The Textbook of a Lover - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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48.
In the moment when everyone held their breath, watching Cha Gyeong, Na Hee sprang forward like a coil and planted herself in front of him.
She’d contributed nothing to the meal preparation—not even her fingernail’s worth—but her reflexes rivaled any track athlete’s.
“Director, I’m so incredibly happy you came. I mean, I did ask, but I honestly didn’t think you’d actually show up.”
The alumni began opening their mouths one by one as they watched Na Hee speak in that reverent tone.
“Isn’t his girlfriend Do A? So why is Na Hee acting like his girlfriend?”
“She’s not acting like his girlfriend—the other one actually looks more like his girlfriend to me.”
The murmur from the crowd landed squarely in Do A’s ears. Her fingers trembled around the tongs she gripped.
Na Hee had stolen her thunder, leaving Do A’s own greeting oddly timed.
‘Should I rush over and say hello now? What do I do?’
One second became two, two became five. The later it got, the more awkward any greeting would be.
Then Cha Gyeong moved.
He gave Na Hee’s enthusiastic welcome only a curt nod before striding toward Do A in long, measured steps.
Even walking across the rocky ground, his gait never faltered—perfect, controlled, commanding every eye in its wake.
Soon his shadow fell long and dark across the top of Do A’s head.
“No greeting for me?”
Cha Gyeong asked in a low, quiet voice. His dark eyes fixed precisely on Do A’s face.
Since they’d begun their contract relationship, they’d seen each other fairly often.
But facing him here, in the middle of what she considered her own territory—the Alumni Association gathering—he seemed like a different person entirely.
Her chest resonated with something she couldn’t name.
“Oh, you’re here—”
Just as Do A stiffly parted her lips, Na Hee squeezed between them. Her recovery was remarkable.
“Director! Come sit over here. We’ve got everything set up.”
Na Hee brazenly grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the head of the large table inside.
Cha Gyeong didn’t resist, simply following Na Hee to the seat.
‘What? I didn’t even get to greet him properly. So he came as a friend of Na Hee’s—he doesn’t care whether I’m here or not?’
Do A couldn’t shake the pang of disappointment as Cha Gyeong was pulled away mid-greeting.
‘If that were the case, why did he even say he liked me?’
Do A caught herself and shook her head hard.
‘No, no. What am I thinking? I decided to forget that confession. I agreed to pretend I never heard it.’
To keep her mind off it, Do A picked up the tongs and began grilling meat.
Once smoke began rising, Na Hee led Cha Gyeong to the spot farthest from the grill.
It was still an outdoor barbecue area, but among those spots, it was the one with the neatest table setup.
“This Pension you sponsored, Director—everyone loves it so much. And the expensive Champagne you sent, the Korean beef too.”
Na Hee’s nasal voice rang through the Campsite.
Now it made sense. The membership was only a hundred thousand won, yet the Pension was luxurious to the point of excess.
There’d been no mention in the group chat of Cha Gyeong’s attendance or any sponsorship, so apparently people had discussed it privately among those in the know.
Su Jin, grilling beside Do A, grumbled.
“What’s Na Hee doing—she’s not even grilling meat? So we’re supposed to be the ones cooking for her, is that it?”
Su Jin raised her voice even higher as she spoke, growing visibly more irritated.
“Honestly, shouldn’t you be the one sitting at that spot? You’re his girlfriend, so why is she over there? Hold on, let me go get Na Hee to come cook your meat.”
“Don’t. Just leave it.”
Otherwise I’ll look like I’m jealous of them being together.
But Su Jin, wound up, wasn’t backing down.
“Leave it? Why would I? We’re servants while she gets treated like a princess? She only came to be waited on?”
Do A spoke in a soothing voice.
“After we’re done eating, we’ll make her clean up. That iron griddle gets so caked with oil nothing gets it clean—tell her to scrub it.”
Su Jin brightened at that, laughing with delight.
“Oh, Do A! You’re sharp. So you had a plan all along.”
Having finally appeased Su Jin, Do A returned to grilling.
As she laid the Korean beef on the hot surface, it sizzled with a crisp sound, and the savory aroma of the oil bloomed.
Do A, who’d worked at Korean beef restaurants for years, grilled the meat to the perfect level—drawing out the finest flavor.
“Wow, Do A grills meat so well! Look at how the juices are locked in.”
“It’s crispy outside, tender inside. Why doesn’t Do A just grill everything?”
“Su Jin, stop burning things! What are you doing to expensive beef?”
The person grilling changed hands repeatedly, but Do A remained fixed in place.
The alumni kept saying the meat she grilled tasted the best.
Truth be told, she had little appetite anyway, and focusing on grilling distracted her from other thoughts.
By now Su Jin had returned to her seat, but Do A remained absorbed, unaware of the beads of sweat forming on her brow.
She had reached that state of absolute unity with the meat where the boundary between self and flesh dissolved.
Then she heard someone approaching with purposeful strides.
Before Do A could even lift her head to see who it was, the tongs in her hand were suddenly whisked away into someone else’s grip.
“Obstinate.”
When Do A looked up, Cha Gyeong—a full head taller—was gazing down at her and spoke.
“Stop overdoing it. Did you come here to grill meat?”
‘What? Why are you suddenly picking a fight?’
Just moments ago he was sitting comfortably with Na Hee, drinking Champagne.
Do A glared at him with eyes sharper than an axe, her gaze as keen as a rabbit’s.
“What other people grill or don’t grill is their business.”
“Other people? Aren’t we supposed to be in a romantic relationship?”
“We’re not actually—mmph!”
Cha Gyeong covered Do A’s mouth with his large hand.
“Do you want the whole neighborhood to know?”
Though he was speaking in a low, intimate tone, anyone with sharp ears at this distance could still hear him.
“Go eat your meat. I’ll grill from now on.”
“Everyone asked me to grill. They said I do it best.”
At that, Cha Gyeong let out a derisive laugh.
“They praise you and keep working you like a dog—don’t you see that? No one even puts a single piece of meat on your plate to eat, and you act like it’s nothing. I don’t know if you’re just good-natured or a complete dupe.”
Dupe.
Since breaking up with Gyeong Jun, it had become the word Do A hated most.
She’d sworn never to be that person again, yet here she was, appearing to be exactly that.
Do A set the tongs down on the grate with a sharp clink and spoke.
“Then why don’t you try? Let me see how well you grill.”
‘Turn it all to charcoal. Let them complain about that.’
With that, Do A stepped away from the iron griddle where she’d spent so long and took her seat.
The meat Cha Gyeong grilled appeared first on Do A’s plate.
The meat, lightly coated in brown, was cut to what Koreans most preferred—medium wellone.
The moment she bit into it, red juice burst forth on her tongue.
“Wow, it’s so delicious. You must be incredibly busy as a director—have you grilled meat a lot?”
“This is the best meat I’ve ever had! It just melts in your mouth.”
“Director, stop grilling now and come sit down and eat!”
‘That’s funny. When I was grilling, no one asked me to try a bite.’
But what happened next was even more absurd.
Na Hee, who’d been sitting the whole time, went over and pressed herself against Cha Gyeong’s side.
“You must be tired grilling alone, Director? Let’s grill together. After all, many hands make light work.”
Do A’s insides began burning again.
Na Hee pretended to grill alongside him for a bit, then returned to her original table in less than no time.
And she didn’t go alone—she brought Cha Gyeong with her.
‘Did she even grill for ten minutes? If you were going to do that, why take the tongs from me in the first place?’
Do A was at a loss. He’d come over to take the tongs from her and grill—so when Na Hee called, he just left with her like that?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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