Chapter 02
Ten years ago.
It was a day when rain poured down heavily.
Se-a was sitting at a desk in the student council room, cutting out a large paper whale with scissors.
The school festival was not far away. The student council members gathered from time to time to do small tasks. Today was one of those days, but maybe because of the heavy rain, everyone had gone home early.
They had asked Se-a to leave too, but she said her parents would come to pick her up and said goodbye.
Parents, my foot.
Se-a gave a bitter smile and started cutting out a cute seahorse.
“I’m hungry.”
She muttered softly.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t even eaten lunch. She had been so sleepy during fourth period that she just slept through it.
“I’m really hungry.”
As she turned her head while muttering, the scissors suddenly cut the seahorse’s body into two pieces.
“Ah!”
She scratched her head with her left hand.
She was really bad at things like this. Of course, small tasks like this were the best way to forget her thoughts.
Just then, the student council room door opened.
Se-a looked up and saw a tall man. He was holding bags full of something in both hands, and since he didn’t seem to have used an umbrella, water was dripping from his whole body.
“Han Se-a.”
It was Seong-han, the former student council president.
His term had ended last year, but even now as a senior in third year, he often showed up to buy food for his juniors.
He walked over to Se-a.
“Where are the others? Did they all leave?”
“You can see how hard it’s raining.”
A savory smell came from the bags he was holding.
“They left without saying anything. Those brats.”
Seong-han sat down.
“What about you?”
His eyes asked why she hadn’t left. Se-a stretched the corner of her lips.
Because I don’t want to go.
Because I don’t have a normal family like others. Because I’m just hiding here. This is the most comfortable place.
They weren’t extremely close, but they weren’t distant either.
Whenever they worked on student council matters, Seong-han often teased Se-a, and she never backed down.
Because of that, rumors spread that they were dating. But Se-a had never once met him alone.
She answered in a flat voice.
“I’m not afraid of rain.”
Seong-han slightly avoided her gaze and placed the bags on the desk.
“Eat.”
“What’s all this?”
Se-a quickly moved closer.
Tteokbokki, sundae, kimbap, pizza, chicken, sweet and spicy fried chicken. All kinds of food were there. Enough for at least ten people.
“Are you trying to make us explode before the festival, senior?”
“I didn’t know what you’d like.”
“Are you a chaebol? That line is a bit old-fashioned.”
At the word “chaebol,” Seong-han’s face stiffened for a moment, but it softened again at Se-a’s innocent smile.
“I just need tteokbokki.”
“Eat more. Don’t embarrass the rich guy who brought it.”
Se-a burst into laughter again.
“Are you really a chaebol?”
He didn’t answer.
He opened the food containers.
“The kimbap here is good.”
Se-a picked one up and put it in her mouth. Seong-han quietly watched her chewing.
“You should eat too.”
“Okay.”
He also put a piece of kimbap in his mouth. The way he chewed was somehow elegant. No smacking sounds. Even the movement of his jaw looked refined.
Is he really rich?
Se-a smiled slightly. Maybe it was because of the influence of popular dramas these days.
After eating silently for a while, Seong-han spoke again.
“Do you have an umbrella?”
“No.”
“It’s raining. How are you going home?”
Se-a seemed not to have thought about it. Then she answered casually.
“Can’t I just stay here? I’m too lazy to change out of my uniform.”
“You’re going to stay here until tomorrow morning?”
He laughed in disbelief, but she said nothing more.
After eating, they cleaned up and gave the leftover food to the teachers who were still at school. By then, the hallway was completely dark.
Only then did Seong-han speak seriously.
“I called a taxi. I’ll ask them to stop by your house on the way. Let’s go together.”
“Really? I won’t refuse.”
She didn’t want to go home at night either, but if she refused, he might get suspicious.
They finished cleaning the student council room and were about to leave.
Suddenly, thunder struck.
“Ah!”
Startled, Se-a grabbed Seong-han’s shoulder without thinking. He stood still and didn’t push her away.
“S-sorry.”
She quickly stepped back.
“Are you okay?”
He looked at her quietly as he asked.
Se-a blinked quickly.
Hot air seemed to flow between them.
What is this feeling?
She had always noticed his handsome face and tall height. Sometimes her heart raced when he passed by and she caught his scent.
She pretended to be calm when he teased her, but when their friends asked if he liked her, her face would turn red.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She deliberately avoided his eyes.
When they passed the main entrance, the floor was wet. Rain had blown in through the half-open door.
Se-a walked faster out of awkwardness, but when she stepped on the wet floor, she slipped again.
This time, Seong-han caught her.
She almost fell and soaked her skirt.
But their bodies were closer than before.
Shoulders, back, even legs.
As she slowly tried to move away, she heard his calm voice.
“At this point, aren’t you doing this on purpose?”
She quickly stepped away.
“No! You’re the one who grabbed me!”
“Maybe you spilled the water here.”
“Am I a god? Did I make it rain?”
He laughed quietly.
The heavy rain, his low laughter, and the warmth left on her body.
Something she had never felt at home.
What is this feeling?
Her heart was beating faster than usual.
The wind shook her short hair, and the half-wet strands brushed against her face. As she frowned, Seong-han raised his hand.
Instinctively, she shrank back.
But instead of hitting her like some people she was used to, he gently fixed the hair stuck to her face.
Their eyes met.
At that moment.
Suddenly, he messed up her hair again with his hand, covering her view.
“What are you doing!”
His low laughter mixed with her voice.
After that.
Se-a could no longer hear the rain. It felt like the world with rain had moved far away from them.
Before she knew it, Seong-han’s lips were close.
Se-a quietly closed her eyes.
He brushed his tongue once over her lips and pressed his lips against hers.
It wasn’t a deep kiss. Just lightly holding her lips.
But even so, in the rainy world, she felt like only her body was wrapped in warmth.
It felt like forever.
Se-a stared at the hand Seong-han was holding out.
As if it were a lie.
He really was a chaebol. She only learned the truth after he left.
After he played with her feelings and went abroad to study without even a word.
“Yes, I also look forward to working with you.”
Se-a did not take his hand.
Instead, she bowed politely in front of him.
As if showing that their positions were different now.
Principal Lee Sang-tae, who had been looking between the two of them, spoke.
“Our Teacher Han Se-a is the pride of our school. She won the Excellent Teacher Award last year. Haha, she also graduated at the top of her university, right?”
Se-a’s face turned red.
The university she attended was a local national university. She had gone there because they provided scholarships and dormitory fees. It was far from home.
Even in high school, she ranked first or second in her class, but she couldn’t compare to Seong-han, who had been ranked nationally.
“You flatter me.”
She lowered her eyes.
“It’s reassuring to have such an excellent teacher at our school. Please teach us well in the future, Teacher.”
Seong-han slowly lowered the hand she had not taken.
His lips curved softly as he looked at her slightly trembling hands.
“In that case, I’d like to ask you to guide me around the school.”
“Excuse me?”
She looked up.
“Before I start working, I should at least know where everything is. So I’d appreciate it if Teacher Han Se-a could show me around.”
At his words, Se-a’s face stiffened.
