Chapter 07
Episode 7
Working according to U.S. time zones, Tae-joo had only fallen asleep at dawn.
Dragging his heavy body out of bed, he headed straight to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Cold water poured down, soaking his head and body. Only then did his groggy mind begin to clear.
As he mentally organized his to-do list, an unwelcome thought of Yoon Seol barged in, as suddenly as a car crash. For days, she had been popping into his mind without warning.
“Yoon Seol…”
He hadn’t expected to think about her pale face this much.
[“Teacher, you pervert.”]
It seemed that one comment of hers had left a deep impression on him. The nerve of her calling him a pervert—unbelievable the more he thought about it.
As Tae-joo considered his annoyance and finished showering, he dried his wet hair with a towel and stepped into the living room. Checking his phone, he saw it was already 1 p.m.
Messages filled his inbox—none of them the awaited one from Director Jason.
[“Tae-joo, I heard you’re back in Korea!”]
[“When did you return? It’s the New Year; let’s catch up!”]
Not wanting to live as Chairman Kang’s offspring, Tae-joo had avoided social activities. Still, having attended high school in Korea, there were people who knew him. Dealing with them felt like a hassle with no purpose.
Tossing his phone aside, he was heading to his desk when the doorbell rang. Except for Seokjin, there was only one person who would come. Likely Executive Director Choi.
Tae-joo opened the door without checking. But instead of the expected visitor, a startled scream erupted behind him.
“Oh my gosh!”
The bags Seol was holding tumbled to the floor. She quickly covered her eyes with her hands, convinced she’d seen something she shouldn’t have. Peeking through her fingers just to confirm, her eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
His well-toned body glistened with water, his muscles sharply defined like a bar of chocolate. It was… strikingly seductive.
Her face flushed red, guilt overwhelming her as if she’d stolen a forbidden glance.
“Why are you like this? What if someone sees you?!” Seol’s voice was not quite a yell but a scolding whisper. She felt it was dangerous for anyone to see her teacher like this.
“This is my house,” Tae-joo replied matter-of-factly.
“Still, someone could be filming through the window….”
Tae-joo ignored her worry, glaring at Seol, who kept sneaking glances at him.
“Yoon Seol, how did you find this place?”
The answer was obvious: Executive Director Choi or Chairman Kang must have sent her.
But to send a young actress, alone, to a single man’s house? Tae-joo’s brows furrowed at the thought. Her heavy makeup and strong perfume suggested she’d come directly from a shoot, quite different from the sweet scent he vaguely remembered from before.
Feeling his temper rise, Tae-joo strode toward Seol, who instinctively stepped back.
“Teacher? Wh-what are you doing?” Seol stammered, her eyes darting as his imposing frame loomed closer with each step.
“Yoon Seol. Leave in three seconds.”
“W-where would I go?”
“Where else? Your house.”
“Wait, teacher, hold on!” In her panic, Seol’s flailing hand accidentally landed on something firm. It was… his chest. Smooth, solid, and warm.
A heavy silence fell as their eyes met. Tae-joo’s hand twitched slightly, veins prominent on his forearm. Seol, as if burned, yanked her hand away and hid it behind her back.
“I didn’t touch you on purpose!” she blurted.
“Good. If you did, we’d have a problem.”
“Teacher, please, just five minutes! That’s all I need!”
On the verge of being kicked out, Seol resorted to begging.
“Fine. I’ll give you five minutes,” Tae-joo relented with a sigh, convinced she’d invade his space again sooner or later anyway. “But behave.”
Giving her a warning look, he disappeared into his room to put on some clothes.
Left alone, Seol exhaled deeply and peeked at her hand. “His chest… it was so firm.”
Her face grew hot at the thought, and she waved her hands in the air to cool down. Finally, she stepped further into the apartment.
“This is my first time in the teacher’s house.” A mixture of excitement and curiosity filled her as she looked around. His personal space made her feel like she had become someone special to him.
She noticed the large screen in the living room and shelves packed with Blu-rays, making the place look like a miniature movie museum.
“Teacher still loves movies,” she murmured, recalling how he used to watch films or read scripts while assigning her problems to solve.
Lost in memories, she smiled. But then, snapping back to the present, she hurried to retrieve the bag she had dropped earlier and carried it to the kitchen.
“I hope it’s okay….”
Tae-joo, now dressed in a sweater, emerged from his room to find Seol pacing the living room.
“Yoon Seol. Do you have any sense? Coming alone to a man’s house?” he scolded.
“Wait, you’re a man?” Seol quipped.
“Do I look like a woman?” Tae-joo retorted before stopping mid-sentence. Her shy fidgeting and nervous glances made him suspicious.
“So, why are you here?” he asked.
“It’s January 1st! I came to see you, teacher.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“I made time! Aren’t I amazing?”
“You’re an actress, yet you don’t feel any danger?”
“That’s what makes it thrilling—like a secret date! Doesn’t it feel like that to you, teacher?”
“…Five minutes. I’m starting the timer.” Tae-joo grabbed his phone to set an alarm, prompting Seol to dash to the dining table.
“Ta-da! It’s a homemade Korean feast!” she announced proudly.
Skeptical, Tae-joo examined the spread: elaborate dishes from what looked like a high-end restaurant, and in the center, a lopsided roll of homemade kimbap.
“I made this,” Seol said, pointing at the kimbap.
He remembered her filming days ago, scolding a child actor for stealing food from what was probably this batch of kimbap.
“Everything else was store-bought?” Tae-joo asked.
“Well… yes, but I made the kimbap! Taste it, teacher. Just one bite!”
Amused by her eagerness, Tae-joo picked up the kimbap and took a bite.
“How is it?” Seol asked, holding her breath.
“Not bad,” Tae-joo said, concealing his smile.
Satisfied for now, Seol thought, The real plan starts now—making Kang Tae-joo see me as a woman.
