Angel Smile 106 Scene 106

Ms. Kim was already waiting for her by the door of the meeting room that was frequently used for the teachers' meetings. However, since the school grounds were virtually empty and no other teacher needed to use it, she had booked it for Yeo Ri's parent-teacher meeting.

"Teacher," she greeted the older woman politely.

"Student Lee Yeo Ri, you're finally here," the woman remarked, slightly smiling. She placed down the mug she was holding on a nearby table and ushered her to enter the meeting room.

"I'm sorry for being late," Yeo Ri apologised with her head bowed.

"Come in," she says, holding the door open for the younger girl. "We haven't waited for long, so you don't have to be apologetic."

"'We'?" Yeo Ri muttered in puzzlement.

She followed her teacher into the room while still in confusion. Was there someone else who was also getting a scolding from Ms. Kim aside from her?

"You're here, Yeo Ri-ah?"

"!!!"

Yeo Ri froze on the spot. Her eyes widened and her stomach dropped at the familiar voice.

Lee Do Joon sat in one of the seats, smiling handsomely. One would not have expected him to be such a despicable person after seeing the smile.

Kim Misun was walking ahead of Yeo Ri, so she had not noticed the girl's reaction.

"D... Dad," her voice quivered.

Lee Do Joon flashed her another smile. "Come and sit, Yeo Ri-ah." Though it seemed warm and kind on the surface, all Yeo Ri could see was the warning behind the smile.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Ms. Kim says as she pulled out a file and placed it in front of Lee Do Joon. She glanced at Yeo Ri who was still standing stock still by the entrance, "Student Lee Yeo Ri? What's wrong? Sit down."

"Ah, y-yes," Yeo Ri hurriedly replied. She wanted to sit as far from the man as she could, but one look from him caused her to stiffen up. Guardedly, she forced herself to sit next to the man; directly in front of Kim Misun.

Yeo Ri clutched her dress tightly, gooseb.u.mps rising. She was incredibly afraid.

"So if you look over here, you can see the disparity between Yeo Ri's current grades and her previous grades. Her current grades have fallen so much that many teachers came to me to voice their complaints. Yeo Ri, did something happen? This isn't like you."

Yeo Ri kept her head lowered and stared at the table. Even though the papers were lined up in front of her, she could barely pay attention to whatever that was written on it. "...I-I'm sorry, Teacher."

"Why are you sorry?" Ms. Kim furrowed her eyebrows perplexedly.

"S-sorry," Yeo Ri could only repeat her words. Alarm bells were ringing in her head and all she wanted to do was run away.

Lee Do Joon placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. Although it appeared to be harmless, in actual fact, he had placed a lot of strength in his grip.

"...!" Yeo Ri winced in pain, but kept her mouth shut. That was clearly a warning.

"There, there, Yeo Ri-ah. You don't have to feel bad. After all, the reason why you've been out of it is because you've been sick, haven't you?" Lee Do Joon says, his words tinged with concern.

Kim Misun stared at the two with narrowed eyes. She felt that something was off about the two.

"Don't blame my daughter, Teacher. It's my fault," Lee Do Joon heaved an apologetic sigh. "As you know, we are not very rich, and our house doesn't have a water heater. Now that winter is here, Yeo Ri kept falling sick. I'll work harder to earn more money so she can finally enjoy some comfortable, hot water."

"...Is that so?" Ms. Kim responded slowly. She vaguely remembered that Yeo Ri often caught colds at around the same time last year, though it did not affect her studies very much. In the end, she reasoned that it was because the syllabus had been increasingly difficult, so Yeo Ri must have had a tough time keeping up while she was not feeling well.

"Then, that's all. I just hope that Student Lee Yeo Ri would learn from her experience and do better next time." Ms. Kim concluded. "If there is anything I can help with, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Yes. Thank you very much, Teacher. I am happy that Yeo Ri is in the hands of such a generous and responsible teacher at school," Lee Do Joon smiled, uttering endless praises to the woman.

"No, it is simply part of my duty to care for my students," Ms. Kim perfunctorily replied. She looked at Yeo Ri with a serious gaze, "Really, if you have any problems at all, please tell me. I will do everything in my power to help."

Yeo Ri met her gaze fearfully. Her eyes seemed to be pleading for help, making Kim Misun startled. Yeo Ri opened her mouth hesitantly, but no words came out. From the corner of her eyes, she checked for Lee Do Joon's expression.

Lee Do Joon was quite perceptive. Noticing her furtive glance, his smile widened abnormally, then returned to normal almost immediately. He stood up, his hand still on the young girl's shoulder. He dragged her to stand up with seemingly little strength.

"Now, Yeo Ri-ah, we should go home. It's the holidays; we shouldn't make your teacher spend so much time working when she should be resting. Then, farewell, Teacher." Lee Do Joon bade her goodbye, leaving the school with Yeo Ri.

Kim Misun watched the man with sceptical eyes. Something about him was making her feel unsettled, though she could not put a finger on it.