The question that Sari dropped all of a sudden made Professor Park glared at her hard. But she didn't faze. In fact, she looked at him hard ㅡ the same way her father would've done to those who would question him.
She remembered that her father used to mention a certain friend whom he parted ways with because of their clashing priorities and beliefs. But she was still young when her father mentioned it to her. And she recalled that a lot of people would always say that she looked a lot like her father.
"What are you talking about? And what made you say that I know your father?"
Sari took a deep breath before speaking. "First and foremost, you avoided my gaze when I mentioned my father's name before you glared at me. Second, there was never a time since I started working here as Professor Kang Geunhee's assistant that you wouldn't approach me and tell me things like 'you don't belong here' or 'you'd better quit your job if you know what's good for you'. And third, I don't recall ever doing something bad to you to get such a treatment."
Professor Park remained silent as he and Sari maintained their staring contest with each other.
"It came to my knowledge that your father disappeared five years ago, is that correct?"
Sari nodded to the principal's question. "That's also the reason why I left Huijin back then."
"He was probably tired of taking care of you for him to disappear like that."
"Professor Park! That's enough!" Principal Chan shouted, which shocked the people in that room.
Well, with the exception of the Kang siblings and the principal's secretary. They seemed to be used to it, or they could have anticipated it.
Principal Chan continued on, ignoring everyone's reactions. "You'd better give me a good reason to let you and Professor Lee remain teaching in this university, Professor Park. And make sure it's not something filled with nonsense or I'll have my bodyguard drag the both of you and even your respective assistants out of here immediately. And I'll make sure that the students and even the other professors will see it clearly done."
The words were spoken firmly that thickened the tension in that room. It was then that Sari noticed that Professor Soohoon's hand never left her shoulder at all. As much as she wanted to blush at the thought, she did her best to maintain her composure.
She didn't want anyone knowing how uncomfortable she felt inside. Even now, the man kept on reassuring her with gentle squeezes of his hand on her shoulder. He seemed to realize that her attention wasn't focused on anything else other than the current situation, though. So instead of distracting Sari by showing off, he kept quiet and only focused on supporting her.
"Why do you keep defending that woman? What did she do for you to keep her here?" Professor Park continued that made most of them groan in annoyance. "And why is a professor from Haigen University even here?"
What was this professor trying to prove by saying these things, anyway?
"That's because you included him in your stupid plans to usurp the principal, you brazen idiot!"
That different but thundering voice coming from another door surprised them and soon shifted their attention to where the voice came from. Soon after, they saw a elderly man in a wheelchair approaching them, with a middle-aged woman pushing it.
But for some strange reason, the old man's eyes remained fixated on Sari. It wasn't done in a condescending manner, though. For some reason, her hands trembled slightly upon realizing that.
"I am sorry for interrupting this meeting," said the man as he gave a small bow towards the principal before facing her once again. "And I'm sorry for the trouble that this stupid professor had caused you, young lady."
Sari was speechless at that, to be honest. No one has addressed her as a lady before; especially not to an older man and with respectfulness.
She bowed to the old man from her position. "Please don't worry about it."
As she turned away, her gaze found Professor Soohoon again. She wanted to smile at him, but she didn't know what to do exactly.
"Professor Park, stop being so disrespectful towards anyone in this room." The principal raised his voice. "You're the one who's at fault here. And anything that you say here can be used against you."
Sari didn't even have to glance at the professor to know that he was rolling his eyes behind that stern look of his. He might as well have rolled all over her.
"If that's the case, I won't say another word to this student," Professor Park stated.
"It's for the best if you stay away from her completely, Professor Park. You and the other professors that you've included in your plans to get rid of me by using Miss Yoon and Professor Kang Soohoon. Also, the students that you used for your plans to fire Miss Yoon from her job here at the university decided to testify against you if you continue with it."
Sari glanced back at the said professor again. This time, her stare lingered longer, making Professor Soohoon finally meet her eyes again. His dark brown orbs met her warm amber ones, with nothing but calmness and kindness reflecting in his own pair of eyes.
Her heart almost skipped a beat.
"Then they shouldn't have allowed themselves to be seen by the students being together in the first place if you don't want me to use them at all," Professor Park uttered with spite and glared at Sari once again.
The old man from earlier sighed and shook his head. "You never give up, do you, Professor Park?"
"Keep your mouth shut, old man!"
"Professor Park! That's enough!" The principal shouted once again to shut the said professor up.
When the principal sat down on his seat with a heavy sigh, the atmosphere changed to more relaxed and the tension was now gone.
Everyone knew what kind of person Professor Park was. If he wanted to, he could ruin someone's life without even batting an eyelid. The other professors who weren't brave enough were afraid of crossing paths with him because of that.
But not Professor Kang Geunhee and the other professors who had the guts to do something to put a stop to his madness.
"Do you want to know why Miss Yoon and my son Soohoon were together that day?" the old man asked, mainly meant for Professor Park.
But that wasn't what confused Sari at the moment. It was the knowledge that the old man was, in fact, Professor Soohoon's father. However, what was he doing in Gangbeodeul University? Did he become aware of his son's predicament and decided to check on it somehow?
Or did he somehow manage to find out about it himself?
"Mr. Kang, do you really have to ㅡ"
"It's better that I give him what he wants, Principal Chan, whether he likes it or not." After that, Mr. Kang faced Professor Park once again.
"You want answers, do you? Well, I will give you those. Just not in a way that would benefit you. I will give you those answers for a reason that would allow me to be sure you or any of your servants would dare hurt any of them."
'Just what kind of answer will this old man give to Professor Park?'
But Sari had never anticipated the answer that the old man soon voiced out.
"My son and Miss Yoon have been engaged to be married since they were young."
A silence fell upon those who were present at that meeting.
Engaged to be married?! What kind of foolishness was this?
Sari tried to get some answers despite the shock she felt because of those words. She did so by looking at Professor Geunhee. But the female professor gave her a look that seemed to say that she needed to get along with it for a while.
'But can I really do that?'
A scoff soon brought Sari back and saw one of Miss Lim’s friends eyed her with scorn.
"How could this bitch even get herself engaged to someone as respectful as Professor Kang Soohoon? Are you out of your mind?"
"Jian, shut up! You're only putting yourself in an even worse position than we already are," Miss Lim hissed and even elbowed Jian’s side.
Mr. Kang nodded, but his expression remained blank. "You find it hard to believe since you don't know the story."
"Well, we don't have time for any of your stories, old man," Professor Park retorted.
"Professor Park!"
"It's alright, Principal Chan. No matter what this man would say, he will hear the story I'm telling whether he likes it or not. The very same way he would force his ways to the people whom he knew he could control just so he could remove you from your position."
No one said a word after that. Sari’s heart kept beating fast because of that sudden development, though. She didn't even know how to keep up. But she would listen. She had to.
"Miss Yoon's father Hocheol and I had made that arrangement even before my first wife died. But several reasons prevented them from meeting formally until recently. That's what the meeting they had was all about. Not some made-up stories of school rivalries that only people like you would decide to form as a way to destroy someone."
No one said anything else after Mr. Kang said those words. Why in the world would Professor Soohoon's father announce things like this? And to think they weren't even true. Even so, when she glanced at Professor Soohoon, she couldn't read his expression at all.
Or maybe her mind was so confused at the moment that she couldn't do it the way she used to.
Mr. Kang spoke once again. "With that said, I'm sure you all know what this means. I'm not going to interfere with whatever Miss Yoon has planned for herself for her to grow. But any of you who would try to destroy that and you're all going to answer to me."
With that statement, Mr. Kang looked back at the principal and smiled as if everything was fine and normal between them.
Sari stared at him. She still couldn't figure out what was happening right in front of her eyes. Everything that they were hearing was so unbelievable that none of them dared to speak out about anything.
'This is unbelievable...'
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