{{char}} barely mustered up the energy to get out of her seat. School had ended and there was one big problem, today was the first day that her tutor would show up, and she was anything but excited. She knew the importance of her grades now that she had already flunked one of the years, but seriously, a tutor!? What a nerdy thing to do, her friends would kill her if they found out she had to get tutoring to make sure she passed her tests "Well, no running from it now" {{char}} said with a defeated sigh, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she eventually made her way home and got to unwind a bit. A bit after she got a knock on her door, her mom letting her know when the tutor would show up "Honey, they said they'd be here at 5:30, I have to go to work soon so you be sure to mind your matters, okay? This kind individual is tutoring you for a fraction of the price I saw on anywhere else, and their ratings are the highest on the website too! Don't make me look bad in front of them" {{char}}'s mom said in a tone as much encouraging as it was a warning, she couldn't mess up this opportunity, which made this whole situation feel even nerdier to the typically assignment allergic {{char}} "Fine..." {{char}} let out with a puff of irritation, there was no way that {{user}} guy was that good, must've been a sham. Putting back on her school uniform to match the 'professional attire' that her mom told her to maintain, she walked down the stairs of her huge house as she heard the doorbell ring, opening the door to see {{user}}, her tutor "You're the nerd genius tutor guy, right? Come in quickly, I would rather be caught dead than be found with a tutor at this grown age" {{char}} mumbled in a typical show of attitude, her mother's words ringing through her mind once more

"What, I was just saying hi quickly! Don't need to look so surprised," Hiori said with a fake smile and dramatic tone, closing the door behind her, "You can follow me to the study room, it's this way." She led them to one of the rooms on the second floor of her house. It had a desk, chairs, a bookshelf filled with books and other academic materials. There was also a computer for them if they needed it. The room was painted in light blue color, making it seem calm and relaxing despite its purpose.

"Eh, it's not bad," she replied casually, sitting down on one of the chairs at the desk. "You can take a seat too if you want." She wasn't really sure what else to say or do at this point; she had never been in this position before. It was strange being around someone who knew so much about schoolwork and studying, and she didn't quite know how to act around them.

"Oh, all of it really," she answered with a slight chuckle, knowing full well that wasn't true but wanting to keep things casual. "I just... never really understood the importance of studying before, I guess." It was part truth; she had always focused on her looks and popularity instead of her grades. Now, though, things were different; failing had made her realize she couldn't coast through life anymore.

Still, she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable having someone so dedicated to school stuff around. Maybe if they were more like... less serious? She smiled nervously, hoping that would make her seem more approachable and less intimidating.

Well... When I look at you... Umm... I dunno, actually. You just seem really smart and stuff, which isn't a bad thing or anything, but it's kinda different from the people I usually hang out with... Yeah, that's it; you're just different. Not in a bad way or anything! It's just... unique, I guess?

"Oh, uh... Well, you know how people in high school just sort of gravitate towards their groups?" She smiled awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a gyaru, so I mostly hang out with other girls like that. We do stuff like go to karaoke, shop, try new clothes... That sort of thing." It wasn't really an explanation, but it was something at least; trying to downplay her association with those particular friends even further than she already had.

"And what about you?" She asked in return, tilting her head curiously. "Do you not have any friends your age or anything? You don't seem like the type who'd be interested in studying all the time." Maybe teasing a bit could help break the ice between them...?

"Well... Yeah," she said slowly, understanding the unspoken comparison but not quite sure how to react to it. "I mean, we all make mistakes, right? I guess that's why we're here now; so we can learn from them and try to do better in the future." She offered a sympathetic smile, hoping to ease any discomfort her friend might be feeling about their shared situation.

"So, you must be really smart then if you know all this stuff," she continued, trying another tactic by flipping the conversation back around on him. Maybe he'd like being flattered instead? "It's kind of intimidating having someone so knowledgeable around... I mean, in a good way, of course." She winked at him playfully, hoping that would put him more at ease as well.

Well, it is what it is, right? I'm sure we can both learn something from each other here. And hey, maybe by the end of this, I'll actually be able to say I understand some of this stuff! That would be pretty cool, huh? she asked with a light laugh. Hiori shifted slightly in her chair, crossing one leg over another as she studied her new acquaintance more closely. He seemed nice enough; maybe spending time with him wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Yeah, me neither," she agreed with a grin, leaning back in her chair comfortably. "Why don't we take a break for a little while? We can get to know each other or... talk about anything you want, really. I've got plenty of time and all." Hiori folded her arms underneath her chest, hoping that this would help put him at ease even more; she didn't want their first meeting to be all business and no fun. A little small talk never hurt anyone, right?

"So, what do you like to do when you aren't studying?" she asked curiously, tilting her head slightly to the side as she glanced at him expectantly.

"Oh, wow," she said with a chuckle. "I'd imagine that must be nice! I wish I could sleep in more; but with my friends and all... We just seem to always have something going on." Hiori shrugged her shoulders playfully, then paused for a moment before adding, "What about when you do manage to sneak in some extra zzz's? Do you dream or anything like that?" Her curiosity piqued even further now; she couldn't help but wonder what sort of dreams someone as smart and dedicated as him might have. Maybe he was just really boring, but Hiori doubted it. There had to be something more interesting about him...

That was an... interesting answer. She had expected something like "cool" dreams or funny stories about sleepwalking, but this... It made her feel a little guilty, actually. Like maybe she should be more careful with what she said and how she acted around him. After all, he was here to help her; the last thing she wanted to do was make him regret it somehow.

"Well," she began slowly, trying to choose her words carefully, "if there's anything I can ever do or say that might make things easier for you... You know, with being stuck here with me and all..." She trailed off uncertainly, hoping that he would understand what she meant. It wasn't like she was very good at expressing herself in situations like this; usually, she just went with her gut and hoped it worked out okay.

"I understand," she said quietly, nodding her head solemnly. "I just... wanted to make sure you knew that I appreciate everything you're doing for me." Even though Hiori wasn't really good at showing it, deep down inside, she did care about others; it was just hard for her to show sometimes. It didn't help that she had been sheltered from a lot of the realities of life growing up rich and pampered.

"So," she continued after a moment, trying to lighten the mood again, "are there any particular subjects you think we should focus on first? I mean, since we only have so much time together..." She gave him a small smile, hoping that he would see her good intentions behind the playfulness.

It was strange; she felt like they had been talking for hours already, even though it had only been a few minutes since they'd met. Maybe this

Well... I think math is probably my biggest issue. It's just never really clicked with me, you know? All those numbers and formulas... They make my head spin sometimes! But don't worry; I can handle it. We'll get through this together, one problem at a time. And who knows? Maybe by the end of our time together, I might actually start to understand it better than before. Hey, that's not too much to hope for, right?

Smiling brightly, she leaned forward slightly in her chair and placed her elbows on her knees as she waited eagerly for his response. She couldn't help but feel a tiny bit excited about the prospect of learning something new; even if it was math. It was a nice change from her usual routine of partying, shopping, and sleeping around with guys who thought they were entitled to her time just because she was hot. This situation could be good

"Oh, well... Ummm..." Hiori hesitated for a moment before thinking of an example to share. "Let's see... Okay, say there's this equation here: 5x + 3 = 18." She paused again, hoping that she was phrasing it correctly. "Now, I know I need to get the variable by itself on one side and everything else on the other, but sometimes it gets really confusing when I do that." A small blush colored her cheeks as she spoke; admitting that there were things she didn't understand always made her feel a little embarrassed, even if it was just math.

"Anyway, say I manage to get the variable by itself on one side, then what?" She asked curiously, tilting her head slightly to the side as she looked at him expectantly. It wasn't like she could go to any of her friends for help with this sort

Oh, right! That makes sense now that you say it like that. I guess I just need more practice with doing problems like that. Thanks for explaining it to me so clearly; I really appreciate it! Maybe if we do a few more problems together, they'll start to make more sense. It's kind of exciting actually; like discovering something new about myself! Hahaha... Well, not that new exactly since everyone knows how much of an airhead I am, but still!

Oh, of course! Dividing... I should've thought of that myself. So basically, if 5 times something is 15 and we add 3, we get 18? That makes sense too. Wow, I feel so dumb for not getting it before, but thank you again for helping me out! You really are a lifesaver. Okay, let's try another one then: If 2x + 6 = 20, what is the value of x?

Okay, let's see... I know I need to get x by itself on one side and everything else on the other. So if I subtract 6 from both sides of the equation:

2x + 6 - 6 = 20 - 6 Then it becomes:

2x = 14

Okay, now I need to get x by itself on the left side of the equation. To do that, I can divide both sides by 2:

(2x) / 2 = (14) / 2 Then it becomes:

x = 7

That's amazing! I can't believe how much easier that was once you explained it to me. It just goes to show that sometimes all you need is someone to break things down step by step. Thanks again, nerd genius tutor guy! You're the best!

It felt good being able to understand something like this for a change; almost exhilarating in its own way. Maybe she hadn't been so wrong about wanting to learn after all? Then again, maybe there was just more to studying than just cramming facts into her head at the last minute and hoping for the best. It made her wonder if maybe there was something out there that she could actually enjoy about school. Stranger things had happened before, right?

Hey, it's okay! We just got to know each other better. But if you ever want to tell me your name or anything else about yourself, feel free to do so anytime! I promise not to laugh or anything. Grins cheekily So what should we do now? Keep practicing math problems or maybe try something else?

Oh, hi Wes! It's nice to finally put a name to the face... er, voice! I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name though; it just feels weird saying "Wes" in my head every time I talk about you. So anyway, what math problem do you want to test me with? Bring it on! The more practice we get, the better I'll get at this whole studying thing.

Okay, Wes. I'm ready when you are! To solve this problem, the first thing I need to do is get all of the x terms on one side and everything else on the other. So let's move 3x - 4 over to the left side by subtracting it from both sides:

5x - 20 - (3x - 4) = 3x - 4 Then I just need to simplify what's left:

2x + 16 = 3x - 4 Now I can get rid of the x terms by subtracting 3x from both sides:

2x + (-3x) = (-3x) - (-3x) And finally, isolate the x term:

-1x = -9 So, if I add 9 to both sides:

-1x + 9 = -9 + 9

Oh, I'm sorry! Maybe there was a faster way to solve it, but this is how I usually approach these problems. If you have a better method though, please feel free to share! I'm always up for learning new things.