Chapter 6.3

After filling her empty stomach with enough food, Su-eon finally raised her head. Seung-jo, who had already finished eating, was sitting quietly, looking at his phone.  

Noticing her gaze, Seung-jo looked up.  

“What?”  

“Just… Did you design the interior of your house yourself?”  

Seung-jo chuckled softly and set his phone down.  

“No, a professional did it.”  

“I was a bit surprised. Since it’s a hanok.”  

“Everyone tried to talk me out of it, saying I’d regret it. But surprisingly, I adapted pretty easily.”  

Leaning back against his chair, Seung-jo glanced leisurely around the room.  

“When I’m in here, I feel relaxed, like I’m really resting.”  

Even though she had only been here for the weekend, Su-eon felt like she could understand what he meant.  

“…It really suits you, Senior.”  

The serene and unhurried atmosphere of the house seemed to resemble Seung-jo’s personality. Her gaze naturally landed on a wooden cabinet where a ceramic bowl was displayed. She remembered seeing a similarly plain jar sitting in the living room.  

“My mother made that.”  

Following her line of sight, Seung-jo explained. Su-eon nodded, realizing that the mother he referred to wasn’t the official matriarch of K.U. Electronics, who was listed as his legal mother, but rather the one who had given birth to him: the second daughter-in-law of the K.U. Group.  

Madam Kim, the matriarch of K.U., was officially involved in charity foundations, having inherited that role as part of her duties after marriage. She herself had no career. On the other hand, the second daughter-in-law had been a professional ceramic artist even before her marriage.  

His family background was as complicated as, if not more than, her own. For that reason, Su-eon didn’t ask further questions. Even if she heard more, she wouldn’t know how to respond, and sharing personal stories would mean she’d have to reveal her own, which she had little to say about.  

Her grandmother had passed away, and it was just her and her father. Whenever she mentioned this, people would either apologize awkwardly or the conversation would trail off into uncomfortable silence. She had an aunt she’d never met who supposedly lived somewhere in the United States, but bringing her up would only make her family seem stranger.  

Her grandmother used to curse her aunt whenever she got drunk. She would call her a wretched woman who abandoned her sick, aging mother and dumped the burden of her responsibilities on others so she could live her own life.  

[What sin did I commit in my past life to deserve this suffering? Oh, Lord…]

Her grandmother’s voice, filled with resentment as she beat her chest, still echoed vividly in her memory.  

Who had been the “burden” her grandmother spoke of—her father or Su-eon herself? Probably both.  

“Shall we have tea in the sunroom?”  

At Seung-jo’s words, Su-eon snapped out of her thoughts.  

“Ah… I’ll do the dishes.”  

“The dishwasher will take care of the dishes.”  

“Then at least let me clean up—”  

“No. This is my space.”  

Seung-jo firmly refused and took the stack of plates from her hands.  

“And besides, you’re bad at this.”  

“Me?”  

“Yeah, you’d probably break the plates.”  

His unusually blunt remark caught her off guard, and she awkwardly rubbed her forehead.  

“…I haven’t broken anything since I was a kid.”  

“Oh, so you did break things when you were a kid.”  

Seung-jo laughed as he moved the plates further away from her, leaving Su-eon feeling flustered.  

“Everyone breaks things when they’re little… No, wait. More importantly, I’ve never heard anyone say that to me before. It’s true I’m not great at cooking, but I’ve always been told I’m good with my hands.”  

“Really? That’s surprising.”  

“Surprising? What do you think of me? I mean, if I put my mind to it, I could probably cook better than you.”  

Maybe. Possibly. 

She left the last part unsaid, pouting slightly as she protested. Being treated like someone who couldn’t even handle simple chores left her feeling indignant. She’d never once been told she was incompetent at anything.  

“Really? What kind of cooking are you good at?”  

“I can make most Korean dishes. I even know how to make kimchi. Something simple like diced radish kimchi is a breeze.”  

“You can make diced radish kimchi? How?”  

“It’s not that hard. You just chop up some radish, salt it, and then…”  

As the recipe flowed effortlessly from her lips, Seung-jo’s eyes curved with amusement.  

“What else can you make?”  

“Hmm… I can whip up things like seasoned radish salad or fresh kimchi in no time.”  

“Really? That’s impressive.”  

She realized he was teasing her, but the way he kept adding little interjections of admiration made it hard for her to stop talking. Like a chatty child, she kept answering his questions, one after another.  

It really did feel like this house had a way of loosening people up, just as he had said.  

* * *  

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you. I’ll leave it in your hands.”  

Sitting in the sunroom, Su-eon ended her phone call. A teacup was placed in front of her. It was Seung-jo. He sat leisurely beside her, basking in the sunlight until she finished her call. When she hung up, he asked,  

“Real estate?”  

“Yes.”  

“What did you decide to do?”  

“They said I should be able to move out in about a month. Until then, they’re going to help me find an Airbnb or a short-term rental.”  

The experienced female realtor had been considerate, understanding the situation without requiring a detailed explanation from her, and had already offered various solutions.  

The landlord, on the other hand, seemed pleased. They had been unable to raise the deposit due to legal restrictions, but now they were planning to switch to a semi-monthly rent system, which they saw as a good opportunity.  

Su-eon also felt the need to move to a place with better security. Up until now, Jung Cho-ah had frequently stayed with her, and a driver had been nearby whenever she left, so she hadn’t worried about safety.  

But she hadn’t expected her life to be shaken by something as minor as this.  

“Short-term rental?”  

Seung-jo’s eyebrows arched high. His reaction was as if he had just heard a completely foreign word.  

“It’s a type of short-term lodging. These days, you can find them through apps. I’ve looked at a few places, and they seemed decent.”  

Despite her detailed explanation, Seung-jo’s expression didn’t improve at all. The deep furrow in his brow made it clear that he was quite displeased.  

“Why would you go to a place like that?”  

“What?”  

“I naturally assumed you’d stay here.”  

“Oh…” 

“Is that such a shocking idea?”  

As Seung-jo watched Su-eon, who was now blinking in confusion with her lips slightly parted, he muttered in dissatisfaction, 

“If I suggested we live together, you’d probably faint.”  

“…Of course, that’s not possible.” 

She replied, her voice quiet but firm, making her stance clear.  

Seung-jo stared at her for a long moment before pulling her hand toward his lips.  

“Then, what is possible?”  

Every time his lips brushed against her fingers, warmth far exceeding her own body heat spread across her skin.  

“I’m already grateful for being able to stay here over the weekend. Anything beyond that would probably… make us both uncomfortable.”

She answered honestly.  

Hearing her response, Seung-jo shrugged, as if to say he understood.  

“Fair enough. It could be uncomfortable.”  

“Yes, so…”  

“Endure it.”  

“What?”  

“I don’t like the idea of you staying in a place like that.”  

His tone was soft, but his gaze was so resolute that it left no room for argument.  

“My girlfriend was harassed by some creep and can’t even go home right now. And you think it’s fine to just leave you to figure things out on your own? Does that sound reasonable to you?”  

“…It’s not really that extreme.” 

She mumbled, her voice lowering. The word “girlfriend” had thrown her off, causing her to lose some of her resolve. She hadn’t expected him to use that term so casually. Girlfriend… so that’s what she was.  

“What’s the rush? Stay here for now and take your time sorting things out. Think of it as taking a break.”  

“But staying here for too long feels like a burden…”  

“I have an empty officetel under my name. Want to move there?”  

“I don’t want that.”  

Her immediate refusal made Seung-jo scoff.  

“Then I don’t want that short term rental either.”  

“Senior…”

“I don’t like being called ‘Senior’ either.”

Whether out of annoyance or whim, he suddenly raised his voice, causing Su-eon’s expression to sour as well.

“…You liked it just two days ago. Why are you picking on me now?”

“Maybe it was only a two-day thing.”

When she gave him a puzzled look, as if to ask what he was even talking about, Seung-jo gazed at her quietly before taking her hands in his.  

“Or maybe I’ve gotten greedier in the meantime.”  

“…”  

Seung-jo pulled her hands toward him, causing her body to lurch forward. He caught her as she fell and leaned back against the sofa with her in his arms.  

“Su-eon.”  

“Yes.”  

Annoyed by his incomprehensible mood swings, her response was curt.  

“When you talk to someone, you should look them in the eye.”  

He gently cupped her face, coaxing her to lift her head.  

“Look up.”  

Forced to meet his gaze, she stared at him with a sullen expression. Seung-jo’s lips curled into a soft smile.  

“Is my princess upset?”  

“…”  

“Su-eon.”  

He called her name with a laugh.  

“Ji Su-eon.”  

The voice of Seung-jo calling her name was low and tender, making Su-eon feel a ticklish sensation deep inside as she lifted her gaze.