Cherry Blossoms and the Persistent Junior
Jung Dayeon was writing a message to her teacher when she erased the letters she had painstakingly typed.
“Teacher! The weather is so nice today. It looks like cherry blossoms will bloom soon. When the flowers are in full bloom, will you go see them with me...”
‘Asking to go see cherry blossoms together sounds too much like a date request. I forgot what I decided to do slowly.’
She was writing another message to Siheon when her expression turned a bit gloomy.
Previously, there were short replies like “Still the same” or “You too,” but recently even those didn't come. The chat window with him was filled only with messages she sent alone.
Even the last message she sent hadn't been read yet.
‘Because of that day.’
A few days ago, after spending the night at the teacher's house after drinking too much, since then the teacher had noticeably cooled down.
There was no doubt something happened that day, but no matter how much she thought, nothing came to mind. The teacher wouldn't do something without a reason.
Dayeon, lost in thought, finally sent her usual short message “Have a good day as always, Teacher” and packed her bag.
As Dayeon was about to leave the classroom with her book bag on her back, someone tapped her on the back.
“Hey. One-Sided Love. Where are you going.”
When she turned around, it was Han Seunghyun.
“One-Sided Love? Are you calling me right now?”
Dae-yeon looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. Han Seunghyun raised his eyebrows in a surprisingly spiteful way and shrugged.
“Is there anyone else besides you here who has a crush?”
“......”
Dayeon glared at Seunghyun with a sullen face, then turned her head away with a “huk”. She was tired of mixing words. When it's like this, just ignore him. But Seunghyun chased after her without tiring.
“Hey. Hey. Let's go together. It's too much, right? I'm your benefactor after all.”
“Benefactor?”
At those words, Dayeon showed an incredulous expression.
But Seunghyun still had a confident look.
“Yeah. I helped you choose your clothes and did your makeup too. Do you know who the noona who did your makeup was? She used to work as a makeup artist in Cheongdam-dong.”
Dayeon didn't even pretend to listen, but Seunghyun didn't care and followed her while continuing to speak.
“Do you know how much effort I put into escorting that noona? Was all this because of my wide heart that loves my friends? How was it? Did the effect show?”
He smiled brightly and tapped Dayeon's shoulder with his.
Seunghyun seemed not to be the type to back down easily when ignored. Dayeon let out a sigh and replied coolly.
“Effect? There's no effect. The teacher didn't show any interest at all.”
“Was there no effect?”
Seunghyun raised his eyebrows as if it couldn't be.
“Did you misunderstand? A man can't just pass by seeing that.”
“Shut up! Do you think I'm on the same level as you and the teacher? How noble our teacher is.”
“Just because you wore clothes like that, weird men get hooked.”
Dayeon was confident that normal men and the teacher were absolutely different, and Seunghyun laughed with a “puff”, mocking.
“Noble? You're joking.”
“Why are you laughing?”
Seunghyun put his arm around Dayeon's shoulder and walked with her, speaking arrogantly.
“You don't know anything, so that's why. When there are many flesh tones in your field of vision, your eyes naturally go there. That's the male brain structure. Without knowing anything.”
“What? It's not like only things are visible. Hey, do all of you think I'm like you? There are people in this world where this logic doesn't apply.”
Dayeon shook off Seunghyun's arm that was around her shoulder.
Thinking about it, maybe that was the problem. Maybe because she wore the dress with the deep neckline, the teacher was being distant with her.
‘Was it possible that he thought she was a woman who would sleep with anyone and was disappointed?’
‘If I hadn't listened to Han Seunghyun's words.’
Dayeon, feeling depressed, walked quickly away from Seunghyun.
“Hey? Let's go together.”
Seunghyun followed after her until the end.
He pestered Dayeon the whole way, asking how long she had been in love with him, how they first met, without rest.
Dayeon, who had been keeping her mouth shut at first, eventually answered a few words due to the constant questioning, and when Seunghyun heard it, his eyes widened in shock.
“What? 3 years?”
He asked in disbelief, then continued with a dumbfounded expression.
“Out of that, 2 years you didn't even see his face?”
Dayeon, whose reaction made her even more annoyed, shut her mouth again, but Seunghyun followed her from behind persistently.
Finally, he followed her to the bakery where she worked part-time. He occupied one table as if he were a customer, sat there for hours, and when Dayeon told him to stop, he left after saying “See you later.”
‘Why is this guy following me around?’
Dayeon was at her wits' end because of Siheon's work and now Seunghyun following her too.
After finishing her part-time job, on her way home, suddenly “ding” vibration sounded in her pocket.
Thinking it might be the teacher, Dayeon checked her phone in a hurry, and disappointment spread across her face.
It was a message from the department office.
***
Cha Siheon, who had taken on all the work of the suspended director Lee due to recent sexual harassment, was buried in pouring reports and approval documents several times a day.
Director Myeong tried to stop him, saying he didn't need to do that, but Siheon was adamant. As a result, the one who got busier was Director Myeong. With dark circles under his eyes down to his cheeks from consecutive late nights, he said pleadingly.
“Now, please rest, Executive Director. I'm worried you might get sick.”
“I'm fine. Is there anything else?”
After signing, he looked at Director Myeong.
“Nothing. Please go in and rest!”
When Director Myeong was almost on the verge of tears.
Knock, knock. The sound of knocking on the office door was heard. Siheon looked at Director Myeong with a sudden visitor.
“Was there a scheduled visitor?”
“Um, there was no one scheduled.”
While the two were looking at each other with questioning expressions, a secretary opened the door with a troubled expression.
“Um, Executive Director. Han Jiwoo is here. What should I do?”
Siheon was puzzled by the name he didn't usually hear, and through the open door, Jiwoo appeared.
“Han Jiwoo? How did you get here...”
“How? I came to deliver the information you need.”
“Information needed?”
“About this new drug development, they requested collaboration with Hankuk University Hospital?”
Siheon put down the pen he was holding and raised one eyebrow. So what does that have to do with you?
Jiwoo shook the document envelope in her hand and smiled meaningfully.
“It's a list of medical staff who can collaborate. My father told me to pass it on to you.”
“You personally?”
“Well, while I'm at it, I thought it would be nice to see your face too.”
She shrugged and smiled with a wink.
“So, buy me a meal. I haven't eaten dinner because I was working.”
Siheon sighed. The sudden request to buy dinner from Jiwoo was burdensome. He was about to refuse saying “next time,” but Director Myeong suddenly interjected.
“Go ahead and do that, Executive Director.”
Director Myeong made a troubled face and said in a pleading tone.
“You haven't had a proper meal today. If something happens to you, the Chairman won't leave me alone.”
The voice was clearly worried, but his face showed clear intention to leave.
Seeing Director Myeong's face covered in fatigue, Siheon swallowed the words he was about to say. It was because he belatedly realized that due to him, Director Myeong had also been doing unwanted overtime for the past few days.
He closed the documents he was looking at and stood up from his seat.
“Yeah. Let's go eat.”
“Really?”
Jiwoo smiled brightly and clasped her hands together as if expecting.
“Then buy me something delicious. I know a good restaurant.”
“Anywhere is fine.”
Siheon spat out a curt answer as if uninterested, and led the way out of the office. Seeing the two leave, Director Myeong let out a breath of relief, patting his chest.