Chapter Seventeen
1654 Words
Sad People Should Not Listen to Slow Songs I
“Hey, you three! I missed you! Did you miss me?” I asked the three high schoolers teasingly as I say across them the way I did the last time we met. They all looked as cheerful, if not more, the first time I met them, which was fine to me. I mean they’re still kids, they’re meant to be adorable. And it’s not like it’s going to make the environment better if they were sulking. I know Algebra was already depressing enough to make it possibly worse.
“I do, **!”
Kexin was, as usual, energetic and cheery.
“I was so excited for Saturday that I wished it was Saturday after last Saturday!”
I turned to him, processing all the Saturdays he just mentioned in his sentence. I kind of get what he said but I’m leaning more into not wanting to get it because it would come off as entertaining a minor’s attempt to flirt. Cute, but no. I’m too pretty to go to jail. Although, I would definitely rock the cell uniforms. “Lucky you, it’s Saturday again!” I joked and they all thankfully laughed with me.
“Teacher! I did so much better at Math last week! You’re a really great teacher! I wish you were our teacher all the time!” Chae stated excitedly. The energy of high schoolers are so high, I almost can’t keep up. It’s like they have chocolates injected in their veins.
“That’s really good to hear, Chae!” I smiled, turning to her. “I’m glad I’m doing something right for once.” I said even though I knew they wouldn’t really get what I meant with that sentence I mentioned with life.
“Look, look!” Chae brought a test paper up and handed it to, excitedly showing me her improved score. “This one didn’t do too well.” She pouted, glaring at Kexin who fell silent. He grinned in guilt as I slowly retrieve the paper that was across him. I took a look at his test sheet, identical to the one Chae had, and saw that he did not get a good score.
“I…”
I looked up to him in dismay. “What happened, Kexin? Your score didn’t improve at all. Am I a terrible teacher?”
He looked down, blinking several time. “I was so excited to meet you again and I couldn’t’ stop thinking about you, **. That’s why…” He scratched his head, grinning innocently but guilty as plead.
I almost wanted to laugh at how adorable this kid was. Even if I wanted to be mad for the bad score, I couldn’t because they were too adorable. I would definitely hit on him if he was a little older but man… why does he have to be a high schooler? This is just torturous. “If you don’t do well, they’re gonna think I’m not tutoring you well and they’re going to replace me.”
He bit his lips, scrunching his nose.
“Do you want me to get replaced?”
“No! Absolutely not!” He exclaimed, cutting me off. “I promise I’ll do better next time, **! I won’t let them replace you. I really don’t want that to happen. I might do worse when they replace you.” He pouted, his fingers fidgeting on top of the table.
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they won’t replace me as your tutor if you do better next time, okay?”
Kexin’s bright eyes came back with hope and excite. “I promise!”
I diverted my attention to Joey who has been laughing along quietly and not saying any word just like how he was last week. I looked at his quiz paper and he did pretty well too – not as improved as Chae but he scored higher than Kexin, for sure. And it wasn’t as low as Kexin’s so I don’t really have complaints about it.
“I-I still can’t do this one properly. I get confused sometimes with what formula I should use and sometimes I overthink that’s why I wasn’t able to answer all the questions on time.” Joey explained in a low tone.
I smiled at him, patting his shoulder to assure him that he did well and he shouldn’t be looking down on himself like that. No, I’m not trying to score on this shy kid, I was just trying to cheer him up like a real tutor. I sound defensive but that’s the truth. “You did well, Joey! Better than Kexin.” I teased. “You all did well.”
He looked shy receiving compliments. “Well…” He looked away, rubbing his neck like the cutie he was. “You teach us the lessons clearer so I think that helps a lot…”
“Do I, now?” I chuckled, flattered. Come on now, Lois. You shouldn’t be flattered by compliments from high schoolers otherwise they’d think I’m flirting. But damn, I love getting compliments from innocent people. “If I teach you guys well, why did Kexin receive a bad remark?” I teased the kid more.
“**!”
I heard Kexin call and exclaim.
“I got all 10 questions right!”
I turned to him arching a brow. “And you got the other 40 questions wrong. Never thought I’d find someone who would be so proud to answer barely half of the test.”
He blushed, blinking a lot, trying to find a loop hole to his defense. “T-That’s— I was going to get everything right if they didn’t take away my picture of you during the exam…”
A picture of me?
“How do you have a picture of me?” I asked in disbelief, laughing at how cute he was. Kexin was so adorable, I just want to carry him around under my pocket and baby him. And by that, I meant in the brotherliest way. “Why would you—”
“Ah, I already told you, **!”
The table shook. It appears he was kicking his feet in the air to show his frustration.
“I really really really really like you!”
I chuckled more at his gesture. “If you score better on your next quiz, I’ll buy you all ice cream. How about that?”
“Ice cream!” Chae clapped her hands together, shrieking.
Kexin’s eyes brightened up. “I’ll ace the next quiz!”
I guess that’s a dollar cut from my allowance.
After our session, just like last time, I stayed and waited until their guardians came to pick them up. Most of that time, we would just talk to each other, share stories, and make fun of Kexin’s bad remark still. I’m actually having fun with these high schoolers. Who would have thought I’d want to trade training for tutoring? That’s absurd even from me.
“**! Let’s take a picture before I go!” Kexin exclaimed, raising his phone across our faces. It was just him and I in the frame though despite knowing Chae and Joey were preparing for the picture as well.
“Hey! I want to be in the picture too!” Chae yelled, pulling Kexin’s arm to stretch out and we can all be part of the photo. “Let’s take a photo together with teacher!”
Kexin pushed her away, frowning. “Take one with ** after me! I want a solo picture with her!” The two continued bickering and pulling the phone on their sides.
“No! Let’s do it together!”
“I don’t want to!”
“Okay, give me your phones, let’s take a picture with all your phones, okay?” I grabbed the phone they were fighting for. “There’s no need to fight for this.” I mean, fighting over me is overwhelming and I kind of dig it but they’re being so loud and it’s annoying. I bet it was annoying the other customers inside the café too.
I extended my hand in the air, preparing for the photo. “Smile.” I mumbled, smiling, and pressing the shutter to take the photo.
It took minutes before they were contented with taking photos. It was tiring, smiling here and there. I can’t imagine how idols feel like smiling on camera for the rest of the hour just to show them they’re actually happy.
“Gwynn Bartel!”
The three of them turned their heads and I was just frozen in my position, clenching my fists trying not to yell at him for calling out to me like that with such a big voice in a public space, and to top it off, in front of my high school students.
I almost didn’t want to turn because I knew too well, I was way too familiar, with that voice to entertain his attempts to annoy me.
“Who…”
“Oh, you’re still tutoring?”
From my peripheral view, he was already standing next to where the three of us sat, where our tables were at. At this moment, I was just too pissed that he called me that in front of these high schoolers who liked me so much.
When I didn’t respond, inentionally, he poked my shoulder. “Hey, are you ignoring me?”
“**, do you know this **?”
“No.” I don’t know what was happening but I was sure I didn’t want to accept this man’s existence right now. I forced a smile to the three. “He’s no one. Ignore him.”
“I’m Aiden. I’m this girl’s husband. Nice to meet you all.”
- Writer
