FEEL SO HIGH SCHOOL (WinRina)

2

Ella dashed to the car, her pigtails bouncing as she ran and I couldn't help but laugh. "Whoa, what's got you so excited today?" I asked, helping her into her booster seat and making sure she was all buckled in safely.

She shrugged and gave me a wide grin. "I just missed my teacher and classmates!" she chirped, her voice full of excitement.

I chuckled. "Well, they're definitely going to be happy to see you too" it was just her and me today, her parents are already off to work. During our breakfast Rosie reminds me not to be late again on picking up Ella at school so I will probably stay out of the house for a while after dropping off Ella.

As we drove, I peeked at her in the rearview mirror. "So, tell me, why do you like Teacher Yu so much?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Ella's eyes lit up as she looked out the window, her feet swinging happily. "Because she's super nice! And she always talks to me and gives me sweets!" she said, her voice full of admiration.

I couldn't help but smile. It was clear Teacher Yu was going out of her way to make my niece feel special. I could just imagine her asking Ella about her family probably trying to gather some details on the Kims because of her little crush on Rosie. Well, while she's at it, she might as well slip a note to Ella and have her pass it to Rosie-just like how high school kids do when they've got a crush. I shook my head, amused at my own thought.

I glanced again at Ella in the back seat and asked her, "Ella, do you think I look like your mom?"

She turned to me, studying my face with those curious eyes of hers then nodded slowly. "Well, kinda. But your hair is red and Mommy is blonde but you both have the same smile, same eyes too" she said, her voice thoughtful.

I hummed in response, a warmth settling in my chest. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Ella looked at me curiously and asked, "Why do you ask, Auntie?"

"Oh, no reason baby" I replied, turning my eyes back to the road, satisfied with her answer.

When we arrived at Ella's classroom, her classmates were already inside. Teacher Yu was standing at the door, greeting students and parents as they arrived. She had that warm, professional smile-the kind that seemed genuinely kind.

I bent down and kissed Ella's cheek. "Have fun, kiddo" I said softly watching as she hurried to greet Teacher Yu, her small form disappearing into the classroom with a wave.

Once Ella was inside, Teacher Yu's attention turned to me, and gone the pretty warm smile. Annoyance was written all over her face, her eyes narrowing slightly. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess you're not a fan of every Kim, are you?" I said, my voice was laced with teasing.

Teacher Yu gave a long-suffering sigh, her lips pressed into a tight line. "Ms. Kim, you need to watch your tone and remember that you're on school grounds. If you're unaware there's a lot of children around here, you should be mindful of what kind of attire you wear inside the school premises" her eyes trailed pointedly down my body, a clear sign of disapproval.

I followed her gaze, looking down at my outfit-jean shorts and a sleeveless top. It wasn't anything scandalous, no cleavage showing and my shorts weren't even that short. I frowned, genuinely confused.

"What? There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing!" I said.

She just gave me a look, her voice dripping with judgment. "Of course you don't find anything wrong about it"