Chapter 62

Chapter 3 of Episode 62: We Must Stop It (2)

‘My memory is a bit hazy...’

I managed to dig up a memory that was heavily clouded by time.

It was around this time that a rumor spread that one of the seniors had lost a family member.

A few days later, I even saw a few seniors wandering around campus in black suits.

At the time, I had no close friends, so I quickly forgot about the sad news, thinking someone had suffered a loss.

I didn’t know whose family member had died.

I didn’t know why they had to die.

I didn’t even have the time to care.

The pressure to pay my tuition entirely on my own left me with no mental space to pay attention to my surroundings.

I only found out the truth when we started our group project.

The one who had lost a family member was Ahn Tae-hwan, a first-year student in the same major.

His younger sister had jumped from the building’s rooftop and taken her own life.

The shock of hearing that news is still vivid and intense even now.

‘This time, it might be a bit more difficult...’

I frowned without realizing it.

Rescuing Ahn Tae-hwan would have been relatively easy.

Ahn Tae-hwan and I were already friends, and we attended the same university.

But if the one I needed to save was Ahn Tae-hwan’s younger sister?

The story would be completely different.

The distance in our relationship meant there were many constraints.

It would be hard to even see her, let alone communicate or build a friendship.

“What’s wrong? Are you already starting to do a background check? Why the serious face?”

Ahn Tae-hwan tilted his head in confusion, noticing my slightly stiff expression.

“I came dressed lightly, so I’m a bit cold.”

I crossed my arms as if the weather was chilly.

“Boring. I live with my parents and my younger sister, who’s in her third year of high school. What about you?”

“I live with my parents and a younger brother who’s 12 years younger than me.”

“Twelve years? He’s practically a kid.”

“Yes, he’s like a kindergartener. The age difference isn’t that bad. He’s so cute.”

While talking, I calmly thought about what to say next.

I confirmed that Ahn Tae-hwan had a younger sister in her third year of high school.

If things continued as they were, Ahn Tae-hwan’s sister would die as planned.

Her death would leave deep emotional scars on Ahn Tae-hwan and his family.

Now, the important thing was to find a natural way to approach Ahn Tae-hwan’s sister.

Given my situation, there was only one way.

“Senior, it’s a bit awkward to say this since we’ve only known each other for a short time...”

“Just don’t say it if it’s a bit awkward... I’m joking, what is it?”

“Do you need a tutor for your sister? I need to earn some pocket money...”

I brought up the tutoring as my trump card.

There was no other way to approach Ahn Tae-hwan’s sister.

There was no better way to naturally make contact.

“I can tutor all subjects, and I can come twice or three times a week.”

“You seem really desperate. Did you catch a disease that will kill you if you don’t tutor?”

Ahn Tae-hwan, who threw a joke, was perceptive.

They say a good tree is known from its leaves.

A person who would later become a seasoned politician and even run for president was different from the start.

“You’re quick to diagnose. Yes, I have a disease that will kill me if I don’t tutor.”

“...”

“Please, Senior, help me.”

“Damn, you’re really persistent... Wait a moment. Our English tutor recently quit. If you can teach English, it might work.”

Ahn Tae-hwan gave a positive signal.

Since I was the top student, his parents would likely approve, and he thought I could teach his sister, Ahn So-hye, well.

After a bit more conversation, my tutoring was confirmed.

His parents would talk to me, and he asked me to start teaching Ahn So-hye from the following week.

‘Phew, thank goodness.’

Finding a way to connect with Ahn So-hye, I finally felt relieved.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, right?

To prevent Ahn So-hye from jumping, I needed to meet her first.

“Senior Tae-hwan, you’re here early. So is Eun-myeong.”

The third to arrive was Seo Young-cheol.

Seo Young-cheol, upon hearing that I would be tutoring Ahn Tae-hwan’s sister, burned with jealousy.

“What a shame. I was going to ask Senior for tutoring too... Eun-myeong, why do you always get in my way as soon as you join the club?”

“It just happened that way.”

Inside, I was boiling, but I forced a smile.

Every time I saw Seo Young-cheol, memories of my past life surfaced, and I couldn’t stop feeling unpleasant because of those memories.

My grudge against Seo Young-cheol was deep and strong.

For now, I might have to be satisfied with stealing the tutoring opportunity.

At 9:10 AM, all the volunteer club members finally gathered.

We walked to the senior citizens' welfare center, chatting about various things.

I don’t remember much of what I said or did after that.

I spent the whole day thinking about Ahn Tae-hwan’s younger sister, Ahn So-hye, who had taken her own life by jumping.

* * *

The following week, 6:00 PM.

As the sun was setting.

I entered a high-end apartment complex in Seocho-gu.

I had expected Ahn Tae-hwan to be well-off, but I didn’t expect it to be this much. The apartment even had a Han River view...

Perhaps because of that.

Even the ordinary residents of the complex seemed to exude an aura.

Shaking off the distracting thoughts that wandered in my mind, I arrived at Ahn Tae-hwan’s home.

When I rang the doorbell, Ahn Tae-hwan’s mother greeted me at the entrance.

“Nice to meet you. You must be Eun-myeong, right?”

“Yes, hello, Mother. Please take care of me.”

“Come this way.”

Following Ahn Tae-hwan’s mother, I arrived in the living room, where I ate some fruit and chatted with her.

She had heard a lot about me from Ahn Tae-hwan.

She heard I scored full marks on the college entrance exam and was the top student.

She said I looked honest and kind, and my name suited me.

From our short conversation, I inferred that Ahn Tae-hwan’s mother was extremely focused on her children’s education.

She believed that her children should attend prestigious universities in Seoul.

While it wasn’t the best educational philosophy, it was a common mindset in this era.

Things like starting a YouTube channel,

pursuing a career that matches one’s personality,

or starting a small business,

were more common in a later era when individuality was more valued.

In this era, academic credentials were the ultimate specification.

“Our So-hye is particularly weak in English. She’s shy and doesn’t speak well, so her Korean isn’t good either. How much worse must her English be?”

“...”

“So, Eun-myeong, please start from the basics. She’s in the top 60 in her school, so she can understand to some extent.”

“...”

“She might not get into Shinwon University like Tae-hwan, but she should at least get into a prestigious university in Seoul, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

I nodded awkwardly with a forced smile.

Ahn Tae-hwan’s mother was so talkative that I hadn’t been able to get a word in since I arrived.

I was already feeling suffocated as a tutor; how must Ahn So-hye feel?

I had already empathized with Ahn So-hye before meeting her.

The conversation ended with her agreeing to pay 600,000 won for a month of tutoring.

I finally moved to Ahn So-hye’s room.

The room of the person I needed to save, the person I wanted to save.

“So-hye, the new English tutor is here.”

Ahn So-hye’s mother knocked on her door and entered.

“Hello.”

Ahn So-hye, who was sitting at her desk, stood up and bowed.

Her face was round like a full moon.

Her eyes were large and clear.

Her cheeks were still chubby.

Ahn So-hye looked more like a middle school student than a high school senior.

Thinking about how such a young girl would soon take her own life by jumping made my heart ache.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Eun-myeong, a junior of your brother.”

“Yes.”

“Please take care of me, Eun-myeong.”

Ahn So-hye’s mother left the room, and silence filled the air.

Ahn So-hye moved first.

She naturally unfolded a desk and placed the English textbook on it.

I sat across from her and looked at her.

Although we hadn’t had a proper conversation, she seemed introverted.

She avoided eye contact.

She fidgeted with her clothes, perhaps feeling the awkwardness.

‘I get the general feeling.’

After meeting Ahn Tae-hwan’s mother, I understood why Ahn So-hye might have taken her own life.

The pressure to attend a good university must have been suffocating.

In Korea, every year, some students take their own lives due to poor college entrance exam results.

This shows how obsessed society is with academic credentials.

Moreover, suicide is always the leading cause of death among teenagers.

Ahn So-hye, right in front of me, was part of that unfortunate statistic.

What could I do for Ahn So-hye?

How could I save a child who was so distressed that she wanted to take her own life?

As just a tutor.

I quickly cut off my deepening thoughts.

First, I needed to become friends with Ahn So-hye.

Ultimately, my goal was to close the psychological distance between us and become someone she could confide in.

Isn’t life worth living if there’s at least one person who understands you?

“So-hye.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“We won’t study today, so close the textbook.”

“Shouldn’t we do a level test?”

Ahn So-hye tilted her head, surprised by my words.

“Teacher prefers Jingle Bells over levels?”

“What’s that?”

My absurd joke made Ahn So-hye giggle.

“Actually, the most important thing is the purpose of studying. I’m more curious about why you think you need to go to a good university.”

“There’s no real reason...”

Ahn So-hye paused before continuing.

“My friends and parents all believe that you need to go to a good university to get a good job.”

“...”

“So, I have no choice but to study.”

It’s a sad but harsh reality for Korean college entrance exam students.

After all, they need other options besides college.

“Let’s say you go to college by force. Do you have anything you want to do in college?”

“Yes.”

Ahn So-hye’s answer was quick and precise.

The secret hidden in her answer might save her.

A sudden intuition flashed through my mind.

I couldn’t miss this moment.

“Would you like to tell me?”

“I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell my parents. They’ll be really mad if they find out.”

“I’m on your side. Do you know why?”

“I’m not sure. Aren’t you on their side?”

“You only know one side. Actually, it’s the opposite. I need to do well with you to continue tutoring. I need to impress you, not your parents.”

Ahn So-hye giggled, finding my logic fresh and interesting.

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“So, I’ve proven that I’m on your side, right?”

“Yes, I’ll show you.”

Ahn So-hye readily stood up and approached her desk.