He set the tray on the side table, then leaned over her, gently prying her hands from her face. She immediately turned away, averting her eyes.
“I didn’t think I’d get caught. No… I didn’t think it would turn out like this.” She tried to burrow her way back under the blanket.
Seo Tae-joon’s hand closed softly around her trembling wrist. “Ji-woo. Look at me.” She only shook her head.
He tugged the blanket away and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand. She flinched. “If you want to hide, a blanket isn’t enough.”
He pulled her into a tight hug, and she felt a strange comfort spreading from the solidness of his arms.
“So, what was it like, comparing me to other men? I want to hear the results.”
Ji-woo squirmed against his chest. He waited patiently. “I didn’t think of anything,” she finally mumbled. “I just saw you through the window at the café.”
The image was still sharp in her mind: Seo Tae-joon standing outside in the pouring rain.
“I just wanted to go home,” she whispered. “With you.”
His arms tightened around her. “If that’s the case, then why do you keep pushing me away? Look at me.”
Slowly, Ji-woo turned her head and met his gaze.
“Tell me,” he asked, his voice low. “Has something changed about me?”
The moment she looked at him, yesterday flooded back. The way he had kissed her, the way his mouth had trailed down her body…
Heat flared across her face, and she couldn't hold his gaze. Did everyone live like this at night? It was an entirely new world for her.
“Uh…” She stared at his collarbone. It was such a random question. Thinking about it, she realized his eyes were back to normal, the predatory gleam from last night completely gone. His shirt was buttoned neatly to his throat. But the sight only reminded her of how he had looked before: raw and naked. She blushed again, clearing her throat with a small cough. “Uh… I guess you look a bit more handsome?”
A smirk touched Seo Tae-joon’s lips, and he opened his mouth to reply. She quickly backtracked.
“No? Then… is your skin better? Your face looks clear.”
Seo Tae-joon smiled, and the intensity in his gaze was suddenly all too familiar, pulling her right back to the memory of their night together.
“Thank you for the compliment,” he said. “But my face was clear when I woke up.”
“Then?”
He lowered his head and kissed her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him until she felt herself melting into his embrace.
“There was no trace of crying,” he murmured against her lips.
She froze. It was true. She had even crept out for a moment around dawn, and the house had been silent. There had been no sobbing. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a bright, genuine smile broke across her face.
“What do you think the reason was, Ji-woo?”
“Uh… I don’t know?”
As she puzzled over it, he smiled. “I think I do.”
After finishing the sandwich and coffee he had made for her, Ji-woo locked herself in her office for two solid hours. Through the door, she could hear the sounds of Seo Tae-joon washing the dishes and vacuuming the house.
She was curious why he was doing chores, but not brave enough to go out and face him.
“So, it seems sex can even ward off nightmares.” Thankfully, he didn’t try to barge into the office.
Ji-woo scratched her head, trying to force the thought away. She spent the rest of the morning hiding before deciding to tend to her garden. Sneaking outside, she began pulling weeds. She was uncoiling the hose to water the plants when a voice called out.
“Is Director Han Ji-woo here?”
The gate to the Pine Tree Clinic swung open. Joo Dong-mi, wearing an oversized jacket, walked in. Her face broke into a wide smile as her eyes met Ji-woo’s.
“Howdy!” Her greeting was a strange mix of mature confidence and playful energy.
“Hello. What brings you here?” Ji-woo let the hose go slack.
Joo Dong-mi’s gaze swept the area as if she were looking for someone else. Ji-woo’s expression darkened.
“Isn’t your employee here yet?” she asked.
“He’s inside, but why are you…?”
Joo Dong-mi smiled radiantly. “I wanted to say something to him.”
Ji-woo’s hand tightened on the hose.
“Is it okay if I go in and talk with him for a moment?” Joo Dong-mi scratched her head, her expression earnest. “To be honest, I really like him and I’d like to—”
“Ms. Joo Dong-mi,” Ji-woo interrupted, her voice suddenly stiff. “Actually, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She dropped the hose and wiped her damp hands on her pants. It was terrifying, speaking the truth.
All her life, she had learned to hide it. The truth about her parents, about the family she lived with, about her birth. She had never been close enough to anyone to be truly honest. But today, she didn’t want to let go of something she cherished so easily.
She had to stand her ground. Otherwise, people would always be like her cousins, trying to ruin her life by taking everything she had.
“He’s not really my employee. He’s my…”
Joo Dong-mi’s eyes widened. “He’s not an employee here?!”
Ji-woo flinched as Joo Dong-mi took an enthusiastic step closer. Her sheer energy was overwhelming.
“Yes, he’s not an employee. He’s my boy—”
“Your boy toy?” Joo Dong-mi finished eagerly.
“What?! No!” Ji-woo said, stunned.
“So… he is your boy toy. Wow!”
Ji-woo was speechless. She could only stare blankly at the other woman.
“You look so innocent, but you’re just like me! Don’t worry, your secret is safe,” Joo Dong-mi said, beaming. “It’s good to know.”
She extended a hand, and Ji-woo shook it in a daze. “A woman should have a boy toy or two, if you ask me,” Joo Dong-mi added conspiratorially.
Who the hell is this person? She’s like a mini Mi-sook… Ji-woo opened her mouth to correct her, but Joo Dong-mi gave her no chance.
“It’s a waste to get married and be committed to one person. You shouldn’t let him get any further than your pants,” Joo Dong-mi declared with the air of a seasoned philosopher.
Ji-woo nodded blankly, caught in the strangest conversation of her life.
“Do you drink?” Joo Dong-mi asked suddenly.
“No. I don’t.”
“Wow! Then you do it sober? I can’t have fun unless I’m drunk.” Joo Dong-mi looked at her with something akin to reverence. “I was getting lonely on this tiny island. Nobody here just wants to have fun without commitments. But you, you don’t even try to hide it! I honestly respect you. I drink like a fish. Could we have a drink together sometime? A nice, long talk?”
Ji-woo felt a surge of awkwardness. No one had ever been this friendly with her. But just then, Joo Dong-mi said something that truly annoyed her.
“So, can I borrow him?” she asked, her eyes pleading. “Please, Director! Please just let me have him for a little while!”