#31
Suddenly, her steps came to a halt.
Seung-eon, doubting her ears as she looked around, realized that near the section she was standing in, she was the only person of the age to be called “that title.”
She had just been passing the vitamins and supplements section, and around her, only an elderly couple was selecting supplements.
“So that means…”
Right now… she was being…
“Yes, miss! I mean, you, miss!”
Startled, Seung-eon widened her eyes as a middle-aged woman waved her hand frantically, signaling her to come over.
The woman, likely a store employee, wore a headscarf and apron, smiling kindly as she said, “Come here and try this!”
If this had been before, Seung-eon would never have been shopping personally, nor would she have paid attention to any sales pitch.
But now…
“Come quickly and try this mushroom. This Songhwa mushroom is low in calories, rich in vitamins, and excellent for relieving fatigue!”
As the employee, speaking nonstop, held out a piece of freshly cooked mushroom on a toothpick as if offering it to taste, Seung-eon’s frozen legs moved on their own.
“What the—!”
Seung-eon had meant to ignore the sales pitch with a scoff, but her legs moved toward the employee on their own. It happened because her back bumped into Seo Isu’s arm behind her.
Probably coincidental, but the result was that Seo Isu inadvertently “pushed” her forward. Just as she was about to turn around angrily…
The Songhwa mushroom on the toothpick reached her lips.
“Here you go.”
“…”
“Try it, it’s delicious!”
The mushroom hovered just in front of her mouth. Seeing the employee smile warmly, even crinkling her eyes as if urging her to eat, Seung-eon slowly opened her lips.
Pop.
The mushroom slid into her mouth.
“How is it? Doesn’t it taste like meat?”
“…Yes.”
How could something taste like this?
She couldn’t help but watch the piece cooking on the pan, sizzling. It really did taste like meat.
“You don’t even know how good our Songhwa mushrooms are. Come on, don’t eat it alone—give one to your husband too.”
Seung-eon felt her heart drop at the employee’s teasing look toward Seo Isu behind her.
“Husband?”
Seung-eon frowned, refusing the mushroom, which seemed to make the employee a little flustered.
“Oh? Not him?”
While Seung-eon didn’t respond, another customer nearby, who had been picking up mushrooms as they cooked, spoke up.
“Hoho, aunty, you made a mistake. Young people nowadays hate being called ‘miss’ or ‘husband’ carelessly. Quickly apologize~!”
“That’s right. You can’t call someone that—might be just siblings, you know?”
“Or maybe work colleagues?”
“Or maybe you don’t know them at all!”
One voice led to others chiming in.
The employee, laughing awkwardly while eating the mushroom herself, said to Seung-eon:
“You’re right. I thought you two were a married couple because you looked so good together~ Sorry, miss. I’ll apologize. But don’t hate our mushrooms! Try giving one to your companion too. They’re really delicious! Come on, have another piece!”
With a cheeky grin, the employee apologized and handed Seung-eon a new piece of mushroom.
Now having two mushrooms instead of one, Seung-eon had no choice but to look back.
After being directly told by the smiling employee to give one to her “companion,” it felt wrong to eat them all herself.
“Um, this—”
Drdrdr!
“Eeek!”
Just as she tried to approach Seo Isu, standing with the cart turned away from the mushroom tasting corner, she heard the sound of a cart being moved nearby. With the employee’s startled cry, Seung-eon’s arm was yanked, and her upright body lost balance.
At the same time, a strong scent hit her nose.
“Ah, sorry! Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, right?”
“No, mom. You have to hold the cart firmly at the store. That girl almost got hurt.”
“I’m really sorry. Chanhee, quickly apologize to this lady!”
“…S-sorry.”
It seemed the child had pushed the cart while briefly unattended. The young mother, pale, grabbed the cart and scolded the child, who looked at Seung-eon and bowed deeply.
“Are you okay, miss?”
Even the customers tasting the mushroom, concerned that Seung-eon almost collided with the cart, spoke up, but she didn’t hear them.
All she heard was…
Thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump.
…Her own—or maybe Seo Isu’s—heart pounding out of rhythm.
“Should… I say something?”
No. Was it really necessary?
“A man should naturally do this!”
Besides, he saw it first, so he could help.
“But not all men act that way…”
Seo Team Leader wouldn’t even look at anyone other than Echo.
“No, I shouldn’t be the first to speak…”
But what does it matter? She hadn’t done anything wrong.
She just…
“Wants to say thank you.”
Thump-thump-thump.
The lingering echo wouldn’t fade.
The heart still raced loudly.
Surely, just a moment ago, the pounding wasn’t coming from Seo Isu, but from herself.
Seung-eon peeked at the man silently shopping next to her, feeling the echo in her chest.
“Are you okay?”
His low, resonant voice lingered in her ears.
Before she could react, Seo Isu’s gaze, looking down at her, left her speechless.
His soft breath tickling her nose, his chest pressing slightly against hers, and…
“That smells… good.”
Despite his usual dull, gloomy demeanor, Seo Isu’s body carried a familiar, pleasant scent. Even being this close wasn’t uncomfortable; in fact—
“…Sir. CEO.”
As she tried to recall the scent with eyes closed, she heard him call her.
Seung-eon looked up to find Seo Isu holding two pieces of sushi inari.
“Do you prefer the triangle or the square?”
“Huh?”
“The inari sushi. Which shape does Woojin like better?”
It seemed there were two shapes of inari sushi nowadays. Holding both clearly labeled triangle and square versions, Seo Isu asked.
Seung-eon thought to herself:
“Triangle or square… anything’s fine, as long as I can smell that scent again.”
“CEO?”
“…Woojin prefers the square.”
The words she wanted to say stayed lodged in her throat. Saying them aloud might have made her seem strange.
“Understood.” Seo Isu nodded and placed the square inari into the cart.
“You’ve bought quite a lot.”
Initially, Seung-eon had come to the store with the excuse of preparing lunchboxes for Woojin. Realizing things missing from Seo Isu’s fridge, she filled the cart with items from the shelves.
Seeing the overflowing cart, she casually remarked, and Seo Isu replied:
“I’ll pay for half too.”
Seung-eon stared at him, feeling as if he were resolute, his dark eyes unwavering behind his black-rimmed glasses.
‘Not easy.’
Even after observing him for a few days, she felt she could never fully understand him.
No matter his authority, he clearly didn’t want Seung-eon to shoulder everything. The cohabitation contract had just one sentence specifying the conditions.
“Please feel comfortable while staying in this house.”
‘Is he just not materialistic… or genuinely kind?’
Seung-eon glanced at his stoic face and sighed. He wouldn’t take money, so…
‘Maybe I should just replace all the electronics.’
Yes. Electronics might suit Seo Isu’s tastes more than money. Looking around, she noticed many devices seemed old.
Just as she was about to ask his opinion, Seo Isu suddenly froze.
“Why—”
She tensed as his expression grew serious, but then he removed his hat and gently placed it on her small head. Startled, she looked up; behind his black-rimmed glasses, Seo Isu whispered softly:
“Stay still.”
Seung-eon froze as a familiar voice reached her ears.
“Huh? Team Leader Seo?”
