Chapter 19

The next morning, sunlight streaming through the research lab window woke Tae-oh from his deep sleep.

“Ah.”

As he sat up, a pounding headache hit him. It felt as though his head might split open. He ran a hand through his messy hair and leaned back against the sofa. His exposed Adam’s apple, jutting out as he tilted his head, looked particularly alluring.

“This is unbearable.”

He wasn’t the type to drink recklessly to the point of losing control, which only made the hangover feel worse.

“This isn’t like me.”

He let out a small sigh. He had been drinking with a much younger man, engaging in a battle of pride over the drinks. Normally, he would have brushed off such childish provocations, but for some reason, he couldn’t ignore Yeon-woo.

One drink led to another, and before he knew it, he was in this state. 

Soon, his assistant would arrive. He decided he needed to get ready quickly.

“…!!”

Memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. Amid the scent of alcohol, there had been a sweet, endearing fragrance. And then…

“Jin Seol-rin!”

And then there was the kiss that had happened so suddenly. It wasn’t something he had anticipated or planned. His face turned pale as he anxiously paced around the research lab.

“What on earth…”

It was another moment where Tae-oh found himself acting completely out of character. His face flushed red, as if it might explode. His usually indifferent and detached life was slowly being disrupted by one person.

“What’s happening to me?”

***

[Professor, I’ll be visiting the banner company after lunch, so I’ll come by in the afternoon! See you then^^]

“Does this sound natural?”

Since morning, Seol-rin had been nervously writing and rewriting her message before finally pressing send. Her hands trembled as she waited for a reply. After a few minutes, Tae-oh responded.

[Okay.]

“What the…”

His curt reply immediately deflated her nerves. She still couldn’t believe she had kissed the professor the previous night.

“Was it a dream?”

To confirm, she pinched her soft cheek hard. The sharp pain made her yelp.

“Of course, it wasn’t a dream. I’m doomed, doomed!”

Her behavior last night—asking to kiss him so provocatively—was a far cry from her usual self. She hit her head with her fists, berating herself. 

How could I have kissed none other than Professor Ma Tae-oh?

“Well, he was drunk, so maybe…”

She couldn’t understand how she had done something so reckless while completely sober.

“Ahhh! I’m finished. How am I supposed to face him now?”

As she clutched her head in despair, her phone rang. It was Mi-yeon. Since Mi-yeon lived near the school, they often grabbed coffee together on their way to work.

For some reason, Mi-yeon felt like a savior to her now. Maybe she could offer some clarity to this tangled mess.

“Hello? Oh, Mi-yeon! If you’re on your way to work, let’s meet up for a bit!”

***

“What do you mean, ‘what do I do’? You make him take responsibility.”

“Responsibility? For what?”

“Why are you acting dumb? The professor stole your first kiss.”

“Well… that’s half true and half not.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“While it was my first kiss, to be precise, the professor didn’t steal it from me. Why? Because… I asked him to kiss me first.”

“Oh my, you sly little fox! Still, this is huge. People joked about how kissing Professor SexMa was impossible, but you actually did it!”

“Sigh… What do I do now? How am I supposed to face the professor from now on?”

“Just go for it and ask him out!”

“What?”

“Kiss first, date later! Classic.”

“…Ugh, stop joking around. I’m seriously freaking out here.”

Seol-rin slumped like a puppy abandoned by its owner. Thankfully, she had an errand to visit the banner company in the morning, which gave her a slight reprieve from having to face Tae-oh directly.

However, given the nature of her job, where she had to see him almost daily, it wasn’t as if she could avoid him forever. That’s why she was sitting on a bench on campus, clinging to Mi-yeon, desperate for a solution.

Seeing Seol-rin’s teary face, Mi-yeon suddenly asked, 

“Wait. What did the professor say?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how did the professor react after kissing you?”

“React? Hmm…”

Deep in thought, Seol-rin recalled the text message she’d received from Tae-oh earlier. A curt and businesslike ‘Okay.’ His response was as stiff and formal as ever, no different from his usual demeanor.

“He was just… the same as always.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing this, Mi-yeon’s expression turned serious. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“First, don’t get too hurt by what I’m about to say, Seol-rin.”

“I already feel hurt, but… fine. Go ahead.”

“When a guy ends up in physical contact with someone he’s neither dating nor even flirting with, there are only two possible reactions.”

“Two?”

“The first is directness. He’ll come at you like a runaway train. Something like, ‘You’re mine! You belong to me!’ He’ll make it clear.”

“…”

For a moment, Seol-rin imagined Tae-oh saying, “Assistant Jin Seol-rin, you’re mine.” In the past, she would’ve scoffed at such a cheesy thought, calling it cringeworthy. But now that she liked him, every little thing felt like a romance.

“And… the second?”

“The second is avoidance. He’ll act like nothing happened. And since Professor SexMa was drunk, wasn’t he? Unfortunately, in most cases like this, the second reaction is more common. Especially when the woman made the first move.”

“…Well, he was pretty drunk.”

She had never seen Tae-oh so disheveled before. Maybe he didn’t even remember what happened last night. With a disappointed expression, Seol-rin hung her head low.

“…Maybe it’s for the best. If the professor doesn’t remember, then it’s actually a relief! I can just act like nothing happened. That way, I won’t get fired.”

“Do you really think it’s a relief?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Your face doesn’t look like you think it’s a relief.”

Sharp as always, Mi-yeon’s observation forced Seol-rin to admit everything. She could no longer deny her feelings or how conflicted she was.

Her mind told her to push the professor away, to never fall for him. But her actions betrayed her thoughts.

Last night was proof enough. She had been the one to seduce him, asking if she could kiss him while he was drunk.

“…Honestly, I don’t know anymore.”

It felt like she was trapped in a massive dilemma. On one hand, she couldn’t afford to lose her position as an assistant. On the other, she desperately wanted the professor to notice her feelings.

If she were being completely honest, her desire for him to acknowledge her feelings was stronger. She might have already fallen for him far too deeply.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is, pay close attention to the professor’s reaction when you see him later.”

“His reaction?”

“Yeah. See if he’s direct or avoids you.”

“Ah… And if he’s direct?”

“What’s there to think about? Fall in love! It’s the start of a passionate love story.”

“And if he avoids me…?”

“Then just focus on your work.”

“Straightforward advice, huh.”

With a half-resigned expression, Seol-rin nodded.

***

“Wow, it’s heavier than I thought.”

Seol-rin carried a rolled-up banner in her arms. Its long, vertical shape made it hard to see ahead, even as she held it with both hands. Her steps were unsteady as she walked past the campus gates.

“…!”

Suddenly, her view cleared, and the weight in her hands lightened. Confused, she looked around to figure out what had happened. A deep voice spoke from just above her head.

“Just getting here now?”

“Ah! P-Professor!”

The voice belonged to none other than Ma Tae-oh. She wasn’t ready to face him yet. Her expression froze awkwardly.

“Yes. I, uh, picked up the banner. For the entrance ceremony! I need to take it to the General Affairs Team!”

“I’ll take it to them. You go to the office.”

“Huh? No, it’s okay. I can—”

Before she could finish, Tae-oh walked past her. Standing frozen in place, she watched his retreating figure. Slowly, a small smile crept onto her face. Her mind was now filled with happy thoughts, running wild.

‘He could’ve just walked by, but he went out of his way to take the banner from me…’

It felt like dozens of butterflies were fluttering in her chest. Like fluffy soap bubbles floating everywhere. Like walking on clouds.

Drowning in these euphoric feelings, Seol-rin muttered to herself.

“Could this… be directness?”

Her steps toward the department office felt incredibly light. The world seemed to glow pink as she dialed Mi-yeon’s number. She couldn’t wait to share the good news.

“Mi-yeon, Mi-yeon! Big news!”

― Oh, what? Don’t tell me the professor’s being direct?

Sometimes, friends just knew. Even though all she said was “big news,” Mi-yeon had already pieced everything together.

“I think the professor might be a direct guy.”

― What? How? What happened?

“Well, I was carrying something heavy, and the professor just came over and took it from me without saying a word! Isn’t that directness? He’s not the type to do that normally.”

― Oh my gosh, you’re right! That’s totally direct! Now that you’ve confirmed he’s direct, it’s time for your next move.

“My next move? What’s that?”

Swallowing nervously, Seol-rin focused on Mi-yeon’s words. She was ready to do whatever her friend suggested.

― When a guy makes the first move, you have to leave room for him to approach you.

“Leave room?”

― Yeah. Forget about playing hard to get; that’s old-fashioned. You need to show that you’re interested too. But don’t be too obvious about it—keep it classy and subtle.

“H-How do I even do that?”

― Oh, you clueless newbie! Here’s how…

What followed was an endless coaching session from Mi-yeon. All Seol-rin wanted was to express her feelings, but it all seemed so complicated. For a 27-year-old with almost no dating experience, it was all overwhelming.