“Ah…. Hello.”
From how she spoke, the ajumma didn’t seem to be visiting Baek Woojin’s house for the first time.
“Ah…. Well, Woojin-ssi… I mean, Teacher Baek is still sleeping….”
“Ah, I see. That’s fine. Don’t wake him up. I sometimes come to work on weekends, but today he asked me to come early, so I came.”
“Teacher Baek… did?”
“Yes, yes. Oh my, are you cleaning?”
The ajumma asked, looking at the feather duster in my hand.
“Ah… well….”
“Oh my, leave it. I’ll prepare the children’s meals and do all the cleaning. And he asked me to do laundry for blankets and curtains today, and I need to clean the veranda too.”
“You’re going to do all that today…?”
I asked in surprise at the cleaning schedule that seemed too much for one person to handle.
“I do it all. I may not look it, but I’m premium alpha personnel, so I’m strong.”
Alpha…?
I remembered what Baek Woojin had told me.
‘Yes, late twenties. I think a man would be good. Also, I prefer an omega over an alpha. I’ve never gotten along well with alphas.’
I didn’t know her exact age, but the ajumma looked to be in her early forties at most, and she was female and alpha.
“May I ask your name…?”
Then the ajumma smiled brightly and asked for my name.
“Ah…. I’m Chae Seungyeon.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. Seungyeon-ssi? May I call you Seungyeon-ssi?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Please take care of me on weekends from now on. The children are still in dreamland, right? I’ll quickly prepare their meal.”
“Ah…. Excuse me, wait a moment….”
“Yes, please make yourself comfortable.”
The ajumma who smiled briefly really seemed to be someone who had come here often – she went into a small room, took off her outer clothes, and headed straight to the kitchen.
“…….”
I was a bit dumbfounded.
A housekeeper who comes every weekend…. This would make four housekeepers including me, wouldn’t it?
I couldn’t figure out the reason just by thinking about it myself. I wanted to know why Baek Woojin had done this, so I put down the feather duster and walked away.
Knock, knock, knock.
I went straight to Baek Woojin’s bedroom and knocked on the door.
“……?”
There was no response. Come to think of it, he’s usually someone who gets up earlier than anyone else, but maybe he’s sleeping in because it’s the weekend. I knocked once more and then opened the door.
“Woojin-ssi, I’m coming in…?”
As soon as I entered the room, what I saw was Baek Woojin lying straight on the large bed. I slowly approached him.
“Woojin-ssi…?”
He should wake up from my presence. But he was still sleeping without moving at all.
Was he very tired? I’m sure he went to bed early last night….
I slightly bent my head to check Baek Woojin’s complexion, wondering if he might be sick. And without realizing it, I began to scrutinize Baek Woojin’s face thoroughly.
Straight forehead and prominent nose bridge, features so distinct they cast shadows, neat long eyelashes and red lips…. His skin was as soft as a child’s without a trace of oil. As I thought when I first saw him, Baek Woojin had looks that wouldn’t be strange to call a male god, as people commonly say.
Hmm, he really is handsome….
I was inwardly admiring Baek Woojin’s appearance when I belatedly came to my senses. This wasn’t the time to be appreciating someone else’s face.
“Woojin-ssi, please wake up for a moment… Oh…!”
It was the moment I reached out to try shaking Baek Woojin’s shoulder. I tumbled forward from the force pulling my wrist.
“Wh-what…”
When I came to my senses, Baek Woojin was holding me in his arms. I was so flustered that I tried to get up, but he pulled my waist even closer to him. Surprised by his strong grip, I lifted my head up. Baek Woojin still had his eyes closed as if he were sleeping.
What is this, sleep talking or something…?
I struggled for a while, trying to escape from Baek Woojin’s embrace. But he didn’t budge at all. No, rather, the more I moved, the more he pulled me into his arms.
“Woojin-ssi… you’re awake, aren’t you?”
“……”
Eventually giving up on escaping by force, I lifted my head from between his solid chest and asked. Then one of Baek Woojin’s eyelids opened.
“…I’ve been caught.”
“Of course you’d be caught.”
“I wish I hadn’t been caught…”
Baek Woojin, who muttered briefly, stared at me intently without any intention of letting me go.
“Actually, the way Chae Seungyeon-ssi was moving in my arms was so much like a baby bird that I thought it was a dream.”
“A baby bird…?”
No, of all the comparisons to make…
“You’re also like a baby rabbit.”
Baek Woojin, who said this, had eyes that seemed somehow pleased.
“…Ah, let me go now.”
When I hit Baek Woojin’s chest with my fist hard enough to make a sound, he smiled brightly.
What, so he knows how to smile like that…
Should I say he looked surprisingly pure? It was a word that really didn’t suit Baek Woojin, but I thought it fit perfectly with this deep smile of his that I was seeing for the first time.
“I want to stay like this a little longer…”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Then let’s stay for just one minute.”
“……”
Only after exactly one minute had passed did Baek Woojin let me go and sit on the bed. I stared blankly at his appearance again. There probably wasn’t anyone else who could look this stylish in black silk pajamas.
“It was noisy outside—the housekeeper must have arrived.”
“Huh? …Yes! That’s right. What happened? I heard she’s supposed to come on weekends now…”
At my question, Baek Woojin got off the bed and immediately took off his top and threw it aside. I was startled, but I couldn’t take my eyes off his solid shoulders and bumpy abs. He didn’t seem to exercise separately… I wondered if it was natural.
“Yes, it’s fine if there’s nothing special happening, but on weekends like today, we might need to leave the children in someone’s care.”
“Uh… that means…?”
Are we going out somewhere? But even if Baek Woojin leaves the house, I’m still here…
“Today I’m going out with Chae Seungyeon-ssi.”
“Oh, with me? Why…?”
At my question, Baek Woojin pulled up the corners of his mouth and came closer to me.
“It would be easy to understand if I said it’s a date.”
A date? No, to use such an embarrassing word…?
How should I interpret this? Of course, I know that ‘date’ can be used even between people who aren’t lovers. Maybe, as Professor Choi said, the perpetually single Baek Woojin is deliberately doing this to try to form close intimacy with me.
Didn’t he also say things like ‘hug me if you’re grateful’ and call me a serious partner before?
But… what if it’s not that…?
No, that won’t do… Between future in-laws… it was an absurd thought. I tried my best to take it in a light sense.
“…It would be good to get ready right now.”
When I stood there blankly, Baek Woojin said.
“Right now? But it’s… quite early, and… I think we need to feed the kids…”
“The person who came today will take care of that. We’ll have our meal outside. I have a place reserved.”
“What? Reserved?”
He even made a reservation… Then I’d feel bad about refusing. I had no choice. This time I decided to just go along with it.
“Then… just a moment. Let me wake Hyeol first…”
I quickly left the bedroom and headed to the guest room.
“Hyeol…?”
But Hyeol, who should have been sleeping soundly in bed, was nowhere to be seen.
“Seungyeon-ssi, I’m feeding the children breakfast…!”
“Oh, really?”
Then the newly arrived ajumma called out gently from the kitchen direction. When I hurried to the kitchen, Hyeol and Kkotsu were indeed up and eating. Despite being in front of a stranger, the children didn’t seem to have any particular aversion.
“Hyeol… no, Kkotsu too…”
“Dad, are you up?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
