WWBU - 28

“Big Young Master? Of course he’s already gone. He’s such a diligent man—wakes up at dawn every day, runs himself ragged, showers, and heads straight to work without eating breakfast.”

“Ah, I see.”

For some reason, Hyun-soo felt a pang of disappointment.

“Do you have something to say to the Big Young Master? You could call him.”

“Hahaha. No, it’s nothing.”

“Well then, I’ll get going—I’ve got things to do. Relax and enjoy your tea.”

“Thank you.”

After seeing Madam Jeon off with a smile, Hyun-soo let out a belated sigh. She suddenly felt drained. Taking another sip of her tea, she absentmindedly stared at the teabag while cradling the warm cup in her hands.

Time passed—10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, an hour and twenty minutes. Not even a single ant crossed her line of sight during that time.

Sitting idly on the sofa, waiting for something or someone, Hyun-soo eventually couldn’t take it anymore. She picked up her phone, opened the messaging app, and quickly typed out a text.

[Hey, what am I supposed to do?]

Afraid she’d hesitate if she thought too much about it, she hit send immediately. The message flew off to its recipient—Yoon Guk.

Fiddling anxiously with her phone as she waited, a vibration soon buzzed through. A reply had come.

[Just focus on your assigned tasks. Don’t worry about anything else.]

That’s it? But my task right now is impossible because there’s literally nothing for me to do! What am I supposed to do until then?

[Han said he’ll be back in the evening. What should I do until then?]

Out of frustration, she fired back another text impulsively. But no response came.

Seriously, what’s going on? Irritation bubbled up inside her.

Is he busy? Maybe if I wait a little longer, he’ll reply. As time ticked by, the green tea grew cold, and so did Hyun-soo’s heated mind.

While aimlessly scrolling through her phone to kill time, she suddenly heard a faint click. At first, she thought she imagined it—it had been so quiet for so long that any sound seemed surreal.

But it wasn’t her imagination. Finally, someone emerged from the corridor leading deeper into the first floor—a middle-aged woman seated in a wheelchair pushed by a caregiver. Though frail and sickly-looking, the woman exuded delicate beauty.

“Hello.”

The caregiver behind her greeted Hyun-soo politely. Startled, Hyun-soo stood up hastily and bowed deeply.

“Hello, I’m Kim Hyun-soo. Um...”

“Oh, you’re Kim Hyun-soo—the young lady Guk mentioned.”

This time, the woman herself responded. Thankfully, Guk must have already informed her, sparing Hyun-soo from lengthy explanations.

“I apologize for not being able to greet you earlier, despite having visitors. As you can see, my health isn’t great. Please understand.”

“Not at all. Since we’ll be seeing each other often, please treat me kindly.”

“Of course. Have a seat. Mi-ryeong, could you wheel me over to the table?”

“Yes, Madam.”

At the woman’s request, Mi-ryeong wheeled her to the table, positioning her directly across from Hyun-soo. Now they faced each other.

“Could you ask Madam Jeon to bring some refreshments?”

“I will, Madam.”

With that, Mi-ryeong disappeared somewhere, leaving Hyun-soo alone with the woman.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Lim Ji-young.”

“I’m Kim Hyun-soo.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“No, thank you. I heard you agreed to look after Han.”

She spoke plainly, as if it were perfectly normal to entrust someone to “look after” a fully grown son. Hyun-soo hesitated slightly but noticed Ji-young didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

“Yes, for now. I heard Han’s been struggling lately...”

“I see. Thank you. Lately, I’ve been worried because he hasn’t been able to settle his mind and keeps wandering outside. It would mean a lot if you could keep an eye on him.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Ji-young smiled warmly at Hyun-soo’s answer.

“By the way, how do you know Guk?”

“Huh?”

“Well, that boy rarely lets anyone close to him. So when he said he wanted to entrust someone he knows, I found it quite surprising.”

“Ah... well...”

“Is it uncomfortable? Do you not want to talk about it?”

Just then, Mi-ryeong returned with a tray of refreshments, saving Hyun-soo from her awkward predicament. Conversation naturally paused, much to Hyun-soo’s relief.

Mi-ryeong poured steaming tea into both Ji-young and Hyun-soo’s cups. Wisps of fragrant steam rose, filling the air with a bittersweet aroma.

“Han may seem difficult, but deep down, he’s not a bad kid.”

“Yes.”

The image of young Han’s clear, wide eyes looking up at her flashed in Hyun-soo’s mind. He had always seemed like an angel incapable of wrongdoing.

“He has a kind heart and thinks deeply. Please treat him well.”

“I will.”

“Thank you. And feel free to come and go here as if it’s your own home. That would help put Han at ease, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Pleased with Hyun-soo’s polite responses, Ji-young beamed. Hyun-soo mirrored her smile.

It was a sunny morning. They spent the next while chatting casually, drinking tea, and exchanging smiles. Though Hyun-soo occasionally felt intimidated, the gentle atmosphere kept their conversation flowing smoothly.

Hyun-soo reflected inwardly. Though this arrangement began under less-than-ideal circumstances, perhaps it wouldn’t turn out so bad after all. A hopeful feeling stirred within her.

“I’ll do my best.”

She could only hope her intuition and determination wouldn’t prove misguided.

“The boys’ rooms are upstairs. During the day, they’re usually empty, so it might be more comfortable to rest on the second floor rather than the first, where people frequently pass through. Why don’t you head up there after lunch?”

And so, Hyun-soo found herself on the second floor. Climbing the stairs, her jaw dropped at the sight of the spacious living room that greeted her.

Come to think of it, given the mansion’s layout, why had she assumed the second floor would be smaller than the first?

Aside from its darker tones, the second floor was essentially a carbon copy of the first.

“There’s a living room up here too.”

Muttering in awe, Hyun-soo approached the massive sofa at the center of the space and cautiously sat near its edge. Sitting squarely in the middle without permission felt awkward. Regardless, the cushion’s firm yet plush texture enveloped her snugly, earning her admiration.

“Wow. Wow.”

Testing the comfort level, Hyun-soo bounced lightly on the seat before settling down again. Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

“So sleepy... I’m falling asleep.”

It was around 2 p.m. After enjoying a delicious lunch and basking in the warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows, her body naturally relaxed.

But technically, she was still on duty—napping wasn’t an option. While Ji-young had suggested resting upstairs, she hadn’t explicitly permitted sleeping. Falling asleep would count as negligence, risking penalties or deductions.

Slapping her cheeks lightly with both hands, Hyun-soo shook her head vigorously, hoping physical stimulation would chase away the drowsiness.

“This is killing me...”

But it was futile. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop her head from drooping repeatedly.

Maybe just five minutes of sleep? The tempting thought wrapped itself around her weary body. No, no. You’re on duty! Her rational side made one last desperate plea.

Thud.

But ultimately, Hyun-soo collapsed lengthwise onto the sofa. Before she could set an alarm, she drifted off, still clutching her phone.

Her hair spilled softly over her forehead and cheeks, bathed in the warmth of the afternoon sun. Like a cradle rocking gently, Hyun-soo wandered deep into dreamland.

“Wah!”

Startled awake, Hyun-soo bolted upright, stifling a scream. Right in front of her was a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar...

“...Yoon Han?”

“You’re awake?”

It was Han. His childhood eyes were similar, but now he was unmistakably grown into a man.

“You scared me.”

“Scared? Really?”

“Yeah, really. I was startled.”

Hyun-soo slowly sat up, her disheveled hair framing her face. Her racing heartbeat confirmed her shock wasn’t feigned.

“Did you wait for me?”

“...”

“I guess you did?”

Still groggy, her head throbbed faintly. Furrowing her brows slightly, Hyun-soo looked at Han. Seeing his crinkled eyes and radiant smile, she couldn’t muster any harsh words.

“Why? Did you miss me already after seeing me yesterday?”

“What nonsense.”

“We’ll see each other every day from now on. Why act like this already?”

“Go away.”

Feeling uncomfortable with Han’s playful approach, Hyun-soo waved him off.

“You want me closer? Like this?”

Undeterred, Han leaned in teasingly, invading her personal space. Hyun-soo scrunched her face and leaned backward.

“Ugh, go away!”

“Why? Aren’t you tired of staring at me?”

“I wasn’t waiting—I just fell asleep!”

“Liar.”

“It’s not a lie!”

“Just joking.”

“It’s not even funny!”

“Fine, fine. Anyway, look at me. Anything different about me?”

Pushing against Han’s shoulder to create distance, Hyun-soo froze. Different? As she studied his face, Han suddenly swept his tousled bangs upward. Beneath them lay a handsome forehead—and above his eyebrow, a long scab.

“What happened here? Are you hurt?”

“Yeah.”

“How? You didn’t have that yesterday when I saw you.”