Weak (for the) He(te)ro (in) Class 1

2 - What a Pretty Name. Are you a Girl?

Yeon Sieun's official first day at his new school, Byeoksan Secondary, had come a lot sooner than he expected, and he couldn't have been more nervous. In fact, had he been any more nervous, he would have spontaneously combusted on the spot.

It's loud. It's bright. It's happening. Hordes and hordes of uniformed children overwhelm the entrance to the school. Parents are nowhere to be seen as cars are not permitted to park in this area. Anyone on the outside looking in would think Summer is still in full bloom in this part of Seoul, though in reality it was on its way out.

Initially, Sieun was under the impression that Byeoksan would be a cold and desolate place, full of students who were just as cold and desolate. He was surprised to find this was an unfounded claim, as the exuberant chatter surrounding him proved otherwise. This revelation chipped at the boulder of his anxiety, little pieces falling away. Suddenly, making a friend no longer seems like an impossible dream.

He makes his way to the entrance, where two teachers stand, greeting the students who walked by as if they weren't there to check that people's uniforms were up to code. Behind him, he hears the mumbled curses and rushed whispers of panicked teens who weren't dressed accordingly or were harbouring contraband. Having prepared himself to be stopped beforehand, Sieun did his best to soldier through his first interaction of the day.

"Good morning! You must be Yeon Sieun, the new student who is starting Year 9 with us!" He nodded, already irritated by the nauseatingly sweet façade of the teacher who was speaking to him. Giving her his best people smile, he holds his tongue when she ushers him away and up a set of stairs that leads inside the main building.

"My name is Mrs. Yi; I am part of the administration team, and I am happy to be the first to welcome you to Byeoksan Secondary. I hope you enjoy your time here and do just as well in your studies as you did back at your previous school." She whisked him down a long, wide corridor and up another set of stairs, then turned right into a small intersection that fed into various openings belonging to different rooms.

Sieun barely had time to look around or admire the displays on the walls, smelling the sweet treats from the canteen up ahead of him, until he was suddenly overwhelmed by the sterilised scent of antibacterial spray emanating from the school nurse's office.

His eyes caught up to the destination in front of him, and he faltered in his steps a bit. 'HEADMISTRESS' OFFICE' is what was on the plaque on the door. Mrs. Yi knocks once and turns the handle carefully, opening the door and beckoning for him to follow.

"Ah, hello, Mr. Yeon Sieun, is it? Would you prefer I call you that, or are you alright with me just calling you 'Sieun'? Come, sit down."

Sieun didn't know whether to answer the question or sit down first, so he did the latter and waited a beat before answering. "'Sieun' is fine, thank you." The headteacher smiled widely and clapped her hands, extending one to shake Sieun's own. "My name is Ms. Seo; I am the principal of Byeoksan, and it's lovely to meet you, Sieun." Sieun nodded and bowed, shaking her hand firmly.

"From what I've been told, you're a very intelligent boy and regularly perform well in your exams. We love to see that kind of attitude towards learning in our school—keep it up!" Sieun lifts the corner of his lips in what he hopes was another 'people smile,' and nods again.