TUW | CHAPTER 68

Chapter 68

Fish, Tree, Bird and Beast 

Do-hyun seemed to notice that I-yeon had come closer and gently pushed her back inside.

“Come in first, it’s cold out here.”

“It’s not cold, I’m right in front of the fire.”

Hearing that she was fine, I-yeon went back in and stared into the fire again.

They decided to have grilled meat for the first round and eat the dishes made by the aunt for the second.

“Thank you for grilling so well! I’ll enjoy it.”

Ha-yul said politely before starting to eat.

“Oh my, Mr. Moonje, you must not have eaten before coming here?”

It seemed Jae-ha had decided to shorten “Inseong Moonje” to just “Moonje.”

Even I-yeon thought Ha-yul’s hurried eating looked a bit worrying.

She might get indigestion at that rate.

“This place has such a great view it boosts your appetite, and the vice president grills meat so well I can’t stop eating! Unlike someone who’s just sitting still.”

Ha-yul shot Jae-ha a glare before focusing back on her food.

I-yeon sat next to Ha-yul and nudged her with her elbow.

“Hey, he’s still your senior. Don’t you think you’re being too harsh?”

I-yeon whispered quietly so only Ha-yul could hear.

Even if they’d met under bad terms, she didn’t want Ha-yul to cross the line, so she decided to warn her in advance.

“Then calling him ‘Inseong problem’ and giving him a nickname is fine?”

Ha-yul snorted and turned her head sharply.

I-yeon shook her head, realizing there was nothing she could do.

Do-hyun sat across from her after bringing over freshly grilled pork belly.

Then he placed a tender slice on top of I-yeon’s rice.

It was the first time he openly cared for her in front of friends.

Since everyone there knew them well, it made him more self-conscious and shy.

Ha-yul didn’t miss the moment and spoke up with a teasing tone full of envy.

“Vice President, you’re so sweet! You’re not like what I’ve heard at all.”

She cupped her cheeks with both hands and praised him.

“I heard you were cold-hearted and distant.”

“Oh? And when did you hear that?”

Do-hyun asked with a faint smile, but his eyes glinted sharply.

‘I think I know exactly who spread that rumor…’

Ha-yul slowly turned her head toward I-yeon.

Her eyes trembled as if asking, What do I do now? Did I mess up?

I-yeon blinked twice slowly.

Yes, you did mess up, she silently answered.

“So that’s the kind of rumor about me. Funny, I’ve heard the opposite. I’m curious where that came from.”

“R-right? I wonder where I heard it.”

That’s why you have to warn close friends ahead of time.

Ha-yul knew too much about I-yeon, which made it risky.

Old memories blur the line between what’s safe to say and what’s not, so I-yeon silently blamed herself for not reminding her.

“Are you already tipsy?”

Jae-ha asked Ha-yul with a teasing grin.

His respectful gaze toward Do-hyun quickly changed.

Ha-yul glared back.

“There’s not even a single glass of alcohol on the table, how could I be drunk!”

Meaning she wasn’t.

After finishing her meal, Ha-yul said she was starting to crave alcohol and asked what everyone wanted to drink.

“Let the ladies choose. This place has pretty much everything.”

“How about highballs? I brought tonic water!”

“Before we start, should we do a little gift ceremony? You can’t come to a housewarming empty-handed.”

Jae-ha pulled a box from beside him.

“I do have a cleaning lady who comes regularly, but I thought this would be perfect for emergencies. Since you two are newlyweds, I figured it’d come in handy.”

He had bought a robot vacuum cleaner.

“When you’re bored, turn it on. It’s cute, like a little puppy roaming around.”

He tapped the box affectionately.

They probably wouldn’t need it much since the housekeeper took care of cleaning, but it was still a nice gift.

“Thank you. That’ll be really useful.”

Rich people really do give expensive gifts like it’s nothing.

“When you get home from work and wish someone would greet you, just open the app and press the start button ten minutes before arriving. It’ll be cleaning when you walk in, like it’s welcoming you.”

From the way he blinked slowly, it looked like Jae-ha actually thought of it as a family member.

“Having someone or something at home waiting for you really is nice.”

I-yeon agreed awkwardly with a smile.

“You don’t actually think of it as a pet, do you?”

Ha-yul asked with a skeptical look.

Jae-ha just laughed off her jab.

At this point, I-yeon couldn’t tell whether the two were enemies or secretly interested in each other.

“Alright, let’s have a drink.”

Ha-yul rolled up her sleeves and began mixing highballs with serious focus.

She’d brought an entire lineup of syrups: Earl Grey, Shine Muscat, and more.

“I’ll skip the syrup,” Jae-ha said suddenly.

I-yeon assumed he just preferred the natural flavor, but Ha-yul pouted.

“It tastes better with syrup though.”

She refused to back down, clearly having her own golden ratio.

Watching them bicker, I-yeon leaned toward Do-hyun and whispered.

“Don’t they look like a sitcom duo? Like a cat and dog. They can’t stop picking at each other.”

Do-hyun’s lips curved in amusement.

“Actually, they kind of fit.”

Meaning, they’re both a little crazy, I-yeon interpreted from his eyes.

Eventually, everyone respected each other’s preferences and had a few rounds.

After a while, with a faint buzz, Ha-yul suddenly stood up.

“Alright! Time for a game. Who here knows ‘Eo-mok-jo-dong’?”

Do-hyun raised an eyebrow and mouthed to I-yeon, Do you know that game?

She shook her head.

She had no idea what it was either.

No one else seemed to know, so Ha-yul explained.

‘Eo’ stands for fish, ‘mok’ for tree, ‘jo’ for bird, and ‘dong’ for animal — you just name one when prompted.

In rhythm, the player would call out someone’s name along with a category, and the person called had to quickly say something that fit.

Jae-ha, of course, targeted Ha-yul every time.

Again.

“Moonje, jo!”

And again.

“Moonje, dong!”

It felt like the entire game existed just to attack her.

Each time he called her “Moonje” instead of by name, Ha-yul scowled but still answered correctly.

I-yeon thought Jae-ha seemed to enjoy teasing her way too much.

“I think we should stop drinking. Ha-yul might get drunk soon.”

She already looked slightly tipsy.

They had to wrap things up since everyone still had to get home.

Jae-ha’s eyes were a little glassy too.

He stared at I-yeon for a moment, as if deciding whether to speak.

“At the event, your first impression was unforgettable. I couldn’t believe you were the same secretary who worked with Do-hyun! I was honestly shocked by your disguise skills.”

Ha-yul nodded in agreement.

“I know, right? I was amazed too. How do you hide your real face that well? I thought you were a makeup artist!”

Jae-ha nodded enthusiastically.

Was she really that good at disguising herself?

Well, even I-yeon sometimes surprised herself.

Being told she’d fooled them so well made her oddly proud.

“I guess I have a knack for it. Maybe I’m good with my hands.”

Her joke made everyone laugh.

“Seriously, it’s so nice being with good people like you. Let’s do this again soon. Come over anytime.”

It was her first time spending an evening like this, with her boyfriend and friends together.

She’d always been busy with family gatherings, rarely hanging out with friends other than Ha-yul.

It felt heartwarming — realizing how fun it was to share time with people she liked.

“You’re not drunk, right? What are you like when you are?”

Do-hyun cut off Jae-ha’s question sharply, clearly not liking where it was going.

“Come on, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m not into stealing anyone’s girlfriend! Even if she’s as pretty as I-yeon, okay?”

He protested dramatically.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend, Jae-ha?”

I-yeon finally asked what she’d been curious about all night.

After seeing how well he and Ha-yul got along, she wondered if there was something between them.

She hoped Ha-yul could finally settle down with someone good — maybe even Jae-ha.

They’d make a surprisingly cute couple.

“Unfortunately, no. If you know any nice girls, please introduce me.”

He smiled playfully.

People never notice what’s right in front of them.

“There’s one sitting right next to you.”

When I-yeon said it openly, Jae-ha rubbed his arms dramatically like he got chills.

“Please don’t say scary things. I want to date someone with normal character.”

“I’ll pass, thanks!”

It seemed it would take them a long time to get along.

After finishing all the snacks for round two, it was time to wrap up.

“Please invite us again next time. Hopefully, the vice president will talk a bit more.”

Ha-yul waved and left in a taxi.

The night had been so fun it ended too soon.

“Let’s definitely meet again. The four of us.”