Chapter 30

[Professor, the food was amazing. You’re the best!]  

Tae-oh smirked when he received Seol-rin’s text. It was accompanied by a photo she had sent.  

In the picture, the dishes were completely empty, and Seol-rin was beaming brightly. He felt relieved that she had enjoyed the meal. At the same time, another message arrived.  

[Can I stay at your house a little longer?]  

“I don’t see why not.”  

Tomorrow was the weekend. He wondered what it would feel like to spend the weekend with Seol-rin.  

In truth, Tae-oh wasn’t used to doing things with others. Even this morning, the presence of someone else in his house had felt strange to him.  

Watching Seol-rin sleep soundly, he had pondered what he could do for her. Since she had passed out from drinking too much the night before, he didn’t want to wake her unnecessarily.  

Preparing a warm meal and leaving it behind had somehow left him feeling content. The thought of Seol-rin eating it made him feel even more at ease.  

While he was lost in thought, the door to the research lab swung open, and Seong-tae walked in.  

“Professor Ma, may I come in?”  

“…You’re already in. Why bother asking for permission?”  

Not wanting his sentimental thoughts to be exposed, Tae-oh responded in a curt tone.  

“Ahem.”  

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Seong-tae squinted at him and asked,  

“Did something good happen to you?”  

“…Excuse me?”  

“It’s just… your expression seems unusually relaxed today.”  

“…I don’t know.”  

Tae-oh dodged the question, but his eyes betrayed a faint flicker of emotion. Just having someone new enter his life had brought about countless subtle changes.  

“By the way, where’s the assistant?”  

“She’s taking the day off.”  

“Day off? She hasn’t been working that long, and she’s already taking leave?”  

“Whether she’s worked a month or a day, taking leave is a basic right for any employee.”  

“Well, that’s true. Ahem.”  

“What brings you here?” 

Tae-oh asked, noticing Seong-tae’s expression turn serious. Seong-tae kept glancing toward the hallway before lowering his voice.  

“Cha Yeon-woo is here.”  

“What?”  

“He showed up first thing in the morning, making a fuss about not being able to reach Jin Seol-rin. So I came by the lab to check if she was here.”  

“Sigh.”  

A sigh of disbelief escaped Tae-oh. Cha Yeon-woo was proving to be more reckless than he had anticipated. Tae-oh had never imagined he’d find himself in such a standoff with one of his own students.  

“So, where is Cha Yeon-woo now?”  

“Where else? He’s waiting outside the department office.”  

Before Seong-tae could finish, Tae-oh had already risen from his seat.  

With his long strides, he quickly made his way to the department office. There, a man wearing a mask and cap was standing.  

“What are you doing here?”  

“Perfect timing. I was just about to come see you.”  

Without flinching, Yeon-woo slowly lowered his mask when he saw Tae-oh. His youthful face, teetering between boyhood and adulthood, was adorned with a bright smile.  

“Where is Assistant-noona right now?”  

Without hesitation, Yeon-woo asked where Seol-rin was. Tae-oh answered immediately.  

“At home.”  

“At home?”  

Yeon-woo’s face crumpled instantly. 

How could this professor be so certain about her whereabouts when I myself knew nothing?

As if questioning how he could possibly know, Yeon-woo’s gaze was filled with suspicion. Tae-oh, noticing this, added more to his explanation.  

“Assistant Jin Seol-rin took a day off today.”  

“Well, Noona was really sick a couple of days ago.”  

Upon hearing the word “day off,” Yeon-woo nodded as if he finally understood. However, it was Tae-oh who now found himself puzzled.  

“She was sick?”  

“So you didn’t know, Professor Ma Tae-oh.”  

‘Nice,’ Yeon-woo thought, a sly smile curling his lips. He was delighted to know something that Tae-oh didn’t.  

“Jin Seol-rin was sick?”  

“I almost found her collapsed on the street.”  

“…!”  

“You need to try harder.”  

Yeon-woo seized the opportunity to land another verbal jab, as if he had been waiting for this moment. His sharp blow struck with precision.  

“As her professor, shouldn’t you at least be aware of your assistant’s health?”  

Tae-oh couldn’t respond. He had noticed that Seol-rin hadn’t looked well in recent days, but he had dismissed it as nothing serious because she had said she was fine. That had been his mistake.  

Biting his lips in frustration, Tae-oh looked at Yeon-woo. His gaze was icy enough to be overwhelming, but Yeon-woo met it head-on without flinching. It was hard to believe he was only twenty-three, given his boldness.  

After a few minutes of silent staring, Yeon-woo was the first to step back.  

“Well, since she’s on leave, there’s no reason for me to stay here any longer. I’ll be going now.”  

He seemed to retreat but then stopped again.  

“Oh, by the way, Professor, you know the semester is about to start soon, right?”  

“You’re not asking because you think I wouldn’t know, are you?”  

“I just thought I’d give you a heads-up.”  

“A heads-up?”  

Yeon-woo’s eyes curved into a pretty smile. Despite his words, his demeanor was far too harmless. But Tae-oh’s brows furrowed deeply at Yeon-woo’s next statement.  

“I plan to attend school diligently. You’re the one who said we should put effort into everything, Professor.”  

“…”  

“So I’m going to try my best. Once the semester starts, for real.”  

***

“Wow, there’s a study in this house?”  

While spending time idly in the living room, Seol-rin received a text from Tae-oh and eagerly headed toward the study. He had told her that she could read a book if she was bored, but she didn’t particularly feel like reading.  

Instead, her curiosity to explore every corner related to Tae-oh was stronger. She had been holding herself back because she couldn’t wander around the house without the owner’s permission.  

Perhaps sensing her feelings, Tae-oh had granted her permission to enter the study.  

“Wow.”  

As she opened the door to the room next to where she had slept the night before, the distinct scent of paper wafted out. In the center of the room was a table and a cozy sofa for reading, surrounded by towering bookshelves that seemed to reach the ceiling.  

“Has the professor read all these books?”  

There were philosophy books, history, humanities, literature, and even English originals—there was nothing missing.  

“But there doesn’t seem to be anything I can read.”  

Seol-rin chuckled awkwardly as she scanned the shelves. Then, she noticed a corner where various certificates and plaques were displayed.  

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the awards. These items were far more intriguing to her than the countless books.  

“Wow.”  

Her mouth fell open in awe. There were dozens of awards, not only from domestic academic societies but also from international ones. She had always known he was an extraordinary person, but seeing this made her feel it anew.  

“As expected, the professor is truly amazing.”  

A spacious house, handsome looks, a career as the youngest professor, and exceptional abilities—he was a perfect man with no shortcomings. Surely, he had never experienced even a speck of unhappiness in his life. He seemed to be someone who was completely and perfectly happy.  

Thinking about how she was loved by such a man, Seol-rin’s cheeks flushed shyly.  

After lounging around the house for more than half a day, her mind had gradually cleared, and she recalled what Tae-oh had said to her the night before.  

‘…I love you, Seol-rin.’  

Though she had heard it in her sleep, the words were so vivid in her memory. The sincerity in his voice had been unmistakable.  

To think that she was loved by the perfect Ma Tae-oh. Embarrassed, Seol-rin stomped her feet lightly. She still couldn’t believe it, but deep inside, a small glimmer of hope began to grow.  

From a young age, Seol-rin had never considered herself happy. She had grown up in a poor household and had even suffered abuse from the director of her daycare.  

Even as an adult, her circumstances hadn’t improved. Poverty clung to her like a shadow, making her life difficult. After graduating from university, she had struggled to find a proper job and barely scraped by.  

She couldn’t sleep in complete darkness, so she always kept the lights on at night, which affected the quality of her sleep. Every day had been a struggle, a constant fight to survive.  

“Seol-rin.”  

Lost in thought, she was startled by Tae-oh’s voice behind her. She turned to see him, her expression filled with surprise. It was much earlier than his usual time to return home.  

“Why are you home so early…?”  

“I heard you were sick.”  

“What?”  

“Why didn’t you tell me?”  

Tae-oh walked up to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. The familiar musk of his scent enveloped her.  

Initially surprised, Seol-rin soon wrapped her arms around his waist.  

“Professor.”  

“Yeah?”  

“Getting used to someone’s scent—it’s such a happy thing…”  

For the first time in her 27 years, she felt pure happiness. The sweetness of it frightened her, but she made a decision.  

She resolved to become someone worthy of standing beside Tae-oh, someone who wouldn’t feel lacking.  

She wanted to hold on to this warm happiness that filled her heart.  

If possible, for the rest of her life.  

<Continued to Volume 2>