4. Date
Jae-hee smiled and waved when she saw a person walking like a zombie at the end of the hallway. Soo-jin's appearance was miserable as she was unable to rest well and had to work like a slave all weekend due to the harsh research schedule that did not take into account the mental health of an assistant who was exhausted during the exam period. When Soo-jin saw her, she waved her hand with a hint of vitality.
"How are you feeling?"
"Thanks to you, it’s gotten better. I heard you came to my house?"
"To give you porridge and various things… Wow, but your wife is really pretty."
"You know her face."
"Photos and the real thing are different! She looks better in person. From the way she speaks, what should I say? Her attitude is so elegant, it's like looking at a swan…"
Jae-hee burst into laughter as she watched Soo-jin floundering with her eyes closed and praising Yoo-jin's looks. Soo-jin, who was chattering, was a familiar sight, but her eyes sparkled several times more than usual, so it seemed that their first meeting had been intense. Jae-hee pretended not to know Soo-jin, who was flailing her hands and feet in the guise of a ballerina, and thought about Yoo-jin.
More like an angry cat than a swan. A fierce cat that growls and raises her claws when someone approaches her territory. A cat that holds a tuft of fur, a cute but ineffective threat. Jae-hee walked down the corridor with Soo-jin, imagining something funny.
"Plus, that smile…The goddess of beauty has descended on earth..."
"…She smiled?"
"Mm, she was smiling very brightly."
Yoo-jin, who disliked Soo-jin, smiled at Soo-jin? And brightly at that? If it had been insincere, a small smile would have sufficed. She remembered Yoo-jin complimenting Soo-jin on how nice she was. When Jae-hee's expression became odd, Soo-jin frowned and looked away. She, who had been so eager to tell Jae-hee everything, resented the fact that she was light-mouthed. She doesn't usually smile, does she? I shouldn't have opened my mouth, ma'am.
"…What did you talk about?"
"...W-What did we talk about? I just said Unnie didn't look well... that you seemed half-dead from grading."
"Did you really just only talk about that?"
Jae-hee knew Soo-jin's tendency to be talkative, she thought it was unlikely that the two of them would only talk about that. So, she decided to test her. Soo-jin, despite feeling nervous with sweat pouring down her back, replied casually.
"Speaking in front of a goddess is difficult, you know. I'm weak against beauties. Especially when they are overwhelmingly beautiful."
"...well, then, what?"
Seeing the beads of sweat on Soo-jin's forehead, it seemed like something had happened. It was very suspicious. However, Yoo-jin, who had a very positive opinion of Soo-jin, said she was "kind," so Jae-hee decided not to be too skeptical. When there didn't seem to be any more room for further inquiry, Soo-jin changed the subject.
"By the way, how was the rice porridge? I chose white rice porridge to match your taste, unnie."
"Huh? Uh... um... It was delicious. Oh, and my wife also said thank you for the porridge."
"Wow~, as expected, the professors' exclusive slave has a great sense. Agree?"
"Yes, I admit it!"
In reality, she hadn't even tasted the porridge Soo-jin gave. Jae-hee thought of Yoo-jin, who had reluctantly eaten the porridge she disliked. It was as if Yoo-jin had devoured all that porridge in two days, probably because she didn't want to give it to her. Yoo-jin's face, after two days of forcing herself to eat the food she disliked, remained rigid throughout the weekend. Her possessiveness was very typical of her, and her honest jealousy. How could she hate her?
"Thank you, really. "I’ll buy you food next time."
"Except for school meals, you know that, right
"You used to be a flavor columnist, singing the praises of sundubu jiggae*."
*soft tofu stew
"Please take care of a poor and tired slave, who's been through harsh labor. Your highness!"
"Oho, how can you claim that only you are going through a hard time? Even in my time, we endured that level of suffering."
"...Latte is horse*... I really hate you, Your Highness."
*나 때는 말이야 is a phrase usually used by boomers. It means “when I was your age” or “during my time” and is pronounced “na ddae-neun mal-ee-ya.” Latte sounds similar to “na ddae” and “mal” is horse (but also 'word' or 'say') in Korean then they literally translated it to English and became a meme. Often used to jokingly dismiss what the speaker was about to say.
"How dare you criticize the professor?"
"Aigo, how can a slave dare to oppose a super lord? I'm just... no, maybe just a commoner. Even if it's just sundubu jjigae, I'd be grateful. After all, it's a gift from Your Highness. How could I complain?"
Indeed, filling one's stomach only with school meals is also harsh. Even the cheapest school meal was only two meals a day during those times. Recalling the days when she couldn't eat more, Jae-hee wholeheartedly expressed her hope that her juniors would study and research in a much better environment than "her time."
"Okay, I'll buy you something expensive."
"Oh, really?! really?"
"Yes, I will buy you beef. I know you like meat."
"Assa*, as expected of Professor Seon. Even if one work as a slave, you have to do it at a grand family’s house."
*Yey/Hurray/Yeah
Jae-hee was disgusted by Soo-jin's mischievous smile, so she gestured for her to go away and went into the lab carrying two newspapers that were lying on the floor. As she passed by, Soo-jin entered the department's office. When Soo-jin, who had regained her energy, came in with a smile, a working student happily said something.
"Unnie, a package arrived."
"Huh? A package?"
The working student pointed to Soo-jin's desk. She hadn't recently ordered anything. Since personal packages were delivered to her off-campus apartment, she wondered if it was from a department professor and checked the invoice.
"...huh?"
"Why?"
"Ah, nothing."
The recipient was clearly labeled as 'Kang Soo-jin, Assistant Professor.' The sender was... Ha Yoo-jin? Ha Yoo-jin? Could it be the stunning boss wife I met a few days ago? The one I mentioned earlier? Soo-jin lightly shook the box. What's inside? She carefully tore the tape and removed the layers of bubble wrap stacked on top of the item. After inspecting the contents, Soo-jin was left speechless.
"...Unbelievable, this is crazy."
"Why, teacher?"
Soo-jin, frozen like a rock, seemed strange, and the working student, who had come closer, looked at her quizzically. Then, upon seeing the contents, the student also covered their mouth in surprise.
"Wow, unnie, you're amazing! How did you get this... I mean, did you buy all of this?"
"..."
Inside the box were products from the brand J, the same brand that had provided samples of perfumes to Soo-jin for Jae-hee. The products ranged from the brand's most famous perfumes to oils, wash products, and various creams. There were dozens to hundreds of products with prices that were overwhelmingly expensive for a young professional just starting in her career. Soo-jin, who had been content with samples, was left in awe. While she was in that state, the working student examining the products spoke.
"Huh, but the most famous one is missing. The sample you had... was it 'Sex Appeal' perfume? That's not here? Why is that? Why in the potato*?
*It was a pun, why is that? (왜지?/ Waeji?) and 웨지 감자?/weji kamja - Potato Wedges. Get? I can't force the pun in there so that's the best I could.
Soo-jin had no time to criticize the working student's lame joke. The reason 'Sex Appeal' perfume was missing was not that she wanted to tease the fact that she and Jae-hee used the same scent. It was because of Yoo-jin's small and petty jealousy, hoping that Soo-jin wouldn't use the same perfume. But Soo-jin had no way of knowing and it was none of her business. Her phone vibrated softly and she hastily picked up her phone.
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: It’s a small gift, so don’t feel pressured]
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: I chose a scent that would suit Soo-jin. If you don't like it, you can exchange it by asking Company J located inside Howon Department Store to exchange it.]
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: Please take care of my Jaehee^^]
[Me: Unnie o I think this is ㅎ too much]
[Me: ㅠㅜㅜㅠㅜㅠ I have to be kind to Jae-hee unnie.
[Me: It's really okay!! Unnieㅠㅠ]
In her haste, the typing was a mess. Soo-jin bit her lip. She usually sent messages quickly and well. However, receiving a gift of such a substantial amount had left her so surprised that her hands trembled. Should she make a call? Should she dare to call Yoo-jin, who was busy? Can she even make the call? Soo-jin bit her thumb. What should she do? Oh, the number 1* disappeared.
*in Kakaotalk app, the top messaging app in S. Korea, 1 on the side of the bubble chat indicates the message is still unread and if it disappeared it means the recipient read the message.
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: I heard that you're participating in Jae-hee's research. It must be tough.]
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: Being a graduate student can be really challenging, and I know what it's like since I completed my doctorate.]
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: I am repaying you for lending Jaehee your perfume]
[Me: Oh my... ㅠㅠ Unnie…]
[Me: Then, I'll accept it just this time with gratitude as a fellow student. ㅠㅠ]
[Me: I will be good to Jaehee unnie even without this ㅠㅠ, if anything happens, I will contact you right awayㅠ]
[Young & Rich Yoo-jin Unnie: Thank you, have a good day today^^]
"Wow, this is really hard to get...! They say this cream is really good for the skin. It's so expensive and there's no stock, so how did you buy it? Amazing, really."
"...Ji-young."
"Yes?"
"I... found a religion."
"What? You said you were an atheist? What religion?"
"Mm, a religion... that worships a freaking beautiful goddess... hehe..."
"...?"
Ji-young, a diligent student worker, eyed Soo-jin warily as if she had encountered one of the cults recently frequenting the campus. Soo-jin, who had been spacing out, started laughing with her shoulders shaking. She seemed in worse condition than when her spirit had been crushed during the last thesis revision. Ji-young cautiously took small steps back.
"Long live the Goddess!!!"
Soo-jin raised both hands and cheered as if possessed by a shaman from a primitive tribe. After wildly celebrating, she suddenly began to carefully inspect each item in the box as if conducting a religious ceremony. Alarmed by Soo-jin's erratic behavior, Ji-young hurried back to her seat and ignored her. Soo-jin took out her personal laptop. She opened a Hangul file* and began typing furiously.
*document format of HanWord - a word processing program like Microsoft Office
[An Inquiry into Jae-hee Unnie – Focusing on College Life]
****
Meanwhile, Jae-hee carefully hung her coat on the hanger and placed her bag on the desk before leaning back in the DuoBack chair. There was about an hour left until the lecture started. Jae-hee unfolded two newspapers that were placed in front of the lab. On the front page of one, Cheon-woo's face was prominently featured.
[Summary] After much talk and debate, the implementation of "half-price tuition" at the Capital City University has been confirmed.
[Politics] Next year, the "half-price tuition" policy will be fully implemented... Will it become a typical populist policy, or will it mark the beginning of an educational revolution?
[Page 1] Conservative Reform Party Representative Won Sung-hyuk: "Mayor Ha should also make the reputation of Capital City University half-priced"...
The ruling party, Representative Won, fiercely criticized for "reputation half-price" statement
Mayor Ha: "Tuition doesn't make reputation"... Seems to respond to Representative Won's statement
Netizens were outraged over Rep. Won's remark... "Resign, you incompetent lawmaker who can't even deliver half the worth"
After using our marriage as a shield to divert attention, passing the budget unexpectedly. He wasn't just a "political fox" for nothing. Thanks to that, my relationship with Yoo-jin was publicly revealed and gained much recognition, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for me. Will Representative Won really stay quiet? Jae-hee thought of him as father-in-law's rival, but quickly put those thoughts aside. It is best to leave politics to politicians.
Jae-hee pressed her hands against her nose lost in thought. The thoughts she had here a few days ago didn't align with reality. Ha Yoo-jin clearly loves me. With that fact alone, Jae-hee felt her heart swell with pride, subtly lifting the corners of her mouth. With just that fact, she felt confident she could bear any hurt Yoo-jin might inflict upon her.
Even though it didn't collapse, it could have been closer to the truth. She felt regretful. Still, since changing her attitude, Yoo-jin's demeanor towards Jae-hee had become more affectionate. It helped soothe her daily life, filled with tension and anxiety.
Since that day, a strange atmosphere had hung in the air. They had tacitly decided not to continue the conversation from that time, but now it was slowly becoming necessary to bring it to a close.
‘Should I answer obediently?’
The most fundamental reason why she didn't say "I love you" despite clearly loving her was what? There must have been a triggering incident that strengthened her defensive mechanisms. In a typical situation, seeking psychiatric or professional counseling would have been preferable. But Yoo-jin was different. Even inviting her again would be futile since she had already refused treatment.
Having earned a doctoral degree in educational psychology, Jae-hee could make some guesses about symptoms, but professional treatment and diagnosis were beyond her expertise. She wasn't a doctor or a professional counselor. Should she start a training process now? She pondered briefly before shelving the idea.
Still, one thing she could be sure of was that the main factor behind Yoo-jin's pronounced defense mechanism was her family environment. Back when Jae-hee didn't know Yoo-jin's father was a famous politician, Yoo-jin turned her head and almost snapped when Jae-hee asked about her father, as if she didn't want to think about it.
‘He's a person without any blood or tears.’
‘...Seems like you two aren't on good terms.’
‘How can you have affection for someone who can discard family or even a wife for the sake of your success?’
Seeing Yoo-jin shiver, she wondered what kind of person could anger Yoo-jin enough to lose her composure. That question was somewhat alleviated just before marriage. Throughout the four years at S University and the four years Jae-hee spent in Korea, the politician she most frequently heard about was Ha Cheon-woo, and his daughter was Yoo-jin. Before judging the achievements and faults of politician Ha Cheon-woo, he had lived a busy life, considering the family naturally fell behind. It was clear that affection could not be formed in situations compared to other families.
Still, the phrase "someone who can discard family or even a wife for the sake of your success" troubled her. No matter how busy someone might be, there couldn't be a valid reason to say such a thing. Jae-hee wondered if this related to Yoo-jin's mother, whom she had hidden the most. It wasn't until three years into their relationship that Jae-hee learned about Yoo-jin's mother, and that too would have remained unknown if not for the hurricane that hit the United States, or if thunder and lightning had not struck.
All I can do now is speculate, Jae-hee frowned and sighed. She knew she should avoid jumping to conclusions. Impatience crept in. What could hurt Jae-hee was also hurtful to Yoo-jin herself. Unable to stand idly by as she continued to consume herself, Jae-hee felt rushed.
She splashed her face with water and turned on her computer. There were important tasks to attend to immediately. The first meal after marriage. There's no room for mistakes. Today's itinerary needed simulation. Jae-hee started seriously considering what conversation she should have with Yoo-jin.
***