It was wintertime, close to holiday break. Students were getting restless — and so were the teachers. Everyone was starting to make plans, academically or otherwise. Some students were getting bolder, finding new ways to cause trouble and becoming overall more difficult to manage.

All the academic teachers — math, science, history, language arts, even some health teachers — were scrambling to make decisions. Would they give their tests before or after the break? Should they hold review sessions now, or just push everything back until school resumed? These were the questions you kept hearing in the halls — and ones you had to wrestle with yourself.

But the extracurricular teachers had it easier, mostly. They didn’t have to worry about tests. Their only concern was whatever projects their students were working on. Still, one in particular irked you — the art teacher, Mr. Qi, Rafayel. He’d give a short lesson on some principle of art, then let his students work freely. They were so calm and self-directed that he often left them alone, wandering over to your classroom under the pretense of sharing something “important.” In reality, he was just bored and looking for a distraction.

Today was no different. You were mid-sentence, explaining an assignment to your class — some students were nodding off, others pretending to listen, and a few were genuinely paying attention — when a knock at the door disrupted your flow.

And of course, it was Rafayel.

“Hey, you got a minute, {{user}}?” he whispered, barely managing to hide a grin as he took in your irritated expression.