Chapter 14

“Hmm…”  

It was already past 9 p.m. Normally, she would’ve been lounging at home, watching YouTube, but for some reason, Seol-rin was buried in the school’s resource room, flipping through various academic journals.  

“Maybe I shouldn’t have offered to help…”  

The gratitude she had felt earlier was now replaced by regret as she sighed. When she had asked if there was anything she could do, Tae-oh had nodded as if he had been waiting for the question.  

‘That’s great. Could you help me with some research?’ 

She had assumed it would just involve organizing a few documents, but here she was, stuck in the resource room for over three hours. Stretching with a big yawn, she muttered to herself.  

“Miss Jin Seol-rin, that will do. It’s already gotten quite late.”  

Tae-oh, who had been standing in the inner shelves, approached her and spoke. He seemed unaware of how much time had passed.  

“Oh… Aren’t you going home, Professor?”  

“I’m used to staying here overnight.”  

“What? Do you always sleep in the research lab?”  

“With the department facing the risk of being merged or shut down, I can’t exactly sleep soundly at home.”  

“Oh…”  

It became clear to Seol-rin just how much Tae-oh cared about the Philosophy Department and its students. She felt a renewed sense of admiration for him.  

Grrr—  

Just then, her stomach growled loudly, ruining the moment. Startled, she laughed awkwardly.  

“…Haha. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to interrupt your serious talk.”  

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes… Actually, I was so busy at the café earlier that I didn’t even have lunch.”  

“Then let’s eat together.”  

“R-Right now?”  

“There are a few frozen lunchboxes in the research lab. They heat up quickly, so let’s eat before you go.”  

“Oh… Alright, then.”  

After a brief moment of hesitation, Seol-rin agreed willingly. At this hour, there weren’t many places to eat, and there was nothing to eat at home anyway.  

“You didn’t refuse this time.”  

“Pardon?”  

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”  

Tae-oh muttered something incomprehensible and disappeared ahead. Seol-rin quickly followed him with hurried steps.  

Soon, the two arrived at the research lab and sat side by side on the sofa, eating their frozen lunchboxes. Despite the strong taste of artificial seasonings typical of instant food, it felt like a feast since they were so hungry. Picking up a piece of sausage with her chopsticks, Seol-rin spoke.  

“Come to think of it, this is the first time, Professor.”  

“What is?”  

“Eating together, just the two of us.”  

“You’ve always refused, Miss Jin Seol-rin.”  

“Well… That’s because of your reputation…”  

“My reputation? What about it?”  

“Well… um…”  

She wanted to say it was because of all the bad rumors about him and that she had tried to keep her distance. Rumors about how every assistant who worked with him ended up falling for him and subsequently being dismissed had been too terrifying.  

She had tried hard to show that she wouldn’t fall for him, but saying this directly to him might offend him. Instead, she covered it up with an awkward laugh.  

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that you’re so popular, Professor. I was worried that eating with you might make me a target for other students. Haha.”  

“You worry about the strangest things.”  

“D-Do I?”  

“You don’t need to worry about that anymore.”  

“…?”  

“Just tell me if you want to eat together.”  

“O-Okay…”  

It was probably just a casual remark, but Seol-rin’s face turned red. He was usually so indifferent, but occasionally he would say things like this out of nowhere. Perhaps this was why so many people fell for his charm.  

Feeling flustered, Seol-rin’s tendency to overshare kicked in again.  

“Haha, now I understand your nickname, Professor.”  

“My nickname…?”  

“Yes, your nickname.”  

“What’s my nickname?”  

“Uh… You didn’t know?”  

She had assumed he already knew, but Tae-oh looked completely clueless. This caught Seol-rin off guard.  

“Didn’t you know all the students call you ‘SexMa’?”  

“s*x… what?”  

“s*x.Ma.”  

Unintentionally, Seol-rin emphasized the “s*x” part of the word. It was all Mi-yeon’s fault. After hearing such explicit comments from her friend so often, the term “SexMa” no longer fazed her.  

However, Tae-oh’s face turned pale, which was unexpected. Watching his expression change so dramatically for the first time felt oddly refreshing. For some reason, he seemed extremely flustered.  

“SexMa? Who came up with such nonsense…”  

Oh no. Did he misunderstand? Did he think “SexMa” was meant as a s*x maniac?

(색마 literal translation: s*x maniac) 

Come to think of it, she had been just as shocked when she first heard people warn her about “Professor SexMa.”  

She thought about explaining it to him carefully, but his flustered expression was so adorable that she couldn’t help but laugh first.  

“Pfft—!”  

Once the laughter broke through her lips, it wouldn’t stop. Gasping for air as she laughed, Seol-rin eventually caught Tae-oh’s furrowed brows and his question.  

“What’s so funny?”  

“Oh, no, it’s just that ‘SexMa’ doesn’t mean that kind of s*x maniac.”  

“That kind of? What do you mean?”  

“Professor, don’t misunderstand. ‘SexMa’ is short for ‘Sexy Professor Ma.’”  

“Sexy… Professor Ma?”  

“Yes! It’s your nickname, Professor Ma Tae-oh. Students call you ‘SexMa’ because of that!”  

“Unbelievable.”  

“Haha, Professor, I’ve never seen you make that face before.”  

“What do you mean I’ve never made that face before?”  

Since he usually maintained a stoic expression, Seol-rin found it fascinating and delightful to see any emotion flicker across his face.  

“It’s just… You don’t usually show much emotion, but lately, I feel like I’ve been seeing a wider range of feelings from you. It’s surprising and nice.”  

“…Nice?”  

Tae-oh’s face turned slightly red as he repeated her words. Seol-rin smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling.  

“Yes. I like it. Seeing the different expressions on your face, Professor. Before, I couldn’t tell how you were feeling just by looking at you. But now, I feel like I’m starting to understand.”  

“….”  

Tae-oh silently stared at her. His jet-black eyes seemed to draw her in, making her swallow nervously.  

‘Did I go too far?’  

A wave of regret washed over her. The professor who had always seemed cold and distant now seemed different. She began to think he might actually be a warm person, and she realized she was unconsciously opening her heart to him.  

But that was just her personal interpretation. He might still be someone who strictly separated work and personal matters. She regretted blurting out that she liked seeing his expressions, worried it could be misunderstood.  

Determined to clear up any potential misunderstanding, she quickly added in a flustered voice.  

“I-I mean, I like you as a professor! Yes, that’s it. I respect and admire you, Professor Ma Tae-oh of Korea University’s Philosophy Department! You’re the best!”  

Her exaggerated tone sounded like she was about to chant “Department Head is the best!” She braced herself for Tae-oh’s likely disapproving gaze, but his expression remained unchanged.  

“I like you too, Miss Jin Seol-rin.”  

“…Pardon?”  

His unexpected response left Seol-rin utterly stunned.  

‘Did he just say he likes me?’  

She couldn’t believe it. She had never imagined hearing such words from someone as stoic as him. Her heart pounded wildly as if she had just received a love confession. Unable to process it, she stammered.  

“U-Uh, you mean…”  

“As my assistant, I find you satisfactory as well.”  

“Oh, as your assistant…”  

The word “assistant” doused her feelings like cold water. She felt embarrassed, as if she had gotten ahead of herself and misread the situation.  

‘Thank goodness I didn’t say anything weird.’  

Relieved that she hadn’t created an embarrassing memory, Seol-rin laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off.  

“Yes, of course! Thank you for thinking highly of me, Professor. I’ll work even harder from now on! Haha!”  

Still feeling flustered, she focused on picking at her lunchbox.  

“By the way, this frozen lunchbox is surprisingly good. Maybe it’s because I was so hungry.”  

“…Eat plenty.”  

Thankfully, Tae-oh didn’t say anything further and returned to eating. Thinking the situation had passed without incident, Seol-rin sighed in relief internally.  

However, she didn’t notice that Tae-oh’s face had also flushed slightly when she said she liked him.  

***

“Thank you for your hard work today.”  

“No, it’s nothing. You’re the one who worked hard, Professor.”  

The two of them only left the research lab as it neared 10 p.m. Walking together across the silent campus, Seol-rin suddenly looked up at him as a thought came to mind.  

“Oh? Didn’t you say you were staying up all night, Professor?”  

“Ah…”  

Tae-oh hesitated for a moment before parting his lips to speak.  

“I started feeling a bit tired.”  

“Well, that’s understandable. Honestly, I think you’ve been pushing yourself too hard, Professor. You need to rest properly sometimes. If you want to keep going without burning out, breaks are necessary.”  

“Are you worried about me?”  

A faint smile escaped Tae-oh’s lips. Seol-rin, catching that expression out of the corner of her eye, suddenly felt flustered. Her heart fluttered strangely whenever the typically cold professor’s expression softened like that.  

“Me…? Ah, well… Uh, yes. Of course. You need to stay healthy so I can keep working alongside you for a long time. Haha.”  

“Is your home close by, Jin Seol-rin? I think you mentioned living near the campus before.”  

“It’s not right next door, but it’s about a thirty-minute walk!”  

“…Then would you like a ride in my car?”  

“Oh, really? If you’re offering, I’d be grateful!”  

Tae-oh asked cautiously, and Seol-rin nodded readily. She was exhausted, feeling as if her body weighed a ton, so the offer came as a relief.  

However, the moment she spotted Tae-oh’s luxury sedan in the parking lot, her steps came to an abrupt halt. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her.  

‘Wait a minute. The car…?’  

And then it hit her why she felt this way. It was because of the steamy dream she’d had during the long night.  

‘Professor… Hurry…’  

‘Jin Seol-rin, when did you become so bold?’  

‘I want to become bolder. I want to seduce you, Professor…’  

‘Could it be a prophetic dream?’  

Seol-rin’s mind quickly spiraled into an absurd chain of thoughts. 

Just the two of us, at this late hour, in a car where no one would disturb us…?  

“No!!!”  

Already lost in her imagination, Seol-rin suddenly screamed, her voice ringing loudly through the empty campus. Tae-oh turned to her with an utterly baffled expression, his gaze fixed on her face.  

“What exactly is not okay all of a sudden?”  

“Oh… uh… Professor, I’m sorry. I think I’ll just head home on my own! See you Monday. Please drive safely!”  

“Wait…!”  

Before Tae-oh could stop her, Seol-rin disappeared into the darkness. Staring blankly at the spot where she vanished, Tae-oh muttered to himself.  

“Did I come on too strong?”  

On second thought, he realized she might have felt overwhelmed. After all, it wasn’t just about working together on a weekend—she probably didn’t want to spend even the commute home with her boss.  

As he gripped the steering wheel, his mind remained unsettled. It was strange. He’d never been this preoccupied with a teaching assistant before.  

Even this morning at the coffee shop, it had been the same. Initially, he thought it was just a minor commotion. But the moment he realized the person involved was Jin Seol-rin, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her being mistreated.  

When she eventually broke down crying in front of him, he found himself comforting her—a skill he had no experience with.  

“This isn’t like me, Ma Tae-oh.”  

He clicked his tongue in disapproval. The rapid changes in his behavior felt unfamiliar and even a little unsettling.  

To be honest, Tae-oh found Seol-rin to be a satisfactory assistant. Unlike her predecessors, she wasn’t a nuisance. Beyond that, she was actually quite competent.  

When he told her he was pleased with her work as a teaching assistant, it wasn’t an empty compliment. Tae-oh wasn’t one to sugarcoat things unnecessarily.  

Although she didn’t seem to realize it herself, the materials Seol-rin organized were flawless, even by his standards. Moreover, her ability to efficiently manage his schedule in preparation for the upcoming semester was commendable.  

For instance, she had recently made idol Cha Yeon-woo rewrite his academic plan. Lately, Tae-oh had even thought about keeping her around for more than a year, just to see her work longer.  

‘Yes. I like it. Seeing the different expressions on your face, Professor. Before, I couldn’t tell how you were feeling just by looking at you. But now, I feel like I’m starting to understand.’  

For some reason, her words lingered in his mind.  

“Like, huh…”  

Before he knew it, the corners of Tae-oh’s lips curved into a faint smile.