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“I have to do what now?” Doyoung looks at his professor, Mr. Jeon, with disbelief, “Why?”
“Because as much as that you’re smart and have passed all my major exams,” Mr. Jeon tells him, “You failed to come to at least half of my class.”
“But Mr. Jeon, isn’t it enough for me to pass your class?” Doyoung asks. The look on his face tells that he’s ready to drop everything and beg on his knees.
“I’m sorry, Doyoung.” Mr. Jeon shakes his head.
“Is there any other way?” He asks once again, “I won’t miss class from now on. I can write you an essay. Multiple if I must!” He desperately bargains, “How many words do you want? 5k? 10k?”
“Doyoung, I know your ability when it comes to essays. And even if you came to all my classes starting today, that still won’t be enough,” Mr. Jeon pats his shoulder, “Tutoring is the only way.”
“Sir…”
“I’ll send you via email the rest of the details so that I don’t have to hold you back any longer.” Doyoung wanted to aggressively wipe off the smile on Mr. Jeon’s face, but he resorted to sighing instead.
“I understand. Thank you, Mr. Jeon.” Doyoung breathes out.
Kun and Ten’s laughs resonate in the library, causing them to get shushed with a warning look. Doyoung mouths an apology while the other two make a zipping gesture over their lips while holding their laugh.
“Very supportive.” Doyoung sarcastically said while rolling his eyes at the couple.
“So you’re telling me that the class you only took so you pull your GPA higher is now threatening you into failing?” Kun asks with a teasing grin.
“Yes. So can you two stop smiling like that? I’m already on the verge of ripping my hair out.” Doyoung tells them in an exasperated voice.
“I wanna see that happen,” Ten chuckles, “But on the serious note, who are you tutoring? Maybe I know who it is and ask them to make it a little easier for you.”
That’s the thing about Kun and Ten. They might be the first people to tease him daily, but they also have his back, anytime.
Doyoung shakes his head, “Mr. Jeon told me he’ll email me, but it’s been two days, and there’s still no update.” Doyoung rests his forehead on the table. A hand quickly follows and pats his head gently. He guesses it might be Kun’s.
“If the person will be difficult, tell us,” Kun says softly but with conviction, “We’ll find a way to help you.”
“Thank you.” Doyoung looks up to see his friends who are looking back at him.
“Don’t cry on us now,” Ten rolls his eyes playfully, “Just focus on being a good tutor because I have a good feeling there’s another catch to that.”
Good day, Doyoung!
I’m sorry if there was a delay as I had to choose someone who will really need your help. After careful deliberation, I have decided that you will be tutoring Mr. Yuta Nakamoto from Sports Science and Nutrition. For further details, e.g., tutorial schedule, please meet Mr. Nakamoto tomorrow at the main library, 2 pm.
I hope that this will be fruitful for both of you.
Best regards,
Mr. Jeon
Doyoung reads the email for the nth time as he walks towards the library. He comes in 10 minutes earlier than the said time, wanting to make a good impression for the sake of his grades
“Good—What’s with your face?” Winwin, who is at the desk, greets him, “You look like you stepped on shit or something.” The said boy stifles a laugh at Doyoung’s stricken face.
“Good afternoon to you too, Winwin,” Doyoung sighs, for the millionth time since the news, “I have to tutor someone for a class since it kinda went downhill.”
“You? Failing a class?” Winwin looks at him with a shocked face, “Now that sounds impossible.”
“As much as I would like to take that as a compliment, it’s true,” Doyoung leans on the desk slightly, “Remember the class I took because everybody says it’ll be good on paper and that you don’t have to worry about attendance?”
“Yeah, Philo—For real?” Winwin lets out another shocked gasp, “Even I passed that with one attendance.”
“See?” Doyoung covers his face with his hands, “I don’t know what happened!”
“Wait, which professor did you choose?” Winwin asks before attending to a student who was returning a book.
“Mr. Jeon.”
“Man… You really fucked up with that one.” Winwin pats his shoulder once he passes by Doyoung to place the returned book on the cart.
“Why?” Doyoung asks, finally looking up at Winwin.
“He’s the new Philosophy professor everybody avoids,” Winwin tells him, “You only take his class if you actually want to learn. Didn’t I tell you to take Mr. Shin’s?”
“I was late, and his class was the only one left,” Doyoung ruffled his hair frustratedly, “Now I have to do this.”
“Well, I hope it goes well for you,” Winwin says genuinely, “Who are you tutoring? Nobody has looked for you, so I assume they’re still not here.”
“Uh…” Doyoung takes out his phone to reread the email, “Yuta Nakamoto?”
“Oh? You’ll be tutoring Yuta? Don’t worry, he’s nice.”
“You know him?”
“Yeah, we had a project with them for Dance Sports. You’ll be alright.”
“I hope so,” Doyoung looks at the clock that was situated on the wall above the main desk, “Oh, it’s already 2. I’ll go ahead.”
“Same spot?”
“Yep!” Doyoung nods, popping the “p.”
“I’ll lead him over once he arrives. Good luck!”
It wasn’t as smooth sailing as Doyoung hoped it would be. It’s 15 minutes to 3, and Mr. Nakamoto hasn’t arrived yet. Doyoung’s patience grows thinner by the second until a man, who looks like a mess, comes running towards his table.
“I’m- so-sorry,” The guy pants hard as he held on the table for support, “My coach- didn’t let us out-”
“It’s alright,” Doyoung tells him, “Sit down. I think you need to.”
“Y-yeah, thanks.” Yuta sits across from him, taking a few deep breaths before flashing him a wide grin, “Nice to meet you. I’m—” He holds out his hand for a shake but takes it back immediately once he realizes it was covered in dirt, “I’m sorry. I’m not prepared.” He says sheepishly.
“It’s alright, I’m Do—”
“Doyoung! Yeah, I know you..” His voice grew quieter towards the end.
“You know me?” Doyoung looks at him with wide eyes, “How?”
“You have that Youtube account… Where you sing….” Doyoung thought Yuta’s face grew redder, but he shakes it off with the thought it must be from whatever practice he came from.
“You know about that?”
“Yeah,” Yuta scratches his nape shyly, “My sister, Aeri, loves your covers.”
“Well, I—” Doyoung blushes slightly from that, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Yuta smiles once again before changing the topic, “Should we talk about the schedule?”
“Schedule? Ah, yes!” Doyoung nods, “What time will you be free? I’m mostly free during the weekends.”
“Would you be okay with Fridays and Saturdays? I have a class in the morning, but I can meet you up here around 4 pm,” Yuta suggests, “I promise I’ll get ready before the tutorial!”
“I think that works,” Doyoung says as he takes his belongings and places them back in his bag once again, “I have to go. I’ll see you then.”
“I— Do you need help with those?” Yuta politely asks, pointing at Doyoung’s heavy bag.
“It’s alright,” He shakes his head, “I think you should get ready to go home too.”
Doyoung groans and rests his forehead on his knees. It’s been a long day, but all he could think about was the tutorial. He looks up to his laptop and decides to just do what he’s best at, singing his stresses out.
𝅘𝅥𝅮 I just wanna make you feel okay
But all you do is look the other way
I can’t tell you how much I wish I didn’t wanna stay
I just kinda wish you were gay 𝅘𝅥𝅮
“I’m sorry this looks less formal than my other covers,” Doyoung says shyly in front of the camera, “But I hope you guys still like it. Have a great night or day, wherever you are.”
He turns off the camera and tweaks the video a bit before uploading it to his YouTube channel. That’s the other thing about Doyoung, not only was he smart, but he’s also an amazing singer. His engagement is all the proof you need—and maybe the fact that most people on his campus, including Yuta’s sister, know him through it.
Doyoung flops onto his bed, ready to end his day, hoping that everything goes well the next. Please.
Let’s just say it isn’t going as smoothly as Doyoung hoped… Unfortunately…
The following weekend, Doyoung meets Yuta, looking like he did last. Covered in sweat but this time wearing a basketball uniform. He apologizes to Doyoung and keeps his distance throughout the tutorial ( something Doyoung appreciates ). After that, Yuta comes in his tennis uniform a little more decent but still. He promises he’ll look more decent the next time since he doesn’t have classes by then. It never happens, though, because suddenly, his professor decides to pull up to class. And the cycle continues.
“Nothing is going well!” Doyoung groans loudly, head in hands as Kun gently pats his back, “How can he be this bad? I don’t mind dealing with slow learners, but he’s always late and most of the time is covered in whatever sport he’s playing!”
“Doie,” Ten calls softly, “You got to r—”
“How can I? Tell me,” Doyoung sighs in defeat, “That’s it. I’m going to fail, and I’ll be stuck for one more year. You both will be flourishing in your careers while I’ll still be a college student with a stain in his credentials because of this stupid philosophy class!”
Irrational thoughts start to run in Doyoung’s mind. The fear of failure lurks in the darkest part, slowly making its way into the light. As much as he wants to just throw everything out the window, he can’t. The more the tutorial progresses, the worse he feels.
“Doyoung, I think you’re going too fast there.” Kun looks at Ten, who shrugs, not knowing what to do for their friend too.
“How long have you been tutoring him, and how much is left?” Ten asks, “Maybe things will get better from here.”
“I’ve been tutoring him for 3 weeks, and we have a little less than a month left,” Doyoung looks at the couple with sad eyes, “You think so?”
“Well, for sure, you have to create some ground rules,” Kun notes, “You both need this. It can’t only be you who’s going to adjust.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll make sure to set rules.”
“When is your next tutorial anyway?”
“Uhm,” Doyoung looks at his wristwatch. Eyes going wide once he sees the time, “Fuck. I have to go! Bye Ten, bye Kun!” He waves off with 10 minutes to spare.
Doyoung holds onto the reception desk as he catches his breath. Taeyong, another friend of his, checks on him with a smile, “You good, Doie?”
“Oh, hey Tyong,” He greets his friend with a smile as well, “Yeah, just a little late.”
“Oh yeah!” Taeyong exclaims, “Yuta is already there.”
“He is?” Doyoung asks in surprise. That’s odd.
“Yeah, I do think it’s quite a surprise,” The older boy nods, “Go now.”
“Yeah, thanks, Tyong! See you later.” Doyoung smiles again before quickly walking to his usual spot. He finds Yuta with a girl, maybe a few years younger than them. By how it looks, she’s scolding Yuta in a hushed tone.
“I swear if you go meet Doyoung again looking like a —”
“I get it, Aeri,” Yuta sighs, “Now go do your homework. Isn’t that what you’re here for?”
“Okay, okay. You’re lucky he’s late today, and I’m here to save your ass.”
“Bye, Aeri,” Yuta pushes the younger girl away gently, “Good luck with your homework.”
“I’m watching you!” Aeri threatens while squinting.
“Now that sounds weird!” Yuta says, taken aback, “Go, now.”
“Say hi to him for me!” The younger waves as she skips toward the upper floor.
Doyoung can’t help but chuckle from the sight. He reminisces about all those times when he has gone over his brother’s wardrobe to help him look decent for school. Aeri might have sounded harsh, but it’s all sibling love at the end of the day.
“Well, you look neat today,” Doyoung chuckled as he sat across Yuta. The other blushes slightly from this.
“Uh, yeah,” Yuta admits shyly, “Aeri helped me with this.” He motions at his outfit. “I had spare time before coming here, so why not, right?”
“You look nice. Try doing that every time.”
“While we’re at that topic,” Yuta sighs, “I wanna apologize for all the time I came without looking decent. I pr—”
“You don’t need to promise,” Doyoung says, “I would like it better if you just did.” Doyoung mentally curses himself and hopes that he didn’t sound /that/ mean. As much as it has been a challenge for him, he didn’t want Yuta to think ill of the situation even if they were both forced into it.
“Yeah, right. Thanks, Doyoung.”
“Let’s start?” Doyoung asks with a smile to ease the environment.
“Yeah, let’s do it.” Yuta nods, a little more relaxed.
“Why did you even take this class?” Doyoung asks out of the blue. There are 2 more weeks before finals, and they are back in the library for more stu(dying).
They are currently sitting on a table lit by the warm glow of the setting sun. Almost everyone is here to ( or trying to ) prepare for finals. The library is buzzing with life. Faint sighing and the tapping of nervous fingers on tabletops can be heard every few minutes, but for the most part, everyone is quiet.
Yuta stops from answering the worksheet Doyoung prepared for today. He taps his pen on his temple as he thinks for a second, “Well, my mom said I could learn a lot from it.” He answers nonchalantly.
“You only took it because your mom told you?” Doyoung asks a little loudly because of shock. The librarian shoots him a warning glance, and he nods. He looks back at Yuta, still not believing his words. “Are you for real?”
“Uh-huh?” Yuta now sounding unsure because of Doyoung’s reaction, “Why? Is there anything wrong with it?”
“You do know no one takes this class… Just because?” Doyoung shakes his head to bring himself back to reality.
“Really?” Yuta tilts his head in question, “I haven’t thought about that. Then why did you take this class?”
“For my GPA,” Doyoung admits. “Gotta do what I gotta do. It’s just unfortunate—”
“—you’re now stuck with me.” Yuta says in a small voice, focusing on his worksheet instead.
“Nope,” Doyoung shakes his head with a small smile, “It’s unfortunate that I got Mr. Jeon’s class and thought I could bullshit my way through it. I didn’t expect the tutorial, to be honest, but it’s been fun.”
“You’re having fun?” Yuta asks, unsure.
“Yeah, I mean… We didn’t start on the right foot, but it’s been going well, and I think we’d both pass this exam.” Doyoung knocks on the wooden table. “Let’s not jinx it.”
“We better not.” Yuta chuckles. “Thank you, Doyoung.” He adds sincerely.
“Thank you too, Yuta. I’m glad I got to tutor you instead,” Doyoung sighs contentedly, “There could have been worse.”
“I don’t think there’s anything worse than me sweating all the fluid in my body and you having to sit through that in a centralized room.” Yuta jokes.
“Okay, you got a point there.” Doyoung lightheartedly adds.
“So you mean, Aeri, your sister, watches all my uploads?” Doyoung almost chokes on his ice cream. It’s the last day of the tutorial. Even with the cold weather, they decided to celebrate by going to the ice cream shop near campus.
“Yeah, she’d mute every sound-making thing in the house and blast your new cover in her room.” Yuta giggles at the memory.
“That—” Doyoung’s neck feels hotter, and he’s sure it isn’t just because of the muffler he’s wearing.
“Don’t worry,” Yuta smiles with ease, “Everybody in the house loves your voice. Even our dog, Rapunzel, does.”
“Wow.” Doyoung breathes out in loss of words. He’d hear people compliment his singing or tell him that they watched his new cover, but it feels new knowing more specific details like this. His Youtube career (if you can call it that) feels surreal, something very far from in the realm of touch. Some days he forgets about it. He’d be doing his own thing, then a notification pops up on his phone, and that would remind him of it. But then it would slowly go to the back of his mind as soon as real life catches on. He even neglected it as soon as the preparation for finals drew nearer.
“I’m just glad you all like it.” Doyoung finally says after snapping from his trance.
“I personally like that Billie Eilish cover,” Yuta shyly admits, “wish you were gay, yeah, that one.”
“Really? But that was one of my most unprepared covers.”
“I loved your voice, and you looked..” Yuta trails off, uncertainty fills his eyes. “You looked good. Uh, look at the time! We should go.” Doyoung blinks, thinking Yuta’s face grew redder. It must be from the cold, right?
“Yeah, we should.” Doyoung nods in agreement. He just shakes off the weird feeling in his chest as he follows Yuta out of the shop. Right now, all he should be focusing on is passing his finals, and everything will conclude at last.
“Congratulations, Doyoung,” Mr. Jeon smiles at Doyoung, his hand outstretched. They bumped into each other as Doyoung was on his way to the announcement boards.
“Thank you, Mr. Jeon,” Doyoung smiles back, shaking Mr. Jeon’s hand, “Thank you for allowing me to pass this class.”
“You deserved it. I’m just glad the tutorial went well.” Mr. Jeon replies. “And I must say, you did an amazing job. Yuta has done so much better ever since.”
“I’m happy it was fruitful for the both of us then.” Doyoung sighs contentedly.
“I’m sure you still want to see your name up on the board. Go ahead. I won’t take more of your time.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Jeon!” Doyoung waves happily.
Skipping towards the board, he feels a sense of accomplishment, but also something inside tugs in a weird way. It’s finally the day he didn’t have to think of failing his class. He could finally feel at ease. His worries are now gone. It should be, right? But as the closer he got to the announcement boards, the more his stomach felt weird.
Seeing Yuta stand in front of the board made Doyoung realize the reason.
“Hey.” Doyoung greets Yuta in a small voice. He looks at the rows of paper in search of his student number.
“Here.” Yuta taps the space upfront. Doyoung looks at it and sees his name at the 1st. “Congratulations.”
“I— Thank you.” Doyoung smiles. “How did you know that’s mine, though?”
“Saw it on your ID a few times. You did great.” Yuta finally looks at him, a smile plastered on his face.
“You did too. Mr. Jeon told me you improved a lot.”
“All thanks to you.” Yuta scratches his nape shyly. “Thanks a lot, Doyoung. You don’t know how much it helped me.”
“It’s a collaborative effort, Yuta. Give yourself credit too.”
Yuta nods, “I guess this is it.”
“Huh?” Doyoung asks, confused.
“The tutorial and class are done.” In the empty hall, the faint tone of sadness in Yuta’s voice is amplified. Doyoung tries to ignore it, but his voice comes out the same.
“Oh, you’re right. I guess this is truly it.”
“I’ll see you around, hopefully.” Yuta smiles at him again. “Goodbye, Doyoung.” Yuta turns and walks away from Doyoung. And the weird feeling in Doyoung’s stomach comes back again.
“Yuta!” Doyoung shouts to stop the taller boy from walking further. Yuta turns at the call. “How about we get ice cream?”