Chapter 39
“Alright, we’ll end here for today.”
As soon as the professor finished and left the classroom, a wave of sighs burst out among the students.
Moon Ah-rin slumped against her desk and muttered,
“Ugh. Another pile of assignments. How many do we have to submit by next week?”
“About four.”
For me, including Professor Cha Moon-ho’s class, that made five.
“That’s a disaster. I even agreed to cover someone’s shift at work this week. How am I supposed to handle four assignments while going to school and working part-time?”
Moon Ah-rin pouted as she complained.
“Yeah, that’s tough.”
I responded half-heartedly while packing my bag.
She stared at me quietly, then muttered in a subtle tone,
“Seol, you’re lucky. You don’t even have to work.”
“….”
I froze for a second.
Whether she noticed or not, she continued casually,
“I don’t even get living expenses, so I’m always busy working. But once your classes are over, you’re free. You don’t even come visit me at my café anymore.”
She stuck out her lips slightly.
I steadied my voice and replied,
“…I guess you could see it that way.”
There wasn’t much else I could say.
After all, there was a reason I didn’t need to earn my tuition or living expenses myself.
It wasn’t because my parents were wealthy.
‘…Knowing that the money left to me was my parents’ death insurance payout… how can she say that?’
Moon Ah-rin knew.
The accident that killed my parents had been big enough to make national news.
It was caused by corporate negligence. Something that might have been prevented with a little more care.
In exchange for losing my entire family in an instant, I received a large settlement, plus support for tuition and living expenses.
You could say I was living comfortably because of it.
But it wasn’t something to envy.
‘I’d rather struggle with part-time jobs… if it meant I could eat warm meals with my family again.’
I bit my lip.
Maybe that was why I had clung only to Moon Ah-rin back then, staying curled up beside her.
At this point in my previous life, I still hadn’t fully healed from losing my family. The wound had been festering inside me.
If this were before my regression, her words would have brought tears to my eyes.
But now, not quite.
It had been a long time.
Even grief dulls if you revisit it often enough.
‘She didn’t directly mention my family. She’s just saying she envies my situation. If I get angry, I’ll look overly sensitive.’
It was obvious.
If I reacted, she’d tear up and insist she hadn’t meant it that way.
“So, anyway.”
She spoke again.
“Seol, can you help me?”
“With what?”
“My part-time job!”
She answered immediately.
“I’ll talk to my manager! Just say you’re filling in for me. Can you work one day for me? I’ll focus and finish all my assignments in that time!”
She grabbed the hem of my clothes and looked at me with soft, pleading eyes.
Anyone watching would have found it hard to refuse.
“Please? Just one day!”
“I’ve never worked at a café before.”
“It’s fine! Come a day early and I’ll teach you. I’ll write down all the recipes!”
“Even so…”
“You’re pretty enough that customers will line up even if you just stand at the register!”
That was completely out of nowhere.
It seemed she had no intention of backing down.
“…I asked for too much, didn’t I?”
When I didn’t respond, she put on a dejected expression.
“I was just asking in case you could help. I guess it was too much. Sorry.”
She smiled faintly, looking discouraged.
“It’s okay! I’ll just sleep less and manage somehow.”
It didn’t look okay at all.
She had a talent for making others feel guilty.
I sighed inwardly.
Just as I was about to say something, someone interrupted.
“Yeah. If you can’t finish your assignments, you should sleep less.”
“…?”
I turned my head.
Jo Yoon-jae was standing there.
How had I only just noticed that bright hair of his?
Most of the students had already left while we were talking. He was the only one still there, bag packed, standing nearby.
“Oh… you were still here?”
Moon Ah-rin looked startled.
“Yeah. I had something to discuss with Seol, but someone wouldn’t let her go.”
He smiled politely, but his words were sharp.
“I didn’t realize. You should’ve said something.”
She smiled back just as sweetly.
Both were strikingly good-looking, but it felt like sparks were flying between them.
“Seol.”
Yoon-jae called my name casually.
The last real conversation we’d had was in Professor Jung Tae-sung’s office.
We’d seen each other often in passing, but we weren’t close enough to call each other by name like that.
“I wanted to talk about the scholarship recital. Do you have a moment?”
“Oh. Sure.”
“I’d prefer to talk alone.”
He glanced at Moon Ah-rin.
“It’s not something outsiders should hear.”
It was a clear line being drawn.
He was definitely saying it for her to hear.
I instinctively looked at Moon Ah-rin’s face.
‘I never told her I was selected as a scholarship student.’
Was I about to see that cold, blank expression again?
But contrary to my worries, she was smiling as usual.
“Huh? Why?”
When I kept staring at her, she tilted her head, looking confused.
‘…Did she already know?’
It wasn’t exactly a secret. She could have heard it from someone else.
But if she had known, wouldn’t she have complained to me about not telling her?
While I hesitated, Yoon-jae pressed on.
“Shall we talk in the practice room? A Building, Room 102. The professor reserved it for the scholarship students.”
I felt bad for making him stand there any longer and nodded quickly.
“Yeah. Let’s do that. Arin, are you heading out first?”
“Tch. Fine.”
She pouted slightly but didn’t seem genuinely upset.
I picked up my bag and followed Yoon-jae.
The walk to the practice room felt longer than usual.
Step. Step.
We walked in silence.
We didn’t have much in common to talk about anyway.
Then Yoon-jae suddenly spoke.
“Is she always like that?”
“Huh?”
“Moon Ah-rin.”
I glanced at him.
His expression looked like he’d just witnessed something unpleasant.
“You weren’t actually going to agree to cover her shift, were you?”
“No.”
I had fully intended to refuse.
“Really?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Really.”
“Good.”
After a pause, he added,
“Be careful.”
“Huh?”
“If it weren’t for you, the third scholarship spot would’ve gone to Moon Ah-rin.”
“What?”
That was the first I’d heard of it.
My eyes widened.
“She probably knew. She met with Professor Jung Tae-sung several times.”
“….”
“But then you showed up. She might think you took her place.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Anyway, judging by how she was acting earlier, it’s better to keep some distance.”
I would’ve liked that too.
But there were still things I needed to get back from her.
I gave a small nod.
“Did you understand what I said? …Ha. Never mind. Who am I to worry about you.”
He muttered with a sigh.
At that moment, I realized something.
He smelled familiar.
‘That’s the cologne from yesterday.’
It was too distinctive to mistake.
“…Did you come to my practice room yesterday?”
