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Chapter 06
“…I-I see.”
As the low voice echoed, the already cold air grew even chillier.
Sniffling through her stuffy nose, Yeonwoo hurriedly unwound her scarf. Then she turned around and thrust the pink scarf into Jungha’s hand.
“Th-thank you for lending it to me… young master.”
“…”
Jungha’s brow arched, as if surprised by Yeonwoo suddenly treating him with such formality. Though clearly displeased, his black eyes only flicked once toward Yeonwoo, then once toward her aunt, before silently gripping the scarf.
“Haha, the young master is so upright and kind. Madam must be very pleased with you.”
“…Is this the annex?”
Perhaps realizing she shouldn’t dismiss him just because he was a high schooler, the aunt spoke with awkward flattery.
Jungha, uninterested, muttered as he looked at the modest annex.
“Y-yes, that’s right. Meals are usually prepared here and sent over, so if you just wait a little—”
“Does she help too?”
“Ah, well…”
“Does she help with the meals, I’m asking.”
“…”
She could have simply admitted they were short on hands, but the aunt faltered under his pressure. Seizing the moment, Jungha’s lips curved smoothly.
“Mind if I take her along?”
“Y-Yeonwoo?!”
“…”
The boy’s sharp gaze gave no room for refusal. In that instant, the aunt must have realized—even though he had only been at the orchard for half a day—the young master’s presence was as imposing as Madam’s.
“…If Madam finds out you brought Yeonwoo into the main house, I doubt she’ll be happy about it.”
At least the aunt, being who she was, knew how to throw out words sharp enough to cut down a high school boy. She had a reputation in Gojungeup for her sharp tongue.
But Jungha didn’t so much as blink. He simply issued his order.
“Bring my mother’s lunch at twelve. Mine, whenever it’s ready. I saw a table in the main house—you can just set it there.”
“…But—”
“I’m already pretty hungry.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“Oh, and bring some for Seo Yeonwoo too.”
With that, the suffocating pressure he had radiated vanished, replaced by a broad grin that showed his teeth. The aunt nodded, almost entranced.
Yeonwoo, watching from the side, could barely keep her confusion from spilling out.
“Let’s go.”
Jungha’s large hand seized Yeonwoo’s thin wrist and pulled her along without hesitation.
Just like yesterday, when he had dragged her out of the sea—he had once again pulled her up from the pit with effortless ease.
At least her feet obeyed, hastening to follow. If she went back now, she would only become her aunt’s punching bag for having been humiliated by a mere boy.
But in the three years Yeonwoo had been here, she had never once entered the main house. No one had explicitly forbidden it, but it was an unspoken rule.
There was a line—like a caste system—between those crammed into the annex’s small rooms and the orchard caretaker couple. Crossing it was unthinkable.
And yet now, shoes kicked off, she found herself not just in the house but in Jungha’s very room, perched awkwardly, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Jungha knelt down in front of her where she sat on the bed.
“…What are you doing?”
“Take off your socks.”
When his hand suddenly gripped her ankle without hesitation, Yeonwoo flinched, struggling away. His hand slipped, left hovering in the air.
Yeonwoo pulled her knees to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, and asked in a low, cold voice:
“…You.”
“What.”
“Are you pitying me right now?”
Only after the words slipped out did she regret them. She should have held it back, but she’d exposed her own inferiority complex.
When silence stretched, heat rose in her face. Her lips quivered as Jungha let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Your head’s crammed with nothing but negativity.”
Their sharp gazes clashed in the air. If he had just outright mocked her, she could have stormed out.
Instead, flushed and restless, Yeonwoo ducked her head.
“…There must be some reason you’re acting like this toward someone you just met.”
As her hair spilled down, its faint smell wafted up. Jungha’s brow twitched.
It wasn’t expensive shampoo. Closer to soap.
But it wasn’t unpleasant. It was soft, comforting—like the scent of sun-dried bedding.
“Lift your head.”
“…”
“Did you forget you promised to repay me for the clothes and the bandages?”
“Who says I’ll pay you back?”
“I’ll make sure you do.”
Expressionless, he reached out again, tugging her white socks down from her slender ankles.
Her foot wriggled, suspended awkwardly in the air. His grip tightened slightly, silently telling her to stay still.
Too thin. From the sea yesterday, he had already noticed—but how could someone’s ankle fit so easily in one hand?
“Do you get paid for helping with meals?”
“…Why do you care?”
“At that rate, how long will it take you to repay me? Those clothes weren’t cheap.”
Calmly, he dabbed ointment on a cotton swab and gently applied it to her wound. Yeonwoo curled her toes at the sting and ticklishness.
“Hold still.”
“…”
“You need to heal quickly so I can put you to work.”
“Work? Me?”
“Or should I make your aunt do it instead? At least then I’d get my money back.”
“…”
So, in other words, his kindness was just to make use of her.
Yeonwoo narrowed her eyes, trying to read his intentions. Regardless, Jungha carefully treated all her cuts, pressing on a large bandage before finally looking up.
“Eat, then rest.”
“H-here?”
“The bed’s fine. You’re not too good for it, are you?”
She knew he was deliberately twisting her words. She was still reeling from being brought into the main house, and now he wanted her to sleep in a boy’s bed?
“N-no thanks.”
Yeonwoo shot up, only to wince as pain stabbed her sole, forcing a low groan through clenched teeth.
Jungha clicked his tongue.
“Damn stubborn.”
“…”
He rose too. With a single finger, he poked her forehead, and her overheated body tipped back helplessly.
Feeling the fever burning through his fingertip, his lips twisted.
“Stay put and lie down. Don’t wander around with a fever.”
“…W-what are you going to make me do?”
Her voice trembled with unease. She had never once rested comfortably in a proper bed, let alone in a boy’s room. The strangeness of it suffocated her.
If anyone found out she was in Jungha’s bed—?
She could already imagine Madam’s hand striking her cheek. Her aunt would scream that she had seduced the young master. And her cousin…
“…”
The thought alone made her shiver.
Her breathing quickened—until Jungha’s calm voice broke through, shattering her fears.
“We’re going to study.”
“…What?”
“Study. You’ll tutor me.”
