Chapter 18: Study Group (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Study Group (2)
Lee Sol threw on a jacket and stepped out the front door.
Whoosh...
The night air, which had grown chilly since evening, brushed against her face. She scanned the area for Lee Seung-ho.
Is he having trouble finding the house? I know I sent the right address.
Where on earth is he—
"Lee Sol."
At the sound of her name, she turned her head. Across the way, she saw Lee Seung-ho raising a hand in a small wave. Beads of sweat were visible on his forehead. For some reason, it looked like he had run all the way here.
"Were you working out?"
At her question, Lee Seung-ho flinched and took a half-step back. He lifted his arm and sniffed his sleeve.
"...Do I smell?"
"No? I just noticed you were sweating."
Only then did the tension leave his stiff shoulders.
That’s unexpected.
She hadn't pegged him as the type to care about things like that. She was lost in that thought when he spoke again.
"..."
Lee Seung-ho’s dark eyes scanned her face quietly.
"Did something happen?" he asked abruptly.
That startled her. Lee Sol suppressed a slight flinch and replied in the most level tone she could muster. "Why?"
"Just... you look like you're in a really bad mood."
"...Well... it's just that my studying isn't going very well."
He really had caught her off guard. She had to hand it to him; he was sharp. Regardless of that, however... she didn't feel like the situation with her mother was something she should share with Lee Seung-ho.
"Nothing much happened other than that," Lee Sol tried to brush it off nonchalantly.
"..."
Seung-ho didn't push the matter further. It felt like he was intentionally letting it go.
"Anyway, what brings you here so suddenly?" she asked. He had called her out at this hour, and she still hadn't heard the reason.
"Hold on."
Seung-ho reached into the bag slung over his shoulder and pulled out a small notebook. It was a notebook with index tabs neatly attached to the side. He held it out to her.
"Here."
"...What is this?"
"A summary of the exam material."
Lee Sol flipped through a few pages. It looked like a condensed guide of the parts likely to appear on the exams for their common subjects. Even a quick glance showed how incredibly organized it was.
So this is how he studies.
"I marked the important parts from everything we've covered so far. Use it while you study."
Wait a second.
"...Don't tell me you came all the way here just to give me this?"
Lee Seung-ho nodded. "I was out for a run anyway, so I figured I'd stop by. I actually meant to give it to you at school, but I forgot."
"...You could have just given it to me tomorrow."
"You were going to study tonight anyway."
"I mean, that's true, but..."
Lee Sol looked down. She had told her mother that she still had the midterms left. But honestly, she wasn't confident she could pull it off, even with this kind of help.
"..."
She knew all too well that the path her mother suggested was the "better" one. Quitting modeling to study... to some, her hesitation might sound like she was just being spoiled. And so, she was afraid that all the effort he was putting into helping her would end up being meaningless.
"...I just feel a bit bad, that's all."
Lee Seung-ho blinked slowly at her words. "......You do?"
His mouth hung open slightly. He quickly covered it with his hand. His gaze was filled with genuine shock, as if the idea of her feeling guilty was a foreign concept.
"..."
Now she was just annoyed. Guilt canceled. Canceled!
Just then, Lee Seung-ho rummaged through his bag once more.
"Here."
He thrust his palm toward Lee Sol. Clutched in his hand was a Chocomong. Was he giving it to her? Why?
"...What's this for?"
At Lee Sol's question, Lee Seung-ho spoke with a nonchalant expression. "Eat something sweet and relax your shoulders. At this rate, you're going to mess up even the things you can do."
He looked a bit frustrated. The Chocomong was pressed into Lee Sol's hand—half-forced, really.
"I'm off. Study hard."
With those final words, Lee Seung-ho turned around and walked away. That really was all he came for. Lee Sol stared blankly at the street where he had disappeared.
"..."
She looked down at the Chocomong. It was still cold, and condensation touched her fingertips. He had probably just bought it for himself.
Pop.
As if possessed, Lee Sol poked the straw in and took a sip. It definitely tasted good. The sweetness coated her mouth, and it felt like her stress was melting away just a little.
"...Phew."
Her heart settled. Feeling the night breeze, her dizzy head began to clear. Lee Sol clutched the notebook and turned back toward her house. Her thoughts were a bit more organized now.
She might not get the best grades. But still, rather than doing what someone else told her to do, she wanted to find what she truly liked. She wanted people to see her potential for more—not just as someone who could only do modeling.
*
"Yaaaawn..."
Did I go too hard on the workout yesterday? I ran quite a bit more than my usual route. I'm a little sleepy.
"Boop."
A cold sensation suddenly hit my cheek.
"...!"
Startled, I turned my head to see Lee Sol holding a Chocomong out to me.
"Want one?"
...Is this today's snack? If so, it's a bit of a disappointing choice.
"I was planning on eating something other than Chocomong today."
"This is a separate gift. To pay you back for yesterday."
Oh, so that's what it was. In that case, there was no reason to refuse.
"Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
I immediately poked the straw in. Mmm. Sweet.
Wait, if I'm getting this as payback for yesterday, didn't I technically pay for this with my own money? While I was lost in that thought...
"..."
I saw Shin A-young crouching between the desks. Her eyes were darting back and forth between me and Lee Sol.
— "Did something happen yesterday?"
Soon, I heard Shin A-young's inner thoughts. Well, something did happen, though I brushed it off.
— "Don't tell me... they played LoL duo without me?"
...As if. Just how much does she love LoL? I wouldn't be surprised if she drags us to a pro match later.
"Where are we studying today?" Lee Sol asked me as she packed her workbooks.
"There's an empty counseling room in the club room, so let's do it there."
There was no reason to go to a study cafe or a library when we had a free study room. It would just be a waste of money.
"Shin A-young. You're coming to study with us, right?" I called out to Shin A-young as she was slinging her bag over her shoulder.
She was essential. If there was a problem I couldn't solve, I could ask her. Even if she couldn't explain it well, I could just read her thoughts.
"Huh? Me too...?"
Shin A-young pointed at herself. She looked like she hadn't expected to be included.
— "Uh... I was gonna go to the PC cafe and play games, though?"
Her Mini-Me was breaking out in a cold sweat. Apparently, she just wanted to play games. It's honestly annoying how good she is at studying despite that.
Ahem—
Shin A-young cleared her throat. "I have an important appointment today..."
"Are you going to the PC cafe?"
"..."
When I asked her directly, she was struck dumb. She looked like she'd been caught red-handed and subtly avoided my gaze.
"You're not, right? Midterms are only a month away. Wouldn't it be better to study together?"
"...Fine, let's study together then."
Shin A-young gave a silent smile and answered nonchalantly on the outside, but...
— "......Ugh."
Her Mini-Me collapsed on the floor, radiating gloom. She had the face of someone who had just lost their country.
"..."
Can't be helped. I guess I should soothe her a bit.
"Once exams are over, let's get the President and Senior Min-ji and go play a 3v3 LoL custom match."
The moment I said that, Shin A-young's Mini-Me hopped right up.
— "I've never done a custom match before...!"
Shin A-young returned to her normal self instantly. In fact, she looked even happier than before.
"..."
She's really easy to please.
*
Thud...!
I dropped a thick workbook onto the desk and asked Lee Sol, "Do you have a specific goal in mind?"
I figured if she had a target, we could determine the direction of her studies. She made a subtle expression before parting her lips slightly.
"...Grade 3 or higher in every subject."
Oh, boy.
"...We've got a long way to go."
The thing to keep in mind was that this was a grade she needed to reach in just one month. Considering her current scores, the difficulty level was quite high. But what could we do?
"We don't have time, so let's start right away."
The only thing we could do right now was study. Better to solve one more problem than to spend time worrying.
"Let's start with Literature. Just solve these like you're taking a light practice test."
"Okay."
Lee Sol gripped her pen with eyes full of determination.
Tick, tock—
By the time the minute hand of the clock had nearly completed half a circle...
"I'm finished."
Lee Sol pushed the worksheet forward.
"...Let's see."
I graded the problems quickly. Correct, correct, wrong, correct... Looking at it, her score hadn't changed much from her mock exams. Not bad. The fact that her score was consistent meant she made few careless mistakes. At least I didn't have to worry about her bubbling in the wrong answers.
"Alright—now I'll explain the ones you got wrong, one by one."
I sat Lee Sol down next to me and began the walkthrough. The studying had only just begun.
.
.
.
Solving problems. Correcting them. Explaining.
"No. Instead of understanding it that way, this part is—"
.
.
.
Solving problems. Correcting them. Explaining.
"Memorize this, no matter what."
"Just memorize it?"
"Yeah. Just do it like you're memorizing LoL champions."
.
.
.
After repeating that process, we finally reached the last problem prepared for today.
......And with that, the final circle.
"Hmm..."
I groaned as I looked down at Lee Sol's worksheet. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Based on the standards of the last mock exam, this score was...
Grade 4.
In just one day, she had jumped from Grade 5 to Grade 4.
"..."
"..."
When I looked up, Shin A-young had a similar expression on her face. A look that said, 'What is this?'
Lee Sol was already acting smug, her lips twitching as she tried to hide a grin. She seemed unable to contain her awe at her own talent.
"...Should we just open an academy?"
At Shin A-young's remark, I found myself speechless.
...Maybe we really should.