Chapter 4

After Seol-rin left, Tae-oh continued organizing papers for a while before suddenly picking up his phone as if he had remembered something. Before long, the voice of a middle-aged man came through the receiver. It was none other than Jin Seong-tae, the head of the department.

—Oh, Professor Ma. What’s the occasion for calling at this hour?”

“Department Head, the central building’s basement archive had another blackout today-”

Mid-sentence, Tae-oh’s expression hardened. He was slightly surprised at himself for taking this matter so personally. But only for a moment. He reasoned that it was a matter of course, as it concerned the students.

—Professor Ma, what? Why did you stop mid-sentence?”

“Nothing. The basement archive had another blackout today. Please contact the power company immediately. This has been a frequent complaint from students, hasn’t it?”

—Ah, that place is acting up again? It’s always been like that.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘it’s always been like that.’ I’m bringing this up because I don’t want the same issue to happen again. You, of all people, should understand that.”

—Haha. Do you think I don’t know you, Professor Ma? Don’t worry too much. I’ll have it sorted within a week…”

Though Seong-tae’s voice carried a hint of unease, Tae-oh replied with a calm expression.

“Then I’ll hang up.”

—Oh, by the way, how’s the new assistant? Today was her first day, right? Don’t tell me you’ve already fired her?”

“No issues.”

—Oh, so you finally found someone you like?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m impressed.” 

Tae-oh paused for a moment. Soon, his lips curved into a graceful arc. 

“Let’s just say it’s not bad.”

***

The alarm rang with a buzzing sound. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Seol-rin stretched her arms.

“Ugh, it’s freezing.”

Even though she had wrapped herself tightly in a thick winter blanket, her body felt as cold as ice. At times like these, she longed to move from her rooftop room to a semi-basement apartment. At least in a semi-basement, she wouldn’t have to endure such bitter cold.

“Well, who’s to blame?”

If it weren’t for her cursed fear of the dark, she would have already looked for a semi-basement studio. Mumbling to herself briefly, Seol-rin hurriedly prepared for work.

She slapped on some toner and lotion haphazardly, but somehow it felt strange. She still couldn’t quite get used to the fact that she was actually going to work.

Her peers, who had landed jobs much earlier, would often post complaints on social media about how they dreaded going to work every Monday morning. Every time she saw those posts, she’d envy them, thinking they were being ungrateful.

Now, the fact that she could also grumble about “Monday blues” like her friends filled her with a strange sense of excitement. She resolved once again to never get fired, no matter what.

She picked out a pair of slacks and a striped shirt that screamed “office look” and tied her shoulder-length light brown hair into a neat ponytail. Finally, she draped the cashmere coat she’d splurged on over her shoulders and stepped out the door. Looking at herself now, she felt she resembled a proper working adult.

“Oh, wait, I need to leave the water running.”

Having stepped out to the rooftop yard, she suddenly remembered something and went back inside to the kitchen. To prevent the pipes from freezing, she had to leave the tap slightly open. If the pipes burst in her tiny rooftop room, it would be a complete disaster.

After finishing all her preparations, she left the house again. As always, the thought of heading to work filled her with excitement. While mentally organizing her tasks for the day, she suddenly recalled yesterday’s events. More specifically, Professor Ma Tae-oh’s voice.

‘Ms. Jin Seol-rin, lean on me.’

For a moment, it felt as though his voice was whispering in her ear, and Seol-rin stomped her feet in embarrassment. She felt deeply apologetic, but at the same time, immensely grateful.

“But what should I do about the glasses…?”

Her excitement was short-lived. Remembering the glasses she had accidentally stepped on, her eyes widened. Come to think of it, she had been so flustered yesterday that she hadn’t even properly apologized.

“They must’ve been really expensive.”

She figured someone like a university professor wouldn’t wear cheap, mass-produced glasses.

“Should I ask him to deduct the cost from my paycheck? No, wait, what if I end up not getting paid for a whole year? What if they’re designer glasses? Maybe I should just pretend I don’t know… Oh, Professor?”

Lost in thought about how to handle the situation, she suddenly spotted Tae-oh near a café close to the school.

Sitting by a sunny window, Tae-oh was sipping coffee while reading an English newspaper. While some people worried about frozen pipes and lived their lives like a human drama, others seemed to pose for magazine covers. Overwhelmed by the disparity, Seol-rin threw him an envious glance.

Standing frozen in place, she debated whether to greet him or not. But the decision didn’t take long. Since he was known to dislike personal attention, he would surely hate being greeted outside of campus. Hesitant, Seol-rin fiddled with her phone and turned to walk away.

Meanwhile, having just stepped out of the café, Tae-oh noticed Seol-rin walking ahead of him. Watching her retreating figure, he muttered to himself, 

“She’s heading to work early.”

Being an early riser, he usually arrived at work about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He decided to tell his new assistant later that there was no need to arrive so early.

As he walked leisurely, a thought crossed his mind. It looked as though he was following her, which furrowed his otherwise smooth brow. He slowed his pace, hoping she would enter the school first.

But then, something else caught his attention—a patch of frozen sidewalk. It was a concave section of the pavement that often collected rain and snow, making it dangerously slippery. Seol-rin, seemingly unaware, continued walking distractedly, her eyes glued to her phone.

Should I warn her? 

He hesitated for a moment before quickening his pace.

“Ah, ah!”

Just as Tae-oh had predicted, the moment Seol-rin’s winter boots hit the icy patch, she lost her balance and stumbled. With a small scream, her slender body toppled backward.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact, but to her surprise, she felt no pain. Instead, something firm supported her, allowing her to regain her balance.

“……?”

Confused, she turned her head, only to find herself staring into Tae-oh’s cold gaze. Her face turned pale, as if she had encountered the Grim Reaper.

“P-Professor? But I just saw you drinking coffee…”

“You saw me drinking coffee?”

“Oh, well, I just happened to glance… Ah! I’m sorry.”

Realizing she was still half-leaning against him, Seol-rin quickly pulled away, startled. She had narrowly avoided a concussion, but the thought of once again owing him a favor made her want to cry.

“Thank you so much… for helping me again, Professor.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, yes.”

As she nodded and bowed, Tae-oh looked down at her without much emotion before heading toward the school.

Walking beside him, Seol-rin stole a glance at his handsome face. Something about him had changed. It was his glasses.

Instead of the horn-rimmed glasses she had stepped on, he was now wearing round silver frames. Such glasses could easily make someone look older, but on him, they looked like they were custom-made. Not only did they exude sexiness, but they also gave him an air of elegance.

“Um, you’ve changed your glasses.”

“Yes.”

His reply was curt. Thinking about it, she wondered why he insisted on wearing non-prescription glasses in the first place. Honestly, he looked much sexier without them. As if possessed, she asked him another question.

“Professor, why do you wear glasses when your eyesight is fine? You look so much better without them.”

“…Do I have to answer that?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That was too personal of a question.”

Oops. 

Her mouth had betrayed her again. Perhaps she had felt an unwarranted sense of closeness after his kindness yesterday. Recalling Mi-yeon’s warning about avoiding personal questions, Seol-rin resolved to be more cautious in the future.

***

“Oh, our Jin Seol-rin! You’re so great, Jin Seol-rin! You managed not to get fired!!”

“Hmph, as if someone like me would be easily fired.”

Seol-rin and Mi-yeon were chatting away as they ate lunch at the student cafeteria. Having scraped up even the last crumbs of chicken, Seol-rin couldn’t stop talking about Professor Ma Tae-oh. In just one day, she had so much to share with Mi-yeon.

“But now I really understand why he’s called ‘SexMa.’ Honestly, it’s a miracle I didn’t get a nosebleed yesterday.”

“Right? Ugh, don’t even get me started on how many assistants have come and gone over the past two years. It’s just ridiculous.”

“Well, it’s understandable. I mean, seriously.”

“But what about you?”

“Me? What about me?”

“Didn’t you feel anything for the professor?”

To say she felt nothing at all would’ve been a lie. After all, it wasn’t every day you saw someone that good-looking. And contrary to her initial worries, his personality didn’t seem as difficult as she’d feared.

“I don’t have the luxury to be interested in anyone right now. What’s important to me is surviving this job for a year.”

“Of course, Seol-rin, you’ll finish this year without any issues and move on to an even better job next year. You know I’m always rooting for you, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t even have this assistant position if it weren’t for you.”

Seol-rin smiled brightly at Mi-yeon. Regardless of everything, she was happier than anyone else to have a job now. Perhaps that’s why, even though it was just a one-year contract, she was desperate to hold on to this position.