"Don't listen to that recalcitrant student! He likes teasing you!" Baekwoon's voice thundered in her ears. Jiyeon instinctively put her hand on her chest as if she could keep her heart from leaping out. Breathe. She inhaled, slow and deep, shaking her head as she tried to focus on her breathing. She'd thought the voice had disappeared from her life. It turned out she was wrong.  

Sounding frustrated, the voice dropped its volume, "Jaehyun is a playboy. He's playing you. He never loves you. He thinks dating a teacher is so cool. He's rich, and like most rich folks he's used to getting anything he wants. He'll use you up, and when he's finished getting all the goody, he'll throw you like a piece of cheap trash. You better forget him."

"He'll use me up? For what? Improving his grades? Jaehyun is different from others. He doesn't care about grades. He knows what school's purpose is. I'm the only reason he's still attending school. I don't care what you think about him. I wish you would just disappear." The words just flowed effortlessly from .

Clusters of whispers erupted throughout the class, while Taeyong stared at her, dumbfounded.

"They're involved with each other."     "They're both so shameless."     "How daring. He's going out with her."     "For real?"     "Unbelievable."                

Jiyeon could feel her students' judgmental stares and did not like it one bit. She felt anger boil up inexplicably inside her. First, Baekwoon accused her of being "immoral", and her mother forced her to get engaged to a therapist, now her students were judging her like she was committing a deadly crime.

Frustrated, she took a long wooden ruler from beside the blackboard and smacked it hard across the board, making them lapse into silence. Gripping her shirt collar, Jiyeon growled, "Taeyong is right! This shirt isn't Jaehyun's but his sister's! I spent the night at his place!"

The students remained silent and lowered their heads. The atmosphere became tense and awkward. Jiyeon drew in a deep breath trying to control her anger, then went on, "I'm in love with Jung Jaehyun. I love him dearly with all my heart. Loving someone isn't a crime, and it doesn't bring harm to others."

Eunkyo's seatmate raised her head and looked at Jiyeon as she spoke, "I agree, loving someone is not a crime, but you are a teacher, and Jaehyun is your student. You have control on his grades. You can decide to give him an A without doing any work whatsoever. It's unfair for us who work hard."  

"It's completely unethical as a teacher's job is to educate your students, not to date them," Eunkyo chimed in. "Isn't it?"

The silence broke into whispers as other students agreed with Eunkyo and her seatmate, which Taeyong silenced by banging his fists on the table. "Enough, guys! Just to let you know, Jaehyun doesn't give a about school. He is a self-learner. He doesn't need school to educate himself. He believes nature is his greatest teacher." Taeyong rose to his feet, and his eyes roamed around the classroom as he added, "Teachers are just human beings. They can really fall in love with their students. The 18 year old can do whatever they want. Love is love, and if you truly love someone, why would you allow society to dictate to you how you can love that person?"

Taeyong sat back down. His words were like fresh air, which cooled her boiling blood. A small smile emerged on her lips. She put the ruler on the table and sat down on the chair.

"I understand why you guys care so much about grades, which to me it's meaningless. Your grades are based on your test scores, papers, and projects, which are based on how well you apply information that was handed to you. For at least twelve years, you're trained to regurgitate and apply information that's pre-packaged for you but never trained to find that information on your own," Jiyeon said, her sharp eyes scanning the faces of the students. "You know what school doesn't teach you is how to think different. It teaches you the same thing it taught thousands of others which would be considered brainwashing. I encourage you to try checking things out for yourself, and you will find out almost all you learned in school isn't true. And you don't have to worry, I won't give the person I love something meaningless such as an A grade."

Silence blanketed the classroom again. The students looked serious as if they were pondering her words. 

"Our youngest teacher is right. A lot of things taught in school are untrue. One of the things I've proven false is looking directly into the sun damages the eyes and makes you go blind. I've looked directly into the sun, and my eyesight is still crystal clear. The sun is not what we've been told," Taeyong spoke breaking the long silence that had lingered between them. "I realized I'd been institutionally brainwashed to reject ideas I was not taught in school, and was brainwashed to ridicule and ostracize those who thought different."  

Jihoon threw Taeyong a sharp look over his shoulder. "Lee Taeyong, you sound like a conspiracy nut," he said, sounding upset. "Don't spread misinformation. There are a lot of scientific studies showing harmful effects of staring directly at the sun." 

He burst out laughing, clapping his hands together. "It's so funny. I used to react the way you do, Song Jihoon. You've just shown how brainwashed you are," Taeyong remarked once his laughter subsided. "Looking directly into the sun will make you go blind is one of the biggest lies have ever told. I don't give a about those so-called scientific studies. I have exercised the scientific method on myself and only myself. There is nothing more valuable than personal experience. Just like our youngest teacher said, try checking things out for yourself. Don't just believe what so-called experts say."  

"Yongyong, you've looked directly at the sun, seriously? How long did you look at it?" Eunkyo asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

Immediately, other students added, the same curiosity lacing their voices:

"Does it hurt your eyes?"     "Have you checked your eyes?"     "Can you―"

A knock on the door brought silence to the classroom, and the door opened. What brought her here? Jiyeon watched as Yoona walked over to her with a serious look her face. She bent down to her ear and whispered, "Principal Han wants to see you in her office right now."

Get ready, Jiyeon! Principal Han is going to interrogate you! She took a deep breath and announced, "Everyone, you can learn on your own."

The students looked quizzically at each other then back at Jiyeon. She exhaled a long deep breath before standing.

"Where are you going, Teacher Park?" Eunkyo asked as Jiyeon took her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"The principal office," she answered with a faint smile. As Jiyeon and Yoona walked out of the classroom, the students erupted in loud chatter.

"She is in deep trouble."     "She's going to lose her job."      "Gosh, she's so cool. She confidently expressed her love in front of us."     

"Cool your . She's immoral. She seduces her student."    

"You're right. She shouldn't be working in the education field at all."    

"Move on, girl. Don't be jealous . I know you like Jaehyun."

Yoona took Jiyeon's hand and squeezed it as she spoke in a whisper, "One of your students has recorded your love confession and sent it to Mrs. Kim. You really shouldn't have told the whole class that you love him. You put your career in jeopardy, Jiyeon."

Jiyeon jerked her head to the side and gave Yoona a curious look. "You know who the student is?"

"Song Jihoon, Mrs. Kim's cousin."

"Song Jihoon is Mrs. Kim's cousin?" Jiyeon let out a scoff. She wondered what she had ever done to him to have him damage her bike tire and record her confession. He seemed to despise her so much.  

They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the shout.

"Stop your psychobabble!"

"Jaehyun?" Yoona questioned.

Without thinking, Jiyeon quickly ran to the counseling office where the shout came. She put her hand on the door handle to pull it open, but then she just stood there motionless, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.

"Calm down and sit back down, Jaehyun."

"I don't need your psychobabble crap. I quit school. I'm no longer her student. The problem is solved."

"Listen. Don't go making any rash decisions, okay?"

There was a short pause before the counselor continued, "School is very important. It is the foundation of your future―"

"School is to teach you how to fall in line and not question authority. It has always been intentioned as a means of promoting obedience and conformity and to stifle individuality and originality―meant to ensure the rabble to be compliant with rich man's agenda. To put it simply, schools are indoctrination camps."

"You're depressed."

Jaehyun laughed. "I'm depressed because I have a different view on schools, or I have a shortage of serotonin? Do you want to put me on antidepressants? But before you put me on those drugs which will turn me into a numb lifeless zombie, I want the proof that I have a chemical imbalance. Doctor, no field has been able to determine what a "normal" brain is supposed to look like."

"Listen, Jung Jaehyun." The counselor sounded angry. "You're not only depressed, you also suffer from ODD. You―"

"You proved me right, Doctor. Authority found a sophisticated way to 'disipline and punish'. The resiliency at pursuing nonconformity and the will of expressing one's own subjectivity as freethinkers are pigeonholed into a category of special mental illness such as the oppositional defiant disorder, ODD. Psychiatry is a weapon of social control. Let me be clear, Teacher Park is the only reason I still attend school, and my decision to quit school isn't a rash decision. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made."  

Jiyeon ducked her head down as guilt tugged at the pit of her stomach. Jaehyun decided to drop out of school and was labeled mentally ill. This whole thing wouldn't have happened if she did not insist to go to school together.

"No, Jiyeon. Don't blame yourself. You just witnessed how authority used psychiatry to punish those who refused to embrace consensus reality. Jaeyhun decided to drop out of school because he's a free thinker. He refuses to be indoctrinated. You never asked him to quit school," she mumbled under her breath. She nodded at her own words, then inhaled deeply. As she expelled the breath slowly and calmly, guilt melted away. She felt so much better.  

Yoona put her arm around her shoulder and whispered, "I now understand why you love him so much. Let's go, Principal Han is waiting."

Jiyeon nodded, and they continued on their way. Yoona squeezed her arm lightly as they entered the staff room. Yoona headed to her desk while Jiyeon headed to the principal office. She in a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," the Principal said.

Jiyeon opened the door and stepped in, leaving the door open. Principal Han gestured for her to sit on the chair in front of her. She slightly bowed before she sat down. Principal Han looked disappointed as she grabbed her phone off of the table and fiddled with the touch screen. Immediately, Jiyeon's recorded voice came out of the phone. Jiyeon found her angry voice a bit scary. When the recorded voice ended, she couldn't help but smile inwardly. She didn't feel ashamed to admit that she loved Jaehyun in front of the class; on the contrary, she felt relieved. She didn't have to act like nothing happened between them any longer.

Principal Han put the phone back on the table and looked at her sharply. "What kind of teacher are you, expressing your love for your student in front of the whole class?" she asked, a hint of anger lacing her tone.

Jiyeon held her gaze as she answered, "I'm an honest teacher."

Principal Han exhaled loudly, then leaned forward, her fingers clasped together. She looked at Jiyeon with unwavering eyes. "Listen, teacher Park. I know you're still young, but a romantic relationship with a student is highly unethical. The student needs to finish their studies first. As teachers, we should not become obstacles to their study journey. We should be a role model to our students. We hold a public trust.  We are trusted by parents to do no harm to their children, to uphold a certain degree of morality. Dating a student violates their trust in a heinous way."

"I do no harm to Jaehyun. I love him, and he loves me too. We did nothing wrong, we just love each other," Jiyeon countered, keeping her gaze on her. "I'm not an obstacle but a supporter to his learning journey."

Her face grew flushed, and her lips grew tight, and Jiyeon saw the anger dancing in her eyes. Principal Han slammed her hand down on the table, raising her voice a notch. "Is that what you're really thinking?"

Jiyeon flinched a little. Principal Han reminded her of her mother when she got angry. She took deep breaths through her nose, feeling her abdomen rise and fall. Calming. "Yes," she answered, her voice dripping with innocence. "Love does not break the law―"

"Cut the crap!" Principal Han raised her voice another notch. She inhaled deeply before adding firmly, "We'll have no choice but to severely punish you."

"Does that mean I'll get disciplinary dismissal?" Jiyeon questioned. A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in, Dr. Seo," Principal Han called.

Dr. Seo walked over to her and sat down on the chair beside Jiyeon. He stared at her, but Jiyeon didn't flinch under his judgmental gaze. She stared back at him, and he shifted his gaze to Principal Han.

"Principal Han, this is Jung Jaehyun's counseling report." Dr. Seo handed her a folder, which she took it.

Principal Han looked at Jiyeon and said, "For the time being, go home today."

"I―"

"Go home today," Principal Han repeated, emphasizing each word.

Jiyeon gritted her teeth angrily, trying to restrain her temper. She rose to her feet and walked out of the principal office and into the staff room. It was quiet. There was only Mrs. Kim standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame like she was waiting for her. She blew out a silent sigh before striding forward. She stopped in front of her just to give her a polite bow, then continued walking. She was in no mood to say anything.

Mrs. Kim overtook her before she had taken four steps. Her hand caught her wrist, whirled her around so that Jiyeon faced her. She looked her in the eye. "Is this why you never attended the arranged meetings?" she asked through clenched teeth.

She looked her back in the eye. "Yes," Jiyeon countered. "Could you please stop trying to matchmake your son with me? I have no interest in him."

"Jaehyun is your student." Mrs. Kim squeezed her upper arm. "It's morally equivalent to , seducing a student."

Jiyeon let out a short burst of indignant laughter. She was so sick of being accused of seducing him. "Yes, I did seduce him." The words were intended as a declaration. "I don't care what society thinks about me and our relationship. I'm not going to live my life the way society wants me."

Her piercing stare fixed on Mrs. Kim's face, Jiyeon released her hand from her arm. Mrs. Kim made no response. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, her eyes narrowed. No doubt, she was angry, but Jiyeon didn't care. She turned around and continued her way down the corridors towards the entrance. She wondered what made Mrs. Kim want to matchmake her son with her. She hoped her declaration would make Mrs. Kim change her mind and cancel her intention. She'd rather die than marry a therapist.

Blowing out a short, peeved breath, Jiyeon walked out of the entrance, heading towards the school gate. As she approached the gate, the security guard opened it. She bowed towards him as she stepped out. A wave of happiness washed over her as she saw him. Jaehyun was standing, leaning against the wall near the gate. He had his eyes fixed on the sky.

A smile emerged on her face. "What are you doing here?" Jiyeon walked over to him.

Jaehyun shifted his gaze to her and smiled charmingly, crinkling his eyes, showing off his dimples. His smile sent a wave of sizzling warmth shimmering over her skin.

"I'm waiting for you." Jaehyun took her hands and held them warmly. His expression turned serious as he added, "I've listened to the recorded voice. Do you regret it?"

"Regret? Why should I regret it?"

"You got fired―"

"They haven't fired me yet. I'm punished severely, and I don't regret it," Jiyeon interjected. She hugged him and continued in a soft whisper, "I'm sorry, Jaehyun. Because of my selfishness and stubbornness, you're labeled mentally ill. I'm really sor―"

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," Jaehyun cut her off. He caressed her hair tenderly. "I'm happy you didn't deny our relationship."

"If he truly loves you and genuinely cares about you, he wouldn't date you in the first place. He knew it would ruin your carrier. He's a playboy. He's playing you, silly girl," Baekwoon's voice rang in her ears, sounding angry and desperate. Jiyeon closed her eyes, trying to shake it off.

Jaehyun gently released her from his embrace and said, "Let's go."

Nodding, Jiyeon took his hand and interlocked their fingers as they walked down the sidewalks in silence. They kept stealing glances at each other. Smiles never left their faces. The warm, cozy feeling of walking hand in hand with the love of her life made her want to get even closer to him.

"We're free now!" Jiyeon ran towards a nearby park, pulling Jaehyun along. A surprised laugh escaped his lips.

The park was really quiet. They exchanged looks, meaningful chuckles before dropping their bags into the grass. Jaehyun lay down next to their bags while Jiyeon remained standing, looking directly at the sun. Her eyelids squeezed together until they adjusted to its bright light, and she could see the sun's white disk sending rays in every direction and slowly turn black. With her arms spread out like wings, she watched as the circles of energy radiated outward from the sun's black disk. She smiled, enjoying the caress of the sun's heat on her face and the bubbling sensation inside her belly. The pleasantly humid air had the texture of silk gliding across her cheeks. She felt all her problems melt away.

"Have you opened it yet?" Jaehyun asked, breaking the silence.

"Opened what?"

"The photo album from Teacher Im's fiancé."

She shifted her gaze from the sun to him. "I forgot about it." Jiyeon chuckled slightly. "It's still in my bag."

Jaehyun pulled himself into a sitting position. "Mr. Kim said Baekwoon had always looked at that photo album before sleep―" He bit his lower lip, and then hesitated, "Let's open it. I'm curious."