Since it was the transition between summer and fall, the school continued its tradition of giving students a lunch break to take a nap. During this time, the homeroom teacher would sometimes come by to maintain discipline and would occasionally rest with the students.
However, this depended on the teacher. Miss Ho usually arrived after the bell rang. She would scan the classroom to make sure all the students were settled or sleeping at their desks. Then, she would leave. If she noticed anyone who wasn't sleeping, she would remind them to rest quickly. The rule was simple: even if you weren't sleepy, you still had to put your head down and pretend to sleep.
She would leave once she was sure the entire class was quiet or asleep. She preferred not to rest with the students because she was easily disturbed and was a very light sleeper.
This was due to a previous experience. Once, when she tried napping in a different classroom, a male student's loud snoring kept waking her up and prevented her from getting any proper rest. To avoid a repeat of that situation, Miss Ho deliberately avoided sleeping in class.
Miss Ho was only worried about one thing: Hanky and his gang.
"Don't talk or do anything that might disturb others," she warned, intentionally gazing at Hanky and his clique. "If you do, I will send you to my office to stand facing the wall and think about your behavior." These words were meant specifically for them.
Then, her tone softened. "I hope—and I believe—you will all have a good rest. I'll see you later." After one last look around the classroom, she left.
After she left, one of the members of Hanky's clique, who was sitting by the window overlooking the corridor, leaned out to check. Once he confirmed that the homeroom teacher had entered her office, he gave a triumphant "Yes!" "She's gone!" he whispered excitedly.
"Perfect! Good job," Hanky sneered, clapping his hands together deliberately to make noise.
Ketto turned his head slightly, careful to avoid making eye contact. Just drop dead, he thought. You're all just trash.
Hanky pulled out his phone, put in his earbuds, and started watching a sports highlights video. Soon, two of his friends, Billy and Lucas, gathered around to watch with him.
"Why are you two crowding over here?" Hanky warned in a low voice. "It's too obvious. If a teacher sees us, we're all screwed."
"Since when are you scared of a teacher?" Billy said. "Come on! We want to watch, too!"
Lucas laughed. "Yeah, we're watching this together, no matter what."
They started trying to pull an earbud out of Hanky's ear. The scuffle quickly became noisy and chaotic, distracting the rest of the class. Ketto glared at them, seething with quiet anger. He wanted to scold them, but he didn't dare.
The whole class was now staring daggers at Hanky's group. Noticing the unwanted attention, Hanky finally shoved Billy and Lucas away. He shook his fist and whispered harshly, "Do you want to die?"
Billy and Lucas, finally aware that the entire class was watching, made apologetic gestures. As the classroom settled back into an uneasy quiet, they still didn't give up. They continued to quietly grab for the earbuds.
Hanky refused, putting his index finger to his lips in a sharp "shush" gesture. "Stop grabbing! Be quiet!" he whispered.
They continued to fight over the earbuds, ignoring Hanky's warning. Their struggle grew louder until finally, a girl named Lily stood up.
"Take it outside!" she yelled at them. "You're being way too loud, you bunch of assholes!"
Hanky's head snapped toward her, his expression darkening. "What did you just say? Say that again."
Lily didn't back down. "I said you're a bunch of assholes."
"You're a crazy bitch," Hanky shot back, looking her up and down with pure disdain.
"Go ahead, call me names. I'm telling Miss Ho about this," Lily retorted. "You're a disgrace. I'm honestly embarrassed for you."
Hanky stood up, using his height to intimidate her. "You're lucky you're a girl. I don't hit women—people would call me a bully. But you can't just say whatever you want. Watch your mouth, and I'll let this go. We can forget it ever happened."
Lily laughed in disbelief, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not afraid of you. I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I beg for your forgiveness? Get over yourself. This is a school, not a back alley. You can't solve every problem with your fists."
Hanky was visibly furious. He had never encountered a girl who dared to stand up to him like this. She was either incredibly brave or completely reckless. He could only stare at her, his anger burning.
"You don't need to flex your power and act all high and mighty with me," Lily continued, meeting his glare without a trace of fear. "I told you, I'm not scared, and I never will be. You know what? I look down on any man who only knows how to use his fists."
As the situation escalated, Lucas stood up to intervene. "We're all in the same class," he said, offering a conciliatory smile. "We're classmates. Why are we fighting?"
Billy quickly backed him up, gently patting Hanky on the shoulder to coax him into sitting down. "He's right. We're supposed to be like a family. Let's just move on from this little thing, okay?"
Once Hanky was seated, Billy added, "We're sorry for disturbing your rest. Lucas and I were too loud."
Lucas then turned to Lily, his tone warm and apologetic. "Come on, don't be angry. We promise we won't bother you again, all right?" He was doing his best to defuse the tension.
Lily listened to their pleas. Her first instinct was to stay angry, but after a moment's thought, she decided to give them a chance since it was their first offense. "Fine," she said curtly. "But just this once. Never again."
Hanky sat stiffly, staring out the window. He was still furious. Honestly, he wasn't ready to let this go. But with everyone watching and his friends appealing to their "class family," he tried to calm down and forget about the incident.
Lucas sighed deeply and gestured for everyone to settle down and continue resting. He and Billy then returned to their seats.
A heavy silence fell over the classroom once more. Most students put their heads down to sleep while a few others rested with their heads in their hands, their eyes wandering around the room. Finally left alone, Hanky went back to watching his sports videos.
Ketto pretended to sleep with his head resting on his arms, tilting it just enough to keep Hanky in his line of sight. Through nearly closed eyelids, he peered at the world, reduced to a sliver of light, and watched Hanky's every move.
After watching Hanky for a while, Ketto finally fell asleep. Addy, however, had no intention of sleeping. He was preoccupied with the class officer election that their homeroom teacher was holding that afternoon. Addy was determined to win the role of chemistry representative. He feared that if he failed, he would be upset for a long time. He quietly rehearsed his campaign speech over and over in his mind.
Ketto slipped into a beautiful dream. In it, he found himself on a vast plateau where various flowers grew, and the air smelled fresh and wonderful. Herds of cows and sheep grazed peacefully on the grass. Everything was quiet and harmonious, and a smile spread across Ketto's sleeping face.
Meanwhile, the other students in the class were quietly passing the time. Some were reading novels—the girls often preferring romance and the boys leaning toward fiction and science fiction. A few students, like Hanky, had brought electronic devices. They listened to music on MP3 players, played video games, and watched videos. They were fortunate that no teachers or administrators came by to check on them.
The lunch break was short, only 50 minutes long. When the bell rang, every student lifted their head from their desk and stretched their arms while rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Some hurried to the bathroom to splash water on their faces, hoping it would shake off their drowsiness.
Ketto went to the restroom, splashed water on his face, and felt instantly refreshed. On his way back, he passed Addy's seat and saw his friend rehearsing his campaign speech diligently. Ketto stopped and asked, "Hey, Addy, are you preparing for the election?"
Addy looked up and smiled. "Yes. I really don't want to lose."
"Don't worry. I believe in you. You're going to win," Ketto said reassuringly.
Addy laughed. "Really? I hope so."
"Maybe—" Ketto started, then paused.
Addy looked at him, confused. "Maybe what? What were you going to say?"
Ketto leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Maybe we could do a quick survey to see what roles others are planning to run for."
Addy's eyes widened, and he stood up. "That's a great idea! Thanks for the advice."