Dawn broke over Saint Blossoms, and Yong Hwa woke up feeling much better.  He didn’t know why Shin Hye didn’t remember anything from her dark past, or why she didn’t hate him with every fibre of her being, but from the moment she had reacted to the lullaby, he was certain that she was the same girl.

It was good to finally know who she was.  It meant no more fear and uncertainty, and that he could make it up to her.  As her teacher, he would make every effort to make sure that she did well in the world.  Shin Hye would be happy at St Blossoms, and then he’d make sure that Seung Gi would do the same for her all the days after that.

He got up and pried open the small window in his room.  He hadn’t touched it since he’d first moved in to the Hibari dorm, and now it protested noisily as he shoved it open.  For the first time in a long time, he was able to enjoy the fresh air of the day without feeling like he didn’t deserve it.  Some of the burden he’d been carrying was gone from his shoulders, and he could really feel the difference.

Somehow, he’d been given a second chance to help her, and he was going to make the most of it.

He pulled on a fresh shirt, grabbed his lesson notes that he’d made the night before, and strode out into the Hibari dorm in search of breakfast.  He helped himself from the hot buffet and then went to sit in his usual place away from the students.

“Teacher Jung!”  Teacher Lee Jung Shin sat down opposite him with his lesson plans.  It was meeting day.  They were held once a week in the Hibari dorm.  Everyone knew that if the teachers held it anywhere else, Yong Hwa wouldn’t bother to turn up.

Even though he was in a good mood, Teacher Jung frowned.  He’d forgotten all about the meeting because of the things that had happened during the past twenty-four hours.

“Listen.  I heard that Jong Hyun is planning to have a go at me about my counselling methods again.  Take my side, okay?”

“Why?”  Teacher Jung scan-read his lesson plan and wondered how he could make it more interesting than usual.  He smiled to himself.  He hadn’t worried about that...ever.

“What do you mean, why?  You don’t care, anyway.  So take my side.  You owe me!”

“For what?  I don’t remember you doing me any favours.”

“I’m helping you with your Shin Hye problem.  Everyone says that she is a troublemaker, but I’m the one that sits her down and teaches her how to express herself properly with Lee Seung Gi.”

“Tch.  Why doesn’t anyone call Seung Gi the troublemaker?”

“What are we talking about?” asked Coach Lee Jong Hyun.  “Morning Teacher Jung!  The buffet here is always so good.  I never let the Jocks have white rice unless it’s in a dessert.  Brown rice is better for them.”

Jung Shin rolled his eyes and flipped his hair out of his face.  “Show off.”

“What?”

“Huh?  Nothing.  Teacher Jung and I were just talking about Shin Hye.”

“Ah, that troublemaker with the great swinging arm.  I want her for the baseball team.  Speak of the devil!”

Jong Hyun nodded in the direction of the buffet.  The other two looked over their shoulders at Shin Hye.  Her chin was scrunched up in determination as she steered Hibari towards the buffet.  Min Hyuk (the strange kid seemed to have developed a huge for hair clips) appeared behind them and helped them pile up their plates so high that they looked like they were going to have a landslide of rice at any moment.

Yong Hwa saw the dark circles under both Shin Hye’s and Hibari’s eyes, and resolved to take it easy on them during the day.  He made a note of it on the paper in front of him.  His temper and his short-term memory were never reliable when his insomnia played up.

“Good morning, Hibari dorm!” announced Lee Seung Gi.

A ripple of squeals and chatter broke out near the main entrance of the mess hall.  Yong Hwa tilted his chair backwards and shot the kid an annoyed glare.  He wasn’t in the mood for any trouble.

The Seoul High student pretended not to see Yong Hwa, and adjusted the cufflinks on his shirt sleeves (What kind of kid wore silver cufflinks to school – yeeesh!).  His eyes alighted on Shin Hye, and the kid’s face dimpled up like it was Christmas and he’d found his present.

The girls squealed as he walked to the centre of the room and made a sweeping bow to them all.

“I thought the news yesterday might have beaten you down,” said Seung Gi.  “So early this morning, the boys of Seoul High made you each a packed lunch to brighten your day.  We wanted to show that we are grateful to you for your daily support, and we hope that you will keep on cheering for us, because we need you more than you need us.”

With a click of his fingers, the other male students of Seoul High appeared behind him.  The boys who were usually cheered on every morning by the Hibari girls were now coming to them with armfuls of white cardboard lunch boxes.  They handed the boxes to the girls with a bow.  It was clear that most of the girls had never dreamed such a thing would happen in their lives.

Seung Gi observed the upheaval and excitement in the room with a smug grin, and then snatched up one box for himself from one of his friends.  He made a beeline for Shin Hye, but she did not look pleased at all by being singled out by him.

“Fifty thousand won on her beating him up again,” said Jong Hyun in between mouthfuls of white rice.

“You’re on!” said Jung Shin.  “I spent a long time educating her on correct social behaviour yesterday.  She’s going to do the right thing this time, I know it!  What about you Teacher Jung?  Want to bet?”

Yong Hwa leaned on the back legs of his chair and kept his eyes glued on Shin Hye.  “I don’t care.”