Tomorrow is always a new day

It was a new day. Choi Sooyoung told herself as she stared at herself in front of the mirror. She breathed in and chanted, "I'm not going to be barfed on." for the tenth time that morning. She prayed that today will not become a repeat of yesterday.

She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a yellow character shirt, jeans and flats. She approved of her look, being child-safe and all that jazz just waiting to happen.

"Good morning teacher!" Jang Minkyung, one of the brighter kids, greeted her as soon as she entered the room. Sooyoung patted her head and gave her a good morning accompanied with a smile. She scanned the room and saw Han Minki with his mother, Min Jieun, who was again, on the verge of tears and Kim Jooyeon, sitting quietly on her chair. Seven more kids were yet to come.

When Yeonhee came, she was with a wailing Myungsoo and instructed to close the door behind her. "I don't want it here!" The child cried. Yeonhee ignored the child's protests and greeted all the children good morning. The children mumbled a small 'good morning' to their teachers albeit the bright smiles they gave them.

Counting the children, Yeonhee turned to Sooyoung, "Where's Minki?"

The tall woman scratched her head. "I just saw him there earlier..." She opened the door and checked if the kid was outside. She was right. There was the little boy, pulling his mother away from the classroom, begging to be taken home.

"Minki," the boy's mother spoke, "look, there's your teacher. She's already calling you." The boy turned to her, only to be greeted with the most rotten smile he had ever seen in his 3 years of existence in the world. "No! She's scary! This place is scary!"

His mother then turned to her, and in an instant, she flashed her most charming smile, making the mother think that it was just another of her child's way not to go to school. She bowed to the taller woman, as she went closer and took the child's hands and dragged him inside the classroom. As she closed the door behind her, there was a soft knock on the door. She cursed softly, soft enough not to be heard through all the wailing and crying inside the room.

It was then that she was greeted by the most beautiful child she has ever seen. Hwayoung was in a red jumper, her soft tresses was in a low ponytail secured by strawberry elastics. She entered the classroom with her head lowered, obviously shy of all her classmates. "Good morning Hwayoung!" Sooyoung chirped. The little girl only muttered an inaudible 'good morning' to her teacher as she looked for a place to sit.

"Quiet!" They heard Yeonhee shout. It was actually the first time for Sooyoung to see her friend like this. She was actually mad! Yeonhee pointed two the two crying boys in front of her and told them in a dangerously low voice, "If I hear another sound from the two of you, you will not go home." Lee Myungsoo hiccuped while Han Minki wiped the snot from his nose with the back of his hand. Yeonhee simply tsked at the boys and gave them tissues to wipe their faces clean.

Sooyoung didn't really care about the two boys as long as she got to see her precious Hwayoung, it was all good. Oh yes, it was all going oh so well for her that by the time it was recess, she let the little girl run along and grab her lunch box, while she assisted the other kids with their "Please open" requests. When everyone had their straws in their juice packs and had their cookies opened, Sooyoung went back to Hwayoung.

She smiled at the little girl who was kneeling on her chair. "Hwayoungie, sit down." She told the little girl, and she abided quickly. Handing her cookies to her teacher, Sooyoung took it and asked her, "What are you supposed to say?"

The little girl kept quiet.

"Please..." she said slowly, hoping for the child to say the next word on her own.

Still, there was nothing.

She sighed as she said, "Open" on her own. She handed the child the opened pack of cookie and happily munched on it. Oh it was going all too well for our dear Teacher Sooyoung until she heard something fall on the floor. Her eyes widened in horror as one of Hwayoung's legs fell on the floor.