Chapter 29

“Why isn’t she answering his phone?”  

Every time there was a break after filming, Jin-hyung grew increasingly frustrated watching Yeon-woo sit on the waiting room sofa, staring at his phone.

These days, Jin-hyung was vividly experiencing the saying that “late infatuation is more dangerous.” The guy who had never shown the slightest interest in women was suddenly, and completely, smitten with some assistant named Jin Seol-rin.  

“Hey, you idiot!”  

“Ah, geez, you scared me. Why are you yelling?”  

Unable to hold it in any longer, Jin-hyung shouted. Yeon-woo frowned deeply, his usually smooth brow furrowing.  

“Are you just going to hold onto that phone all day?”  

In truth, when Seol-rin stayed at Yeon-woo’s house, he had mustered the courage to ask for her phone number. It was just a number, but he had been so nervous. To exaggerate a little, it was even more nerve-wracking than his debut stage on a music show.  

Of course, he knew the direct number to the department office where Seol-rin worked, but Yeon-woo desperately wanted her personal contact information. He had spent many nights grinning to himself, imagining texting her back and forth.  

But contrary to his thoughts, he hadn’t contacted her immediately. No matter how self-assured Cha Yeon-woo was, he was still a lifelong single. In other words, he had never been in a relationship and had no idea how to approach a woman.  

After much hesitation, he finally made his first call today. Having seen Seol-rin collapse before his eyes, he was worried about her well-being.  

“She’s not answering again.”  

Yeon-woo sighed and put down his phone after calling her one last time.  

“Hyung, Assistant-noona isn’t picking up. Do you think she blocked me?”  

“Take it easy. Why would that assistant even need to answer your calls in the first place?”  

“…You’ve got a point.”  

Finally convinced, Yeon-woo nodded. Of course, if it were one of his fans, they’d probably be in tears just to receive a call from him. But Seol-rin didn’t even seem to know who he was at first.  

When he first met her in the van at Korea University, he had realized it right away. If she had known his status, she wouldn’t have handed him something as humble as a meal ticket.  

Then again, maybe Seol-rin’s unassuming nature was what felt so refreshing to Yeon-woo, who was used to being surrounded by people all the time.  

“Still, I’m worried about her.”  

“Ugh. Why are you even worrying about her? Doesn’t she have plenty of other people to look after her?”  

“What do you mean?”  

“That handsome professor. Ma Tae-oh or whatever.”  

“What about him?”  

At the mention of Ma Tae-oh’s name, Yeon-woo’s voice sharpened instinctively. His wariness was clear.  

“Whoa, kid. What’s with the ‘what about him’ when it comes to the professor?”  

“You’re the one who brought him up out of nowhere.”  

“It’s nothing… I mean, he’s her professor, so it’s only natural for him to look after her.”  

“Bullshit. He doesn’t seem like that kind of guy at all.”  

“Hm…”  

Although Yeon-woo was overreacting, Jin-hyung brushed it off with an excuse. Still, he recalled the day he met Tae-oh.  

That man had seemed excessively cold, almost devoid of any warmth or affection. Jin-hyung had assumed he’d ignore Yeon-woo’s provocations and drinking games. 

But Tae-oh had shown an entirely unexpected side. He had met Yeon-woo’s childish antics head-on. Watching the two men interact from start to finish, Jin-hyung couldn’t help but form a certain hypothesis.  

A hypothesis so cliché it could only be called a love triangle.  

‘Could it be that the professor also…?’ 

He didn’t want to believe it. But the scenes unfolding before his eyes were hard to dismiss. Every time Yeon-woo mentioned the assistant’s name, Tae-oh’s expression would change noticeably.  

Of course, an average person wouldn’t have picked up on it. But for Jin-hyung, who had honed his instincts as a manager in the entertainment industry, this level of intuition was second nature.  

‘This is getting messier.’ 

Jin-hyung pressed his temples, trying to stave off a headache. He had no idea how things would unfold from here.  

“I can’t take this anymore. I’m going to Seoul.”  

“…What? We’re in Busan right now. Are you out of your mind?”  

Jin-hyung’s face turned pale at Yeon-woo’s sudden declaration.  

“If you’re too tired, I’ll just take a taxi.”  

“Are you crazy? What are you even planning to do in Seoul? Are you seriously going to show up at the assistant’s place in the middle of the night?”  

“Are you nuts? Do I look like a stalker? I’ll just stop by the university in the morning. I’m a prospective student, so that’s fine, right?”  

Yeon-woo’s plan was completely reckless and lacked any real thought. He stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with determination.  

“There’s no filming tomorrow. It’s perfect timing!”  

“You’re unbelievable. I arranged your schedule so you could rest for at least a day after coming all the way to Busan. And now you’re saying you’ll go back to Seoul in the middle of the night?”  

“No, I’m too anxious to rest properly. Hyung, what if something happened to Assistant-noona? What if that’s why she’s not answering my calls?”  

“…Ugh.”  

A sigh of pure exasperation escaped Jin-hyung. 

What sins had I committed in a past life to end up managing a celebrity like this?  

Finally, Jin-hyung resigned himself to the situation and pulled out his car keys from his back pocket.  

“Let’s go…”  

“Are you driving? I can seriously go by myself.”  

“Forget it. Have you ever seen me leave my celebrity alone? Just get ready.”  

“You’re the best, Hyung! I always say I have the best manager!”  

Yeon-woo beamed, giving Jin-hyung a thumbs-up and bouncing around like an overgrown child. Watching his immature antics, Jin-hyung clicked his tongue in disbelief once again.

***

“Ugh…”  

When she opened her eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted her. The calm, gray-toned design reminded her of Professor Ma Tae-oh’s research lab.  

She felt disoriented. Waking up to a new ceiling—it felt like déjà vu. 

Could this be Cha Yeon-woo’s house again? Was I dreaming? 

As she blinked her large eyes in confusion—  

“Gasp!”  

Seol-rin shot up in bed. Looking around, she saw a sleek, modern officetel. It wasn’t as grand as Cha Yeon-woo’s palace-like home, but it was still impressive.  

“Where…?”  

Before she could even finish asking herself, the memories of the previous night came flooding back.  

“I drank way too much with the professor… No, wait, I was the only one drinking!”  

Trying to gauge his feelings, she had drunk far more than usual. One by one, fragments of last night flashed through her mind.  

‘Can’t I go to your house, Professor?’  

‘Professor, that’s… so suggestive.’  

‘The sound of the seatbelt unbuckling… it’s suggestive…’  

‘I’m so sleepy, Professor…’  

‘Too much work… Professor, you take it off for me…’  

Whoosh. As the memories resurfaced, her face turned as red as a ripe apple.

“Am I… insane?”  

She couldn’t believe the disgraceful behavior she had shown to Tae-oh. Seol-rin clutched her already disheveled hair in agony.  

“Ugh, this is so embarrassing!”  

She had already done countless embarrassing things, yet it was astonishing that she still had room to feel more shame.  

For tens of minutes, she wallowed in humiliation. Then, Seol-rin noticed something strange. If this was indeed Tae-oh’s house, why was there no sign of the owner? It seemed suspicious.  

“Professor…Ma Tae-oh…I’m awake…” 

She called out to him in a small voice, though a part of her also hoped he wouldn’t appear.  

Perhaps her wish had been granted, as Tae-oh didn’t show up even after a long time. Propping herself up on the bed and wiggling her toes, Seol-rin eventually shuffled her way out.  

“Wow…”  

When she stepped out of the room, an even more stunning view unfolded before her. A spacious living room and wide-open windows revealed a panoramic view of the Han River. Seol-rin stared at the scenery, mesmerized.  

The golden sunlight glinted off the rippling water, creating a dazzling spectacle. Tiny figures of people jogging along the track by the river looked like ants.  

“As expected.”  

The professor suited this kind of life—a relaxed existence, looking down on the world from above.  

It was the complete opposite of her own life, where she barely scraped by in a decrepit rooftop room that was practically falling apart.  

She couldn’t help but think, “We’re just born different.” Without the owner’s permission, Seol-rin sank into the plush sofa and gazed at the Han River for a long time.  

“Oh, right! I have to go to work today… … ?”

It hadn’t crossed her mind earlier, but today wasn’t the weekend—it was Friday. She had been so entranced that she had forgotten what day it was.  

Everything felt like a mystery. 

Could Tae-oh have left for work, leaving me behind?  

“Geez, he could’ve at least woken me up! How cruel!”  

Seol-rin huffed indignantly. She began to wonder if Tae-oh had decided he didn’t want to deal with her anymore after her drunken antics last night.  

Her gaze wandered to the dining table in the living room. What caught her attention was a rainbow-colored tablecloth draped over it. Its quirky style clashed with the modern vibe of the house, instantly grabbing her attention.  

“No way… Did the professor cook…?”  

Approaching with a mix of curiosity and disbelief, she found a neatly arranged meal underneath the tablecloth: bean sprout soup, rice, and a few simple side dishes.  

Seol-rin stared at the food with her mouth agape. Then, she noticed a neatly folded note placed beside the utensils. The note was written on adorable stationery decorated with cute characters, which seemed completely out of character for Tae-oh.  

As she unfolded the note, a shy smile spread across her face.  

[I’ve arranged for you to take today off, so rest at home. Enjoy the meal, and welcome to my house.  

— Tae-oh]

The note was written in neat handwriting, reflecting Tae-oh’s sincerity just as much as the meal did.