"Ah... this early in the morning... what is that?" So-Hyun mumbled to herself, eyes still closed, as she felt something wet on her face.
"Ya! Aren't you going to get up?! Don't you have University to go to?" So-Hyun's little brother scoffed, whilst happily pouring water on her face.
"What are you talking about, it's still the weekend, I start tomorrow" So Hyun said, still trying to find a way to get back under her covers and back to sleep.
Her brother scoffed again "Pabo! Today is Monday! Yesterday was Sunday, the day before that was Saturday and Tomorrow is Tuesday – your second day at Universi- ah!" So-Hyun resurrected from her bed and searched for her phone only to confirm that she has indeed woken up very, very late.
"Ya! Why didn't you wake me up earlier, I'm going to be late!" So Hyun cried, caught up in the duvet covers she was once under, wondering why she does this to herself every year.
"Is my body yours? Wake yourself up, noona you're 20 years old now"
"Ah, stop being noisy, leave my room, I have fifteen minutes before I need to leave, let me get ready will you"
"You're welcome" He rolled his eyes and took his cup with him "How do you manage to wake up late every new year that school starts. Mum, she's up!" and he banged her door on the way out.
See, So-Hyun has a habit, or more like tradition now, of not waking up on time whenever the new school year starts. No matter how many alarms she sets, and the earlier she sleeps she just never ever gets up on time. It's a curse really.
"Thank you!" She shouted to her brother as she started brushing her teeth.
In just 14 minutes, she was ready, she didn't really have much time to think about what she was wearing, all she knew was 'can't be late' on replay in her head. She ran downstairs, kissed her mum on the cheek who proceeded to feed her with two spoonsful of rice and spam.
"Be careful, make nice friends and have fun!" Her mother shouted at her back.
^^^^
"Good morning everyone and welcome to the school of Psychology, I will be your head lecturer for the year Yoo Seung Ho. If you have any issues or questions, ask them now or send me an email later." He walked from where he was in the centre and took a few steps to the right and then directed his body back to the class of students. "But it'll be best if you ask now. I'm a busy person."
His gaze was cold and his body stiff as he took careful steps by his desk. He was young, too young to be an experienced lecturer anyway. He looked cold, like he was strictly there for business.
"Any questions?" He implored. Silence.
With a smirk and a raised eyebrow, he said "Well, how about I get the silly questions out of the way first? Name, Yoo Seung Ho Seonsaengnim* age: 26" at that he heard a few people gasp, but he showed no reaction, it's something he's gotten used to. "There are three things I don't tolerate in my class. Number one, impoliteness. I'm probably similar ages to some of you in here, but that doesn't give you the right to speak anyhow. I'm a teacher and you're all students."
Some of the men in the room shuffled in their seats, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. His presence dominated the lecture theatre.
"Number two, there will be no eating in this class." His eyes turned to the girl in the front with half a cookie in her mouth. "If you came to school to be eating in class you should have gone to a cooking school and not waste my time in the school of Psychology."
"Number three" He continued, "Do not be late. If you're going to be late then stay at home, because I will not accept you. Part of being a student is being organised. If you're not organised how will you cope? You won't. Then you'll come crying to me for extensions and help. Help yourselves first."
He now had his back turned to them "Is that understood?"
No one answered. He scoffed and pierced over his left shoulder to look at his class and repeated "I asked, is that understood?"
"Yes Seonsaengnim!" The whole class unified, and he turned towards them fully to begin with his register.
Before he could even get the first syllable of the name on the register, the lecture theatre doors were burst open, drawing everyone's attention to a petite girl.
"Ah, sorry... sorry!" She squealed with embarrassment as she tried to close the doors as quietly as possible. She began to tiptoe from the front of the class up to the stairs, without greeting the professor.
"Stop." With one foot in front and the other behind she stopped moving. Ah why do you do this to yourself So Hyun ah-! She chastised herself.
"Can someone be as kind to volunteer and explain to this young lady here the three rules I have for this classroom?" More silence. "No? Then let me do the honours. You! Turn around." So Hyun reluctantly turned around, with her head hung down in embarrassment.
"In this room there will be no impoliteness, no eating and most importantly no tardiness. You, young lady has broken two of these already."
"Seonsaengnim, I'm really sorry!" Bowing the full 90 degrees five times. "I'm really sorry! I won't be late aga-". She was cut off sharply by the professor.
"Save it" He spat out "Get out of my classroom right now." He then proceeded to read out the register ignoring the dumbfounded So Hyun who after a few moments reluctantly walked out of the room in utter embarrassment.
^^^^
As soon as class finished, So Hyun rushed in and towards the professor trying to express how sorry she was, but he didn't seem to be caring. He was busy packing up the lecture material and shutting down the projector. Realising she wasn't getting anywhere she stood by his desk in silence and waited until he was done. Seeing that he just zipped up his briefcase she took her chance and ran to the lecture door and locked it from the inside before he could leave.
Ya! So-Hyun what do you think you are doing right now?! Who cares if you're late? You're just getting into more trouble if you keep doing what you're doing she thought, but somehow her actions weren't matching her words.
Yoo Seung Ho stopped dead in his tracks, not fazed by her, it wouldn't be his first time a female student had tried to do this sort of crap anyway. Another thing he's gotten used to.
"Move."
"Seonsaengnim, hear me out please? I'm sorry for being late, but how am I supposed to know what we did in the first lecture? It's my first day and I haven't got any friends yet, so I can't even ask the other students" She confessed "I think you were too much earlier... I was already embarrassed, you didn't have to add salt to my injury" She pouted.
While she was rambling, professor Seung Ho was looking at this girl in front of him. He's got to give it her she was different. He thought she was following the same path as all the other female students who used the same trick to trap him. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. She was wearing a white skater skirt and white sport socks with blue trainers with a matching blue jumper. His eyes fell on her lips that were ranting about something that he honestly couldn't give two craps about. They were red and heart-shaped. Sexy he admitted.
This is going on for too long, she won't stop talking he thought.
He took two steps towards her and a startled So-Hyun took two steps back until she could feel the door knob pressing into her skin. He leaned down towards her smirking, and with a whisper said, "I don't think it's a good idea to lock the doors." He scanned her lips once more "I'm a man before I'm a professor".
So-Hyun taken aback scoffed "What does that mean- "He cut her off as he straightened his position.
"It means, don't do stupid things like this again. I have rules in this classroom and rules were made to be kept. If you have any questions regarding this lecture, then come to the workshops that I run every Friday." He fixed his tie and moved her aside "Instead of doing silly things like this." With that remark he unlocked the door and walked out.
So-Hyun had to admit it, he was right, she didn't know what she was thinking. She just felt so wronged, especially on the first day. He could've at least let her be since it was her first time.
The smell of his cologne still lingered in the air and it reminded her of how close he was to her just now. The sound of her heartbeat increasing with each inhale.
You're such an idiot she thought to herself.
^^^^
The day went by and So-Hyun managed to get through the remaining three lectures she had that day. She spent the rest of the evening studying till 10pm and she was tired as heck. She couldn't get her head around one of the theories for her Forensics module, so her head was also hurting.
When she got out of the library it started to rain. Great, just my luck! She thought. She actually loved the rain, but she was conflicted because she had her laptop in her bag and her bag was definitely not waterproof. "I really need to learn to drive" she mumbled to herself.
"Here" So-Hyun turned around to see a yellow umbrella open in her face, but she couldn't see who was behind it, but she was certain this voice belonged to a man. His voice was deep and nonchalant. She saw he was wearing worn-out white Canvases with two flaps on them.
"Who- who are you?"
"Someone you know" He replied bluntly. "you're welcome." He pushed the umbrella towards her and ran down the stairs and out of the University whilst pulling his hood over his head. So-Hyun although still confused, knowing fully well she had no friends, was half touched and half creeped out. She smiled at least knowing this way she can save her laptop.
As soon as she got off the bus she walked as fast as she could home. She loved her area and as much as her neighbours were nice, it still isn't the safest time to be walking around. As she got to their front gate she noticed a huge moving truck opposite their house, which was weird because she didn't know the Kang family were going anywhere.
"Ji Woo didn't say she was moving anywhere..." She decided to go over. They were childhood friends and their families are close.
The doors were open, so she took careful steps "Excuse me... Aunt? Uncle? Ji Woo-ya?" She called out but was met with silence. Hmm weird she thought. She stood in the hallway and decided to text Ji Woo when she was met with a familiar voice.
"You. What are you doing in somebody else's home?" Came the voice from behind her. So-Hyun stopped texting and looked at the shadow in front of her; it definitely wasn't Ji Woo.
As she turned slowly, she caught the whiff of a familiar scent in the air.
"You" she turned to see no one else but her professor from this morning.
"S- s – seonsaengnim?" She whispered in shock.
"I'll ask you again. What are you doing in somebody else's home?"
^^^^