[ At Professor Kwak’s Office ]

Professor acts as usual. Only me, I can’t be the same to him. Even his smile now is like a mocking smile to me. I feel more upset to see him can just do like nothing happens.

“So this is how most of LA people do daily. And…..” He was lecturing about American life.

I couldn’t stand with the continuing American topic. I slammed the table in anger.

“Professor, I’m so sick of your American topic. Are you mocking at me?” I asked directly.

Professor looked at me like an innocent. “This is a lesson. Your father told me to…” he was explaining.

I interrupted his speech. “It’s enough.” I shouted then threw my notebook to him.

He picked up my notebook then handed to me back. “You’re too moody. I’m just doing my job.” He said with his unchanging smiling face.

“You’re trying so hard to satisfy my father. You’re not different from many professors who are trying for position and money.” I insulted.

He gave a smirk. “Of course, who wouldn’t want a good position and raise of salary? I’m trying for it so please don’t get mad with my obligation.” He accepted my judgement.

I was disbelief with him. At the end, I chose to stop the fight. I packed my stuffs, intending to leave.

“Just like your father, he is scarifying you for more position and money.” He suddenly attacked me back.

I stopped packing and turned to him.

“But it’s not that bad. You’ll be a wife of that millionaire. I’m so happy for you.” He added more but somehow it sounds so insulting to me.

I lost my control. I raised my right hand and slapped the mocking professor.

*PANG*

“Don’t be too much! It’s not that you’re my professor, you can say whatever you want. It’s my life. Just do your job as a teacher. Don’t interfere with my life and I do hate this topic.” I seriously said to him.

Professor burst into a laughter all of a sudden while rubbing on the spot I slapped him earlier.

“I think I should tell my father to fire you. I can’t stand with you, Kwak Youngmin.” I scared him and firmly called him full name for the frist time.

He didn’t say anything. He just smiled at my word.

I felt so done with him. I grabbed my bag and was turning to leave.

Suddenly…

“Ahhhh!”

Professor grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his hug. Now our faces are so close and I can see he looks so mad as the smile totally disappeared from his face.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” I protested to leave his arms but my little power can’t even make him shake. He was looking at me meaner. I started to feel scared.

“Before you leave, you should pay for the slap first. Nobody has slapped me before, Eun Haeri.” He spoke up with very deep tone with calling my full name for the first time too then pulled me to his desk.

“Professor!”

He lifted me up to sit on his desk. “Omo!” I startled.

“Professor, what are you trying to do?” I asked in fear.

Professor started taking off his glasses for the first time then entered closer to me. I got lost with his action.

He wrapped his arm around my waist all of a sudden. “Professor…”

“Eun Haeri, you have feeling for me, right?” He suddenly asked that.

I widened my eyes, looking at him in shock.

“I have feeling for you. I know it’s a bit wrong between professor and student but I think I like you.” He confessed.

“Professor… you like me?” I was stuttering, asking.

“Yes I think I do. How about you?” He asked me back.

I turned my face from him. Yet he moved his face closer to me.

“I like you, Haeri. I’m sorry I don’t mean to hurt you. I was teasing you about that engagement. I’m not happy as you do. I’m just a simple professor. I know our gap is huge. You’re a daughter of the chairman of this school while I'm just a son of farmers. Actually I was having a hard time to make this confession.” He said.

I looked at him and I saw he was so sad. I felt a little bit calm down.

“You should have confessed to me properly. Why did you have to hurt me?... I want to go home now.” I pushed him on chest to make space. Then I dropped from his desk, grabbed my bag and was walking to leave.

“Hey you owe me the answer.” He shouted to me.

I tried to ignore and just left like that.
 

Professor Kwak finally confessed to me. I don’t get mad with his confession. Instead, I feel so much relieve and lost all upset I have for him since yesterday.

He kept texting me to give him answer. I can't help but to laugh at how impatient he is.

-----///------

From that day, Professor started to be very flirty with me. When we’re alone for our tutoring, he flirts me a lot. But I pretend not to care. I want to back. We made up a little.

One day, I got a fight with my father about how he keeps reminding me of that arranged engagement. I was very sad and I ran away from home for the first time. I didn’t go to school. I just went randomly inside the city. I turned off my phone for a whole day too.

Unexpectedly, Professor came to find me. He lured me to go back home but I tried to chase him away.

“Would you like to come to my place then? I can lend you a night. I’ll make you feel better.” He invited me.

I hesitated at first but then I decided to go as I don’t have a friend who can lend me a night to stay.