“You only live once…” This quote was once the talk of the town. Everyone says it, everyone speaks of it like a daily expression and people tend to utter such quote without internalizing the true meaning behind it. Indeed, people really do live once, but that does that mean people must at least try to do something foolish all throughout their lives when in fact there are millions of decent choices? They have other choices yet choose to see the darker side of life which then leads to regret and repentance.

Covering the darkness that’s not visible to the eyes, there’s a light that shines through it. To shower everyone with goodness and blessings, one must start it to be followed by the others. Setting a good example to the others may start the light, and that one good example is a respectable educator for many, and a hope to the family.

“Good morning Ms. Tiffany.” Students greeted at a teacher entering the school gate.

The teacher greeted back with an eye smile that the high school students inside the school campus admire. Flashing an admirable fashion sense with her pink A-line skirt and white long collared sleeves with a  good posture using her high pointed heels, the male students hooted at their teacher from the second floor of the school building. The teacher didn't show any shade of boastfulness instead she humbly beamed another eye smile for them.

“Ms. Hwang, if you keep on smiling at those boys like that, your boyfriend will get jealous.” A fellow educator of Tiffany Hwang hopped beside her as they walk up the hallways going to their faculty room.

“Correction, he's not just a boyfriend. Nichkhun's my fiancé.” Tiffany twinkled and proudly showed off her ring finger with a diamond ring that perfectly fits around her finger.

“Speaking of the angel~” Her co-worker playfully elbowed her by her waist.

The ever humble Tiffany Hwang saw her manly fiancé waiting for her in the faculty room’s door wearing his P.E. uniform and records under his muscular arms. Eager to see his soon-to-be-wife, Nichkhun leaned over to give Tiffany her morning kiss by her cheeks.

“Yah, we’re at the school. You can’t do that here.” Tiffany said but blushed over his sweet actions.

“Are you ready for this school year?” Nichkhun asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be taking over the senior class this time. In fact, I’m so excited.” Tiffany replied as she presented her mini-investigation of her class members. “How about you? Are you ready to take on P.E. classes? You’re going to coach our school’s basketball team again this school year.”

“As long as I can see you every day, I’m totally fine.” Nichkhun pulled off and giggled at his own lines.

As soon as the school bell rang, a sign to start their classes, Tiffany walked away and waved her hands to pave goodbye to her fiancé. While she walks on the silent hallway of the highest floor of the school building, she can see some teachers already introducing themselves to the class and some rooms are already filled with laughter. However, as she reached her assigned classroom, she heard gossips from her students. What’s worse, her students are talking about her, gossiping of her past that was once surfaced within the school premises.

“I heard Ms. Hwang will take over us. This year’s going to be fun!”

“But, I heard a rumor that her father died because he was involved with a mafia clan. Isn’t she dangerous then?”

“I also heard that they went on bankrupt because Ms. Hwang was kidnapped when she was little by a mafia clan and her father needed to pay the ransom. I heard they paid all their wealth just to save her life from the hands of mafia.”

“Her father was a police officer, right?”

Because of their loud voices that keep on gossiping over her past, Tiffany froze on her position and she remained in front of the closed door with her hand on the door knob. Hearing people talking about her past that she never wanted to reminisce makes her weak and fearful at the same time, a past from twenty years ago when she was at the age of six.

Inside their own vacation rest house on the countryside, the Hwang family was held captured by a mafia organization. They didn’t spare the lives of their servants and maids as they were all killed in one shot and only left the family in trauma.

“Don’t worry young one, your father will come home to save you.” The mafia on guard said, and mercilessly threatening the young girl who’s tied on the chair with his knife gliding from her wet cheeks down to her neck.

“Please don’t hurt my daddy.” Tiffany cried.

“Tiffany!” Her father arrived with the promised money in a bag. As he tries to approach his daughter, he was halted by a gun that was directly pointed at his temple.

“Don’t shoot.” A rich man in a red scarf and a black hat, the mafia’s boss appeared on the scene late and ordered his man to drop the gun at once.

“I already have the money. Please let my family go.” The father cried and went on his knees to beg for their lives.

The leader knelt down and cupped the shaking father’s chin and said, “If you didn’t step on our dignity, this wouldn’t happen to you and your treasured family. How dare you stick your nose into our businesses?”

“It’s my job to eliminate people like you. As a public servant and as a police officer, it’s my job to exclude illegal businesses in this world.” The father said, still on his courage to answer back.

“I will spare your family’s life, but not you.” The mafia boss said as he stood up.

He pulled the trigger of his own gun and shot the father on his forehead, in front of his howling family. His wife shouted out his name as she whimpered her lungs out, his first born son Leo whelp wordlessly as he tries to remain tough like a man and finally his only daughter Tiffany who cried the loudest and sobbed the hardest at the sight of their father dying in front of their very own eyes.

“Release them and let’s leave them be. Let them suffer like how they hurt our clan.” The mafia boss ordered.

The family was released from their ties and ran towards the dead body of their father covered with his blood. Tiffany glared at the leaving organization full of hatred and because of their covered identities she wasn’t able to recognize any of them as they were completely left broken in their agonies.

“Ms. Tiffany, is there something wrong? You look pale.”

Tiffany was shaken up back to the present time by the school’s vice-principal who is roaming around the school for checking. She nodded her head and breathed heavily before putting back her own eye smile, replacing her once frowned lips.

“Good morning, everyone!” Tiffany entered the classroom with her eye smile that sugarcoats her unstable emotions as she greets her students who also covered their gossips with their morning greeting.

Behind her eye smiles and energetic side, there’s a past that has never been solved, a case that has long gone and forgotten and the agony that has been buried. Tiffany has been living as a lady educator who never failed to tutor her high school students and serves as their homeroom teacher without complains. She gave her soul and passion working on a private high school as an English language teacher with a promising future with her soon-to-be-husband Nichkhun.

“Aren’t you going home with your boyfriend today?” A fellow teacher entered the well-ventilated faculty room one late afternoon after classes and saw the hardworking educator still on her seat.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be walking back home together. He said he’s going to help the school’s basketball team with the practice so he might stay here late. It’s hard to be a P.E. teacher, you know.” Tiffany said as she fixed her books on top of her desk.

“You’re such a cute couple. When will you guys prepare for your marriage? The whole faculty is excited about it.”

Tiffany blushed and shyly replied, “We haven’t talked about it yet because we have to focus with our job and responsibilities as teachers too. Maybe, someday we’ll talk about it or maybe during breaks and vacations.”

“Conservative, huh?”

Tiffany shined an eye smile as a form of her reply to her co-teacher before leaving the school on a late afternoon. By the school gate, there her jolly and bubbly friends are waiting for her. She jogged fast to them for she’s also eager to be with them after a long time of separation because of their respective jobs and work tasks they need to accomplish in their every day lives.

“Hey, hey! How about we go clubbing tonight? Our friend Tiffany Hwang here doesn’t seem to be happy today on her first day of school year.” One of her friends wearing her office I.D. named Taeyeon and business attire suggested as they walk together on the busy streets of shopping district.

“Oh yeah, it’s our pay day too Taengoo! We can treat ourselves for today and put some energy to this sad friend we have here!” The other one agreed, as they try to cheer up their friend Tiffany who lifelessly walks with them.