"Wow… Then, is that boy the professor's fiance?"
"Jackpot case. Really? It's totally fate!"
When Sohee nodded, the students became excited and murmured among themselves. It's like a prince from some fairy tale. There was an uproar as to what could be so perfect.
When he woke up in the hospital, Jihoon said he was in the intensive care unit. His thighs and forearms were bitten in about 15 places here and there. He said he wouldn't have been able to save his life because he didn't bite his neck. Even small scars from that day remain on Sohee's thigh, so larger marks will remain on her body. What would have happened to Sohee if Jihoon wasn't there that day? He would have died motionless.
In fact, it was an engagement between the families that was confirmed from birth, but after this incident, the relationship between the two families became stronger. Above all, So-hee's parents actively accepted the request of Ji-hoon's father, who runs a pharmaceutical company in terms of business.
It was later discovered that dogs with a sensitive sense of smell sometimes have abnormal reactions to the unique pheromone of the dominant alpha or omega. Even children who have not yet manifested themselves recognize the subtle differences with their animal senses. It was for that reason that Sohee's parents were against raising animals.
"ruler… Now, have you heard everything you want to hear?"
"yes! What a professor!"
At that time, a girl sitting in the front row came and held out a shopping bag.
"This is a gift that the students in our class gathered together. It's not expensive, but... . Congratulations on your marriage!"
"You? Oh my gosh… ."
It was a silk scarf with colorful colors.
The heart the students showed her was so pretty and moved that Sohee almost burst into tears.
"Thank you, really. So pretty. Power in return... A! I want to give it to you."
"Eh~!!!"
"Oh, I'm a professor."
"Once the semester starts, I will invite all students to these lectures and shoot them delicious food. got it?"
Wow. Not outside, at home! Director Gu Ji-hoon and Professor No, you must show it to your husband too! Sohee watched the excited students with a proud expression.
They must be on vacation, but Sohee was also in her last class this semester. Next spring, when I start teaching again, I must be a married woman. To erase the subtle tension, Sohee smiled even wider as she looked at her children.
***
An ossuary located in Icheon. I got out of the sedan Jigyeom was driving alone. In his hand was a bunch of red roses. He would usually take a white flower, but his mother liked it the most. Jigyeom passed the small pond and slowly walked towards the chapel. The breath he exhaled touched the cold air and flew hazy. ha… . Ji Gyeom deliberately took a deep breath in and then exhaled a long one.
Jigyeom's mother particularly liked winter. When it snowed in her childhood garden, her mother and the two of them sat on a bench, spit steam out of their mouths, joked around, and built a snowman. On the other hand, Jihoon said that he hated being cold, and he never came out of the house.
- Jigyeom, touch me. how is it?
My mother touched the ground with the snow falling and melting with her palms. Her Jigyeom also followed her swiftly with her.
- Oh, it's cold.
- okay. hard, and cold. Look at the green dead grass, the black soil and gravel.
Jigyeom quickly removed her hand from the frozen winter ground. His hands felt like they were frozen. Her mother took her cold hand and breathed hot breath into her son's hand. In the warmth, Jigyeom's hand quickly melted warmly.
- But Jigyeom, wait a little bit. When spring comes, will the hardened ground come back to life?
- yes?
- Mom is always curious about that. Even if it looks dead, it's not. After winter, spring always comes back. On the cold ground, the grass grows again, and flowers bloom beautifully. So Jigyeom, nothing completely disappears.
Had she already made up her mind then? To turn her back on her son, her husband who tied herself up with her, and her world, which was like her midwinter to her. And after a while, without seeing the next spring coming, her mother took her own life.
Entering the ossuary under the chapel, he was familiar with finding his mother's seat. In front of the picture of her smiling happily while holding Ji-gyeom and Ji-hoon in her arms, the bouquet of roses that Ji-gyeom left when she visited last time was left dry. Ji-hoon knew that neither Ji-hoon nor his father would stop by here.
"mother… . I didn't think I could come on time this year, so I came in advance."
He was a gorgeous and fragrant person, just like this red rose. Wherever she went, she focused the attention of her people, and her praise and affection from all of her were easily directed to her beautiful. Her father hated that very much. To keep no one from approaching, he wanted to take someone else's hand and monopolize it so that not a single petal would fall. A rose in a glass tube that lacks oxygen would rather wither faster.
In a few years, you will be the same age as the mother in the picture. When I thought of that, Jigyeom felt like my body was getting cold. Like the frozen ground on a winter's day.
"I'm going to Singapore, with Sohee."
What will her mother say if she finds out what Jigyeom is going to do to Sohee from now on about the plan he has prepared? Lying is the worst thing in the world. He was the one who taught me that the moment we lose trust, whether it be friends or family, will end. He might have persuaded him to find another way. To be honest, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid at all.
"Next time together… I will come."
If Sohee allows it. I'll have to make it that way though.
A long time ago, I remembered what Jigyeom's mother said about Sohee.
- Look at you smiling. You are just like a spring flower.
Mother went away without waiting for spring to come, but Jigyeom did not have the heart to give up like her.
Chunrae Unfair Spring (春來不似春).
Spring isn't here yet until spring really comes.
Even after this winter passes and spring comes, there will be no flowers in his life without Sohee anyway.
So Jigyeom is going now. To find his spring, Im So-hee.
***
After class, Sohee returned to the lab and, along with her assistant Yeeun, scored the remaining test papers and evaluated the reports submitted by the students.
"Send unsubmitted reports by e-mail. I will check it out in Singapore."
"Yes, Professor. Are you leaving tomorrow?"
"yes. Time goes so fast."
After all, the wedding is next weekend. Tomorrow afternoon, Sohee and her mother decided to catch a flight to Singapore first.
"Professor, go to work now! It's already past 7 o'clock."
"What about dinner? let's eat together. I'll buy you some sushi that Yeeun likes."
The assistant gave a perplexed look on his face and blurted out the end of his speech.
"me too… I would like to, Professor... ."
"yes?"
"Please come back to Korea and buy it. Professor, I think you should go quickly."
"me? am i okay? Departure is tomorrow... ."
But assistant Ye-eun kept looking over So-hee's back and looking at the lab door anxiously. Why are you doing that? who came... ?
"Okay, Sohee, let's start from work. I am hungry."
Oh, this voice.
"… brother?"
Jihoon was leaning obliquely against the door. The man had his arms crossed and a soft smile on his face.
It was the first time he came to the lab, or even the school itself, so Sohee was very embarrassed. And usually Friday evenings are the busiest time, so there wasn't a lot of communication.
'Professor's fiance... really you Have a good day. It's prettier than the picture.'
Ye-eun clenched her mouth slightly and said to So-hee, invisible to him. Is it a bit like that? Sohee's cheeks heated up as she remembered what happened with him at her house last weekend, and then the next day she remembered what happened at her parents' house, making it awkward. Sohee hesitated in a confused mood.
"Yeah, yes. Then I'll go first, Yeeun-ah. When all the modernism writer introductory reports are submitted, give me a call. got it?"
"Yes, Professor! I really congratulate you."
thanks So-hee said that and approached him, and Ji-hoon, who was standing by the door, responded by bowing his head lightly toward Ye-eun. The action was so gentle and kind, Sohee felt a very subtle sense of incongruity. If you think about it, Jihoon oppa told someone... I've never seen him bow his head like this before... go?
It was natural for Sohee to feel unfamiliar with him. This is because the person who came to pick her up was her Ji-gyeom, not Ji-hoon. Sohee was not aware of this fact.
"Did you finish the job well?"
On the way to the professor's parking lot, the wind blew quite hard. Jigyeom naturally grabbed Sohee's hand and put it in my coat pocket. Perhaps because of his high body temperature, his pockets were very warm. he didn't like it
"yes… . But didn't you say you were busy? I have a golf appointment tomorrow."
"ah… it. Canceled."
"yes?"
As far as So-hee can remember, Ji-hoon never canceled a scheduled schedule because of work with So-hee. Besides, I think he heard what the Ministry of Health and Welfare was, a promise he made with the Minister. Sohee's father was also quite interested.
"Coming to think of it, the two of us want to go."
"Where?"
"Singapore. Let's go together as usual, now."
Jigyeom held Sohee's hand tighter in my pocket.
Until the wedding, D-9.