65 Tutoring invitation
Professor Singh onlyes every weekend to tutor As. If he
couldn’t make it with his schedule, he would send As some
notes to study and work on. So since it was Saturday, the children were expecting him toe.
Walking into the library, As paused by the door when he saw Penny and ter already studying inside.
As nced at the wall clock. <b><i>‘</i></b><i>They’re </i>early.‘
“Did I get it correct?” ter asked Penny quietly. His voice wasced with nervousness while waiting for Penny to respond.
<i>‘</i><i>How </i>strange when he’s a grade ahead of her.’As didn’t dwell on the thought as he joined his siblings at the table. While As was taking a seat, ter nced up at him, but said nothing. Penny, on the other hand, didn’t bother casting him a look.
“Did you really answer this?” she snapped her eyes up at ter. The dead look in her eyes made him wonder if the truth would bring
trouble.
For a moment, ter assessed how she was raising her brow. “I got it wrong, did I?” he sighed dejectedly. “I can try again –”
“It’s correct.”
“Huh?” His eyes lit up and watched her check his answer and write on the side; one over ten. O
ter only got one correct answer, but this made him happy. He finally got one thing right. His satisfaction, however, was
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short–lived when he shifted his eyes to Penny again.
<i>“</i>Why am I <i>happy </i>for <i>getting </i><i>one </i><i>correct </i>answer out <i>of </i><i>ten</i><i>?</i>‘ he frowned, thinking Penny wasn’t happy with it.
“Third brother, look here,” Penny remarked and moved the paper between them, casually telling him how he got it correctly and where he did wrong in the other questions.
Watching this peaceful scenario unfold, As was pleased. He didn’t bother them anymore and quietly prepared his study materials.
For the next hour, the three of them shared a peaceful space they never thought they would.
In Penny’s first lifetime, she studied so much all her life just to be close to As. However, her eldest brother didn’t see the effort she was making to create a bridge between them. Whenever she woulde to the library or wherever he was studying, he would leave a
few minutester.
After some time, they heard the door creak quietly. Because of the silence with only the sound of their pens writing on the papers resonating, they quickly detected the noise. Lifting their eyes to the door, their faces showed relief when their gazended on the respectable Professor Singh.
“Good morning,” Professor Singh greeted and joined them. When his eyesnded on ter, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Third young master, I didn’t know you were joining us today.”
ter smiled awkwardly. “Hehe.” – he <i>didn’t </i><i>know </i><i>he </i><i>would </i>ever <i>join </i>them <i>too </i>until yesterday<i>. </i>
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65 Tutoring invitation
“It’s good that you’re focusing on your studies now,” Professor Singh was pleased, but then As spoke.
“He had to study well unless he wanted to be someone’s ve.”
“ve?” Confusion flickered in the professor’s eyes as he needed
more than that to understand.
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, As magnanimously shared it with Professor Singh. Thetter’s mouth formed an o–shape before he asked,
“Summit Academy allows that bet?”
<i>‘I </i><i>know</i>, <i>right</i><i>?</i>‘ Penny mentally shrugged.
“They don’t know about that part of the bet,” As honestly
confessed.
Penny studied her brother with her lips twitching. She knew As and Professor Singh had a good rtionship. Even when As had grown into a fine adult, he would always show support to Professor Singh and would still visit him.
<i>‘</i>But isn’t <i>he </i><i>being </i><i>too </i><i>honest</i><i>? </i>Does <i>he </i>know Professor <i>Singh </i>can <i>be </i>quite a monster?‘
“That bet is a little…” intense<i>. </i>Professor Singh couldn’t help but
look at As and then at ter. <b><i>‘Is </i></b><b>As </b><i>that </i>determined <i>to </i>enter
the star section now? <i>No </i>wonder I received <i>a </i>few tutoring
<i>invitations </i><b>from </b>other <b><i>families </i></b><b>of </b>the <b><i>star </i></b><b>section</b>.‘
Professor Singh was well aware of the star section of the academy
―
who hadn’t heard of that special section? He already met a few
of the students in that section under different circumstances. The
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65 Tutoring invitation
difference between those children and other students of the school wasn’t just their academic prowess.
Those children in that star section were also talented in other
areas such as sports and arts, and they were also very involved in their family businesses. Most of them also came from the wealthiest or most influential families. They were very gifted; some even call them perfection. Therefore, only brave or foolish would challenge anyone in the star section. Even thest ce of the star section shouldn’t be underestimated because the 10th spot was often assumed an easy target.
Professor Singh smiled in satisfaction when he grasped the big
picture.
<i>‘</i><i>If </i>As dered <i>this </i>war and on <i>the </i>same <i>day</i>, <i>I </i><i>get </i>multiple offers from those families, <i>it </i><i>only </i>means they <i>acknowledge </i>his capabilities.‘ As As’s professor, Professor Singh was very proud of As. “Very well. Then, I guess we have to step up our game.”
As smiled and nodded. “Here is my answer from ourst lesson,” he said and slid a note in front of Professor Singh.
But unlike the usual routine, Professor Singh handed As just one piece of paper.
“Professor?”
“As, I want you to answer this problem for me first,” said Professor Singh with a smile. “This is a problem I sent as a
response to the students of the star section when they sent me a tutoring invitation yesterday.”
Tutoring <i>invitation</i>?
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65 Tutoring invitation
As furrowed his brows, but instead of asking further questions, he took this as a challenge. He grabbed the paper and looked at the problem closely. For him, this was Professor Singh’s test of
whether he would stay as his tutor or tutor another one from the
star section.
He wouldn’t let that happen. This was the first challenge he had to win against the star section, and he took it bravely.
Seeing that As had already started working on the problem, Professor Singh was satisfied. Although it was true that the
problem was his only response to the tutoring invitation, he didn’t have ns to leave As, no matter how much others would pay him.
<i>“</i>Though I’m sure he can do <i>it</i>. As is not only smart and <i>a </i>quick learner, <i>but </i>he’s also hardworking”
Since As had already started working on the problem, Professor Singh raised his brows. His eyes inevitablynded on ter and then on Penny, who was beside him. When his eyes locked with Penny, Professor Singh’s eyes lit up.
Penny slightly flinched at the light beam that Professor Singh was suddenly shooting at her. <i>‘</i><i>What</i><i>–</i>what now<i>?</i>‘ she panicked. <i>‘</i>Don’t tell me he already knew <b>I </b>started the betting pool<b>?! </b>I’m not <i>trying </i><b>to </b>be <i>a </i>bad influence<i>!’ </i>5