*Knock!*Knock!*Knock!*

“Please come in.”

The way she speaks is really monotonous.

I push the door open.

“Hello~ Good morning po ma'am Iris~ Yours truly came to ask for a help~”

“Good morning Mr. Reverren.”

She greets me looking rather stiff. Or is that her normal pose? That's rather tiring.

But I don't think so.

“Did I disturb your lunch?”

“No...”

“Oh really? You have a rice grain on your lips po ma'am.”

“!”

She looks surprised but she wipes her mouth immediately with a tissue. That was a split second response.

I don't understand why you don't want me to see you eating.

“What help do you need Mr. Reverren?”

Fufufu. She doesn't even show any signs of embarrassment on her face. Is she really incapable to feel emotion?

“Before that, can you please stop calling me by my surname? And if possible, please drop the ‘mister’ part. It feels rather embarrassing to be referred to like that by an older beautiful woman.”

“Alright ‘mister Reverren’. Please take a seat.”

“Uh-huh, very well thank you po.”

“You're welcome. What could I help you with?”

”I just like you.... po ma'am... uh..” I am squinting my eyes at her while speaking in a low voice while saying those.

“.............”

But she didn't show any slight changes on her expression. Was it perhaps inaudible for her?

“....to teach me your lessons earlier. I need clarity about our topic this morning.”

Our topic this morning was actually simple and easy so what I said might sound like an excuse.

“Do you still remember what does it mean to evaluate a function?”

But she took me seriously. And she's straight to the point.

“Evaluating a function is to replace the variables in a function.”

“Then please try to evaluate this.”

She pulled a sheet of paper from the shelf of her desk. The she gives me her pen. She doesn't really waste time.

I touch her skin deliberately while taking the pen from her but... There is no reaction at all.

I know it's normal.. but.. well nevermind it then.

“In this example, we have: F(3) = 2x - 1. Here, the value from the function's domain is 3. I'll evaluate it by simply replacing all the X's in our range which in this case is 2X - 1.”

“.............”

She is looking intently at the paper I'm writing on. She seems to be listening to me carefully.

“Therefore, our function would become F(3) = 2(3) - 1. Did I get it right po ma'am?”

“Yes.”

“Fufu. Then why don't you give me a reward po ma'am?”

I am seducing her but she is ignoring me completely.

“If you're done evaluating it, what are you waiting for? Solve it now.”

“Err.. opo ma'am! F(3) = 2(3) - 1 to.. F(3) = 6 - 1... So the answer will be F(3) = 5.”

“Good. Then, how about telling me the operations we use on functions.”

“Will you give me a kiss if I can give you the answer correctly?”

That was shameless and direct but I'm really dying to get a reaction from her.

“.............”

She's just staring at me with her dead cold eyes. I feel like I'm freezing. This isn't the reaction I'm looking for.

Did I get myself into trouble? I won't be surprised though.

“.............”

I just stare at her as well.

“Oh hell. You're no fun po ma'am.”

“You came to me to learn mister Reverren. Kindly take this seriously and behave yourself.”

“Well my bad po. Ehem, operations on functions refers to the rule of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and composition of functions.”

“What's the four step problem solving of George Polya, Mr. Reverren?”

Gah— question after another question. This will overwhelm most students. Especially with her intimidating temperament.

It's scary. You never know when she may harshly scold you.

“Ohh. I don't remember.”

But I would like it more if she scolds me though.

“Please listen to me then.”

“.............”

I lied to tease her but she took me seriously and didn't respond like how it should be: ‘What do you mean you don't remember? It's simple and easy to memorize mister Reverren.’

“I will always listen to you po ma'am. Like how I would listen to my mother and to my wife. Would you like to be the latter po ma'am?”

“First step is to identify the problem. In order to understand the problem, read it carefully and determine what the problem requires you to do.”

She is really ignoring any of my attempts.

“Find the strategy you'll use to the problem. Setting up an equation, drawing a diagram, or any other ways of solving a problem.”

“.............”

Uwaah, she's too serious.

“The next step is to evaluate and solve the problem. And lastly, assess your answer. Look back and check if you used all the informations correctly. Also make sure that you write your final answers with the correct labeling. Do you understand?”

”I understand it clearly po ma'am!”

“Prove it to me then. Solve this problem please.”

*Rustle~*

She pulled a sheet from the stacks of paper on the side of her desk.

「A tricycle rides in town and charges ₱8.00 for the first 4 Km. And each additional integer kilometer adds ₱1.50 to the fare. How much will you pay if your destination is 7.5 kilometers?」

“You can do it right?”

“I have a great teacher so of course I can do it ma'am. But will you please cheer for me?”

“.............”

Like earlier, she is just looking at me unblinkingly.

Please stop ignoring me ma'am. I am starting to pity myself.

“I'm asked to calculate my fare for a distance of 7.5 Km under the conditions of: 8 pesos for the first 4 Km; added by 1.50 pesos for every additional kilometer. I'll let ‘d’ be the kilometers travelled.”

“.............”

“I already identified the intervals for which different rules apply. So next is to determine the formula that describes how to calculate an output from an input in each intervals.... And oh.. I need to use floor function applied to d.. then..”

Things are starting to get complex. I should solve this on paper to prevent mistakes.

—A minute later.

“.....the minimum fare is eight pesos for 0<d≤4, but since what is asks is d = 7. 5, I used the second equation I set up in the fare function. Therefore, the amount I'll pay is 12.50 PhP for a distance of seven and half kilometers.”

I put the pen down. I didn't notice it but ma'am has been staring at me intently.

Oh hell! I got caught up and solved it properly. Is she suspecting me now?

“Uh. Did I do well po ma'am?”

“Ohh.”

She came back to her senses.

“Yes you did. And it makes me wonder what did you even needed me for?”

Gah—

“I came to make sure what I understood was right. You made things clearer for me po ma'am. You are really such a great teacher.”

*BAM!*

“!”

“Really?”

That surprised me. She didn't shout or anything, just slightly louder than usual. But she suddenly slapped the table so it caught me off guard.

But to think this is how I can get a response from her. Looks like teaching is really something important for her.

“Opo ma'am Iris. You helped me greatly.”

It seems like she realized what she just did but her expression didn't changed in the slightest. She simply sits back to her chair while tidying up her blouse.

“I'm glad then. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“For the meantime, nothing po ma'am. However, can I come back here again?”

“Of course it's my duty. But make sure it's my free time.”

“Well then, thank you po ma'am. I shall take my leave. And you should resume your lunch fufufufu.”

She didn't respond as expected.

“Uhh.. Well... Bye po ma'am.”

That's awkward. So I just left. It's so hard to make her laugh.

“She's so harsh on me you know. Why don't you comfort me?”

She frowns in response.

“You're not allowed to touch me Mark.”

“Right. I know. I remember the deal. But comfort doesn't necessarily needed to be physical.”

“And you're lying to me again. Ma'am Iris isn't one to be cruel.”

“She's pretty cold you know. So, it's kinda cruel.”

“.............”

“That's why I am wondering why do you want me to woo her.”

She lowers her head avoiding any eye contact.

“Are you really sure you want to break up with me? Because the deal we made doesn't make it look like so.”

*Pa!*

She slapped the stone table. That will hurt my palm if I was her.

“You know nothing so please shut up...”

“Just tell me then—”

“No!”

She's glaring at me as if she's ready to pounce on me.

“Calm down Eli-chan. I'm properly doing the end of my bargain. I made a deal after all.”

“.............”

“.............”

“You should invite her on a date.”

“What?”

“What? You made a deal with me. I'll stay as your girlfriend for the time being but you have to date her!”

That doesn't really make any sense. I don't get what you want at all. Are you being passive-aggressive?

“I get it.”

“Then do it.”

She's so irritable... I'm not used to it.

“I will but I need to do it slowly. I really never interacted with ma'am that much. Suddenly inviting her to go on a date with me will make it seem so creepy with an obvious ulterior motives— even though I have none.”

“.............”

“Let me lay down the foundation first. It could take a loooot of time though~”

Fufufufufu.

“.............”

“Unless you decided to stop with this game of yours.”

“This isn't a game Mark.... This is for your sake.....”

“For me? It's easier if we will just make up.”

“This conversation is over.”

She prepares to leave.

“Where do you think you're going?”

“.........What..?” She's annoyed.

“We're going home together Eli-chan.”

“Why?”

“A deal is a deal.”

We made a deal Eli-chan. You can't run away fufufufu.

“I'll come to you later.”

She's gritting her teeth. She really wants to ignore me.

Agh, bloody hell.