Jung Haon, not knowing how to use the intercom, came to the front door barefoot. His fingertips trembled slightly as he hurriedly opened the door.
The sound of the door lock releasing made Haon even more tense. As he opened the heavy front door, he met eyes with the woman he had seen on the small intercom screen. She was much more beautiful in person.
“Where is Inho?” the woman asked, her voice a dignified contralto.
Haon felt a shock similar to when he first saw Inho and hurriedly opened his mouth to speak.
“Ah, um… Ahem. He just stepped out for a moment,” Haon replied, clearing his throat after his hurried response. The woman’s long, heavily made-up eyes scanned Haon from head to toe. Her sharp demeanor, so different from Inho’s, made Haon feel small, and his shoulders slumped.
“P-please come in,” Haon said, opening the second door wide to welcome the woman. He didn’t ask who she was, as her appearance alone was enough to guess her identity.
The woman slipped on the slippers provided at the second door and walked in ahead of Haon. Familiar with the layout of Inho’s house, she headed straight to the living room sofa and took out her phone from her leather bag. Her nails, adorned with sparkling jewels, made it difficult to guess her age. She appeared older than Inho, but not by much.
“Don’t mind me, just go to your room,” she said, gesturing with her phone towards the closed guest room door. It was clear she was quite familiar with the house, being family and all.
“Yes….” Haon nodded, clasping his hands together. He hesitated, then changed direction towards the kitchen instead of his room.
The woman, focused on her phone, paid no mind to Haon’s presence. She didn’t seem the least bit curious about who he was.
Haon, who had been wondering how to introduce himself, felt both relieved and a bit disappointed.
So, many people come and go from this house, he thought as he carefully took out a teacup, trying not to make a sound. He planned to make her some tea while they waited for Inho to return.
He wondered what kind of tea to serve her and glanced at the sofa. The woman sat with perfect posture, looking down at her phone. Her straight nose and defined lips were strikingly similar to Inho’s.
Haon marveled at how fair and clear her skin was, realizing it must run in the family. The woman’s skin was just as radiant as Inho’s.
Unlike Inho, her jet-black hair was full of luscious waves, making her look like a beautiful princess. Her striking features could easily be mistaken for those of a foreigner.
“If you have something to say, say it,” she said suddenly.
“Pardon?” Haon replied, taken aback.
“Stop staring and speak up if you have something to say,” the woman said, noticing Haon’s gaze.
Haon blinked, realizing he had been staring at the woman’s striking features again. He quickly apologized, “I was just wondering what kind of tea to serve you…”
“I told you not to worry about it,” she muttered, turning her attention back to her phone. However, she didn’t refuse the offer of a drink.
“Water will be fine,” she said.
“Ah… Would you like it warm?” Haon asked.
The woman didn’t respond, so Haon nervously watched her for a moment before quietly moving to prepare the water.
He placed three glasses on a silver tray—one with cold water, one with warm water, and one with lukewarm water. He had considered bringing the sparkling water that Inho often drank but decided it would be too heavy.
“Which would you prefer…?” Haon asked cautiously, approaching the sofa. He swallowed hard, waiting for her response. The woman raised an eyebrow at Haon’s silent approach and picked up the glass of lukewarm water.
She looked up at Haon, who was holding a tray with three glasses of water, and put down her phone. Her dark eyes scanned Haon from head to toe once more.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
Haon gripped the tray tightly, taken aback by the sudden question. It was as if he had been asked something difficult.
“I’m Jung Haon,” he replied.
The woman watched Haon closely but didn’t drink the water, instead placing the glass on the table.
“You’re an adult, right?” she asked, her sharp eyes fixed on Haon’s small, round face. Haon saw a hint of disbelief in her expression and felt a pang of fear.
“Yes, I’m twenty-one,” he answered, trying to stand tall and confident. He had been mistaken for being younger before, even by Inho.
“Are you a student?” she asked.
“No, I work,” Haon replied.
“What kind of work?” she asked, picking up her phone again.
Haon hesitated, unsure of how to explain that he was a live-in housekeeper at Inho’s place.
“I work at a restaurant and do cleaning,” he said vaguely.
The woman seemed to lose interest and looked away, saying dismissively, “You can go now.”
Haon nodded and returned the tray to the kitchen. As he was about to go to his room, the woman suddenly called out to him.
“Could you try calling Inho for me?” she asked.
Surprised but willing to help, Haon took out his phone. He had been thinking about texting Inho to ask when he would be back anyway.
The phone rang, and after a few moments, Inho’s voice came through the line.
“Yes, Haon?”
“Um…” Haon hesitated as the woman gestured for him to hand over the phone. She wanted to speak to Inho herself.
“Just a moment,” Haon said to Inho before passing his phone to the woman. He stood awkwardly in front of her, unsure of what to do.
“Son, it’s Mom,” the woman said into the phone.
Mom? Haon’s eyes widened in surprise. He had assumed she was Inho’s older sister, given her youthful appearance and lack of wrinkles.
“I’ll wait for you, so take your time coming home,” she continued, her voice softening. As she smiled, her resemblance to Inho became even more apparent. Haon tried to look away to avoid staring but found himself meeting her gaze again.
The woman paused, listening intently to Inho. Haon couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could see the focus in her eyes.
“Alright. I won’t,” she said, ending the call and handing the phone back to Haon. Her expression had subtly changed.
“I’m sorry for borrowing your phone so suddenly. Inho never answers my calls,” she explained with a warm smile.
“It’s okay,” Haon replied, feeling a mix of relief and curiosity.
The woman continued the conversation, keeping Haon standing there. “How long have you been staying here?” she asked.
Haon quickly calculated the days in his mind, feeling nervous about getting it wrong, especially in front of Inho’s mother.
“A little over two weeks,” he answered.
“Two weeks?” The woman looked genuinely surprised. “And you’ve been here the whole time?”
“Yes…” Haon felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny and looked away, pretending to gaze out the window.
He heard a soft laugh and turned back to see the woman smiling. It was a smile that reminded him of Inho.
“That’s interesting. Inho doesn’t usually let anyone stay at his place for that long,” she remarked.
Haon perked up, intrigued by this revelation. It meant he had stayed longer than anyone else, and he was planning to stay for over a year.
“Oh, that’s because… I’m the live-in housekeeper,” Haon explained, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. He knew his situation was different from any of Inho’s past relationships. His stay was purely professional, a fact he felt compelled to clarify.
“So, your name is Haon,” the woman said, looking intently at Haon’s face.
“It seems Inho cares for you quite a bit,” she remarked, taking a sip of water and moistening her lips before setting the glass down. She smiled and thanked him, then gathered her bag as if preparing to leave without waiting for Inho.
“What happened to your cheek?” she asked, noticing the large bandage on the left side of Haon’s face.
“Inho didn’t do that to you, did he?” she inquired, her voice laced with concern.
“No, of course not! I fell and hurt myself,” Haon quickly reassured her, surprised by the implication.
“If you ever need help, feel free to reach out to me,” the woman said, handing Haon a business card from her bag. She showed a deep interest in Haon, unlike her initial indifference when she first entered the house.
“For anything at all. Don’t hesitate,” she added, but instructed Haon not to mention receiving the card to Inho. Haon wanted to ask why but didn’t get the chance.
“And please tell Inho something for me. Next Thursday is his father’s birthday, and he must attend. Just tell him that, and he’ll understand,” she said with a warm smile as she walked towards the front door.
She paused and added, “And tell him if he doesn’t come, I’ll visit again.”
Despite her smiling face, her eyes held no warmth, and her gaze was stern and unyielding.
