“Everyone please form a line outside the classroom.” Minah announced, as chaos reigned over her classroom in the children’s attempts to get in line. Arranging the books on her table, Minah sighed, this was the time she would get her coffee break between classes but here she was accompanying her class to the dance room where Kim Jongin would be standing and waiting for their arrival.

How much she craved her caffeine at that point.

Hushing her class, she led the way to the dance room. The excitement was rather palpable with her students. She had a strong feeling she would regret pushing the door open, but this was her job and no amount of heartbreak from the past would stop her from being the professional that she was. It was her students who came first after all.

“Okay, I hope everyone will listen to Mr Kim and not give him any trouble. Most importantly, I want all of you to enjoy the class okay?” she smiled at the faces that peered back at her with wide eyes as they nodded to her.

“Will you leave us?” Hyunsik, one of the students standing up front, piped up looking a little nervous. Minah knew that Hyunsik wasn’t very comfortable in new surroundings as was the case with several other of the students in her class.

“Of course not. I’ll be there the whole time!” she beamed sensing there was a wave of ease that took over the class “now let's not crowd the corridor and go in.” she said, taking a deep breath before turning around to push the door open. She tried to avoid Jongin’s gazed which automatically fixed itself on her before looking straight up to him and bow in formal greeting.

“Class, this is Mr Kim Jongin. He will be teaching you dance. Please treat him well and don’t give him too much trouble.” she said, before taking a seat in one of the seats on the side of the dance classroom, not giving him a chance to say anything more.

“Actually Minah..”

“Miss Kim.” Minah retorted, her lips set in a firm line. Jongin was taken aback.

“I would need you to help demonstrate some of the movements.” he said, trying to pretend what she said had not affected him.

“I beg your pardon?” she quirked her eyebrow.

“Yes, some of them are movements which require balance. It would be nice to have another pair of hands to ensure that the children don’t get hurt.”

He watched as Minah pursed her lips thoughtfully, if it was for her class, she wouldn’t mind. She stood up and looked up at him. He hadn’t bothered moving back to make space for her, choosing to stand closer to her instead. The proximity had their breaths mingling and Jongin looked down at her with half lidded eyes.

Only to have her glare and brush past him before standing and walking to the back of the class. He sighed, heading to the front of the class and looked at them with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Mr Kim Jongin. I will be teaching you dance, so let’s all have some fun!” he clapped as the class looked at him warily “we’ll be doing some awesome stuff today so everyone get into pairs!”

Minah watched as the class broke out into chaos and tried to hold back a laugh as Jongin’s eyes widened trying to figure out how to control the classroom. Minah cleared before smiling smugly at Jongin. The look of panic filled his eyes as he watched the students now fighting each other to figure out their pairs.

“Children.” her voice was clear and firm causing a silence to fill the room “it won’t be any fun if you cause trouble. So we’ll play a game. You can all run around now. Every time I call out a number you must form a group of that number okay?”

“Okay Miss Kim!” was the response and after two rounds of the game, the pairs were formed.  Jongin watched in awe as Minah very calmly got her class into the pairs and a silence punctuated with giggles from some of the students in the class.

“All yours Mr. Kim.” Minah’s voice broke his reverie as she walked towards the window and gazed out of it. He quickly turned his attention the class and realized it was time to get to his job. Maybe he wasn’t really cut out to teach elementary school children. His classes with the students from middle school had gone by easily and he knew he would face problems with the elementary school children, which was why he had specifically asked for the class teachers to join him. THe added bonus was Minah’s entry into the room.

Minah watched in silence as Jongin went about the class. Now that there was some order, things went about largely smoothly. Minah wasn't entirely needed for the rest of the class and she chose to gaze out of the window, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Some of the songs Jongin had picked out were familiar, reminding her of all the dance performances she had seen him put up in college and all the madness that ensued. Jongin could see a smile grace her lips, it was one of nostalgia, he knew, she always had that smile when she was talking about the past or thinking about it. He could feel a sense of longing to go back to that tugging at his gut.

So when the class did end, he approached her as she held the door open for her students to file out. It was nearly the end of the school day and they would have to go back and pack up to leave.

“Hey,” he said as she looked up at him with her eyebrow raised “I wanted to thank you…”

“I was supposed to come to ensure there was no chaos…”

“Miss Kim?” another voice piped up as Minah looked down to see Shuang standing there with a smile.

“Yes Shuang?” Minah’s attention was immediately diverted to her student.

“Baba said he was coming to pick me up. But I’m scared he might be late.” Shuang looked down. Minah looked at Jongin and sighed.

“I came because I had to.” she said, and turned to Shuang “I’ll wait with you! So don’t worry!” she said making Shuang smile back at her. Minah shut the door behind her and followed Shuang to their classroom.

“Alright everyone pack up and clear up! Time to go home! Everyone did well today!” Minah called out to the class as they began packing up quickly before hurrying out of class. Shuang waited in silence as Minah cleared up the classroom of whatever her students hadn’t. Shuang got off her seat to help Minah out and received a smile in return.

“Shuang?” Yixing’s voice filled the now silent classroom.

“Baba!” Shuang’s face lit up as she rushed out of the classroom to join her father. Minah dusted her hands and followed her. Yixing wasn’t really late per say, just about fifteen minutes later than the usual time school ended.

“Mr Zhang, good to see you here.” Minah smiled at Yixing who was holding a kit bag in one hand and Shuang’s hand in the other.

“Oh hello! Did you wait with Shuang? I got off work a little late, there was some issues with the choreographies.”

Minah quirked her eyebrow “you dance?”

“I am a choreographer at SM Entertainment.”he smiled sheepishly.

“That’s fascinating. Shuang had her first dance class today. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it,” Minah replied with a grin as Shuang nodded “but I must get going. I need to pack some stuff up in the teacher’s lounge and head back.”

“Let’s wait for Miss Kim Baba, she waited with me for you!” Shuang piped up as Yixing looked at his daughter approvingly.

“Of course. If you don’t mind us.” Yixing beamed at Minah who was a little taken aback.

“Uh, we’re all heading back in the same direction. I don’t see why not.” she replied “Do excuse me, I will be back in a few moments.”Minah hurried down the corridor to the teacher’s lounge and pushed the door open.

“

Minah!” Jongin’s voice was breathless as he ran into the room behind her.

“I have a student waiting for me. So whatever you have to say has to wait.”

“Can we just go back to what it was? Before things went wrong?” He said, his statement followed with silence as Minah gaped at him.

“Mr Kim…”

“Jongin. I’m your idiot Jongin.” he said desperate to bring back some semblance of familiarity.

“In cases like this, I think it is wise to maintain professionalism. So no. Unless it’s an entire memory wipe, we cannot go back to the way it was or to start over. Please, leave me alone.” Minah said,ing her books into her bag and hurrying past him back into the corridors that lead to her classroom. Jongin whirled, trying to follow her with entreaties, but realized that there was a man and child that Minah had called Shuang waiting for her outside her classroom.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” she said as the man shook his head and Shuang giggled and yelled.

“Let’s go home!

As you can see, I am writing rubbish again. I'm not entirely sure as to where this is going honestly. But I'll keep trying!

- Ryukai