Chapter 08
Seol leaned slightly against the dining table, her half-closed eyes looking sleepy. She touched her lower lip with her pinky finger while resting her chin on her hand. It was a trick she learned on YouTube to subtly seduce a man. However, Tae-joo kept eating calmly, unaffected.
*How long do I have to keep doing this?*
As Seol froze in her position, Tae-joo finally looked at her and tilted his head slightly.
“Yoon Seol.”
*Is it working?* she wondered.
“Are you hungry?”
*Uh, guess not.*
“No, that’s not it,” she replied.
“Then why are you sucking on your finger?”
Embarrassed, Seol slowly lowered her hand and opened her eyes fully. At the same time, the timer buzzed, signaling five minutes had passed. Panic began to set in. She was sure she’d be kicked out any second now. She hadn’t even completed her “make him see me as a woman” plan yet.
“Oh, it’s so hot here! Teacher, can I have a glass of water before I leave? This time, I mean it,” she stammered.
Tae-joo, eyeing her suspiciously, got up silently. As she watched his broad back disappear, Seol quickly removed her coat, tossed her long hair to one side, and changed her hair part. Her real weapon wasn’t the kimbap she’d brought—it was the ivory tweed dress her stylist had picked for her birthday.
The dress, cinched at the waist with a square neckline, subtly emphasized her chest. Seol crossed her arms, pushing her chest up as much as possible. *It’s not as impressive as those pretty women around Teacher, but it’s decent enough.*
Still, something felt missing.
*Oh, right.*
She crossed her legs, making her knee-length skirt ride up slightly, showing her long, pale legs. She compared herself to the femme fatale character in a recent movie she had enjoyed and completed her final self-check.
To boost her confidence, she repeated a mantra in her mind: *I am a femme fatale. I can charm him. I am ready.*
*Oh, the lips!*
Seol adjusted her lips as if saying “new,” mimicking the “kissable lips” technique she’d learned from YouTube. For this, she’d even applied a bold red lipstick she normally avoided. As she debated how much to part her lips, Tae-joo returned with two mugs in his hands.
He froze upon seeing her, tilting his head slightly in confusion. Slowly, he walked over and placed the mugs on the table, his gaze never leaving her face. Then, leaning slightly forward, he reached out his hand.
*Is this it? Oh my God, is this really happening?*
Seol’s heart raced so wildly it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She immediately closed her eyes. *Teacher, you’re so bold!*
She waited, trembling with anticipation. One second. Two seconds.
Something was off. By now, their lips should have touched. Slowly, she opened one eye. Tae-joo’s broad shoulders filled her view, along with his strong neck.
*Even his Adam’s apple is manly,* she thought.
She noticed his arms extending behind her, and his scent surrounded her. *Is he about to hug me?*
But instead, she felt something draped over her shoulders. Opening her eyes fully, she realized Tae-joo was buttoning up her coat.
“Teacher?”
Confused and disappointed, she looked up at him.
“I took it off because I was hot!”
She struggled, but the snug coat kept her arms trapped.
“Your goosebumps tell a different story. Freezing for the sake of fashion? Do you want to catch a cold?”
“But… it’s supposed to make me kissable,” she muttered in frustration.
“Kissable?” Tae-joo clicked his tongue and reached out, grabbing her chin. He wiped her lipstick off with his thumb.
“Hey! Stop it, Teacher!”
“Hold still.”
With the lipstick gone, her lips returned to their natural rosy color. Furious, Seol managed to free her arms from the coat and glared at him.
“Teacher, you’re such a dummy!”
*Dummy,* on top of *pervert,* Tae-joo sighed.
“I worked so hard for you, you know.”
“How is this for me?”
“You said you like women with big chests!”
“What?”
“You admitted it during the shoot!”
The memory hit Tae-joo like a bolt of lightning. Without hesitation, he flicked her forehead.
“Ow!”
“So, you’re the real pervert here, Yoon Seol.”
Holding her forehead, Seol bit her lip.
“Then just tell me—what’s your ideal type?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“Yes, it does!”
This girl, who wasn’t even his real student, was becoming a massive headache. Tae-joo rubbed his temple.
“Yoon Seol, why are you doing this?”
“What do you mean? You just want me to say it again, don’t you? I like you, Teacher!”
Looking into her wide, innocent eyes, Tae-joo stifled a sigh. *Would anyone believe a girl you’ve known for six months suddenly confessing her love and talking about marriage?*
“Yoon Seol, I’m busy. I don’t have time to entertain childish games.”
“This isn’t a game. I’m serious.”
“Serious? Why? Are you aiming to marry into a rich family? Is it about money?”
“What?”
Her wide eyes blinked in shock.
“If that’s the case, go cozy up to the chairman. He’ll give you whatever you want.”
Her lips closed, and her once sparkling eyes became blank. Without any expression, her gaze silently accused him.
“If you understand, then—”
Before Tae-joo could finish, Seol abruptly stood up, her hand swinging as if to slap him. Tae-joo was prepared to take it.
But instead of hitting his cheek, her hand covered his mouth.
“No more mean words,” she said softly.
Her gentle scolding left him speechless. Lowering her hand, she added,
“Five minutes are up. I’ll leave now. You’ll clean up, right?”
She glanced at the table and forced a trembling smile.
“Don’t waste the food. Eat everything, okay?”
With a firm tone, she said, “See you next time,” and quietly left.
As the door slammed shut, Tae-joo let out a long sigh.
*Was I too harsh?*
He recalled the tremble in her voice and the tears welling in her eyes.
*She’s probably crying.*
As he rubbed his neck uneasily, Tae-joo noticed a small box in the corner—a cake.
*[Today’s my birthday, January 1st.]*
Ah, her birthday. Tae-joo frowned, guilt creeping in. He cursed his grandfather for putting him in this situation.
There was no way to fix this now. He couldn’t chase after her to apologize.
*It’s better this way. If I’m firm, she won’t come back with more ridiculous antics.*
As he tried to convince himself, a buzzing sound interrupted his thoughts. Following the noise, he found Seol’s phone vibrating on the floor near the hallway.
Seeing the caller ID, Tae-joo hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
