Joohyun stares at Sooyoung sternly through her wire-rimmed glasses.  Usually the glare is effective at intimidating every living creature. Except apparently her shameless research assistant.

 

 

“We were drunk,” Joohyun mutters in exasperation as she takes off her glasses and places them carefully on her spotless desk.  Her office is basically a storage closet so every centimeter of space needs to be used efficiently.

 

 

“A promise is still a promise, Professor Bae.  Plus volunteering is good for you.  I think I saw a study about it making you live longer or something.”

 

 

“Stick to Political Science.  I think you have a more promising future in that than medicine.”

 

 

Sooyoung rolls her eyes at the jab but remains resolute in her seat across from Joohyun.

 

 

“We just need one more person to fill in for a month.  Our normal volunteer is slammed with a work project but she’ll be done after a few weeks.  After that, you’ll never have to do it again!”

 

 

“I don’t exactly have a ton of free time either, you know.  I barely have time to do the monthly dinners for our department.”

 

 

“Professor Bae, please! It’s only an hour and a half on Thursdays.  We can even go together since I TA for your class that afternoon.”

 

 

Joohyun grumbles as she watches Sooyoung rise to get the electric kettle from its place on the shelf next to Joohyun’s skinny coat rack.

 

 

“Instant coffee for you?”

 

 

“Sure.”

 

 

Sooyoung quickly pours their respective drinks into mugs, smirking as Joohyun just looks up at her helplessly.

 

 

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

 

 

“Nope! Next time don’t drink so much at our dinners.  I may just try to get you to pay for everyone’s meal or something.”

 

 

Joohyun groans into her hands, avoiding the enumerable emails filling her inbox on her computer screen.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun stands apprehensively in front of the gates of the elementary school, rocking on her heels.  It’s a little chilly for fall and she forgot her scarf in the mad rush for the subway earlier that morning.  Folding up the collar of her stiff gray wool jacket, Joohyun hops from foot to foot as she waits for Sooyoung.  Of course, her TA would get caught up in something and make her arrive first, alone.

 

 

“Professor?”

 

 

Joohyun turns around curiously and sees a young woman at the gate.  She a little taller than Joohyun in a comfy-looking button-down tucked into black pants.  Her sleeves are rolled up to her elbows and Joohyun can see a misshapen flower in purple pastel crayon on her wrist.  The other woman seems to sense the pointed stare because she laughs, running an embarrassed hand through her slightly wavy shoulder-length hair.

 

 

“The kids got a little excited during art class today.”

 

 

Joohyun’s eyes widen nervously at the thought. 

 

 

“B-but they’re much calmer now! I promise they won’t draw on you.  Unless you ask.”

 

 

“You asked them to do that to you?”

 

 

The other woman bursts into laughter and Joohyun has to fight the smile threatening to spread across her face.

 

 

“One of my students wanted to show me her flower drawing technique but we didn’t have any more paper left.  I let her improvise.”

 

 

“It’s… a nice color.”

 

 

“Thanks.  I like it, too.”

 

 

They share a smile.

 

 

“Oh, and where are my manners?  My name is Kang Seulgi.  I’m the teacher who’s in charge of the tutoring program that Sooyoung-ssi helps out with on Thursdays.”

 

 

“It’s nice to meet you.  I’m Professor Bae Joohyun.”

 

 

“It’s nice to meet you, too.  Sooyoung-ssi spoke highly of you.  We’re lucky to have a professor from such a prestigious university coming to work with us for a few weeks.”

 

 

Joohyung feels her face warm at the compliment and she sticks her hands into her coat pockets.  It’s a little disarming how easily this Kang Seulgi is smiling and joking with her like they’re friends.  Where the hell is Sooyoung?   

 

 

“We can wait inside.  Sooyoung-ssi texted me she’d be a little late.  I can show you where our classroom is for the work you’ll be doing.”

 

 

Joohyun nods once before following behind Seulgi as they walk past the gates.  She watches as the other woman gives a cheerful wave at the guard at the front who returns the gesture with a broad smile.

 

 

“Hello!  This is Professor Bae.  She’s going to be volunteering with Sooyoung-ssi for the next few weeks.”

 

 

“Hello there.  I’ll try to remember her face to let her in when she comes next week.”

 

 

“Oh you’re not that old! You’ll be able to remember it!”

 

 

The two of them exchange chuckles like they’re in on an inside joke that goes way over Joohyun’s head.  She focuses instead on the slight flush of Seulgi’s cheeks and the way goosebumps stick out noticeably on her forearms.  Had she rushed out to get Joohyun as soon as she realized she was waiting outside?

 

 

“Well, let’s get inside then.”

 

 

Joohyun nods and they start off toward the clump of buildings opposite a large soccer field.

 

 

“Aren’t you cold?” Joohyun asks without thinking.

 

 

“Oh, I’m alright.  Sooyoung texted me you’d be waiting for me and I didn’t want you to be waiting for too long.  It can be scary waiting like that all by yourself.”

 

 

Joohyun wants to protest at the assumption.  She’s 30 years old after all.  But instead, she sees the sincerity shining in Seulgi’s eyes and keeps quiet. 

 

 

“That’s… very kind of you.”

 

 

“Not at all.  I’m glad I rushed out.  You seemed like you were freezing out there.”

 

 

“I was… fine.”

 

 

Seulgi laughs at the words, and Joohyun can’t help but admire the other woman’s easy smile.

 

 

“Okay right in here!”  Seulgi steps in front of Joohyun and quickly opens the door to the building for her. 

 

 

Immediately Joohyun is hit with a wave of warm air that has her reaching for her coat.  She neatly folds it over her arm and follows after Seulgi who determinedly strides into a classroom.  Joohyun feels a moment of nostalgia as she takes in the small desks lined up in two neat rows.  They’re shorter than she remembers, she thinks idly as she walks by one and brushes chilly fingers along the smooth wood. 

 

 

“Is this normally your classroom, Miss Kang?”

 

 

“Oh, yes it is!  That’s why it’s such a mess; we just finished the art class for today.”

 

 

Joohyun awkwardly stands off to the side and watches as Seulgi moves around the classroom, tidying up the cases of pastel crayons and errant papers on desks.  She tries to ignore the way her eyes linger on the flex of Seulgi’s arms or how nice her legs look when she knees down to pick up a few crayons under a desk.

 

 

“Oh, do you want to hang your coat?”

 

 

“Uh, sure.” 

 

 

Seulgi is suddenly right in front of Joohyun and she feels go dry.  Maybe she’s imagining it, but Seulgi also seems a little surprised at the proximity, bobbing a little as she swallows.  Joohyun hates how her eyes dart to the other woman’s mouth and god her lips look so soft-

 

 

“Sorry I’m late, Professor Bae!  Seulgi-sunbae, I’m so sorry!”

 

 

They jerk apart at the sound of Sooyoung’s voice. 

 

 

“It’s fine.  Miss Kang was kind enough to let me inside.  Thanks to her I didn’t freeze.”

 

 

Sooyoung smiles at the comment as she unwinds her cream-colored scarf from around her neck.

 

 

“Sunbae, do you need help photocopying the worksheets?”

 

 

“Sure, Sooyoung-ah, can you do pages 26 to 28?  I also marked it with a sticky note.”  Joohyun watches curiously as Seulgi hands off a workbook to Sooyoung and the RA scurries out of the room.

 

 

“Did you and Sooyoung go to the same school?”

 

 

“We actually went to the same university.  Different majors of course.  I was in the College of General Education and she was in the College of Social Sciences.”

 

 

“Oh?  You went to Sookmyung Women’s University, too?  What year did you graduate?”

 

 

“2017.”

 

 

“Hm.  That means I might have seen you around campus my last year before I graduated.”

 

 

Seulgi’s smile gets a little tight as she gives a half-hearted shrug.

 

 

“I was originally in the College of Fine Arts.  We wouldn’t have been that close on campus.”

 

 

“Weren’t the buildings in the same quad-”

 

 

“I’m back!  I got all the worksheets, Sunbae.”

 

 

“Great!” Seulgi exclaims as she rushes past Joohyun to grab the loose sheaves of papers from Sooyoung with gusto.  “Can you two staple these packets together? I’m going to go check on when the kids will be coming in.  I’d say you have about ten minutes!”

 

 

“Sure.”

 

 

Joohyun meets Seulgi’s eyes as she nods before the other woman rushes off.

 

 

“You didn’t tell me she went to the same school as us.”

 

 

Sooyoung shrugs as she grabs the stapler and sits at a desk that is comically too small for her long legs.  She shifts awkwardly until she settles for just stretching her legs straight out and slouching.

 

 

“Didn’t think it was that important.”

 

 

“How’d you meet her?  Your majors couldn’t have been more different.”

 

 

“We both were in a club together.  You know the one that does idol dance covers?  Seulgi-sunbae is an amazing dancer.  She can sing really well too.”

 

 

Joohyun hums as she tries to resist imagining what Seulgi looks like dancing on a stage with sweat trickling down her forehead and a big proud smile on her face.

 

 

“We actually had a year where we overlapped in school.  I’m surprised I never saw her.”

 

 

“A shame.  I think you’d have been a really cute CC.”

 

 

“Park Sooyoung,” Joohyun mutters tiredly.  The week before she’d started her job at Hanyang University as a fresh-faced Associate Professor, she’d had the misfortune of hitting on Park Sooyoung at a gay bar without knowing she would be her assigned research assistant.  Having one of her students knowing about her uality could have been disastrous for her burgeoning career as a professor but they’d managed to get through the awkwardness just fine.  She’d been lucky that all she’d gotten out of the affair were a few salacious winks and jokes when they were alone.

 

 

“It’s true.  I mean even though I attended our school years later, there was practically a portrait of you in your honor behind Professor Baek’s desk.  I think people still call you the Goddess of the Political Science Department even though you graduated years ago.”

 

 

“I don’t know how that’s possible considering I was practically a zombie running around campus to and from the library all the time.”

 

 

“Not even that can hide your beauty, Professor Bae.”

 

 

Joohyun scoffs as she finishes the last packet.  Pleased, Sooyoung flops down onto her desk, pillowing her face on her arms.

 

 

“Did you think she was pretty though?”

 

 

“Who?”

 

 

“Seulgi-sunbae.”

 

 

“W-what?”

 

 

Sooyoung’s mouth twists upward, pleased.

 

 

“You must really have thought she was something.  I’ve only seen you like this when Professor Jung got drunk at our department dinner and gave you a big hug.”

 

 

Joohyun splutters at the comment, ignoring how suddenly warm she feels.  Luckily, she’s saved from an irritated retort by the sound of giggling from the hallway.

 

 

“Okay, Professor Bae, you should stand near the front so Seulgi-sunbae can introduce you to the kids.” 

 

 

Joohyun nods, suddenly feeling more nervous than when she had to defend her dissertation.  She realizes she has her coat still folded over an arm and scrambles to drape it over the back of Seulgi’s desk chair before leaning too casually next to the blackboard.  Joohyun watches as a line of talkative kids trail behind Seulgi, giving her curious glances as they find their seats.

 

 

When they’re all seated, one little girl at the front with pigtails raises her hand.

 

 

“Yes, Soobin?”

 

 

“Miss Kang, where is Miss Son?”

 

 

Joohyun watches as Seulgi rubs the back of her neck with a smile.

 

 

“Well, Miss Son is really busy at work with a project.  But she promises that she’ll be back soon.  In the meantime, I wanted to introduce you to my newest helper.  This is Professor Bae from Hanyang University.  She teaches classes about international politics.”

 

 

Nearly all of the students’ hands shoot up at once.  Joohyun can see Seulgi mentally hit herself for using such a big word on seven-year-olds.

 

 

“International politics means… um… you know when you turn on the tv and sometimes you see the news?  With the people in suits who talk very seriously?  She teaches classes about the stuff they’re talking about.”

 

 

More than half the hands go down.  Seulgi meets Joohyun’s wide-eyed gaze with an apologetic smile.

 

 

“Yes, Yesung?”

 

 

“Professor Bae, what’s your favorite color?”

 

 

“Oh, it’s purple.” Joohyun smiles a little tightly as she thinks of sunset kisses in an empty classroom in Daegu, filled with naïve laughter and broken promises.

 

 

“Mine is green!  But that’s okay.”

 

 

“Professor Bae! Do you have a boyfriend?”

 

 

“No, I do not.  I’m focusing on work right now.  Too busy to be in a relationship.”

 

 

“Well, I have three boyfriends.”

 

 

“Well, you’re better at time-management than me.”

 

 

“Miss Kang, what’s time-management mean?”

 

 

“Okay,” Sooyoung interrupts from the back, waving around her thick stack of papers. “We’re going to be doing some writing practice today.  The prompt is ‘My favorite place.’  If you have any questions just raise your hand and me or Professor Bae will come by to help.”

 

 

Joohyun sighs with relief as she shifts her bag full of papers from her shoulder to her hand.  Maybe she’ll be able to get some grading in?

 

 

“You can sit at my desk if you like, Professor Bae.”

 

 

“My legs might actually fit under these desks, Miss Kang.  I can just sit in the empty row in the back with Sooyoung.”

 

 

“Okay.  I’ll try to make sure they don’t bother you too much.”

 

 

Joohyun just shrugs as she walks around the desks to the back, ignoring how all the students turn around to follow her.

 

 

“She’s so pretty,” Joohyun hears someone whisper.

 

 

When she settles into her seat next to Sooyoung, she arches an eyebrow at the stack of papers in front of the other woman.

 

 

“Is this where you do the grading for my class?”

 

 

“Yep.”

 

 

“Is that why sometimes I see crayon smudges on papers?”

 

 

Sooyoung looks up from her work and shrugs.

 

 

“Probably.  It’s also why I have all those cute stamps.  Seulgi-sunbae has the best stamp collection for grading.”

 

 

Joohyun nearly scoffs until she sees Seulgi standing at the front of the classroom, smiling serenely at the students busily scribbling their answers to the prompt.  A few times she catches students looking up at her and exchanging smiles.  It’s… cute.  The thought of Joohyun doing the same thing with her students makes her feel nauseous.

 

 

“Professor Bae, I have a question!”

 

 

Joohyun rises easily and stands next to a small girl sitting in the front row.

 

 

“Yes?”

 

 

“How do you spell recipe?”

 

 

“Can I see your pencil?”

 

 

The little girl hands the slim mechanical pencil over.  Joohyun kneels next to her and carefully sketches out the characters neatly at the top of the paper.

 

 

“Can you read this for me?”

 

 

“Re…cipe.”

 

 

“Mmhmm, good job.”

 

 

The student nods and with her tongue peeking out from the corner of , continues to complete her work.

 

 

“Professor Bae?”

 

 

Joohyun chuckles a little under her breath and tries to ignore the warmth of Seulgi’s gaze as she hurries over to her next student.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

“I think that went well,” Sooyoung comments to Joohyun as the kids start to pack up for their last afternoon class.  They’re standing in the back, watching as all the kids make a point to stop by Seulgi’s desk and say something to her.  Joohyun observes how Seulgi makes sure to give each child a big smile and an encouraging high five or thumbs up.  Finally, the classroom is empty and Seulgi rises from her spot at the front.

 

 

“Thanks again for being such a big help today.  Do you need me to sign off on anything for proof of your community service?”

 

 

“Only at the end of the month, Sunbae.”

 

 

“Sorry, I always forget.”

 

 

Seulgi turns to meet Joohyun’s eyes.

 

 

“Thanks for coming today and covering for Seungwan.  Hopefully, you two can meet in the future if you decide to keep coming.”

 

 

“Another Sookmyung Women’s University grad?”

 

 

“No, actually she went to university in the U.S.  She works at an international firm based in Singapore but she’s working her way up at the branch in Seoul.”

 

 

“Usually she’ll take us out to dinner once a month.  Last time we had barbeque,” Sooyoung chimes in as she finishes packing her bag full of papers.

 

 

“Maybe I’ll join you guys next time.”

 

 

It’s almost annoying how as soon as Seulgi smiles, Joohyun’s finds her own mouth following suit.

 

 

“Oh, Professor Bae, would it be alright if I use the restroom before we go?”

 

 

“Sure, should I wait here or?”

 

 

“I can walk her to the front, Sooyoung-ah,” Seulgi volunteers nonchalantly.  Sooyoung throws a smirk Joohyun’s way before jogging out of the classroom.

 

 

Joohyun pauses before facing Seulgi.

 

 

“It’s different from teaching a lecture hall full of undergrads.”

 

 

“Oh?”

 

 

“These kids seem like they actually want to be here.”

 

 

“That’s why I chose to teach elementary school.  They seem to want to learn as much as I want to teach.”

 

 

Joohyun laughs, trying to cover the sound a little with the sleeve of her sweater.  When she looks up, she sees Seulgi just looking at her slack-jawed.

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“O-oh it’s nothing, it’s just.  I remembered something.”

 

 

“Hm?” 

 

 

Seulgi offers Joohyun’s coat back to her, waiting patiently as she slips her arms through the thick woolen sleeves.

 

 

“Did you used to study on the third floor of the library a lot? Near the nook by the periodicals?”

 

 

“I think so.  It’s been a while though so I could be wrong.”

 

 

“I think,” Seulgi mutters as she opens the classroom door for Joohyun, “that I may have seen you a few times studying there.”

 

 

Joohyun pauses, turning so that their fronts are almost brushing in the doorway.  It should be annoying how pretty Seulgi is even up close.

 

 

“Oh?  Were you secretly admiring me from afar?”

 

 

As soon as the words escape from Joohyun wants to curl up into a ball and swear at Sooyoung for being a terrible influence.  But the resulting blush that immediately turns Seulgi’s face bright red makes her change her mind.  The other woman glances away, swallowing loudly.

 

 

“I-I was… well I mean you were famous! You were the Goddess of the Political Science Department.”

 

 

“Did I meet your expectations?”

 

 

Seulgi turns back to look at her and it’s Joohyun’s turn to blush.

 

 

“You surpassed them.”

 

 

Before she has time to process just how stupidly close Seulgi’s face is to hers, the other woman steps out of the doorway and slowly starts heading down the hallway.  Exhaling slowly, Joohyun shoulders her bag and follows.  She stares at Seulgi’s back, eyes lingering on the slope of the other woman’s shoulders and her waist.

 

 

“I look forward to seeing you again next week,” Seulgi says in front of the main doors of the building. 

 

 

“Me too, Miss Kang.”

 

 

“You can… you can call me Seulgi when the students aren’t here.”

 

 

“Seulgi-ssi.”

 

 

Their eyes meet and oh Joohyun hasn’t felt this pull in her chest in such a long time.

 

 

“Until next week, Professor Bae.”

 

 

Joohyun’s lips curl upward.

 

 

“See you soon, Seulgi-ssi.”