Yujeong, who had been suffering through all that, seemed to have finally been released only after expressing his refusal several times. Looking somehow ragged, he sighed and started walking. Yujeong was walking in Seongjo’s direction, but it didn’t seem like he was coming to see Seongjo.
When he gauged the direction of his gaze, he saw a door separating the hallway from the central staircase. After confirming the words “Teachers Only” and “Students Prohibited” posted on it, Seongjo glanced around before opening the staircase door and entering. Because it had been bustling with parents and students, it didn’t seem like he’d caught anyone’s attention.
With just one door between them, the staircase was much quieter compared to the hallway where he’d been standing moments ago. The thick iron door seemed to block out the noise quite effectively.
The central staircase, extending up and down, faced a window. Through the window, the playground came into view. While Seongjo was roughly surveying his surroundings, Yujeong opened the door and followed him in, just as expected. No, to be precise, he had simply opened the door to return to the teachers’ office… though it was unexpected for him to run into Seongjo.
When the tired-looking Yujeong raised his head, their eyes naturally met. Seongjo shamelessly smiled and waved at him.
Yujeong’s face relaxed as if flustered, then contorted as if incredulous, and then after that, whether smiling or not, the corners of his mouth curved up ambiguously.
Seeing that expression, Seongjo could easily guess. His feelings were complicated and embarrassed, but… at the same time, he was definitely pleased to see him.
As proof, even while looking at Seongjo’s face now, instead of sighing irritably or turning away, Yujeong was only making eye contact with a subtle expression.
After quietly watching Seongjo’s smiling face, Yujeong soon spoke.
“You shouldn’t come in here. Didn’t you see it says ‘Teachers Only’?”
“Hmm… it said ‘Students Prohibited,’ so doesn’t that mean guardians are fine?”
At Seongjo’s shameless words, Yujeong this time showed a light laugh without holding back.
‘He is pleased to see me.’
While Seongjo was thinking that, Yujeong said,
“You should have told me in advance you were coming.”
“I did it to surprise you. Didn’t expect it at all?”
“…I thought about it a little. That you might come.”
Yujeong said with his face slightly scrunched up. Was that something worth making such an expression over? Though puzzled, he could only guess the reason after the next words continued.
“No, it’s just… I think I imagined a scene of Lee Seongjo-ssi entering my classroom.”
Hearing those words, Seongjo recalled his own thoughts. He too had imagined what expression Yujeong would make upon discovering him at the school as a guardian. Seongjo, wearing a barely perceptible smile, said,
“That sounds exactly like you were hoping I’d come?”
“Feel free to think whatever you like.”
The fact that such words came from Yujeong was practically the same as giving a definite confirmation of ‘yes.’ Satisfied enough with just that, Seongjo closed his mouth without pressing further. Instead, he brought up a different topic.
“You were pretty popular, weren’t you?”
Yujeong made a subtle expression as if he didn’t know what he meant, but soon seemed to figure out what Seongjo’s words were referring to. He let out a small hollow laugh. Watching the laughing Yujeong, Seongjo slightly raised his eyebrows and asked,
“So, what did you do? Did you even set up a blind date with that family’s eldest daughter?”
“Why would I do that? I don’t know how they see us as the same age… If she’s a college student, she’s far too young for me. When do you think I graduated?”
“Hmm…”
Seongjo let out a sound similar to a snort. At his expression that clearly showed he wasn’t convinced, Yujeong opened his mouth as if to say something.
“Right now…”
Just then, the sound of an iron door opening from somewhere and someone’s footsteps began to be heard. It was probably another teacher using the central staircase, or like Seongjo, a parent who had arbitrarily interpreted the words “Students Prohibited” and invaded the staircase.
Yujeong immediately stopped what he was about to say. Then he opened the door he’d come through again and pulled Seongjo’s arm while pushing his back.
In the end, without hearing what he was trying to say to the end, Seongjo was suddenly kicked out. Since there was nothing good about being seen like this by other people, Seongjo obediently stepped through the gap in the open door.
Just as he was about to close the door and leave that spot, Yujeong silently moved his lips and said,
‘See you later.’
At any rate, there was no time to stay upset for long. Seongjo grinned and waved at him once more.
* * *
After the observation class schedule was completely over, Seongjo waited for Yeongeun’s homeroom to end. Since he’d come as a guardian, he thought it was his duty to take Yeongeun home.
There were many other guardians waiting for students near the school gate as well. Seongjo waited for Yeongeun mixed in among them. Because of that, meeting Yujeong again inevitably had to be postponed.
“Seongjo op… Uncle!”
Yeongeun, smiling with a mischievous face, opened the passenger door of Seongjo’s car and got in. The friends who had come out to the school gate with her greeted Yeongeun. After also greeting those friends with a light gesture, Seongjo saw that Yeongeun had fastened her seatbelt and started the car.
Perhaps because the friends had watched Seongjo until the very end with eyes full of curiosity and admiration? Yeongeun seemed extremely excited.
“Today was so fun. To be honest, I was really worried because it was an observation class…”
Yeongeun conveyed her thanks in a cautious voice, shyly. She chattered on about how she thought she’d spend an embarrassing and shameful time being the only one whose parents didn’t come, but thanks to Seongjo coming, it wasn’t lonely and she even became an object of admiration among her friends.
“Everyone kept saying Seongjo oppa is handsome.”
Even hearing such things from middle schoolers, he was at a loss for how to react. Feeling awkward, Seongjo lightly moved one arm that had been casually draped on the window frame to half-cover his mouth and cleared his throat. Yeongeun just looked at Seongjo with a face that showed she understood nothing, and Seongjo responded briefly.
“That’s a relief. I had fun too.”
Those words were sincere. Not empty words.
After doing his best to answer the cheerful Yeongeun’s stories, he arrived at the apartment complex and let Yeongeun out. Realizing that conversation with a middle school girl was draining, separate from being cute like watching a niece, he entered his home.
Since it seemed like contact from Yujeong would come soon, he deliberately didn’t leave a message first. As expected, not much time passed before contact came. It was a bit earlier than the usual time he’d call for dinner.
<Jeon Yujeong>
[Have you arrived home?]
It would be fine if things flowed as usual from here. He could just say he’d visit his house at dinnertime like he always did. But Seongjo, holding his phone, fell into thought for a moment. Was it because he’d had the new experience of visiting his school?
[Today, Teacher Jeon should come]
[To my house]
They were in the same apartment, same building anyway. So whether Seongjo went to his house or he came to Seongjo’s house, there wasn’t much difference. Still, deliberately calling him to his own house definitely gave a different feeling.
Perhaps it was the same for Yujeong, as even after reading the message, no reply came back for about two or three minutes.
<Jeon Yujeong>
[Understood]
At the reply that soon arrived, Seongjo smiled lightly. After glancing around his house interior that was already practically empty and didn’t need careful tidying, he waited for him to come.
After a bit of time passed, Yujeong who came to Seongjo’s house wasn’t empty-handed. At the sight of him entering carrying one large bag, Seongjo asked in a tone mixed with bewilderment and curiosity,
“What did you bring all that for?”
“You need to eat a meal. Do you have cooking utensils at home?”
Should this be called persistent, or tenacious… or would it be better to say consistent? Seongjo let out a small laugh. Then, seeing that, Yujeong muttered in passing,
“You seem to be in a better mood than earlier… I was worried.”
“Earlier? Ah, then?”
Seongjo asked. ‘Earlier’ probably referred to the last time they’d seen each other. Recalling the incident on the central staircase, he crossed his arms and folded them.
“Want to do it exactly the same again? You were pretty popular, Teacher Jeon.”
