Chapter 35

The restaurant Yeon-woo had chosen for dinner was a high-end Korean dining establishment near Gangnam. Getting there wasn’t easy for Seol-rin.

The first hurdle was convincing Tae-oh not to personally escort her to the restaurant. The second was persuading Manager Jin-hyung not to pick her up.

She could still clearly recall Jin-hyung’s disapproving tone during their phone conversation.

From a manager’s perspective, it was understandable. Even if she was just a university assistant, it was concerning for a famous idol to have dinner alone with a woman.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a bit wronged. After all, it was Cha Yeon-woo who had insisted on having dinner with her. Besides, Tae-oh didn’t seem thrilled about the dinner either. Thinking of his slightly sulky expression, Seol-rin let out a deep sigh.

“I need to set clear boundaries.”

Resolving herself, Seol-rin entered the restaurant with a determined look. While she lacked much dating experience and wasn’t particularly perceptive, Yeon-woo’s behavior toward her had been undeniably odd.

There was the interview where he seemed to describe her as his ideal type and his persistent requests to have a meal together.

At first, she dismissed it as absurd, thinking it was all in her head. But the more she thought about it, the harder it was to ignore.

Determined to resolve the ambiguous situation, she looked around the restaurant.

Soon, a staff member approached her with a friendly smile.

“Are you with E Entertainment?”

E Entertainment was Yeon-woo’s management company. Recalling what Jin-hyung had told her earlier, she quickly nodded. He had mentioned that the dinner arrangement was set up to look like a casual company gathering.

“Yes, that’s right. E Entertainment…”

As she nodded, the staff member led her to a private room at the end of the hallway. Unconsciously, she swallowed hard, as if preparing for a decisive moment.

“You’ve arrived.”

As soon as the door opened, Jin-hyung appeared. His large frame blocked the entrance, making it impossible to see who was inside.

“Please come in, Assistant Jin.”

“Oh… okay.”

She wasn’t sure when she had become “Assistant Jin,” but she nodded politely and walked in.

As the door closed behind her, she found herself face-to-face with Cha Yeon-woo, who greeted her with a bright smile.

“You’re here, Noona. It must’ve been tough getting here. Please understand—I can’t move around freely because of my status.”

His cheerful chatter was endless, and his face was brimming with excitement. Seeing this, Jin-hyung, who had been observing from the door, clicked his tongue in exasperation. Looking completely fed up, he gave Yeon-woo a stern warning.

“Don’t go wandering around. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“I’m not a kid! Don’t worry and just go. Hurry.”

Practically pushed out by Yeon-woo, Jin-hyung left the room. Now that the nagging presence was gone, Yeon-woo’s smile grew even wider, clearly delighted to be alone with Seol-rin.

“Finally, we’re having dinner together.”

He beamed, his joy evident. Feeling slightly awkward, Seol-rin sat down at the low table. The table was already filled with beautifully plated dishes, some of which she had never seen or tasted before in her life.

“Go ahead and eat.”

“Yes… I’ll enjoy it.”

Hesitantly, she picked up her chopsticks and reached for the yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) placed in front of her. The yukhoe, sprinkled with Grana Padano cheese powder, melted on her tongue the moment it touched her palate, prompting an involuntary exclamation.

“Wow, this is really delicious.”

“It’s good, right? This is a place I visit often. Try the others too. The braised short ribs are also amazing.”

As he spoke, Yeon-woo pushed a plate toward Seol-rin. The food looked so appetizing that she momentarily forgot her earlier resolve to set clear boundaries with Cha Yeon-woo.

Engrossed in eating for a while, Yeon-woo suddenly asked, 

“Can’t you drop the formal speech now? I’m practically starting school the day after tomorrow.”

“Hmm… should I?”

Come to think of it, she was technically his senior at school. Since the new student list had already been finalized, Seol-rin nodded readily.

“Congratulations on being admitted to the Philosophy Department at Korea University.”

Her congratulations were sincere. It was a major that offered little to no financial prospects, leading many of her classmates to regret their decision by the time they reached their final year. She had been one of them.

Having endured so much despair and hardship herself, she genuinely hoped that her juniors could study in a slightly better environment.

The fact that a celebrity like Cha Yeon-woo was joining the Philosophy Department was bound to change its reputation significantly. Even the issue with the department library’s power outages had been resolved immediately upon his admission.

Meanwhile, Yeon-woo blushed slightly at her congratulatory words.

“…Thank you, Noona.”

“Are you preparing well for admission?”

“Of course. I can’t wait to start school.”

“Really?”

Surprised by his answer, Seol-rin widened her eyes. It was rare for busy celebrities to fully commit to university life. Besides, Yeon-woo had once jokingly told her that he’d only attend the entrance and graduation ceremonies.

“I’ve made up my mind. I’ll attend school as much as possible on days when I don’t have a schedule.”

“Well, if you’ve decided, give it your best shot. And if you need anything while on campus, stop by the assistant’s office.”

“I do have a favor to ask.”

“Already…? What is it?”

When she asked, Yeon-woo smirked and replied, 

“Can you eat with me every day?”

***

“Hmph.”

He must have checked his phone more than ten times in the past minute. Tae-oh’s research lab was still brightly lit that evening. Although he usually stayed late to finish his papers, today he seemed unusually distracted.

“They’re probably eating by now.”

The thought of Jin Seol-rin having dinner with Cha Yeon-woo was bothering him immensely. The constant glances at his phone had left his neck stiff.

Eventually, Tae-oh took off his glasses and rubbed his face in frustration.

“Unbelievable.

It was childish. 

Why was I so bothered by her having dinner with a man in his early twenties? Could this really be jealousy? 

The emotions he was feeling were hard to explain otherwise.

He never imagined he would experience such trivial feelings in his life. Ever since he met Jin Seol-rin, many things about him had changed.

Shaking his head, Tae-oh put his phone down and tried to refocus on his paper. The sound of his fingers tapping on the keyboard filled the room.

But it didn’t last long. His elegant hands, which had been moving swiftly across the keyboard, soon faltered.

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

Why did that statement pop into my mind now? 

The smug expression on Cha Yeon-woo’s face as he warned him to “try harder” left Tae-oh feeling unsettled.

“Try harder…”

Could this dinner also be part of Cha Yeon-woo’s efforts? 

Tae-oh’s expression hardened.

“Damn it.”

Finally, he sprang up from his seat, grabbed his coat and car keys, and headed out. He had to see Seol-rin immediately.

***

“A boyfriend… you have a boyfriend?”

Yeon-woo’s voice wavered as if he’d heard something completely unexpected. Her response to his question about eating together every day had been nothing short of cold.

“Yes. So, eating together every day might be difficult…”

“Oh…”

“B-but don’t get me wrong! I know you don’t have any ulterior motives or anything. Honestly, having someone as famous as you ask me out for a meal is an honor.”

Seol-rin’s words came out in a rush. Whenever she found herself in an awkward situation, she had a habit of rambling. She wanted to leave room for Yeon-woo to back out gracefully, just in case she was overreacting to his intentions.

“But from my boyfriend’s perspective, it might not sit well… That’s all.”

“So, you have a boyfriend. I had no idea.”

The cheerful expression he had worn moments ago faded, replaced by a look akin to a scolded puppy. Feeling guilty, Seol-rin glanced at him nervously and continued speaking.

“Well, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m your department assistant. And if you ever need help with anything…”

“Noona, wait!”

Yeon-woo interrupted her. Although the news of her having a boyfriend had been a shock, another thought had crossed his mind. His expression turned unusually serious.

“Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Uh… okay. What is it?”

The person who had flashed through Yeon-woo’s mind… The man who had coolly told him to “try harder” with a stern face.

“Noona, is your boyfriend… Professor Ma Tae-oh?”

It was none other than Ma Tae-oh.

Even though he phrased it as a question, Yeon-woo felt a sense of certainty the moment he asked. Seol-rin’s visibly flustered expression was not one that could easily lie.

“N-no!!”

As they say, vehement denial is often an admission. Seeing her startled reaction, Yeon-woo realized his intuition had been correct.

‘Come to think of it…’

Perhaps he had already suspected it. From the moment he first saw Tae-oh, he had sensed something unusual in the way the professor looked at Seol-rin. Now, reflecting on Tae-oh’s excessive wariness toward him, it all made sense.