Chapter 2

“Wow…”

Jin Seol-rin’s eyes widened as she stepped into Professor Ma Tae-oh’s office. Compared to the other professors’ offices, which were always filled with stacks of papers and half-empty coffee cups, his office was incredibly sophisticated.

The gray-toned wallpaper and modern-style furniture gave the space a luxurious feel. It felt less like a professor’s office and more like the office of an executive at a major corporation. 

After placing her resume neatly on his pristine desk, Seol-rin let out a deep sigh.

“Jin Seol-rin, you’re really crazy. Why did you grab the professor’s hand like that?”

She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. She had mistaken his gesture for asking for a handshake and had grabbed his hand without thinking. Now, she was mortified and worried he might misunderstand her impulsive action.

“Surely, he doesn’t think I was trying to flirt… does he?”

Her face turned pale at the thought. She suddenly remembered the warning that showing any personal interest in him could get her fired. Nervously nibbling on her nails, she muttered to herself as if making a resolution.

“This job was so hard to get… I absolutely cannot get fired!”

She decided she needed to make it clear to the professor that she had no personal interest in him whatsoever.

***

“An admission track for celebrities?”

Ma Tae-oh’s sharp voice echoed through the faculty meeting room. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing—that, just a month before the semester started, a new admission track for celebrities had suddenly been introduced.

The Philosophy Department Chair, Jin Seong-tae, rubbed his temples as he glanced nervously at Ma Tae-oh. As humiliating as it was for him to feel intimidated by a faculty member, he couldn’t help it. Ever since he’d heard the rumor that Ma Tae-oh was the only son of Jinwon Group’s chairman, Ma Jin-soo, who had been funding Korea University for years, Seong-tae had been treading carefully around him.

“Professor Ma, calm down for a moment. It’s not like we’re admitting a lot of students—just one. It’s already decided, so there’s nothing we can do.”

“But we’re not a performing arts department. How does it make sense for the Philosophy Department to admit a student under a celebrity track?”

“And technically, it’s not a ‘celebrity track.’ It’s a self-recommendation track. Anyone with exceptional talent in any field can apply. Celebrity activities just happen to be included.”

“It’s the perfect excuse for people to accuse us of preferential treatment.”

“The Philosophy Department has had the lowest employment rate for years. To attract students, we need at least one star to represent the department, don’t you think?”

“When did the Philosophy Department become about employment? We shouldn’t take away opportunities from students who genuinely want to study. A student who could have entered through regular admissions will lose their spot because of this new track.”

Admission quotas were fixed, so adding a celebrity track would inevitably reduce the number of regular spots. Ma Tae-oh couldn’t accept this.

“You’re not wrong, Professor Ma. But what can we do? It’s a direct order from the Chairman.”

“….”

At the mention of the Chairman, Ma Tae-oh’s brow furrowed deeply, and he pressed his lips together in silence.

“Let’s think of it as a necessary compromise, Professor Ma. Okay?”

Seong-tae understood Ma Tae-oh’s frustration. Despite his cold and aloof demeanor, Ma Tae-oh had a deep affection for the Philosophy Department. 

After completing his PhD in record time at a state university in the United States, Ma Tae-oh had returned to Korea and gained recognition in the media as a brilliant scholar. It had been two years since he became the youngest professor at Korea University at the age of 29, and he was still fiercely protective of the Philosophy Department.

Glancing at Ma Tae-oh’s now frosty expression, Seong-tae sighed heavily. His tone grew serious.

“Look, Professor Ma. I wasn’t going to bring this up, but our department might be merged next year.”

“What?”

Ma Tae-oh’s eyes widened at the unexpected news. Avoiding his gaze, Seong-tae continued.

“So just this once, let’s turn a blind eye. Dropping one unknown applicant means we can protect more students overall.”

“Ha… This is getting ridiculous. That’s it for today’s meeting.”

Frustrated, Ma Tae-oh yanked off his glasses. Without the chance to mentally prepare himself, Seong-tae found himself momentarily stunned by Ma Tae-oh’s bare face.

Jet-black hair, skin so translucent you could almost see the blood vessels, a sharp nose, and a jawline as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler. His face was flawless.

But above all, it was his piercing eyes that left the strongest impression. Rumors had circulated among students about his seductive gaze and the strange nicknames it had earned him.

If he hadn’t been a professor, he could have easily been a celebrity. It was rare to see a man with such strikingly attractive features.

Breaking out of his daze, Seong-tae spoke soothingly.

“Don’t be so idealistic. Philosophers starve because they think too much like humans. They’re too idealistic.”

“Is that something the Philosophy Department Chair should be saying? Forget it. I’m leaving.”

“Leaving already? At least stay for lunch.”

“No, thank you. My new assistant is waiting.”

At the mention of the new assistant, Seong-tae clapped his hands together.

“Oh, you’ve hired a new assistant? Let’s hope they last this time. Stop firing them so often.”

“I hope so too.”

Adjusting his glasses, Ma Tae-oh replied with his usual impassive expression.

***

Hours passed as Seol-rin sat idly on the office sofa, waiting for the professor to return. Her stomach growled loudly.

“Why isn’t he back yet?!”

Doing nothing but sitting around was driving her crazy. Stretching and yawning, she suddenly heard footsteps in the distance.

Instinctively realizing that the professor was on his way back, she quickly straightened her posture. Sure enough, the door swung open, and Ma Tae-oh walked in.

“Apologies. The morning meeting ran long. Did you organize the resume?”

“Yes! I placed it on your desk!”

“It’s already lunchtime.”

“Oh, is it? I hadn’t noticed…”

She had, of course, noticed it was lunchtime, but she pretended otherwise. Inside, however, she was thrilled. One of the perks of having a job was that meals were taken care of. Even if her budget only allowed her to eat at the campus cafeteria, it was better than nothing.

Checking the elegant watch on his wrist, Ma Tae-oh spoke in his usual flat tone.

“Let’s have lunch—”

“No!! I’ll eat lunch alone!!”

“….”

The words had slipped out impulsively. Shocked by her own outburst, Seol-rin glanced sideways at Ma Tae-oh’s face.

Her intention was to show that she had no personal interest in him, but she worried that she might have come across as rude.

Perhaps it was normal for an assistant and their supervising professor to have lunch together. At least on the first day of work, it seemed like the right thing to do. In that brief moment, a flood of thoughts raced through her mind.

But contrary to her worries, Ma Tae-oh responded as if nothing had happened.

“That’s fine. I was going to say we wouldn’t be eating together.”

“Ahaha, of course. Right?”

“Eat something reasonable and be back on time.”

“Yes!”

When he finished speaking, a flush of joy appeared on Seol-rin’s face. For a moment, a look of puzzlement crossed Tae-oh’s face as he observed her. It was the first time he had encountered an assistant who seemed so delighted at the suggestion of not eating together, and he found himself momentarily taken aback.

He had changed assistants countless times before. The reason was simple: he was tired of their personal interest and affectionate advances. Regardless of gender, those who worked with him rarely lasted more than a month before being dismissed.

However, the reaction of this new assistant was strangely different from what he had experienced so far, leaving him with an odd feeling. Even a slight conversation would make her flinch and avoid his gaze, as if she were desperately trying not to get involved with him.

‘What on earth is she thinking?’

Tae-oh let out a dry chuckle to himself. Even he found his thoughts rather unpleasant. Despite the lightness of his thoughts, his expression remained solemn. With a face that showed not even a trace of emotion, Tae-oh called out Seol-rin’s name.

“Jin Seol-rin.”

“Yes?”

Hearing him call, Seol-rin stopped just as she was about to leave the lab and turned around. Behind her thick-rimmed glasses, a cool gaze was directed at her.

“Come to the archive after you finish eating. I’ll be there.”

***

After hurriedly finishing her lunch, Seol-rin’s steps toward the archive felt heavy.

In truth, Seol-rin rarely used the archive. Its location in the basement was one thing, but the frequent power outages were the main reason she avoided it. She had made several complaints to the school about it, but for some reason, the issue had yet to be resolved.

“The professor is already here?”

True to his word, Tae-oh was sitting in the farthest corner of the archive, buried under a pile of research papers. Seol-rin quickened her steps toward him.

“Professor, I’m here.”

Tae-oh’s unwavering gaze remained fixed on the papers. Without even glancing at her, he replied.

“There are still 20 minutes left before lunch break ends.”

“Still, I thought it would be better to come early! Since you’re working alone, Professor.”

She thought she had made a socially adept comment, but Tae-oh’s reaction was unexpectedly cold.

“Don’t do that from now on. You should take care of your own rights. Anyway, since you’re here today, let’s start right away.”

“Oh… Yes, what should I do first?”

“Because the assistants have been constantly changing, the archive hasn’t been properly organized. I’m thinking of compiling a collection of materials on philosophers categorized by ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods before the semester starts. I’d like you to create an index for me. Make it convenient for the students to use.”

“Sounds great! When I was an undergrad, it was so hard to find materials. It’s nice to see things finally getting organized.”

Of course, she never dreamed she would be the one doing the organizing, but Seol-rin forced a cheerful smile. After all, it was her first assigned task, and she couldn’t afford to show any displeasure.

“Alright, I’ll give it my best shot!”

With her eyes shining brightly, Seol-rin walked toward the shelves with determination. If she was going to start with ancient philosophy, she figured she’d begin with Thales, the first philosopher of Greece and the founder of European philosophy.

She resolved to check all the materials on the shelves and create a database. If she was going to do it, she wanted to do it thoroughly and perfectly, hoping to earn the professor’s recognition.