ABCD 47🔐

Chapter 47

---

---

Today was a work-from-home day.

Haru got out of bed later than usual, dragging herself toward the dining room.

She normally didn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach, but she couldn’t resist the savory aroma of the beans and reached for a cup.

After a few days of observation, she had noticed that Ihan always drank coffee every morning.

Inside the glass pot beside the moka pot, coffee was waiting.

Judging by the steam still clinging to the glass, Ihan must have left only recently.

Pouring herself some into a mug, Haru sat down at the table and took a sip.

“Not only does he cook well, he brews coffee well too.”

The rich fragrance spread through her mouth.

It was so good that she could almost understand Italians drinking espresso on an empty stomach in the morning.

Draining the small cup, Haru rose from the table.

It was time to get moving for the day’s work.

Hours slipped by as she focused at the desk Ihan had set up for her, and before she knew it, it was already afternoon.

She decided to have a light sandwich for a late lunch—plus another cup of coffee.

She thought she’d save the extra work for after dinner.

Stretching her arms high over her head, she suddenly stood up.

“Since I promised to do something instead of paying that outrageous rent.”

Ihan had refused her offer, but she couldn’t just stay in such a nice place without doing anything in return.

Feeling guilty and a little ashamed, Haru decided to make use of her skills.

With years of part-time jobs under her belt, she was handy with all sorts of tasks.

The place was spacious, but so spotless that it hardly needed any real work.

By the time she finished cleaning every corner, it was already 4 p.m.

“Maybe I’ll cook dinner tonight.”

She remembered the delicious pasta Ihan had made for her yesterday.

To return the favor, she thought she might prepare dinner for him. After all, the only thing she’d ever cooked for him so far was instant ramen.

Thinking of the dishes she was most confident in, Haru opened the fridge to check the ingredients.

There were a few things stocked—enough to suggest he cooked from time to time—but not quite enough for what she had in mind.

Closing the fridge, she quickly grabbed her coat, picked up her small handbag with her wallet inside, and stepped out.

The elevator ride was its own reminder of how luxurious this building was.

Everywhere she looked, the apartment screamed wealth—so much so that paying only 700,000 won in rent each month made her feel even guiltier.

As she stood staring absently at the elevator doors, the car stopped a few floors down and opened.

The face that appeared through the gap made Haru flinch.

“Fancy meeting you here?”

It was Byulna, tilting her head with a tone of disbelief.

Haru hadn’t expected to run into her here and felt just as unsettled.

Byulna stepped inside, standing beside her.

“Do you live here?”

Haru hesitated, unsure what to say, then finally answered:

“No.”

Even if she was pretending to be Ihan’s girlfriend, living together was another matter.

Something told her instinctively that she couldn’t be honest with Byulna. So she lied.

Byulna looked relieved at first, but her expression soon soured.

If she didn’t live here, then her presence meant she had been at Ihan’s place.

Either way, it was irritating.

“What’s your name?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m curious. About who you are, and what you do.”

After all, all she knew was that Haru was supposedly Ihan’s girlfriend.

She was dying to know what kind of woman could win him over.

From her appearance now, nothing seemed special.

But then Byulna raised her eyebrows as she remembered something.

Ah—that wasn’t how she had looked the first time they met.

Back then, Haru had made such an impression that Byulna herself had worn leather outfits for weeks afterward.

Compared to that day, she seemed like an entirely different person now.

Who on earth was this woman?

While Byulna waited for her to answer, the elevator arrived on the ground floor and the doors opened.

Instead of replying, Haru gave a slight bow of her head and walked out.

“What the—ignoring me like that? Rude.”

The more she saw of her, the less she liked her.

Being Ihan’s girlfriend was reason enough to despise her already.

She herself couldn’t give up on Ihan, even knowing he had a girlfriend. She had even gone apartment-hunting in this building earlier that day.

“If she won’t tell me, I’ll just find out myself.”

Muttering to herself as she rode down to the underground garage, Byulna resolved to uncover Haru’s true identity.

---

Ihan keyed in the familiar door-lock code.

Stepping inside, he found the living room empty.

A few steps later, a savory smell wafted toward him.

Following it to the dining room, he saw Haru’s back as she busily worked, so focused she hadn’t noticed his arrival.

He stood quietly for a moment, forgetting even to greet her, simply watching.

Haru dipped a spoon into a pot of stew, tasted it, and nodded with a satisfied smile.

That smile spread to Ihan’s lips as well.

Coming home after work to an empty house was his norm.

The spacious penthouse always felt even bigger because he lived alone.

Sometimes it felt cold despite the heating.

But seeing Haru now, he thought he finally understood why.

The warmth of another person—it meant more than he’d realized.

“Oh? When did you get here?”

Turning with the spoon still in her hand, Haru noticed him.

“Just now,” he replied briefly.

“You haven’t eaten dinner yet, right?”

“No.”

“I made a little something. Let’s eat together.”

He nodded, and Haru hurried to finish preparing the meal.

For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching until he forced himself to step away.

By the time he came back from washing up, the table was set with an impressive spread.

Soybean paste stew, spicy stir-fried pork, rolled omelet, and assorted side dishes.

“You made all this yourself?” Ihan asked in surprise.

“Yes. A little payback for the pasta yesterday,” she smiled.

He sat across from her, grinning back.

Just the sight of the food was enough to make his mouth water.

“I’m honored. The CEO himself being served such a dinner,” he teased, recalling what she had called him the day before.

“Oh, come on. Are you going to keep teasing me about that?” she pouted, untying her apron.

“Only because I like how it sounds,” he chuckled.

“It feels more cringy than flattering, honestly. But anyway, dig in.”

Ihan took a big spoonful of rice, then sampled the stew. Raising his eyebrows, he nodded appreciatively.

“How is it?” she asked.

“It’s delicious.”

Relieved by his answer, Haru smiled.

He tried each dish in turn, finding every one perfectly seasoned.

“You’re really good at cooking,” he said between bites.

“Well, like you, there’s not much I can’t do,” she replied with a playful shrug.

He laughed quietly.

“Years of part-time jobs will do that,” she added.

Acknowledging her words, Ihan kept eating with gusto.

“I can handle Italian food, but I’m not very good with Korean dishes,” he admitted.

“Then I’ll be in charge of Korean food from now on,” she said lightly—then faltered.

The word ‘from now on’ stuck out, making her self-conscious.

“Just until I find a place, of course,” she added quickly.

“No need to rush,” he said casually.

She looked at him, startled.

“If you’re okay with it, you can stay here longer. I don’t mind.”

Strangely, his words felt comforting.

For a moment she almost accepted. Even knowing it was probably just politeness.

“No, I couldn’t. Just being allowed to stay here for a month at 700,000 won is already more than enough,” she said with a forced smile.

But deep down, she was afraid.

Afraid that she would keep getting swept up by his words—afraid she would want to stay.

Afraid that eating meals together like this would become normal.

Afraid that being by his side would feel too natural.

Afraid that when the arrangement ended, she wouldn’t be able to bear being alone again.

 

Haru was afraid.