Don't go to those woods over there; Save the me who's being punished; In the previous life and maybe the next too; We're eternally together.
This mysterious scripture, the hooded figures, the seductive allure of Park Ji Min.......will you be able to...
You are snapped back to reality. Turning left, you see Seok Jin looking at you earnestly.
"Yes, that's me," you mumble, trying to ignore the person on your right.
"Great! Come with me!" he says, grabbing you by the arm. You are thankful to be rescued in this way, but part of you also wanted to stay and follow through on whatever just happened with Park Ji Min.
Seok Jin continues, "My name is Kim Seok Jin, aka Worldwide Handsome, but I try to play down that term these days, you know how it is", (thankfully you don't), "Nam Joon said you were here and I really wanted to try out my new herbal recipe on a guinea pig, I mean, someone new."
You're not entirely sure what to make of Seok Jin, but he seems harmless enough. He leads you out of the auditorium. The rest of the students are dismissed and led to their homerooms by their Heads of House.
"So you teach Herbal Panacea? How long have you been teaching here?" you ask, making small talk, which you really don't like doing, but you need to say something to keep unhelpful thoughts out of your head.
"Yes, I teach the best subject here, even if I do say so myself. I've been teaching for almost 10 years and, not to brag, but I'm pretty sure I'm the most amazing HP teacher the Academy's ever had. My students love my lessons and they think I'm hilarious."
You are doubtful about this proclaimed self-adulation, but nod anyway. Best not to offend an Academy teacher so early on in your time here.
You follow Seok Jin through what seems like a never-ending corridor. The walls are made of aged beige stone, there are pointed arches running down the corridor every few metres, and the walls are adorned with similarly arched high windows. As you walk past, you admire the gold-framed paintings of previous teachers of Herbal Panacea and realise that you are walking through the Academy's renowned history. Seok Jin spiritedly details the history of his subject while walking and you remain respectfully silent, absorbing your surroundings.
The HP classroom is located on the roof of the main building. At the end of the corridor, you climb up a spiral staircase, carefully holding onto the wooden handrails, wondering how all the students manage this narrow climb. Then you imagine there must a step-widening spell that gets activated when lessons officially start tomorrow.
Once you reach the top of the stairwell, Seok Jin says, "Hey, Min, have you heard this one? Why was the botanist so wise? Because he was very sage, hahahaha". Seok Jin laughs so hard that you can see tears streaming down his face. You're dumbfounded for a split second, but then start laughing too. There's something about the innocence of Seok Jin that you find endearing and can't help but relax in his company. It is just what you need to take your mind off what had been an 'interesting day' so far.
The sun is still bright in the evening, although it will set in about an hour. Seok Jin shows you to his classroom which is large and bright, and has side tables laden with herbs and plants of all sorts. Some sit compactly in pots, some overflow over the edge of the table. Fresh and dried herbs are stored in closed jars, and there are tied bunches of bright green herbs suspended upside from twine, like a clothesline. The classroom, which is modern compared to the rest of the Academy, has large windows letting in plenty of light to breathe life into the precious herbs.
Seok Jin goes to his teacher's desk and brings you a bottle filled with a suspiciously murky orange-coloured liquid. "It's my own concoction, good for your health and a natural antiperspirant. This is my 10th version and I'm sure it's the winner!"
You look at the bottle with some trepidation and say, "Erm, thank you Master Kim, I'll make good use of it".
"Hey we're practically best friends, you can call me Seok Jin!"
You hastily, say you need to get ready for tomorrow's lessons, so Seok Jin takes you back to the main building and shows you to your classroom. Just before he leaves, Seok Jin calls out, "Hey, Min, one more for you - how did the gardener know his plants were fully grown? It was just about thyme! Get it? Thyme? Time?". His teary laughter is back.
"Yup, Seok Jin, I got it!", you say, giving him a 'thumbs up'.
Looking around at your classroom, you reflect on your first day, the "induction". What did Principal Bang mean by saying they needed you at this time? Was there something happening here that the outside wizarding world wasn't aware of?
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