How had they managed to live hidden in this house? The answer was simple.
The mansion had been built by restoring a traditional Korean house that had almost completely burned down during the Japanese colonial period. The Jung family had been enormously wealthy even then, and apparently they had taken the lead in supporting many independence activists.
The tiled roof gave the mansion a historic air, but the interior was exceptionally modern. A small door stood beside the enormous, newly fitted kitchen, and behind it was his mother's room.
The kitchen door was usually kept locked, so there was little chance of anyone discovering them. Besides, the owners hardly ever came home.
And there, inside the kitchen of this wealthy household, Hayeop worked tirelessly.
It would be disastrous if bugs got into the rice in this weather, so he put the rice jar in the refrigerator, soaked the beans….
"Peekaboo."
Hayeop was hurrying into the kitchen when he toppled backward. He even flung away the tray in his hands, sending dried chilies flying in every direction.
"So this is where you've been hiding."
That towering height, the sly way of speaking, those distinctive eyes curving gently at the corners—it was the goddamned Young Master.
He stood at an angle in the kitchen, looking down at Hayeop. The fierce gaze visible through his long hair dropped to the shorts Hayeop was wearing.
"Your cock is practically hanging out."
He bent at the waist and leaned closer. Hayeop folded his knees and shuffled backward on his bottom. He had been determined never to let the Young Master find him again, but now everything was completely ruined.
Why is he home during class again? That playboy must be skipping school again.
"Why are you wearing my sister Yoonmi's shorts?"
"I didn't steal them."
Yoonmi was the young miss who had gone abroad to study. She was a pianist and had apparently left for faraway Germany. She had abandoned heaps of belongings before departing, and Hayeop's mother had merely picked out the clothes that were still perfectly good.
"They'd thrown away perfectly good clothes, so we just picked them up…."
"You really are a parasite, aren't you?"
"A p-parasite?"
Hayeop was dumbfounded. Never in his life had he imagined that someone would call him a bug.
"That's what you are. A par-a-site."
Yoonwon even enunciated the word clearly to his face.
"You hide in our house, eat our food, and sleep here whenever you please."
Hayeop was shocked. Shocked. Utterly and completely shocked.
The Young Master clicked his tongue. When he shook his head and said this simply would not do, Hayeop's spirits sank. A parasite? That was far too cruel.
"How long has this been going on?"
The black lashes framing Hayeop's gentle, faintly double-lidded eyes trembled.
"How long have you been haunting our house like some creepy virgin ghost?"
"W-well…."
It's not like I've been eating here for free. I felt so guilty and apologetic that I worked even harder around the house.
"It's been a month now."
"A month?"
Yoonwon watched Hayeop with interest gleaming across his face. He had wondered how the boy had managed to live here as a kitchen drudge without being discovered, but apparently there was a space behind the kitchen where the woman stayed. Had he been helping with the kitchen work like some secret housekeeper, only to dart into hiding whenever he heard anyone approaching?
Now that Yoonwon looked closely, the scrap of a T-shirt Hayeop wore was one he himself had worn in middle school. The collar had stretched so badly that his chest was plainly visible.
How funny. Anyone looking at him would think he was deliberately trying to seduce someone. A little brat like him.
A smile tugged at Yoonwon's lips.
"Grr."
He deliberately growled as if threatening him.
"Maybe I should report you as a spy."
"No!"
Horrified, Hayeop immediately wrapped both arms around his leg. He clung tightly, as though prepared to sink his teeth in and never let go.
"No, Young Master. Please, anything but reporting us."
"How dare a freeloader like you sponge off my family?"
"I work incredibly hard around here! You said the glass noodle stir-fry I made was delicious, and I washed your shirts until they were spotless. How can you try to throw someone out overnight after all that?"
It felt so unfair that Hayeop could have died. He might not have any money, but that did not mean he had no pride. Did he truly have to beg so pitifully?
"What are you even going to eat for dinner tonight…? You look like you've never gotten so much as a drop of water on your hands."
Thoroughly dejected, Hayeop muttered his complaint.
"They say rich people are always the stingiest, and I suppose it's true. Don't you feel even a little sorry for me? I work myself half to death every single day, and I've never even stolen so much as an ice cream bar…."
"Well, well. Listen to you. That's suspicious."
Yoonwon's eyes narrowed. He gazed down at Hayeop with the eyes of a snake.
"Why bring up ice cream when I never asked about it?"
Then he let out a low, knowing sound.
"Ahh. So you've been dying to sneak around and steal some like a little rat?"
"N-no, absolutely not…."
His darkest desire had been exposed.
Damn it, you idiot! You should've kept your mouth shut.
Realizing that this was getting him nowhere, Hayeop clasped his hands together and began begging in earnest.
"Please let this go. If my mother and I are thrown out in the middle of summer, we won't have anywhere to go."
His mother had grown terribly frail. Every night, she lay groaning in pain, constantly scratching at her back and stomach. Hayeop had no idea what was making her sick. What would they do if they were thrown out as well?
His eyes filled with tears whenever he thought of her. She kept putting off going to the hospital, insisting that everyone started hurting all over once they grew old. The reason was obvious. It was all because of that damned money.
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes, Young Master…."
Hayeop quickly nodded, making himself as meek as possible. His round eyes drooped miserably.
"And what does any of that have to do with me?"
You heartless bastard. You're worse than an animal.
Hayeop wanted to burst into tears. How could anyone be so cold and merciless?
What a waste of fox tails. That fox was cared for and fed like my own little sister.
"What will you do if I tell my parents everything? Hmm?"
There was a saying that even a cornered rat would bite a tiger. Now that things had come this far, Hayeop had nothing left to lose.
"Then I'll tell them everything too!"
You bastard.
Hayeop's large eyes sharpened into furious triangles as he shouted back.
"I'll tell them that the Young Master is a playboy who skips school instead of studying! And that you go around p-pounding rice cakes with women…!"
"What did you say?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, Yoonwon gave an incredulous laugh.
"Ha… Pounding rice cakes? A little kid like you knows what that means?"
The Young Master had been staring at him as though wondering where this ridiculous creature had come from, but suddenly he went rigid. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Oh. Did my attack work?
Seizing his chance, Hayeop unleashed a rapid barrage. Any trace of reason had long since deserted him.
"I thought you were an exemplary student who was kind, hardworking, and brilliant at studying, but you're nothing but a playboy—mmph!"
At that moment, the Young Master lunged forward and clamped a hand over his mouth. Hayeop thrashed wildly. His breath caught in his throat.
If he didn't want to hear it, why couldn't he just say so?
"Shh."
The Young Master raised a finger for silence and made a long, breathy shushing sound.
"Hello? Where are you?"
A high-pitched voice rang out from beyond the kitchen, sending a chill down Hayeop's spine.
I-it-it's Madam!
He was shocked. Shocked. Utterly and completely shocked.
Why had Madam come home at this hour? Hayeop knew her entire schedule by heart. She was supposed to be sitting elegantly in a hotel café right now, drinking coffee with other wealthy society ladies.
"Where are you?"
His heart shrank to the size of a bean.
Yoonwon swiftly dragged Hayeop into the laundry room and squeezed inside with him. They had barely concealed themselves when, not even a second later, the kitchen door flew open. Hayeop trembled so hard that the vibrations ran down to his feet. He curled tightly into himself.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His heart pounded violently. He kept one hand clamped over his mouth while the Young Master's breath spilled down over him. In the darkness, Yoonwon silently mouthed a question.
"Scared?"
The question was extraordinarily tender. His eyes curved softly, as if everything he had done moments earlier had only been a joke. Hayeop could almost feel a gentle breeze stirring from somewhere. That soft, kindly smile left him spellbound. It was as though a fox tail were lightly brushing around his cheeks.
"Where on earth did that woman go without saying a word? And she left these chilies scattered everywhere."
Soon the kitchen door closed, and Madam disappeared. Even as her footsteps receded, Hayeop's heart continued to pound.
"She's gone now."
Only then did Yoonwon release him. He pressed one long index finger to his lips.
"This stays our little secret. Shh."
"Yes…."
Hayeop nodded with a bewitched expression. A chill swept over his entire body, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.
"Whoosh."
Yoonwon blew a cool breath against Hayeop's cheek, as light and delicate as dandelion seeds drifting through the air.
"Baby, you're sweating."
Both of Hayeop's round cheeks flushed red.
"Ahem."
With his cheeks as crimson as though they had been stained with balsam flowers, Hayeop rolled his eyes awkwardly. It was truly ridiculous. Why did he suddenly feel shy?
"Well, summer is supposed to be hot, isn't it?"
Muttering to himself, Hayeop quickly picked up the silver tray and began gathering the dried chilies.
"I-I have to go pound these chilies, so I'll be leaving now."
He was stammering like a loser and busily collecting them when a hand seized his upper arm from behind.
"What now…?"
"Want some ice cream?"
Hayeop spun around in shock at the unexpected offer. His eyes had gone as round as saucers.
"Ice cream?"
Yoonwon's eyes curved as though he had known exactly how Hayeop would react.
"That's right, you little parasite."