My Princess - LINGORM

12

The day of my next tutoring session arrived far too quickly. I had spent every spare moment studying for this class, driven by the promise of my wish if I earned an A on the next test. I had imagined countless scenarios of how Ling might react—perhaps she would be impressed, maybe even proud. The thought sent a flutter of nerves through me, but I pushed it aside, reminding myself to stay focused.

As I walked towards Ling's house, my heart raced in anticipation. I had prepared questions and areas where I struggled, and this time, I was determined to take full advantage of her expertise. When I arrived, I knocked on the door, the sound echoingon the doorstep.

Ling opened the door almost instantly, her expression as cool as ever. She wore her usual fitted outfit—a sleek black top and tailored pants that highlighted her figure. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly forced myself to focus on the task at hand rather than how striking she looked.

"Ready for another session?" she asked, stepping aside to let me in.

"Absolutely," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I have a lot of questions this time."

"Good. Let's get started," she said, leading me to her living room, which was meticulously organized, just like everything about her. A large whiteboard stood against one wall, and I could see her notes from our previous sessions scribbled on it.

I took a seat at the small table she had set up for our study sessions. Ling settled across from me, pulling out her notes and flipping through them as I gathered my thoughts.

"First off, let's recap what you've learned so far. Tell me about the last chapter we covered," she instructed, her tone professional and slightly detached.

I hesitated for a moment, recalling the formulas and concepts that had been swirling in my mind. "We discussed supply and demand, and how shifts in either can affect market equilibrium," I said, forcing myself to articulate the ideas clearly.

"Good. Can you give me an example of a situation where that might occur?"

As I spoke, I could see Ling's attention intensifying. I tried to focus on her questions, but my mind kept wandering to how serious she looked—how her brow furrowed slightly when she concentrated. It was almost endearing, but I quickly shook that thought away.

After a brief back-and-forth, Ling nodded, seemingly satisfied. "You've got the basics down. Now, let's dive into your questions. What do you need help with?"

"Um, I really struggled with the concept of elasticity. I just don't get how to calculate it properly," I admitted, biting my lip as I glanced at her.

Ling's expression didn't change, but I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she prepared to explain. "Elasticity measures how much the quantity demanded or supplied changes when there is a change in price. Let's break it down with an example."

She walked me through the formula, her explanations clear and concise. I found myself leaning forward, hanging on her every word, not just because I wanted to understand but because I appreciated her teaching style. She was tough, but there was a passion in how she conveyed the information, even if she masked it with a veneer of cold professionalism.

After we worked through elasticity, I felt more confident. "So, if I understand this right, if the price increases, and the demand decreases significantly, that indicates it's elastic, right?"

"Exactly," she replied, her lips curling into a slight smile—just a flicker, but enough to make my heart skip again. "Now, apply that to a real-world example."

We continued like this for the next hour, diving deeper into economics, and I found myself gradually warming to the challenge. Ling was relentless, pushing me to think critically and apply the concepts we discussed. Her questions were sharp, but there was a hidden layer of support beneath her rigorous approach.

At one point, I hesitated on a question, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "I don't understand why we need to know all of this," I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Ling leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "If you want to be a strong leader, you need to understand how the world works—especially the economy. Knowledge is power, Orm."

Her words struck a chord within me. I nodded, absorbing her sentiment. "I get that. It's just... sometimes it feels overwhelming."

"That's part of learning. You need to embrace the discomfort. It's how you grow," she replied, her voice firm but somehow encouraging.

I couldn't help but admire her. Ling wasn't just a teacher; she was a force of nature. As we continued, I asked her more questions, trying to push myself and see how far I could go.

"Ling, can we go over the concept of consumer surplus next? I think I might need a little more help with that one," I ventured, trying to keep the conversation flowing.

"Sure," she said, and we dove into yet another round of intense study.

As the session came to a close, I felt exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. Ling had really pushed me, and I had risen to the challenge. I stood up, stretching slightly as I tried to shake off the mental fatigue.

"Thanks for today, Ling. I feel like I actually learned something," I said, my voice sincere.

"Don't get too comfortable. There's still a long way to go before that A is in your hands," she replied, her expression unchanging. But I detected a hint of satisfaction in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Right. I'll be ready to work hard. I promise," I assured her, feeling a surge of determination. "Good. I'll expect you to bring more questions next time," she said, ushering me to the door.

As I left her apartment, my mind buzzed with everything we had covered. I felt a sense of accomplishment, and more importantly, I felt like I was one step closer to earning my wish.

With my head held high, I walked back to my own place, ready to tackle whatever came next in the pursuit of that elusive A.