I sometimes wondered as a child what it would feel like to see a cartoon character in real life.

But even at a young age, I thought it didn’t make sense. That’s because I had never seen anyone who looked like that.

So this is how it feels. Soo Young suddenly wondered what relationship this person might have with Author Seol Yong.

Because that character clearly seemed to have been drawn based on this person.

Light brown hair, oval face, smooth porcelain-like skin with invisible pores, straight eyebrows, and large amber eyes underneath.

Isn’t he Korean? How are his eyes that color? Below that, a sharp nose bridge and thin lips.

His body was thin but his height was decent. He looked shorter than that CEO person I saw yesterday, but still tall enough to easily be over 180 cm.

“Don’t touch.”

He said clearly once again. Without moving his body at all. It was a voice that felt scary somewhere despite being a young voice.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Um, I rang the bell but there was no sound.”

However, he was still standing like a mannequin, staring straight at her.

His appearance and lack of movement were so striking that Soo Young momentarily even wondered if he was AI.

Soo Young swallowed and continued speaking.

“I came instead of Ms. Jo Young Mi…”

“Go.”

“Pardon?”

“I said go.”

“No, I…”

“I said get out. Don’t you understand Korean?”

Thinking that if coldness were expressed as a voice, it would be exactly that voice, Soo Young paused for a moment before opening her mouth again.

“I know you’ll be upset, but I have something to say…”

“Get out. Before I call security.”

He didn’t look that old, but it was quite unpleasant that he was speaking informally. However, since he was the owner, she couldn’t protest asking why he was speaking informally.

Not knowing what to do, she fidgeted in place, and he finally shouted at her.

“I said get out!”

Soo Young’s body flinched at his shout. Should I leave? What about my aunt? Her aunt’s job? She still couldn’t move, but the one who had shouted didn’t budge from his spot either.

Thinking she somehow needed to explain her aunt’s situation and her own mistake to him, Soo Young gathered her courage and moved.

Cautiously, like a herbivore checking its surroundings in front of a predator.

It would be normal for a herbivore to run away, but she carefully approached him as he stood there with his yellow eyes flashing.

And she stopped in front of him, leaving about enough space for two people between them. It seemed like his breath stopped at the same time she stopped walking.

Up close, the eyes that had looked amber now appeared darker.

Come to think of it, his eyelash color wasn’t black either. It was surprising that such eyes were possible in reality, not just in comics.

As she stared at him in awe, forgetting her fear, he finally took a step back. And at the same time, he took out his phone from his pocket.

As soon as he pressed a button, the phone suddenly started speaking.

It was too fast to understand, but he put the phone to his ear and said sharply:

“What’s going on? You said she wasn’t coming!”

After listening to what the other person was saying for a moment, he shouted again in an angry voice:

“She’s here right now! Here! In front of me!”

His face was too handsome and his voice too pretty, but in contrast his temper seemed too nasty, Soo Young thought.

Thinking that God doesn’t give everything, Soo Young was surprised when he suddenly thrust the phone towards her.

“Take it.”

“What?”

“I said take the call!”

Seeing his murderous eyes, Soo Young quickly took the phone.

“Hello?”

As she answered cautiously, a familiar voice came through the phone.

– Ms. Jo Young Mi’s niece?

It was that CEO person.

To her, who had been trembling under the scary eyes and voice, the CEO’s gentle voice felt as warm as an angel’s voice.

Glad to hear him, Soo Young grasped the phone with both hands and quickly greeted him.

“Ah, hello?”

Then from the other end of the phone came a kind greeting that was unimaginable from the man in front of her.

– Hello. I told Ms. Jo Young Mi she didn’t need to come until her back healed, didn’t you hear?

“Ah, I heard. But I had something to say to the owner.”

– What is it?

“Um, please don’t fire my aunt! It’s my fault for not putting things back in their place! I forgot…, I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

Without realizing it, Soo Young bent and straightened her waist like a folder while holding the phone. The man in front of her had no reaction, but the man on the phone said kindly:

– Ah, it’s okay.

“Um, were you badly hurt?”

– Aren’t you in front of the owner? Ask him directly.

When the CEO spoke mischievously, as if he had heard, the man in front of her suddenly raised his arm.

The loose knit sleeve fell down, revealing a white bandage wrapped around his arm.

Soo Young, who had flinched thinking he was going to hit her, gasped when she saw the bandage on his arm.

“I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose… I’m really sorry.”

As Soo Young apologized repeatedly, not knowing what to do, the man’s eyes softened slightly. Instead of the owner, the CEO spoke through the phone.

– I think you must have left the dumbbell on the floor. The owner didn’t see it and tripped over it. As he fell, he hit his arm on the edge of the treadmill. He’s not badly hurt, so don’t worry too much. Now go back home. I’m with a guest right now, so I’ll hang up.

“Ah, no, my aunt…!”

Before she could finish her next words, the call abruptly ended. And as soon as it ended, the man in front of her snatched the phone away.

“Now go.”

“Um, since it was my mistake, could you please let my aunt keep working? When I was young, my aunt couldn’t work because she was raising me instead of my mom, and after I grew up, she’s tried every job to earn a living. Really. Cleaning, cashier, babysitter, even washing cups. But she said working here was the best. I offered to work in her place while she’s in the hospital to help her, but if she gets fired like this, I really won’t be able to face her again because I’ll feel so sorry.”

As Soo Young explained her circumstances in detail, the eyes of the man looking down at her were gradually filling with a tired expression.

“I didn’t say I was firing your aunt. I just said to come back when her back is better. I’ll take care of things until then.”

At his words, Soo Young unconsciously clasped her hands together as if praying and confirmed once more.

“Really, my aunt can keep working when her back gets better? Really?”

“Have you only been deceived in life? I don’t like strangers coming in and out of the house. Just come back when she can work.”

Soo Young let out a small sigh.

As if to prove that her tension had eased now that the guilt of almost cutting off her aunt’s only source of income was gone, a loud growling sound came from her stomach.

The man’s expression frowned even more at the sound.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I haven’t had lunch yet.”

But the man made no reply. Soo Young stood there hesitantly, wondering if she should leave now or offer to clean since she was already here.

As much as she wanted to get out of this house as quickly as possible, she suddenly felt uneasy about whether it was okay to just leave like this.

It would take at least 3 weeks for her aunt to recover. There was no guarantee the owner’s mind wouldn’t change during that time.

Thinking she should ask him to write a contract, Soo Young hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Excuse me…”

“What now?”

He had thought she would finally leave, but as the woman continued to linger in front of him, he was wondering if he should wait to confirm she was leaving or go into his room.

But what was she trying to say now?

“Um, it will take my aunt at least 3 weeks to recover. She has a crack in her bone. They say it takes a minimum of 3 weeks for that to heal.”

“…”

“So, could you please write a contract stating you’ll keep her job for her during that time?”

“What?”

His eyes, which had softened somewhat, sharpened again.

“Well, my aunt once worked as a babysitter at a house for 3 months without a written contract, just a verbal agreement, but she ended up not getting paid properly and was fired. She said it was because the homeowner seemed nice. So she told me to always get a contract whether I’m doing part-time work or getting a full-time job. So I was wondering if you could write a contract? Like an employment contract.”

“Haa.”

The man’s exasperated sigh dragged on. At the end of it, he replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Talk to Seol Ji Hyun about the contract. I don’t know.”

“Who’s Seol Ji Hyun?”

At that, he couldn’t hold back and shouted again.

“The person you just talked to on the phone! Seol Ji Hyun!”

Soo Young flinched again, then gathered her courage once more to ask:

“When is he coming?”

“Why?”

“Well, I think I need to get it today.”

At that, he took a step closer to Soo Young. Even though it was just one step, his doll-like face came right up to her nose, and Soo Young unconsciously held her breath.

“You.”

Soo Young’s eyes widened as she saw her own reflection in his large pupils.

“Are you a tick?”

Soo Young was deeply offended by his words. She thought it was too much to insult her like this just for asking for a contract.

If it weren’t for her aunt, she wouldn’t have persisted so tenaciously either.

Soo Young tried to persuade him one more time, taking short breaths as she struggled to continue speaking.

“That’s not it, I’m worried it might become invalid after today.”

At that, he took another step closer. Unconsciously backing away, she stumbled as if caught on something and flailed her arms.

Her flailing hands instinctively grabbed onto the man’s sweater.

“Whoa!”

Caught off balance by her unexpected action, his large body fell on top of her, and they both tumbled backwards.

Soo Young, who had squeezed her eyes shut thinking she would surely hit her head, opened them slightly when she felt no impact.

Seeing the large chest right in front of her eyes, Soo Young held her breath again. What is this? She also felt a warm sensation cradling the back of her head.

“Haa, really.”

At the growling sound, Soo Young looked up to see those yellow eyes glaring at her.

“I-I’m sorry.”

That was all Soo Young could manage to say. The man pulled his large hand that had been supporting her head and plopped down next to her as she lay flat.

She was both amazed and grateful for the man’s agility in being able to cushion her head in that split second.

As she turned her head slightly, not yet thinking to get up, she saw blood seeping through the bandage on his arm.

Soo Young jumped up in shock, startling the man who leaned his upper body back.

“Are you okay? Your arm is bleeding.”

Seeing the man clutch his arm, Soo Young quickly knelt down and said:

“Where’s the first aid kit? I think we need to treat it.”

He replied with a tired expression:

“It’s fine. Are you a doctor?”

“I’m not a doctor, but when I used to work as an academy instructor, middle school kids would always come in injured, so I did a lot of first aid. You know middle school boys, right? Always flying over desks and getting hurt. So the director put a first aid kit right in the classroom. I would apply ointment and put on bandages…”

The man, who may or may not have been listening to Soo Young’s words, rubbed his eyes as he looked elsewhere. He seemed paler than when she first saw him earlier, so Soo Young spoke more earnestly:

“If you tell me where the first aid kit is, I can at least change your bandage. We can’t leave it like this, what if something serious happens? Hm? Or do you want to go to the hospital?”

At the mention of the hospital, the man’s hand paused as he was rubbing his eyes. After staying still for a moment, he nodded and said gruffly:

“Look in one of the living room cabinets. It’s there.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Soo Young stood up and searched the living room cabinets, quickly finding the first aid kit and bringing it over to his side.

Opening the first aid kit, she spoke in an intentionally bright and chatty voice to ease the scary and awkward situation:

“Wow! There’s all sorts of stuff here! This is disinfectant, this is gauze, oh, there are bandages in different sizes? Oh? There are even waterproof bandages! Waterproof bandages are really useful. Kids would take off the bandages I put on when they washed their hands in the bathroom and come back. Later the director got waterproof bandages, and that really reduced those cases. Oh? This ointment seems to be for wounds. Hoshidin. I think I heard this prevents scarring. Oh? There’s Domatop too? Is this also for wounds? Which one should I use?”

He suddenly slapped the living room floor with his large palm. Startled, Soo Young looked at him as he said fiercely with his head lowered:

“Can you please be quiet? Are you possessed by the ghost of someone who died without speaking? Why are you talking so much?”

“Ah, I was just…”

He spoke again with his hand covering his eyes:

“If you’re going to keep chattering like that, don’t come back again. Got it?”

“Then, if I don’t talk, can I keep coming?”

“…”

At Soo Young’s sudden words, he raised his head that had been lowered. Seeing her reflection in his amber pupils, she asked again.

Somehow, those yellow eyes felt less scary than before.

“Pardon?”

Hearing the somewhat desperate voice, the rudeness he had felt when first meeting her now felt like a pitiful effort to prevent her aunt’s dismissal, so he reluctantly answered.

“… Do as you please.”

At the man’s words, Soo Young pressed her lips together with a pleased expression and reached out her hand towards his arm.

But seeing him flinch and avoid her touch as soon as her hand made contact, Soo Young quickly withdrew her hand, worried she might have touched his wound, and said:

“No, I’m just going to unwrap the bandage and disinfect it. You didn’t get stitches, did you?”

At her words, the man stared intently at Soo Young’s face. Meeting his jewel-like pupils that seemed to be looking slightly into space, Soo Young gave an awkward smile.

However, there was no change in his expression.