» Differential Calculus : Week One — ❝ 10:00AM ❞

Class of two hours give by teacher Kim Taeyeon.

Wednesday

August 28

10:00

Classroom F-125

Kim Taeyeon started the class by introducing herself. She stated her name and age and made a list of the school she had attended to give a glimpse of her qualifications. While she had only been recently hired, Taeyeon had given this particular class two times before, in the previous semester and the one before that, and had taken a job as a cram school teacher while she studied in university. Not a former student of Unmyeong, she however smiled as she stated she would have loved to have the opportunity to come here. She talked about her hobbies that included “karaoke and ski”.

“I like blue things, cacti, which is the plural for cactus, and I’m allergic to peanuts,” she stated with a laugh. “Don’t bring any in the classroom, even if we have an exam because you’ll still have to do it, but you’ll have less time considering I’ll be ushered out in an ambulance.”

Handing a sheet to a girl in the front row, she asked her to put her name on the diagram of the class, where she sat, so that she could easily know everybody’s name. Taeyeon just wasn’t known for her great memory. As soon as she got the sheet back, she made sure everyone on her list was present – why would anyone want to miss her first class – and got straight to business. 

Wednesday

August 28

10:15

Classroom F-125

Jaemin stared at the blackboard when Taeyeon started explaining, his feet uncontrollably beginning to tap on the floor. He took a look around and noticed how everyone opened their books to start writing down what she was saying. He himself had brought his textbook and notebook with him but for now they quietly stayed on the corner of the desk. He took one last time to curse his friend that had robbed him of the possibility of appearing to be a good student - even thought he wasn’t really one – in front of her. By now Jaemin was fairly certain Daesung had planned the whole thing. Maybe he shouldn’t have told his taller friend about the classes he took. Running his fingers through his hair, he combed his bangs wondering if he should go and get a new hair color. He was getting tired of brown…

When Taeyeon asked her students to resolve a problem, he quietly drummed his pencil on the corner of his desk. He wasn’t to open a textbook in class meaning he just could know what the problem in question was. From the corner of his eye, he saw her stare at him with a questioning look. He stared back, making her uncomfortable and resulting in his teacher turning her eyes away. He smirked.

“So, who has the answer?” Taeyeon asked as soon as she saw eyes raised back in her direction instead of down looking at the books. Noticing nobody lifted their hand, she took the class diagram and chose a name. “Ko Jaemin. What is the answer to question 1?”

And something in her eyes was clearly sending him a challenge.

“I have no idea,” he stated cockily as he lay back in his chair.

“Maybe you should open your book, mister Ko Jaemin.”

He shrugged with a smile and she proceeded to ask another student.

“Bang Yongguk? What is the answer?”

“It’s 0.”

“Very good. And what is the answer to question 2?”

“Infinity.”

She seemed happy to find someone who knew both answers and went back to the board to draw a circle to explain that the slope of the tangent of a circle at the highest and lowest value of y was 0 while at the highest and lowest value of x, it was equal to infinity. Jaemin stole a glance at Bang Yongguk, the one he always considered his rival. Why did fate had to be cruel and put them in the exact same class this year again? And why did he have to make this stupid bet… Now Taeyeon was going to think he was stupid while Yongguk was such a good student. Jaemin had no doubt that he would have been able to answer if he had seen the actual problem. The tangent of a circle was an easy question anyway. But now, he only though about how much actual work he would have to put outside of class to study and get a better grade than Yongguk.

At the other side of the classroom, Jaemin saw Daesung’s friend, Taemin, chuckle, as he knew of the bet. Taemin gave him a thumb up before turning to talk to his friend. Unfortunately for him, Kiyoung was very busy, in a conversation with her friend Soojung. She barely noticed Taemin, a row in front of her as he decided not to interrupt their conversation and just go back to the lesson.

“Can you believe it’s the first year we are not in the same dorm room?” Kiyoung sighed.

“All of that because of my parents,” Soojung whispered as she rolled her eyes. “My parents want me to study this year to actually get good grades and go to a good university and I don’t know how that means having a single room. It’s so lame.”

A student next to Taemin turned around to shush them and Soojung grimaced behind his back.

“But we can still hang out during lunch and share gossips and everything…”

“Oh, speaking about gossips,” Kiyoung interrupted. “Did you hear Sehun and Suzy broke up?”

“Of course I did! I never thought they would last long anyway. He never went out with a girl for longer than two weeks so it’s a miracle they lasted three months. She always seemed to be too much of a good girl for him, don’t you think?”

Kiyoung agreed, silently appreciating the way her best friend always asked for her opinion.

“And do you remember that girl, Jieun?” Soojung asked.

“Wait, Lee Jieun or Song Jieun?”

“Lee Jieun, the one who is in the welcoming committee? I saw her talking with Cha Hakyeon from the student council and I think there is something between them…”

Soojung bit her lip as she excitedly revealed the latest piece of gossip – one could always count on her to know everything – and Kiyoung’s eyes widened.

“Really, how do you know?”

“Please, darling, I can spot love from miles around.”

Kiyoung refrained a laugh as they were still in the classroom, though their conversation went practically unnoticed as they sat way farther in the back.

Wednesday

August 28

10:41

Classroom F-125

For the tenth time, maybe, Jaemin’s eyes met with Taeyeon and while he wasn’t counting, he still found the number unexpectedly high. For now, he was clearly having fun making her embarrassed, as it was a sure way for her not to call his name next time she asked a question. Or so he thought.

“Ko Jaemin, what is the derivative of a quadratic function?”

He was ready to repeat that he didn’t know when he noticed the sheet of paper Kris, his desk neighbor, slid his way.

“2(ax) + b,” he said as soon as he deciphered Kris’ messy handwriting.

Clearly, Taeyeon wasn’t expecting him to get it. “That is correct,” she stammered before going back to her lesson with a confused look.

Jaemin gave Kris a thankful smile.

“Why aren’t you opening your book?” the latter asked.

“Stupid bet I made… But I think that you giving me the answer actually doesn’t count. So thank you.”

“I see… But usually you’d be able to understand while only listening to the teacher… Why aren’t you paying attention?”

“Oh, I’m paying attention to the teacher…” Jaemin whispered.

“You like her!” Kris realized with a silent laugh. “Ko Jaemin has the hots for his teacher… How original.”

Jaemin shushed him with a frown before retorting that it wasn’t the case at all. 

Wednesday

August 28

10:55

Classroom F-125

“Hey Soojung,” called Kiyoung at the break while all the other students where busy checking their phones, going to the washrooms or going to grab a bite. “Isn’t it Homecoming in less than a month? Should we start thinking of who you want to invite?”

“You haven’t thought of it yet?” Soojung seemed extremely surprised.

“What, you did?”

“Of course!” Soojung admitted with a big smile. “Seduction is a long process. I’ve already selected my targets and I’m currently testing the waters.”

“Who’s on your mind?” Kiyoung asked, knowing her friend was dying to share the list of her potential preys with her.

“Nam Woohyun or Luhan,” the witty brunette revealed with a smirk.

“The soccer coach? Is that even allowed?”

“He’s very pretty.” It was the only thing Soojung said.

Kiyoung was about to inquire more on the matter, but Soojung tapped on Taemin’s shoulder. Said guy turned around, lifting his nose away from his script.

“Already preparing for the theater auditions?” Soojung noticed.

“Yeah. So, finally care to include me in your little discussion?” He raised an inquiring brow and Kiyoung hit him on the shoulder playfully.

“What’s the matter, Poop. Feeling left out?” she asked teasingly.

“In fact, Pee, I was doing some really important stuff so if you don’t want to talk nicely, don’t talk at all.”

“You two are always so charming…” Soojung scowled before rolling her eyes. “Anyways, who are you taking to Homecoming this year?”

Taemin seemed to think before he finally answered. “Well, I don’t know yet. I guess I’ll see later?”

“Typical boys…” Soojung commented as Kiyoung started laughing. “Now, back to you, Kyung.”

Soojung took a glimpse of the classroom and spotted a few head she recognized and deemed respectable enough to be presented to her friend.

“How about Jang Dongwoo. He’s single. I know for a fact that he’s taking both creative writing, psychology and biology which means he has the brain and the sensibility. Plus, he’s on the basketball team.”

“I don’t know…” Kiyoung hesitated. Her best friend shrugged before passing on to the next bachelor. One should never underestimate the girl’s intel on the students. She knew practically everyone and was always the first to introduce herself to new students.

“If we are talking about Basketball team, then how about Kris Wu? He’s the captain and he’s also in the photography club. He’s taking classic marketing classes like Economy and everything so he might get rich in the near future?”

“Soojung…” Kiyoung plaintively called for her friend to stop.

“Don’t bother, Soojung. She’ll find someone on her own,” Taemin intervene. “There must be someone somewhere who will accept her even though she’s like that…”

“Like what?”

“Like that…” Soojung grimaced as she went along with Taemin. Both looked at their friend with a hopeless frown before sighing.

Before Kiyoung could retaliate, Taeyeon indicated the end of the break and she closed the door, causing the class to go silent.

“You know,” Soojung whispered, “When someone refuses so many good potential dates, it’s because she has someone in mind already… Feel free to spit it out whenever you want.”

And she winked before going back to the derivative functions.

Wednesday

August 28

11:46

Classroom F-125

“Isn’t the letter ‘e’ the best out of them all?” Taeyeon smiled. “One day, if you do your Integral Calculus class or plan to go in engineering and have to do these math, you’ll really feel the beauty of ‘e’.”

The bell rang and students started getting up in a rattle of books and screeches of the chairs being dragged on the floor.

“Ko Jaemin,” Taeyeon called as she looked at him. “Please stay a bit.”

The concerned exchanged a curious look with Kris and stepped to the front of the class.

Taeyeon cleaned her desk from her papers, waiting for everyone to be gone.

“Are you taking this class seriously, Jaemin?”

Surprised by her casual tone, he opened his eyes wide. “So we are back to this, now. You are not pretending not to know me anymore?”

“What are you doing, not opening your books or doing the exercises I’m giving you?”

“I have the right answers anyways.”

Taeyeon sighed. “I know you think you are so smart. And maybe you are, but calculus isn’t so easy. You need to work after all. Barely doing the minimum like you always do isn’t enough anymore!”

“You don’t know me,” he calmly stated with a cold glare.

The teacher stepped back and Jaemin could see that he hurt her.

“I used to…” Taeyeon simply stated.

Jaemin believed he should have apologized, but his prideful nature made him unable to. He simply sighed and briefly patted her head, involuntarily messing with her hair. She reached to straighten her blond hair when he noticed her left ear. Beside her usual silver hoop was a single black stud.

“You still wear it,” he stated.

“Of course I do. I see you do too.”

Jaemin reached for his own ear where there was the exact same stud earring.

“Goodbye, Taeyeon,” he said as he walked to the door, dropping his hand and turning around.

“Wait, why aren’t you looking at your books?” she asked once more.

He stared at her before smiling coldly. “I’d much rather look at you.”

And he closed the door of the classroom behind him to go eat with his friends.

Author's Note :

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