Chapter 2
859 Words
Chapter 2:
Inside the Lecture Room
The lecture room smelled faintly of chalk dust and old textbooks.
Morning sunlight spilled through the tall windows, cutting through the air and illuminating dust particles that floated lazily above the empty desks.
It was only the second day of the semester, but the room had already settled into its usual rhythm—students half-awake, half-listening, pretending to be fully present.
Min-seo slid into a seat near the middle.
His phone was still warm from the messages he had sent before class.
He opened her chat with Hyun-woo.
Min-seo:
Hey… you weren’t in the dorm yesterday. Why?
She stared at the screen for a moment before sending it.
A reply came almost immediately.
Hyun-woo:
Yeah. It was the party After that we went out to practice Any problem?
Min-seo hesitated.
Min-seo:
No. Just asking.
Hyun-woo:
Okay.
Short.
Simple.
Normal.
A few minutes later, the lecture room door opened.
Hyun-woo walked in.
Still in a practice hoodie. Hair slightly damp at the edges, as if he had rushed over.
Without asking, he dropped into the seat beside him
“Morning,” he said quietly.
Min-seo didn’t answer out loud. He only gave a small nod.
His foot lightly nudged his foot under the desk—an unspoken greeting, casual and familiar.
Before either of them could speak again, someone approached their row.
“Hi,” a voice said.
Hyun-woo looked up first.
“Good morning,” he replied.
Min-seo lifted his gaze.
A girl stood there—purple-tinted hair, nervous smile, hands clasped tightly in front of her.
“Hey,” Min-seo said.
Hyun-woo tilted his head slightly.
“Any problem?”
“No, no,” the girl quickly said. “I just… wanted to sit with you guys.”
Hyun-woo shrugged and gestured to the empty seat beside him.
“Sure.”
The girl smiled in relief and sat down carefully.
Min-seo said nothing more, only watching briefly before turning his attention forward.
⸻
Thirty Minutes Later
The door at the front of the lecture room clicked open.
Instantly, the quiet murmur of students died down.
A man stepped inside.
Tall. Calm. Composed.
He held a folder in one hand, his expression unreadable. Yet the room seemed to shift the moment he entered.
Min-seo straightened slightly.
He looked too young to be a lecturer—late twenties, maybe—but there was something about him that made the air feel heavier, more focused.
“Good morning, all,” he said.
A chorus of greetings followed.
Even Hyun-woo sat up properly this time.
“My name is Ji-woo,” he continued. “I will be your English lecturer for this semester.”
Min-seo blinked.
Ji-woo.
The name felt familiar for a reason he couldn’t place.
He opened his folder.
“Let’s begin.”
⸻
Paulmers Hotels – Manager’s Office
The office was cold.
Too clean. Too quiet. Too controlled.
The manager stood rather than sat. He always did when the matter was serious.
“The CEO will be coming in today,” he said firmly. “I am informing you so there will be no mistakes.”
The assistant immediately straightened.
“Yes, sir.”
The manager nodded once, dismissing him with a wave.
Six months of negotiations rested on today.
One error. One delay. One misplaced detail—and the entire contract could collapse.
⸻
City Hospital
Soo-young gripped her phone as she walked through the hospital corridor, her intern badge swaying lightly against her chest.
“Yes, Dad, I’m fine,” she said quickly into the phone. “No, don’t call him. I’ll handle it myself. Okay… love you.”
She ended the call before he could respond further.
She exhaled slowly.
She didn’t need her father calling the department head again. She had earned this internship on her own—and she intended to keep it that way.
Following the direction signs, she stopped in front of a door.
Chief Surgeon – Dr. Ji-woo
She knocked once.
A calm voice answered from inside.
“Come in.”
She entered.
“Good morning,” she said politely. “I’m Soo-young, an intern. I was directed here by the director to report to you. You’re assigned as my supervisor during my internship.”
The man behind the desk didn’t look up immediately.
He was signing a document, brows slightly furrowed.
“I told that old man I don’t want anyone under me,” he muttered under his breath.
Then he finally looked up.
“Good morning,” he said flatly. “I’m Ji-woo. Chief surgeon. Nice to meet you.”
He extended his hand.
Soo-young hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking it firmly.
“Make yourself comfortable around me,” he said.
“Okay,” she replied.
“Thank you.”
He didn’t smile.
But he didn’t reject her either.
That was enough—for now.
⸻
Author’s Note
That’s the end of this chapter.
Now that my exams are over, I’ll be posting daily updates from here onward.
If you’re enjoying the story, please support it with a vote, like, and follow. It really motivates me to keep writing.
- Writer
