~Chapter song: ‘FIRE WATER’ CODE KUNST ft G.Soul and Tablo~

They had been silent for the past fifteen minutes, and for someone who wanted to talk, Go-Ara was short on words. Perhaps they were both equally trying to gather their thoughts and feelings into something remotely coherent.

“End it before I get involved”

“Stay out of it”

“Yah Yoo Seung-Ho!” Go-Ara now raising her voice "I'm saying this because I care for you! What's wrong with you?"

“Noona!” He replied equally raising his own “Did you have to do this? Can you stop. I know! I know! This isn’t right I know it, but can you stop trying so hard to be my real sister.”

Silence.

“What did you just say?”

“I think it’s time that you stop using me to get to Hyeong" Seung-Ho scoffed "When did you really even care for me? Do you think I still like you, because I let you stay around me? Don’t get it twisted, it seems like you don’t know what I look like when I’m not in love with you… So, listen to my words very clearly." Stop it Seung-Ho-yah 

"I don’t like you anymore and staying close to me won’t make Ji-Sub Hyeong notice you any more than he doesn’t now. So don't try an act like you've always had my best interests in mind when all you wanted was to look good for hyeong” He knows his words were like burns to her and he didn't even know where they were coming from, but he couldn’t control himself, his whole heart was on fire and someone else needed to hurt too.

“Screw you” she sneered “You think I’m doing this for Ji-Sub Oppa? Yah, how about you don’t get it twisted. You’re a lecturer, a damn professional, what do you think you’re doing running around gallivanting with one of your students?! What would your parents say?”

“I know you like to play the ‘this isn’t where I belong’ card but you are Yoo Seung-Ho. You belong to the Yoo Elites and don’t you dare forget it. Don’t even think about dragging your family, my family and most importantly our University down for the sake of a short time thing”. She scoffed “I wonder what tricks she used to lure-”

“Don’t speak about her like that” he warned, eyes now ice cold.

Go-Ara scoffed again “Don’t tell me you honestly like her?” She let out a small laugh “You can’t be serious. Yah Yoo Seung-Ho! You must have really lost your mind. In case you’ve forgotten you’re the next in line to oversee the University, what do you think will happen when news gets out that the principal had a scandal with one of his students?”

Silence.

“Did you even think before you started this?” Her voice no longer loud “Of course you didn’t, if you did you wouldn’t have been so stupid to have done it”

“Noona-”

“End if before your parents find out. I’ll give you a week- no, I’ll give you three days to come back to your senses”

“Noona”

“This is me helping you, Seung-Ho-yah” she said, eyes filled with concern, before letting herself out of his apartment. The slamming of the door resounding in Seung-Ho’s ears.

That same day

Go-Ara watched from the inside of her car, waiting for a chance to see So-Hyun come out of her house. When she had found out from the University's student log that So-Hyun lived opposite Seung-Ho's she laughed at how ridiclous this whole situation was. It had been three hours since she had spoken to Seung-Ho and her anger was still boiling, the more she thought about his words the more she wanted to go back inside and give him a piece of her mind.  She rested her hands on the steering wheel, ready to leave doubting So-Hyun was even home in the first place. As she slowly pulled away she saw So-Hyun walking up with what looked like groceries. She immediately stopped the car and wound her window down.

“Kim So-Hyun haksaeng!” she called from across the road

“Go... Ara Seonsaengnim?” So-Hyun questioned, a little flustered.

“Ah are you doing some shopping?” she asked, not really caring “Would you like to go for a coffee with me? I heard that there’s nice café around here” So-Hyun who was now very flustered looked at her professor with confusion.

“But Seonsaengnim… Why? We’ve never spoken before, so this is a little...?” Awkward.

Go-Ara laughed “There’s nothing wrong with having a drink with one of my student is there?” She asked now taking the bags from So-Hyun’s hands and helping her carry them.

I guess not… she thought and obediently followed her Professor.  When they got to the café it wasn’t busy at all, which was expected considering it was a small neighbourhood one. So-Hyun watched as her professor suddenly threw her groceries to the side, her facial expression now darkening. “Seonsaengnim…?”

“How did you find out about professor Seung-Ho’s status?” 

“Pardon?”

“Did he tell you himself, or did you do some secretive work?” She asked “Well, I guess kids these days are scary... They can do anything to get what they want”

“Seonsaengnim, w-what are you talking about?”

“Don’t play the innocent card with me, I know all about you and your secret endeavours with professor Seung-Ho” she said eyes fixed on So-Hyun who now had opened as if to say she was surprised. “What? Are you surprised? Save me the act.”

“S-seonsaengnim I-”

“Did you approach him knowing that he was going to take over the University later?” What? So-Hyun’s heart sank, and eyes widened, trying to compute what she had just heard.

"T-take over? Seonsaengnim what do you mean? I, I didn’t-“So-Hyun started to fumble over her words. Speak properly So-Hyun-ah! “I didn’t know anything about that… Seonsaengnim is going to take over the University? When? How?”

“So, you’re telling me you approached him, knowing absolutely nothing about his status?” Go-Ara asked not believing a word.

“Seonsaengnim” So-Hyun said, finding her voice a little not liking what her professor was insinuating “I… Yoo Seung-Ho Seonsaengnim approached me first” It takes two to tango So-Hyun-ah, who approached who, what difference would it even make?

“Let’s say that is the case” Go-Ara still not fully convinced “Can you even say that you love him” Go-Ara asked, eyes fiercely gazing at So-Hyun, her lips slightly forming into a smirk.

Silence.

“Do you even know what love is?” She asked, changing her question around.

Silence.

Go-Ara scoffed, “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” She had been trying to hold her irritation in from hearing Seung-Ho insult her, but with So-Hyun playing mute, she’d just about had it today. “Okay fine, how about I speak to you as your teacher - no, woman to woman, and give you a little word of advice. Love isn’t love until you give it away Kim So-Hyun haksaeng. Whatever you have growing in your heart or whatever it is you think you have going on with professor Seung-Ho, you should let it go”

So-Hyun had been trying to gather her thoughts this whole time, with the words of professor Go-Ara stuck on repeat in her head. There were things that she wanted to say, but they weren’t words meant for Go-Ara seonsaengnim, they were for Seung-Ho. Could what she had with Seung-Ho really be love? The more she thought about it, she couldn’t find any other words to describe