Chapter 984

EP.984 [Reality Side Story] How to Spend the Golden Holiday No.18 – Rusalka

Objectively, I thought of myself as a person without prejudice.

I aimed to view everything without preconceived notions or biases, and when making judgments, I never jumped to conclusions lightly.

However, no matter how much I thought about it, if it was a situation where anyone could misunderstand, I believed that even I could harbor some prejudices in such cases.

“Uh….”

“Why do you look so tense?”

In front of me stood a woman whose hair reached down to my waist.

With an exotic appearance, she resembled a Russian-made doll, looking incredibly youthful like a child’s toy.

Yeah.

Anyone would find it hard to believe this tiny woman is an adult, let alone the mother of a child.

“Is this about tutoring…?”

“That’s right. Tutoring. But it’s not me who needs it—it’s our daughter.”

“……”

For a moment, I thought she might have mistaken me for a tutor catering to elementary students, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

“Our daughter is a first-year high schooler, so please take good care of her. We trust your skills, sir.”

“…Daughter?”

“Yes. Here’s a picture.”

The young woman—though calling her a girl might be more fitting—but since she mentioned having a daughter, I’ll refer to her as a woman—handed me a photo.

There was a white-haired mother-daughter pair embracing affectionately…

‘This isn’t mother and daughter; they’re sisters.’

The slightly older sister-like figure looked around the age where one transitions from high school to university.

“Hair….”

“It’s dyed. The kids would tease her if she had natural white hair.”

“Ah.”

The student I was supposed to tutor possessed stunning beauty.

She was so attractive that I imagined she’d easily become the queen bee of her college department once she entered next year.

But she’s a minor.

As a pro at tutoring, I wouldn’t dare get into any scandal involving minors.

If only she weren’t a minor…

…but that’s irrelevant.

Still, my tutoring skills are top-notch. Last year, one of my students scored full marks on the national exam.

Even now, we stay in touch, and every time I land a pricey tutoring gig, I reference the techniques I used with her.

And yet, meeting a mom like this is a first.

“My name is Ryu Sang-hwa. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, hello, Ms. Ryu Sang-hwa.”

“I’m Russian, and my original name… well, just call me Rusalka.”

“Just?”

“My middle name and last name together make up about ten characters. Just call me Rusalka.”

“Ah, understood. Then… Ms. Ryu Sang-hwa…?”

“You can relax. Call me Rusalka.”

“Ah, okay.”

It seems she doesn’t like being called ‘mom.’

Since I pride myself on understanding customer needs, I shifted the topic back to the main subject.

“So, Rusalka-san, regarding the tutoring….”

“It’ll take over an hour for our daughter to arrive. She was supposed to come at this time, but something came up at her study group, so she’ll be late.”

“How diligent.”

Even on weekends, she goes to study groups.

Not many first-year high schoolers do that—it shows incredible academic passion.

The problem is that the tutoring session starts in an hour.

‘Am I wasting an hour? No, if I use this time to bond with the mom, that works too.’

This is a crucial time to build a strong relationship with Rusalka-san, especially since I came here through someone else’s recommendation.

If I mess this up, I’d disappoint the person who recommended me, potentially ruining all the high-paying tutoring gigs in this area, leaving me jobless and scrambling for odd jobs or part-time work to pay tuition.

Minimum wage or minimum wage multiplied by ten?

If you have the skills, anyone would choose the latter when it comes to tutoring.

‘Besides, I’m not super busy right now anyway.’

There’s no real issue with time.

Even though waiting an hour feels trivial given the high pay, this wait could technically go unpaid—but it’s worth it.

“What kind of tea do you prefer? Coffee? Or green tea?”

“Coffee is fine.”

“Black?”

“Whatever you’ve got will do….”

“In that case, I’ll make black coffee. Let me know if it’s too bitter.”

Rusalka headed to the kitchen.

Despite her youthful appearance, there was a certain calmness about her that left me speechless.

‘I haven’t met a mom like this before.’

A mom who doesn’t act like one.

She wasn’t too different from other moms I’ve encountered during tutoring sessions.

‘Is she really married?’

Did she give birth with that body?

Raise a child with that figure?

Judging by the expensive tutoring fees and the luxurious house, she probably doesn’t work outside the home but manages assets instead.

If not for her figure, and if she fit the mold of a typical mom I often encounter, I would’ve simply assumed she was a wealthy family seeking a tutor.

“Here. Let me know if you need syrup.”

“Thank you… uh…”

“Why the hesitation?”

“I didn’t mention I wanted iced coffee, did I? Thank you.”

“…Hmph, it’s basic courtesy.”

Rusalka winked as she sat across from me.

Sipping her own coffee, she gave me a thorough once-over.

“So, how old are you?”

“Pardon?”

“Is the age I heard correct?”

“Oh, yes. Here….”

I deliberately pulled out my driver’s license.

Any qualification, even a driver’s license, proves effort and responsibility in navigating life.

Even without a car right now, highlighting these small details matters.

“Hmph, I see. We share the same zodiac sign.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Check this out.”

Rusalka pulled out her alien registration card.

Her birth year was clearly twelve years before mine—if this wasn’t forged, then Rusalka was genuinely twelve years older than me.

Meaning she had her daughter around age twenty?

“Wow, you got married early…?”

“We weren’t married.”

“Huh?”

“She was born, but the father passed away.”

“……”

Clearly, she has a complicated family background.

This was Rusalka’s way of preventing me from making mistakes, but such caution felt somewhat unsettling.

This reminds me of that ‘pattern’ I almost fell for before…

“Why the long face?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“Someone might think I’m trying to eat you alive.”

“……”

Honestly, I’m scared of that possibility.

But Rusalka seemed to sense my unease, giving me a gentle smile while shaking her head.

“Not planning anything like that… yet.”

“Yet?”

“Not yet. Oh, excuse me.”

Rusalka picked up her ringing smartphone.

[Mom! Can I sleep over at a friend’s house today?!]

“What? No way. Today’s the day the tutor is coming over. He’s already here.”

[Really?! Oh man, I forgot… Uh, Mom. That…]

“Don’t worry about it.”

I smiled brightly, raising my voice so the student on the other end could hear.

“The orientation can wait until next time.”

[Oh, Mom? Is the teacher next to you…?]

“Yeah, he’s here.”

[If he’s there, you should’ve said so earlier… Cough! Alright. So is it okay?]

“Yeah, go ahead. Send a message before bed.”

[Got it. Thanks, Mom. And tell the teacher thank you so much and sorry!!]

Click.

The call ended.

I sipped my coffee calmly, a slight smirk playing on my lips.

“Your daughter is truly kind.”

“She forgets appointments and hangs out with friends. Sigh.”

“Kids that age usually want to play.”

“Should a tutor say that?”

“Tutors who send playful kids to S University, dismissed.”

My confident statement made Rusalka cover her mouth and laugh.

“They call me ‘Phoenix’ in the industry. They say I can revive dead grades, according to the moms.”

“Phoenix?”

“Yes. Though it sounds a bit embarrassing, last year I helped a retake student who was at the bottom of their grade in high school get into S Arts University.”

“Oh my… you really are Phoenix.”

Suddenly.

Her crescent-shaped eyes gleamed predatorily.

“Our daughter isn’t bad at studies or unintelligent, but she’s a good kid, so don’t misunderstand.”

“No worries. We still have plenty of time.”

Normally, I’d threaten to quit if the first session gets canceled, especially if this keeps happening.

But that’s only if I abandon this gig and choose another where I’d benefit more.

Right now, it’s different.

The pay is so good that I could drop three other tutoring gigs and focus solely on the Rusalka household.

So…

“Then, about you and your daughter…”

“Listen.”

“…”

“I mentioned earlier that I got a referral, right?”

“…Are you serious?”

Cold sweat trickled down my spine as a sudden warmth surged in my lower abdomen, freezing me in place.

“…Ugh.”

“Thinking about it, having a young man in the same room as my daughter might lead to strange things happening, right? My daughter is pretty, after all. This is just precautionary.”

“No, wait!!”

“It’s included in the tutoring fee.”

“!!”

I fell for it.

Of course, jumping straight into a high-paying tutoring gig was my downfall.

“Aah, no! What about Mr….”

“We weren’t married. A Russian exchange student forced himself on me and I had a child. By the way, he’s Korean.”

“……”

You dirty h—

“One second. Shouldn’t I prepare mentally…?!”

“Mental preparation is for me to accept your… items. You just need to stay quiet and keep your mouth shut.”

Rustle.

Rusalka began unbuttoning my shirt.

“Wow… oh my, this is going higher than my belly…”

“……”

I closed my eyes quietly, hoping against hope that my daughter would hurry back—but of course, that didn’t happen.

“If you have any thoughts…”

Rusalka caressed my cheek with a seductive grin.

“Wanna have a private lesson with your big sister?”