No, this can't be happening. Not today of all days...

Howon panicked as he stepped off the bus. None of the buildings on the block were recognizable. Did I get off the wrong stop? He turned around to get back on the bus, but it was too late. The doors closed as the bus drove away, and he stood there like a deer in headlights.
It's okay, he tried to reason with himself, I'll just wait for the next bus to arrive. He checked his watch. It was 7:45PM. At this point, he was behind schedule. Not wanting to miss class on the first day, he decided to ask an elderly lady at the fruit stand for some directions.
"Excuse me, halmeonim¹?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Would you mind telling me how to get to, uh..." he leaned closer to her, pointing at the name of the street that he had written on a piece of paper. She squinted, trying to decipher his handwriting, then her face brightened in realization. She explained to him that it was actually on the other side of town, and that he'd want to take a left about ten blocks north from here. He thanked her and bowed excessively.
Ten blocks north?, he thought. That would take a while, what with all the stops that the bus would have to make, not to mention the traffic. He weighed his options, choosing whether to walk or wait for another bus. He waited for a bus, but resorted to walk after fifteen minutes had passed by with no luck.

Howon hesitated once he reached the dance studio. Checking his watch again, he saw that he was half an hour late. Should I even bother to go in? he wondered. He came all this way, it would be a waste to go home now. Besides, he had to apologize to the teacher, even if it was embarrassing. He heard the sound of chatter as a few people exited the building, and he quickly hid behind a wall, not wanting to be seen.
"Man, you're lucky ssam² tolerates you. If it were anyone else, you'd be outta here!"
"No way, she treats me well because I'm charming. Go ahead and ask her, I bet it's true."
Howon listened as their laughter grew further away. He thought about the possibility of having them as classmates, wondering about how he'd fit in. Well, I guess it's now or never. He braced himself, and headed to the entrance. He took a deep breath, and swallowed. Without hesitation, he swung open the door, ready to face whatever punishment he deserved for being late. He was surprised to find a young woman heading straight toward him. She looked to be about in her early to mid-twenties, hair tied back in a long ponytail, and fierce looking eyes. Howon grew shy, and struggled to find his voice.
"Oh, e-excuse me. Is this the dance room?" he asked, not sure of whether or not he should step in.
"Yes, but practice is over," the woman answered harshly. She must be the teacher, he thought. She asked for his name.
"Uh, my name is Lee Howon," he said with a bow. He nervously began to explain his reason for arriving so late, but was interrupted. The woman did not care to hear his reasons, and told him to come back another time. Howon felt ashamed, thinking that the annoyance in her voice must have been because of him. He immediately apologized and turned to leave.

He was stopped as she swiftly invited him back inside, wanting to converse with him before he left.
 

^1:Formal way of saying "grandmother", romanization of "할머님"
^2: Informal way of saying "teacher", romanization of "쌤"