Finest Jin

School Visitors

My second class of the day was going along smoothly. We were well into class discussions about morality; the subject of our upcoming essay assignment. Cher was in this class and it was fun to see her interact with her classmates. 

"Do you think morality has implications on modern society in a manner that impacts economy?" I posed to the groups seated together. 

Yoona raised her hand.

"Absolutely. People who have children outside of wedlock, for example, are often unequipped to provide for the child financially. That is often how orphanages fill up." She shook her tidy bobbed hair as she pondered a moment. I felt a flush in my cheeks but said nothing. 

One of her group partners, Dae-Hyun, stood next to Yoona. 

"She's right. Then those of us who are working and paying taxes end up footing the bill for those children."

Yoona nodded emphatically.

"If people would just have stronger moral fortitude and not conceive children out of wedlock, but waiting on intimacy until marriage, then that financial burden would be lifted."

At this point, Dae-Hyun noticed my discomfort and tapped Yoona. She stared at him, then at me, confused briefly.

"No disrespect to you, Miss Ay." Dae-Hyun muttered with a bow. 

Realization dawned on his partner.

"Oh no! None meant at all!" Yoona flushed brighter than I. "And congratulations!" She added, faking a smile. Cher slapped her hand to her forehead, setting her classmates off into giggles. 

"Great save," She whispered loudly to Yoona. I had to smirk.

"None taken, Yoona, Dae-Hyun...besides, I am gainfully employed. But this does bring up a fair point. Does anyone else have any thoughts to add?"

Chin-Sun was bursting with her question and leapt right to her feet.

"Not so much a thought as...a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Are you really dating Choi Minho? Is that his baby?"

From my vantage point at the whiteboard, I could still see Chers' wide eyes flashing horrified and blue all the way across the room. I admit, her comment had me flustered. 

"I am not." I managed to breathe out. "It is not." Cher didn't even try to hide her gaping mouth.

"Oh..." Chin-Sun looked truly disappointed. Likely she had been keen to be a student of the teacher having a celebrity baby. "That's too bad. He is really dreamy. All the media sites say..."

"Is this relevant to our discussion in some way?" 

She thought carefully, her upturned nose scrunched into a wrinkle. 

"Well, I suppose that I just wanted to point out that if it was his, it wouldn't be a financial burden. I am certain that Choi Minho would take care of his own baby." She saw that I was about to cut her off again, so she rushed her next few sentences. "Perhaps I am more concerned about morality in terms of reporting and journalism. The sites reporting this information are considered to be very reputable, and yet you claim that their statements are untrue. Perhaps there aren't financial implications, but it is setting a very poor standard to be passing lies off as truth."

"That's a fair statement." I sat at my desk, facing the class. "Would anyone else like to broaden either of these topics?"

Chin-Sun was still standing, her face mischievous.