After the introductions the previous day, everyone had begun to get to know each other. Some of the more outgoing students had formed their own groups and were discussing the same topics every day.
Addy and Ketto were included in a social circle, but Ketto usually just listened to the conversations and rarely shared his own views. He was often hesitant, worried that he might say the wrong thing and offend someone.
Addy, on the other hand, always shared interesting and novel things, and everyone loved his humor. He had a talent for turning simple events into funny stories. This was undoubtedly because he knew how to elaborate on his words, decorating his stories with exaggerated actions and expressions as he spoke.
Hanky had his own group, which the other students considered a gang of troublemakers—and rightly so. During every break, they would gather in the hallway, talking loudly and glaring into the classroom. Sometimes they talked about sports, such as a famous basketball player or a recent soccer champion and their triumphs.
But just as often, they would talk about inappropriate topics, such as pornography and adult videos. They even discussed girls they had seen from their class or school, openly rating them. When they talked about these things, they showed no embarrassment or guilt. They just laughed as if it were completely normal.
In their class, there was a girl named Sunny Park. She was extraordinarily pretty. She had fair skin, long naturally wavy hair, and delicate, well-proportioned facial features. Her graceful poise was very attractive. Without a doubt, many boys in school were drawn to her charm.
Hanky and his friends often talked about her. They were always competing to see who could chase her down and win her over first.
Whenever Sunny passed by Hanky's group, one of its members would whistle or call out to her, deliberately blocking her path. She found their behavior disgusting but didn't want to start a quarrel or provoke them.
Instead, she preferred to spend time with Addy and Ketto. Their group discussed normal, relatable topics, and the atmosphere was relaxed, peaceful, and optimistic.
"Those people are disgusting," Sunny complained to her friends. "Every time I walk by, they say vulgar things."
Another person in the group, Joe, agreed. "They're definitely bad news. There was a gang just like them at my middle school. They loved causing trouble and twisting everything to make it seem bad."
A girl named Lisa made a face. "Ew, I can't stand them. They always try to make fun of me whenever they see me."
Addy lowered his voice to a whisper. "We'd better not talk about them. Last time, Ketto and I just looked at Hanky and said something, and he yelled at us to get away." He finished, quickly glancing in Hanky's direction before turning back. Ketto nodded in solemn agreement.
"He's too scary," Addy added.
"I'm going to do my best to avoid any involvement with him," Ketto said.
After talking for a while, the bell rang and they returned to their seats to wait for their next teacher. The next class was math, taught by Mr. Smith.
At first glance, Mr. Smith looked quite stern, with his dark, heavy eyebrows and serious expression. However, it soon became clear that he was actually very humorous and friendly. He enjoyed playing tricks and joking around with the students.
Students enjoyed Mr. Smith's class because he was funny and made his lessons feel low-pressure, even though mathematics itself was challenging. Furthermore, he never embarrassed students when they struggled with difficult problems.
He was patient and kind, and he was careful to consider everyone's feelings. Even with students who struggled with math, he never lost his patience. He analyzed math problems with careful, understandable methods, so lower-performing students were not afraid to attend his class or ask questions. He showed special patience with those who were particularly shy.
Even when dealing with a student like Hanky, who had no interest in or patience for studying, Mr. Smith remained consistent. He treated Hanky with the same fairness and patience that he showed everyone else. In his eyes, every student deserved equal and fair treatment.
However, despite his kindness, Hanky did not change. During math class, he would sometimes rest his head in his hands. Perhaps this was his greatest gesture of respect toward Mr. Smith, though he wasn't sleeping. More often, though, he played pranks on the students in front of him. He liked shooting people with rubber bands, causing them to suddenly yell "Ow!" in the middle of class when they were trying to pay attention. Playing pranks on others was simply one of his favorite hobbies.
Sometimes, when Mr. Smith noticed Hanky's pranks, he would widen his eyes and smile at him, shaking his head slightly. Hanky would stop temporarily, but often he would start up again just a few minutes later.
His group members always complained. After class, they would beg him not to play pranks on them anymore, but he would just laugh. He wasn't truly evil; he just wanted to have fun at others' expense. I knew he wasn't polite or well-behaved, but his mischief came from boredom, not malice.
As we know, Ketto sat very close to Hanky. Because of this, every time Hanky played a prank, the disruption still interfered with Ketto's studies and broke his concentration, even though Ketto knew he wasn't the target.
Ketto suppressed his anxiety and anger, forcing himself to stay calm because he was afraid to confront Hanky. In his mind, however, he imagined slamming Hanky a hundred times and throwing him into a garbage can. His hatred for Hanky grew daily. He couldn't understand how someone like that could exist, or why he had to be stuck sitting next to him.
Ketto took a deep breath, trying his best to ignore Hanky. He focused diligently on the class, paying close attention and taking notes on every word the teacher emphasized in the PowerPoint presentation.
Other teachers, like Miss Park, the chemistry teacher, were quite different. She was a stern and respectable person, but her teaching style was the complete opposite of Mr. Smith's. If she noticed someone disrupting the class or not paying attention, she would reprimand the student loudly.
In Miss Park's class, Hanky was not allowed to rest his head in his hands. Whenever he lowered his head, appearing inattentive, she would throw a piece of chalk at him. She would also reprimand him loudly.
Hanky deeply disliked this teacher. After class, he and his friends would call her "the old sow." It was a cruel nickname derived from two things: first, she was a middle-aged, unmarried woman devoted to her single life, and second, she was somewhat overweight. It was a disrespectful label created by poorly behaved students.
Furthermore, Hanky and his friends would lean out of the windows of the high-rise building. When they saw Miss Park walking in the courtyard below, they deliberately shouted her disrespectful nickname: "The old sow!"
Miss Park, however, pretended not to care. She ignored them and, even when she knew who had shouted, told herself not to take their words to heart. She was a perfectionist who wanted every student in her class to learn something, and she refused to give up on any of them.
She was definitely a good teacher, even if some students disliked her. Ketto, for example, respected her greatly because he sensed her deep sense of responsibility and diligent attitude.
As the saying goes, you can't please everyone. Not even money is loved by all. Therefore, if you are doing what you believe is right, you shouldn't be swayed by the negative opinions of others.
Whenever Miss Park reprimanded Hanky, Ketto couldn't help but laugh. He simply couldn't suppress the feeling. Since he disliked Hanky so much, it felt as if someone were finally getting revenge on his behalf. He tried not to make a sound when he heard Miss Park scold Hanky, but he wasn't always successful. Miss Park would notice his quiet laughter but wouldn't directly blame him for it. She knew he was a well-behaved student, so she would just say, "Is this funny? Don't laugh. This is not a good thing at all."
Hearing this, Ketto would lower his head, his face flushing with guilt.
Hanky was scolded in almost every chemistry class, and he had completely lost patience with Miss Park. In his opinion, she was just a boring teacher who liked to find fault. To make matters worse, he thought she was stern because she lacked love in her personal life.
So, even though she reprimanded him repeatedly, he remained self-centered, ignoring her warnings completely. From Miss Park's point of view, Hanky was a stubborn student and the toughest challenge she had faced in her teaching career. However, as mentioned previously, she had strong faith and would never give up on any student.
During break time, Hanky and his friends gathered in the corridor and leaned against the railing, looking down at the courtyard below. They liked to whisper or whistle whenever they saw an attractive girl walking through the yard below.
Some girls hurried away, feeling uncomfortable and harassed. Others, however, would look back and respond with gestures. These girls seemed to share the same rebellious traits as Hanky's group.
In Ketto's opinion, this behavior was disgusting and made him sick. Every time he saw them misbehaving or flirting with girls, he would mutter, "Ew, so disgusting! I'm gonna vomit," his face full of disdain.
Since it was the beginning of the school year, the teachers had not yet assigned much homework. Most of the work involved previewing new lessons and reviewing what had just been learned.
As a result, many students spent their breaks gossiping or discussing interesting topics. They always seemed to have enough to share with each other. They often complained that their classes were boring and that their textbooks were dull and tedious. Consequently, during lessons, they often felt tired and lacked focus.
That afternoon, an election for class officers was scheduled. Some students were preparing thoroughly, hoping to win various positions. These included roles such as class president, vice president, and representatives of the discipline, health, study, and life committees, as well as subject representatives for math, physics, art, P.E., music, and literature.
Ketto had no intention of running. He had held one of these positions before—the worst one, in his opinion. For some reason, he had been appointed to the Discipline Committee all through primary and middle school, without ever volunteering. He still didn't understand why he was always chosen.
Ketto was extremely responsible when he served on the Discipline Committee. His main duty was to maintain order during self-study sessions when the teacher was absent. Some students would gossip, chat, or play card games. Whenever Ketto noticed anyone doing something unrelated to their studies, he recorded their names in a special red notebook that the teacher had provided for tracking poorly behaved students.
Because of this, many students grew to resent him. They viewed him as unreasonable and cold-blooded. They believed he was just trying to flatter the teachers. Some even believed he was deliberately targeting them and settling personal scores under the guise of his duty.
Based on his painful past experiences, Ketto was determined not to take on any role or position in the class. Being a representative or committee member was an easy way to make enemies and offend others. Furthermore, there was a gang of misbehaving students led by Hanky. The thought made him shudder, and he remained firm in his decision to avoid any official duty. In other words, he would rather die than be a class officer.
During lunch, Addy gathered his friends and they sat together in a circle.
"What class officer position would you like to run for?" Addy asked, breaking the silence.
"I'd like to be the study representative," Joe responded. "Being the academic leader has been a dream of mine since elementary school. Besides, I think I'd be really good at it. I'm a very competitive person." He spoke with full confidence.
Lisa smiled and answered, "I want to run for art committee member. I'm good at creating artwork, and I have a real talent for drawing."
Addy listened to them and said, "Great! It's good that both of you have clear goals. But I still don't know what role I should take." He was clearly having trouble making a decision.
Ketto looked at Addy and asked, "What's making it hard to choose? Which position are you thinking of running for?"
Addy looked a bit helpless as he answered, "I'm torn between being the math and chemistry representatives."
"Both are good options," Joe said.
"Yes, either one would be great for you. You should just pick one," Lisa added, agreeing with Joe.
Ketto thought for a moment before offering his advice. "Well, in my opinion, since math is a core subject and chemistry is more of a secondary one, the math representative would likely have a lot more homework and responsibilities. If you were the math representative, you might have to spend more time and energy on the job."
He paused briefly, then continued, "But if you want something lighter and easier and just want the experience of being a class officer, I'd recommend being the chemistry representative."
Yes, you're absolutely right. I just want to gain experience as a class officer without spending too much time or energy on it. After all, my main focus is my studies. So, I'll take your advice and run for chemistry representative. Thank you, everyone!" Addy said with a smile.
"Great! You've finally made a decision. Haha, that's good to hear!" Joe burst into laughter.
Then he turned to Ketto and asked, "What about you? Are you planning to audition for any roles?"
Ketto shook his head, showing no interest. "No, I don't want to run for anything. I would prefer to remain self-effacing. Like Addy said, I'd rather spend my time on my studies. I don't want to waste my energy on other things."
"Really? Did you have a bad experience with it?" Addy looked confused and curious. "Because the way you described it made it sound like a good way for us to develop our skills."
Ketto sighed. "It's a long story. I don't even know where to begin, and I'd rather not talk about it. That period is still a painful memory for me."
Everyone widened their eyes, eager to hear what had happened to him. They begged him to share his story. But Ketto pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Lisa looked a bit disappointed. "Okay, maybe next time," she said. "When you're ready, you can share it with us. We're your friends, and we just want to know what you went through because we care about you. Please don't misunderstand us." Lisa was trying her best to be polite and respectful.
Ketto nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "To be honest, it's not a big deal. I just don't want to talk about it right now. I'd rather forget that memory. But when the time is right, maybe I'll tell you."
To seal his vague promise, they made a pinky swear.
Addy quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer.
Lisa offered a suggestion: "How about we hang out this weekend? I heard there's going to be an autumn festival at Hangang Garden."
"An autumn festival? What's that about?" 'Autumn' is a pretty broad theme. I'm not sure what to expect," Addy said, looking confused.
Ketto thought for a moment, and then it hit him. "Maybe they'll have displays related to the season, like autumn fruits, snacks, and different types of trees."
Before he could finish, Joe interrupted, picking up where he left off. "Pastries, agricultural harvests, cultural activities about fall, and paintings with autumn themes."
"Yes, bingo! Exactly right," Ketto laughed. He was finally laughing, his previous embarrassment fading away.
"Okay, regardless of what's there, will all of you attend the event if you're free?" Lisa asked, looking at the others.
"My schedule is clear. I don't have anything else going on this weekend, so I can definitely attend," Joe replied.
"What are the exact times?" Addy asked.
Lisa checked her phone. "According to the poster, it's running from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday."
Addy thought for a moment. "I can come, but I can't promise I'll be there from start to finish," he said. "I have academic tutoring for my core subjects on the weekends."
"I think I'm available, too. I don't have any plans this weekend," Ketto answered. "I just need to tell my parents."
"Great! I'll let you know the exact time we're meeting," Lisa said. "I'll do my best to make sure we can all go together."
Then, when the bell rang, they returned to their seats.