittling words until the sunbaes moved on to the real task of the day.

“We have two main agendas today. First, we would like you guys to pick a PIC. Everyone, look down and close your eyes”

Everybody looked down and closed their eyes.

“Anyone who wants to be the PIC, raise your hand”

Chan chose not to run. His experience as PIC in pre-admission training was traumatic. Beside him, he felt a hand swung. Vernon must have volunteered. He was brought to the front.

He felt a group of people moving towards him. They started talking to him. From their tone, Chan knew that these guys, unlike Zitao and Hyeri, played the nice sunbae role. Usually played by cool, laidback dudes who were also nice in real life, this role balanced the evil sunbae role by giving advices, hints, and motivation.

“Hey, just give it a shot”

“At least you should try. Being a PIC is very beneficial”

“Previously, you said you haven’t memorized everyone. Being a PIC is a good chance to know your members better”

Chan remembered this type of persuasion. The same that made him brave enough to volunteer as PIC during pre-admission training. Chan was moved by their action, but the horrible memory of being a PIC still lingered. This time, he chose not to do as they said.

“Now everyone open your eyes and see your candidates”

Chan opened his eyes and saw four people. Vernon, Jihyo, Jiwon, and Nayeon. They are told to introduce themselves and give reasons why they should be chosen. Chan didn’t really pay attention as he doubted their honesty – he had been in their position and he knew so well he lied that time.

Tough.

“Now everyone, close your eyes again”

Everyone closed their eyes again.

“Now choose someone that you want to become your PIC. Who voted for Jihyo?”

Jihyo sounded the most confident, previously, so Chan chose her.

“Now, Vernon”

Chan raised his hand again, assuming that they have to choose one boy and one girl.

“Those who have chosen, don’t raise your hands again”

Whoops. Sorry, Vernon.

“Now, Nayeon”

“And lastly, Jiwon”

There was a brief silence as those not chosen were brought back to their seats. He felt Vernon coming back.

“Open your eyes”

Jihyo stood alone in front.

“Your PIC is Jihyo. Always listen to her. Jihyo, we wish you good luck” a sunbae named Eunji, who seemed to be the club president, said.

“Thank you, sunbaenim”

“You may go back to your seat”

After Jihyo went back, the sunbaes continued to the second task.

 “Now to our second task. We want you, in thirty seconds, discuss your club symbol and create a group cheer”

Eunha raised her hand. Eunha, like Soonyoung (who joined the Red Cross), was also running for a spot in the student representatives. These candidates, being more experienced, were told to speak as little as possible in club forums to give non-candidates more time to shine. They only spoke if there was any extra-important point the non-candidates missed out.

“I’m Lee Eunha from Class 1-1, I request for the lamps to be ”

This time, the point was the lamps.

“Finally!” Zitao cheered sarcastically.

“But why? It’s been off for like, half an hour” Hyeri asked.

“In my opinion, it would be better for us if the lamps were on. It is good for our eyes”

Some sunbaes chuckled at her reason, but Eunha kept on insisting. Finally the sunbaes gave in and the lamps.

“Back to our task, club symbol and group cheer, thirty seconds. Deal?”

Vernon raised his hand.

“My name is Vernon Choi from Class 1-3, I request for the time to be extended. I think it won’t be enough, moreover, there are two matters to be discussed”

“Have you tried?” Eunji asked.

Oh no, not this one again. Chan thought.

“No, not yet, sunbaenim”

“Then try. There’s no reason for you to ask for more time if you haven’t tried. Okay, you guys have thirty seconds to discuss, starting now!”

Everyone gathered to where Jiwon and Jihyo were sitting, discussing in such a rush. They agreed quickly to pick a tree as their symbol, and then Vernon suggested a cheer, which everyone agreed, too.

While they were discussing, of course, the sunbaes were disturbing them, mocking those who didn’t speak as “useless” and “paid spectators”. Chan was one of them, and, considering this was a sixteen people forum trying to come up with an agreement within half a minute, he thought it was normal.

“Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Return to your seats! Go! Go!”

Everyone rushed back to their seats.

“Now can someone explain your club symbol and lead the cheer?”

Vernon raised his hand.

“Okay, Vernon, come to the front”

Vernon came to the front.

“My name is Vernon Choi from Class 1-3, our group symbol is a tree. A tree symbolizes growth, strength, and togetherness, which we think are…”

“Interruption,” Hyeri said, “What tree?”

Vernon was quite startled, not expecting such detailed question, but he came up with quite a nice answer.

“It could be any tree. This symbolizes that everyone is welcome”

“Well, now the group cheer”

“Okay”

Vernon took a deep breath before shouting.

 

Home Economics Club!

We are one! We are together! We are the best!

 

Chan also took a deep breath, but after shouting.

One, together, the best.

He didn’t know why, but he felt such mixed feelings with that cheer. He wanted to be one with people, to be able to work together with people. He was used to being the best – but not with people, they were always one-man shows. But he couldn’t even remember the names of people he wanted to work together and be one with…

Anyways, it was a good cheer. But it’s not a forum without mockery.

“You sound like you’re praying” one sunbae said and laughed.

 “Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, whoever you are, let these people be one, together, and the best, amen” Zitao played along.

Chan was burning inside. This cheer moved him a lot, but these sunbaes ridiculed it. He started to doubt the point behind these forums – well, he had doubted it since the second forum of pre-admission training, but he used to believe the forums would be more essential now that they were actually inside the clubs they would stay in for the rest of their high school life.

Luckily Chan wasn’t the only one to be annoyed by Zitao and that resting--faced-sunbae’s antics. He caught Eunji and a male sunbae named Myungsoo (who talked to him during the PIC election) making hand gestures towards the two, signaling that they’ve gone a little too far.

“Thank you, Vernon, you may go back. Now, before we close this forum, I want someone to summarize what we have done today and conclude the values you learn from this forum”

Finally, they were almost done.

Some raised their hands.

“Not Jihyo, not Vernon, not those who were active. Someone who haven’t spoken!”

Jungyeon was chosen.

“My name is Yoo Jungyeon from Class 1-4. First of all, I’d like to apologize on behalf of our members if there are some tasks not done properly…”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just get to the point”

Jungyeon pointed out some good points, but they were typical: being active, serious, brave, so on.

Chan himself had something in mind. A perfect conclusion to their performance in this forum.

It was far from a strong start, but at least we had a clear goal, he thought, 

One, together, the best.