Jaejoong proceeded to the assembly hall with the other boys of Old School house.

                It was a huge rectangular building with high ceiling and oak panelled walls covered with portraits of school governors that stares down to him. Wooden chairs filled the hall, with an aisle down the middle. The boys from Heatherfield and Monmouth were already in their places. Jaejoong walked past them and saw YooChun and the Kim twins smiling to him. He knew he saw Junsu stifled an imaginary yawn.

                Sunlight streamed from the windows and showed motes of dust as they dance across the wind. Jaejoong sat near the front and felt uncomfortable wearing his Sunday suit. He wished he could be away, far from where he was, from this boring place.

                “stand!” someone shouted and the school rose as one to its feet.

                Mr. Dongwook strode down the aisle along with the visitors, which are from military that fought in the world war. Some cadets sat in front of Jaejoong while Mr. Dongwook and his visitors proceeded to the stage. The pianist played and everyone sang the national anthem.

                “God save our gracious Queen,

                Long Live our noble Queen,

                God save the Queen!

                Send her victorious,

                Happy and Glorious,

                Long to reign over us,

                God save the Queen!”

                Every one  sat after singing. Jaejoong who grew restless looked over the hall and saw Mr.IL alone “where is Mrs. IL? Was She iLL?”.

                Mr. Dongwook delivered his speech and welcomed General Kang. He stood In front and received an applause from the pupils. “I am pretty sure,” he said “that some of you lads are sitting here  thinking, ‘Why do we have to waste a good Half Holiday sitting and listening to some old Soldier?’ am I right?”

                He received a chorused “No” from the audience while Jaejoong remained silent for hew knew that it would be rude to answer, wishing he had the courage to say “yes”.

                “Some of you lads are thinking that there’s nothing you can learn from an old buffer like me. Well I happen to think otherwise, I always say that one volunteer is better than ten pressed men, so if any of you isn’t interested and has better things to do then he’s free to walk out know.” He chuckled.

                Laughter from the audience. No one would do such thing, walking out?.

                General Kang proceeded “the first thing I want to say is……” Jaejoong saw a movement from the crowd.

                Jung Yunho stood up from  his feet and was moving to the end of his row.

                He walked to the aisle and proceeded to the door. Moving lightly and confidently, head held high, shoulders back, and eyes staring coolly in front of him. Showed no hint of self-consciousness and of attention seeking either. Yunho was just being himself: assured, Contained, and totally concerned with the view of others.

                Silence at the whole hall, shocked and surprised. Only Yunho’s tapping heels can be heard.

                He reached the double door at the end. He passed through and let them swing. The sound of his crisp footsteps continued to sound till slowly and softer they faded.

                Silence, complete silence ate the whole room. A silence that seems so heavy.

                Slowly whispers and contained laughter came. Gen. Kang remained staring at the door where Yunho just passed, with disbelief look on his face. As if he saw Hitler rise from his grave and announced a new invasion.

                Mr.Dongwook shouted “silence!” and let Gen. Kang proceed.

                “The first thing I want to say is….”

                He spoke for an hour and a half. Talking about the war, what he learned that pupils should about D-Day and courage of British soldiers.

                “School! Three cheers for General Kang!”

That night every one conversed about What happened in the hall. That Gen. Kang gave them enough food for thought.

                Sunday morning the church service finished an hour ealier.

                Mr.Dongwook sat infront of his desk with Yunho facing him. Hint of boringness can show from his face. The conversation of teachers is different last night. It was about Yunho’s behaviour and how he pacified the irate general which sent him to be fury. And now Jung Yunho is in front of him, he would have given the thrashing of his life.

                He had a chance to calm down since. And her wife had a chance to be remind him that Yunho did not broke any rules.

                He browsed the pupil’s expression.

                This boy is trouble.

                “What do you have to say for yourself?” asked Mr.Dongwook. “what do you mean sir?” “Don’t be flippant Jung. You know exactly what I mean.”

“As I recall, sir, the general said that any boy who wasn’t interested in what….” Yunho paused and reminisced what the General said. “….some old buffer like him had to say was free to leave.” Yunho said he wasn’t interested, remotely, so he left.

                “Jung you know, as well as I do that the general did not mean what he said.” “then why did he say it sir?” “it doesn’t matter why! The fact is that he did not mean it! A fact that you were perfectly aware!” after shouting Mr. Dongwook proceeded to smile. He eyes dropped and was raised again.

                “Do you mean sit that he was lying?” “no I don’t! Don’t be so damned impertinent! Don’t you dare!...” controlling himself Mr. Dongwook did. “Your behaviour was extremely insulting for our guest. You are a representative of Kirkston Abbey whether you like it or not and you have a responsibility to behave in a way that reflects the credit on our school. The general left with a poor impression of the school what do you have to say?” “nothing sir.” Said by yunho blankly.

                Anger rose up again. “You don’t feel ashamed at all?” “no,sir.” “Jung, General fought for this country. He deserves to be treated with respect not like the one you did yester day.” “if you say so,sir.”

                “I despise you, I despise everything you stand for.” The boy was absurd, he need to understand that his behaviour is inacceptable. Mr. Dongwook  made a rule that he will not hit below the belt, he must contain his anger or worse.

                “Jung, men lost their lives defending this country! Tens of thousands died in battle! And thousands more, God help them, died in those camps! Imagine if your father had been one of them!” “ My father?” “Yes! Imagine if your father had been one of them!” Yunho showed a genuine note of surprise. “Your father, one of the prisoners! Beaten, brutalized, suffering God know what indignities and tortured! How do you feel about the likes of general then? Do you think you’d be bloody insolent towards him then?”

                Yunho’s  eyes widened. Mouth slightly open, but not words came out. Then his head dropped.

                Mr. Dongwook stood and watched him with a feeling of guilt and satisfaction.

                “well?” head remained lower.

                “well?”

Head began to rise and Mr. Dongwook was about to finish his reprimand. He stared onto his faces and words died in his throat.

Anger is pasted on Yunho’s face. Anger that exploded out from his eyes, and pupil that bore onto Mr. Dongwook’s head.

                Yunho’s voice that answered the question had no trace of its former composure. None at all.

“YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’D FEEL? I’D FEEL PLEASE THAT HE’D SUFFER! I’D FEEL PLEASE IF HE WAS DEAD! I’D WANT TO GIVE MEDALS TO ALL THE GERMANS WHO’D HELP KILL HIM!” for a moment yunho’s body shook with anger. Then , as quickly as it had been lost, the composure returned as usual. His eyes were cool again.

Mr. Dongwook first thought that this boy is trouble but now its This boy is dangerous.

He forgot administering his reprimand and forgot to demand an apology for sudden outburst. He forgot everything he want to do in this interview.

“Jung, you will write a letter of apology, which you will give to my secretary tomorrow. And you will never again behave with such insolence to our school guest. Is that understood?” “Yes, sir, of course, sir.” “That’s all you may go.”

Yunho walked out of the room and left Mr. Dongwook with his thoughts. And talked about it to his wife and how he want to remove Jung yunho from his school. He was soothed by his wife and received her words that he must took it easily.

Yunho sat in front of a classroom staring at his father’s picture. A wealthy happy prosperous man. He felt hate like an ice block growing inside his core, numbing any other feeling that doesn’t connect with it. Then he breathed  and let his equilibrium come back.

He got on his feet and got back to his old self. Walked out from the room walking with head held high shoulders on back and walking elegantly. He got into the cloister and boys bombarded him with question. “…what happened inside Jung?...” “….bet he got thrashed, uppy little prick..” he ignored them all and walked through.

He proceeded to Abby house: a confident figure, alone, aloof, contained, assured.