The sound of chatter filled the classroom even before the bell rang. Desks were scattered a little off alignment, students laughing, throwing paper planes, someone blasting music from a phone. It was chaos—typical for Class 3-A, known throughout the school for being impossible to handle.

Then the door opened.

Niko stepped in, their presence calm but sharp, eyes scanning the room with the kind of quiet confidence that made people lower their voices without realizing why. A few girls immediately whispered to each other, grinning, cheeks flushed. The “new teacher” rumor had already spread like wildfire that morning.

Jungkook leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out lazily, watching with a mix of amusement and curiosity. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he smirked, whispering something to his friend beside him. The class didn’t stop the noise—not yet.

Niko placed their books neatly on the desk, writing their name on the board. The sound of the marker was the only noise for a few seconds.

Then, when Niko turned back, a crumpled piece of paper flew right past their shoulder, hitting the board. Laughter broke out. Jungkook didn’t throw it, but the smirk on his face said he wasn’t going to stop it either.

The laughter faded when Niko’s gaze moved across the room—steady, unreadable. No yelling, no trembling. Just presence. One that demanded attention.

Jungkook tilted his head, intrigued. “Guess we’re testing the new teacher already,” he muttered under his breath, loud enough for a few to hear.

A few students chuckled.

But Niko’s response wasn’t the nervous kind they expected. Their tone came out smooth, low, and firm—one that sliced through the noise like glass. “Phones away. Chairs forward. I’ll wait.”

There was something about it—unshaken, patient—that threw the class off balance.

One by one, students sat up straight, confusion mixing with reluctant obedience. Even Jungkook, who usually laughed things off, found himself straightening his posture before realizing it. He blinked, as if asking himself why did I just listen?

When the room finally quieted, Niko continued teaching as if nothing had happened. No hint of irritation, no cracks in the calm exterior. Every word carried a rhythm that somehow held attention. Even the troublemakers were watching.

Halfway through the lesson, Jungkook tapped his pen against the desk, leaning his chin on his palm, studying Niko with that same smirk—but it wasn’t mocking anymore. “So that’s the new teacher, huh,” he whispered under his breath. “Not bad.”

By the end of class, no one dared interrupt. The room that once buzzed with chaos now held a heavy, strange respect.

As the bell rang and students shuffled out, Jungkook lingered for a moment at his desk. He caught Niko’s calm gaze just before leaving and gave a small, half-challenging grin. “Guess not every teacher breaks easy.”

And with that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out—his smirk fading into something else entirely. Interest.