“Teacher, why are you so pretty today?” Naeun smiled at the male student’s honest question, which was quite cute.

“Does it seem that way? Glad I put in the effort.”

“Where are you going?”

The class ends once we finish checking the wrong answers on the mock exam.

Naeun checked the time on her phone when tutoring ended and packed up her open book.

“I’m going on a blind date. Let’s end today’s lesson here.”

“A blind date?!”

“Oh my, you startled me.”

It wasn’t just about studying for the entire 2 hours of class, so this kind of light chat was always common.

Naeun widened her eyes at Jaewon, who was overly surprised by her casually dropped comment.

“Is that so shocking?”

“Ah, no.”

Jaewon hastily tried to compose himself.

“I thought you weren’t interested in that kind of thing, teacher.”

“What are you talking about? My goal this year is to get a boyfriend.”

“…”

“Do you have to solve everything we talked about today by next time? You know it’s obvious if you look at the answer key or use an app to solve it, right?”

Though she knew Jaewon wouldn’t do such a thing even if he didn’t do his homework, it was still necessary to remind him.

Naeun, who threatened to extend next week’s class by an hour if he didn’t do his homework, stood up first.

Jaewon, who had been dazed for a moment, quickly packed his things too.

Unlike usual, Naeun wore shoes with a bit of a heel, making a clicking sound with each step.

Jaewon found that sound quite awkward.

As soon as they opened the door of the study cafe, Jaewon saw his brother’s car and got into the passenger seat.

Seeing Naeun get into the back seat, he tilted his head quizzically, and Naeun cheerfully smiled and asked her student for understanding.

“I arranged to catch a ride with you guys today. So we’ll have to take a bit of a detour, but just for today, please.”

“…Did you agree to take the teacher to her appointment?”

Jaewon asked his brother in the driver’s seat.

Hee Won nodded silently while looking ahead. Jaewon’s expression clouded with bewilderment.

Once the car started, Naeun was the only one talking.

Jaewon wasn’t very close with his brother, and Hee Won wasn’t very talkative when with his younger brother.

As a result, Naeun usually led the conversation when the three were together, but today she seemed more excited than usual and talked more than normal.

“Jaewon, quickly tell your brother about your English mock exam score today. Okay?”

The biggest achievement in today’s lesson was the English mock exam score.

Though it was a private mock exam, it was his best score ever.

Jaewon glanced at his brother’s reaction despite Naeun’s proud face in the back seat.

…It’s not like he’ll have any reaction even if I tell him.

In fact, it was even embarrassing to tell the result.

The brother Jaewon remembered from middle and high school was always at the top, whether at school or in nationwide mock exams.

His mother almost worshipped his brother, who easily got top grades with an always bored and unmotivated face.

Even when he misbehaved by drinking and not coming home, his nagging mother turned a blind eye because there was always a report card with the number 1 written on it.

Jaewon mumbled for a moment, knowing that today’s score would only look pathetic to his brother who had always received such scores without much effort.

Naeun urged him to speak quickly from the back, and Hee Won, who was driving, glanced at Jaewon and asked.

“So what’s the score?”

“…”

Jaewon hesitated before saying the score.

Upon hearing Jaewon’s answer, Hee Won’s head turned towards the passenger seat.

Jaewon froze as he received his brother’s surprised gaze and a glimpse of slight pride for the first time.

“…As expected, you’re smart like me.”

With a small chuckle, he continued saying that with that score after just a month, they could expect good results on the college entrance exam. Jaewon listened in a slightly dazed state.

From the back, the tutor enthusiastically agreed with his brother’s words.

“Right? I think Jaewon is really smart! Ah, if only there was one more year until the college entrance exam, he could really compete for admission based on test scores!”

“You’re easily telling someone else’s brother to repeat a year. I’m cutting your pay.”

“No, no! I just meant it’s a shame because his achievement rate is so fast! You won’t really cut my pay, will you, employer?”

The banter between the driver’s seat and Naeun in the back continued, but Jaewon couldn’t take in anything and lowered his head.

He felt his face heating up and his ears turning red.

He kept his mouth shut, feeling strange at hearing his brother’s praise for the first time, when:

“Should I stop here?”

Hee Won turned right from the main road into an alley leading to a commercial area and turned on the hazard lights.

After briefly stopping where people were passing by, he opened the car door.

Naeun opened the back door and hopped out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride! Jaewon, take care too!”

Bye! Naeun waved brightly through the window and quickly entered a nearby commercial building.

The tutor, dressed in a dress and heels he’d never seen before, with earrings too, looked quite pretty even to Jaewon.

Jaewon stared quietly at the building entrance where Naeun had already disappeared, and waited patiently until Hee Won turned the car around and pulled back onto the main road.

With Naeun, who had been chirping like a sparrow, gone, silence fell over the car with just the brothers left.

But Jaewon was more worried about the situation than feeling awkward, and didn’t know what to do.

…The teacher must be going to that blind date. Should I tell him or not?

Objectively speaking, it wouldn’t be good for the teacher if things went well with his brother.

Though he was his own brother, Jaewon judged coldly.

Then it would be right to wish her well on the blind date, but that also felt uncomfortable.

It’s not like my brother would go there and make a scene if I tell him.

Knowing his brother didn’t have such a fiery temperament, though he lacked personality to the point of having none, Jaewon dismissed that kind of worry.

Should I tell him? Should I not? After agonizing, in the end, blood is thicker than water.

“…Hyung. Naeun teacher said she’s going on a blind date today.”

Jaewon very carefully informed his brother sitting next to him of the truth.

Though he couldn’t imagine his brother being hurt, he expected at least bewilderment or irritation.

But the response was beyond imagination.

“I know.”

“…”

What? Jaewon’s eyes widened at Hee Won’s unexpected dry answer. He knows?

“…You knew the teacher had a blind date today?”

Hee Won didn’t answer. Jaewon, born of the same blood as his brother, knew that was an affirmation.

Jaewon’s expression contorted strangely. Then don’t tell me, you knew and still drove her there in your own car?

Jaewon had never once confronted his brother in his life.

That means he had never talked back, rebelled, or said anything that might upset his brother’s mood.

He had been that way until now and planned to continue that way, but for the first time, Jaewon threw a scathing question filled with sincerity towards his brother.

“Hyung, are you an idiot?”

It was an unimaginable thing to say to his brother who was like the sky to him normally, but even Hee Won who heard it couldn’t answer and just gripped the steering wheel, so the answer was close to affirmative.

It was an admission that he was an idiot only in front of Yoon Naeun.

The person Seungju said she met at her church was an oppa one year older than Naeun.

He had a good personality, and the topics of conversation weren’t bad either.

There were no subtle attempts at physical contact like in the previous blind date.

“What would you like to drink? Do you have a favorite coffee?”

Naeun smiled back at his quite likable appearance as he asked with a grin.

They had successfully met face to face, eaten a meal, and stopped by a cafe for dessert.

It was a typical route, but also a sign that the relationship was progressing well.

It would have been nice to occupy a corner and chat leisurely, but the cafe interior was already full of people.

Naeun suggested they get takeout and drink outside to the man who regretted not reserving a seat in advance.

It was cold outside but not unbearably so, and the restaurant where they had just eaten was quite warm, so she wanted to get some fresh air.

The two arrived at a park a bit away from the busy downtown area and strolled along the walking path, each holding coffee in both hands as a substitute for a heater.

Thanks to wearing low heels, Naeun had no trouble walking and calmly focused on the conversation with the man.

“So you’re graduating next year then. You must be busy.”

“It’s okay though, since I’ve already earned all my credits and met the graduation requirements. As long as there’s no problem with my thesis, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s good. Oh, by the way, you can speak casually to me now. We’re only a year apart, aren’t we being too formal?”

I must look too old, he joked with a kind face, and Naeun quickly shook her head.

“It’s not that, I just have a hard time with people older than me. I’ll speak casually slowly, when I’m more comfortable.”

“Do that. I think I’d prefer if you spoke comfortably to me.”

He doesn’t force it, but honestly expresses his own thoughts. Naeun smiled inwardly.

With this person, it really seemed like things could go well.

Good conversation, kind, mature. Her heart felt at ease as she confirmed he had all the points of her ideal type.

She also thought Seungju hadn’t just introduced her to anyone.

Should I set the next date first? How about suggesting we go see a movie or play? She was considering what excuse to use to meet a few more times, since everything couldn’t be figured out in one meeting.

As she was pondering what excuse to use for the next appointment, she suddenly realized something.

This person is tall too…

She noticed that the man’s shoulder standing right next to her came up to about her crown, and glanced sideways.

At the same time, she squeezed her eyes shut.

No. Don’t think about it.

Naeun extremely couldn’t stand someone taller than her looking down at her right in front of her.

It was a symptom that started from a nightmare 3 years ago, and no matter how much counseling she received at the hospital, it just wouldn’t get better.

Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think anything.

It was fine if she didn’t become aware of it at all, but once her thoughts shifted in that direction, there was nothing she could do from that point.

That’s why the last meeting was ruined too.

Naeun tried to stop her thought processes to deliberately put off all thoughts, but the more she did, the more helplessly she was dragged into the past like a powerless drifter carried away by the tide.

Naeun opened her eyes and looked around. Unfortunately, it was quite a dark night, and the surroundings were dim.

In the fairly chilly weather, there was no one else strolling in the park besides them.

The given situation didn’t help Naeun, but coldly ignored her.

Her hands holding the coffee began to tremble.

She felt pain that should no longer remain in her left pinky finger, which she could barely feel now.

Despite it being late autumn, cold sweat was breaking out on her back as if it were summer.

“Naeun, are you not feeling well?”

The man walking beside her noticed she didn’t look well and asked with concern.

It was also a problem that he put his hand on her shoulder out of worry.

When the man’s large hand carefully touched Naeun’s shoulder, his voice calling her overlapped with someone else’s.

“Naeun.”

‘Naeun.’

The voice from that day, which had always been kind and as kind as it was cruel, emerged stirring up memories against her will.

“Naeun, are you okay?”

‘Naeun, want to cry?’

Beg me to save you.

That sickening gaze, smiling leisurely while looking down at her crying in pain, broke through the past and began to claw at her again.

“Naeun!”

‘Naeun.’

As the man’s voice overlapped more and more with Jaekyung’s, Naeun finally couldn’t bear it and dropped the coffee she was holding.

When she collapsed on the spot, the man sat down with her, not knowing what to do.

He continued to speak out of pure concern for Naeun, but she covered her ears with both hands, not wanting to hear anymore.

“Don’t call me.”

“What?”

The man asked back in confusion. Naeun bit her lip, trying hard to hold back the tears that were about to burst, and sobbed.

“Please don’t call me like that…”

She couldn’t breathe well.