Yeon Ho couldn’t contain his rising anger. He was angry at becoming a foolish person to the teacher who was trying to submit a leave of absence, and he was also angry at the reckless Soo Young.

No matter how much he thought about it, this couldn’t be happening without some connection to that landlord.

What kind of relationship does she have with the landlord? Are they dating? That can’t be… He seemed like an older man… That man isn’t gaslighting her or something, is he?

Didn’t she say he was a writer? Then he would basically be good with words… If he used that to seduce the naive Soo Young…!

The more he thought about it, this was no ordinary matter.

Ah, how can I rescue Soo Young from this criminal?

Meanwhile, Soo Young had been pushing the same spot with a mop for 15 minutes, her flowy dress swaying.

Yeon Ho’s anger seemed greater than expected, making her feel like she had made a huge mistake.

It was inexplicable why she was so fixated on 10 minutes and so attached to his walk.

Should she say she’s going for the interview now? Ah, but wouldn’t that make her look too desperate?

Just then, the culprit of the incident, Woo Jin, sauntered into the living room.

“Feed me.”

Come to think of it, she had forgotten to eat lunch too. Soo Young felt irritated for no reason and spoke curtly.

“Seol Woo Jin, you make it today.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t buy anything today. And is there some law that says I have to make lunch? The hungry person can make it, right?”

Even as she thought she might be too harsh on someone whose hands weren’t fully healed, she felt like being spiteful.

As she spoke, she expected him to argue that since she was the helper, she should make it. But unexpectedly, he thought for a moment and then nodded.

Unsure if that nod meant he wouldn’t eat lunch or that he would make it himself, Soo Young quietly watched Woo Jin.

She was surprised when he headed to the kitchen instead of going to his room as she had expected.

After entering the kitchen, Woo Jin opened the refrigerator with familiarity and took out a lunchbox.

He opened the lid and carefully felt the contents with his hand, selecting the one with rice and putting it in the microwave.

Then he dumped the side dishes from another lunchbox onto the heated rice. Soo Young’s face wrinkled more and more at this strange behavior that looked like gathering food waste.

After gathering the food items together, he slowly opened the drawer with seasonings and took out sesame oil, drizzling it over the food and mixing it all together with chopsticks.

All his movements were very slow and careful, but clean and thorough without spilling anything.

Once the rice seemed fully mixed, he opened the drawer again, feeling around until he pulled out disposable plastic gloves and put one on his left hand that wasn’t bandaged.

Then he took out an empty plate from the cupboard, placed it on the table, and started forming rice balls by clumping together the mixed rice and side dishes, placing them one by one on the plate.

The size of the rice balls he made was consistently bite-sized, as if he were born to be a Japanese chef.

Soo Young watched with curious eyes as he carefully made the rice balls like a master, spreading them on the plate just like when making kimbap.

Soon the wide plate was filled with rice balls, and Woo Jin habitually got water from the purifier, placing one glass in front of her and one in front of himself before sitting down.

“Use disposable gloves to eat too, since they might fall apart if you touch them with chopsticks.”

Woo Jin said as he demonstrated, picking up a rice ball with his gloved hand and putting it in his mouth.

Soo Young watched him with her mouth agape, then quickly sat down in the chair opposite and asked.

“Seol Woo Jin.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you major in cooking in college by any chance? Are you from a culinary school?”

“Do you think they would accept a visually impaired person at such a place?”

“But how are you so good at cooking?”

“Is this cooking?”

“Of course. It’s cooking. Isn’t this what Japanese food is all about? Kimbap, rice balls, and such. You should try making sushi sometime too. I think you could do it.”

“Then you slice the fish.”

“…Slice what?”

“For sushi, you need to put sliced fish on top, right? If you slice the fish, I’ll make the sushi. But the fish has to be alive.”

“You want me to slice live fish? Isn’t that too cruel?”

“Yeah. That’s why I can’t make sushi. Be satisfied with rice balls.”

Woo Jin said with an indifferent expression as he popped a rice ball into his mouth. Soo Young glared at him for a moment before putting on disposable gloves and eating a rice ball.

Though it was just rice and side dishes clumped together, it was delicious and savory, perhaps because of the sesame oil.

Deciding to try making this for her mom at home sometime, Soo Young eagerly ate the rice balls.

“Did you tell that cow senior or horse senior or whatever that you’re not going for the interview?”

Woo Jin asked, pretending not to know, and Soo Young sighed deeply before answering.

“Yes. But he got angrier than I expected, so I think I might have done something wrong.”

“You did wrong.”

“What do you mean? You told me not to go.”

“You shouldn’t have tried to make a double contract from the beginning. Kim Soo Young, you’re surprisingly greedy for money.”

“Is there anyone without greed for money? Maybe not for people born with a silver spoon like you, but ordinary people all have it, you know?”

“How do you know I was born with a silver spoon?”

“Living alone in a house like this, and earlier your grandfather said he has many lawyers, right? Doesn’t that mean you’re rich? Can an individual have lawyers on retainer?”

Woo Jin took a sip of water from his cup without saying anything in response to her unexpectedly shrewd calculation.

“Keep your promise. 10 minutes.”

When Soo Young spoke threateningly, Woo Jin fixed his gaze on her and made an expression of not understanding.

“What? What’s with that expression?”

As she asked in bewilderment, Woo Jin spoke firmly.

“…10 minutes from home.”

“Huh?”

“From home.”

“What are you saying! It’s from when we leave the lobby!”

“If it’s 10 minutes from when we leave, where exactly are you trying to go!”

It was exactly like the saying about the one who farted getting angry first. After he was the one who said 10 minutes first. How can a man be so fickle like a reed?

Suddenly, she thought she should tell Seol Ji Hyun not to indulge him too much, that he was spoiling his younger brother’s character.

Soo Young deliberately picked up her phone loudly and said in a loud voice.

“Cow senior? I’m going for the interview now!”

Then Woo Jin said with an incredulous expression.

“Who do you think you’re fooling? I didn’t even hear a dial tone?”

Damn it! Is this Heroes or what? Soo Young glared at Woo Jin while holding her phone. But suddenly the phone in her hand started ringing.

She was so startled she almost dropped the phone. Woo Jin seemed surprised too, his already large pupils growing even larger.

“He-hello?”

She pressed the answer button without checking the caller ID in her flustered state, and a familiar voice came through. Woo Jin’s face hardened as if he heard the voice too.

− Come out. I’m here to pick you up.

It was Cow senior.

Wondering if it was already that time, she checked and saw it was already 4:40 PM.

Feeling like she should clean up the kitchen a bit before leaving, she hesitated to answer, and Yeon Ho’s voice came through again.

− What? Are you already on your way home?

“Ah, no, that’s not it…”

Just then, Woo Jin said quietly.

“We didn’t go for a walk.”

“What?”

− What?

Yeon Ho asked, thinking Soo Young was talking to him.

Woo Jin reached out his arm, and his hot fingertips touched Soo Young’s arm resting on the table.

“10 minutes from leaving the lobby. OK.”

His quiet, beautiful voice tickled her ear.

This… this fox… Seol Woo Jin wasn’t a raccoon, he was a fox.

Soo Young stared blankly at Woo Jin while holding her phone, then let out a light sigh and said.

“Cow senior. Go ahead. My work isn’t finished yet.”

− You’re supposed to finish at 4, aren’t you?

“I still… have things to do.”

− …Are you with the landlord right now?

“Huh?”

− I’m asking if you’re with the landlord right now.

Soo Young stammered at the sudden question, unable to answer properly. Why is he asking that?

“Why?”

− You have something going on with that landlord, don’t you? Are you possibly being gaslighted by that bastard?

“Being what?”

− Gaslighted! Come out even if you haven’t finished your work! Your work hours are over anyway!

Suddenly, Woo Jin swatted at her phone. It seemed he tried to grab it but missed his aim.

Soo Young flinched in surprise, and Woo Jin’s hand reached out again. He felt around her hand and snatched the phone.

“Ah, no, why…”

As Soo Young stammered, he suddenly spoke politely.

“This is the landlord. What’s the matter?”

Soo Young looked at Woo Jin in shock at his sudden action.

Meanwhile, Yeon Ho was also quite taken aback when he suddenly heard a man’s voice. Listening to the voice, he realized this wasn’t a middle-aged man.

Yeon Ho hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say, then quickly lowered his voice and spoke.

Thinking that he was the only one who could protect her, his breathing became choppy.

“Ah, hello? This is Kim Soo Young’s senior. It seems Soo Young’s work hours are over, but she says she still has work left to do.”

− Yes, that’s correct. She still has work left to do.

The other person’s voice didn’t show a hint of hesitation. Rather, it was so confident that it somehow made the listener feel intimidated.

To hide his intimidation, Yeon Ho raised his voice.

“No, isn’t her work from 2 PM to 4 PM for two hours? Shouldn’t you let her go when that time is over instead of keeping her there?”

− I’m not keeping her here. She’s doing overtime because she hasn’t finished her work yet.

“Ah, well then, are you paying her overtime?”

− Yes.

Yeon Ho was momentarily at a loss for words at the confident reply.

She was doing overtime because she hadn’t finished her work, and she was even getting paid overtime – legally, there was no problem.

Yeon Ho decided to stop beating around the bush and speak directly.

“What’s the reason for having a young woman as a housekeeper in a house where a man lives alone? Is that normal?”

− …

The man who had been consistently confident finally fell silent. Thinking he had gained the upper hand, Yeon Ho pushed him even more.

“Of course, she’s going there to fill in for her aunt who is unwell, but shouldn’t a person with normal thinking send her back? And what kind of overtime is there for a housekeeper? Even if you pay overtime, if you’re having strange thoughts about Soo Young, I’ll immediately…”

− There seems to be a misunderstanding. Ms. Kim Soo Young is not a housekeeper.

Yeon Ho blinked at Woo Jin’s words.

Soo Young, who had been listening intently to what Yeon Ho was saying in front of Woo Jin, also looked at him, wondering what he meant.

Suddenly, he reached out with his other hand and touched the tip of his finger to her arm. Soo Young flinched. Even though only his fingertip touched her, the spot felt hot.

Woo Jin slowly opened his mouth again.

“Ms. Kim Soo Young is not a housekeeper, but my manager.”

− Wh-what? Manager?

Yeon Ho’s voice cracked at the unexpected statement.

“Yes. She’s a manager who manages my work. Not a simple housekeeper.”

Even then, Woo Jin’s fingertip continued to touch Soo Young’s arm.

Perhaps because of his body heat, Soo Young remained motionless as if hypnotized, even though he had taken her phone and was talking freely.

Yeon Ho asked again in a loud voice, flustered.

− What, are you some kind of celebrity? What do you mean by manager?

Then his amber pupils seemed to darken for a moment before he spoke articulately in his beautiful voice.

“I am visually impaired. That’s why Ms. Kim Soo Young is helping me.”

The reason he avoided people was that he didn’t want to show that he couldn’t see. He didn’t want to show that he couldn’t see even to people who didn’t know what he looked like when he could see.

He became free when writing stories in his room, imagining. He thought he was communicating with characters in his writing without having to meet people.

But after Kim Soo Young came, he realized how enjoyable it was to communicate with people.

Drinking tea together, having meaningless conversations, and even challenging himself to go to the building entrance, albeit briefly.

All this communication was enjoyable.

Therefore, if it meant not losing this woman, he felt he wouldn’t be afraid to reveal the weakness he had been hiding all this time.

‘I am visually impaired. That’s why I’m receiving help.’

Saying these words felt surprisingly easy. The warmth of her body temperature felt at his fingertips was giving Seol Woo Jin courage.

Just like when she had said that he could go outside too.