Ahn Suho

The teacher writes the topics on the board. "Good. Each group chooses one of these presentation topics. You will have to hand in the work in 2 weeks, with both your names. Are there any groups already formed?" Hands go up and the teacher starts noting the pairs. Sieun just waits; he has no friends and no one asks him to join. Since there's an odd number of them, he can ask to do the work alone when no one else is there. But his hopes are dashed when a group raises their hands, asking to form threes since they have an odd number of students. The teacher agrees but gives them an extra appendix to analyze to compensate for the extra student. That leaves only Sieun and... Ahn Suho. He's asleep at the back of the class, as usual. "Sieun, I suppose you're getting together with Suho. Could his neighbor wake him up?" Suho, the boy in front of him, taps him on the shoulder to wake him up. The boy abruptly lifts his head from the small cushion he hides in his locker to sleep on, his eyes half-closed, still groggy with sleep. "Huh...? Is it time to eat?" The teacher rolls her eyes. "You have to do a group project with Sieun, I'm giving you topic number... 7." Suho stretches with a satisfied look. "The brainiac? Great, I'll get a good grade!" The teacher gives him a disapproving look. "If Sieun informs me that you haven't worked, it will be written on your file. And this threat applies to the entire class!" The bell rings and the teacher lets the students leave. It's the end of the day. Sieun looks at their assignment on the board... Topic #7: “The ‘Miracle of the Han River’: South Korea’s Economic Rise (1960-2000)”

For Sieun it's easy, but it's not the most obvious topic for others. Simpler topics are written on the board, though, about the Korean War, Japanese colonization, the division of the peninsulas... Sieun sighed. Which is unusual for him.