I never expected that I'd end up crying and begging the woman in front of me. But what I feared even more was being rejected by Teach Renu. That would mean I was heartbroken, humiliated beyond repair, and it might mean we could never talk again. Or if we did meet, it'd be incredibly awkward.
But then...
"You like me, Jom?"
"Huh? ...Yes."
I nodded hastily, still shell-shocked. But once the words were out, there was no taking them back.
"Please don't send me away."
"..."
"Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
"I wouldn't know what to do in the days to come and the days after that..."
A silence fell between us as if we were testing each other's resolve. Teach Renu pursed her lips slightly as if chewing on her cheek. It was a gesture I'd never seen before, like a mischievous child plotting their next move.
But Teach Renu was far from mischievous. What kind of gesture was that?
"Alright, you can stay in my room today. That way, you'll know what to do next."
Suddenly, everything turned upside down. My declaration of love received an unexpected response. I wasn't sent away, instead, I was invited to stay without any mention of math tutoring.
While I was still baffled, the beautiful woman walked over to the cat and sat down to play with it in a charming manner. Not knowing what to do, I pretended to make small talk about the cat.
"Have you named it yet?"
"Hmm?"
Teach Renu glanced at me with interest, raising an eyebrow.
"Do I need to name it?"
"Well, if you're raising a cat, what will you call it if it doesn't have a name?"
"I'll call it 'Cat.'"
"So, you just call it 'Cat' every day?"
"Yes, a cat is a cat. What else would I name it?"
The stunning teacher picked up the sleeping kitten, waking it up. I moved closer, looking for a way to continue the conversation.
"Calling it just 'Cat' might seem too distant. I think you should give it a name."
"Hmm... What should I name it? I have no idea."
"There's 'I don't know' in your dictionary?"
"Actually, no. But I don't know what to name it. It's not a math problem with a fixed answer. It's not science that can be proven. It's not..."
The cute lady rambled on, referencing academic principles. It made me realize that this person valued logic over vague words. She didn't like things that couldn't be proven or controlled, like my feelings today.
When she felt threatened or unsafe, she was ready to cut me off without hesitation.
She wouldn't stay here but wouldn't allow herself to be taken advantage of or blackmailed.
"There are many things in this world that we can't find answers to, Teach."
"Like what? Ghosts?"
"Something like that."
"If I've never seen it, I won't believe it exists. It doesn't make sense."
"There are things that exist even if they don't happen to us."
