Chapter 16 (Part 2)

On her way back after finishing her business at the factory, In-ah found herself stranded due to the pouring rain.

When she called Jinwon, he insisted he would come immediately.

“Don’t come. Do you even know where this is? The rain will stop soon. Don’t worry. Oh, the jokbal has arrived. I’m hanging up; I need to eat.”

In-ah sat with the factory workers in a corner of the factory, enjoying the jokbal. She laughed loudly on purpose, trying to forget the rain.

Just then, the factory door creaked open, revealing a dark silhouette.

The figure of a man standing against the backdrop of the pouring rain gave off an eerie vibe.

Moreover, the man, drenched from head to toe by the heavy rain, had his face obscured by wet hair.

He looked like someone straight out of a horror movie. Give him an axe, and he could easily play the role of a murderer.

“Who’s there?”

Someone shouted nervously, while another person instinctively looked around for a club.

At that moment, the man brushed the wet hair off his forehead.

“Director?”

It was Seong-jun.

The story was as follows: Seong-jun had been driving to the factory when his car got stuck in the mud due to the downpour. He then walked the remaining distance in the rain to reach the factory.

“But why? Why did you suddenly come here?”

At In-ah’s question, the factory workers also looked at Seong-jun with curiosity.

After hesitating for a moment, Seong-jun finally spoke.

“I haven’t had a chance to inspect the factory since becoming Director.”

“Oh~”

In-ah and the factory workers let out sounds of understanding. Though In-ah’s curiosity wasn’t fully satisfied.

***

When Jinwon returned home and had just finished showering,  

Beep. Beep. Beep.  

The sound of someone pressing the door lock code echoed through the entryway.  

Thinking that his mother might have come by unannounced again, Jinwon turned on the monitor at the door.  

Someone was leaning their head against the monitor, busily punching in the passcode.  

Just as Jinwon pressed the button to ask if it was his mother and opened his mouth to speak,  

He recognized the person’s face and gasped in shock.  

At the same time, the door lock emitted a “ding-dong” sound, signaling it had unlocked.  

Too stunned to even make a sound, Jinwon’s eyes widened.  

“Ahhh!”  

But the scream didn’t come from Jinwon—it came from the person who had just stepped inside.  

It was In-ah.  

And the reason for her scream? Jinwon.  

Understandably so, as Jinwon had just stepped out of the shower and was completely… unclothed.  

“Ahhh!!”  

A beat later, Jinwon’s own scream reverberated through the entire officetel.  

Thankfully, Jinwon’s lightning-fast reflexes had him spin around just in time, narrowly avoiding an irreparable moment.  

However, even seeing Jinwon’s bare back was more than enough to leave In-ah thoroughly shocked.  

Quickly turning around herself, In-ah tried to calm her pounding heart, muttering to herself.  

‘Breathe, Seo In-ah. Calm down. Don’t get excited.’  

‘But why does it seem like his body’s gotten even better?’  

Startled by her own thoughts, In-ah slapped her cheeks.  

Still facing away, she raised her voice.  

“I didn’t see anything! I saw nothing at all!”  

Though she denied it with her words, she struggled to suppress the corners of her lips from curling upward.  

When Jinwon didn’t respond, In-ah grew uneasy.  

“I’m turning around, okay? Is it safe to look now? I’m turning.”  

When she finally turned, Jinwon was nowhere to be seen.  

She rushed to the firmly closed bedroom door.  

“Oppa! Are you in there? You weren’t answering your phone, and you didn’t respond when I rang the bell, so I thought something might have happened.”  

Pausing for a moment, In-ah listened intently, but no sound came from inside the room.  

“Well, I did forget the passcode a little. I only caught a glimpse of it over your shoulder last time. But I still managed to guess it. Pretty impressive memory, huh?”  

Still, silence from the room.  

“Oppa!”  

Pressing her lips close to the door, In-ah began shouting.  

“I really didn’t see anything!”  

Sometimes, a little white lie is necessary!  

“If you’re too embarrassed to come out, you don’t have to be. Oppa!”  

She tried turning the doorknob, but it was locked.  

Then, a low voice came from inside the room.  

“I’m telling you nicely—don’t touch the doorknob.”  

In-ah immediately let go of the handle.  

“Wait, you didn’t hurt your hand and can’t put on clothes, did you?”  

Despite the concern in her tone, her face was brimming with mischief.  

Just then, the door burst open. In-ah’s eyes instinctively scanned Jinwon from head to toe.  

Unfortunately—or fortunately—he had already dressed himself properly.  

Tsk. In-ah’s disappointed expression didn’t escape Jinwon’s radar.  

“Seo In-ah, you!”  

“What? I was just going to help you get dressed since my hands are perfectly fine.”  

Jinwon shot her a glare, as if seeing right through her ridiculous excuse.  

Feeling wronged, In-ah protested.  

“Why are you being so formal with me? We’re not strangers, are we?”  

Before she could finish her sentence, Jinwon leaned in close, their faces nearly touching.  

Startled, In-ah instinctively leaned back.  

“What kind of relationship do we have?”  

Jinwon’s pointed question made In-ah laugh awkwardly.  

“Aha… Why are you asking embarrassing questions like that?”  

Feigning nonchalance, she opened her mouth wide and yawned dramatically.  

“Ahhh. I’m sleepy. Anyway, since I see you’re fine, I’ll get going now.”  

As she turned to leave, Jinwon grabbed her shoulder.  

“Where do you think you’re going?”  

With a swift tug, Jinwon pulled her closer, their faces now even closer than before.  

In-ah quickly lowered her gaze.  

She wasn’t avoiding his face because it was too close.  

No, every time she looked at Jinwon, the image of his smooth hips from earlier flashed vividly in her mind.  

How could something she glimpsed for less than a split second be so seared into her memory?  

In-ah wanted to smack her brain.  

“What are you thinking about right now?”  

Jinwon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  

“I can’t say.”  

Biting her lip, In-ah shook her head vigorously.  

Her answer only fueled Jinwon’s curiosity.  

“Why can’t you say? What were you thinking about?”  

Cornered by Jinwon’s persistent questioning, In-ah suddenly shouted.  

“I was just thinking, okay? Do you have to know everything in my head now?”

“Yes, I want to know everything. Every single thought.”

Oh no, why does his voice have to sound so sexy?  

In-ah squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sight of Jinwon’s tempting neckline.  

“In-ah, are you even listening to me?”  

Snapping out of her thoughts, In-ah looked up at Jinwon.  

His eyes softened, curving into a smile that could melt her heart.  

Swallowing hard, In-ah gazed at him dreamily and said,  

“Did I ever tell you?”  

“Tell me what?”  

Confused, Jinwon tilted his head.  

Lowering her voice, In-ah suddenly said,  

“$%^*&(&*”  

“What?”  

Jinwon leaned in closer to hear.  

“$%^*&(&*”  

“I can’t hear you. What?”  

Grabbing his face with both hands, In-ah kissed him. Then, she shouted,  

“I love you!”  

She planted kisses on each of his cheeks and exclaimed again.  

“I love you. I love you, Lee Jinwon!”  

Jinwon burst into a radiant smile like sunlight breaking through the clouds.  

***

In-kyung followed Jeong-ho to the market to buy cooking ingredients.  

With a sharp eye, Jeong-ho was selecting pumpkins when a vendor approached him.  

“A man cooking? You don’t look the part.”  

The vendor scanned Jeong-ho, who stood at an imposing 190cm, from head to toe with amazement.  

Jeong-ho, as if accustomed to such reactions, paid no attention.  

However, In-kyung, standing beside him, wore a deeply displeased expression.  

The vendor, his curiosity piqued, clenched his fist and cautiously asked Jeong-ho,  

“You’re not, by any chance, someone who uses your fists, are you?”

“Auntie!!”  

“Goodness, you scared me!”  

In-kyung’s sudden outburst was so loud that even nearby shoppers turned to look.  

She grabbed the pumpkin Jeong-ho had been examining, put it back, and pulled him away by the arm.  

“We’re not buying this. If you can’t even pick good pumpkins, how can I trust you to pick good ingredients?”

“I’m sorry, I made a mistake.”  

Flustered, the vendor hurriedly apologized.  

But In-kyung didn’t seem ready to let it go. She suddenly raised her voice as she looked at Jeong-ho.  

“With those manly eyes, huh? That chiseled jaw, huh? Those broad shoulders, huh? And those arms—so strong and unyielding against injustice, huh? Where does he look like someone who fights with his fists?”  

Feeling awkward, Jeong-ho lowered his head and glanced at the people around them.  

“Calm down. Are you really upset? I’m sorry. My mouth got ahead of me.”  

“Alright. Since you know you were wrong, that’s fine. Isn’t it?”  

Turning to Jeong-ho, In-kyung’s sudden question caught him off guard, and he quickly nodded.  

“Then you’ll give us a discount, right? As a sign of your apology.”  

Watching In-kyung shamelessly haggle with the vendor, Jeong-ho couldn’t decide whether to be exasperated or impressed.  

As they walked away with their vegetables, In-kyung muttered, her anger still not entirely dissipated.  

“Talking about fists… That auntie must have vision problems.”  

Jeong-ho observed her with a curious expression, the corners of his lips involuntarily curling upward.  

“It’s fine. I hear it all the time—people saying I look intimidating.”  

“Intimidating? Where?”  

Startled, In-kyung turned to look at Jeong-ho. Then, in a calmer voice, she remarked,  

“You could relax the wrinkles between your brows a bit, though.”  

Leaving Jeong-ho behind, In-kyung walked on ahead.  

Jeong-ho watched her retreating figure, his previously sullen face slowly breaking into a smile.