Chapter 8

“Ugh, how am I supposed to tell an idol to rewrite his study plan? Isn’t this too much?”  

Back in the assistant office, Seol-rin grumbled in frustration. 

Would it really hurt to just let the study plan slide? Professor Ma Tae-oh was the textbook definition of a by-the-book type.  

“Seriously, he’s such a difficult person. Ugh.”  

As she frowned and flipped through the admission files, she found Cha Yeon-woo’s contact information. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. Even if he was an incoming student, calling a celebrity felt incredibly awkward.  

“No way an idol would actually leave their personal number, right?”  

Convincing herself that it was probably his manager’s number, she picked up the office phone and dialed the number.  

― Hello?  

“……!”  

To her surprise, the voice on the other end was unmistakably Cha Yeon-woo’s. It was the same slightly playful yet clear voice she’d heard yesterday.  

‘What kind of idol answers their phone so readily…?’  

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she swallowed nervously. But then she remembered Tae-oh’s stern expression and realized there was no turning back.  

“Uh, um… is this Cha Yeon-woo?”  

― Who’s this? Wait… is this the assistant noona?  

“Yes, yes! That’s right. I’m the assistant from Korea University. Is this a good time to talk?”  

― I figured it might be since it’s a school number. Yeah, I can talk. What’s up, Assistant-noona?  

His friendly tone helped Seol-rin relax a little. With a calmer voice, she carefully relayed Tae-oh’s message.  

“Well, there’s a bit of an issue with your study plan. Did you write it yourself?”  

― Oh… did you catch that? My manager said no one would notice. I’m sorry, Noona. You must’ve been put in a tough spot because of me.  

Instead of denying it, Cha Yeon-woo admitted it so readily that Seol-rin felt completely at ease.  

‘See? I told you I have a good eye for people. He’s not a bad kid. I just need to convince him to rewrite the study plan.’  

Feeling reassured, she continued.  

“Our department professor is very meticulous about these things. He said if you don’t rewrite it yourself and submit it within three days, your admission could be revoked. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just…”  

― Wait, revoked? That’s not good. Where are you right now, Noona?  

Cutting her off mid-sentence, Yeon-woo suddenly asked for her location.  

“Me? I’m at school.”  

― I’m near the campus. Can you come out for a bit?  

“Right now?”  

― Yeah, right now. I’ll be at the front gate soon, Noona!  

Click—  

The call ended abruptly after he said his piece. Seol-rin stared at the office phone in disbelief.  

“What the… Is he really coming?”  

Peeking out the window, she saw a large black van pulling up to the front gate.  

“Oh my gosh! What do I do? He’s really here.”  

Panicking, Seol-rin fretted and paced around. It was one thing to talk on the phone, but she wasn’t sure she could handle a face-to-face conversation.  

But she couldn’t just sit there, so she reluctantly left the office, her face a picture of worry.  

“Ah!”  

Sure enough, as she reached the front gate, the tinted van stopped in front of her. Its door slid open, and Cha Yeon-woo’s puppy-like face appeared as if by magic.  

“Assistant-noona, get in!”  

Yeon-woo extended his hand toward her without hesitation. It was the first time she’d ever held hands with a celebrity. For a moment, she thought being a university assistant wasn’t such a bad job after all.  

“Wow, I’ve never been in a van like this before.”  

Now sitting inside the idol’s van, Seol-rin stared at Yeon-woo in a daze. His constant, radiant smile was oddly comforting.  

She had just spent the morning with the cold and distant Tae-oh, and now here was Yeon-woo, all warmth and friendliness. The stark contrast left her feeling disoriented. Once again, she thought to herself that being an assistant wasn’t such a bad gig.  

“I heard what you said on the phone, Noona. I admit it was my fault. My manager said no one would notice, so I copied and submitted it. I didn’t think it would turn into such a big deal.”  

Yeon-woo glanced sharply at his manager, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. To Seol-rin, who was used to Tae-oh’s icy glares, Yeon-woo’s expression was almost adorable. The manager, however, cleared his throat and avoided eye contact.  

“Noona, remember when I said I’d do my best?”  

Yeon-woo suddenly grabbed Seol-rin’s hand. Startled by the unexpected contact, she stared at him with wide eyes.  

“I’ll really do my best. I might not be able to attend school regularly, but I’ll definitely show up for the entrance and graduation ceremonies.”  

“What? Just the entrance and graduation ceremonies?”  

Did he mean he’d only come to school twice in four years? 

Seol-rin’s expression hardened, but Yeon-woo continued with his bright smile.  

“So, Noona, can you write my study plan for me?”  

“Me…?”  

“Yes, you, Noona.”  

His mischievous smile was utterly disarming. For a moment, Seol-rin almost nodded, but she quickly snapped out of it and lifted her head.  

“Why should I…?”

“You said earlier that I need to rewrite it within three days, right? But I’m going into filming for the next three days starting early this morning. I really want to write it, but I don’t have the time. What should I do?”  

Yeon-woo shrugged his shoulders and looked at Seol-rin with a genuinely regretful expression.  

“So, please help me out.”  

“Hey, no matter what, how could I possibly write it for you?”  

Seol-rin shook her head as if the idea was absurd. At this, Yeon-woo grabbed her hand even tighter. For someone with such a pretty face, his grip was surprisingly rough.  

“That’s why I’m asking like this. That philosophy professor who wants me to rewrite my study plan—he’s pretty strict, right?”  

“How do you know that…?”  

“Well, I already got the university president’s approval for admission, but now they’re telling me to rewrite my study plan? That says it all. He’s got too much pride to be flexible. And I heard rumors that the department might be merged or shut down.”  

“……”  

“I can’t stand people like that. Philosophy? In this day and age? Who pays money to learn something so outdated? It’s ridiculous. That professor must be a total old-school bore. His classes are probably terrible.”  

Seol-rin’s mood soured instantly. She wasn’t sure exactly what set her off, but she suddenly didn’t want to continue the conversation with Yeon-woo.  

Pulling her hand free, she spoke coldly.  

“I’m getting out.”  

“…Getting out?”  

“Open the door.”  

Yeon-woo’s large eyes grew even rounder at her sudden change in tone. Realizing he might have said something wrong, he quickly tried to smooth things over with a bright smile.  

“Did I upset you? I wasn’t saying philosophy is bad; I was talking about that professor…”  

“Our professor isn’t some old man. Honestly, I haven’t taken his class enough to judge, but there’s one thing I do know. His lectures are wasted on someone like you, who just wants to breeze through life.”  

“What did you say? Do you even know how much I’ve struggled to get to where I am now?”  

Yeon-woo’s voice rose, veins standing out on his neck. From a young age, his sole goal had been to debut. He had sacrificed most of the normal experiences of life to chase that dream.  

After years of relentless effort, he finally debuted and achieved stardom. But even then, his life didn’t change much. Sure, he gained immense wealth at a young age and was treated like royalty wherever he went, but it wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. The fact that he often had to eat cold kimbap because he didn’t even have time for proper meals said it all.  

“Then show it.”  

“…!”  

“Show how much you’ve struggled to get here. Show the values you’ve gained along the way. If you bring in a hastily patched-together study plan, it’ll make your entire life look like a patchwork job.”  

“……”  

“If I’m overstepping, I’m sorry. Ultimately, it’s your choice whether or not to enroll. But one thing’s for sure: I’m not writing your study plan for you. I’ll be going now.”  

Seol-rin turned to leave the van but hesitated. She glanced back at Yeon-woo, who instinctively held his breath at her unpredictable behavior.  

“And… take this.”  

She pulled something out of her pocket and placed a small slip of paper in Yeon-woo’s hand.  

“Since you’re already here, at least have a proper meal before you go. Don’t settle for kimbap. Anyway, it was nice meeting you.”  

With that, she quickly got out of the van. Through the open door, Yeon-woo watched her slender figure retreat into the distance. Then he looked down at the slip of paper in his hand.  

“What the…?”  

It was a meal voucher.  

***

“Ugh… damn it.”  

Back in the assistant office, Seol-rin let out a frustrated curse. She had stormed off after snapping at Yeon-woo, but all she felt now was regret.  

“What do I do…?”  

Professor Ma Tae-oh had specifically told her to get a rewritten study plan from Yeon-woo within three days. But Seol-rin had a gut feeling. After what just happened, there was no way Yeon-woo would enroll in their department.