In the sacred school

Episode 5

Seah told Yeonsil a little about her family situation. Her mom had remarried, and she got a stepbrother. But they weren’t very close. She didn’t share too many details, and Yeonsil didn’t ask.

Still, Yeonsil was the only friend who knew that Seah was more hurt and complicated inside than she seemed.

“I told you, Lee Dongjun looks terrible! His forehead is too big, and his nose is so wide. He looks like a flatfish and acts all high and mighty. Ugh!”

Yeonsil never liked Dongjun from the start. She was bold and outspoken, and Dongjun didn’t like her either. After introducing them once, Seah never brought them together again.

“I don’t know about his looks, but he’s not that bad. He always tells me I should act like a proper teacher.”

“Pfft, classic hypocrite. When he does it, it’s romance, huh?”

Yeonsil slammed the table and continued, “So why did you run away that day?”

“I don’t know… It just… felt like I saw something I shouldn’t have.”

Seah thought back to that moment. When she saw it, everything went blank. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she came to her senses, she had already stepped back and left.

“Then ask him! What was he doing there?”

Yeonsil narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe he’ll lie. But what if he doesn’t?”

That was the problem. Seah wasn’t sure what to believe. If it was true, what would she do? If it wasn’t, then what? Every answer felt confusing.

“So, you’re just going to leave it?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then tell him to meet you somewhere. I’m a black belt in Taekwondo, remember? I’ll secretly kick his—”

“That’s a crime!!” Seah shouted, shocked.

“Ugh, I’m just frustrated! You’re just sitting there, saying nothing! Fine, how about putting laxatives in his coffee?”

Seah shook her head. Maybe she shouldn’t have told Yeonsil anything. Nothing was confirmed yet.

“He kissed him, right? If that’s not cheating, what is? And why did you run? You should’ve hidden and filmed it!”

Yeonsil slammed the table again, making people stare. Seah grabbed her hand.

“Stop. You’re going to break the table.”

“Ugh! You’re frustrating! And now I need to pee. I’m going.”

Yeonsil always shocked Seah with her blunt words. She got up and left. Seah stared out the window.

“Am I really that frustrating?”

She had always tried her best. Even when she lived in that awful house. Even now. She made the best choices she could. She had no regrets. But why did she feel so uneasy?

“Yes, you are,” someone said.

Seah thought she misheard. But the voice sounded familiar. She looked up.

Sung Han was sitting where Yeonsil had been.

“Han Seah, you are very frustrating.”

Just like at school, he was dressed in a fitted suit. His hair was neatly combed back. A subtle woody scent came from him. His straight nose looked long and sharp.

Se-ah felt like she couldn’t breathe properly and frowned.

“What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking that. This is my hotel. What about you, teacher?”

Se-ah lowered her gaze.

Of all places, a hotel.

Yeon-sil’s house was nearby, and since she had asked for this meeting, she felt bad choosing another place.

But most of all, she never expected to run into him here.

“Wait… your hotel?”

“Until last year, yeah. Not anymore, but I still built it.”

Sung-han glanced around the hotel interior.

“I checked every design myself and worked hard to make this place.”

Se-ah followed his gaze, her face unreadable.

“Not that you’d care, of course.”

“Can you read minds?”

She was surprised at how often he seemed to guess her thoughts. Sung-han tilted his head slightly.

“No, but I am interested in someone.”

“Don’t tell me it’s me.”

“Okay, I won’t, since you said not to.”

Sung-han shrugged.

When did he become so shameless?

Se-ah narrowed her eyes.

This was the same guy she once kissed and dumped. Now, he acted like he owned the world.

Ugh. Money really changes people.

Thinking about how he was soon going to become the school director made her want to quit teaching and just find a tutoring job. But that wasn’t so easy either.

“I have company. They’ll be here soon. Please move.”

“Sure. But I really need to use the restroom.”

“So, you enjoy eavesdropping now?”

“I never used to. But I do now.”

“Your voice was loud. I bet everyone in this café knows your business now.”

Sung-han looked around.

“See? They’re all curious. Wondering if your bladder survived or not.”

Seriously. He looked like an adult, but his mind was still a high schooler’s.

“Stop worrying about my bladder and leave. They’ll be here soon.”

Just as she finished speaking, as if on cue, the person with the “bladder emergency” arrived.

Only then did Sung-han stand up.

“My apologies.”

His tone suddenly polite, he bowed slightly to Yeon-sil.

Se-ah was stunned.

“Oh wow… Unbelievable.”

Yeon-sil looked back and forth between Sung-han and Se-ah, clearly confused. Meanwhile, Sung-han casually walked past them.

“Who was that?”

“Just… someone I know.”

“How do you know him?”

“Just… I know him.”

“I know that! But how do you know him?”

This conversation was going nowhere. Se-ah just shook her head. Her head was starting to ache.

If Yeon-sil found out he was the guy she kissed in high school, briefly dated, and then saw leave for overseas, she would probably kick him right now.

Just thinking about it made Se-ah even more unwilling to explain.

“He’s the new director.”

“For real? Seriously? Wow. The trash left, and now a Benz is here?”

“Benz? No way.”

“He’s the original trash. He left first. He even betrayed me first.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Se-ah shut her eyes tightly.

As she did, Yeon-sil tapped the table with her fingers.

“If you can’t even talk about it properly, let me give you a brilliant idea.”

Not knowing how Se-ah felt, Yeon-sil grinned mischievously.

“That guy definitely seems interested in you. So why don’t you have a little fun with him?”

Se-ah’s eyes widened.

“What nonsense—”

“It’s called the revenge flirt plan! See how Dong-jun reacts! If he complains, you can just say, ‘Well, you were all cozy with that other teacher!’”

“What kind of ridiculous—”

“If you can’t say anything, then at least do something!”

As Yeon-sil was yelling, a phone rang. She answered and sighed.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

Yeon-sil was a mom to a two-year-old. She had left her baby with her husband to meet Se-ah, but it seemed like the baby was crying for her now.

“Yeah, you’ve been out for a while. Go home quickly.”

“Ugh, I wish I could stay and coach you till the end. Anyway, good luck!”

With that, Yeon-sil got up and left.

As Se-ah slowly stood up, she suddenly felt someone standing right beside her.

“That’s actually a great idea.”

A fresh, cool scent filled her nose.

She looked up—and her face turned pale.

“Revenge flirt plan.”

Sung-han smirked, his s

harp eyes locked onto her.

Why was he still here?

Why was he always eavesdropping?

“Seems like you have a lot of free time?”

“I can help, you know? If you want me to.”

His dark eyes gleamed playfully.