June 21, Monday, 7:30 a.m.: FACULTY ROOM

You twiddle your fingers anxiously. 

One by one, the teachers enter the brightly lit faculty room holding their respective cups of coffee and lesson plans. Sitting in the waiting couch, you keep your eyes peeled to the door for your homeroom teacher. One teacher comes in wearing a pink bathrobe-looking kimono and curlers in her hair. Another one is in sharp snazzy clothing and shades. He seems to be hiding his tired red eyes from the head teachers but he gets questioned. 

"Aigoo, Teacher Dongwoon, you were out clubbing on a Sunday night again?" one of the head teachers asks him. 

"No, no, I had to attend my mother's birthday party, ma'am," he says hoarsely. 

"Mother's birthday, my . You smell like soju. Go change your clothes and drink this to get rid of your hangover, quickly." 

So... teachers go out to party during the weekends too? o_O That's so... awkward to know,

"Teacher Kim Soyeon, there's a student here," a pretty female teacher in the cubicle closest to you says. "Please be careful of your language for now." 

"Oh my, I apologize," the head teacher says, startled. "Who are you waiting for, dear?" 

"Um... Teacher Jung Jihoon..." you say, standing up nervously. 

"Oh, he's not here yet," she says. "Please wait a bit more. And forgive my words towards the incompetent teacher earlier." The middle-aged woman smiles at you before going back to her cubicle. 

After 20 minutes...

You see the pretty teacher glance your way again. She looks at the wall clock and tisks.

"Oh, that Teacher Jihoon is never here early," she says. "I'm sorry if you have to wait like this for your teacher." 

"Ah, that's okay, ma'am, it's not your fault," you chuckle a bit. 

"You're Kim Haneul, right? The new senior student?" she asks you brightly. 

"Ah, yes, that's me, ma'am," you smile. 

"I'm Teacher Lee Minjung," she introduces herself as she gathers her books from her table. "I'm the homeroom teacher for Class 3-C." 

"Ohhh," you nod comprehendingly. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

I never knew that Heechul and the others had such a pretty homeroom teacher! o: 

At that moment, the door opens with a loud bang.

"Goooood morning, fellow educational instructorssss!" the man at the door says. 

"FINALLY, YOU'RE HERE," Teacher Minjung says. 

"Ooooh, waiting for me, were ya?" Teacher Jihoon teases her. 

"No, ajusshi, not me," she waves him off. "Your student has been here since 7:30 waiting for you like a poor bird in the rain." 

"Silly woman, I AM the rain," your teacher boasts. "And don't call me ajusshi."

She ignores his comment. "I'll be going ahead to class now. See you around, Kim Haneul-sshi," she smiles at you, not once looking at Teacher Jihoon on her way out of the faculty room.

"Aish, women," your teacher says shaking his head. "They're always in denial. You'll see one day, she'll be head over heels for me." 

"I, uh, wish you all the best, Teacher," you say, trying to encourage him since you don't know what else to say. 

He nods at you for a moment. 

...

"Wait, what are you doing here?" he asks, finally absorbing the fact that you're here.

"Well, I wanted to ask you about our booth for the festival," you say. 

"Oh, okay okay, make it quick. I'll be late for class." He looks at you. "WE'LL be late for our class." 

"Uh... Alright, um, teacher..." you gulp down the lump stuck in your throat. 

Hope for the best, Haneul. He just might agree with you! Be optimistic!

"Can we change our concept for our class' booth?" you ask him directly. 

"Hm? Why so? You don't like the maid cafe idea anymore?" He is confused. 

"Well, I just think that it, uh, might be too similar to class 3-A's booth..." 

"No, no, don't worry, it's not! Your idea is totally okay." 

"But also some of the other guys don't want--"

"We've settled that already, haven't we? I thought you were so convicted to push through with this idea." 

"Teacher, I feel that it just might cause problems for--" 

"Okay, okay, stop, Kim Haneul," he tells you. 

You raise your eyebrows in surprise. 

He his lips and sits down on the waiting couch. "I've already submitted your proposal to the principal and it's been approved. All the class booths have been approved as of last Friday. There is no more changing it." 

A storm seems to have formed over your head. Everything is beginning to turn to a haze around you. 

"B-but what if we don't have the resources to do it well?" You are desperately trying to pull out excuses from your head but are running out. 

"Resources? How hard could it be? All you need is some costumes and food or drinks," he says. "Either way, I'm sorry, student, but you need to go through with your submitted concept." 

He stands up and walks to his cubicle to prepare his lesson plans and books. 

"I'm sorry about this but there is nothing I can do," he says. "I'll see you in class. Go on ahead." 

"Okay... thank you, Teacher Jung Jihoon..." you say hopelessly as you leave the faculty room. 

This is bad. Really bad. 

Homeroom Class: CLASS 3-B

"Your festival representative Kim Haneul has asked me earlier if he could change the concept for your class booth," Teacher Jihoon explains to your class. "But I told him that I can do nothing about it anymore since the principal has approved everything and will not be here until the festival week itself due to his busy schedule. As you know, he has to fly to the other partner schools of Seoul High in other countries..." 

What do I do? 

If this pushes through, I'll be taking a huge risk participating in the festival...

"... And you need to do your best in this, boys, because in case you forgot, there is a possibility of the entire class failing your final examination grades." 

Oh great. The fate of everyone is in my hands too. 

"I expect that you have at least made some progress up to now, Kim Haneul? Regardless of your desire to throw out this idea?" your teacher looks at you expectantly. 

"Uh..." you stand up. "I've gotten in contact with someone who can make the dresses required for the maid cafe. All I'll need is your measurements and we can pool together some cash for payment which we can earn back during the festival. We'll begin planning the food and drinks to be served at the cafe soon as well." 

"Great, great," Teacher Jihoon claps. "After your classes for the day, Kim Haneul can take your measurements before you go back to the dorms." 

You hear a lot of grumbling among your classmates. Except Donghae and Jongwoon, everyone seems out of it now. But being your good friends, they smile and give you a thumbs up to encourage you. 

When you look at Kyuhyun, he has a look of utter terror plastered on his face. You bite your lip and try to smile at him inconspicuously like you always do but it seems like his mind is in another dimension at the moment. 

"Oh, and before I forget," your teacher says before walking out the door. "Members of the student council, no matter how high-ranking an officer you are, are NOT EXEMPTED from the maid cafe. Meaning, you will have to wear a dress like everyone else here. Goodbye, boys." 

Kim Kibum now has his mouth hanging open in disbelief. 

At least I'll get some amusement for myself at the festival. Hehehehe. 

And who knows? Maybe the guys will be too focused on how they look themselves to ever remember me as Ahn Paran on the beach.

After class: CLASS 3-B

DING DONG DONG DING DING DONG DONG!!

The sound of the bell echoes through the halls of the Seoul High classroom building. Your trigonometry teacher halts his discussion and closes his book. 

"That's all for today, guys. We'll just continue this tomorrow," he says, adjusting his glasses. He walks out the door. 

You quickly stand up and grab your measuring tape from your bag. "Guys, please line up so I can take your measurements for the festival!" you announce. 

The class grows quiet and the boys look at each other. 

Everyone frantically runs out with their bags. Only Donghae and Jongwoon are left in classroom. They shrug and give you an awkward thumbs up again. 

You facepalm yourself. 

This is gonna be a long day...