THE BLEEDING HEARTS PROGRAM

FOURTH TUTORIAL

Raphael planned to ignore the elephant in the room.

Both the fact that Junya blushed every time he was around and the fact that he himself had called him pretty.

A few tutorial sessions had gone by since the first time they met but, there was still an air of awkwardness. Raphael didn't know if Junya wanted to learn anything specific - there was a lot of silence and Raphael kept dragging out explanations of different metals.

He didn't know what else to talk about.

"Are you in college Junya?"

"Oh no, I was homeschooled and then I really wanted to go this year for the experience but then it didn't work out."

"Why couldn't you go?"

"Just... health reasons... stuff like this and that."

Raphael nodded even though he didn't really know what this and that was. Junya was giving him short answers and he didn't want to make it worse by prying.

"What do you want to learn? I feel like I'm wasting your time if I just come every week and teach you useless things."

"No it's okay, it's fun- now I know the melting point of zinc is four hundred and twenty degrees and it can be used for batteries and pennies and-"

"You were actually listening," Raphael laughed. He was impressed. He knew he would not be listening to any of the bullshit he talked about every week. "That was just random shit. What are you going to do with zinc facts?"

"I told my other family members," Junya smiled pointing towards his notebook. "My uncles do see them as useless facts but they still listen the whole time."

Raphael was a tiny bit intrigued.

A shy boy who had very pretty features.

Deep brown sultry eyes and curly long hair. Raphael found himself waiting a bit for the moments where Junya moved his hair away from his line of sight and his sultry eyes shyly stared up at him. Plus, Junya had a calm disposition and serene aura that Raphael found himself gravitating towards.

If Junya was a girl, he would have been Raphael's ideal type.

He had a thing for turning out the quiet ones. Especially if they were pretty.

"I bet you would have a better time if you tell me exactly what you would like to do during these sessions."

"I was homeschooled so I guess just being around you is fun for me," Junya shrugged. "I don't meet people a lot."

He did feel a bit like a loser but, it was honest.

His health made it impossible for him to be in school. He spent a lot of time being tutored from a hospital bed. He didn't really have the energy to think about things he'd like to do or where he'd like to go.

Sometimes, being awake was painful so, he'd rather spend his days sleeping.

Unfortunately, his circumstances resulted in Junya being socially awkward. He really didn't know what he should do for fun with another person.

Raphael hummed leaning his head on his palm looking intently at Junya. "I see, I like a challenge," he smiled. "I look forward to making these tutoring sessions exciting for you even if you're not giving any hints."
...

"That's what I said but, I have no idea where to go with this."

"How long until this is done then?"

"Forty-eight weeks. At this point, I'll even do extra lessons for extra credit. I feel bad for the kid. What am I even supposed to do with him?"

"But you know, if he was homeschooled he may just like doing things we find normal or boring," Brielle suggested. "Just mundane things like us just walking and talking right now."

"Why would anyone want to do something boring like that?"

"Because it's different when you do it with someone," Brielle shrugged with a smile. Maybe she flew a bit too close to the sun with that statement. "I'm sure you'll figure it out - you're pretty fun to be around."

Raphael smiled down at Brielle and she returned it just as brightly. They had been friends since they were kids.

To the point of coming to Harvard together.

They were already very different people but college made that even clearer.

Raphael was friendly and always surrounded by people whereas, Brielle preferred to be alone and was always buried in books. Raphael was the life of the party whereas Brielle hadn't even had her first drink as a third year student.

Brielle hated that college made those differences even more apparent. Moments where it was just her and Raphael were the moments she treasured the most.

College made them grow a bit distant but, they were doing their best to navigate their friendship in this new space.

"I just don't want it to suck... you can tell he looks forward to these tutorials. He gets dressed up and everything."

"Take him somewhere nice then like a really nice date," Brielle laughed.

"Should I," Raphael smiled back opening his locker. "Maybe if I think about these like dates, I'll motivate myself to make them special."

"You got another girlfriend twin," Sabrina asked surprising Raphael. She had started listening halfway and wanted the tea. "You're gonna be like Yohan if you keep engaging in fucky-fucky behaviour."

"He's a deviant. I could never get to his level in fact, I'm abstinent right now."

"You mean celibate?"

"Those were big concepts for Elmo, huh," Raphael asked shaking his head.

"Anyways, bring me in. Talk to auntie Sabrina about what is troubling you."

"I'm thinking about what to do with Junya-"

"Don't say anything else. Your rich, homeschooled kid? I know exactly what you should do."

Brielle rolled her eyes at the fact that Sabrina was interrupting their conversation. She was offended that her pea sized brain thought it was capable of coming up with a solution to anything.

"I have the perfect way for you both to spend your time wisely."

"Yeah, what? Tell me old, wise one."

"Just make him do things you want to do."