#23 Twisted Fate 1
It had been a while since Yuchan arrived right on time. Today was a busy day. It was the monthly regular counseling session for the students. Though it was mostly for show, his role as the academy's psychological counselor meant he had to conduct these sessions obligatorily unless there was some special reason, but he couldn't devote the usual amount of time to them. At best, five to ten minutes per student. Even so, counseling all three hundred or so students would take days. That's why the April session was limited to the liberal arts B class students among the liberal arts A and B classes and the science A and B classes. As the A and B divisions suggested, they were split by grades.
Honestly, regular counseling was one of the things Yuchan truly hated. Students who had never sought counseling before often became regulars after just one session. But slacking off would waste the reputation he'd carefully built. The image he wanted to project was that of a kind, wonderful counselor to everyone.
Now he needed to decide on his next moves. Seohyun was showing signs of submission, so using her to isolate Yujin was an option. He was fully prepared for X, who was surely watching him, but no matter how much he investigated, he couldn't find a lead to approach that bastard. He didn't even worry about problems he couldn't solve right away. A natural hedonist when enjoying his games, but otherwise utterly rational, Yuchan had let it go. He had a strange certainty that if he just waited, they'd come rushing to him eventually.
"Thank you. I was skeptical when the kids said you were great, but you're really skilled at this."
Snapping back to reality, Yuchan realized another student's session had ended. To handle counseling smoothly even while lost in thought—what a professional realm he'd reached. He admired himself.
"Sure, come see me whenever things get tough. And could you call Se-myeong next? It's her turn."
"Yep!"
Since the student was a boy anyway, Yuchan didn't put in much effort. That seemed enough, as the bushy-haired kid he'd already forgotten the name of bowed politely, flashed a beaming smile, and left the counseling room.
Yuchan couldn't directly help with their studies. He just pretended to empathize with their pain and offered vague solutions. Adults or not, they were repeaters—mostly twenty or twenty-one, with zero real-world experience. They found comfort in the mere fact that a reliable adult like him had given them advice, no matter how generic. Pathetic.
He shoved the session notes into a clear file and leaned back in his chair.
"I wanna go home."
So busy he couldn't even call Nayae during lunch. Normally treated like academy furniture, today the whole place revolved around him. Summoning Nayae now risked getting caught and tanking his social standing.
Three more, then it was Yujin's turn. Come to think of it, he'd been neglecting her lately, and she seemed pretty pissed. Normally she'd barge in no matter how busy he said he was, but today she was avoiding him like the plague.
She wouldn't suddenly decide to focus on studying... After all his subtle flirtations, maybe she was playing hard to get since he hadn't fully given in? Girls' hearts were impossible to read.
He didn't even consider that she might have caught on through Seohyun. He monitored their meetings meticulously whenever he could, and Yujin wasn't the type to hide such a shocking truth anyway.
Then came a commotion from the door—shouting, maybe screams. Sensing trouble, Yuchan straightened up and pulled out some files from the haphazardly tossed clear file.
Bang! The door flew open with ferocious force, ruffling the hair on Yuchan's forehead. He was startled. He'd suspected, but to think it really involved him.
"Is that Yuchan over there?"
"Mom, why are you doing this? I told you it's not like that!"
Three people burst into Yuchan's counseling room. Leading the charge, as if about to smash the door down, was Yujin's mother, Miyoung. Sharp glasses, a severe shoulder-length bob cut. Even in her early thirties, her youthful face burned with fury. Clinging to her arm was Yujin. Yuchan grasped most of the situation right there. A migraine throbbed in his head. He'd planned to deal with Yujin eventually to claim her completely, but not now.
"Ma'am, please calm down first."
"Do I look like I can calm down right now?"
Bringing up the rear with futile attempts to intervene was Director Kang. Catching Yuchan's eye, he mouthed something: 'Handle this.' She rarely even showed up at the academy, but today she'd walked right into the fire. With curious students gathering behind the wide-open door, the director closed it first.
2. Successful people in any field—especially politics or business—have a trait. They exude charisma and intimidation without even trying. In that sense, Yujin's mother Miyoung was born for it. You could feel the pressure that let a woman achieve such great success.
Yuchan stood calmly before the agitated woman, unfazed. Her gaze blatantly scanned him up and down, as if to assert her authority. Not just innate—she knew how to wield it deliberately. A weaker person would have wilted on the spot.
Ignoring it, Yuchan offered a friendly hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuchan, the in-house counselor. May I ask what brings you here?"
When dealing with an emotional opponent, maintain a soft tone and composure. Offering his hand was to halt the heated exchange and shift the flow. Even her hostile glare softened slightly with surprise—This guy's got some guts. Not entirely welcome, since she looked like the type who loved a fight.
Beside her, Yujin was on the verge of tears, desperate to stop her mom. She kept shooting Yuchan apologetic glances.
"Mom, Mom. You're not even listening to me. You've never cared before, and now you come to the academy making a scene. This is embarrassing..."
Like a kid throwing a tantrum at the mart, Yujin clung to her sleeve, but Miyoung shook her off ruthlessly. Was that how you treated a twenty-year-old daughter? Parents always saw their kids as babies, no matter the age—maybe Yujin came off that way. It explained the greenhouse flower vibe he'd glimpsed in her usual behavior.
"Be quiet."
Her tone was firm, like training a rowdy puppy, and Yujin instantly deflated, stomping her feet. Her cheeks flushed tomato-red through her hair.
"Song Miyoung, Yujin's mom. You..."
"Before that."
Right before the drama escalated, Yuchan cut her off. Miyoung was a businesswoman. Time was money to her. She hadn't even come in person when enrolling Yujin—just a phone call to the director and a credit card. Yujin had complained plenty about never seeing her mom. So why cause this scene at the academy? And why target a mere counselor like him, not even a formal teacher?
Anyone not an idiot could figure it out. Yujin was one of the students under his special care at the academy. Unofficial, unnoticed by others, but they'd eaten together often and messaged on KakaoTalk. Yujin flirted shamelessly in the counseling room and through texts; he'd subtly reciprocated to keep her hooked. To an outsider, it might look like they were dating.
Sending her to cram school to study, only for her to romance a teacher twelve years older? Any parent would explode.
This was entirely his management failure. He'd never imagined Miyoung snooping through her grown daughter's messages, leaving room for misunderstanding.
"Ma'am, I don't know exactly why you've come to see me, but this is a place for students to study. Could you sit down and explain calmly first?"
"...Fine."
Meeting her eyes with a low, steady voice subdued her explosive momentum. Of course, her fiery resolve to flip the table if provoked remained unchanged. Just paused.
"Director, please take Yujin out."
"Huh? Oh?"
The director, staring in awe at how Yuchan had tamed the raging bull, tried to lead Yujin away.
"Do we need to send Yujin out too?"
"Unless we need a three-way confrontation right now, let's talk one-on-one first. Yujin seems pretty shaken, and you can call her back anytime if needed. Better to let her calm down now."
Miyoung nodded, convinced by his polite demeanor. Her face was still 99% displeased, but seizing control of the conversation was a win. Once the onlookers left and they were alone, she fired a straight fastball, no frills.
"Do teachers usually contact other female students privately too?"
Other female students, private contact—dripping with malice. After the brake he'd applied, who knew what she'd have unleashed otherwise.
"Only for students I think need special management. I do personal outreach."
"I saw your messages by chance this morning over breakfast. It looked exactly like dating."
Miyoung sneered.
"So 'special management' means girlfriend candidates, huh?"
Her barbs were sharp. Unsure how much she'd seen, Yuchan kept it brief.
"It's not like that. For students struggling to adjust or wanting individual care..."
"I checked everything. It started with you chasing her when she ghosted, but it turned personal fast. Want to see the KakaoTalk? Is it mostly management, or personal chit-chat?"
She'd gone through it all. He'd thought just a skim, but she'd dissected every message.
"Why else would I come here and make this fuss?"
Since the contacts had impure motives from the start, excuses weren't easy. Half-baked denials would backfire against a worldly woman like Miyoung. Silent, Yuchan watched words pour out.
"Even giving you the benefit of the doubt that you had no ulterior motives, you're still the academy's counselor, right? When a girl clearly crushing on you keeps messaging, you should've drawn a line."
"I knew Yujin was friendly with me, but I thought it was just kid stuff for her age."
"And 'Goodnight, hope you dream of me tonight' was just 'kid stuff'?"
"That's..."
Yuchan felt his words drying up. Seohyun would love seeing him cornered like this—it'd been ages. Seeing him speechless, Miyoung's eyes blazed.
"Call Yujin in."