Chapter 43

Sleeping in a bed with someone else was also a first for Seol-rin, who had always slept alone. It wasn’t a lie to say that she shared many firsts with Tae-oh. After all, there wasn’t a single thing they did together that wasn’t a first.  

As he gazed at Seol-rin’s pale, bare body, Tae-oh gently stroked her hair. Though he wanted nothing more than to enter her again, he held back his impatience for her sake, knowing that everything was new to her.  

“You’re beautiful.”  

Her flushed, pink cheeks, her long lashes trembling like butterfly wings, and her delicate frame that seemed like it might break if he held her too tightly—there wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t lovable.  

Tae-oh had a natural tendency to seek perfection. Whether it was an innate trait or something he developed later in life, he wasn’t sure.  

His mother had left him when he was very young, fleeing as if to escape, and he grew up lacking everything a mother could provide. Perhaps his obsession with perfection was a way to hide that deficiency.  

“Hold me… Professor.”  

Seol-rin, who had been shy just moments ago, mustered the courage to wrap her arms around his broad back. The warmth she radiated was something entirely unfamiliar in his life. And one thing was certain—this unfamiliar feeling made him incredibly happy.  

‘When did this happen…?’  

When did I fall in love with this woman? 

Never in his life had he expected to love someone so deeply. This emotion was as foreign to him as it was undeniable.  

Tonight, he wanted to know everything about the woman he loved most. His touch grew even more deliberate as he caressed Seol-rin.  

“Haa…”  

Seol-rin, too, was succumbing to his touch. As she looked up at the breathtakingly handsome man above her, she entrusted herself entirely to him.  

“Seol-rin.”  

“Haa…”  

“Can I?”  

At his question, Seol-rin nodded and said, 

“I’m clumsy and inexperienced since it’s my first time, but Professor…”  

“Yes, Seol-rin?”  

“I feel like everything will be okay because it’s you…”  

Because it was Ma Tae-oh who shared all her firsts. That night, Seol-rin resolved to love him with all her heart.  

Thus, their first time together unfolded slowly and tenderly.  

* * *  

The sunlight streaming through the window was dazzling, waking Seol-rin as she groggily opened her eyes. Sitting up in a daze, she was suddenly brought back to reality by the rich aroma wafting toward her.  

‘Did I really sleep with the Professor last night…?’  

Though she hadn’t been drinking, her memory of the previous night was hazy, as if the film had been cut. She only remembered entrusting everything to him, the unbearable pain when they became one, and how his gentle care quickly made her surrender.  

As she rose from the bed, the blanket that had been draped over her shoulders slipped off, revealing her bare body.  

“You’re so sexy in the morning. Are you trying to tempt me?”  

“Ahh!”  

Fully dressed and looking immaculate, Tae-oh stood before her. Startled, Seol-rin quickly grabbed the blanket to cover herself. It felt unfair that she was still n*ked while he was already dressed.  

Finding her endearing, Tae-oh said, 

“I’ve already seen everything.”  

“Even so, it’s embarrassing…”  

“Get dressed quickly. Let’s eat.”  

“Eat…?”  

“You need breakfast.”  

Could the aroma filling the rooftop apartment really be breakfast? 

Hastily throwing on some clothes, Seol-rin stepped out of the room.  

“Oh my gosh…”  

Sure enough, Tae-oh had somehow found the ingredients and set up a small table with beautifully plated kimchi fried rice. The dish looked and smelled perfect in every way.  

“There shouldn’t have been any ingredients in the house…”  

“I just picked some up at the mart. Your fridge was completely empty. Completely.”  

As Seol-rin stood there, marveling, Tae-oh gently took her wrist and pulled her toward the table.  

“What are you doing? Do you want me to feed you?”  

Then, Tae-oh sat her on his firm thighs. Trapped in his embrace, Jin Seol-rin let out a startled scream.  

“W-why are you doing this, Professor?”  

“Don’t like it?”  

“I-it’s not that I don’t like it, but…”  

“Then let’s eat quickly. Be a good girl.”  

As if handling a child, Tae-oh scooped up a spoonful of kimchi fried rice and held it to her lips. Initially flustered, Seol-rin eventually gave in to his persistence and began chewing the rice he fed her. The dish not only looked and smelled perfect but tasted even better.  

“This is amazing…”  

“You’re eating well. Let’s have another bite.”  

“Ugh, stop treating me like a kid! I’m twenty-seven, you know!”  

“Alright, twenty-seven-year-old Jin Seol-rin. Let’s finish our meal.”  

“…”  

By the time the bowl was more than half-empty, Seol-rin had no choice but to obediently eat every bite Tae-oh fed her like a baby bird. At first, being treated like a child felt awkward, but as she got used to it, she found it quite convenient not having to lift a finger. She nodded her head and gave Tae-oh instructions.  

“If you’re going to feed me, add some kimchi too.”  

“Of course. Anything for you.”  

From the early morning, they were a sweet, honey-dripping couple.  

* * *  

At a bar in Gangnam, amidst the noisy chatter, one woman’s voice stood out.  

“What do you mean? The Philosophy Department assistant is dating Professor Ma Tae-oh? You mean Jin Seol-rin?”  

Gu Yu-na couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Rumors were circulating among the graduate students that Professor Ma Tae-oh and his assistant were secretly dating.  

Though the source of the rumor was unclear and it seemed baseless, Yu-na couldn’t shake an unsettling feeling. Biting her lip, she asked her peer sitting across from her again.  

“Are you sure about this?”  

“Think about it. Isn’t it strange? Professor Ma is known for frequently changing his assistants, but he’s been keeping this new one around for months.”  

“Well, that’s…”  

Her expression immediately twisted. Her pride was deeply wounded. Before Jin Seol-rin took the assistant position, Yu-na had been one of the assistants Ma Tae-oh had replaced.  

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. 

What did I lack compared to that clueless girl? 

Yu-na’s expression grew darker and more menacing, prompting her peer to wave their hand and continue.  

“Don’t take it too seriously. It’s just a rumor, after all. No one’s actually seen them together.”  

The peers at the drinking table laughed and gossiped about the alleged scandal between the professor and his assistant, treating it as light entertainment. However, Yu-na couldn’t help but feel her spine stiffen. She needed to confirm it herself. She had to see it with her own eyes. And if it turned out to be true…  

“Well, this could be fun.”  

“Huh? What do you mean?”  

“If this rumor turns out to be true, the school will be in chaos.”  

Yu-na’s lips curled into a sly smile as the image of Jin Seol-rin’s naive face flashed through her mind.  

* * *  

After spending a delightful weekend with Tae-oh, Seol-rin was on her way to work when she heard something unbelievable. Her eyes widened in shock.  

“You’re saying the power outage in the archive was resolved because of you, Professor?”  

“Yes.”  

While Seol-rin was astonished, Tae-oh remained calm and indifferent. Sitting in the passenger seat, she leaned toward the driver’s side and asked again.  

“Why?”  

“Because you were scared.”  

Tae-oh shrugged, as if the answer was obvious. However, narrowing her eyes, Seol-rin began to interrogate him.  

“Hm, saying this might make me sound a bit self-centered, but…”  

“Go on.”  

“…Did you like me even back then?”  

“I had already brought it up with the school a few times before you came.”  

“Oh, I see. Hmm.”  

Embarrassed, her face turned bright red. Back then, the Professor had been completely different. He exuded an icy demeanor, and his gaze toward her was indifferent at best. She hadn’t realized he was such a kind person.  

“But then again, who knows?”  

“Huh? What do you mean?”  

“Maybe I really did like you even back then.”  

“Ah…”  

“I don’t even know when I started liking you. By the time I realized it, I already liked you too much.”  

When did this man become so skilled at making my heart race? 

This time, her cheeks flushed red from the pounding in her chest. Feeling shy, Seol-rin lowered her head and fiddled with the tips of her nails.  

“We’ve arrived, Princess.”  

“Ugh, stop teasing me!”  

“See you at school.”  

The open lot, about ten minutes away from the school, was a secret spot known only to Seol-rin and Tae-oh. After dropping her off, the two would head to work separately. It was their way of avoiding prying eyes, as having a professor and assistant arrive together might raise suspicions.  

With her face as red as a tomato, Seol-rin hurriedly got out of the car. The silver sedan then drove off leisurely, leaving the lot. Though it was only a brief separation, Seol-rin felt an inexplicable sense of longing and pouted her lips.  

“This really is a secret relationship.”  

She suddenly recalled the time Tae-oh confidently appeared in front of her friends. For them to be able to stand proudly together in front of everyone, one of them would have to leave the school. It was clear. She decided it was time to start preparing for a job again while continuing her assistant duties. From the beginning, she had wanted to become someone worthy of standing beside the Professor. That resolve hadn’t changed.