# Chapter 29
Thanks to the taxi driver’s relaxed driving, we were able to get out after more than 30 minutes, despite Kwon Dojin saying it would take only about 20 minutes. Baek Han shuddered as he rushed outside the moment the taxi stopped.
Although my body was comfortable, my mind was tired, so I was pressing my forehead when Kwon Dojin, who had finished paying, tapped my shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, okay.”
I sluggishly got out of the taxi, and Baek Han, who had been sitting on a flower bed, stood up. Since it was Kwon Dojin’s house, he walked ahead with Baek Han and me following behind.
“Didn’t you say it was a studio apartment…?”
“Yeah. Since I live alone, it’s a studio apartment, right?”
“But this is a regular apartment complex?”
“Thinking about that will only give you a headache.”
Since my head was already starting to throb from the shock of arriving at a place that clearly didn’t fit the typical definition of a studio apartment, I decided to empty my mind as Baek Han suggested. It’s not my concern anyway.
“It’s just normal.”
Following Kwon Dojin who was chuckling softly, we arrived at what indeed looked like an ordinary family home, but considering that it was where a single high school student lived, it was anything but ordinary.
“…Where are we going to study?”
“We can do it in the living room. Or would you prefer the dining table?”
After washing our hands and gathering again, Kwon Dojin, who had already prepared drinks, pointed alternately to the living room table and the dining table. Personally, I preferred studying in a more spacious area, so I pointed to the dining table, and he nodded readily.
“Then I’ll unpack my stuff here.”
With those words, Baek Han put down his backpack next to the dining table. Judging from the sound it made when he set it down, it seemed heavier than it looked, and I found myself opening my mouth unconsciously, which made him look at me with a tilted posture.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, just surprised you brought more than I expected. I thought you’d only have one or two books.”
I had no idea Baek Han had so many reference books. It might be prejudice, and I can’t argue against that, but based on his behavior so far, I’d assumed he wasn’t interested in studying.
“Can I see what you brought?”
“Sure.”
As he rummaged through his bag taking out books, I also sat down at the dining table. Naturally, since Baek Han and Kwon Dojin wouldn’t sit next to each other, I took a seat across from Baek Han.
Although he was unhappy about Baek Han being there, Kwon Dojin brought drinks for him too and came back from his room with workbooks. From the atmosphere, it seemed like we could study properly, more than I had expected, so I was already satisfied.
“Here. This is everything I have right now.”
“Hmm… If you want to improve your grades immediately, concept books aren’t that helpful. Do you have any past exam problem books?”
“I don’t have many of those.”
In the long term, it would be better to build concepts step by step, but Baek Han’s goal was to achieve an overall level 2 grade in the upcoming mock exam. In that case, practicing past exams and reviewing only the wrong answers would be much more helpful than studying concepts.
I pushed aside the concept books Baek Han had pulled out and checked only the past exam workbooks, which showed signs of fairly consistent use.
“I only have high school senior materials, so I can’t give you any past exam books. Can’t be helped. Today we’ll work with what we have, but buy past exam workbooks for the subjects you need to improve in and solve as many as possible. Review the concepts focusing on the ones you got wrong.”
“What a pain.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to improve your grades? Then you have to study, there’s no other way.”
“If it’s such a hassle, you could always cheat.”
“How could you do something so uncool!”
Baek Han, who had been listening to our dull conversation, erupted angrily at Kwon Dojin’s casual remark, slamming the table forcefully as he stood up. Startled by the sudden action, I placed a hand on my chest and backed away, which prompted Kwon Dojin to wrap his arm around my shoulder and gently pat me.
“You scared Habin.”
“That’s because you’re saying unnecessary things!”
“You seemed like you didn’t want to study, so I was just telling you the easiest way, that’s all.”
“And that means suggesting cheating?”
“Enough, both of you, that’s it.”
Hoo-ha, hoo-ha, after taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart, I stepped in to stop their argument. It gave me a headache how they would start fighting the moment I took my eyes off them.
“We came here to study, didn’t we? How can we study if we’re fighting? So stop saying unnecessary things and everyone focus on their workbooks. From now on, I’ll hit anyone who talks with a pen on the head, so keep that in mind.”
“He’s the one who started with the unnecessary—Ouch!”
I immediately hit Baek Han on the crown of his head with a pen without hesitation as he tried to retort.
“That’s why you should have kept quiet, why am I—”
“I said anyone who talks from now on.”
I hit Kwon Dojin’s crown with the pen just the same as he opened his mouth to mock Baek Han. With an aggrieved expression, he tried to argue back, but I pressed his lips firmly with the pen and gestured with my chin to stop and focus on the workbook.
Even Baek Han, who had been irritable, started concentrating on his workbook with a satisfied look after seeing Kwon Dojin get hit as well, so Kwon Dojin had no choice but to pick up his pen too.
In the quickly quieted space, I looked back and forth at the two concentrating before opening my own workbook. Now that a studious atmosphere had settled, they probably wouldn’t suddenly start fighting again.
Since I had neglected other subjects due to my familiarity with math, I thought about working on some non-fiction reading problems today. As I opened the past exam workbook, a pen from across the table tapped on my workbook.
“Already stuck on a problem?”
We haven’t even been at it for ten minutes yet? I looked at Baek Han with wide eyes, and he seemed embarrassed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Wondering what problem it was, I looked down quietly and saw he was stuck on math problem number 30.
“Didn’t you say your goal was level 2?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Then skip problems 21 and 30. They just waste time and aren’t worth it. Instead, make sure you get the other problems right.”
If he had time to spare, it would be fine to solve them, but Baek Han had said he was barely at level 3—would he have enough time to solve those two problems? Probably not.
Noticing Baek Han’s somewhat dissatisfied expression at my words, I leaned forward, crossing my arms and resting them on the table.
“What’s wrong?”
“It feels like running away, and that hurts my pride.”
When I heard this unexpected response, I could only blink my eyes, and beside me, laughter erupted.
“Running away is—”
“That’s enough. Kwon Dojin, you focus on your own studying.”
It was clear that if I left them alone, another argument would break out, so I quickly raised my arm to cover Kwon Dojin’s mouth. He could have easily dodged my sudden hand, but he clearly chose not to, demonstrating the remarkable skill of mocking Baek Han with just the corner of his eyes.
Anyway, it was my first time experiencing this kind of mindset like Baek Han’s, so I found it fascinating too. I had always thought of it as just a bit of strategy.
“But right now, improving your grades quickly is urgent, right? Every test has a time limit, so distributing your time well is also a skill. If your pride is hurt, study hard after this mock exam is over. Until you can solve all problems within the given time.”
Since he had asked, I would teach him, so I pulled his workbook over and quickly scanned the problem. Even though it was problem number 30, it was a first-year high school problem, so it wasn’t that difficult. I picked up a mechanical pencil and started solving it in the margin.
During this time, Baek Han was groaning and pondering, then suddenly ran his fingers roughly through his hair.
“I’ll skip it just this once.”
“Yeah, yeah. Skip it just this time and study hard next time so you can solve everything.”
By the time Baek Han finished deliberating, I had already solved the problem, so I handed the workbook back to its original state.
“Take a look. Let me know if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
“So that’s how you solve it. I think I can do it— Lee Habin?”
As soon as I heard he could do it, I grabbed an eraser and erased my solution. Unable to stop me because of his surprise, Baek Han looked at me with a bewildered expression, and I smiled back at him.
“You said you could do it, right? Then you should try solving it yourself. You only improve your skills when you solve problems on your own.”
“But did you have to erase it…?”
“There’s no point in solving a problem with the answer key right next to you.”
I tapped on Baek Han’s workbook, which he was still staring at blankly, while spinning the mechanical pencil in my hand. I could hear Kwon Dojin clicking his tongue beside me, but I paid no attention. Since Baek Han was the one who asked me to teach him first, he probably expected this much.
As I habitually tried to sweep back my side hair that had fallen, my fingers got tangled with familiar ones. Not expecting our hands to collide, I paused and looked at Kwon Dojin.
“…What?”
“I was going to braid your hair.”
Looking at Kwon Dojin’s calm smile, I was at a loss for words. I lowered my hand, signaling him to do as he pleased, and as if he had been waiting, he began carefully braiding my hair.
“You make me do this stuff while you two do what?”
“I think you’re the one who said you’d do it, not that we made you.”
I blinked at Baek Han’s sarcastic remark. Since Kwon Dojin was braiding my hair, I couldn’t move much, but I extended my arm to tap Baek Han’s workbook with my mechanical pencil, signaling him to focus again.
“I only have that pin I bought before, so I’ll use that to clip it.”
“I wouldn’t mind just using a yellow rubber band.”
“But that hurts when you take it out later.”
“Bullshit. How much could it possibly hurt?”
“Why don’t you stay quiet before I rip out your hair?”
“Alright, alright. Instead of fighting, Baek Han, you solve your problems, and Kwon Dojin, you finish braiding my hair.”
They really are amazing guys who fight at every opportunity. Thankfully, they listen to mediation. I sighed as the two quickly quieted down again.
“Okay, all done.”
As Kwon Dojin removed his hands, I felt the braided hair once. Somehow it seemed more thorough and smoother than last time, which made me express my admiration.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve finished too.”
“Already? That was fast.”
I burst into laughter as the two spoke in succession, as if competing to see who could finish first. The two of them looking at me with puzzled expressions again looked so similar that it took quite a while to stop my laughter once it had started.
