Me After You

Tutor

The moment Lee walked through the office door, my lips curled into a grin. The guy was wearing a white turtleneck under a red jumper, looking like he just stepped out of a high-end fashion shoot. He had this effortless, expensive aura about him—like he belonged in a glossy magazine rather than our slightly outdated office space. And as always, the moment he walked in, people looked. I wasn’t even mad. The man knew how to dress.

"Your saliva is dripping," Giner whispered into my ear.

I immediately touched my face, only to be met with fabric. Right. I’m wearing a mask.

"Shut it," I muttered, sinking back into my chair, trying to act unbothered.

Across the room, Lee stretched lazily before taking his seat. "Good morning, Oppa," he murmured, just loud enough for us to hear.

Athena’s head snapped up. "OPPA?"

Lee winced. "Ahhh, you're too loud!"

"But why Oppa?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Lee shrugged. "I don’t know. He just gives me Korean vibes."

I had been working at this company for nearly a year, and never—not once—had I felt this energized. Maybe it was because I finally had a supportive fan, or maybe it was because I wanted to figure out what exactly was going on in Lee’s head. Either way, today felt different.

"Ali, can you assist them? I have an important meeting," Giner said, winking at me.

That wink. I know that wink.

Without a second thought, I stood up and made my way to their station, forcing myself to maintain a neutral expression. I sat next to Lee, and every time our eyes met, I had to fight back a grin. It was ridiculous.

I guided them through their tasks, offering feedback and throwing in the occasional motivational speech, feeling like some kind of impromptu life coach. When the session ended, I plopped back into my chair, exhausted but… weirdly happy.

"How was it?" Giner asked, leaning in.

"They’re quick learners," I said. "I just need a short nap."

I shut my eyes, but even after ten minutes, sleep refused to come.

"Quiet, Athena," Lee’s voice broke through the silence. "My Oppa is resting. I think he’s tired."

Athena snorted. "Tired?"

"Yes. He was running inside my mind for days now. I think he even stumbled and fell."

My eyes flickered open. What?

Athena groaned. "How?"

"Because I dreamed about him," Lee continued dramatically. "We were running, hand in hand. When we reached the end of the road, he let go. I thought he was leaving me, but then—he kneeled and offered me a ring."

Athena clicked her tongue. "That’s not a dream. That’s a nightmare."

Lee sighed dreamily. "A beautiful nightmare. Because he was there, with me."

I bit the inside of my cheek, failing to suppress a smile. This guy. His imagination was on another level.

And yet, something about his words made my heart stutter.

I’m straight. I like girls. But…

I snuck a glance at him. His head rested on his arms, eyes fluttering shut. He looked peaceful. Soft, even.

I didn’t know how long I had been staring until—

"Hey, what are you doing?" Giner’s voice snapped me back to reality.

"N-nothing!" I stammered, standing up too fast. In my haste, my knee knocked against Lee’s chair.

Lee stirred, his eyes blinking open to meet mine. For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then, he smiled—soft and sleepy—and reached for his glasses.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"It’s fine," he said, voice still laced with drowsiness. "I dozed off for a bit."

He stood and stretched before heading to the restroom, leaving me alone with Giner, who was grinning like a maniac.

"What now?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just… something smells fishy."

I rolled my eyes and turned away, but I could still hear Athena whispering to Lee when he returned.

"Hey, your eyes are red. Did you cry?"

Lee hesitated before answering. "Nothing."

"Don't 'nothing' me," Athena huffed. "You were all cheery earlier. Now you’re sulking. What’s wrong?"

Lee let out a deep sigh. "I… I just killed someone."

Silence.

I immediately looked over, my stomach twisting. Lee’s eyes glistened as he stared at his desk.

"Who?" Athena asked cautiously.

"Henry."

Her face paled. "W-who’s Henry?"

Lee sniffled. "The protagonist in my story. I built him up, I loved him, but in the end… I killed him."

Athena exhaled sharply. "Seriously? That’s what you’re sad about?"

Lee pouted. "Yes."

Pat groaned. "What a pathetic, overdramatic author."

Helen chuckled. "If you loved him so much, why did you kill him?"

Lee simply shrugged.

That was the thing about him—his emotions shifted fast. One second, he was all laughter and expensive sweaters; the next, he was mourning fictional characters like they were real people.

And then he said something that made my breath hitch.

"To be honest," Lee whispered, "I don’t want what happened in my story to happen to me and Oppa Ali."

I quickly grabbed my headset and pretended I hadn’t heard a thing.

Athena, however, wasn’t about to let it slide. "Why?"

Lee took a deep breath. "Henry loved Yugin. But in the end, he left Yugin with pain. Yugin had kidney failure, and Henry donated his kidney. But during the operation, Henry’s heart stopped. He left behind a letter, and when Yugin woke up, he had a new kidney… but also a heavy heart."

Athena frowned. "Why kill him, though? You could’ve written it differently."

Lee shook his head. "The lesson is accept what you have before it’s gone. Yugin was cold, closed-off. But then he met Henry, and everything changed. Too late, though. When Henry sacrificed himself, that’s when Yugin realized… love had already slipped away."

Silence settled between us.

I swallowed hard. My chest felt… heavy. Why was I sad? It was just a story. Just words.

And yet.

I wiped my eyes quickly, hoping no one noticed.

Lee had this way of making you feel things.

And for some reason, I wanted to know him more.