Chapter 60

Olympic Gymnastics Arena. Amidst the bustling crowd, Seol-rin and Min-ji held hands tightly as they weaved through. Even in the chaos, Seol-rin kept glancing back, urging on a man who was walking leisurely behind them.  

It had become more natural to call him “Oppa” instead of “Professor” now—Ma Tae-oh.  

“Tae-oh-oppa! Hurry up, hurry! We’re going to be late!”  

“Tae-oh-ahjussi! Come on, hurry!”  

Unlike the two women, who were frantically gesturing, Tae-oh walked at an unhurried pace. In fact, it seemed he was deliberately walking slowly. His face was furrowed with displeasure.  

Watching from afar, Seol-rin shook her head in exasperation.  

“Seriously, I can’t deal with this. I shouldn’t have brought him.”  

“See? I told you we should’ve just gone by ourselves, Unnie. Ugh, we’re really going to be late now.”  

Min-ji’s narrowed eyes glared at Tae-oh as if she were staring at a sworn enemy. Though time was of the essence, Seol-rin found Min-ji’s expression so adorable that she couldn’t help but smile softly.  

Today was the final day of Cha Yeon-woo’s world tour concert. After traveling around the globe, his last concert was to be held in none other than South Korea. As soon as he returned, he sent Seol-rin several VVIP tickets along with a card that read, “I really hope you can come watch, Noona.”  

Yeon-woo had taken a leave of absence after the first semester to embark on his world tour. It had taken over a year to wrap up the tour, but the result was a resounding success. His concert tracks dominated the Billboard charts, achieving phenomenal results, and the tickets for his shows sold out instantly upon release. He had truly become a global superstar.  

When Seol-rin received the unexpected gift, she was so excited that she couldn’t stop bouncing on her feet. Tae-oh, seeing this, had nearly torn the tickets apart on the spot, leaving her in shock.  

‘Oppa! These are tickets for the final show—they’re really rare!’ 

‘So, you’re really going to see his concert? Then take me with you. There’s no way I’m letting you go alone. Not happening.’  

In the end, they agreed that Tae-oh would accompany her to Cha Yeon-woo’s concert. But seeing his uncooperative attitude on the day of the concert made her regret it immensely.  

The real reason Seol-rin was so thrilled to receive the tickets wasn’t for herself—it was for Min-ji.  

A year had passed since Seol-rin first met Min-ji, and during that time, Min-ji had gone through a lot. Her father, who had been charged with years of child ab＊se resulting in death, was finally convicted and imprisoned. Left without any relatives, Min-ji began living in a children’s home.  

At first, Seol-rin worried endlessly about whether Min-ji would adapt well, but surprisingly, she found stability as time passed. She even expressed great affection for the teachers at the home, saying they were all wonderful people.  

So, Seol-rin thought the Cha Yeon-woo concert tickets would make a perfect gift for Min-ji. She vividly remembered the child’s beaming smile when she first asked if she’d like to attend the concert together.  

After much difficulty, they finally reached the concert entrance, where Jin-hyung was waving his hand urgently.  

“Assistant! Oh, wait, you’re not an assistant anymore. Anyway, over here!”  

“Oh, Manager. Hello! How have you been?”  

“I’ve been well, of course. Let’s catch up later. Hurry inside—the concert’s about to start.”  

Thanks to Jin-hyung, the three of them quickly entered the concert hall and managed to find their seats. As expected of the VVIP section, their seats were right in front of the massive stage. Min-ji hurriedly pulled a headband out of her bag and handed it to Seol-rin. The headband sparkled with the words “I♥Cha Yeon-woo” glowing in lights.  

“Min-ji, what’s this?”  

“It’s Cha Yeon-woo’s official fan merchandise! Unnie, put it on quickly!”  

“Oh, so this is merchandise.”  

At that moment, Tae-oh snatched the merchandise from Seol-rin’s hands with a frown.  

“Absolutely not.”  

“Huh? Why? Give it back—it’s fan merchandise!”  

“I’d rather wear it myself.”  

“This is ridiculous.”  

True to his word, Tae-oh soon had the headband perched on his head. His flashy appearance was both absurd and endearing, making Seol-rin smile softly once again. To her right stood a middle school girl, and to her left, a man in his thirties, yet both looked like children in her eyes.  

As she expected, the concert hall seemed to be filled entirely with women, to the point where Tae-oh appeared to be the only man present. Feeling self-conscious, Seol-rin cleared her throat and glanced around.  

“Ahem. Oppa, link arms with me.”  

“What? Out of nowhere?”  

“There are too many women here. I’m feeling uneasy. Quickly, link arms with me so everyone knows you’re taken.”  

With that, Seol-rin slyly hooked her arm around Tae-oh’s. His previously annoyed expression softened slightly. The once-naive Seol-rin had now become a woman who knew how to sweetly coax her man.  

A short while later, dazzling spotlights lit up the dark stage. Amid thunderous cheers, Cha Yeon-woo appeared on stage. The concert had begun.  

* * *  

“Alright, let’s take the picture. One, two, three!”  

Click—accompanied by the sound of the shutter, Min-ji forced a smile, her lips trembling slightly. Anyone could see how nervous she was. She still couldn’t believe she was standing in Cha Yeon-woo’s waiting room, let alone taking a picture with him. To confirm it wasn’t a dream, she bit the inside of her cheek. The sharp sting reassured her that this was real.  

Min-ji quickly pulled a sketchbook, wrapped with a ribbon, out of her bag and handed it to Yeon-woo. As her teachers at the children’s home had said, Min-ji had exceptional talent in drawing, and the sketchbook was filled with her carefully drawn portraits of Cha Yeon-woo.  

As Yeon-woo flipped through the pages, his face lit up with amazement. The drawings were so intricate that it was hard to believe they were done by a middle school student.  

“Wow, you drew all of this yourself?”  

“Yes… I copied them from your photos.”  

“I’m honored. Thank you, Min-ji. I thought you were just pretty, but you’ve got a beautiful heart too.”  

As expected of a world star, his fan service was impeccable. Hearing Yeon-woo call her pretty nearly made Min-ji faint. Smiling warmly at her, Yeon-woo hugged the sketchbook tightly as if it were a precious treasure.  

“Noona, how have you been?”  

With his characteristic gentle expression, Yeon-woo looked at Seol-rin. Having performed live for over two hours, he was drenched in sweat, which gave him an oddly stimulating aura. Compared to a year ago, his baby fat had disappeared, and his sharper features only added to his appeal.  

“I’ve been well. How about you, Yeon-woo?”  

“As you can see. Noona, I heard you’re not an assistant anymore?”  

“Yeah, my contract ended. I’m at a children’s foundation now, helping disadvantaged kids.”  

“Wow, I always knew you were amazing, but you’re incredible. You’re the best!”  

“Aren’t you curious about how I’ve been?”  

As expected, Tae-oh suddenly inserted himself into their conversation. Yeon-woo turned to him and greeted him respectfully.  

“Ah, how have you been, Professor? This is Cha Yeon-woo, your Philosophy Department student, reporting in.”  

“You know you’ll be expelled if your leave of absence gets too long. Make sure you re-enroll soon.”  

“I was planning to go back next year anyway. I’ll see you at school then.”  

“Alright. The concert was great. Good job.”  

“Oh, hearing that from none other than Professor Ma Tae-oh makes me a little happy.”  

“Don’t let it go to your head.”  

Tae-oh lightly patted Yeon-woo’s shoulder with a grin. Watching the two handsome men interact, Seol-rin found herself clicking her tongue internally. She couldn’t believe how affectionate they had become, considering how they used to be at each other’s throats.  

* * *  

Tae-oh’s car came to a smooth stop in front of the children’s home. Before getting out, Min-ji repeatedly thanked Seol-rin.  

“Unnie, thank you so, so much for today. I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”  

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Let’s go to Cha Yeon-woo’s concert together next time too.”  

“Hah…” 

Tae-oh let out a deep sigh at the mention of another concert. But Min-ji didn’t seem to care as she rummaged through her bag. It was almost magical how her bag seemed to endlessly produce items.  

“And… this is a gift for both of you.”  

What Min-ji handed them was a small framed picture. Inside the frame was a drawing of Tae-oh and Seol-rin, gazing at each other with warm smiles.  

“Wow, it’s so beautiful.”  

“Do you like it, Unnie?”  

“Of course! I love it. Oppa, look at this. Isn’t it amazing?”  

Looking at the framed drawing, Tae-oh also offered his praise. Blushing shyly, Min-ji got out of the car and waved goodbye.  

“Hehe, enjoy the rest of your time together! See you next time!”  

“Take care, Min-ji!”  

Seol-rin stared at the frame in her hands for a long time. The image of them looking so happy together made her want to keep staring at it. Tae-oh, who had been silently watching her, suddenly spoke with a serious expression.  

“By the way, he’s really grown up.”  

“Who?”  

“Who else? Cha Yeon-woo.”  

“What’s this all of a sudden? Are you jealous?”  

“Even if you regret choosing me, it’s too late. I’m never letting you go.”  

“Well… I was a little tempted…”  

When Seol-rin teasingly replied, Tae-oh furrowed his brows deeply.  

“What?”  

“Pfft, I’m joking. I’m joking. My eyes are only on you. I love you, Professor.”  

“Hearing you call me ‘Professor’ again is kind of exciting.”  

“Should I call you that tonight then?”  

“Let’s go right now.”  

“Slow down! You’ll get into an accident!”  

The two of them looked at each other and laughed happily. Just like the couple in the framed picture, they were endlessly affectionate and endlessly happy.  

<It’s My First Time, Professor – The End.>