The Proposal

There's this student...he's taller than most other students, lanky, and a bit awkward in his walk.  He also has this fantastic poof of brown hair that almost has to be chemically altered. He's new (ish) to our hagwon and is in my lower level 8th grade class.  Comprehension, vocabulary, speaking-everything-is very low for his age but he is intent on being a great student. For that reason alone, I adore him. He is willing to study as long as I am willing to teach.  The student every teacher wants. I know you aren't supposed to have favorite students, but he's mine.

Because the middle schoolers are currently in a four-week intensive phase to prepare for their mid-terms, I don't have any of my those students this month.  It's a bit of a pain since now I'm only teaching 5 classes a week but the older students still come visit on class breaks. I mention this only to illustrate that there were no ulterior motives for the following conversation.  No homework due, no bad test scores...nada.

As usual, I was spending my free time between classes at my desk grading books.  In walks my favorite student, we'll call him "M", and his friend, "A", as they are also on a break from their 3-hour class.  M starts asking me general questions, which are never in the form of a complete sentence.  Never.

M:      "Where from?"

Me:     "Me? What country?"

M:       "Yes"

Me:     "저는 미국 사람이에요"  (I am from America.)

M:       "저는 미국 사람이에요?  Good, teacher.  How old?"

Me:     "십칠"  (I tell all my kids that I'm 17.)

M:      "hmph. ok.  Marry?"

Me:    "Am I married?  No."

 M & A looked at each other.

A:       "Miss?"

Me:     "Yes, Miss."

M:       "Wait."

Me:     "For what?"

M:       "Me.  Wait for me.  5 years, I will be twenty.  We can marry."

Me:      "I am much older than you."

M:       "괜찮 아요"  (Doesn't matter.)

Me:      "Silly me, of course it doesn't...."