EOFD 39

chapter 39

“Please, come inside. I was so startled when I heard you’d be arriving suddenly! I only had time to give the air conditioner a quick cleaning—I hope it’s to your liking.”

“…I see.”

“I heard you came down for work, but still… you’ve arrived right in the middle of this heat. I wonder if you’ll be comfortable staying in the room like this. Oh dear. I’ll start preparing dinner later, so for now, just rest a little.”

The housekeeper turned out to be more sociable than expected. Exhausted from the heat, Jungha slipped past without a word, as if unwilling to make any response, and went straight inside the main house.

Behind him, the driver entered, and the housekeeper turned to Yeonwoo with a look.

“You’ll come in too, won’t you?”

“…Yes.”

With an awkward smile, unable to refuse the housekeeper’s insistence, Yeonwoo stepped inside.

It was the main house—the place she hadn’t set foot in for more than a decade.

Back then, all of it had been old wooden buildings. Even the floors would creak if you moved the wrong way.

But now it was clearly different. The structure might be similar, but it had the feel of a modern home.

Of course, that didn’t erase the clammy dampness of summer. With the sticky feeling of fabric clinging to her skin, Yeonwoo sat down on the bed that had been given to her as “her room.”

“…”

Ironically, the room she was in now used to belong to Jungha. The very same room where, ten years ago, Woo Jungha had pulled her in under the pretense of “private tutoring.”

And Jungha’s current room was—right next door.

Yeonwoo’s eyes naturally drifted toward the wall between them. A strange, indescribable feeling stirred inside her.

How had they ended up this close again?

She had lived the past ten years dreaming of a reunion, but never imagined it would be under such absurd circumstances.

A secretary and an executive. The kind of relationship you’d only see in some TV drama. A dry laugh slipped out of her. But just then, the low buzzing sound snapped her out of her daze.

Rrrrr.

Rrrrr.

She fumbled through her luggage until she found the phone. Until recently, when she was in Haedo, she hadn’t even owned one, so it still felt unfamiliar in her hands.

[Director Won]

Seeing the name on the caller ID, Yeonwoo cleared her throat several times. She had been expecting this call, after all.

Hastily pressing the answer button, she spoke in a hushed whisper, wary of being overheard next door.

“Hello?”

—Did you arrive safely?

The voice on the other end caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless. The silence dragged on, and the other party gave a short, scoffing laugh.

—You must be surprised to hear me.

“…Madam.”

Yeonwoo swallowed dryly. She wasn’t exactly close with Director Won either, but at least the man had been straightforward with her, offering unfiltered information—helpful information.

Which made the sudden voice of the Madam all the more unwelcome. Especially here, back at this house with the blue gate, the last thing Yeonwoo wanted was another source of distress.

But she couldn’t just hang up.

—So, you went back to that house.

“…Yes. There was an issue with the hotel.”

—And Jungha. Is Jungha all right?

Only then, hearing the slightly urgent tone in the Madam’s voice, did Yeonwoo realize she had called out of concern for her son’s well-being.

Perhaps she should feel relieved that the Madam at least cared for him more than she’d assumed.

Even if that concern wasn’t born of pure motherly love.

“He doesn’t seem to remember anything at all. He actually seemed pleased with the house. If there’s anything else worth reporting, I’ll let you know.”

—Anything else, you say.

“…I’ll serve him well so you won’t have to worry.”

With that tight, formal reply to the Madam’s murmur, Yeonwoo waited tensely. After about three seconds, the voice on the line softened slightly, sounding reassured.

—I trust you’ll handle things properly.

The call ended just like that. A heavy fatigue settled over her.

She hadn’t slept properly in days, and since arriving here, she’d been trembling with nerves the whole time. With her chest weighed down and a tingling ache in her legs, Yeonwoo cautiously lay back on the bed.

As her eyes fluttered open and closed, the blurry image of Jungha in his school uniform flickered before her, again and again.

“Hey, Seo Yeonwoo. Wanna walk together?”

…I miss you. And I’m so afraid—afraid you might remember me, or worse, hate me.

Mumbling words she could never say aloud, Yeonwoo drifted into sleep.

She woke up just around dinnertime. Though it was summer and not yet dark, outside was dim and heavy, as if rain might fall at any moment.

Carefully making her way downstairs, Yeonwoo soon greeted the housekeeper.

“Oh, miss, you’re up too! Oh dear, dinner will still take about ten more minutes.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Really? Ah, I should’ve started a little earlier. What was your name again…?”

“It’s Yeonwoo. Seo Yeonwoo.”

“Yeonwoo, I see. Well then, just have a seat. I’ll do my best to cook something that suits your taste.”

Even on such a gloomy day, the housekeeper was bustling with cheer.

Lacking the energy to keep up with her, Yeonwoo retreated to the living room sofa, only to notice that Jungha’s eyes immediately turned toward her.

“…Did you get some rest?”

“And you, Ms. Seo Yeonwoo?”

“I… rested well, too.”

Even answering felt strangely difficult. Yet somehow, their eyes kept meeting.

“And… Driver Kim?”

“He’s staying elsewhere. Said it was more comfortable that way.”

Jungha’s reply was curt.

So Kim the driver wouldn’t be living here. Which meant, in this big house, only she and Woo Jungha would remain. That thought sent a faint tingle of nervousness through Yeonwoo.

Just then, the TV filled the silence, an anchor in a neat suit delivering the forecast.

[The monsoon rains will begin tomorrow morning and are expected to last for some time. Be sure to bring umbrellas for your commute, and take caution against accidents caused by flooding or blocked drains.]

The rainy season.

No wonder the humidity had been so heavy—it was already on its way. But Yeonwoo heard most of it as a dull buzzing in her ears.

Perhaps from fatigue, her head felt slightly feverish. Without drawing attention, she leaned against the sofa.

[The monsoon will likely remain over the central regions for the time being. This has been the Weather Center.]

In the quiet, broken only by the muffled sounds of cooking from somewhere in the house, she sat staring blankly at the TV.

…Ah.

Slowly blinking again, Yeonwoo realized Jungha’s gaze was fixed on her once more.

This time, she had no time to react, no chance to look away.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“…N-no, nothing like that. The room is comfortable, too.”

Words tumbled out awkwardly. Jungha’s eyes lingered on her face, noticing the faint flush around her eyes, but he didn’t press further.

As though sensing that Yeonwoo didn’t welcome his gaze, he only looked at her for a moment longer before turning away.

“…”

With a shallow breath, Yeonwoo clenched her fingers tight around her trouser hem. The sounds around them were like those of any ordinary household—but her nerves were strung taut, focused only on him.

She caught the faint scent of his cologne. It was like wood, dried after rain had passed.