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CHAPTER 09
Do-woon stared openly at the money as if asking what it was. Choi-hee calmly pushed it toward him.
“It’s what was left after buying the teaching materials.”
“…Unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I thought you would have spent it all.”
“I’m not like someone shameless enough to recklessly spend other people’s money.”
At her sharp remark, Choi-hee snapped back. But instead of taking offense, the man let out a faint laugh. Unlike usual, it didn’t feel like a mask.
Ah… it was a joke.
“Anyway, let’s begin the trial lesson.”
“Good. But what is that?”
Do-woon gestured with his chin toward the book in her arms.
Choi-hee cleared her throat and carefully placed the book on the side table.
“It’s the textbook we’ll use for the lesson.”
His gaze dropped to it. Then his brows immediately furrowed as if he deeply disapproved.
Ignoring his obviously disbelieving expression, he looked almost dumbfounded.
“…This is the textbook?”
“Of course. There’s no better book for learning basic business English.”
Choi-hee pointed at it proudly.
“Alright then. Let’s begin with ‘Manners for Elementary School Students.’”
“Are you indirectly saying I have bad manners?”
“Pardon? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Elementary Manners for Children.”
Do-woon read the English title on the cover aloud. His pronunciation was unexpectedly fluent, which surprised her.
“So you’re telling me to learn children’s manners?”
“You’re misunderstanding. I just chose it to teach business English from the basics. Manners are the very foundation of everything.”
“…Ha!”
Rather than being intimidated, she answered back clearly. Anyone watching would think they were having a perfectly normal conversation.
In truth, Do-woon’s irritation wasn’t unreasonable. She had chosen this book deliberately.
Choi-hee had not forgotten what he did on the train. His shameless behavior—never even apologizing—still made her want to yell at him. And he was also a man who freely frequented brothels.
But right now, the power dynamic was clear: he was the employer, she was the applicant. She couldn’t openly confront him. So instead, she used the book to take a petty jab.
At the same time, she genuinely believed children’s books were excellent for learning English.
They contained cultural context that adult books often lacked, making language learning easier and more effective.
If he couldn’t understand her intention and only got angry, then he really was an insufferable man.
…Of course, it wasn’t entirely without personal motive either.
They glared at each other in silence over the book.
It was Choi-hee who broke the silence first.
“If you don’t like my method—”
“Enough. Let’s begin.”
“Good.”
With that, she opened the book.
Do-woon did not want to admit it, but her words were not wrong.
At first, he had thought she had brought some ridiculous etiquette book, but its contents were unexpectedly practical.
From which fork and knife to use in a course meal, to how to politely greet elders.
It was full of useful guidance for interacting with Westerners.
And she explained everything fluently in English.
It seemed like she was trying to annoy him at first.
But seeing her focus so intensely now… maybe not.
He studied her face as she explained carefully, lips slightly pursed in concentration.
Her pale, almost colorless cheeks were flushed red from heat, and a few beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
She looked determined—like she intended to succeed no matter what.
‘Well, that’s not a bad thing for me.’
Though… what would she do if she learned that the job wasn’t actually for a tutor, but for a fake wife?
She would probably call it unfair and refuse again.
But even that reaction was unpredictable.
Do-woon considered himself fairly perceptive.
Normally, when talking to people, he could predict how conversations would continue.
Eight out of ten times, things proceeded exactly as expected—and were usually boring.
But this woman… her next words were impossible to predict.
‘Maybe I just don’t know her well enough yet.’
They had only spoken briefly on the train and a few minutes three days ago.
Not enough time to understand her.
He glanced at the three-page report containing her personal information.
He had thought it would be enough—but perhaps not.
“Let’s end the first lesson here.”
He snapped back to attention.
“How long did that take?”
Do-woon took out his pocket watch.
Two o’clock.
Three hours had already passed since she arrived.
As he clicked it shut, Choi-hee stared at him expectantly.
“So? Have you decided? Whether you’ll hire me or not—you said you’d decide after the trial lesson.”
“Ah… yes, that’s right.”
He trailed off. The trial lesson had only been an excuse to investigate her.
He didn’t actually need English tutoring—he had already graduated from one of Japan’s top universities.
Unaware of this, she pressed nervously.
“You need to tell me so I can look for another job.”
“Could you give me a little more time?”
“Is it… because of the ‘salary negotiable’ part?”
“Hah!”
Again, an unexpected remark.
He let out a short breath-like laugh—what came out when he was amused but didn’t want to show it.
“Do you really think I’d demand an outrageous amount?”
“That’s not it—”
“I’ll take a little more than what I earned at school. It’s private tutoring, after all. But I won’t ask for too much.”
How much did she think she could ask that she was negotiating like this?
“Still… I shouldn’t take too little either… uh, how much would you pay? 100 won?”
“…Hmm.”
Seeing her suddenly suggest a price, he pretended to think while hiding the corners of his mouth.
Her confidence faded.
“95? 90? 85 is my limit! I still need to live! Don’t be stingy just because you live in a fancy house.”
She was actively lowering her own price now.
Do-woon raised a hand.
Watching her tense, expectant face, he finally spoke.
“Five hundred won per month.”
“F-five hundred—”
That was far more than she expected. She covered her mouth in shock.
“But in return, you’ll do one other thing for me.”
Finally, he revealed his true intention.
Her heart pounded violently—so loudly she feared he might hear it.
No—he could hear it and it would still be fine. Five hundred won!
Five times what she expected.
She almost screamed.
But she couldn’t accept immediately. A high price meant conditions.
“What kind of other work? I can do laundry.”
“L-laundry? No, that’s not it. There’s an English gathering.”
“An English gathering?”
“Do you know I’m a businessman?”
“Of course. You said so on the train.”
“Right. I work in railway-related business in Shinŭiju. But due to the recent Jongno police station explosion and the Shinŭiju station explosion, Japanese businessmen are avoiding Korean businessmen entirely.”
She didn’t understand why he was explaining this to her.
“Those explosions weren’t done by Korean businessmen anyway, right?”
“Correct. But it’s a convenient excuse for them.”
“What does that have to do with an English meeting?”
“Wives of Japanese businessmen are going on a group trip to London next year. They’re currently holding English gatherings to prepare. If you join that group, you can obtain information about the Manchurian railway project.”
“Wait—what?”
“I want you to attend that gathering.”
“…What?”
So he wanted her to infiltrate a wives’ English social club to gather business intelligence.
He had even posted a fake advertisement for an English tutor just to find someone suitable.
Bok-yi’s warning echoed in her mind.
“Miss Gyeongseong, isn’t this suspicious? Specifically asking for a Korean woman in her mid-twenties is strange.”
He was right.
The requirement wasn’t for a tutor—it was for someone who could blend in with elite women.
Understanding his intent made her head spin.
This was not why she had come here.
“So what you’re saying is—you want me to act as a spy in a wives’ social club?”
“It sounds shameless when you put it like that, but yes.”
“Let’s start with the fact that I am not your ‘wife.’”
“Identity can be fabricated. We can simply say you are my wife from Gyeongseong.”
His shamelessness left her speechless.
He had clearly planned this from the moment he brought her into the house.
She needed to refuse firmly.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m a teacher, not an actress. If you need an actress, try the brothel.”
She refused decisively.
But Do-woon didn’t seem to care.
He leaned forward slowly, closing the distance.
Instinctively, she leaned back, but his face came closer.
“Unfortunately, this is not a proposal.”
“Not a proposal? Then don’t I also have the right to refuse employment?”
“Not anymore. I already know something.”
“What?”
“The mastermind behind the Jongno Police Station bombing.”
“What do you mean?”
She tilted her head, confused.
Then his next words froze her completely.
“The one who bombed it… was your older brother, Seong Chi-hoon.”
“That— that’s impossible!”
A chilling sensation ran through her entire body.
{“A group of Joseon rebels bombed the Jongno police station. They’re keeping it quiet, but Shinŭiju station was also bombed that same day.”}
The words echoed in her mind.
And the smell of gunpowder on her brother’s hands that day—when he had grabbed her and taken her to the station—flashed vividly through her memory.
