The sound of flipping pages pulled Jisoo out of her thoughts. Byul was still excitedly detailing the reactions from other university presses to this month's issue when a name that had been chilling in her brain finally surfaced. She realized she’d actually forgotten him over the past month, especially since they'd had no interaction beyond their intellectual sparring during the Q&A session. She distinctly recalled the Dean mentioning that Zhang Yixing was an invited guest representing a major Chinese corporate executive based in Korea.

She also remembered the unspoken intention in his eyes; he had definitely meant to speak with her once the event concluded. Yet, they were both quickly swarmed—Jisoo by campus officials, student press, and academics eager for further discussion, and Yixing by his own entourage. Eventually, she saw a man—likely Yixing’s assistant—whisper something urgent to him. Yixing then had to make a rushed exit, only managing a quick, polite nod across the crowded room as a silent signal of farewell to everyone.

Now, seeing his face again in the magazine, the memory of that sharp, compelling mind returned with force. 

"Wait," Jisoo interrupted lightly, her finger tapping the photo of Yixing. "The man who spoke during the Q&A—Zhang Yixing. Do you have any background on him?"

"Yes, Professor. Mr. Zhang was quite the focus at the conference, so we decided to run his story too. We have it right here."

Byul flipped the magazine pages further, revealing a full-page feature titled 'Zhang Yixing: A Business Tycoon’s Trajectory.' A half-body photograph, clearly taken at the conference, filled the right side. He was holding his pose with his arms folded across his chest, his eyes focused and confident, a familiar small smile revealing a deep, appealing dimple on his right cheek. Jisoo paused; she always had a mild, aesthetic preference for a man with dimples. (A quick internal filter snapped on: Irrelevant data. Focus, Kim Jisoo.)

"We researched his background, Professor," Byul explained, pointing to the text. "He’s the Chief Executive of Zhangdong Petrochemical Corporation."

Jisoo’s eyebrows raised slightly; this explained a lot. "Ah, some higher-up guy. Well, that explains the nerve," she commented lightly, leaning back against her chair. "You have to be pretty tough to run a conglomerate like that. No wonder he didn't mind dropping those controversial statements in front of everybody."

Byul nodded briskly. "Exactly, Professor. That kind of background definitely gives you a different kind of authority in public."

Byul then continued, supplying details with practiced professionalism. "Zhangdong Group is one of the world's largest oil refining, gas, and petrochemical conglomerates in China. They handle everything from gasoline and jet fuel production to crude oil exploration. They are currently the largest foreign company supplying most of our country's gasoline and jet fuel demand over the past thirteen years, and they're still heavily expanding. The rumor is they are aiming for South America next."

Jisoo nodded slowly as she skimmed the article. In just one look and one sharp answer during the conference, she had instinctively recognized Zhang Yixing as a thoughtful individual, corporate title be damned. Now, seeing how huge his company was, how sharp his intellect was—and his rare willingness to publicly challenge the West—that just locked him in her mind as an intellectual equal and a total, captivating mystery. She thought about asking Byul what she thought of him, but before she could even formulate the question, a sharp knock cut her off. Yeongwoo poked his head into the office.

"Hey, are you busy?"

Jisoo quickly placed the magazine face down and gave a curt nod.

Byul immediately took this as her cue to leave. "Then, I guess that would be all. Professor Kim, Sir," she said politely with a deep bow to both of them. The girl made a beeline for the door just as Yeongwoo stepped fully into the room without waiting for an invitation.

Yeongwoo closed the door and settled into the chair across Jisoo’s desk. "She's an undergraduate, right? What was she doing here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Jisoo responded by pushing the latest edition of the magazine toward him. "She's from the university press." Yeongwoo picked up the magazine, smiling wryly at Jisoo's picture on the cover.

"Ah, I see. I heard they broke their selling record this month. Your face is apparently marketable," he teased, pointing at her picture. "Shut up." Jisoo retorted lightly, without heat.

She then shifted her attention entirely away from Yeongwoo. She pulled her phone from the desk drawer where it had been left since morning. She expected a flood of messages, but of all the people who might have called her, she absolutely didn't expect twelve missed calls from her mother. She let out a sharp sigh. If she could name one vice about her mother, patience was definitely not it. She was headstrong; if she wanted something, she made sure she got it no matter what. And twelve missed calls only explained one thing.

Yeongwoo was saying something—perhaps about department reports or campus gossip—but Jisoo wasn't truly listening. Her screen lit up again; her mother was calling again.

A wave of relief washed over Jisoo; it was the perfect escape. "Sorry, Yeongwoo," Jisoo cut in abruptly, gripping the phone tightly. "I have to take this, so I need some privacy."

Without waiting for a reply or making eye contact, she pushed herself up from the chair and strode quickly over to the huge window wall frame. Her abrupt movement and silent retreat clearly signaled the end of the conversation, leaving Yeongwoo to the sudden, awkward silence across the desk.

Yeongwoo hesitated, feeling the dismissal keenly. With a frustrated sigh, he eventually pushed himself up from the chair and quietly closed the office door behind him.

Jisoo leaned her shoulder against the cool glass, watching the distant, busy scene of the front building below. She pinched the bridge of her nose before answering.

"Darling, why didn't you answer the phone? I called you like, a thousand times today." Her mother's voice, though colored with a hyperbolic complaint, carried an unmistakable undercurrent of relief.

"Hi, Mom, it’s Monday. I have a full teaching schedule on Monday," Jisoo replied tiredly. She deliberately kept her tone calm and low.

"And a full schedule means you can’t spare five minutes for your mother? Oh, it hurts, Young Lady, I raised you better than this," her mother chided playfully, though the hyperbole felt less like a tease and more like genuine maternal worry projected across the Pacific.

"I happened to leave my phone in the drawer today," Jisoo explained patiently. She then paused, knowing where this volume of calls was leading. "Anyway, why were you calling me?"

"Ah, right, right. So, there's this very promising young man..."

There it is, Jisoo thought, sighing dramatically internally.

"Mom, please, not another one," Jisoo said, trying to infuse her voice with polite finality. "We've been over this. It never works. I honestly don't want to waste their perfectly good time or my highly efficient schedule."

Her mother’s tone immediately softened, turning serious. "Darling, I know your career is everything, and that’s wonderful. But your father and I are halfway across the globe. You're twenty-eight, and yes, you have time, but I worry. I need to know there’s someone good, someone reliable nearby who can look after you." She paused, her voice pleading slightly. "Just try this one. This one is really different, I promise."

"And how do you know he’s 'different'?" Jisoo inquired, trying to hide her exasperation. "Did he send you a compatibility report from the future?"

"Well, for starters, he's very accomplished, and I think he's your type," her mother defended. "Remember how you were so crazy about that tall guy in BIGBANG? He has that kind of look."

Jisoo stifled a scoff. "Mom, I am a professor of Political Ethics. BIGBANG was my youth. The two are utterly and delightfully irrelevant." Despite the protest, she had to admit the mention of her long-forgotten teenage crush was a novel strategy from her mother.

Seeing the slight concession, Jisoo decided to deploy her only reliable escape route. "Mama, listen. I appreciate your concern, but I need you to stop making these arrangements. I... I might already be seeing someone."

The silence on the line was instant and satisfyingly absolute.

"You what? Who is he? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it’s very new, Ma. We're in the very early stages of getting to know each other," Jisoo lied smoothly, leaning her forehead against the cool glass. "He's interesting. I like him, and I need space and time to see where this goes without pressure. If you keep pushing these blind dates, I’ll assume you don’t trust my judgment on fundamental life partnerships."

"No, no, darling, of course I trust you!" her mother backtracked quickly. "But, Jisoo, who is he? Do I know his family?"

"No one you know well, yet. But promise me this: if I agree to tell you about him once things are stable, you will stop the blind dates. No more arrangements. Deal?"

After a brief, reluctant hesitation, her mother sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. I promise. If he's serious and you introduce him when you're ready, I will stop. But he must be good enough for you, Jisoo."

"He is. I'll let you know." Jisoo felt a rush of relief wash over her.

The tone on the other end instantly changed, shifting from matchmaking to logistics. "Good. Now, on to business. Your father and I won't be back for Chuseok this year. His schedule is impossible to shift." Her voice held genuine disappointment. "You'll be going to Grandma and Grandpa's alone again, I'm afraid."

A wave of unexpected sadness hit Jisoo. Chuseok always felt incomplete without her parents. "Oh," was all she could manage.

"However," her mother quickly added, her tone brightening, "Your brother is returning to Korea for a few days around the holiday. He has a packed schedule with official state matters, but he insists you two can definitely manage to grab dinner together."

Jisoo straightened up, the sadness instantly replaced by a warm flood of relief and excitement. She hadn't seen her older brother in months. "Minseok is coming home? Really? That's wonderful." The thought of catching up directly with her protective, thoughtful older brother was the perfect remedy for the day's chaos and her mother's persistent worry.

Jisoo ended the call, the phone warm in her hand. All that unexpected chaos—Yeongwoo’s shocking confession, the killer debate with Zhang Yixing, finding out he was a massive tycoon, and now, Minseok finally coming home—had made a long Monday feel ridiculously full. She looked out the window, a genuine smile forming on her lips. She had finally escaped her mother's blind date trap, and she had Minseok coming home. Chuseok, usually a slightly lonely holiday, was suddenly all about that long-awaited reunion. She couldn't wait.

* * *