Flashback To Sports Day

“I’m thinking of getting a puppy,” Hyejin suddenly blurted out, “or maybe a snake. What do you think?”

Byulyi sighed from her place on the couch, “I think that because I haven’t spoken to you in two minutes, you’re making stuff up.”

“Byul, I’m bored.” She whined, “I’m dangerously bored. I considered sticking a knife in the toaster just to see what would happen.” 

“Death would happen,” Byulyi didn’t look away from the tv, “You could always go out and get a job. Then you won’t be bored.”

Hyejin flopped down on the floor, face down, “I tried, there’s literally no jobs available anywhere and I’m not going back to the hospital.”

“Why did you quit anyway? You were a great nurse.”

“Disgust at having to help people in need.” The shorter girl shrugged. 

The front door loudly slammed closed signalling the arrival of Wheein who angrily stomped into the living room. She shoved her phone on charge and helped herself to the cookies on the coffee table before flopping down beside Byulyi. 

“Jungkook’s ing cousin is staying with us,” She began as she bit into a cookie, “He’s such a leech, uses all of our stuff and eats all our food! Doesn’t pay to replace anything he’s consumed either.”

Eyeing her friend for a few seconds, Byulyi eventually remarked, “Yeah, I can understand how annoying that would be.” 

“I can’t wait for him to break his parole.” The shorter girl grinned evilly, “As soon as he does, I’m phoning the police on him! And if Jungkook thinks I’m joking, I’ve got the number memorised!” 

“Everyone does.” Byulyi sighed.

“Can I stay here for a few weeks until he leaves?” Wheein pleaded using her famous puppy eyes, “I’ll be your little spoon again.” 

The teacher considered Wheein for a second before answering, “Sure, but what happens if I get lucky, then where will you sleep?” 

Looking into her friends eyes with a straight face, Wheein remarked, “So I can stay?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Speaking of getting lucky.” She turned to Hyejin, “Have you phoned Seokjin back yet?” 

“No.” Came Hyejin’s mumbled reply. 

Sighing, the shortest girl continued, “Well, can you hurry up and phone him. He’s building me a car and he said I can’t have it until you agree to go out on a date with him.” 

Byulyi sat up, “Why is he building you a car? You can’t drive.”

“Oh yeah?” Wheein’s eyes lit up as she took a piece of paper from her pocket and shoved it in Byulyi’s face, “What’s this then?”

Byulyi took it and examined it, “‘Cycling Proficiency.’” She read the title, “And, Wheein, it says you failed.”

Wheein snatched the paper back and grumbled something about stupid friends as she scrunched it back up in her pocket. 

____________

It was the weekend before sports day and Byulyi had been invited by Yongsun to a cafe to meet her new boyfriend. Yongsun had told her that her parents do not approve of the relationship but she didn’t know why.

As soon as the history teacher turned up at the cafe, she knew exactly why. 

She spotted Yongsun sat at a table in the far corner with a man stood next to her. Assuming he was the waiter, Byulyi smiled at him and took a seat. 

“Hi,” She greeted him, “Can we have two menu’s please?” 

Both the man and Yongsun gave Byulyi confusing stares before the man took a seat next to the older teacher. 

“Byul, he’s not our waiter, this is my boyfriend, Heung.” Yongsun smiled affectionately at the man next to her. 

“Oh.” Byulyi bowed her head slightly in apology before properly looking at the man sat next to the literature teacher. 

He looked an awful lot like Byulyi’s grandfather. Greying hair, ridiculously bushy eyebrows, wrinkles on every inch of skin on his face. He actually resembled a penguin with his bow tie, white shirt and black waistcoat. Byulyi was terrified that if she looked on the floor she’d see a... oh look, there it is; a walking stick. 

“You two girls order whatever you like.” Heung grinned at them, “I have coupons for this place.” 

Byulyi could feel her stomach churn, “I’m suddenly not hungry.” 

After a rather awkward conversation of Byulyi explaining why she didn’t have a boyfriend, Heung excused himself to head to the bathroom. As soon as the doors to the lavatory’s were closed, Yongsun’s expectant eyes were on her. 

“Well?” She asked. 

Not one to beat around the bush, Byulyi blurted out, “How old is he?” 

“I’m not sure, maybe sixty?” 

“SIXTY?!”

“Byulyi keep your voice down!”

The history teacher took a few deep breaths before continuing, “Yong, he’s old enough to be your grandfather!”

Yongsun rolled her eyes, “Don’t exaggerate! He’s nice and kind and-“

“And a cradle snatcher?”

“Byul, I’ve known him for years. He was my tutor in university.” 

“So, he groomed you? Sick er.” 

Yongsun stood up furiously, “Moon Byulyi, we are two consenting adults and what my boyfriend and I get up to in the privacy of our own homes should not infuriate you.” 

“You cannot call him your boyfriend! He’s not a boy. He’s an old man. He’s your old-man-friend!” Byulyi pointed behind Yongsun just as Heung vacated the bathroom, “He even has a walking stick!”

“It’s a cane!”

The two teachers glared at one another as the old man retook his seat next to Yongsun. He seemed oblivious to the two women as he took out a pair of glasses and put them on the bridge of his nose before cradling his phone in his left hand and using his right to swipe the screen. 

__________________

Byulyi did the most stupidest thing she could think of on Sunday. She went out to a bar with Hyejin and Wheein. A few drinks turned into a load more as men and women flocked to their table in an effort to try and convince one of the three to leave with them. 

Stumbling into her classroom in the early hours of Monday morning, the whole class turned to look at her briefly before continuing talking ridiculously loudly. 

Byulyi weakly tried to call attention before giving up and slumping at her desk. She opened a can of emergency red bull and downed it in only a few gulps before jumping back up and yelling as loud as she can. 

“Right! Class! If you do not settle down and be quiet I will be forced to play a game of hangman with you!” The class still ignored her, “I am going to write a letter on the board for every second you waste and it will spell out the name of a character who will die in season eight of Game Of Thrones.” 

A few class members looked up in alarm whilst the others still chatted loudly. 

“Okay,” Byulyi sighed and wrote a letter on the board, “M!”

Jisung screamed and held his hands over his ears. A few more students quickly jumped in their seats. But not everyone was being obedient. 

“I!” 

“Miss, stop!” Irene shouted. 

“S!”

“You silly bastard.” Sunghyuk’s voice was heard behind her before four pairs of hands wrestled the pen from her grasp and forced her to the floor. 

Yongsun could hear the screams coming from Byulyi’s classroom as she began making her way to the staff room. Sighing to herself, she quickly decided to investigate the noise. 

She pulled the sliding door open just in time to see the teacher in question on the floor with her students hovering over her and one of them had a whiteboard marker in their hand. 

“Hello, Miss Kim,” Byulyi greeted, “We were just... playing a game.”

The students nodded their heads and helped their teacher up. Byulyi brushed off the dust from the floor and sheepishly smiled at the literature teacher. 

“We have a meeting in the staff room.” Yongsun said. 

“Right behind you.” Byulyi held an arm for Yongsun to lead the way, “Don’t be whilst I’m gone.” She warned her students. 

They walked in complete silence. The tension from their weekend chat still red hot. Yongsun didn’t even glance towards the history teacher once as they made their way down two corridors and up a flight of stairs. The rest of the faculty were already huddled around the centre table by the time the two teachers entered the room. 

The headmaster gave them a run through of the schedule for sports day and with a glare sent Byulyi’s way, he gave a warning about student participation. Byulyi just smiled and looked out of the window. All her students participated in sports day, they just put in zero effort. Unless dancing or underaged drinking was involved, her stu