Ji hyo took a deep breath before opening the door to the faculty room. She had been meaning to go there since yesterday but so many things had happened and it slipped her mind. She felt guilty that she wasn’t able to greet her sunbaes and wished they wouldn’t think badly of her.

Ji hyo went in and froze when everyone’s attention focused on her, stopping whatever they were doing. There were eight people in the room and she was blinded because she thought it was so bright inside, so dazzling. When she had recovered from the shock, she shyly bowed and introduced herself. “Anyeohaseyo, I’m Song Ji hyo, the new history teacher. Nice to meet you all. Please take care of me!” she said, feeling awkward at the silence. When she raised her head, she was surprised to see that everyone was smiling at her. Everyone started to walk towards her and Ji hyo felt welcomed but her smile faltered a bit when she saw Jong kook looking at her with a scowl. What’s his problem? she thought.

“Hi I’m Hyun bin.” greeted a man who was so handsome she thought she was dreaming. “Miss Song?” he sounded worried and that voice brought her back to reality, she was actually staring with open. She shook the hand offered at her and smiled back, blushing deeply. Hyun bin grinned, giving her heart a sudden workout then he excused himself since he has a class. Other teachers also flocked around her, introducing themselves.

Ji hyo thought not only the school was full of flower boys but flower teachers too. She met Gong Yoo, Won Bin, Jang Dong Gun, Daniel Choi and Lee Dong Wook teachers. There are more she hadn’t met yet but she was already reeling with all the manliness she had encountered.

A middle-aged man approached her, holding out a hand. “Anyeohaseyo, I’m Yoo Jae suk… I am in charge of the faculty, sort of like the leader of the gang. Welcome to RM High Miss Song, let me show you to your table.” he said while shaking her hand. Ji hyo couldn’t help but be drawn to his friendliness even if his visuals wasn’t on par with the men earlier. “I thought I’d see you yesterday…”

“I was busy and excited that I forgot to pass by. Sorry.”

“Oh no, don’t be Miss Song, I hope you enjoy your stay here and if you have any problem, just tell me.” he expressed, smiling wider than ever, Ji hyo thought he could be a great mc. He touched her arm and suddenly, a buff man blocked their path. Here comes the problem, she thought.

“Oh, Kim teacher. Anything wrong?” asked Jae suk in confusion, while Jong kook eyed him intensely. Jae suk chuckled and withdrew his hand from Ji hyo. “Hey Kim teacher, I asked you if anything is wrong?”

“Nothing really Yoo teacher, but I’m in charge of Miss Song and I still have something to tell her… about the school.” Ji hyo felt annoyed. She would rather spend her free time with friendly co-teachers than the silent Mr. awkward-muscles. “Jae Suk-ssi, let’s go to my desk.” She tried to avoid Jong kook but he blocked the narrow path completely. “I’m in charge of you Miss Song.” he muttered under his breath. “I’m in charge of myself. Thanks for the concern but I’m not a kid Mr. Kim.” she shot back. For a while, they glared at each other, neither backing down. Ji hyo wondered what his problem was, being childish and unpredictable like that. “Aigoo, yah… Kook Jong-ah… don’t be like this neh? Let’s just go to her desk altogether and don’t create a scene.” Jae suk said, successfully killing the tension between them.

The three awkwardly walked to Ji hyo’s desk that so happened to be located beside Jong kook’s. She furrowed her brows but he only nonchalantly sat beside her. “That’s why I told you I’m in charge of you.” he said when Jae suk had walked away.

“Is it your habit to annoy people?” He just shrugged smugly to her annoyance. Just when she was considering that the buff man was just awkward and was trying to be nice but doesn’t know how, she suddenly discovered that he’s just plainly annoying. He even looked for me before but I guess it’s because he’s in charge, nothing else.

A bespectacled man approached her and placed a flower on an empty vase in her desk. “Anyeohaseyo, I’m Ji suk Jin.” He introduced himself as the math teacher and Ji hyo felt at ease with him. They chatted for a while until she felt uncomfortable, like when someone is watching you. When Suk Jin left, she glanced at Jong kook and her suspicions were right, he was the one causing her to be uncomfortable by glaring at her. Ji hyo ignored him and started reviewing her lesson plans.

“Hi!” a cheerful voice greeted her and she looked up to see a foreigner with a wide smile. “I’m Julien Kang… I heard there’s a beautiful teacher but I guess the rumors weren't true… you’re more than exquisite Miss Song.” said the blonde guy with a wink, making Ji hyo blush. She wasn’t normally mindful of appearances but the school made her appreciate male beauty. “I thought I’d just say hi, I’ll go now but if you need anything, remember Julien.” He even took her hand and placed it on his lips, then left without another word. Ji hyo was flustered but she knows it was just a cultural thing from the west. The cheerful feeling was suddenly replaced by coldness though when she turned to her right and saw Jong kook furiously stamping papers.

“Mr. Kim, can’t you be a little quieter? And I thought we were to discuss something?” He turned to her with a scowl then stood up. “I’m busy… just don’t cause trouble and don’t get lost.”

“What? Seriously, hey excuse me Mr. Kim –” but he had already walked out leaving Ji hyo agape. Seriously, how could he be so… aissh, that Kim Jong kook!

“Hey Miss Song. That kid, Kook Jong… he doesn’t really know how to behave in front of women and he’s always been insufferable but don’t worry, he’ll come around.” Jaesuk said as he sat on Jong kook’s chair. Ji hyo spent her afternoon grumbling about the muscle man while Jae suk patiently listened. She was relieved to meet Jae suk whom she was so comfortable to talk to and they had grown close immediately.

______________________

Ji hyo was monitoring around the study hall, answering questions and helping out students who had troubles in their studies. She was tutoring Xiumin with Hanja when another student caught her attention. “Xiumin, do you think you can do it on your own now?” she asked and the boy nodded. She left and went to the one who caught her attention.

Myung soo looked up only to be face to face with Miss Song. He smirked but didn’t try to hide what he’d been doing instead of studying. He knows he’d be scolded just like how other teachers did so he felt it was pointless to even try avoiding it. He only wished that she wouldn’t give him detention.

“Myung soo, thanks for helping me out the other day.” she said cheerfully, confusing the boy who thought he ‘d be punished. “Myung soo, if you need my help just ask, neh? I could give you tips and summarize lessons, I’m not that good in math but I think I could handle it fine for you, just tell me.” she said and walked away.

Myung soo looked at her, smirking in disbelief. It was the first time ever that he felt guilty for not studying. He shut the comics he’d been reading and put it inside his bag then took out a reading assignment. He sincerely read his textbook and unknown to him, Ji hyo saw everything. She smiled as she remembered how she was as a student. Myung soo had been no different from when she was in school so she knows well how frustrating it is to be continuously scolded, it actually eats up any motivation to study and she didn’t want her students to be like that.

______________________

“Oh boy, Kyung soo, I missed you.” she said to DO who was like her ‘girlfriend’ in that place. “Noona, is it really me you missed or my cooking?” With a grin, she said both and dug into the food placed in front of her. She oh-ed and happily ate. “Noona, it looks like you did miss the food more than me.”

“Kyung soo-yah, this day had been all sorts of fun and annoying. I think this tasted even better because that muscles isn’t here –”

“Hey! You two, Siwon and Heechul, 10 sit-ups. Running is not allowed.”

The voice was familiar and Ji hyo need not look behind her to know who it is. She suddenly felt like getting sick. “Noona, are you okay?” asked Kyung soo worriedly. “I’m fine, it’s just that my head… I think I better finish up and go to bed. I had a tiring day.” She gobbled up her food as fast as she could without realizing that she had messed up her face, she looked up and met Jong kook’s gaze.

Jong kook stared at Ji hyo’s kimchi-stained face, there was also soy sauce on her clothes and it looked like she was in a hurry to go or she was just starving. Jong kook stifled his laughter but couldn’t resist it. He pointed at while she shot him dagger looks.

“Ommo, noona, your face!” exclaimed Kyung soo and he hurried to get her tissues. She wiped with her hand and blushed in embarrassment when she realized why Jong kook was laughing. As usual, he sat in front of her, still laughing and driving her nuts. She thought his little dimple was cute but it was a shame that he’s not so nice.

“Miss Song should I make you do sit-ups for messing up?” he joked. Infuriated Ji hyo swallowed hard and almost choked when he tried to talk back to him. Jong kook immediately rushed to her side and tapped her back then gave her water. “Yah! Mr. Kim, are you really, I mean… aissh just don’t talk to me and go away.” she spat, coughing. The man really got to her nerves. At first, she was confused but now she knows that Kim Jong kook was the biggest jerk around and she doesn’t think it’s just because he can’t deal with girls, in fact, it was as if he only knows how to deal with the gym.

“I helped you out so don’t be too mean.” She ignored him and thanked Kyung soo for the food before going up. “Hey Miss Song! We have to do inspection duties!” Jong kook called out then chuckled when she only walked even faster.

“Yah, hyung… why are you like that to noona?” Jong kook only shrugged and grinned. “Aigoo, hyung if you’re not careful you might fall for her.”

“Not gonna happen, we just don’t have a choice but be stuck on each other.” he said and ate his dinner while Kyung soo fussed over him.

______________________

Ji hyo yawned as she held a flashlight, roaming the dark corridors and cursing Kim Jong kook with all the obscenities she knows. “Stupid Kim, scaredy-cat Kim, bish Kim, all knowing Kim, in Kim…” she muttered. The inspection duties Jong kook was talking about was actually monitoring after the curfew. She has to make sure no one is breaking the rules. She shivered when she felt the cold wind blowing, sending shivers down her spine. She was not the kind who gets scared easily but the dark corridor was creeping her out.

She went down to the second floor and thought she heard something. Scared, she continued to walk and didn’t look back. She remembered that in horror movies, the ghosts are usually behind and if you look back, they’ll just scare you more. She walked hastily and almost screamed when she looked at her shadow, there’s another shadow beside hers but she was too afraid to look behind.

“P-please… I-I’m j-just do-doing m-my duties, please… don’t… omeoni…” She almost cried in fear when a hand touched her shoulder. With her martial arts training, she blindly dropped the flashlight and punched the owner of the hand, swung her fists everywhere while screaming and then finished it with a throw. Suddenly, light flooded the once dark corridor. Some students also woke up and peeked to see the commotion, laughing at the sight of Ji hyo on top of someone.

Ji hyo looked at the person she pinned on the ground, surprised to see that it was no other than Jong kook. “Miss Song let me off.” he grunted and Ji hyo embarrassedly got off from him and then said sorry over and over again. Jong kook limped and looked at everyone. “Kids go to sleep or I’ll have you take PE sessions on Sunday!” Terrified of the teacher, the students all went back to their room still laughing at the scene.

“I’m sorry, I thought it’s a ghost.”

“I was just making sure you weren’t… I mean that you were… umm not having troubles.” he said sheepishly. Ji hyo wanted to punch him again, he was a jerk that morning but now, it was as if he cared, confusing her. She shook her head and told herself it’s not like that. They both closed the lights and walked together. Ji hyo walked closer to him, their bodies almost touching. “What are you doing Miss Song?”

“You could lean on me, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s not too painful… you’re a girl, wasn’t strong – oww!”

“Bastard!” she said after giving Jong kook another punch, and then left him alone wincing in pain.

As much as he hated to admit it, Song Ji hyo was the strongest woman he’d ever met and she has amazing reflexes it was almost scary. She’s also the one entrusted to him so he has no choice but look after her.

Aigoo, that woman’s no joke... she doesn’t even need to be protected with that strength of hers…

I’ll be relaxed with this one so it will have some weirdness, lots of flower boys and teachers and bickering – lots of clichés too and full of my other biases. I hope you enjoyed this although my updates here might be rushed and shorter than I usually do. Thanks for everyone who waited, supported and subscribed even if this fic is on hiatus. I know this fic will have many loopholes but I just hope we could make this world work. Thank you again and sorry for making everyone wait.