‘Seeing her in person… she really is insanely pretty.’
No wonder all three brothers fell for her.
“I didn’t see where I was going. Are you all right?”
Even her voice was clear and pure.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Then…”
After apologizing, Park Hana turned around without a trace of hesitation and walked away.
To think I’d run into the heroine like this on the street.
Is this really a coincidence? If it is, that’s almost eerie. Does fate from the original story somehow always find a way to connect people?
With a sense of curiosity, I briefly thought about how this might tie back to the original plot.
That was when something fell to the ground.
A yellow handkerchief.
I stared at the handkerchief blankly.
What is this—doesn’t that feel way too intentional?
In that instant, the thought of coincidence completely vanished.
That… couldn’t be…
I looked at Park Hana’s back as she walked ahead, my gaze sharpening.
Her slow, lingering steps looked exactly like she was saying, Please chase after me.
If I picked that up and returned it, would she thank me and suggest grabbing some tea?
Just thinking that far made my skin crawl.
‘…Let’s not get involved.’
I had a bad feeling that the moment I got personally entangled, things would turn into a headache. So I ignored the handkerchief, turned around, and started walking my own way.
That was when it happened.
From behind me, Park Hana suddenly called out.
“Excuse me!”
“Yes? Me?”
“…My handkerchief… seems to have fallen over there?”
“…Oh. You’re right?”
For a moment, silence settled between Park Hana and me.
What is she trying to do?
If you know it fell, shouldn’t you come pick it up yourself? Why ask me and just stand there?
It seemed things weren’t going according to plan. Park Hana bit her lip tightly, then strode over, bent down, and picked up the handkerchief herself.
I watched her do that, then turned around again and resumed walking. She’d picked it up on her own, so that should be the end of it.
But once again, her voice rang out from behind me.
“Excuse me!”
“Yes?”
What is it now? Why does she keep calling me?
When I turned around, Park Hana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly.
“…If you have time… would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?”
For a moment, it felt like I was watching a scene from a commercial.
Sunlight dazzled behind Park Hana, and just then a breeze blew, making her hair flutter gently in the air.
As expected of the beloved protagonist of this world—she somehow managed to look radiant even with the smallest gesture.
Any ordinary man would have fallen for her at first sight.
If I hadn’t known anything about Park Hana, I might’ve felt drawn to her too. Unfortunately, I knew everything about her, and that was exactly why this behavior snapped me fully awake.
Park Hana never makes the first move to set up a meeting. She doesn’t need to—appointments come to her without any effort.
And yet here she was, asking me out for coffee first. It was suspicious as hell.
It definitely felt like she wanted something from me…
“Why would I?”
I asked warily.
Park Hana looked momentarily at a loss for words, then forced a smile and spoke.
“…We met like this by fate, and you noticed my handkerchief… I was so grateful that I wanted to treat you to a cup of coffee.”
…Noticed what, exactly?
Is seeing a dropped handkerchief really such a big deal?
I didn’t even pick it up—I just saw it.
I blinked blankly at Park Hana. The corners of her mouth twitched.
It was absurd, and I felt like getting any more involved would just be annoying.
Still, the way Park Hana seemed unlikely to back down made me eventually nod, albeit reluctantly.
I’d decided not to get entangled, but at the same time, part of me wanted to hear what she was going to say after pushing this far.
She clearly had some kind of business with me, and I was a little curious what it was that made her go to such lengths.
At that, Park Hana’s face lit up instantly.
“There’s a really nice café nearby.”
“Ah… okay.”
I followed behind Park Hana as she walked ahead with obvious enthusiasm.
She talked nonstop as we walked.
As if she wanted to get close to me, she chattered on about this and that.
Half-listening to her words, I found myself thinking.
Was her personality always like this?
Well, her concept was the “pure-brained, innocent beauty,” after all.
Bright, clueless, like a ray of light untouched by the ways of the world.
Thinking that explained her behavior, I gave vague responses here and there.
Eventually, we arrived at the café, ordered coffee, and sat down at an empty table.
“My family is poor. My parents passed away early, and I have a younger sibling I have to take care of…. I barely managed to graduate college while working part-time jobs, but…. I can’t find a proper place to work, so I’ve been really worried lately. I’m looking for a job, but there just isn’t anything suitable.”
But… how did the conversation even end up here?
I listened to Park Hana’s story in a daze.
We hadn’t even known each other for an hour, yet I already knew her entire carefully constructed personal profile.
Since she was a spy, it was obviously all fabricated. Still, if someone who didn’t know the truth had heard it, they would’ve pitied her—it was the kind of backstory you couldn’t listen to without tears.
But I wasn’t ignorant of the truth, so I simply nodded calmly.
“I see. That must have been really hard for you.”
“…Yes.”
After I said that, silence settled between us again.
She wasn’t saying anything more. Was that the end of it?
I checked the time.
I’d spent far more time listening to Park Hana’s story than I expected.
“Thank you for the coffee. I have somewhere I need to be, so I should get going. I hope things work out for you. Even a mouse hole gets sunlight someday.”
I left those words behind in a flat tone and stood up.
That reaction should be more than enough for a fake sob story, I thought.
At that moment, Park Hana stood up as well, her face flustered.
Wondering if she had something else to say, I looked at her blankly and asked,
“…What is it?”
“Ah, your number…!”
“My number?”
“Could you give me your phone number? Since we met like this by fate…. I’d like us to stay in touch.”
“Hm.”
I hesitated briefly.
Park Hana looked at me with pleading eyes.
Well… fine. If she was going to enter the household as a housekeeper sooner or later, we’d end up exchanging numbers anyway. Giving it to her now wouldn’t hurt.
I gave her my number. Only then did Park Hana smile in satisfaction and wave goodbye.
“If anything happens… or even if not—if you hear about any job openings nearby, please contact me anytime!”
“…Okay.”
So that was the real point.
A job.
She must’ve been desperate because she was supposed to enter the household as a housekeeper but hadn’t managed to yet.
Seeing that, I actually felt relieved.
The heroine, Park Hana, was actively trying to become a housekeeper herself. She’d probably approach not just me, but the other brothers soon as well.
If that happened, it would only be a matter of time before things followed the original plot.
Seems like all my worrying up until now had been for nothing.
There was probably no need for me to step in and push the housekeeper auntie out of the picture.
Jung Hwangyu had said he’d talk to Jung Hwanhui anyway, so waiting things out might be the best option.
With a lighter heart, I headed toward the hospital.
Completely unaware of the sharp glare Park Hana was directing at my back.
* * *
‘He has absolutely no sense at all.’
Park Hana glared at Park Gyumin as he left the café.
If you drop a handkerchief, you’re supposed to come back and pick it up immediately.
Seeing it fall and then pretending not to notice and walking away—where did he even learn manners like that?
And then hesitating when I suggested grabbing a drink at the café….
I spoke gently, tried to get close, acted pitiful and delicate, asked for help—despite all that, what was with that blank look on his face?
When someone does that, the normal reaction is to step up and say you’ll help find them a job, isn’t it?
It was completely incomprehensible.
She had never, in her entire life, been treated like that by a man.
‘…Am I not pretty?’
Park Hana took out the mirror she always kept in her pocket.
In the mirror was a beauty anyone would recognize at a glance.
I am pretty. I really am.
Satisfied, Park Hana put the mirror away and headed to the restroom. It happened to be empty.
Inside, she removed the long wig that had been weighing her down.
The moment the wig came off, the pure and delicate woman vanished, replaced by a doll-like, handsome flower boy standing there.
Park Hana—no, Park Hajun now—adjusted his hair, then answered a ringing phone.
“Yeah, hello?”
[“Oppa, what are you doing?”]
“What do you think? Working. You botched the interview, so I’m cleaning up after you.”
[…“Seriously, how is that my fault! That owner just has garbage taste!”]
“Whatever. This might actually be for the best. I never liked you getting involved in this job anyway. You remember, right? If you failed the interview, you were supposed to back out. I’m taking over this job.”
[“But oppa, you’re a man—and a beta!”]
“Do you think this is my first time doing this kind of thing? I don’t need pheromones. I’ll find out everything—from their documents to the underwear they’re wearing. You just stay put and wait.”
Park Hajun hung up on Park Hana’s whining.
‘First, I need to get close to Park Gyumin from that household.’
From what he’d found, it seemed the boss took good care of the housekeeper….
If he played his cards right, getting them to arrange a job for him might not even be difficult.
Judging by how he acted today, he’s dense, clueless, emotionally dull…. A troublesome opponent, sure—but no tree fails to fall after being chopped ten times.
Especially when someone as pretty as me makes the first move.
The outcome was obvious.
Let’s see who wins….
Park Hajun walked off with a confident smile.