Chapter 41

“Um…”  

Seol-rin cautiously broke the silence. Her gaze landed on the handsome face lounging on the department office sofa.  

“Yes? Are you done with work, Noona?”  

“Don’t you have anything else to do? You’ve been coming to the department office way too often.”  

Even Seol-rin, who rarely frowned, furrowed her brows as she looked at Cha Yeon-woo. Every time he came to campus for classes, he would constantly drop by the department office, causing her endless trouble.  

At first, she thought it was because, as a celebrity, he couldn’t freely roam around campus. But his visits became increasingly frequent.  

It had gotten so bad that there were even rumors about Cha Yeon-woo being the “permanent resident” of the assistant office. The thought of baseless gossip spreading drove her crazy.  

“Cha Yeon-woo.”  

Seol-rin called his name in a low voice. Perhaps she had been too lenient with him all this time. With a stern expression, she added, 

“How long do you plan on staying in the assistant office?”  

“Hmm, until my manager gets here?”  

And when exactly was that manager coming? 

At first, Jin-hyung would often show up at the assistant office to fetch Yeon-woo. But even he seemed to have grown tired of Yeon-woo’s antics, only coming to pick him up at the end of Seol-rin’s workday when Yeon-woo had no schedule.  

“If you keep this up, you’re going to get into trouble!”  

“What kind of trouble…?”  

Yeon-woo blinked innocently at her, feigning ignorance.  

“What if bad rumors start spreading?”  

“Bad rumors…? Are you worried people will think we’re in a scandal?”  

“…”  

He had a knack for teasing people while smiling sweetly. 

Was he implying that there was no way someone like me, just an assistant, could ever be involved in a scandal with him? 

Her fists clenched tightly.  

“Pfft. I’m just kidding, Noona.”  

Yeon-woo burst out laughing, as if he found the whole situation hilarious. Annoyed by his laughter, Seol-rin grabbed the key to the assistant office and stood up abruptly.  

“I need to check the archives. I’m locking the door, so you should leave too.”  

“Can’t I come with you to the archives?”  

“You’re seriously…!”  

Finally, Seol-rin’s patience snapped, and her voice rose. She couldn’t stand Cha Yeon-woo clinging to her like a piece of gum every time he came to campus.  

“Do you like me or something?”  

She blurted it out in frustration. Of course, she expected him to deny it immediately. But to her surprise…  

“Yes, I do. Didn’t you know? Wow, Noona, you’re really clueless.”  

“…What?”  

Yeon-woo nodded and smiled, as if he had been waiting for this moment. He said he liked her—this idol, who was currently the hottest star in Korea, actually liked her!  

She had suspected that his behavior toward her was a sign of excessive interest, but she never imagined he would confess so openly.  

“Uh… I’ve never been confessed to by an idol before, so I’m kind of shocked…”  

“What, are you saying you’ve been confessed to by other guys before?”  

“…Anyway, I have a boyfriend! I told you, didn’t I?”  

She had made it clear. She had firmly stated that she had a boyfriend and couldn’t eat with him every day anymore. But judging by Yeon-woo’s expression, it seemed her words hadn’t sunk in at all.  

“So what?”  

“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”  

“Can’t I like you even if you have a boyfriend?”  

“…Wow. You’re unbelievable.”  

Seol-rin glanced around nervously. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Tae-oh might be watching from somewhere nearby.  

Noticing her unease, Yeon-woo smirked mischievously.  

“Why are you so nervous? It’s like he’s actually here.”  

“W-what? Who?”  

“Your boy-friend.”  

The angelic smile vanished from Yeon-woo’s face in an instant. A chill ran down Seol-rin’s spine as she swallowed hard. She tried desperately to stay calm, but her expression had already hardened like stone.  

“…That’s nonsense. Let me remind you, this is not your lounge; it’s the assistant office where department work is done. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t come here without a reason.”  

Her sharp tone made her irritation clear. Yeon-woo’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.  

“I can’t relax in a lounge because people keep asking for photos. You know that, Noona.”  

“…That’s true, but still…!”  

“Then let’s make a deal.”  

“What now?”  

“Just one hour. Let me stay for one hour. I only come to school twice a week anyway. That’s just two hours total. Can’t you allow that?”  

As Yeon-woo had said, he only came to school twice a week. While he attended essential major courses like Tae-oh’s lectures in person, his attendance for general education classes was fully excused due to his status as a celebrity.  

It was true that Yeon-woo, with his pouty lips and sulky expression, occasionally seemed pitiful. Because of the overwhelming attention he drew, he couldn’t freely go to lecture halls or even bathrooms.  

But still…  

Lost in thought for a moment, Seol-rin shook her head. Though it had been sudden, he had confessed his feelings to her. She couldn’t leave any room for ambiguity.  

“Cha Yeon-woo.”  

“…?”  

“To be honest, it’s hard to believe that someone as amazing as you, a celebrity, likes me. I know it’s ridiculous for me to be rejecting you… But this is really overwhelming for me. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do this anymore.”  

***

“You handled that well.”  

In the car on the way home, Tae-oh let out a chuckle after Seol-rin recounted what had happened with Cha Yeon-woo earlier that morning. 

Was it just my imagination, or did he seem genuinely pleased?  

“Are you… enjoying this too much? Honestly, I feel a little bad about it.”  

“Why would you feel bad?”  

Tae-oh immediately turned his head to look at her. His gaze, tinged with a hint of jealousy, went unnoticed as Seol-rin continued.  

“Well… I mean, I know it’s silly to worry about a celebrity, but he seems kind of pitiful. Maybe it’s because I saw him eating cold kimbap alone in his van… For some reason, I just feel sorry for him. Not that I’m in any position to pity anyone…”  

“…Ah.”  

At Seol-rin’s long explanation, Tae-oh let out a deep sigh. He seemed about to say something but instead pressed his lips together and focused on driving.  

‘Did I say something unnecessary?’  

It had been a long time since they’d commuted home together, and now the atmosphere felt awkward. Glancing at his sharp profile, Seol-rin stole a few nervous looks at him.  

Without exchanging another word, they eventually arrived at her house. Moving deliberately, she unbuckled her seatbelt and called out to him in a slightly nasal voice.  

“Professor.”  

“Yes.”  

“Are you upset?”  

“…No.”  

“You seem upset…”  

“I’m not.”  

“You do this all the time—getting upset so easily.”  

“…Just go inside.”  

Though he told her to go in, Seol-rin had a feeling that if she left now, she’d be greeted with a frosty atmosphere the next morning. Finally, she decided to take a bold step.  

“Professor… Would you like to come in for some ramen…?”  

She knew the key was to sound natural, like a “woman as refreshing as oxygen.” But her voice wavered slightly despite her best efforts.  

Tae-oh stared at her for a moment. His eyes, glinting behind his glasses, held her gaze.  

“I don’t like ramen.”  

“W-what…?”  

She hadn’t expected such an answer. 

Was this what people meant when they said someone was completely oblivious? Had he not seen that famous movie? 

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind.  

Feeling awkward, Seol-rin scratched her cheek and laughed nervously.  

“Y-you don’t like ramen… I guess instant food isn’t healthy anyway. Haha. Thank you for driving me home. Well, I’ll just—”  

“Wait.”  

It was then that Tae-oh gently grabbed her wrist. As she opened the car door to leave, she was effortlessly pulled back toward him. Turning to look at him in surprise, she found his face suddenly very close to hers.  

“P-professor…?”  

“Give me something else instead of ramen.”  

“Something else? Like what…?”  

What else did I have at home…? 

As she seriously pondered, a sweet breath brushed against her face.  

“Your lips.”  

Before she could react, Tae-oh cupped her cheeks and captured her lips. His lips covered hers completely, and his kiss was so intense that it felt almost desperate.  

“Mm.”  

When his tongue suddenly slipped into her mouth, she instinctively tried to pull back. But Tae-oh pressed firmly against the back of her head, holding her in place.  

Though it wasn’t their first kiss, this one felt different—persistent and passionate in a way that caught her off guard. As their mingled saliva made a mess, Seol-rin found herself gasping for air, overwhelmed by the intensity of it all.  

After what felt like an eternity, their lips finally parted. Tae-oh’s slightly parted lips released soft, sweet breaths as he looked down at her.  

“Can you give me more? Something other than your lips.”  

He asked with a seductive smile.