: The Trap
I wasn't planning to go back.
But rumors spread faster than wildfire on campus.
Whispers in the hallways. Murmurs in group chats. Then it exploded.
Professor Romano. Under investigation.
I saw the email with my own eyes.
Dear Students,
Due to an ongoing investigation, Professor Romano has been placed on indefinite leave. We will update you shortly with your new course advisor.
I read it twice.
Three times.
My heart wouldn't stop pounding.
He was gone.
---
By mid-afternoon, the forums lit up like a crime scene.
"He slept with a student."
"Mafia connections."
"Real name isn't even Romano."
"Someone saw him arguing with that CEO guy—Jihoon, something?"
I slammed my phone shut, but it didn't matter. The whispers were everywhere.
In the library:
"I mean, come on. He was always too good-looking to be a professor."
"Right? And always around her. You noticed that, right?"
"Oh my God, yes. The way he'd look at her? Totally unprofessional."
"Do you think they actually—?"
"Please. She hasn't been in class for a week. Connect the dots."
In the cafeteria:
"You know what I heard? He's not even Italian. Romano isn't his real name."
"Then what is it?"
"Something dangerous. A mafia thing. My cousin's in the law program—she swears she saw files about him."
"And the girl—what's her deal? Do you think she knew?"
"Maybe she was his cover."
I kept my head down, but it didn't matter. Eyes followed me everywhere. My name wasn't in the email, but it might as well have been tattooed across my forehead.
By the end of the week, I couldn't breathe. So I did the only thing that made sense: I hid in the psychology lecture hall. Empty. Silent. My notebook open but untouched.
I wasn't prepared when the door slammed open.
♡Detention With a Kingpin
Tae-hyun.
No pretense this time.
No ID badge. No glasses. No fake warm professor smile.
Just fury.
"You're here," he said, voice low and tight, like he hadn't been sure.
I froze. "You're not supposed to be."
He ignored that. Closed the distance between us in a handful of strides, his black coat billowing like shadow.
"They think I slept with you."
My stomach lurched. "Did you?"
He smiled, but it wasn't humor. It was bitter. Sharp. "Did I?"
I couldn't answer. My throat locked. "No. But you wanted to."
Heat climbed my neck. "You're out of your mind."
"Want," he corrected smoothly, stepping even closer. "Still do."
The air between us pulsed.
"Why?" I whispered.
His jaw flexed. "Because you're the only person on this damn campus who saw through the act. And you didn't run. You looked me in the eye and treated me like I was human." His gaze flicked down, dark and unreadable. "Also, I like the way you exist even when you don't notice me."
I swallowed. Hard.
"You lied to everyone."
His response was immediate, like he'd been waiting. "Not to you."
The silence between us was heavy. My pulse beat so hard I thought it might bruise my ribs.
Then he dropped the bomb.
"They're using the scandal to cover something bigger. Jihoon and your family—this marriage—it's not about alliances. It's about eliminating me."
My head snapped up. "What?"
"You were the bait," he said darkly. "And I walked right into the trap."
I shook my head. "That's insane. Why would my parents—"
"Because they owe. Debts, alliances, power plays—you think Jihoon's just some polished CEO? He's a broker. He trades lives like they're chips on a table."
My chest constricted.
"And me?" My voice was barely a whisper.
His eyes softened for the first time that night. "You're leverage. Nothing more to them. Everything to me."
The door creaked open again.
I stiffened.
Two students lingered in the doorway, whispering.
"Oh my God. See? I told you. She's here with him."
"Are they… alone?"
"Who else would she be with at this hour? Look at the way he's standing."
"That's not professor-student. That's—"
"Forbidden."
They giggled, the sound like knives against glass, before slipping away.
The whispers would spread. I knew it.
I pressed my palm to my temple. "You need to go."
He tilted his head. "And leave you to the wolves?"
"I can handle them."
"No," he said, voice iron. "You can't."
"Stop pretending you care," I snapped.
That struck something in him. He grabbed my wrist—gentle, but unyielding. His eyes bore into mine.
"You think I would risk my name, my cover, everything—just to pretend?" His voice was low, rough. "I broke every rule the day I let you talk back to me in class."
My breath hitched.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he released me, stepping back.
But his words lingered.
The rumors only got worse after that.
In the courtyard:
"She's totally the reason he got suspended."
"Of course. She's the only one he ever paid attention to."
"I heard he once followed her out of the library at night."
"Creepy—or romantic?"
"Romantic, obviously. Did you see the way he looked at her? Like he'd kill for her."
In the girls' bathroom:
"She's either stupid or lucky."
"Lucky? She's engaged to Jihoon."
"Exactly. She's either about to be killed… or crowned."
Everywhere I went, shadows followed. Gossip circled like vultures.
But the worst part?
Every time I caught a glimpse of black in the corner of my eye, every time I felt the heat of his gaze across the quad—I knew. He was still here. Watching. Protecting.
And I hated myself for the way it made me feel.
Because the truth was, Tae-hyun wasn't just a scandal.
He was the secret I wasn't ready to let go.
And maybe… maybe I never would.
--
I didn't know what to say. My heart felt too heavy, my head too loud.
"Come with me," he said suddenly.
"What?"
He didn't wait. He caught my wrist, pulling me out of the lecture hall like he owned the air I breathed.
"Tae-hyun—"
"Don't argue." His voice was low, final.
I stumbled to keep up with his long strides. We left the building, walked past whispering students—whispering about us. I could feel their eyes drilling into my back.
"That's her, isn't it?"
"She's the reason he's gone."
"No wonder he's always around her."
The voices buzzed, sharp as needles.
But Tae-hyun didn't even look at them. His grip only tightened.
---
The Flower Shop
The bell chimed softly when he pushed open the door. The smell of roses, lilies, and fresh soil wrapped around me.
I blinked. "A flower shop?"
He finally let go of my wrist. "You're too tense. Flowers help."
I laughed in disbelief. "You drag me out like some criminal on the run just to buy me flowers?"
"Not buy," he corrected, scanning the shelves. "I want to see which one you choose."
I hesitated, watching him. He looked out of place here—broad shoulders, black shirt, expression carved from stone. And yet, the way he stood among bouquets, like he belonged even here, unsettled me.
"I don't need flowers."
"You need something," he said simply.
My fingers brushed over a bunch of yellow tulips. Bright. Gentle. A reminder of spring.
He watched. "Those?"
I nodded. "They're… happy."
His lips curved, not quite a smile. "Fitting." He picked them up and handed them to the florist, sliding cash across the counter without blinking.
I frowned. "You didn't even ask the price."
He looked down at me. "Do you think money is what matters right now?"
I hugged the tulips to my chest. My throat felt tight. "Why flowers, Tae-hyun?"
He leaned closer, voice soft. "Because when everything burns around you, you need something that reminds you not everything is ugly."
---
The Bookstore
We walked down the street. My tulips cradled carefully in my arms, his presence at my side like a storm cloud I couldn't escape.
He stopped in front of a small, dimly lit bookstore.
"You like books, don't you?"
I froze. "How would you know that?"
His gaze flickered—knowing, sharp, dangerous. "I notice things."
He opened the door and gestured. "Go on."
Inside, the air smelled of old pages and ink. Dusty shelves towered, lined with novels, journals, forgotten poetry. I moved instinctively, fingertips grazing worn spines, my heartbeat slowing in the quiet.
"You look more at peace here," he murmured behind me.
I glanced at him. "And you look like you don't belong here at all."
He chuckled, low. "I belong anywhere I choose to."
I shook my head and pulled a book at random. The title was faded gold. A collection of poems. I opened it, flipping through pages until one line caught my eye:
"The monster loved the girl, but the world loved the monster's mask."
I froze.
Taehyun stepped closer, peering over my shoulder. His voice brushed my ear. "Fitting."
I shut the book quickly. "You followed me here to—what? Buy me flowers and make me read depressing poetry?"
He didn't answer. He only looked at me, long and heavy, like he was memorizing every expression I made.
Finally, he said, "One day, you'll understand why I bring you to places like this. Flowers. Books. Things untouched by power or blood. Because you… you're the only part of my world I want clean."
The words lodged in my chest, too heavy, too soft.
I shoved the book back onto the shelf, trying to breathe.
"You're insane."
He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "Maybe. But I'm your insane."