“I’ll sleep on the sofa. You sleep on the bed, Mr. Jae Ha.”

“It’s fine. How can I let the guest do that? Go sleep.”

Although he said he’d sleep on the sofa, Jae Ha pushed him into bed.

Jae Ha’s hair looked damp, probably from a shower.

He handed back the neatly emptied glass.

“You seem to have slept deeply. Your complexion looks good.”

“Really? I slept late.”

‘How could that be?’

Avoiding Jae Ha’s intense gaze, he hid his face, embarrassed.

To think he looked healthy despite sleeping so late.

As he felt shy, Jae Ha nodded, standing up from the bed.

“Maybe because you slept alone on the bed.”

While adjusting his tousled hair, looking at the mirror on the dresser.

He raised his head, thinking he had misheard.

“The sofa’s pretty hard; my back hurt as soon as I woke up.”

“……?”

“Come down.”

In a soft voice, as if proving he hadn’t misheard, the words echoed again.

He looked up at him, baffled, but Jae Ha turned and left the bedroom.

After Jae Ha left, he put on a thin cardigan and went downstairs to the living room.

He assumed Jae Ha would be in the dining area.

But the door to the terrace connected to the living room was fully opened.

“Mr. Jae Ha, are you here?”

Stepping outside, he saw a meal set up on the outdoor terrace.

Jae Ha, seemingly on a call, looked up upon hearing footsteps.

He took a seat across from him.
Jae Ha sneaked a glance at me and, suggesting we call later, hung up the phone.

The one sitting before me appeared no different than usual.

I wondered if I was the only one with so many worries, keeping me awake at night, because he looked entirely at ease.

“What is all this?”

“It’s breakfast. I usually can’t eat much in the morning, so I have something light.”

“Is this considered light?”

Considering it was prepared as a light meal, the quantity was substantial enough to replace a full meal.

While buttering the toasted bread, I started pondering.

I wondered how long this vacation would last.

“How long are we staying here?”

“I haven’t set a specific date.”

“You don’t plan for us to stay here throughout my entire suspension period, do you?”

I’ve been on a break for a week, but unlike me, Jae Ha had work commitments.

He rested his chin on his hand and seemed lost in thought, saying nothing.

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t be away for a full week.”

“Understandable?”

“Still, I plan to stay as long as possible. This place is my favorite.”

He took the bread I was buttering, finished it, and then handed me a sandwich layered with cheese and prosciutto.

“It’s an ideal hideaway.”

“……”

“And it has everything. You’ve seen the campsite yesterday, right?”

Beyond him, the lush forest surrounding the villa came into view.

I hadn’t noticed the previous night, but the place had a beautiful view.

Jae Ha, looking up at the cloudless, clear sky, asked,

“Do you like playing in water?”

“You mean like swimming?”

At Jae Ha’s sudden inquiry about liking water, I nodded, assuming he was talking about the pool.

“Yes, swimming.”

“There’s a pool here?”

“Of course, it’s over there.”

I paused in eating my bread at the mention of a pool.

Walking out to the terrace, I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the pool.

More than that, I was amazed by the number of facilities on the villa’s grounds.

Even though everything was well-maintained and I hadn’t noticed earlier, in brighter light, some areas appeared aged, albeit subtly.

“What’s this place for? Who built it?”

“It began as a regular villa. But due to a young friend who despised boredom, it gradually expanded.”

‘Young friend?’

Wanting a clearer answer, Jae Ha’s cryptic response left me puzzled.

He gave a mysterious smile, seemingly acknowledging his vague reply.

“If you’re done eating, get up. I’ll show you around.”

As I followed Jae Ha, it wasn’t long before a swimming pool appeared right before my eyes.

The pool, filled to the brim, shimmered beautifully with its blue waves.

Not only was the existence of the pool surprising, but its vast size was even more astounding.

The intense summer sun was already beating down.

Jae Ha, still in his t-shirt, dove straight into the water.

‘What on earth is he thinking? That man.’

Jae Ha was someone seemingly understandable yet unfathomable.
Jae Ha was someone seemingly understandable yet ultimately inscrutable.

I sat on the sunbed, resting my chin on my hand, watching Jae Ha.

As he moved, the water seemed to ripple in response, and then Jae Ha’s face emerged above the surface.

“Haa.”

He exhaled sharply, and water trailed down his thick neck.

“This is uncomfortable.”

“……”

“May I take it off?”

‘Take off what?’

In a split second,

He turned to me and, before I could respond, removed the T-shirt he was wearing.

He then swept back the hair sticking to his forehead.

A stream of water trickled down from his clear forehead, flowing over his muscular upper body.

I stared blankly at the sight until our eyes met directly.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, as if caught sneaking a glance, I sat up straight.

“Didn’t you bring a swimsuit?”

“I didn’t. I couldn’t prepare that far ahead.”

The sound of gentle ripples breaking echoed with every movement of Jae Ha.

He approached the sunbed and placed the T-shirt he was holding onto the ground.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

Our gazes locked as he looked at me invitingly.

The waves washed over his forearm and solid chest, appearing and disappearing in cycles.

Even from this distance, I wasn’t sure where to fix my gaze.

I didn’t have the confidence to get closer and bowed my head.

“I’ll just sit here on the sunbed. Enjoy yourself, Jae Ha.”

“It’ll get hot if you stay there, especially with the sun being so intense right now.”

“It’s okay.”

Unconsciously, I swallowed.

He looked at me, still sitting motionless, and his eyes narrowed.

Then, Jae Ha’s lips stretched into a gentle smile.

‘Why is he smiling?’

Confused by Jae Ha’s inexplicable smile, my heart sank.

In that moment, a deep ripple formed on the water’s surface, causing water to overflow from the pool.