Sitting in front of the table opposite Mr. Dylan, Mayleen was able to look at him at close distance.

No matter what, it still didn’t change the fact that he indeed had all the features of the ideal man she had in mind. He must have worked out quite a lot to have such beautiful muscles. It wasn’t too thick or bulky, it looked slender but it couldn’t hide the explosive strength from within. And wow, how did that shirt look so good on him? His plain-colored shirt was neat without much creases as usual and that Adam’s apple of his looked really sexy.

Mayleen looked up and noticed that Mr. Dylan had been glaring at her. She shuddered and quickly looked at the application form in his hands.

“Uh, which subject do you think I should apply? I think I'm kind of weak with algebra and history.”

“Stop doing that.” Mr. Dylan said all of a sudden.

“Doing what?”

“Staring at me.”

Mayleen could almost feel her ears burning. “I didn’t.” She denied instinctively.

“It’s uncomfortable.” Dylan said.

“......”

Dylan looked back at her form after a brief silence. “You can take both subjects for extra tutoring. Just choose a teacher who is good at both. Ms. Melissa is a good choice.”

Mayleen silently looked up at him to gauge his reaction. He should be able to make a quick guess that she was here because she wanted to ask him to be her tutor for the extra lessons. He could also teach both algebra and history, the most boring subjects on Earth. From the way he worded it, he didn’t seem interested in tutoring her.

It broke her heart a little as she started to imagine how he must have thought of her. He must be thinking that she was some shameless woman who would jump into his bed at the first opportunity she could get.

“Ms. Melissa doesn't teach history.” Mayleen said.

“It doesn’t mean she can’t teach history. She’s a certified algebra teacher, I’m sure she’ll be able to give you a lot of tips in this subject.” Dylan said.

“Then should I tick Ms. Melissa’s name in the form?”

“It’ll be better if you discuss it with her before you fill up the form. Both of you should come to an agreement before you pass up the form.”

Mayleen just nodded as she took the form that was handed back to her. Mr. Dylan didn’t even give her a second look as he went back to his documents.

“Do you need anything else?” Dylan asked.

“Nothing else. Thank you.” Mayleen stood up and slowly went out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

Both of them said nothing about that night and acted like it never happened. A part of Mayleen’s heart wanted something more to happen but she knew that Mr. Dylan only saw it as an accident. He was also engaged, so it was silly of her to put her hopes up. A one-sided love wouldn’t end well.

She then went to Ms. Melissa’s table to consult her about it.

“Eh, algebra and history, huh? I can surely help with algebra but I think another teacher will be more suitable to teach history. It’s been years since I last taught history so I've lost touch with it.” Ms. Melissa said after she heard the story from Mayleen. 

Ms. Melissa contemplated for a while before she continued, “Say, isn’t Mr. Dylan good at both subjects? Did he refuse to teach you when you consulted him?” It would make sense if Dylan was the one to teach her, since he was her homeroom teacher and he would surely be more aware about her weaknesses compared to the other teachers from other classes.

“I did, but he said to ask you.” Mayleen answered honestly.

Ms. Melissa just smiled and nodded knowingly. She thought that perhaps Mayleen was too scared to ask Mr. Dylan since he was always so strict with his students, so most students would avoid asking a favor from him.

“It’s okay. Leave the form here, I’ll discuss it with Dylan and let you know.” Ms. Melissa said.

—------

While Mayleen was busy with her application, Ziyaa was having gymnastic exercises with the gymnast club. She had been a member of the gymnastics club since she started high school. Their club would go for competitions sometimes to win prize money, and although Ziyaa was not the ace of the club, she was still an important member.

Ziyaa and the other girls were resting at the side of the court after a long workout when their coach and manager approached them.

“Do we still have extra clubs? I saw some of them are wearing out.” The coach commented as she searched the box of apparatus.

“Extra clubs?” The manager responded as she also took some out of the box. The coating of the handles was obviously worn out and its surface looked torn at some parts. It did look worn out after much prolonged use.

“I think we did keep some in the sports equipment room.” The manager recalled.

“Alright, go get it, we should replace them since a competition is coming up. Everything should be in tip-top condition.” The coach ordered. She had planned out their routine and she just needed them to practice and execute them.

This time, the coach wanted to send the ace of their team, Ann, to the annual gymnastic competition again. She’d achieved some great feats in the last competition and had brought a big achievement to the gymnastic club and the school. Due to her success, the coach was even complimented by the principal and got a big sponsorship funding.

“Ann! Come here.” The coach called. A girl who was sitting beside Ziyaa stood up abruptly and went towards the coach. Although they weren’t very close friends, Ziyaa liked Ann. She was a sweet girl who was soft-spoken and she didn’t talk much. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she looked like a sweet, innocent barbie doll. Supplemented with her gymnastic skills that she’d trained since young, she had the potential to go up to a higher level in this sport.

Ziyaa watched them discuss before the coach went off to another group of junior gymnasts, leaving only the manager and Ann.

“You can start practicing the routine according to this video.” The manager showed her a video example of gymnastic moves for her to practice first. “But first, I’ll need to replace those clubs...”

It was then that Ziyaa got up and was about to start practice again when the manager called her. “Ziyaa, can I ask for a favor? I urgently need to head to 15th Street to pick up some things from our sponsor, and I’ll be running late if I don’t go now. Can you help me go to the sports equipment room to find the new clubs?” As the manager talked, she searched her pocket for a key and passed it to Ziyaa.

Ziyaa just shrugged. She wasn’t the kindest person ever but she could help with small matters like this. “Sure, I’ll look for it.”

“Thanks! Call me if you can’t find it.” With that, the manager quickly took her bag and rushed out of the court.

“Alright then, you use the old clubs first as I go get the new ones for you.” Ziyaa told Ann.

“Thank you, Ziyaa.” Ann replied sweetly. Even her voice sounded like a baby doll - if you didn’t know her well enough, you might think that she faked that voice. But it was not.

Wasn’t it so nice to be born perfect like this? Ziyaa thought.