IGYW 04

Chapter : 04

When I turned my head, I saw my younger sister, Yeon Bora, with her face pressed close to the window.

Bora had placed the edge of one hand against the window and leaned in close to inspect the inside of the car.

Caught off guard by the sudden situation, Ieum held her breath.

“I’ll be going now. Thank you for today.”

Ieum hurriedly set down the jacket and opened the door. She opened it only as much as necessary, worried that rainwater might splash inside.

“Eek! Unni?”

As expected, the moment Ieum stepped out, Bora hopped over and linked arms with her.

The raindrops hanging from the tip of Bora’s umbrella splattered down onto Ieum.

“You look so pretty today!”

Bora, who had inherited her large eyes from her stepmother, sparkled her eyes, which looked even more doll-like because of her colored contact lenses, and asked,

“But whose car is this?”

Perhaps because the windows were heavily tinted, she apparently hadn’t been able to see as far as the driver’s seat.

Bora normally never started conversations with Ieum at home, so this was clearly an intentional act because she was conscious of the car’s owner. Even to Ieum, Jihoon’s car looked extremely stylish and expensive.

“You said you had plans today. Is it your boyfriend?”

Though Bora’s intentions were obvious, Ieum answered without showing it.

“It’s nothing like that.”

“Then that’s great! We’re on our way to watch a movie right now, so come with us, Unni! Mom and Dad are already waiting at the theater.”

“It’s okay. You three go ahead.”

As Ieum answered, she quietly slipped her arm out of Bora’s.

The rainwater that kept falling onto the crown of her head was cold.

“Aw, that’s disappointing. Unni never plays with us! Come on, let’s watch a movie together. They say it’s fun. You need to take your mind off things too…”

“Don’t you know I’m preparing for my entrance exams?”

In the end, Ieum couldn’t hide her discomfort and rubbed the back of her neck with her hand.

The rain dripping from Bora’s umbrella ran down her cheek and slipped inside her collar.

“Ah…”

Bora stared blankly for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Unni. I didn’t think it through.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. You’re angry with me, aren’t you? Right?”

Bora refused to leave Ieum alone and followed after her despite her saying it was fine.

“Ieum.”

But then a voice that should not have been heard in this situation caught her attention.

Before she could even turn around, a soft jacket dropped over her head.

A familiar scent instantly enveloped her, shielding her from the cold rain. The warmth was so comforting that, for a moment, her heart ached.

“Looks like the rain is getting heavier again.”

The sound of the rain and Jihoon’s voice blended together and clung to her ears.

Jihoon met Ieum’s slowly rising gaze, as though she couldn’t believe what was happening, and adjusted the jacket over her head as he said,

“Bring it on Monday.”

“It’ll get wet in the rain…”

“If you know that, then go inside quickly.”

Unable to properly look at him as he nodded toward the apartment building, Ieum gave a small nod.

Jihoon quietly watched her for a moment before turning around to leave.

“Chairman!”

It wasn’t Ieum who called out to him, but Bora.

Jihoon tilted his head slightly, as though he had only just noticed her presence.

“Don’t you remember me? I’m Yeon Bora.”

“So?”

“I gave you some snacks in front of the cafeteria before! You bumped into me, so I gave them to you as an apology. Don’t you remember?”

“You’re saying you’re a student at our school?”

Jihoon ran a hand through his wet bangs with an annoyed motion and said,

“Sorry about that. I meet dozens of kids like you every day.”

With those words, Jihoon got into the car, cutting off the conversation.

As he drove away leisurely, Bora’s face turned bright red.

However, Ieum didn’t even have time to pay attention to her younger sister. Still wrapped in the jacket, she hurried inside the building.

Even after getting into the elevator, and even after entering her room, the jacket was still covering her head.

She had become completely intoxicated by his scent.

The Monday she had been waiting for finally arrived.

Having skipped breakfast as well, Ieum left home earlier than usual.

The commute to school, which had always felt so heavy, felt light as if she were walking on clouds.

Before going up to her classroom, Ieum went to the chairman’s office.

She knocked with a pounding heart, but there was no response.

When the door wouldn’t open even after she tried the handle, it seemed he hadn’t arrived at work yet.

“I came too early…”

She had been so excited that she had completely forgotten Jihoon’s arrival time.

On Sunday evening, Changshin had been at home, but he hadn’t said anything.

He must have heard everything that had happened at the restaurant, yet he hadn’t reprimanded her or given her any warning.

Had Jihoon really hidden her behind his back?

She couldn’t help but wonder.

Ieum looked down at Jihoon’s jacket, carefully draped over her arm.

She hadn’t been able to concentrate on studying over the weekend.

Her eyes had been drawn to the jacket hanging on the wall all day long.

She had even tried it on, actually, but it was so large around the shoulders and arms that she looked like a little child wearing her father’s clothes.

It had been the moment she truly realized just how big Jihoon was.

“What are you doing?”

How much time had passed?

The voice she had been waiting for came from behind her.

Ieum turned around, and her face immediately blossomed into a bright smile.

“Teacher!”

Just like a puppy waiting for its owner.

Jihoon, of course, was completely indifferent in contrast.

“Why am I your teacher?”

“This, the jacket you lent me. I couldn’t wash it. I had to sneak it out…”

“Thank you for not washing it.”

If she had washed it, he would have had to go through the trouble of throwing it away and having it matched again.

He unlocked the door and entered the chairman’s office, and Ieum naturally followed closely behind him.

“Why are you coming in?”

“Huh?”

“Go. To your classroom.”

His tone sounded perhaps a little too cold, but a girl who was bad at controlling her emotions and always charged forward needed to be dealt with firmly.

“There’s still plenty of time, though.”

However, Ieum didn’t seem affected in the slightest.

She freely looked around the office before plopping herself down on the sofa without even asking permission.

“Wow, it’s hard. The sofa in the teachers’ office was hard too. I guess they bought them in bulk. But there aren’t any potted plants here?”

Do there have to be any?

Jihoon was about to raise his head and make a sarcastic remark, but he swallowed a sigh instead.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Instead, he put force into his voice as he warned her.

“I told you there’s still time. What am I supposed to do if I go upstairs early?”

“Is that something a student preparing for entrance exams should be saying?”

“Tch. I’m only doing it because I like it.”

That immature human was acting up without even realizing how her words sounded.

“I like that your scent is in this room, Teacher.”

“Enough. Get out.”

“I don’t want to.”

“The only answer you’re allowed to give me is ‘Yes.’”

Only then did Ieum pout, but she still had no intention of leaving, even leaning her body against the back of the sofa.

Unable to stand watching her shameless behavior any longer, Jihoon let out a deep sigh and stood up.

If she wouldn’t leave on her own, he had no choice but to make her leave himself.

In the end, he strode over, grabbed Ieum by the arm, and forcibly pulled her to her feet.

“Ahh, why?!”

“If you keep fooling around, I’ll report you to the police for trespassing.”

“I’ll be quiet. I won’t talk to you or anything…!”

But as Jihoon forcibly tried to drag her out, Ieum’s foot caught on the leg of the table.

Just as she sensed the danger and was about to scream, a strong arm pulled her firmly by the waist and held her close.

Thump.

“Ah…”

Ieum couldn’t move.

The scent of Jihoon that suddenly swept over her from such a close distance made her heart feel completely soaked in it.

“I-I’ll go!”

With her face burning, she finally rushed out of the chairman’s office.

Only after Ieum had disappeared did Jihoon let out a relieved sigh and slump down onto the sofa.

He had only gotten his jacket back, so how had things become this troublesome?

But then he felt something underneath him.

He casually looked down and noticed that one of the jacket pockets was bulging.

When he reached inside, a lollipop came out.

And attached to it was a Post-it note folded into the shape of a little message.

♥Thank you, Teacher♥

At the pure innocence fitting for her age, a small laugh eventually escaped Jihoon’s lips.

Just then, there was a knock.

A moment later, Minjae poked his head inside.

“Executive Director. Um, Teacher Yeon Changshin has come to see you…”

For a moment, Jihoon was simply puzzled by the sudden appearance of the guest.

“I want you to marry my daughter.”

A desperate request followed.