Even when he tried to soothe me with promises, reminding me that his grandpa owned a private jet, so going back and forth between England and Indonesia would be easy for him, or something like he could bring me here again, it didn’t matter. It wouldn’t be the same. They would all go. We’d grown up together, but soon we’d live separate lives.
That fact cut me deep, and it was something that could never be healed.
I couldn’t live without Zioh.
My lip trembled. “Don’t talk about uni.” A small sob slipped out. “It makes me sad. You’ll be so far away.”
Zioh gave a warm smile and wiped my eyes with his thumb. “I’m sorry.” He cradled my face, his eyes locked on mine. “Then don’t be sad, hm?” His hand guided me back to the desk, nudging the worksheets closer.
“Better we focus on studying; there are still loads to finish.”
I groaned, feeling even worse. “This just makes it sadder! It’s hard…” My eyes pleaded with him. “I don’t get it, Zi…”
He blew out a soft breath, his lips curving as he pulled the papers back in front of me. “Then I’ll explain again, until you do.”
I huffed, resting my chin on the desk as he explained the equations again, his pen moving neatly across the page. I tried to focus, my fingers tapping against the table.
“I like it when you teach me,” I murmured. “Your writing’s neat, you’re patient,gentle—”
“And free. Anytime, anywhere.” He glanced at me with a faint smile. “That’s why you should be a good student with me.”
I pouted. “I am good.”
“Yes, good.” His voice was light, teasing, as his pen scratched on. “But very dramatic.”
“Tsk,” I scoffed. “Zeraiah’s way more dramatic than me.”
“My student is only you.”
I raised my brow. “Zeraiah doesn’t study with you?”
“Star boy?” He raised a brow. “No chance. He’d never let me teach him.”
Shifting to face him, I frowned. “So you only teach me?”
He met my eyes. “Only you.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “I’m doing this only for you.”
Only for me.
My heart raced, and a sudden burn stung my cheeks. I cleared my throat. “But doesn’t Mas Bibu always study with you?”
“Golden usually just borrows notes. I explain a bit, and he studies on his own.” A small smirk tugged his lips. “Unlike you, you take hours.” He leaned in, his face inches from mine, and whispered. “And a lot of coaxing.”
I scowled.
He tapped my forehead with his pencil. “Eyes on the paper, please,” he reminded me.
“I liked it better when my eyes were on you.”
Zioh went still. The pencil on my forehead stilled. He blinked a few times before stiffly returning to the paper in front of him, the tips of his ears flushing crimson.
Was there something wrong with what I said?
He continued to guide me through math, physics, and chemistry. His explanations were slow, careful, and steady.
“Focus, Sophie,” he said again, noticing my fingers drumming on the table.
“I am focused.”
