Chapter : 27
Lee Seol, startled by Taesin’s unexpected actions, could only blink and say nothing.
It was a brief but intense sensation.
She was so shocked and flustered that her heart felt like it would burst.
When was the last time she had kissed someone?
Her first kiss with her first college boyfriend had felt almost like a joke.
It had been the first and last time she’d experienced dating or any physical intimacy with a man.
Soon after, her father’s company went bankrupt, their house went up for auction, and they had to flee Seoul in haste.
This was the first kiss she had experienced since then.
No, it was barely even a kiss—it was just a brief contact.
He had just lightly pressed his lips to hers, yet her head felt dizzy.
“What just….”
Taesin, looking into Lee Seol’s confused eyes, licked his own lips with his tongue.
Just like after eating ice cream.
As if to take away the last hint of sweetness.
Was it just a joke?
“I’m not usually fond of sweets, but this… tastes good.”
Lee Seol’s cheeks flushed bright red.
Yet, his gaze lingered on her lips, not merely as a joke, but with a desire to taste a little more.
As if it wasn’t enough.
There was a thirst in his black eyes.
Perhaps this level of physical contact meant nothing to him.
With his looks and apparent wealth, he probably had been with many women.
Maybe he was more accustomed to flirting than Lee Seol imagined.
So there was no need to attach any deeper meaning.
“Jaehyuk makes good hangover soup. He’ll be here around seven. If he doesn’t come, I’ll come get him, just so you know.”
Before Lee Seol could fully process what had just happened, Taesin had already left.
She stood there in a daze, fingers brushing her lips.
The spot where his lips had touched was still burning, and her heart was racing on its own.
The headache that had been pressing down on her vanished in an instant.
Unable to sleep, she ended up going to Taesin’s house.
Although she knew the passcode, she rang the bell since Na-eun was there, and Yushin opened the door.
How lucky that it was Friday.
If classes ended early, she could leave the school immediately and have some distance from Taesin to sort out her confusing feelings.
Surely he wouldn’t follow her to her grandmother’s house.
He would have suggested installing a location app so she couldn’t freely go to the mainland.
“What’s this, Lee Seol? How could you leave me behind like that?”
Na-eun, sitting at the table, glared—but it wasn’t entirely displeased.
Where was Taesin?
“Hyung!”
Yushin noticed Lee Seol searching for him with her eyes and called out.
Lee Seol sat next to Na-eun.
“I apologize for yesterday. And now you’ve even made hangover soup for me—I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Well, who told you to drink so much? Do you even remember who carried you here yesterday?”
Na-eun scolded her.
“….”
“Even if you had ten mouths, you wouldn’t have anything to say.”
Jaehyuk placed a bowl of bean sprout hangover soup in front of each of them.
“Don’t hold back—eat plenty.”
With generous amounts of squid, spicy red pepper flakes, and a soft-boiled egg, it rivaled any restaurant’s soup.
One spoonful of the broth and her stomach felt soothed.
Soon, Taesin arrived.
Na-eun shifted slightly, signaling for him to sit next to her, but Taesin took the seat opposite Lee Seol and asked:
“Are you feeling any better?”
“…Yes.”
Lee Seol couldn’t bring herself to look at him directly.
Seeing him would make her remember the morning’s events, and her face would burn uncontrollably.
She didn’t know what to call that contact—it wasn’t really a kiss—but one thing was certain: it could never happen again.
“Hyung, did you work out early this morning? You sounded like you were showering.”
Yushin asked as he tasted the soup.
Suppressing the urge to check Taesin’s expression, Lee Seol chewed the crisp bean sprouts.
The broth was truly refreshing.
Nothing could compare to honey water now… she couldn’t drink that anymore.
“Even if you exercise, how can you shower in cold water? I’d have a heart attack,” Jaehyuk said, casting a meaningful glance at Taesin.
“You’ll do it too once you’re an adult.”
“Maybe.”
Yushin shrugged, as if it were impossible.
“Wow, amazing. Cold showers, really. Your body must be in top shape from all the exercise. By the way, it’s Friday—are you going to the mainland today?”
Na-eun joined the conversation.
“Unless something special comes up, I plan to stay here.”
Hearing that, Lee Seol breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, he wasn’t following her.
“I see. You just arrived on the island, so you might not know, but staying here too long can feel stifling. Even once a week, it’s good to get out.”
Na-eun took a business card from her handbag and placed it in front of Taesin.
“If you’re curious about anything or need something, contact me. Don’t feel pressured. People on the island help each other.”
Jaehyuk and Yushin’s eyes flicked between Na-eun and the trio of Taesin and Lee Seol.
“Sure.”
Na-eun was sharp, handing over her contact info like that.
She asked Taesin various questions, and he answered briefly.
Lee Seol, focused on finishing her soup, got up halfway through.
“Thank you for the meal, Jaehyuk. If you’ve finished, let’s go, hyung. We need to hurry to the dorm to change.”
“Uh, okay.”
Na-eun set down her spoon.
“Then we’ll go ahead.”
“Goodbye.”
Lee Seol left his house without ever making eye contact with Taesin.
Na-eun seemed like she wanted to stay a little longer but eventually followed Lee Seol.
Finally, Lee Seol exhaled all the breath she’d been holding, while Na-eun, still dazed, glanced back at Taesin’s house.
“How can someone be so handsome? Even in the morning, his beauty shines. I feel full just looking at him.”
Walking back to school, Na-eun asked:
“Do you think he’d carry me if I got drunk too?”
“Huh?”
“You carried him, right? So wouldn’t he carry me too? The only way to find out is to try.”
Na-eun’s eyes sparkled unusually bright.
Probability and Statistics, an elective.
Permutations, binomial theorem, conditional probability—a dull class with a dull teacher.
Just sitting there was an ordeal; most students either napped or messed around.
But today, everyone sat up straight and listened quietly.
Ha. Look at them, so tense.
Bae Youngseop glanced at the board reluctantly, snickering to himself.
Today, Hwang Inwoo didn’t come to school, having applied for experiential learning.
Hwang Inwoo with experiential learning… even a passing dog would laugh.
All because of that returning student.
He maintained discipline silently like that.
Some feared him, some respected him, but one thing was clear: no one could mess with the returning student or his younger brother.
Even the most powerful Hwang Inwoo at school.
This was troublesome.
Youngseop glanced sideways.
Kim Heerok was dozing off beside him.
Normally, he’d sneak out his phone to read webtoons or play games.
Youngseop wrote a note: “See me after school,” folded it, and tossed it to a boy sitting a few seats ahead.
The boy, Goh Jung-hwan, glanced nervously, then quickly averted his eyes after locking eyes with the returning student.
“We need to talk, right?”
After the painfully boring class ended, Youngseop draped an arm over Jung-hwan’s shoulder and casually led him to the rooftop.
It was a place students rarely visited, often where Hwang Inwoo’s crew plotted mischief or bullied others.
Youngseop tilted his head and asked:
“Finished preparing for the physics presentation?”
Jung-hwan pulled the project materials from his bag and handed them over.
“Thanks again. What would I do without you?”
Youngseop skimmed the materials and nodded with satisfaction.
“Can I go now?”
“Why the rush? I hear you’re good at math.”
“So?”
“I just want your help for this midterm. I’m not asking for free—there’ll be compensation.”
