First Waltz

“Mi Rae-ah! We have to go to school!”

Even if the boy who shouted was 10 years old, he was definitely very loud. His sister walked down the stairs groggily while rubbing her eyes. She looked at her brother and yawned. His hair was still messy from bed and still had halos under his eyes. He just ate and grabbed his backpack quickly. He was in a hurry to get out from that house.

His smile was bright and contagious. Mi Rae started to smile just from a glance.

“Do you know what is today?”

“Monday” The boy pouted.

“No, silly. It’s the parents’ meeting. Will you come?”

Mi Rae didn’t know what to say. She had her own school work to finish. But, she was the only one who could attend that meeting. The boy knew how busy was his older sister but he couldn’t ask his father. He started to play with his hands and bent his head. Mi Rae sighed and rubbed his back gently.

“I know dad won’t come. He never does. Will you?” Mi Rae’s frowned. That was probably true. Their father was a busy man and he wasn’t the kind to leave work aside for his children. The word ‘family’ had a different meaning for him.

“I will try but I’m not making any promises” That response was enough to brighten the young boy. Before he left for his class, he smiled cutely at his sister. Mi Rae sighed and started to walk, at a slow peace, towards her own class. It was fortunate that her school had a program for middle scholars as well.

“Mi Rae! How was your weekend?” That was one happy girl. Suzy had a big smile on her face and her eyes were shining.

“It was fine. I played with Min Jun and I learned how to cook” Suzy sighed dramatically. Mi Rae was already used to her friend’s behavior but that didn’t mean she accepted it completely.

“You live like a Cinderella sometimes. Are you rich or not? I can never understand your life” Mi Rae rolled her eyes and chuckled. That was a mystery for her too. “Anyway, our English teacher, Mister Kim, he retired. I’m thankful. He was so grumpy” Suzy sighed and made an ugly face. “I heard there is a new one coming today, though. There is a rumor that he just finished University and will be on probation. Isn’t that exciting?”

Truthfully, Mi Rae’s enthusiasm was moderate. She didn’t care much about English or the new teacher. She just wanted to learn something that would actually help her in life. However, on the way to her first class, which was English, two girls came over and started to discuss about the recent rumor.

Mi Rae walked to the back of the class and sat in her usual seat from the window. Suzy chose the front row, for a better view. She wasn’t the only one.

“Why are the girls so giggly?” It was Mi Rae’s childhood friend. He was one of the few boys who stuck around her throughout the years. He was a gentleman and he was handsome but none of those reasons impressed Mi Rae. It was his loyalty towards his family and friends that surprised her.

“That’s because our English teacher retired” Joon Myeon’s eyes started to get the same glint as Suzy’s. “Don’t look so hopeful. We have a new one. He’s younger and everyone thinks he is probably handsome as well” His expression fell instantly. That explained why the girls choose the front rows while the boys were all the way in the back.

“I hope he disappoints everyone with his bad looks” He stuck his tongue out at Suzy’s back and leaned back on the chair. Mi Rae chuckled and pushed him amusedly.

“Who knows? I’m not that interested” Joon Myeon shrugged and started to play with a pen.

“I heard from my father that your latest bodyguard got suspended. What happened?” Mi Rae’s eyes narrowed and she started to drum her fingers on the table. “Did he hit you?” She scoffed.

“I think you forgot who my father is. He would have had killed him in the next second. Min Jun got lost and dad blamed the nanny. It seemed that the nanny and the bodyguard were married so they chose to leave. We have a new nanny now but still don’t have a bodyguard” Joon Myeon nodded silently. That was something common for her family. Her father was a strict man with harsh rules. If someone breaks the rules, that person either nicely resigns or gets multiple reasons to resign.

“How is Min Jun?” Mi Rae sighed. Her little brother was such a troublemaker. He could never stand in one place. He always had to get into complicated situations.

“He’s fine. Today is parents day and he asked me to go for him” Joon Myeon saw how her face seemed to get wrinkled. She was worried. He knew how cold was her father and how he never got involved in family affairs.

“Do you want me to go?” She shook her head. It wasn’t the first time Joon Myeon wanted to help her. It happened before, on quite numerous occasions, but she never accepted. She was a stubborn girl.

“It’s fine. I’ll go right after school”

“Aren’t you tired of being a student and a mother for Min Jun? You should leave the nanny help you too” Mi Rae’s eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t trust anyone with her brother. They could never control his temper. Over that, he was a young evil manipulator.

“I can’t. There is a whole list with what that little devil would do if I wouldn’t be there” Joon Myeon agreed. He met Min Jun and he knew how good he could behave now and how fast he could turn into a pest later.

Miss Kang Mi Rae, you are called to the headmaster’s office. Please come right away.

The girls stopped giggling and turned to watch Mi Rae. She sighed and got on her feet. She walked towards the door while her classmates were still staring curiously. She was a good student and no one knew why she had to go to see the headmaster. She was quite popular too among both boys and girls. She was nice and smart and people liked talking to her. She had a different charm than most girls. She had been raised differently. Joon Myeon knew the story behind her smile and it wasn’t a happy one.

Mi Rae opened the door to her classroom and closed her eyes tightly. She already had an idea of what was happening.

“Agh, that little devil did something again” She started to walk towards the Headmaster’s office when she bumped into someone. She opened her eyes and bowed. “I’m sorry” She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. He was handsome and had interesting eyes. They were mischievous. But, she didn’t care. “Are you new? Anyway, you should hurry to class” She walked away without a second glance. The boy simply stood in the hallway, watching her disappear around a corner.

When she arrived, the secretary looked pitifully at her. She smiled kindly and told her to enter. The atmosphere inside the room was tense. She took the available seat next to an old woman and sighed.

“Kang Mi Rae, you are here again” She nodded. “This woman here, Miss Lim Bo Kyung came to me yesterday because her son got beaten up by your brother. I tried to call your house but they told me no one was home. That’s why I called you today in here” She rubbed her forehead and flinched.

“I’m sorry for whatever my brother did. However, they are children correct? Aren’t boys supposed to fight each other?” The Headmaster nodded yet he looked to disagree with her.

“Yes but Min Jun exaggerated” The old woman scrunched her nose and turned her attention towards Mi Rae.

“Your brother beat my poor son really badly. My Chang Minnie wouldn’t have started a fight. He is a nice kid. I’m sure your rascal brother started everything. He is a nuisance. Why isn’t his mother here, anyway? Isn’t that her fault? That’s how lowly she raised him?” Mi Rae’s eyes hardened and she tensed. The Headmaster tried to make the woman shut up but he ended up being left out.

“I’m sorry but she didn’t have time to raise us correctly because she died too soon. I know Min Jun is a pain in the but he is my brother and he is respectful. He never fights unless he is provoked. Your son did something and now, he pays the price. I wouldn’t talk about raising children in your place, ahjumma” The woman gasped. “You dress like you are a lady. You try to look younger and you wear heels. But under this cheap act, you are a witch” The woman’s eyes widened and she placed her hand on her heart.

“How can you talk like that to someone older than you?! You are exactly like your brother, aren’t you?” The Headmaster sighed and tried to stop the woman from continuing the argument.

“Please, that’s enough. Mi Rae, I advise you to talk to your father and take some measures. Min Jun is spoiled” She nodded and the meeting finished. She walked back to the class just on time. The bell rang and the students started to gather in the hall. Fortunately, she missed English.

“Oh my, Mi Rae. This new English teacher is so handsome! He has nice eyes and he is tall. He is so beautiful” Suzy wasn’t the only one who was thinking like that. The majority of girls were swooning over him.    

“Yeah, Mi Rae. You should have seen how handsome he was. He almost fell when Min Seuk tripped him. It was graceful” Suzy hit Joon Myeon and started to whine.

Mi Rae couldn’t concentrate on her friends, though. She was thinking about her brother. She tried to smile and nodded a few times but she didn’t care about what they were talking about.

The whole day continued like that. She could barely concentrate on other subjects. When the final bell rang, she couldn’t go home and relax. She had to attend the parents meeting. That was in a different block.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Joon Myeon walked with her until they got in front of Min Jun’s classroom. She nodded and gave him her books. He remained dumbstruck.

“You can take this home for me. I’m pretty sure it will take some time until I’ll finish here” The boy nodded and walked away.

“What are you doing here?” She turned her head to the right and sighed. It was the boy she ran into earlier.

“I’m here for my brother. What about you?” He raised an eyebrow. She didn’t know who he was and she was assuming that he was a new student.

“Sometimes, I come here to play with the kids. There are parents who come late so I take care of the kids until they arrive” She smiled softly.

“That’s nice but aren’t you new?” He nodded.

“Yes. I just transferred a few days ago but I wanted to know the school better and I always ended up here” She chuckled. He seemed to be a nice guy. They talked for a few more minutes until he asked her about the rumors.

“Oh, right. There is a rumor that class 3-B has a new English teacher. The girls gossip a lot about him but I haven’t seen him yet. He may be a ert, who knows” He started to laugh while she simply shrugged.

“So you aren’t curious to know who he is or how he looks” She nodded and leaned against the window.

“Exactly. I have other things to get worked up for. This is my last year of high school. I have more important things to care about” He smiled and patted her head. She didn’t shake him off.

“Noona! You came!” Min Jun ran out of his class and jumped on her. She started to laugh and tried not to drop him. Min Jun’s eyes turned to the manly face and watched him carefully. “I think I’ve seen you before” The guy shrugged. “Anyway, noona my teacher wants to talk to you now” Mi Rae nodded and let him down. She waved to her new acquaintance and walked inside. She sighed when she saw how grim the teacher looked. She had to prepare mentally for what was to come.