Chapter 018: Misunderstandings
Chapter 018: Misunderstandings
**
The door swung open to reveal Yumi standing in the doorway, dressed normally, her face a mix of panic and confusion.
When she recognized me, a visible sigh of relief washed over her, tinged with a hint of irritation.
But I had lost all reason, stripped of any capacity for thought.
I charged straight at her, shoving Yumi aside as I burst into the office.
The room was bare, containing only desks, office chairs, computers, and such.
I raced to the desks, searching frantically like a madman.
"Honey, when did you get back? What are you doing?"
Yumi looked at me with utter bewilderment. My sudden appearance had left her completely surprised and confused...
"Where is he? Where is he hiding?"
I searched every possible spot, but found no trace of anyone else.
I rummaged under desks and inside cabinets, yet there was no sign of Jihoon or any other man.
I couldn't help but yell at Yumi.
"What are you talking about? Who? What exactly are you saying?"
Yumi was utterly bewildered, frozen in place by my outburst.
"Teacher, what are you doing?"
Just as I was about to retort, "What are you pretending for?", Jihoon's voice echoed from outside the office.
At that moment, I saw him walking down the nearby corridor, with the restroom on the other side.
"Boom..."
My brain short-circuited. What was happening?
How could Jihoon be walking outside the office? Was there a secret passage?
I was completely bewildered. What was going on? Why was this different from what I’d expected?
"Oh... you suspect I'm having an affair with another man in the office?"
Yumi finally snapped out of it.
Perhaps she'd suspected it all along but couldn't believe her husband would accuse her so openly.
After all, when I'd investigated her before, I'd always done it covertly, never openly.
This brazen attempt to "catch her in the act" was unprecedented… and it had backfired spectacularly.
"Isn't that exactly what I'm implying? I heard you talking to someone outside your office door, and you were even taking off your clothes..."
At that moment, I too began to doubt whether I'd made a huge mistake.
But now that things had escalated to this point, I had no choice but to press on. After all, my suspicions were genuine.
"Talking to someone? Hah, I was calling my mom. Here, look at my call log..."
Yumi laughed, but her smile was bitter, tears threatening to spill.
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone, scrolled to the call log, and placed it before me.
I clearly saw the entry for my mother-in-law, timestamped exactly five minutes prior.
Seeing that entry, I sensed trouble brewing.
"Me undressing? After work, I was alone in the office. Jihoon went to the restroom, and I locked the door to change by myself. That's all. What else do you need me to explain?"
Yumi explained with a smile, though it carried a hint of coldness and disappointment.
After hearing Yumi's explanation, I finally realized I'd misunderstood her, creating a huge misunderstanding.
It was my own fault for being too impulsive, barging in without clarifying things first.
Now I was stuck in a bind. I stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.
Yumi had just taken off her teacher's uniform and was now wearing regular home clothes, clearly changing.
Plus, Jihoon was outside; there was no one else in the office… I'd seen it myself.
What to do? Cold sweat began breaking out on my body...
"I've explained myself. Now isn't it your turn? Why did you come back early? Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Why are you at school? Why did you assume I was cheating?"
Yumi stared at me with a cold smile, firing off a barrage of questions.
I couldn't help but glance back at the doorway where Jihoon had disappeared.
The kid had vanished somewhere, refusing to step in to smooth things over or mediate.
"I just... I just wanted to surprise you... And..."
Embarrassed and flustered, my words came out jumbled and incoherent.
I stammered, unsure how to save face.
"Teacher Han, haven't you gone home yet?"
Just then, the night watchman patrolling the building arrived at the office door and greeted Yumi with a smile.
He glanced at me and Yumi, a hint of something strange in his eyes, perhaps he sensed the atmosphere in the office seemed off.
"Yes, I'll be heading back soon... Sorry to disturb you..."
Yumi greeted the guard with a smile as if nothing had happened.
"Oh... Earlier while patrolling the first floor, I heard loud knocking and commotion, so I came up to check. Are you alright? Need any help?"
After hearing Yumi's reply, the guard glanced at me.
Since I usually picked her up at the school gate and rarely entered the building, the guard didn't know I was Yumi's husband.
He probably thought I was one of her admirers… or worse, a troublemaker?
The night watchman noticed a hint of hostility in my expression.
Well, Yumi was just that popular at school.
If Yumi and I ever had an argument, her colleagues and friends would all blame me, never Yumi.
"It's nothing. Sorry to bother you. I'll leave now..."
Yumi glanced at me, smiled, and greeted the guard before turning to grab her bag from the desk.
She walked right past me without another look, exiting the door.
Just then, that kid Jihoon poked his head out from beside the office door.
Yumi immediately took Jihoon's hand and pulled him toward the far end of the corridor.
Neither of them looked back at me once.