Chapter 44

As she left the lot, firm in her decision—  

“Hey! I saw everything!”  

“Ahh!”  

Someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder, making her scream. A middle-aged woman appeared before her, letting out a scoff. The strong scent of perfume stung her nose.  

“What, do I look like a ghost to you? Goodness.”  

“Oh… You’re…”  

It would’ve been strange not to recognize such a familiar face. The woman bore an uncanny resemblance to Professor Ma Tae-oh, sharing every detail of his features. She was the very person who had once unexpectedly shown up at the school and put Tae-oh in an awkward position—his mother.  

“Call me Mi-ryeong.”  

“Pardon…?”  

“If you call me ‘ma’am,’ I’ll scold you.”  

“Oh, yes. Mi-ryeong… Mi-ryeong.”  

Half-dazed, Seol-rin nodded. Mi-ryeong stepped closer, scrutinizing Seol-rin’s face intently.  

“Hmm… Your face is decent. You pass as a daughter-in-law!”  

“W-wait a moment! Daughter-in-law?”  

Seol-rin’s mouth dropped open. She was less shocked by the title itself and more flustered by the fact that Mi-ryeong had noticed the relationship between her and Tae-oh.  

“Why are you so surprised? I told you, I saw everything earlier.”  

“W-what exactly did you see…?”  

“I saw you getting out of my son’s car.”  

“…!!”  

“Don’t even try to deny it. I’ve seen you two clinging to each other plenty of times before.”  

“Don’t tell me… You’ve been following me this whole time?”  

“Oh my, following you? Hmm… Let’s call it a background check. I do need to know what kind of person my son’s girlfriend is, don’t I? Don’t you think?”  

It was only then that Seol-rin recalled the strange feeling of being watched recently. She had dismissed it as her imagination, but it turned out she really had been under surveillance. And the person watching her was none other than the Professor’s mother. It was a series of unbelievable events.  

“I need to get to work now. So, if you’ll excuse me…”  

All she could think of was escaping from Mi-ryeong. She had no idea how to deal with this absurd situation on her own. But Mi-ryeong persistently followed her.  

When Seol-rin quickened her pace, Mi-ryeong matched it—even wearing heels that looked at least seven centimeters high. At this rate, one of them was bound to trip and fall on the street. In the end, Seol-rin stopped in her tracks.  

“Why… Why are you following me?”  

“I have a favor to ask.”  

“A favor?”  

In this situation, it felt odd to make the connection, but Seol-rin realized once again who Tae-oh had inherited his boldness from. The way Mi-ryeong brought things up so abruptly was strikingly similar to her son.  

“I’m leaving for the U.S. soon. For surgery.”  

“Surgery?”  

“I have a tumor. They said it might spread throughout my body… So I’m heading to the U.S. as a last resort.”  

Mi-ryeong’s voice, which had been so confident until now, began to tremble. At first, Seol-rin hadn’t noticed because of her heavy makeup, but upon closer inspection, she could see traces of illness on her face. For some reason, Seol-rin’s heart sank.  

“D-does the Professor know?”  

“No, he doesn’t. That’s why I’m asking you, his girlfriend, for a favor.”  

“…What kind of favor?”  

“You know Tae-oh’s birthday is in a week, right?”  

She didn’t. He had never told her about it. As Seol-rin listened to Mi-ryeong, her heart grew uneasy. She realized she didn’t know as much about Tae-oh as she thought.  

“You didn’t know, did you? Well, it’s not like that boy would bother celebrating his birthday.”  

“No… I didn’t know it was his birthday.”  

“I want to prepare a birthday meal for him.”  

“…!”  

“For the first and last time. So, will you help me?”  

The words “first and last time” carried so much weight. Seol-rin’s eyes wavered as she looked at Mi-ryeong.  

Though she was emotionally shaken, she couldn’t bring herself to agree to the request so easily. How was she supposed to react to Mi-ryeong suddenly appearing and asking for help to prepare Tae-oh’s birthday meal?  

“Why are you asking me for this…?”  

“Because I think Tae-oh would listen to you. You’re the only person my son… loves.”  

The phrase “the only person he loves” made Mi-ryeong’s face look incredibly lonely. Seol-rin couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of story and history lay between Mi-ryeong and Tae-oh.  

***

Thirty minutes before going on stage. This was one of the most sensitive times for Cha Yeon-woo.  

Because of his provincial performances, he had barely been able to attend school lately. Fortunately, his status as a celebrity allowed him some leeway with attendance, but there was one exception—Professor Ma Tae-oh’s class.  

With his strict personality, Tae-oh wouldn’t acknowledge Yeon-woo’s special circumstances. Whether it was a sense of inferiority or animosity toward a rival, Yeon-woo found himself attending Tae-oh’s class no matter what, even after pulling all-nighters for his schedule.  

Of course, if it were just an ordinary class, Yeon-woo wouldn’t have cared. But he found philosophy surprisingly intriguing. As much as he hated to admit it, even he could see that Ma Tae-oh was an exceptional professor.  

“Damn it.”  

A curse slipped from Yeon-woo’s lips. He wasn’t sure why he was even praising Tae-oh. His chest felt heavy.  

The entertainment industry was like a jungle where survival was paramount. Yeon-woo lived every moment fighting to stay afloat. The only time he could truly breathe was when he was with Seol-rin.  

Eating with her, talking with her—those fleeting moments felt like peaceful breaks.  

‘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.’  

But Seol-rin had left him with no room for hope. He already knew who filled her gaze entirely. There was nothing he could do.  

When he closed his eyes, his long lashes trembled pitifully. Even his one source of solace, his only refuge, was denied to him.  

***

It felt like just yesterday that the entrance ceremony had taken place, but before she knew it, midterm season was upon them. The scent of spring filled the air. It was fully spring now.  

But unlike the warm weather, Seol-rin felt uneasy. Just a few days ago, Tae-oh’s mother, Mi-ryeong, had made a difficult request.  

‘I want to prepare a birthday meal for him.’  

‘For the first and last time. So, will you help me?’  

‘I should’ve refused back then…!’  

Biting her lip nervously, Seol-rin let out a deep sigh. She had been overwhelmed by Mi-ryeong’s persistence and ended up giving her phone number.  

The aftermath was predictable. Mi-ryeong started calling her almost daily. She would ask if Seol-rin had convinced Tae-oh, or if they were coming to her house this weekend. The constant pestering was exhausting, and with the deadline approaching, Seol-rin felt like she was on edge.  

Using the excuse of delivering midterm materials, Seol-rin visited the research lab and cautiously asked Tae-oh.  

“Professor, do you have plans this weekend?”  

“I’ll probably have to come to school because of the exam questions. Why?”  

“Well, you seem… really busy.”  

Seol-rin’s face quickly fell. Tae-oh’s schedule was nearly inhuman. Between teaching both undergraduate and graduate classes, meeting academic journal deadlines, and preparing for midterms, even two bodies wouldn’t have been enough.  

His sharp features seemed even more tense today. Deciding it would be impossible to visit Mi-ryeong’s house this weekend, Seol-rin walked over to Tae-oh’s desk.  

“Let me massage your shoulders.”  

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t take ‘I’m fine.’ I may look like this, but my grip strength is no joke. Don’t be too surprised.”  

Standing behind Tae-oh’s chair, Seol-rin boldly placed her hands on his broad, firm shoulders. The musky scent unique to him lifted her mood for no reason. With her lips pressed tightly together, she diligently massaged his shoulders, but suddenly, Tae-oh spun his chair around.  

“Are you trying to seduce me?”  

“W-what?”  

“It’s troublesome if you keep touching me like that.”  

“W-what are you talking about…!”  

Before she could even blush, Tae-oh extended his long arms and wrapped them around Seol-rin’s waist. Then, he pulled her onto his lap. His chiseled, handsome face was suddenly right in front of hers. Her heart pounded wildly, so loud she worried he might hear it.  

“I like this.”  

“P-Professor… What if someone sees us…!”  

“No one’s coming.”  

Tae-oh pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. The unfamiliar sensation sent chills down her spine. Letting out a faint moan without realizing it, Seol-rin quickly covered her mouth. What on earth was happening? In the sacred space of a professor’s office, no less.  

Tae-oh lingered on her delicate, deer-like neck as if leaving a mark. Then, he looked up at her. His half-lidded eyes, slightly bloodshot, held an inexplicable allure that left her frozen. Overwhelmed by his bold actions, Seol-rin, as if hypnotized, mustered the courage to kiss him first.  

“See?”  

“Professor…”  

“It really is seduction.”  

After that, Tae-oh fiercely claimed her lips. His relentless, entwining passion was overwhelming. Their shared warmth spread through their mouths. Any anxiety about being caught had long since vanished. Now, only instinct remained as the two began to crave each other deeply.  

As the research lab grew increasingly heated with their heavy breaths, a buzzing sound erupted from Seol-rin’s back pocket. Her body stiffened at once. A wave of unease washed over her. At this time of day, there was only one person who would call her—Mi-ryeong.  

For the past few days, Mi-ryeong had been calling her around one or two in the afternoon, almost as if keeping tabs on her. Seol-rin had gone to great lengths to take the calls without Tae-oh noticing.  

“P-Professor, I… I need to take this call…”  

Seol-rin gestured urgently, trying to stop him, but Tae-oh didn’t budge. Instead, he seemed even more agitated by her behavior. She could feel his grip on her hips tighten.  

“I really have to take this…”  

“Ha… Take it here, then.”  

“No… I’ll just step out and take it!”  

“Are you cheating on me behind my back?”  

Oh no. What had I just heard? 

But before she could think deeper, the intense passion between them consumed her again.  

“…Ah!”  

Her head tilted back involuntarily. Tae-oh’s hand had slipped under her blouse. The cool touch on her skin made her shiver. If this continued, they really might cross the line right here in the office. In desperation, Seol-rin blurted out the truth.  

“It’s your mother, Professor!”  

“…What?”  

His brow furrowed deeply.