Chapter 36

Under the table, Yeon-woo clenched his fists tightly. Seol-rin had never been his to begin with, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something precious had been taken from him.

Having entered the entertainment industry at a young age, Yeon-woo had never experienced failure. Whether it was singing, variety shows, or acting, he had excelled in every field he attempted. There was nothing he couldn’t achieve if he set his mind to it.

That’s why this reaction from Seol-rin felt like his first true loss.

However, having spent a long time navigating the harsh world, Yeon-woo had developed excellent coping skills. He knew that if he reacted too sensitively now, Seol-rin would undoubtedly distance herself from him.

“I’m sorry. I said something ridiculous.”

“Yes, yes! It’s really not true. Absolutely…”

“No matter what, there’s no way you’d be dating someone on campus. Especially a pro-fes-sor.”

He deliberately emphasized the word “professor.” At that, Seol-rin’s expression immediately turned sullen. He hadn’t intended to hurt her, but his petty feelings had unconsciously revealed their thorns.

“And Noona, you don’t have a ‘delusion of grandeur,’ do you?”

“Hmm…?”

“I just thought it might be hard for you to make friends because of your job, so I asked you to eat with me. It wasn’t meant to be anything serious. If your boyfriend doesn’t like it, we don’t have to eat together.”

“Oh…”

So that was it. 

Seol-rin’s face flushed red, turning as bright as a ripe persimmon. Just moments ago, she had felt uneasy about Yeon-woo’s actions, but now, seeing how nonchalantly he behaved, all her worries seemed like overblown paranoia.

‘Did I misunderstand after all?’

Was it a huge mistake to think that just because Professor Ma Tae-oh liked me, Cha Yeon-woo might too?

It made sense for the professor, who was holed up in his research lab all day with no time to see other women, to develop feelings for her. But Yeon-woo? He was surrounded by glamorous celebrities like Kim Tae-hee, Jeon Ji-hyun, and Song Hye-kyo every day in the entertainment industry. There was no way he’d feel attracted to someone as ordinary as her.

She wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, but at the same time, she felt relieved. At least she didn’t have to worry about Yeon-woo’s feelings anymore.

“Sorry, I said something unnecessary.”

“No, it’s fine. That’s why I like you, Noona.”

“…?”

“You’re so unpredictable.”

“…Are you teasing me?”

“Of course not. Anyway, eat up.”

After that, Seol-rin kept her head down and focused on her meal. Her embarrassment didn’t last long; as she tasted the various delicacies on the table, all her worries melted away.

Unlike her, Yeon-woo barely touched his food. Instead, he watched her with a subtle expression, his gaze flickering with a strange light.

***

― The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please leave a message…

He had no idea how many times he had driven around the Gangnam Station area. Perhaps about ten times. Mustering up his courage, Tae-oh called Seol-rin, but all he heard was the polite automated response.

He remembered her saying she was having dinner with Cha Yeon-woo in Gangnam, so he had come here on a whim. But he had no idea where she actually was. Whether she was aware of his growing anxiety or not, Seol-rin hadn’t contacted him.

After circling the Gangnam area a couple more times, he finally received the call he’d been waiting for.

― Hello, Professor? Why did you call?

“Yeah.”

Where are you? Are you still with Cha Yeon-woo? If you’re done eating, why don’t you head home already? That punk didn’t try anything funny, did he?

There were so many things he wanted to ask, but all that came out of Tae-oh’s mouth was a simple “Yeah.” He was still terribly clumsy at expressing his emotions.

― I’m on my way home after dinner.

“Where are you?”

― Near Gangnam Station! I’m about to take the subway.

“Wait there, then.”

― What? Wait?

“I’m near Gangnam Station too.”

Tae-oh immediately turned the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator. Just as she had said, Seol-rin was standing near the station entrance, looking around. For some reason, the sight of her seemed endearing, and Tae-oh couldn’t help but smile.

When he lightly honked his horn, Seol-rin turned her head and spotted his car.

“Professor!”

She ran toward him with a bright smile, her steps quick and light, like a rabbit. No, maybe it was just that Jin Seol-rin herself was adorable. As he tilted his head slightly, the passenger door opened. The face he had been anxiously waiting to see all evening finally appeared, and peace returned to his heart.

Quickly climbing into the passenger seat, Seol-rin looked at him and asked, 

“What brings you here?”

“Just…”

A whirlwind of thoughts spun in his head. Saying he came because he was bothered by her having dinner with Cha Yeon-woo would make him seem obsessive, but claiming he happened to be in the area would be too transparent.

“I wanted to see you.”

In the end, the words that came out were the truth. ‘I wanted to see you.’ Those words perfectly conveyed Tae-oh’s feelings.

At his sudden confession, Seol-rin’s face flushed red. But soon, she smiled brightly and replied, 

“I wanted to see you too, Professor.”

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

Only after confirming that she had fastened her seatbelt did his car move smoothly. Even while driving, Tae-oh’s lips twitched slightly, as if he had something to say.

“Nothing unusual happened?”

“Unusual? Like what?”

“You didn’t answer my call.”

“Oh…”

In truth, it wasn’t that she ignored his call; she simply couldn’t answer it. With Cha Yeon-woo sitting across from her, questioning whether her boyfriend was really Professor Ma Tae-oh, she couldn’t possibly take his call.

While their relationship might not matter to her, she knew it could lead to gossip and trouble for Tae-oh. At least while she was working as his assistant at Korea University, she resolved to keep their relationship a secret.

“I had my phone on silent, so I saw your call late. Were you worried?”

“Not really…”

“Did you want to say something?”

Seol-rin stared at him with a curious expression. Even then, Tae-oh couldn’t bring himself to speak. After hesitating for a while, he eventually shook his head and said it was nothing. Seeing his reluctance, Seol-rin playfully squinted her eyes at him.

“Oh, I get it.”

“What?”

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

“…!”

His eyes widened behind his glasses. He wasn’t a child, yet his feelings had been exposed so easily. Embarrassed, Tae-oh’s expression grew even more rigid.

Watching him grip the steering wheel in silence, Seol-rin suddenly felt a mischievous urge. In the past, she would have been too intimidated by his cold demeanor to say anything, but now, all she wanted to do was tease him.

“Come on, admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“You were bothered when I said I was having dinner with Cha Yeon-woo, weren’t you? Am I right?”

“….”

When Tae-oh remained silent again, Seol-rin grinned mischievously. Her stubbornness kicked in.

“Cha Yeon-woo even asked me to eat with him every day once the semester starts.”

“…So, what did you say?”

“I said I’d think about it. If you’re okay with it, I don’t see why not…”

“I’m not okay with it.”

“What?”

“I’m not okay with it. So don’t eat with him.”

Tae-oh’s voice was firm. Hearing his response, Seol-rin’s face twisted oddly.

“Hehe…”

Unable to hold it in any longer, she burst into laughter. Tae-oh glanced at her sideways, puzzled by her sudden outburst.

“What part of what I said is so funny?”

“…No, it’s just… Pfft!”

After laughing so hard that her stomach hurt, Seol-rin finally managed to stop. Feeling a bit embarrassed for laughing too much, she cautiously continued the conversation.

“This makes you seem like a real person, Professor.”

“You’re saying strange things.”

“In the past, you always felt so distant. To be honest, you barely showed any emotions, so I even wondered if you were an AI…”

Recalling the day she first realized Tae-oh was human, she smiled softly. That day, he had been sound asleep on the research lab’s small cot, his hair a disheveled mess, and for the first time, she thought, ‘Ah, he’s human too.’

Since then, seeing Tae-oh’s more human and warm sides, Seol-rin might have gradually fallen for him without even realizing it.

“I love you, Professor.”

“…!”

At her sudden confession, Tae-oh gripped the steering wheel even tighter. His cheeks seemed to flush slightly. His face had softened considerably compared to earlier.

“Don’t startle me. I need to focus on driving.”

“Is my love confession really that surprising?”

“…Love is…”

He paused, speaking slowly as always, with unending sincerity.

“Always surprising.”

Thump, thump, thump—her heart responded to his words, creating a pleasant rhythm within her chest.

“Ah, I’m so happy.”

In that moment, she wished she could stay with Tae-oh forever.