Day one of vacation. Packing his bags with excitement, Cha Eugene walked out the door first, glued to Hajun’s side. Hajun called out a farewell to the rest of the group.
“We’re off. Enjoy your break, everyone.”
“See you soon!”
“Yeah, stay healthy!”
“Catch you in a few days~”
After trading goodbyes, they headed down to the parking area and got into the car. Climbing straight into the passenger seat, Eugene spoke up.
[A Volvo?]
[Yeah.]
[No Rolls-Royce? Or a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or something like that? The kind rich people drive.]
[There are a few back at the main house.]
Starting the engine, Hajun answered that he didn’t care much for driving those around. Fastening his seatbelt, Eugene gave him a curious look. Why?
[Volvos are built tough.]
[? What does being tough have to do with…]
Realization crept across Eugene’s face, turning into shock. The car launched forward without warning, and Eugene grabbed the handle above his door, shouting in panic.
[You have a license, right? Tell me you have one!]
[I do.]
[Liar!!]
[Why ask if you won’t believe me?]
Taking one hand off the wheel, Hajun reached into his pocket while Eugene nearly threw a fit beside him. Hajun tossed his driver’s license over. Turning the official license stamped by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner back and forth, Eugene asked in suspicion.
[Is this fake??]
[It’s real. Damn it, what’s your issue?]
[Then why talk like that! Like a guy who hit someone driving without a license!]
Without a license? Hajun let out a snort.
[Does an accident only happen when I make a mistake?]
[What?]
[If someone slams straight into us out of nowhere, what am I supposed to do? The car needs to be sturdy.]
[What… Are you getting chased by a gang or something?]
Hajun shook his head to signal no. Experience had taught him that making too many enemies brought annoying danger, so he avoided trouble these days, but picking a sturdy car had become second nature. Not that it came from trauma or anything. What was wrong with a tough car anyway?
Handing the license back, Eugene leaned against his seat. After a moment of silence, he spoke up.
[Hajun, you have way too many secrets.]
[Maybe.]
[Don’t answer, just listen. I’m not asking you to tell me, because I find that side of you pretty interesting.]
Thanks a lot. Steering the car with ease, Hajun offered the thought in silence. Eugene continued.
[Still, you need to know how to ask for help when you really need it.]
[Are you worrying about me right now?]
[Yeah. Well, you’ll handle yourself, but still… Whoa! Eyes on the road!! Look ahead!!]
Reaching over to ruffle the hair of the kid giving him sweet advice, Hajun got a scream in return reminding him about road safety. Relax, people have two eyes. Plus, Hajun possessed a sharp sense he joked about as his third eye. Satisfied with turning Eugene’s hair into a messy nest, Hajun pulled his hand back. On his phone in navigation mode, Thia announced their arrival in ten minutes.
Stepping inside the house, Hajun paused. He scanned Randy standing at the entrance from head to toe.
[What’s with the outfit? Why the full suit?]
[Welcome home, Young Master. And Young Master’s guest.]
Wearing a polished public smile, Randy stood with slicked hair and a three-piece suit, looking totally different from usual. Wow, even a bowtie?
[Are you sick or something? What’s going on? And why the old-fashioned accent? Acting in a classic movie?]
A guy living in the States since his late teens spoke English without a trace of a British accent, so why jump back to the nineteenth century all on his own? Trying to block Hajun from ripping off his bowtie, Randy offered an excuse.
[Hearing that a guest was coming, I thought offering a bit of fun might be nice. Last time felt far too sudden.]
[Bullshit.]
Yet this B-movie charm somehow worked, as Eugene stepped forward with bright eyes and extended a hand. Shaking hands with Randy, whose bowtie now hung loose, Eugene introduced himself.
[Hello, um, Mr. Randy? I heard a lot about you. Your cooking tastes great. I’m Eugene Cha.]
[Randolph Stuart. It is an honor that the food suited your taste. Please make yourself at home.]
Randy told them to call him if they needed anything and led them into the reception room. When Eugene saw the snacks, his eyes lit up, while Hajun sipped his black tea and checked out the room. The place had a real antique vibe. Was Randy serious with all this? The tea set looked fancy and took a lot of work to put together. Hajun stared at the three-tier tray piled with sandwiches, scones, cakes, macarons, and chocolates. He looked tired as he asked a question to Eugene, who was busy taking a huge bite of an egg sandwich.
[Good?]
[Super good. You aren’t eating, Hajun?]
[I have to. Damn nagging guy.]
If he didn’t touch a bite, he would face a whole day of whining. I woke up early and worked hard to make this for you, Young Master, yet you won’t eat a single bite? I even enrolled in a culinary academy to find food that suits your taste, yada yada. What was he, a nanny? Eugene watched in wonder as Hajun set his teacup down without a sound, picked up a sandwich from the bottom tray, and took a clean bite. Looking at him like this, he really seemed like a rich young master. Every movement flowed without waste, carrying an air of ease from his fingertips. Feeling an itch to tease, Eugene let out a word.
[Young Master.]
[Huh? Looking for a fight?]
Glaring with that sharp scowl made him look like a total thug again, but well, both sides belonged to Hajun. Smiling as he explained he just wanted to try saying it once, Eugene accepted the rest of the sandwich. Hajun split a scone in half and spoke.
[Ask Randy about your room, he should have one ready. Tell him to swap it if you don’t like it.]
[Okay!]
[We’ll have dinner late, so after finishing this, feel free to look around the house… Do whatever you want. And if you run into other staff while walking around, don’t mind them.]
[There are other people too?]
Seeing Eugene’s excited face, Hajun gave a look of disgust.
[Don’t get your hopes up. Except if Randy forced the poor housekeepers into Victorian maid cosplay, they should look normal. If he did, I’m calling the cops.]
[Oh man, so this isn’t nineteenth-century England!]
[Stop messing around.]
Finishing his half scone, Hajun reached for the top tray. Poping a small rose-shaped chocolate into his mouth, a rich, bittersweet taste spread across his tongue without being too sweet. Randy’s effort to match his picky master’s taste showed care. Chewing on a scone loaded with clotted cream and jam, Eugene asked Hajun, who drank tea without touching any more food as if done.
[What are the other staff like?]
[Don’t know.]
[?]
[They were hired after coming to Korea, so I haven’t met them. Looks like Randy sorted them out after following me here… Either way, he handles those things, so it’s not my business.]
[Oh…]
Swallowing his thought that Hajun sounded like a real young master just now alongside his scone, Eugene swept the remaining macarons into his mouth and stood up. Wanting to check out the garden first, Eugene ran outside with Hajun following at a lazy pace.
Spotting the pool in the backyard, Eugene got so excited that Hajun had to endure a round of water play with a water-element cat. He let it slide since the kid was young. Facing a teenager with full strength felt out of place, a fact Hajun knew well. Which meant Randy had no need to peek out the window with worried eyes. As their water play wrapped up, Randy appeared in the backyard, handing towels to the soaked pair to keep them from catching a cold.
[Here you go.]
[Thank you!]
In contrast to his polite guest, the rude young master snatched the towel without a word of thanks. Drying his hair, Hajun handed Randy his wet shirt, thrown off long ago in the pool. Tossing another expensive shirt around… Swallowing a sigh as he took the laundry, Randy spoke.
[Young Master, put something on before you catch a cold. Stop showing off your abs.]
[I won’t catch a cold. And why show off abs? Everyone has them.]
[Not everyone builds muscle just by breathing like you do, Young Master.]
[Did your abs vanish? Tough luck. Getting old?]
Looking quite wronged, Randy argued back, but Hajun paid no attention. Draping the towel over his shoulders, Hajun walked inside, leaving a trail of water on the floor. The effort spent cleaning went down the drain, but no one could scowl at the house owner.
After taking a shower, Hajun wandered around until he found the door leading into the kitchen. Inside, a man busy cooking spotted Hajun and offered a greeting. Recognizing his face, Hajun knew Randy must have brought one of the kitchen staff from the main house.
[Hello, Young Master Damon!]
[Yeah. What are you making?]
[I prepared a full-course dinner. You mentioned your guest has a huge appetite, right?]
[I did, but didn’t anyone tell you I brought only one person? How many servings are you making?]
[Ah… Hearing that you requested a rich dinner, I got excited and…]
With an awkward laugh, the chef trailed off. Hajun stared at the mountain of ingredients, wondering what Randy had been doing instead of stopping him. Are you kidding me? Even if Eugene ate like a piglet, he couldn’t finish all this.
Then Hajun thought of Park Moondae, resting alone in the dorm. He had yet to eat dinner—should he invite him over? Hajun dialed his number right away, listening to a long ringtone. Just as he wondered if the guy had blocked his number, an automated voice informed him the call failed to connect. The person you have called—
“Ignoring me?”
[Pardon?]
[Not talking to you. Is it fine if I invite one more guest for dinner?]
[Of course, we have plenty of food.]
[Looks like it. If Randy looks for me, tell him I went to pick up another guest.]
[Yes, Young Master.]
Not knowing what was going on, Hajun felt it best to check in person. Trusting his instincts, Hajun decided to head to the dorm himself and bring Park Moondae back. Fresh from his shower, Eugene walked down the hall and spotted Hajun.
[Hajun! Where are you going? Not eating dinner?]
[To get Park Moondae. The chef is making enough food for ten people.]
[Really??]
Checking Eugene’s happy face, Hajun ran a fast count. Eugene would eat three or four servings, Moondae would eat three. Adding Randy, the chef, and the housekeeper cleaning the wet floor earlier, the people inside this estate could clear the meal fine.
However, things failed to go according to plan. Reaching the dorm, Hajun found Park Moondae groaning with a faint haze of cursed energy around his body.
“Look at you.”
“…”
“Where did the guy go who said he would eat well and rest well all by himself?”
“…Ugh…”
A faint groan leaked from Moondae, who looked either fast asleep or passed out. Crossing his arms, Hajun scanned Moondae before brushing away his sweat-soaked golden hair and resting a hand on his forehead to gauge his temperature. A fever. Seeing him wrapped in cursed energy, Hajun had wondered if it was Spirit Sickness, but that seemed wrong. The curse had an effect, but nothing serious. Weak.
Suppressing the curse with his own energy for now, Hajun lifted Moondae, blanket and all. Taking him back and applying a few fixes should solve it fast. While people usually called carrying someone away without consent a kidnapping, no one stood nearby to point that out.
New Terms
- ě‹ ëł‘ – Spirit Sickness (An ailment caused by spiritual or demonic influence)
