Chapter 10

Not long after Seol-rin left, Tae-oh grabbed his coat. He was leaving earlier than usual because he made it a point to visit the National Library once a week for his research.

While driving, Tae-oh noticed someone familiar and frowned slightly. It was Jin Seol-rin. She was holding the hand of a small boy who was crying uncontrollably, her expression clearly flustered. 

Screech—Tae-oh’s car came to a stop on the street. Without a second thought, he approached Seol-rin and asked,  

“What’s going on?”  

“Ah, Professor…!”  

Startled by Tae-oh’s sudden appearance, Seol-rin let out a sigh of relief. For some reason, his presence brought her a sense of comfort and reassurance, as if he could solve the difficult situation she was in.  

“Professor, well… it seems like this child lost his mother…”  

“No! That’s not it! I wasn’t lost! My mom abandoned me! Because I didn’t listen… because I was bad…”  

The boy’s self-blame pierced the hearts of both adults. Tae-oh, despite his extensive study of teaching methods, had no idea how to handle a child. If he were to just take the child to the police station, the child would be too shocked. Things that seem trivial to adults can leave a big trauma for a child.

At that moment, Seol-rin hugged the boy tightly and whispered gently,  

“No, it’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”  

“Sniff…”  

“I’m sure your mom is looking for you right now. I’ll help you find her. So don’t cry, okay?”  

Seol-rin patted the boy’s back, repeatedly assuring him it wasn’t his fault. Watching this, Tae-oh spoke to her.  

“Let’s go to the car. You’ll catch a cold.”  

“No, no! Mom said not to follow strangers! I’ll wait for her here… sniff…”  

But another obstacle arose. The frightened boy stubbornly refused to move, his face filled with fear. The mid-February air was still cold, and Tae-oh grew concerned that the boy might get sick. He took off his coat and wrapped it around the boy.  

“Alright. Then let’s wait here for your mom together.”  

“Sniff… Are you sure my mom didn’t abandon me?”  

Tae-oh’s face briefly stiffened at the boy’s words, but he soon smiled softly and gently patted the boy’s head. With a voice as tender as Seol-rin’s, he whispered,  

“…Your mom will come back. Just wait patiently without crying.”  

Eventually, the boy fell asleep in Seol-rin’s arms. While relieved that the child had calmed down, both adults were still worried. They had promised to find his mom to reassure him, but if he truly had been abandoned… it would only deepen his emotional scars.  

“He wasn’t really abandoned… was he?”  

Seol-rin looked up at Tae-oh with a worried expression.  

“Don’t worry too much. Let’s head to the police station for now.”  

“Yes, Professor…”  

Somehow, Tae-oh’s calm words quickly eased Seol-rin’s anxiety.

***

In front of the police station.  

“Thank you so much. I was so scared when I lost him for just a moment while I was distracted at the store…”  

The boy’s mother repeatedly expressed her gratitude as she took her sleeping son from Seol-rin’s arms. After the boy fell asleep, the two had taken him to the nearest police station, where they found his panicked mother reporting him missing. It was a huge relief.  

“Mom…!”  

Hearing a familiar voice, the boy woke up and rubbed his eyes. Seeing his mother’s face, he threw himself into her arms.  

“Mom… I’m sorry… I’ll listen to you from now on…”  

“Min-jun, I’m sorry too. I’m sorry for losing you… Thank you so much for keeping him safe and calm…”  

The boy’s mother continued to thank Tae-oh and Seol-rin profusely. When she asked for their contact information to show her gratitude, Seol-rin politely declined, causing the mother to turn to her son.  

“Min-jun, you should thank them too.”  

“Okay!”  

The boy walked up to Seol-rin and kissed her cheek with a loud smack. Then, with a cheerful voice, he shouted,  

“Thank you for helping me see my mom again! Bye, Lady! Bye, big brother!”  

“…Uh, yeah. Bye.”  

Seol-rin struggled to maintain her composure. Why was she the “Lady” while Professor Ma Tae-oh was the “big brother”? Especially when the professor was clearly older than her… Life was unfair.  

‘Ugh, how embarrassing in front of the professor.’  

Pouting, Seol-rin kicked at the ground in frustration, oblivious to the amused smile tugging at Tae-oh’s lips. Soon, his gentle voice sounded above her.  

“Assistant Jin Seol-rin.”  

“Yes…?”  

“Let’s have a meal together sometime.”  

At that moment, her heart skipped a beat for a completely different reason. Of course, she wasn’t aware of why her feelings were in such disarray. Seol-rin muttered absentmindedly,  

“A meal…?”  

“Do you not want to?”  

“No, I’d love to! Let’s eat together, Professor.”  

Her face flushed bright red as she answered.

***

With an hour left until the end of the workday, Seol-rin sat in the professor’s office, anxiously watching the clock.  

‘One hour left…’  

She might have looked like someone eager to leave work, but in truth, she was waiting for someone—Cha Yeon-woo.  

Three days had passed, and as she expected, Yeon-woo had not rewritten his study plan. Thinking his admission might be canceled after all, her expression grew darker.  

While Seol-rin kept glancing at the clock every few seconds, Tae-oh remained calm and focused, his attention solely on his thesis.  

Seol-rin hesitated before speaking cautiously to him.  

“Um, Professor…”  

She was about to mention that Yeon-woo probably wouldn’t show up when—  

“Assistant! There you are.”  

Without knocking, Yeon-woo burst into the office with a bright smile. He seemed oblivious to Tae-oh’s presence and directed his attention entirely at Seol-rin.  

“Oh…”  

Caught off guard, Seol-rin could only gape as Yeon-woo confidently handed her an envelope.  

“I rewrote my study plan, just like you said!”  

“…Really?”  

“Yes. Why are you so surprised? You told me to rewrite it, so I did.”  

“I honestly didn’t think you would… Anyway, good job!”  

Seol-rin felt a surge of emotion. She wondered if this was how a homeroom teacher felt after reforming a troubled student. Unable to hide her joy, she turned excitedly to Tae-oh.  

“Professor! Cha Yeon-woo rewrote his study plan!”  

“And this person is…?”  

Finally noticing Tae-oh, Yeon-woo’s gaze shifted to him. Although years in the entertainment industry had made him confident, Tae-oh’s cold demeanor was oddly intimidating. What bothered Yeon-woo even more was his arrogant air, as if he couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him.  

“He’s our department’s full-time professor, Professor Ma Tae-oh!”  

“Oh…”  

Seol-rin answered for him, and Yeon-woo nodded reluctantly.  

‘Why is a professor this good-looking?’  

He had expected an old, stern man, but this was completely unexpected. Despite being a celebrity, Yeon-woo, still in his early twenties, couldn’t match the mature and sophisticated aura Tae-oh exuded.  

“Hello, I’m Cha Yeon-woo.”  

Unlike his usual cheerful tone, Yeon-woo deliberately lowered his voice, driven by a fragile sense of pride.  

Meanwhile, Tae-oh, who had briefly glanced at Yeon-woo, turned his attention back to his thesis. With an indifferent tone, he spoke,  

“This time, did you write it yourself without copying?”  

“Yes. If you don’t believe me, check it yourself.”  

“No need. You may leave.”  

Despite his busy schedule, Yeon-woo had worked hard on his study plan. He still harbored doubts about the Philosophy Department, but Seol-rin’s words had left an uncomfortable impression on him. The thought that his life’s struggles could be invalidated by a poorly written study plan gnawed at him.  

At the same time, Seol-rin’s words stirred something in Yeon-woo. She had urged him to show how hard he had worked, and he wanted to prove her right. To show that nothing in his life had come easily.  

“Are you not going to check the study plan?”  

“Do I need to?”  

The professor’s dismissive attitude was infuriating. Yeon-woo’s face twisted in disbelief.  

“You told me to rewrite it. Are you joking now?”  

“I assumed your admission was already confirmed. I don’t see the need to waste my time.”  

Yeon-woo struggled to maintain his composure. The professor’s indifferent response was infuriating, especially after he had been so adamant about rewriting the plan.  

“Ha. Fine. As long as the assistant reads it, that’s enough. You’ll read it, right?”  

“Uh…?”  

“You told me to rewrite it, Assistant. I was going to withdraw my application despite the University President’s request.”  

Sensing the tension in the air, Seol-rin forced an awkward smile.  

“Ahaha. Of course! I’ll read it carefully and thoroughly.”  

“By the way, Assistant, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”  

“Not yet, but…”  

“Then let’s eat together.”  

“W-what?”  

Seol-rin’s eyes widened at the unexpected invitation. She couldn’t believe that one of the most popular rising stars in Korea had just asked her to dinner.  

“Dinner? With me?”  

“Yes. I still have the meal ticket you gave me. Let’s use it together.”  

“Well…”  

“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”  

Before Seol-rin could figure out how to respond, Tae-oh’s firm voice interrupted. His previously unwavering gaze on his thesis was now fixed on Seol-rin.  

“Why not?”  

At Yeon-woo’s defiant question, Tae-oh raised his head with an air of authority and replied,  

“Assistant Jin Seol-rin already has dinner plans with me today.”