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- Honey, are you awake?
Da-eun, who answered her phone groggily, burst into laughter at Joo-won’s cheesy endearment over the receiver.
It had been well over a month since Joo-won and Da-eun started dating. The two, who had never even had a single fight, were falling deeper in love with each other day by day. Before they knew it, they were spending their days as sweetly as any other couple.
It wasn’t the stage to reveal it in front of Professor Park Eun-ju yet, so their relationship was still a secret to everyone. However, the hearts of the newly started lovers were swelling beautifully day by day.
“Disgusting.”
- Then shall I call you darling?
With the final exams approaching and studying late into the night, Joo-won had been waking her up every morning with a morning call. She would start her day with a smile at his first words that always made her laugh.
“I’m wide awake now.”
- Then hurry up and warm up the soup.
“Soup...?”
- Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach.
“My stomach doesn’t hurt these days. I’m cutting back on coffee.”
- But you have headaches instead.
“You know me too well.”
Da-eun rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up to put the soup on the induction stove. As she smelled the pollack soup that Joo-won had secretly come to her studio apartment last night to cook for her, she woke up as if the coffee scent had jolted her awake.
- I know Hwang Da-eun well. Hwang Da-eun isn’t interested in me.
“When are you talking about? I’m very interested in you now. So interested it’s a problem.”
- Eat well and I’ll see you in the lab later.
“Okay. See you later.”
Today, she planned to run into him in the lab, pretending it was a coincidence.
Anyway, how does he make pollack soup so delicious?
Da-eun hung up the phone and immediately headed to the bathroom. It was the same face she saw every day, but her heart fluttered at the thought of meeting Joo-won.
* * *
Today, the lecture felt like it was lasting a millennium. She had even attended early to get a seat in the front, but Kim Se-jun, who came in late, stealthily sat down next to Da-eun, looking around cautiously.
There were still plenty of seats in the back, so why did he have to sit next to her? She had no idea when he had started listening to lectures diligently enough to take a seat right in front of the professor.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time. Recently, in every class they took together, Kim Se-jun would enter the lecture hall just barely avoiding being late and would always sit next to Da-eun, who had a pile of books on her desk.
He would unnecessarily ask to borrow a pen or stick close to her, looking at her tablet, claiming he had missed some notes. Today, he had even offered her a takeout coffee as if he had expected to sit next to her.
When had he spread rumors about Da-eun being a crazy stalker among their classmates? It seemed he held no ill will towards her.
Was the victim left with only scars while the perpetrator had memories? Did he think she still liked him and was looking down on her just because she had liked him once?
Even after three years, Kim Se-jun’s tactics remained the same.
No, they weren’t even tactics. She remembered how he would show her past exam papers and ask her to watch a late-night movie together, making her heart flutter and then just managing her like one of the fish in his ‘aquarium’.
Compared to Joo-won, who wouldn’t even talk to a girl first before getting close, Kim Se-jun’s flippancy in being nice to any girl made her frown.
She wasn’t weak, and avoiding Kim Se-jun now while being conscious of him would seem even stranger, so she sat there patiently. However, his confidence, fresh out of the military, was sky-high.
She kept getting bothered by Kim Se-jun sitting next to her. She had already suffered for a while because of the rumor of being a ‘classmate killer’ that had spread after she confessed to Kim Se-jun. If they sat together like this, she could already imagine what people would be whispering behind their backs.
Today, she decided to draw a clear line and tell him directly not to sit next to her anymore. But then, unbelievable words came out of the professor’s mouth as he finished the lecture.
“For this group project, you will work with the person sitting next to you.”
Dissatisfied students began to murmur here and there, but the professor was firm.
“Whether I form the groups this way or that way, there are always complaints, and I’m getting tired of it. Anyone who wants to object should come to my office prepared to receive an F on the assignment.”
Da-eun stared blankly at the professor’s retreating figure as he dropped the bombshell and disappeared.
This group project was particularly dreadful. They had to visit a modern art exhibition with their group member and write a critique. It was called a group project, but in reality, it was no different from a date for just the two of them. Moreover, they had to take a picture at the entrance of the art museum as evidence to submit.
She resented the professor for giving such a terrible report right before the final exams, but Kim Se-jun, oblivious to Da-eun’s distress, was the most dreadful, buzzing with excitement next to her with sparkling eyes.
“Shall we go to the Jaeam Art Museum in Gangwon-do this weekend? I heard there’s an Ahn Jung-seon exhibition.”
Da-eun grabbed her head and stood up from her seat. Kim Se-jun stuck close to Da-eun as she gathered her things and left the lecture hall, talking non-stop.
“I can bring my dad’s car, so how about we leave after lunch on Saturday?”
“Are you crazy? We’re not going all the way to Gangwon-do just to write one report.”
“It’ll be disadvantageous if we overlap with other groups. There aren’t that many decent modern art exhibitions in Seoul. The popular ones will all be crowded.”
She wanted to go to the professor’s office right away, explain the situation, and beg to change group members, but she swallowed her resentment, remembering the professor’s words that objections meant an F grade.
“Let’s just do what the others do. I don’t want to make a fuss.”
“Are you not going to cooperate?”
“What?”
“Are you not going to cooperate with the team project?”
Using cooperation on the report as a weakness, Kim Se-jun asked Da-eun as if threatening her. Da-eun suppressed her anger and replied.
“Let’s just go to Insadong, no need to go far.”
“Well, I don’t really want to.”
“Looks like you’re not cooperating either.”
“Then we should decide where to go first. Let’s talk over coffee.”
Da-eun glared at Kim Se-jun. But Kim Se-jun smiled as if he was even enjoying this argument.
“Da-eun already has a prior engagement with me.”
It was then. Joo-won, whom she had planned to meet in the lab pretending it was a coincidence, appeared in the hallway, actually pretending it was a coincidence.
“Why are you two together?”
Before Da-eun could even greet him, Kim Se-jun cut into their conversation. Joo-won retorted, sounding displeased.
“Do I have to tell you every little thing?”
Joo-won looked down at Kim Se-jun and asked. Even Kim Se-jun, who was quite tall, seemed humiliated that he had to look up so much at Joo-won, who was well over 190cm. Kim Se-jun took a step back and said to Da-eun.
“Then let’s meet up in the evening and talk, Da-eun-ah.”
“What meet up? Let’s just talk on the phone.”
“Okay. I’ll call you tonight.”
Since they couldn’t avoid talking because of the group project, Da-eun barely managed to suggest a phone call to Kim Se-jun, who wanted to meet up, and then turned away with Joo-won.
“I thought you were cutting back on coffee.”
“Ah, this?”
Da-eun looked down at the iced Americano in her hand, where all the ice had melted, and said to Joo-won.
“Kim Se-jun bought it for me, but I haven’t even taken a sip.”
“That bastard bought you coffee?”
As Joo-won turned to chase after Kim Se-jun, Da-eun barely managed to grab his arm.
“I just took it out because I couldn’t leave it in the lecture hall. I was going to throw it away.”
“That crazy bastard. I won’t let this slide.”
“What are you going to do if you don’t let it slide? You know how loose his lips are. What if he says something to Professor Park Eun-ju? How am I supposed to go to school then? Please, just pretend you don’t know. Huh?”
“What was that about calling?”
“We’re in the same group for the team project.”
“Haa... Doesn’t that bastard know what he’s trying to do to you? Or is it just me who sees through his petty tricks?”
Joo-won asked Da-eun with a serious expression. Da-eun also knew Kim Se-jun’s intentions were clear, but seeing Joo-won being jealous like this made her feel good in a way.
“I’ll draw a clear line.”
Joo-won stared at Da-eun for a long time as if he couldn’t trust her, then snatched the iced Americano from her hand and strode off.
“Joo-won-ah?”
Da-eun hurried after Joo-won, who was walking ahead without matching her pace, looking angry.
“Yoon Joo-won? Where are you going?”
Da-eun soon noticed the students glancing at the two of them and quietly followed Joo-won, feeling like she had become a ‘classmate killer’.
Joo-won went into the men’s restroom ahead of her. Da-eun awkwardly waited for Joo-won in front of the restroom, and then she saw him pouring the Americano into the sink.
The lecture hall doors were closing one by one, and the lecture began. The hallway, which had been bustling with students, became quiet.
Da-eun turned her gaze and looked around the hallway when suddenly Joo-won’s hand grabbed hers and pulled her.
“You?”
Bang.
The men’s restroom door closed, and Joo-won took Da-eun into a stall.
‘Are you crazy?’
Da-eun mouthed to Joo-won as if arguing with him, but he nonchalantly pulled her waist close.
“I checked, no one’s here.”
“Still... Mmph!”
Joo-won abruptly kissed Da-eun’s lips. His lower body, heavy with arousal, pressed against Da-eun’s stomach.
No matter how much Da-eun pushed him away, Joo-won didn’t budge. The hand gently caressing her neck was tender, but his rough breathing as he explored her lips was urgent.
“What’s really wrong with you?”
As Da-eun pushed Joo-won away with all her strength as if shaking him off and glared at him, he hugged her tightly.
“I’m jealous.”
“Huh?”
She had been angry at Joo-won for dragging her all the way to the men’s restroom and forcibly kissing her, but her anger melted away as Joo-won held her in his arms, saying he was jealous.
Joo-won’s fragrant hair brushed against Da-eun’s face. Joo-won, not considering his large build, rubbed his face against Da-eun’s chest and acted spoiled.
“I get annoyed just seeing you talk to other guys.”
Without thinking about his large frame, Joo-won rubbed his face against Da-eun’s shoulder, where his head barely reached, and grumbled that he was jealous, looking like an adorable large dog.
“Only look at me, Hwang Da-eun.”
“I’m only looking at you...”
“I want to tell everyone. That Hwang Da-eun is my girlfriend. I want to brag and shout and warn them.”
Da-eun stroked Joo-won’s hair. Even as she stroked his hair, Joo-won stayed still, looking surprisingly puppy-like. His honest words were cute, and a smile briefly spread across her lips.
“I’ll tell them I have a boyfriend.”
“Really?”
Joo-won, who had been rubbing his face against Da-eun’s shoulder, lifted his head. They had matching couple rings, but he couldn’t wear his at school, making his lonely ring finger look forlorn.
“Even if I can’t say I’m dating you, I’ll tell everyone I have a boyfriend.”
Da-eun also wanted to brag to people. She wanted to spread the news everywhere that she was dating a wonderful man like Yoon Joo-won, but considering her graduate school life with Professor Park Eun-ju, it was best to keep her mouth shut.
Da-eun buried her face in Joo-won’s chest. He held her chin again and kissed her lips.
The two couldn’t stop their hungry kisses for a long time.
________________________________________
A secret campus relationship was not as easy as she thought. Considering Da-eun’s upcoming graduate studies, she could fully understand the idea of keeping their relationship a secret. But even though her head understood, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy in her heart.
Joo-won knew the common saying that first love doesn’t work out, but he didn’t want to apply that standard to himself.
However, he was sometimes tormented by an unknown anxiety, wondering if that ominous saying was gradually becoming a tangible threat hindering their relationship.
He was careful in every action, afraid that his clumsy way of dating might lead to mistakes. Every first was as difficult as it was happy.
Hiding and meeting secretly, afraid of what would happen after breaking up, felt like a relationship predicated on separation, making a corner of his heart heavy.
Joo-won had never thought about breaking up with Da-eun. Even though they were still young and not at the age to think about the future, he cherished their precious first connection more than anyone else.
If he could confidently say that Hwang Da-eun was his girlfriend, he wouldn’t have to engage in pointless power struggles with a nobody like Kim Se-jun.
He kept his mouth shut, knowing Da-eun’s situation, but it bothered him. Even putting Kim Se-jun aside, he was annoyed by all the guys hovering around such a beautiful Da-eun.
He got a headache just thinking about his situation where he would have to be wary of fresh college students even after ten years, as Hwang Da-eun would go through her master’s and doctoral programs and become a professor.
Come to think of it, there was a bigger problem. If Da-eun asked Joo-won’s mother to be her advisor, they wouldn’t be able to reveal their relationship not only during her undergraduate years but also while she was in her master’s program, her doctoral program, and even until she became a professor.
From Da-eun’s perspective, unless the two of them got married, she wouldn’t be able to tell Professor Park Eun-ju that she was dating Joo-won.
If that was the case, it meant they would have to continue their secret relationship forever until they decided to get married...
“Da-eun-ah.”
“Huh?”
“Have you thought about applying to graduate school at another university?”
“Another school? Why all of a sudden?”
Da-eun, not knowing Joo-won’s true feelings, smiled brightly and asked back. While pretending to work on their group project, keeping others in mind, they spread out their books on the coffee shop table and talked, but Joo-won couldn’t let his guard down, constantly checking if anyone was glancing at Da-eun.
“I was just wondering if there’s a need to go to our alma mater. There are other schools famous for aesthetics too.”
“Our school is the most famous. Oh, are you talking about studying abroad? I’ve been thinking about it anyway.”
“What?”
Joo-won frowned at Da-eun’s unexpected talk about studying abroad. He tried not to show it, but his heart beat rapidly.
“It’ll be tough during my master’s, but I’ve been thinking about going to France for my doctorate. Of course, I’ll have to save up some money by then.”
Joo-won, feeling like he wasn’t getting anywhere, became increasingly anxious at Da-eun’s words.
“Why go to France? Just learn from my mother.”
“Huh? Are you telling me to go or not to go?”
“I’m telling you not to go.”
“Didn’t you tell me to go earlier?”
“No. I meant stay in Korea. My mother also got her doctorate from Korea University, so you could become a professor too.”
“Regardless of that, if you study aesthetics, you’d want to visit Paris.”
Joo-won sighed deeply. An unexpected obstacle had appeared, and his future looked bleak. He could already picture the French guys swarming around his cute and pretty Hwang Da-eun from Korea.
A young Korean guy or a suave French guy. Neither was a desirable rival.
To Da-eun, Yoon Joo-won might just be a fresh romantic partner, but to Joo-won, she meant much more.
It had only been a little over a month since they started dating, but his feelings had grown uncontrollably, and he felt like he was the only one getting impatient. First love was full of clumsy and awkward moments, but he couldn’t control the magnitude of his emotions himself.
“Oh? Hwang Da? What are you doing here?”
Just when they were facing each other, having coffee at school for the first time in a while, Da-eun’s close friend Lee Sujin approached them.
“Sujin-ah. Don’t you have class right now?”
“It’s a lecture cancellation today. What’s going on? Why are you two together?”
Sujin pulled out an empty chair and sat down, looking back and forth between Joo-won and Da-eun. Sujin, who knew Da-eun well, narrowed her eyes, sensing the atmosphere. Da-eun carefully spoke, glancing at Joo-won.
“I’m dating Yoon Joo-won.”
“……!”
“……!”
At Hwang Da-eun’s unexpected declaration, Joo-won’s heart dropped with a thud.
Pretty Hwang Da-eun.
Lovely Hwang Da-eun.
She was so touching.
“What? Since when?”
Da-eun glared at Lee Sujin, stuffing bread into her mouth as she was making a fuss.
“Shh. Be quiet. It’s a secret. You’re the only one who knows. Got it?”
“Wow, see that? I was right! Yoon Joo-won’s eyes...!”
Da-eun crammed more bread into Lee Sujin’s mouth again. Sujin nodded as if she understood and nibbled on the bread.
Even though they couldn’t tell other people yet, it felt good that at least one person knew about them.
Joo-won felt his gloomy mood quickly lighten. When would he be able to tell everyone in the world that he was dating Hwang Da-eun?
Twenty-three, he hated his young age. His serious feelings would just be dismissed as a childish infatuation that came with age.
He liked Da-eun. He only saw Da-eun in front of him. He had no other thoughts besides Hwang Da-eun.
He liked the freshness of doing everything together for the first time, but he hated the immaturity that prevented him from showing his serious feelings.
“I’ll go order coffee. Stay right here!”
Instead of Lee Sujin, who was about to stand up, Joo-won got up from his seat.
“I’ll order. You talk with Da-eun.”
“Are you buying me coffee?”
“You’re Da-eun’s friend, of course I’ll buy you coffee.”
“What are you guys really!”
Lee Sujin rubbed her arms as if getting goosebumps, but she kept smiling, and Da-eun also smiled at her friend’s expression.
Joo-won gladly went down to order Sujin’s coffee. Holding Da-eun in his arms made him want her heart, and now that he felt he had won her heart, he wanted to tell everyone.
His desires for everything related to Da-eun kept growing, but Joo-won reminded himself that today alone was a big decision for Da-eun, and he decided to be grateful to her.
________________________________________
Da-eun, who finally returned home after being bothered by Sujin all day, hugged Joo-won, who had secretly come to her place after midnight.
Avoiding the eyes of people camped out in front of the convenience store to stop by briefly and then slipping out again when no one was around was no easy task.
She had thought that being a campus couple meant they could stick together all day, but it felt more inconvenient than dating someone from another school.
“I’m going to look at houses this weekend.”
Da-eun’s eyes widened at Joo-won’s sudden talk about looking at houses.
“House? What house?”
“Our lease is ending, so I thought it would be better to look around in advance if we’re going to move.”
“Ah, right...”
Da-eun was surprised by the unexpected news. She had heard that Joo-won would start working at his father’s company around the second semester, but she hadn’t anticipated that they would have to move.
It was obvious, though. There was no need for him to commute from the inconvenient school area when his father’s company was nearby.
“Do you want to go look at houses with me on Saturday?”
“No. I have to go to the art museum with Kim Se-jun for our project... Can’t we go on Sunday?”
“You have to study for your exams. I’ll just go see them myself. It’s a bit awkward to look at houses on Sunday anyway.”
“Ah, right. Sorry. It would be nice to go together.”
Da-eun, whose father was a licensed real estate agent, belatedly realized that it was difficult to look at houses on Sunday and nodded.
“I have a few places in mind, so it’s okay.”
“Where is your father’s company?”
“My father’s company is in Yangjae-dong, but I’m thinking of places in Jamsil.”
“Why? Doesn’t that road get really congested during commuting hours?”
“I couldn’t even date you properly while living near my mother’s company, so I don’t want to live near my father’s company now.”
Da-eun burst into laughter at Joo-won’s words.
“Are you deliberately going to Jamsil to get out of his sight?”
“If I get a place in Yangjae-dong, he’ll bother me every other day. It’s obvious. If I could, I’d want to go even further.”
“It would be nice if your father visited often.”
“If it’s close to the company, I might end up being a dorm for drunk colleagues after company dinners.”
“That’s true.”
“I’d rather have Hwang Da-eun visit often. If we move, you can stay over at my place more often in the future. I’ll come pick you up and drop you off.”
“Yeah. It’s so tiring having to sneak around like this all the time. We can’t even comfortably see each other at a coffee shop, let alone eat near school together.”
“Are you going to move too?”
“No. I’m comfortable here. I’ve lived here for a long time, and it’s close to school. You know, I don’t have the stamina to commute on a packed bus. But the campus prices are perfect for my budget. My landlord hasn’t raised the rent in three years. It’s hard to find a landlord like that.”
“You can move in with me. I’m thinking of getting an apartment around 30 pyeong for investment purposes. I’ll give you a room. The best room. Then you can save on your rent.”
Da-eun was barely making ends meet with her studio apartment rent, and this guy, who hadn’t even graduated college yet, was talking about apartment investment. At times like this, she really felt like she lived in a different world from Yoon Joo-won.
“Are you asking me to live with you?”
“Does the word sound a bit off?”
“That’s ridiculous. Living together, no way.”
“Why not? We’re both adults and will soon be working members of society. What’s wrong with that? We like each other, so we live together.”
The thought of becoming a working member of society still didn’t feel real. There was still more than half a year left until she graduated college, and since she planned to stay on campus for her master’s and doctoral programs, she felt like she would be a student forever.
“If my mom and dad find out, my back will be in pieces. They come up every couple of months, what will I do then?”
Da-eun hugged Joo-won and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Joo-won gently stroked her hair.
“I keep getting greedy. I want to be with you all day, but it’ll be even harder to see you after graduation, won’t it?”
“I’ll visit often.”
Joo-won rubbed his lips against the top of Da-eun’s head. Their precarious secret relationship was thrilling, but seeing Joo-won’s impatience, Da-eun was already worried about things six months from now.
If they went from seeing each other every day to barely seeing each other on weekends...
Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
________________________________________
“Wouldn’t it be better to live near the company than in Jamsil?”
Even while having dinner with his parents at their main residence for the first time in a while, Joo-won’s mind was elsewhere.
He felt uneasy about Da-eun going to an art museum with Kim Se-jun for a group project. He trusted Da-eun, but he didn’t like Kim Se-jun’s ulterior motives as he lingered around her.
“Jamsil is also near the company. It doesn’t take that long to get from Yangjae to Jamsil.”
Professor Park Eun-ju frowned at Joo-won’s answer.
“Can’t you just move back home? I naturally assumed you would move back in after graduation.”
“You want to live with your fully grown son? Just enjoy your time together as a couple.”
Joo-won’s father, CEO Yoon Tae-jung, chuckled dryly. When did his son grow up so much that he was telling his parents to live together like a dating couple?
The boy had been a model student throughout his school years, but in his senior year of high school, he suddenly declared he wanted to study aesthetics instead of business administration, causing a family uproar.
Still, as he entered university, he seemed to come to his senses and decided to double major in business administration, preparing diligently for business classes, and his exemplary teenage rebellion ended.
“We’ve always lived like a dating couple, you rascal.”
Joo-won raised his eyebrows at CEO Yoon Tae-jung’s words.
“That reminds me, I’m thinking of starting work right after the first semester ends.”
“What about the second semester?”
Professor Park Eun-ju asked, sounding disappointed that her son was talking about getting a job without even finishing his final semester.
“I also think that what I learn on the job can’t be matched by what I learn at school anyway. If I get a job, I can probably replace attendance with assignments. I heard that some professors don’t even accept attendance excuses these days, so I’m going to look into it and register for classes accordingly. Schoolwork doesn’t seem to be particularly helpful for my career right now. I’ll consider an MBA later if I need it.”
“Right. What you learn at school isn’t all that useful. You have to learn by experiencing things firsthand anyway.”
CEO Yoon Tae-jung was proud that his grown son wanted to start working as soon as possible.
“I didn’t think I’d be separated from my son so soon. This is silly. I feel like I’m going to cry.”
Professor Park Eun-ju fluttered her hand like a fan, her eyes glistening like a young girl’s.
“It’s not like we won’t see each other, why are you being like this?”
“It’s just, I was so happy. Having my son at school with me for four years.”
CEO Yoon Tae-jung took his wife’s hand at her words. Looking at his wife, he felt like he owed his son a great debt.
During the time when Professor Park Eun-ju was suffering through the hardships of being a daughter-in-law to her in-laws, CEO Yoon Tae-jung was too busy with work to pay attention to his wife’s pain.
Professor Park Eun-ju was a prominent figure in the aesthetics field, but to her in-laws, who were wealthy owners of a mid-sized company, she wasn’t a satisfactory daughter-in-law. A respected professor who had risen from poverty and become self-made was treated like a worthless daughter-in-law without a penny in her husband’s home. A scholar hailed as a ‘master’ in society was treated like dust from a poorly educated family among her in-laws.
Angry at his father for not protecting his mother, Joo-won sided with Professor Park Eun-ju. He rebelled and followed his mother into the aesthetics department. Joo-won himself declared that if he didn’t side with his mother, no one in the world would, and he would study aesthetics instead of taking business classes.
Belatedly reflecting on his family, CEO Yoon Tae-jung finally realized his wife was suffering from depression. He became aware of his workaholic behavior, moved out of his parents’ house, and Professor Park Eun-ju was finally able to end the twenty-odd years of hardship she had endured as a daughter-in-law.
If it hadn’t been for Joo-won, CEO Yoon Tae-jung would probably still be buried in work, oblivious to the pain his wife was enduring. After moving out, CEO Yoon Tae-jung and his wife restored their sweet relationship, as if they had returned to their dating days. By the side of her henpecked husband, Professor Park Eun-ju gradually healed from the wounds she had received from her in-laws.
“Mother, you have Father.”
“Shall we go look at houses together, Mom?”
“If you want to.”
“Okay.”
CEO Yoon Tae-jung interjected between the mother and son who were exchanging smiles.
“Why am I excluded?”
“I’m trying to have a date with Joo-won for the first time in a while, why are you butting in without any tact?”
The three had a pleasant meal together, spending their Saturday morning.
________________________________________
[Yoon Joo-won: Looking at houses. Planning to sign a contract here.]
Messages arrived from Joo-won intermittently while she was looking around the art museum. It seemed he had finally found a house he liked, as photos of empty houses kept arriving.
A four-room apartment with a view of the Han River seemed excessively large for a single man in his twenties.
[Looks amazing.]
[Yoon Joo-won: I’ll set up a separate room for Hwang Da-eun too. Come visit anytime. Even better if you stay the night.]
Da-eun smiled broadly at Joo-won’s message about giving her a room too.
“What are you doing, coming to see an exhibition?”
Kim Se-jun asked, sounding displeased, as if he disapproved of such a Da-eun. He had decent fashion sense in his twenties, but even after returning from the military, he was still stuck in his style from three years ago. The way he had dressed up looked tacky, making her frown.
“I’m looking at the exhibition too. Do I have to report everything like that to you?”
“We’re clearly a team project. Focus.”
“I can focus better while texting than you can even while just looking?”
“Who are you texting?”
“My boyfriend.”
Kim Se-jun stopped abruptly, looking surprised at Da-eun’s words about having a boyfriend.
“Yoon Joo-won?”
Da-eun, who had been walking while looking at the exhibition, also stopped at Kim Se-jun’s guess.
“What? Ah, no, it’s not...?”
Seeing Da-eun’s flustered expression, Kim Se-jun, now convinced, took a step closer to her.
“No, it’s not? I thought it was suspicious how Yoon Joo-won’s been hovering around you lately.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You don’t suit Yoon Joo-won. Do you even know what kind of car he drives?”
“Be quiet. People are looking. Let’s just look at the exhibition.”
Da-eun mumbled her answer, but Kim Se-jun was relentless. Kim Se-jun, as if he had prepared his attack in advance, started rattling off reasons why Da-eun and Joo-won didn’t suit each other.
“Can you handle him? Do you think he’ll take you seriously? Let’s be blunt, do you think you’re the only woman he’s had in the passenger seat of his car? If he shows up in that car, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will come running, you know?”
She couldn’t admit that she was dating Yoon Joo-won, but she couldn’t bring herself to say they weren’t dating either.
Seeing Da-eun at a loss, Kim Se-jun continued.
“Your appearances don’t even match. Do you even know that the girls in the business department follow Yoon Joo-won around like a fan club because they like him so much? Yoon Joo-won doesn’t even look at anyone who doesn’t wear designer brands, do you think he’d suit you? Or are you just hoping for some crumbs to fall your way?”
Kim Se-jun accurately attacked Da-eun’s weak point. Ever since her freshman year, she had felt unnecessarily intimidated and repulsed by Joo-won’s insistence on wearing only designer brands, and hearing Kim Se-jun say such things so directly made her neck flush with heat.
Moreover, there was a difference between vaguely knowing that Joo-won was popular and knowing specifically that the girls in the business department followed him around. She felt intimidated by the fact that there were so many rivals.
The image of confident and sophisticated girls with similar financial backgrounds sitting in the passenger seat of Joo-won’s car seemed to suit him much better than Da-eun sitting there. Especially since she had heard that there were many well-off kids in the business department...
Her heart ached with a sharp, stinging pain. Even though she knew Kim Se-jun’s obvious intentions, she couldn’t avoid his sharp, knife-like words that accurately targeted her weaknesses.
Da-eun paused for a moment to calm her breathing. Seeing through Kim Se-jun’s intention to subtly gaslight her and bring her down, she retorted.
“It’s not like I’m masochistic. So, you’re saying you like me because I don’t suit Yoon Joo-won?”
“I’m not the kind of guy who would show you off in the passenger seat of a foreign car like an accessory. I like you seriously.”
Da-eun frowned deeply at Kim Se-jun’s words, who, without her even saying she was dating Yoon Joo-won, suddenly brought up wealth and looks, saying they didn’t suit each other.
“So? Do you think I suit you?”
“Yeah. I suit you better than Yoon Joo-won.”
“Did you come back from the army thinking the world is yours? Thinking anyone you poke will fall for you? Don’t have such a disgusting delusion.”
As Da-eun glared at him with wide eyes, he laughed as if she were cute and replied.
“It’s not a delusion.”
“If it’s not a delusion, then what is it?”
“You like me. Don’t you remember crying and begging me to like you three years ago? Honestly, I endured my time in the army thinking about that. Every time it was tough, I looked forward to the day I’d be discharged, thinking of you. I know everything. First love is hard to forget.”
Da-eun scoffed in disbelief.
“You crazy bastard, listen carefully. The reason I cried back then wasn’t because I liked you. It was because you kept calling me out whenever you were bored, asking me to watch late-night movies, managing me in your ‘aquarium,’ and then acting like I was the one who was mistaken. And even if I liked you back then, I was completely turned off by your loose mouth. Thanks to that, I got over you instantly. I have no regrets left. Seeing you just makes me sick.”
Kim Se-jun narrowed his brow, seemingly shocked by Da-eun’s sharp words.
“And first love? Don’t attach such a ridiculous word. Did you and I even hold hands once? First love, my foot.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you understand? Should I say it again?”
By now, familiar faces who had come to the art museum were glancing at the two of them from afar. Since there weren’t many modern art exhibitions in Seoul, she had already run into three groups of people she knew today. People in the same class pretended not to listen but were all ears to their conversation.
“If you don’t like me, why did you follow me?”
“Why did I follow you? Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“Yeah. I don’t know? Weren’t you giving me a chance? I’m the one who wants to ask. Isn’t this what you call managing your ‘aquarium’?”
She was dumbfounded by Kim Se-jun’s audaciousness.
“You were the one who acted like a stalker. You grabbed someone who said they didn’t want to go and asked them to go see an exhibition in Gangwon-do. You harassed me with texts all day. You even threatened to tell the professor if I didn’t cooperate.”
“That’s...”
“I really didn’t want to come with you. I only came because the professor said he’d give us an F if we protested to change partners. Do you understand?”
“…….”
Da-eun grabbed Kim Se-jun’s collar and strode towards the entrance of the art museum. Kim Se-jun was dragged along, clueless as to what was happening.
“Just take the picture quickly.”
“Uh...”
Da-eun and Kim Se-jun stood side by side and took the picture to submit as evidence for their group project. Then, Da-eun turned around, leaving Kim Se-jun behind.
Female juniors who were mocking Kim Se-jun from afar bowed their heads towards Da-eun. It was the moment when Kim Se-jun’s reputation, which had been plummeting since his discharge as he flirted with various female juniors, hit rock bottom.
She felt completely relieved at having gotten back at Kim Se-jun. Even if Da-eun didn’t do anything, her juniors would spread the rumors about Kim Se-jun far and wide on their own.
[I’m outside now. Want to meet up?]
Da-eun sent a text message to Joo-won as soon as she got on the bus.
[Yoon Joo-won: Sorry. I decided to stay overnight at my parents’ place today.]
[Then shall we study together tomorrow?]
[Yoon Joo-won: My mother would be disappointed, so I decided to stay until tomorrow.]
She had contacted Joo-won right away, feeling happy, but his words about staying overnight at his parents’ place made her feel deflated.
It was only two days they wouldn’t see each other, so why did she already miss him so much?
Joo-won was the type to rush to her whenever Da-eun missed him, so his first time saying he couldn’t see her felt unfamiliar.
She would have to get used to this once he started working at his company.
Thinking about Joo-won leaving campus for good soon made her feel gloomy in an instant.
The weak point that Kim Se-jun had targeted felt like it was belatedly swelling up.
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