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The next day, Lord Lee Beom Sook returned reluctantly to the school.  He knew that it would appear strange if he paid attention to only one young lady in Jung Sook’s class.  So, though he smiled secretly at Ni Na upon entering the room in the early afternoon, he turned his tutoring skills next on her best friend.  And that young lady was delighted to sit near him.  And to quiz him about Ni Na.

He bent close to Ae Ri and examined her work on the first problem.  And grimaced as he studied her mismanaged attempts at solving it. 

“Here.”  He leaned across the table and drew her parchment close to him.  “This is not at all the way to go about solving this problem.  You need to begin here….”

He proceeded to show her each careful step.

“Why, you are as brilliant at mathematics as Ni Na is!” she gasped.  Carefully watching his face for his reaction to her friend’s name.

She was delighted to see a smile curving his lips suddenly.  But he made no comment.  However, he did turn towards her.  “Here.  You try this problem.  Make sure you work through each step as I did here.”

She groaned.  She would much rather talk about her best friend.  “What did you think of her?  She’s quite smart, isn’t she?”

“Who?” he queried cluelessly.  Except, of course, that this was a cover.

“Who?” she blinked up at him.  “Ni Na!”

“Ah.  Yes.  She does seem quite intelligent,” he answered carelessly.

But then she noticed how his gaze slid towards her quiet friend sitting behind them.

Ae Ri leaned towards him.  “I bet that you were disappointed that you had to work with me today.”

“What?” he glanced sharply back at her.

“Instead of with her.  I am terrible at math.  She makes a much better pupil.”

“Except that she absolutely did not need my help.  And you do.”

“Would you like me to tell her to fail the next assignment?” she whispered conspiratorially.

“What?” he asked in surprise.

“You know.  So you can spend some more time with her.”

He blinked.  Simply staring at her.  “I don’t know what you mean.  I am here to help those who are truly struggling.”

“But surely, you noticed what a delightful girl she is.  So poised.  Demure.  Brilliant.”

“You said that already.”

“Beautiful.  Sweet.  What’s not to like?”

“I didn’t say that there was anything not to like in Choi Ni Na’s character,” he muttered in exasperation.

Her face lit up.  “Ah!  So you agree.  She is a paragon!”

Indeed, she was.

He glanced back at that paragon once more.  And troubled her biting her lip delicately as she worked on a particularly difficult problem.

Did she need some help?

Instantly, she looked up, and her eyes collided with his.  And her teeth released that pretty, pink lip so that it could join her top one in saluting him with a sheepish smile.  Then her eyes dropped shyly back towards her parchment.

“Please be kind to her.  She is a gentle soul,” Ae Ri whispered.  “She deserves the very best of men,” she sighed dreamily.  Before sending a less-than-surreptitious glance his way.

He got her drift.  Immediately.

And it made him uneasy.

He cleared his throat.  “I am not here to find a wife,” he lied.  “I am here to help you with your math.  So kindly return your eyes to your parchment and pick up your quill.  It is time to tackle this problem, Sung Ae Ri.”

She sighed.  The man was a true taskmaster!

His lips flipped up into a rueful grin as he heard that deep groan.  It was clear to him that her best friend was cut of very different cloth than was Ni Na.  Apparently, Sung Ae Ri really did need his help!

“If you work diligently through each of these problems,” he whispered into her ear, “I promise to speak to her again.”

Ae Ri’s eyes widened as she sat up straight and stared at him.  In excitement.  “Truly!?” she gasped. 

It was up to her then.  To help her friend win the hand of this fair gentleman.  She would do her best.  Even if it meant tackling the horrid world of mathematics.

So she bent her head and worked as quickly and persistently as she could manage.  It wouldn’t be her fault if Ni Na failed to secure this gentleman’s affections!