Chapitre 5: Cheater Or Not

Back at home, I couldn't stop thinking about that woman with Mr. Hyun. I tried pushing it out of my mind, but the image kept replaying in my head. To shake it off, I decided to unwind with a hot bath, letting the warmth soak away the stress. This bathroom was incredible—fully equipped with luxury soaps, soft towels, and the kind of endless hot water I could get used to. Afterward, I changed into some extra-comfy pajamas and settled into bed, scrolling mindlessly on my phone.

That's when I noticed something unexpected: Mr. Hyun had left his jacket behind. How had I missed that? I walked over, picking it up, and felt something heavy in one of the pockets. I hesitated, but curiosity got the best of me, and I reached inside. My fingers closed around a credit card. Obviously, I wasn't planning on using it, but as I looked further, I pulled out a small photo tucked away in the pocket. It was Mr. Hyun with the same woman from last night. They were hugging, smiling at the camera. So, she really was his wife, then.

I put everything back and set the jacket down. Despite my curiosity, it was none of my business. I slipped under the covers, finally letting sleep take over.

The next morning, I woke up way too late. By the time I got to breakfast, everything was cold as ice. Eating cold eggs and toast first thing in the morning definitely put me in a bad mood. And, as if on cue, Mr. Hyun was already there, waiting to start another round of tutoring.

The entire time, I could barely focus, mostly just tuning him out. He seemed to notice because after a while, he looked at me, his face softening a bit.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice. It caught me off guard; I hadn't seen him look at me that way before. I must have looked tired or maybe just distracted. But the truth was, I couldn't stop thinking about his wife—the way she dressed, how she clung to him in that store.

It wasn't jealousy, not exactly. Something about her just felt… off. But I kept that to myself, glancing away and shrugging. "I'm fine," I mumbled, though even I didn't sound convinced.

Mr. Hyun looked at me, his expression shifting to one of mild irritation. "Is this seriously about yesterday? Look, it was just a few papers…" He started to explain but I cut him off before he could go any further.

"Seriously, I'm fine," I replied, sighing. "Something else is just… on my mind."

He gave me a thoughtful look, then asked, "And what might that be?"

I could tell he had no idea I'd seen him last night, but I needed answers. The question had been eating at me since I saw them together, and I decided to go for it. "Who was that blonde girl you were with? And why was she dressed like that?" I asked, glancing at him to gauge his reaction.

He looked startled, clearly not expecting me to bring it up. "You mean… Hea?" he replied, seeming a bit unsure. "Yeah, she's my wife."

"No shit, Sherlock," I mumbled under my breath, hoping he didn't catch it. I wasn't jealous, not exactly. But for some reason, knowing that a girl like her was with him stirred something unsettling in me, even though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I'd seen it for myself, but part of me didn't want to believe that she, with her obvious hunger for attention, was the person he'd chosen to be with.

He noticed my tone and raised an eyebrow. "Is there… something wrong with that?" he asked, curiosity and a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

"I—no, but didn't you notice how she was dressed? I mean, wasn't it a bit too short or tight?" I asked, hoping he'd pick up on what I was saying, or at least understand my concern.

Mr. Hyun's expression hardened. "No, I didn't notice anything wrong. I found her dress lovely, actually," he said, his voice turning sharp. "Why are you even looking at her closely enough to notice these 'little details'?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself. "Wow, what? No, I—"

But he cut me off, his patience clearly gone. "My wife," he snapped, "is none of your business. You don't get to criticize her over some nonsense. Now, just keep writing and stop with this ridiculousness."

I felt a rush of frustration. Every time I tried to explain myself, he'd shut me down, going on about how "perfect" she was, talking in circles about her wonderful personality and how I clearly didn't understand. I could feel my patience fraying, and each word was driving me a little closer to the edge. I'd only wanted to help him see what I saw, but he wasn't having it.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Get out," I said firmly, my voice laced with irritation. I wasn't about to sit here for another minute, listening to him dismiss me. It had only been forty minutes into our second day of tutoring, but he was already on my last nerve.

He looked taken aback, but I held my ground, staring him down. I wasn't going to explain myself again.

At this point, everything about him was grating on my nerves—even the work he'd assigned, just sitting there, seemed to annoy me. Mr. Hyun's face reflected both surprise and confusion as he took in my reaction.

"Look, let's just forget about this and—" he started, trying to calm things down.

But I wasn't having it. "Get the fuck out," I interrupted sharply, cutting him off mid-sentence. I felt the heat rising within me, and if he wanted to push this further, I was more than ready to snap back. For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then he shook his head, quietly gathered his things, and left without another word.

As he walked out, a twinge of regret hit me. Maybe I'd gone too far. I looked around and noticed his jacket, still draped over the back of a chair. I grabbed it and dashed out the door, hoping to catch him before he left. "Mr. Hyun!" I called out, running down the hallway. "Wait!"

He was already near the exit, but he turned around just as I called his name again. I couldn't stop myself in time, and I ended up colliding right into him. The impact made us both stumble back a bit, but he steadied me, looking down with a mix of surprise and something I couldn't quite read.

"Your jacket," I mumbled, feeling awkward and flustered as I held it out to him.