CHAPTER 36

“Hmm. There are two types of guys: the first, the ones who are sure of their tastes, and the picky ones. The more difficult, the more attracted he is to women who match his preferences, and he’s willing to give everything. If he’s the first type, you don’t have to worry too much because he’s already thinking about doing it with you.”

“But it doesn’t seem like that… What about the second type?”

“The second type is the one with a strong conquering instinct. He finds women who approach him first boring, and he’s only interested in women who show no interest in him. The problem with this type of guy is that when he thinks he’s won a girl over, he pushes her away. He’s an assh*le, so you can give him your body, but never your heart.”

“Miho, how do you know everything about men?”

Miho’s face contorted at Minhee’s admiring question.

“How would I know? I’m stuck in a hell where I only deal with jerks. If they look good and are good in bed, they all turn out to be bastards wherever they come from. Even if I don’t want to know, I end up knowing as I date. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me mad again. Anyway, Minmin, you have something else to worry about.”

“What is it?”

“What are your thoughts about birth control?”

“Oh. I didn’t even think about it. Oh my God, what should I do? Should I go buy condoms?”

“Sigh. I knew it. Just wait a moment.”

Miho came out of her room holding something in both hands.

“Here. Here’s a month’s supply of birth control pills. I’m giving it to you because I haven’t been taking it lately. Go to the gynecologist and get it filled before it runs out. And here are condoms.”

“Mihoho! Thank you. Seriously, you’re the best! You know I love you, right?”

“Ugh. Seol Minhee, I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”

Miho, with a serious expression, asked Minhee, who was laughing sheepishly.

“So, who is this ‘Mr. Taejun’ of yours? Is he treating you well? Not violent, doesn’t do drugs, not a pervert or anything?”

Minhee rubbed the corner of the table with her fingers, choosing her words carefully.

“Not at all. He’s very good to me, and he’s a really good uncle to Rose. What can I say, he seems like a solid, unshakeable man, like a tough iron on the outside.”

“On the outside?”

“Yeah, on the outside. Mihoho… I also know that he’s young, handsome, successful, and has a lot. But sometimes, he seems like an island standing alone in the middle of the sea. Every time I see him like that, my heart strangely aches. I just want to pat him on the back and tell him it’s okay and give him a hug.”

“Uh, isn’t this a bit suspicious? Are you starting to have a crush again?”

“No, it’s not like that. Taejun recently lost a family member, and I’ve had that experience too, so it’s probably because I feel sorry for him, right?”

When Minhee had a crush, she would gush about it until Miho ran away from it. But unlike then, she was hesitant to admit her feelings for Taejun. She felt like once she admitted it, there was no going back.

“Seol Minhee, why are you asking me about your feelings for Taejun? So, what you’re saying is that is just empathy?”

“Empathy? Is that a bad thing?”

“Oh, no. Get up, Minmin. Let’s go get a wax.”

“Waxing?! Seriously?”

“So you were going to greet your historic first s*x in a natural virgin forest state? Wake the f*ck up!”

“Oh, nooo!”

***

A few days later, Minhee, trying to ignore the empty and unfamiliar sensation from below whenever her thighs crossed, arrived at Taejun’s penthouse.

Last weekend, Minhee had gotten a crash course on s*x and seduction from Miho. Miho had recommended a female-oriented p*rno for Minhee to watch, suggesting that she take a look at some real-life techniques. Minhee watched the video with her face as red as a burning tomato and then came up with an ambitious plan.

‘What’s the point of making plans? Theory is useless.’

Once Minhee faced Taejun at home, she was too busy running away to even think about how to seduce him. She had no idea where to start or how to approach him.

Fortunately, this week, Luca and the staff were busy creating a playroom, staying at the penthouse from Monday to Thursday until late in the evening. So, avoiding Taejun was relatively easy.

Whenever Taejun ran into Minhee, he would stare intently at her, but he didn’t make the first move. This was because, according to the contract, Minhee was the one in charge of seduction, and Taejun was the object, the target of seduction. There was no reason for him to make the first move.

At this rate, she felt a sense of crisis that all her efforts and practice might end up in vain.

‘What if he changes his mind? What if he realizes how ridiculous this is after some time has passed? I’ve even gone for a waxing!”

So, she decided that today was the day.

It was Friday, and she didn’t have to go to work the next day, so she decided to rely on the power of alcohol a bit.

‘No, I’m going to use whatever help I can get, even if it’s just a little bit, to pull myself together!’

After leaving school, Minhee went straight to a lingerie store instead of going home. There, she bought several s*xy sets of underwear she had never worn before, including a short silk slip instead of the shorts and bra top she usually wore as pajamas.

Minhee felt the smooth and sexy texture of the lingerie and imagined standing in front of Taejun in this attire. Her knees went weak and her breath caught in her throat as her heart jumped into her throat.

Avoiding the puzzled gaze of the shop assistant, she picked up and put down the lingerie several times, hesitating for a long time. Imagining standing in front of Taejun in her usual plain underwear helped dispel her hesitation.

‘It’s already 4:50!’

Minhee checked her wristwatch as she arrived at the front door and pressed down her pounding chest.

This afternoon, Rose had a play date with Angela. After Taejun had emailed Angela’s father, Andrew Shiffrin, there had been a couple of schedule adjustments, resulting in the playdate being scheduled for Friday after school from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

Usually, it was customary for the parents or nannies of the invited child to come pick them up around the time the play date ended. So, Angela would have already left by now.

Lately, Taejun had been arriving home before 4:30 PM and ringing the doorbell.

‘Is he home already?’

Minhee took out a subtle tinted lip balm from her bag, applied it carefully, and took a deep breath. As she opened the door, a faint rose fragrance wafted through the entrance hall. Stepping into the living room, she was greeted by an intriguing sight.

Actress Natalia Shiffrin was elegantly seated on the sofa, smiling gracefully. She was in the middle of a conversation with Taejun, who was sitting across from her. Judging by Taejun’s attire, he must have just gotten home from work.

Naturally, Minhee assumed that a nanny had picked up Angela; she hadn’t expected Natalia herself to come to pick her daughter up.

The actress, in her early forties, with her long, wavy red hair and the kind of seductive smile you only see in movies, widened her eyes when she spotted Minhee standing in the doorway.

Taejun followed her gaze, stood up from the sofa, and approached Minhee. Natalia followed his lead and got up from the couch.

[Miss Shiffrin, Mr. Baek, hello.]

Taejun slightly raised his eyebrows and nodded at the change of title to ‘Mr. Baek’.

[Oh, Miss Minnie, it’s been a while!]

Natalia approached Minhee, giving her a light hug and exchanging Hollywood-style air kisses on the cheeks. She smelled like a gorgeous rose mixed with musk. It was the smell that lingered from the entrance.

The way she smiled, showing off her gleaming white teeth, was dizzyingly beautiful, even to another woman.

Minhee first saw Natalia on the day of ‘Open Class’, a class observed by parents. She couldn’t conceal her excitement when she saw the screen goddess standing in her classroom in casual attire.

Even in the classroom that seemed to transplant the sophisticated atmosphere of an Upper East Side social gathering, she stood out as exceptionally beautiful. However, there was a subtle air of aloofness about her.

Perhaps because it was the beginning of the semester, the parents seemed to keep their distance from her, although they sneakily glanced sideways at her. They seemed determined not to give her special treatment because she was a superstar.

Minhee found the subtle power struggles among the parents intriguing. At that moment, Natalia approached Minhee, who was standing nearby, and greeted her warmly. Internally trembling, Minhee’s cheeks turned crimson as she engaged in a conversation with Natalia about Angela’s school life.

Most of the parents were uptight and polite to the teachers who took care of and taught their children. Natalia was no exception.

[Angela told me you’ve become Rose’s tutor.]

[Yes, I’m working exclusively with Rose until the end of this semester.]

[Ah, so you’ll also be tutoring Rose after school?]

Minhee unconsciously glanced at Taejun, and he interjected into the conversation.

[To help Rose adapt to her new environment quickly, I asked Miss Minnie, who knows Rose well, to help her in many ways.]

[I see, it’s good that you have a good teacher like Miss Minnie to help you. Miss Minnie, aside from the days you tutor Rose, do you have any free days? Angela seems to be a bit weak in ‘reading’…”

Minhee, putting on the gentle smile she often used when dealing with anxious parents, responded.

[As far as I know, Angela is keeping up with her reading lessons, and she loves to read, so you shouldn’t worry too much.]

[Is that so, Miss Minnie? I’m relieved to hear you say that. But still, if there are days you’re available for tutoring, please let me know.]