Pull the strings - be in control of events or of other people's actions. 

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"Yes, Ms. We're sorry for being late to the first subject," Jongin apologized repeatedly, while Jennie remained caught in her surprise, unsure how to react.

"I detest students who can't manage their time properly," Yoona's voice turned chilly, causing shivers to run down the spines of the students. They realized that being late for Yoona's classes was not something to be taken lightly.

"Please forgive us for today," Jongin implored.

Amusement flickered in Yoona's eyes as she observed Jongin's earnest apologies. She found some satisfaction in people seeking her forgiveness, as if they were fulfilling her needs.

"Now, tell me, since when has the stock room turned into a make-out spot for couples, Mr. and Ms. Kim?"

Gasps filled the room as Yoona unexpectedly exposed the secret of the couple. Jennie and Jongin hung their heads in embarrassment, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze.

"We promise it won't happen again, Ms. Im," Jongin said, apologizing on behalf of both of them.

"Please take your seats," Yoona instructed, addressing Jennie, who quickly looked away and took her place next to her friends.

"But not you, Mr. Kim Jongin," Yoona's voice was firm, and Jongin let out a sigh, berating himself for his carelessness.

"Pardon?" he asked, taken aback.

"I dislike repeating myself, Mr. Kim. Either carry out your punishment or I'll report both of you for your activities in the stock room. The choice is yours," Yoona stated matter-of-factly, casting a glance at Jennie, who was now attempting to hide her embarrassment by lowering her head.

"H-how long will I have to run, Ms. Im?"

Yoona couldn't help but smirk at Jongin's question. She pressed a slide on her laptop and glanced at Jongin. "You'll run until my class is over. Now go." He bowed once more before sprinting out of the room.

It was quite clear that Jongin didn't recognize Yoona, but Jennie did. The memory of that night was etched in her mind. Unfortunately, she had made quite a memorable impression back then.

With Jongin out of sight, Yoona leaned back against the table, her posture relaxed. "That's the consequence of breaking school rules. Treat me with respect, and I'll reciprocate. Show disrespect, and I'll respond in kind. That's how the world operates. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ms. Im," the students replied in unison.

Yoona nodded, satisfied with their response, and proceeded with her lesson.

Whispers circulated around Jennie as she listened to her classmates' comments. She rolled her eyes at their remarks. She had recognized Yoona the moment she and Jongin entered the classroom. If her behavior from that night had somehow made an impression, it was bad news. Her performance in this class was crucial for her grades. Her father would be furious if she failed, or worse, if he found out about her relationship with Jongin. She couldn't let that happen. Her goal was to survive this subject, to listen, learn, and excel. She was grateful that Mr. Jang had been replaced with this new teacher. At least, it wasn't as dull.

Amusement glinted in her eyes as she watched her classmates actively engaged in Yoona's teaching. Students who used to be indifferent were now captivated by Yoona's words.

"If anyone is struggling to understand the business concepts I've explained, don't hesitate to stand up and come forward," Yoona offered.

Jennie rolled her eyes at DO, a classmate who had accidentally hit her back while rushing to speak with their new teacher. She leaned back in her seat, arms crossed, observing her classmates scrambling to interact with Yoona.

Turning her attention to her friends, she noticed they weren't in their seats. Instead, they were lined up to consult with their new teacher.

A while later, the students returned to their seats, now better equipped to tackle the questions on their papers.

"Looks like Chaeyoung is a fan of our new teacher. Have you seen her?"

Jennie looked up from her paper to see her friend still engrossed in conversation with their teacher.

.

"Did you see that? Ms. Im just gave her the sweetest smile."

Jennie observed Yoona, noting how her sweet smile was quite a contrast to the cold and rude demeanor she had witnessed that night. She had formed a negative impression of Yoona back then, but the sight of her smiling at Chaeyoung made her reconsider. Perhaps Yoona wasn't as cold as she initially thought. She accepted that their punishment was well-deserved.

With Chaeyoung back in her seat, blushing and fanning herself, Lisa playfully . "Park Chaeyoung! You're blushing."

Irene joined in on the teasing. "You have a crush on her, don't you?"

Chaeyoung shyly admitted, "I think so."

Joy pretended to be surprised. "Omo! Looks like I'll have a rival right under my nose."

Jennie leaned over to talk to Jisoo, who was sitting behind her and still focused on her paper. "Unnie."

Jisoo turned her attention to Jennie. "What's up?"

"I don't understand question number 5. Can you ask her for me, please?"

Jisoo hesitated for a moment before raising her hand. Jennie watched her curiously, wondering what she was up to. "What's going on, Unnie?"

"Jennie needs your help, Ms. Im. She doesn't understand question number 5."

Jennie's eyes widened in surprise at Jisoo's unexpected move. She tried to ignore it, hoping that it wouldn't lead to anything embarrassing. But Yoona's response caught her off guard. "Jennie Kim, please come forward so I can help you."

Embarrassment washed over Jennie, a feeling she wasn't used to. She sighed in defeat and shot a playful glare at Jisoo, who sheepishly gave her a peace sign.

Jennie's heart raced with each step she took towards Yoona, feeling a mix of nervousness and embarrassment. The memory of their confrontation that night weighed heavily on her mind, and she found herself hoping the floor would swallow her up to spare her from the situation.

Yoona's voice had taken on a softer tone, quite different from the cold and stern attitude Jennie had previously encountered. As she pointed out the question on her paper, Jennie stammered through her explanation of what she found difficult.

Yoona read the question and quickly understood the issue. "Ah, I see why you're having trouble. The wording is quite convoluted. Let me explain the meaning to you in simpler terms." Yoona provided a clear and concise explanation, and Jennie began to grasp the concept, relieved by the clarification.

"Thank you, Ms. Im," Jennie said, her voice still tinged with nervousness as she gave Yoona a small smile.

"If you ever have more questions, don't hesitate to ask," Yoona offered with a kind smile, genuinely willing to help.

Jennie felt a flutter in her chest as she experienced Yoona's warmth and approachability. It was like a glimpse of a beautiful world that she hadn't anticipated encountering.

Seeing Jennie's clumsiness as she returned to her seat, Yoona tilted her head, amused by the sight. "Is there anything else you need?"

Jennie quickly shook her head and bowed, feeling flustered by the interaction. Yoona went back to her laptop, focused on her work.

As Yoona watched her screen, her phone buzzed with a message from Yuri. She opened it and saw a video attachment. Without hesitation, she pressed play, muting the sound to avoid drawing attention.

Yoona's relaxed posture caught the students' attention, and they murmured in admiration. They were quite impressed by their new teacher's cool demeanor.

Yoona squinted at the video, her focus shifting from the classroom to the footage of Mr. Wang Jibum handing files to Tyler Kwon in a secluded area. The unexpected sight surprised her, and she realized that Yuri had done a good job capturing the moment clandestinely.

Those files being exchanged were actually part of the company's upcoming strategy to boost sales. She could connect the dots and understand what was happening.

After the video ended, Yoona excused herself from the classroom to take the call from Yuri. She needed to step outside to maintain the confidentiality of the conversation.

"When is the next meeting?" Yoona inquired, her tone business-like.

"Tomorrow, in the afternoon. They've invited Chairman Jung to personally review their plan, Ms. Lim," 

Yoona's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "Excellent. After the meeting, make sure to Wang Jibum to the private room."

"Understood, Ms. Lim."

Ending the call, Yoona felt a sense of anticipation. The pieces were coming together, and she had a plan in motion.

Returning to the classroom, she announced the end of the class and their next meeting on Wednesday. The students groaned, unhappy about the short time they had with Yoona.

As Sana expressed her disappointment, Yoona laughed, understanding their sentiment. "I have to attend my next class. But don't worry, we'll continue on Wednesday."

The students praised Yoona for the effective class, comparing it favorably to their experiences with Mr. Jang. Seulgi commented that things seemed much better now, and Irene, her girlfriend, simply smiled in agreement from her seat.

"I think she's the best! Look at what happened; we answered the paper so easily. It wasn't like this with Mr. Jang," Seulgi commented as she leaned on Irene's shoulder. Irene didn't mind the affection at all, as they were a couple.

"Yeah, it's weird. When did we start caring about business?" Lisa chimed in.

"I never had an interest in business, but when Ms. Im came, suddenly I became interested," Yeri added, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Hey, enough fantasizing about our teacher!" Irene playfully shook Chaeyoung's shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. Chaeyoung looked up, blushing and shyly smiling at them, which caused the others to giggle.

Amidst the laughter and playful banter, Jennie remained lost in her own world. Her mind kept drifting back to the moment earlier when Yoona had smiled at her so sweetly. There's something different about the way she looks at me, Jennie mused.

During the break, students scattered to the cafeteria, and Irene's group of friends settled at their respective table. Jennie excused herself to buy drinks for her boyfriend, who she heard was still on the field according to one of his friends.

Her friends nodded as she walked to the vending machine, smiling when she spotted her favorite milk. She opened her palm and frowned upon realizing she only had one coin, which meant she could only buy one drink. She had left her purse with Jisoo and didn't feel like going back to get it. She debated whether to buy Jongin's drink instead of her favorite milk. She inserted her coin and pressed Jongin's preferred drink, though she cast a wistful glance at the milk carton she had wanted.

She let out a sigh, making up her mind that she'd buy her favorite milk later, and began walking in the direction of the field. However, someone called out her name from behind.

"Jennie Kim."

Jennie froze upon recognizing the voice. Slowly turning around, she saw Yoona walking toward her, holding a carton of milk in her hand.

"Ms. Im," Jennie stammered.

"Here," Yoona smiled, offering her the milk carton. "I know you've been staring at it for a while. Just take it."

"B-but.."

"I don't drink milk, so it's all yours," Yoona said.

Jennie hesitated at first, but eventually accepted the carton from Yoona.

"Thank you, Ms. Im," she managed to say.

"It's no problem," Yoona replied, patting Jennie's head. The touch surprised Jennie, causing her to freeze again as she caught another whiff of Yoona's scent. She felt a heat rising within her, stirred by Yoona's gesture.

Jennie had a lot of thoughts swirling in her mind. Why did she feel this way around her teacher? This was unlike anything she had experienced before. She shook off the thoughts, giving Yoona a smile before hurrying away.

Yoona shook her head and decided to follow Jennie to the field. There, she sipped from her water bottle and tossed it in the trash. She looked around and spotted Jennie caring for her boyfriend, wiping his sweaty face with a smile.

She drink her bottle of water before throwing it to the trashcan. She looks around the field and saw Jennie taking care of her boyfriend. Jennie is smiling at her boyfriend while she wipes his sweaty face.

Yoona observed the couple, recognizing the affection between them. While she understood their love, she was resolute in her pursuit of her own goals.

Learning that Jennie was in the library, Yoona made her way there, avoiding drawing attention to herself as students were engrossed in their books. She silently navigated the rows and quietly chuckled upon seeing Jennie struggling to reach a book on the top shelf.

"Look at her, trying so hard to reach that book," Yoona whispered to herself, amused by the sight. "I'm quite entertained."

As Jennie struggled on her tiptoes to reach the book, Yoona decided to approach her. She couldn't resist witnessing Jennie's efforts firsthand. "I'm having too much fun here," she mused, shaking her head before walking over to the brunette.

Jennie was stretching to reach the book, unaware that her balance was off. Bracing herself for a fall, she felt a warm body pressing against her, preventing her from tumbling.

The scent of lavender enveloped Jennie as she realized the person who had caught her was Yoona. Lavender—a scent that signified calmness and wellness. Jennie's sense of smell confirmed her suspicion, it was Yoona who had saved her from falling.

Opening her eyes slowly, Jennie met Yoona's concerned gaze. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, both realizing the intimate position they were in. Jennie quickly composed herself, coughed awkwardly, and scratched the back of her neck, at a loss for words.

"You could have asked for help," Yoona said, holding the book that Jennie had been reaching for earlier. "Next time, be more careful to avoid accidents. We wouldn't want that to happen, would we, Jennie Kim?" Yoona smiled, her charm working its magic on Jennie, who froze yet again.

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