~Chapter 03~
After hesitating for a moment, So-hye reached out her hand.
When she carefully placed her hand on top of his large one, his firm grip pulled her forward.
Holding Woo-geon’s hand, she stepped over the messy stacks of plywood and trash, and at last they escaped the alley.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, pain spread through her ankle again.
When So-hye flinched, Woo-geon looked down at her foot and asked with concern.
“Are you hurt?”
“It’s not from running. I overworked myself on stage today, so it’s just a little…”
After staring at her ankle for a moment, Woo-geon suddenly turned his back to her and lowered himself.
“Get on.”
“…What?”
“It got worse partly because of me.”
“No! I’m fine. Really.”
“It would be better if you get on.”
He twisted slightly and looked up at her with eyes darker than the night sky.
A cool breeze passed by, and something flared in So-hye’s chest.
“If you walk on that foot, you might get caught again.”
“This is all because of you.”
“That’s why.”
His face, now without a smile, looked cold.
“I’ll take responsibility.”
At the same time, he looked dangerously decadent.
“Carrying you will be faster than supporting you while you limp.”
Woo-geon turned his back to her again.
He even stretched his hand back and motioned for her to hurry up.
Getting on his back was embarrassing, but walking all the way home on this foot felt dangerous.
“…Alright.”
After hesitating, So-hye finally leaned onto his back.
She could not fully cling to him, so she awkwardly rested her arms on his shoulders.
Woo-geon wrapped his arms around her legs and stood up.
“Hold on tight.”
“Ah!”
Startled by the sudden height, So-hye quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.
Because of that, her chest pressed fully against his back.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart was beating too fast.
She felt like he could feel it.
When she tried to pull away slightly, Woo-geon tightened his arm around her legs and spoke softly.
“If you move like that, it’s hard for me to keep my balance.”
“…I was just uncomfortable and trying to adjust.”
So-hye weakly denied it and leaned against him again.
It was embarrassing, but she did not dislike his scent or his warmth.
No—she liked it too much. She wished this moment would last longer.
The noisy sounds faded away.
Streetlights and moonlight blended into a quiet world.
The steady sound of his footsteps echoed.
It felt as if everything else had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.
If she listened closely, she could even hear his heartbeat.
She felt so sleepy she thought she might fall asleep like this.
Feeling drowsy, So-hye spoke slowly.
“Did you enjoy yourself that day?”
“That day?”
“The first day we met. The day you helped me.”
“Ah, Se-ho…”
Woo-geon apologized again for what happened that day.
“He’s usually calm and polite, but once he drinks, he can’t control himself.”
“Is he your friend? Or family?”
“He’s my assistant.”
“Assistant?”
“He helps me study butterflies at Songil Higher Common School.”
“Then… are you a teacher?”
“People usually call it a biology teacher.”
So-hye’s mouth opened slightly.
Honestly, she hadn’t expected that.
Judging by his looks, she had thought he might be a lonely wanderer, a rich young master, or even a dangerous moneylender.
Songil Higher Common School was known as the best school in Joseon.
Its facilities were modern, and its campus was said to rival even Japanese universities.
Only the best teachers taught there.
An elite among elites.
‘He teaches at a place like that…’
So-hye felt honored just to be on his back.
“Then… sir—no, teacher—do you also enjoy going to cafés?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
She was speechless.
Cafés were places where idle men drank liquor or foreign tea, flirting with barely dressed waitresses.
Modern cafés were practically dance halls.
Not places a schoolteacher should visit.
“You teach students.”
“Enjoying entertainment doesn’t mean I teach it to students.”
“Still, shouldn’t a teacher always be proper?”
So-hye muttered with a small sigh.
The thought of him enjoying nightlife with women bothered her for no reason.
Woo-geon let out a quiet laugh.
“That was my first time.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Why do you think I’m lying? That hurts.”
She pouted instead of replying.
As if unaware of her expression, Woo-geon continued.
“It was Se-ho’s birthday. I just went along because he wanted to.”
Thinking back, Woo-geon hadn’t gone to watch the dancers.
Others had even said he wasn’t the type to go to such places.
Her tight chest relaxed a little, like jealousy fading.
“So… what’s your name, teacher?”
“Shin Woo-geon.”
“Shin Woo-geon…”
She repeated his name as if hearing it for the first time.
Soft, yet strong.
It suited him well.
She shyly gave her own name.
“I’m Baek So-hye.”
“Baek So-hye. That’s a pretty name.”
He pronounced her name slowly.
Hearing her name in his voice felt different.
Was her name always this beautiful?
Because he said it was pretty, it truly felt that way.
Even Kyung-rim’s stylish stage name no longer felt enviable.
“So… please speak casually to me. Being spoken to formally feels a little…”
“Alright.”
Woo-geon switched to casual speech naturally.
“Isn’t dancing on stage exhausting?”
“Not really. I earn money from it.”
“You’re very good at dancing.”
“I’m just barely keeping up. Ky—Nata-nya teaches us.”
She almost said Kyung-rim’s real name by mistake.
“She stood out the most among the dancers—you.”
So-hye blushed again.
When would her heart calm down?
“We’re here. You can put me down.”
They had arrived at her home.
A small, shabby thatched house.
Woo-geon looked over the wall.
“It’s cozy.”
“Because I live alone.”
Woo-geon raised an eyebrow.
“That’s not something you should say so easily to a stranger.”
His gaze made her uncomfortable.
“But you’re not a stranger to me.”
She avoided his eyes and spoke softly.
“We helped each other, and we know each other’s names.”
“…So aren’t we friends?”
After a brief silence, Woo-geon laughed.
“You’re really fearless.”
When he smiled, he looked gentle and handsome.
“So… thank you for walking me home.”
“Well then.”
He put his hands in his pockets.
“Good night, my friend.”
Moonlight shimmered behind him.
So-hye bowed and rushed inside.
Woo-geon stood there until the light inside her house turned on.
Then he turned away, lit a cigarette, and murmured quietly.
“I really am destined to chase butterflies.”
Monday, the Café’s Day Off
So-hye woke early and hurried to get ready.
She put on a clean blouse and skirt, brushed her hair, and left the house.
Her destination was Songil Higher Common School.
She had no appointment.
She just wanted to see him.
“Maybe I’ll run into him by chance…”
As she waited near the school, the heat grew intense.
She felt dizzy.
Then—
“Ah…”
She saw Woo-geon.
Before she could react, her vision spun.
She collapsed.
“Shin… teacher…”
And she lost consciousness.
