SELA - 43

Maintaining distance wasn’t something that could be done with only one person’s will. The relentless bombardment of contact continued. Seo-won seemed determined not to stop until Sa-hee agreed to meet him.

Eventually, they met at a casual pub & restaurant. Even though Sa-hee arrived 15 minutes before the agreed time, Seo-won was already there. When she asked him how long he had been waiting, he just smiled.

“So, you ended up going to sports university?”

“Yes. Korea National Sport University.”

“That’s unexpected. I thought you would go into academics. You didn’t seem like the sports type...”

“I did seem far removed from it, and I was quite weak back then.”

Sa-hee glossed over it with a subtle smile.

“Anyway, let’s see each other often from now on, really. Okay?”

“Okay, I got it.”

“If you just say it and then avoid contact, I’ll be hurt.”

Sa-hee, feeling a little guilty, just laughed it off. She filled his glass with a drink and changed the subject.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend? Out of the blue?”

“Isn’t that a major concern for people your age?”

“I guess. I’m not really into that.”

Seo-won, putting a french fry into his mouth, mumbled his answer.

“Still, it would be nice to have one, right?”

Seo-won sucked on his drink through a straw, and half of it disappeared.

“I know a nice younger sister. She’s a year or two older than you, but she’s really good. I guarantee it. I’ll introduce you if you want.”

Seo-won stared at Sa-hee and then chuckled.

“No thanks.”

“Why? Just try meeting her. Trust me.”

“I like someone else.”

“Oh, okay. Then never mind. It’s a shame. I thought you’d be a good match.”

Sa-hee, who was poking at a poor tomato with her fork, smiled. Seo-won looked back and forth between Sa-hee and the fork, then spoke.

“Aren’t you going to ask who it is?”

“Even if you tell me, would I know them? It’s someone you know, right?”

“It’s someone you know too, teacher.”

Sa-hee’s eyes widened instantly. The fork, which had been tormenting the tomato, stopped abruptly. Someone I know? Who?

“Really? Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s Yoon... what was her name, Yoon-ah?”

Yoon-ah was the name of a female student who sometimes took tutoring lessons with him. Sa-hee thought they liked each other. But looking at Seo-won’s face, she realized she was completely wrong.

“Choi Yoon-ah? What about her?”

“Not her? Then who is it?”

“It’s you, teacher.”

Sa-hee stared blankly at Seo-won.

“Huh?”

“I like Yoon Sa-hee.”

“Oh...”

Her mind was a mess, trying to figure out what to say.

“I was trying to find you anyway, and then I ran into you. It’s fate, isn’t it?”

“Fate, haha.”

“Was that person yesterday really your boyfriend?”

“Oh? Yeah, yeah. He’s someone I really like.”

“I see.”

Even with Sa-hee’s answer, Seo-won shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Aren’t you bothered?”

“Why should I be? It’s a shame you’re not single, but you’re not married. I think I still have a chance.”

It was a level of confidence that could make anyone’s jaw drop.

“That’s scary confidence.”

“It’s not about ‘just because there’s a goalie, you can’t score.’ It’s simple. I like you, teacher, there’s still a chance, so I want to take that chance. I’ll try. That’s all. Do you understand?”

“You’re something else.”

Sa-hee, at a loss for words, didn’t have anything to say in response to Seo-won’s confident statement.

“Let’s have a drink.”

“I can’t drink much.”

“Just one drink. It’s been so long since I met my teacher. Can’t you have even one?”

“Okay, just one then?”

“Yes.”

But as Sa-hee herself had somewhat expected, the promise was miserably broken. One drink became two, two became three, and she ended up drinking until her face was completely red.

“Teacher! Taxi, taxi. Get in first!”

Respecting seniority, the polite Seo-won caught a taxi and sent Sa-hee off first. Up to that point, everything was fine. But from then on, things started to go wrong.

“Driver, where I’m going is...”

Sa-hee gave the taxi driver her old home address.

“Thank you!”

Thump, the taxi’s back door slammed shut, shaking her whole body. The car quickly sped away. Sa-hee soon turned around and staggered down the familiar alley, stopping in front of the building.

The password is...

“Secretary Yoon.”

“Huh?”

“Excuse me, sister!”

Thinking she had misheard, Sa-hee turned around and strained her blurry eyes to see clearly. The face that came into focus was somewhat familiar. A slender face, a long, thin body, a woman wearing a flashy dress-like one-piece. It was Ji-young. Standing in front of a black sedan as before, Ji-young was looking at her with a cold expression.

“What are you doing here?”

As Sa-hee turned around to ask, the car’s back window slid down. Another familiar face appeared.

Sa-hee, trying to walk straight with her staggering steps, approached the car. Then, she bowed her head in greeting.

“Hello, ma’am.”

“Let’s go somewhere nearby and talk, Secretary Yoon.”

“Oh, somewhere nearby.”

“Why? Don’t you have time?”

“No, it’s not that. Then let’s go to a cafe nearby.”

“Good. Ji-young, get in quickly. Secretary Yoon, you get in the front.”

“Yes.”

Turning around and exhaling a breath mixed with alcohol, Sa-hee got into the passenger seat. The car drove down the alley again and stopped in front of a nearby cafe as Sa-hee directed.

The three of them, who hadn’t exchanged a word until they arrived, got out of the car and went straight into the cafe. Luckily, there was an empty seat by the window.

“I’ve heard everything.”

Young-shin started talking abruptly as soon as she sat down.

“Heard what...”

“I don’t like or want to allow you, Secretary Yoon, to see my Ji-hyuk.”

Ah, so that was what this was about. Well, what other reason would there be for her to come to her house at this time of night? Sa-hee was only ashamed of herself for being drunk at such a time.

“I don’t need any other words. I want you to break up. No, break up.”

“Ma’am.”

“And quit your job. You’re getting involved because you’re together all the time.”

The world felt even more dizzy with the alcohol, and hearing this kind of story. Suddenly, the feelings she had when she faced marriage opposition in her previous life came flooding back.

“Even though it’s the age of equality, it’s all a lie. Everyone should know their place, shouldn’t they?”

Young-shin had disliked Sa-hee even in that world.

“If you have even a little bit of guilt, sister, I hope you quit right away.”

This time, it was Ji-young. Her gentle face and glaring eyes made Sa-hee’s neck tingle. But following those words obediently was another matter.

“I’m afraid that will be difficult.”

“What did you say?”

Sa-hee looked back and forth between Young-shin and Ji-young and asked for a favor.

“Please give me some time. Just two months.”

“Two months? That’s too long.”

“I need time to hand over my work and organize things.”

“Then one month. Finish everything within a month and leave.”

“Ma’am.”

“That’s as much leniency as I can give. You know that.”

Young-shin looked at Sa-hee with an indifferent expression similar to Ji-hyuk’s. Sa-hee knew that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t reach her ears. It was bleak.

It was a relationship that would end someday. It was a relationship that started with that expectation. But it was unavoidable that her heart ached when she tried to accept it.

What would happen if she refused here? What if she acted crazy and selfishly clung to him until the end? Maybe, just maybe, even with the same choice, a different result might occur.

But what if the same result happened again? There would be no turning back.

When she reached that point, Sa-hee’s heart crumbled. Even the contract with the two-month grace period felt like a crazy idea.

Whether it was because of the alcohol or because it was her hidden true feelings, Sa-hee was afraid. She was scared and frightened. She was afraid that the hellish picture would become reality again. That she might be included in the cause again.

Sa-hee, whose eyes were already red, looked at Young-shin and Ji-young. The two of them had been staring intently at Sa-hee, who was agonizing, hoping and hoping that she would give them the answer they wanted.

Her throat was so tight that she couldn’t speak properly, as if someone was urging her. Sa-hee swallowed her dry saliva and slowly parted her lips.

“I understand.”

Even before opening her eyes, she felt dizzy. Sa-hee lifted her heavy eyelids, feeling a nauseating sense of motion sickness. The shadow of the morning sun was neatly swaying on the plain ceiling in front of her.

Fortunately, the atmosphere around her, the smell of the space, and the color of the wallpaper were all very familiar to Sa-hee. It was her house.

Sa-hee, who had been staring at the ceiling, rolled over and groaned. Her hand, groping and touching her throbbing forehead, was slow. It seemed she was still sleepy.

“……”

About a minute passed. Sa-hee, who had dozed off with her eyes closed without realizing it, sat up abruptly as if someone had pushed her. Her head swayed for a moment, and she frowned, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

Why am I here? What about Director’s house?