Finest Jin

7 Days of Seduction

"I am sorry class," I apologized after my mouth shrank back to human dimensions. "I can't seem to stop yawning today." 

"Hot date last night, Miss Ay?" I couldn't help but startle at his brash comment. The whole class mirrored my shock.

"JinYoung! You may remain after class and we will discuss your inappropriate comments. Until then, I ask that your mouth stay closed until such time as I give you permission to open it."

"Anything you wish." My co-teacher pulled her eyes from the insolent little perpetrator and regarded me with fearful looks. I smiled reassuringly at her as another yawn threatened to tear my head in two. 

"Let's read these poems out loud. Please stand, Ji-Woo, and read the first paragraph out loud. 

When the bell finally rang, I was seated at the big teachers' desk, massaging my temples. My tiredness was flirting with a full blown headache but I still had hours in my school day. Not that I would take back one minute of the time I had spent with Jin and Taehyung last night. A chance for Jin to find ease with my family had been needed and the transition had gone as beautifully as I could have hoped. But the school day today was dry and dragging and my patience for smart-mouthed boys was dipping at an all-time low. I peered blearily up as the devil himself was trying to slip out the door unnoticed. 

"JinYoung! Freeze! We need to talk." His shoulders tensed and he pivoted to face me, clearly disappointed in his capture. 

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot..." He turned on the charm. "Miss Ay, I must apologize. I forgot my manners. I have just been so distracted..." He stared off into nothingness, a dreamy look on his face. I snapped my fingers, regretting it immediately as it echoed in my tender skull. "But; I am very sorry. I had no business speaking to you like that. Your personal life is certainly no concern of mine. Please forgive my rudeness." He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a long-stemmed red rose.

"I swear, JinYoung, if you give me that rose, I will shove it up your nose." He snorted. 

"It's not for you. Today is Day 4."

"What?" I sat up straighter, shaking my head to clear it. "Day 4 of what?"

JinYoung relaxed, perching on the corner of my desk. "7 Days of Seduction. I am in the works to get my girl." He saw my confusion. "Monday was Day 1. I made sure she saw me staring." My next class was filtering into the room now, chatting and heading to their seats. "On Tuesday I paid her a compliment. Something to have her thinking of me all day." I was glad he was staring off again lest he see my incredulous eyebrows tangling up in my hairline. "Yesterday I left a note on her locker. It is part of the formula."

"You have a formula?" 

"Of course. Even love is scientific and mathematical. Stick to the steps and it can never go wrong." It was my turn to snort. This kid had confidence in spades. 

"So today is a rose?"

"Day 4 is a rose. I will leave it on her locker or her desk. She will see me leave it. Let her know how lucky she is." I turned to my co-teacher. Her fear had faded to...surprise? Horror? My head was shaking again.

"Lucky girl." I muttered. JinYoung nodded agreement. Apparently sarcasm wasn't his strong point.

"She is. I am quite a catch. My interest makes her the hottest girl in the school." Seo-A, a lovely girl from my next class, came up behind JinYoung and was waiting for a chance to speak to me. I caught her eye and gave her a quick nod to acknowledge her. My interest was piquing now.

"Day 5 is...?"

"A gift. I was thinking chocolate. Do you think she would like chocolate?" He turned his eyes to me, waiting for approval. 

"Most girls do."  He hopped off the desk. 

"Perfect. That will be tomorrow." 

"Then Monday is Day 6?" Most of the seats were filled now. I knew that the bell would ring any minute. 

"Or Saturday. Or Sunday. It is more about 7 STEPS of Seduction. There can be gaps in them." He flashed me a wide grin. I stood up. "I just need Day 6: personal visit and then Day 7 is public declaration. Day 8; she is all mine."

"Well, good luck with that. Meantime, I have some formulas myself. For 7 days of Expulsion." JinYoung blanched and the slim bodied lad fell dramatically to his knees before me. 

"No, Miss Ay; I said I was sorry, and I am; I really am!" The class had gone quiet and were watching the scene unfolding before them. Seo-A sighed audibly and began to tap her foot. 

"JinYoung; you seem to recall that I warned you that you would not have a chance to audition for the narrator role if you did not mind your manners."

"But I already memorized...!" I cut him off with an outstretched hand.

"Regardless of your efforts to learn the part, I will not have an insolent boy holding the mike on stage."

"Man..." he voiced quietly. My eyes blazed at him and he shrunk. "Or boy...boy is fine."

"If you continue to disregard your manners, I will have no choice but to take it up with the principal."

"No, no, no...please have mercy on me. I will not say such things again." His hands clutched the hem of my skirt to his cheek, handsome face twisted in mock agony. I stepped back, tugging my skirt from his reach. Seo-A rolled her eyes, lips pursed in disgust.

"JinYoung, get up." The bell rang loudly. "And get to class." 

"Thank you, Miss Ay!" He retrieved the rose from my desk and backed out of the room hurriedly, bowing as he went. I slumped back in my seat. I was even more tired now. Was it really only 11am?

"I am sorry, Seo-A." I gestured her over. She dropped a sympathetic smile on me. 

"It's okay. JinYoung is such an actor. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but; 7 Days of Seduction?" I lifted my hand from my eyes, where it was trying to rub the sleep from them. I nodded. 

"Yes, how did you know?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Because last year he had his heart set on me." This surprised me.

"Really? Did it work?" I had lowered my voice so the class wouldn't hear. My co-teacher was handing out the textbooks. Seo-A grimaced.

"Sadly; yes. He can be very charming. But he turned out to be a total jerk. We went on a total of 3 dates before he found someone else. My most embarrassing mistake." 

"We all have them." I reassured her. "Now, what can I help you with?"