Sohee said a lot to the point that I have stopped listening, just like the girls. This situation reminds me of a mother desperately trying to tell her rebellious daughters to like their new stepfather.
These girls loathe the idea of me being their tutor. Is it truly just because I'm a man? That simple? No, don't think so. Humans are not that simple.
After a lot of words, Sohee touches her forehead and grunts. Cute. "Look here," she starts, now with a different tone than before, "we have a procedure that we agreed on, right? I think Sunbae, just like any other candidate, deserves to have a proper introduction with you four. We're wasting Sunbae time if it stays like this."
Wasting my time? No, no, no. In fact, take as long as you need. I kind of need time to process everything around me anyway.
Shizuka raises her hand and winks at me, "Shizuka will start."
Reluctantly, Sohee nods.
"Do Sunbae think Shizuka is pretty?"
"Yes."
Sohee chokes.
"Would Sunbae go out with Shizuka?"
Without a doubt. I almost answered that, but since Sohee is now staring sharply at me, I guess I'll hold myself back.
"Shizuka, what are these questions?"
"What does Sohee mean? Shizuka and Sunbae are getting to know each other," then to me, her black pearls. "What sort of fetish do Sunbae have?"
She licks her lips.
Sohee cuts in again, "You are supposed to talk about yourself, Shizuka."
"But everyone knows who Shizuka is. It is pretty boring to talk about that."
That sounds egoistical. But Sohee hasn't said anything about that, as if she can't deny it as truth.
"Just try…"
Shizuka shakes her head with a slight smile, "Understand, Chief. Let Shizuka try this one more time, okay, Sunbae?"
Sure.
"It's Shizuka. The Nodakas' only daughter and heir. Sunbae probably already knows that, but what Sunbae would not know is that Shizuka has little to no expectations for Sunbae— or any other candidates and past teachers. So Shizuka hoped Sunbae would also have none for Shizuka. Shizuka finished introducing herself."
Clank. She starts pressing her keyboard again.
I have to admit it, her introduction was a bit boring after Sohee censored her. I'd like to see where she would take me after asking about my fetishes. Who knows, maybe we are the same kind. But maybe that's not off the table yet. If I can just keep the conversation going…
"What are you working on?" I ask her.
The room goes quiet for a while.
"Prose of Shizukadon," she answers.
"Shizukadon?"
Sounds interesting enough.
"Shizuka-dont-want-to-tell."
Oh.
Well, I guess that's a hint for me to leave her alone.
Sohee thanks Shizuka, who never gives a reply.
And then she turns to the next person.
Nelly. Her shoulder jumps. A light seeps in through her hair and exposes a sweat rolling down the side of her face. She and I never made eye contact.
"Um. Nelly… Lois."
A desire crawls up to my heart the longer my eyes linger on her. Have you ever felt like hugging a scared rabbit? That's what I want to do to her now. But that would be sexual harassment. Probably. Still not familiar with the laws of this world.
"Thank you, Nelly." Sohee says and then looks at me as if asking for a favor, "Name is enough, right, Sunbae?"
For Nelly, Sohee isn't as strict as she was with Shizuka and the others. In fact, her tone is full of affection.
"Wait!"
Nelly yelps, like a paper tearing, surprising both of us.
"N—Nelly?"
Her voice is so small you have to lean forward to barely listen. "...more. I can tell more…"
A strong phrase for a weak voice.
Sohee sits straight up, suddenly more serious. "If you can, Nelly."
Her brown hair bobs.
A second pass… uh, a minute now.
"I'm not good at studying…"
Then more. But it never reaches my ear.
After a while, it stops. Sohee nods with a smile. "I'm so proud of you, Nelly."
I'm pretty sure Sohee heard as much as I, too. But based on her face, Nelly has done more than enough to satisfy her expectations. What's wrong with her? Is she just not good at talking? Maybe that's the case. This is the 'special class.'
Sohee's eyes move to a girl playing her game console, Varrie. She calls out to her.
"We know you're listening. If you want to keep your game for the next few weeks, you'd better start introducing yourself."
"Tch."
She slams down her console on her lap.
There's that red eyes that hated me so much.
"I told you, Sohee, m'answer should be obvious. Why do I need to go through this shit?"
"Introduce."
"Fuck. Fine."
"Watch it."
She clicks her tongue as she faces me with contempt, "Bury your ash."
"Real name," Sohee interjects.
She bites her teeth. "Varrie. Altier. If you hopin' to teach'n'stuff to me, check again with the other failures."
Well, this one is quite a character. I glance down at her game console, still flashing colorful lights. "I guess you're good at playing games."
She snickers, "A thousand times better than you'll ever be."
"What if you're wrong?" Just decided to tease her a little. She might probably be right, though. Don't remember calling myself much of a gamer. But again, I'm in the process of regaining my old memory, I wouldn't call myself not first.
"Hah, I'm never wrong."
Sohee chimes in, "Your answer sheet last week was mostly wrong."
Her dragon eyes widen, and her hand starts to go about anywhere, "Tha, that's differen'. Studies're like usin' your mind 'n stuff. Gaming's all about experience and skills. Both're not the same."
"That's a bad argument," Sohee says.
Varrie grunts, "I— I did my intro. I'm going back."
She brings up the game console to her face as if wearing it like a mask.
That is the end for Varrie.
Then now to the last…
"Claire."
The silver-haired girl. Ah, so her name is Claire. She is still sleeping, though. Even through all that noise? That's amazing. She must be so tired from something.
"Varrie. Can you wake up Claire for a second?"
She puts down her game, "You crazy? She'd kill me!"
"No, she won't. Do it, you're the closest."
She curses silently. Her hand slowly reaches to shake the silver-haired girl's shoulder. Once. Twice.
And the third time. Hard.
Awake. Her eyes opened.
Varrie quickly wears her mask, acting like she wasn't the one who woke her up.
The silver-haired girl doubles, looking around the room, as if trying to find something— her silver eyes lock on me. Oh, hello. Can she see? Usually, people with those kinds of eyes are blind, right?
Her face bears no emotion. She might be the only girl out of the four who doesn't hate me. And like me, either.
She stands up, rubbing her eyes.
"Claire, this is the new candidate. Why don't you introduce—"
"Claire," she interrupts Sohee. "Name is enough, isn't it?"
The last one is more for Sohee to listen to.
She takes out a box of play cards from her white hoodie's pocket and puts it on the table, then pulls the hood and starts walking around us.
"Claire, where are you going?" Sohee asks her as soon as Claire reaches for the door's knob.
"Toilet," she turns the knob, "Put me on neutral."
Thud.
The door closed.
She is gone. For a while, probably.
"Claire is not coming back," Shizuka says, looking at me.
One rebellious daughter down.