Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Student Teacher Returns as Tutor
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Our class's student teacher, who had finished their practice stint and left...
is our tutor? With me and Seo Jae-kyeom?
Well, sure, he's a Korea University student who's also taking education courses, so he's more than qualified to tutor.
"You didn't know?"
I asked Seo Jae-kyeom, who looked just as shocked as I was.
He just shook his head vigorously, like he'd seen a ghost.
While the two of us were stunned, the student teacher stayed perfectly calm. He glanced back and forth between me and Seo Jae-kyeom, then flashed a grin.
"When they said second-years at Gogogo High School, I figured it might be your class."
"How... how did this happen?"
"Tutors from Korea University are easy to find, Da-hye."
"Haha..."
I had no idea it would be this easy...
The world is such a small place, folks.
The student teacher eyed the spot where Seo Jae-kyeom and I had been sitting head-to-head, his gaze full of interest.
"You two seem pretty close. Tutoring together, too."
Come to think of it, he'd seen us holding hands during literature class. He'd even asked if we were dating back then, and I'd denied it. But now, his expression screamed, 'Busted.'
'No point denying it now; he won't believe me.'
Please, just don't tell Seo Jae-kyeom's mom.
"This is Jae-kyeom's house?"
Seo Jae-kyeom finally snapped out of it, asking in a sulky tone.
"But aren't you a literature teacher?"
"I'm good at math, too."
"..."
"It's true. Jae-kyeom's essay tutor recommended me."
So it really was a recommendation from a trusted source.
Meeting an unexpected person in an unexpected place left me dazed.
Unlike us, with our souls half-drained, the student teacher—who hadn't seemed surprised from the start—curled his lips into a smile.
Clap. He clapped his hands and said,
"Alright. Let's get to studying."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "See you the day after tomorrow—don't forget your homework!"
Bye~
The student teacher, who'd dragged me and Seo Jae-kyeom through two hours of math hell, descended the stairs with a bright, cheerful expression.
The moment he was gone, I flopped forward, and Seo Jae-kyeom slumped backward.
Wow.
It felt like my brain had been used at 120% capacity?
'I thought he was a good teacher during his practice sessions.'
He said he'd been earning pocket money tutoring math all through college, and now I saw why he was so confident—he was flying through it.
I was totally satisfied, but apparently Seo Jae-kyeom wasn't.
His excited, bubbly energy from rolling down the stairs earlier was completely gone, replaced by a gloomy expression as he ate fruit.
For the record, those fruits the housekeeper brought were peaches.
I didn't know if they were the ones I'd brought or already in the house. All I knew was that the mood had chilled the instant she set them down.
Maybe sensing my mood, Seo Jae-kyeom devoured every last peach the student teacher had left behind, muttering,
"Something about today feels off from what I imagined. It's kinda sad."
"What did you imagine?"
"For one, our tutor wasn't supposed to be him."
Him? That's harsh.
"You don't like the student teacher, huh."
I poked a peach with my fork and asked. He nodded.
"He rubs me the wrong way."
"Why? 'Cause he's handsome?"
"Does he look handsome to you?!"
Ow, my eardrums.
"He looks handsome?!"
"Don't stare like that. It's intimidating."
"The student teacher looks handsome= =?!"
"Pfft."
"Why are you laughing... Does he look handsome or not?"
"He looks more handsome than you do with your eyes all bugged out like that."
As I held back my laughter, Seo Jae-kyeom openly pouted.
"More handsome than me? For real?"
"..."
"Why aren't you answering?"
"You want me to be honest?"
He dropped his fork at my teasing words.
A peach chunk fell from the fork, rolling down his torso. The juice stained his white T-shirt, which looked brand new.
"That means the student teacher looks more handsome than me..."
"Someone who stays calm and aces math looks more handsome than a kid spilling peaches while eating. Pick that up and eat it quick."
"It's on the floor."
"It's fine if you eat it within three seconds."
Next to the student teacher, Seo Jae-kyeom did look younger.
Immature, maybe.
The student teacher just sat there calmly, but Seo Jae-kyeom kept fidgeting, hyper-aware of their height difference and everything else.
'He's actually young, after all.'
Earlier downstairs, he'd stomped his foot yelling, 'Mom, why'd you have to phrase it like that!'—classic 18-year-old stuff.
Wherever he needed to go in a hurry?
The student teacher would drive, but Seo Jae-kyeom would have to pedal hard on his bike.
Thinking about it that way, he was kinda cute.
(Not in a romantic way.)
Like watching a chaebol heir from a drama in his boyish phase.
"Hang in there. You'll be an adult soon enough."
I offered sincere encouragement, but he pushed back.
"Don't treat me like a kid."
"You are my kid."
"When I turn twenty, I'm running away from home."
"That's called becoming independent at twenty. Not running away."
"...Sorry about earlier. For real."
"It's fine."
Dragging this out would just reopen my emotional wounds. Time to change the subject.
"Why aren't you going anywhere this break?"
Seo Jae-kyeom was the type to hop on a plane every vacation and fly at least ten hours. He wrinkled his nose at my question.
"The vice president isn't going."
"Ah."
"He hasn't been coming around lately. It's been a while."
That explained why Seo Jae-kyeom's mom was on edge.
It was almost funny. She was the mistress, yet she looked down on my mom for proudly working to support herself and me...
Still, she'd shown me kindness before, so I felt a pang of self-loathing for the thought as I dampened a tissue with water.
"Here, let me wipe it off."
In that brief moment, I leaned over the pink peach stain on Seo Jae-kyeom's T-shirt.
Of all places, it had to stain right in the most visible spot. Anyone would think he'd marked it 'Heart Location!'
"Shouldn't you take this off and wash it right now?"
I pressed the tissue against his shirt while pondering.
The instant my hand touched him, Seo Jae-kyeom recoiled like he'd been shocked.
"...?"
I blinked up at him.
He scooted away on his butt, hand over his mouth. His neck flushed tomato-red as he scrambled to his feet.
"I'll go change!"
"No need..."
I was leaving anyway, heading home...
"What now?"
"Review!"
"Let's do it together."
Seo Jae-kyeom returned after changing, clearing his throat awkwardly with the suggestion. I turned him down.
"I have to go home and eat dinner with Mom."
They'd probably feed me dinner if I studied here, but mooching a full meal felt like... amplifying the misery I'd felt today?
While he was in the bathroom, I'd texted the group chat: 'Guess who my tutor is? The student teacher lol.' Friends were exploding in KakaoTalk, so I packed my bag while checking it.
"I'm heading out."
"I'll walk you."
"No need."
I pressed Seo Jae-kyeom's shoulders down to make him sit and went downstairs alone.
"I'm off."
I greeted the housekeeper, who was cleaning the kitchen.
"Already leaving, Da-hye? The lady of the house is in the garden."
"Oh. I'll say goodbye quick, then."
"Sure. And don't take what she said earlier to heart. How's your sister Suk-yeong doing?"
"She's good."
The housekeeper patted my shoulder and opened the door straight to the garden.
Summer was summer, alright. Even at dinnertime, it was still bright outside.
The kind of weather Jeong Eun-seong would hate.
I wondered if Jeong Eun-seong was still in Korea as I walked a bit. Then I spotted Seo Jae-kyeom's mom standing by a table deeper in the garden.
"My kid's dad..."
She's on the phone.
Should I wait? Or just go?
"Will that really work? No, no, I'm not doubting you, General."
...General?
"Teacher, what about our Jae-kyeom? Do you think that's possible?"
Teacher?
"You know how anxious I get... Yes?! The essence?!"
Essence?
"Teacher, what should I do then? Our Jae-kyeom is going into senior year...!"
"Gasp."
I clapped a hand over my mouth.
General. Teacher. Essence.
I knew what that was.