episode_0055

After some time had passed, I finally regained my senses and quickly began cleaning the house.

I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but just in case, if Minjeong were to enter the room of the man, it would be a big problem in many ways, so I needed to focus on organizing it carefully.

Especially the state of this bed. I really need to start putting a trash can next to the bed from now on. It’s serious even from my perspective.

As I cleaned from the visible areas, I started a thorough cleaning of the house, and in the process, I found items that could become the man’s dark history.

I had seen this superhero costume before at an amusement park, but receiving it now brought back a flood of memories from my childhood.

I tried it on for old times’ sake, but as expected, the size was oversized. It’s a shame…

Wait, was that a spider web coming out of here? Shoo, shoo…

Anyway, Minjeong arrived around 2 pm, a little past lunchtime. Thankfully, I had finished cleaning meticulously even while doing other things, so I didn’t show any signs of stress. It was truly fortunate.

“Excuse me.”

Since I had welcomed Minjeong into the house before, I didn’t feel any reluctance this time. Moreover, Minjeong was practically like my little sister, so there was no need to feel awkward.

But judging by the fact that she came running in her school uniform, it seemed like she had come straight to our house without going home first. How could a high school senior leave school at this time?

I had many questions, but when I saw Minjeong taking out a mock exam paper to assess her skills, I felt the urge to ask her various things.

It’s important to know what level her skills are at. However, if I find out how much I, who didn’t study at all in middle and high school, know, I’m worried that my dignity as an older sister might crumble. Maybe it was never there to begin with.

But can I do anything about it? I have to try and see how to study from where and what to do first.

“Sister, don’t sit with your legs crossed on the chair. It looks bad even to others.”

“Oh, sorry.”

It seemed like I had focused for a long time, as an old habit unconsciously resurfaced. After quickly correcting my posture at Minjeong’s reminder, I started working on the exam paper she handed me once again.

I started it as if it were a real exam, even setting a timer, but Minjeong seemed bored waiting and started looking around my room.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a big deal, but it was hard not to be concerned when she pointed out the dust on the bed or asked why I didn’t have a photo album.

But the most surprising thing was when she said, “You got better scores than I expected, what happened, sister?”

The fact that I solved the problems without any difficulty, contrary to what I had expected. In conclusion, I scored 3rd or 4th grade in all subjects.

I, who was a stubborn person, couldn’t believe how I got these scores. It turned out that this exceptional brain was not incapable of studying, but rather chose not to. I realized that I had the memory and experience of Jueunhye to solve the problems.

Thinking back, Jueunhye was not incapable of studying, but rather chose not to. She didn’t receive any special treatment at home, and even though she had no friends, she was studying alone in a corner. Jueunhye might have known that even if she got good scores, she wouldn’t be liked at home, and there was a possibility of becoming a dangerous talented child.

As I accepted that Jueunhye had managed well on her own, I scratched my head, trying to figure out what expression to make to Minjeong, who was puzzled by the graded exam paper I had finished.

Furthermore, Minjeong not only suggested studying for next year’s college entrance exam, but also insisted on preparing for this year’s exam, scheduling study sessions twice a week.

In the past, I might have thrown a fit, questioning the need to go to such lengths for studying, but now, with a clear goal in mind and a mind that doesn’t ache just from looking at textbooks, there was no reason to refuse.

Yes, I need to start working hard from now on.

“Your grades and the fact that you haven’t studied at all made me think it would be serious, but this seems okay.”

“Really? Can we really relax with this level?”

“What are you talking about? I said it seems okay, not that you can relax. We’ve decided to aim for this year’s college entrance exam instead of next year’s, so we have about six months left. We’ll have a lot of assignments and study intensely during that time, so you need to be prepared, okay?”

“Ugh, got it…”

I was mentally prepared in my own way, but feeling the pressure of being told to study intensely so openly was inevitable. And on top of that, Minjeong was dividing up her time to help me like this, so I had to follow along without any complaints.

“Alright, that’s it for today’s lesson.”

“Already done?”

“I brought the test papers today just to assess your current level. Make sure to write down the correct answers in your error notebook. Got it?”

“Okay~ Got it.”

“And fix your posture!”

As I hurriedly adjusted my posture at Minjeong’s reminder, she nodded once and put the graded test papers into her bag, looking at me with a tense expression.

I wanted to show off the high score I received for the first time in my life to her, but I had to reluctantly hand over the test papers to Minjeong, as she insisted that we needed to identify where I was struggling.

*

After that, Minjeong kept her promise and visited me twice a week to teach me.

According to Minjeong, my current level was above average, and with further improvement, entering the top ranks was definitely possible, which motivated me to study even harder.

I don’t know if Minjeong has a talent for teaching or if my current level of understanding is high, but her teaching style seemed to suit me well.

However, when she showed up wearing glasses and declared that she would adopt a more formal teacher-like demeanor, I was so overwhelmed by her intense teaching methods that I had to beg her not to do that again.

Despite the challenges, I was grateful to have someone like her who could heal my exhausted body and mind.

“Wake up, mister~”

As usual, I woke him up in the same bed every morning.

The bed sheets, damp from the two of us, the scattered remnants of last night, our bodies intertwined…

I saw these scenes every day, but I was grateful to the man who brought me this peace, and my heart was filled with gratitude.

“It’s a day off today… Let’s stay like this a little longer…”

As I poked his cheek, urging him on, he frowned and covered his face with the blanket.

In the past, I would have tried to wake him up without exception, even on a day off, but since he had pushed himself too hard yesterday, I decided to let him off the hook today.

After a quick shower, I checked the time on my smartphone and realized it was already 9 o’clock.

I didn’t know when he would wake up, but we had to eat breakfast, so I needed to start preparing now.

“My person can’t go hungry even for a meal.”

Hastily tying on an apron, I heated up the stove to prepare breakfast.

Even though I was only wearing an apron over my bare skin at the moment, it didn’t matter since I was at home.

Oh, but why did I measure my finger with a tape measure yesterday?

Even when I asked what he was doing, he didn’t give me any answer… He had such a poker face that I was curious about his intentions.

“Joo Eun-hye, what are you doing right now?”

Lost in thought while flipping Vienna sausages on the frying pan, I suddenly heard the voice of the man from behind.

“What, what am I doing? Can’t you see? I’m preparing breakfast.”

Startled by his gentle voice, I turned around to see the man looking at me with an unusual gaze, sending his eyes all over my body.

“What kind of… seduction are you planning from the morning? Why are you dressed like that?”

“Seduction? What are you talking about… eek?”

Unintentionally lowering my gaze, I blurted out a foolish voice at the sight of the man’s disheveled appearance in the morning. And to top it off, it seemed like he hadn’t even washed up, judging by the bird’s nest on his head.

“You did so much yesterday and it wasn’t enough? Then, shall we start a bit earlier today?”

“What in the… uh, wait, mister! I’m in the middle of cooking… hehe♡”

Suddenly, the man hugged me from behind, pressing his body against mine. Thanks to that, I almost dropped the spatula I was holding, but even though I asked him not to touch me while I was cooking, the man didn’t care and started exploring my body.

I had no intention of this happening, but before I knew it, I found myself facing him directly, allowing him to kiss me in a special morning kiss that was different from usual.

The Vienna sausages ended up getting burnt completely.