“So are you going to tell me what I did wrong?” asked Seung Gi.

He and Teacher Jung were relaxing in two sick bay cots near the window.  They had both been pronounced fit and healthy by the nurse a long time ago, but their wounded pride still needed a chance to mend before they returned to their classes.

“You know what you did wrong,” muttered Yong Hwa.

“I was messing around when I said those things to you.  Of course, I don’t want you to die.  Besides, we both know that I’ve said worse things to you than that.”

The elder rolled his eyes.  “I’m not talking about that.  I’m talking about what you did to Shin Hye.  I saw you hold her against her will.  What was that about?”

“I what?  Aaaaaah that!  Is that why you fell back in your chair?”  Seung Gi laughed.  “Hyung, no!  That was nothing.  What you saw was a very mild form of flirting.  Snow White didn’t mind at all.”

“Shut up!” fired Teacher Jung.  “Who taught you to treat girls like that?  Huh?  Don’t ever touch her like that again unless she says that it’s okay in full sentences.  Holding her in public makes people think badly of her when they should be thinking worse of you, and she’s having a hard enough time after that dumb stunt you pulled yesterday.  She got no sleep last night because she was babysitting Hibari...of all people!  Then you come in this morning and make more trouble for her.  No!  Shut your mouth!  Don’t give me excuses!  Just never let me see you treat Shin Hye like that again!”

Forbidden to speak, and shocked by his teacher’s tirade, Seung Gi nodded.

Yong Hwa sighed and flopped back down on his cot pillow.  “Get me some water.  I have to try and make the second morning class.”

Erika closed her pencil case with a snap.  “Did you hear those strange noises last night?  I think the Hibari Ghost is back to haunt us.”

The students muttered in agreement.

“Who is the Hibari Ghost?” questioned Min Hyuk.

It was the start of the second morning lesson, and the girls were sitting at their desks, waiting for a substitute teacher to arrive and take over Teacher Jung’s class.  The broken window was letting the summer breeze in, and the girls enjoyed the fresh air while they passed the time.

“The Hibari Ghost is Teacher Jung’s dead girlfriend,” yawned an older student.  “My Unni says that she only started haunting us when he arrived.”

“Why does she always have to play on that old piano?” complained another girl.  “Why can’t she just go haunt Teacher Jung in the staff quarters and leave the rest of us alone?”

“Maybe she and Teacher Jung aren’t that close.”

The students giggled.

“That’s enough of the time-wasting talk,” interrupted Teacher Jung, bursting through the doors and scaring them all to death.  “You have work to do.”

The students recovered one by one, and the text books were opened to chapter two by the time he put his notes down on the desk and turned to face them.

“Teacher Jung!  Are you better?  We weren’t expecting to see you for the rest of the day,” Hibari wondered out loud.  She was still looking puffy from her night of crying.

“Sorry to disappoint.  Put your books to one side for now.  I’ve got an assignment for you.”

Min Hyuk groaned...and then closed his mouth when he saw the teacher glaring at him.

Yong Hwa continued: “A lot of annoying things have happened since the first day of term, and I think it’s time to give you girls some inspiration.  It’s also time to give you all a chance to develop your own moral compass that will guide you during your studies for this year.”

Students exchanged looks with their friends while he handed out the criteria sheets.

“You have to tell me who you’re music idol is, what their skills are, how they developed them, and why they inspire you to learn music.  It can be presented in any media format that you want.  The more creative, the better.  You have one week to complete it.  If you want to go to the library now, you can.”

The students were quiet for a long moment, and then they exploded into a hub of excited chatter.  Idol names were tossed around the room like Shin Hye’s rejected apple.

At one point, Min Hyuk put up his hand.  “If we have the same idol, can we work on the project in a group?”

The teacher nodded.  “Sure.”

The students conversed at the tops of their voices as they packed up their things and filed out of the room to go to the library.

“A word about your detention before you go, Shin Hye?” Yong Hwa added in a low voice.

Shin Hye bowed slightly and waited while the room emptied.  Teacher Jung shut the door after the last girl and then stuck his hands in his pockets.

“You’re not getting expelled.”

Shin Hye almost dropped her books in relief.  “Thank you!”

“Coach Lee wants to put you through his boot camp training.  It will run from five to seven every morning, and four to six in the afternoon.  He thinks that he can break you down and train you up to be a better person.  Can you handle it?”

“I’m unfit at the moment, but I watched Samurai High School.  I think I can handle it.  Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, and I’m not doing this to thank you either.  I didn’t ask you to keep me out of trouble, so don’t make a habit out of it.  We’re even now.  Okay?”

Shin Hye nodded.  “I’m still thankful to you for preventing me from watching that video again.  Ah!  This is just a heads-up to make things more even between us.  Did you know that the girls heard you playing those songs last night?”

His rare smile appeared.  “I’m not worried about it.  They never complain to the faculty staff because they’re convinced that I’m a ghost.”

“No.”  She shook her head.  “They think that a ghost is haunting you.”

He looked at Shin Hye in a way that made her crush on him harder than any schoolgirl could.

“They’re not wrong,” he teased.  “My ghost makes me herbal tea and wants to hear me play lullabies with rude lyrics.”

“Pssssht!”  Her cheeks turned pink.  “Did she always do that I wonder?”

“No.  She used to be miserable.”  Yong Hwa searched her face.  “I guess she got better somehow.”

“I don’t understand who you’re talking about, but the ghost you met last night was never...miserable.  Besides, I think that you’re the one getting better.  You’ve changed a lot since I met you, Teacher Jung.”

“Great.”  He smirked.  “That means a lot coming from a new student who only met me at the start of the term.  How do you know that I’m not like this at the beginning of every term?  Aish!  Go to the library and get started on your assignment before I change my mind and send you to Teacher Lee.”

“I’m going!” she replied, rushing to the door with her things.  “So, if you come out of hibernation at every start of term, does that make you a grizzly bear?”

“A grizzly what?!” he shouted, but she was already gone.