Chapter 2.3

‘The teacher’s collarbone…’

Her face went cold. Her upper body was close to the teacher. They say when people are too shocked, their bodies freeze. When she met the teacher’s eyes, she felt paralyzed, unable to move. The lips she had described with such effort parted. Even the inside of his mouth was red.

“Miss?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

The teacher’s gentle voice brought her back to her senses, and she quickly moved away from him.

She had acted inappropriately toward the teacher. She had always avoided men, so she hadn’t realized it, but maybe she was actually someone who was quite drawn to appearances. Was it possible that she had avoided contact because she was picky about looks?

Or perhaps, because he seemed more like an angel than a human, she had let her guard down without realizing it?

She was so confused by herself that she eventually gave up.

“Let’s end here for today.”

“But it’s only been 30 minutes.”

“The first lesson usually ends early.”

“I’m the type who fills the entire time to teach thoroughly, so I’d appreciate it if you could adjust to that. You want to finish within a year, right? If you get engaged and married before the lessons are complete…”

“Alright, alright! Let’s continue.”

She was afraid his hypothetical scenario might actually happen.

“Then let’s take a short break and continue.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t going to push through the entire two hours without pause.

“By the way, where is the bathroom? I drank a lot of tea.”

“It’s at the end of the hallway.”

The teacher got up and left the studio. She drank all her tea and took a deep breath. The more she thought about what happened earlier, the more embarrassed she felt. She wanted to forget it, but the teacher’s collarbone and lips kept coming to mind.

‘Why did I do that…’

She shook her head to dispel the image. No matter how flustered she was, she could have just handed him the handkerchief. She stared at the wet handkerchief for a moment before putting it out of sight. Thinking about it any more just gave her a headache.

Anyway, the teacher was really something. He must have been in a hurry. As soon as she told him where the bathroom was, he quickly left, covering the front of his pants with his shirt. If he couldn’t hold it, he could have mentioned it and gone during the lesson. The teacher was truly passionate and serious about teaching.

About ten minutes later, the teacher returned with a refreshed expression.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Thanks to his leisurely break, she had more time to prepare herself mentally. She needed a different kind of resolve since she would now be seeing his bare upper body.

“Do you really have to take it off?”

“It’s for the lesson.”

He was the one undressing, but she was the one who felt embarrassed. Without hesitation, the teacher undid the buttons. As each button was undone, revealing more of his skin, it felt like opening a secret box. Not knowing where to look, her eyes darted around.

“It’s done.”

The teacher called her, as if asking her to look at him. She restored her wandering gaze.

“Oh.”

Startled by what she saw, she closed her eyes tightly. The first thing that caught her eye was the soft petal-like ar*ola.

“Miss, you need to open your eyes.”

“But…”

Even with her eyes closed, she felt she could see that pink tip. It was as if a flower had fallen on a white canvas.

With trembling hands, she fiddled with the empty teacup and told herself that the teacher was not human but an angelic statue. Otherwise, she felt she would be committing sacrilege.

“I-I’ll open my eyes!”

She informed him and bravely lifted her heavy eyelids. The teacher had half-removed his clothes, exposing only his shoulders and chest. It reminded her of the paintings of gods from ancient myths hanging on temple walls. She couldn’t help but be impressed.

It was her first time seeing such a broad, flat chest in real life. It was truly different from a woman’s. Selly had said that all the paintings depicting gods were idealized, but they weren’t. It was right in front of her eyes.

His chest, divided in the middle by a straight line, was made of solid muscle. There was no excess flesh anywhere.

She remembered Selly saying that a large chest was the best. Indeed, a flat, wide chest looked aesthetically stable. His beautiful face and that body matched so well that it seemed like one piece of art.

“How is it?”

“It’s beautiful.”

She spoke without realizing it. The teacher chuckled.

“Thank you for the compliment, but you need to describe it.”

“Oh.”

She didn’t know why she kept doing embarrassing things. 

Was the deep-seated desire within me surfacing? Was I inevitably like Diana…?

Maybe if what she had seen as a child had been a beautiful chest like this instead of a grotesque club attached below, her visual fear would have been less.

Enough admiration; I needed to think of words to describe the teacher’s chest.

But do I have any paint that could produce such a pure color? What ratio of red to white would I need to mix? What brush could capture that texture? 

Her head was spinning.

“Do I really have to describe it? It’s difficult.”

“Just say whatever comes to mind.”

“Then…”

Only one thing came to mind.

“Pink flower.”

“Flower?”

He might find it strange. But she couldn’t take back the words that had already come out.

“I mean, you’re like a pink flower. On solid ground… ah, that just bloomed.”

“My.”

A fruit bloomed from the flower bud. It was like witnessing the mystery of the human body. Her mouth hung open at the sight that popped up.

The teacher, sensing something odd in her reaction, looked down at his chest and furrowed his brows.

She could see an apologetic look on his face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“What? Why?”

She blinked several times, not understanding the teacher’s apology. 

I’m the one who should apologize. 

But the teacher looked troubled instead.

“I took off the bottom, but I didn’t think of the top.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just talking to myself.”

The teacher smiled wryly.

“I’d like to explain this physical reaction, but I’m afraid you might run away, so I’ll teach you about it next time.”

What could it be? Was there a specific reason for the hidden n*pple to be revealed? Was it only for men? 

She hadn’t paid much attention to her own chest, so she wasn’t sure. They didn’t teach anything beyond insertion in s*x education. So she was curious but equally afraid, so she just nodded.

“Still, I didn’t expect you to be so fond of my n*pples. I’ve felt your gaze there since earlier.”

Only then did she realize she had been staring intently at his peak. But even when she tried to look elsewhere, her eyes returned as if that were their rightful place.

A lame excuse floated in her mind. It was pointless to avert her gaze now. Her head hung low.

“Well… they’re just so pretty.”

Oops. In her panic, she had blurted out her honest thoughts. She seemed to have repeated the word “pretty” several times. She felt like she had become a parrot, forgetting human language.

But was it normal to have such thoughts upon seeing a man’s n*pple? She was embarrassed beyond belief.

‘What if he thinks I’m a pervert?’

She was the one who had said not to cross the line, yet she was the one doing it.

“Oh…”

The teacher suddenly covered his face with his hand. Although he said it was okay, did he actually dislike her actions? His ear, visible through his hair, was slightly red.

‘Is he angry?’

She might have misheard, but it seemed like the teacher muttered softly, “I’m going crazy.” She couldn’t see his expression, so she didn’t know how he truly felt.

Then, surprisingly, the teacher spoke.

“Miss, it’s not like they’ll wear out, so feel free to look all you want.”

“What?”

“That’s actually evidence of thorough observation, so you’re doing well.”

“Really?”

So my actions hadn’t upset the teacher? 

His words of praise left her feeling both bewildered and relieved, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Before long, the teacher removed his hand from his face. His face was still adorned with a smile as usual.

“May I use the bathroom once more?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

The teacher must have been nervous. It hadn’t been long since he’d last gone, and he hadn’t eaten anything, yet he mentioned the bathroom again. He tidied up his disheveled clothes and left the studio just as before.