Chapter 13
“I lost. That girl’s a total Kang Tae joo devotee.”
The defeated soldier began making excuses.
“She was like, ‘No way women left my teacher alone!’ And then she started going on about how it wasn’t her fault back then because she was just a student or something.”
Imitating Seol, Seokjin clasped his hands together and shook his head in disbelief.
“…….”
Tae joo pressed his temples with his thumb and middle finger. Throbbing. Another Yoon Seol-induced headache was coming on.
He thought she’d yell something like, My teacher would never do that! Don’t lie to me! But her reaction completely caught him off guard.
“Kang Tae joo, just do it.”
“Do what?”
“Get married. She likes you, doesn’t she? And honestly, you think she’s cute too, right?”
Cute? Yoon Seol?
Sure, she was cute. And pretty.
But that was just an objective fact, like how kittens or puppies are adorable. It wasn’t a reason to get married.
“Exactly. That’s why it’s a bad idea. There are so many better guys out there. Why me?”
“So, what? Are you saying you’re a bad guy?”
“I wouldn’t deny it.”
Tae joo smirked, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I think you’re stuck, man. You’re trapped. No matter what, Yoon Seol isn’t giving up on you.”
Tae joo had to admit, he agreed to some extent. Seol was the kind of person who went all in on everything she did.
Tae joo turned his attention to the kimbap in the lunchbox Seokjin had brought. Compared to the pathetic rolls Seokjin used to make, his skills had improved remarkably. That kind of progress meant he’d been practicing hard.
Four years ago, it had been the same. Even with a packed filming schedule, Yoon Seol always completed the assignments Tae joo gave her. And not just that.
I studied ahead on my own.
The textbooks and workbooks she shyly handed over often had tiny bloodstains on them, likely from a nosebleed.
What started as tutoring arranged by Chairman Kang turned into something else. Yoon Seol’s desperate efforts softened Tae joo over time.
No wonder Chairman Kang and Director Choi doted on her. Even Seokjin, who was supposed to get rid of her, ended up being won over by a single kimbap and now urged Tae joo to marry her.
At this point, Yoon Seol was practically a religion.
Closing his tired eyes, Tae joo thought.
He needed a groundbreaking solution—something to shatter the rosy image Seol had of him and break her illusions into pieces.
“But, Kang Tae joo, did you ever date someone without telling me?”
“What are you even talking about now?”
Rubbing his stiff neck, Tae joo gave Seokjin a confused look. Seokjin, still chewing on kimbap, explained.
“Yoon Seol said she thinks you have an unforgettable first love.”
“……First love?”
Tae joo let out a dry laugh. What kind of wild imagination was she running with now?
“I mean, no offense, but I can’t imagine you having something like that. Anyway, forget I mentioned it—hey, do you know you’re not supposed to bother someone while they’re eating?”
Seokjin reached for more kimbap but was thwarted when Tae joo snatched the lunchbox away.
“No food for someone useless.”
“That food isn’t even yours. It’s from Yoon Seol!”
“Exactly.”
Tae joo’s calm gaze seemed to say, Didn’t she make it for me, though?
“Ugh, you’re such a jerk. So, what now? What should I do?”
Frustrated, Seokjin wiped his oily hands on a napkin and threw it at Tae joo.
“What do you think? Just do what we always do.”
Tae joo casually popped another piece of kimbap into his mouth. It was delicious, after all.
“You little punk!”
“Ah, Dad, that hurts! Stop hitting me!”
Seokjin winced as Director Choi smacked him on the back, cursing Tae joo for sending him into this mess.
He knew his only friend must have known he’d end up getting beaten like this, yet Tae joo still told him to come home.
“Dad! It’s been years since you’ve seen me, and this is how you greet me?”
“Exactly. It’s been years! And now you suddenly show your face? Keep hitting him!”
Seokjin’s mom, setting down a pot of kimchi stew, encouraged her husband.
“Mom!”
Reaching out, Seokjin tried to shield himself, but he couldn’t.
“Your dad is all respectful and polite in front of Tae joo—‘Young Master, how have you been?’—but behind his back, I’m the one who gets smacked around. I’m telling Tae joo everything!”
“Go ahead and tell him, you brat.”
When Seokjin grumbled, Director Choi flicked his hands clean and grinned as he sat down at the table.
He knew why his son was distant from them. Ever since Tae joo’s parents had passed and left him alone, Seokjin had avoided showing how happy and close his own family was.
It was his awkward way of being considerate.
“So, what brings you back after all this time?”
“I’m here to be a good son.”
“Tae joo sent you, didn’t he?”
“No, he didn’t!”
“Yeah, right.”
Director Choi knew better. Tae joo, always gruff and prickly, had probably sent Seokjin home out of concern. Tae joo was the type to care without showing it.
“Since you’re here, how about having dinner with Tae joo and the chairman?”
“Dad, you’re dreaming. Like Tae joo would agree to that.”
There was a reason Seokjin idolized Tae joo.
When they were teenagers, Tae joo had repeatedly run away from home, refusing to live with Chairman Kang. Eventually, the chairman resorted to practically locking him up.
Seokjin had been terrified of the chairman, but Tae joo always stood up to him, unafraid.
Seokjin had seen firsthand how harsh and brutal the chairman’s treatment of Tae joo had been in the name of training him as an heir. Over time, respect, pity, and admiration had turned Seokjin into Tae joo’s loyal follower.
“The chairman’s changed a lot. Back then, he was strict because he cared about Tae joo as his only grandson.”
“Right, because caring means beating and scolding a kid half to death?”
“…Well.”
“Enough already. Seokjin, why didn’t you bring Tae joo? He should eat a proper home-cooked meal.”
Seokjin’s mom interrupted gently.
“He’s busy.”
And besides, someone else was already making sure Tae joo ate—though it was always kimbap.
“Is it tuna kimbap today? It’s amazing. Seol, your cooking keeps getting better!”
Eunjin (Eunjin is one of the side characters in this story. She seems to be a stylist or someone involved in the fashion or entertainment industry, as she’s seen complimenting Yoon Seol’s), the stylist, gave her two thumbs up.
“Are you trying to master every type of kimbap? At this rate, you’ll own a kimbap shop!”
“Cooking as a hobby is nice,” Sunyoung chimed in.
“But you don’t even eat it yourself. We’re the only ones eating it—are you okay with that?”
“It’s fine. I’m happy if you enjoy it.”
Seol had only eaten a salad herself, but seeing others enjoy her kimbap made her feel satisfied. It was worth all the practice.
Did the teacher enjoy it too? Maybe he was impressed by how much her cooking had improved in such a short time.
“By the way, Seol, are you working out? Your body looks even more toned. Should we tighten your waist measurements more?”
Eunjin, holding a pin, sized up Seol’s waist.
“I’ve been riding my bike a lot.”
Every day, she biked along the Han River from her grandma’s house to the teacher’s office. The round trip took an hour, which made it perfect for exercise and avoiding unwanted attention.
The only downside? She still hadn’t seen the teacher—only his annoying secretary, who kept showing up instead.
[Stop coming here. I have to be here every day because of you.]
[Why is that my fault? Are you worried about me?]
[Wow, Yoon Seol. I respect your optimistic thinking.]
[Just tell me where the teacher is, and I won’t come.]
[So you can visit again?]
[Yes.]
[…What kind of kimbap are you bringing next?]
That secretary always teased her but never revealed anything about the teacher.
Seol sighed. Was it true that stress made you lose weight?
She hadn’t seen the teacher since his birthday. Maybe he was avoiding her. Or was he just busy?
Seol hesitated before pulling out her phone and typing a message to Seokjin, whose number she’d memorized.
“Hey, Secretary Oppa, is my teacher doing okay?”
Was he eating well? Sleeping enough? She wanted to know everything.
…Would he reply?
Seol hesitated, then added another line.
“Can you tell me something? You ate my kimbap, remember! Dine and dash is a crime!”
She almost added more exclamation marks but decided against it. She didn’t want to come off as too bold.
