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Chapter 16
Mu-hyeon would be staying at the villa for one month.
During that month, Chae-yoon had only two responsibilities: to accommodate the tenant’s convenience as much as possible, and to hand over the villa key so he could come and go freely.
To be honest, Chae-yoon had expected Mu-hyeon to pile on all sorts of picky demands. But seeing that there were only two conditions—it was hard to believe even after seeing it with her own eyes.
“Is that really all?”
At her skeptical question, Jun-ha nodded easily.
“Yes. Since the chief leaves early in the morning and comes back late at night, there won’t be much for you to worry about, Ms. Song Chae-yoon. Just prepare some light food in the kitchen, and check the cleanliness of the room he’s staying in each day.”
That was something she’d have to do anyway if she took in a tenant.
As she nodded and glanced sideways at Mu-hyeon, he appeared utterly uninterested in the contract, staring out the window instead.
“So… once the month is over, you won’t be coming anymore? And if you do continue using the villa after that…?”
“If that happens, we’ll renew the contract.”
It seemed Mu-hyeon had chosen his secretary well. Jun-ha’s calm expression and composed tone radiated reliability.
Chae-yoon felt relieved that conversation flowed far more naturally with the secretary than with the prickly Mu-hyeon.
“If anything unusual comes up, I’ll contact you first. And please contact us here if you encounter any problems as well.”
The business card the secretary handed her bore the name Lee Jun-ha. Chae-yoon accepted it and replied,
“I have one condition. I’d like the tenant to avoid running into the villagers as much as possible.”
Perhaps it was the word tenant, or perhaps he disliked her condition, but Mu-hyeon slowly turned his body away from the window.
Seeing the crease between his brows, Chae-yoon continued calmly.
“I teach children, and as you saw earlier, they really love to talk… I’d rather avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”
The children were just an excuse.
She knew all too well that if she ran into him often, she would start wavering again—that was the real reason she said it.
Fortunately, the secretary seemed to take her explanation at face value.
“I understand what you mean.”
“What a strange request.”
Just as Jun-ha accepted her words as reasonable, a sharp voice cut between them.
“I don’t see what kind of misunderstanding could arise between a landlord and a tenant.”
“……”
“Oh? Or are you feeling guilty about something?”
As Mu-hyeon continued speaking, Chae-yoon’s expression stiffened.
“The chief leaves early and returns late, so he’ll rarely run into the villagers.”
At that moment, Jun-ha cautiously stepped in, his voice calm, as if he fully understood her discomfort.
“…You might not realize how fast rumors spread in a small town. I’d really appreciate it if this could be respected.”
When she reiterated her request, even the secretary looked flustered.
But Chae-yoon had no intention of backing down.
Since she was forced to live alongside Mu-hyeon for a while, this was the least she could do to keep some distance between them. Without that, her feelings would be exposed in no time, and Mu-hyeon would grow suspicious—he was quick to read situations.
Hiding those thoughts, she stood expressionless. Jun-ha tried once more to smooth things over.
“I completely understand your concerns. But unless our chief becomes invisible, it’ll be hard to avoid the villagers entirely. Is there any workaround?”
The light joke softened her expression just a little.
“Please park the car in the backyard at all times. There’s a separate access path there, and it also leads into the mountains, so there aren’t many people around.”
Hearing her answer, Jun-ha felt as though he’d been smacked in the back of the head.
Mu-hyeon had practically grown up coming and going from this villa—there was no way he didn’t know that. And yet he’d pretended not to, keeping his mouth shut. Unbelievable.
Seriously, that temperament of his…
Cursing inwardly, Jun-ha smiled brightly at Chae-yoon.
“Understood. Do you have any additional requests?”
“No. That should be enough. We won’t be running into each other directly for the next month anyway.”
She spoke as if stating a simple assumption, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Let’s not see each other for a month.
Jun-ha let out an involuntary chuckle. When he glanced at Mu-hyeon, the man looked equally dumbfounded—clearly understanding her implication.
Tsk. He probably never thought he’d be treated like an unwelcome guest wherever he went.
Seeing Mu-hyeon’s stunned expression gave Jun-ha a strange sense of satisfaction.
Seo Mu-hyeon lacked nothing—ability, wealth, education, looks. He’d always been the object of women’s admiring gazes wherever he went. Watching him receive this kind of treatment made all the fatigue Jun-ha had built up melt away in an instant.
“So, should I sign here?”
“Oh—yes.”
After momentarily short-circuiting both men’s thoughts for very different reasons, Chae-yoon signed the contract, said she would prepare dinner, and left.
Silence lingered in the living room after she disappeared. Then Jun-ha began to snicker.
“Wow. Ms. Song Chae-yoon is really different from how she looks. Chief, you almost got kicked out.”
“Shut up.”
Mu-hyeon snapped through clenched teeth, but Jun-ha didn’t care.
It wasn’t easy to meet a woman who could kick Seo Mu-hyeon out without batting an eye—and witnessing it firsthand was even rarer. The more he thought about it, the funnier it became.
“You should’ve behaved better from the start. What’s the point of having a handsome face if you don’t use it? A few polite smiles and a courteous attitude—there’s no woman who wouldn’t fall for that—”
“I said shut up.”
Hearing the low warning in Mu-hyeon’s voice, Jun-ha closed his mouth, disappointed. He knew better than to push further and get burned.
Still smirking to himself, Jun-ha picked up the suitcase he’d left in the living room and began moving it to the room.
After watching him silently for a moment, Mu-hyeon muttered in disbelief,
“We won’t run into each other?”
Thinking about it, it wasn’t wrong. He left early and came back late, so it made sense that he wouldn’t cross paths with Song Chae-yoon, who stayed in the annex.
And yet, for some reason, the words grated on him.
Not just that—every single rejection she’d shown him today irritated him.
Especially the way she’d been gentle and friendly when speaking with Jun-ha, only to turn sharp-eyed when looking at him—that memory sparked a surge of irritation.
What the hell am I doing?
Realizing he’d lost his composure over a single word, a single glance from Song Chae-yoon, Mu-hyeon muttered a curse under his breath.
This wasn’t why he’d come.
He’d come all the way to Yangpyeong to figure out who Song Chae-yoon really was. Nothing else mattered.
Annoyed, Mu-hyeon loosened his tie and shrugged off his jacket. He headed straight for the bathroom, his complicated mood clearly visible in his retreating back.
