TNV 22

Chapter 22

“Teacher, why does that man come here all the time?”

After all the children had left following the class, Jinhee, who had stayed behind alone, suddenly asked.

Chaeyoon, standing at the sink preparing dinner, was caught off guard and instinctively asked back.

“Huh, which man?”

“The one you said came when Kyungsoo went on a blind date. He came even though he didn’t have an appointment with you.”

It was unclear how Jinhee, who had been spending time with her, had noticed Muhyeon’s presence.

However, the fact that she used the word “all the time” suggested that Jinhee already knew he came to the villa every night. Or maybe she had seen his car parked there.

Feeling that this was not something she could brush off with a vague excuse, Chaeyoon dried her wet hands and sat across from the child.

“Jinhee, you know this villa doesn’t actually belong to me, right? It originally belonged to the Chairman.”

“Yes. The chairman of Seongil Group.”

“That man is the chairman’s grandson. He told me he wanted to stay at the villa for a while because he missed his grandfather so much.”

Hearing the word “grandfather,” Jinhee slightly frowned and muttered.

“Hasn’t the chairman always lived in Seoul?”

“That’s right. But when he was young, he often came here to play with the chairman. I guess he has a lot of memories at the villa.”

Jinhee nodded, reluctantly understanding, and then asked another question.

“But why does he come secretly late at night?”

“He’s not coming secretly. He just gets here late because he comes after work. He leaves early in the morning too. His company is in Seoul.”

Chaeyoon answered, hiding her guilty expression.

She had told him to be careful not to be noticed by the neighbors, but hearing the phrase “sneaks in and out” made her uneasy. She also felt a bit sorry for Muhyeon.

“So, does he go back to Seoul on weekends? I don’t think I saw him last weekend.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure about that either. I guess he has his own schedule on weekends.”

In fact, Muhyeon had stayed at the villa all last weekend. Whatever he was doing, he didn’t leave, but judging by how all the food prepared for meals had disappeared, it seemed he had spent the time resting alone.

“How long is he going to stay at the villa?”

“Hmm, maybe a month? It could even be longer.”

“I hope he leaves soon.”

Hearing Jinhee mutter this, Chaeyoon widened her eyes.

“Why? He hardly ever sees you, Jinhee.”

“You get tired, right? You have to keep an eye on things and even prepare snacks. It must be bothersome.”

Only then did Chaeyoon realize why Jinhee had brought up Muhyeon.

Jinhee was genuinely curious about why he came to the villa every day.

But Jinhee’s real concern was whether her presence might trouble Chaeyoon.

Her grandfather had already caused Chaeyoon distress, and now she was depending on her every evening. It seemed the young girl felt uneasy about that.

Feeling sorry for Jinhee, Chaeyoon deliberately responded with a playful smile.

“Bothersome? Not at all. It’s nice to have someone else around after a long time, not boring at all.”

“But you’re not even close to him, Teacher.”

“…That’s true, but he’s kind of handsome. Sometimes, seeing his face feels like looking at a celebrity, and it’s not bad.”

Jinhee’s eyes went wide.

“Teacher, you like that type?”

“Why? What type do you think he is?”

“He seems cold and harsh. It’s true he’s tall and handsome, though.”

Chaeyoon was surprised by the accuracy of a ten-year-old’s observation. She hid her shock with a laugh and lowered her voice as if sharing a secret.

“Honestly, he is a bit harsh. After talking to him a few times, he seemed really cold.”

“Right? My dad always said looks aren’t everything for a man. Being dependable and kind is the best. Teacher, you shouldn’t like him just for his looks.”

“Hahaha, alright. I’ll be careful not to like him just for his looks.”

Only then did Jinhee smile and eat her dinner.

About an hour later, she held her father’s hand when he came to pick her up and went home.

After seeing them off, Chaeyoon began preparing food for Muhyeon.

As he had mentioned himself, he was picky about food. And since he preferred light dinners, even deciding on a menu was a challenge.

Tonight’s dinner was Vietnamese spring rolls. Thinly sliced crisp vegetables rolled in soft rice paper made for a dish that was visually appealing, texturally enjoyable, and one that Muhyeon liked.

She poured clear, hot broth into a thermos and brought it along with the spring rolls to the villa.

As she stepped back outside after putting down the food, she noticed a car coming up the backyard.

For a brief moment, she considered stopping to greet Muhyeon.

But Chaeyoon turned back and went inside.

Already, she spent more time thinking about him every day—cleaning his room in the morning and preparing his dinner at night.

Meeting him after work under these circumstances wouldn’t be good.

He still didn’t remember her, and eventually, he would return to Seoul as he was. Longing for a man who didn’t even remember her would only make her heart ache.

“I need to let go of this,” she muttered like a sigh, leaning against the closed door.

Saturday morning, Sunok, who woke up late, ran into her husband as soon as she came out of the bedroom.

“Good morning.”

Her husband, Jinho, greeted her cheerfully, but his sallow, bluish complexion didn’t match the fresh morning greeting at all.

Looks like he spent the night drinking with the kids again.

Sunok, thinking sarcastically about how he had come home instead of going to the officetel, nodded as she recalled the evening’s scheduled event.

Today was the 40th anniversary celebration of the Seongil Cultural Foundation. As a director of the foundation, Jinho couldn’t miss it. Even for a nominal director, he had to fulfill at least minimal duties.

“Wife, your face looks good after a while. Did something nice happen?”

“I’ve been at ease because you weren’t around.”

“Oh my, starting the morning with spicy words, huh?”

Jinho laughed off Sunok’s sharp reply.

“Well then, for the peace of mind of my wife, I shall go back to sleep. You’ll wake up on your own, so no need to wake you for lunch.”

Sunok gave him a displeased look as he waved his hand and entered the guest room.

They had been married for 32 years, and even past sixty, Jinho’s wandering eye showed no sign of abating.

Of course, she didn’t expect him to suddenly reform and come home. Even if he ended his affairs with other women, she wouldn’t welcome him back.

Still, as their son Muhyeon reached marriageable age, she couldn’t help but notice his behavior more than before.

Everyone knew that Sunok and Jinho were a “showcase couple.” And the reason was Jinho’s wandering eye.

In the past, she had held her head high because it wasn’t her fault, but now, thinking about her daughter-in-law, she found her husband’s behavior increasingly displeasing.

The only person who could fully understand and accept this situation was Hayoung.

Thinking of Jin Hayoung, who had been meeting with her more often lately, Sunok let out a light sigh.

As far as she knew, Hayoung had liked Muhyeon for quite a long time.

Hayoung had the family background, education, appearance, and personality suitable to be a daughter-in-law.

Most importantly, Hayoung genuinely liked Muhyeon, which pleased Sunok.