Since I had to look this up, I figured I should post this as well:

seon-saeng-nim=teacher , ssam= slang teacher, “kinda like teach”

Gyo=Principal

I combed my bangs and adjusted my glasses on my nose. I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out of my mouth. I knew it was going to be one of those days. Especially with the boys that I had to deal with. Why was it that I had to end up with the most bizarre and unruly boys in this school? I allowed myself to bite my lip for two seconds and then shook my head. It was time to get my teach on.

I slide aside the door and strode confidently to my desk. No eye contact. I learned at the beginning that eye contact meant to them that I was paying special attention to them. And I did not want them thinking I was focusing on them and them alone. I sat at my desk and started to arrange the papers I had prepared. I taught at an all-boys school, Senior’s English. I wish I had declined the pay raise. I enjoyed my grade 9’s and their wide-eyed eagerness to study. Grade 12’s were waaaaaaay more difficult. They didn’t care, because it was their last year, they had already been accepted into their chosen school and they pretty much slacked off. I refused to let them, however.

“Good Morning, Seonsaengnim,” called out one of my students.

I didn’t bother to look up from my desk. “Good morning, Woohyun.”

“You look absolutely divine today, Seonsaengnim. When you walked into the room, you lit up my world.”

“Save your flattery for the girls your age, Woohyun.”

“Yo, why do you always have to put Ssam in a bad mood first thing, Nam? She always picks on me afterwards.”

“Woo Jiho, did you finish the homework I assigned last night?”

Jiho, who preferred to go by Zico, sighed heavily, “What do you think?”

I shook my head. Zico was a hard student to convince to study at all. He wanted to pursue his music career and I respected that, but how could you form lyrics if you couldn’t put together an essay?

I heard hissing and deducted the boys were whispering among themselves. I let it go, seeing as how I was probably going to have to give out a lot of detention today.

“I’ll put her in a better mood,” came a confident voice. I heard steps steadily approach my desk and my glasses flew off of my face.

“Wha—” I looked up to see Kim Jongin, another boy with a nickname: “Kai, give me back my glasses.” I put my hand out expectantly.

Kai’s head moved closer to mine, his eyes scanning my face. He half-smirked and said, “But Seonsaengnim, your eyes are so pretty.”

I stared at Kai and he stared back at me. Then his face fell in his hands and he started to laugh, his shoulder shaking. I took back my glasses and finally addressed the class. “Okay, enough funny business. I know you all think it’s hilarious when Kai pretends to be confident, but I know my students. He’s the shyest. So, can everyone be serious and hand in their essays?”

Everyone got up, but not everyone was eager to hand in their essays. The one person that always had a bright smile was my star student, Taemin. “Here you are, Seonsaengnim.” Taemin bowed politely but the smile never faded. “I worked extra hard on it. I hope you enjoy it.” I quickly scanned the title. “How Macbeth compares to some Super Hero’s. What a different concept! I’m sure it will be perfect,” I smiled back at Taemin, who practically bounced back to his seat.

I gathered all the papers and took a look through them.

“Woohyun, “Why Seonsaengnim should date me” is not an acceptable thesis. I’m failing you,” I said immediately.

Woohyun laughed with the others, mockingly protesting, “But you haven’t even read it yet. I had some really good points.”

I rolled my eyes and looked through the homework some more. “Zico, this is just 15 blank pages stapled together.”

Zico sat back, put his feet on his desk and said cockily, “You said you required 15 pages. I just did as I was told.”

“Okay, today you are opening your text books to page 142. You’ll see there’s a short story I want you to read and then answer the 5 questions I’m about to put on the board...” I had forgotten to erase what I had left on the board yesterday. I picked up the chalk eraser and reached with all my might, but was not successful in getting the very top.

“Seonsaengnim,” came a soft voice from behind me.

“Ah, Zitao, do you think you could use your height and help me?” I begged.

Tao smiled gently and took the eraser from me. He easily had everything gone in a few seconds. “Seonsaengnim... I read the book you recommended... it was really good.”

I brightened. I was trying to help Tao broaden his English interests. “I knew you would. Did you write you essay about it?”

Tao nodded but his eyebrows furrowed, “I hope its good enough.”

“As long as you did your best, I’m sure it will get a good grade,” I encouraged Tao. “Now go back to your seat, I’ve got to write out these questions.”

It was quiet for only a couple of minutes as I wrote the questions down. I was barely down before I heard. “Seonsaengnim?”

I turned to see the youngest in class look at me hopefully, “Yes Junhong?”

Zelo had his head in his hand, scanning the text book before him, “I don’t understand this one part.”

I made my way to Zelo’s desk, to see what part he didn’t understand. I patiently tried to explain to him in better terms what the author was trying to say. Zelo blinked so many times, following my finger along the page. He looked so serious compared to his usually joking manner.

“Thank you, Seonsaengnim,” Zelo bowed his head respectively. Zelo was also on the fence about dropping out of school. But he had wisely listened to me and was at least trying to learn.

That brought me back to Zico. Currently he was scribbling in the wire notebook he always carried with him. I peered over his shoulder and read mutely what he was writing. They were lyrics. “Zico, although I find what you’re writing extremely moving, these are not answers to the short story you are supposed to be reading.”

Zico closed his notebook with a huff, “Come on, Ssam. Give me a break here. Whatever I learn for that stupid story is not going to make me money,” He tapped his notebook with a decisive finger, “This will.”

“No, it will help you make money because your company that takes you on will take you seriously when you show them lyrics that are all spelt accurately and have correct sentences.”

“Fine, if you won’t let me write them here, I’ll find somewhere else to go,” Zico abruptly got up, his chair scrapping harshly against the floor.

“Woo Jiho, you sit back down right now, or you are going to the principal’s office,” I commanded.

“Whatever Ssam,” Zico flipped the bird and walked off.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, making my glasses rise. I knew it was going to be one of these days. “Taemin, please go inform Gyo Cho that Zico has wandered off again.”

Taemin left immediately to do as I told. “And he thought I was putting Seonsaengnim in a bad mood,” muttered Woohyun.

I snapped out of frustrated mode. “Everyone, please continue your work. Let’s pretend Jiho didn’t interrupt us.”

“I could go after him,” Tao offered, looking up to me expectantly.

“Tao, I’m not giving you permission to use your Wushu on Jiho, no matter how rudely he acted.”

“I could give you a back massage to relieve your stress,” offered Kai. Zelo and Woohyun dissolved into giggles.

“You all have 5 more minutes to finish up those question before I go over them,” I threatened, eyeing each and every one of my students.

“Seonsaengnim, Gyo Cho is here,” Taemin announced, opening the door. His happy smile had disappeared. He sent a glare over his shoulder and sat at his desk. I wonder what had put Taemin in a bad mood.

 I stepped out into the hall, to meet with the ever-confident Kyuhyun Cho, my senior; the one person whom I could never avoid, but desperately wanted to.  Kyuhyun tapped the watch on his wrist. “It’s not even ten o’clock yet, I’m starting to think you are deliberately pissing Woo Jiho off so that you can send one of your students to fetch me.”

As if I didn’t have enough problems with in-love-with-his-Seonsaengnim Woohyun, trying-to-prove-himself Kai and problematic Zico, I had to ward off the ever flirty Kyuhyun. “Gyo Cho, you need to alert the campus security and get him in detention. Whatever you do, do not try to take away his notebook. That is like money to Zico. He’ll get violent if you try.”

“As much as I like your hair in a bun, do you ever have the urge to just let your hair down once at school?” Gyo Cho replied back, as if he never even heard me.

“Gyo Cho! This is serious! Zico needs to be taught how to respect his elders or he won’t get anywhere in this world.”

Kyuhyun sighed, putting on his serious face. “Fine. We’ll just have to talk about this during lunch. You do like that restaurant downtown, right?”

I shook my finger in front of Kyuhyun’s face. “Find Zico. Put him in detention. Get it into his brain if he wants to succeed in life, he needs to finish school.” I spun around and went back into my classroom.

Like that made any difference. I had exchanged one disaster for another. Tao was trying to urge Kai and Zelo to get off the desk on which they were dancing on. Woohyun was writing what must have been Seonsaengnim loves Woohyun, but Taemin was right behind him, already having erased Seons.

“I really hope everyone has finished their work,” I said tiredly.

“Seonsaengnim!” shouted Tao. Kai was distracted and Tao finally got him off the desk. Zelo’s mouth was open, frozen in his dance stance. Taemin was still furtively trying to erase the board while Woohyun smiled disarmingly my way.

“Please, everyone in their seats. We are going over these questions. Jiho will not be joining us. I want it to be lunch just as much as you do.”

I pushed aside my frustration at my situation and managed to genuinely be happy for the students that got the questions right and tried really hard not to fly across the room and comfort Zelo when he got a question wrong. He had looked so shocked and cute... er, not cute. None of my students were cute. Right.

When the lunch bell rang, I made sure to go the opposite way of the Teacher’s Lounge. It was imperative I avoided Gyo Cho like the plague otherwise I might end up in a compromising situation, with my own boss at that.

I went to the gym, figuring I’d find it empty at this hour. I was wrong. Obviously the campus security didn’t comb the school properly. I found that Zico had chosen the gym as his place of sanctuary as well. We eyed each other, not sure if the other was a threat or not. I pushed my glasses on the top of my head and opened the can of pop I had bought from the vending machine. “I won’t rat you out if you don’t tell Gyo Cho that I was here during lunch if you are caught,” I offered, taking a sip of the sugar that was about to help me through 2 more periods.

Zico looked surprised but that soon turned into a grin. “I didn’t know you made deals, Ssam.”

I ate my chocolate bar, not wanting to say anything that would let Zico know that Kyuhyun heavily hit on me. I did not need a ridiculous rumour to start about me. It was bad enough they had nicknamed me “The Supermodel Seonsaengnim”.

Zico stared at the ceiling for awhile and then randomly asked “Do you really think paying attention in class is going to help me get where I want?”

I finished chewing what was in my mouth and answered, “If you hand to your Ceo lyrics that look something their lyrist would have written, then you’ve got your future in the bad. If I didn’t think it was important, I wouldn’t insist on it.”

I never found out what Zico thought about what I said because Junhong ran into the gym, his voice cracking because of he was out of breath, “Seonsaengnim! Tao has got Woohyun up against the wall for saying...” Zelo cut himself off, face getting red.

“I can just imagine what Woohyun’s said this time. Perhaps something like “My legs are the most attractive pair he’s seen in his life? Or what about “My lips are oh so kissable”?”

Zelo began to stutter, the blush encompassing his face, “S-seons-sang-n-nim!”

“Ah, I’m sorry Junhong. Come, let’s go break up this fight.”

Zelo followed behind me as I strode to my classroom, where my students were supposed to be eating lunch peacefully.

“Huang Zitao, let Woohyun down, NOW,” I snapped crisply.

Woohyun fell to the floor, clutching his throat and coughed. Tao turned around, looking awfully sheepish. “Mianhe, Seonsaengnim,” Tao mumbled.

“Tao, you know I can’t let you off again. You’re going to have to go see the principal.”

“Yes, Seonsaengnim,” said Tao. His head hung low as he walked dejectedly out of the classroom. He looked like a kicked puppy, but I had to stay strong. These boys needed a firm hand or they’d do whatever they wanted to.

“Thank you for fetching me, Junhong,” I ruffled his bleach-blonde hair. “You stopped Zitao getting into more trouble and Woohyun the embarrassment of begging for his life.”

Junhong smiled sweetly, looked pleased. Then his confused face showed again, “Why were you eating in the gym. Did you not have any food? Yongguk hyung bought me a large lunch!”

Woohyun had finally gotten a hold of himself. “No, eat my lunch, Seonsaengnim! You are my beautiful savior. Your fury is as glorious as it is attractive.”

“Nam, ‘nuff with the greasiness. You’re making me feel dirty,” Zico breezed into class, like he hadn’t left here with such a dramatic ending.

“Zico, thank you for joining us again. Woohyun, you are following Tao to the principal’s office. Your comments are inappropriate. Go on!” I insisted when Woohyun attempted to pout.

“Goodness boys, what has got you all so hyper today,” I said out loud, making my way to my desk. I might as well make use of this time to grade some essays.

I was really surprised when I got to Kai’s essay. He wasn’t always the most focused student. He was working on his dancing career. Practising ballet, jazz and hip hop took a lot of time away from studying and school work. But his essay was almost flawless. He may had made some grammar mistakes but the message he was getting across was really heartfelt.

“Kai, can you come to my desk please.”

I suppressed a smile as Kai’s eyes widened and looked to Taemin for help. Taemin smiled encouragingly and motioned Kai to go to my desk. Kai approached my desk, avoiding my gaze and flipping his hair out of his face. “Kai, I just finished your essay.”

Kai stayed quiet, biting his lip hesitantly. I continued, “This was the best thing that you’ve handed into me so far. Congratulations!”

Kai’s head snapped up, brown eyes astonished. Then Kai smiled sweetly, “Thank you Seonsaengnim,” he said in his deep voice, that if I wasn’t a couple years his senior, would have sent shivers down my spine.

I could feel a flush creeping up my face. Keep your composure! “You’re welcome Jongin.”

“Ah, there you are! Where have you been this whole time? I’ve returned your students, they’ve learned their lesson,” Gyo Cho came into the classroom, hands on Woohyun’s and Tao’s shoulders. His quick eyes spotted Zico’s blonde hair. “And you’ve found your wayward student. Since everything is good now, why don’t you step out into the hallway for me, please?”

Of all days, today had to be a stressful one. I patted Tao’s shoulder as he passed. You eyed Zelo and Kai. “Taemin, please make sure we don’t have any dancing outbursts again?”

“Ne!” Taemin confirmed and you followed Kyuhyun out.

“Laura, I—”

“Gyo Cho! My students are right in the room next to us! I do not need you to get familiar with me—”

Kyuhyun shot me a shut up and listen look. “Your students all love you. Taemin overheard me talking about my plans of asking you out with Seonsaengnim Choi and he yelled at me. Jiho avoids getting caught so that it doesn’t go on your record as teach here. Zitao threatened the entire senior class that if they pull a senior’s prank on you, he’s teaching them all a lesson. I confiscate flowers from Woohyun every day. Kai throws away a box of chocolates every week because he can’t find the courage to give them to you. I’ve even caught Zelo graffiti-ing the school’s walls with “Seonsaengnim is the best”. You’ve changed their lives.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. I had no idea all my boys were so sweet! I felt my heart constrict at the realization that I had made a difference. I felt a silly smile bloom on my face.

Kyuhyun huffed, “if being young and in love makes you smile, I can do that too! Buing Buing, Seonsaengnim, be mine forever,” he said in a cutesy voice.

I tried to keep a poker face but couldn’t. I burst into full belly laughter. Kyuhyun looked offended at first but then broke into a wide grin. “Okay, maybe that was a bit much. But after that, you’ve got to at least let me take you out for dinner tonight, I know it’s your—”

I covered Kyuhyun’s mouth with my hand. “Alright,” I hissed, craning my neck to see if any one heard that. Who knows what would happen if my lovely but unruly students heard. “Just don’t tell any of the other teachers. I don’t want any one accusing me of sleeping with my boss to get a raise.”

I let go of Kyuhyun and he smiled devilishly. “That can be arranged.”

“Go away, before I take what I said back,” I threatened. Kyuhyun practically skipped away.

I sighed, blowing my bangs out of my face. Déjà vu! Hopefully, my boys were behaving and I could enjoy the rest of the day in peace. I opened the door to my classroom for the umpteenth time.

“Happy Birthday!”

I was greeted by many happy faces, six familiar ones holding a cake lit with candles. “What’s this?”

“We love you—” Woohyun was elbowed in the ribs by Tao, “I mean, we appreciate everything you’ve done for us, Seonsaengnim.”

“We know we can be difficult at times,” said Tao.

“We tease you a lot,” blushed Kai.

“Occasionally we make your life fun,” winked Zico.

“We wanted to celebrate your birthday with you,” Taemin beamed his angelic smile.

“Because you are the best!” yelled Zelo, pumping a fist in the air and laughing.

“Make a wish!” The boys encouraged.

I closed my eyes and blew out a puff of air. They clapped and eagerly cut the cake up. Tao went cross-eyed as Zelo put frosting on his nose. Kai and Woohyun argued over who would give the first slice to me. Taemin and Zico approached me.

“What did you wish for?!” Taemin’s eyes sparkled.

“Ssam needs to get laid,” Zico smirked.

I dropped my stern teacher persona and smiled to show the happiness I felt inside. I had wished to stay with my boys forever. Hopefully my wish would come true.