So, I was getting desperate. Oh yes, I am. My credit cards are my life, for heaven's sake! I can't possibly allow one exam to ruin my life! No way! What I need right now is to pass that stupid exam. To pass that exam, I need a tutor. And since I'm GROUNDED and not allowed to bring a classmate or friend at home, I've only got one choice. And that's the pest.

 

Aigoo! I can't believe I'll be putting my life in the filthy hands of that stupid pest! Ugh! This is humiliating!

 

But there's a problem. And I need to solve it immediately. My time's running out already. But how can I make him say yes?

 

Hmm. I should make some plans, hehe.

 

 

PLAN 1- ACT SWEET AND KIND (that includes treating him nicely)

 

“Hi, Jiyong pest!” I greeted in my sweetest voice. “Do you want some ice cream?”

 

“I don't like sweet stuffs,” he dismissed.

 

“Oh okay,” I smiled, but I am so screaming inside already! Ugh! I wanna whack his head 'til he begs me to stop!

 

“How about juice? Water? Tea?” I tried again.

 

“Not thirsty,” he answered in his usual monotonous voice, head still bowed to his book. My smile faltered as the corners of my lips started trembling from irritation.

 

Patience, Dara. Calm down. You don't want to have wrinkles, do you? Take deep breaths. Calm down, I chanted in my mind as I left him in the mini library. Waah! I wanna kill him! I so wanna kill him right now! Grr!

 

 

I pound my fists on the sink. Just keep on trying, I told myself. I tried to calm myself down and called out a maid to prepare a snack. As it was prepared, I took the well-polished, well-crafted wooden tray and went to the pest's room. Ugh! I am so not doing this! This is just a dream! A nightmare! As soon as I get what I want, I'll drop him off like a hot potato! Oh, hell yes, I will!

 

As I reached the room, I fixed my disgusted look into a delighted one. I forced my facial muscles to stretch into a smile, but I think it turned out as a grimace.

 

“I brought you some snacks!” I cheerfully said.

 

“Not hungry.”

 

He is so getting on my nerves ALREADY that I threw the tray towards his direction, but he just dodged it.

 

Gaah!

 

But I didn't surrender, of course. So, I tried being EXTRA SWEETER and KINDER already. I mean, I offered him umbrella when he's doing his gardening duties, which ended up to me doing his work. I offered to wipe his, ugh, filthy and disgusting sweat off, but he shunned me off.

 

“The answer is still NO,” he said, smirking.

 

 

PLAN 2- PESTER HIM 'TIL HE UTTER THE SWEET Y-E-S (no violence included)

 

“Oh, come on, Jiyong pest. Say yes.”

 

“Tutor me.”

 

“Tutor me.”

 

“Tutor me.”

 

I should have recorded my voice and placed the player on his room. But he could throw it away. Everywhere he goes, I follow him. Whatever he's doing didn't become a hindrance as I didn't stop saying the words: “Tutor me” over and over again. In his room, in the garden, in the bathroom, in the boy's comfort room in school, and when I say everywhere, I mean literally EVERYWHERE.

 

“The answer is still NO,” he said.

 

 

PLAN 3- PLAY WITH HIS CONSCIENCE

 

“Do you have any idea what's at cost here? Do you know what will happen to my beautiful life? I NEED MY CREDIT CARDS. They're like the air that I breathe, the very core of my being. I need them for shopping! I need to buy dresses to fulfill my beautiful body's basic needs. I need them to pay for the salon. Do you know that the hair serves as the crowning glory of girls? So I need to always treat it. I need to buy shoes, because they are really important in my life because they serve as my feet already. If I can't buy one anymore, it's like I'm crippled already. So, do you understand? Without them, I'll die in vain! Surely, your conscience can't take that, can it?” I dramatically monologue.

 

He looked up. “NO.”

 

 

PLAN 4-BLACKMAIL HIM

 

But how am I going to blackmail him when I don't have anything to blackmail him with in the first place? Ugh! I don't know any dark secrets that would put him into shame. I mean, before, I didn't really give time to get to know him better. I mean, why should I? He doesn't deserve a tiny amount of my attention, anyways.

 

He's just too. . . clean.

 

 

PLAN 5- PAY HIM BIGTIME

 

“100,000,” I said.

 

“No.”

 

“200, 000.”

 

“Still a big no.”

 

“300, 000.”

 

“Still a no. And no matter what amount you offer, it's still a no.”

 

 

PLAN 6- THREATEN TO DESTROY HIS BOOKS

 

I've only got one week left. I can't believe I wasted one precious week to convince the pest when I can easily make him say yes by threatening to destroy his books. Why didn't I think of this earlier? Ugh! I'm badly desperate already so I have no choice but to come to this last resort. If he wasn't being so stupidly stubborn and if only he'd say yes, then he can still have his precious books safe and sound. So, with one lighter on hand, I went to his room without bothering to knock. And since it wasn't locked, I just barged inside. I saw the pile of books on his table, and some on the shelves. But I didn't find him anywhere in the room. Then, my eyes darted to the closed door of the bathroom. So, I guess he's in the shower.

 

Perfect. I'll be ready when he goes out.

 

I pulled one book from the pile. Right on cue, the bathroom door open, revealing a pest in a towel wrapped around his waist. Yuck! How dare he show off his disgustingly upper body just like that? The nerve! He looked up as he was drying his equally disgusting blond hair with another towel. He raised his brows at me.

 

I took a deep breath. “You're not giving me other choice, pest. If you don't agree to tutor me, then I'll burn all of your books!” I threatened, showing him the lighter in my hand.

 

I was so sure he'd panic. I was so sure he'd go begging on his knees and I would laugh out loud at how pitiful he would look. But he surprised me. His face was blank, expressionless. It's as if he didn't understand what I said.

 

“I said, I'm going to BURN ALLOF YOUR BOOKS if you won't agree to tutor me,” I said again.

 

He shrugged. “Suit yourself,f” he said as he continued drying his hair with the towel. “Oh, watch your steps, by the way. There's a rat near your feet.”

 

I screamed at the top of my lungs and threw the book and lighter in the air. I brought my feet up as high as I can as I jumped up and down, and then went towards the pest's direction. “Rat, rat! Don't get it near me! Aigoo! Kill it!” I screamed, kicking my feet in the air as I held on to his neck. I heard him chuckle.

 

“I was just kidding,” he said. My head whipped to him and my eyes went wide as I realized that I threw myself to him and he actually caught me! He got one arm under my knees while the other was under my back. The realization hit me straight in the face.

 

“Put me down, you filthy pest!” I shrieked as I grabbed his hair and started pulling his head here and there. Accidentally, I banged his head against mine.

 

“Aww!” I heard him grunt. I suddenly felt his arms off me. I started falling down and hit the floor with a loud thud.

 

“Ouch!” I moaned as I had a hard fall. I can feel the pain vibrating on my hip. “YA! Why did you drop me just like that?!?” I thundered, trying to push myself up, but found it useless since the pain didn't even allow me to move.

 

“You banged my head with yours!” he fired. “That's it! I had enough!” he darkly said as he bent over and grabbed both of my feet, holding me by the ankle.

 

“What are you doing?!” I asked, eyes wide.

 

“Dragging you out of MY room,” he said as he started dragging me out by the ankle.

 

“YA!” I thundered. He threw me out of his room and closed the door loudly. Despite the pain, I forced myself to crawl. I can't believe I just fell into his trap again! Ugh! I pounded on his door, still sprawled on the floor. “KWON JIYONG!” I shrieked. I groaned out loud out of frustration as again, I didn't get any reply. What am I supposed to do now? I've only got one week ahead of me. “Ugh! Tutor me, please!” I shouted.

 

The door suddenly opened. Lo and behold, the pest was grinning stupidly at me. “Did I just hear you say the word please?”

 

“Of course not!” I denied. Well, I didn't say please, right?

 

Or did I?

 

The pest continued grinning. “Okay, I've got one condition, though,” he said.

 

“You're agreeing to tutor me?” I asked in disbelief. I mean, not that I'm happy but after all I went through, I never thought, just for once that he'd be agreeing just because I said please. I mean, the word PLEASE was all he ever wanted? THEN HE SHOULD HAVE SAID IT EARLIER SO I DON'T HAVE TO WASTE MY TIME DEVISING PLANS!

 

“On one condition, though,” he emphasized.

 

“But why do you have to give condi-” I started to protest.

 

“Take it or leave it,” he cut off.

 

I paused for a while, fuming. “Fine!” I burst out. “What is it?!”

 

The stupid grin was replaced by that trademark devilish smirk of his. “You have to follow EVERYTHING I say.”

 

“That's unfair! Degrading and humiliating! Why would someone like me follow someone like you?” I burst out again.

 

“Up to you,” he shrugged and was about to close his door but I stopped him.

 

“Fine, fine! We have a deal!”

 

“Good,” he said and closed the door. I stuck my tongue out at that stupid closed door of his and started rambling to myself.

 

“Stupid pest!” I mumbled darkly as I started crawling towards my room. Aigoo! My left hip really hurt. Huhuhu.