Chapter 34

— Noona, it’s me. Yeon-woo.

“Cha Yeon-woo?”

— Wow, Noona, why don’t you ever answer your phone? You’re like a celebrity or something.

“…Why are you…”

She was flustered. Never in her life had she imagined receiving a call from an idol. As she stood there dumbfounded, she suddenly remembered that she had, in fact, given him her number.

On the day she stayed at his place, Yeon-woo had pestered her for her number, and without much thought, she had given it to him.

Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even have his number saved, which explained why the call had shown up as unknown.

As Seol-rin hesitated and didn’t respond, Yeon-woo sighed deeply and continued.

— Well, at least you answered now. I was about to text you but decided to try calling one last time. Thanks for picking up.

“There’s nothing to thank me for… But why are you calling…?”

— Let’s have a meal together, Noona.”

“A meal?”

What was with him and meals? Was he haunted by the ghost of someone who died from hunger? 

Seol-rin couldn’t understand why he kept insisting on eating with her.

When she didn’t respond again, Yeon-woo, sounding anxious, pressed on.

— I just want to treat you to a meal before the semester starts.

“Well…”

— Don’t tell me you can’t grant me this small favor?

There was a subtle sting in his words. He wasn’t wrong; after all, she did owe him for helping her. This wasn’t even a favor—it was more like she should be thanking him for the opportunity to eat with a famous idol.

Still, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to agree right away. Tae-oh’s cold face suddenly flashed in her mind.

What would the professor think if I told him I was having a meal alone with Cha Yeon-woo? Would he be indifferent? 

Knowing his personality, he might not care at all. After all, Yeon-woo was going to be his student, and having a simple meal with his future student probably wouldn’t matter much to him.

But… why do I feel so uneasy? 

Convincing herself it was just her imagination, Seol-rin finally replied.

“Alright. When should we eat?”

— Wow, really?

“Yes. I also want to thank you for last time.”

As she was about to suggest setting a date after the semester started, Yeon-woo’s unexpected words left her stunned.

— Then how about tonight?

“Tonight? When?”

— Tonight. Let’s have dinner together, Noona.”

* * *

Even after returning to the department office, Seol-rin couldn’t calm her nerves.

‘Did that woman leave?’

She couldn’t bring herself to approach Tae-oh. The last expression she had seen on his face was the coldest she had ever witnessed.

Even as she sat at her desk, she couldn’t focus on her work. She needed to organize the new student roster and the orientation materials by today, but her mind was in chaos.

For what felt like hours, she sat blankly staring at her monitor. Then came a knock, followed by the voice she had been longing to hear.

“Assistant Jin, are you in there?”

“Oh, yes!”

Jumping to her feet, she quickly opened the door. The first thing she saw was Tae-oh’s face. Though only an hour had passed, he looked utterly drained. Seeing his expression, her own face fell, as if mirroring his emotions like a child copying their mother.

“Um… did your mother…”

“She’s gone.”

“Oh…”

“She’s gone” was such a dry way to refer to his own mother. The choice of words alone revealed the psychological distance between them. Even without knowing the details, it was clear that Tae-oh and his mother didn’t have a good relationship.

The air between them was heavy. Sensing the need to change the subject, Seol-rin’s eyes darted around. Instinctively, she knew that Tae-oh didn’t want to talk about his mother.

“Have you eaten?”

Of all things, she asked if he had eaten. Tae-oh let out a small chuckle and replied.

“No. I didn’t have the time.”

“Oh… Should I get you a bento or something? I can go grab one quickly.”

“No, it’s fine.”

As Seol-rin prepared to leave, Tae-oh grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Before she knew it, she was in his arms. She gasped, swallowing hard. Even if this had happened at his home, her heart would’ve raced, but here they were at school.

“P-Professor… This is on campus… There are other people…”

With a click, the door to the research lab locked. Tae-oh pulled her even closer into his embrace.

“Now it’s just the two of us.”

“…!”

“Let’s stay like this for a bit.”

“Professor…”

“Just for a little while…”

In the end, Seol-rin stayed quietly in his arms, resting her face against his chest. Gaining a bit of courage, she reached out and placed her hands on his broad shoulders, gently patting him.

Her touch was light, but it seemed to bring Tae-oh comfort. His expression softened, as if he had found solace.

In the silence, the sound of their heartbeats echoed between them. After a long while, Tae-oh finally spoke.

“So this is what it feels like.”

“What does?”

“To have someone by your side who can comfort you.”

At that moment, Seol-rin’s heart swelled with emotion. Professor Ma Tae-oh was so perfect that she had often wondered if her presence could ever hold any significant meaning in his life. But all those worries now felt meaningless.

Her white hands, which had been gently patting Tae-oh’s shoulders, slid down to his waist. Soon, she wrapped her arms around him softly. They embraced each other for a long time.

Seol-rin conveyed her heartfelt sincerity to him.

“I’ll always be by your side, Professor.”

“…”

“I can’t promise I’ll be a great source of strength, but… whenever you’re struggling, hurting, or feeling lonely… I’ll always be here for you.”

Her words were simple yet undeniably comforting. Tae-oh, who had been resting his head on her shoulder, slowly lifted his head and looked down at her.

“I’ll do the same.”

With that, it became even clearer and more undeniable: they were becoming essential to each other’s lives.

***

It was the joyous hour of leaving work.

However, Tae-oh, who was walking beside Seol-rin, appeared unusually displeased.

Sneaking glances at him, Seol-rin cautiously spoke up.

“Um… could you say something…”

“So, you’re going to have dinner with another man?”

A cold voice shot out. The Tae-oh who had been so grateful just hours ago for her comforting embrace had vanished.

“It’s only been a day since you asked today as ‘Day One’ of our relationship.”

“Uh… should I just cancel?”

“It’s fine.”

“You don’t look fine at all…”

This was how it all began. While secretly enjoying their campus romance, Seol-rin had confessed to Tae-oh about her dinner plans with Cha Yeon-woo that evening.

Even though Yeon-woo was soon to become Tae-oh’s student, she felt it was only right to inform him about having dinner with another man in advance.

Of course, she hadn’t expected him to dislike it. Based on his personality, she thought he’d casually give his approval, saying it was fine.

But… Tae-oh’s reaction had been unexpectedly sharp. His furrowed brows clearly expressed his displeasure.

Had I made a big mistake? Did I ignite a fire in someone already upset about his mother? 

Feeling anxious, Seol-rin shifted nervously.

“Maybe I should just cancel my plans with Cha Yeon-woo…”

“Go ahead.”

“Really?”

Surprised by his permission, Seol-rin’s eyes widened. 

Could I take his words at face value? 

She narrowed her eyes in doubt.

“Are you really okay with it?”

“Why would I need to allow it or not?”

The cold demeanor Tae-oh had been maintaining softened slightly.

“Jin Seol-rin, it’s your decision. I’m not the one with the authority to decide.”

Yes, this was the reaction she had expected from him. The professor wasn’t one to dwell on trivial matters. He wasn’t the type to get jealous like a child. Although his earlier sharp response had caught her off guard, it wasn’t entirely out of character.

Finally, after nervously watching him like a scolded puppy, Seol-rin managed a small smile.

“I knew you wouldn’t care much. I even thought you were jealous for a moment, Professor. Haha.”

“But.”

Just as she sighed in relief, Tae-oh’s expression turned serious again, and he firmly laid down a condition.

“Make sure you tell Cha Yeon-woo something.”

“Huh? Tell him what…?”

“That you have a boyfriend.”