Shin Hye looked at the clock on her laptop and moaned.  It was almost four in the morning and she still hadn’t managed to pick the new members of Yong Hwa’s band.

It was two days before the project was due, and less than a day before she ambushed her teacher with his surprise.  She was running through the emailed demo songs of around twenty applicants that lived locally, and she hadn’t narrowed the choices down yet.  It was hard for her to choose because she knew so little about music.

“Help me, Teacher Jung,” she muttered as she replayed demo song number four.  “Who would you pick?”

Min Hyuk had already picked out two songs from the list that he had liked - numbers two and five - but Shin Hye hadn’t been so sure about his second choice.  She thought number five was dreary, but she wasn’t sure if it was the song that made it dreary, or the way that the person played it.

She rubbed her eyes to reduce the pressure on her temple and got to her feet.  She needed some tea and some company.  With a quick look at her reflection in the mirror (she didn’t think too hard about why she was checking her appearance), Shin Hye crept down the hall and waved to Erika along the way.  The temporary leader was doing spy duty behind the balustrade of the staircase.

To Shin Hye’s surprise, Yong Hwa turned to acknowledge her when she crossed the floor space behind him.  He gave her a curt nod, and she smiled back in delight.  They both knew that she was going to offer him tea when she returned from her trip to the kitchen.

The kitchen was located just at the entrance of the staff quarters.  Shin Hye could see the door to Yong Hwa’s bedroom if she leaned against the right side of the kitchen bench.  Erika and Hibari had been the only ones to enter Teacher Jung’s room during spying duties.  They had reported that his room was set up in the same way as the girl’s dorms, only there wasn’t a second bed...or roommate.

The kettle whistled, and Shin Hye turned her attention to pouring the hot water into the pot.  The leaves opened up and bloomed as she placed the lid on top to let it steep.  She listened to the song that Yong Hwa was playing, and thought that it sounded more cheerful than his usual selections.

“I like that one,” she told him when she returned to him with two cups of tea.

He grunted, but shifted over to let her sit down next to him.  She brightened at the gesture, and took the space with pleasure.  It was nice to know that he didn’t hate her company.

“A-ch!  Hot!” he complained when she handed him the drink.  He half-dropped the cup on top of the piano and gave his hand a shake.  “Burned by camomile!  A-ch!  Why is it camomile again?  Can’t you sleep like the other girls do?”

“No.  I’m having trouble with the...project.”

“Ah.”

She bit her lip.  “Can I request a song?”

Yong Hwa’s glare surfaced.  “Do I look like a karaoke machine?”

“No.  You look like Teacher Jung Yong Hwa, who helps his students with their assignments by playing their song requests for them at four in the morning.”

“You are getting cheekier.”

Shin Hye gave him a little shoulder nudge.  “Come on.  I want to know how you would play this song.  Then you can play me the one that tells me to go to sleep.”

“Oh, yeah?  What if I don’t want to?”

“You mean you don’t want me to go to sleep?”

“I didn’t say that.  Why do I have to play a song to make you sleep?  Threatening you with detention would work better.”

“I’m already doing detention.”  She folded her arms across her chest.  “I have no time for more detention, unless we have it now.”

“Okay.  We’ll have it now.  You play the song for me, and I’ll tell you if I like it.  That’s your detention.”

“Not fair.”

“Think of it as a free music lesson.  Now, what scale are you using?”

Shing Hye thought about demo song number five and put her fingers on the keys.  Yong Hwa went to lift her wrists up off the edge of the piano, hesitated, and then seemed to change his mind.

“Keep them lifted and curled,” he advised her, reaching for his tea.  “A-ch!  Hot!”
 

“Ten minutes everyone!” hissed Erika.

“Hai!” replied Shin Hye, Komari and Kanna.  Their ambush on Yong Hwa was happening in less than an hour and the four of them were assigned to ‘borrowing’ guitars, speakers and one drum kit from his music room to take to the recording studio.

“Are you sure Min Hyuk doesn’t mind being in Teacher Jung’s band?” Komari asked Shin Hye as the two carried a large drum over to the door.  “He might be very angry with us.”

“Trust me.  Min Hyuk is Teacher Jung’s biggest fan.  H-She wants this chance, even if the chance may turn into being Teacher Jung’s verbal punching bag.”

Something on the other side of the door creaked.

“What was that?” asked Komari.

Shin Hye waved urgently to Erika.

The temporary Hibari leader jumped at Shin Hye’s signal and whistled like a cuckoo bird.  Everyone stopped what they were doing at once and waited...and waited.

Something creaked again.

Everyone’s shoulders tensed.  Komari’s hands were clasped together at her chest.

“Maybe it’s the Hibari ghost,” whispered Kanna.

“But there’s no Hibari ghost,” replied Shin Hye.  “We all know now that it’s Teacher Jung who plays the piano at night.”

“True,” acknowledged Erika.  “But something is keeping him awake.”

“Or someone,” whispered Kanna.

Komari gulped.  Shin Hye felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end.

Another creak and the door began to slide open.  The group crept back into the shadows and held their breaths as a dark figure entered the room.

It was a girl.  She was wearing a white dress.

Her black hair was so thick and long that it fell over her face and stopped just below her elbows.  With an unnatural twist of her neck, she turned to face Shin Hye.

“Die!” she croaked.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” screamed Shin Hye, frozen to the spot.

“Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!” screamed the others.

The girl chuckled and parted her hair to reveal a familiar eye-smile.  “I’m sorry, Unni.  I found this wig in Hibari’s cupboard, and I couldn’t resist!”

“Min Hyuk!  Is this the time to play jokes?  You are so dead!”

“No time for scolding her, Shin Hye!” interrupted Erika.  “Right now, we need to get to the recording studio.  Move!”

The group grumbled about Min Hyuk’s prank as they lifted the equipment onto their backs and arms.  With a clink of metal here and a clank of wood there, they marched the instruments off the school grounds and through the back streets to the recording studio.  Hibari and Juri met them there as planned.  Together they set up the instruments in the soundproof room, and prepared their trap.

The recording studio was an older but decent setup for anyone wanting to record their songs.  It comprised a soundproof room and a recording booth.  The soundproof room was a box large enough to hold a band of eight people along with their instruments.  The recording booth was smaller in width, but its equipment board ran the entire length of the soundproof room.  The wall between the two rooms was divided by a pane of clear glass, allowing a clear view of both sides.

The team used the mirror and the equipment board to talk to each other as they prepared for their arrivals.

“Shin Hye, do you have the ice-breaker!” shouted Min Hyuk from the soundproof room.

“It’s in your left pocket!” replied Shin Hye from the recording booth.  “No, your other left!”

Bzzzzz!

Everyone stopped giggling and chatting at the sound.

“It’s the buzzer for the front entrance,” said Komari, pointing to the flashing light on the wall.

“It’s time,” smiled Hibari.

Erika raised her arms in the air.  “Everyone, this is it!  Do your best!”

“Yosh!” cheered the team.

Hibari went over to the intercom and cleared before pushing the button to speak.  “Yes?”

“I’m here for a band audition.”

“Come in.  The recording studio is on your right.  You can wait there until the others arrive.”

Bzzzzzz!

The first person was buzzed in.  The students switched off the electricity in both rooms so that the only light was the one that read ‘quiet please’ above the soundproof room’s door.  The visitor fumbled with the door handle and stepped inside.

“Where’s the lights in this place?” he wondered.

The door shut behind him with a bang!  The lock clicked into place, and a single light switched on in the room, illuminating the musical instruments, and a creepy girl with a white dress and long black hair.

“Omo!” shouted Teacher Lee Jung Shin.  The guitar case fell to the ground with a clatter.  “It has finally happened.  My worst nightmare has come true.  I have developed the sixth sense and my eyes can see dead people!  Now I will be haunted by them for the rest of my life.  You have to speak, unearthly creature!  Tell me what you want!”

Min Hyuk was as surprised to see his teacher there as Teacher Lee was to see him, but he shrugged and went over to the drum set to show his elder what he wanted most.  He tucked his wig out of his eyes and began to play.

Teacher Lee listened in confused silence until the door opened behind them.

Bang!

Coach Lee Jong Hyun was shoved through the door before it was shut and locked again from the outside.  Jong Hyun gaped at Teacher Lee and then dropped his guitar at the sight of Min Hyuk.  In a trice, he sprang into a Taekwondo pose.

“Get behind me, Teacher Lee.”

“Huh?” Jung Shin was completely bewildered.

“My worst nightmare has finally come true!  The zombie virus has broken out in the great city of Seoul, and now we’re about to be infected by this disgusting undead monster!  Don’t worry, I’m wearing my new adidas shoes!  I’ll tackle this creature down and tear out its brains with my own teeth before it eats ours!”

“Coach Lee!  Please don’t hurt me!” whimpered Min Hyuk, puling the wig out of his eyes with one drumstick.

Jung Shin exhaled in relief.

Jong Hyun looked slightly disappointed.  “Ah.  It’s only you, Min Hyuk.  Has anyone told you that you look freakin’ creepy dressed like that?”

“I like this wig,” pouted the student.

The door behind them opened, and Teacher Jung Yong Hwa strolled through.  He jumped when the door slammed behind him.

“What the?” he looked around the room and spotted the three others in the room with him.

A couple of seconds later, all the lights switched on in the soundproof room and the recording booth.  The four boys could now see the Hibari Four, Hibari and Shin Hye standing in the booth.  Hibari leaned forward and rested her hands on the equipment board.

“Surprise, Teacher Jung!  Welcome to your first band practice,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Excuse me,” interrupted Yong Hwa.  “I think I took the wrong door and walked into my worst nightmare by mistake.  I’ll just leave, shall I?”

Hibari shook her head.  “I’m sorry, Teacher Jung, but no one is going anywhere, especially you.  As Head Teacher of Hibari, it is time that you came out that shell you’ve been hiding in and share your talent with others.”

“Dammit Hibari!  Let me out!  You’ve gone too far this time!  If you don’t let me out, it’s detention for all of you!”

The girls groaned.

“That’s right!” he continued.  “If you don’t let me out now, you will have detention for the rest of your time at Saint Blossoms.  Even if you transfer schools, I’ll make sure the teachers know to continue your detention until you graduate!”

“Be strong girls!” said Erika.  “We need to see this through no matter what he says!  Teacher Jung!  Meet your band members that we selected for you.  Teacher Lee Jong Hyun – Guitarist and vocalist.  Teacher Lee Jung Shin – Bassist and rapper.  And Student Kang Min Hyuk – Drums.

Yong Hwa stared at his two teaching colleagues in disbelief.  “You two can play?”

“Yes,” said Jung Shin, tucking his hair behind one ear.  “Coach Lee and I play together sometimes.  Of course, we’re nowhere near as talented as you, but not everyone can be born a music genius.”

Jong Hyun grinned.  “I think he’s a little jealous of you, Yong.”

“Sssssh!” whined Jung Shin.  “But seriously, Teacher Jung, we would be honoured if you would jam with us for a bit.”

Yong Hwa looked uncomfortable.

Jong Hyun stuck his hands in his pockets.  “This whole situation is a bit messed up.  Min Hyuk looks like a something out of a horror movie, and the other students need dealing with, but I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Same!”  Min Hyuk walked around to join them.  “Teacher Jung, I was a fan of you back when CNPink were still together.  Give me the honour of playing with you at least once.”

Yong Hwa sighed at Shin Hye’s sibling.  “I should really be taking you hostage and using you to persuade your sister to get me out of here.”

A laugh came from the recording booth.  He looked over at Shin Hye who was guiltily covering .  It didn’t look like she’d be remotely worried by a hostage situation involving her strange little sister.

“This is all your idea, isn’t it?  You just couldn’t leave me alone!” he accused Shin Hye.

“All grizzly bears must come out of hibernation at some point, Teacher Jung,” replied Shin Hye, not unkindly.  “And no, it wasn’t...entirely my idea.”

Hibari lifted her chin proudly.

Yong Hwa groaned.  “I let you girls get away with too much and now I’m being punished for it.  So what’s the name of this band that you made for me?”

Shin Hye pouted and shrugged.  Hibari looked thoughtful.

“Tch!  It’ll have to be something depressing to satisfy Teacher Jung,” said Jong Hyun, taking a seat and pulling out his guitar.

Jung Shin opened his guitar case and handed around a bag of chips hidden inside of it.  “Snack anyone?  Aaaah CNPink, that band was hilarious!  All the band members were really funny!”

“I know!”  Min Hyuk grabbed a handful of chips.  “Kang Ho Dong used to make fun of Teacher Jung all the time by scaring him with bugs.”

Yong Hwa glared at his strange student.  “I guess I’ll be making fun of you this time, you skinny brat.”

“No,” Jung Shin strummed a G6 chord.  “Teacher Jung is not sunny enough to be a CNPink guy anymore.  He’s more of a CNBlue.”

Jong Hyun sniggered.

Yong Hwa rolled his eyes.  “Yes.  Let’s all make fun of the ex-CN Pink member, but if this is a real band meeting, then what are we playing?”

The group fell silent.

“Ah!”  Min Hyuk reached into his left pocket.  “Unni wrote me some lyrics.  I thought maybe we could compose a song for them.”

The crumpled piece of paper was spread out on one of the music stand and the four boys leaned forward to read it.

“I’m a loner, I’m a loner.  I’m a loner, I’m a loner.”  Yong Hwa read out in a neutral tone.

The three others sniggered.

“She knows you well, Yong,” teased Jong Hyun.

“A-ch!  I can’t get a break tonight!”

“No!”  It was Shin Hye who spoke.  Her finger was back on the microphone switch.  “I didn’t write it about Teacher Jung.  I wrote it about Hibari and Seung Gi.”

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?” chorused Hibari and the Hibari Four.

Shin Hye lowered her eyes.  “I’m sorry, but I’ve been spending a lot of time around Hibari-ssi.  What else was I going to write about?”

“It’s okay.”  Hibari sniffed.  “I will let CNBlue play a song about me.  Songs need to come from deep emotions like pain.”

“Yosh!”  Jong Hyun sat back down and picked up his guitar.  “Let’s see what we can do with these lyrics.  What’s the tone of the song?”

“Angry?” suggested Min Hyuk.

“No, cynical,” corrected Jung Shin.

“Playful with an undertone of bitterness,” said Yong Hwa.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh,” sounded out the other three in approval.

Three hours later, the new band finally took a break.  Shin Hye and Hibari smiled excitedly to see the four getting along so well.  Things had turned out better than their wildest dreams.  Teacher Jung was out of his shell, and the boys were clearly enjoying themselves as they tried different ways of expressing the lyrics.

“Shin Hye, I think you can let us out now,” said Yong Hwa.  “Your prisoners need some air before they continue.”

With a nod, she took the keys off Hibari and went down the corridor to let the four members out.

“Man!  I am so hungry!” whined Min Hyuk, hurrying out of the room first.

“There are snacks in the recording booth,” said Shin Hye.

Min Hyuk ran to get his food.

“I can’t believe it!”  Jung Shin examined his bag.  “Min Hyuk ate all of my food and she’s still hungry!  Shin Hye, that sister of yours is worse than a teenage boy.  I’d better go in there before she eats all the stuff in the recording booth too.”

He hurried to the recording booth door and disappeared behind it.

“How are your muscles feeling after detention today, Shin Hye?” asked Jong Hyun, leaning against the door frame.  “Have you been stretching like I told you to?”

“Yes, Teacher Lee, but I still hurt at night when it gets cold.”

“There’s no sleep for the wicked.  Tell me, were you the leader of this prank?”

Her eyes widened.  “This wasn’t a prank!  We really want to help Teacher Jung.  We were worried about him.”

The elder looked doubtful.  “Then why is it that the girls didn’t decide to intervene until you came to Saint Blossoms?  They have never cared about him before.”

“It was a coincidence.”

“Hmm.”  He patted her on the head.  “You’re a troublemaker, but your heart is in the right place.  Keep worrying about him.  This night has done your teacher a lot of good.”

“Shin Hye!”  It was Yong Hwa calling her.  “Come in here!  I want a word with you!”

Jong Hyun grimaced.  “Good luck.  I think he’ll be sticking to his threat of that eternal detention, but apologise to him anyway.”

”Yes, Coach Lee.”

Jong Hyun stood aside and let her by.  Shin Hye walked into the room and sat down on the stool next to Yong Hwa.  She watched him as he made a correction to his composition notes.

“Why did you do this?” he asked in an even tone.

Shin Hye plucked at her skirt.  “Hibari Dorm needs the Head Teacher to be as outgoing and caring as the students.  You need to set a good example for them.”

His soft brown eyes lifted off the paper to study her.  “You’re lying.  That’s why Hibari did it.  You did it because you were worried about me.  I’m very angry with you.  You had no right to manage my life for me.  My problems are my problems, not yours.”

“I didn’t do it just for you!” she blurted out.

“I know.  You did it for your sister too.  She has been following me around like a lovelorn groupie since the first day.  I’m not surprised that she wanted to be a part of this stunt.  Still, to be fair, she does have some talent.  I guess she expects me to teach her the rest.”

“Yes, Teacher Jung,” said Shin Hye, avoiding his gaze.  “But I can’t apologise for something that I think has made you and my...sister happy.  I won’t.”

Yong Hwa sighed.

He held out his hand for her to take.  “Thank you.”

Shin Hye stared at him.

In the end, Yong Hwa withdrew his hand.  “I’m being serious.”

She smiled.  “I know.  That's what shocks me.”

Seven hours after the ambush, the teachers and students packed up their equipment and made the early morning walk back to school.  There was lots of laughing and chatter as the group passed around the recorded CD and argued about making a CD cover.

“We need to take pictures of the band!” suggested Erika.

“Badass pictures that match the song,” added Min Hyuk.  He was still wearing the creepy wig.  Shin Hye suspected that he was thinking about growing his own hair to that length.

“Omo!  That is a good idea.  I am very good at looking masculine and cold in pictures!” said Jung Shin.

Jong Hyun laughed at his colleague.

“What?  I am head of the Arts Dorm.  I may not have the all-male look, but I have acting skills.”

“Sure you do.”  Jong Hyun and Yong Hwa exchanged smirks.  Now that Yong Hwa’s defences were down, the two were already on their way to becoming good friends.

“If we’re taking pictures, we’ll have to find some better clothes for Teacher Jung.  All his clothes look like they’ve been slept in,” Hibari said to Shin Hye.

“No!”  Yong Hwa glared at his students.  “No makeovers!  I am not your Barbie doll.”

“You mean, Ken doll,” teased Shin Hye.

“Or Batman doll,” finished Min Hyuk.

Hibari shrugged.  “We’ll find a way, Teacher Jung.  You know we will.”

Shin Hye looked over her shoulder at Yong Hwa and Jong Hyun.  “See?  It’s not all me!  I’m not the troublemaker that you think I am.”

“Uh-huh,” replied her cynical teachers.

“Shin Hye, have you become friends with Hibari?  I thought that you two were enemies?” asked Jung Shin.

The girls glanced at each other and smiled.

“I guess we have,” agreed Shin Hye.

“She’s my equal in many ways.  She deserves to be my best friend,” said Hibari.

Erika looked like she was going to burst into tears.

Hibari clapped her hands together.  “Shin Hye.  I have decided that you will be my best friend.”

“Ah.”  Shin Hye bit her lip.  “What does that involve?”

“Putting each other’s numbers on speed dial.  Sharing and shampoo.  Making blood and spit oaths that we will be best friends forev-“

Shin Hye put her hand over Hibari’s mouth.

“Let’s just hang with each other, okay?  Making friends shouldn’t be such hard work, at least at the beginning.”

Hibari blushed and pulled away from Shin Hye’s hand.  “I think...I think I have to run ahead.  I left my hair curler switched on in the bathroom.  Good night, everyone!  And good work!”

“Good night!” echoed the others.

“What’s with her?” asked Yong Hwa, joining Shin Hye.  “She’s being more weird than usual.”

She shrugged.  “I think that I’m so annoying to her that I give her heart palpitations.”

The two let the topic slide as the stars faded from the sky.  It was almost dawn, and their future was looking brighter.