After that strange little moment in her office that morning, Yohan found his thoughts drifting back to Professor Kim more than he expected.

Seeing a woman that beautiful look that lonely… it had unsettled him in a way he didn't want to admit.

"Professor Kim is happily married," Lisa said casually during one of their breaks.

"Huh?" Yohan blinked at her, completely thrown off.

"Yeah," she continued, "I heard it's been almost five years now."

"But that can't be right…" he muttered.

He could still feel the weight of Professor Kim's voice from earlier—how broken she had sounded for that brief, unguarded moment. "She told me she was lonely."

Lisa frowned. "Are you sure you heard her correctly?"

"I'm pretty sure," Yohan said, though doubt was already creeping in.

"I mean… even if she was lonely, I don't see her telling you of all people," Lisa said. "You've met her. That woman is as hard as ice."

Yohan let out a slow breath, suddenly unsure.

'Maybe it's because she had been drinking…?' he wondered.

That was probably why she said those things… but then why would she say something like that if she was happily married?

'Unless… she's married but not happy' he considered.

It would explain the drinking too. Maybe her situation wasn't as tragic as it looked—she at least had someone at home, even if it wasn't perfect.

He pushed the thought aside. There was no point thinking about it any further. Not until it became his problem—and he already had enough of those.

"Hey, Lisa," he said, shifting topics. "Do you know someone named Freddie? He hangs out with that guy who was here yesterday—Jasper."

"Of course. Everyone knows Freddie Michael," she replied casually.

"Though I don't know him personally," she added. "I've only seen him around."

"Okay… have you heard anything about him?"

She tilted her head. "Anything like what?"

"Like… any rumors. Or something suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Lisa echoed, touching her chin as if trying to decode what he meant. "Mm… I know he's really popular with the girls, but I haven't heard anything bad about him."

"Are you sure?" Yohan pressed. "I heard he's associated with an entertainment company."

"But that's not suspicious," she said with a small laugh. "He's Freddie Michael, after all."

Yohan thought about it. True—being tied to an entertainment company wasn't suspicious on its own. And he didn't want to start tossing out accusations. That would only make him seem like the strange one.

"Why are you asking about Freddie? Do you two know each other?"

"Something like that," Yohan replied vaguely. "I just heard a few weird rumors that he's involved in some shady things with that entertainment company."

When he looked at Lisa, something subtle tightened in her expression.

Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes anymore—small, stiff, almost brittle.

Like he had just said something he shouldn't have.

"Lisa, are you okay?" Yohan asked, genuine concern slipping into his voice.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." She forced a smile so quickly it almost looked rehearsed. "I have another class soon, so I should go prepare."

She lifted a small hand in a wave and hurried off.

Yohan watched her leave, unsettled. It had only lasted a moment, but something in her demeanor had definitely shifted.

'Maybe she has some kind of history with Freddie… but she said she doesn't know him personally' he thought. It didn't make sense.

And the way she practically ran off—like she didn't want to be part of the conversation at all—suggested she knew more than she let on.

He considered chasing after her, asking again, pushing a little harder… but he had another class with Professor Kim soon.

His job was practically to follow the professor everywhere she went. The only time he wasn't close behind her was when she retreated into her office—and even then, he had to stay nearby.

Not that he minded. It wasn't because of the pay. The amount she offered wasn't small, but compared to what he already had in his account, it was practically nothing. He hadn't even bothered checking the digits when he accepted.

The real reason the job didn't feel stressful was simple: he was actually learning from her.

Her dance classes had a surprising impact on him. After a while, they began to grow on him—more than he expected.

He found himself practicing every routine she taught, even during his free time.

And whenever he did, there were always pretty girls lingering around, pleading for him to guide their movements. At some point he even started offering quick massages, and the students couldn't get enough of it.

The whole experience felt like one long, enjoyable blur.

But he never forgot his original purpose.

Between classes, he quietly continued asking other students about Freddie. None of them had any idea what he was referring to.

No rumors. No complaints. Nothing suspicious.

And more importantly—none of them reacted the way Lisa did.

Which meant Lisa definitely knew something more. Something she didn't want to say.

'I'll meet up with her after classes,' Yohan told himself.

But once classes ended, everyone flooded out of the building in a rush to go home. He searched the crowd for Lisa, waiting, scanning the hallways—but she was nowhere to be found.

Instead, he ran straight into Freddie and his group in the parking lot.

"Hey, Yohan!" Freddie called out, his smile warm and friendly. Too friendly. "Good thing we caught you. We were just about to head out. You're coming, right?"

Yohan considered it for a moment.

"Sure, why not."

Lisa will have to wait, he decided. This is a good chance to get closer to them.

"Come on, we'll take my car. You can get yours later," Freddie said as he unlocked a sleek white luxury car parked nearby.

"Wow, Freddie. Nice ride," Yohan said.

Freddie smirked. "I know, right? I bought it myself. Couldn't wait for my mom to do it. It wasn't even that expensive."

He slid into the driver's seat with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.

Hazard took the front passenger seat. Yohan and Jasper climbed into the back.

Yohan stared at the interior—expensive, polished, new. He couldn't confirm it, but something twisted in his stomach as Freddie's earlier words echoed in his mind.

If Freddie did buy this car himself… Then the money was most likely dirty.

Just like Jenna had warned him.

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