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Chapter 6
The junior stammered, “Uh… uh…” before her friends called her back into the café.
Taeheon’s long strides quickly carried him past Haejoo. He glanced at her face, and with an expression of certainty, asked:
“It’s insurance fraud, isn’t it?”
Her steps froze.
Haejoo didn’t answer. She only lifted her head, frowning slightly, trying to focus on his face as her vision swayed from the alcohol.
Taeheon muttered with a strange, meaningful look:
“Or… are you following me?”
When her vision finally steadied, she saw him—an undeniably handsome man, staring at her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Now that she was sure this man was indeed Jung Taeheon, Haejoo answered firmly:
“No.”
“Good. At least you know how to answer properly.”
He smirked, lips curling into that easy grin of his.
The so-called Car Poor—no, Jung Taeheon—took a step closer.
Hiccup.
Haejoo, tipsy, hiccupped and lifted her head just enough to meet his eyes.
“What’s this? Why are you staggering?”
She thought she was standing straight, but her body betrayed her.
She exhaled a sigh, heavy with alcohol.
“It’s because I’ve been drinking.”
“Judging from where you’re coming from… freshman orientation after-party, right? You’re a freshman?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder.”
No wonder? No wonder what?
And more importantly—why was he suddenly here? Was she drunk enough to be seeing things? Why was Car Poor hanging around outside their school?
“Sunbae! Aren’t you coming inside?” a voice called.
“Oh, no. Tell them I’m heading home. I ran into a friend—going to walk with them.”
Taeheon waved nonchalantly, blocking their view of Haejoo with a single step to the side. Only once the junior disappeared did he turn back toward her.
She blinked, surprised.
“You’re… a student at Hanguk University?”
“Mm. Yeah.”
“I am too. I’m a freshman here.”
Of course. At this hour, anyone drunk outside the main gate had to be from Hanguk University—there weren’t other schools nearby.
Taeheon smiled as he looked at her reddened cheeks, and his ears turned slightly pink.
“Then I’m your senior.”
Haejoo nodded.
It was unexpected. Someone like him, at Hanguk University? This school was famous for collecting all the dull nerds who had done nothing but study their whole lives. A campus full of glasses and checkered shirts, not… this.
Her thoughts soured.
So even this place isn’t safe from the so-called “social problems.” He’s too tall, too handsome, has that kind of voice, and brains on top of it—and still, he chose to live as a Car Poor?
She couldn’t understand it.
“Why are you speaking so casually?”
“You dropped honorifics first.”
“Honorifics are awkward for me. And you don’t seem older anyway.”
Haejoo wanted to remind him that politeness wasn’t about age, but about manners. Still, he didn’t seem like someone words would change. Oddly, his casual speech didn’t feel insulting.
She just nodded vaguely.
“You came from over there… so, Philosophy or Journalism and Information, right? Not really the type for Philosophy, so I’ll bet Journalism.”
“What’s a ‘philosophy face,’ exactly?”
“You’ll get a sense of it once you’ve been here longer. So—was I right?”
“…Journalism and Information.”
“See?”
He grinned again. Yesterday he’d looked frozen solid; today he was smiling far too easily.
“Freshmen usually introduce themselves. Why not to me?”
“Do I have to, even if you’re not in my department?”
“I’m just checking how Journalism trains its juniors.”
“….”
“Want me to tell your seniors you refused?”
“You… know people in my department?”
“Plenty. Maybe I’ll even transfer over.”
He probably wouldn’t switch majors over a greeting, but Haejoo sobered slightly at the thought of annoying him and then being reported.
“You’re kind of a boomer…” she muttered, lips jutting.
Taeheon crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised, his expression amused.
“What did you just say? A boomer?”
Oh no. She’d said it out loud. Alcohol was a dangerous thing.
She hurried to cover her tracks.
“I take it back!”
“I’ll decide whether to accept that based on your next move.”
Haejoo straightened herself, bowed, and declared formally:
“Hello, Senior Jung Taeheon. I am Seo Haejoo, freshman in Journalism and Information at Hanguk University.”
Her body wobbled mid-bow. She nearly lost her balance until a firm hand gripped her shoulder, steadying her.
There was a faint trace of cigarette smoke, but it was softened by something warm and clean—like sun-dried laundry.
His voice came close to her ear:
“Oh? You already know my name?”
“Your ex-girlfriend shouted it yesterday.”
“Ah.”
He nodded, remembering, and released her shoulder.
“Yeah, she’s got a big voice. And heavy hands.”
He brushed the cheek where she’d slapped him yesterday. Luckily, only one hit—no marks left.
“…You’ll take back what I said, right?”
“Take back what?”
“….”
“Oh, the boomer thing? Relax. I was just teasing.”
She let out a long sigh and resumed walking. Somehow, every time she talked with him, her rhythm got thrown off.
She sped up, trying to escape him. But no matter how fast she went, Taeheon stayed right beside her, unbothered. She was the only one panting.
“Your place is far from here. Just take a taxi.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s late. Dangerous to go alone. Plenty of spots without CCTV around here.”
“I’ll get used to it. I’m going to be living here, after all.”
“You know there was a murder near here not long ago?”
Her steps stopped dead.
“This area’s famous for violent crimes. Your next-door neighbor could easily be someone who just got out of prison.”
“….”
“If you’ve got two lives, sure—walk home alone. Might even teach you the importance of public safety. But I’ve only got one life, so I wouldn’t take that risk.”
He looked at her evenly, waiting. Her alcohol-fogged eyes trembled as she met his.
And then he smiled. That gentle, maddening curve of his lips.
“Want me to walk you home?”
Silence hung for a moment. Then Haejoo answered softly:
“…Please take the umbrella.”
“That’s a good idea.”
He chuckled low in his throat and matched his steps to hers, walking lightly at her side.
