The morning in Seoul started out just like any other for Woohyun. He got up at 6:15 to prepare for school. He showered, he packed his lunch, he double-checked his homework, and he left the house at exactly 6:45. On his daily route, Woohyun said hello to the neighborhood cat that sat on the fence every morning. It looked at him with expectancy, as he reached in to his pocket. He took out some cat treats, and pet the cat as it ate out of his hand. Nothing was out of the ordinary for Woohyun, but it's not like he expected it to be. He got to class before homeroom, and sat down in his usual spot, next to his friends.
"Hey, did you hear? We're getting a new exchange student," one of Woohyun's friends was saying, "They say she's from Japan."
"Japan? That should be interesting," said another friend.
"Yeah, and Dongmin said that she's cute," another friend chimed in.
"Woohyun, you know some Japanese, right? You should go talk to her. Maybe you can introduce us." Woohyun was zoned out for most of the conversation, but snapped out of it as soon as he heard his name.
"What? I don't know that much Japanese,"
"Oh, come on. She's going to need someone to show her the ropes," one of his friends begged him, "Pleeeeease?"
"Just drop it. I'm not interested," Woohyun said, "besides, we haven't even seen her yet."

The bell rang, and all of the students immediately took their seats as their teacher entered the room. He promptly gave them their assignments, writing notes on the chalkboard. Nobody said a word as you appeared at the door. You nervously checked your schedule, making sure you were in the right classroom. The number on your paper matched the one on the door.
"Um... Excuse me?" you said in the best Korean you could manage.
"Take a seat, don't dawdle," the teacher said harshly. Your face grew hot as you looked around for a seat. "Oh, I apologize. You're the exchange student, correct? Please come to the front of the classroom." The teacher motioned you to him, and introduced you to the class, encouraging everyone to be friendly and polite to you. He directed you to the empty seat in the third row. You thanked him, and sat down shyly. One of the girls sitting next to you poked your shoulder.
"Hey, I'm Jihae. Let's be friends." she said confidently. She had sleek back hair, cat-like eyes, and a smile that looked more like a grin. At first, she looked intimidating, but her smile reassured you.
"Okay," you smiled back. It hadn't even been two minutes and you already made a new friend! Feeling delighted, you took out your notebook and pencil, ready to take on the day.
The class went by slowly as you meticulously copied down the notes from the board. Even though you couldn't understand Hangul completely, you welcomed the extra writing practice. Meanwhile, in the seat in front of yours, Woohyun was mindlessly copying down the notes. He gave a start as his friend flicked his shoulder.
"Go on, turn around and say hi," his friend whispered.
"No, not now," Woohyun whispered back. He glanced at the teacher, hoping not to catch his attention.
"Coward," his friend said as he flicked Woohyun's head.
"Quit it," hissed Woohyun.
"Enough!" the teacher shouted, and everyone jumped. "You two, stay after class," he said, pointing at the two of them. A couple of girls giggled, and Woohyun glared at his friend. His friend shook his head, making small flapping motions with his arms and mouthing the word, 'chicken'.

At the end of class, you were packing away your things when the teacher asked you to stay behind for a few minutes. You regretfully said goobye to Jihae, disappointed that you couldn't walk with her. She promised to meet up with you later, after school was over.
The classroom felt strangely empty with just the four of you; Woohyun, his friend, the teacher and you. The teacher called you up to his desk first, instructing the other two to stay seated until further notice.
"So, how was the class? Did you understand the notes?" he asked you. You wobbled your hand side-to-side, and gave him an unsure look. You showed him your notes, but didn't know what to say. "Ah, I see... Woohyun! Sangchul! Come here." The two of them came to the front of the room. "Are either of you familiar with Japanese?" he asked.
"Well, Woohyun knows a little," Sangchul said, and Woohyun discreetly elbowed him.
"I don't know that much," Woohyun protested, as Sangchul elbowed him back.
"Even a little bit is fine. Woohyun, you are to help this young lady get through the class for the rest of the semester. I want you to tutor her as best as you can, and help her whenever she needs it. Understood?" Woohyun nodded, and looked at you. He gave a small smile and you shyly looked away.
"What about me?" asked Sangchul.
"You are to clean up the classroom every day for the next two weeks. Wipe down all of the desks, sweep the floors, and wash the blackboard. You'll start today."
"Ah, why do I have to get the crummy end of the deal? Can't I just help out some other student? What about Jihae? I heard she's getting terrible grades."
"Stop complaining, or I'll extend your punishment. Now... The two of you may leave as Sangchul here stays and cleans." The teacher dismissed the two of you, and you left the classroom together.

I guess things won't be so ordinary after today, thought Woohyun. He watched as you walked out the door and passed him. "Oh. Wait!" you heard him call. You turned around, flustered. Woohyun introduced himself in Japanese, and then in Korean. You introduced yourself in both languages as well, and he smiled. "Can I see your schedule?" he asked politely, pointing at the paper you were holding. You gave him your schedule and noticed his pretty hands, which shook slightly as he held the paper. He gave it back to you, and put a hand on your shoulder, turning you to the opposite direction. "Your classroom is that way," he pointed. Taking notice of your confusion as you frowned at the paper, he motioned for you to follow him.

Woohyun walked you to your next class, asking you simple questions like "What is your favorite color?", "Why did you come to Korea?", and "What kind of music do you listen to?", trying his best to break the ice. He laughed when he was supposed to, showed concern where it was due, and in no time, the two of you were standing in front of your next class. He knocked on the door and led you inside, explaining to the teacher that you were the new foreign exchange student. Before you even had a chance to thank him, Woohyun was waving from the doorway, giving you two thumbs-up.