#32 - A Little Selfish Desire: Tutoring with Na-eun Continues
The tutoring sessions with Na-eun continued. Though the form had changed. Before, I was the one teaching her, but now we were studying together. So I didn't cling to her side explaining problems one by one like I used to. Instead, I sat in the cafe right next to her, sipping coffee while doing my own work. Na-eun did the same beside me, tackling her workbook over her coffee. Then, at some point, she'd turn to me with a question.
"Oppa, you free right now?"
"Yeah, what's up? Which problem?"
"This one."
"Ah~ this one~ well, it's like~"
I explained the problem she'd asked about as kindly and step-by-step as I had back during our tutoring days, then stopped right there. Normally, I'd have followed up by assigning similar problems for her to solve and checking her work, but not anymore. I wasn't Na-eun's tutor—I was her oppa's friend and her study buddy. There was no reason to meddle beyond that.
We studied a bit later than usual that day before closing our books and getting up together.
"Na-eun, you done with everything you planned to study?"
"At least what I could do here at the cafe. I'll keep going when I get home."
What a praiseworthy response. I let that admiration shine through as I complimented her.
"Whoa, at this rate, our Na-eun might blow right past Jinhan University and end up at Korea University, huh?"
"Oppa, there's no way I could get into a place like that."
"What do you mean no way? Just bump your scores up a little more from here, and you could totally do it."
"Ugh, come on..."
Na-eun's face flushed red, but she didn't deny it. Instead, she just said this:
"I'm going to Jinhan University. No matter what."
I'd known for a while that getting into Jinhan University was her top priority. Mentioning Korea University was just me teasing.
"I know, I know."
At my response, Na-eun shot me a quick glare, like she had some lingering dissatisfaction. In that playful atmosphere, we left the cafe together. Na-eun glanced up at the sky with a bright smile, as if pleased by the slightly cooler weather.
"It really does feel a bit less hot now."
"Still hot to me."
"Guess I'm just more heat-resistant then."
"Not heat-resistant—you're just powered up from all the ice cream you've been eating here."
Na-eun had gotten ice cream even during our study session today, claiming it was sooo good here. Naturally, I'd bought it for her. Sure, the tutoring was over, but I wasn't the type to drag High Horse here to the cafe and just watch her spend her own money. At first, she'd insisted, "I'll pay!" but she gave in eventually. I'd deployed my ultimate weapon, one she couldn't ignore.
"You threw out that blank check saying 'If you get into Jinhan, even cafeteria food works.' So yeah, I got to enjoy some tasty ice cream thanks to that."
The blank check about buying me a meal if she got into Jinhan. She knew it was a blank check, and she was glaring at me hard—but there was no real anger in it. Just our usual banter, full of playfulness.
"Fine, as long as you enjoyed it."
"Then why tease me about it being the ice cream that made me strong?"
"I was just stating the facts, matter-of-factly."
"Wow, you're evil."
"Evil? Me? Not at all."
We bickered back and forth, just harmless squabbling, but both Na-eun and I were loving every second. Otherwise, we wouldn't be grinning like this.
"So, Oppa, I've got a question."
"What?"
"...If you're gonna keep doing this, why'd you say you were quitting the tutoring?"
Na-eun looked up at me with genuine curiosity. Meeting her gaze, I decided to teach her a very important truth.
"Well, Na-eun."
"Yeah, Oppa?"
"...Honestly, your parents paid me way too much."
"...Pardon?"
One of the reasons I'd ended the "tutoring" with Na-eun was exactly that—her parents had given me far too much money under the guise of tutoring fees. If I told her, she'd probably storm off to yell at them right then and there.
"How much did we even give you...?"
"I'll tell you once you get into university. How much your parents shelled out."
To put it precisely, it was about a third of what you'd pay in Gangnam or Daechi-dong for a month. And that was during the semester, when Na-eun was going to school and I only tutored on weekends and Wednesdays—not the full-time vacation sessions. Even then, despite my firm refusals, they'd stubbornly added extra during breaks. Sure, cram schools vary, but the ones I benchmarked weren't the ultra-expensive kind like repeater dorms. Still, the money I'd earned over those six months covered all my second-semester expenses—or more—even after buying her meals, going to movies together, and all that.
"...Then wouldn't it have been better for you to just keep taking the money and tutoring? You'd come out ahead."
"Na-eun, money is heavier and scarier than you think. You should never take more than what your work is worth."
"Oppa, you deserved every bit of that."
Me? Really? No. The advice I'd given her? Strip it down, and most of it was basic tips you could dig up on NewTube. The few original ones I'd come up with? Probably someone else in Korea had thought of them first. And for just explaining problems otherwise, why on earth would I take that much? In my book, I'd received a huge debt of gratitude from Seung-min and Na-eun's parents. I owed them birthdays from now on, fruits for Lunar New Year next year and Chuseok this one—stuff like that. After half a year of that kindness, asking for three more months until her CSAT? Even if I was the king of shamelessness, I still had a conscience.
Na-eun tilted her head, question marks practically floating above it, like she couldn't quite grasp what I was saying. She was so cute like that—I just gave her head a light pat.
"C'mon, let's go. I'll walk you home."
"...Okay."
Na-eun nodded slowly, a small smile playing on her lips.
Oppa Seonwoo is too kind. Kind to the point it's almost a problem.
This might sound weird, but my dad works at a company everyone in Korea knows. Our neighborhood is full of people from there anyway. Point is, he could've taken our parents' money without a second thought.
But Oppa Seonwoo flat-out refused. And yet he still takes my studying seriously. There's no explaining this except that Lee Seonwoo is just that good-hearted.
Even that goodness is so cool—I'm falling for him all over again.
I can't be some gold digger type falling fast. No, I already like Oppa Seonwoo so deeply, love him so much, that's why I'm falling even harder.
So thank you, Oppa Seonwoo. For not giving up on me yet. For wanting to stick around with me.
The only way I can repay you is one: Get into Jinhan University somehow. Or score even higher for something better.
Of course, I'll go to Jinhan. That's my reward to myself.
For enduring all those boring, grueling study hours. For grabbing the opportunity that never should've come.
Being by Oppa Seonwoo's side—that's the greatest reward I can give myself.