Hello world, good morning. I woke up seconds ago and realized how good it was to sleep. What was it, four days? That was how long I got stuck in a loop, right?
I never had any rest back then. Of course, my body never needed to since my energy was reset, too. The thing is, my mind didn't get the same treatment. It went running all through those loops.
It was good to sleep after that.
Buzz.
Phone.
It's Sohee saying good morning over a text.
Buzz.
< See you soon, Sunbae~ >
Ah yeah, that's right. I'm a tutor now. My class starts at three in the evening until five at the end of school.
My heart is jumping in excitement. I got to meet with five cute high school girls again. This is a dream for many men!
At least that's what I have to tell myself.
I don't think my heart is exactly jumping for joy, especially since these voices are screaming in the back of my mind.
— Jump off. End it. The loops. What of the loops? It happens because of the girls. The loop will break you! Run!
Run where? I can't exactly phase through worlds. I am stuck in this one now. I am stuck with one purpose. My feet can't outrun them. You don't know what you're saying, so just stay there and be quiet.
I'm the one suffering here.
I check my phone once again, and it's already two in the evening. I slept that long? Or did I stay in my bed for hours since I woke up?
It's time to stop talking to myself and get working.
*
3 days later
*
I don't feel like teaching today.
Or any other days. Come to think of it, I actually haven't done any teaching here. I just showed up.
"Sunbae, may Shizuka ask a question?"
I lift my chin off the table.
In my sight right now is Shizuka, her long, dark, silky hair glossing in the evening light. What does she want now? Why did she stop being so busy with her laptop? Is she going to torture me again with clever questions? She's been doing that since day one, hoping to trap me in her schemes.
I can understand that. We never explained how I became the tutor, even after she voted to make sure I can't. She must've been really curious how I did that.
Or just wanted to see if she could get me to admit it.
She raises another hand now, "Sunbae, Shizuka is asking a question."
"Sorry, Shizuka, I'm quite busy."
"Exactly doing what, Sunbae?"
I rub my eyes, glancing at the spot my forehead left an imprint. "Waiting for Sohee."
"Is Sunbae waiting for Sohee again so she could be the one who starts giving lessons again for today?"
For today? You think so low of me. What do you think I am, your tutor? I will make her do it every day if I can. And she is willing, too. Sohee's just the best. Looking at her performance these past few days, she's a better fit than I could be if you want someone actually to teach you stuff.
But Shizuka, you don't. You never paid attention to her lessons. And then when asked a question, you never got the answer wrong once. Sohee can only sigh and continue talking. In the end, I'm the one who learnt few things.
Why are you here? Isn't the special class supposed to help certain people in the high school with their studies? You clearly don't need help.
Sohee told me you failed every one of your tests with a zero. The only way you could get that was if you knew every answer to the question. You actually can excel in your studies, can't you?
And to make it worse, you're the only girl who comes here. Someone who is clearly too smart for me to teach you nonsense.
That's right, the three other girls (those are Nelly, Varrie, and Claire) never once stepped into the class again.
Seems they got the news.
Varrie is nowhere to be seen in this school anymore. She just disappeared after the last time I saw her.
Nelly, well, she told Sohee she needed more time to prepare herself.
And if we're talking about Carrie, no one is surprised she didn't come.
"Sunbae, what is it that made you so deep in your thoughts?"
"I was explaining a few things to a local mind reader."
"Do Sunbae actually know any mind readers?"
"I know one. I read my mind, so there's that."
We keep silent for a moment…
"Sunbae, Shizuka would like for you to teach her."
There it is… seeing that Sohee's not around, she must have seen this as an opportunity. To expose the fraud that I am.
Can I talk my way out of this?
"I figured you'd appreciate a break, Shizuka," I clear my throat, "I don't feel like giving you a lesson today, and you don't have to waste your time listening and distracting from your… work. So this is a win-win."
She puts her laptop in its case. "Shizuka forgot to charge her laptop for last night. Now she has a lot of time."
"You could sleep."
"Shizuka only closed her eyes at night."
"I could sleep."
"Then Sunbae is not a tutor anymore. I will send a picture of that to the school."
"I figured you had sent a lot of my picture to them already," and I am still here. The school doesn't listen to Shizuka, thank god for that.
She smiles, "Then Shizuka is sending it to Sohee."
Sure, sure, send it to her… hold on now. Maybe don't. I had had enough of her passively asking me questions about why I don't take charge of giving you a lesson. Don't make it worse.
"Fine, fine… don't send it to her, I don't want to break her heart and stuff."
I sigh.
"Talk as if someone got caught cheating with their wife? Is this what they call blackmail, Sunbae?"
"It is."
"Do Sunbae really think Sohee won't like you anymore if she saw those pictures?"
"Nah."
We both nod to that.
Sohee is seriously in love with me, and I can tell. She's going to be mad at me for sure, but it won't last for five minutes before she secretly sniff at the smell of me.
Shizuka opens her black, sleek-looking phone and… does something on it.
"To let Sunbae know, Shizuka just sent a lot of Sunbae dozing off pictures to her."
"Well then, the secret's out, I'll just doze off now."
"But didn't Sunbae say 'fine' to teach Shizuka?"
"And you…" fuck. She never promised not to send it. Sigh.
There's that calm smile that says, 'I got you where I wanted you.'
I can't just ignore her now. I think she has more plans if I did that. I have no idea what they are.
But I know what her plan is if I actually do what the school expected me to do here. Maybe this is the right choice. I just don't have to… get caught in her trap.
I check my phone. Sohee has sent me a schedule of lessons for each day.
Today is Thursday. It's Biology.
I hope I there's no loop today.