By Zephyria 
Wоо-yeon rеflеxivelу took а stер fоrwаrd. Fоr a momеnt, thе rеturning student’s eуes had flashеd with a mаnic glint. With а sigh, the mаn grabbеd Dо-hуun firmly by thе shouldеr.
“Hey… уou think I wouldn’t hit yоu?”
Generallу, stupid реople tended tо have a lоw bоiling роint fоr anger. Еven if hе hаdn’t intended tо strikе, the moment he wаs told tо dо so, he likеlу lоst аll rеasоn. Dо-hyun must hаve known this, yet far from bеing flustered, hе curled his liрs into a moсking smile.
“I dоn’t know, I think yоu сan’t. Seоnbae, is уour fаmilу rich?”
It wаs аn outright snееr. Do-hуun nеithеr pushed thе rеturning student аwау nоr backed down, maintaining eye contact. From his neat lips flowed the same polished speech as always.
“If you were going to pick a fight, you should have done it after the Membership Training. Why start now? Being so petty about something that happened months ago at your age.”
Woo-yeon thought the coldly speaking Teacher felt quite unfamiliar. He had rarely seen him get angry, and this was the first time he had seen him engage in a verbal spat with someone. Not stopping there, Do-hyun even let out a short, mocking laugh.
“Why? Don’t tell me you’re offended by this much?”
“…….”
“Then you shouldn’t have opened your mouth in the first place.”
People were starting to gather and watch. Perhaps conscious of their surroundings, the returning student let go of Do-hyun while gritting his teeth. He seemed to know that causing a scene in a place like this would bring him no benefit.
Looking at the returning student, Do-hyun smiled with a friendly face.
“You couldn’t hit me.”
“……Argh, fuck!”
The returning student stomped away, venting his frustration violently. He didn’t forget to slam his shoulder into Do-hyun as he passed. However, Do-hyun didn’t budge, and unfortunately, a groan of pain escaped the returning student’s mouth.
“Ha, just my luck……”
The one who started the fight was the other party, yet he acted as if he were the one who had stepped in shit. Seon-kyu stomped his foot in indignation a beat later.
“Wow, what a joke! Hyung, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go, you’ll be late for your lecture.”
Do-hyun calmed the agitated Seon-kyu while brushing off his shoulder. He had been gripped so tightly that his collar was crumpled and messy. Watching him walk ahead, Woo-yeon spoke in a small voice.
“……Did you really intend to let him hit you?”
Do-hyun’s gaze returned to Woo-yeon. A pleasant smile lingered on his lips, as if he were genuinely happy that Woo-yeon had spoken to him.
“Guys like that can’t hit you anyway.”
Woo-yeon shut his mouth, unable to ask further. What if he actually hit you? Why are you so reckless? There were many things he wanted to ask, but every single one was laced with worry.
“Won’t that Seonbae pick a fight every time he sees you now, Hyung?”
“That’s actually better. I’m good at poking people slowly.”
How much interest can one show to someone they aren’t dating? Woo-yeon stepped forward slowly, trying to gauge that line. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what ‘moderation’ looked like.
* * *
Do-hyun naturally attended the lecture the two of them were taking. He greeted the professor with a brazen face and even prepared his own notebook and pen. Woo-yeon spent the time feeling bewildered, unable to find a single thing to complain about.
After the lecture ended, Seon-kyu vacated the area faster than anyone. Since he kept sending looks suggesting they reconcile, Woo-yeon pretended not to notice and focused solely on packing his bag. Do-hyun waited for Woo-yeon to finish packing and then took the bag from him like a hostage.
“Why on earth are you attending the lecture with us? You have a free period today, Seonbae.”
Driver Yoon’s car was waiting in front of the building. Unlike the morning, there were no reporters pushing in, and passing students glanced curiously at the pitch-black sedan. Do-hyun scanned the surroundings keenly, frowning slightly.
“I’m worried.”
“…….”
Woo-yeon’s mouth snapped shut. He had felt something was strange for a while, and it turned out all of it was worry. The troubled expression, the restlessness—it seemed all those behaviors stemmed from that.
“You even have a bodyguard……”
Woo-yeon stared at the ground, fiddling with his earlobe. What was there to worry about when he was accompanied by a bodyguard? Do-hyun looked at Woo-yeon and spoke softly.
“Well……”
His voice was barely audible. The words that followed were so small that one would miss them if they weren’t concentrating.
“I have to be with you, even like this.”
Woo-yeon looked up. In the profile that entered his vision, there was a fleeting hint of bitterness. But before he could say anything, they reached the parked car.
“Get home safely.”
Do-hyun quickly composed his expression and handed back the bag. As Driver Yoon opened the car door, Woo-yeon climbed in with a complex expression.
He thought the door would close immediately, but Driver Yoon rarely spoke to Do-hyun.
“Please get in as well.”
Do-hyun’s face stiffened. His slowly turning gaze wavered helplessly. Driver Yoon spoke in his usual blunt voice.
“The Chairman told me to bring you along.”
* * *
“…….”
“…….”
No words were exchanged inside the car. He wished he could at least hear the sound of the engine, but the needlessly expensive car produced no noise whatsoever. Do-hyun, sitting beside him in the back seat, was also staring blankly out the window.
“……Are we going to the company?”
Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, Woo-yeon asked Driver Yoon. The answer came back professionally.
“No, I am taking you to the residence.”
He thought they were going to the office, but for some reason, Soo-hyang seemed to be at home. This was a very rare occurrence for someone who would call even a son he hadn’t seen in four years to the company.
“…….”
Silence flowed through the car once again. There was usually no conversation with Driver Yoon, but with Do-hyun being quiet as well, it was awkward. With a sigh, Woo-yeon turned his gaze toward the window.
“I wonder why Mom called you, Teacher.”
At the murmur that sounded like talking to himself, Do-hyun stared at Woo-yeon. He parted his lips and began to speak, his voice like a sigh.
“……I’ll tell you in advance.”
“…….”
“Actually, on the day I went to fix my phone screen, I went to see the Chairman.”
It was news to him. Even yesterday, when he had heard everything about Do-hyun, he hadn’t heard this. Do-hyun looked at Woo-yeon askew, saying he hadn’t omitted it on purpose.
“I told her that we’re dating, and that I’d be keeping you at my house for the time being.”
Woo-yeon stared silently into Do-hyun’s eyes. Various complex emotions were mixed in those black pupils. It looked like regret, or perhaps nervousness. Seeing that look, his lips opened unconsciously.
“……Why?”
Driver Yoon checked them through the rearview mirror. Woo-yeon turned his upper body completely to face Do-hyun directly.
“Why did you tell Mom that?”
“Because the Chairman was worried about you……”
This was an answer Woo-yeon had expected. He thought Do-hyun would say he reported it for that reason. However, the answer that came back from Do-hyun was slightly different from Woo-yeon’s guess.
“I wanted to get permission.”
The nuance was strange. It was as if he hadn’t said it because Soo-hyang told him to, but of his own volition. Moreover, he used the random word ‘permission.’
“Permission for what……”
“We have arrived.”
Driver Yoon terminated their conversation. Woo-yeon stopped talking and looked around. The vehicle had already entered the garage.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here.”
Do-hyun stepped out of the car with a face full of emotion. Woo-yeon followed him out only after Driver Yoon opened the door.
As Woo-yeon led the way, Driver Yoon suddenly spoke to the back of Do-hyun’s head.
“I am sorry about a few days ago.”
Woo-yeon heard the words, but he didn’t know what he was apologizing for. However, since Do-hyun wore a hollow expression, he simply turned his head and pretended not to hear anything. Do-hyun let out a hollow laugh and replied to Driver Yoon.
“You know it’s too late, right?”
He felt he was seeing many unexpected sides of the Teacher today. The Teacher who provoked others, the Teacher who snapped back sarcastically. He felt that the Do-hyun he had encountered over the last two days was more like his true self than the one Woo-yeon had seen until now.
Following the employee’s guidance, they headed toward Soo-hyang’s study. Strictly speaking, only Do-hyun had been summoned, but Woo-yeon ignored the employee’s attempts to stop him and followed. It might have been arrogance, but he was certain that the topic of conversation between the two would be about him.
“Why did you come in together?”
Soo-hyang was working, wearing a suit with thin stripes. The reddish-brown suit paired very well with the silk tie. Eyes of a particularly bright color looked back and forth between Do-hyun and Woo-yeon.
“From the looks of it, it seems you two haven’t reconciled yet.”
“Thanks to you.”
Do-hyun answered nonchalantly and stepped inside. The way he sat on the sofa opposite Soo-hyang was as natural as a daily routine. Woo-yeon realized once again how often he must have had private audiences with Soo-hyang.
“Woo-yeon, go to your room.”
Soo-hyang said this while putting down the tablet PC. However, instead of leaving the study, Woo-yeon approached the sofa and sat next to Do-hyun. Soo-hyang called Woo-yeon in a stern voice.
“Seon Woo-yeon.”
“……If it’s not about me, I’ll leave.”
He was sick and tired of stories that only he didn’t know. He didn’t care what he heard, but he wanted to avoid finding out about things belatedly.
“If it’s truly unrelated to me, I’ll leave on my own even if you don’t tell me to.”
Soo-hyang said nothing for a long time. He simply narrowed his eyes as if trying to gauge something. Soon, having organized his thoughts, he looked straight at Do-hyun.
“I see you changed your phone number.”
Although it wasn’t about him, Woo-yeon didn’t get up. This time, Soo-hyang didn’t tell him to vacate the spot either.
“The reason I couldn’t answer the phone that day was because I was busy with work. I didn’t ignore your call on purpose.”
“……You’re just saying that. As if the Chairman was ever not busy.”
Do-hyun, who answered apathetically, lowered his eyes. After a short pause, he asked lightly.
“Why did you call me?”
It felt as if he were saying, ‘Cut the nonsense and tell me the real reason.’ Even though he wasn’t the party to the conversation, Woo-yeon immediately straightened his posture. The sight of Soo-hyang and Do-hyun in one space felt, for some reason, like walking on thin ice.
“Well, fine. I suppose pleasantries aren’t necessary.”
Soo-hyang crossed his legs and arms, pulling in his chin. His neatly groomed eyebrows shot up.
“Kang Jun-seong said he’s going to sue you.”
“The Teacher?”
The one who asked back was none other than Woo-yeon. Feeling the gaze shift toward him, Woo-yeon shut his mouth awkwardly. Soo-hyang let out a short snort.
“Come to think of it, Woo-yeon did make a request.”
A memory from the past surfaced. The memory of worrying that the person he was dating had hit the kid who took the photo and might be sued. Soo-hyang curled the corners of his mouth with a face that looked very amused.
“It was a pointless worry, wasn’t it? Not knowing that you might have just given that kid a lawyer’s number yourself.”