47 Chapter 47

Yerin was the first to speak, her gaze fixed on Seok-Woo. "I wanted to apologize for what I said about the misunderstanding between you and Seol-Hee earlier," she said, searching for his reaction.

Seok-Woo inwardly thought, "Is that all? I might have overthought this a bit." He had prepared himself for a different conversation, but he was relieved it was just this, nothing too complicated.

"No need to apologize, Professor. I didn't take it to heart," Seok-Woo replied. But Yerin studied his face carefully before responding.

"Then why did you storm out of the room? I doubt you didn't take it to heart," Yerin questioned, tilting her head slightly. Seok-Woo simply explained, "I was running late for my next class. I didn't expect the orientation to last so long."

Yerin sighed, understanding why it had taken longer than expected. "Couldn't help it. I had a lot to say to the class. Plus, Seol-Hee's input took longer than I anticipated," she explained with closed eyes.

Seok-Woo thought the conversation was over, but Yerin had something else on her mind.

"And also, I want to ask you something," Yerin said suddenly, prompting Seok-Woo to listen closely.

"Would you like to join the theater and film club?" she asked, causing Seok-Woo to raise an eyebrow, urging her to elaborate.

"We need one more member to complete the cast for the play we're showcasing near the finals. The female lead role has already been filled, so we just need one more person," Yerin clarified, expressing her belief that Seok-Woo would be a valuable addition to the team.

"You have a handsome face, a great body, a nice voice, and a good attitude," Yerin continued, her words flowing smoothly. "There's an aura of mystique around you, making you the perfect choice to complete our puzzle." She finished her pitch and waited for his response.

Having rehearsed her words beforehand, Yerin anticipated Seok-Woo's acceptance. However, she was caught off guard by his response after a few moments of silence.

"I appreciate the offer, Professor, but I'll have to decline," Seok-Woo said firmly, causing Yerin to stop short. She looked at him with wide eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity. However, she found none; his response was genuine.

So she sighed at that moment, then asked Seok-Woo why he refused. In a brief second, Seok-Woo gave his reason.

"I don't want to add more things to my plate, Professor," Seok-Woo said, although in reality, he simply didn't want to join. Even though he claimed there was nothing interesting happening in his life currently, he didn't want to be consumed by a club like that.

"Is that really the reason?" Yerin asked, then continued, "Have you already planned to join another club or something?" She looked at him as she spoke, adding, "You know, it's not often you receive an offer from a professor. Opportunities like this don't come around often." She hoped to make him reconsider carefully.

But Seok-Woo's mind was already made up, so he reiterated, "As I said, Professor, I refuse." He noticed the disappointment on Yerin's face after he spoke.

"Come on, let's head back to campus. We've finished our business here," Yerin said, turning away from him and walking off.

As she walked, she murmured to herself, "At least I asked," a remark that Seok-Woo overheard. He thought to himself, "Well, I didn't expect to be asked that."

He followed behind her, continuing to contemplate, "I could join, but I would prefer to spend my time elsewhere." As they walked, neither of them spoke, and Seok-Woo remained silent, occasionally glancing at Yerin's back.

Yerin found herself contemplating countermeasures. "Well, that sucks. Now I need to search for another person to fill in what's missing. Seok-Woo refused, so who will be the one who's similar to him to join?" She was fully occupied in her thoughts, considering potential ways to find the main lead for the play.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice a bike speeding toward her. Seok-Woo only noticed a few seconds before impact. In a swift movement, he grabbed Yerin's wrist and pulled her toward him.

Though Seok-Woo didn't exert too much force, Yerin found herself pressed against his chest, unprepared for the sudden movement.

The cyclist didn't stop as they passed by, avoiding an incident, though Seok-Woo was displeased by their actions.

As Seok-Woo glanced at the cyclist moving away, Yerin had different thoughts running through her mind.

"What... Why... Am I here?" Yerin thought to herself as she was pressed against Seok-Woo's chest. However, it didn't take long for her to regain her composure and step back from him.

After a few seconds, Seok-Woo looked back at her, but there was an awkwardness between them.

Seok-Woo still held Yerin's wrist, the distance between them close, yet not. As they stood there, someone approached them.

"Professor...?" The voice sounded puzzled, and both Yerin and Seok-Woo turned to see who it was. Yerin was surprised to find Nari, looking at them with confusion.

Nari had been walking back to the university when she stumbled upon the scene. Seok-Woo holding her professor's wrist, with the two in close proximity.

Wearing headphones and holding a drink, Nari had missed the incident just moments ago. Yerin glanced at her and then back at Seok-Woo's hand on her wrist, lightly tugging it free from his grasp.

Understanding why Seok-Woo had intervened, Yerin appreciated his effort to keep her safe. However, she preferred not to have someone she knew witness such a situation.

"Oh... Nari, speak of the devil. I have something to say to you," Yerin said, attempting to divert attention away from the previous moment. She walked toward Nari, leaving Seok-Woo behind.

Seok-Woo stood alone on the street, sighing to himself. "How many times will these clichés happen to me?" he mused as he walked back to the university alone.

After a few minutes of walking, he arrived back and headed towards his classroom when suddenly he received a text.

Pulling out his phone, Seok-Woo checked who had texted him. To his surprise, it was Hae-Jung.

"It hasn't even been an hour since we last met," Seok-Woo thought to himself as he saw her name on the phone.

Momentarily puzzled, he opened the text, which read, "Seok-Woo, are you free tonight? I'll treat you to a meal again."

Seok-Woo was taken aback by her invitation. "Didn't she just pay for my meal earlier?" he wondered about her intentions, but since his schedule was free tonight, he accepted, somewhat curious about what she had in mind. However, he decided to ponder on that later as he made his way to his classroom.

Meanwhile, in Hae-Jung's office, she held her phone closely, eagerly awaiting Seok-Woo's reply. When it arrived, she immediately opened it and read the contents, pleased that Seok-Woo had accepted.

Setting down her phone on the table, she covered her face in embarrassment after a few seconds. "Why am I the one taking the initiative for him?" she thought to herself. "Shouldn't he be the one to do it?"

However, Hae-Jung's intention behind inviting him for a meal alone was to get to know Seok-Woo better. Earlier at lunch, her plan had been disrupted by the arrival of her colleagues, so she decided to carry it out in the evening instead.

"Imagine a female professor asking a freshman out. What kind of reactions would they have?" Hae-Jung pondered to herself. However, she reassured herself that it was only a meal, nothing more, hopefully.

After contemplating this, she returned to her work on the computer. But after a few minutes of working...

The door of her office was knocked, but before she could invite the person in, it swung open.

In walked Soo-Yeon, much to Hae-Jung's surprise.

"What do you want, Soo-Yeon?" Hae-Jung asked, shifting to face her.

"Let's grab a drink together after work. The time we spent at lunch wasn't enough for me," Soo-Yeon suggested.

"Sorry, but I already have plans for tonight," Hae-Jung replied, returning to her work.

Soo-Yeon tilted her head, noticing Hae-Jung's reaction, and pressed further. "Since when do you have plans after work? You usually go straight home. Unless... you're meeting someone..."

Hae-Jung's taken aback expression lasted only a moment before she composed herself.

But Soo-Yeon wasn't fooled. With a sense of superiority, she pushed up her glasses and looked at her pointedly.

"Are you... meeting with someone?" Soo-Yeon asked, causing Hae-Jung to panic slightly. She responded sharply, "That's none of your business. Don't stick your nose too far, Soo-Yeon."

Soo-Yeon smiled knowingly. If they hadn't known each other for years, she wouldn't be so nosy. They had exchanged many things, even private matters.

With a quick movement, Soo-Yeon grabbed the phone from the table, shocking Hae-Jung. Hae-Jung stood up and stretched her body to retrieve it, but Soo-Yeon stepped back and unlocked the phone, knowing the passcode she had seen when Hae-Jung was drunk.

As Soo-Yeon browsed through the messages, she was surprised to find the conversation between Hae-Jung and Seok-Woo.

Hae-Jung lunged at Soo-Yeon to retrieve the phone. They collided and fell to the floor, wrestling over the device.

"Give it back, Soo-Yeon! You—" Hae-Jung's frustrated words were interrupted by Soo-Yeon's calm voice as she scrolled through the messages.

"I never thought you were that kind of woman, Hae-Jung," Soo-Yeon remarked, ignoring Hae-Jung's protests.

Their noisy scuffle drew the attention of people passing by in the office, and soon a crowd gathered outside Hae-Jung's office door.

Approaching the commotion, Gyeong-Eun furrowed her eyebrows at the sound emanating from the room.

The onlookers stepped back as Gyeong-Eun approached the door, which she promptly swung open, revealing both Hae-Jung and Soo-Yeon on the ground.

Both Hae-Jung and Soo-Yeon froze as soon as the door opened. They glanced up to see Gyeong-Eun frowning, her arms crossed.

Taking note of their disheveled appearance, Gyeong-Eun observed Soo-Yeon's askew eyeglasses and the undone clothes of both women, which revealed a bit of skin to the onlookers outside.

Her glare silenced the prying eyes of the bystanders, prompting them to avert their gaze.

Gyeong-Eun stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, seeking privacy. With a sigh, she addressed the two women.

"What are you two doing? You're making noise like annoying kids on the playground," she scolded, her tone stern.

Soo-Yeon handed Hae-Jung's phone back to her, avoiding eye contact. Hae-Jung's hair was tousled, but she brushed it off as she reclaimed her phone.

As soon as Soo-Yeon contemplated what she had seen, mischief sparked in her eyes. She glanced at Hae-Jung, who reacted with panic, knowing Soo-Yeon was up to something.

In an instant, Soo-Yeon turned to Gyeong-Eun. "Gyeong-Eun, Hae-Jung is seei—" Before she could finish her sentence, Hae-Jung tackled her once again, cutting her off mid-word. The two engaged in another bout of scuffle.

Observing their antics, Gyeong-Eun sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead. "I can't believe both of you are acting like this," she reprimanded, but her words fell on deaf ears. Growing increasingly irritated, she raised her voice. "The two of you, stop!" Her stern tone finally brought them to a halt, their hands tangled in each other's hair.

After a few moments, Hae-Jung reluctantly released her grip on Soo-Yeon and stepped back, straightening her clothes and appearance.

Soo-Yeon followed suit, scrambling to her feet and hastily adjusting her clothing to conceal her bra, which was now visible. She buttoned up her shirt and attempted to fix her hair, though it refused to cooperate.

With the two finally ceasing their antics, Gyeong-Eun spoke up. "So, tell me, what happened that resulted in this?"