ALRE 02

Chapter : 2

“And the bathroom ventilation… wait a moment. It’s an urgent call, I need to take this.”

The woman paused mid-sentence at the sound of a ringing cellphone and went to answer it.

Jaewon’s eyes scanned again over the spots the woman had pointed out.

It seemed he would have to wait for Seonho, ask for his permission, and then go inside to check everything carefully.

Seonho, as if deliberately planning to arrive as late as possible, hadn’t shown up yet.

Leaning against one wall, Jaewon looked around the space aimlessly.

His gaze lingered on the woman.

A ghostly-looking woman with disheveled hair in a surprisingly clean and stylish space.

A hint of curiosity stirred within him.

“…Uh… yes, yes… I’ll go directly to Daegwallyeong… When I ski, I’ll ski another run… Alright, alright. I’ll hang up now.”

Even though he didn’t want to hear it, the woman’s conversation reached Jaewon’s ears.

From the sound of it, she seemed to be planning a trip with friends.

“Sorry, where was I? Ah, right. The bathroom ventilation!”

Thump, thump, thump.

The woman ran over on her short legs and threw open the bathroom door.

The subtle fragrance that had been tickling Jaewon’s nose rushed in.

He took a step back, swallowing as the alluring scent hit his sinuses.

His eyes narrowed.

The fragrance didn’t match the image of the ghost-like woman.

Her corrections didn’t stop there.

It was enough to make his ears bleed.

Now he understood why Seonho had brought him along.

As he was beginning to regret coming alone, Seonho finally appeared.

He peeked through the open front door.

The woman, still talking loudly in the bathroom, was startled when she saw Seonho and shouted.

“Who are you?”

“Someone from the same company,” Jaewon answered for him.

“Oh.”

“Haha, hello, I’m Director Park Seonho, the one you spoke to on the phone,” Seonho said, flashing his friendly, approachable smile.

The entryway was too narrow for two broad-shouldered men to move around comfortably.

As Seonho stepped in to hand over his business card, he tripped on something and lost his balance.

Struggling to steady himself, he accidentally pushed the woman with excessive force.

“Uh, uh!”

“Ow!”

The petite woman couldn’t withstand being shoved by such a large man.

She was pushed backward, and just as she was about to fall, Jaewon stretched out his arm to catch her.

Bang!

Fortunately, her head didn’t hit anything, but Jaewon’s feet slipped as well, and they both tumbled to the floor.

Damn it.

Seonho, the only one who remained upright in the chaos, quickly helped the woman to her feet.

“Don’t you watch where you’re going?”

“Of all things, tripping over a foot. Are you okay?”

Jaewon pushed Seonho’s hand away and stood up.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seonho asked the woman, who had lowered her head and was grinding her lips as she glared at Jaewon.

Wait—wasn’t she glaring in the wrong direction?

Not at Seonho, but at me?

Even if the look was slight, it didn’t feel good.

After saving her from almost cracking her head open.

“…I got kissed,” she muttered.

What?

“Huh?”

Seonho asked again, and the woman pressed her lips together tightly before shouting:

“…It was my… first kiss!”

What in the world…

Jaewon had never encountered anything so absurd in his life, and he couldn’t even laugh.

The woman, still rubbing her untouched lips, screamed again:

“Fix it already!”

“Yes, of course,” Jaewon said.

Flustered, Seonho motioned to Jaewon to leave quickly.

“Hey, when did I kiss you? Even if lips get crooked, say what you mean straight…”

“Let’s go, go.”

Seonho pushed Jaewon out.

“Leave it. Say it properly.”

“Hey!”

Bang.

Being led out by Seonho, Jaewon put a hand on his waist and exhaled heavily.

Unbelievable.

Is she crazy or what?

“Did your lips actually touch?”

Seonho asked, staring at Jaewon’s lips.

“….”

They said when something’s too absurd, words fail you. That was exactly how he felt.

“You brat, even if it’s urgent, don’t be reckless. Let’s go, go.”

Seonho teased him with a gleeful expression, as if this was the perfect moment to make fun of him.

Jaewon tugged on his tie and roughly swept back his hair.

“Damn, no wonder the building was sold so cheaply…”

He suspected reasonably that the previous owner had wanted to sell it quickly because of the woman.

He felt like quitting on all remodeling plans entirely.

After the building owner left, Lee Young hurriedly stepped out of the house.

It was time for her hair appointment.

But the thought of the building owner still made her annoyed.

After brushing lips against her, he denied it so vehemently.

Of course, it had been an accidental kiss, but to Lee Young, it was essentially her first kiss.

“Hey, when did I kiss you? Even if lips get crooked, say what you mean straight…”

Even if lips get crooked, say what you mean straight…?

Even if just for a moment, Lee Young could clearly feel it.

The man’s thick, firm lips had brushed against her small, delicate lips and then pulled away.

No, this won’t do.

She had intended to let minor repairs slide after seeing his face, but everything that could be fixed must be fixed.

Stepping outside the officetel, the biting winter wind hit her.

Haa… cold. So cold.

Pressing her hat down over her freezing head, Lee Young hurried along with quick steps.

She had a lot to do today.

First, cut her hair, stop by to get allowance from her dad, and get permission for her upcoming trip.

At her age, few would need permission for travel.

Although she had moved out and lived independently, it wasn’t much different from living with her parents.

Arriving at a hair salon not far from the officetel, Lee Young went inside.

It was her first time there.

“Welcome.”

“I have a haircut appointment.”

“Ah, please wait a moment.”

Lee Young sat in the waiting area and picked up one of the magazines on the table.

Lifestyle magazines often covered seasonal interior trends or the latest remodeling ideas.

“Ah, found it.”

She flipped to the ‘Take Care of Our Home’ section.

It featured ‘before & after’ transformations and introduced the companies responsible for the remodeling.

“Oh, looks like it was done by One Interior. No wonder. Well done.”

‘One Interior’ was a top company in the remodeling industry.

This issue included a special feature interview with the founder, a man who had started the company in his twenties—a true success story.

It was so unrealistic that it didn’t even evoke envy.

He must have been born with a silver spoon.

Just by looking at him, his refinement was obvious.

Observing the photos in the magazine, Lee Young noted how polished it all looked.

The man’s back in a black suit exuded both elegance and intense charisma.

Even from behind, she could tell.

Was President Jeong Jaewon a man who kept to mystique?

Even on the website, there were no facial photos.

Come to think of it, the officetel’s building owner was also named Jeong Jaewon.

She vaguely remembered seeing it on the business card.

Of course, it could be a coincidence, but it felt oddly fitting.

“Are you ready for your haircut?”

“Yes.”

Lee Young put the magazine down and stood.

“Please cut it short.”

“Dad!”

Startled, Lee Young shouted without realizing it.

“Child, you have quite the voice. You scared your dad.”

“Dad, you’re joking, right?”

A blind date? And today of all days!

Lee Young ran her fingers through her freshly cut hair in disbelief as she looked at her father.