When a Babysitter Falls in Love - Chapter 8
“This face should have gone to you, Noona.”
“What? Noona’s pretty too.”
“My face is big.”
Saying that, Yoon-Hee burst into laughter. Hearing her laugh, Hyun-Woo hugged his sister tightly.
“Thank you. It must not have been easy supporting your unemployed little brother.”
“You were just unemployed? You helped me with all my work and handled all the annoying chores. Anyway, there will be lots of wolves there too, so always be careful. Why do I get so worried every time I send you somewhere, even though you’re my younger brother?”
“You worry too much, Noona. Once you get there, you’ll see, everyone’s a macho type. No one will even look at someone like me. Don’t worry. Besides, I have Jun-Woo.”
“Wow, hiding behind a four-year-old kid.”
“Just a kid? He’s the heir to the biggest conglomerate in Korea. And I’m his babysitter.”
The two looked at each other and burst into loud laughter. Leaving Yoon-Hee alone at home didn’t make Hyun-Woo feel good either. But he knew well that the reason she never dated or married was because of him. So he smiled bravely and felt genuinely happy. He had to pull his own weight so Yoon-Hee could get married without worries.
***
He didn’t have much to pack, but there was one thing he absolutely wanted to bring. The apron Yoon-Hee had stayed up all night sewing for him when he first worked at a kindergarten. She embroidered his name on it, telling him not to worry if kids got his clothes dirty, just teach well. Thanks to that apron, before all the crazed dads went wild, Hyun-Woo was the most popular male teacher there. Somehow… things had gone downhill later.
Remembering those traumatic moments, Hyun-Woo shook his head. The place he was going to now didn’t have insane fathers coming to his house asking him to drink with them all night. A massive chaebol chairman like Kang Wook from Da-Un Group wouldn’t possibly take interest in him. That thought alone relaxed him.
“Got everything?”
“Oh right, Noona, give me a sewing kit and one set of doll-making supplies. A dog… I’m making a Shih Tzu.”
“You’re going to sell dolls even there?”
Even while widening her eyes, Yoon-Hee carefully packed everything he needed.
“I mean for Jun-Woo.”
Hyun-Woo said with concern, remembering how Jun-Woo crawled down the stairs because of the Shih Tzu tail on his plush toy.
“Oh! Do you remember that doll I delivered to DW Hotel a few months ago?”
“The one you got a thirty-thousand-won tip for and pretended you didn’t?”
“That bastard Ji-Seok…”
Hyun-Woo cursed Ji-Seok inwardly, the guy who promised to keep it secret, then ended up making them eat premium beef that night.
He quickly changed the subject to avoid Yoon-Hee’s sharp gaze.
“Jun-Woo has that doll. How is that even possible?”
“What? Really? That’s weird. No, not weird. Why would it be weird? So-Jin was the one who introduced the client. The person who got the doll that day was Alex Cha, the world-famous model.”
“What? That person was a model? No wonder they were beautiful. But what’s their relationship with Da-Un? Are they close with the chairman?”
“How would I know? Whatever. The guy’s gay.”
“Gay? No wonder the vibe felt different. But… why would someone like that order a doll for Jun-Woo?”
“Don’t think too deeply. There are so many things in the world that everyone else knows except you. Maybe he’s close to the chairman, or close with the family.”
Hyun-Woo wanted to question it further, but the moment she pulled out more doll materials, the timing was gone.
“That house has no toys at all. The only things there are ridiculously expensive education programs and that Shih Tzu doll. So I was thinking of making another one for break time.”
“Ah, so it’s an attachment toy.”
“This one’s good. These brown patterns look just like Shih Tzu ears.”
“Then use that. If you need more, tell me anytime. Payment after service.”
She winked at him. She had once told him sewing didn’t suit boys as pretty as him, but Hyun-Woo insisted that Taekwondo plus sewing made him even more attractive. All of it was to help her, she knew that well. Smiling, she patted his head as he packed.
“I’ll drive you. You have luggage.”
Hyun-Woo smiled brightly and stood up with his bag.
“No, someone’s picking me up.”
“What? Already assigned a driver?!”
Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She hit his arm repeatedly while shouting, “Amazing!”
“Noona, that hurts. I was shocked too. They said they’ll drive me from now on.”
“That’s amazing. Stick close to that job. Seriously, where else do you get conditions like that? Chaebol households really are different. Right, little brother?”
“People are people everywhere…”
Hyun-Woo was just as nervous and excited, but seeing his sister so hyped made him calm down. Then his phone buzzed.
<Come downstairs.>
“Come downstairs…?”
Hyun-Woo tilted his head. No one there had ever spoken informally to him. Even the legendary ‘Warrior Lady’ Madam Choi never dropped honorifics. Yet the message sounded absurdly familiar.
“What’s wrong?”
Knowing his mood just from breathing, Yoon-Hee asked.
“Everyone talked formally. But this text… sounds like it’s from a close friend.”
“Let me see.”
She grabbed his phone. Another short message came in.
<Parking is hard here, why aren’t you coming down? Come down immediately.>
“‘Come down immediately’…? What is this rude yet friendly tone? Did you already make a friend?”
“Don’t say nonsense. I was too nervous to even look at people. Anyway, I’ll know once we go.”
“Let’s go.”
They went downstairs with the luggage. Their building had limited parking. Even Yoon-Hee usually parked in a paid lot nearby.
The moment they opened the first-floor entrance, they froze.
A bright blue sports car, one they had never even seen in photos, was blocking the entrance.
“Is that… a Lamborghini?”
Yoon-Hee shook Hyun-Woo’s arm.
“I-I don’t know. But why is that car…?”
The pitch-black driver’s window rolled down, and Hyun-Woo flinched again.
A guy who looked his age, or even younger, sat casually in the driver’s seat.
“You’re Seo Hyun-Woo?”
“W-who are you?”
“Me? Hae-Bin. Mm… do I have to explain right now? Too annoying. Just get in.”
He pretended to think for a moment, then lazily jerked his head toward the car, telling him to get in. But Hyun-Woo couldn’t just obey. He didn’t know who this guy was. And the arrogance was a problem too. Judging from Yoon-Hee’s glare, she thought the same. She pulled Hyun-Woo forward and confronted the stranger.
“Why should our Hyun-Woo get in your car when we don’t even know who you are?”
“‘Our’? Don’t tell me you’re living together? Grandpa won’t like that.”
“Living together? Okay yes, but he’s my little brother. Who are you?”
Hae-Bin stuck his arm out the window and smirked arrogantly.
“Ah, you’re the Noona.”
Hyun-Woo quickly stepped up before his sister broke the guy’s fingers.
“Just tell me who you are and I’ll get in… sir.”
He wanted to drop the honorific but forced out a barely audible “sir,” guessing this brat was probably related to the Da-Un family.
Hae-Bin shrugged.
“Jun-Woo’s grandaunt is my grandmother. Madam Choi, the ‘Warrior Lady.’ I was ordered to pick you up. Also, your résumé said we went to the same school. Don’t greet me all awkwardly like some countryside kid. And pretty Noona, if you tremble that much, everyone will run away in fear.”
He wiggled his fingers playfully. Yoon-Hee’s expression was turning colder and colder, so Hyun-Woo hurried toward the back seat.
“Noona, I’ll go. I’ll come home Saturday. Lock the door properly.”
He reached for the rear door, nothing.
“Huh? There’s no handle.”
“What are you doing? These cars don’t have rear doors. Get in the front.”
Everything about Hae-Bin, the speech, the smirk, annoyed Hyun-Woo. But he couldn’t hate someone outright. He decided he’d scold him later.
He waved at his fuming sister and quickly climbed into the passenger seat.