Jaein didn't tell anyone (Yiting and Yining) anything about what happened last night. She didn't want them to be affected by what happened to her. They had such a good thing going on with Yunho and Junsu, she didn't want to spoil that.
She dreaded the thought of having to go to class, and having to see Kim Jaejoong in class. But her sense of responsibility and fear for Mr Shim forced her to go to school still. Throughout her class, she kept looking elsewhere or at other students, mentally and physically skipping Jaejoong's face, even when she was taking attendance. She skipped recess and hid out in the staff room, for fear of meeting Jaejoong in the canteen. And once school was over, she raced off and hopped onto the first bus home. Jaejoong took the hint, and made himself invisible to her too, by keeping low profile in class, and going home later than usual. This dragged on till a month close to the end of the semester, where exams began...
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First day of exams....
Before the exams started, Mr Shim called Jaein to his office.
Mr Shim: Ms Jun, how did you find teaching so far?
Jaein: Coping well, I think... The students are... (very rich spoilt brats)... a very interesting bunch...
Mr Shim: You do realise that exams means the end of term right?
Jaein: Yeah...
Mr Shim: And it also signifies...
Jaein's thoughts (loss in her own thoughts): End of my time here...
Mr Shim: ... the end of your attachment here... So after the exams finish... Cos we still need you to help invigilate and mark papers... You don't have to come here anymore... There's nothing else, you can go back to your invigilation now...
Jaein: Kamsa hamnida Mr Shim. I hope I didn't cause you too much inconvenience. I had a good time teaching here. Thank you for all your guidance.
Jaein bowed respectively and left the room.
Jaein's thoughts: I'm leaving when the term ends... Soon... *takes a long breath and exhales* I won't have to see him ever again...
Jaein took a deep breath and walked into her class with the papers in her arms. She gave out the papers and announced the start of the exam. While the class was working hard at answering the questions, she took time looking at each one of her students, trying to remember each and every one of their faces, all but one.
They haven't been the nicest class to her, but after an entire term together, she did feel a bond with them. There was a hint of regret in her heart, knowing that she had to leave them and probably never see any of them ever again.
Her eyes came reluctantly to the one that she had skipped earlier. In fact, she skipped his face in class eversince the aftermath of that night. He was having trouble with his paper, and his face was frowning, as he scratched the back of his head trying to make the answer materialise inside his blonde head...
Jaein looked away abruptly. Once she saw his face, it reminded her of what he had done to her. And it made her burn with anger.
Jaein's thoughts (screaming with anger): He's probably the number one reason I feel very happy to leave this school... I hate him... I never wanna see him ever again!!! IDIOT KIM JAEJOONG!!!
*Ah chooo..*
A sneeze was heard in the classroom, and Jaein's eyes darted to the source of the sneeze. It was Jaejoong. Her eyes widened in surprise...
Jaein's thoughts: Don't tell me he's sneezing cos I was scolding him in my mind.... ha ha... if that's true... STUPID STUPID STUPID KIM JAEJOONG!!!!
Jaejoong sneezed another 3 times. Jaein bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing. She was having fun "torturing" him with just her mind. She scolded him in her mind a few more times, making him sneeze repeatedly. And in her mind, she was sniggering like mad.
*RIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG*
It was the bell, which also signified the end of the exam. Jaein looked worriedly over at Jaejoong. She was worried that he hadn't been able to finish his paper due to all the sneezing. But he seemed nonchalant about it. So Jaein hurriedly collected all the papers and brought them back to the staffroom. On the way, she searched for his paper and realised that he had not manage to finish the entire exam paper. There were still 2 questions left. She felt guilty, but there was nothing that she could do...
Jaein's thoughts (remorseful and worried): Oh no... I hope he manages to pass this... If not... He'd have to retake the subject... It's all my fault... Stupid... Can't I behave more like an adult? I'm older than him, and yet I behave so childishly...
After all the papers for all the exams were in, the teachers were delegated to mark the papers back in their own homes, and the students were given a week off. Jaein was marking the papers in her room one day when she realised that she was marking her class' papers, and it was the same one that Jaejoong didn't finish...
She searched frantically for his paper, and when she found it, she marked it quickly, and collated his marks.
Jaein's thoughts: Oh no... he... flunked marginally... shit...
She re-checked his paper, trying to see over and over again if she could squeeze a few more marks for him to pass. But it was impossible...
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After post-exams marking break...
The HODs were informed of Jaejoong's marginal flunk for his paper. And they decided to let him re-take the paper alone, after Jaein persistently and persuasively pleaded with them, saying that he was sick that day, as she saw him sneezing throughout the exam. Another reason is because of his parents. The school didn't want to infuriate his parents whom were influential figures in the school board of directors.
But letting him retake the paper felt like a double-edge sword to Jaein. On one hand, he would be able to pass, and not have to retake the subject, which made her less guilty. But on the other hand, the HODs had appointed her to invigilate his retake exam, and that meant that she had to be alone with him in the classroom for a few hours. And that made her uncomfortable. She had been avoiding him like plague since that night. And now she was forced to be alone with him for so many hours.
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