“The tutor the mom hired didn’t come today, right? Since he’s late, it means his professional conduct is problematic so you wouldn’t be comfortable with someone like that tutoring me, correct?” SZ skillfully tosses her rather persuasive speech as she descends the stairs to the kitchen.

There’s a commotion, which probably means her brother, SY, is prepping breakfast.

“SY, what if you tell mom not to get a tutor during the New Year period? It’s hard to find one during this time. We can talk about it after New Year, ok?” she lies on the sofa in the living room hoping she’s getting her point across her older brother’s thick skull.

But only heavy silence comes from the kitchen, SY isn’t taking the bait. If persuasion and logic won’t work, time to change tactics and bribe him instead!

There’s still no reply from the kitchen, he must be playing hard to get. Just as SZ increases her price, she sees her brother descending the stairs. Confused she glances across the room to the kitchen where DJ turns to throw a look at her.

“What are you yelling at this morning?” SY asks as he heads to SZ’s sofa.

SZ quickly ducks her head behind the sofa, points towards the kitchen, and says to SY “That’s DJ”.

“Didn’t mom tell you? He’s your new tutor” SY responds. “How could you wake up so late? He’s been waiting for you all morning”.

SY just doesn’t know when to stop talking. SZ threateningly whispers he should lower his voice.

Meanwhile, DJ places the breakfast he’d been cooking on the table. “SZ didn’t you want instant noodles with eggs and sausage?” he throws a glance towards the living room at the still hidden SZ. “Come eat or the noodles will get soggy” he calmly tells her.

SZ tries to compose herself, she wasn’t expecting this turn of events. Having a tutor for blasted Physics suddenly sounds appealing.

After breakfast, she heads into her room to get her books and materials only to find the boys playing a video game downstairs. SY must’ve coerced DJ into a game dammit.

Heading towards the table, SZ sits in front of the TV and asks “Don’t I have a tutoring lesson?” while SY protests that they’ve just finished breakfast and need a break. DJ suggests she go start reading by herself first then he’ll join her upstairs once they finish the game.

SZ agrees with a giddy smile but soon forgets the reading and decides to cut fruits for DJ. As she places a huge watermelon in front of DY, pestering him to cut it with what appears to be a potato peeler, DJ hands over a paper to her. It’s his resume.

“I thought you’d question my credentials,” he tells her. “After accepting this resume, you’re not allowed to replace me ok?” he gives her a serious look.

“Don’t worry” DY tells him, “there’s no one else willing to tutor her but you. She has no other option but you”.

SZ looks over the paper one thought on her mind: why didn’t he attach a picture? She throws a covert look towards DJ while covering her silly smile. Slowly, as the boys’ eyes are plastered on their game, she reaches for her phone on the table and points the camera towards DJ. Unfortunately, DY decided to lean forward at that specific time to cover DJ. After two more poor movements on the boys’ end, the patient SZ finally snaps her pic!

She’s so engrossed in looking at DJ through the phone’s camera, however, that she fails to notice he’s noticed her. Suddenly his look is one of what’s going on here and he poses with a peace sign.

“What were you taking a picture of?” SY asks leaning towards her.

“Me?” DJ adds.

“You? Why were you taking a picture of him?” SY continues, oblivious to a fault. SZ starts fanning herself with DJ’s resume paper, she’s in a pickle.

SY asks if she’s planning to tell mom and dad that they’re gaming but SZ figures out her story. “I have a friend who thinks my brother is handsome and wants a picture. I’d be embarrassed to show her you” she retorts then quickly runs upstairs.

・❥・

In the room, SZ is busy affectionately looking at the pics she snapped of DJ until he walks in with a cut watermelon.

“Show me the pictures you just took” DJ demands holding a hand in front of her. He says he wants to see if they’re ugly or not. But SZ isn’t about to give him that chance so she tells him how eager she is to learn today.

And so their tutoring sessions start.

During one session, DJ arrived looking tired probably from all the part-time jobs he does. SZ suggests she does a practice test while he catches up on some sleep.

When DJ awakes an hour later, it’s to the sight of SZ sitting next to him furiously scribbling something on a notebook. He asks her if she’s slacking off but only then notices there’s a blanket draped over his legs.

“What were you up to?” he asks. Slacking off is her truthful response. SZ admits she simply can’t find Physics interesting.

DJ heads downstairs to ask SY if he can take SZ on a small field trip to the Museum of Science and Technology. SY jokes DJ is more like SZ’s brother than he is so, as a “backup brother”, he approves of the field trip.

Can you not be in a relationship, or at least tell me if you are

SY ditched them at the museum entrance opting to head to the cybercafé which suited SZ just fine. Having DJ all to herself wasn’t something to take for granted.

As the two make their way across interesting exhibits, DJ demonstrates different principles he’d been trying to tutor SZ in with grand success.

In one moment, DJ tells SZ that he knows she has other interests, but she shouldn’t let those interests sidetrack her from her future goals and dreams. Since to achieve them, she’ll need to study, it’s important that she make the effort right now.

SZ nods her head though she thinks he must’ve been naughty as a teenager. Her teacher said anyone playing video games is a troublemaker after all. DJ laughs at that but a morose faraway look comes over his eyes as he reveals there were times in his past when he could only survive by escaping into video games. They’re so important to him that he’s studying to become a game developer.

He gives her an adorable smile. SZ is hurting a little because she knows that smile costs him a lot of effort.

“I guess video games aren’t that bad,” she says. “I’ll study hard to find my own dream” she promises. The two decide to place faith in each other in their abilities to achieve their respective dreams.

Later, DJ comes with two drinks as they take a small break from walking around. He finds SZ drawing in her notebook and tells her, “I notice you like to draw. You should keep that up as a hobby because it takes imagination to draw. I’ve always felt that people who like to draw are full of kindness to the world”.

SZ suddenly interrupts with “DJ, can you not be in a relationship?”

He looks at her questioningly, what brought this on? SZ continues, “Don’t you have a dream too? If you get into a relationship, you’ll delay your dream”.

DJ says he’s almost done with college, does he still need to avoid relationships because of his studies? He asks her if she’s told her brother this. SZ admits she has but his reply was “Go away little demon!” to which DJ laughs out loud.

“If you have a girlfriend” SZ haltingly admits “you won’t be able to be so nice to me”. DJ says she’ll probably forget about him if she doesn’t see him for a couple of years. However, he sees she’s rather serious about this.

“How about this,” he says “in the future, I’ll find a kind girlfriend who treats you well so you’ll have one more person who’s good to you, all right?”

“Fine” SZ reluctantly replies “when you do find one, can you tell me first?” DJ agrees.

・❥・

When SY and SZ get home after the outing, SZ realizes her sketchbook is missing. In a mini panic, she tells SY they must go back to get it but he tells her to just buy another. Typical oblivious older brother.

Calling the museum, SZ finds out they had returned the notebook to the boy who was with her which means it must be with DJ!

Great, what will she do if he sees it? That sketchbook is filled with different moments of him.

The next morning, SY comes into her room handing her the notebook. DJ had dropped it off very early that morning. Of course, this doesn’t clear up anything—did he look inside? Why did he give it to her brother instead of her?

While a multitude of questions simmer in SZ’s head, SY escapes to the dorms. He asks DJ to come to his house on Thursday that week instead of the planned Tuesday.

“The little demon has puppy love” SY explains as DJ turns his full attention on him. “I gave her an earful and confiscated her phone and laptop. She won’t be in the mood to study”.

“Puppy love? Is it with a classmate of hers?”

“No, it’s online dating! Can you believe it?” SY’s replies in frustration.

“What?”

“That’s right, she told me herself.”

DJ agrees to come over the week after but tells SY it’s normal for her to experience this at her age. SY should talk some sense into her so she makes sure to know her limits.

SY however isn’t having any of this. He doesn’t care about anyone else but it’s not allowed for his sister! They must break up or he’ll beat the guy. DJ issues a smile at that.

・❥・

During their next tutoring session, DJ confronts SZ. “I heard from your brother you’re dating online. Tell me how you met him”.

“You don’t have to be so nosy” SZ mutters from the crouched position she’s taken on the couch. She can’t quite bring herself to face DJ not because of whatever online friend situation SY thinks she’s in but of the notebook thing. Did he look inside? Not knowing was driving her crazy!

“What’s wrong with caring about you?” DJ responds “You asked me not to date but you’re doing it yourself”. Based on this, SZ realizes he must think the one she likes is the online friend, not him!

“So was it your young boyfriend who asked you to meet him?” DJ continuous. “How old is he?”

“He’s graduating from university real soon.”

He turns his head slowly towards her, “How old did you say he was?”

“Twenty-something” SZ replies. She’s playing along, kinda. Is she describing DJ to DJ without him knowing? Yes.

“SZ, tell me,” DJ moves right in front of her “Does your old boyfriend know how old you are?”

She looks straight into his unwavering eyes and hesitantly nods her head. DJ pulls out his phone and demands the man’s phone number. She furiously shakes her head. He knows this isn’t going to get them anywhere so he changes tactics even though he’s pissed.

“SZ your family has your best interests at heart. They won’t let you date online because they think this will harm you. You can’t be in a relationship until you graduate high school and become an adult. When you’re in college, you can do whatever you want, no one will stop you” he earnestly tells her.

SZ nods her head. “But I can’t resist the temptation” she admits.

DJ does a double take. What did she say?

It’s too sudden that we have to say goodbye

“What kind of temptations?” DJ asks SZ who pretends to think.

“If someone is dating in front of me, I’ll also want to date,” she tells him.

”Who’s dating? You watch too many idol dramas” DJ tries to puzzle his way through this because he feels she’s talking about a specific person.

“The people close to me…those around me,” SZ says deadpan looking at this face.

“Like me?” DJ smiles, “You’re being petty. You can’t stop others from dating just because you can’t date”.

But it’s a direct provocation if she can’t but those around her can, truly not her fault.

DJ decides to drop this future talk and focus on the present, mainly on her and that “old” boyfriend of hers. Staring intensely at her, DJ warns if he ever finds out that she goes to see this old boyfriend while she’s still a minor, she won’t live to become an adult.

SZ solemnly nods and a somewhat satisfied smile graces her face once DJ gets up to leave. She may have bought herself some time.

・❥・

With the New Year just around the bend, DJ tells SZ during a tutoring session she’s improved so much in Physics that she no longer needs tutoring.

SZ is disheartened to hear this since her Physics tutoring had transformed from a very undesired activity to a moment she looked forward to every week, every day, every hour.

A little time past New Year’s, a package arrives at SZ’s house from DJ as a present for placing high on the exam, especially her improved score in Physics. SZ asks SY (who gave her the present) why DJ didn’t hand it to her himself.

“Didn’t he tell you? He went back to his hometown,” SY breaks the unexpected news. Something happened in DJ’s family and he’ll only return for the graduation ceremony. Hearing this news, her happiness vanishes.

Yet a day later there’s another present from DJ for her exam scores which lifts SZ’s spirits because it means he’s thinking of her. She calls to thank him and to hear his voice. She’s prepped a black tie wrapped in a pretty box as a gift for graduation.

Meanwhile, back in DJ’s hometown, the doorbell rings after he hangs up with SZ. A the door there’s a girl who’s familiar to him though he doesn’t look happy to see her. He’s polite yet curt, not inviting her inside. Their conversation is also brief ending with the girl leaving.

Odd encounter, who is she?

・❥・

It’s graduation day. SY leads his dad and SZ towards his roommates dressed in their graduation gowns. SZ immediately spots DJ who’s looking handsome as ever and she stops walking a little stunned. She can’t help it, she has it bad plus she hasn’t seen him ever since he left during New Year.

Shaking herself out of the stupor, she raised the bouquet in her hands, put on a smile, and skipped towards them.

When the rest go to take pictures, SZ walks up to DJ who remains behind with her, and hands him the bouquet. He asks if she gave one to SY; she tells him SY already got one, and this one is for her physics tutor.

“I wish you a happy graduation and happiness every day,” SZ tells him meaning every word. DJ thanks her and wishes the best for her in turn.

They walk up to the rest of the boys, SZ stands with a camera hearing them reminisce. They’re saying goodbye in their own way because DJ is moving back to his hometown. SZ notices he seems distracted and slightly troubled, she wonders if it’s because it’ll be difficult to see his classmates after graduation.

DJ replies with a yes and no, that it’s natural for each of them to take different paths as they enter society. It’s a bittersweet explanation he gives, SZ doesn’t know quite what to make of it.

“Then what about me?” SZ asks.

“You? You’re different from them, they won’t be like my little sister,” DJ says unknowingly breaking her heart a bit. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to come and visit you,” he promises along with letting her know in advance he’ll be coming.

Then he calls over one of his roommates asking him to take a photo of him and his “sister”. DJ hands SZ the bouquet to hold and tells her to smile a bit more, and the two take several pics.