ENGLISH TEACHER, ENGLISH CLASSES

JAESUNG

After a couple of minutes, we finally reach the location of our school. I stand up and click the buzzer near Jae Yon. He's said suddenly fall because of what I did.

The bus stops and he opened his eyes and wander around.

"Let's go now," I told him and he stand up as well and we left the bus. We saw a lot of students in front of our school's gate.

"I am still sleepy" Jae Yon exclaimed while yawning.

"I know how to make it disappear," I told him while smirking.

"How?" I put my arm on his shoulder and move my face closer to him. He does the same and I pointed my face to his ear.

"Let's have a bet!" I whispered that make him tickled.

"Jeez! What kind of bet?" He asked.

"Like what we used to bet before? The first one who will arrive in our room will be the winner. For the loser, he needs to buy the winner a lunch meal for later" I explained to him clearly that makes him stretch his body.

"Deal! You know how athletic is your friend" he said while looking at me devilishly.

"May the best man win" While he's stretching, I started to run that makes him startled.

"You're so unfair, Jaesung! Grr!" He said and began running as well. I thought that I will be the winner when I saw Jae Yon leading the bet now. No doubt that he's always winning athletic competitions. I wonder if he's a horse in his past life?

I am about to lose my chance to be a winner since he's already inside of our building and I still need to climb two floors to get there in our classroom.

Later on, Jae Yon suddenly bumps with a girl that making them spit away at each other. I arrived at our room first and observe what will happen next.

"Ouch! That's painful!" I heard Jae Yon say and get up. He went to the spot of the girl he bumps with and help her to get up.

"I do apologize for what happened." He said and pick up the stuff of the girl.

"I know what will happen next. The cringe part" Jaesung murmured while rolling his eyes.

"I-it's okay even it's painful but I can manage though!" The girl said in a sweet voice while smiling widely. Jae Yon helps her by holding a hand and supporting the girl entering their classroom. Out of curiosity, I peek inside of their room and the students inside are now screaming.

"I think it will have another victim of a girl being in love with my best friend," I said.

"I am Lee Jae Yon. From the next section," he said and offered his hand for a shaking hand.

"Moon Suzy." The girl said shyly and he accepts Jae Yon's offer. The students inside went crazy and I can still hear their noises even I am outside.

"Jae Yon Suzy loveteam!" A student screamed shipping the two to each other. Their classmates followed the one who lead and I can see Jae Yon that he's blushing.

"All right. I do apologize for what happened. I assure you that it won't happen again"

"It's okay. No fractures nor bruise."

"That's good to hear. I'm going to leave now and our homeroom teacher will arrive in a few. Bye" Jae Yon said and he waved his hands to the girl.

"Bye! You take care next time!" The girl replied. I immediately went into our classroom and sits on my chair. Jae Yon arrived and sit beside me.

"You took a couple of minutes there. What happened?" I asked him seriously as if I didn't witness everything and while not looking at him.

"What's with that face?" He asked while putting his bag on his chair.

"This is my normal face," I answered sparingly. His face went closely with mine and put his hands on it. He stretched it and forced me to smile.

"This is the face I've been looking for" I can see that our classmates are now looking at me the reason I removed his hands and smile at him forcedly.

"I apologize to the girl I bumped with. What the heck! This is the first time seeing an angel face like her" he said while his eyes are twinkling.

"You should probably focus on study, not on the girls. It can destroy your dreams and they are distractions"

"Never mind" He replied sparingly. Meanwhile, the teacher came and entered our classroom. He looks different and I can't distinguish what's nationality he is. He doesn't look like a Korean, Japanese, or Chinese?

"Good morning, everyone." We stand up to greet him.

"You may take your sits now," he said and we followed his instruction.

"I am Professor Christian Moldez. I am 25 years old. I think a lot of you thinking what is my nationality? Well, I am a proud Filipino" We got amazed by what we have heard. Really? Is he a Filipino?

"I studied International Studies at University of the Philippines, a public university there that offers a HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION. I finished my master's at the University of Sta. Tomas and became a professor at that school at a young age." His diction and pronunciation are really good. Once you heard him speaking, you can distinguish that he's fluent speaking in English.

"I am here in South Korea to seek opportunities that could help me to survive and sustain myself as the teachers in our country don't get compensated well for their service. Well, not only teachers but a lot of workers. Good thing that a branch of the Philippine government is looking for a teacher and here am I, in front of you. Thanks, as well to your school for opening a job fair and accepting a foreign teacher like."

"I don't know if being a professor is applicable here since I don't have any ideas how the education system here works but I am still learning about it. You may call me Sir or Mister in English or Seonsaengnim in Korean. I will be your English for the whole year and I hope we could have an amazing year to share with. I am not strict since I already have teaching experience in the Philippines" He explained.

"This teacher really speaks well in English. Do the English teachers in the Philippines are great?" I asked Jae Yon.

"I don't know either" He replied cluelessly.

"Based on what I've read, the Filipino students have an English subject since Elementary until college that's why. It's mandatory for us" My classmate, Sim Cheong said.

"Really?"

"Yes. Your classmate is right" the teacher said and I got startled.

"In the Philippines, most of the people can speak and communicate to the foreigners in English since we have that subject when we were young. The reason behind it was we were colonized by the Americans for 48 years and we adopted their language. As far as I know, the government implemented a law regarding that to include English as one of the subjects in schools."

"So, it was part of your history?" Jae Yon asked.

"Absolutely. Unlike here in Korea, you need to take it because it is not included in your curriculum. But your school's curriculum is different and has a mandatory English subject the reason I am here"

"Do you speak Korean, Sir?"

"Yes, I speak Korean"

"Woah! Amazing!"

"Since I am an International Studies teacher, I got a chance to study your language and culture as well the reason I do have ideas how the economy and culture here works including K-pop and K-Dramas that is popular in the Philippines"

"Our culture is really popular around the globe" Jae Yon whispered in my ear. When I looked at him, he's smiling.

"That's the reason why you really want to become a dancer right?" and he nodded at me.

"Don't worry about me. I can still communicate with everyone in Korean but in class, I am requiring you to speak only in English to get used to the language. Studying English is fun yet confusing and difficult. Trust me, it will help you in the future" he said.

"Sir!" Our classmate raises his hand and stands up.

"Yes?"

"I do have a favor for you"

"What is it?" Our classmate looks around us and he smiled.

"Can you teach us few phrases on Tagalog words? I have a Filipino movie that I badly want to watch but it doesn't offer a dub though"

"Sure. What do you want to learn?"

"What is 'I love you' in Tagalog?"

"I love you in Tagalog is Mahal Kita. Ma, hal, ki, ta" The students followed what the teacher said.

"Mahal Kita," Jae Yon said seriously the reason I looked at him. He smiled at me and his narrow eyes vanish again.

"What's I love you too in Tagalog?"

"Actually, it's the same but you'll going to put 'din' in the middle of mahal and kita. Ma, hal, din, ki, ta. Mahal din kita"

I looked at Jae Yon who's currently jetting notes about what the teacher is saying. "Mahal din kita..." I said on my mind…