Chapter 4

Everyone in the house, whether on the first floor or the second, froze simultaneously beneath the overwhelming presence of Kang-jun.

Jae-hee, too, couldn’t move even a finger, as though her entire body had been tightly bound with invisible ropes.

Perhaps it was her gaze that had been bound.

Or maybe, for that brief moment, it was her heart.

Just as it had been three years ago during new employee training, Jae-hee couldn’t take her eyes off the man named Do Kang-jun for even a moment.

Was it because of his handsome appearance…?

Of course, that was part of it, but more than that, the moment her eyes met his dark pupils staring straight through her as though they could see into her very soul, an inexplicable shiver ran down her spine.

It was a gaze that seemed to say he had known her for a very long time.

The man’s eyes were cold and sharp, as though he had hidden a finely honed blade beneath an otherwise emotionless gaze.

‘I’m imagining it, right?’

Yes. It had to be an illusion.

Otherwise, why would Director Do Kang-jun look at her like that? This was only the second time she had ever seen him, including today.

And even their first encounter would not be in his memory.

Just as her unwanted thoughts began to delve a little deeper—

Kang-jun’s gaze casually left her and immediately shifted toward Yoo Ji-hwan.

The indifferent look in Director Do Kang-jun’s eyes seemed to demand an explanation from Yoo Ji-hwan.

Explain this situation in a way I can understand.

There had better be a reason I can accept.

Intimidated by the immense aura radiating from Kang-jun, Yoo Ji-hwan swallowed hard several times before finally opening his mouth.

A voice shrunken with fear slipped between his lips.

“Hy-hyung.”

“Weren’t you on a business trip in the States?”

That’s what he’d heard from the chief secretary.

Kang-jun was supposed to be away on an overseas business trip for more than ten days due to the issue of selecting a site for a semiconductor factory in the United States.

He wasn’t expected to return until next weekend, just in time for the day before the group’s anniversary celebration. Even that might prove difficult if things went awry.

Which meant Hill House was supposed to remain empty until next week.

Of course, the assumption that Hill House would be empty had been nothing more than Yoo Ji-hwan’s speculation.

Now that his prediction had spectacularly missed the mark, Ji-hwan had no choice but to panic.

While Ji-hwan hesitated in confusion, Kang-jun’s languid voice drifted into his ears.

“Is there some problem with me coming to my own house?”

Despite being calm and level, his voice sent shivers through Ji-hwan’s entire body.

Well, who could possibly remain unafraid when being stared at with eyes like those?

Ji-hwan swallowed hard once more, then raised one hand and waved it frantically.

“N-no, hyung.”

“What problem could there be? It’s your house, of course you should come.”

Exactly. Of course.

Without even realizing what he was saying, Ji-hwan rambled on with unnecessary explanations.

In truth, he desperately wanted to shout that there was nothing wrong with cousins borrowing each other’s houses for a while. But he simply couldn’t bring himself to say that to Kang-jun.

Although Kang-jun was only six years older than him, he was a far more difficult and intimidating presence to Ji-hwan than anyone else.

Even more so than his sharp-eyed maternal grandfather, Chairman Do Han-gu.

Kang-jun possessed a unique charisma that could subdue a person with nothing but a look.

The light that escaped from his sharp eyes—was it frightening?

Heavy?

Or perhaps both?

Either way, he had once been a warm, affectionate older brother who smiled often and loved to tease when they were young. But at some point, he had completely changed.

He had become someone impossible to approach, someone with whom it was impossible to become close.

A cold older brother who seemed to invite people closer while never actually allowing them into his space.

If Kang-jun had ever shown even the slightest opening, Ji-hwan would have tried to squeeze his way through it. But there simply wasn’t one.

What a heartless hyung.

Contrary to the thoughts in his head, Yoo Ji-hwan’s voice that escaped his mouth was timid enough to crawl along the floor.

“I thought you were still on your business trip, hyung, so I was going to have a pool party with my friends.”

“You know what I’m like, hyung. Since I’m a public figure, playing around at a hotel is a little…”

Since Yoo Ji-hwan still lived with his parents in the main house at Cheongunjae, Hill House was psychologically more comfortable for him than Cheongunjae, where he constantly had to be mindful of the adults.

Kang-jun was a little frightening, but Ji-hwan had always been so starved for his older brother’s attention that even that fear wasn’t enough to keep him away.

Kang-jun was extremely reluctant to let other people into his personal space. Yet he had been unusually lenient toward Ji-hwan over the years, to the point that even the household staff had grown accustomed to Ji-hwan coming and going.

Of course, it didn’t look as though things would end so leniently today.

When Kang-jun showed no particular reaction, Ji-hwan’s excuses grew longer.

“I know it’s entirely my fault that I didn’t tell you beforehand, but…”

Ji-hwan hurriedly racked his brain and found a suitable excuse.

“I thought you might be busy, hyung.”

I was being considerate.

Considerate.

“You must already be incredibly busy with work. I didn’t want to make you worry about something like this too.”

You understand how I feel, right, hyung?

So please don’t hate me too much.

You know how much I respect you.

The look in Ji-hwan’s eyes said all of that, filled with both awe and fear.

But Kang-jun’s gaze remained fixed in one place.

More precisely, on the slender wrist of the woman currently being held by Yoo Ji-hwan.

At first glance, his eyes looked just as cold and indifferent as when he looked at any ordinary object. But there was the slightest tension at the ends of his thick eyebrows.

It was the distinctive icy expression Do Kang-jun wore whenever something seriously irritated him—or whenever his mood was particularly foul.

There was no way someone as perceptive as Yoo Ji-hwan could fail to notice such a subtle change.

Following Kang-jun’s gaze, Ji-hwan lowered his head.

The moment he saw Jae-hee’s wrist still in his grasp, his expression became startled.

He immediately let go.

Then he hurriedly added another excuse.

“I didn’t know she was your guest.”

Lie.

As Kang-jun’s eyes narrowed slightly, Ji-hwan immediately backed down and confessed the truth.

“No. I did hear that she came to see you, but I really thought you were still on your business trip to the States…”

So this was just a very minor little quarrel that happened because of that.

I wasn’t planning anything bad, absolutely not.

You know I’m not that bad of a guy, right, hyung?

Ji-hwan’s explanation was getting longer and longer.

Just as the corners of Kang-jun’s eyebrows seemed to sharpen further, he gave a slight nod toward the entrance.

It was his way of saying:

Enough with the nonsense. Get out. Now.

Ji-hwan realized that Kang-jun had just opened an escape route for him.

A hole had appeared for the rat trapped in a corner.

“Th-then, since you’re here too, hyung, we’ll be going now.”

Slowly backing away, Ji-hwan emphasized one more thing.

“You know I love you a lot, right?”

He knew this sort of nonsense wouldn’t work on Do Kang-jun, but Ji-hwan still put on his best show of affection and even made a finger heart.

As expected.

Kang-jun’s brow visibly hardened with an icy chill.

Ji-hwan’s backward steps gradually became faster.

“Well, get some rest, hyung. I’ll call you later!”

With a series of loud thuds, Ji-hwan ran upstairs, gathered his clothes and belongings, and fled Hill House with his companions as though escaping from a crime scene.

Once Yoo Ji-hwan and his group had left, silence settled over Hill House.

After the household staff and attendants disappeared at Kang-jun’s instruction, the silence filling the reception room seemed almost like a physical mass pressing heavily down upon the air.

Just as the silence between Han Jae-hee and Do Kang-jun began to stretch—

Jae-hee was the first to break it.

Her voice was calm and composed.

“I’m sorry my greeting was a little late, Director.”

A soft, flexible expression.

Neat and graceful movements.

Confident eyes and precise pronunciation.

All of these were basic qualities required of a personal shopper who served high-society clients.

“I am Assistant Manager Han Jae-hee from the Personal Shopper Team at DK Department Store.”

Remaining calm and handling any situation without being shaken—

That, too, was an essential virtue.

And this was one of those moments.

Maintaining one’s composure in front of a client who remained stubbornly silent.

That was the virtue Jae-hee needed right now.

She had expected something along the lines of:

“I’ll apologize for what my cousin did.”

Or, if not that, at least some sort of polite cushion such as:

“You must have had a difficult time getting here.”

Even a simple:

“I’m Do Kang-jun.”

would have been enough.

But what came from Director Do Kang-jun was not words.

It was a brief silence and an oppressive stare.

He had one hand tucked into the pocket of his suit trousers, his chin slightly raised as he looked down at Jae-hee.

188 centimeters and 165 centimeters.

Perhaps it was because of their considerable height difference.

The man’s black pupils, looking down directly at Jae-hee’s face, appeared even more arrogant and self-righteous.

As she stood there receiving the full force of his sharp gaze, tension seemed to spread from behind her ears all the way down her spine.

Jae-hee barely managed to calm her trembling heart by biting down lightly on the inside of her lip before releasing it.

Then she reminded herself of the reason she had come here and cautiously began to get to the point.

“I prepared the suit and watch you requested, but I’m not sure whether they will be to your liking, Director.”

Still, no response came from him.

Maintaining the same calm tone, Jae-hee asked Kang-jun as gently as possible.

“Would you like to look at them here? Or would you prefer to move to the dressing room where there’s a mirror—”

“We’ll look at them here.”

The man, who had seemed as though he might remain silent forever, cleanly cut her off mid-sentence.

Kang-jun took a seat on the sofa and crossed his long legs.

Then he rested his chin on one hand and tilted his head slightly to the side.

As though saying:

I’m ready.

Now explain.

His expression was arrogant, yet every movement flowed with effortless grace and elegance.

Like watching a black swan gliding through a dream.

Jae-hee had been staring at Kang-jun almost entranced when she suddenly snapped back to reality and hurriedly asked what he wanted to see first.

“Would you like to look at the watch first? Or—”

“What would you like to show me first?”

The man smoothly cut her off again.

It wasn’t particularly startling.

At least, not until she heard what he said next.

“Han Jae-hee.”

The corners of his lips curved upward.

It was an alluring smile that seemed to make time, space, and even breath itself grow still.