Chapter 19: A Day at Jade Academy

The day starts out much the same as the previous day had. Breakfast, cleaning up, seeing Auntie June off, and accompanying Min Joon to the Academy. Once they get there, they part ways. Min Joon is heading off to pay off his debt, while Ki Jung goes to the administration building to discuss what options they have available. She is still willing to instruct to reduce the cost of her lessons, but it is no longer such a big issue for her, since she has plenty of gold, for the moment.

She is greeted warmly by both Principal Kim and Administrator Lee. The three of them go to a room where tea and tasty cakes are served to them. After they have all had a chance to enjoy one cake and some tea, they get down to business. Ki Jung’s focus is on gaining better skills with the sword and spear and learning the basics of magic. These can easily be done. Of her skills from the exhibition, they are interested in her teaching grappling, or as she calls it Aikido.

They discuss the details and come to an agreement. Ki Jung will teach for two periods a day to a select group of students. One group at the beginning and one at the end of the school day. The rest of the day, she will be able to attend any course she wishes. She will be required to wear her Hakama with a top that has the school’s Faculty emblem sewn on it. This will make her stand out, but that is to ensure no one mistakes her for a simple student.

A student who is ahead of their class is summoned to show Ki Jung around. The first period has ended, and students are rushing off to their second class of the day. Classes are just shy of a Chinese hour (two standard hours), which isn’t a huge surprise to her. The first period is Dragon, second Snake, then Horse, followed by Sheep, and ending with Monkey. Students have to find time to eat and drink in the 15 minutes between classes. The cafeteria is primarily for admin and teachers.

Tham Phong Ahn is a young woman a year younger than Ki Jung, who is focusing on learning the skills necessary to be a merchant. Upon hearing that Master Lee (Ki Jung) is going to be instructing in a new martial art at the school, she becomes interested in attending her classes. Currently, she has a basic martial arts class during the Dragon hour. It will be easy to get that changed.

Miss Tham shows Ki Jung around the school’s premises and points out the different buildings and their uses. There’s one for Alchemy and magic, another for reading and writing, another for math, a pergola for spiritual and meditation studies, the multi-purpose career building, the cafeteria, and martial arts pavilions, beside the administration building. There are a couple of other structures, but Miss Tham doesn’t include them. She only states that those are for the well-to-do with a path towards civics, governing, and related topics. In all, the school covers an area of four square Li or one square kilometer.

As Miss Tham gives Ki Jung the tour, she politely ushers her into each one and introduces Master Lee to the instructors. They are only there for as long as the introductions take, and then they are off to the next one. It is easy to see that they don’t appreciate being interrupted. As Ki Jung is introduced as Master Lee, a new martial arts instructor, they remain polite. Besides, they all recognize her from the exhibition the previous day.

Around mid-day (near the end of the Horse hour), Ki Jung has seen what she needs to see, but she also wants to spend a little more time speaking with Phong Ahn. She takes the younger woman to the admin building to let them know that they are done with the tour of the grounds and that the proper introductions have been made. She then invites Miss Tham to dine with her so they can talk some more. She wants to get the young woman’s take on things. At the cafeteria, Ki Jung gets some sweet cakes and steamed red bean buns, and some tea for the two of them. Miss Tham attempts to decline but relents when Master Lee insists.