When a Babysitter Falls in Love - Chapter 9

“Hyun-Woo, if anyone bothers you, you must tell Noona, okay?”

“Don’t worry. Noona, lock the door properly. And if you need help with work, call Ji-Seok. He needs a part-time job to pay his rent anyway.”

“Alright. Go on then.”

Even as she waved, Yoon-Hee kept glaring at Hae-Bin. She already knew her brother’s job wouldn’t be easy, but having an arrogant brat like Hae-Bin around made her even more nervous. Still, seeing Hyun-Woo happily smiling and waving, she couldn’t help but smile back.

“See you on Saturday.”

“Yeah, Noona.”

Hyun-Woo kept waving until the car exited the alley. Driving, Hae-Bin snorted and shook his head.

“How touching. Are all siblings like that? The brothers I know snitch on each other for corruption and get each other thrown in prison.”

“That’s impossible.”

Hyun-Woo had planned to stay silent all the way to the mansion, but Hae-Bin’s shocking comment made him raise his voice without thinking.

“Why is it impossible? If I had a brother or sister, I might’ve done the same. I can’t forgive anyone who touches my bowl of food. In that sense, Uncle and I are lucky, both only children. And of course, so is Jun-Woo.”

He said it with such genuine satisfaction that Hyun-Woo had no doubt he really was a Da-Un family member. Realizing they lived in absolutely different worlds, Hyun-Woo lost all desire to talk. Rich people clearly didn’t have only good things in their lives. For Hyun-Woo, who would give anything to someone he shared blood with, Hae-Bin’s story was unbelievable.

But thinking about Jun-Woo made his chest ache. He hoped that child would never grow up twisted like that. Before he knew it, a completely unrelated thought slipped out of his mouth.

“Jun-Woo might not stay an only child. The chairman is still young, he’s not going to live alone forever.”

Hae-Bin glanced sideways at him, then muttered something cryptic.

“Jun-Woo will be an only child forever. Well, you’ll find out soon enough. Yoon-Taek hyung was right. Ah… a typhoon is about to hit the Da-Un family. Anyway, let’s get along.”

“A typhoon? And I don’t really want to ‘get along’ with arrogant people.”

“…What are you even talking about?”

Hyun-Woo was dying to know what he meant, what he would “find out,” what “typhoon” he was talking about, but he decided it had nothing to do with him and kept his mouth shut.

* * *

“This will be the room Mr. Seo the babysitter will be using from now on. That door leads directly to the young master’s room. Secretary Cheon is Young Master Jun-Woo’s exclusive secretary. You may consult him about anything concerning the young master.”

The woman, who introduced herself as Housekeeper Kim and looked to be in her mid-50s, wore her white hair pulled tightly back. The style suited her so well that it didn’t even make her look old. She guided Hyun-Woo to the room and briefly explained the household rules. From her explanation, Hyun-Woo learned that the man named Guk-Hee was Jun-Woo’s exclusive secretary.

“If he’s Jun-Woo’s secretary, then… what exactly does a babysitter do?”

“You play with him. And you protect him in case of emergencies. Secretary Cheon is also trained in martial arts, but two are safer than one.”

“Wait, does that mean something might happen to Jun-Woo?”

Housekeeper Kim raised her eyebrows and stared at Hyun-Woo, who leaned in nervously. Normally, she should scold him for addressing the young master as “Jun-Woo,” but she hesitated.

In this strict and austere household, having at least one person who treated the boy like an ordinary child might not be a bad thing. And if honorifics became an issue, there were plenty of others in the family who would reprimand him in her place. She decided to pretend not to notice, for now.

“It’s just precaution. Your meeting with the chairman will be at nine o’clock in the first-floor study. Secretary Cheon will guide you. You’ll receive all information regarding the young master from him. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

After a short bow, Housekeeper Kim turned away. Like everyone else in the mansion, she wore a white shirt and black slacks with a formal jacket.

“Surely I don’t have to wear something like that, right? How am I supposed to play with Jun-Woo dressed like that? Comfort comes first.”

Letting out a long sigh, Hyun-Woo unpacked the luggage he brought from home and finally laid out the apron with his name stitched into it on the bed. Just seeing it eased his nerves and made him smile. Even though he was starting fresh in a new place, taking care of children was the thing he loved most. Being with kids always gave him energy and joy, and he hoped that the child in his care would laugh and play freely.

Now, all his hopes were pinned on one child, Jun-Woo. He wanted to make sure that adorable face never lost its smile.

Determined, Hyun-Woo clenched his fist and pulled out the notebook containing Jun-Woo’s play schedule.

“I should show this to the chairman. No matter how strict he is, he wouldn’t dislike someone wanting to spend time with his child… right?”

Completely unaware of what awaited him, Hyun-Woo smiled brightly with pure anticipation. His soft, androgynous, pretty features transformed noticeably when he smiled, a smile that had unknowingly made countless fathers’ hearts race in the past.

He had no idea.

* * *

“The young master’s bedtime is 8:30 p.m. He wakes at 6:30 a.m., and he takes a one-hour nap in the afternoon. Over there is his private library, and in front of it is the playroom where you had your interview. The full education schedule is on the tablet I just gave you. As for you, Mr. Seo…”

Walking a step ahead, Guk-Hee finally turned around and looked Hyun-Woo up and down. After checking the time on his wristwatch, he stepped closer, half a stride, and lowered his voice.

“We have about five minutes. How about changing your clothes?”

The secretary who had been speaking formally the whole time suddenly switched to casual speech as he leaned in.

“Change… my clothes?”

“You’re going to meet the chairman. At the very least, you should wear a shirt and dress pants, don’t you think? Setting aside your everyday clothes, what is this apron?”

“This is what we wear when taking care of kids. That’s how we work without worrying about getting dirty.”

“I don’t know what you’re ‘worrying’ about, but the young master wears dress pants and a shirt even at home. How does it make sense for his babysitter to walk around the mansion in something he wouldn’t even wear to bed?”

Guk-Hee’s sharp glare was intimidating, but Hyun-Woo simply smiled brightly. Startled,

Guk-Hee leaned his head back a little, and the tips of his eyebrows twitched rapidly. Hyun-Woo nearly burst out laughing right there in the hallway, the twitching brows looked like a fish flapping its fins.

“Secretary Cheon, if Jun-Woo is ever in danger, I’ll be the first to jump in. At the kindergarten, I even wore sportswear and trained with the kids. To follow children who disappear here and there, this kind of outfit is way better than dress pants.”

No matter how fiercely Guk-Hee glared, he didn’t seem scary to Hyun-Woo anymore. Maybe it was because once he learned how much this man cared about Jun-Woo, he realized they were more alike than he thought.

“What kind of guy are you… Anyway, I’ve warned you. Let’s go. If the chairman gets angry, no one can help you, remember that.”

Guk-Hee cleared his throat, turned sharply, and walked ahead.

Why couldn’t I talk back? I meant to ask, ‘Have you ever seen a guy like this?’ but the words got stuck…

Jun-Woo choosing Hyun-Woo himself made Guk-Hee recall the phrase “like father, like son” more strongly than ever.

And with the unsettling feeling of shoving a fragile herbivore into a predator’s den, he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with Hyun-Woo. Before guilt overwhelmed him, he clenched his fists and marched toward the study where Kang Wook was waiting.

This, he told himself firmly, was all out of loyalty, to his master Jun-Woo and to Kang Wook.

***

“Did you release the kids around that guy?”

“Yes. I sent Man-Jun as the supervisor.”

Tae-Geon spoke quietly, listening to the refreshing clink of ice dropping into the Scotch glass. He suddenly felt thirsty and thought he’d like to bite into a piece of ice. He smacked his lips, deciding to have a drink once he returned to his room.

“He knows Man-Jun’s face.”

Before his whiskey diluted, Kang Wook drank about a third of it. His temple throbbed from staying on edge all day.

“I told him not to step forward.”

“I should have gone myself. Man-Jun has a habit of exploding, he might not hold back and jump in.”