With final exam season approaching, your desperation to recruit a tutor also becomes increasingly stronger. You decide that your tutor should be a student around your age since you find it easier to learn from people you are more comfortable around. Furthermore, someone your age would better understand the difficulties of the current curriculum compared to a 50-year-old man.
That being said, you spent the following week scouting your school for a gifted student that is both intelligent and adept at explaining. You figure that they should be adaptable, have enough time on their hands to help you, and also be meticulous in their explanations.
Unfortunately, all of the promising candidates that caught your eye seemed to only meet the criteria halfway. One of them refused, saying they were much too busy with their own extracurriculars and worrying about getting into university. Another demanded a ridiculous sum of money as his wage. The third and fourth potential tutors you sought out both had issues with their teaching style.
So, what could you do except for search some place else? It would be a lot more difficult, you understood, but there wasn't any more viable options at school.
You decide that the next best place to execute your search was cram school. The following session at cram school, you arrive early so you could survey the classmates around you. Punctuality is a surefire way to detect a student's dedication.
Although, perhaps you arrived too early, because when you walked into the classroom, there was only one student in the class: Si-eun Yeon.
You watch him curiously. Today, just like always, he has his earbuds in, busy scribbling notes on the margins of his textbook. You peek at the cover. Seems like today, he's reviewing Calculus.
He really is unbelievable. He's the first one here, and last time, he was the last one to leave. Just how much does he study in a day?
You take a seat at your desk and continue to regard him as he works. Something about his manner of studying piques your interest. He's solving all the questions at the bottom of each section flawlessly and effortlessly, as if he's already done them millions of times before. You watch him expeditiously finish a set of problems without reaching for his eraser a single time.
Read. Write. Flip the page. Not once does he pause to take a break. He repeats this process several times like a ritual. Your eyes suddenly land on a certain question about limits involving trigonometry. You recognize the problem. A few days ago at school, you were having trouble solving it.
Actually, you never really figured out a solution. You perk up as you see him pick up his pencil and start writing something down. You slowly crane your head and lean forward, hoping for the opportunity to inspect his method for solving the problem.
As you continue to inch yourself towards him, you suddenly lose balance as your chair makes a loud creaking noise. His eyes snap up at the disruption, before he removes the earbud in his ear.
For a second, Si-eun curiously examines the way you're sitting -- torso twisted to face him, shoulders leaning to your right.
He gives you a questioning look before opening his mouth to speak.
"...What are you doing?"
His cold voice flusters you as you realize your awkward sitting position. Your eyes don't meet his gaze as you respond.
"Ah, I just noticed that the question you're working on right now was one I had trouble with earlier. And I wanted to see how you would solve it."
He paused for a moment before looking around the classroom and noticing that only the two of you were currently present. You watch him eagerly, with the slightest hope that he might take the effort to pause his working for a minute and guide you through the problem. Your hope is met with dejection as he picks up his pencil and continues writing.
However, you catch the way he suddenly fixes his notebook to the side of his tabletop, offering you a better view of his solution. Your contemplate his unexpected actions for a few seconds before letting your focus shift to the pages of his notebook.
Your eyes glaze over the equations as you recite every step of his work in your head. As you continue to read, your eyes widen at the simplicity of his solution. It was neither overly complex nor too advanced. It didn't overcomplicate the question with the usage of several random theorems. Simple as it may be, his solution was admittedly elegant and creative.
Sieun's gaze flickers back to you for a second, observing your look of concentration as other students begin to pour into class. Before you can say something, his focus is already returned to his study.
Soon, the classroom is filled as your teacher begins the lesson.
-
After class, you quickly stand up, walking over to Si-eun's desk as you wait for him to notice you. He's packing up when he realizes you're obstructing his vision, he cranes his head to look up at you.
You take note of the way he gently tilts his head as he starts to speak.
"What is it?" He questions.
His words don't reach your ears because for a moment, you're once again swept up into his gaze. Something about the way his eyes are trained on you causes you to slip back and forth into a feeling of entrancement.
He repeats his words, a little more impatiently this time, "what is it? Can I help you?"
You snap back into clarity as you give an embarrassed chuckle.
"I was just wondering if I could take a picture? Of your notes and a few of the problems you did today in your notebook. I want to review them myself at home.."
He fixes his gaze at the notebook, before responding curtly, "why should I let you?"
He continues shoving his textbooks and pens into the sides of his bookbag.
You're caught off guard by his directness. You consider saying "never mind" and walking away, but you're reminded of your desperation as a notification blares on your phone: "14 weeks until final exams!".
You inaudibly sigh, he didn't say no yet, at least.
Putting your pride aside for a moment, you repeat your request once again, "Please, there's not really anyone else I can ask in cram school. And it'll only take a few minutes! You would be a really, really big help to me so please consider it."
He's already standing up as you say this, and you sink your head in disappointment, realizing he would probably say "no".
Still, you hope your persistence will sway him. Surprisingly, it does. He hands his notebook to you, motioning for you to take it.
"Take it with you. Just be sure to return it to me next class."
His offer startles you and you quickly blurt out, "oh, you don't have to give me your notebook. I'm fine just studying from a few pictures of it on my phone!"
He turns around and walks to the door, not bothering to wait for you when he says, "taking pictures would be inefficient and take too long. Besides, you'll be able to study better from a physical copy compared to some photos."
You smile at his unexpected thoughtfulness before you rush to match his pace outside the door.
"Thank you! Have you eaten yet? Let me treat you to a meal!"
He looks at you, a puzzled, or perhaps slightly flustered, expression on his face.
"A meal? Why would you treat me to a meal?"
You smile, "to thank you, of course! I told you, you would be really, really big help, didn't I?"
"Oh...there's no need for that.."
"But I want to! I know a really good restaurant nearby. So, have you eaten yet?"
Si-eun doesn't say anything and for a second, you wonder whether he's going to reject your offer.
After a while, he slowly comments, "no, I haven't had dinner yet."
"Okay, in that case, follow me! We're gonna have the best dinner we can before finals season!"
You continue, "I'm sure you'll like it. They have the absolute best food!"
Si-eun is quiet again but when you turn back and catch a glimpse of him, you swear you see the softest ghost of a smile.
-
A/N: chapter 2 complete! next chapter Y/N gets to eat with si-eun. also he genuinely has such pretty eyes i can't