“No, it’s just that your face turned red.”
His finger lightly touched Seol Hee’s cheek. When her excited skin from earlier trembled, a shivering sensation flowed throughout her body again. Startled, she jumped up.

“Me, having a lustful imagination?”
Of course she did, but she couldn’t say she did.

“No, that’s not it.”
“What’s not?”
“You’re the one who would think something erotic, professor!”
In a wronged heart, Seol Hee shouted out, and Eun Woo frowned.

“How did you know I was thinking something lewd.”
“……Yes?”
“You’re quicker than I thought, Miss Seol Hee.”
He had a lewd thought? Him, who looked like he had no desire, no appetite, no any kind of desire? With me? Me as the partner?

Eun Woo silently looked down at Seol Hee. His black pupils shone brightly. She had no idea what he was thinking. The corners of his lips twisted slightly.

Only then, at his face that seemed to contain laughter, did Seol Hee realize he was joking.

“Professor Ok, were you joking?”
“Halfjoke, halfserious.”
No, was this man born to torment me? Seol Hee clenched her fist at his slippery smile and punched his shoulder.

“Let’s quickly go home. Don’t make strange jokes.”
Seol Hee glanced at Eun Woo and headed towards the car.

It was when she arrived home and entered through the front door that she realized Eun Woo had ended with a joke on purpose, worrying that Seol Hee might feel too sorry.

((()))((()))((()))

Sunday. In Kyung brought a bunch of chives sent from the countryside and came home with both hands full. The one excited about this was Seol Hee’s mother.

“Oh my, what is this. They trimmed and sent it.”
The fresh chives poured out from the newspaper. They were fresh vegetables, as if they had just been harvested from the field.

“Yes, the farming was successful in the countryside this time.”
“It’ll be so delicious. It’ll be perfect to eat pancakes with squid on top for dinner.”
“Wow, that sounds delicious.”
“In Kyung, would you like to eat too?”
“Can I?”
“Sure, you can.”
Mom and In Kyung made a fuss. But whether her mom and friend were making a fuss or not, Seol Hee was stretched out on the sofa.

Even though she was tired, she was too tired.

Holding the gifted vegetables, her mother looked at Seol Hee.

“Seol Hee, are you going to eat the pancake too?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know? Do you hate chives?”
“Whether it’s chives, or pancakes, I don’t need it.”
When her mom, in high spirits, went into the kitchen with the chives, In Kyung collapsed beside Seol Hee.

“Seol Hee, what are you doing.”
“……Breathing.”
“Tired?”
“Yes.”
“What’s making you tired after doing so well yesterday.”
At In Kyung’s nagging, Seol Hee rolled over and looked up at In Kyung, who was sitting on the sofa.

The gathering yesterday must have been quite stressful. All she did was go out to the gathering in the afternoon and didn’t do any work, but she had no energy to move a finger. In Kyung patted Seol Hee’s stretchedout legs.

“Wow…… Are you okay?”
Seol Hee looked up at In Kyung.

“What’s what?”
What on earth is this chives fuss about? Seol Hee squinted.

“Chives? I don’t care.”
“No, what’s with the sudden chives. I’m talking about your ‘boyfriend’.”
In Kyung emphasized the word boyfriend. As Seol Hee’s closest friend, she was the only one, apart from Seol Hee and Eun Woo at yesterday’s gathering, who knew the two’s relationship was a sham.

Ah, Professor Ok.

The image of him from yesterday comes to mind. When she recalled the face of the man who had smiled and joked at the end, the corners of Seol Hee’s lips rose slightly.

“We practiced a lot. It was convincing, right?”
In Kyung nodded.

“Complete. The two of them looked good together, and the person himself seemed nice. But, that person… isn’t he your old boss who you used to talk about all the time after drinking?”
“Did I do that?”
Despite it not being a distant memory, it was vague. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask what In Kyung was talking about.

“Ah, the picky Teacher Ok, you called him OkPicky.”
It seemed like she did. Well… in the hospital, he was extremely picky. To Seol Hee, who was already nervous from working in a field unrelated to her major for the first time, Eun Woo was like the king of hell.

“…Yes, he was a bit scary.”
Even before getting tangled up in this ‘contract dating’, it was difficult to even eat together. She wondered what he would talk about whenever he called her.

But now, he’s not that scary. In the hospital, he was strict and meticulous by the standards of being good at his work compared to others, but he never made her do anything unreasonable.

“But contrary to what you’re saying, he seemed very affectionate.”
“That’s because you don’t see him at the hospital. Anyway, yes. Things have improved a lot now.”
At Seol Hee’s words of improvement, In Kyung exclaimed in admiration, “Oh wow.”

“Is dating allowed in the hospital? It really seemed fine to me. You should give it a go.”
“It’s not like that. I told you.”
This was all a play. No, it was two plays. Including going to his grandmother’s house. That was supposed to be the end. At Seol Hee’s firm denial, In Kyung shrugged.

“Even if it wasn’t like that at first. There’s no reason it can’t happen.”
“There is. I’m never going to date a coworker again. And… Teacher Ok probably isn’t interested in me, right?”
At Seol Hee’s words, In Kyung silently stared at her through the mirror. She didn’t say anything, she just stared intensely. Her gaze was so sharp. Because In Kyung’s expression seemed to know something, Seol Hee furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why she was looking at her like that.

“Why.”
In Kyung sighed and lightly tapped on Seol Hee’s leg.

“Seol Hee.”
“Hm?”
When In Kyung called her name, Seol Hee tilted her head back to look at her. In Kyung furrowed her brows and leaned her head towards Seol Hee.

“Yu Seol Hee.”
“What?”
“Our Seol Hee is really clueless.”

lu lu lo la ▪️ net (lululola.net)