The alcohol two nights in a row must have done it. Hae-som hadn’t slept very long. She scanned the dark room before realizing she was curled up in Jae-geon’s arms.

How did we end up falling asleep like this?

Once on the sofa, once on the bed, then again while showering together. At some point, with their bodies still tangled together, she’d drifted off.

It was no surprise she hadn’t slept deeply.

Careful not to wake him, Hae-som eased herself out of his embrace with a slight twist of her waist. Moonlight shimmered across his sleeping face. She watched him for a moment before slipping into Jae-geon’s robe and heading into the living room.

She admired the spotless room once, then stared in disbelief at the neatly aligned bottles of water inside the refrigerator. His obsessive need for order and cleanliness struck her all over again.

Well, clean is better than filthy.

Thinking that being a chef was exactly the right profession for him, Hae-som she quietly turned away.

Her gaze fell on the watch he’d left on the kitchen island.

Three in the morning.

“They say old habits die hard.”

It was the hour she always woke up anyway, so she wasn’t particularly bothered.

Accustomed to the darkness, she crossed the living room and stepped onto the patio. She planned to sit in the pine-scented chair, kill time, and go back inside when dawn finally broke.

The summer night air was cool and refreshing, almost like biting into a menthol candy.

The slippers she’d borrowed from Jae-geon were far too large, and she nearly tripped several times, but somehow managed to reach the patio without falling.

The real trouble began after she sat down.

A cat, sensing someone nearby, sprang onto the top of the wall. Its eyes flashed in the darkness, eerie as ghost lights.

An inexplicable sense of déjà vu swept over her, and goosebumps raced across her body.

“Go away! I said go!”

The cat seemed just as startled. Its tiny body puffed up like a dandelion seedhead, every hair standing on end. It even hissed, as if trying to scare the frightened Hae-som away.

“Hiss!”

“Eek!”

Jae-geon, who had been watching the standoff between the two small creatures with quiet amusement, let out a weary sigh.

“Ha…”

Instead of approaching Hae-som, he walked over to the stray cat. As though he’d done it a hundred times, he scratched beneath its chin, and a loud purr drifted through the night air.

Before long, the cat’s guard vanished completely. It hopped down from the wall and rubbed itself against his legs as though it belonged there.

Jae-geon accepted the affection as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

How does he make everything look so easy?

Curled into a tiny ball atop the chair, Hae-som watched the peaceful scene between man and cat.

“Meow, meow.”

The cat followed after Jae-geon with soft cries.

Footsteps. Then the sound of kibble rattling into a bowl.

They stopped beside a small earthenware jar, which seemed to be the cat’s food container.

Watching it cried for its breakfast reminded Hae-som a little too much of herself the previous night, and her cheeks warmed for no reason.

The cat shot her a brief glance before burying its nose in the bowl and devouring its meal.

Jae-geon washed his hands at the faucet and walked back. He stopped in front of her, blocking her view with his sun-bronzed abdominal muscles. Beneath his pajama pants, the outline of his arousal stirred for an instant.

The bridge of Hae-som’s nose flushed red, glowing like candlelight in the dark.

“You don’t like cats?”

“Their eyes scare me.”

“They’re cute when you see them in daylight.”

“They’re still scary. They pop out of nowhere.”

“From their point of view, you probably do the same.”

Maybe he really had been a cat in a past life.

He was distant with people, yet so gentle with cats.

For some reason, that irritated Hae-som.

Her voice came out sharper than she’d intended.

“Why are you up so early?”

“My side of the bed felt empty.”

Something about that answer lingered.

She’d always been the one desperate for sleep, but now it almost seemed as though he craved it too.

Can insomnia be contagious?

Still curled up like a pill bug, she suddenly found herself lifted into the air.

Her face was pressed against the firm muscles of his chest. Their bodies fit together without the slightest gap, and his heartbeat pounded beneath her cheek.

“I thought you’d run away again.”

It sounded like he was talking about the morning after they’d first slept together, when she’d disappeared without a trace.

You gave me space, so I figured I was supposed to leave.

What exactly was the problem?

Jae-geon kicked off the oversized slippers dangling from her feet before shoving the patio door open with surprising force.

Come to think of it, he was barefoot.

There had only been one pair of slippers.

He must have rushed outside the moment he’d heard her shriek, throwing on only a pair of pants before coming after her.

After brushing the dirt from his feet against the doormat, he headed straight for the bedroom without hesitation.

His voice was solemn over the steady thump of his heartbeat.

“I’m making you sleep until noon. I’ll never have peace of mind otherwise.”

---

Just as he’d declared, Hae-som didn’t wake until well past noon.

Jae-geon, who had been up since morning, was waiting with breakfast already prepared.

It was a soufflé served with omija honey. Since she’d barely touched the Korean-style breakfast last time, he’d apparently decided to make a Western one instead.

Would he scold me if I said I actually preferred Korean food?

She stole a cautious glance at him.

Without a word, he cut off a bite with his fork and held it out to her.

The movement was so businesslike it almost felt as though he were conducting a customer satisfaction survey.

Having missed the rare chance to sleep in, Hae-som resisted out of sheer just to be contrary.

The smile in his eyes tugged at the corners of her mouth.

The moment her lips parted, another, even larger bite of soufflé slipped inside.

It tasted as though Jae-geon had made the batter himself, while the omija honey carried the familiar flavor of the one made by Monk Jong-myeong at Hunam-sa.

An ordinary combination.

Yet somehow, completely fresh.

So even familiar ingredients can be paired like this.

The realization flickered through her mind.

“Is it good?”

“Yes.”

Jae-geon’s hand reached across the table and brushed the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

Sticky honey clung to his thumb.

He slowly ran his tongue over it, licking his finger clean.

The sight was far too sensual that heat pooled deep in her stomach.

Now she finally understood why women—including Cha Ji-won—couldn’t stop chasing after him.

Thoughts of his long dating history surfaced again, souring her mood.

Rather than waste time dwelling on something meaningless, she decided she’d rather focus on what truly mattered to her.

Refusing the last bite he offered, Hae-som forced a businesslike tone,

“So… when are we going to the farm?”

---

Farm to Table.

About an hour outside Seoul by car, the thousand-pyeong farm possessed a peaceful pastoral charm.

Seasonal crops stretched across broad plots of land, while the produce grown specifically for Not was separated inside dome-shaped greenhouses.

Hae-som couldn’t tear her eyes away from the vibrant green rows. Her eyes sparkled with childlike excitement.

“Wow!”

He’d lured her away from insisting on staying at his house by promising a visit to the farm.

But seeing her more excited than he’d ever seen before left Jae-geon for some reason feeling lost.

Still… I’ve already marked her as mine where no other man can touch. That’s enough.

The instant he engaged the parking brake, Hae-som shot out of the car like a spring.

The scent of damp earth rushed through the open door.

Park Jong-woo, who had come out to greet them after receiving Jae-geon’s call, looked at Hae-som in surprise.

“Not kid! What brings you here?”

Hae-som hurried over to him, flashing a grin that showed her rabbit-like front teeth.

“I was supposed to come get the permit from Chef, but I ended up coming with him instead. Can I look around?”

“You’ll have to ask Chef about that.”

Jong-woo narrowed his eyes at Jae-geon, suspicion flickering across his face.

Guess he’s slow to pick up rumors.

Then again, he usually came early in the morning to deliver produce.

Unless Hae-som herself had told him—which she never would have—there was no reason he’d have heard the gossip.

“We’re looking for ingredients for Not‘s autumn menu. I figured I’d reward her while we’re here.”

“What kind of reward is a farm tour? Sounds more like a punishment.”

It had been a long time since he’d seen Hae-som this full of life.

Or perhaps…

Maybe he’d never seen this side of her before.

As her boss, he should have been pleased.

As a man, he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

Since he couldn’t decide which emotion to settle on, Jae-geon simply smiled.

Jong-woo led him to a simple table on the terrace.

After serving lemon balm tea, he curved his lips into a faint smile.

His gaze rested on the small vegetable garden.

“Even you have to admit she’s beautiful, Chef.”