Teacher's pet

No alcohol, just gossip

"Tea stains.Just be careful where you spill it..."

It was Friday night when I received a call from Jessie. She invited the three of us to a bar in Seoul. She said she's going to bring another four of her friends and we can all hit the town. Jessie said that there is this fancy bar where they serve alcohol and good food. I politely told her that me and Sarah don't drink alcohol , but Lucas does. It was a perfect place for them to grab a couple of drinks and for me and Sarah to stuff our empty stomachs.

The bar was indeed very fancy with wooden ores hung as wall art. The place was luxurious and very irish-pub inspired. There were lights hanging from the ceiling and the furniture and overall ambiance was old-fashion , almost classical.

They have food like pork belly sliders or baked sweet potato nachos with bacon that promises to flatter your taste buds.
Jessie asked us again if we surely don't want to order some drinks, but I declined saying that we were sure of it. Besides, this is in their benefit because the rest of them can all drink alcohol as long as me and Sarah can be the drivers.

As we were waiting for our food and drinks, Jessie and her three girl friends were trying to ask us how it feels to study abroad in Korea. Jessie was also an exchange student, but she was luckier than us, having the advantage of a Korean mother who taught her to speak the language on a reasonably well level. Her four friends that she brought were three girls and a guy. Lucas and the other guy,who was Jessie's boyfriend ,were talking about sports while we girls were lost in some other type of conversation. A more poisonous and malicious one. Also known as "gossipping".

"Heard some gossip on campus.." Said Jessie trying to be impassive.

"About?" I already had an assumption which direction this "conversation" was going to take.

"About you and Min Yoongi! Rumors say that you are getting close to each other. But you know how people gossip. It's just a way to entertain their boring lives. " I was trying hard to put my poker face on, all while exchanging some knowing looks with Sarah.

"We're just friends..I guess. Honestly I can't put a name on our relationship yet. I'm just trying to get to know him. Maybe you guys know him better?"

I was honestly just trying to get to know what people actually think of Yoongi. I know that gossip and rumors are very common,especially on the campus, but I was very curious about how an introverted and mysterious person like Yoongi, it's seen by others.

"His nickname is teacher's pet. He does have a lot of people who don't like him because he's said to receive preferential treatment from Mrs.Kim. This only attracted a lot of nasty rumors pairing him and Mrs Kim in a non -orthodox way if you know what I mean..." one of the girls that came with Jessie seemed very moody and irritable while saying Yoongi's name. But that didn't stop her from continuing talking about him:

" He's very ...how should I say it..unemotional and reserved. I only know that he's a very good piano player and a strangely quiet guy."

"Don't mind this one with her gossiping . She's been dumped by him after a month of casual dating. People are over exaggerating with those nasty rumors." Jessie looked at her friend in an almost furious way. Now it was all crystal clear why she was so affected while badmouthing him.

"I know he's friends with Namjoon ,Jimin and Hoseok. I did hear those gossips about him too , but I don't know what's true or false. " Jessie was maybe trying to save the situation by telling me that.

"One of my best friends dated him a year ago. Briefly,very casual. Well,don't be mad at me for saying this,but his reputation is blacker than sin when it comes to commitments in a relationship. Sure he's an attractive guy and girls are head over heels for him, but he's a cold and indifferent guy."

That was another one of Jesse's friends. It really looks like Yoongi was into the whole "casual dating" type.

"Heard he got cheated on in a relationship. Since then he's been a player with girls." That was the ex-casual girlfriend talking.

Sarah was trying to find out if Jimin has this "playboy" image, like Yoongi does. But surprisingly, he's actually known as a very sweet guy on campus,flirty indeed, but sweet and friendly. I saw Lucas's eyes going distant while hearing Jimin's name. He became very unfocused while Jessie's boyfriend tried to talk to him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We were back at the dorms pretty late with a happy Sarah, a very tired ,tipsy and sad Lucas and with my heart full of uncertainty and my brain in doubt. All kinds of scenarios were going on in my head. I definitely didn't want to be just one of the girls that "casually dated " Yoongi. I'm not here to be some guy's toy. But then again I can't put a name to our relationship. I don't even know if he wants to date me or if I'm just another way to distract him from the stress that the piano competition is putting on him.

I'm well aware that gossiping can be very untrue and untrustworthy. Especially coming out of someone who's your ex. But the rumors that the girl who dated Yoongi was spreading, successfully riled me up.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I did feel uncertain about the dynamic nature between Mrs Kim and Yoongi. How they interacted with each other was he a bit too dynamic, almost leading to anger sometimes. I knew that here in Korea things like talking back to your teacher were not allowed. So why was Yoongi so unafraid to talk back to Mrs Kim? Why is Mrs Kim constantly in Yoongi's shadow?
I was utterly confused about what rumours were true and untrue.

Just when I had enough arguments in my head that proved that the whole thing with Mrs Kim it's just a rumor made up by jealous students, who don't have Yoongi's talent and Mrs Kim's appreciation, my phone rang.

"Looks like you don't have my number."I was taken aback by the fact that Yoongi called this late at night.

"I do. Otherwise I wouldn't have picked up. I don't pick up if I don't have the phone number in my contact list."

"Then why am I always the one who's calling? You do like to be chased, princess ."

"Sorry, I must have read you wrong. Though you're the type that likes a bit of a challenge. "

"Then how about you challenge me a bit more tomorrow morning while we drink coffee. Call me when you wake up ."

I had a feeling that I'm about to see the abyss. Well ,then I guess I should train my body and mind to be ready for the jump cause being in Yoongi's sphere was definitely not a safe place. But again , he was so intoxicated that I couldn't help myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~