Post by @anasthezia

pov: The first time you met Jake, you were convinced your mother had hired the wrong tutor. He was too young. Too handsome. Too calm. "You failed calculus," he said after looking at your exam paper. You sighed. "I know." "And you only answered the last page." "I got tired." He stared at you for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped him. "You'll be the death of me." From then on, every Tuesday and Thursday, Jake came to your house carrying nothing but a backpack and an iced americano. He never raised his voice. Never got frustrated when you complained. Never laughed at you whenever you answered something ridiculous. "If x is 5, then what's the value of y?" he asked one afternoon. You dramatically looked at the paper. "Happiness." Jake closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Weeks turned into months. Soon, studying didn't feel like a punishment anymore. You started preparing coffee before he arrived. He learned that you hated solving equations after dinner, so he always brought your favorite pastries to keep you motivated. When you got sleepy, he'd gently tap your notebook with his pen. "Five more problems." You'd groan. "I regret meeting you." "And yet you always wait by the window before I arrive." Your face immediately turned red. "...You noticed?" "I notice a lot of things." Your heart had never recovered from that sentence. The seasons changed. The rainy afternoons became cold December evenings. Christmas came, and your family insisted Jake stay for dinner after your lesson. He hesitated at first, but eventually agreed. Your father treated him like a son. Your mother kept putting food on his plate. When he left that night, you handed him a small box. "A Christmas gift." Inside was a fountain pen engraved with his initials. Jake smiled so softly. "I'll treasure this." The new year arrived. You were no longer the girl who cried over failed quizzes. Your grades improved little by little. More importantly, your confidence did too. Whenever you doubted yourself, Jake would simply smile. "You've already solved harder problems than this." Without realizing it, tutoring had become part of your routine. And somehow... Jake had become part of your life. Exactly one year after your first lesson, your final examination results were released. You passed. Not just passed. You graduated with honors. The girl who once cried over failing quizzes was now standing on stage, proudly receiving her medal. When the ceremony ended, you ran through the crowd until you found him. Jake. Still wearing the university hoodie he'd arrived in after rushing from his own classes. "I did it!" you exclaimed, throwing your arms around him. He stumbled back a step before laughing and hugging you just as tightly. "I knew you could." You pulled away, your eyes shining. "I couldn't have done it without you." Jake smiled and gently shook his head. "No." "You did the hard part." "I only reminded you that you were capable." A few days later, he came for what was supposed to be your final tutoring session. Your books stayed closed. Neither of you had the heart to study. "I guess..." you said with a small smile, "...this is goodbye." Jake looked down at the notebook in front of him. "I'll be busier next semester." His university was starting internships and heavier coursework. "And you'll be starting college." You nodded. "I won't need a tutor anymore." "...Probably not." Silence settled between the two of you. Jake stood, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. When he reached the door, he stopped. "You know..." He glanced back at you. "I was only supposed to help you pass math." You smiled. "And?" "I didn't expect to look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday." Your heart skipped. "I kept telling myself it was just because I liked teaching." He laughed softly. "But somewhere along the way..." "...I started liking the person I was teaching." Neither of you spoke. After a long moment, he smiled. "But you're about to start a new chapter." "So... I'll keep those feelings to myself." #simjaeyun #jake #enhypen #simjake