“I apologize for my staff’s rude behavior.”
In the end, I left the security guard who had rushed to the back of the mansion behind and parked So-hee’s father’s car somewhere suitable within the mansion grounds.
Then, I led So-hee’s entire family to the dining room.
Perhaps because Yang Hye-in was absent, there was no one else available to guide them.
This reminded me of an old communist joke I once heard.
There are three workers: one digs a hole, another places a tree in it, and the last one covers the hole.
In a capitalist society, if the person who places the tree falls ill, the remaining two are paid more to cover for the missing work.
As a result, the tree is still planted because the two work harder for the extra money.
But in a communist society, since they receive the same pay regardless, the remaining two workers just keep digging and filling holes for no reason.
I’m not sure if this is just a joke or a remnant of the competitive systems back then—
To be honest, even in a capitalist society, not everything runs smoothly.
What company would actually pay the remaining two workers more to compensate for one’s absence?
They’d probably try it out for a few days and, if anything, decide they don’t even need the third worker anymore.
Moreover, looking at today’s situation, it’s not as if people work harder just because they’re paid more.
People adapt to the money they’re used to receiving for their work.
If someone is paid millions for an easy task, when given extra work later, they might think, ‘Shouldn’t I be paid more for this?’
No matter what the giver thinks, the recipient always feels they are being compensated based on what they’re already used to.
Even if it’s not millions, there’s always a significant gap between the employer’s and employee’s thoughts.
A convenience store owner paying minimum wage might think, ‘You should at least do this much’, while the worker thinks, ‘For this pay?’
Who said that standing in different places changes what you see?
Anyway, I didn’t want such a gap to form between me and So-hee.
After all, we are friends, aren’t we?
Although I initially approached So-hee because she was the heroine, my thoughts had changed somewhat since then.
And the best way to bridge that gap is by maintaining proper etiquette with each other.
They say you can’t spit on a smiling face.
Even if we don’t fully understand each other, as long as we make the effort to try, the other person will usually respond accordingly.
“Uh, no, I’m fine?”
So-hee’s father, surprised that I had spoken, responded in a mix of informal and formal speech.
Next to him, little So-hee was rubbing her eyes while yawning.
It seemed like the father and daughter had been out together.
So-hee hadn’t been able to go since she came to see me in the morning.
Unlike So-hee, her hair wasn’t dyed and was still black, but her face was exactly the same.
Surely, when she grows up, she’ll look just like So-hee.
Since I hadn’t heard her name yet, I mentally referred to her as Little So-hee.
“Uh… so….”
So-hee’s father looked around as if searching for something, cleared his throat, and then asked.
“By any chance, is there… no other family?”
“Feel free to speak casually. I’m friends with So-hee.”
When I said that, he looked a little surprised and then awkwardly cleared his throat again.
“Oh, well then… um…”
“I’m Ye Sara.”
After I introduced myself a bit late, So-hee’s father nodded and said,
“Oh, right, Sara. Do you not have any family? Like, a brother?”
I tilted my head and replied,
“No, I’m an only child.”
Of course, if this were one of those ‘If You Wish’ dramatic settings, it wouldn’t be surprising if I had some hidden sibling or half-brother, but at least for now, I didn’t know about any.
There probably wasn’t one.
No matter how much of a soap opera the story might turn out to be, it wouldn’t follow those exact clichés.
After all, it’s a dating sim.
“Is that so?”
So-hee’s father’s eyes widened, as if he was genuinely surprised that I was an only child.
Was it really that surprising?
Well, maybe it was.
Other than me, everyone living in this mansion was a servant.
Until recently, the only guest had been Choi Na-kyung.
It wouldn’t be strange for someone to assume that several generations of a family lived in a mansion this large.
The idea that I lived here alone might indeed sound strange.
He turned his gaze towards So-hee as if to confirm if it was really true.
“Ah!”
So-hee, as if remembering something, suddenly exclaimed and jumped out of her seat.
She quickly walked over to her father and grabbed his wrist.
“Dad, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
“Huh, daughter?”
He stood up, though slightly bewildered, as So-hee pulled him away.
Despite the dining room’s considerable size, the fact that she was walking so quickly suggested that So-hee was in a real hurry.
“…”
Watching them leave with my mouth slightly open, I turned my head.
…There, sitting where she had been moments ago, was Little So-hee.
Perhaps fully awake now, her bright eyes peered over the edge of the table, staring straight at me.
“…”
Oh no, I’ve never talked to kids before.
I could feel a cold sweat running down my back.
*
So-hee pulled her father to a secluded spot within the mansion.
“…Remember what I told you earlier?”
She lowered her voice as much as possible.
There wasn’t anyone nearby, but she wanted to be cautious.
It couldn’t be helped if her close circle found out, but she didn’t want it reaching Sara’s ears through others.
While it would be embarrassing, more than that, So-hee had firm beliefs about love.
She didn’t want her confession to be overheard or relayed by someone else.
If she was going to confess someday, she wanted to do it clearly, in person, with just the two of them present.
Naturally, the fewer ears involved, the better.
Of course, she had strictly warned Yang Hye-in and the others at the café earlier.
Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah would keep the secret without being told, but Yang Hye-in was different.
Even though it had been easier to reveal it to her in that moment, if So-hee didn’t explicitly mention it was a secret, Hye-in might tell Sara everything.
“Uh, about that… the person you said you like…”
“Yes.”
So-hee nodded with determination.
“The one I like. It’s her. The one who was sitting across from me in the dining room earlier.”
“Huh…”
Her father sighed deeply.
It wasn’t that he opposed same-sex relationships.
He might have regretted not having a biological grandchild, but he wasn’t so fixated on the idea that he would oppose his daughter’s happiness.
It was just that the reality was so far from what he had imagined that his mind couldn’t keep up.
The girl who had been sitting across from them earlier seemed very much like a ‘lady’.
Not the colloquial sense of ‘lady’, but a refined young woman from a wealthy family—polite, well-mannered, and cultured.
Her demeanor didn’t match the ‘I’m going to take action today’ energy his daughter had mentioned.
Of course, he had seen enough people whose appearance didn’t reflect their nature, but…
He felt a little bad saying this, but based on first impressions alone, it seemed more likely that his daughter would make the first move.
“But, you know, she’s in a bit of a situation. I want to help her.”
“…”
He crossed his arms and listened quietly.
“And it just so happens there’s an opening here. I want to stay here and help her out.”
“Ah, I see…”
He felt his strength drain from him.
So, the reason he had rushed over here was all due to a misunderstanding.
It wasn’t that she was planning to ‘take action’, but rather, she wanted to ‘work’ here.
In other words, she meant something like a part-time job.
She wanted to stay nearby after school and help out, showing just how much she cared for that girl.
But honestly, it was all very sudden.
Of course, things like marriage were a far-off concern.
He didn’t really mind who his daughter had her first love with.
Naturally, as her father, he would oppose her rushing into any intimate relationship, but if the person was sensible, it was a different story.
The problem was that this person exceeded all of his expectations.
For now, the romance issue would have to wait.
The more pressing matter was—
“So, what kind of opening is it?”
“Oh, that.”
At his question, So-hee smiled brightly.
“She needs a personal maid.”
“…What?”
*
After their conversation, So-hee and her father returned to the dining room.
So-hee looked somewhat relieved, while her father seemed rather conflicted.
As they entered, they both froze.
“So soft~”
“Hehe, stop, that tickles…?”
So-hee’s younger sister was gleefully pinching Sara’s cheeks.
She was even sitting on Sara’s lap, facing her.
While this might look like nothing more than a child’s playful antics given the significant age gap,
Sara, who had the child sitting on her lap, was sweating profusely and looked flustered, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation.
It was probably the first time she had ever interacted with a child.
“So-ri!”
So-hee, startled, called out her sister’s name.
Little So-hee, still squishing Sara’s cheeks, turned to look at her older sister.
“Unnie! Look! Sara’s cheeks are so soft!”
Indeed, the cheeks caught in her little hands looked incredibly squishy, making anyone tempted to poke them.
But that wasn’t the issue right now.
So-hee hurriedly ran over and quickly scooped up So-ri by the waist.
Her sister dangled in the air, but she laughed gleefully, finding it fun.
And so, that day, Shin So-ri became the first child ever to pinch the cheeks of the richest teenager in the world.
Though, of course, So-hee had done far worse things to Sara herself.