One Week Later: Tailored Treats and Telling Talks
A week had already passed since I gave Na-eun the Dubai chocolate that was meant for my sister... (For the record, I bought a new one for my sister.)
"Oppa~ Can't we really play today...?"
"No."
"Just a liiittle~ Just a liiittle~"
Today, too, I was handling Na-eun's whining as I prepared for the tutoring session.
At first, it had been a bit awkward. No matter how cute she was or how close we'd gotten, Na-eun was still a girl my age.
Having her cling to me like that, begging to play just a little—it was surprisingly hard to brush off.
But after about two weeks, as these moments piled up, it became natural to deflect her.
"School starts next week for you... Ah, high schoolers call it the new semester, right? With classes starting, shouldn't you study even more?"
"The new semester's the new semester, and playtime's playtime~"
Na-eun said it so casually, like Anyway, let's slack off!
Was Na-eun always this much of a play-lover?
That thought lingered only briefly before a certain someone flashed through my mind.
My 20-year buddy, Seung-min Jeong.
Sure, unlike Seung-min, she was polite, kind-hearted, smart, and focused—but in the end, she shared his blood. That Jeong family blood ran through her veins, too.
If Seung-min loved playing around that much, there was no reason Na-eun couldn't.
"Let's play after you're done studying. After you're done."
"Tch... Fiiine...."
Na-eun grumbled as she pulled out her pen.
Seeing her turn into such a model student filled me with a warm sense of satisfaction.
"Alright, let's check your homework first."
With that, we started by going over her assignments.
As expected, unlike some people I knew, Na-eun had done them diligently.
Her meticulous step-by-step solutions were still impressively thorough. Sure, writing out such a long process for a simple calculation problem wasn't ideal, but it built confidence like nothing else, so I let it slide.
Plus, as her tutor, it made it easier for me to see exactly how she'd arrived at the answer.
I went through each one, grading as I checked her work.
Once that was done, I explained the mistakes and launched into today's Na-eun-exclusive tutoring session.
*
The session flew by in a flash. Thanks to Na-eun's intense focus, I got pulled right into it with her, and before we knew it, time was up.
"Ughhh~ Good work~"
Na-eun stretched languidly and greeted me. I nodded back.
"Yeah, good job. Honestly, I didn't do much—you're the one who put in the effort."
"No way, you taught me so well!"
Hearing that made me feel truly grateful.
"Don't feel pressured~"
I started packing my bag, and Na-eun watched for a moment before standing up.
"Oppa, hold on~"
"Yeah?"
I nodded, and she trotted out of the room with light steps.
A short while later, she returned balancing a tray with snacks and coffee.
"Na-eun?"
"Today, we're gonna snack and hang out!"
"O-okay... but... what're we gonna do?"
"Just chat~"
Girls really were something else—chatting counted as play for them.
For guys? Not even close. Chit-chat was just garnish to go with gaming, never the main course steak.
But Na-eun was definitely a girl, and she seemed thrilled at the prospect of just talking.
"Thanks for the food~"
"Thanks for the food. Na-eun, I'll enjoy it."
"Yup!"
With her bright, bubbly reply, I tried one of the breads in front of me.
It looked like a madeleine, and the moment it hit my tongue, its aroma and subtle sweetness spread through my mouth.
It was light, delicious—and a little off.
The flavor, specifically.
"It's a bit less sweet than usual?"
Na-eun's usual bakes were sugar bombs.
But this madeleine was noticeably milder.
Like she knew my taste... Ah.
That's when it hit me what she'd been mindful of.
"Did you tone down the sweetness because I said I didn't like super-sweet stuff?"
"Hehe, yeah. Was it okay?"
She must've remembered what I said last time with the Dubai chocolate.
Honestly, that comment was just an excuse to give her the chocolate—I'd eat sweet or not just fine.
Though subtly sweet like this was definitely better than overly sugary.
"Thanks, really."
"Does this suit your taste more?"
"Yeah, definitely better."
"Then I'll aim for this level from now on!"
Her beaming smile filled me with gratitude.
How could it not? Baking to my taste? I was touched.
And then... the next feeling was...
...embarrassment.
Why the sudden shyness? Simple.
Crumb from the bread had fallen right onto Na-eun's chest while she ate.
Saying this about my friend's little sister feels wrong, but Na-eun's figure was something else. The kind that drew "wow"s from every angle.
She was probably super popular at school. Confessions once a month, easy.
Receiving kindness from a girl like that made me feel like some big shot.
Na-eun, oblivious to my lecherous thoughts, smiled sweetly and shifted the topic.
"Hey, Oppa. I've got a question."
"Yeah? What?"
"What do you do on your days off?"
"Days off?"
"Yup."
The answer was straightforward.
"Games, or sleep."
"...That's it?"
"Yup, that's it."
That was my whole routine.
Stretch it, and you'd add workouts or TV—that was all.
Na-eun looked baffled. What had she imagined about me?
"Don't you read books or anything?"
"I do sometimes."
"What kind?"
"Self-help, or light novels to kill time."
"Any good recents?"
"Hmm... Just finished a fun mystery set in a hotel."
"Ehh, a mystery..."
"It has some romance mixed in."
"Recommend it anyway."
She kept tossing out topics after that, and soon we were deep in genuinely engaging, fun conversation. I'd discovered the joy of chatting.
"What games do you play?"
"Ask your brother—he'll tell you everything."
"You two game together a lot?"
"Yeah."
"Do you ever swear...?"
"......Rarely?"
"No way!"
She looked shocked now and then, but it was cute and entertaining.
We giggled and kept talking until—somehow—hours had vanished.
We'd wrapped studying around 3:30 and started chatting, but now it was past 5 p.m.
"Whoa, time flew."
"Yeah...."
"Gotta head out now. See you later."
"A... yeah, see you....!"
Na-eun seemed a little disappointed, but I had to clock out too.
I waved goodbye, and she waved back.
She looked so wistful that my feet wouldn't move.
To spur myself on—and because her chatter had been so fun—I asked casually,
"Na-eun, let's chat like this again after next time's studying."
Her face lit up instantly—adorably bright.
"Promise...!"
Her sunny nod and grin made me burst out laughing. She looked just like a small dog wagging its tail furiously.
Though with her looks, "cute" edged more toward "pretty."
* * *
I learned so much chatting with Oppa.
First off, that Seonwoo Oppa swears sometimes—that shocked me most.
He had this church-boy vibe, all model student... but he cusses in games, huh.
Not disappointed, though. The opposite, actually.
Because he holds back around me—for my sake. Isn't that just the coolest?
I also learned he games with my brother, and my newly adjusted dessert hit the mark perfectly.
That last one was huge. How many trial-and-errors for that unfamiliar flavor balance?
It was exhausting, no doubt.
And finally...
"You... saw... right? My..."
...Seonwoo Oppa was pretty pervy, too.
I feel those gazes sometimes, but I never expected them from him.
But it was different. Nothing like the stares from strangers or guys I didn't like.
His made my heart race and put a smile on my face.
Who knew someone’s gaze could feel this happy?