Chapter 19: Study Group (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Study Group (3)
*
‘Counseling in Session.’
A sign hung on the door of the Counseling Club room.
In short, it was a "No Entry" sign.
“...For real?”
I narrowed my eyes at the sign.
The Club President had warned me in advance, but of all times, a session had to be scheduled right during the exam period. I suppose the only silver lining was that this was a session requiring a teacher’s intervention, not ours.
Regardless, studying here today was out of the question.
“Looks like we’ll have to go somewhere else.”
“Then... let’s go to a study cafe or a study room nearby. I know a place,” Ji Nuri said, beckoning us to follow.
At that, Lee Sol slowly raised her hand.
“I’m broke.”
Maybe she’d spent too much on snacks lately. Well, it couldn't be helped.
“I’ll pay, so just pay me back lat—”
I opened my wallet and immediately went silent. There was nothing in it. Only dust bunnies came fluttering out. It seemed my situation wasn't much different from hers.
“Now what?”
We couldn't exactly be loud in the library or the school study hall. But we couldn't exactly study outside, either.
“...Should we just study at my place?”
“Whose house?”
“Mine.”
It was the only thing I could think of. Out of the remaining options, it seemed like the best one. I pulled out my phone.
“I’ll at least ask.”
My sister would be home. If I brought friends over without saying a word, she’d definitely blow a fuse. I pulled up her contact and called her immediately.
Ring... Ring...
The dial tone droned on.
“...”
...She wasn't picking up. I tried sending a text, but she didn't check that either.
“...What about your places?”
At my question, Shin A-young gave an awkward laugh.
“My dad doesn't really like it when I bring strangers over.”
Well, he was an actor. He was a celebrity, a profession where you're constantly drained by people. It made sense that he’d feel that way.
“Ji Nuri, what about you—”
“We have guests over today, so I don't think it’ll work.”
The answer came before I could even finish. It was so fast it felt rehearsed.
— “Not my house. Absolutely, definitely not my house...!”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me was trembling, its face pale with terror.
Hmm. She’s truly desperate. It was probably because of the figure display cases and all the other stuff in his room. Yeah, that place was definitely off-limits.
“Then let’s go to my house,” Lee Sol said, tapping away on her phone. It looked like she was texting home.
“Is it okay?”
“Yeah, I just got permission.”
Lee Sol’s expression was a bit strange.
— “Studying at home isn't great... but they gathered because of me.”
*
“I’m home.”
At Lee Sol’s call, a woman walked out from the inner part of the house.
“You’re here?”
Lee Sol’s mother was quite a beauty. At a glance, she looked like she could be in her late twenties. It was immediately obvious where Lee Sol got her looks from.
““Hello.””
“So you’re Sol’s friends. Make yourselves at home.”
She greeted us calmly.
— “...There’s a boy, too?”
In the midst of that, she stole a glance at me. It seemed the presence of a boy in the group weighed on her mind. It was an understandable look. Even my father gets curious whenever my sister brings friends over, checking to see if there are any boys among them. It was likely the same thing.
Lee Sol walked past the living room. It seemed her room was further inside.
“We’re going to study in my room, so you don't have to bring us snacks.”
“Alright, I understand.”
The two of them spoke like any ordinary mother and daughter. Shin A-young’s Mini-Me watched them and cutely crossed its arms.
— “Something feels... off.”
She’s quick to notice. Is it because Shin A-young is always sensitive to how others perceive her? She had picked up on the subtle tension between Lee Sol and her mother, though she didn't seem to have any intention of getting involved.
“...”
I followed Lee Sol into her room. The inside was cleaner than I expected. I thought there’d be trash rolling around because she’d find cleaning too bothersome...
“...”
...No, that makes sense. Thinking about it again, looking at her mother, there was no way she’d let Sol live like that.
Flop—
With a natural movement, Lee Sol sprawled out on her bed.
“Everyone, sit wherever you’re comfortable.”
“You’re being too comfortable.”
“Ugh...”
Drag...
Ji Nuri dragged her off the bed.
“...Here.”
We sat in a circle around the desk on the floor.
“First, what about the homework?”
“I finished it all, obviously.”
Lee Sol held out her math workbook. I had assigned her problems for homework, and seeing how confidently she handed it over, she seemed to have some self-assurance this time.
Let’s see how many she got right.
“...Oh. You’ve really improved.”
The difficulty level wasn't high, but she barely missed any.
“Heh...”
Lee Sol’s lips twitched as she let out a proud huff through her nose. The satisfaction of seeing the fruits of her labor was written all over her face.
Not bad. At this rate, we could move on to the next step.
“Here.”
I pulled out another notebook. This one was green. I handed it to Lee Sol.
“I organized some expected questions that I think will be on this exam.”
That’s what I said. But in reality, they were traces of me reading the teacher’s thoughts. It was a notebook summarizing roughly which units would have what kind of problems. In short, it was a sneak peek at the exam paper.
“Try to solve as many problems as possible that are similar to the types shown here.”
“Got it.”
The questions wouldn't be identical, but knowing the general types would drastically increase her chances of getting them right.
Knock, knock!
With a soft knock, the door opened. Lee Sol’s mother stepped inside.
“Sorry to interrupt your studying, but have some of these while you work.”
Her mother had brought in a plate of strawberries.
“...”
Lee Sol’s eyebrows knitted together. She looked slightly uncomfortable.
“...I told you that you didn't have to bring snacks.”
“How can I not when we have guests?”
The atmosphere was strange. ...I should probably start by saying thank you.
“Thank you, we’ll enjoy them.”
“Yes, eat up.”
She left the room immediately. It would have been nice if that really was her only business.
— “...So he’s the one teaching her.”
The inner thought I heard as she looked at me told me otherwise.
“...”
I glanced around for a moment.
Munch.
I popped a strawberry into my mouth. I’ll just pretend I didn't hear that.
*
Scratch, scratch...
About two hours after we started studying, I put down my pen and stretched.
“...Should we take a break?”
“Waaaaah...!”
The moment I said that, Lee Sol leaped onto the bed. The mattress bounced up and down. Her reaction speed was truly something else.
“Ugh...”
“Phew.”
Shin A-young and Ji Nuri also moved around to loosen their stiff bodies.
I should step out for a bit. I stood up awkwardly; my legs were numb from sitting for so long.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Hearing that, Lee Sol mumbled with her face buried in her pillow.
“Guh-shil ee-nah-suh un-gwan en-jok-eh in-nun moon-ee-yah...”
— “Go past the living room, it’s the door on the left by the front door...”
“Got it.”
Past the living room. The door on the left by the front door... Is it this one?
“...”
Creeak.
Opening the door just a crack, I saw the tiled floor typical of a bathroom. This is it.
“Phew...”
What a relief.
Splash—
After drying my wet hands on a towel and stepping outside...
“...”
“...”
My eyes met Lee Sol’s mother, who was sitting on the living room sofa.
How should I put it? She really looked like Lee Sol, but the vibe was different. Unlike Sol, who always had a lethargic expression, her mother was somewhat expressionless.
“...”
...Maybe that’s why it was so awkward. I felt like the air was being sucked out of the room. I forced a faint smile and tried to hurry past the living room.
“What do you think of Sol?”
My footsteps stopped on the living room floor. The question came out of nowhere, and I was a bit flustered.
“...Pardon?”
“Um... what was your name again?”
“...It’s Seung-ho. Lee Seung-ho.”
“Right, Seung-ho. I see that you’re the one teaching Sol.”
“...”
She’s sharp. Did she figure that out just from that brief look earlier?
“Is there anything difficult or frustrating about teaching her?”
“No, well...”
“...”
“I don't think there’s been much so far.”
“...”
There was no reply. She just kept her eyes fixed on me. After a short silence, she spoke.
“It’s okay. You can be honest. I know Sol is slower to understand things than others.”
“...”
That... I couldn't exactly deny it. Even while teaching her, I felt like I understood why Lee Sol struggled with her studies.
— “Even academies couldn't do it, so what do they think they’re doing with a study group...?”
Her inner thoughts reached me. She didn't seem to approve of the current situation. She slowly opened her lips again.
“If you also think Sol has no potential for studying...”
“...”
“Wouldn't it be better to take a different path now rather than wasting each other’s energy?”
So this was her goal.
“...A different path?”
“Sol has the option of becoming a model.”
True. For her, that was a safer path. At the very least, it didn't seem like she’d fail at it. If a face like Lee Sol’s failed, who could possibly succeed?
But...
“...I’m not sure.”
It was her life. It wasn't something I wanted to dictate. Not that she was the type to listen to me anyway.
...Besides.
“I think Sol is better than most kids, simply because she has the will to study on her own.”
There are plenty of kids who don't even think about studying. On the other hand, Lee Sol was the one who asked. It was something she thought about and asked me to do herself. The fact that she could do that meant...
“If you just wait a little... she’ll probably figure it out on her own.”
“...”
“Right now, it takes a long time and she needs help, but...”
Lee Sol always manages to do exactly what’s expected of her.
“I don't think you need to worry too much.”
...I was surprising myself as I said this.
“She’s more sincere than she looks.”
...Of course, she finds nine out of ten things bothersome. She’s always looking for shortcuts. She never stops snacking whenever she gets the chance. But when she’s hooked on something, she works hard at it. That was the strength I saw in Lee Sol.
“...”
Lee Sol’s mother said nothing. She seemed lost in thought.
— “...He’s good as a friend, but a troublesome one as a daughter’s friend.”
That was a strange evaluation. Was it good or bad? She gave a small nod.
“...Alright, sorry for taking up your study time. You should head back in.”
I bowed slightly and walked away.
“...”
...Hmm. I think I handled that okay? Why did she suddenly bring that up to me? I should just finish up what I was doing and go home...
“Whoa, what the—!”
“...”
When I opened the door, Lee Sol was standing right there. Our eyes met. Her gaze darted around, unable to find a place to land. She looked quite flustered.
“...”
As if nothing had happened, Lee Sol turned around and climbed back onto the bed. Then, she covered her face with the notebook I had given her.
...She was holding it upside down.