IDMPYU 05

5. This Kind of Thing Doesn’t Suit You

“Don’t drink cheap stuff, got it? Go to a café that knows how to make coffee and buy it.”

So, where exactly is that…?

Reading Jihyun’s lost expression, Seungho smiled slyly and added,

“You’re not seriously asking me where the café is, right? Find that out on your own. I’ll order until you like it, so it’s better if you buy carefully.”

Stepping outside, Jihyun shivered in the colder-than-daylight air. In her hand dangled a card that Seungho had given her. Before she left, Manager Kim’s words echoed confusingly in her mind.

“A café? I don’t really know. Oh dear, it’s not like young Master Seungho to be involved in something like this. He’s not the picky type…”

“No, Shin Seungho is originally a bad guy,” Jihyun thought fiercely but kept her lips tightly sealed to hide her true feelings.

One thing was certain. While he wasn’t difficult with others at all, with her, he was prickly and uncomfortable—like broken shards of glass.

“Sigh, but it’s nice to get out, at least.”

The chilly autumn evening air felt refreshing, clearing her mind. Jihyun buttoned her cardigan tightly and started walking to find the café.

Click.

Seungho entered a small room and switched on the desk lamp. Apart from a neatly hung gray school uniform, the room had no distinct features.

The well-used desk, showing signs of many previous users, held a workbook that had thoroughly ruined Seungho’s mood earlier that day.

Picking up the workbook that had been annoyingly dangling from white fingertips, Seungho flipped through the pages with an indifferent expression.

He carefully searched between the pages several times, but found nothing special.

Since the workbook’s real owner’s name or any notes didn’t show up, the feeling of struggling in the mud somewhat eased. But he had no intention of putting it back nicely.

“This kind of thing doesn’t suit you.”

Muttering as if crushing something, Seungho squeezed the workbook tightly until it crumpled.

Holding the workbook, Seungho turned around, his gaze landing on the uniform.

On the left side of the tidy jacket hung a small white plastic name tag.

‘Choi Jihyun.’

Seungho tapped the shiny name tag with his finger. Minwoo’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Is that her?”

“Looks like some idiot handed it to her.”

Though Jihyun seemed unaware, from what Minwoo had said, she was definitely a hot topic at school for various reasons.

A sudden, inexplicable displeasure weighed heavily on his chest. It felt like a child having their candy snatched away—an unfamiliar and overwhelming feeling.

And it was because of Jihyun. Everything—the fact that Minwoo noticed her, that she brought the workbook, that his mood was foul—was all her fault.

Tapping the letters ‘Choi Jihyun’ with his finger, Seungho clenched the name tag as if to tear it off but then quietly let it go.

“Well, it’s none of my business.”

A sigh nearly escaped his red lips as he brushed his fallen bangs back. His dark eyes sank deeper as he thought of the uniform’s owner.

“One warm Americano, please.”

In the end, Jihyun chose a café frequented by students wearing the Seomun High School uniform that Seungho attended.

“It’s dinner time, so orders are backed up. Please wait a moment.”

Nodding at the overwhelmed part-timer’s words, Jihyun sat down in an empty seat.

Most customers at this hour were students attending nearby academies, so the café was noisy like a school. Curious, Jihyun watched them eagerly chatting with their friends.

She had always thought Seomun High’s uniform felt different from other schools’. The boys’ uniforms were nice, but the girls’ uniforms especially stood out as pretty.

The black jacket, white vest, and red-and-black striped silk ribbon inside reminded her of private school uniforms she had seen in a foreign drama. The conversations she overheard also felt worlds apart from her own.

They were passionately discussing some unknown brand only sold domestically.

Jihyun imagined herself chatting among them, attending classes with Miri at the academy, and walking home smiling brightly…

“Your Americano is ready. It’s hot, please be careful.”

Jihyun received the paper cup, watching the steaming, shimmering black coffee quietly. The black coffee reflected nothing. It was time to wake from the dream.

Though she hurried back as fast as she could, by the time she arrived, the coffee had cooled slightly.

Worried about what if she had to go buy it again, Jihyun handed the cup over, but Seungho approved it without tasting.

“You managed to get one that fits my taste perfectly. I’m off now.”

Though something about his surprisingly good mood felt uneasy, Jihyun thought it was better than his usual fickleness and quickly left.

“What’s missing?”

Hyunsook, chewing on squid legs she’d secretly taken from the kitchen, looked at Jihyun on the verge of tears.

“My English workbook.”

She was sure she left it on the desk, but it was gone when she came back from buying coffee. Jihyun’s heart burned with anxiety.

“No one took it, so look carefully. Workbooks don’t walk away.”

“I definitely put it here…”

She checked her bag several times, wondering if she might have put it there by mistake. She even began doubting if she had brought the workbook at all.

“Is it really that important?”

“A friend told me many test questions come from it.”

Jihyun recalled the workbook she hadn’t even seen inside. Its design was slightly different from the usual ones sold at bookstores.

“Can’t you explain to your friend and get it copied?”

“Ah…”

Jihyun bit her lip.

How was she supposed to tell Hajun that she lost it…

She couldn’t confess that, as a housekeeper, she lost the workbook while running errands for the employer.

“Maybe I should look around and search for it.”

Hyunsook, unable to just watch Jihyun lost in thought, stood up, but Jihyun hurriedly grabbed her arm.

“No, auntie. It’s okay. Please don’t.”

“What’s okay? Look at your face.”

“I think I forgot it at school.”

“You? That’s impossible.”

“I got it from school. It should be in the desk drawer or locker. I’ll go find it tomorrow.”

Trying to calm Hyunsook, Jihyun gave excuses. She hated that she had caused worry after a hard day’s work.

“If it’s not there, I’ll just study without it. It’s not like it ever really mattered…”

Then, Seungho’s happy face flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook her head.

“No way… it can’t be.”

No matter how much Shin Seungho disliked and tormented her, he had no reason to come this far and touch her things.

Autumn was short.

Under the piercingly blue sky, the mansion’s garden dyed in scarlet was beautiful.

The vast garden, as wide as the big house, showcased the passing seasons well—something Chairman Shin took great interest in. Thanks to that, Jihyun enjoyed the fleeting autumn to the fullest.

She sometimes sat on a big tree reading a book, or helped the gardener rake and burn fallen leaves.

The harsh smoke sometimes made her cough, but she didn’t mind. Over time, the staff quietly grew to like her diligent and sincere work.

Even Manager Kim, who had been suspicious about her, finally softened and worried she should focus on studying soon.

“Try not to stay at the mansion on weekends.”

Hyunsook handed Jihyun some bills after burning leaves. Jihyun stared at the money and Hyunsook in surprise.

“You don’t have to work on weekends, but if you keep hanging around, you’ll end up running pointless errands.”

Hyunsook, clearly displeased about Jihyun working, was obviously bothered by the task Seungho had made her do last weekend.

Seungho had called Jihyun to the hideout, saying he forgot to bring something while out with friends. Jihyun, hesitant among her wealthy peers, was a clear picture no one wanted to see.

They whispered about why the usually calm second son had lately been so sharp.

And those barbs always targeted Jihyun.

Hyunsook didn’t like people paying attention to Jihyun, who was Seungho’s peer. Though her life was hard enough despite a plain appearance, Jihyun was too pretty for what she had. That worried her—sharp stones get hit first.

“It’s okay…”

Hyunsook shoved the bills into Jihyun’s reluctant pocket and pushed her out.

“Go meet your friends. Or go to the library. Don’t stay here and do pointless work.”

Finally forced out, Jihyun walked slowly, not knowing where to go. She had never hung out with friends, even at eighteen. When Miri and Hajun occasionally asked her weekend plans, she smiled vaguely.

Since she couldn’t work much during weekdays while going to school, she crammed most work into weekends. Even if she had time, she had no financial means to enjoy hanging out.

Jihyun sighed lightly. Though Hyunsook had generously sent her off, she had nowhere she particularly wanted or needed to go.

“If I knew it would be like this, I should have gone along when they asked me to hang out.”

After walking for a while…

Without a destination, she arrived at a somewhat familiar place—a café she had been to recently running errands for Seungho.

It was still crowded inside. After watching for a while through the glass, Jihyun fiddled with the bills in her pocket and walked toward the café entrance.