Chapter 20

"I've decided to quit my part-time job."

At Bo Bae's words, Ho Rang stopped his chopsticks and looked at her.

"Thinking about it, I think what you said was right, Mr. Baek Ho Rang. Honestly, opportunities like this don't come often, and it felt like a waste to let it slip away."

Being a drama writer was a bleak dream where one couldn't see even an inch ahead. No matter how interesting the writing was, there was always the possibility it wouldn't get produced or scheduled for broadcast. It wasn't a job with guaranteed success, nor did it provide a steady monthly salary based on the work put in. Even if this project succeeded, no one knew what would happen with the next. It was a truly unstable profession.

That was why she felt sorry about asking her parents for financial help. If success were guaranteed, she might have badgered them to invest in her future, but nothing was certain. She wasn't shameless enough to blindly demand help, and...

"I’m going to write really hard while I’m here, so please help me out a lot."

"Why make such an obvious request sounds so difficult?"

Seeing Ho Rang accepted it as a matter of course in his usual blunt tone, a faint smile spread across Bo Bae’s face. She really had to give it her all. This was likely an opportunity that would never come again.

"But why is there no kitchen in the container?"

"A kitchen?"

Ho Rang recalled the time he requested the container's production. In his busy and tight schedule, he had given the final approval without much thought, and it seemed the kitchen had been left out.

"Is it uncomfortable?"

"Of course it is. I have to come all the way here every time I want to eat."

"!"

In that moment, Ho Rang's ears seemed to perk up. If she had to come here every time she ate, it meant she would visit this house at least once a day. It wasn't a bad idea, no, it was a great one.

"Actually, never mind. I'll just buy a huge stock of cup noodles."

"No!"

When Ho Rang suddenly shouted, Bo Bae looked at him with a startled face.

"What do you mean, no?"

"Cup noodles are bad for you. Come here and eat real food."

"No, it's okay. Thinking about it, I think it would be a bother for you, and it's also inconvenient for me to come over every mealtime..."

"Just listen. Don't ruin your health by eating only ramen. Don't you know Koreans live on the strength of a good meal?"

"Are you worrying about me?"

When Bo Bae asked with a sly smile, Ho Rang's face flushed red once again.

Seriously, why was this woman’s smile so pretty? Whenever she smiled with her eyes crinkling softly, he found himself wanting to smile along with her. However, Ho Rang wiped the smile from his face and spoke indifferently.

"Worry? Hardly. Consider this an investment. I'll collect it all back once the drama becomes a hit, so keep that in mind."

Bo Bae pouted at his answer, but Ho Rang found even that endearing.

"The meal was great. Call me if you need anything."

After finishing the meal and the dishes, as Bo Bae prepared to head back to the container, Ho Rang frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"I've eaten, so I should go back and write."

He had even ditched work just to spend the whole day with her, so where did she think she was going?

"Bring your laptop."

"Why the laptop?"

"Didn't you say you'd nurse me today?"

"Just call me if you need me. I'll be here in a flash."

"Calling is a hassle."

Bo Bae pouted at Ho Rang's stubborn reply.

Is touching a phone screen with your finger really that difficult? No, wait... if he calls me incessantly just to tease me, wouldn't it be more comfortable to just stay here?

"Alright. Wait a moment."

Ho Rang watched Bo Bae’s retreating figure as she scurried away and found himself smiling unconsciously.

The gloomy house felt like it had brightened up just because of that one woman. It wasn't that she was doing anything special, just the sound of conversation and laughter made the house feel completely different.

Ho Rang didn't mind it. The small change she brought made him smile. It would be even better if she stayed inside this house.

"Why on earth did I put that container in...?"

Ho Rang startled himself with the words that slipped out. What kind of crazy thoughts was he having?

Installing the container in this house was supposed to be a visible line drawn to show just how far the distance was between them. It was a sort of warning for her not to say useless things like asking for a kiss. And yet, here he was, regretting it. He must be going out of his mind to think such things.

"I'm crazy, truly crazy."

"What's crazy?"

Before he knew it, Bo Bae was standing in front of him holding her laptop.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just thought the weather was crazily good."

"The weather really is amazing. There's no fine dust at all, and the sky is so blue. Do you need me right now?"

For some reason, Bo Bae's face looked a bit flushed. Was it because the weather was so nice?

"Huh? No. Why?"

"If you don't need me, I'm going to walk around the yard for a bit. The weather is so nice, I feel like I need a stroll."

Bo Bae set only her laptop on the dining table and scurried back outside. Ho Rang watched her energetic footsteps and thought.

I want to walk too. With you.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he called out to her without hesitation.

"Na Bo Bae."

She turned around. Her face, flushed with the excitement of going for a walk, was tinted a soft red.

"I'm coming out too. It's stuffy in here, I need some fresh air."

"With that foot?"

"Didn't you say you'd support me?"

"Well, I did, but..."

Bo Bae was a bit disgruntled that her free walk was being interrupted, but she couldn't break the promise she had made.

"Tell me if it's too hard. Don't overdo it."

She meant for him to just sit down and not push himself, but the man who rarely smiled was now leaning against her with a grin, as if something was making him very happy. He was quite heavy, but since she had done it once before, it was manageable.

"The weather is nice, right? Not too hot."

"You're right. The breeze is quite cool."

Leaning on Bo Bae, Ho Rang took a lap around the yard. The yard was quite large, so it took some time to go around once, and Ho Rang liked that very much. In fact, if he could have his way, he wanted to make the yard even larger.

"Let's rest a bit before walking more."

When they reached a bench in the yard, Bo Bae, seemingly tired, asked to rest. Ho Rang felt a lingering regret as she moved away from him, but watching her was also quite interesting. Sitting on the bench, she took off her shoes.

"What are you doing?"

"The grass looks so soft, I wanted to try walking barefoot."

"What if you get bitten by a bug?"

No matter how much he maintained the lawn, he couldn't kill every living thing in the soil. He spoke out of concern, but Bo Bae acted as if it didn't matter.

"It's fine."

After answering coolly, she stepped onto the grass with an incredibly happy expression. Even if she were stepping on ground paved with gold, she probably wouldn't look that happy.

"Wow. It feels like stepping on soft marshmallows. It feels so good."

The blue sky, the green grass, Bo Bae standing on that grass, and himself watching her.

Ho Rang couldn't believe this scene. How could he and this woman be in the same frame, and in such a peaceful and happy landscape? They had been so busy fighting every time they met.

"Mmm. The air is good too."

At her words, Ho Rang unconsciously took a deep breath. A gentle breeze shook her hair, and her scent carried by the wind brushed against the tip of his nose. It was a fragrance that had been stimulating him since yesterday. Even though it wasn't an overtly suggestive scent, it strangely stirred his heart.

Ho Rang rested his arms on the back of the bench and began to watch her in earnest. As he watched her frolicking around the yard, the smile never left his lips.

~~~~

"Ah, Mr. Baek Ho Rang, aren't you sleeping? It's already past midnight."

As Bo Bae stretched languidly, Ho Rang, who had been examining some documents, looked up. He still had a lot of work left, but it was indeed time to head to bed. It was a shame to part with her, but it was time for them to head to their respective spaces.

"Let's go. I'll walk you to your room."

As Bo Bae approached, Ho Rang naturally rested his arm on her shoulder.

By now, leaning on this small frame didn't feel awkward at all. In fact, he had reached a point where he looked forward to this time. He liked the touch of the small hand wrapped tightly around his waist, and he liked standing close enough to sense her scent. The way her hair tickled his cheek was nothing short of lovely.

The two of them climbed the stairs and entered Ho Rang's bedroom. The king-sized bed looked far too large for Ho Rang alone. Now, Bo Bae just had to help Ho Rang settle onto the bed.

"Ugh."

As she struggled to lay Ho Rang down on the bed, Bo Bae's legs gave way, and she inadvertently ended up lying on the bed with him. As fate would have it, she was even using his arm as a pillow.

"Oh my goodness!"

Startled, Bo Bae tried to scramble up, but Ho Rang caught her hand. Bo Bae looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.

"Didn't your legs give out? Stay a bit longer."

His voice sounded so calm and steady that Bo Bae found herself nodding before she knew it.

"Ah... anyway, get some rest. I'm going!"

Flustered, Bo Bae jumped up and hurried out of his room. Hearing the sound of her running down the stairs and the front door closing, Ho Rang exhaled a low breath.

"Ha... Baek Ho Rang, you've gone crazy."

It was an impulsive act. He just didn't want to let her go after being together all day. He hated parting ways. He wanted to stay with her just a little bit longer, just a little more.

"You crazy guy."

Ho Rang couldn't yet grasp the shift in his heart and simply thought he had lost his mind.

Meanwhile, having arrived back at the container, Bo Bae couldn't control her racing heart.

"What was that? Why did he say those things?"

Recalling Ho Rang's words from moments ago made her face flush as if it were about to explode. Even while supporting him earlier today, her heart felt like it was bursting. She had supported his waist with one hand and held his hand with the other.

When they were walking through the yard stuck close together, she had feared he might hear her heartbeat, so she purposely sat him on the bench and walked across the grass alone. She thought that was the only way to calm her pounding heart.

"Haa... I think I like that man."

The moment she admitted her feelings to herself, the throbbing in her chest seemed to rise right up to her throat. It seemed unlikely she would get any sleep tonight.

~~~~

The next day.

Waking up in the morning, Ho Rang got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he realized something was strange.

"What? It doesn't hurt?"

His foot, which had been throbbing quite a bit until yesterday, had become perfectly fine overnight.

"Ah... this is troublesome."

Since it was the weekend and he didn't have to go to the office, he had planned to stay with Bo Bae using his injury as an excuse to be supported, but his foot was already fully recovered.

"Wow. What's with this recovery speed?"

While he was agonizing over what to do, he heard Bo Bae's call. It was the sound of her entering the house.

Without thinking, Ho Rang stepped out while pretending to limp. Bo Bae just happened to be on her way up to the second floor.

"Stay still. I'll come to you."

Upon spotting Ho Rang, Bo Bae ran over and draped his arm over her shoulder. Seeing her tuck herself under his armpit to support him, Ho Rang didn't want to say that his foot was all better. If possible, he wanted to stay hurt for a long time.

"How's your foot?"

"Well, it's just so-so."

"Should we go to the hospital?"

"It'll get better with time. Probably..."

Ho Rang trailed off while clinging tightly to Bo Bae.

"If it still hurts today, let's go to the hospital. What if it gets worse?"

"No. It doesn't hurt that much."

Bo Bae sat Ho Rang down and started preparing a meal.

"There's some beef bulgogi. Should I heat that up for us to eat?"

"Yeah. Anything."

Worried that Bo Bae might have noticed something, Ho Rang watched her reactions while checking the condition of his foot. The swelling had gone down much more than yesterday, and it looked perfectly fine. Just as he was thinking he might have to sprain his ankle one more time...

"Ah! Hot!"

"What? What's wrong?"

Bo Bae cried out, and Ho Rang who was startled ran towards her. It seemed she had burned her hand while heating the meat. Her hand had turned bright red.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I burned it slightly."

"You should have been careful. What if it leaves a scar?"

Ho Rang spoke bluntly, yet he grabbed some cold water to cool her hand.

"What were you thinking about to let your hand end up like this? It's all red. This is going to blister."

Ho Rang examined Bo Bae’s hand with a worried face, but Bo Bae wasn't listening to his words. She could only see his perfectly fine legs.

"Mr. Ho Rang...?"

"Huh? What?"

"Can you walk?"

"Huh? Oh, no, that's..."

"What? Is this a total 'Keyser Söze' moment? You were doing this just to mess with me, weren't you?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what is it? Since when has it been a fake illness?"

Realizing it was a ruse, Bo Bae began slapping Ho Rang on the back. It didn't hurt, but when Bo Bae showed no sign of stopping, Ho Rang grabbed both her hands and pinned her against the wall.

Haa, haa.

Bo Bae’s hot breath poured over Ho Rang's face before scattering. Her face, devoid of any makeup, was exceptionally pretty today. Especially those moist lips. He had already tasted those lips before, but he wanted to taste them once again. He wanted to feel that soft texture with the tip of his tongue and take the scent emanating from her small lips into his own mouth.

As Ho Rang who was conflicted stared intensely at her face...

Whistle.

A mischievous whistle sounded from somewhere. Turning his head toward the sound, Ho Rang’s face immediately crumpled into a scowl.

"Wow. My cousin is pretty hot since the morning, isn't he?"

Leaning against the wall with a suggestive look in his eyes, the person staring at Ho Rang was none other than his paternal cousin, Choi Do Yoon.