Chapter 33: Getting Caught (1)

The first thing the head of student affairs did upon suddenly bursting in was separate me and So-yul.

They pointed and ordered us to move in front of the screen, leaving us no choice but to comply. I had to leave So-yul trembling behind me. With each step, my heart felt like it was sinking to the ground.

What would follow was obvious.

“What were you two doing here?”

The head of student affairs turned to So-yul and began interrogating in a sharp tone. Their voice and the charisma radiating from their eyes made my whole body go cold instantly, proving their position wasn’t just for show.

This was probably why they made me and So-yul keep our distance too. A distrust that we might secretly coordinate stories if left together. Their thoroughness was almost admirable.

“Um, w-well… We were… watching a movie together.”

So-yul answered in a voice so faint it was barely audible. Her thin lips visibly trembled. Her small delicate frame looked like it might collapse at any moment.

The teacher’s gaze returned to me.

“What kind of relationship do you two have to be watching movies together with the lights off?”

The pointed question came as expected.

They surely suspected we were dating. No, beyond suspicion – they must be certain. Even pretending to hear excuses was just a formality.

But there was no other option now anyway.

All I could do was make up the most plausible excuse possible.

“Well, I’m in the film production club, so… As a member I thought I should watch movies. And she said watching movies helps with emotional expression… So, we were watching together.”

When I stammered out this excuse, the teacher said nothing. Their crossed arms and silent stare showed they were trying to read the truth.

Could my excuse have worked?

As I held onto this small hope, a vague smile formed on the teacher’s lips.

“So.”

Following a small laugh, they briefly started then:

“I’m asking why you two had to watch together.”

They added this, as if determined to clearly convey each word.

Why did So-yul and I have to watch movies together?

Though it should be a simple question, I had no idea how to answer.

Though fake, So-yul and I were dating.

Thanks to this relationship, we’d done various “couple-like things.”

Put another way, without this connection there would have been absolutely no reason for us to be involved.

Male and female. Study and piano. Academic track and arts track.

There was no reason for us with barely any common ground to be close enough to watch movies together. This level of excuse was far from enough to dispel the teacher’s suspicions.

The teacher nodded repeatedly while looking between us two who couldn’t move our lips. It was a gesture suggesting they’d figured something out. Definitely not a good sign.

I glanced at So-yul’s condition.

So-yul hung her head with both eyes squeezed shut. Her side profile visible through her hair wore an extremely rigid expression. Her body’s trembling showed no signs of stopping.

Her appearance looking so fragile filled me with sympathy.

“Well then.”

Having seemingly reached a conclusion in their mind, the teacher spoke:

“A boy and girl alone in the club room, watching a movie with the lights off. That’s the story, right?”

“…”

Neither So-yul nor I answered.

Well, it probably wasn’t a question expecting an answer anyway.

They continued:

“So I can assume you two are dating? After the school emphasized so much not to date. Completely ignoring all the teachers’ warnings, disregarding everything…”

Trailing off like this, the teacher soon furrowed their brow and with a stern expression:

“Then, you’d have nothing to say even if you both get disciplined?”

They said these words.

Disciplined.

This short word hit my ears heavily.

I knew well what punishment would be given. Like that junior back then, they’d probably make us pick up trash somewhere open where passersby could see. They’d print our names huge and post them everywhere too.

Of course that was fine. That level of humiliation could be endured. Most students didn’t even criticize those caught dating anymore. It probably wouldn’t affect school life much after the discipline.

That would be true generally.

But for me and So-yul, there were significant differences.

I covered this school’s outrageous tuition entirely with scholarships. Thanks to decent grades, I’d been guaranteed full scholarships from the school until now.

But once I got on the school’s bad side with an incident like this, it was over.

From next semester they’d cut my scholarship citing poor behavior. With no parents to pay tuition. Whether I left voluntarily or got kicked out, the future looked dark.

Meanwhile So-yul’s case was even more serious.

Once disciplined, her parents would definitely be contacted. I couldn’t even imagine how So-yul’s parents would react. They were cold-blooded enough to remain unmoved even hearing her excellent performance.

She might be condemned for just playing around instead of practicing. They might drag her away saying they should have managed her themselves from the start. All her hard work would turn to bubbles.

And even if by miracle nothing happened, at minimum So-yul and I would clearly be put under much stricter surveillance.

Whatever the outcome, this was the end of our relationship.

Well, that’s how it was.

This was the future that would come eventually.

An abnormally formed relationship from the start. Let’s commit dangerous acts for deviation. It was a ridiculously reckless proposal. I who accepted it wasn’t in my right mind either.

Despite facing crisis several times, our thinking only grew lax. Though we first met secretly at night, we gradually lost caution and ended up openly watching movies. Even in a space that had been dangerous once before.

That wasn’t all.

From a fake relationship, I ended up developing real feelings. Looking back, it was nonsense. So-yul probably had no such feelings. It was a relationship that could end anytime.

Perhaps from the beginning.

We should never have started this kind of relationship.

“Han So-yul.”

The teacher’s voice brought me back to my senses. Their gaze was directed at So-yul.

When I looked too, So-yul’s face was drained white. She seemed equally worried about the future ahead.

“…Yes.”

A weak voice flowed from So-yul’s throat.

As if disregarding this, the teacher added:

“Aren’t you sorry to your parents?”

“…Ugh.”

So-yul’s eyes snapped open at the teacher’s words.

Then… tears slowly filled both her eyes.

Seeing her bite her lip hard trying not to let the tears fall looked so pitiful, it was hard to just watch.

Better to end it properly at this point.

If this situation was hurting So-yul, it would be better to tie it off clearly here.

Reaching this conclusion, I.

Clenched my fists so tight my hands hurt, opened my tightly closed mouth and…

“Sorry you two. Did I come too late?”

…?

For a moment I lost my bearings at the voice that suddenly cut in. It was so sudden that though the voice was very familiar, I couldn’t place who it was.

But once I saw their face, it was impossible not to recognize them.

The person appearing outside the club room door was… none other than Juho.

“Who are you?”

The teacher turned and asked Juho.

Though they seemed to know all the students, this wasn’t asking for an introduction. They were probably asking what connection there was to this situation.

Actually, I had the same curiosity.

Glancing over, So-yul also wore a puzzled expression.

Receiving all three people’s gazes, Juho opened their mouth:

“Ah, I’m Park Juho, president of the film production club.”

Hearing Juho’s words, the teacher snorted slightly.

“I know who you are. So what? What’s your connection to these two?”

The teacher asking again in an unnecessarily sharp tone.

Without showing any sign of wavering at this, Juho instead wore a bright smile and:

“I was planning to cast these two as leads in a new movie we’re filming. I had them watch similar movies together then went out for a bit.”

Gave this answer.

‘If you need any help, let me know. I made the club thanks to you. I’ll appear like a hero at least once in your moment of crisis to help.’

It was a moment I realized those words Juho had given me before weren’t just empty talk.