(A year ago)

Nobody knew there would be an executive meeting today of all teachers, staff and monitors. Wel, it was going to be the end of school year soon. Constant meetings, conferences, and assemblies happened like everyday to gather reports and end the grading period. This didn't only drive teachers crazy of consecutive due dates but also made students tired and frustrating by too many relocations and ceremony preppings. Why didn't they just finish grading, report everything and let everybody go home?

Nobody knew the answer.

"Urgent notification! Urgent notification! During the afternoon recess, please let all teachers, staff and monitors of all classes attend the end-of-year development meeting in the Lecture Hall. Repeat! During the afternoon recess, please let all teachers, staff and monitors of all classes attend the end-of-year development meeting in the Lecture Hall. Over."

(Lunchtime, A-11 area)

"Hey Hyojung, why are they having a meeting today?" JinE asked.

"Maybe that's just some conference to give out opinions on development, construction, education, things like those." Hyojung said.

"Why don't they give us surveys instead? That way it will be fairer and more objective."

"That's their business. My job is to go and say what needs to be said."

"Don't you ask our class members before going?"

"Why?"

"To know what we actually need. You know, we all want different things for the school."

"And that's not your business to interfere. You have this wonderful monitress sitting next to you. Need not to worry for others."

"But...but..."

"But what?" Hyojung threw some shades and glared at JinE.

"Uhm...nothing."

"You seem interested in high positions." Hyojung frowned and commented. "But wait, you're already an admin of the school community. As a school staff, you can't run for monitor."

"Yeah. There's no reason for me to run for monitor next year. I don't need to rival you, OK!" JinE said, with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"You're right, because there is only one real monitor to be."

"So you're running next year?"

"Why not get the chance? And by the way, I have many nemeses to clear. I don't know why different grade levels have different election dates."

"Monitor sounds like a hard world."

"Absolutely. Even monitors play against other monitors. Oh, by the way, can you stop acting so innocent when you're with me?" Hyojung said with a haughty tone.

"What? Why?" JinE was dumbfounded hearing Hyojung's "honesty."

"We are the high-class people of the school. You are an administer, and you have power over the community. Stop being like others, like, being inferior, OK? You make me feel like a low-class person." Hyojung clearly showed comtempt in her speech.

JinE didn't say anything. Lunchtime steadily ended as the two girls got back to class.

(Afternoon recess)

"See ya JinE! I'm bringing back some wonderful developments to the school!"

"See ya."

JinE weakly waved at Hyojung and turned away immediately. She did know what Hyojung would say at the conference. Those words would not help anybody in school, except Hyojung herself.

Hyojung crossed the yard to reach the conference hall. She looked at the tall old building. She looked at nerds in different classes cramming bits of lessons in their brains. She looked at bullies punching the hell out of "inferior" students. Other than that, there was not much to see. 

"Annyeong Hyojung unnie! Are you going to the conference too?"

Hyojung looked behind her. It was Minha. Jeon Minha, class D-10, a well-known monitor. Everybody said she would win the prize "Student staff of the year" for her massive achievements: successfully already elected monitor for the next year, won the silver medal the Mathlete tournament, became the no.1 search on the school community forum, most discussed person on social media. It seemed like Minha was worthy for Miss Perfect, if there was such competition.

Hyojung showed no friendliness to Minha. To Hyojung, Minha was just a big rival to pass. There was rumor that Minha's parent had a position in the district administration, so it was easy for her to achieve big things, but somebody still doubted if those achievements were really hers.

"Don't you see I am walking to the hall? Are you blind?" Hyojung snapped.

Minha slowed down and walked behind Hyojung with her eyes staring at the grass. Minha did know, and knew too well, that Hyojung was not an easy person to get along. But the things that all homeroom teachers crammed into monitors's head kept lingering in her mind: You need to get on well with people in order to lead. There will be people that pay no cooperation to you, and your job is to change their mind. Well, that things did not work between Hyojung and Minha. Minha got on well with almost everybody in the school, and the odd one was Hyojung. Hyojung could get along well with other student staff and "high-class" students, and the rest of the school was underlings to her.

Minha still waited for a chance of sweet talk to Hyojung. She wanted to prove that though her mother worked for the district, she did not use dirty strategies to level up. She wanted to prove that she was a trustworthy, talented and warm-hearted monitor. Most of the students believed so, except some.

Hyojung pouted blatantly when she saw the seat arrangement in the conference hall. 10th graders were put in the front, then 11-graders in the middle. Hyojung was even angrier when monitors of C and D classes were seated in the middle of the row, therefore they got the most attention. A and E classes were put way on the sides. Hyojung dragged a chair and sat on boldly. She looked at Minha and secretly hated the way she talked to other monitors. "How disgusting is that manner. You think dealing with other people makes you a better person?"

Was Minha faking her friendliness or Hyojung upset that people could not get along with her? 

(Author's note: Hyojung's thoughts are on italics.)

"Good afternoon students!" The principal appeared on the podium. "I know you guys are very tired and the only thing in your head is the summer. But before all those fun, we need to fix the wrongs in the system, so after a summer break, you are ready to get back to school with a better environment and facilities. So, that's the purpose of this meeting. As you've been here all year, there are pros and cons that you want to express. Moreover, you guys are monitors, leaders of your class, so you should know about concerns of your members. Let's start this meeting comfortably. I've talked enough. Now is your part. Who wants to start? 12th graders? Want some last words to the school?"

Nobody could hold their laughter at the principal's joke. After the laugh died down, it was a plain awkward silence for a moment. Well, 12th graders had little to say. They just wanted to get out of the place immediately.

"Nobody? Really? There is no good to be improved and no bad to be changed?" The principal asked seriously.

"Uh...yes!" One hand raised up in the air. It was Jeon Minha. She shouldn't be rasising her hand, as the principal gave the seniors the turn to say first. But in the situation of total silence, any random hand was worthy.

"D-10? Well, it's not your turn, but OK, we shouldn't sit here and waste time waiting. Speak up."

"Annyeong. My name is Jeon Minha, from class D-10." (Hyojung: Do you have to introduce your name?) "Throughout the year, our school achieved many prizes for excellent administration and we are very proud of that." (Hyojung: Don't act like all those achievements are yours!) "Besides, there are still things in the administration that I feel disappointed about." (Hyojung: Miss Goody-Perfect is complaining for the first time!) "First, there are abundant positions in a class that we do not need. In fact, there are roughly 5 students in the operation machine of the class: monitor, then vice monitor of academic, vice monitor of conduct, vice monitor of activities, and vice monitor of managing." (Hyojung: What's the problem of that?) "5 is a big number and it results in power division. When power is divided much between members, misunderstanding and divergence will definitely happen. In reality, much of the power is given to the vice monitors because they are the people to carry out commands from the monitor, so the monitor can hardly supervise the all of the activities." (Hyojung: Who say I cannot?) "All these tasks can be lead by the only one monitor in the class without any difficulties, if that person is potential." (Hyojung: Are you saying I don't have enough potential?) "If given the reasoning that all these jobs combined overwhelm the sole monitor, I would say that is not the right person." (Hyojung: Girl, are you publicly shaming all these monitors sitting right here in the hall?)

The hall went silent for the moment for the sudden opinion. Nobody could have thought about having one sole administrator in the class other than the homeroom teacher. It meant a dictatorship. It meant that there were wrong people ruling the class. It meant there were many holes in the perfection of the administration, which everybody believed in.

"Thank you for your opinion, monitor of D-10." The principal rose. "I personally think your idea is quite novel and there should be more time for the school to think of that, because the school board requires that we have more than 4 people in position to eliminate absolutism and inequality. But I may discuss this with the school board. Thank you. Who's next?"

One hand from the middle row threw in the air. It was Hyojung. She had contained her anger for too long.

"Principal, I don't agree with her opinion!" Hyojung stood up and almost shouted.

The principal, who just turned his back to get of the podium, turned toward her with surprise.

"Do you have any criticisms against that?"

"Absolutely I do. I see no need of having the sole monitor in the class. That one monitor will face too much work and deals with problems that should not be there."

"I see no sense in you, unnie." Minha stood up and turned back, facing Hyojung. I already told that the monitor that cannot lead the class on their own does not have potential! And aren't you making contradiction yourself? Isn't having vice monitors under your control and having the whole control on your own the same thing?" Minha questioned.

"It is you who is not making sense! Ther are definitely two different things. Controlling everything means you have to carry out everything, and you are no different than a normal underling, I mean, student. Having peole beside you helps you with advising what to do. You don't have to do all the jobs that belong to somebody else. It means you have more power over the class, not less!" Hyojung nearly turned the conference into a personal debate. "Principal, I think her opinion is just an opinion. It is personal, impractical and leads to a dictatorial administration. I don't think we should practice this."

"Principal, I solemnly state that this is just an opinion for development." Minha turned around and told the principal. "You don't have to carry out every single propose of this conference.  As a bright principal, I hope you will understand me."

"Are you roasting or praising our principal, Minha?" Hyojung raised her voice to a lampooning tone. "Do you know you will receive bad conduct doing that?"

"I am not!" Minha yelled at Hyojung in extreme anger. 

"I think you should already receive zero conduct point for your evil scheme you just come up with. Doesn't that show you are a power-seeking, imperious monitor? That is exactly the kind of untalented person to be a monitor!"

"STOP!" The Principal yelled. "Enough of debating and arguing! You guys are at school, not the marketplace that you can say whatever you want! Now sit down for conference to proceed or have 15 points deducted from your conduct!"

The two girls sat down, their hands in fists.

Minha almost cried while Hyojung's face turned purple. That was just the start of the complicated conflict.

Secret #1 told.

Throughtout the summer, the school board went over Minha's idea of having solely one monitor. They approved it and planned to apply it for the next school year. Some students were excited to hear that. Some were disappointed. Some were indifferent. Some changed their mind about their stance.

One was both angry and excited as she heard about the decision.