Before the principal stood five students. It wasn't an unusual scene- this happened a few times a week. Although with every visit, he wished he could get through to them, their behavior only got worse. The staff was fed up and wished they would be expelled, but the principal wouldn't allow it.

"Why are you here?" He eyed them carefully.

"You already know why," Jian scoffed. 

The principal glared at him. "How about you stop acting so smart, huh?"

Irritated, Taeho spoke up. "We were out eating barbecue."

"That's true, but that's not the answer I'm looking for."

"We were skipping class," said Sang.

"Yes, that's what it was. But not only were you skipping class, but you went off campus without the permisson of a teacher. That's against the rules, isn't it?"

The teacher went to sit at his desk. "I don't appreciate you all breaking the rules. I gave you all the oppurtunity to take classes this summer instead of redoing a whole semester. I don't want to hear any more smart remarks or dumb excuses. Don't play stupid, kids. You're all too smart for that."

In response, he heard a quiet laugh.

"Who was that?" No one answered. "I'm not gonna ask again." Still, no answer. He sighed and shook his head. "Whether or not you're trying to be suspended or expelled, it won't happen. I know you've heard the other teachers talking about it. But I need you guys to polish your behavior, okay? How about you go back to class and do something productive, huh? Now leave, bye."

The five students exited in silence. As soon as they did, the principal called the secretary. "Make sure there is someone watching the gates at all times so that no one leaves unless they have a pass. Thank you." He hung up and returned to his paperwork.

---

 

Sang shook his head and spoke as soon as they were in the hall. "We didn't even get to finish it..."

"It was cooked so perfectly..." Jian closed his eyes, remembering the flavor. "I just needed one more bite, but they came and ruined it!"

"Yah," Taeho walked in front the group to stop them. "What are you guys saying? We just got punished for skipping class, and you are complaining about not finishing the food? We have to get our minds on the right track."

"What does it matter," Ungjae finally spoke. "You were with us, weren't you? Don't act so innocent, like you were 'dragged into this.'"

"I'm not saying that, but we do need to change..."

"Why does it matter to you, huh? All of sudden you care about school just because the principal said something?" He looked at Taeho with cold eyes.

"Hey, Ungjae. You know, Taeho is right. We've gotten into too much trouble, isn't it tiring?" Jeup responded.

"What are you talking about," Jian laughed.

"The principal said that we won't get expelled, anyways. We might as well try while we're here." Jeup looked at all of them, looking for approval.

Ungjae scowled at Jeup and Taeho. "I see how it is. Are the two of you too good for us? All of a sudden, you care about school?" He looked down the hall with a chuckle. "Fine then. We don't need you." He continued to walk.

Jeup shook his head. "That's not what I mean, ."

The group continued to walk, but instead of going to class, they walked into a bathroom instead. It was for no reason to all, but to pass time.

Jian and Sang washed their hands, Jeup washed his face, as the rest stood quietly.

"I hate it here. I'm tired of this place." Sang looked at himself in the mirror. "But I don't want to go home either. Everyone hates me there too. I just want to go somewhere else..."

Suddenly, they heard a flush from one of the stalls, which startled them. The student opened the door and walked over to a sink, not acknowledging the other students there.

"Yah," Ungjae called. He wouldn't answer. "Yah, what's your name... uh, what's this boy's name?" He looked at Jian. The boy still wouldn't respond as he dried his hands and walked towards the door to leave. Jian grabbed his arm.

"Yah, what's your name?"

"Jinwoo, why?" He glared at Jian.

"Don't you see us talking to you? We're your seniors, you should respect that."

He laughed and shook Jian's hand from his arm. "You're not my seniors, we're in the same grade."

"Even so," Ungjae walked towards him. "You're new here, so you should still respect us. You hang out with the little kids anyways, so what does it matter if you're in the same grade, huh?"

Jinwoo looked at the five cooly and shook his head. "What is it that you want?" He smirked. "I have a class I need to attend."

At that moment, one of the TMRA's (tutor/mentor resident assistant walked in.

"Jun Yong," Jinwoo faced him and bowed. Taeho and Jeup slightly nodded at him, but the rest of them just stared at him.

"Aren't you all supposed to be in class right now?"

"I was just leaving," Jinwoo bowed again and walked out, again ignoring all the others. The rest of them followed. Except Ungjae.

"Don't you have class, too?" Jun Yong walked over to the defiant student.

He laughed. "I have no interest in going to class."

Jun Yong didn't have any patience for this kind of behavior. "I don't care what you want to do, just stay out of my sight, please."

Ungjae looked at his TMRA. He was only a college student, but as far as he was concerned, besides the principal and a few of the teachers, this person was one of the oldest people at the school the whole summer, and he should pay him respect. Not that he was into that kind of thing. Still, he walked away as he was told, and went to his class. It didn't matter, anyways. The class was over in a few minutes and it would be time to go to PE.

---

 

Everyone met in the field, waiting for Jihun to come out. Ungjae sat alone in the middle, feeling the sun on his back, then laid down and closed his eyes, soaking up the heat on his face.

"Yah." It was Jian, who had come and sat next to him.

"Hmm?" Ungjae opened his eyes and looked at his friend.

"Are you okay?" Jian gave him a comforting smile. "You seem upset today."

Ungjae smiled back and shook his head. "It's just the same as yesterday, and everyday." He closed his eyes again. "I just want to leave already. I'm tired of being here."

"Hmm..." Jian agreed. He laid on his stomach next to his friend. After a silence, he said, "I want to do something, but I feel like everything is holding me back..."

"What do you mean by that?" Ungjae asked sleepily, but before he could get a response, there was a call for them to all gather.

Jihun stood happily before the students in front of him. "How is everyone today? We're going to have a lot of fun today, since we will be playing everyone's favorite sport: soccer!"

Ungjae rolled his eyes. He didn't even like sports or exercise, for that matter, so he didn't care for anything. However, a few of the other students were bothering him. They were a little too excited, annoying him. One of those people were his friend Jian, who seemed to favor Jihun over any other counselor, but the others were a couple of Jinwoo's friends, Kim Myung Jun and Moon Bin.

Ungjae grumbled. He couldn't get too upset though, even if Jian was being such a nuisance, because he didn't want to spoil his fun.

"Calm down, dude, it's just soccer..."

"I love soccer, I'm so excited! This is gonna be so fun! How are doing teams?"

Ungjae shook his head.

"You all can choose the teams yourselves, but do it quickly while I set up the props."

Naturally, everyone broke up naturally by their friend groups. There was one student, Heejae, who hadn't really known anyone well in this particular class well enough (it ad only been a couple of weeks) and found himself stuck with the group of five, as Jinwoo's team already had six members.

Heejae stood a distance from them, though.

"What's his problem?" Jeup glanced at their teammate, who avoided them.

"He's got some problem with me," Ungjae chuckled. "Unfortunate he has to be on our team, he can't even get the courage to talk to us."

"Well, we have to play together..." Taeho walked over to the quiet student to talk to him.

Ungjae rolled his eyes. "Oh my god, I've had enough of him trying to fix my relationships with people. I don't care if Heejae hates me, it's not like I want to be his friend. We don't have to talk to play on the same team, anyways."

Jian rested his hand on Ungjae's shoulder. "Dude, are you sure you're okay today?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I'm just tired," Ungjae shrugged so that Jian would let go. He looked at Taeho and Heejae, who were having a conversation. Suddenly, it was time to play, so everyone gathered around. It was decided unanimously that Heejae would be the goalie, and the other teams goalie would be Yoon Sanha, the youngest student attending school that summer.

It didn't matter to Ungjae that he didn't like the class once the game started. He became very competitive at that point.

The game wasn't very fun for anyone else, but particularly for Bin and MJ, as Myung Jun was called. It was hell. It wasn't just because their team was losing...

"Yah, can't you play a simple game?" Ungjae would scream right before stealing the ball. Sometimes he would even trip them. Jian did so too, he took the game very serious.

At some point, Heejae had enough. "Yah, stop! Time out! This isn't soccer, this is a war!"

"Isn't that what soccer is?" Jian looked at him coldly. "Go back to the goal so we can keep playing."

Heejae shook his head and headed over to the other team to ask about their condition.

"If he wanted to play with them, he should have just joined their team..." Sang complained.

"He has a soft spot for those idiots..tsk." Ungjae picked up the ball and threw it at the group, who scattered.

"Yah, what is it about them you hate so much?" Taeho asked.

"Their optimism. It makes me sick. I'm leaving."

"Class isn't over yet," Jeup called.

Unjae walked on anyway. "Do you think I care?"

"Hey! Na Ungjae!"

This time, he did turn around. It was Heejae, who was quickly approaching him. Ungjae laughed. "What is this? You come to lecture me?"

Heejae glared at him. "They said it's not a big deal, but I think you should still apologize to the other team."

Ungjae scoffed. "For what? It's just a little competitiong. Besides, they need to feel a little pain, they're too soft."

Heejae's mood didn't waiver. "You need to learn the difference between competition and bullying, in that case, because what you and your friend was doing was uncalled for."

"Who the hell do you think you are? My mother? Since when did you become my authority?" Ungjae looked at the boy before him curiously.

"Obviously, authority makes no difference to you. You have a lack of respect for people, and it's not any good for anyone." Heejae responded.

"I don't care. I do what I want. I don't like being lectured, and I don't like talking to people like you, I'm leaving now." He turned around and continued to walk away.

"Tsk." Heejae shook his head. I'm not going to spend the rest of my summer with someone like this."