Turn left, forward, right, right, left, crash.

“Ow! What the fu…uh?” I ran blindly into someone and fell back onto my backside. I looked up to see a pale had in front of my face. Past the sleeve and up the arm of the dark blazer, I swallowed my surprise and took his chilled hand.

“Ah,” he chuckled. “Sorry about that, student.” He helped me up with little effort and I sent a silent prayer to no one that I wasn’t wearing my morning face. Thank you higher power!

“Nahh, it’s my fault. Sorry.” I dusted myself off while avoiding eye-contact. I swear if Teacher Kim keeps looking at me like that I’m going to forget all about why I was running in the first place…why was I running?

“What are you doing out here so early?” he asked curiously.

I stared at the ground while answering and said the first thing that came to mind, “Jogging.”

“In uniform?”

Dare I? I dare. I looked up and his brow cocked. I averted my eyes quickly to the sky and let out an embarrassed laugh. “Y-yeah.”

“You’re covered in dirt. Tsk, tsk. That’s not the way you want to start off the year. I’ll you back so you can change before breakfast.”

Say what? Before I could say anything, Teacher Kim was already walking around the bend. Hey, wait for me! I jogged for real to keep up. Is he seriously going to walk me back to the dorms? What a cool teacher!

 “You’re new to the academy, correct?” Teacher Kim struck up a conversation as we walked through the maze, both hands in his pockets. When I didn’t answer he looked over his shoulder waiting for an answer. How can he see where he’s going? -.-

Oh that’s how. We passed the North exit. I looked around. No one was out.

“Yeah,” I said, slowing down my pace when he did. “I’m in your homeroom.”

“Really. Forgive me but I haven’t memorized everyone’s names yet. What’s yours?” he walked beside me now and the familiar building came into view straight ahead.

“I’m Evans, Bea.”

“Ah yes, Evans. I remember now: curfew one.”

“Yeah, you can call me Bea though.”

The instructor chuckled. “Alright. I guess you want to call me by my name then?”

No doubt he’s been asked that before.“Nah, I’d rather call you Teacher Kim.”

We stopped at the end of the dining hall door that I used earlier.  Teacher Kim reached to open one of the doors before I could. He held it there with one hand while the other motioned inside. The two flaps of his blazer rode apart to reveal the pinstripe button-down shirt fitting snug in his trousers as he held the door open wider for me to slip past.

“Thank you Teacher Kim.” I smiled, taking hold of the door for him to pass.

“How about you call me ‘oppa’ when not in class, hm?” he proposed, stepping in.

I don’t think that’s appropriate. I kept my thought internal and pretended to think about it. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow Jaejoong-