Chapter 16: The Uniform Incident

…They gave me this to wear? They must have, right? But why a female one… Wait, maybe it’s an optical illusion—should I try it on first? Maybe it’s actually just a simple outfit, or at least a male maid uniform?

Hah… What kind of bullshit thinking is that, Kim Jinho.

I shook my head and dismissed my own absurd, escapist hypothesis. There was no way this premium fabric and the vivid texture of the lace were an optical illusion. The outfit itself seemed like someone’s painstaking work—even the lining looked incredibly soft and high-quality.

But that was completely irrelevant given the design. Who cares about quality texture or comfortable fit when the bottom half is wide open? f*ck, why does God keep sending me these trials and tribulations?!

“Come in!”

Huff, no cursing, Kim Jinho. I muttered that to myself, took a deep breath to compose myself, and grabbed the doorknob.

“Um, sunbae-nim.”

As soon as I entered, I called out to him and held out what I was carrying.

“Hm? What’s that?”

That’s what I want to ask. I came to ask what this outfit is for.

The trial-and-tribulation homework I’d brought seemed to puzzle Min Seonwoo too—he stared at it for a long time. I seriously considered just tossing the hanger with the outfit at his feet, since I didn’t even want to touch it, but I barely managed to suppress my emotions.

Min Seonwoo is money—no, no, he’s a lifeline. A money-giving lifeline. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“…I came to ask about that.”

“Pfft! No way—.”

“Do I really have to wear this?”

“Huh?! Jinho-ssi, were you actually going to wear it?”

The Satan who had plunged me into trials and tribulations burst out laughing. Min Seonwoo laughed so hard tears formed, and after he finished, he gasped for breath and wiped his eyes. I had no idea what was so funny, so I just kept a sour expression on my face.

After laughing his fill and catching his breath, Min Seonwoo cleared his throat and lifted his head.

“Looks like there was some mix-up.”

Min Seonwoo said with a gentle smile.

“Ah… Hahahaha! I thought so. There’s no way you’d actually put that out for me to wear.”

His calm reaction actually caught me off guard—I’d come ready to confront him. Awkwardly, I laughed even louder and played it off. To that, Min Seonwoo nodded and said:

“If you’d actually worn it, I would’ve been the one embarrassed. It seems like mix-ups like this might happen occasionally in the future, so when they do, please ask me first.”

I recalled that for a brief moment earlier, I’d actually considered just closing my eyes and putting it on, thinking “so this is why the hourly wage is 50,000 won.” Wow, I would’ve been completely screwed if I’d worn it.

“Ah, yes. Huh? Speaking of which, why are you using formal speech again? You can keep it casual…”

And out of embarrassment, I just nodded vaguely and changed the subject. Maybe sensing even that was a little awkward, Min Seonwoo narrowed his eyes slightly, studied me for a moment, then chuckled and answered.

“Speech? Ah—, don’t worry about that. I generally use formal speech by default, but occasionally I get comfortable and shorten my words. Unless it specifically bothers you, I’ll mix them up.”

At that, as an employee and a junior, I couldn’t exactly say “actually, I’d rather you didn’t.” And honestly, whether he used formal or casual speech really didn’t matter to me, so I just nodded.

“Either way, you can’t wear that outfit, so you’ll have to work as you are today—is that okay?”

Since I hadn’t been told there would be a uniform, I’d worn clothes I didn’t mind getting dirty, so that wasn’t a problem. I said it was fine, bowed again, and left the room.

Back in the waiting room, I hung the outfit back up and suddenly thought—didn’t they say they were only hiring a man? Why did this mix-up happen? Eh, let’s not overthink it. As I always say, I don’t really like worrying about things.

After that, I was lazing around in the waiting room when—just as the butler grandfather had said—the red lamp attached to one wall began to flash with a vibration.

Finally, work is starting. I went to the next room and found Min Seonwoo dressed in a sleek gray suit with a coat on. It was a bit late for a corporate commute, so I was puzzled, but I didn’t say anything. He must be going out for business.

“What did you call me for?”

Min Seonwoo, as if just noticing me at my question, paused his preparations briefly and simply stated his request.

“Jinho-ssi. When you’re cleaning, please never touch my desk.”

From what I’d seen earlier, the only thing to clean in this room was the desk.

Well, since the owner wishes it, I didn’t object and just nodded. As he was about to leave, my pre-planned strategy suddenly came to mind, so I quickly asked him what time he’d be back.

He looked puzzled as to why I’d be curious, but when I mentioned dinner preparation, he soon nodded and smiled.

“I usually have irregular dinners, so you don’t need to prepare anything. I’m not sure if I’ll even be back before your shift ends, so don’t worry—just leave when it’s time.”

His words, delivered as if considerate, clearly drew a line between us. Normally, I’d just let it slide—but right now, I’m trying to break that line, so I persistently pressed him.

Still, just in case, I wanted at least a rough idea—you should eat dinner, don’t you know how bad irregular meals are for your health? I said all sorts of things to stop him from leaving. Looking troubled, he finally answered: “Probably around your quitting time.”

Only then did I smile brightly and tell him to have a good day, that I’d be waiting. With an unreadable expression, Min Seonwoo left the room.

Bastard, if I ask, just answer—why all the extra fluff? I’d heard he was an easy senior to get close to in college, so I thought it’d be smooth sailing—but unexpectedly, Min Seonwoo seemed like the type who keeps people at arm’s length.

For a moment, I worried about whether I could act freely—but trusting what Chae Yeryeong had said, I decided to carry out the mission of recreating a home-cooked meal for dinner. I’d already pushed back my cram school time, so leaving a little late was no big deal.

Dinner was still far off, so I needed to do other work first. I’m getting paid for this—if I don’t do it properly, I wouldn’t be a good adult! I stretched my stiff body from doing nothing and picked up the laundry basket in the corner of the room. I decided to start with laundry, then cleaning—while pondering what an ideal home-cooked meal should be.

I really cleaned thoroughly. Honestly, aside from the desk I wasn’t supposed to touch, everything was already spotless, so there wasn’t much visible progress—but still, I worked hard in every corner.

After sweeping and wiping for quite a while, I took a break. A thought crossed my mind, so I sent a message to Choi Taehyuk. A reply came immediately.

[Alone?]

He really sends messages his own way.

[Yes, alone.]

I replied a bit curtly, and soon my phone vibrated. This time it was a call.

“What?”

– Did anything happen?

That’s the first thing he says as soon as he calls. He starts every morning call with that same question—as if I’m some child left out in the wild.

It’s not that I dislike it. It’s just strange and awkward that someone who was a complete stranger is saying things twice a day that I never even heard from my own parents.

I thought about whether anything worth reporting had happened, then opened my mouth.

“Hmm—. Something did happen, but it’s nothing big.”

– Tell me.

“Aside from my tongue being a little sore, I’m fine.”

– …Tongue?

I figured falling and getting hurt counted as something, so I mentioned it casually—but something must have bothered him again. At the word “tongue,” Choi Taehyuk’s tone turned murderous as he pressed for details.

I tried to keep my voice steady, but explaining it was embarrassing, so I kept saying it was nothing—but of course, he wouldn’t let it go. I ended up spilling everything. How I was so nervous on my first day that I tripped over my own feet and bit my tongue. I expected him to laugh, but Choi Taehyuk stayed silent until I finished.

I thought maybe he was holding it in, so I told him he could laugh—but instead, he fired off questions about how much blood there was, whether any flesh had been torn off. My motto is being a tough guy, so I answered well—it’s nothing, the wound isn’t big, there wasn’t much blood. But when he asked if it still hurt a lot, I unconsciously admitted that it did.

Maybe I wanted a little comfort? My face flushed at my uncharacteristic behavior—and then another bombardment of nagging came. From irritation about why I’d approached some strange man in the first place, to scolding me about being more careful. Just as I was regretting ever saying I was in pain, Choi Taehyuk let out a sigh and said his final words.

– Don’t get hurt.

That husky voice tickling my ear made me reflexively want to complain that it’s not like it’s up to me—but my throat caught and I just shut my mouth. A stranger’s voice laced with concern was unfamiliar, and that one sincere sentence inexplicably stung. I just kept biting my lip.

Awkward silence hung in the air for a while. I cleared my throat and said I had cleaning to do, so I’d hang up. Choi Taehyuk stayed silent a moment longer, then belatedly said he understood and ended the call. The strangely concluded call left an odd aftertaste. I started wiping the floor again.

After finishing cleaning and laundry, another break time. It had been a while since I’d used the computer, and I even took a nap—so I was in top condition. I pulled out the memo I’d copied from the file and headed to the third-floor kitchen. A hum escaped me. This job made me really regret that it was only temporary.

“Let’s see. Chilled jellyfish salad, bracken fern side dish, braised eggplant…”

Is he a vegetarian? Why does he like plants so much? As a meat-killer, I couldn’t understand his palate—but I was relieved that these were all dishes I’d made at least once before. I opened the refrigerator.

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