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Chapter 16
After a few soft steps echoing across the floor, Yoon-ah’s voice came from behind Yeongwon.
“Yeongwon-ssi! I’ll do it!”
“Don’t worry about it. Stay back.”
Yeongwon focused all his attention on maintaining a calm composure, putting on a perfect act. What other choice did he have? His sincerity in that moment was undeniable. Without looking back, he shifted slightly and firmly covered the shards of glass.
Even though it had been Yoon-ah’s accident, she felt guilty. She inched closer, her hand resting nervously on her chest.
“Then… could you tell me where the rag is? I’ll go get it.”
“…There’s no hand rag. Just bring a towel.”
“…A towel?”
“From today on, you can just use a towel instead of a rag.”
“Oh! Okay!”
Yoon-ah responded energetically, then hurriedly ran behind Yeongwon. The sound of her tiny footsteps pattered softly against the floor. Yeongwon glanced at the slippers she had left behind—small enough, he thought, to fit inside his sneakers.
She darted into the bathroom, grabbed three towels, and soaked them with water. On her way back through the entrance, she also picked up the empty paper bag that had been on Yeongwon’s table. Carefully approaching from behind, she extended the items over his shoulder.
Her arms trembled as she reached out, avoiding his gaze at all costs. Once again, she pressed her hand firmly to her chest.
Yeongwon silently accepted the towels, keeping his gaze fixed on the jar of apple preserve.
Hidden by his large frame, he moved to clean without Yeongwon seeing much. Feeling even guiltier, Yoon-ah muttered with a slumped voice:
“I’m really sorry, Yeongwon-ssi… I didn’t mean for this to happen…”
“It’s okay. By the way, what brings you here?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask if you had a burner at home, but you didn’t answer my messages… The apple preserve was just a housewarming gift.”
She had tried contacting him. Of course, Yoon-ah wouldn’t just show up uninvited. She hadn’t checked her phone after swimming, nor after returning home to shower properly.
“My phone was in my swimming bag.”
“So you came straight from swimming….”
“Yes.”
Both tried to act as if nothing had happened. Their efforts worked—both Yoon-ah and Yeongwon exhaled in quiet relief, and Yeongwon’s irritation gradually subsided.
Yeongwon gathered the glass shards into the paper bag and cleaned the apple preserve from the floor and Yoon-ah’s slippers. Then he stood. Yoon-ah, startled, awkwardly crossed her arms and stepped aside.
“Uhm… please, go ahead first.”
“….”
Yeongwon passed silently, entering the house. Yoon-ah trailed behind, saying:
“Yeongwon-ssi! I’ll take the towels. I’ll wash them.”
“There’s glass powder mixed in; better to just throw them away.”
“Oh… then I’ll bring new ones… tomorrow…”
“…Yes. Tomorrow.”
Yeongwon let her do as she wished, only firmly stating there was no need to bring anything today.
After tossing the towels in the trash, he walked to the kitchen and opened the pantry. The spacious kitchen had a large storage unit, making Yoon-ah realize just how big Yeongwon’s home was.
The house seemed at least three times larger than hers. The bathroom even had a bathtub, and there were two rooms besides the living room. She could imagine a newlywed couple living here. Its neatness matched Yeongwon’s personality.
Though he hadn’t spoken about his background, it was clear he came from a wealthy family. No college student could have afforded this place with just part-time earnings.
As Yoon-ah’s curiosity lingered, Yeongwon found the burner and butane gas in the pantry.
“Looks like we actually need to use this.”
“Ah, there it is! Thank goodness.”
Relieved, Yoon-ah’s face brightened as if she’d forgotten the earlier incident. Seeing her smile, Yeongwon felt a slight warmth escape his lips.
“I’ll put it on the table.”
“Okay! Thank you, Yeongwon-ssi!”
Feeling that all her efforts hadn’t been wasted, Yoon-ah’s grin lingered. Yeongwon turned his gaze to some empty spot, avoiding looking at her.
With her initial goal accomplished, Yoon-ah hurried to leave. After all, staying in a man’s home alone at nearly one in the morning was unwise.
She clutched her fluttering chest with one arm while slipping into her slippers, trying to appear calm.
“I’m really sorry for coming so late, Yeongwon-ssi. Tomorrow, I’ll make something really delicious for you.”
“Yes. Go on inside.”
“Good night!”
Luckily, the door lock was like the one at her home. She opened it easily, called out, and the door closed before Yeongwon could respond.
Her legs gave out, and Yoon-ah sank to the floor.
“Haa… Yeongwon-ssi looks fine, but why am I the one losing it…?”
Her heart still raced. Even though Yeongwon was fully clothed, she could feel the contours beneath his shirt. His smooth skin, his strength—she felt it all. Even the warmth of where she had sat against him earlier made her chest tighten again.
Fortunately, Yeongwon seemed oblivious to the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. He had no way to check how revealing it had been.
“….”
The sweet scent of apple preserve lingered from the slippers. Yoon-ah chuckled quietly, recalling the image of the young master crouched on the floor, cleaning them so thoroughly.
Later, she asked:
“So… you didn’t warm up together… and went to work out alone?”
“Have you completely lost your sense of decency?”
“…Forget it. Maybe he’s aiming for national champion at the gym…”
Seeing Yeongwon’s wet hair, Gitae and Seoyeon shot him a cold glare. They had initially wanted to ask the boss what he’d done, but after learning he showered at the gym, their anger focused elsewhere.
“…It’s not like that…”
Yeongwon struggled to find the right words. Of course, he knew he had to cook with Yoon-ah. But working together in the kitchen, chatting casually—if they weren’t a couple or married, what was this?
Even as he lingered beside her to assist, Yoon-ah politely declined his help. Perhaps still feeling guilty about yesterday, Yeongwon felt a strange mix of emotions while watching her. He wanted to look elsewhere, but his eyes kept returning to her.
She looks especially pretty today… He shuddered at how childish the thought was and decided he needed to leave. Otherwise, he might have blurted something embarrassing.
Finally, Yoon-ah spoke up:
“I stayed out of the way because I didn’t want to interfere. But you even turned on music with the TV so it wouldn’t be boring while you left.”
“Not a national champion… a DJ, huh…? But the DJ did stand in front too…”
“Usually, he doesn’t even listen to music. How carefully could he select songs? I hope his rudeness didn’t strain your precious ears, boss!”
“Hahaha, no. The music was fun—a labor playlist of idol songs.”
With that, Yoon-ah finally placed the main dish on the burner, drawing everyone’s attention at the table.
