THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU

CHAPTER 4: THE DIGITAL REFUGE

Nari practically ran to her office. She ignored a greeting from a fellow faculty member, her heels clicking a frantic tempo against the tiles. The moment she was inside, she slammed the door and turned the lock with a trembling hand.She slumped against the wood, her eyes closed, trying to draw oxygen into lungs that felt like they were collapsing.What was that? She had taught hundreds of students. She had dealt with arrogant overachievers, bored heirs, and aggressive grade-grubbers. But she had never, in her entire career, felt like a student had stripped her bare just by sitting in the third row.

"It’s just a student, Nari," she whispered, her voice echoing in the small office. "A slightly older, slightly too-handsome student who thinks he’s smarter than he is. That’s all."But her body knew it was a lie. Her skin was still humming.She walked over to her desk and collapsed into her chair. She didn't reach for her lecture notes or her grading rubric. She reached for her phone.

The screen glowed. The butterfly icon was there, waiting for her.

[Nari]: Are you there?She waited. One minute. Two. The silence of the office felt oppressive without his words. Finally, the bubble appeared.

[Ren]: Always. You sound breathless, Butterfly. Did you run a marathon, or did your students finally revolt? Nari let out a long, shaky exhale. The tension in her shoulders began to bleed away. This was her safe place. This was the man who didn't look at her with predatory eyes, the man who only knew the parts of her she chose to show.

[Nari]: A student. A new one. He’s... insufferable.

[Ren]: Insufferable? That’s a strong word for a first day. What did he do? Did he fall asleep during your lecture on tectonic plates?

[Nari]: Worse. He challenged me. He asked about 'obsession' in the middle of a topography lecture. And he looked at me like... like he knew I was lying about something.Across the city, in the back of a blacked-out sedan, Kang Dae leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, a dark, amused smile playing on his lips. He watched the "Typing..." bubble on his screen with the intensity of a man watching a masterpiece being painted.He could still feel the warmth of her hand against his. He could still see the way her pupils had dilated when he brushed his fingers against hers. She was even more reactive in person than she was over text. It was intoxicating.

[Ren]: Maybe he’s just interested in the subject. Or maybe he’s just interested in the teacher. Nari stared at the message, her heart skipping.

[Nari]: Don't joke. He’s younger than me. And he’s a student. It was just... unsettling. He has this energy, Ren. Like he owns the room. It made me feel like I was the one being lectured.

[Ren]: Some people are born with that kind of weight, Nari. It doesn't mean they're a threat. Maybe he just sees how brilliant you are and doesn't know how to handle it.

[Nari]: You always take the most romantic view of things.

[Ren]: Only when it comes to you. Nari bit her lip, a soft, genuine smile finally breaking through her stress. She leaned back in her chair, the "insufferable" Kang Dae fading into the background as Ren’s digital presence wrapped around her.

[Nari]: I wish I could just stay here. In this chat. I hate the real world today.

[Ren]: Then stay. I’m not going anywhere. Tell me about the topography lecture. What did you say about scars? Nari began to type, her fingers flying across the screen. She told him about the lecture, about the endurance of passion, about the way she felt when she stood at the podium. She didn't mention that she had been thinking of him when she spoke those words. She didn't have to. They talked for an hour. He truly listened in the way only he could. He asked questions that pushed her, he made jokes that made her laugh out loud in her empty office, and he reminded her, once again, why she was in love with a man who didn't have a face.

But as the sun began to set, casting long, orange shadows across her desk, a notification popped up at the top of her screen. Incoming Email: University Admin - New Student Inquiry. Nari sighed, clicking over to her laptop.

Dear Professor Kim,I am writing to confirm my enrollment in your Geography 101 course. As a transfer student, I may require some additional guidance to catch up on the missed introductory materials. I would like to schedule a time to meet during your office hours to discuss the syllabus in more detail.

Respectfully,Kang Dae.

Nari’s stomach did a slow, painful flip.Office hours. In the small, cramped confines of this room. Just her and those intense, dark eyes.She looked back at her phone.

[Nari]: He just emailed me. He wants a private meeting.

[Ren]: The insufferable student?

[Nari]: Yes. What should I do? Dae looked at the screen, his eyes dark with a mixture of amusement and a hunger he was struggling to contain. He typed back with a steady hand.

[Ren]: You’re the Professor, Nari. You set the rules. If he’s as intense as you say, just keep the desk between you. And remember... you're the one in charge.

[Nari]: I don't feel in charge.

[Ren]: You are. To me, you're the most powerful woman in the world. Don't let a twenty-four-year-old boy make you forget that.Nari looked at the words "twenty-four-year-old boy" and felt a strange pang of guilt. She thought of the way Dae had looked at her, the maturity in his gaze, the weight of his presence. He didn't feel like a boy.He felt like a storm.

[Nari]: I’ll try. I have to go, Ren. My mother is calling. Sunday dinner is non-negotiable.

[Ren]: Good luck with the Queen Mother. Text me when you're safe in bed. I want to hear your voice.

[Nari]: I will. Goodnight, Ren.

[Ren]: Goodnight, Butterfly.

Dae tucked his phone into his pocket and looked out at the city. The lights were beginning to twinkle, thousands of tiny sparks in the dark.

"The Queen Mother," he muttered, his jaw tightening. He knew about Nari's mother. He knew about the pressure, the expectations, the way Nari was made to feel like she was never enough.

"Juno," he said, tapping the glass partition of the car. The glass slid down. "Yes, Director?" "Find out where Nari’s mother is having dinner tonight. And send a bottle of their most expensive wine to the table. Anonymously. Make it look like a gift from the restaurant for 'valued patrons'."Juno sighed.

"Dae, you're supposed to be a student. Students don't send thousand-dollar bottles of wine to their professors' mothers." "Ren is sending it," Dae said, his eyes cold and fixed on the horizon.

"Ren wants her to have a good night. And what Ren wants, Ren gets."He leaned back, the "Babycakes" smirk returning to his face." Office hours on Wednesday," he whispered. "I can't wait.”