2. The Cripple
She slept in for the first time in a while. After waking up late, Sa-hee took her time washing up. She sat on the wooden floor with her hair still wet, letting it dry in the breeze.
Having finished her deadline and gotten a good sleep for the first time in a while, her body felt refreshed. Her mind was also lighter knowing she wouldn't have to face any uncomfortable people today.
Time to go clean.
She didn't mind. Today she only needed to clean Madam's room anyway, so it wouldn't take long.
Having spent a leisurely morning, Sa-hee walked diligently toward the separate quarters. Just as she was about to take off her shoes, she heard an unexpected presence.
"Ms. Yeon Sa-hee."
"..."
Her hand gripped the pillar tighter at that soft baritone voice. When she turned her head, thinking it might be an auditory hallucination, she was immediately flushed with embarrassment. The man who should have been at the ancestral graves was here, with his shirt unbuttoned.
...Surely not.
Once again, Mrs. Cheon's booming voice rang in her ears like tinnitus: "Hey hey hey! Who are you with!" However, on the shoe rack step, there was only one pair of the man's dress shoes placed neatly. Meanwhile, Director Jeong Taeon was gazing down at Sa-hee intently.
Sa-hee straightened up awkwardly. Their eyes met. He might have caught her slightly horrified expression.
"Ms. Yeon Sa-hee?"
"Ah, yes, Director."
"I have a favor to ask if you have time?"
In that brief moment, countless assumptions flashed through her mind. She might have to clean up after last night, like Mrs. Cheon usually did. Things like finding the woman's underwear or clothes, or disposing of condoms. It wouldn't be impossible since she'd seen it done often enough.
"That's fine."
"A button came off, and I was wondering if you could sew it back on."
"Ah."
Sa-hee let out a small sigh. Her neck flushed briefly at her misstep. But she quickly regained her composure and slipped her foot back into her half-removed shoe.
"Yes, if you give it to me, I'll sew it and bring it back to you."
Though she offered to help, Director Jeong Taeon just looked at her without answering. Sa-hee gave him a questioning look while holding onto the pillar.
"I have a video conference in 30 minutes. Could you do it by then?"
After a moment of silence, the question hung from the corner of his lips. It was clear where his briefly lowered gaze had landed and left.
Sa-hee's ankle.
A distance that takes others 5 minutes would take Sa-hee 15 minutes to walk. Even walking as fast as she could, she would likely not make it in time.
"Just a moment."
Thinking there might be a sewing kit somewhere in the separate quarters, Sa-hee took out her phone. She left a message for Uncle Bang and tried calling Mrs. Cheon, but it only went to voicemail. Sa-hee lowered her phone with anxious eyes.
If she hurried, she might be able to make it in time. Standing still here just pondering would be more of a waste of time.
"As quickly as possible..."
"Let's go together."
"Pardon?"
At that moment, the man offered a simple solution. Even when Sa-hee questioned him in surprise, he had already made up his mind, putting on his shoes from the step.
"You can come back alone. How long does it take from your room to here?"
"About 5 minutes..."
"That'll work then."
As Taeon stood beside her as if saying let's go, Sa-hee reflexively led the way first.
The early spring scenery along the stone path danced yellow before her eyes. Even the gentle breeze made the world seem dizzyingly dynamic. Confusion and tension were intertwined.
Here's the English translation of the continuation:
The wind blows. Leaves flutter. A flock of finches chirps as they fly through. Sa-hee tried hard to focus on the scenery ahead.
However, the toe of the man's dress shoes that occasionally brushed her line of sight kept bothering her. The sneakers and dress shoes walking together were mismatched, like a three-legged race.
Director Jeong Taeon was matching his steps to her pace. No matter how intensely Sa-hee walked, this accompaniment seemed like just a leisurely stroll to him.
"This way, please."
Sa-hee briefly glanced at Taeon at the corner where they turned toward the small guest house. Taeon walked behind her without saying anything. Like someone had given her back a pat, the distance between them allowed her to breathe.
A heavy silence flowed through the small guest house. Though the bright early spring sunlight gave it some semblance of life, compared to the grand main hall or separate quarters, it was little better than an abandoned house. Instead of introducing anything, Sa-hee stood on the step.
Suddenly stepping up beside her, Taeon looked down at Sa-hee intently. As Sa-hee twisted her body to sit on the wooden floor, Taeon asked.
"Need help?"
"I'm fine. I'll sit and..."
"Take it."
I can take them off while sitting.
Before she could finish speaking, Taeon's arm suddenly appeared before her face again. Sa-hee swallowed dryly and gave him a troubled look.
"Ms. Yeon Sa-hee."
"..."
"I'd prefer if you didn't make me look like someone without basic manners."
His voice poured out as if scolding her. Was this a threat or kindness? Time was passing.
Whatever it was, there was no way to avoid it. Sa-hee carefully took his offered arm. The man's arm she gripped was as solid and firm as an old tree.
"Thank you."
Sa-hee tried to treat Taeon's arm as just another pillar as she took off her sneakers. When she briefly leaned her weight to step onto the wooden floor, Taeon supported her as if familiar with it.
Limping onto the wooden floor, Sa-hee turned her head while gripping the door handle. For a moment, seeing her sneakers lying like a slash mark on the step and the man taking off his shoes beside them made her stomach churn as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.
"...I'll just go in and get the sewing kit. Please take off your shirt inside."
"Alright."
Though having the man in her room wasn't pleasant, there was no choice. She couldn't push Director Jeong Taeon into one of the other poorly maintained rooms.
Sa-hee entered and firmly closed the door, quickly looking around the room. If there was any silver lining, it was that she had cleaned up a bit after finishing her deadline. Sa-hee opened the drawer on one side. A sewing kit bought from a convenience store long ago lay neglected.
"You can come in."
Sa-hee stepped back as she came out of the room. Standing together on the wooden floor, the space was tight. At this distance, it was easy to notice his gaze fixed on her face. Their eyes met as soon as she lifted her eyelids.
Why does he keep...
Sa-hee's pupils wavered briefly at the sense of déjà vu.
"Excuse me."
At that moment, Taeon twisted just one corner of his mouth in a smile and bent down to enter the room.
So casually, so unhesitatingly.
Sa-hee's brow furrowed as she instinctively watched the man's back. What good would getting angry do except imagine pushing him into the dusty room?
As Sa-hee sighed and sat down on the wooden floor, her phone rang.
♬♪♩~
A brief piano melody with vibration. It was the publishing company's CEO. She briefly looked back at the room door before carefully pressing the answer button.
"Yes, sir."
She thought it wouldn't be a long call, but news came that there was a problem with the file she sent in the early morning. Sa-hee frowned as she tried to recall what she'd done at dawn. She had been completely out of it after pulling an all-nighter.
"I'm in the middle of something right now. I'll check and send another email within an hour."
"Ms. Yeon Sa-hee."
Sa-hee instinctively turned her head at the voice calling her. Her eyes blinked slowly.
The man stood in the doorway, shirtless. Her eyes trembled, not knowing where to look. She couldn't answer even as the publishing company CEO called her name several times through the phone.
─ Sa-hee?
"...I'm sorry, sir. I'll call you right back."
The call ended. Sa-hee pretended nothing was wrong as she reached toward Taeon. The shirt really did come into her hands as if nothing was wrong. When she received the two fallen buttons, their fingertips brushed briefly and her breath caught.
"..."
The feeling of being acutely aware of how each breath came in and went out was unfamiliar.
Sa-hee straightened up and picked up the sewing kit she had set down on the wooden floor, opening the lid. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she picked up the needle, but fortunately, white thread was already threaded through the needle's eye.
She bit her lip tensely. In that brief moment, her lips had become dry and rough. It seemed it was also a talent of important people to make a space she had lived in for surely 20 years feel like an emergency landing.
Sa-hee rolled the ends of the double thread into a circle and tied a knot. As she positioned and attached the buttons, Director Jeong Taeon's body flickered before her eyes several times.
Just as she had the frivolous thought that the sculpture department would... appreciate such a body, the needle stabbed deeply under her thumbnail.
"Ugh."
Dismay spread across Sa-hee's face. She quickly pulled her hand away, but the drop of blood had already spread on the white shirt. Though she hurriedly curled her thumb and managed to finish without trouble, the bloodstain next to the button couldn't be undone.
He probably asked her to do the buttons because he didn't have a spare shirt.
Sa-hee hastily bent her knee and lifted her foot onto the wooden floor. When she carefully opened the door while holding onto the pillar, his flesh-colored body was the first thing to greet her. She flinched and deliberately lowered her gaze as she apologized.
"I'm sorry. I pricked my finger with the needle and got blood on your shirt..."
"Do you have a job?"
As if such a thing didn't matter at all, Taeon took the shirt from Sa-hee's hand and asked while putting his arms through the sleeves.
That was an unexpected question. For a moment, Sa-hee's complicated thoughts cleared.
"Pardon?"
As if doubting whether she had heard properly, Taeon didn't ask again. He merely tilted his head slightly. His downward gaze was arrogant.
Sa-hee slowly closed and opened her eyes.
Would it be a complex to find his tone offensive, as if he hadn't expected she'd have a job at all?
Sa-hee briefly followed the man's fingers as they buttoned up before parting her lips.
"...Yes."
"What kind?"
Sa-hee firmly suppressed her rising antipathy.
"I'm a writer."
"A writer. Are you famous?"
As he asked this, Taeon very casually took Sa-hee's hand. Sa-hee startled and tried to pull her hand away, but it was useless.
After the brief struggle for strength that ended in complete defeat, he brushed his thumb over her fingertip that was turning red from the needle prick, only then releasing her hand.
Sa-hee looked at him with eyes beyond bewilderment. The very person who had acted so incomprehensibly was now shamelessly waiting for an answer.
Sa-hee tightly clenched the hand he had held. The small wound he had traced suddenly stung.
"Maybe."
"I'm curious."
"...You could read it if you wanted."
At Sa-hee's puzzling response, Taeon slowly raised one eyebrow, then bent to exit the room as if losing interest. Sa-hee quickly stepped back and watched him without hiding her displeasure.
"Thanks for the button. Mother won't be back until evening anyway, so get some rest."
Taeon smirked as he passed her demonstratively. His eyes showed he had noticed her discomfort. And also the fact that there was nothing she could do about it.
She imagined throwing a punch at the man's back as he strode away.
Time had already passed well beyond 30 minutes.