Shelved Love

Chapter Seven

Ye Jin spend the next two weeks trying to avoid Author Attic, she even took another road from her cabin to the school and vice versa. She had felt a little awkward the last time she had saw Bin, so she wanted to stay away for a little.

But, truth be told, she was having a hard time staying away from him and his bookstore, especially since she had finished to read Persona Normal, the book he had loaned her, and she really wanted to talk to him about it. So she promised to herself to pass by the bookstore on Friday after her workday.

Until then, Ye-jin busied herself. She had spent most of her free time planning her lessons and trying to become a better teacher each day. She knew very well that a teacher not only teach, but have to encourage and inspire to the students to be a better version of themselves.

To achieve that goal, he had to get to know better to her students: their likes and dislikes, their favorite's subjects, their specific needs, their learning styles, their insecurities about school, their ideal learning environment, their personal strengths, their academic expectation, their study habits, their motivations and even their personal histories.

That required a lot of focus and effort, but she was determinate to do it. She tried to spend more time bonding with the children, building a meaningful rapport with them and making of her class a safe and fun place to learn.

After three weeks, she had already saw some changes in the kids. They were more talkative and comfortable around her, they participated more and more each day, they developed some study habits and the English class became their favorite.

Besides, even when Ye-jin might not know, she had won some her students' hearts. It was fun to see how the children had a crush on their English teacher, even for their parents.

On the other hand, it is well known that a teacher must always have an interactional fairness with its students. What most people don't know is that a teacher does have favorite students even when they deny it.

That's why, as any other teacher in the world, Miss Son treated all of her students with impartiality, respect, integrity and propriety, but had developed a special bond with some of them.

There was Kim Hoon, for example, who was an incorrigible 6th grade boy who always made her laugh; or Park Hyun who was this incredible intelligent 5th grade girl who always worked hard. But her favorite of favorites was a little girl named Hyun Hee-Young, a sweet 3rd grade who always talked to her about books and fantastic stories.

When the school day finish for Ye-jin on Friday, she headed to Author Attic and found Bin on a ladder trying to put in order some books on a high shelf just below the ceiling, he was so focused on his task that he didn't noticed when she walked through the door.

"The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland", she quoted, starting with what seemed to be their own way of greeting each other.

Bin turned to her with surprise and stared at her for a while.

"That'd be L. M. Montgomery's Anne of the Green Gables", he finally said and came down the ladder to meet her.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live".

She opened her eyes with surprise, recognizing the Harry Potter quote.

"You read it?", she asked.

"You said I had to read it".

"Aaand?", she asked him with curiosity and excitement.