Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Arc Four. Realization.

Some day before summer vacation, Doyeon visited the tutoring center to take a test to enter the advanced class over break. Sunwoo and Kangbin were assigned to different classes because they failed the test, while Hyunoh managed to enter the advanced class.

Just before Doyeon walked into the first floor entrance of the tutoring center, he called his mom.

“Yeah, I’ll do well. You do know the special classes are expensive here, right? It’s much more expensive than you’d think.”

“Don’t you worry about that. Just focus on your test. Do you think your mom can’t handle a tutoring center bill?”

“I get worried.”

“I’ll take care of it. Stop worrying and focus on your entrance test. You’re the future of our family. You must do well for all of us.”

The firmness in his mother’s voice made Doyeon frown. He rubbed the back of his neck and picked up his courage.

“To be honest, Aeyoung said she wants to start piano lessons. If I study at home, Aeyoung might be able to go for a few—”

“Piano? What on earth are you saying? You need to study well, which will get you into a good university, which is how Aeyoung will live a better life. You shouldn’t get distracted by useless things! Focus on your studies!”

“Right...”

Doyeon finished the call and shoved the phone into his pocket. He walked in. The automatic doors slid open, and the cold air greeted him.

“Huh? Doyeon? It’s been a while.”

“Hello!” Doyeon bowed toward the center’s teacher who happened to be walking by. The tutoring center ran both middle and high school level classes, so he knew the teacher well.

“I haven’t seen you around. Are you going to start attending again?”

“Yes. I’m here to take the level tests for the summer advanced class.”

“Oh, that? You just have to walk that way. There are already a few kids in that room.”

“Right, thank you. But why are you in the high school section?”

“I’m in charge of high school classes starting this year. Want one?” she asked as she took out a caramel candy from her pocket.

Doyeon received it with both hands. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, do well. I’m sure you’ll pass, Doyeon.”

“I think I’ll pass too.”

“Don’t you think you’re being overconfident?”

“But you taught me well.”

“Oh, you always choose the best responses. Comebacks by flattery, hmm?”

She glared at him playfully, then cheered him on. Doyeon raised a fist in the air and walked into the classroom.

* * *

When he got back home, he received a text message. It was a congratulatory one.

But Doyeon had to think about taking the advanced class until his mother got home, and once she did, he awkwardly lied about his passing to her face.

“I failed.”

“Why? You said you’d pass.”

“I think there were a lot of kids with better results.”

His mom looked disappointed, and she was silent for a while until she sighed and untied her hair with a tired look.

“I guess there’s no choice. Do you want to take the normal summer class instead?”

“No, the normal classes are expensive, but they don't help me at all. I’d rather enroll when school starts.”

“All right. Do you need more textbooks?”

“Yeah, I haven’t got some of them.”

Doyeon felt guilty. He felt bad for disappointing his mother with a lie, but after learning the advanced class cost more than 1,200,000 won, he couldn’t bear to enroll anymore.

Enrolling in this advanced class meant his mom had to work extra hours or overnight, but he didn’t want to see his mom’s tired face even more.

He planned on studying harder to keep his grades up without attending that tutoring center.

When his mom left the room, Doyeon laid back on his bed. His chat notification went off above his head.

[Kangbin Baek: Lvltestresult?]

It was Kangbin checking in, so Doyeon turned over and began tapping away.

[Me: Passed ^^v]

[Kangbin Baek: Gratzgtz~~ we can hang out over break now, diff classes tho]

[Sunwoo Hong: Oooh grtz~]

[Me: But I’m not gonna enroll]

[Kangbin Baek: Aw y?]

[Me: Cuz?]

[Kangbin Baek: Y? we can go together]

[Sunwoo Hong: Yea it’s boring w/o u]

[Me: The advanced class fee’s too expensive : ( we can attend together after break]

Doyeon decided to be honest, knowing Kangbin was going to keep asking.

[Kangbin Baek: Want me to pay? I have change left from my new year’s money]

[Me: Kangbin, darling, shut up ♡]

Sunwoo sent a sticker of one character patting another character. Hyunoh didn’t say anything.

The chat turned silent with concern for their friend’s financial condition, to which Doyeon could only bite his tongue and type out [Me: Don’t start mourning now] and flip his phone around. He closed his eyes.

* * *

A few days later, Doyeon received a call after school.

“Hello?”

“Doyeon, is that you? I’m Ms. Yoona.”

“Oh, good afternoon, Ms. Yoona.”

“I heard you didn’t enroll even though you passed the test.”

“Yes. I just couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“The fees were too high for me. I think it’ll be too much,” Doyeon confessed.

Ms. Yoona had been his tutor since middle school, so she knew Doyeon’s financial situation better than others.

“Are you going to attend if your fees get waived?”

“Waived?”

“Yes. Your test scores are too good to pass up.”

“Does the center waive fees if a student gets good scores?” Doyeon asked.

While it was possible to get tutoring fees waived by being first in academics throughout the entire school, Doyeon had never heard of waived fees for good test scores. That meant Hyunoh frequently got his tutoring fees waived as the first in school.

“Not really, but you were chosen for a scholarship this time.”

“So suddenly?”

“Yes. We got a vacancy, but it’s only for this break’s advanced class, mind you. What do you think?”

“Really? That sounds amazing to me, miss!”

“Good. The center will call you again tomorrow, so enroll then.”

“I will! Thank you!”

Doyeon ended the call with a bright face, so much so that Kangbin slung his arm around his shoulders seeking an answer. Doyeon drummed on Kangbin’s arm, unable to contain his excitement.

“Hey, I think we can attend tutoring together! The center just called me and said I got a scholarship, so I can enroll in the advanced class!”

“Wait, seriously?!”

“Yeah! Isn’t it amazing?”

“It is!”

Kangbin’s face bloomed into a smile as he asked if they were really going to see each other over the break. Doyeon laughed and shouted at Hyunoh who was walking ahead of Sunwoo.

“Hey, Hyunoh Gong! I’m getting a scholarship from the center, just like you!”

“Sounds nice,” he smiled like always. It was such a boring response that it took the energy out of Doyeon’s happiness.

When they reached the split road, the three took the left like always while Doyeon took the right like always. But once break rolled around, they would take the same road.

Doyeon liked that.

* * *

On the first day of summer holiday, Doyeon entered the advanced class into a foreign room with unknown faces, but he saw Hyunoh.

“Hi, Doyeon,” Hyunoh waved in the midst of a conversation with his friend. Doyeon approached the empty spot next to Hyunoh and set his bag down.

“Why are you sitting in the back?”

“The other kids said they couldn’t see the board.”

“Oh, yeah, you are this big,” Doyeon gestured by opening both of his arms. He sat down.

Hyunoh was, indeed, very tall and very wide, and Doyeon was always jealous of his broad, angled shoulders. He knew one had to be born with an amazing body, and he guessed handsome people weren’t simply perfect in the face area but all areas.

“Seriously, Hyunoh, you have really wide shoulders. Do you just have a different bone structure?” Doyeon said, tapping Hyunoh’s shoulder.

Hyunoh froze at the touch and immediately smacked Doyeon’s hand away.

He followed up with surprised to Doyeon’s shocked expression. He seemed taken aback by his own reaction.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you without warning,” Doyeon said.

“It’s fine.”

Doyeon felt a little wronged, but he didn’t show it. He only registered the fact that Hyunoh got surprised more easily than he thought, which was unexpected.

He suddenly thought of something.

When class began, Doyeon sliced up his eraser, and after a few glances at Hyunoh, he flicked the small piece toward him when the teacher’s back was turned.

Tap!

The small piece hit the side of Hyunoh’s chin and dropped under the desk. Doyeon was expecting a huge reaction, but Hyunoh didn’t react at all.

He didn’t even blink as he picked up the small, rolling piece of eraser off the ground. He gave a “seriously?” look at Doyeon and flicked it back to him.

“What?”

“Wait, why aren’t you surprised?”

You were surprised seconds ago.

“I’m not a kid,” Hyunoh smirked, and he roped his arm behind Doyeon’s back to tap on the back of his head gently.

Doyeon scratched the spot where Hyunoh tapped and focused on the lesson.

He felt disappointed.

Hyunoh’s surprised expression was kind of cute, and he had wanted to see it again.