Pursued by Apollo

05

Chapter Five

In which she was caught off guard.

-

[Vien Tzuyu.]

Today is the big day.

I was browsing a folder while heading into the library, mumbling the things as I recalled every single thing that I knew about the subject. Despite knowing that I fully understood the topic, a cloud of worry still formed over my shoulder. I didn’t stop to reread everything in case something came up.

I wouldn’t want to sit at that table and be defenseless.

No matter what happens, I am not going to lose this opportunity.

“Vien Tzuyu.” My eyes were cast out of the folder, following the soft call of my name. Upon seeing the kind librarian, I could only smile in greeting. She offered a card in my direction, the silver pass sparkled under my eyes. “Your assigned table for all your tutorial sessions, sweetheart. Make sure not to lose it.”

My hand felt shaking upon receiving the card. It was still a surprise that I had the opportunity to be one of the students who qualified as a tutor. I had never once thought that I would gain such a privilege upon keeping my grades stable. All the benefits that it provided gave me some air to breathe on most days, even cutting my overtime significantly.

It seemed like a gift from the heavens.

I looked at the woman with trembling hands as if she was someone who had saved me. My eyes twinkle with gratefulness, lips pulled into the brightest smile. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Johnson.”

“You’re welcome, dear. Congratulations on being accepted.”

My hand prompted the closed folder on my side, recalling back the topics in my head. While I feel confident in my grades, there is a difference in showing others how things work. Since this is something that does help me so much, I do not want to lose it. I needed to keep it very close to my heart. The area for the tutoring was isolated to other students, giving both students privacy from others. I looked around, looking for a table.

The second that I caught the cubicle, I stilled.

Sitting in the area is a familiar man. Chasen Aclen. I whipped my card, checking the number on the thing. Sure enough, it was the right number. The man looked different with his glasses, or maybe it was the way he was looking at the papers rested on the table. His eyes were laser-focused on the thing, eyes scrutinizing the thing. He had always looked so cheerful, so it was different seeing him look so serious.

Slowly putting the papers down, his eyes shifted to the entrance—which is where I was coming from. All too suddenly, a smile settled on his lips. There was a sheer difference from how he looked from before, that it was surprising. I could see how his eyes were shining with glee. Chasen lifted his hands, giving me a slow wave.

I didn’t think this was possible!

My legs sprinted from where he was, resting my folder on the table as I hissed at him in a hushed tone. “What is going on? Isn’t math something you excel at?” I did not even bother to mask the emotions that were fueling inside me, feeling like I was getting played at.

Instead of looking affronted, I was surprised by his expression.

While I admit that the man is too handsome for his good, I sometimes worry that he’s way too innocent and transparent with his emotions. I honestly expected him to confess or look like a dear caught in the headlights—but I did not expect him to look so happy upon being confronted in this manner. My brow raised, forehead creasing at his reaction.

“Why are you grinning?” I asked.

“Oh s**t, I apologize. It is nothing bad, I promise,” he muttered, tilting into one side as he could not stop the smile gushing into his lips. The man looked guilty as I confronted him, but his eyes were sparkling in a manner that I do not quite understand. He seemed serious about this rather than being weirded out. “You finally talked to me, and you know about that!”

I frowned, clearly confused. “Are you playing games with me?”

“I wouldn’t do something like that, Vien. You know that,” his voice didn’t waver, and his eyes now shined with seriousness, “but to answer your question, yes. However, I have missed several classes, and the tutor that the agency had given me recently quit. I might be good at my subjects, but I needed some help understanding topics that I still haven’t tackled.”

This does not make any sense.

As if reading through my mind, he grinned. “After all, I ranked lower this semester.”

“Because I ranked one,”

“Yes, you are my number one.” He sighed blissfully, beaming at me.

I swear this guy—

“Oh no, that’s wrong.” His voice had suddenly cut through the tension, face morphed in what seemed like terror. The way his face changed every passing second seemed so amusing to see in real-time. Continuing his words, he uttered. “because you’re my only one. You didn’t surpass anyone as you always had my heart.”

How is he even real?

Most men would look like they were uttering a pick-up line whenever they said these words, but anyone could see how serious Chasen was with how he looked. To how someone could have the ability to have cringe words oozing at his mouth surprised me.

I needed everything possible in this realm not to slam him with something hard. While I do my best shoving my best friend or casually hitting her shoulders when she does s**t like this—I can’t do that to this man. Chasen laughed at my response to his words.

The man does that a lot—laugh. Even with the times that I continued to stop the air that might have gone to his head, I never see him so sad. How he reacts to situations like that speaks about his patience and personality.

“You need some help,” I uttered, opening through the folder.

“But I am serious, Vien,”

His confession made me look at him, and I did not see any sign that he was lying. The way his eyes were glossing has me aware of just how much he meant the words that had escaped through his mouth.

Maybe he was forced to do this.

For someone of his status, his image means a lot of things. Ruining his education wouldn’t do well with his best to maintain them for years. I did notice that he is someone who seemed to take everything around him seriously. There is no doubt that he wasn’t serious about this whole thing.

I nodded, not having a choice since this was in my schedule. “It’s great that you’re earnest about all this.”

“Oh, I am talking about you. I am very serious about you.” He grinned, but upon seeing me close the folder on the table and pushing my chair away from the table, he jumped before laughing awkwardly. “And also with this session. I am very serious to you. I er... I mean the session.”

Heavens, help me.

It was a three-hour session, and it would have taken us an hour to finish five topics depending on his skills, but he made me show at least fifty examples, asking me every step that I would calculate things, stating that I do it all in a detailed form.

“You solve things in a complicated way.” He suddenly commented after some time, frowning at my paper. Grabbing the pen neatly on my hand, he had control over the sheet as he had copied the same equation on the other side. With that done, he then begins solving it in another way that I did not think of before. “If you just bring this down and integrate this other half, you’ll have this in less time.”

My eyes looked at the paper in surprise, blinking how many spaces I would have saved if I had used that. That solution would be suitable for exams too. “I... didn’t look at it that way. How did you manage to catch that? Maybe this—”

“It’s the first time I am learning about this,” he quickly cut all the accusations that I was about to throw. “You perfectly explained everything, that I simply caught some easy way that the computation would work.”

Chasen does have some points. Math always has different ways to into solving a specific problem. I always followed everything instructed, not once thinking outside the box. Yet this man caught something that I had failed to realize.

“How about me?” He commented that a familiar smile slipped from his lips. Despite the small hours spent with the man, I already knew what his face signifies. He was back to fooling around. “Are you finally looking at me in some way?”

“Yes,” I nodded, offering him the same smile. “Like three of six feet away from me.”

Instead of moping in my words, Chasen laughed at my comment. He is acting like they were music in his ears when I had pushed him away. Thank the heavens that Mrs. Johnson was out for a break, or we’ll be called out for causing a distraction in the library. He is sometimes very noisy and overly excited for additional school hours.

“You have a way with words, Vien.”

I frowned at his words, “You don’t see my words as insults, don’t you?”

“For someone who works my industry, I was trained not to dwell with insults that much. Then again, I am not that perfect. There are times where I would still get some offense when I would hear some,” He shrugged before flashing another smile, “but when it comes out of your mouth, I couldn’t see them as insults. You have a lovely voice.”

As if by automatic, I had confessed. “So do you.”

My voice was immediate that I didn’t even realize that it came out of my mouth. Only when he suddenly froze did the reality set in. He blinked at me for what seemed like a full minute before he held out his chest. Confused, I was about to say another word, but he smiled before he leaned into his chair and slowly dragged himself down.

“Wh-what are you doing?” I asked.

“You watched me earlier?” He whispered, coming back up with such beautiful eyes shining with glee. In need of an answer, he repeated. “Did you?”

“Well…”

“And you think that my voice is lovely!” He gushed.

I could help but feel confused at his sudden state. Chasen continuously gushed at my words, completely surprised and overwhelmed about my compliment, which was surprising. Seeing how much people cheer for him, many people must have already told him that he could sing very well.

Chasen let out another gush; he is acting like a five-year-old kid whose mom had told him that his painting was for the museum. This time, his action was enough to make me chuckle. The man, to my surprise, froze again. I couldn’t help another chuckle to escape my lips which set a slight smile on his. Chasen carefully tilts his head on the side, sporting this adorable smile.

It seemed soft, precious.

“What should I do to you, Vien? You are killing me with those gorgeous smiles of yours.”