“Show me your midterm report card.”
“Huh?!”
Seeing Im Hangyeol’s flustered expression, Jaeyoon tilted his head to the side curiously.
“I told you to bring your report card.”
“Well, yes, but…”
Hangyeol glanced quickly at Heejun. But Heejun was scanning a magazine as if he had no interest in their conversation. After hesitating for a moment, Hangyeol handed Jaeyoon the crumpled report card he had stuffed into his bag.
“Ohh…”
A sound that mixed admiration and a sigh escaped from Jaeyoon’s lips as he checked the report card.
“How did you get into this school with these grades?”
“Why, why are you looking at someone else’s report card like that?!”
Heejun, who had been reading a magazine until just now, leaned his head on Jaeyoon’s shoulder and looked at the disastrous report card. Hangyeol quickly snatched the report card back from Jaeyoon’s hand. Seeing Hangyeol’s face turn as red as an apple, Heejun shrugged.
“The cutoff for this school must have been high, isn’t it fraud to get in with those grades?”
“I got in through studying, okay!”
“With that brain?”
“Jaeyoon helped me study, so what?!”
Heejun’s gaze turned to Jaeyoon. Jaeyoon just smiled in response.
‘So Jaeyoon helped Hangyeol with his studies too.’
Thinking about Jaeyoon who must have helped Hangyeol study hard to get into the same high school left a bitter taste in his mouth. To think that after all that help, all he got was betrayal. Even though Hangyeol had reflected on his past mistakes and apologized, it was impossible not to feel bitter when thinking about what Jaeyoon must have felt at the time.
“Are you okay?”
Heejun asked curiously as Jaeyoon suddenly went quiet. Jaeyoon smiled as if to say he was fine.
“I’m just overwhelmed thinking about how to teach you.”
“…Is it that bad?”
When Hangyeol asked with a shocked expression, Jaeyoon massaged his stiff neck instead of confirming.
“Raising your average by the final exam will be difficult, right?”
“Obviously.”
Jaeyoon gave a hollow laugh at Heejun’s answer without a moment’s hesitation. Hangyeol, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, asked with a bewildered face.
“What do you mean ‘by the final exam’? Are you not going to teach me after the finals?”
“That’s right.”
“Why?!”
“What do you mean ‘why’… How long did you think this would last?”
“Well…”
Hangyeol moved his lips for a moment before closing them. Jaeyoon’s eyebrows furrowed. Surely he didn’t think I would continue tutoring him until graduation?
Maybe, during middle school, did Jaeyoon teach Hangyeol for all three years? Is that why he thought it would be the same this time too?
Seeing Hangyeol’s grades, it wasn’t completely impossible. He probably couldn’t have gotten into this high school with its high cutoff just from being tutored briefly. Impressive… Getting a student who knew nothing about studying into a high school with such a high cutoff…
‘But I don’t have that level of loyalty to Hangyeol.’
“You said English was the most difficult, right?”
“Huh? Yeah…”
“Let’s start with English then.”
Hangyeol watched quietly as Jaeyoon took out the English textbook, then opened his mouth as if he had made some decision. Just as he was about to gather his courage and call Jaeyoon’s name, his voice was swallowed up by a voice that came from beside them.
“Jaeyoon!”
“Class president?”
Sim Jaeha, who came running with a welcoming smile, looked curiously at the three people huddled together.
“Studying?”
“Something like that. What about you?”
“This!”
Jaeha placed the survey he was holding on the desk. Seeing the words “Summer Camp” written largely on the white paper, Jaeyoon nodded in understanding.
“I have to organize the summer camp materials and the list of applicants to report to the teacher.”
“That’s a lot of work.”
“It’s just what a class president does. But…”
Jaeha’s gaze turned to Heejun. After briefly looking at him, who was doodling sketches while keeping his eyes fixed on the magazine, Jaeha smiled awkwardly and naturally sat down beside Hangyeol. Hangyeol’s expression crumpled in response.
“What?”
“There aren’t any other empty seats. Can I sit here?”
Hangyeol made an incredulous face at Jaeha, who was casually asking Jaeyoon after already sitting down. What’s with this guy? I’m already in a bad mood because he barged in. Hangyeol glared briefly at Heejun before glaring at Jaeha.
“Sit, sit.”
But Jaeyoon, who had no way of knowing how Hangyeol felt – or wouldn’t care even if he did – gladly agreed. Hangyeol’s face fell. Seeing this, Heejun shook his head and sighed.
‘What is he expecting from someone who has a handsome boyfriend…’
Heejun quietly turned on his phone, trying not to be noticed, and sent a short message describing the current situation.
[Mission complete.]
Soon his phone vibrated with a reply.
[Your reward can be anything you want.]
The corners of Heejun’s mouth crept up. As expected from a rich person, so generous. The reward was substantial for a job of leaving the noisy club room to monitor that no flies gathered around a precious friend.
“That’s not how you solve it. For this one, you need to insert the formula…”
“Why are you explaining it?!”
“The class president explains it much more easily, so stop complaining and be grateful.”
“No, I…!!”
Jaeyoon, still completely unaware of Hangyeol’s feelings, passed the baton to Jaeha and leisurely started reading a novel.
While reluctantly listening to Jaeha’s kind explanation, Hangyeol looked forward to the next time. Since this was only the first day, he held onto the hope that next time he would surely be able to study alone with Jaeyoon. Watching this, Heejun thought that such a day would never come.
‘Why don’t you just give up and find someone else?’
Heejun lowered his eyes as he watched Jaeha awkwardly rolling his eyeballs when their eyes met for a moment.
‘Idiot…’
***
“Ah, it’s already time…”
Jaeha checked his watch and made a surprised face. With his personality of losing track of time when focused on one thing, he had passionately taught Hangyeol until late evening. Thanks to that, Heejun looked at Hangyeol, who had become as limp as dried seafood, shaking his head.
Jaeyoon, having finished reading the entire novel, stretched his stiff body with a tap.
“You’ve already covered this much material?”
“Hangyeol understood surprisingly well. Once I got into it, it became fun!”
“That’s because you teach so well. Thank you so much for today. I’ll treat you at the school store tomorrow.”
“Huh? No, Jaeyoon. I really did it because I wanted to!”
“And I’m buying because I want to, so put away your refusal.”
Hangyeol was so dumbfounded by the warm scene between the two that he couldn’t speak. He felt completely drained.
That guy, even when I said I didn’t understand several times, he just smiled brightly and explained more simply. He’s not an ordinary person… Thanks to that, Hangyeol’s plan to shake off Jaeha by making him angry had failed. Damn it!
Heejun looked at the frustrated Hangyeol with a pitying expression and organized his magazines.
“I’m going first.”
“Okay, get home safely.”
“It seems like the art club just finished too, so why don’t you head back as well?”
“Huh? How did you know that?”
“Hajun hyung told me.”
“Ah~”
Of course, it was a lie. But there was no need to specifically mention that Jung Jinhoo had told him. Jaeha quietly watched Heejun’s back as he left the library, then hurriedly gathered his survey papers and stood up.
“I should be going too, Jaeyoon. Get home safely!”
“Okay, you too, class president.”
The librarian’s voice calling out not to run flew toward him as he quickly left the library.
“Sorry!”
Jaeyoon watched Jaeha apologize and carefully close the door as he left, then returned the novel he had been reading to its original place.
‘Heejun just chased after him, right?’
It was also a job to pretend not to notice the awkward atmosphere flowing between Jaeha and Heejun. Ever since Heejun decided to date Lee Minho, somehow the relationship between the two had become strange. I hope they’re both okay? Worry surged like a tide.
“But this isn’t something I should step into…”
Jaeyoon sighed softly as he returned to his seat and nudged the sprawled-out Hangyeol.
“Get up. The library will close soon.”
“…I came here to study with you.”
“Huh?”
“I came here planning to study with you, not with some other guy.”
Jaeyoon frowned at Hangyeol, who raised his head with a dissatisfied face.
“The class president explains things much more easily than I do.”
“That’s not the issue, is it? I, I just wanted to…”
Hangyeol seemed momentarily at a loss for words, then opened his mouth with a sigh.
“When you said you would teach me, I was happy because it felt like we were going back to how things used to be.”
“…”
“So today, I was looking forward to studying with just you, like in the old days…”
Jaeyoon looked at Hangyeol, who had his head down and his fists clenched. So that’s what he was so unhappy about…
Jaeyoon sighed and brushed up his bangs.
“We can’t go back to how things used to be.”
“!!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
