Y/N had never thought she'd be the type to need a tutor. She was usually able to hold her own in school, but math this semester was a completely different story. Every time she looked at a formula, it seemed to mock her, slipping away the second she thought she had it figured out. And with exams around the corner, her teacher's suggestion to get a tutor started sounding like her only hope.
What she didn't expect was for her tutor to be Choi Soobin—the tall, shy boy from her class who always seemed to blend into the background. He was known for being ridiculously smart and even more ridiculously quiet. She'd hardly noticed him before now, but here he was, sitting across from her in the library, looking slightly flustered as he organized his notes.
"So... um, where should we start?" he asked, adjusting his glasses as he tried to look at her without actually meeting her eyes. His voice was soft, almost like he was afraid to disturb the silence of the library.
She offered him a smile, trying to ease the nervous tension. "Honestly, I'm kind of lost. We could start from the basics?"
He nodded, visibly relaxing a little. "Okay. Basics, then."
The first few sessions were a bit awkward, with Soobin's quiet voice and her own worries about looking clueless in front of him. But Soobin was patient, explaining things in a way that made even the most complicated equations feel a little less intimidating. He'd go over problems with her as many times as she needed, never seeming to lose his calm demeanor. And as the days went on, she noticed the way he'd sometimes smile softly when she solved a problem on her own, his eyes lighting up with a mix of pride and something else she couldn't quite place.
One day, as she struggled with a particularly tough problem, he leaned closer to see her work, his shoulder brushing hers. Y/N's breath caught at the unexpected proximity, her face warming.
"Here," he said, taking her pencil and gently writing out a few steps. His handwriting was neat and careful, and the way his fingers brushed hers sent a small spark up her arm.
"Oh... I see it now," she murmured, almost more focused on the soft tone of his voice than the equation itself.
He looked up, his face just a few inches from hers. For a split second, their eyes met, and she noticed the warmth in his gaze, the faint blush on his cheeks.
Quickly, he looked away, his ears turning pink. "You're really getting the hang of it," he said, almost like he was trying to distract himself.
The days turned into weeks, and soon Y/N found herself looking forward to their sessions not just because her grades were improving but because she enjoyed his company. She'd find herself thinking about his soft laughter, the way he'd sometimes chew on his lip when he was deep in thought, and the way his eyes sparkled whenever he talked about something he was passionate about.
One afternoon, Y/N decided to bring him a small gift as a thank-you. She handed him a bag of chocolates as they settled in at their usual table.
"For my hardworking tutor," she said with a grin.
