Jaehyun reached out and took her hand in a warm clasp. "Did the voice shout again?" he asked with such tender sympathy in his voice.

His sympathy warmed her heart and comforted her. "Yes, the voice forbids me to date you," her voice came out in a husky whisper, cracked and broken.

"Stay strong, and don't listen to the voice. You can get through this." He cupped her face in his hands. "Focus your attention only on me."

Jiyeon gave him a curt nod, her heart racing out of anticipation. When Jaehyun slowly brought his mouth to hers, Baekwoon's voice roared in her ears like the rumble of thunder, "Don't let him kiss you! He's your student!"

She blinked at the harshness of his tone. She felt her head spinning, her body weightless. Jaehyun's lips hovered over hers, a mere breath away and lingered for a heartdropping second. Her eyelashes fluttered closed as his lips brushed against hers. They were warm and soft. Soft as the caress of a butterfly's wing.

"Don't return his kiss! He's a playboy!" Baekwoon's angry voice boomed so loud in her ears. "Pull yourself away right now!"

Instead of obeying it, Jiyeon slipped her arms around his neck and held him, returning his kiss. Baekwoon's angry voice kept ringing in her ears, telling her that she was shameless and immoral for kissing her own student; she would bring shame to her family and ruin her teaching career for dating him. But she didn't give a damn. She threaded her fingers through Jaehyun's hair, savoring the sweet pressure of his mouth. Their lips heated with every nibbling. Soft moans escaped their lips every now and then. His hand moved to her lower back and pressed her closer to his body. He glided his tongue along hers, the velvety friction sending whirls of sensation straight to the center of her body. For a first kiss from this young student, she would grade this one an A plus.   

When Jaehyun finally pulled away, they were both drawing in ragged breaths and trembling. He rested his forehead against hers. "May I call you Jiyeon when we're together like this?"

"Of course." Jiyeon pulled away. She sat down on the end of the dock and let her legs dangle over the water. Her lips tingled from his kisses. "It's so quiet, I almost feel like I ought to whisper."

Jaehyun sat down beside her, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Jiyeon rested her head on his shoulder, and he laid his cheek on the top of her head. Without speaking, they watched the moon rise. It was a beautiful night. Following the stillness of dusk, a soft breeze sprang up, wafting across the lake. The lake surface was nearly flat; stars reflected off its surface quivered as if alive. Her eyes gleamed with amazement, and her face broke into a beaming smile. She inhaled deeply, savoring the air and its blessed fragrance: crisp, clean and fresh. She felt like she was in a dream.

"Jaehyun, why did you cheat on the test?" Jiyeon asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I wanted to use my bad grade as an excuse to get closer to you, so other students wouldn't suspect me of having a crush on you," Jaehyun replied. "Your advice to live my life based on what I want, not what others think it should be, gave me the courage to express my feelings for you and make the leap to off-grid living."  

His answer surprised her. Jiyeon lifted her head and looked at him. She opened , but Jaehyun interrupted her, a note of seriousness creeping into his voice, "I know it's illegal for us to date, and you may lose your teaching position if someone finds out. For the sake of your career, let's keep it on the down-low, okay?" His expression matched his tone.

Her breath hitched at his seriousness. Jiyeon swallowed hard, nodding. "Okay, I'll act as if nothing happened between us."

"Only when we're in school," Jaehyun added as he her face, sending warm shivers through her. "I'm so blessed to have you in my arms tonight." His face split into a bright smile.

With her heart pounding, Jiyeon reached up and traced her fingers along his jawline, stopping to caress his dimple with her thumb. "I thought you liked Chaeyeon."

His smile was quickly replaced by a puzzled frown. "What made you think so?"

"Do you remember when both of you came up to the blackboard to solve the same math problem using different methods?"

He rubbed the side of his nose with his index finger, as though he was thinking. "I do."

Jiyeon inhaled deeply before letting her words out in a rush, "You just stood there watching her write equations on the blackboard instead of solving the problem. Your smile never faltered." 

"You sound like you're jealous." A short laugh escaped his lips. "I don't like her. I just admire her coolness. It was a great pleasure to see her speak in class." Jaehyun planted a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "My feelings are only for you."

Smiling, Jiyeon rested her head back on his shoulder. Jaehyun clasped her hand tightly to his chest where she could feel his heartbeat, and it thrilled her. They lapsed into a companionable silence as they admired the moonlight shining on the lake. It was peaceful and beautiful, and she didn't want to leave.

"Jiyeon, it's late," Jaehyun said, interrupting her blissful moment. "We'd better go home now."

"Alright, let's go home." Jiyeon rose to her feet, and Jaehyun followed suit. He took her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. Her fingers tightened over his in a welcoming manner. Walking towards his motorcycle, they swung their clasped hands and enjoyed their stolen glances.

He unhooked the helmet from the handlebar and set it on her head. He helped her adjust the strap. Then he pulled his own helmet over his head, cinched the strap and straddled the motorcycle. Looking around to make certain no one was watching, Jiyeon pulled the hem of her dress as high as she dared. Taking a deep breath of excitement, she climbed on behind Jaehyun, and he started the engine.

"Scoot up closer and put your arms around my waist," he instructed.

Jiyeon did as she was told, inching as close to him as possible to avoid leaving anything for anyone to see. Jaehyun turned his head to look at her. It was obvious what caught his eye. Her entire leg, pressed against his hip and thigh, was bared for the whole city to see. A beaming grin illuminated his face.

"I'm ready, we can go now." She beamed a wide smile.

Jaehyun eased the bike forward, swinging it around to head back to the main road. The wind whipped at her hair and face, raced over her skin. She clung to him, pressing her body against his. Power hummed between legs, speed pumped furiously through her blood. Exhilarated, Jiyeon screamed with delight as he roared down the highway. Silvery moonlight illuminated an intimidating length of highway that stretched to meet the heavens. Despite being cold, she was feeling at ease.

"If your hands get cold, just put them in my jacket pockets!" he shouted above the engine noise.

Jiyeon put her hands into his jacket pockets and held on tight. After riding for what seemed like hours, the bike began to slow down. Slowing even more, he revved the engine, then turned and took a side street, until they came to her house. He shut off the engine. Her legs trembling, she clambered off and smoothed her dress down. She took off the helmet and bent her head to fluff out her hair.

She put the helmet back in the saddlebag. "Thank you for..." her voice trailed off as Jaehyun adjusted the kickstand and dismounted. He removed his helmet and hooked it over the handlebar.

"Where are you going?" Jiyeon asked, her brow furrowing.

"To see you and make sure you get inside safely." He cupped her elbow and walked her towards the front door.

She ground to a halt and pulled her elbow free. "I'll be fine. Go home now," she said firmly. She didn't want her mother to scold him.

His eyes roamed around the area. There was no one else around. "Goodnight, Jiyeon," Jaehyun whispered as he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Jiyeon nodded, grinning at him before running towards the front door. She knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she turned the knob, and, luckily, the door swung open. She stepped inside, closed it quietly behind her and locked it. She sighed with relief when she saw her mother sitting in the living room, resting her head against the back of the couch, eyes closed. Not wanting to disturb her rest, she walked silently towards the stairs.

"Where have you been, Park Jiyeon?" her mother's voice boomed.

Drawing a deep breath, Jiyeon halted at the top of the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother coming up behind her. Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pressed together and her brows pulled down. No doubt, her mother was angry at her.

"Sorry, I'm late." Jiyeon hurried to her room, opened the door and stepped in. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She didn't want to get into an argument with her mother. She felt like she had no energy to fight.

Her mother pounded on the door, twisting the knob and yelling, "Open the door!"

"Mom, I'm tired. Please, let me take a rest tonight." Jiyeon walked over to the bed and threw herself onto it.

"Tell me, where have you been?" She kept pounding on the door. "Did you go out with your student? What did you do with him?"

Frustration bubbled inside her. She scratched her head. She knew her mother wouldn't stop until she told her the truth. "Yes, I went out with him," Jiyeon replied. "We spent our time on the lake and shared kisses."

"You're out of your mind. Forget him. When your father returns home, I'll get you engaged." Her voice sounded tight and edgy.

"I don't want to get engaged to that the!" Jiyeon screamed, clutching her blanket. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. "Mom, I won't forget him. I want him more than I've been able to admit, and I'm ready to give him all of me in return."

"You're truly shameless and immoral," Baekwoon's voice echoed in her head. Simultaneously, her mother roared, pounding on the door loudly, "You're getting on my nerves! Don't have with him, or else I'll kick you out of the house and don't call me your mother again! Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand! Could you please let me take a rest?"

"From tomorrow on, I'll pick you up after teaching, so you can't go out with him," her mother's voice was a bit calm. "Go to sleep now."

Jiyeon groaned as she rolled over onto her side, covering her face with her pillow. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to calm her breathing so she might eventually drift off to sleep. But it didn't work. She rolled back over onto her back and inhaled deeply. Staring at the ceiling, she let her mind fly back to the beautiful moment she just experienced with someone she loved. She went over every detail in her mind. Eventually, she drifted into a sound sleep.

Her internal clock told her that it was time to wake up. Jiyeon stirred, her eyes fluttering open. A glance at the digital clock, which sat on her bedside table, showed it was 5:30 A.M. She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position and let her feet touch the floor. The image of Jaehyun kissing her flashed in her mind, and she bit her bottom lip, trying to keep a smile off her face.

"You're too immoral! You better forget him! Your mom will never approve of him as your partner!" Baekwoon's voice boomed in her head like thunder, making the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up.

"Stop calling me immoral. He's not a minor," Jiyeon muttered through gritted teeth. "Who are you, telling me whom I should choose? I'm my own person, and I decide what's best for me."

"I'm the voice of your—"

"The voice of my ." She sprang to her feet and went to the bathroom.

She peeled off her dress and underwears, then threw them into the laundry basket. Jiyeon smiled in disbelief that she could have run in a dress. Trying to clear her thoughts, she shook her head, then the shower and stepped under the spray, letting the water engulf her. It felt good against her skin. She felt nice and warm. She hummed while rinsing soap from her skin. Done with that, she turned off the water and reached for the towel. Wrapping it around herself, she stepped out of the shower. She dried herself down, making sure she was dry, everywhere especially under her s.

Jiyeon threw the towel into the laundry basket as she made her way to her closet. Her fingertips skimmed the formal clothing until she found the ones she sought. She picked up a white shirt, a buttonless black blazer and black pants. After putting them on, she dipped her feet into her shiny black shoes. Standing in front of the mirror, she brushed her hair loose, letting it flow over her shoulders and down her back. She nodded, pressing her lips together as if telling her reflection in the mirror that she looked good.

"I can't wait to see your face, my love," Jiyeon hummed, grabbing her bag from her desk. She slung it over her shoulder as she strode towards the door. She unlocked it, opened it and stepped out without bothering to close it. She bounded down the stairs towards the front door.

"Eat your breakfast first."  

She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother approach her. "I'm not hungry. Mom, you don't need to pick me up. I'm not a kid." Jiyeon turned the knob, pushing the door open.

Her mother caught her arm before she could step outside. She looked at her sharply. "Weather you like it or not, I'll pick you up," her mother said slowly, emphasizing each word as if she were talking to a backward five-year-old. "I've invited Mrs. Kim and her son for dinner later tonight. Don't disappoint them again. Do you understand?"

Gritting her teeth, Jiyeon yanked her arm out of her grip before stomping out. She walked down the sidewalk, grumbling under her breath, "Mom, you upset me! You're my parent, not my owner. It's my life. Not family, not religion, not society, only me can decide who to love and why and when and how long. I'm in control of my life." She drew a deep breath, calming herself down as she came to a halt. She waited for a cab to come by. With one coming down the street, her arm raised. The cab pulled over to the curb. She jumped in closing the door. She looked at the cabby, saying, "Daegu High School, please."

Jiyeon leaned back against the car seat, closed her eyes and Jaehyun's face filled the screen of her mind. I miss you. She brightened, remembering their first kiss as if that magical night had passed mere minutes ago. The cabby then reminded her that they had reached her destination. He raised his voice, causing her to snap out of her reverie. She paid the fare and hurried to the school building.  

"Jiyeon, wait!" Yoona's shout echoed in the air, halting her in her tracks.

Jiyeon glanced over her shoulder to see Yoona coming towards her. Yoona grabbed her wrist and led her to the right side of the building. They stood beneath a maple tree facing each other. Yoona's eyes scanned the area around them as if to make sure no one was watching.

"Baekhyun told me that you're dating your student, is that true?" Yoona questioned, curiosity blanketing her tone.

What else that playboy told her about me? Jiyeon blew out a loud sigh. "Yes, that's true. Are you going to tell me it's against the ethics of our teaching profession?"

"You're risking your career and reputation," Yoona countered. "I personally think it's best to wait until he graduates."

"I'm willing to take the risk. He is perfect for me…the only person who understands me as voice hearer," Jiyeon muttered, her voice cracking a bit. "I won't give up on our relationship even if no one approves of."

Why people were against her! She didn't commit a crime or hurt others; she just fell in love with someone who was younger than her. Her eyes stung with unshed tears, and Jiyeon cleared to dislodge the lump of emotion. Yoona caught her in a hug.

"I completely respect your decision," Yoona whispered, her hair. "The love and relationship between two people don't need to be accepted nor understood by anyone but the people in the relationship." 

"Sis, thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot, and I appreciate it." Her voice dropped into a throaty whisper. "I wish my mom would respect the choice I made. She keeps trying to set me up with a therapist whom she thinks can fix me." Jiyeon buried her face against Yoona's shoulder, her body shaking with silent sobs and her tears wetting Yoona's blazer.

Yoona didn't say anything. She just let her silently sob. After a minute or so, the sobbing ceased. Yoona released her from her arms and gently wiped her tear-stained face with her handkerchief.

Jiyeon sniffed and took deep breaths. "Thank you," she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I feel better."

Yoona linked arms with hers. "Who is this student that has captured your heart?" she whispered in her ear.

"He's Jung Jaehyun."

"Which class he is in?"

"IIIA."

"Oh, that pretty boy. He's really good at Chemistry."

They exchanged smiles. Jiyeon felt comfortable sharing her feelings with Yoona, the one whom she considered her own sister. As they walked arm in arm into the entrance door, the first bell signifying the start of the school day rang, clanging and echoing all around. The students rushed into their respective classrooms. Jiyeon went directly to her classroom, while Yoona headed towards the staff room. She was in no mood to confront Mrs. Kim. She absolutely had no interest in her son, who turned out to be a therapist. When she entered the classroom, the whole class was in chaos, students chatting, cracking jokes, some of them sitting on the tables.

"Good morning, class," she greeted as she walked over to her desk.

They ignored her presence. Jiyeon dropped her bag onto the desk, sat down on the chair and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She put her elbow on the desk and cupped her chin in her palm, staring sharply out at the students. A moment later, the noises died off; the students sat neatly in rows, their hands folded in front of them. The sight brought warmth to her. Her face broke into a smile.

She cleared before speaking, "I know it's been a rough week for you guys. So, lucky for you, there'll be no lecture today."   

The class erupted in excited chatter; they high-fived each other. Jiyeon clapped her hands to get their attention. "Let's have fun with numbers."

"Seriously have fun with numbers? Numbers are boring, youngest teacher!" Taeyong complained. Some students nodded in agreement, while other students mumbled.

"I'm going to prove you wrong." Jiyeon sprang to her feet and walked to the blackboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the following number on the board: 12,345,679.

She looked at the whole class and pointed at the numbers she had written on the board, saying, "Does anyone notice something missing here?"  

"The 8 is missing!" everyone shouted, including the mumblers and complainers.

"That's right." Jiyeon leaned against her desk, half-sitting, half-standing and crossed her arms underneath her s. She looked at Taeyong. "Taeyong, come up to the blackboard and select your favorite digit," she instructed.

Groaning, Taeyong rose to his feet and walked to the blackboard. He stood there, scratching his forehead. "My favorite digits are—" He grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote: 5, 3, 7.

"Now, multiply those digits by 9."

Taeyong made the calculations: 5 x 9 = 45        3 x 9 = 27        7 x 9 = 63

Jiyeon smiled. "Then multiply those products by 12,345,679."

Taeyong blew out a loud breath. "Youngest teacher, I'm not a math genius. I need a calculator."

"Taeyong, take this," Eunkyo said, holding up her calculator. Taeyong turned around and approached her. "You're going to be amazed," she added as he grabbed it.

He rolled his eyes at Eunkyo and went back to the blackboard. He began to punch numbers into the calculator and wrote:

45 x 12,345,679 = 555,555,555   27 x 12,345,679 = 333,333,333   63 x 12,345,679 = 777,777,777

The classroom erupted in a cheer of awe. Taeyong kept his eyes glued to the board. "It's so damn amazing. The products consist of a string of 9 of my favorite digits," he said, shaking his head, his tone oozing amazement.

Jiyeon walked over to him and patted his shoulder, saying, "From this you can see how to have some fun with arithmetic."

He leaned closer to her. "How was your date? Did you have fun? Are you going out again?" Taeyong whispered, that familiar teasing note creeping into his voice. "No worries, I won't tell anyone."