A Terrible Senior - Chapter 5

“I want to get closer to you, senior. To be honest, I thought about calling earlier when you didn’t show up, but I was worried you’d find it annoying. And during class, I could tell you were tired from drinking late, so I wasn’t sure if I should wake you up. You might think I was being selfish, but it wasn’t about trying to get a good grade by myself. It’s just that… since you’re my senior, I’m not sure how close I should try to be.
This is all new to me—being close with a senior.”

She was speaking on impulse, barely aware of what she was saying. All she knew was that she wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.

“And… I’ve never thought of you as ‘relentless.’ You’ve always been kind to me…”

Sarang closed her eyes tightly, biting her lip. She didn’t know how to wrap this up and regretted saying anything in the first place. Did she really need to be this honest? Regret filled her.
Listening quietly, Do-han raised an eyebrow slightly. His teasing words had only been in jest, but her serious, almost tearful expression made him feel a pang of guilt. He found himself captivated by her, her flushed cheeks and the way she defended herself with such earnestness. Silently cursing himself, he narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t remember doing anything particularly nice for you.”
Sarang lifted her head suddenly, looking at him.

“Well, you gave me a blanket at orientation, and you bought me coffee just now.”

“That counts as being nice?”

“Well, maybe it doesn’t to you, senior.”

She realized that what she saw as special could easily just be casual gestures of kindness from his perspective.

“Actually… it is kind of special,” he murmured thoughtfully.
“Sorry?” she asked, blinking in surprise.

After thinking for a moment, he explained, “It’s the first time I’ve bought coffee for a female junior.”

Sarang’s eyes widened. Even though it was probably just a casual remark, her heart began to pound.

“You’re also the only female junior whose number I have.”
Do-han watched her stunned expression and smiled slightly, and she found herself mesmerized by his smile. He stood up.

“Let’s get going, my ‘special freshman.’”

As his smile widened, her legs felt weak. One moment, he was calling her selfish, and now here he was, dazzling her with his smile up close. She could hardly breathe, and his heart-stopping smile felt like cheating.

A week later, Sarang stared at her phone, sighing for the tenth time. She was supposed to give Do-han his morning call, but her hands were shaking. What had possessed her to offer this? It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she realized she must have been out of her mind. She waited until Ji-woo went to the bathroom, figuring it would be easier to call without her around.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she finally pressed the call button. The phone rang several times before he picked up.
“Hello?” she said tentatively.

Silence.

“Um, it’s morning,” she said.

More silence.

“It’s time to get up. Hello?”

Even though she wasn’t seeing him in person, she was already sweating nervously. Finally, a drowsy voice broke the silence.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

With that brief response, the call ended. Sarang felt a twinge of anxiety. From his voice, it didn’t seem like he was really going to get up. Determined to make sure he was awake, she dialed him again. After another long pause, he picked up.

“Are you up?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think so. Are you still lying down? Your eyes are still closed, aren’t they?”

“Are you a mind reader?”

His voice, laced with a sleepy chuckle, sent a wave of heat through her. His usual calm, deep tone was captivating, but hearing it in his drowsy, intimate way made it feel like he was whispering just to her. She shivered slightly, overwhelmed by the sound of his breathing as if he were lying right next to her.

Realizing where her thoughts were heading, she shook her head firmly. If she didn’t pull herself together, she might end up blurting out a confession. His voice in the early morning was dangerously enchanting.

“Hurry and get up, or you’ll be late,” she said firmly.

“Alright.”

“…Are you up?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on! Get up already!” she snapped, letting her frustration slip out.

He laughed softly.

“This morning call is nice. See you in class.”

The call ended just as Ji-woo returned from the bathroom.

“What’s with all the noise? Are you having an argument?”

Ji-woo muttered in confusion, but Sarang simply shook her head, pretending nothing had happened. Inwardly, she sighed. She’d wanted to wake him with a sweet, cheerful voice but ended up sounding more like a woodpecker. She couldn’t help but feel he only got up because she’d annoyed him awake.

Sarang left her apartment a bit earlier than usual, arriving at the lecture hall to take a seat in the back. Though she’d given him a morning call, she still wasn’t sure if Do-han would actually show up. As she checked the time on her phone, someone took the seat beside her.

The strong smell of perfume told her it wasn’t him. Turning her head, she saw a girl who gave her a friendly smile.

“Hi. I have a favor to ask.”

“To me?” Sarang asked, surprised.

The girl, who looked to be a senior, had quickly guessed Sarang was a freshman and casually dropped the formalities. Though Sarang was taken aback, she felt obligated to listen.

“Have you done the assignment yet?”

Was she planning to copy her report? Expecting that, Sarang shook her head.

“No, not yet.”

“Oh, good!” The girl looked visibly relieved, as though she’d been worried Sarang might have finished it.

Sarang couldn’t quite guess the woman’s intentions.

“I actually asked the professor if I could be in the same group as Do-han oppa. But he said oppa was already assigned to someone else.”

Even after hearing this, Sarang wasn’t sure where the conversation was going, so she stayed quiet and listened.

“So… would you mind switching partners with me?”

“What?”

“I begged the professor, and he told me he’d consider it if Do-han oppa agreed to switch partners. So could you ask him if he’d be okay with the change? I’ll make it worth your while.”

Was this really how she was asking for a favor? It sounded more like she was offering money for Sarang to step away from Do-han. Sarang was too shocked to respond, feeling insulted.

Just then, Do-han appeared.

“You’re in my seat.”

At his low voice, the woman flinched and stood up. Without sparing her a glance, Do-han sat down and opened his book. The woman hesitated, embarrassed, and started to leave.

“Hold on,” he said.

The woman stopped, looking back at him nervously.

“Wait for an answer.”

“What?”

Both Sarang and the woman held their breaths. Now she could see why he was called “relentless”—his cold, hard expression was unlike anything Sarang had seen from him before. His gaze was icy and intimidating.

“I have no intention of partnering with you. So don’t bother my partner with this nonsense.”

“It’s a misunderstanding! I wasn’t trying to pressure her,” the woman protested, looking on the verge of tears.

But Do-han remained unmoved.

“Then learn to be polite when asking for a favor. Drop the casual tone.”

Sarang felt a pang of sympathy for the woman. He could have simply refused without being so harsh. One glance at the woman’s wounded expression confirmed her thoughts. She returned to her seat, close to tears, without saying another word.

Sarang, still surprised by this side of Do-han, stared at him. He turned to her and said,

“If anyone else bothers you, ignore them. I’m not switching partners.”

He seemed to feel a bit self-conscious about his actions and added in explanation,
“I used a casual tone because there was no need for formality in that situation. And with you, I use it because you’re my junior.”

It seemed he sensed her silent question about why he’d spoken informally with both the woman and her. The coldness in his expression softened, and Sarang couldn’t help but smile at the drastic change in his demeanor.

“Who’s complaining?” she said.

At her response, Do-han looked slightly embarrassed and cleared his throat, flipping a page in his book as if to distract himself. Sarang found herself liking him even more.

When they stepped outside, the weather was bright and sunny, a complete change from last week’s clouds. It felt like spring had arrived in just a few days.

“When should we do the assignment?” Sarang asked, eager to go on the “date” with Do-han as soon as possible. Even though it wasn’t real, she didn’t want to let these beautiful spring days slip by.

“How about this Sunday?”

Do-han preferred avoiding weekdays in case he had to take Hye-ri home. Since she wasn’t around on weekends, he could relax and go out without worrying.

“Sounds good! But where should we go and what should we do?”

“A date is a date; they’re all the same.”

“Well, I’ve never actually been on one.”

He stopped in his tracks, looking at her with surprise. He had assumed she’d simply been too busy preparing for college to date recently. But he hadn’t expected her to have no dating experience at all. She was kind, cheerful, and cute, not to mention her bright energy that seemed to spread to everyone around her. He figured she’d be popular with guys. But she’d never been on a date?

Her answer had caught him off guard.

“What… what is it?” Sarang asked, her face turning red under his gaze. She felt like she’d said something she shouldn’t have—being twenty and never having dated wasn’t exactly something to brag about.

“Nothing. Just… nothing.”

He resumed walking, changing the subject back to their assignment.

“Look up some good date spots for March, then pick a place you’d like to go.”

“Okay,” she replied with a nod, focusing on the ground in front of her to avoid looking at him.

Just then, he stopped again.

“See you Sunday.”

“Don’t you have a class in the engineering building?”
Surprised by the sudden goodbye, she looked up. She’d expected to walk with him to class, as they had shared an umbrella and walked there together the week before.

“It’s canceled.”

His simple explanation deflated her. It was only Monday, and she’d have to wait until Sunday to see him again. She was about to say goodbye when she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind, making her jump.

She turned to see Yun-jae.

“Oh! Hi,” she greeted, feeling extra cheerful at seeing her Tuesday friend on a Monday.

“Just finished a class?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s your next one?”

“Engineering. You?”

“PE. Want to walk together?”

“Sure.”

Just moments ago, Sarang had felt downcast, but her mood brightened again as she smiled and waved goodbye to Do-han. Yun-jae nodded slightly in Do-han’s direction before the two of them set off.

“Why so many books?”

“Returning them to the library.”

“Here, let me carry them.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Come on, at least let me hold them until we get there.”

Before she could protest further, Yun-jae took the books from her hands. Relieved of the weight, she smiled gratefully.

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

They chatted about their upcoming classes, laughing and sharing stories. From a distance, Do-han watched them walk together. Under the clear blue sky, the two freshmen looked bright and fresh, a perfect match. They were both cheerful and attractive, and they looked good together.

“Looks like she’ll get to experience a real date soon enough,” he thought, watching Sarang’s beaming smile.

He started to turn away but found himself unable to leave, his eyes lingering on her. Her radiant smile seemed to reach him like a cool breeze. He stayed rooted in place, watching until she disappeared from view.