Chapter 04
Of all times.
Sea didn’t know what expression to make, so only her lips twitched slightly.
“Teacher Dongjun said you might be here,” Mokyeon said brightly. “He said we might run into you.”
“Oh… really?”
“Did you order coffee? If not, I’ll buy it.”
Dongjun said that and walked to the counter. Hyungyeong greeted him with a smile.
“You’re here. The usual?”
“Yeah. And the usual for her too. Iced Americano, two shots.”
As Dongjun glanced toward Sea while speaking, a different voice cut in.
“It’s already here.”
Seonghan interrupted him as he carried two cups from the counter to his table.
Dongjun’s face stiffened.
“Huh? Who—?”
“You don’t know? He’s the new Chairman,” Hyungyeong said excitedly. “Isn’t he handsome? He even bought my drink earlier.”
Dongjun quickly turned to Seonghan with startled eyes.
“Ah… the one who’s joining us.”
“Yes. Shin Seonghan.”
Seonghan sat with one leg crossed, looking up at Dongjun. His posture was clearly dominant.
Dongjun looked flustered for a moment. But soon, he hid it and let out a deep sneer.
“Oh. The one from that group. The one who doesn’t know anything about education and only studied management, right?”
Hyungyeong’s eyes widened. Sea straightened in surprise.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re planning to ‘manage’ our school using business methods. But I’m sorry—it won’t work the way you think. Education and business are different. Guiding students onto the right path isn’t the same as making money and filling chaebol pockets.”
Seonghan stared at him silently.
Then suddenly, he burst into laughter.
After a short cough, he stood up.
Dongjun wasn’t short, but when Seonghan rose, he was noticeably taller, his shoulders broader. He walked toward Dongjun with steady steps.
“Interesting.”
He gave a small nod.
“You’re full of a teacher’s sense of duty.”
“A teacher should think that way.”
Dongjun replied firmly, eyes sharp.
Seonghan nodded again.
“That’s good. Very good. But if you want to guide students onto the right path, shouldn’t the teacher walk the right path first? If someone rolls around in filth and keeps shouting at students to be righteous, who would listen?”
Dongjun’s brows tightened.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“I think you understand better than anyone.”
As he said that, Seonghan briefly glanced at Mokyeon’s face, then looked back at Dongjun.
“Anyway, I look forward to working with you. And it seems you think everyone who studies management is obsessed with money. Management is about people too. You should know what you’re talking about.”
With a faint smile, Seonghan picked up his coffee and turned away.
“Thank you for guiding me to the café. I’ll see you at the inauguration ceremony.”
Sea watched his back as he slowly walked out. Then she turned to Dongjun.
Dongjun was glaring fiercely at the door.
“People like him are why education is ruined. Some silver-spoon chaebol trying to lecture me. He’s probably been pampered his whole life.”
Sea looked at him with mixed feelings.
Then suddenly—
“Sniff…!”
The sound of crying.
It was Mokyeon.
She suddenly burst into tears like a child. Everyone stared at her in shock.
“I’m scared… I hate this kind of power struggle.”
She wiped her face with a napkin. Dongjun looked flustered.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Mokyeon. I shouldn’t have acted like that. I was being overly righteous. Please don’t cry.”
He gently patted her shoulder.
For some reason, that made Sea even more uncomfortable.
“…I should go too. Ms. Mokyeon, are you staying?”
Mokyeon quickly shook her head.
“No, let’s go together, Teacher!”
She clung to Sea’s arm.
For a moment, the image of Mokyeon with Dongjun earlier flashed in Sea’s mind. She wanted to shake her off—but barely held back.
“Yes, but I have hives on my arm. They might be contagious. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Mokyeon’s eyes widened, and she quickly let go.
“Oh? What kind of hives? Are they contagious?”
“They can be. I’m not sure.”
Sea clicked her heels as she walked away. She felt like steam was rising from her head, but she forced herself not to show it.
Inside Jungwoon Hotel’s Café Grace, Sea and Yeonsil sat facing each other in a corner.
“Those crazy bastards!”
Sea was expressionless, but Yeonsil shouted angrily across from her.
“People are staring.”
Sea tried to calm her.
“Hey, that’s not the issue! Forget other people—look at your own situation! Lee Dongjun, that pathetic jerk—what? With a junior teacher? Ugh! Just hearing it makes my blood boil. And you—!”
That day, Sea hadn’t said a single word to Dongjun.
She hadn’t asked what he was doing with Jin Mokyeon. Why they were hiding. Whether he had really kissed her forehead.
She should have said something—anything. But she was afraid.
So that weekend, she called her friend Yeonsil and told her everything.
“So what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean what? You should’ve dragged them both on the spot and slapped him first! Tell him not to live like that! Han Sea, you act strong on the outside, but inside you’re soft as tofu!”
Sea didn’t have many friends. Yeonsil was the only one who knew her past.
They met in college in the same class—a counseling course. It was required for Sea, but Yeonsil, who majored in business administration, took it because she needed credits.
Sea focused and took careful notes.
Yeonsil focused on playing online games.
Before the exam, Yeonsil asked to borrow Sea’s notes.
“You should’ve taken notes yourself.”
Sea ignored her and walked away.
Then, by coincidence, she ran into her stepbrother.
She remembered hearing that his girlfriend went to the same university.
He noticed her first and smiled—a smile he never showed at home.
Sea’s shoulders shrank. It was the first time she had seen him since leaving home.
The fear she had never fully shaken off returned.
As she stepped backward, she tripped and fell.
Yeonsil walked toward her.
“Are you okay?”
Seeing Sea trembling, Yeonsil looked at the man—Namseok—with a questioning expression.
“Long time no see. Eating well?”
Namseok smirked without offering a hand.
Sea stood up but didn’t answer. She hurried away—only to stumble again.
Yeonsil couldn’t just leave her.
“Who are you?”
Yeonsil stood in front of him.
“Me? I’m Sea’s brother.”
Namseok smiled again.
“Brother or whatever—she clearly doesn’t want to see you. So leave.”
Namseok stared in disbelief.
“What’s it to you?”
“I’m Sea’s friend. I’ve heard all about you. Stop bothering her and get lost!”
Sea was shocked.
She had never told anyone about her family.
Yet Yeonsil—who had only just asked to borrow her notes—was pretending to know everything.
“What? You told her? Why would you tell her!”
Namseok shouted and stepped toward Sea, lifting his foot as if to kick her.
Suddenly, Yeonsil screamed.
“Someone help! A man is hitting a woman!”
Students who had just finished class rushed over. Among them was Namseok’s girlfriend.
“Oppa, what are you doing here?”
With his girlfriend present, Namseok couldn’t say anything. He turned and left quickly, holding her hand.
Only then did Sea let out a long breath.
She realized Yeonsil was pulling her arm.
“Can you stand?”
Sea looked at her.
Just moments ago, she seemed like an empty-headed college student asking to borrow notes.
Now she didn’t.
She had stepped forward, called herself Sea’s friend, and protected her.
“Sniff…”
Why?
Sea had always been strong. No matter what happened at home, she told no one. She endured everything alone.
But that day—
She broke down for the first time.
Unable to stand, she burst into tears.
Yeonsil watched her helplessly for a moment, then sighed softly and sat beside her, patting her back.
That was how they became friends.
