Third-Person POV

     Hitomi stared at the girl seated in front of her. She kept repeating Hyewon's words in her head. Small steps. Small steps. Small steps. Screw it all.

     Hitomi noticed how Nako was still practicing the dance while she was in her seat. Hitomi took a deep breath and prepared herself, fixing her hair before reaching for Nako's shoulders. As she was about to reach her, she abruptly took her hand back. She felt to nervous too actually call for Nako's attention.

     She tried again and again but her heart is beating way too fast now and her hands are shaking. She could feel the cold sweat forming on the side of her forehead. She leaned on the back of her seat and hit the side of her head with fist. She closed her eyes to relax and gain a bit of composure.

     She took a deep beath and thought of Hyewon's pretty face and her advice.

      Screw what they think. Just take small steps.

     She slowly and finally reached Nako's shoulder and caught the other girl's attention. Nako paused the video of Twice and looked behind her.

     "Hmmmm?", Nako asked while she had a bewildered look on her face. It was the first interaction wherein Hitomi was the one to approach first, of course she'd be curious of what Hitomi might say or do.

     Hitomi stood up and took the empty seat to the right of Nako. Nako only followed her with her gaze. Hitomi then put the chair closer to Nako and she sat on it. She pointed to Nako's phone, specifically on what's on her screen.

     "Wha- What are you saying? Twice? Are you also a fan of Twice?", Nako asked Hitomi.

     "Y-yes.", Hitomi replied, earning a squeal from the other girl. Nako expected a nod but instead she heard Hitomi's voice. Before, she noticed her smile but now she's starting to speak too. She couldn't deny that she somehow felt proud and honored to be the one to notice these things.

     Hitomi and everyone in were a bit surprised because of Nako. Everyone in the classroom  turned to look at them, even Yuri who was sleeping woke up.

     "What? What are you... Why are you staring at me like that?", Nako tried to say with an unbothered look on her face to her other classmates, pretending that she didn't just scream loudly a while ago. Everyone went back to their own business.

     "You've made progress, Hitomi.", she whispered to Hitomi and smiled at her while she patted Hitomi's head.

     Hitomi smiled a bit as a reply. Nako giggled, happy to see Hitomi smiling again.

     "Who's your bias?", Nako asked.

      Hitomi still isn't comfortable when it comes to speaking so she just made a gesture, a gesture someone in Twice made. She pointed  with both of her hands at Nako, with her thumb pointing upwards. She then moved her right and left shoulders alternately.

     "Ohyo", Hitomi said softly. Instead of a reply, she got two hands pinching both of her cheeks.

     "Sana! So cute.", Nako said to Hitomi. Hitomi felt her face getting warmer so she looked down.

     "Look at this. I've been studying Heart Shaker.", Nako said to Hitomi and removed her hands from Hitomi's cheeks. She then played the video on her phone and started dancing to the part she paused earlier.

     Hitomi could only put her right elbow on top of the chair's desk and lean her face on her palm as she stared at the girl dancing happily to her group's song while still seated on her chair. That is until she noticed that Nako made a wrong step.

     Nako stopped when she felt Hitomi hold her wrist.

     "What?", she asked, a bit confused as to why Hitomi made her stop.

     Hitomi then did the step too but with the correct movement. Nako's eyes went wide and hung open before she covered her own mouth with her right hand.

     "You- You dance? You know this one?", Nako asked Hitomi. Hitomi nodded and then was quickly pulled.

     Nako held her wrist, made her stand and pulled her to the front of the room, just like what she did with Chaewon before.

     Hitomi could only look at Nako's hand that was holding her wrist as Nako then let go of it and decided to hold her hand instead while pulling her. She felt a blush creeping up to her face as she held back her smile.

     Hitomi noticed her short and chubby cute little hands but it wasn't as soft and warm as the hand that held hers last night. She suddenly felt like something was missing but she quickly brushed off the thought when she looked at the shorter girl.

     "Teach me, please?", Nako pleaded when they were now in front. She then used her other hand to hold Hitomi's too to ask her to teach the choreo.

     Hitomi then took out her phone and played the music where Nako was struggling. She slowly danced to teach Nako how without speaking. When Nako finally got it, they started dancing from the beginning.

     Both girls were unaware of the girl who is discreetly taking a video of them from the back of the room.

     "New teacher is here! She's here!", Ryujin quickly said as she entered, out of breath as she clearly ran to avoid being late, even though she came 30 minutes after classes should be starting. The students quickly ran to their seats, including Nako and Hitomi.

     "See? I told you she's gonna give birth this month.", Yuri said.

     "You say that every month, Yuri.", Chaewon said to her. Yuri only stuck her tongue out at her Chaewon unnie.

     "So that's why she we haven't been having our first class in the morning. Who do you think our teacher will be?", Minjoo said.

     "Probably just another old lady who's either strict or too lazy to teach.", Nako scoffed.
 

     A light click-clack could be heard in the hallway as a woman walked, wearing her high and very pointed heels. She's wearing a black coat with a white blouse underneath and a black skirt a few inches abover her knee. She held a book on her right hand and her hair was in a ponytail but still looked graceful as she walked. Her face was showing sohpistication and confidence as she walked to a certain classroom with her chin held high.

     As she entered the room, everyone went silent but eventually some gasped and whispered out of shock.

"Are you sure she's our teacher?"

"Maybe she went through the wrong door."

"This is a joke right? Why would we have a celebrity as our teacher? Are there hidden cameras?

"Woaaaah, I thought she was Irene!"

     One of the student's reaction was quite different.

     She tightly gripped on to her chair's desk as cold sweat was falling from the side of her face.

     "Oh !", she said and her classmates near her looked weirdly at her.

     "Is this Class 12?", the new teacher asked and smiled but to the girl at the back, it wasn't just a smile but a smirk. Nako knew exactly who she was, especially because of that lisp on the letter 'S'.

-----

Weeks before classes started, at the Yabuki's residence:

     "Mom!", the smol bean whined.

     "I don't get why I have to have a babysitter. I can do it on my own,  you know? I can survive.", she said before taking her Mom's luggage as it was clear that her Mom was struggling with it. After carrying it while struggling to walk on the small steps of the stairs before the porch, she continued to carry it to their car, trying very hard to show her mom that she's already an adult.

     "And I don't get why you don't want one. We wouldn't want you to be alone while we're away for a few months. I mean you can't even cook." Nako's mom said as she fixed her luggage inside of the car's trunk.
Her dad's laughter could be heard as he also carried the biggest luggage.

     "Yeah. I'm afraid you'll burn the whole house down.", he said as he closed the trunk.

     "Instant noodles exist for a reason. They're instant.", Nako tried to rebut before revealing her 'true?' reason.

     "It's embarrassing. I'm sure I won't hear the end of it from my friends if they find out. Come on, a seventeen year-old with a baby sister, who wouldn't laugh?", Nako tried to persuade them.

     "Then don't let them find out. She'll be here later. She was my friend's daughter but she's all alone now. Be nice to her, please?", her mom said as she put her hands on top of Nako's shoulders.

     "And don't try to make her quit. She'll only be here from Monday to Saturday. You'll have your alone time on Sunday.", her mom said.

     Her dad then hugged her, afterwards, her mom did too but it was a bit tighter and longer than usual.

     "Be careful, alright? If you need me or miss me, you know I'll always be here. Just call me, alright?", Her mom said. Nako nodded and let go of their hug, afrsid that she'd cry if they held each other longer.

     "We'll only be gone for a few months. I just have some work to take care of. I decided to take your mom with me because look at her, she needs the vacation. While you, you have to study well.", her dad told her.

     "Okay. Okay. I will.", she said, pretending not to know what's really happening.

     After a few hours, a knock on the door could be heard. Nako already knew who it was, probably the old lady who'll take care of her. She opened the door but she did not face an old lady.

     "Is this the Yabuki's residence?", a woman in her early 20s asked her. She was wearing a pink sweater, black shorts and white sneakers. She had a lisp on the letter S.

     She smelled good too, like a refreshing baby cologne. She was smiling brightly while she had her worn out pink luggage behind her.

     "Uhmmm. I must be at the wrong house. I think I the girl I'm gonna take care of is already 17.", she awkwardly said as she scratched the nape of her neck because Nako was just staring at her and it seems like she had no plan of letting her in.

     Nako sighed and rolled her eyes at what the older girl said and then quickly closed the door.

     "I don't need a babysitter.", she scoffed and was already walking back to her room when her dad called her on the phone.

     "Nako, let her in.", her father said with a stern voice.

     "But I-", Nako tried to speak but was instantly cut off.

     "LET. HER. IN!", her dad said much louder now.

     "Fine. F-fine!", she hung up and quickly ran to the door and opened it. The girl was still there and still smiling. Nako moved aside to signal the girl to come in.

     "Thank you.", the woman said and entered with her luggage.

     When she sat on the couch, Nako followed with her arms crossed. She held out her hand.

     "Hi, Nako. I'm Eunbi. I'll be you---", Eunbi wasn't even able to finish what she was saying. Nako walked to her room and loudly closed the door.

     "My plan is ruined If I want to prove what I need to prove to Mom, I need to make her leave. She needs to leave.", Nako said while she sat on the edge of her bed, looking like a weird kid speaking to herself.

     An idea came into her mind. She took her phone from her desk and searched on google. How To Annoy Your Babysitter:

STEP 1:

     While Eunbi was sleeping in their guest room, Nako opened the door and sneaked inside while holding a plastic bag of what she bought just earlier. She sneakily hid alarm clocks with different time settings everywhere. After successfully doing it without waking up Eunbi, she tiptoed while walking out of the room.

     After a few hours, she heard the alarms from the room beside her going off. She laughed as she heard Eunbi.

     "What? What the? What's happening?", Eunbi sleepily but loudly asked while she was still in her room. Nako put her ear on the wall between them to listen. One by one, the alarms were being turned off until there were none.  She then heard some shuffling and someone going back to bed. Nako laughed again.

     After a few hours, a few more alarms rang.

      "What the fudge? There's more?", Nako heard Eunbi say. Drawer's opened, Alarm 7 turned off. Closet's opened, Alarm 6 turned off. Bed's being moved,  Alarm 5 turned off. Then Nako heard her going back to bed.

     "Finally!", Eunbi said as she laid back on the bed. Nako tried very hard not to laugh loudly as she heard the babysitter cutely snoring again.

     After a few hours again, other clocks rang again.

     "OH MY FU-FUC- FUDGING GOSH. WHY IS THIS SH- THIS SHIN HAPPENING? WHY?!", Eunbi screamed, trying very hard to not curse. Eunbi then screamed very loudly as she looked for the other clocks and smashed them with what Nako doesn't know because she can't see Eunbi while her stomach now hurts because of too much laughing.

     She felt guilty for a moment but she had a purpose so she had to stick to her plan.

STEP 2:

     While Eunbi was showering, Nako quickly took Eunbi's perfume and returned it after a while, while Eunbi still wasn't done yet.

     While reading in the living room, Nako saw Eunbi come out of her room, smiling, but then Eunbi's face scrunched up. Eunbi went back to her room and screamed.

     "Is this vinegar? Vinegar?! ARRRGGHHHH!", Eunbi screamed. I mean who wouldn't if your perfume was replaced by vinegar?

     Nako smiled because step 2 was a success.

STEP 3:

     After Nako went outside of her room, she saw Eunbi cooking. She sat down on the table as she waited for the food. It smelled really good.

     "Oh hi there, Nako!", Eunbi looked behind her and was smiling brightly again. Nako was weirded out. Shouldn't she be mad? Why isn't she mad at all?

     Nako took out the salt while Eunbi wasn't looking and put it in Eunbi's sprite.

     Nako quickly put it back in her pocket when she felt Eunbi turning around now.
Nako and Eunbi silently ate their food. The shorter girl was nervous but waited for Eunbi to drink her Sprite.

     She stopped chewing when she saw Eunbi pick up her drink. Sweat was now forming on Nako's forehead. Nako gulped when she saw Eunbi drinking it but Nako choked on her own food instead when she saw that Eunbi didn't even react to the drink.

     "Are you alright, Nako?", Eunbi asked Nako as went beside the choking girl and put her hand on the younger girl's back.

     "I'm... i'm fine.", Nako said when she recovered so Eunbi went back to her seat and smiled at Nako again. Nako is really starting to get creeped out now.

STEP 4:

      Nako sat beside Eunbi as the older girl slept. She was very careful not to trip on the wire or not to make Eunbi touch the wire that is connected from the speaker that Nako tried very hard to put outside Eunbi's room.

     Nako held the mic tighlty and took a deep breath.

"I can hear it from anywhere
If I open my ears
When I open my ears
To the trust you have in me
Like your eyes that twinkle
I’ll tell you a precious story..."

       Nako sang Love Whisper with all her heart and stopped when she saw Eunbi fall from her bed. Nako instantly let go of the mic to check on Eunbi but Eunbi sat back on the bed, smiling.

     "You have a nice voice, Nako.", Eunbi complimented her.

     "Ehhh?", Nako said, feeling weirded out and flustered.

STEP 5:
     This was her last attempt to make her babysitter leave and probably the most common one.

     Nako entered the room with a marker on her hand. She slowly sat down on the right of the bed as Eunbi was facing the right side and went closer to the sleeping girl's face.

     She was determined to do it but all the determination faltered when she looked at Eunbi's face up close. Eunbi was snoring softly and still looked pretty even when she was asleep and literally had no make-up on. Nako was entranced by her features and her smell.

     She looked at the sleeping girl's long eyelashes, down to her nose that seemed to be perfect, then Nako looked at her clear and fair skin, especially on her cute lil cheeks. The one that caught her attention the most was her lips. They were partly open so her bunny teeth were showing but her lips still looked pretty. Her pink and perfectly-shaped lips were so enthralling that Nako failed to realize that she was slowly starting to reach for it already. Just a little more and she can now know how soft they are.

    Nako froze.

     She suddenly realized that the snoring stopped, so she looked up only to see Eunbi's eyes wide open.

     "I wasn't... I- I wasn---", Nako was cut-off when Eunbi quickly held Nako's wrist.

     Nako stood up and stepped back.

     "What are you doing?", Eunbi asked with authority, no signs of the bright girl Nako first met. Nako pulled her hand away and took another step back.

     "N...Nothing.", Nako answered.

     "Then what's on your other hand?", Eunbi asked as she stood up and stepped closer to Nako. Nako dropped the marker on the floor and again took another step back.

    "I've been trying hard to put up with everything and just smile like nothing happened. Do you want me to take some revenge? ", Eunbi said in a calm manner as she continued to walk towards Nako.

    "I don't know why you're trying to make me leave,", She continued. Nako continued to step back but stopped when she felt the wall behind her.

     "BUT. IT. WON'T. WORK!", Eunbi suddenly screamed. She was now looking down on Nako, face only centimeters away from the younger girl's face. Nako gulped as she felt Eunbi's warm breath on her face. Nako's face started to get warm. A loud thud could be heard as Eunbi suddenly pinned both of Nako's hands on the wall.

     "I'll stay with you, whether you like it or not. Heck, I'll even be with you forever.", Eunbi's voice was much softer and lower now but it didn't make her any less scary as she was speaking through her gritted teeth and glaring at Nako.

     Eunbi let go of Nako and went out of the room while Nako can only stand there, frozen.

"Nako!", Yuri slapped Nako out of her trance.

     "What?", Nako asked, annoyed, when she finally went back to her senses.

     Yuri only looked in front and so did Nako.

     "Are you still here with us, Ms. Yabuki?", Ms. Kwon asked, clearly with a lisp on the letter 'S', the same lisp Nako has grown to hate.