“Don’t worry about the housework. I’ll do everything like before, like ironing shirts, organizing the study, choosing ties and pins.”

From the start, Ji Wan, who wasn’t worried about housework, was indifferent.

“I can do a thorough cleaning with So Kyung once a weekday, and anything left unfinished I can do alone on weekends.”

At this point, he thought it might be better to just hire the housekeeper he had initially refused.

The problem was that this woman didn’t seem likely to neglect anything, from school classes to housework.

“Still, no matter how busy we are.”

Tap tap, the chopsticks tapping the table mat pick up a green chili leaf and place it on Ji Wan’s spoon.

We.

This single word meaning you and me brought a strange sense of déjà vu.

Where had I heard this word before?

“Let’s make sure to see each other’s faces like this at least once a day. Okay?”

With that one sentence, Ji Wan’s mind became calm, as if the biggest of the many worries stemming from their changed daily life had been resolved.

Perhaps, though he pretended otherwise and didn’t show it, he was more concerned about her being busy than himself being busy.

If he wanted to get home quickly, he could just hurry up his work anytime,

But if she was busy, no matter how much he hurried, there was nothing he could do.

Suddenly, his mouth tasted bitter.

In the sedan he boarded after being seen off by Do Eum.

Woo Seok asked Ji Wan, who was watching Do Eum through the rearview mirror until she was out of sight.

“Are you worried about the start of the semester?”

“I think it’s best not to tell my friends about this marriage.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to do so just in case something unexpected happens?”

While it wasn’t publicly announced that Do Eum was the daughter-in-law of the peninsula, that didn’t mean she could act recklessly or cause problems.

There was certainly a need to prepare for unexpected situations like problematic meetings or staying out overnight.

To do that, he would need to announce the marriage news, but that really bothered him.

“When her contract with me ends, shouldn’t she return to her original place? The more things we start, the more we’ll have to clean up later. I can’t ask her to do that too.”

Woo Seok nodded at Ji Wan’s words, considering Do Eum who would be alone, putting himself second.

“Tell your school friends there’s no need to mention it. That will be better for both of you when things return to normal.”

After coldly uttering those words, Ji Wan’s gaze turned to the window.

It seemed autumn would soon arrive.

*****

From early morning, Do Eum was busy following Gardener Kim around.

“Others are desperate to plant pretty things, but why is our madam planting so many crops? At this rate, there won’t be any place left to plant flowers.”

Unlike the front garden full of landscaping trees and flowers, the backyard was starting to be filled with crops as Do Eum wished.

Just as she finished planting lettuce and spinach and was turning around.

So Kyung approached.

“Madam, someone’s here saying they used to live in this house. They want to see the trees planted in the backyard.”

At So Kyung’s words, Kim raised his voice.

“This person, who do they think they are letting outsiders in here? Besides, the backyard is all crops now, there aren’t even any flower trees.”

“No, didn’t I say that? I did, but this very pretty-looking person kept saying there’s a forest path in the backyard.”

“There’s a forest path in the backyard?”

“That’s right. They say there’s a small forest path. They say they planted various things there themselves.”

Do Eum got up abruptly and headed towards the main entrance.

As So Kyung said, it was a pretty-looking middle-aged woman.

“Hello, I’m the person living in this house now.”

As Do Eum greeted her while wiping her soil-covered hands on her apron, the middle-aged woman smiled gently.

Despite her modest appearance in an ivory dress with low heels and no accessories, she had an elegant and dignified air that was quite graceful.

“How rude of me. I knew better, but as I was passing by, memories overcame me and I shamelessly knocked on your door.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she trailed off.

The claim of a shameless request wasn’t wrong.

Her carefully chosen words and tightly clasped hands seemed desperate.

“Please come in. We’ve just finished organizing the backyard.”

Dismissing Kim and So Kyung who were watching with wary eyes, Do Eum walked to the backyard with the middle-aged woman.

Beyond the low wall in the backyard, there was indeed a small forest path leading to the village’s large forest, just as the middle-aged woman had said.

“Oh my, I never imagined this was here.”

As they pushed through the undergrowth, a secluded space appeared, like a private hideout.

“Though it looks like wild grass, I planted each one myself. When the flowers bloom in their seasons, it’s spectacular. I was in a hurry to show you, lest you miss that sight, so I rudely…”

“What are you saying? I should be the one thanking you for almost missing such a beautiful sight. Did you also plant this tree with such cute leaves?”

The small green leaves clustered together made for a very unique tree.

“It’s called a silk tree, also known as the ‘union tree’ (合歡樹) symbolizing marital harmony.”

Do Eum’s gaze lingered for a long time on the tree that had immediately caught her attention.

“And how beautifully the flowers bloom. I thought I should have come when those flowers were in bloom.”

A small smile settled on the wrinkled eyes of the middle-aged woman.

“You’re right, it’s a pity.”

“You can see them next year, around the beginning of summer.”

Next year.

There was no way she would be able to see the flowers blooming at the start of summer.

Because by then, she wouldn’t be here anymore.

A not entirely bright smile settled on Do Eum’s face.

“Shall I tell you the flower’s meaning too?”

The middle-aged woman asked, as if stimulating a child’s curiosity.

Nod nod.

Eyes full of undisguised curiosity brightened.

“Fluttering, love.”

Love.

At that one word, with flushed cheeks and lips parted wide, Do Eum burst into clear laughter.

The laughter of a young woman who had not yet experienced love and a middle-aged woman who must have experienced a couple of passionate loves filled the small forest.

*****

The drinking session with the field management team was incomparably more comfortable than dinner with executives.

There was no one speaking politely, and it was nothing more or less than a place to voice and hear the hardships of the field.

It wasn’t elegant classical music or expensive whiskey, but for Ji Wan, these noisy barbecue restaurants with soju were much more useful for hearing the vivid realities of the field.

Since the drinks weren’t passed ritualistically, it was easy to get drunk quickly, so he drank more than usual.

Exuding a strong alcohol scent from his whole body, but without any disorder, Ji Wan stepped onto the garden of Hwa-an-dong.

“Sir, you’re drunk.”

“Pardon?”

Despite the man looking perfectly fine, at Woo Seok’s words that he was drunk, Do Eum’s eyes widened.

Meanwhile, Ji Wan walked steadily, opened the front door, and disappeared inside.

“Did you drink?”

“Yes, a lot.”

“But you look fine?”

“Drunk or not, our CEO is always the same.”

“How do you know he’s drunk when he’s the same drunk or sober, Mr. Han?”

“This is a secret only I know.”

Woo Seok leaned in closer.

“His eyes close and open a beat slower.”

“…What?”

Even as the woman burst into laughter, Woo Seok remained completely serious.

“It’s true. His eyes can’t keep up with his walking speed, so he might fall. Please take good care of him.”

The moment Do Eum entered the living room after sending Woo Seok off.

Now that she’d heard he was drunk, she suddenly noticed the strong smell of alcohol filling the room.

The man who had already gone to his room showed no sign of movement.

Do Eum, who hadn’t been able to prepare for the start of the semester all morning due to organizing the garden, hurriedly headed to her room.

Preparing for the semester was mostly just organizing her part-time job list.

By the time she finished contacting places she could no longer work at and organizing the necessary handovers, it was already past midnight.

Only then did Do Eum head to the living room bathroom to wash her body that had been drenched in sweat all day.

*****

He vaguely heard the woman’s humming.

Despite the hazy intoxication, the singing was so clear that Ji Wan thought it must already be morning.

With a splitting headache and thirst, he staggered up and headed to the kitchen.

His thought that it might be morning seemed to be a mistake, as he fumbled for the switch in the darkness, but unable to bear the thirst, he first flung open the refrigerator door.

Grabbing whatever he could reach, he stood there.

Gulp gulp.

The cold sensation flowing down the glass bottle spread throughout his body via his throat.

Ah.

Just as his quenched thirst calmed him and he turned his head.

Click.

Along with the light seeping through the door crack, the woman appeared.

With just a single white towel wrapped around her fair skin.

The bright yellow light from the bathroom pouring into the pitch-black darkness was as intense as a sudden burst of sunlight, blinding his eyes.

Unknowingly, he raised his right hand to cover his eyes and slowly lifted his eyelids to examine the vision before him.

It seemed he was quite drunk indeed, even for being drunk.

Ji Wan thought that as far as drunken hallucinations go, this one wasn’t too bad.

*****

Do Eum had taken out the hair dryer to dry her hair, but wrapped her wet hair roughly in a towel instead, fearing she might wake the sleeping Ji Wan.

Her hand reaching for clothes to change into felt empty, realizing she had forgotten to bring pajamas in her hurry.

After a brief moment of debating whether to put on her sweat-soaked clothes again.

She concluded that the chances of the deeply sleeping drunk man coming out of his room were slim.

It was barely ten steps from the bathroom to her room, so if she went quickly, there would be no problem.

She spread the towel horizontally, wrapped it around her chest, and as her two feet stepped onto the marble floor through the slightly opened door.

She made eye contact with Ji Wan standing in front of the refrigerator, along with a faint light in the darkness.

She was fully prepared to run to her room, but had not considered the possibility of being caught in this defenseless state.

The silence that fell between them lasted for 1 second, no, maybe 3 seconds.

Thud, crash.

The water bottle that slipped from Ji Wan’s hand fell to the floor with a loud noise.

“Oh no! Don’t move, stay right there!”

Fearing the drunk man might get hurt by the scattered glass shards, Do Eum hurriedly moved towards him.

Unlike the man who habitually looked for and put on slippers, she had completely forgotten that her own feet were bare.

Ouch.

Only when the sharp pain from glass shards piercing her sole transmitted did Do Eum realize.

‘Ah, I’m barefoot.’

It was fortunate that the darkness, with the lights off, hid her semi-nude state, but it was also a big problem as it concealed the scattered glass shards.

“Wait, Mr. CEO, please stay right there.”

Judging by his slowly closing and opening eyelids, the man was indeed drunk, just as Woo Seok had said.

She wanted to approach him, but the towel barely covering her vital parts was precarious, and if she went to her room to change and come back, the drunk man was in danger, so she stood unable to do either.

Splash splash.

The man, wearing slippers, parted the pooled water as he came towards her.

They were close enough that their exhaled breaths reached each other.

Between his loosened tie and a couple of unbuttoned shirt buttons, his reddened Adam’s apple bobbed.

Unknowingly, Do Eum swallowed dryly, tightly gripping the knot of the towel covering her chest.

Unlike usual, his disheveled appearance and the eyes looking down at her were sensual, even decadent.

Thud.

The man placed one hand on the bathroom doorframe, trapping her so she couldn’t move, and opened his moist lips that until then had been moistened by the water spilled on the floor, and said.

“…Why, every time. Are you naked?”