Chapter 22

“Hey, Professor Ma. Are you even listening to me?”  

With the semester about to begin, a meeting was in full swing between the Dean of the College of Humanities and the Philosophy Department faculty. For five consecutive years, the Philosophy Department’s employment and admission rates had hit rock bottom.  

This semester, even the number of applicants had fallen short of the quota, and the research and operational budgets allocated to the department had hit an all-time low. It was, without a doubt, a state of emergency.  

“Yes, I’m listening.”  

Tae-oh responded to the Dean’s question with a reluctant expression. He was not unaware of the situation. That’s why he had turned a blind eye to the absurdity of admitting a celebrity into the department.  

“So, Professor Ma, how do you think we should resolve this issue?”  

“The employment issue is partly due to the inherent nature of the Philosophy Department, but I think it can be somewhat resolved by actively utilizing job placement systems and support programs.”  

“As expected of the Philosophy Department, all I hear are vague, pie-in-the-sky ideas.”  

The Dean’s tone, laced with sarcasm, made the faces of the Philosophy Department faculty stiffen. Seong-tae, who knew better than anyone else about Tae-oh’s pride in the Philosophy Department, broke into a cold sweat as he gauged the Dean’s mood.  

“Oh, Dean, things will improve this year. After all, we have a hidden card, don’t we? Hahaha!”  

“A hidden card?”  

“I’m talking about the celebrity, Cha Yeon-woo. He’s scheduled to join our department this year. The University President played a big role in this.”  

Seong-tae spoke with a proud smile, but the Dean’s face was filled with disdain.  

“Tsk. Do you think that’s a fundamental solution? Sure, it might create a brief moment of recognition. But then what? Are you planning to keep bringing in empty-headed entertainers?”  

“He’s a student I’ll be teaching soon. Please refrain from making such offensive remarks.”  

Tae-oh firmly cut off the Dean’s disparaging comments.  

“This year, I plan to submit a paper for review to the ‘Journal of Philosophy’.”  

“What did you say?”  

The Dean’s eyes widened. He was well aware of the global prestige of the academic journal Tae-oh mentioned. In the East, professors who had their papers published in that journal were so rare they could be counted on one hand, and among them, there were no Koreans.  

Of course, many Korean professors had attempted to have their names appear in the journal, only to fail repeatedly. If Tae-oh managed to publish his paper as the first author, it would not only bring glory to the university but also make him the first Korean to achieve such a feat, drawing widespread attention.  

Moreover, Tae-oh held the title of the youngest professor at Korea University. Such an achievement would only amplify the attention on him.  

“Are you confident?”  

“I’ve been preparing for a long time. And if my paper doesn’t pass the review, I’m prepared to resign from my position as a professor.”  

“…!”  

Seong-tae’s face turned pale at the bombshell statement. If Tae-oh, who had become a central figure in Korea University’s Philosophy Department within just two years, were to resign, the department’s future would be bleak.  

As soon as the meeting ended, Seong-tae rushed to Tae-oh’s research lab, his face flushed red, and began to scold him.  

“You’ll quit if the paper isn’t accepted? That’s a joke, right?”  

“I don’t make jokes like that.”  

“Why… why can’t you just lay low and take the long road? Don’t you know how strict the Dean is?”  

“I know very well how strict he is. That’s why I drew my sword too.”  

“Sometimes, I really don’t understand you.”  

Admitting defeat, Seong-tae shook his head. It wasn’t that he doubted Tae-oh’s abilities, but the journal he mentioned was notoriously difficult to get published in. Moreover, subtle racial discrimination meant that very few Eastern scholars had ever been featured.  

Looking at Tae-oh’s confident face with a conflicted expression, Seong-tae let out a deep sigh.  

“By the way, what time is it now?”  

“Why are you suddenly asking about the time? It’s 6 o’clock.”  

“Already?”  

For a moment, Tae-oh’s usually expressionless face showed a hint of surprise. He quickly stood up, grabbed his coat, and walked past Seong-tae.  

“I have to go now.”  

“You’re leaving already?”  

Seong-tae asked, his eyes wide. It was rare for Tae-oh to leave work on time. But Tae-oh replied nonchalantly.  

“It’s the end of the workday.”  

“Oh, uh, right. Anyway, since you made such a bold statement in front of the Dean, make sure you prepare your paper well. Good luck!”  

Without responding, Tae-oh left the research lab. Seong-tae glanced at Tae-oh’s unusually messy desk.  

Right next to the computer, there was a stack of A4 papers, seemingly dozens of sheets thick. His eyes were naturally drawn to the neatly written Gothic font on the cover page.  

「Untitled Academic Paper  

— Author: Ma Tae-oh 」

* * *  

“Achoo!!”  

As soon as she finished work, Seol-rin fled to a sauna house near the university, sneezing repeatedly. Perhaps it was because she had spent the night shivering in the cold, but her sneezing had only gotten worse. She had already gone through an entire box of tissues in the department office.  

“Ugh, is the professor waiting for me?”  

She had told Tae-oh that they would continue their conversation after work, but as the time approached, her heart pounded wildly, and she felt nauseous. With her cold worsening, she decided it would be impossible to talk to Tae-oh in her current state.  

As soon as the clock struck six, Seol-rin hurriedly left the department office, anxious about running into the professor. She couldn’t describe how nervous she had been.  

But after escaping to the sauna house, she started to feel guilty, wondering if he was waiting for her.  

‘Let me ask you directly. Assistant Jin Seol-rin, are you interested in me?’  

Remembering his words made her feel as if every hair on her body was standing on end. Her face still burned with embarrassment.  

“What am I supposed to say, seriously?”  

Admitting she was interested felt embarrassing, but denying it made the kiss she had asked for that night seem ridiculous.  

Most of all, it was hard to figure out the professor’s intentions. She had no idea why he had asked her such a question.  

“Surely, he wouldn’t fire me if I said I was interested, right?”  

If that were the case, it would truly be a great tragedy. Not only would the romantic feelings she had experienced for the first time in 27 years fizzle out, but she would also lose her job. She couldn’t imagine returning to a cramped, smelly goshiwon to prepare for job applications again. 

(A goshiwon is a type of low-cost housing in South Korea that consists of small, single-occupancy rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms.)

If she had to give up one of the two… it would be better to suppress her feelings for the professor. That was the right thing to do.  

“But what’s the point? I feel like I’m going to die every time I see the professor!”  

The problem was that while her mind had reached a clear conclusion, her heart refused to cooperate.  

“Ugh, it’s getting harder and harder.”  

Far from figuring out what to say or how to talk to Tae-oh, she felt like she was burning up. Her mind grew increasingly foggy. She lay in the most secluded corner, groaning for what felt like hours.  

“I can’t do this anymore.”  

Fearing she might really fall asleep and get into serious trouble, she forced her aching body to leave the sauna house. She decided she had to go to the emergency room and get some fever medicine at the very least.  

The wind was particularly cold that day. The strong gusts made it even harder for her to stay alert.  

“Ugh, I feel so dizzy.”  

Seol-rin staggered as she walked. She stretched out her hand to hail a taxi, but none stopped for her.  

Just as she was seriously contemplating calling 119, a loud honk sounded, and a luxurious foreign car stopped in front of her.  

“Huh…?”  

The passenger-side window rolled down, revealing a strikingly handsome face.  

“Wow! Assistant-noona, fancy meeting you here!”  

It was none other than Cha Yeon-woo. On a rare day off, he had decided to go for a drive and had unconsciously ended up near Korea University.  

And as if by fate, he saw Seol-rin again. He immediately recognized her as she walked through the nearby streets in the late afternoon.  

Overjoyed, he called out to her, but her expression remained dark.  

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me? I’m so happy to see you, Noona! Noona!!”  

It was then that Seol-rin’s legs suddenly gave out, as if all her strength had been drained. She collapsed to the ground, and Yeon-woo let out a shriek.  

Forgetting that his job as a celebrity required him to be cautious about his actions, he flung open the car door and ran to her.  

“Noona, what’s wrong? Oh no!”  

When he lifted her from the ground, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but panic. Not only was she drenched in cold sweat, but her entire body was burning up.  

“Please, stay with me, Noona!”  

No matter how much he shook her, she showed no signs of regaining consciousness. In the end, he gently carried her and placed her in the passenger seat.  

“The hospital, I need to get her to a hospital.”  

With that thought, he slammed his foot on the accelerator. Despite having faced countless emergencies and unexpected situations during his career in the entertainment industry, he had never felt this flustered before.  

Even as he drove, his anxious gaze kept darting toward Seol-rin.  

“Noona, just hang in there.”  

“Ugh…” 

Every faint groan that escaped her lips made Yeon-woo’s heart sink. She reminded him so much of his mother, who had passed away after a long battle with cancer when he was young.