The point was that you didn't want me to go to cram school?
I see what you're really like now, Yuuki Asuna. So this is the kind of person you are.
Kazuto Kirigaya's mouth twitched, but he decided to let the little girl's offense slide. Children said whatever came to mind, and adults shouldn't hold it against them.
He cleared his throat and said calmly, "I can be your tutor."
Yuuki Asuna's eyes widened. She stared straight at Kazuto Kirigaya and asked, "Are you sure my mother will believe you?"
A sharp glint flashed in Kazuto Kirigaya's eyes. "I believe gold will shine wherever it is."
Yuuki Asuna fell into thought, considering whether the plan could work.
She asked the boy again, a little uncertainly, "Are you sure you can pull it off?"
Kazuto Kirigaya thought it over. He couldn't imagine any way he might fail, so he nodded confidently. "No problem."
Watching the boy's bold, boastful expression, she recalled what he'd said earlier, and her thoughts began to stir. She gritted her teeth, remembering all those nights she'd been forced to spend at cram school, and steeled herself to take the risk of getting scolded.
So Yuuki Asuna turned and grabbed the boy, pulling him back the way they had come.
"Uh, Asuna, are you not going to class?" Kazuto Kirigaya asked as the girl dragged him along.
"What class? You're going to talk to my mother first."
It was obvious that Yuuki Asuna wasn't the studious type.
The doorbell rang, and a stern voice came from inside.
"Who is it?" The door soon opened, and a woman in her thirties with short hair appeared. She looked like an extremely sharp-tongued woman.
The instant she saw Yuuki Asuna, her expression darkened.
She gave an even harsher first impression.
"Asuna, why aren't you at cram school?" Kyoko Yuuki asked, her face serious.
It was clear she was in a bad mood.
Yuuki Asuna instinctively shrank her neck. It was obvious that young Asuna was terribly afraid of her mother.
But remembering that she had a friend behind her, she summoned her courage and said, "Mother, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." As she spoke, she revealed the blond boy behind her.
Kyoko Yuuki was startled. She saw Kazuto Kirigaya behind her daughter, thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "You're that child prodigy, aren't you?"
Kazuto Kirigaya was slightly surprised. "Have you seen me before?"
Kyoko Yuuki said nothing. She glanced at Yuuki Asuna, stepped aside to let them pass, and said, her expression softening a little, "Come in."
Yuuki Asuna instinctively let the boy go in first. She hid behind Kazuto Kirigaya, clearly having lost her nerve.
Kazuto Kirigaya found it amusing but didn't make a fuss. He strode into the house and took off his shoes in the entryway.
The Yuuki residence was spacious and lavishly decorated. Most of the furnishings had a simple, classical style, giving the place the air of a scholarly household at first glance.
Kyoko Yuuki led Kazuto Kirigaya to the living room and pointed to the chairs opposite her, indicating that the two of them should sit. "What would you like to drink?"
"Plain water, thank you." Kazuto Kirigaya wasn't shy about it and stated his request openly.
Kyoko Yuuki gave a slight nod and went to the kitchen to get him a glass of water.
While she was gone, Yuuki Asuna leaned close to his ear and asked, "You can handle this, right?"
Kazuto Kirigaya patted his chest. "No problem. I've already passed IELTS. How could I not be able to teach you?"
Yuuki Asuna relaxed at his words and returned to her seat.
Kyoko Yuuki soon came back with a glass of water and set it down in front of the boy.
Kazuto Kirigaya said, "Thank you."
Kyoko Yuuki moved to the side and asked, "What is it?"
Kazuto Kirigaya instinctively looked at Yuuki Asuna, only for her to look back at him.
The two blinked at each other.
All right, all right.
Was this girl really that timid? Seeing their odd behavior, Kyoko Yuuki frowned.
Kazuto Kirigaya coughed a few times and said, "Madam, I'd like to tutor Yuuki Asuna. I can teach her English, and my French and German are pretty good too, so I can also teach her those languages."
Kyoko Yuuki fell silent, tapping her fingers on the table.
When she didn't respond, Kazuto Kirigaya could only say a few more things at random.
Unexpectedly, Kyoko Yuuki began chatting with him as well.
"Why do you want to become a tutor?" Kyoko Yuuki spoke quickly, but her pronunciation was exceptionally precise. She asked in English.
Kazuto Kirigaya thought for a moment. "I suppose I hit it off with your daughter, and I happen to be looking for a part-time job to earn some money."
"Then what can you teach?"
"English, German, French, and Chinese. The rest of the subjects at middle and high school level won't be a problem for me either. You can feel confident leaving your daughter in my hands."
Kyoko Yuuki thought for a moment, then continued, "Can you teach German and French?" She asked in French.
"Of course." Kazuto Kirigaya answered her in French as well.
"Then how much do you charge?" Kyoko Yuuki continued.
Her next words nearly made him burst out laughing.
She had asked in Chinese, and in a very clumsy way.
Kazuto Kirigaya held back his laughter and answered frankly, "I'm expecting five thousand yen an hour."
It had been a long time since he'd heard his familiar mother tongue. As a Chinese person, he could never feel unfamiliar with his own language.
Kazuto Kirigaya's pronunciation was so precise that even Kyoko Yuuki felt a little awkward.
She cleared her throat and said, "All right. I'll let you tutor Asuna. I'll test her every month. If she doesn't meet my expectations, your job will be over."
Kyoko Yuuki had her reasons for doing this. Although the boy was a child prodigy, having a store of knowledge was completely different from teaching and educating others.
A knowledgeable person wasn't necessarily suited to teaching others, just as a person suited to teaching others wasn't necessarily knowledgeable.
The Yuuki family wasn't short on money. On the contrary, they were quite wealthy, but they valued education even more.
Especially their child's education.
She had agreed to the boy's proposal partly to see what he was capable of.
She had known of the child prodigy for some time. She'd seen him on television before and had scoffed at the time, thinking he was just a gimmick the media had cooked up to draw attention. But now that she'd met him, she was surprised to find the rumors were true.
Still, surprising as it was, she could understand it to some extent.
People like him did exist in this day and age. The boy was undoubtedly a genius, and since the rumors weren't false, it might be worth building a relationship with him.
With that in mind, she looked at the blond boy.