A Terrible Senior - Chapter 2

2023.01.06.

March, the start of a new semester.

Just walking around campus made Sarang’s heart race, and everything she saw felt fresh and exciting. She could finally believe it—she was a college student. Even the dark clouds filling the sky seemed beautiful, reflecting her buoyant mood. She felt like she could laugh it off even if she tripped along the way.

With an excited heart, Sarang stepped into the classroom. Her first class? “Love and Marriage.” Since her biggest goal as a college student was to find a boyfriend, this elective was a must for her.

I’ll study hard and make sure I find love soon!

She could already feel a giddy excitement, almost like she already had a boyfriend, and her smile wouldn’t leave her face.
Soon, a gust of wind blew as someone hurriedly took the seat beside her, arriving just as the professor entered. She figured he was probably a freshman who’d struggled to find the room. Sarang glanced over, and her breath caught.

It was him.

The guy who’d handed her a blanket at freshman orientation—the guy she’d fallen for at first sight in her twenty years.
She blinked, wondering if this was a dream, but he didn’t seem to recognize her, not even glancing her way. As she watched, the class began.

The professor introduced himself briefly and explained what they’d be covering over the semester.

“Everyone signed up for ‘Love and Marriage’ knowingly, right?”

“Yes!”

The room echoed with enthusiastic responses. As it was the first class, excitement was evident on everyone’s faces—except for the guy next to Sarang, who seemed somewhat indifferent.

“Is everyone dating?”

The room burst into laughter with a mix of “Yes” and “No” answers.

“By the end of the semester, shouldn’t we all be in real relationships? After all, this class is called ‘Love and Marriage.’ If there’s no change, you might need to retake it. Am I right?”

The professor wrote his email on the board and continued.

“There’s only one way to get an A+ without taking exams in this class.”

The students’ eyes lit up, more attentive than ever, as they took note of the professor’s email.

“Just send me your wedding invitation. If you get married, you’ve learned everything you need to know. Simple, right?”
The collective sigh from the students made it clear that no one expected to earn an A+ that way.

“Don’t give up yet! Haven’t you heard? This class is rumored to be a matchmaker’s haven. Even if you only complete the assignments, love is bound to blossom. So, keep an eye out!”
Sarang nodded along, fully trusting the professor’s words.
I’ll work hard on the assignments, so please send me a boyfriend, she thought, praying with hands clasped as she sneaked glances at the guy beside her, who still looked uninterested.

“Alright, since today’s the first day, we’ll start lessons next time,” the professor announced, prompting applause and cheers.
“There are quite a few assignments. You’ll need a partner for them—whether they’re of the same or opposite gender doesn’t matter, as long as there are two people. Find someone you want to work with and write down your names. If you’re unable to find someone, come see me, and I’ll act as your matchmaker. If there’s anyone here you’re interested in, come see me quietly. This could be a great opportunity, right?”

Students around her murmured excitedly, with some quickly scanning the room to find a partner.
“That’s it for today.”
Those who attended with friends paired up and submitted their names, while those alone approached the professor. Sarang felt unsure of what to do. She’d met this guy before, but starting a conversation felt awkward. She decided to let fate decide and was about to stand when the guy beside her spoke.

“Are you taking this class alone?”

“What?”

Startled, Sarang flinched slightly.

“If you’re alone, let’s partner up.”

“With me?”

Could he remember me?

He spoke as if they were already familiar, leaving Sarang flustered.

“I don’t know anyone here.”

Noticing she still hadn’t responded, he frowned slightly.

“Don’t you remember me?”

He looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe she might have forgotten him, the guy who had even offered her a blanket. Sarang hurried to respond.

“I remember. Of course, I remember.”

How could she forget his face? Since that day, he’d been etched into her mind.

She had often thought, Would I see him again once school started? She had thought about him day after day.

“So you remember, but you don’t want to partner up?”

As if ready to look for someone else, he glanced around. Sarang quickly blurted out.

“No! I want to partner with you, senior.”

Her tone sounded desperate, almost as if she was afraid he’d disappear. Perhaps she, too, was lost without any familiar faces in the class.

The guy, without showing much emotion, wrote his name on the paper and asked,
“Your major and name?”

“Electrical Engineering, Lee Sarang,” she replied.
His hand hesitated momentarily. Sarang held her breath, worried he might change his mind. But soon enough, he resumed writing.

“Take it to the professor.”

Sarang accepted the paper with a barely suppressed smile. Computer Science, second-year, Ji Do-han; Electrical Engineering, first-year, Lee Sarang. So his name was Ji Do-han. She’d heard people call him “Ji-dok-han” (meaning “relentless”), and now it made sense. Even his hurried handwriting looked stylish, reminding her of him. She was so taken with it that she wished she could keep it instead of handing it in.

Clouds had gathered all day, and now, rain began to fall. Sarang, who’d just stepped out of the lecture hall, took her umbrella from her bag, but Do-han only stood beside her, staring out at the rain.

“Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

“They said it would rain in the afternoon,” he replied.
Do-han only had morning classes, so he hadn’t bothered to bring one. As he scowled at the inaccurate weather forecast, Sarang cautiously spoke up.

“Where’s your next class?”

“Engineering building.”

“Then, would you like to share mine? I have a class there too.”
Watching the pouring rain, Do-han nodded reluctantly.

“Sure.”

Sarang’s heart skipped a beat, and her hands trembled slightly as she opened her umbrella. Halfway through, she hesitated and finally asked,
“Um…”
Do-han looked at her with a questioning expression.

“Do you… have a girlfriend?”

“What?”

He sounded surprised, and Sarang hesitated before continuing.
“If you do, maybe it’s not appropriate to share an umbrella…”
She recalled hearing his friend mention a girl’s name while talking to him. If he really had a girlfriend, she might even be a student at their school. Someone could see them sharing an umbrella and tell her. Even if it seemed silly, Sarang wanted to know.

But what if he did have a girlfriend? As her mind raced, he replied,
“If I did, does that mean I can’t share an umbrella with a junior?”

“Well, it’s not forbidden, but if my boyfriend were to share an umbrella with a female junior, I’d feel uncomfortable.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t you feel the same?”

“No, not really. Whether my girlfriend shared an umbrella, had lunch alone, or went out for drinks with someone, it wouldn’t bother me.”

“Oh… I see.”

Sarang’s cheeks burned as she realized how silly her question was. Fortunately, he ended her embarrassment with a direct response.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter; his girlfriend wouldn’t care who he shared an umbrella with. There was always an invisible boundary in his relationships, and only those who accepted it could date him. Anyone who’d get jealous over something like sharing an umbrella would never be able to handle dating him.
Still, Sarang’s bold question had made him open up honestly. There was something about her youthful innocence that made it difficult for him to lie.

“Alright, then let’s go,” she said, her face flushing as she finally opened the umbrella fully.

She was self-conscious, wondering if she was naive or simply foolish, just as her friend Ji-woo had teased. Because of their height difference, she stretched her arm up to tilt the umbrella towards him, but he took it from her.

“Thank you.”

“It’s your umbrella. I should be the one thanking you.”
To Sarang, it didn’t matter whose umbrella it was. She was just happy to be walking under it with him, especially knowing he didn’t have a girlfriend. But the umbrella was a little too small for both of them, and she noticed Do-han’s shoulder getting wet as he leaned to one side to shield her. Wanting him to stay dry, she moved a bit closer.

Do-han, assuming she didn’t want her bag to get wet, offered to carry it for her. Startled, Sarang looked up at him, touched by his kindness.

“Thank you.”

He seemed a little embarrassed by her repeated thanks and just looked ahead. Noticing his serious expression relax slightly, Sarang smiled to herself.

“How old are you, senior?” she asked, trying to break the awkward silence between them, accompanied only by the sound of rain.

If he was a sophomore, he was likely twenty-one, but if he’d returned from military service, he might be twenty-three. Yet he looked even more mature than that.

“Twenty-six.”

“Twenty-six?”

Curious about how he could be a second-year at that age, Sarang didn’t press further, sensing there was a story she shouldn’t pry into. His cool, distant demeanor suggested he wasn’t someone who shared details easily.

Although he answered her questions, his responses were always curt. And yet, perhaps because of her instant attraction to him, Sarang found even this cold side of him appealing. Every little thing about him, even his age, seemed charming. Twenty-one might have made him seem cocky, but twenty-six gave him an air of calm confidence.

When Sarang fell silent, Do-han broke it himself.

“You put on makeup today.”

Despite the windy, rainy weather, Sarang felt a burning warmth on her left cheek where she sensed his gaze.

“Does it look too overdone?”

She recalled him once saying that freshmen who awkwardly tried to look mature often looked more outdated. Covering her face, she regretted letting Ji-woo put makeup on her that morning.
“No, but you look prettier without it.”

Sarang was grateful he was holding the umbrella. If it were in her hand, she would have surely dropped it. She was taken aback by how casually he’d paid her that compliment. Somehow, the way he said “pretty” without sounding like he meant it only made her heart race faster.

Luckily, the rain muffled the sound of her pounding heart. Before she knew it, they were at the engineering building. Do-han folded the umbrella and handed it back to her.

“Thanks.”

“Yes. Have a good day.”

Sarang watched his retreating figure until he was out of sight.
A six-year age gap. How did he see her? As a junior, a freshman, or something else? Whatever the case, she hoped he would at least see her as a woman.