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MT - 24 The Test
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 05:48:50 +0000 UTCFor the first time, Kyouko took a closer look at the boy in front of her. His golden hair and striking amber eyes lent him an air of undeniable authority—an unusual and almost regal presence.
Though Roy's youthful face still carried a trace of boyishness, anyone who met his gaze would instinctively know not to underestimate him, much less treat him as just a child.
Leaning back casually in his chair, Roy radiated an effortless confidence. Even in this relaxed posture, he gave no impression of disrespect—something few could pull off. If it had been anyone else sitting like that in Kyouko's home, they'd have been labeled rude on the spot.
"Well then, here's to a good partnership." Roy extended a hand, his tone calm and assured.
Kyouko shook his hand lightly before glancing at Asuna. Letting out a sharp huff, she said, "You won't be attending the tutoring center anymore. From now on, you'll study under Roy-sensei. I'll be heading out now."
Asuna blinked, feigning an exaggerated look of compliance. "Yes, Mother." She replied, her voice dripping with mock obedience.
Kyouko picked up her handbag and left without another word. Moments later, the click of the front door locking echoed through the house.
The second her mother was out of earshot, Asuna's demeanor shifted completely. Staring at Roy with newfound admiration, she exclaimed, "That was amazing! You actually pulled it off!"
Roy rolled his eyes, waving her off. "Yeah, sure. Because being ignored while you sat there pretending I didn't exist was such a great plan."
Asuna pouted but quickly recovered. "Alright, so… what's next? What are we going to study?"
Roy cut her off with a raised hand. "Not we—you. And before we do anything else, I'm going to find a placement test for you online."
Grabbing his phone, Roy quickly located a test with a mix of questions: nothing too difficult, but comprehensive enough to cover a wide range of grammar and basic concepts. Handing her the phone, he said, "Here. Work through this."
Asuna groaned but complied, grabbing a pen and settling into her chair to scribble her answers.
Meanwhile, Roy sat back, taking the opportunity to survey his surroundings.
With little else to do, his gaze eventually landed on Asuna.
She was undeniably adorable. At only twelve, the early promise of the elegance that would define her future self was already evident.
Right now, she lacked the refined maturity she'd later develop, but in its place was a disarming innocence. Her long, chestnut hair flowed freely down to her waist, and her delicate features carried an undeniable charm. Her bright brown eyes sparkled with intelligence, clear as a mountain stream. As she worked, her lips—a soft shade of pink—pursed thoughtfully, a habit that Roy found oddly endearing.
Every so often, Asuna would twist a strand of hair around her finger, a subconscious quirk that betrayed her restlessness.
Like most kids her age, she had trouble staying still.
Even Asuna was no exception.
After struggling through half of the test, she finally put down her pen and turned to Roy. "We're not going to be doing this all the time, are we?"
It wasn't hard to guess what she meant. If tutoring under Roy was going to mean endless worksheets, she might as well have stayed at the tutoring center. At least there, she could see other people. Moving the location to her house didn't seem like much of an upgrade.
Roy chuckled. "Of course not. I'll only give you three test questions per week. The rest of the time, we'll focus on learning."
He emphasized the last word, drawing her suspicion.
Asuna narrowed her eyes, sensing there was more to his plan. "What do you mean by 'learning' exactly?"
Roy smirked, already envisioning his master plan. It was time to introduce her to the world of Steam and its vast educational possibilities.
What could be more effective than using interactive platforms to cultivate her skills?
Besides, he had an ulterior motive. The download size for Red Dead Redemption 2 was massive, and his computer's storage was woefully inadequate. It was the perfect excuse to nudge her family toward something more useful.
"By the way." Roy asked casually, "Does your house have a computer?"
Asuna nodded cautiously. "My brother does. Why?"
"I'm just finding some study materials for you." Roy said with a mischievous grin.
Asuna frowned deeply, feeling increasingly wary of Roy's intentions. Though she couldn't pinpoint what exactly felt off, she decided to let it go.
After a moment of thought, she spoke to the boy. "Tomorrow, once my brother is home, I'll talk to him. He won't refuse."
Roy nodded in agreement, seemingly satisfied.
The room fell into silence. One of them was working on a test paper, while the other sat watching intently.
Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Asuna glanced up and glared at Roy. Putting her pen down, she asked, "Don't you have anything better to do? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Because you're beautiful." Roy said with an easy smile.
Asuna froze, her expression stiffening as two patches of crimson bloomed on her cheeks. Slamming her hands on the table, she grabbed the test paper and stammered, "I'm going to my room to finish this!" before bolting out like her life depended on it.
Watching her retreat, Roy called out, "Don't look up the answers online. This is just a placement test."
Her steps faltered, and she turned to glare at him, her eyes wide with indignation. All she saw was his calm, handsome face, unbothered as ever. The memory of his earlier remark flashed through her mind, and she lowered her head, quickening her pace.
When a good-looking guy throws a direct compliment at a girl, it has the same effect as a pretty girl doing the same to a boy.
Back in her room, Asuna slammed the door shut and tried to calm her racing heart.
"He was just joking. He was definitely joking." She muttered to herself a few times until the blush on her face finally began to fade.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced at the test paper, which only had one or two questions left.
The real reason she had brought the test back wasn't to finish it but to figure out how to interact with Roy in the future.
According to her mother, if things continued like this, Roy's tutoring sessions would last a long time.
"Let's see." She murmured to herself. Somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that Roy would always say something strange.
She quickly finished the remaining questions and double-checked her answers before pushing open the door.
In the living room, Roy was lounging on the couch, looking around with a bored expression.
As she approached, she overheard him mumbling under his breath, "I really want to play games."
A string of question marks floated through Asuna's mind. She slapped the test paper down in front of him, her tone sharp. "How can you, as someone's tutor, be so distracted?"
Roy picked up the paper without a word and began reviewing it.
"Asuna, hand me a pen." He said after a moment.
He started marking her mistakes, circling them on the page.
Asuna wasn't bad at English. She had taken supplemental classes before and consistently studied hard at school. She wasn't lacking in talent either. Aside from a few uncommon grammar points that Roy had deliberately included, her answers were almost perfect.
"Not bad. You'd score 95." Roy said with a nod, handing the paper back to her.
"Only 95?" Asuna frowned, taking the paper and examining it closely.
The rest of their time was spent with Roy explaining grammar rules and sharing tips for memorizing vocabulary.
Mastering a language requires steady accumulation over time. While it seemed as though Roy had effortlessly mastered several subjects, the reality is that most people can only progress step by step, slowly building their vocabulary through diligent effort.
