After that incident, Yeorin threw himself into his studies, determined to distract himself from thoughts of Ri Ta. He spent long hours in the library, pouring over his textbooks and notes, "At least she can't corner me in here."
But despite his focus on academics, Yeorin couldn't shake off the feeling that Ri Ta was still out there, waiting for her next move. He would catch glimpses of her around campus, her shining black hair and confident stride unmistakable. She never approached him, but he could feel her eyes on him, as if she was watching him, waiting for him to make a move.
The sun was shining, the heat around the air was soft. As Yeorin was walking to class, he received a text message from an unknown number. "Meet me at Seo Jeong Coffee Shop at 3 pm. -Ri Ta." Yeorin rolled his eyes, as he read the message. "What did she want now?"
He walked into the lecture hall for his psychology course, and the thought of Ri Ta left him discombobulated all through the lecture.
He tried to brush it off, telling himself he was too busy to meet her, but his curiosity got the better of him. At 3 pm, he found himself walking into Seo Jeong Coffee Shop, his heart racing with anticipation.
Ri Ta was already there, sipping on a latte and looking like a queen. She smiled as Yeorin approached, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up."
Yeorin felt a surge of annoyance and irritation at her teasing, but he kept his cool. "What do you want, Ri Ta?" he asked, his voice neutral. He took his seat and ordered an Ice Americano.
Ri Ta took her time to study his countenance, his black leather jacket was distinctive, and he styled it perfectly with a black T-shirt and black joggers, rocking it with white Adidas campus sneakers. Ri Ta leaned in, her voice low and husky. "I want to know why you're avoiding me, Yeorin. I want to know why you're so scared of me."
Yeorin's eyes narrowed, his defenses rising. "I'm not scared of you," he said firmly.
Ri Ta laughed, her eyes glinting with challenge. "Oh, really? Then why won't you meet my eyes? Why won't you admit that you're attracted to me?"
Yeorin felt his face heat up, his heart racing with embarrassment. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, he knew he couldn't convince Ri Ta with just his words.
"I'm not attracted to you," he said again, his voice firm.
"Are you sure?" Ri Ta asked, knowingly trying to frustrate him.
Yeorin tilted his head slightly, "what's her problem? She's just a big pest." He said to himself and chuckled. "What is it that you wanted to tell me? Get on with it quickly. I still have a class to attend."
Ri Ta's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with triumph. "Oh, Yeorin. You're so cute when you're lying."
Ri Ta's words were like a slap in the face, leaving Yeorin feeling stunned and defensive. He tried to maintain his composure, but his palms were sweating. He scoffed grimly, "I'm not lying," he insisted, trying to sound convincing.
Ri Ta chuckled, her eyes never leaving his. "Oh, really? Then why are you blushing like a tomato?"
Yeorin only grew more irritated by Ri Ta's words, and he couldn't deny it. "Shut up," he muttered, looking away.
Ri Ta laughed, her voice husky and seductive. "Oh, Yeorin. You're so adorable when you're flustered."
Yeorin's eyes snapped back to hers, his anger rising. "Stop it," he warned, his voice low. "Seriously, are you going to talk or not? I'm quite busy."
Ri Ta's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Or what?" She said, rising from her seat. She walked slowly, her high heels clicking with every step.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and slipped them around his back, wrapping her hands around his shoulders. From his back, she whispered into his left ear, "Annyeong." Yeorin's mind raced as he tried to come up with a response. "Is she seriously trying to seduce me in public? He asked himself. He couldn't let her get the better of him, not again.
But before he could say anything, Ri Ta's phone rang. "Mtch! Who is this calling me, shibal (goddammit)! She answered, "Yeoboseyo (hello)?) Her voice changed from playful to professional in an instant, she started talking.
"Hello?... Yes, I'm on my way... No, I won't be late... Goodbye."
She hung up, her eyes never leaving Yeorin's. "I have to go," she said, her voice neutral.
Yeorin felt a mix of relief and confusion, she seemed flustered and eager at the same time, she was always in control of most things, but she was different, she seemed rather professional.
"What about our conversation?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Ri Ta smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, don't worry. We'll continue this soon."
And with that, she turned and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Yeorin feeling frustrated and confused. What did she want from him? And why couldn't he stop thinking about her?
He took that as a cue to return to campus and head straight for his last lecture for the day - philosophy. He looked at the time on his phone, and it was 3:45. "Shibal (f!ck)!!" He screamed and started running back to campus. His philosophy class was to start by 3:30, but he had wasted much time listening to Ri Ta and putting up with her seduction.
*Meanwhile, back at school*
"Today we'll be talking about - introduction to philosophy, so tell me a philosopher you're all familiar with. Oh! And do well to give us a little background about the person." The professor taking the course said.
The whole class was closely listening to the professor's lecture when Yeorin barged into the lecture hall, disrupting the professor's lecture. The attention of the whole class switched towards him.
"Nugu--seyo (who are you)? The professor asked.
"Mihane seoseongnim (I'm sorry sir), I am also taking this course. I was off campus and got carried away." He said, trying to catch his breath from running.
"Aigooo.. (goodness)." The professor strained, "This is just the third week, and you're already getting late to class already? You silly spoiled kids. Well, go inside and take a seat."
Yeorin scoffed, "What is wrong with this professor, Ri Ta is to blame for wasting my time." He thought to himself and sighed.
He nodded and walked slowly through the crowd, all eyes on him. He walked to the third row on the left and sat down, head faced down, feeling battered by the comment of the professor.
A perfume with a jasmine scent mixed with honey shot through his nostrils and attacked the cells in his brain. He thought to himself, "Who could this be?"
The whole class started to mutter, "Who is he?.... Gosh, he's cute... Mwo (what)? Don't tell me he just sat there."
He was used to those kinds of comments and didn't care. All he wanted to do was settle in and listen to his lecture.
He felt the scent of the perfume draw closer and closer, the heat exchange was evident, and he could see the shadow of a person over him. Before he could turn around to see the person, she had sat beside him.
"This is where I sit, and I sit alone." A soft voice shot through the air, "But it's alright, you can sit there, just for this class though. I'd allow it."
Yeorin tilted his head and the black hair slapped his face softly, a girl in a sunset orange turtleneck sweater and black leather miniskirt was looking at him, her lower lip plum and both her lips plush pink, her eyes were wide and her jawline defined.
Her eyes widened as she saw his face, she blinked twice and they both exchanged a short gaze into each other's eyes.
Yeorin felt a sudden surge shoot through his chest, causing him to wince a little, "woah she's cute." He muttered and turned his face away coldly.
"You have very beautiful eyes." She complimented
Yeorin, who had forgotten that he didn't have both his glasses and nosemask on after he met Ri Ta, suddenly became conscious of that fact. His heart started racing, and his hands started shaking. He turned to her, his eyes widened with anxiety.
"M-mwo (what did you say)?" Yeori stuttered
She smiled at him, "You heard me, don't act like you didn't." She said smiling at him widely, "You probably know me, right? Hyun Bora."
He looked at her in confusion, she was introducing herself, but his mind was elsewhere. "How could I have forgotten to put them back on?" He said to himself in a low voice and sighed.
Bora, who was expecting a response from him, started becoming anxious and started feeling insulted, "I just introduced myself to him and he snubbed me? Who the heck does he think he is?"
Among the confusion between the two, the professor's voice broke through their thoughts, "... So that'd be all for today. See you in our next class."
The whole class started to disperse, each person leaving their seating position. Bora was still waiting for Yeorin's reply. Still starstruck, Yeorin stood up and left the lecture hall without saying anything.
Bora's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to understand what had just happened, "did he just snub me?" She packed up her bag and left the lecture hall.