Chapter 8

Eum devoted herself to preparing for the CSAT day and night.

She wasn’t lacking confidence in the exam itself. Studying had been her only friend throughout her lonely school life, after all. She was actually confident that she could get a Grade 1 in every subject.

The problem wasn’t her grades. Since the condition was that not a single mistake could be allowed, what she needed was mental training.

Taking a listening test amid noise.

Solving long reading passages while holding back the need to use the restroom.

And the final hurdle.

Taking a mock CSAT in the place she hated and felt most uncomfortable in.

At eight in the evening, when the family had gathered around the television, Eum quietly came into the living room.

Everyone looked surprised because she never showed herself in the living room while the family was there.

“What is it?”

Bora was the first to react.

With a timer and a mock-exam workbook held against her chest, Eum said to her father, Yeon Changshin,

“I’m going to study at the dining table for a while.”

Bora turned up the volume on the television with the remote, but Eum didn’t pay any attention.

‘Even better.’

Being able to concentrate on every subject in such a tense and uncomfortable environment was an excellent opportunity for her.

Meanwhile, Bora hated seeing Eum remain focused without being distracted even in such a noisy environment.

What was the point of working so hard when she was going to be handed over to Assemblyman Park anyway?

Bora remembered something her mother had said before she remarried.

“I hear that man’s daughter is really good at studying.”

Bora worked hard, but she wasn’t particularly outstanding academically, so she hated the thought of Eum getting better grades than her.

The CSAT was just around the corner.

A sharp glint flashed in Bora’s eyes as she watched Eum.

It was a clear day in late autumn.

Jihoon had finished his final appointment of the day.

It had been a dinner gathering with the principal, vice principal, and several teachers, but Jihoon hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol under the excuse that he needed to stay in good condition. As a result, taking care of the employees who had gotten drunk was quite a burden.

“Chairman! Have a safe trip home!”

Jihoon found it difficult to watch the principal, who was old enough to be his father, bow so respectfully toward him. He deliberately looked away from the rows of black-haired heads bowing along with the principal.

He hurried into his car as though escaping.

He started the engine because he wanted to be alone, but then a certain face suddenly came to mind.

“Ha. Always sticking my nose into other people’s business.”

Jihoon shook his head.

He stepped on the accelerator and merged into the intersection.

Yet there was someone who kept appearing before his eyes even though he hadn’t been drinking.

Jihoon tried to ignore it several times, but at the final traffic light, he eventually turned the steering wheel.

“I’m going as an adult. As an adult. It’s late at night. Sinheui-dong is far from the school.”

Jihoon muttered to himself with unusually clear diction, then eventually turned back toward the school.

After getting out of the car and looking up at the school building, he saw that only one classroom on the top floor, where the study room was located, was brightly lit.

He checked the time. 10:30 p.m.

He strode up the stairs toward the lit room, and the supervising teacher who recognized Jihoon immediately sprang to his feet.

“Chairman?”

Jihoon raised one hand slightly.

“I’ll stay here, so you can go home now.”

“But…”

“It’s fine. I just need to lock the door properly, right?”

The study room, which operated until 11 p.m., was dark and quiet. Even at a glance, quite a few empty seats were noticeable.

That was understandable. At this hour, most students were at academies or private lessons, and few would be studying in the school study room.

But there was one seat with its light still on.

After sending the supervising teacher home, Jihoon slowly walked toward the only illuminated desk.

Just as he expected. The person who had brought him back to the school was there.

“…What?”

But she was asleep.

Seeing her sleeping soundly with her head down on the desk, Jihoon couldn’t help muttering in a gruff voice.

The LED light brightly illuminated one side of Eum’s cheek.

Her motionless eyelashes were long and neatly arranged like a doll’s, while the petite tip of her nose and slightly parted lips formed a remarkably harmonious line.

Jihoon stood with his hands behind his back, quietly observing Eum as she slept without making a sound.

The tips of her pale fingers sticking out from the sleeves of her thick hoodie caught his attention. Her short, neat nails made her look every bit like a student.

How long had he been watching her like that?

A strand of hair tucked behind her ear slowly slipped down onto her cheek. Eum frowned slightly in her sleep, and without thinking, Jihoon reached out and moved the strand of hair away.

Just as he was about to tuck it behind her ear again, he heard a small sound behind him.

Jihoon turned around with a start despite having done nothing wrong.

A male student wearing round glasses had stopped while putting on his backpack and was staring in their direction.

“Ah…”

Eum wasn’t the only student in the study room after all.

Jihoon felt slightly embarrassed, but soon approached the boy as though nothing had happened.

“How long are you going to stay here?”

The boy’s eyes widened at Jihoon’s low voice.

“Huh? Oh, I-I was just about to leave…”

“Are your parents coming to pick you up?”

“Yes. My mom is here.”

“Good. Have a safe trip home.”

Jihoon lightly placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

The student hunched his shoulders and gave Jihoon a quick bow before turning away.

After the boy disappeared, Jihoon looked around the study room more carefully.

Now it really seemed that Eum was the only one left.

But when he returned to Eum’s desk, she seemed to have woken up from the slightest disturbance and was slowly sitting upright.

She stretched both arms high above her head, then turned on her phone to check the time.

“Ah, I didn’t finish all of it.”

Jihoon heard her mumble, reproaching herself for having fallen asleep.

After checking the time on his wrist, Jihoon pulled out the chair three seats away from her and sat down.

“Finish it. I’ll wait.”

Eum’s shoulders jolted as she turned around.

When she spotted him, her mouth fell open in astonishment.

“Teacher…?”

She looked as though she couldn’t tell whether the Jihoon in front of her was a dream or reality.

The sight made her look so much like a girl her age that Jihoon almost smiled, but he showed nothing and spoke instead.

“Want me to time you?”

“……”

“You always set a timer when you solve problems.”

Eum slowly moved her eyes as though debating it, but eventually closed the workbook she had opened.

“No. I’ll do it at home.”

“Why? I said I’d wait. The supervising teacher already left.”

Eum stopped organizing her desk and turned to look at him.

“Then you mean it’s just you and me here?”

“Huh? Yeah…”

That was true.

For some reason, Jihoon noticed the whites of her eyes gleaming in the darkness and immediately waved a hand as he stood up.

“If you’re going to entertain useless thoughts, just go home.”

“What useless thoughts?”

“Go home. I’ll drive you.”

“Why are you suddenly avoiding my eyes?”

Jihoon pretended to flick Eum lightly on the forehead and left the study room first.

After Eum followed him out, Jihoon checked once more that there was no one else around, then locked the door and turned off the lights.

Even on the way down to the parking lot, Eum’s little chick-like beak of a mouth wouldn’t stop talking.

“Teacher. You need to start preparing to marry me soon.”

“Get a perfect score first, then talk.”

“I’m seriously confident.”

Jihoon let out a quiet chuckle because Eum looked cute clenching both fists with determination, but he quickly composed himself.

And so they headed toward her home in his car.

Even with the heater turned up, the inside of the car was rather chilly because it was late at night. Jihoon was relieved that Eum was wearing athletic pants rather than a skirt.

“Oh, right, Teacher.”

As they passed through an intersection, Eum suddenly turned toward Jihoon as though she had remembered something.

“A person who said they were Assemblyman Park’s secretary called me earlier today.”

“What?”

Jihoon’s grip on the steering wheel tightened involuntarily.

Had that bastard still not learned his lesson after taking such a beating?

“What did he say?”

“I don’t know. I said I was in class and hung up. But I think they’ll call again, so I wanted to tell you…”

Eum rolled her jewel-like eyes thoughtfully before speaking as though she had made up her mind.

“I’m going to tell them that I like you, Teacher.”

Then she continued with a brave smile.

“They say the strongest thing in the world is sincerity.”

Jihoon was speechless for a moment.

The lights of the city were reflected like jewels in the eyes that looked straight at him.

“But, Teacher.”

Yet a sense of unease came along with it.