I was fiddling with my pen, getting lost in my thoughts after the end of school when I heard Park-sungseng calling my name.

“Yes, sungseng-nim?” I answered amidst the sounds of my classmates going out.

“Come see me for a while,” he said with a gentle smile on his face.

I nodded as I slowly kept my books in my bag. I wonder why he wants to see me…

“Yah,” Sung Joonie snapped his fingers to get my attention as he whispered, “did you do something illegal?”

I scrunched my eyebrows. “No, I’m not you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Nice try, but are you sure?”

I could tell that his question was actually echoing from six other boys – and I could feel their eyes on me, too! – so, I just nodded reassuringly. “I swear that I did not do anything that is not accepted by the law on every level, including provincial and national ones,” I announced as I held out my hand like I was reciting an oath.

“Oh? You boys are also staying?” we all turned to our homeroom teacher, who was still waiting for me at his desk. I was about to apologize and shoo the boys away when he said that they could stay.

“Might as well since it concerns you boys too,” he said as he grinned.

That definitely peaked my interest. “What’s it about, Park-sungseng?”

He seemed to hesitate but the boys and I just patiently waited for him to speak. “You guys know that we have the school festival coming up in a few weeks, right?”

The boys nodded and I was left to shake my head.

Park Ki Woong sungseng blinked in confusion. “You didn’t know, Kim Sun-shii?”

“No, I didn’t…” I frowned.

He then turned to the boys. “None of you told her?”

Jae Hyun looked away to escape his teacher’s disbelieving look. Jong Sukkie just grinned like a Cheshire cat. Soo Hyuk looked aloof and distant, as per usual. Woo Bin suddenly started inspecting his fingernails. Sung Joonie just truthfully shook his head. Jong Hyun looked down in shame. Young Kwangie was the only who truthfully answered, “We didn’t, since none of us usually attend the school festival.”

He sent them a scolding look before turning to me. “Anyway, what I was trying to touch on was the performance part.”

I shoved Sung Joonie in the ribs. “Yah! You should get your band to perform.”

Park-sungseng waved it off and quickly intercepted. “No, I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about the performance from the English Drama Club! Yes! That performance!”

I caught Jong Hyun looking confused. “What does it have to do with us, sungseng-nim?”

That was when I saw something like guilt and hesitance play in my teacher’s meaningful gaze. “Since I had the privilege of being the homeroom teacher to some of the – ahem,” he faked a cough to clear his throat, “best English speakers in your year,…”

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Jae Hyun face-palming himself. No way.

“Ikindavolunteeredforyouguystoparticipate.” Park-sungseng said in bullet-speed.

“WHATTT????!!!!!” all eight of us shouted.

“I can’t act to save my life!” I cried out. “I’LL DIE!!!”

“My English is not that good!” Jae Hyun stated.

“I have stage fright!” Woo Bin roared.

“You sure we can’t back out?” Jong Hyun asked for confirmation.

“Why, Park-sungseng, whyyyy???” Jong Sukkie whined.

“I can’t wear costumes!” Sung Joonie was disgusted.

“…Can we not?” Soo Hyuk looked troubled.

“I’m sure your intentions are nice, but sungseng-nim…” even Young Kwangie ran out of words to say.

Park Ki Woong-sungseng just lifted a hand to silence us. “I know, kids, but hear me out first, please?”

I bit my lip to hold myself from more outbursts. Please let it be a legit reason.

Our teacher sighed first. “During the staff meeting with the Principal, I initially did not plan to be this proactive. Believe me, I am just as un-motivated as you are on these events every year,” he sent us a pained look and I could relate to him just as quickly. “But then the teachers started complaining that the second years aren’t participating and they specifically pointed out our class. All your teachers even acknowledged that none of you are joining anything.”

We blinked in disbelief. “No one…? At all?” I asked.

Our teacher shook his head, looking very grim. “Not one. Naturally, I got agitated as the meeting passed, and when the teacher in charge of the English Drama club said that they needed help in this year’s play... I said that you guys would do it,” he admitted sheepishly.

The boys were still muttering in discontent. “But still, sungseng-nim…” I sighed.

As the minutes passed by, the smile started to fade from Park-sungseng’s face. I could tell that I was not the only one who noticed as the mutters started to subside. It felt like a mortal sin to make such a nice teacher feel disappointed.  I made eye contact with Young Kwangie, who seemed to feel the same as I did.

Oh, what the hell! “We’ll do it!” I told him.

All eight other heads in the room whipped up to look at me. Park sungseng-nim’s eyes literally sparkled back to life.

“You will?” he asked, ecstatic already at the prospect.

“We will?” Jong Sukkie looked at me, still hoping I would not agree.

I pinched his cheek. “We will!” I then looked at my homeroom teacher. “Now… when do we start practicing?”

*

“This is all your fault,” Jae Hyun whispered, pinching me on the arm as he sank lower in his seat.

I poked his side right back, making him yelp. “Shut up,” I said under my breath.

“You two! Are you listening?” the director and writer of the play shouted at us.

“Y-Yeah, we are!” I said.

She glowered at us for a second, but decided to ignore us. “As I was saying…”

I groaned as that passed. This is all my fault.

At first I was motivated to try out this particular field of performing arts and dragging along the other boys was just so we would not disappoint our homeroom teacher. I was even hopeful when Park-sungseng mentioned that the English Drama club usually allows a lot of ad-libs and that the scripts mainly consisted of outlines so as to let the actors improvise on their own. However, he left out a very, VERY important detail.

He did not mention that we were doing a remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

He also failed to mention that we were going to be the main actors.

Kill me now! I groaned as I tried my best to listen to the short briefing about the festival.

“Don’t go and kill yourself off just yet,” I heard Soo Hyuk murmur on my left.

I gasped and looked at him accusingly. “Are you a mind reader now?!” I hissed.

He chuckled, sending his eyes crinkling at the ends. “Just a sharp observer, Sun-ah.”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “You sure?”

“Now! Can I have my main actors line up before me?” I heard the director, or the (ahem!) authoritative third year, clap her hands twice and I almost jolted in my seat. “Quickly, quickly!” she yelled.

The rest of the boys and I skittered and stood in a line before her and other students in the auditorium. I tried not to gulp as I studied her.

She was a third year student by the name Lee Na Kyung, but she had sternly told us to call her Megan Lee. She was slender and wore hipster glasses like she owned the style and had a strange tendency to use a lot of hand motions whenever she was engrossed in talking. By a lot, I really meant a lot.

For instance, at this very moment that she was looking at me up and down, her long fingers were softly caressing her chin whilst her other hand was making circles in the air.

We made eye contact and I kept my brown eyes on hers. After what seemed like centuries of staring, she grinned. “You’ll be perfect as my Snow White.”

That made me blink. “Whaaaa-??” I started to say.

She quickly covered my mouth with her hand. Something mischievous twinkled in her eyes. She then announced to everyone in the auditorium, “This girl is now our main hero for the play. I will not accept any objections, understand?”

There were murmurs of yeses that passed around. Well, . I sighed.

Megan then removed her hand. “Don’t blame me if the audience leave when they see me act,” I muttered.

She caught that. Her grin then turned to a warm smile. “Don’t blame me if they decide to stay and watch you till the end.”

Somehow that promise brought shivers running down my spine. What the hell?! Is she gonna hire some bloody experts to train me Spartan-style so I could act? Aishhhh my imagination is running wild! I’m going crazy!!

She then took two steps and stood before Young Kwangie, who had lined up right after me. Her eyes examined Young Kwangie slowly from his body language – in which, he was just standing straight with his hands behind his back – and started to nod appreciatively at his towering height. “Excellent. Just excellent,” Megan muttered as her glasses caught the lights from the stage’s spotlight.

Though Young Kwangie was trying to hide it, I could tell that he was nervous. From the corner of my eyes, I saw his Adam’s apple slowly bobbing up and down as he gulped and I could see his fists clenching tightly behind him. His smile was a bit stiff, too.

He looks like someone going for a job interview; so stiff and awkwardddd. I bit my lip to contain the mirth of giggle that threatened to burst out.

“YOU,” Megan then pointed at Young Kwangie, “are going to be Doc, the leader and oldest of the seven dwarves. He’s my favourite out of all of them, so don’t you dare mess him up.” I could hear something cold emanate from her threats. She must be a real hard-core fan of that damned character.

Young Kwangie blinked. Then, he sighed. “Understood.”

When Megan went to the next person in line, I patted Young Kwangie in the back comfortingly. “You did good,” I whispered.

He rolled his eyes at me as he whispered back. “I thought she was going to eat me alive.”

I tried not to grin. A scene flashed before me. Young Kwangie being the gentleman that he naturally was, and Megan softening up to him and joining the other fan girls of his. It was plausible. It was a future that could happen.  “She just might, one of these days…” I muttered.

“I’ve decided!” Megan’s voice rose in volume after a while as she clapped excitedly. “You, my dear boy, are going to be Grumpy.”

“Whatt??!!!” Jae Hyun argued heatedly. “Why the hell do I get stuck with Grumpy?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Because you are grumpy, just like the character. End of discussion.” She then stalked off to the next boy.

Young Kwangie and I looked at each other and giggled conspiratorially as Jae Hyun was seething with pent-up anger.

“Laugh while you can. Tch!” Jae Hyun hissed under his breath. He was clever enough that only the two of us could hear him while everyone else’s attention was onto Megan, who was busy determining the role for her next victim.

Young Kwangie and I shared a look before I whispered back to his royal grumpiness, “Since you said that–”

“–might as well we enjoy the moment,” Young Kwangie said as we both shared