Chapter 9

“Huh?”

“They say getting a divorce these days isn’t easy. You need to prepare meticulously or your life can be over with nothing left. You know Jiyeon, right?”

“Jiyeon? What about her?”

Jiyeon had been a fellow student in the Korea University psychology department.

They weren’t particularly close, so Ayeon only knew her by face.

“She married Hyunjin Sunbae, remember? But Hyunjin Sunbae…”

Heesoo went on to recount what she’d heard.

As she listened, Ayeon quietly gazed again at the couples around them.

Then a thought crossed her mind.

Was Jooheon really so different from these people?

And if he was different, how different could he be?

It wasn’t a thought she would have had normally.

She almost laughed at herself for how overly sensitive she had become over the fact that her husband had forgotten their anniversary just once, when she had always been the one to forget.

As she ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair, her phone rang.

The screen showed the same unknown number from Jooheon’s message yesterday.

It wasn’t his usual number.

“Is that Sunbae?”

Heesoo leaned in, eyes wide.

“Yeah.”

Ayeon answered with a faint smile.

“Checking to see if you’re eating lunch. He must be worried you’re skipping meals to work on your dissertation again. Jooheon Sunbae is unbelievable. Pick it up.”

“Yeah. Hold on.”

She stood up and stepped a little away from the table to take the call.

“Hey, honey.”

Sigh… Hearing your voice feels like it’s been a million years.

His gentle voice came through, tinged with a little fatigue.

“Did you change your phone?”

Yeah. Did you have lunch? You didn’t forget again because of your dissertation, did you?

She wanted to ask why he’d lost his old phone, but he quickly changed the subject.

“I’m having lunch with Heesoo right now.”

Really? Good. Eat something nice. Use my card.

She let out a faint, self-deprecating smile.

It felt like he still saw her as the Seon Ayeon from back then, the one who skipped meals or grabbed whatever she could because of circumstances.

“Where are you right now?”

Where else. The office.

“The office…”

Yeah. Why?

“I was just wondering if you’d be home late again today.”

No. I finished the urgent stuff yesterday so I should be able to leave on time today.

“I see.”

Yeah.

“Then I’ll see you at home later.”

Yeah. Just hearing your voice gives me energy. I missed you a lot. Even though it’s only been a day.

“Yeah… Okay.”

She laughed awkwardly.

See you later then.

“Okay.”

When the call ended, she slowly lowered her hand holding the phone.

She stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the clear blue sky.

His words about finishing work yesterday and leaving on time today echoed in her ears.

She still didn’t know where he’d actually worked last night, but hearing his usual voice calmed her a little.

If she was curious, she could just ask when they met.

Yes, Yoon Jooheon wasn’t like those people.

She glanced at the couples in the restaurant and thought there was no need to let strange feelings get to her.

* * *

“Sunbae, here.”

After parting ways with Heesoo, Ayeon returned to campus.

She had just finished her last lecture of the day and was leaving the department office when she ran into Sunwoo.

He asked if they could talk in the central courtyard for a bit, so she sat on a bench to wait. It wasn’t long before he appeared, holding out a mug.

With the sunset behind him, his smile was as warm and deep as the evening sky.

Unlike the other playful juniors, Jin Sunwoo had always been serious, even in his smiles.

He seemed even more composed now than before, and though that had felt unfamiliar at first, she was growing used to it.

The courtyard was quiet in the late afternoon.

The only thing around them were trees glowing softly in the dusk.

“Thanks. I was just thinking I wanted coffee.”

They shared a laugh about how only researchers would be drinking coffee at this hour, joking that neither of them could live without it.

“If you ever want coffee, drop by my lab. I’ll make you a really good cup.”

“You make your own? Hand drip?”

Her curious eyes turned toward him.

“Yeah. I like grinding the beans myself.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Grinding the beans is like my meditation time. It calms me. I picked up the habit while studying abroad.”

She imagined tall, broad-shouldered Jin Sunwoo carefully handling brewing equipment, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

She imagined how serious his expression would be while brewing and laughed again.

“That’s a surprisingly delicate hobby, Professor Jin.”

She teased him playfully.

He was a professor now, but to her he still felt like the junior she used to know.

“Hey, want to hear a secret about our school that’ll make all your effort feel pointless?”

“What is it?”

“The coffee at the Student Union Cafe is incredible.”

“Ha, seriously? Why would you tell me that now… Then what about my coffee?”

He gave her a mock pout.

She shut her eyes tight and laughed, enjoying teasing him.

“Since I got treated today, next time I’ll buy you that coffee.”

“You better keep that promise.”

He gave her a determined look.

“You think I’d break it?”

They laughed together.

“So, how’s my coffee?”

“Honestly, coffee all tastes pretty much the sa…”

She started to joke but saw his serious expression and waved her hands quickly.

“Okay, okay. It’s great. Better than the Student Union.”

He smiled quietly as he watched her.

“By the way, have you thought about it? The Mind said they could send over the proposal today if you agree.”

Once again, he brought up the book.

Ayeon sighed softly.

She hadn’t made up her mind yet.

“I’m still thinking. How long do I have to decide?”

“The sooner the better. But I was worried I pressured you too much yesterday. I really meant it for your sake… Do whatever feels right for you.”

She was just about to answer.

“Seon Ayeon!”

Someone called her name.

The voice was familiar.

She turned toward it.

Jooheon was standing there.

He was dressed in a sharp suit, holding a large bouquet of roses in both hands.

She handed her mug to Sunwoo.

He accepted it, watching her with a slightly bitter expression as he stood up too.

“What’s going on? You didn’t say you were coming.”

“I wanted to see you.”

He handed her the bouquet, then lowered her hand holding the flowers and pulled her into a tight hug before letting go.

A strange scent of perfume brushed the tip of her nose.

Had he changed his perfume?

Or was it the roses?

“Yesterday was our fifth anniversary. You were upset, right?”

Was that why she’d been feeling so strange all along? Because she’d felt hurt?

Looking at his face now, she felt the complicated emotions inside her slowly settle down.

She answered softly.

“It’s fine.”

“But who are you with…”

His gaze shifted past her.

That was when Sunwoo stepped forward and extended his hand.

“Sunbae.”

“Jin Sunwoo?”

Jooheon looked surprised, then awkwardly smiled and shook his hand.

“It’s been so long. Really.”

“Wow. Is it really Jin Sunwoo? You’ve changed a lot.”

Sunwoo smiled faintly and squeezed Jooheon’s hand firmly, looking down at him.

They were both tall, but Jooheon wasn’t quite as tall as Sunwoo.

“Wow, it really has been a long time. Weren’t you in the States? What brings you here?”

“I guess she didn’t tell you.”

Jooheon tilted his head toward Ayeon.

“I just hadn’t had a chance. You’ve been busy lately.”

“Oh. Right.”

He gave an awkward laugh.

“He’s our department’s newest and youngest professor. Jin Sunwoo.”

She ended her sentence with a warm smile.

“Ha, really?”

Hearing the word professor, Jooheon gave a big laugh but looked back at Sunwoo with a hint of irritation.

He didn’t like the way Sunwoo had returned, looking more confident than before.

And on top of that, now he was a professor.

“So it’s you.”

At Jooheon’s cryptic words, Sunwoo raised his eyebrows.