Chapter 1: My new tutor

 

Guanlin POV

 

Today is the first match of the basketball’s season. I worked really hard to be in team and finally my hard work will be recompense.

 

The team and I join the gymnasium and start of routine of warm up before the match. During I do my stretching and before doing some dribble and shots, the captain came to me to talk a bit

 

“Not too much nervous for the first game?” He asks me while joining to my stretching routine.

“To be honest with you captain, I am, it always pressures me a lot the first game of the season”

“Don’t over stress about it too much, you’re our ace player and it’s not for nothing” He taps behind my back

“Don’t said it like that, I feel shy when people told me that”

“But I mean it, you’re one of the best three-point shooter that we had in the team” He told me

“Thank you, captain!” I said with a smile

“Don’t be so formal, just call me Minhyun.”

 

We continue to stretch together, and I decide to look at the crowd. I was going to turn around until someone catches my eyes

 

Precisely, something…

 

Not this guy…

In the middle of the crowd, I could see a banner with my name and face on it. Moreover, the person who’s holding this banner is not only the guy who doesn’t stop following anywhere I’m going. He thinks that I don’t know he’s following me, but it’s kind of hard to miss him with his personality.

 

“Go Guanlin! Do your best! Fighting!!!” I could hear him while he’s waving his banner high up in the air. I can see some people around of him annoyed by how loud he is when the game is not even started yet.

 

I shook my head, ashamed by him until my captain laughs beside me

 

“Look that we have a little fanboy over there” He chuckles

“Yeah, I know…” I sigh

“Why this reaction?” He asks me

“Well it’s a bit humiliating to see my face on a banner…” I shook my head once again

“I found that cute, don’t you find it fun to be the idol of someone”

“I guess… but he’s just… too much…” I didn’t know what to say

“Just smile at the crowd and go join us to do some shots with the team” He says while he joins the others

 

I did a small smile to the crowd and wave at them before to join him also with the others.

 

(Tomorrow)

 

Jihoon POV

 

“I can’t believe they win!” I smile while I still imagine in my head the match of yesterday, more precisely all the good play of Guanlin

“My god, get over it Jihoon, you only talk about it since yesterday…” Jaehwan sigh while trying to do the work assign in class

“I can’t help it! The hype is still there!” I smile stupidly “Don’t you find my Guanlin great yesterday?” I took his eraser and imitate Guanlin by trying to do a “three-shoot point” in the pencil case, but failed miserably and went at the ground…

“Go search for it” He glares at me with big eyes

“Sorry” I pout while reaching for the eraser and put it on the desk.

“Can you just stay still and do the work that the teacher assigns us to do?” He asks while trying to resolve the equations sheet that the teacher gave us to do during the rest of the class.

“If I help you to complete the equation, will you let me talk about Guanlin for the rest of the class

“Anything to be done with these dumb equations!” He was starting to pull his hairs because he couldn’t understand anything

“Okay! Give me the pencil!” I ask

 

He calls forfeit and give me the pencil and the sheet. I look at the sheet and told my brain to stop thinking about Guanlin for a moment and turn on my Einstein mode and put my glasses.

 

After over 15 minutes, I put my pencil down and take off my glasses.

 

“Done!” I said proudly while giving him the paper

 

Jaehwan, still shocked by how fast I could resolve a sheet full of equation, took the paper and revised to see if my answers seem right

 

“How can you be so smart but do stupid things at the same time…” Jaehwan was still shocked.

“Maths is fun!” I simply said

“It isn’t fun when you don’t understand nothing!”

“Whatever, now that we are done… Did you see how Guanlin was…”

“Ahh this guy!” Jaehwan close his eyes while pinching his forehead while I talk some more of the exploits of Lai Guanlin

 

(Lunch time)

 

During the lunch time, I’m a tutor for the Math subject. The tutoring programs is a new project at school created by a teacher where another student teaches another one about a specific subject during lunch and/or afterschool depending on the choice of the both student. Some studies show that students understand more easily when its being teaches by one of his pairs. Moreover, since Jaehwan is occupied with the Student Council, he told me to use my good brain by doing something productive than stalking Guanlin’s Instagram. The problem is there’s not a lot of students who are willing to spend their free time to study on a subject that they don’t like or have some difficulties and because of that, some tutors decide to quit or come less often, tiring to wait after a student coming. Since I don’t have nothing better to do (Beside eating with Jaehwan when he doesn’t have student’s Council duties or looking the basketball Team training), I don’t mind staying here and wait. I know there will be a student who will come, and I could be useful!

 

I was looking on my phone until I heard the door open, I quickly turn around, but got disappointed when it was only the teacher of the classroom and also the creator of the tutoring project.

 

“Hi Jihoon!” He greets me

“Hi Mr. Do” I welcome him back, I look at the time on my phone. “You’re a bit late…” I said

“Ah yeah…” He laughs softly “Just some basketball stupid kid who block the way of the corridor as always…” He sighs

 

Mr. Do, or Do Kyungsoo if you prefer, is the Math teacher of the school. He seems severe and scaring at first, always complaining about student of our days (Especially with any student who in the sport team since he thinks it’s a waste of time when they could study instead running after a ball), but he’s always willing to help his students in needed. He was searching for some students to be volunteered in his tutoring project and asks me if I could be part of it.

 

“Is there any student coming over today?” He asks

“Not for the moment…” I told him

“Ah, I see…” He only sighs

 

Since it’s a new project implement in school, it’s only temporary if it worked or not. That’s why Mr. Do has to use his own classroom since the school didn’t give him a room for his tutoring session.

 

“You don’t have to stay here if you have something better to do…” Mr. Do puts his head on his desk, losing faith of his program.

“Why would I? I have nothing better to do today.” I smile

“Ah… If only all the student could be just like you” He smiles softly at me

“Besides, the basketball team don’t have training today, so I don’t have nothing else to do!” I told him

“Ah...” He returns his head on his desk “Always the basketball team who causing me problems…”

 

I could sense he’s not a big fan of the basketball team… I don’t know why! Everyone loves Lai Guan- I mean, the Basketball team!

 

Guanlin POV

 

“Coach, did you want to see me?”

 

Earlier today, the coach told me to pass at his office during Lunch time.

 

“Yeah, take a seat” He told me

 

I take a seat and wait for him to talk

 

“I won’t turn around the hoop and go for a clean score.” He laughs at his own joke

“Hm… What?”

 

Coach Park, or Park Chanyeol, always use weird reference of basketball to explain, but it’s more confusing than helpful sometimes…

 

“Whatever, there’s a certain teacher who complain about your academics grade to me the other day.” He explains

“But I don’t understand coach, all my grades are good, and teachers love me!... Well, all beside- “

“Maths” He cuts me off

 

Freaking Mr. Do always behind my back!!!

 

“Coach! I can explain it! Mr. Do never like anyone in his entire life! Always that grumpy face whenever he teaches! That’s why he gives me bad grades” I say

“I know! He may be small as a gnome, but he’s bites like a player over 180cm who blocking our way to the basketball net!” He laughs again at his own reference that’s make no sense

“Coach!” I remind him of the situation

“Ah yeah…” He coughs and use his serious tone “He may be severe, but I know he wouldn’t fail a student because he doesn’t like him, as scary he is…” Coach Park shivers just thinking how Mr. Do come at his office to complaints about me the other day

 

Poor Coach…

 

“I swear he did it because I did fall asleep in his class one time, so he gets his revenge!”

“I would like to say you’re right but…” Coach Park open one of his drawers and put out a file with some sheets inside.

 

He opens the file and shows me one of my tests that I did in math with a big “D” written on it

 

“Can you explain it” He asks

“Oh, come on, this is the only test that I get a bad grade!” I defend myself

“Okay… And this one?” He shows me another one with a “D” on it

“I forgot to study! It can happen sometimes!”

“And this one?”

“That one was really hard! I swear that none of the question was taught in classes!”

“And can you explain me what happen with this one?” He shows me a last test with a big “F” on it this time.

 

I scratch my head, ashamed to explain it

 

“So?” He’s waiting for my excuse

“That was the time that I felt asleep in his class…” I said softly

“Guanlin…” He sighs

“But I’m trying my best!”

“Trying your best is not enough!” He screams at me “Listen, as the trainer of the basketball team, I have to make sure that all of my student success academically at school and that they don’t get distract by basket.” He explains with a serious tone “Mr. Do could report your bad grade and declare your basketball activity is a distraction for your academics and force me to get you out of the team.”

“You can’t let him do that!” I panic that I could be rejected in the team because of a stupid subject!

“I know! That’s why I told him to not run after the ball too quickly and think about another strategy for a win-win situation for the both team!” He returns in his reference that makes no sense.

“And what is your “strategy” Coach?” I ask him

“I decide to put your name in the tutoring program”

“WHAT?! What about the training session?” I remind him

“Listen kid, Mr. Do traps me in a corner because of your bad grades.” He sighs while not believing he caught traps by a person who’s smaller than him “So until Mr. Do calm himself and stop threaten me to report you, I prohibit you to come to the official training of the team.” He declares to me

“For how long?” I sigh, defeated

“Until Mr. Do will be satisfied of your grade…” He told me, defeated also

 

DAMN YOU MR. DO!!!

 

Jihoon POV

 

“Don’t be so depress Mr. Do, I swear there will be someone who will coming soon” I say while trying to stop Mr. Do knocking his head on his desk

“There’s no hope, my tutoring program will shut down before even start it” He sighs, stopping hitting his head on his desk.

 

I return to my place to finish my lunch until I heard some knocking again

 

“I thought you will stop hitting yourself Mr. Do!” I turn around

“He wasn’t me this time” Mr. Do was surprised to hear some knocks also

 

We wait a moment a realised it comes from the door!

 

“I’m -argh- coming!” I said but I chocked with my sandwich while trying to speak, so before to open the door, I took a sip of my juice and I walk to the door.

 

When I open the door, I couldn’t believe what my eyes are seeing

 

“Is it the tutoring program?” the person asks while looking at the class number at the door

 

Guanlin? The Lai Guanlin?!

 

Guanlin finally look at me and have the same reaction as me!

 

The shock is too much too handled that I spit all my juice on him!