~Chapter song: Bernard Park 'Dirt'~

 “Seonsaengnim, this is it right?” she spoke softly into his chest

“This is what?” he asked

“The risks attached” she whispered.

“Maybe” He replied honestly.

So-Hyun lifted her head off his chest to look at her Professor. She hadn’t taken the time to look at him during their previous encounters, because she’d always felt the need to avoid looking at him too long but looking at him now she didn’t know what she had been so shy of. In her eyes he looked like a teddy bear.

 What is this? This feeling in my stomach?

She couldn’t stop it, this warm and fuzzy feeling that was growing inside. Her original plan was to let Professor Seung-Ho see how boring she is and hoped that he’d leave her alone, but what is this? Why does she feel like she’s set herself in for a trap? Her mind was telling her to abort this plan, but why were her hands still holding him and why was she liking it. She can’t be doing this, she shouldn’t be doing this. She searches his eyes for confirmation that he might be having the same thoughts as her, but his eyes weren’t wavering. They were fixed on hers. 

“So-Hyun-ah” He whispered

“Seonsaengnim”

“So-Hyun-ah” He whispered again. “I like calling your name like this. Not So-Hyun haksaeng or So-Hyun-ssi, but So-Hyun-ah” he added shyly.

“S-seonsaengnim… Are you always this cheesy?” she asked with genuine curiosity, breaking the mood.

“Only with you” He grinned “Do you want to watch a movie with me?”

She checked the time on the clock behind him and saw that it was already 10:30pm. Where did the time go?

“Seonsaengnim, you have a class to teach tomorrow which I have to attend” She reminded him “I think you should rest and teach properly”

“Are you worrying about me?” He asked with a smile

“No, I’m worrying about myself. If you don’t teach properly then what am I to do?” she said breaking away from his embrace not noticing his faded smile.

“Okay, I’ll walk you to the door” 

~Ding Dong~

They both froze at the sound of the doorbell.

So-Hyun looked up at Professor Seung-Ho and mouthed whether he was expecting someone.

~Ding Dong~

“Where’s the toilet, I need to hide” She said in panic.

“Why do you need to hide?” He asked upset

~Ding Dong~

“Seonsaengnim” she gestured between the two of them “Does this look like a normal situation to you?”

He sighed and reluctantly took her to the bathroom under the staircase, but he didn’t like the sound of it locking. “I’m coming” He called as he ran towards the front door.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see… “Go-Ara Seonsaengnim?”

“Yah what’s with the Seonsaengnim? Since when? What happened to Noona?” She teased as she held him in a choke-hold. “Why did you take so long to open the door?”

“A-ah… Noona what are you doing here?”

Noona? Seonsaengnim? So-Hyun pondered as she sat on the toilet worried.

“I brought beer, let’s watch a movie” she lifted the bag in her hands filled with beer and snacks. “You said you were going to have a housewarming party, did I miss the invite, or did you not have one?” She questioned making her way through the house as if she’d been there before. 

Seung-Ho followed her hurriedly, but not without looking at the bathroom door with So-Hyun inside.

“Noona you should have told me you were coming”

“Since when did I tell you that” She smirked “But I did this time, I sent you a message ages ago” she continued walking into the kitchen and inspecting his house “Nice house”.

“Thanks”

Seung-Ho didn’t know what to do, if he could he would’ve introduced So-Hyun, but he knew he couldn’t. Not only because she’d be uncomfortable, but because he knew they shouldn’t be together like this.

“Seung-Ho-yah, I asked what movie you would like to watch?”

“Ah, w-well anything you want” He replied half-heartedly

Anything you want?! Seonsaengnim I want to go home! So-Hyun placed her ear against the door to get a closer listen to their conversation.

“Yah… What’s wrong with you today? You’re not happy that I was transferred to the same University as you?” she asked with a smile

“Noona, that’s not it…” It’s just that I’m kind of dating one of my students and she’s locked inside my bathroom right now, so could you leave?... “Let me give you a tour, I’ll show you upstairs first” He suggested with a smile.

“Finally!” she laughed.  

As she was climbing the stairs Seung-Ho took another glance at the door So-Hyun was behind.

“Noona, keep going all the way to the second floor I’ll just bring you something to drink” He offered with a nervous smile. She responded with a questioning look but proceeded to go up to the second flight of stairs. Seung-Ho slowly descended and rushed to the bathroom door giving it a light knock.

“Come out” He said quietly.

So-Hyun opened the door and pierced her head through the door with nervous eyes. She carefully stepped out and ran past Seung-Ho to grab her phone then ran straight to the door to put her shoes on without taking notice of Seung-Ho who was still by the bathroom door looking deflated. Once her shoes were on she glanced up the staircase out of nervousness and then to her Professor. She gave a small bow with a little smile before quietly opening the door and making her way across the road.

Seung-Ho gave a deep sigh.

“Seung-Ho-yah, where’s my drink?”

“A-ah I’m coming!”

When So-Hyun got home she went straight to her room and got ready for bed. As she sat on her bed she wasn’t sure of what to feel, on one hand she felt relieved, but on the other she was a little disappointed. She’d always thought if she were to ever date she’d be able to it normally, but then again, she’d never thought she’d ever be dating her Professor. When So-Hyun was younger there were two types of guys she swore never to date; Chaebols* and younger men. Ah I should have added Professors to the list.

She didn’t know what the woman looked like, but she had a very y voice, like it had been fine tuned with regular wine drinking. "Seonsaengnim? Does she teach at our University?" The sound of her Kakao notification broke her out of her thoughts. 

Professor Seung-Ho:

> I’m sorry you had to leave like that… I really wasn’t expecting anyone…

> Also, don’t misunderstand, that person earlier is a Noona I’ve known since high school

> Sleep well

She smiled at the message

So-Hyun:

> Seonsaengnim – I’m not the jealous type.