Chapter 17

Even though office hours were long over, Tae-oh’s research lab was still lit. As always, his indifferent gaze scanned through a paper, but his eyes kept losing focus, trembling slightly.

“Sigh…”

Finally, letting out a short sigh, Tae-oh removed his round silver glasses and placed them on the desk. His face, as he rubbed it with his hands, looked deeply troubled.

‘L-Let go of my hand, please!’

‘…Please refrain from any physical contact in the department office!’

The memory of Seol-rin’s flustered face from earlier lingered in his mind. It was the first time he had seen her so pale.

He had only been startled by the scratch on her thin wrist and wanted to wipe away the bright red blood. He never expected her to react so strongly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had made a big mistake.

He, who prided himself on keeping work and personal matters strictly separate, found himself increasingly confused about whether his relationship with his assistant was professional or personal. He couldn’t figure out why. A dull ache settled in one corner of his chest.

“Professor Ma, are you still here?”

It was then. The door to the research lab suddenly swung open, and Jin Seong-tae, the department head, strode in. Tae-oh’s brows furrowed instantly. Putting his glasses back on, he asked flatly, 

“What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Don’t be surprised. We’ve got a dinner meeting! With the University President!”

“The University President? Why all of a sudden…”

“I’m not sure of the details, but it seems he has something to discuss before the semester starts. Anyway, get ready quickly.”

Tae-oh had a bad feeling. The university had always ignored their requests for better facilities and treatment for the Philosophy Department. Now, out of nowhere, they wanted a meeting? It was suspicious.

Despite the oddities, Tae-oh grabbed his coat and left the campus with Seong-tae. In a way, it was a good opportunity. He could subtly probe whether the university was really planning to merge or dissolve the Philosophy Department.

“Man, every time I see you, I think you should’ve been a model instead of a professor.”

“…”

As always, Tae-oh ignored comments he deemed unworthy of a response.

The two entered a high-end Korean restaurant near the university and sat in a private room, waiting for the University President.

“How long has it been since we had dinner with the President?”

It was rare for the University President to propose such a meeting, so Seong-tae’s excitement was understandable. The Philosophy Department, always ranking at the bottom in terms of recognition and employment rates, was like an unwanted stepchild to the university.

Although student satisfaction surveys had consistently been the lowest, the arrival of Tae-oh in the past two years had somewhat improved the department’s reputation. Many praised the improved quality of lectures thanks to him.

However, the department’s biggest challenges—recognition and employment rates—remained unresolved, leading to a continued lack of support or interest from the university.

“Ah, I’m late.”

Before long, the sliding door opened, and the University President leisurely entered. Tae-oh’s eyes widened momentarily as he stood to greet him.

“Hello? Nice to see you again.”

Light brown eyes looked down at Tae-oh. A faint arrogance lingered in the slightly upturned corners of his mouth.

“How have you been, Professor?”

The person who entered alongside the University President was none other than Cha Yeon-woo. At that moment, Tae-oh understood why the President had suddenly proposed this dinner. It was clearly to deliver some kind of warning regarding Yeon-woo’s admission.

The President cheerfully patted Yeon-woo on the shoulder and said, 

“You all know, right? Korea’s hottest celebrity these days, Cha Yeon-woo!”

“Oh, come on, President. That’s too much. I’m not that great.”

“Haha, so humble too! As the President of Korea University, I can’t hide my joy that someone like you is joining our Philosophy Department. Don’t you all agree?”

“…”

“Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Cha Yeon-woo, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. And choosing our Philosophy Department was an excellent decision. I’ll make sure your campus life is as smooth as possible. Welcome again.”

While Tae-oh remained silent with a sour expression, Seong-tae, sensing the mood, chimed in enthusiastically. Yeon-woo, smiling innocently, turned his gaze toward Tae-oh.

“By the way, Professor Ma Tae-oh. How is Noona doing?”

“…Noona?”

“She’s the Philosophy Department assistant. I haven’t been introduced yet, so I don’t know her name.”

Smiling as if he didn’t know anything, Yeon-woo’s expression betrayed hidden intent. Tae-oh could read the provocation beneath that smile.

“So, Professor, could you tell me the name of Assistant-noona?”

***

“Hyung, how much longer until the semester starts?”

“Semester? About two weeks, I think. Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

“I was just curious.”

Jin-hyung tilted his head at Yeon-woo’s sudden question. This was the same person who had grumbled about whether he even needed to attend the university entrance ceremony, now asking when the semester would start.

“Hyung, will I see the assistant often when I start school?”

“Well, probably. Assistants are there to help students. Why? Are you worried about school life? Don’t worry. Since we’re meeting with the University President today, I’ll make sure to ask him to take care of you. I’ll even make sure attendance won’t be an issue if you skip classes.”

“I’ve been thinking… no matter what, shouldn’t I at least attend classes properly?”

“…What?”

Jin-hyung nearly slammed on the brakes. This from the same Yeon-woo who had despised the idea of going to university, now saying he wanted to attend properly?

“Are you sick or something?”

“What are you even saying? It’s just, with all the talk about celebrities getting into universities unfairly or through special admissions, I don’t want to get that kind of reputation.”

“You rascal… looks like you’re finally growing up.”

Jin-hyung’s eyes grew misty. He couldn’t believe such a responsible comment had come out of Yeon-woo’s mouth.

“Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll try to adjust your schedule as much as possible. Attending regularly will improve your image too—it’s a win-win.”

“Yeah…”

Meanwhile, a faint, unreadable smile spread across Yeon-woo’s face. He pulled out a meal voucher he had carefully kept in his wallet. It was the same voucher the assistant had handed him on the first day they met.

‘Since you’re already here, at least have a proper meal before you go. Don’t settle for kimbap. Anyway, it was nice meeting you.’  

It was strange. That meal voucher, worth less than 3,000 won, felt so precious to Yeon-woo that it almost brought him to tears. Though his life seemed like one of standing at the top and looking down on everyone else, in reality, he often couldn’t even manage a proper meal.

The fact that a stranger, someone he had just met, had understood that unspoken struggle touched him deeply. And that feeling had turned into a desire to meet the assistant again.

“Two weeks…”

In just two weeks, he would be able to see her again. Yeon-woo’s lips curved into a wide smile.

***

The good mood disappeared the moment he stepped into the restaurant. He had only come along because he was told all he had to do was share a meal with the University President. But someone he didn’t want to see was also there.

“How have you been, Professor?”

Despite his polite greeting, Yeon-woo’s face was filled with hostility. His gaze swept over Tae-oh’s face, and his expression twisted in displeasure.

How could a professor look that handsome? 

Having seen countless good-looking people in the entertainment industry, Yeon-woo could count on one hand the number of men whose natural allure rivaled Tae-oh’s. Especially captivating were his unique eyes, which even drew Yeon-woo’s attention.

‘So Assistant-noona gets to see that face every day?’

The thought made his mood even worse. It explained why she hadn’t seemed particularly impressed by Yeon-woo’s own face. If she saw a professor like that daily, it was a miracle if she didn’t see him as an average squid by comparison.

“So, Professor, could you tell me the name of Assistant-noona?”

Driven by a baseless jealousy, Yeon-woo decided to provoke him. His sharp instincts had already picked up on the fact that this seemingly cold and unfeeling man reacted strongly only when one specific person was mentioned.

‘Assistant Jin Seol-rin already has dinner plans with me today.’

The memory of Tae-oh dismissing him with contempt when he had gone to present his academic plan, painstakingly prepared despite his packed schedule, resurfaced. Not only had Tae-oh ignored the plan, but he had also interfered with Yeon-woo’s lunch plans with the assistant.

And Yeon-woo’s intuition was spot on. At the mention of “assistant,” Tae-oh’s eyebrows noticeably furrowed. 

Nice. 

Yeon-woo smirked internally, pleased that his provocation had hit its mark.

“Assistant? You mean the assistant from our department? Jin Seol-rin?”

Since Tae-oh remained silent, Seong-tae, sitting nearby, answered in his place.

“Jin Seol-rin… Wow. Even her name is beautiful, our Assistant-noona.”

Yeon-woo made no effort to hide his admiration for Seol-rin. The more Tae-oh’s expression darkened, the brighter Yeon-woo’s smile became.

“Professor Ma, since he’s going to be one of your students, why don’t you say a few words to him?”

The University President, finding Tae-oh’s stony silence frustrating, chuckled and nudged him to speak.

“A few words…”

Finally, Tae-oh’s lips parted. His icy gaze locked onto Yeon-woo. Startled by the intensity, Yeon-woo bit his lip. The confidence he had felt moments ago now seemed laughable.

“You’ll need to work hard.”

“…?”

“At everything.”

There was a lot of meaning packed into those words. It was clear that Ma Tae-oh was not someone a 23-year-old rookie could easily deal with.

“…Professor, let me pour you a drink.”

If he couldn’t win with words, he’d try something else. Yeon-woo grabbed a bottle of baijiu from the table and offered it to Tae-oh. He was certain that someone with such a scholarly demeanor wouldn’t be able to handle alcohol properly.

“Wow. Look at that. Our Cha Yeon-woo is already showing great social skills, trying to get on his professor’s good side.”

The University President, oblivious to Yeon-woo’s cheeky intentions, beamed with pride.

“Oh no, it’s nothing. Professor Ma Tae-oh? Please, have a drink.”

“…”

Eventually, Tae-oh picked up the glass. As he poured the drink, Yeon-woo ground his teeth. No matter what, he was determined not to lose in this drinking battle, even if it meant sacrificing half his liver.