Chapter 2
Chapter 2
At the time, she hadn't been interested at all, so she’d let the stories go in one ear and out the other—a fact she now slightly regretted. Still, a few details stuck in her mind.
Rumors the teachers had whispered among themselves in the faculty office: how he’d taken on twelve men at once downtown and won; how he’d sat in a tea house with a woman on each arm; how a mob boss had come by and bowed ninety degrees to him… that sort of thing.
She didn't put much stock in those stories. As was usually the case, they were all third-hand accounts—"my friend saw it," or "the neighbor heard it."
They were people who didn't realize how terrifying unverified rumors could be. Perhaps it was because the village was so small, but gossip seemed to sprout from every corner.
Was it any different in Seoul? Not really. The rumors that had plagued Bom back then were incomparable to these.
[I heard her mom is Jung Nan-hee. Like mother, like daughter, right?]
[Was it NTR? They say she’s addicted to it. Crazy for the thrill of stealing someone else’s man.]
Her body instinctively shuddered at the memory of those whispering voices. Bom took a deep breath.
It might be the same for this man. Regardless, it was best not to pay such talk any mind.
While she was lost in thought, Department Head Kang was shooting frantic glances at the Vice Principal, his face pale with fear. It was a silent plea for him to come and handle the situation. Bom could even see his lips moving, urgently mouthing, “Ah, Vice Principal! Hurry!”
“Ha… Well, look who it is!”
Finally, the Vice Principal, who had been pretending to be buried in work while staring at his monitor, gave an awkward greeting. His portly frame waddled forward as he forced a bright smile.
“If it isn't Han-gyeol’s uncle!”
“It is.”
“Ah, yes. I was tied up with some urgent official documents, so I’m late with my greetings.”
The Vice Principal stepped away from his large, private desk in the corner of the office and stood before the man.
“You remember me, don’t you? I’m the Vice Principal, Seok Gwan-su.”
“Let’s see. Yes, I remember you clearly.”
“What brings you here…?”
“Well, I heard our Han-gyeol was recommended for the Filial Piety Award by his friends.”
“Ah! My sincere congratulations on that!”
The Vice Principal gave a stiff thumbs-up. Every teacher in the room was deathly still, their ears strained to catch every word of the conversation.
“I heard Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo said an orphan with no mother or father has no business getting a Filial Piety Award. I came here to have a little man-to-man chat with him.”
Hearing this, Bom knit her brows. He’d actually said that in front of the kids? No matter how little passion she had for her job, Bom had never let something so cruel slip from her lips.
She also questioned whether 'filial piety' could only be recognized in relation to biological parents. She’d heard other teachers mention that Teacher Hong’s language was often aggressive enough to trigger formal complaints. Seeing an example of it firsthand, she understood immediately.
“Oh, there’s no way. Surely Han-gyeol just misunderstood.”
“Han-gyeol wouldn't tell me something like that. I heard it elsewhere.”
“It must be a misunderstanding. Now, now, calm down. First, coffee! Yes, let me get you a cup of coffee.”
At the Vice Principal’s hurried offer, several people let out sharp gasps. The area with the electric kettle, paper cups, and coffee mix happened to be right behind Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo’s seat.
If the man sat at the guest table in front of it, there was a high chance he’d spot Hong Jeong-pyo.
Bom let out a short sigh. It wasn't that she particularly wanted to help Teacher Hong, but she didn't want the faculty office turning into a scene of chaos either.
She tossed the blanket covering her knees to the side. A hand suddenly reached out from under the desk, fumbling until it snatched her lap blanket. From the rustling sound, it seemed Hong Jeong-pyo was using it to cover himself.
“…”
Meanwhile, the man pulled out a chair with a heavy scrape and sat at the guest table behind Bom.
“Gasp, of all the places… Ahem!”
Realizing the situation too late, the Vice Principal quickly sat on the opposite side, positioning himself to block the view of Hong Jeong-pyo.
It was a bizarre setup. Teacher Hong was hiding under the desk, while the man and the Vice Principal sat at the guest table right behind Bom, about to have coffee.
“Uh, Teacher Bom. Two coffees over here, please.”
Unable to leave his seat, the Vice Principal had no choice but to ask Bom for help.
“Do you make the female teachers run coffee errands here?”
The man’s voice turned displeased in an instant. Bom had no choice but to stand up. Knowing it was an emergency, she couldn't feign ignorance any longer.
“Um, we only have instant mix. Is that alright?”
Bom approached the guest table and stood before the man. Being so close allowed her to observe him in detail. Standing right in front of him, she noticed things she hadn't seen before.
“…”
Her gaze drifted to the man’s prominent forearms. She’d been curious about the elaborate tattoo on his left arm, and this was the perfect chance.
As she looked closer, Bom’s eyes widened.
‘Wait, is this a tattoo sleeve…?’
She’d heard of people wearing tattoo sleeves while driving, but she’d never seen someone actually wearing them out and about. She’d been completely fooled into thinking it was a real tattoo.
He might be even stranger than she’d thought. As she scanned him with wide eyes, her gaze met the man’s directly.
“…”
He had light brown skin, straight and dark eyebrows, and a sharp, clean bridge of the nose. His piercing eyes and pitch-black pupils were staring right back at her.
Bom’s neck flushed hot, feeling as though she’d been caught peeking. She repeated her question in a smaller voice.
“We only have the mix…”
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared intently at her. He spoke slowly.
“Is it the yellow one or the white one…?”
“…”
She couldn't believe he was being picky about that of all things. Bom felt a bit speechless but tried to remain calm.
“It’s the yellow one.”
“Does the school have no money? Who drinks the yellow one these days?”
The man clicked his tongue. The Vice Principal, who had been sitting still with his eyes darting around, quickly interjected.
“That’s not provided by the school; the teachers all chip in to buy it themselves.”
“Is that so? That’s sad to see. I’ll have a coffee bean machine sent over for you.”
“Oh! No, that’s quite alright. Haha, a bean machine? Well, I’m sure it would taste good if we had one. They do say bean coffee is healthier. And fragrant. Tsk.”
Though the Vice Principal waved his hand in refusal, his delight was transparent. Bom thought it was pathetic—accepting an expensive gift from a man like this could lead to trouble later.
Bom watched the scene quietly before turning on the electric kettle. She put the yellow mix into paper cups and waited for the water to boil. In the meantime, the Vice Principal tried to soothe him.
“The heating is broken, so it’s a bit chilly, isn't it? Why don’t you move closer to this electric heater? You’re in short sleeves; it makes me feel cold just looking at you.”
“I run hot, so I’m fine,” the man replied dismissively, then suddenly craned his neck to the side. His eyes narrowed. “What’s that? Under the desk.”
At those words, the sound of frantic typing from teachers pretending to work stopped all at once. Bom also spun around, startled.
Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo, hidden under the lap blanket, was as still as a corpse, but if one looked closely, the trembling was visible.
“It’s nothing!”
Despite the Vice Principal’s protest, the man stood up and approached Hong’s desk. He slowly crouched down.
The moment he reached out toward the blanket, the Vice Principal scrambled to grab his thick forearm.
“Oh! Why, why are you doing that?”
If he yanked that blanket off now, he’d surely grab Teacher Hong by the collar, and the faculty office would be turned upside down. Bom watched the scene unfold, forgetting to even breathe.
“Not coffee! Uh, right! A cigarette! Let’s not do this here; let’s go somewhere with a nice view and talk. How about a smoke under the wisteria? Eh?”
The Vice Principal, having managed to pull the man away from Teacher Hong, made a desperate suggestion. Bom clicked her tongue inwardly. The Vice Principal occasionally smoked under the wisteria on school grounds. She couldn't understand why he’d brag about that, let alone invite a guest there. She didn't like it one bit.
“Hah, what kind of behavior is that where students are studying?”
“Pardon?”
“You want to smoke inside the school? Are you joking with me right now? Huh? Is this a joke?”
With a dialect that leaned toward a Seoul accent, the man delivered a satisfying verbal blow to the Vice Principal. The Vice Principal could only stammer, unable to give a proper answer.
The Vice Principal let go of the man’s arm and rubbed his bald head in embarrassment. The others began typing furiously again—a small mercy to save the Vice Principal from further humiliation.
The kettle whistled, signaling the water was ready, but Bom didn't pay it any mind.
‘That was refreshing…’
At the man’s blunt words, a small laugh escaped Bom’s lips before she could stop it.
It was at that moment.
Her eyes met the man’s again. His gaze was different from the sharp look from before. It was an expression sparked with curiosity.
“…”
“…”
His dark eyes shimmered mischievously. During the strange silence, the man took a step closer to Bom.
Why is he coming closer…?
As he approached, the man suddenly muttered something in a low, deep voice.
“Beauty.”
“…Excuse me?”