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"Now, can anyone summarize what we learnt today?"
The students slid down their chairs, hiding themselves to avert from responding to their history teacher who seemed to teach everything and nothing at the same time.
Mr. Baek frowned, as crevices formed on the forehead of his unruly visage. "This is outrageous. No one knows anything about Pompeii?"
A hand hesitatingly stretched itself.
"Yes, In-Jung. Speak."
The girl stood up quietly, her ponytail oscillating gingerly. "Uh, the Roman city of Pompeii-"
"Ancient Rome, In-Jung. Pompeii is no longer a city, it used to be one. Please be clear with your facts.", Mr. Baek interrupted, his face morphing into a scowl as the student in question gulped nervously.
"Yes, the ancient city of Pompeii in Rome was buried in ash and pumice for centuries following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius-"
"When, In-Jung, when? 79 A.D! Please refrain from voluteering to answer if you don't know what to speak!", the man fumed as all the students sympathetically eyed In-Jung who sat down, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
The bell rang on cue, as the history teacher dismissed the class. All the students swung their backpacks and began flooding out of the classroom. A long-faced In-Jung was approached by her fellow classmate, Jung Hoseok, who tried to console her.
Everyone exited the classroom, except for one - a tall, black-haired boy with dishevelled hair criss-crossing over his eyes. He stared at the man frantically flouncing across the classroom, waiting to be noticed.
"It's recess, Kim Taehyung. I hope you've been taught not to disturb one while they are feasting. If you have any questions, please talk to the school secretary.", Mr. Baek spoke mechanically, not even glancing at the boy, who stood like a statue, as if he was frozen at his place. Instead of the naïve act, he stood calm, still, looking like a Greco-Roman sculpture, handcrafted by Michelangelo himself. His thick, angular eyebrows, ethereal face, ignited Mr. Baek's insecurities.
"I think I told you to leave, Taehyung.", Mr. Baek asserted again.
Snapping from a possible reverie, the boys' lips curved up into a smirk as he started towards his new teacher.
"Commanding the Devil to leave. I say, you're a brave man, Baek Sung-jun."
"Have you gone mad?", the shorter man shrieked, frightened by how close the transfer student had come, how intimidating the boy looked.
"Oh Sung-jun, you need to learn some good manners. I think you deserve a good washing down like children. You never advice the Devil to leave, who knows, he may seem like a transfer student, but may transfer you to the bloodiest pits of Hell.", his eyes gleamed as Mr. Baek felt his back touch the wall.
"Both of us know that you should be the one receiving a washing down.", Sung-jun almost whispered.
"You have been scolding a whole lot of people. I think it's time you deserve a taste of your own medicine. Oh! I think you already have. Your wife is having an affair with someone you thought was your friend.", the boy laughed.
The man before him shuffled uncomfortably. "How did you know?", he spat out.
Glaring at him, the boys' smile transformed into a frown. "Who do you think made your wife fall in love with that fellow? Cupid?"
By now, the shorter gentleman was pinned against the wall, preventing him from waddling away. His heart hammered against his chest, he could almost smell death.
"Who are you?", he managed to speak as he could feel himself levitating, hollowing away from inside.
"I think I told you too many times, my child.", the boys' eyes glowed red, bewitching Baek Sung-jun who choked and coughed up an eerie white smoke before resuming to his normal posture, but a dull look in his eyes. His face was expressionless and he looked as if his soul had been sucked out of his body. Well, maybe it had.
