Chapter 12

"You are pretty!"

While packing up his things, Taehyun looked up and saw Kai walking towards him, his backpack already swung over his shoulder.

"So Taehyun, do you want to hang out with the rest after school?" asked Kai when he reached Taehyun's table. 

"Well…" said Taehyun, zipping his backpack close and continued, "I would love to, but you know I have to go to Choi's house for math lessons."

"That's true…" said Kai, feeling a little dejected, "you have been so busy lately, I feel like the only time I see you is in school."

"I'm sorry, but I really need to pass math if I want to get into any kind of University or School."

"I understand, we just miss you," said Kai and gently nudged Taehyun's shoulder, making a smile appear on Taehyun's lips.

"Thanks, I will try to make time for you guys soon," said Taehyun.

"That's good," said Kai, "how are you doing in the other subjects, she is only tutoring you in math, right?"

"Yes, I'm doing okay in the other subjects, and I know I can do better if I actually make an effort, unlike what I have been doing until now." Both Taehyun and Kai chuckled, thinking about how he had been fooling around for his entire High School life.

"Is she a good tutor?" asked Kai after a short while and Taehyun nodded his head.

"She is, I enjoy our sessions," said Taehyun with a huge smile on his face.

"But she is so horrible." The voice of Yeonjun made both the boys turn around in surprise.

"Where did you come from?" asked Taehyun while Yeonjun entered the classroom.

"From the hallway?" said Yeonjun, stating the obvious and making Taehyun roll his eyes, "but seriously, Taehyun, I can hear you when you're getting tutored by my sister, and to me it sounds like she is being very harsh."

"No, it's not that bad," replied Taehyun while Kai followed along in the conversation from the background, "I'm a horrible student so she has to be harsh." Yeonjun shook his head and let out a sigh.

"I'm telling you, Kai, either this boy is crushing on my sister or he's too kindhearted for this world." Taehyun immediately let out a nervous laughter, trying hard to think of some way to change the subject.

"Anyways, I should get going," said Taehyun, diverting his eyes from Yeonjun and instead focusing on Kai, "Kai, let's hang out soon, I'll figure something out." Taehyun quickly swung his backpack over his shoulder and left the classroom, Yeonjun running after him while shouting:

"Wait up, let's cycle home together."

***

After they reached the house and parked their bicycles, Taehyun and Yeonjun both went inside and walked up the stairs, whereafter they parted ways, Yeonjun walking into his bedroom and closing the door behind him, Taehyun staying outside Yoo Jin's bedroom door, gently knocking on it before entering.

"Oh, you're here," said Yoo Jin and got up from her bed where she had been sitting, scrolling through her social media on her phone. She wasn't wearing sweats today. Instead she was dressed in a pair of light blue denim pants and a black shirt with flowers on it. Taehyun had been noticing this change in appearance since a week ago. He was wondering if maybe the fact that she was tutoring him, gave her some motivation to put on actual clothes instead of her sweats. Either way, Taehyun didn't mind what she wore, she looked equally pretty in whatever clothes she wore. 

"What are you doing over there? Go sit down and take out your school books," said Yoo Jin, who was getting impatient with Taehyun.

"Ah, yes Noona," said Taehyun while he walked towards the table, "I will find my books, but before that, I have something I need to settle with you."

"Something you need to settle with me?" asked Yoo Jin with a question mark written all over her face. Taehyun just looked at her with a smirk, before he reached into his bag and took out a small green book with the words 'Republic of Korea' written on it.

"What is this? Are you going abroad or what are you trying to tell me by showing your passport?" asked Yoo Jin, still as confused as before.

"No, I'm not going anywhere," said Taehyun and shook his head, "but I need you to find your passport too."

"Why?"

"Just… can you do it? For me?" Taehyun looked at Yoo Jin with eyes wide open, his pupils dilated while he looked directly at her with an expression impossible to say no to.

"Alright," said Yoo Jin while Taehyun did a little victory dance.

"There you go," said Yoo Jin after laying her passport on the table next to Taehyun's, and he immediately reached out and opened it, making Yoo Jin look in horror.

"No, don't look, my picture is horrible!" said Yoo Jin and tried to retrieve the passport, but Taehyun just took a step back.

"You look fine, but it's not your picture I'm interested in," said Taehyun while looking through until his eyes found the thing they searched for and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"Yes! I knew it! I knew it!" said Taehyun while hopping up and down, making Yoo Jin eye him in confusion.

"What? What is it?" Taehyun turned around the passport and pointed at the numbers showing her height.

"176 cm," said Taehyun and then took his own passport, holding it next to hers to compare, "I'm taller than you!" Yoo Jin examinated the two passports closely until a sigh left her mouth.

"Yes, by 1 cm," she said, "you're only 177 cm!"

"No, nuh uh! You are hereby forbidden to ever refer to my height as 'just' or 'short' or anything of that sort, since you are officially shorter than me." Yoo Jin stared at the boy in front of her, trying to think of something clever to say, but in the end, all she could do was reach out and grab her passport.

"Alright, alright," she said after taking back the passport, "are we going to study or are we going to play around all day?"

"I would really prefer to play around," said Taehyun, his smile still showing from his victory.

"I'm sure you would, but if that's the case, I would advise you to go to Yeonjun's room," said Yoo Jin coldly, "if you want to stay here, then find your books." Taehyun seemed to realize there was no time for him to celebrate and he finally put his passport back into his bag and took out his books instead.

"Hm…" Yoo Jin said while looking at Taehyun's books, standing right behind him while he sat on the chair in front of the desk, "where were we?" Taehyun hated when she stood behind him, he couldn't focus. All he wanted was to turn around every second so he could look at her. Suddenly, while Yoo Jin was still trying to remember what subjects they had went over already, Taehyun thought of an idea.

"Noona," said Taehyun and turned around, being met by her ever so beautiful eyes, "I learned a new card trick!"

"I am not surprised," said Yoo Jin while sighing and shaking her head, "but there is no time for play, turn around and focus on your studies." Taehyun did as she said and diligently listened while Yoo Jin went over the topic they finished the session with last time. While trying hard to remember the things he learned, Yoo Jin looked at the boy struggling in front of her and she eventually let out another sigh.

"Why don't I go over it again?" Taehyun looked at her and said in an apologetic voice:

"Sorry."

After going over everything, Yoo Jin gave Taehyun a few assignments to help him remember the formulas better, and while he was trying to work out the problems, Yoo Jin stepped back and sat down on her bed, giving him some space.

The numbers seemed to jump around on the paper and Taehyun was getting more and more frustrated by every minute passing. He wanted to solve everything quickly and make Yoo Jin proud, but he couldn't wrap his head around it. 

After a while, Taehyun turned his head to find Yoo Jin resting on her bed, her eyes focused on her phone, not even noticing Taehyun having stopped studying. She looked really calm sitting there and Taehyun couldn't help but notice how beautiful her side profile was. Her small pointy nose and her plumb lips were even more noticeable from this angle. 

Feeling tired from focusing all his energy on the math problems, Taehyun's hand started sketching the outline of Yoo Jin's face without him even realizing. The feeling of drawing something allowed his head to rest for a little while, the sound of every stroke on the paper creating a calm sensation in his chest. While working on the outline of Yoo Jin's pointy nose, Taehyun looked up from his drawing and turned his head towards Yoo Jin, only to be filled with horror when she stared right back at him.

"You don't look like someone who is working on his math problems," said Yoo Jin when she saw the "caught-in-the-headlights" look in Taehyun's eyes and she quickly got up from the bed and walked over to Taehyun who was frantically trying to cover up his small sketch at the bottom of his notebook.

"What are you doing?" asked Yoo Jin and looked at the boy who had a very suspicious look on his face, "are you just drawing on your notebook instead of doing the problems?" Yoo Jin grabbed Taehyun's hand and moved it away, revealing the small sketch of her own side profile, making her eye wide in surprise.

"You… drew me again…" said Yoo Jin while she kept staring at the sketch, "why… I mean… you must be the type of person who just draws whatever is in front of him… that… must be the only explanation…"

"No!" said Taehyun immediately, "it's because you are really pretty. That's why, everytime I look at you, I just want to draw you." Taehyun felt both his cheeks heat up after finished his last sentence, but he still didn't look away from Yoo Jin. He had to take some changes if he wanted to win Yoo Jin's heart, at least that's what Eric had told him.

"Ah… I see what you are trying to do…" said Yoo Jin after staying silent for a long time, "but that's not going to work on me, no if you think flattery can get you out of studying, think again, magic boy." Taehyun let out a sigh.

"That's not-"

"Did you finish the problems?" asked Yoo Jin, interrupting Taehyun before he could finish his sentence.

"No, I will finish them now."

"Good." Yoo Jin stayed next to Taehyun while he continued working on the problems she gave him. The space next to the small sketch was soon filled with formulas and equations, but even still, all Yoo Jin's eyes seemed to linger on was the sketch. 

Was it because he was left handed? Yoo Jin remembered how she once read that left handed people were more artistic and creative, but she didn't know if it was really true. No matter what, Taehyun surely was talented, it was way too obvious to see when looking at the sketch. It was small and simple, but Yoo Jin was still impressed by the amount of details he had managed to incorporate in the short amount of time he had used on it. She suddenly felt extra self-conscious, looking at the sketch of herself, subconsciously touching her nose as she looked at the drawing. Was it really that pointy?

Yoo Jin suddenly noticed Taehyun's eyes on her and she quickly removed her hand and cleared her throat.

"Are you done?"

"I am." Yoo Jin nodded and started looking through the problems.

"But just so you know," said Taehyun and Yoo Jin looked up for a second, "it wasn't flattery. Noona, you're really pretty!" 

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, watching Taehyun doing his best to win over Yoo Jin's heart. It's not an easy task, but it seems like Yoo Jin is getting affected. What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below!

Remember to be careful in this day and age. Keep your distance, wash your hands and stay safe. While Taehyun is working hard on winning over Yoo Jin's heart, let's all work hard on winning over this pandemic!

Love, Annalise~