"Alright, see you guys!" I waved goodbye to my best friends as classes ended for the day.
"Hey, Jimin, not coming with us?" Baek asked.
"He said earlier that he needs to talk to Assistant Group Leader Ling Bi after class. Did you forget?" the brown-haired one clapped him on the back.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Well, good luck then! See you tomorrow!" They gave me a wave.
"Thanks. Bye!" I returned the wave and, a little nervously, started heading toward the faculty office.
It was upstairs, in a relatively spacious part of the building. I knocked without thinking too much. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Professor Min peeked out. He didn't teach me, but I recognized him by sight.
"Dear Park, what are you doing here at this hour? You're not looking for me, I assume?" He looked slightly surprised but quickly composed himself.
"I'm looking for Professor Ling Bi," I mumbled.
"I'll get her." He closed the door, and shortly after, it opened again. A kind, middle-aged woman stepped out.
"Oh, Min Jae, you were looking for me," she smiled. "Is something wrong?"
"Actually… yes." I sighed. "You see, I'm not exactly excelling in the practical aspects of our studies. I always learn all the theory, but dissection… I just can't do it. I mean, I could, if I didn't constantly feel sick during class. I'm afraid I'm going to fail the final exam at the end of the year. Dr. Han suggested today that I should find a teacher to help me with dissection, so I won't get sick during the test. Do you think there's anyone here who could spare at least an hour a week for me?" I looked at her hopefully.
"I'm sorry to hear that. But no worries, I'll check the schedule and see if there's any teacher with fewer classes who handles dissection." She hurried back into the office, leaving me alone in the hallway.
Is this going to spread across the entire university now? That Park Min Jae, the top student, faints at the sight of a corpse? I've tried to keep it quiet until now, but I admit—I really do need help. I bet now every teacher will know how pathetic I am...
"Haah, Min Jae…" Professor Ling Bi reappeared with a deep sigh.
"There's no one who can help me, is there?" I asked with a grimace.
"I went through the entire schedule again and again. I asked all the more experienced teachers if they could take you on, but they all said no. Unfortunately, based on the records, only… Mr. Joon has a slot that fits your availability. He's not here right now, but it looks like he finishes at the same time as you on Fridays. I'm sorry. I know he's… different. But for some reason, he's still here. He can teach, just in his own way. And I know none of the students like him. To be honest, sometimes even I find him unsettling," she whispered the last part.
"Oh… It really has to be Mr. Joon?" My face turned pale.
"I'm afraid so. At this point, he's the only option."
"I guess I'll think about it. Maybe I'll just tough it out in class," I chuckled nervously.
"Fair enough. Though I might speak to him anyway. He might be willing to take you on—you never know with him. In my experience, if you're confident and follow his instructions exactly, things might actually go well. Just make sure to listen to him, and don't get thrown off by his… peculiar mannerisms."
"Alright. Thank you. I'll see how I feel during the next dissection class. If I still feel sick, then maybe I'll go to him. I really appreciate your help." I bowed politely.
"It's only natural. A wise choice. See how it goes next Tuesday—but if I were you, I wouldn't pass up this chance. Any help is valuable for a university student, no matter who offers it. Now, I must go. Have a good day, Min Jae!" she smiled.
"You too!" I smiled back, then left the building with a heavy heart, heading toward my awful apartment.
The sun was still shining—it was early October—but my mood was way down in the dumps.
"Mr. Joon giving me private lessons once a week… Ridiculous…" I muttered.
I'd rather throw up every class than be alone with that demon every Friday. It's not even funny.
Out of all the teachers, only he has the time? Seriously? Why does stuff like this always happen to me?
Annoyed, I trudged up to my place before dark, slammed the door behind me, and dropped my bag onto the floor. I immediately started calling Lee while pacing the living room.
"Yeah, Jae? What's up?" he answered.
"You won't believe what Professor Ling Bi said…" I jumped right in.
"I'm already scared. What did she say?" he laughed.
"That the only person available to tutor me on Fridays is JJ." I rolled my eyes.
"What?! You're kidding. Poor Jae! I guess that's it then. I assume you're not going through with it?"
"Of course not. I mean… I don't know. I'll see," I let out a massive sigh.
"What do you mean?"
"Lee… you'd go to JJ too if your final exam depended on it. I don't want to fail, but right now, it's a real possibility. Last year, at least, we dissected small animals, not humans. But this year? It's too much. I've barely seen a corpse before, and since September, I've felt sick in every class. That's not normal. I need someone to help me get used to it. Even Ling Bi said that in situations like this, you need to accept help—no matter who the teacher is. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that I really, really don't want to spend a single extra minute with JJ. So… if I feel terrible in the next class again, I'll go see him." I explained, worked up.
"I get it, Jae. I really do. I'm sorry it came to this. My advice? Sit somewhere quiet and just think it through. If you can flip that mental switch and decide to handle dissections better, maybe it'll help. I know it's not that simple, but if JJ is your only option, I'd go for it. And if you do end up with him—you know you can always count on me. And Baek too, I'm sure," he said warmly.
"Thanks, Lee. I hope it all goes smoothly," I smiled weakly.
"You don't need to take everything so seriously," he replied lightly. And then… something ordinary, but chilling happened.
Someone knocked on my door. A normal thing, yet it sent shivers down my spine. In this building, everything felt creepy, so of course I imagined the worst.
"Uhm… wait a sec, Lee. Someone's at the door. Should I even check who it is?" I asked uncertainly.
"Sure, could be your neighbor. Don't be rude," he said casually.
"But this late? I don't know…" I hesitated as another knock came.
"Don't overthink it, Min Jae. The scary stuff is just in your head. There's nothing evil out there. Open the door," he encouraged me gently.
"Okay… but don't hang up!" I warned him and, with slightly trembling hands, opened the door. "...Shit…" I whispered on the verge of tears.
"What? What's wrong, Jae?" Lee's voice turned worried.
"There's no one here… No one's there, but someone knocked," I looked around the dim hallway, then slammed the door shut and locked it immediately.
"Maybe it was just some kid messing around," he suggested.
"I can't do this, Lee! I thought I'd get used to this place in a few days, but I just can't. It feels so foreign, like it belongs to someone else. I can't make it mine. Every night I'm scared to be here. It's like I'm sleeping in a stranger's bed. Like I'm an unwanted guest. Since I moved in, I haven't seen a single soul in this building. The hallways are always deathly silent. No footsteps, no sounds—nothing. And now someone knocked, and when I checked, there was no one there. I'm going to lose my mind, you get that?" I broke down as tears started falling.
"Hey, breathe, Jae. Everything's okay. It's just a new place, that's all. Don't overthink it—there are no monsters, and you know that," he tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't help much. "Haah… Listen, if you want, I can stay over, or you can come to mine, just to get used to the place. What do you say?"
"It's pointless. I'm a grown man—I should be able to handle this alone. I shouldn't be freaking out over something this petty." I slumped onto the couch.
"Okay, but I'm still worried. I don't want you breaking down because of this. We're here for you."
"I'm really grateful. Thank you. I'm fine… I think I'll try to sleep now. Maybe tomorrow will be better."
"I'm sure it will. Good night, Jae. Don't overthink. Focus on the good things." He ended the call.
I would focus on the good things…
...If there were any.