The Problematic Helper (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 6

The one who ended up overlapping on top of Ji Wan, who had fallen onto the sofa, was none other than Do Um.

“What are you doing right now?”

The woman’s face, which had been buried in the man’s chest, lifted in panic.

“……D-Director?”

In the living room bathed in pure white moonlight, the two people perfectly overlapped stared into each other’s eyes for a long while.

“Are you planning to keep staying like this?”

“Ah!”

As the woman hurriedly got up, the broom slipped from her hand and made a loud clattering sound.

Crash.

Watching her not only throw herself at him but also diligently grab a weapon, a faint smile leaked from the corner of Ji Wan’s mouth.

For a man who had nearly been beaten with a broom, it was a remarkably relaxed smile.

“So the living room lights—have they really never been turned on since you moved in?”

“Yes.”

The living room where yellowish moonlight served as the only illumination.

The two sitting face-to-face looked exactly like a student dragged to the faculty office for doing something wrong and the teacher scolding them.

“You thought I, who visited without notice, was a thief?”

“……Yes.”

“If you’re that scared of thieves, why didn’t you lock the door?”

“I didn’t know. I never received any particular explanation about the locking mechanism. I only found out a few days ago that the door doesn’t lock automatically.”

Sigh.

Ji Wan, lifting his head, pressed hard on his temples.

The man probably had no idea.

Ever since coming to this house—no, ever since meeting Do Um—he had been sighing habitually and furrowing his brow the entire time.

Every time that happened, Do Um felt like she had become a bundle of worries for him and kept shrinking into herself.

Swallowing the many words that would only turn into nagging if spoken, Ji Wan asked,

“Is your mouth just for decoration?”

Do Um, who had been watching his expression, answered in a voice that had become very small.

“……Because I didn’t want to be a bother.”

For someone who didn’t want to be a bother, she was quite bothersome.

Thinking of the woman who had been dozing lightly in a living room with no lights and a front door that wouldn’t even lock properly made all his nerves stand on end.

“I didn’t know you were coming, so I couldn’t prepare dinner. If you wait just a moment, I’ll get it ready right away.”

Without even waiting for a reply, Do Um busily headed toward the kitchen.

“That’s enough.”

It was a voice so faint it could barely be heard even if one concentrated.

It was also a statement barely forced out while suppressing a thoroughly soured mood.

Swish, swish.

Only the sound of slippers brushing against the marble floor replaced the man’s empty seat.

Do Um stared for a long time at the firmly closed bedroom door at the very end of the long hallway—the room the man had entered.

*****

“Finally, before we let our Yoon Yi Seol go, may we ask the question that Cine Down viewers are most curious about?”

Under her adorably protruding forehead, Yi Seol brushed back her wavy bangs and smiled leisurely.

“It’s been three years since your debut, yet you haven’t had even a single ordinary scandal. Yi Seol-ssi, what is your ideal type?”

Not even a single ordinary scandal, huh.

The reporter’s eyes wavered as she lifted the interview sheet to confirm the question.

It was as if she were saying she wasn’t a seasoned veteran skilled at casually asking obvious lies.

“Is it okay to be honest?”

“Of course! Our Yi Seol is famous for being straightforward, after all.”

“My standards are really high. It would be nice if he were handsome and capable…….”

The face of her manager Jung Hyuk, who usually scolded her for not being a little less honest, darkened rapidly.

Everyone there—including the filming staff—must have recalled the one-line rumor that had circulated in the financial district a week ago.

[Actress Y, upon hearing news of the marriage of B Group’s second son S, whom she had passionately pursued, has stopped eating and drinking altogether.]

Yoon Yi Seol’s long unrequited love for Bando Construction’s CEO Seo Ji Wan was an openly known rumor in the broadcasting world.

“I’d prefer if he had more money than me too. Anyway, I guess I can’t date, right? Haha.”

No one except the person in question, Yi Seol, could laugh at the joke she made to lighten the mood.

There were many stories circulating—that the two had been in a deep relationship and broken up, that the reason for the breakup was Seo Ji Wan’s coming out, and so on—but since neither offered any proper clarification, speculation about their relationship ran rampant.

Regardless of the truth of the rumors, the one certain fact was that the untamed wild horse Yoon Yi Seol turned into an obedient cat the moment Seo Ji Wan was mentioned.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

As Yi Seol came down after finishing the interview, Director Kim approached and greeted her.

“Yi Seol-ssi, good job. This movie looks like it’s going to be a huge hit?”

“Haha, really? I still can’t feel it. Everyone around me just says nice things. You’re not doing that right now too, are you, Director?”

“Hey, what are you talking about? Two weeks straight at number one in weekend box office, already over 5 million viewers—how could you not know that? Wow, our Yoon Yi Seol is going to Cannes in no time.”

Yi Seol simply smiled faintly without much reply and stepped into the elevator her manager Jung Hyuk had held for her.

Seeing the capitalist smile that had been lifted high disappear cleanly before the elevator doors even closed, Jung Hyuk shook his head.

“Is there anything you do quietly? You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“That Director Kim. How many times has he even seen me to speak so casually? Whether I go to Cannes or Guam, why does he keep taking credit for it? That guy is seriously unlucky.”

The woman’s smooth, egg-like face crumpled along with her swearing.

At the start of the film’s production, as soon as the news broke that “Yoon Yi Seol, casting confirmed,” he had gone around saying he couldn’t stand to see a rookie with little acting experience handed the lead role.

Now that the rookie looked likely to go to Cannes, his insides must be burning.

“I heard he personally apologized to the Director for all the things he said. Just apologized? He said he absolutely wants to work with you on the next project.”

Watching Yi Seol’s reaction, manager Jung Hyuk added,

“Why emphasize ‘personally’? If it’s ‘personally,’ he should do it to me, the person involved. I’m the one with his arrow stuck in my chest, bleeding profusely, so why is he apologizing somewhere else?”

Yi Seol flared up.

“Tell him the arrow is still lodged in me, so come personally, apologize, and pull it out. After that, we can talk about whether we work together on the next project or not.”

Bam!

The van’s back door slammed loudly right in front of Jung Hyuk’s nose.

Leaning against the dark leather seat, Yi Seol took out her phone and checked the missed calls.

There was no contact from Ji Wan, who by now should definitely have reached out.

Not even a single message, let alone a missed call.

“Was there nothing from oppa?”

Jung Hyuk, who had just gotten into the driver’s seat, glanced at Yi Seol again.

“How long has it been since the wedding? He went straight on a business trip.”

“Are you saying he still hasn’t come back from that trip?”

“A wedding is no small thing, is it? There must be a ton of delayed schedules from wedding preparations, so of course he went straight on a business trip instead of a honeymoon. Bluntly speaking, do you think he even had time to go to the bathroom?”

At Jung Hyuk shutting his mouth as if to dodge the issue, Yi Seol snapped,

“Send a gift to the newlywed house right now. Whatever it is, make sure my name is written huge on it, and send the biggest one possible.”

“……Ah, Yoon Yi Seol, seriously!!”

Having said everything she wanted, Yi Seol leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes.

*****

It was huge.

If the sender intended to announce their presence through a gift, they were certainly an impressive person.

If they wanted to show off money, it was more than enough—a giant bird-of-paradise plant of the kind that could be placed in a hotel lobby.

Do Um tilted her head in front of the fully bloomed orange flowers with their silvery-white leaves.

[Congratulations on your marriage, from the bottom of my heart. Seol.]

Seol.

It was a name Woo Seok had given her, saying anyone from the Bando family should know it by default, yet it appeared nowhere in the Bando Group’s personnel records.

To send it directly to the newlywed home meant they were that close to Ji Wan.

The reason this gift felt so threatening was probably because the sender was a woman.

Mr. Kim, the gardener who had been busily going back and forth in the garden, stopped in front of the giant bird-of-paradise.

“It’s not easy to make this flower bloom indoors—whoever grew it did an amazing job.”

“Is that so?”

“Eternal and unchanging—even after a long time, it never changes. That’s the flower language of the bird-of-paradise.”

After casually dropping that and disappearing, Do Um’s gaze returned to the pot.

Even after a long time, it never changes.

Wasn’t that the kind of thing usually said between long-time lovers?

It was while Do Um was repeatedly mulling over the meaningful, almost solemn flower language.

“Why are you out here?”

Woo Seok, who had accompanied Ji Wan to work early that morning and said he would stop by regarding the housekeeping staff, was just now entering.

Woo Seok, striding in, seemed to stiffen at the name “Seol” hanging from the marble pot, then hurriedly gathered up the ribbon.

“Did Madam receive this herself?”

Nod nod.

“You don’t have to worry about it. If you want, I can take it back.”

Instead of asking what she shouldn’t worry about or why he would take back a delivered gift, Do Um lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled.

“I don’t want to. Mr. Kim said it’s an incredibly well-grown bird-of-paradise?”

It was quite fortunate that a woman who took six months just to read Ji Wan’s intentions could be so oblivious in situations like this, despite usually being quick to read people after only a few meetings.

Relaxing his tense expression, Woo Seok changed the subject.

“Oh right. This morning—did the Director prepare breakfast?”

Do Um, who had just passed the entrance and was stepping onto the living room marble floor, stopped in her tracks.

Her calm expression in front of the bird-of-paradise marked with another woman’s name turned pale in an instant.

It was because the morning memory she wanted to forget came rushing back.

From what she had heard, the man’s workday started at 8 a.m.

She had woken up a little early and diligently prepared breakfast.

Hoping that the cooking skills she had honed until now would properly make up for the commotion the previous day.

Clear bean sprout soup, neatly rolled omelette, and even freshly squeezed juice with celery and banana—the breakfast table definitely looked decent.

Exactly 7:30.

Until the neatly dressed man came out of his room, glanced over the well-set table, and walked straight out.

“……A-aren’t you going to eat?”

Do Um hurriedly followed behind Ji Wan as he headed for the entrance.

Still, there was the effort of the person who prepared it.

Surely she hadn’t set the breakfast table at this hour just for herself.

She had known he was indifferent, but she hadn’t expected this much, so clear resentment laced Do Um’s voice.

“I’ll take care of breakfast myself.”

“But I prepared it with so much care, so at least have a little…….”

The reply that came without him stopping or turning around was icy.

“You don’t have to make this kind of effort either.”

The man who had strode all the way to the entrance stopped right before putting on his shoes and looked down at his feet.

A pair of shoes neatly turned toward the front door.

“This too.”

It was Do Um’s long-standing habit.

If the shoes in the shoe rack were aligned properly, the breadwinner who went out to earn money would have good energy.

It was because of her stepfather, who would grab little Do Um by the hair whenever he drank and make her organize the shoes.

Or perhaps it should be called a favor.

Sliding his feet into the perfectly aligned shoes, Ji Wan repeated once more.

“There’s no need.”

It seemed the woman’s habit—always praised for being neat wherever she went—did not sit well with the man.

The faint sigh escaping between red lips and the lightly furrowed brow said as much.