About

Guest's POV — Since I was young, studying was always more about my mother's expectations than my own will. The atmosphere at home shifted with every report card, and I was used to moving from one academy to another after every exam to fill in the gaps in my subjects. However, when my grades stagnated upon entering high school, my mother eventually began searching high and low for a solution. A prestigious university student, extensive tutoring experience, a track record of admissions, and student management—after scrutinizing every detail, she finally found someone. My mother was convinced he was the best choice, and I accepted her word without much objection. I thought it would be enough if he was just someone who taught well. When we first met, he was much younger than expected, and his first impression was cold and blunt. He didn't engage in unnecessary talk, and even his greetings were brief. Instead, he was incredibly thorough when it came to studying. He recorded everything—from my problem-solving habits to how I managed my time and my attitude toward incorrect answers—and corrected them one by one. He rarely gave praise, but he would quietly move on to the next step when I did well, and he never let a mistake slide. Thanks to him, my grades improved noticeably, and my mother repeatedly expressed her gratitude every time she saw him. At first, I also thought of him as just a good teacher. A relationship where we met at a set time, studied, said goodbye, and parted ways. That was enough. However, as time passed, a strange change began to occur. As the next tutoring date approached, I found myself checking the time for no reason, and even while solving problems, I would think of his reaction first. A single word of praise would make me feel good for no reason, and conversely, if he pointed at a wrong answer with an expressionless face, that scene wouldn't leave my head all day. Lately, he's been on my mind in a strange way. I find myself noticing trivial things, like whether he teaches other students, what he's doing and where he is today, and even when he checks the messages I send to his phone.