Chapter Sixty-two (1/2)
Seungkwan looked around the classroom as the students clapped after another student's presentation. The student returned to his seat and high-fived his partner who helped him. Seungkwan then looked at Vernon who was tracing circles in his notebook with different colored pencils. "Next up is Seungkwan and Vernon." The teacher said. Seungkwan stood up right away and picked his phone up. Vernon took his time walking as he went to the bag in the corner of the room. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms as he watched Seungkwan connect his phone to the projection screen. "Today's topic is about about stressed relationships." Seungkwan started as he walked around the front of the classroom. "One partner could be super into the relationship while the other is distant. This calls for a very toxic relationship. "If the person heavily involved feels hated or mistreated, they're liable to go lengths." Seungkwan said sadly at the same time as Vernon taking a machete out of the black bag. The students gasped as they watched Seungkwan take the machete and feel the blade. "Why do they hate me so much when I love them to pieces? Why is it that everything I do is the wrong thing, while you sit back and tell others how horrible I am? Over small things, you belittle me; you never see the fault that's in you!" Seungkwan acted out. He raised the machete, making a girl in the front row scream with tears. Vernon came by with knives on his knuckles, stabbing behind Seungkwan, making it look like he stabbed Seungkwan in the back.
"How dare you complain about me! All I do is love you." Vernon said, letting Seungkwan fall to the floor and the machete too.
The students murmur as Vernon gathers the blades and quickly goes back to the bag with them. Seungkwan stood up and put his hands together while looking down. "Sometimes the lack of communication could lead to misery. It's your choice to be open in your relationship, but please think about the other person. Think about how they're affected by not giving their feelings. "And in turn, don't be afraid to tell your feelings." Seungkwan raised his head to look at everyone. "You never know how the person will take the heartbreak.. They need you." He bowed.
Vernon watched Seungkwan take his phone back and then they walked to their seats together. Vernon looks around the older to make sure he didn't get cut. "You okay?" He whispered. Seungkwan nodded and gave a thumbs up. Their attention went to the teacher who cleared his throat while walking back to the front of the classroom. "Seungkwan, can I talk to you after class?" He requested. The said student lowered his head as he knows what this talk will be. It was the same with the last presentation he did that involved violence.
Class continued like it should and then Seungkwan went to the teacher's office. Vernon was told to wait outside, just like last time. Seungkwan sat across from the teacher and looked down at his lap. "You know what you did wrong, right?" The teacher asked. Seungkwan nodded. "I know.." "I told you last time when you came in with a phone and prop wall; when you threw it at the wall beside Vernon." The teacher sounded disappointed more than angry. "I told you that you can't portray events like this." Seungkwan sighed. "But I was teaching how letting work get to your nerves could lead to accidental violence on your loved ones." Seungkwan stood up in his defense. The teacher furrowed his eyebrows. "And then the presentation on how letting the wrong people in your life could damage your spirit, I know. You didn't need to grab Vernon by the collar and toss him into 'a river to find your keys' in order to teach them." The teacher said. Seungkwan held the desk as he stood up. "Kids need to learn through real-life examples! They won't take anything I say seriously unless they see the product of what I'm talking about!" He defended himself.
The teacher breathed in and out audibly. "Boo Seungkwan, if you do another presentation like this one again, I will relieve you from my class. You scared Minri to the point she cried in class." He said with authority. Seungkwan pursed his lips and nodded. "I understand." He bowed and turned to the door. "Maybe just take away the option to have an incident essay then. Why not just make me do only positive things. Or will you ban me from laughing too?" He asked in anger as he held the door knob. "Seungkwan-" "No. I'm just being real, Mr. Lee. You're here telling me I can't do a presentation because it involves too much violence." Seungkwan walked closer to the desk. "Life isn't fluffy clouds and rainbows! My family has had hardships that I don't want anyone else to face. Is it so bad that I want to portray events that took place? Is it so bad that I can't just stick to black words on a white screen like your other students? "Baekho literally explained how his boiling experiment burned his hand to the second degree, but all he gets is a round of applause and an A. What do I get for not even hurting myself? A mean talking to." Seungkwan folded his arms. The teacher stood up with a huff. "So why don't you bring your parents with you? I will dismiss all warnings on you if you can convince your parents that bringing knives and a machete onto a school campus is tolerable." He folded his arms back.
Seungkwan stomped his foot before turning around and exiting the teacher's office. Vernon watched with concern, hearing the entire conversation. "You're not going to tell them, right?" Vernon asked as he caught up with Seungkwan. "Of course I'm not telling them.." Seungkwan sighed as they made it to their next class. "Cheol-dad will just say in his non-threatening voice that I shouldn't be doing this and that violence is never the answer. Meanwhile, Jeong-dad will yell at me and I won't even understand what he's saying." Seungkwan put his hands up before letting his forehead fall on his desk.
Vernon sighed and tapped on his desk. "I don't think bringing weapons to a school is good.. but I do like your presentations, Seungkwan. Maybe in a different setting, they would be even more spectacular." He patted Seungkwan's back. Seungkwan looked back at him and smiled a bit. "Thanks.." He muttered.
*** Dino flips through some pages of his textbook as he's waiting for his teacher to come in. He smiled as he looked at the catalogue that the college has. He drew circles around the classes he's interested in, just like Seungcheol told him to do. He giggled when he saw a cupcake. It's so cute~ The frosting was in the shape of a dog. Dino's attention then goes to the sliding door being slammed open. He looks for a moment before continuing his business, knowing fully well that looking at the student will only put him in a tough spot. However, he gasped when his catalogue was taken. He looked up to see it was the student who had just entered. "Hey!" Dino stood up to get the catalogue back. "Baking class?" The boy huffed. "You want to waste your time putting frosting on dough?" He asked.
Dino pouted his lip and stole the catalogue back. "Maybe waste for you, but it looks fun to me." Dino said, trying to straighten the crinkle out of the page.
"Pfft, how is baking not a waste of time for a boy?" The kid asked, sitting down next to Dino. "Oh.. are you a girl?" He asked.
Dino looked at him angrily. "How dare you put a gender on baking." He said with his eyebrows knitted. "And what? Is business a guy thing, Shownu?" The named stork, who crossed his arms, nodded. "Naturally, men are better leaders." He smirked.
Dino laughed sarcastically. "Then why is our teacher a woman?" He asked. "I dunno, some stupid ass hired her to spare her feelings?" Shownu rolled his eyes. "Probably a woman hired her." He shrugged. Dino huffed. "And so a man must have hired her, right? Who's the idiot now?" He poked Shownu.
Shownu looked at the other with anger. He stood up and shoved Dino off of his chair. "You think it's cute to talk down to me?" He gripped Dino's jacket and picked him up. "My dad puts up with little shits like you to make this school good, and then you treat me like this?!"
Dino yelped when he was thrown to the floor. The other students in the room cleared away their desks while this is happening. They know not to get involved with Shownu: the administrator's son. Dino stood back up and looked at Shownu. He wiped his lip a bit and then locked eyes once more. "Come on, little girl. Show me your baking moves." Shownu joked.
Raising his fist, Dino hears the door opening. He broke his stance to see the young teacher look at them. She had a concerned glare. Dino put his hand down and sighed, looking back at Shownu. He bowed before walking with the teacher out of the classroom.