Chapter 22
22. Next Time in My Room
As soon as they entered the house, the children greeted them. Hearing from Lee Yeosa that the kids had already been bathed, Naeun headed to their room to tuck them in.
Lately, Minho had made a habit of lying in Jiho's bed with him, listening to a story until he fell asleep. Then Naeun would return home early, almost like clocking out on time. Sometimes, she even ate dinner with the children.
She had never really thought about why they insisted on it despite not liking the food, but today, during the driving lesson, she recalled Kangwoo's words.
"No."
Her wandering thoughts slipped out of her mouth, and Jiho immediately asked,
"Mom. Why'd you stop reading?"
"Oh."
She had lost track of the timing while reading because her mind wandered, but the children were waiting for the rest of the story.
"I've memorized the whole fairy tale. Want me to tell you?"
Naeun's eyes widened at Jiho's words.
"What?"
"I'll tell you! So the wolf ate all the people and his belly got this big."
Then Minho spoke up from the side.
"So they cut open his belly, took out all the people, and sewed it back up."
"My goodness."
Why on earth did these kids keep asking her to read to them every night when they already knew the story?
Jiho laughed and urged Naeun on.
"Mom. Read the next part. After they sewed up the belly."
Naeun read the rest of the story. When they begged for just one more time, she read it again, and before she knew it, the children had fallen asleep.
"So you already know the story, that's why you fall asleep? I really don't get it."
As Naeun carried Minho out and Kangwoo took him right away, as if waiting.
"He feels a bit heavier than last week?"
Embracing Minho like a dumbbell to gauge his weight, Kangwoo said.
Not even a scale.
Yet amazingly, he was right. Minho had gained about 1kg since last week.
"Yes. Minho's gained some weight."
After laying Minho on the bed, Naeun placed his attachment doll beside him, covered him with the blanket, and came out. She thanked him. Kangwoo silently went up to the second floor, and after seeing Lee Yeosa off, Naeun headed to her own room.
Kangwoo often helped carry Minho to his room. He always said he came home late, but lately, he had been coming home early.
After feeling his body's reaction to her, she wondered if he was interested in her.
"You're tired. I thought you'd just go to sleep."
Reluctantly heading to the kitchen, Naeun boiled water and spoke as Kangwoo continued.
"I stay up very late. I usually leave the office late, work at home, and rarely sleep before 1 a.m."
"But you've been coming home early every day. Since I moved in, I haven't seen you come home late much."
Kangwoo cleared his throat at Naeun's words and explained further.
"Well, lately, working from home is more efficient, and it's comfortable in the study."
"Yes. Just a moment."
Naeun brought out two cups of burdock tea. Kangwoo played some music on his phone. It was gentle jazz. Being alone like this felt just like a married couple having tea after putting the kids to bed. Kangwoo spoke.
"Drinking tea with you at night like this—it's starting to feel familiar and nice."
Naeun nodded at Kangwoo's words.
"Yes. Burdock tea is something you get used to the more you drink."
"It's not the burdock tea I'm getting used to—it's drinking tea with you, Naeun."
Correcting her once more, Kangwoo stared straight at Naeun as she looked up at him.
"Next time, want to have tea in my room?"
"Pardon?"
In his room? What did that mean?
"If we have tea in my room, it probably won't just be tea."
Thump thump thump thump! Naeun's heart pounded uncontrollably at Kangwoo's words.
"Why no answer? What about before? When other guys asked to have tea."
As if she'd ever dated a guy. Let alone hear such intimate words!
"We'll see."
Naeun didn't dislike Kangwoo. But if they were alone in his room having tea, what next? A kiss? Her face flushed at the thought. It was so obvious. She desperately hoped he'd pretend not to notice, but this man never did.
"What are you imagining to make your face that red? I just said tea in my room. Whatever happens after is already playing out in Teacher Han's head?"
At Kangwoo's sudden words, Naeun reflexively defended herself.
"No. I don't make weird imaginations like that. A kiss? Ridiculous."
"Ah. So you imagined kissing?"
Ah! If only she could take back her words!
"No? I didn't imagine that either."
Kangwoo laughed and stood up.
"It's even more amazing that that's all you imagined. A mom with kids. The tea was good. So, you'll have tea in my room anyway? That's enough."
-3-
She wondered if she was drenched in sweat.
"I'm not that kind of person. Driving was my first time, so..."
Still, it was unbelievable that she'd driven for an hour. She had been a bit worried since it had been so long, but
Naeun stepped out to the entrance to cool her flushed face. The early winter night sky was clear, and she could see two or three stars that were rarely visible. The moon was a thin white crescent like a fingernail. Staring blankly at the moon, she felt a vivid sense of being alive, a happiness. It was a different kind of happiness from raising children.
"I can feel this kind of emotion too."
Her friend Hyesun's words came to mind anew.
[If you keep living like that, you'll never even glimpse a man and just grow old and die.]
Choi Kangwoo. The closest man she'd ever been to in her life. But was this okay? Her head hurt from all sorts of thoughts.
Still, the cool breeze opened up her chest a bit. There were stars in the sky, and Jiho and Minho were sleeping peacefully.
"What a busy day."
Kangwoo was looking down at Naeun from the window as she gazed at the sky from the entrance.
A woman with a small frame but a strong inner self. A woman who seemed to think differently and live in a different world from him. From above, she looked even smaller. Much smaller than him, yet she embraced the children with far greater love. And that indescribable gap kept shaking him.
His body's reaction to her today wasn't just for that reason. Naeun was definitely his type. He'd never thought about what kind of women he liked, but seeing Han Naeun, he knew. His taste in women was like Han Naeun. Slim-boned, neck so slender it might snap, yet tough, with superhuman strength in front of kids. She lifted the children effortlessly, dressed the naked toddlers with an innocent face, and lay on the living room floor laughing with them.
Kangwoo knew he'd never seen such a woman before and never would again in front of him.
At the same time, Gyeonghye's cool gaze came to mind. The calculating, sharp eyes that scanned him and Naeun even while sipping burdock tea.
Was that why his brother suffered? Kangwoo thought as he gazed at Naeun for a long time.
Kangwoo headed to the Fitness Center every afternoon. He rarely scheduled meetings then, and except for special days, he arranged his schedule for at least five workouts a week. So, three times during the weekdays, excluding weekends. For Kangwoo, exercise wasn't just physical maintenance—it was time to organize his day and compose himself.
With a constitution that didn't gain fat easily, he focused on refining fine muscles rather than building bulk, and lately, he spent more time on lower body exercises to strengthen his thighs. Regulating his heavy breaths with deep inhales was basic. Kangwoo started with a light jog on the treadmill. Even while running, Han Naeun popped into his mind occasionally. Temptingly.
