1 bgripped /bthe steering wheel, eyes forward, “Looking like him is enough.”

Ss was d

quiet for a moment. “Was your friend a wonsan or a man?”

“A woman.”

“You must have been close for you to care this much about her friend’s possible brother.”

I shot bhim /bba /bsidelong nce. “You seems more interested in my friend than your brother.”

He didn’t respond.

you fishing for some other reason why I might be helping you?” I smirked. Like maybe I’m interested in you?”

“Or are you fishing

“That’s ridiculous,” he snapped, his pale skin flushing, I wasn’t implying anything.”

I bchanged /bthe subject. “How are those notes working out for you? Do you need help with any of the material? I could tutor you.”

“I can manage on my y own,” he muttered, turning to look out the window,

Two dayster, exam results were posted. Ss had scored at the very bottom of the ss.

I was leaving the lecture hall when he approached me, shoulders tight with tension but chin raised bdefiantly/b.

“You bsaid /byou could help me with the material,” he said without preamble.

I smiled, not unkindly. “Come by my ce after school.”

He hesitated, then nodded once.

When we arrived at my ce, he stood awkwardly by the door, taking in the minimalist luxury of the space.

Captain padded over to investigate him, sniffing curiously at his shoes..

“He won’t bite,” I assured him. “Unless I tell him to.”

Ss didn’t seem to find that amusing.

1 disappeared binto /bmy room and returned with ba /bsleek MacBook Pro, “Here,” I said, holding it out to him. “Take it.”

He started to refuse, but I cut him off. “How do you expect to studyputer science without aputer?”

That silenced his objection. He took theptop, his expression a mix of reluctance and necessity.

I sat at the dining table and gestured for him to join me. “Let’s start withst semester’s material. You need to understand those concepts before you can make sense of the current lectures.”

For the next several hours, I walked him through the fundamentals, exining concepts clearly and concisely. bSs /bwas a quick learner, absorbing information rapidly once it was presented logically,

Around six, my personal chef arrived to prepare dinner, fed Captain, and then departed. Ss and I ate at the table while continuing to work.

By ten o’clock, I could see fatigue setting in behind his eyes.

“That’s enough for today,” I said, closing my notebook. “You’ve bmade /bgood progress.”

He stood, gathering his things, theptop tucked carefully under his arm. “I’ll pay you back for this,” he bsaid/b, gesturing to theputer.

After he left, I went upstairs to my room and opened my ownptop. A fewmandster, the screen disyed: b[/bSYSTEM CONNECTION SUCCESSFUL).

Over the next bfew /bbdays/bb, /bba /broutine developed. Ss and I would leave campus together and head to my apartment for tutoring sessions. The change wasn’t lost on our ssmates, who whispered and spected whenever we passed.

“Are they dating?”

“Maybe she’s helping him because she feels sorry for him.”

On bThursday /bafternoon, we were deep into aplex algorithm problem when Captain bsuddenly /blifted his head, ears perked toward the door. A momentter, the doorbell rang.

Captain trotted to the door, standing on bhis /bhind legs to press the door handle down with his paws. The door swung open to reveal Ethan Haxton in an impable charcoal suit.

Captain’s reaction was immediate and unequivocal. He mmed the door shut with his front paws, nearly catching Ethan’s perfectly polished shoes.

“bCaptain/b!” I called. “Open the door properly.”

Captain whined but obeyed, reopening the bdoor /band stepping aside to let Ethan enter.

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