Chapter 17
Seo Yohan, seemingly enjoying Heena’s disastrous blind date, was humming a tune.
“What about the acacia supplements?”
“The store was right next to the cafe, so I bought them quickly.”
“Why are you in such a good mood?”
“Because I’m excited to give the acacia plenty of nutrients?”
That can’t be it…. Heena scoffed and felt momentarily smug. He must be happy that my blind date went badly. Look at him. Does he still like me?
Heena also started humming a tune. Then Yohan, gripping the steering wheel, glanced sideways.
“What are you so happy about that you’re even singing?”
“Just because it’s funny?”
“Was the blind date fun?”
Yohan asked, one corner of his mouth lifted in a sneer. Heena, whose mood had been foul until she stormed out of the cafe, but whose anger had subsided after seeing Yohan’s cheerful demeanor, shrugged.
“It wasn’t a bad experience.”
“What was he like?”
“He looked exotic.”
“He probably looked more like he was from North Korea.”
Why ask when he already knows? Heena shot a narrow-eyed glance at the nitpicking Yohan and responded quickly.
“You’re turning a South Korean citizen into a compatriot in an instant.”
“At least he’s a compatriot. I thought he’d crossed over from Joseon or something.”
“Joseon? Why?”
“Saying things like ‘Raise your kids at home while you work,’ ‘Can’t stand a woman being extravagant’ – that was all he talked about. Plus, a big family? Classic. It’s a blessing if they don’t have ancestral rites every three days.”
Now that she heard it, it was all true. It was fortunate she cut it short so quickly.
Mr. Park…. You said he was being transferred to Seoul…. You said he was a decent young man….
“My first blind date… was a failure, wasn’t it?”
“I knew it would fail anyway.”
Oh, whatever. Heena leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Soon, a spring breeze blew gently. Seo Yohan had rolled down the window.
As they passed through town and entered Jinhong-ri, the village was filled with cornelian cherry trees in full bloom. Looking out, Heena wore a faint smile.
In the past, she would have told him to roll up the window because of the pollen making her sneeze, but today, even the pollen was welcome. The thought of the bees buzzing excitedly made her feel content.
Jinhong-ri, dyed yellow, was dazzlingly beautiful.
✦⋆🍒.₊ ⊹
“If you’re going to fix all this, you’ll have to move out.”
At Seo Yohan’s sudden words, Heena felt like she had instantly lost her home. She knew there were many things to fix, but since even just replacing the water pipes meant tearing up the floor, it meant she couldn’t live comfortably at home.
“Then where am I supposed to stay?”
“At the village hall, like Mr. Park.”
“After the scene I caused at the blind date the other day, you want me to stay with Mr. Park?”
Yohan crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought, then licked his lips.
“I do have some spare rooms at my house.”
“…Huh?”
She smelled something. The smell of a scheme.
Meanwhile, Yohan was having similar thoughts. That Jeong Heena was scheming to live at his house under the pretext of house repairs.
“If you follow a few rules, I’m willing to let you stay for a while.”
Feeling superior from his thoroughly advantageous position, Yohan slowly nodded. Heena, displeased, grimaced and asked innocently.
“What are the few rules?”
“Don’t jump me when I’m sleeping.”
Heena gasped.
“How dare you!”
“You have a prior record.”
“Things are different now. Back then, we were in a consensual relationship.”
“Even if we were in a relationship, it was hard to understand you kissing me without permission while I was sleeping.”
“Who was it that accepted it willingly?”
Yohan stuck his tongue in his cheek and retorted, “Suit yourself.” A complete take-it-or-leave-it attitude. A reaction as if to say,
‘Where else are you going to go besides here?’
“Wash up as soon as you get home.”
“…….”
“Don’t make a mess, and put things back where they belong after you use them.”
“…….”
“Don’t put your socks inside out in the laundry basket.”
“…….”
“Rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher right after eating.”
He knew her too well. Every word pricked her conscience. Moreover, she’d lived like this for over 30 years; she couldn’t change overnight.
“I’ll just stay here. It’s just the living room floor that needs replacing, right? My room is fine.”
Clatter, clatter. Yohan ignored Heena and rattled the doorknob. It was a door that didn’t open easily. Usually, you just had to lift it slightly to open it. Before she could even say that, Seo Yohan made his move.
“There’s a… problem?”
The rusty doorknob broke off weakly. Yohan, holding the broken doorknob in his hand, looked at Heena with a regretful expression.
“I can’t leave the door open all day while they’re working in the living room. What are you going to do, Jeong Heena?”
There weren’t many options. Stay at the village hall with the uncomfortable Mr. and Mrs. Park and the elders coming and going at all hours, stay at Seo Yohan’s house with him, maintaining some privacy, or go to Seoul.
The third option was premature, and the first was absolutely out of the question. In the end, the only option left was….
Heena quickly adapted to reality. She pulled out her unpacked suitcase from her room.
“Perfect. I can just go next door like this, right?”
Although she’d have to wash up immediately upon entering the house, put everything back in its designated spot after using it, and she couldn’t put her socks inside out in the laundry basket, and even though it was her ex-boyfriend’s house, there was no other choice.
“Please take good care of me, my princess.”
Calling Seo Yohan by his childhood nickname made his face crumple. Satisfied with his reaction, Heena chuckled and headed for the small side gate in the wall.
✦⋆🍒.₊ ⊹
As she struggled up the stairs to the second floor with her suitcase, Yohan, with his long legs, quickly approached and snatched the suitcase from her.
“You packed a lot again, didn’t you?”
“Of course, why ask?”
“Just try cluttering up the room.”
Still, hadn’t she made good use of her luxury bag and steam iron? Heena’s philosophy was that there was no such thing as a useless item.
“I want to make a rule too.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t come into my room.”
“Just how messy are you planning to make it?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll leave without a single hair out of place when I leave.”
“Just try making a scratch on the wallpaper or the floor.”
The ambition to not let her off the hook easily was overflowing in his eyes.
“Ugh. Nag, nag, nag!”
In the guest room on the second floor, there was only a super single-sized mattress. Yohan, who had pushed the suitcase into a corner of the room, opened the built-in closet wide.
“Mattress cover, spread, blanket are all here. I washed and put them away, but if you’re worried, wash them again.”
None of his words registered. The view of Jinhong-ri from the second-floor window was too beautiful. The sky was blue, Jinhong-ri was all yellow, and the distant sea was dazzling. She couldn’t help but admire it.
“Yohan….”
Heena called out to him, speechless. Yohan raised an eyebrow and looked at Heena’s back.
“It’s so beautiful here. I want to live here forever.”
Although it was his house, he rarely came up to the second floor except to clean. Just how beautiful was it that she called him “Yohan…”? Yohan rubbed the back of his neck and approached the window. As he got closer to Jeong Heena, her familiar scent wafted over him.
“This is your first spring in this house too, isn’t it?”
Heena asked, still unable to take her eyes off the view outside.
Whether it was yellow, blue, or dark outside, Yohan’s gaze was fixed on Heena. Her eyes, creased into crescents from smiling, were beautiful. Her slightly puffed cheeks, and the smooth upward curve of her lips were too.
Originally, Jeong Heena wasn’t the type to be deeply moved by such scenery. She would just say, “It’s pretty,” and that was it. Yohan had been embarrassed more than once by her disappointingly bland reaction.
Had something changed in the meantime? Or had returning to Jinhong-ri after 11 years changed Jeong Heena?
Yohan, absorbed in admiring Heena’s profile, burst into a chuckle without realizing it.
“You’re right. It’s beautiful for once.”
Not the cornelian cherry blossoms in full bloom in Jinhong-ri, but you, Jeong Heena. He couldn’t bring himself to add those ticklish words.
He then felt a tightness in his thighs. Yohan bit his lower lip and clenched his fists. He suddenly thought that perhaps he, not Jeong Heena, would be the first to break the rules.
