"Ah, you must be the Japanese student!" the teacher said as you walked in, "I've been hearing quite a stir about you! I'm Mrs. Kay, I used to teach math in Japan as well," she explained. Smiling politely, you bowed and introduced yourself. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, and had tight orange curls, freckles, and wild-looking cat-eye glasses that hung from a chain around her neck. She asked you if you enjoyed math, by which you answered that it was your favorite subject besides science. She let out a sudden cry of joy, causing you and the students behind you to jump. Not wanting to make you feel shy or embarrassed, she skipped the introductions, allowing you to blend in on your own, and directed you to your assigned seat in the front of the classroom.
The class went by fairly quickly, as math was not a difficult subject for you to keep up with. You finished all of your worksheets before class was over, so you had an early start on the homework.
Mrs. Kay was impressed by your math skills, and encouraged you to join the school's Mathematics Team if you were looking for an after-school program. You told her you'd consider, and she advised you to take your time, as there were many extra-curricular activities to choose from in this school. You bowed again, thanking her for the advice, and made your way toward homeroom.

"Hey! How was math class?" asked Jihae as you entered the room. It was crowded, as everyone who was in there in the morning had gathered yet again.
"It was nice," you replied, "I like the teacher."
"Oh? Who'd you get?" she asked.
"Her name is Mrs. Kay, she said she taught in Japan before."
"Hey, Woohyun's got Mrs. Kay," said Sangchul, appearing from behind Jihae. She jumped and shoved his arm. He continued, "Woohyun's actually teacher's pet, from what I've heard."
For some reason, the thought of you and Woohyun sharing the same math teacher gave you a strange sense of closeness. You wondered what he thought about her, and if he liked math as well.
"Speaking of which, where's he now?" asked Jihae.
"Probably hiding from me," answered Sangchul, "but that'll be tough, since we've got basketball practice together."
"Oh, that's right..." Jihae turned to you. "Woohyun and Sangchul are on the same after-school basketball team."
"Yeah, you should come and watch us sometime!" said Sangchul, "Or at least me, since," he smuggly wiped invisible dust off of his shoulder, "well, I'm the MVP and all."
"Quit lying, you benchwarmer," said Jihae.
"I'm not a benchwarmer!" he protested. "Anyway, don't you have student committee projects to do, Jihae?"
"Yeah, but not today. We only meet up on Tuesdays and Thursdays," she explained. "Hey, you should consider joining," she said to you, "It's a great way to get involved on school events."
You told her about Mrs. Kay's suggestion of the Mathematics Team, and she scrunched her nose.
"Well, if you're good at that sort of thing, I don't see why not," she shrugged.

The homeroom teacher did roll-call before dismissing everyone, and the school bell rang. It was a long first-day, but it wasn't over yet. Most students weren't ready to go home, as they were preparing for their final classes. You and Jihae were the exception.
"You still up for coming over to my place?" asked Jihae.
"Of course!" you answered, "But I should probably call my host-family and tell them that I'll be home late, or they might worry."
"Hmm, okay," said Jihae. She suddenly had an idea. "Wait, why don't I come over and introduce myself? Maybe they'll feel better knowing whose house you'd be staying at."
"That's a good idea," you agreed.
Before the two of you left the school grounds, you and Jihae stopped by the basketball court. You felt a little shy over the idea of watching a bunch of boys practicing, but Jihae reassured you that it was fine. As long as you didn't distract them, the coach wouldn't mind an audience.
Sangchul caught sight of the two of you, and waved frantically. Jihae mumbled something about him being an embarrassment to humanity, and you shyly waved back. The coach yelled at him to pay attention, glancing at the two of you. He didn't shoo you two away, so you continued to watch.
Your heart skipped a beat as you caught sight of Woohyun. He was dribbling the ball across the court with great speed as the opposing team ran after him. Jihae cheered as he threw the ball, making a basket. He was much too focused on the game to notice her cheers.
"Oh well. Ready to go?" asked Jihae.

Woohyun noticed the two of you just as you were leaving. It was too late to wave, as your backs were turned. He glanced over at Sangchul, who met his eyes and grinned.