Morning arrived quietly over the Kang residence.
Sunlight filtered through the tall windows lining the eastern hallway, stretching across polished marble floors that reflected every passing shadow. Somewhere outside, sprinklers hissed over trimmed hedges. A gardener knelt beneath a flowering tree, clipping away dead branches with careful hands.
Min-woo adjusted the sleeves of his uniform as he followed the housekeeper down the corridor.
"You'll be helping on the first floor today," the older woman said without slowing. "Dusting, changing flowers, assisting in the dining room if we're short on hands."
"Understood."
"And don't wander."
She gave him a brief look over her shoulder and then continued walking. Min-woo hid a smile behind his lips.
The mansion was somehow even larger on the inside than it had looked from the gate. Every room opened into another hallway, every hallway into another staircase. It felt less like a home and more like a hotel that happened to belong to one family.
By the time he'd finished arranging fresh flowers in the sitting room, voices drifted in from the dining area.
"...Good morning, Young Master."
Min-woo glanced toward the doorway out of instinct. Jihan had just come downstairs. He wore a dark suit and a silver watch. Hair still slightly damp from a shower. He looked exactly like the kind of man people moved aside for without being asked.
"Morning."
His voice was calm. One of the older maids hurried over with coffee.
"I'm sorry, sir. Breakfast will be another five minutes."
"No rush. I woke up earlier than usual." He accepted the coffee with a small nod. "Thank you."
The woman smiled before hurrying back toward the kitchen. Min-woo watched the exchange from across the room.
That was it? No impatience. No complaints. No cold expression. Just...Normal?
The image he'd built from Jae-min's stories cracked ever so slightly. A chair scraped across the dining room floor. Another voice yawned loudly.
"I'm going back to bed..."
Tae-hyun shuffled into the room wearing wrinkled pajamas, one hand buried in messy black hair.
Jihan looked up from his coffee.
"You have class and also an exam."
"I know and—" Tae-hyun dropped into the chair opposite him. "I'm considering failing."
"You've considered that every semester."
"I've never been this committed before."
Jihan almost smiled. The expression disappeared before it fully formed.
"Tae-hyun, not this morning please"
One of the maids set breakfast down between them. Tae-hyun reached for the toast immediately. Jihan moved the plate just out of reach.
"Washing your hands first."
"...You're unbelievable."
"So I've been told."
Tae-hyun groaned dramatically before dragging himself toward the sink. Min-woo lowered his head before anyone noticed him watching. He couldn't help it. This wasn't what he'd expected. Not from either of them.
----
The second floor was noticeably quieter.
Most of the family had already come downstairs. The only sounds left were the soft hum of the central air conditioner and the occasional footsteps of staff moving between rooms.
Min-woo balanced a stack of neatly folded towels against one arm while the housekeeper walked ahead of him.
"Last room," she said, stopping outside a dark wooden door.
"Young Master Tae-hyun's."
She handed him a fresh set of bed linens.
"Leave these inside. He's probably still getting ready."
Min-woo nodded. Then, the housekeeper disappeared farther down the hallway. He glanced once at the door before lifting his hand to knock.
Three light taps—Nothing.
He waited. Then, knocked again. Still nothing.
"...Maybe he already left."
Just as he shifted the towels in his arms and turned to go, the door swung open. Tae-hyun stood there, one hand still on the handle.
His hair looked like he'd lost a fight with his pillow. An oversized charcoal hoodie hung loosely over a white T-shirt, one sleeve pushed halfway up his forearm. He blinked twice, clearly still waking up.
He actually went back to sleep?
The two of them stared at each other. "...Morning," Min-woo said.
"...Morning."
Min-woo lifted the towels a little. "I was told to bring these."
Tae-hyun looked down at the stack, then back at Min-woo.
"Oh."
Another pause.
"I forgot people actually do that."
The words slipped out so casually that Min-woo laughed before he could stop himself.
"So did I."
Tae-hyun tilted his head.
"You've only been here a few days?"
"...Yeah."
"That explains it." He stepped aside, pulling the door open a little wider.
"You can just leave them anywhere."
Min-woo thanked him quietly and walked inside. He stopped almost immediately. The room looked nothing like he'd expected.
A guitar rested against the wall beneath the window. Textbooks were piled unevenly across the desk, mixed with sketchbooks and loose sheets of paper covered in rough pencil drawings. A basketball sat beside the bed, half-hidden beneath a hoodie that had clearly been thrown there days ago. Headphones dangled from the back of a chair. An open packet of chips sat abandoned beside a game controller.
It looked... lived in.
Min-woo smiled without thinking. "I expected something different."
Tae-hyun rubbed the back of his neck. "My brother says that every time he walks in here."
"I can see why."
"...Is it really that bad?"
Min-woo looked around once more.
"I've seen worse."
Tae-hyun smiled—small, sleepy but real.
Min-woo crossed to the wardrobe and set the folded towels down. As he turned back, something near the doorway caught his eye.
A notebook had slipped off the shelf sometime during the night. Without thinking, he bent down, picked it up, dusted the cover lightly with his thumb, and placed it back where it belonged.
"You didn't have to do that," Tae-hyun said.
"It was on the floor and i was already standing here."
For some reason, that answer lingered.
Most people either ignored little things or made a point of being thanked for them.
This man had done neither. Before Tae-hyun could say anything else, a familiar voice drifted up from the first floor.
"Tae-hyun. You'll be late." Jiahn called.
Tae-hyun winced. "I'm coming!"
He looked back at Min-woo.
"...Thanks."
"Min-woo." Min-woo nodded with a smile.
Tae-hyun blinked. Then a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I'm Tae-hyun."
"I know."
"...Right." The corners of Min-woo's mouth lifted as je gave a small bow before stepping back into the hallway.
"Have a good day."
"You too."
The door clicked shut behind him. Min-woo made it halfway down the corridor before realizing he was still smiling. He frowned to himself.
"...Weird."
Inside the room, Tae-hyun stood for another second.
His eyes drifted toward the shelf.
The notebook Min-woo had picked up sat neatly back in its place.
He hadn't even noticed it had fallen.
"...Huh."
"Tae-hyun!"
Jihan's voice carried up the staircase again.
"I'm coming!"
Grabbing his backpack, Tae-hyun hurried out, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.
---
That evening—
The driving range was almost empty.
A handful of businessmen occupied the far lanes, their conversations drifting lazily through the cooling air.
Jae-min stood on the practice mat, golf club hanging awkwardly in his hands. He looked at it like it had personally insulted him.
Min-woo stood safely behind him.
" We couldn't practice yesterday because you kept nagging. You remember how to hold it?"
"No."
"Excellent start."
"I hate you."
"I know."
Jae-min planted his feet. Looked at the ball then at the club and back at the ball.
"This feels stupid."
"Swing."
He did. The club slapped the grass with a loud thud. The ball remained exactly where it was.
Min-woo pressed his lips together.
Jae-min slowly turned.
"...Don't."
Min-woo immediately bursed into laughter "sorry, I tried."
Jae-min sighed and reset his stance. Another swing. The ball shot sideways. It bounced once before rolling into the divider between lanes.
A businessman three stalls over looked up briefly before returning to his own practice.
Min-woo folded his arms.
"At least you hit it."
"I wish I hadn't."
"Again."
Jae-min glared at him.
"You're enjoying this."
Jae-min muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse before setting another ball down.
This one flew forward—maybe twenty meters.
But it was straight. Jae-min blinked.
"...I did it."
"You did."
A grin spread across his face before he caught himself. Min-woo saw it anyway.
"There he is.nThe athlete."
Jae-min rolled his shoulders once, confidence creeping back into the way he stood.
"Maybe this won't be so bad."
Min-woo smiled.
"Again."
The grin disappeared.
"...Seriously?"
"Again."
Jae-min groaned loud enough that two businessmen turned to look.
Then, Jae-min swung. The ball sliced hard to the right and vanished into the netting.
Min-woo burst out laughing.
Jae-min let the club fall against his shoulder.
"You know...If this revenge thing doesn't work...I'm hitting you with this club."
"I believe you."
Jae-min couldn't help it. He laughed too only for a second.
Then he placed another ball onto the mat.
Without waiting to be told, he took his stance again. The sun dipped lower behind the hills.
Somewhere beyond the driving range, the city lights slowly began to wake.
Min-woo looked toward the direction of the sun, and a mischievous smile crept to his face.
By tomorrow, the interesting part would begin.
Just then, the memories of the messy hair boy appeared in his mind, and the mischievous smile briefly changed into a warm, soft giggle.