Chapter 22 …
Nam Jin-woo was dressed the same as he had been during the day. I could feel the two men’s gazes scanning over my outfit. Jae-ha’s brows furrowed slightly at the sight of me in leggings that revealed my figure. He didn’t seem pleased with my attire. So what? I didn’t need to act like the mistress of the Myungil Group in front of Nam Jin-woo.
“Jin-woo, seeing you twice today,” I said.
“Did I meet you both today?”
“You personally brought the painting to the lobby,” I explained.
At that, Jae-ha glanced at Nam Jin-woo briefly before averting his gaze.
“Now delivering it in person?”
“Since he’s a VIP client, it’s part of customer management,” I replied.
“I bought the painting myself,” Jae-ha interjected.
Nam Jin-woo craned his neck, his eyes sweeping across the room.
“Just the two of you? Nobody else at home?”
Even though he was a guest, my mind raced, wondering what I should offer. But since the housekeeper had already left for the day, it was a bit awkward.
“The housekeeper went home, so I’ll just check the kitchen. See if there’s anything you’d like,” I said as I got up.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
As I headed toward the kitchen, mentally preparing what to serve, Nam Jin-woo’s words made me pause.
“Is it just the two of you here? Like this?”
I understood the implication perfectly. The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt heavy. Both Jae-ha and I knew Nam Jin-woo wasn’t asking out of mere curiosity.
After a brief silence, Jae-ha spoke.
“Is there a problem? Is it strange for a couple to be in the same house?”
It was strange to see Jae-ha say that so openly in front of Nam Jin-woo, who obviously knew it was fake. Nam Jin-woo stared at him, but said nothing. Jae-ha got up from the sofa as if nothing had happened and approached the wine rack.
“Wine or whiskey?”
“Anything.”
Peering into the wine rack, Jae-ha continued.
“Chilean? Or Italian?”
“Anything.”
Nam Jin-woo replied casually, but his expression betrayed discomfort. I couldn’t understand why Jae-ha would deliberately bring up being a “couple” in front of Nam Jin-woo, who knew everything.
Jae-ha, seemingly unconcerned by Nam Jin-woo’s reaction, picked up a bottle of wine.
“I’ve been leaning toward Italian wines lately. The chef recommended one during my last business trip to Florence—it was surprisingly crisp, with a long-lasting aroma in the mouth. Try it.”
I offered, since we were drinking wine.
“Should I prepare some cheese?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Jae-ha’s voice was softer than usual, gentle as if acting the part of a couple in front of others. Though his tone felt slightly unfamiliar, I went to the fridge, cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces, and arranged them on a plate.
While cutting the cheese at the island counter, I felt Jae-ha approach from behind, reaching for a wine glass on the hanging rack. He was close enough that his chest brushed my back lightly.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As he reached, his arm curved around my side like a back hug. I realized he was just trying to grab the wine opener, but for an instant, it felt as if someone had embraced me from behind, and I pressed the knife down harder than intended.
“Ah!”
I nicked my fingertip slightly.
“Oh, you cut yourself?”
Jae-ha held my hand close. It wasn’t serious, but a small drop of blood had formed.
“Ye-sol, are you hurt?”
Nam Jin-woo, sitting on the sofa, stood up and approached. At that moment, Jae-ha brought my finger to his mouth and sucked the blood.
I froze in shock at his unexpected action. Nam Jin-woo, approaching, also stopped mid-step, a stunned look on his face. Unlike my surprised expression, Jae-ha remained calm.
“Be careful. Good thing it’s not serious. There should be medicine.”
He took a moist bandage from a drawer, cut it with scissors, and applied it to my finger. I had to sit there with my hand outstretched, caught in his touch.
Nam Jin-woo watched silently, his gaze unusually heavy. I thought fleetingly that we might really look like a married couple.
Why would Jae-ha act this way in front of Nam Jin-woo, when we didn’t even need to pretend to be a couple here?
This was a minor injury I could have treated myself. And when he reached for the wine glass and opener, he didn’t need to be so close behind me. With his long arms, standing slightly to the side would have sufficed.
“Looks like a real couple,” Nam Jin-woo eventually remarked. His tone was calm, yet it carried weight.
Jae-ha, organizing the medicine box, responded lightly.
“Then it’s good. Looking like a real couple is our goal, isn’t it?”
Jae-ha’s casual remark seemed to freeze the room. I felt I should respond but couldn’t find my words.
He put the medicine box away and said to me,
“You should rest a bit. There’s the foundation’s inauguration tomorrow; you need to manage your condition.”
Although I wasn’t particularly inclined to stay, Nam Jin-woo stopped Jae-ha from treating me too gently.
“Why not? Just have a glass of wine together. One glass isn’t a big deal.”
Even without Jae-ha’s no-drinking order, I wasn’t eager, so I declined.
“I’ll go rest. You two enjoy your time.”
Leaving the two men in the living room, I went to my room. From behind, I could hear their conversation.
“Was that just acting?”
“What?”
Nam Jin-woo’s voice was loaded with emotion, unlike Jae-ha’s calm tone.
“Why act like a couple in front of me? Or have you grown attached to each other when alone?”
“I try to be as affectionate as possible when we’re around others, even if it’s just acting. Whether you know the truth or not, we can’t let our guard down in front of others. A single slip could be risky.”
Even in front of Nam Jin-woo, Jae-ha meticulously maintained the act.
“What’s that mark on your neck?”
“What?”
“That’s from a kiss, isn’t it?”
I didn’t fully close the door, listening to their conversation. The mark I left on Jae-ha hadn’t faded yet. Even Hye-na took a while for hers to disappear completely.
Jae-ha didn’t answer, and Nam Jin-woo pressed on.
“Right? Perfect spot! Do you have someone else?”
“Mind your own business.”
“Lover? Or just a one-night thing?”
Jae-ha’s voice wasn’t audible; only Nam Jin-woo spoke.
“Since we agreed not to interfere in each other’s private life, it doesn’t matter, right? So Ye-sol can enjoy her private life discreetly too, right?”
Jae-ha’s response came belatedly,
“That’s for her to decide.”
Nam Jin-woo left after a short conversation with Jae-ha. I waited by the entrance as Jae-ha returned, holding out his hand. Seeing his open hand, my gaze shifted to him.
“Allowance. It’s been way more than a week.”
Jae-ha didn’t reply but looked silently at the table in the living room, where the wine bottle, glasses, and plate from earlier still sat. I followed, placing my hand in front of his face.
“Can’t you just set up an automatic transfer once a month? It’s annoying to handle every week, isn’t it?”
Jae-ha turned to look at me.
“This week, your allowance is cut by 50%. You know why, right?”
“What? Cut? It’s only 100,000 won a week, and now cut again?”
“You do understand why, don’t you?”
He tilted his chin, exposing his neck fully. The color was darker than the last time I saw it. Before, it was red; now it was a deep purple, even more noticeable. My confidently extended hand felt embarrassed, and I slowly lowered it.
“The staff gossip about me, saying we show off like newlyweds.”
“Still, 50% is 50,000 won. That’s too stingy. You earn well. Cheapskate! Total miser!”
I muttered the last part quietly, but I could feel his sharp glance.
He had sharp ears.
“And what’s with that outfit when guests come?”
Now he was picking on my attire.
“No need to dress formally for Jin-woo. He already knows everything.”
“Jin-woo? So he’s just a familiar person? Nobody told you to be formal. But still, isn’t that outfit too revealing?”
