Chapter 05
Seohah sat on the wooden floor of Dalhyang Tea House, where she came every week for her tea-tasting lesson, and held the welcome tea in her mouth.
Even before it touched her lips, the crisp fragrance of fresh citrus peel had already greeted her senses.
As the clear tea slid down her throat, the refreshing tartness of tangerine lingered on the tip of her tongue.
It was the kind of tea that naturally brought someone to mind.
“It’s green tangerine white tea. How does it taste?”
“Ah, no wonder………………. It smells like that room where you once dried tangerine peels with your back slightly turned away from the sunlight.”
At Seohah’s description of the flavor, the tea ceremony instructor chuckled warmly.
“Do you know that, no matter who else is here, I always ask you what you think? It’s because instead of the usual boring answers like ‘It’s bitter’ or ‘It’s delicious,’ you always describe things in such interesting ways.”
“Do I really?”
Seohah smiled shyly. Her familiar, adorable dimples appeared on her cheeks.
She normally came to Dalhyang Tea House once a week with her adoptive mother for lessons, but for some reason, today she had been sent alone.
It was unusual for Cha Miyeon not to be by her side, and Seohah couldn’t help wishing she had known about it beforehand.
Just then, Seohah’s head snapped up.
A cool citrus scent, accompanied by a deep musk fragrance, drifted toward her on the breeze.
It was similar to the green tangerine white tea, yet distinctly different in character.
Her hand trembled for no particular reason, causing the teacup she was holding to wobble slightly.
“Careful.”
A low, deep voice rode the breeze and rang beside Seohah’s ear.
The person who swiftly took the teacup precariously balanced in Seohah’s hand gave her a casual greeting.
“Hi.”
It was such a flat greeting that it almost made the days she had spent anxiously waiting for news from him seem pointless.
She had never imagined that they would meet again in a place like this, and the flustered Seohah could only move her lips soundlessly for a moment.
“Yes, hello.”
The voice she finally managed to squeeze out sounded strangely awkward, making her lightly furrow her smooth forehead.
At that moment, the scorching sunlight that had been beating down on her face disappeared, replaced by a cool shade.
Seohah realized it a beat later.
He had stepped in front of her, blocking the harsh sunlight.
Her face had cooled, yet for some reason, she felt even hotter than before, and her heart kept fluttering restlessly.
“Do you even know who you’re saying hello to?”
How could she not?
In fact, she had even seen his large silhouette today. But she couldn’t exactly answer him so plainly.
“I can tell just by your scent. Hearing your voice makes it even more certain.”
After Seohah calmly explained herself, Junhyuk remained silent for a moment before muttering,
“That’s good.”
Was that just a habit of his?
She felt as though she had definitely heard him say something like that last time, too.
While Seohah was quietly turning Junhyuk’s words over in her mind, he gave a small cough and continued the conversation.
“Looks like you had a good upbringing. At least you know how to greet people properly.”
Unable to tell whether he was being sarcastic or complimenting her, Seohah tilted her head to the side.
Immediately, his slightly sullen voice followed.
“For the record, I wasn’t raised properly. Keep that in mind beforehand.”
“But you’re always the one who greets me first.”
Before she could even finish speaking, a light flick struck Seohah’s forehead.
It didn’t really hurt, but the casual touch startled her. She blankly rubbed her forehead with her slender fingers.
“Did you forget that I told you I’m thirty-four? You’re young, but you’re getting way too cheeky.”
“Ah, I’m sorry……………….”
“I take back what I said about you being well-mannered. You’re good at greeting people, but you never learned proper manners. Didn’t they teach you this sort of thing at home?”
As his scolding continued one remark after another, a crease formed across the bridge of Seohah’s nose.
“What? Does this make me sound like an old-fashioned old man? I am one.”
Even though she had made one wrong remark and was now getting thoroughly lectured for it, it was strange that she didn’t feel particularly offended.
“But what are you even drinking this for?”
She heard the sound of him taking a long sip of the tea. Startled again, Seohah hurriedly reached out her hand.
“Ah, that’s the tea I was drinking……!”
“So what? Are you some kind of germaphobe?”
“It’s not that……………….”
“Or are you the type who worries about an indirect kiss like a little kid?”
This man really seemed incapable of beating around the bush.
In the end, Seohah’s outstretched hand dropped limply to her side.
“Don’t worry. I drank from the opposite side from where you put your lips.”
It would have been awkward to explain that wasn’t what she meant at all. Giving up, Seohah asked another question.
“Did you come here to drink tea?”
“No. I told you, didn’t I? This stuff tastes like crap.”
The puzzle of why her adoptive mother, who normally followed her around like a shadow, had been absent today suddenly fell into place.
Then she heard someone approaching from behind, followed by the tea ceremony instructor’s voice.
“Who might this handsome gentleman be? Ah, the gentleman your wife said would be coming today……”
Only then did everything become clear to Seohah.
From this moment on, she had a feeling that everything happening here would eventually reach Cha Miyeon’s ears.
“Seohah, is he your boyfriend?”
The tea ceremony instructor asked playfully, subtly fishing for an answer.
Seohah was still wondering how she should respond when Junhyuk answered first.
“No. He’s my future husband.”
“Oh my……………….”
“I’m a little impatient by nature.”
The tea ceremony instructor looked as though she had been rendered speechless by such a direct answer.
Seohah felt her heart sink just as heavily.
The voice of Han Junhyuk, so blunt that it made all the worrying she had done over the past few days seem pointless, remained perfectly calm.
“Oh! Look at me, I completely forgot I was supposed to serve you tea!”
“No, that’s all right. We have somewhere else to go. It was nice meeting you.”
For someone who had just declared that he hadn’t been raised properly, he somehow seemed even more polite than she was.
Without Seohah giving him any instructions or even reaching for the harness, Dodam rose from where he had been resting at her feet.
Dodam was surprisingly wary of men, yet for some reason, he showed almost no reaction to Junhyuk. It was strange.
“Shall we go?”
The large hand that had only held hers once before already seemed accustomed to it as it wrapped around Seohah’s small hand.
Still feeling dazed, Seohah gripped Dodam’s harness and slowly walked down the stone steps of Dalhyang Tea House.
On the way here, the weight in her heart had felt heavier than a thousand pounds, but strangely, her footsteps felt light now.
For the first time, she had entrusted herself to someone else’s hand instead of Dodam’s, yet she wasn’t anxious in the slightest.
The airy chiffon dress wrapped around Seohah’s knees with every step she took.
She normally wore pants in case she tripped, but now she understood once again why her adoptive mother had insisted on a dress today, using the beautiful weather as an excuse.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere without any nuisances.”
Could Han Junhyuk also know that if he stayed at Dalhyang Tea House, every little thing they did would be reported back to the main house?
Despite his curt voice, Seohah simply nodded. She wanted the same thing, so she had no complaints.
When they reached the car, Seohah naturally reached around, feeling for the rear door so she could get in.
Junhyuk blocked her with his arm.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to make me your chauffeur.”
After letting out an incredulous sigh, Junhyuk opened the passenger-side door and motioned for Seohah to get in.
“I have to sit in the back because of Dodam.”
Dodam was always by Seohah’s feet, so the front passenger seat was far too cramped for the two of them.
“I’m not the type to drive someone around while sitting in the front and have them ride in the back. You sit up front. The dog will ride in the car seat in the back.”
While Seohah was still bewildered by his words, Junhyuk’s large hand came to rest on the crown of her head.
She didn’t even have time to wonder if he was being considerate by protecting her from hitting her head on the car door before he practically pushed her into the passenger seat.
“What about Dodam……?”
“He already got in and settled down.”
Even after hearing that, Seohah wasn’t reassured. She twisted her body slightly and reached a hand toward the back.
“Dodam?”
The familiar large, moist nose touched her fingers.
At that, the restless fluttering in her chest seemed to calm a little.
“Why do you have a dog car seat in your car?”
It would have been a lie to say she hadn’t harbored a tiny bit of hope that perhaps he had prepared it in advance just for her.
But his answer was enough to make Seohah’s spirits sink.
“That seat already has an owner.”
“Ah………………. You have a dog.”
Somehow, it made a little more sense now why Dodam had been unusually friendly toward him.
During all those moments she hadn’t been able to observe closely, perhaps the things he had done had slowly eased Dodam’s wariness.
“May I ask what kind of dog it is?”
“German Shepherd.”
Even without seeing it, Seohah had a feeling that the dog would suit this man perfectly.
She had a mountain of questions she wanted to ask, but Junhyuk’s short answers made it difficult for her to continue.
Besides, this wasn’t what mattered right now.
Barely suppressing her growing curiosity about Han Junhyuk, Seohah rubbed her lower lip as though squeezing it between her fingers.
It was one of her habits whenever she was nervous.
Unaware that Junhyuk’s gaze remained fixed on her for a long while, Seohah spent the entire journey tormenting only her apricot-colored lips.
