Bianca was dropped off at school by Mother, who had a concerned expression as she looked at the school and at Bianca who skipped inside the entrance.
Inside, she saw a banner that said, “Saturday meetings starting this weekend!” But Bianca didn’t care much about it. She then entered Namjoon’s classroom. But the students seemed much more dull and depressed.
What is going on? How come my classmates are feeling so sad?
Namjoon entered with anger in his eyes. He was much angrier than the time he lost his girlfriend through bullying in his days in high school.
“Mr. Joon,” said Bianca, “What is with your moody expression?”
He flashed a scowl. It was the first time he had ever done that to one of his students.
Poor guy, she thought, looking down.
Once class was finished, Namjoon noticed Bianca and approached her quickly.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to shoot my frustration at you. It’s much worse than when I lost my girlfriend.”
“She died?”
“No. She ran away. Actually, she moved away. When she called me and said she went back to Ireland, I was pretty heartbroken. But she thanked me for protecting her at school when she needed it the most and hoped that I would visit her at some point.”
“And did you?”
Namjoon smiled and nodded her head.
“We were in college. And Maeve, my girlfriend, said that even if we are far apart, we still feel together.”
“And your point is…”
“I don’t want you to lose Jake. He seems to really like you and is probably trying hard to find the love of his life at the moment.”
“I feel like you’ve told me that before.”
“Have I ever?”
“Maybe…”
*~*~*~*~*~*
After school, Bianca skipped with glee. But as she was waiting for Mother to pick her up, she saw familiar faces from her traumatizing past. It was the principal of the SIJH, Bianca’s previous school.
It was during homeroom when Bianca noticed a frown on most of the students’ faces. Now, she became concerned.
“Students,” said Namjoon, “If I could have your attention, please.”
The students quieted down. Namjoon sighed.
“Class, the principal of our rivaling school has arrived at Independence Academy, and I overheard them talking about changing the rules here.”
“You won’t let them, will you?” Bahiyyih asked with disbelief.
“Of course not,” said Namjoon, “Who said that this school was not changing anything?”
Bianca skipped out from the classroom with glee.
But then, someone stopped her and said, “Stop right there.”
The woman crossed her arms and scowled straight into Bianca’s innocent face. Bianca was brought back with so much trauma.
“I hope you are not messing around, right?”
Bianca tilted her head.
“Why would I?” she said, “I only focus on getting to class. That is all I do.”
Namjoon then walked by but secretly eavesdropped on the conversation. He felt concerned.
“Very well, then,” said the woman, “But if I see you mucking around in class, or when you are supposed to be in class, you will be held accountable. Am I clear?”
“Yes.” said Bianca, quickly walking away.
Namjoon had a concerned look on his face. His thoughts were as vigorous as Bianca’s. And although he was in his twenties, he still thought of himself as a teenager.
At the end of the day, the students were brought to the main auditorium, where they sat with concern in their hearts.
Mrs. Kim stepped onto the podium.
“Good Afternoon, students of this lovely school,” she said with great dismay, “We have a bit of an announcement to make. And believe me. It’s not an easy one. Our rivaling school SIJH is having us setting up their boundaries. And we had no choice but to abide by them. But don’t worry, everyone…I will find a way to get us out of this. I promise you.”
Mrs. Kim walked away with tears in her eyes, letting the students declare the end of the assembly. Bianca was confused.
How is it that Mrs. Kim is so heartbroken?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Bianca still could not get the fact that Mrs. Kim cried in the middle of the speech out of her mind. It was hard to hear, but easy to think about.
When she got to Kim Namjoon’s class, she found that Kim Namjoon was gone and Kim Taehyung was the substitute for the day.
“Where is Mr. Joon?” She asked.
“He said he was in Ireland, visiting his girlfriend. He will be back next Monday.”
He must be missing her then.
He was. Namjoon really was. He was in the main airport of Dublin when a young woman stood right in front of him
Namjoon didn’t understand at first. But the woman threw herself in his arms.
“My Joonie!” she said.
Tearfully, Namjoon wrapped his arms around the woman, officially reunited with the love of his life.
“Joonie,” said Maeve, “I had missed you so much. You do know that it’s been so long, right.”
Namjoon, who had only a few rebellious tears coming from his eyes, nodded his head. Maeve cupped her hand on top of his cheek and fell to his arms.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jake sat between Sunghoon and Sunoo. But he did not approve of the school rules either. Min Yoongi entered straight afterwards with disappointment.
“Has something bothered you?” asked Sunghoon.
“Indeed.” said Yoongi, “During lunch, the school staff went through a board meeting and they had to apply for Saturday classes!”
The class gasped.
“But why,” said Jake, “The government said that they wouldn’t allow them anymore.”
“Mrs. Kim said the same thing,” said Yoongi, “And that is why as a class we must stand up and fight against what hurt us in the past. The SIJH has been onto us for years. If only we can get them out of here.”
“We’ll do it with you!” Sunoo said as he stood up.
“Me too!” shouted Ni-ki, behind Jake.
The whole class stood up with agreement and the whole school cheered and chanted.
Meanwhile, Bianca was studying in the library. However, she had nothing to study for. Her new teacher said she would be “smart” unless she studies.
I don’t even have a major yet! What was she even talking about!
Back in Ireland, Maeve and Namjoon sat together in the shopping center, both coffee cups in hand. It was November and the leaves were falling from the trees in the cold weather.
“A lot has happened since I’ve seen you. I wanted to move back to Korea with you. I didn’t want you to be away from your job at Independence Academy.”
“A lot’s been going on with me too,” replied Namjoon with a smile, “There are some crazy new rules our rivaling school has been making us apply to. But of course the head of the school will not let it happen and she will alert the government to sue them. She hasn’t been around since most of the staff from the other school arrived, so my guess is she is turning to the government for some help.”
“That school does need to be held accountable,” said Maeve, “I heard one of your students went there and was taken advantage of.”
“Bianca was already going to be twelve when she went for the first time. The second year was when it really fell down the hill.”
“That’s her name, right?”
Namjoon raised an eyebrow
“You know her?” he asked.
“Her instagram is so colorful! She makes the best digital art! And she even blogged about her awful school experience in Korea.”
Namjoon saw the website, but never knew that Bianca was a digital art designer or a photographer either.
“She is in the school Photography club,” said Namjoon, “I’m the moderator.”
“I can’t wait for the upcoming Arts Night Awards. I was actually going to get the tickets. When you get back, make sure to tell her that she should enter with her work! She is definitely going to be nominated!”
*~*~*~*~*~*
Namjoon had thought about what Maeve had told him. He was going to tell Bianca about the Arts Night Awards. However, he didn’t know that she already knew.
It was already basketball season. And as the Autumn elective, Bianca chose to be the cheerleader for the Fall Sports teams. Jake and Jungwon both chose to be on the basketball team.
It was while Bianca, dressed in a cheerleader uniform, met up with Bahiyyih in the hallway.
“You’ve joined the cheerleading team, haven’t you, Bianca.”
The girl nodded.
“Yup,” she said, “I'll be cheering for both Jake and Jungwon in the basketball game tonight.”
“Wait, the game was tonight?” Bahiyyih asked with a shout, dropping her notebook to the ground.
“You forgot?” asked Bianca, saddened.
“I was studying, the substitute said we had to study and there was Saturday classes and such–”
“Saturday classes? Today is Friday, I don’t think there is such a thing.”
“That other school made it clear, now. All students are required to attend Hagwon, which is the term for Saturday classes.”
Bianca felt sick to the stomach. Saturday classes. No one should ever attend any of those. Unless…if they really want to.
It was Saturday evening. Bianca returned home and collapsed on the living room couch. She groaned from the exhaustion from lessons that day.
“Bianca?” Mother called, “Is that you?”
But the girl could not stand up. She was so tired from the lessons all week that she could only have one day off from school.
“Mummy,” Bianca said, weakly, “I can’t do this anymore. We need to do something. Either we sue the school again, or we need to throw a bomb at them or something.”
Mother frowned, seeing her daughter suffering the trauma from when she attended SIJH.
It was back when COVID was about to hit. Bianca was in the same position as she was from Saturday classes. She called out her daughter’s name. But she didn’t answer at first.
When she looked for her in the living room, she found Bianca collapsed on the couch, due to exhaustion.
“I can’t believe we have to go to school on Saturdays, I don’t like it. I can’t do it anymore. Please make the school get in trouble.”
Mother kept repeating the memory over and over again. And eventually, she decided to do something.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“The basketball game was awesome,” said Bahiyyih, “I think Bianca did pretty well.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Jungwon, “Didn’t she sign up for the Arts Night Awards?”
“Yup, I need to get approval from her choice of photos. Not the ones from her phone. Quite a bummer we couldn’t meet because you are separated during hagwon.”
“I heard the parents were really upset about that.”
“You can say that more, Bianca’s mother was the only one that showed up and spoke up about Saturday classes and was the one to report the terrible things SIJH did to the school.”
“I wasn’t there. My teacher told me to study at home and I didn’t realize I was almost brainwashed by the new staff here.”
“So…what are we going to do now?”
Bianca walked past the friends but did not notice them at all.
“I think I have an idea,” said Jungwon, “We could make a video and speak out about the unfair treatment in most schools here, like an emergency public announcement.”
“Great idea! Then maybe the board of education will be able to address the issue to the government and there will be no more Saturday classes or any more of those stupid rules! Great thinking, Jungwon!”