Chapter 6

“Ugh, did I go overboard again?”

As she entered the assistant office before leaving work, Seol-rin clutched her head. Reflecting on what she had said earlier, something felt off.

She had argued vehemently that the idol’s admission was ultimately a good thing, but then criticized the school for reorganizing because of the idol. It didn’t quite add up.

Thinking of Tae-oh’s deep sigh, Seol-rin stomped her feet in frustration. A wave of regret washed over her.

She wasn’t the type to make many mistakes, but for some reason, she kept slipping up in front of the professor.

“Ugh, seriously, my stupid mouth… I want to die. Whatever. Nobody’s good at socializing from the start.”

Shaking her head, she grabbed the coat draped over her chair. No matter how embarrassed she felt, she still had to leave work.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it might be the professor, Seol-rin quickly raised her voice.

“Yes, come in!”

No sooner had she spoken than the door opened. A man who seemed to radiate light stepped boldly into the room.

“Hello.”

“Who…?”

The man, wearing a cheeky smile, bowed politely to Seol-rin. She immediately recognized him as the famous idol who had been admitted to the Philosophy Department. His appearance was far too dazzling to belong to an ordinary person.

He was well over 180 cm tall, with light brown hair, deep double eyelids, and a mischievously upturned mouth. His face, exuding a puppy-like charm, was striking. For the past week, Seol-rin had truly felt like her eyes were being spoiled.

One was insanely sexy, and the other was overly cute. Either way, both were hard on her heart.

Staring blankly at his face for a moment, Seol-rin murmured as if in a trance.

“…A celebrity?”

“I’m Cha Yeon-woo.”

The way he said “I’m Cha Yeon-woo” with a playful tone felt a bit cringy for an adult man, but his bright smile made it all forgivable.

So this is why people become idol fans. 

For the first time, she began to understand those who spent their money and time on idols.

“You already know me, so I’ll skip the introductions. Could you give this to the professor?”

The man abruptly handed her an envelope. Taking it, Seol-rin looked puzzled and asked.

“What is this?”

“It’s my study plan. My manager suddenly had to use the restroom, so I brought it instead. I figured I’d introduce myself to the assistant while I was at it.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll make sure the professor gets it.”

Even if he had been pre-selected, appearances had to be kept. Accepting the envelope, Seol-rin spoke as casually as possible. She didn’t want to overwhelm him, knowing how exhausting idol life could be.

Yeon-woo smiled warmly at her, a smile that made her heart flutter in a way completely different from Tae-oh’s cold gaze.

“I worked hard on it, so please look at it kindly.”

“Oh, I’m just an assistant, so I don’t have any authority. But I’ll pass it on to the professor.”

“Really? That’s strange.”

“What’s strange…?”

Yeon-woo, who was significantly taller, tilted his head slightly as he quietly looked down at Seol-rin.  

“The CEO told me that if I go to college, I should treat the assistant well.”  

“Huh…?”  

Seol-rin blinked in confusion, unsure of what he meant. Then Yeon-woo, contrary to his pretty face, extended his large hand with a playful smile.  

“Well, it’s fate, so let’s shake hands.”  

“Uh, sure.”  

When Seol-rin extended her hand, his large hand quickly engulfed hers. Lowering his head slightly, he spoke in a sweet voice that tickled her ears.  

“I’ll make sure to treat you well, Assistant-noona.”  

(Noona” [누나] is the term used by males to address older females, particularly older sisters or female acquaintances.)

***

“Looks like the Philosophy Department assistant is totally into me.”  

Sitting in the spacious backseat of the van, Yeon-woo spoke to his manager, Jin-hyung, while chewing on kimbap. Glancing at him through the rearview mirror, Jin-hyung let out a faint chuckle.  

“With how much you’re laying it on thick, what woman wouldn’t like you? You even said, ‘I’ll make sure to treat you well, Assistant-noona.’ But treat her well how? You’re not even going to show up to school much.”  

“The CEO said I have to make a good impression on the assistant so they’ll take care of my grades. She was totally mesmerized by my face earlier.”  

Recalling the assistant’s dazed expression as she stared at his face in the office, Yeon-woo smirked.  

At 23 years old, Yeon-woo was a third-year idol singer. During his first year after debuting, he hadn’t gained much attention, but in his second year, a single album he released suddenly charted and catapulted him to stardom.  

On top of that, the sitcom he recently appeared in as a supporting male lead was a massive hit, making the entire nation fall for Cha Yeon-woo. His popularity was so immense that every time the show aired, he would top real-time search rankings, even surpassing the main cast.  

Due to his exponentially increasing schedule, he barely got an hour of sleep a day. Yet, his agency’s CEO had insisted on enrolling him in college. And not in a music or acting-related program, but in the Philosophy Department. Supposedly, the title of “idol with a philosophy degree” was great for image-making.  

“Hyung, I still don’t get it. Is college really that important? Even without a degree, I can earn my own living. I bet no one from that Philosophy Department makes more money than I do.”  

(“Hyung” [형] is a Korean term that means “older brother” or “older male friend”. It is a term of respect used by males to address other males who are older.)

As Yeon-woo grumbled while hurriedly eating his now-cold kimbap, Jin-hyung, feeling sorry for him, offered some comfort.  

“Well, it’s the CEO’s decision, so what can you do? Just show up for the entrance ceremony, attend a few classes, and you’ll get your diploma. We’ll handle your assignments, like today’s. Just wrap it up nicely, okay?”  

“The study plan is fine, right? The professor won’t notice it’s copied from the internet, will they?”  

Yeon-woo suddenly remembered confidently handing the study plan to the assistant earlier, pretending he had written it himself. In truth, the entire plan had been written by Jin-hyung, and Yeon-woo didn’t even know what it contained.  

As Yeon-woo expressed his unease, Jin-hyung reassured him with confidence.  

“Yeon-woo, don’t worry. It’s fine. Sure, it’s copied from the internet, but I pieced it together so cleverly that no professor would ever notice. Trust me!”  

***

“His name was Cha Yeon-woo, right?”  

Still trying to collect her thoughts, Seol-rin muttered to herself.  

Even she, someone indifferent to celebrities, had heard his name before. He was undoubtedly a trending figure. Curious, she typed “Cha Yeon-woo” into her computer and nodded as she scanned the results.  

“Oh, he’s the guy from that sitcom. He’s 23?”  

Surprisingly, he was a bit older than she expected. Though, being in his early twenties, he was still young and fresh. Some idols did enroll in college after building some recognition, so it wasn’t unheard of.  

‘I’ll make sure to treat you well, Assistant-noona.’

With his puppy-like face, Yeon-woo had left those suggestive words before disappearing. Her head was spinning again, but then she remembered the study plan he had handed her.  

“Right, I need to give this to the professor.”  

By the time she came to her senses, it was already well past quitting time. Flustered by meeting a celebrity for the first time, she had completely lost track of time.  

Carefully picking up the study plan Yeon-woo had given her to ensure it didn’t get crumpled, Seol-rin headed to Professor Ma Tae-oh’s office next door.  

Knock, knock—Seol-rin knocked, but there was no response from inside.  

“Did he leave already?”  

She waited for a while, but there was still no answer. Yet, light was clearly spilling out through the window. Feeling puzzled, Seol-rin cautiously opened the door.  

“Pro… Professor…?”  

Her face flushed with surprise and embarrassment. On the small sofa in the corner of the office, Professor Ma Tae-oh was sound asleep.  

“He sleeps…?”  

It was natural for humans to sleep, yet seeing the professor, who usually seemed so distant, doing something so ordinary felt oddly strange. Perhaps it was because he usually didn’t seem very human.  

As Seol-rin quietly tried to leave, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.  

‘He really is ridiculously handsome.’  

She couldn’t take her eyes off his sleeping face. As if drawn by an invisible force, she stepped closer to the sofa where Tae-oh was lying and gazed at his face.  

His sharp nose, long eyelashes, and thin, beautifully shaped lips—every feature was flawless. He looked like a masterpiece crafted by the gods.  

“No wonder people fall for him.”  

“Mm…”  

When Ma Tae-oh stirred in his sleep, Seol-rin quickly clamped her mouth shut, startled. She anxiously checked to see if he had woken up, but thankfully, he was still sound asleep.  

He seemed to be the type to toss and turn a lot in his sleep. As he shifted, his head turned, revealing a messy bedhead that made Seol-rin stifle a laugh.  

“He’s just like anyone else.”  

Still smiling, Seol-rin reached out toward his hair. She felt an urge to smooth down the messy strands.  

“What are you doing?”  

“Ah!”  

Seol-rin jumped in shock. At some point, Ma Tae-oh’s dark eyes had opened and were now fixed on her. Startled, she fell to the floor with a thud.