New Normal - Chapter 4

A man. In other words, it was clear now — Chae Juwon was closely connected to the artist.

They hadn’t shared much small talk on the way up, but from his clipped, half-finished sentences, she could more or less tell. More than anything, he’d guided her to the studio without a hitch and punched in the passcode to open the door as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Come in.”

Like it was his own place.

Standing at the threshold, Jisoo looked up at Chae Juwon, who was casually holding the door open for her.

Despite his vaguely roguish looks, the man’s manners were unexpectedly good. In the car ride up, he’d adjusted the AC and even cracked the window for her when she looked like she might pass out from the heat. He didn’t look it, but being considerate seemed second nature to him.

When Jisoo hesitated at the door, unable to step right in, he asked bluntly,

“What are you doing? Not going in?”

“Ah— no, sorry. Then… excuse me.”

Either way, he still politely let her in first. Though he did slip in ahead while she was taking off her shoes.

The studio was an ordinary detached house, split into two separate buildings. The moment she stepped inside, cool air washed over her — they must have left the air conditioner running the whole time. A spotless living room, done up entirely in shades of white, greeted her eyes.

Trailing behind his long strides, Jisoo looked around in quiet awe.

“Wow… the studio’s so clean.”

“They hire people to clean every day.”

“Ah… I see…”

It was almost obsessive — the place was so bare, with not a single thing hung on the pristine walls. Along the floor, towering leafy plants reached up so high they nearly touched the ceiling, lined up in neat rows. There were so many of them that, rather than a stylish ‘plant interior’, the space felt more like a greenhouse.

Just as he’d said, the house was completely empty.

“What do you want to drink? Water? Juice?”

Chae Juwon called out loudly from the kitchen as he guided Jisoo to the sofa.

“Oh— no, I’m fine.”

“Champagne? There’s some Krug Rosé here too.”

He tossed out the offer teasingly, ignoring her polite refusal. Jisoo stopped glancing around and turned to stare at the kitchen, puzzled.

Just what exactly was this man’s connection to the artist that he could casually offer expensive champagne without asking permission?

‘You got the message from the old man, didn’t you? It’s me — Chae Juwon.’

…Was it because he’d called him ‘the old man’?

She still wasn’t sure, but right now, it hardly mattered. Whether she was actually thirsty or not, it felt rude to keep declining. Raising her voice just enough for him to hear, Jisoo replied,

“Then… just a glass of water, please.”

Before long, she heard the clink of glassware. Carrying two cups of cold barley tea, Chae Juwon strode toward her with his long strides, unhesitating and casual.

Jisoo, who had been sitting primly on the sofa, quickly jumped up and reached out her hands.

“Is it always this empty here? I mean, the other staff—?”

“Just today. Sit down, make yourself comfortable.”

“Oh, okay…”

He gestured with his chin and set the cups down on the table. Her outstretched hand hovered awkwardly in the air for a second before she lowered it and sat back down, feeling oddly clumsy.

Taking the stool across from her, he sat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. As he did, the fabric of his shirt stretched taut over his broad shoulders.

Maybe it was the heat and all the sweat she’d shed earlier — her mouth suddenly felt dry. She picked up her glass, only to find herself unintentionally noticing the way his trousers hugged his thick thighs beneath his clasped hands.

…His build is impressive.

She hastily shifted her eyes away from the defined muscles and took a small sip of tea — only to find herself meeting Chae Juwon’s gaze.

“What’s your name?”

Caught red-handed staring, Jisoo almost choked and hurriedly set the cup back down. Get it together. She silently scolded herself as she rummaged through her bag and held out her business card with both hands.

“I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself sooner. I’m Shin Jisoo, from Hansong Group’s UM Art Museum.”

“Shin Jisoo…”

He repeated her name slowly, syllable by syllable, then took the card with a casual flick of his fingers, showing little interest.

“Yes, originally I wasn’t in charge of Mr. Kang’s work, but the previous curator had some circumstances, so I was reassigned to it.”

“Is that so? They actually reassigned you…?”

Chae Juwon let out a short laugh, as if he found the idea amusing. He didn’t even bother glancing at her business card before slipping it carelessly into his trouser pocket.

Jisoo managed an awkward smile, then lowered her eyes, feeling oddly embarrassed.

One thing was certain now — whether he was an assistant or something else, this man was Kang Susan’s ‘someone’. And something told her that this man might end up holding the key to this whole trip. A chill ran down her back at the thought. Just as a dozen anxious thoughts flashed through her mind, he suddenly spoke up.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised. Didn’t expect it at all.”

“Sorry? What do you mean…?”

Baffled, Jisoo looked up at him. Chae Juwon’s lips curled into a faint, easy smile as he tipped his chin at her.

“You. Meeting you in person — you’re much better than I expected.”

The sudden compliment left Jisoo’s expression briefly unreadable. She wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but she forced a polite smile all the same. No matter what, she had to stay on his good side.

“Ah, well… thank you.”

“I don’t know what our old man has been scheming, but he didn’t tell me a thing either. I was already halfway down to Jecheon when he finally called and told me about today.”

“Oh—! I see.”

She nodded along, pretending to listen earnestly. It was clear now that he had a close relationship with the artist. For a split second, the word scheming made her think of Se-yeon, and her jaw tightened — but she quickly pushed the thought away.

“It wasn’t like I was on some secret mission, but they didn’t even bother telling me your name — just dropped the notice out of nowhere. Honestly, I almost turned the car around… but he convinced me to at least come meet you. Anyway, nice to finally meet you.”

With that, Chae Juwon gave her a quick once-over and suddenly held out his hand.

“Yes, nice to meet you too,” Jisoo replied, forcing a polite smile as she awkwardly reached out. His hand was cool and firm as it wrapped around hers, and the chill against her skin made goosebumps rise up her arm.

…Maybe it was the heat earlier that did her in.

A moment ago she’d been sweltering, but now her body felt oddly cool, as if she were coming down with something. Trying not to show it, she slipped back into her jacket and buttoned it up all the way.

When she looked up, she found those dark brown eyes watching her, faint amusement flickering in them. The curious glint made her throat go dry — maybe sitting directly across from him hadn’t been the best choice. It felt strangely stifling.

“Excuse me… could I have some more water?” she asked.

He simply tilted his head, as if telling her to help herself. She bowed her head a little and turned away as she took another sip.

Why does he keep looking at me like that?

Still, the barley tea was good. A touch sweet, as if someone had added sugar, and not too cold — just the right warmth to wash down easily. She hadn’t realized just how thirsty she’d been until the glass was empty in seconds.

Chae Juwon, who’d been watching her drain the glass, casually pushed over his untouched cup from the table.

“Must’ve been pretty hot out there. Here, have mine too.”

“…Ah, thank you.”

She didn’t refuse the kindness. It went down just as easily, and honestly, keeping her mouth busy felt safer than filling the air with more awkward small talk.

But… she could feel his eyes on her skin, sharp and almost prickling.

Why does he keep looking at me like that?

She tried not to let it get to her, focusing on the empty air as she drank her tea. That’s when Chae Juwon suddenly spoke up.

“Your nape is really pretty.”

She choked. The words hit her so abruptly she swallowed wrong, slamming her cup down as a harsh cough rattled through her chest. She doubled over, face twisting as she sputtered for air.

“W-What? Cough— Me?”

Startled, Jisoo pointed to herself with wide eyes. He simply gave a slow nod, perfectly calm.

“Your hair would look good tied up. You have such elegant lines.”

“Wh— What are you—”

He’d tossed out the blatant compliment like it was nothing. Then, with one large hand, he brushed a palm over his cheek, pausing as if to find the right words.

“Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve met someone so much my type. So it’s a bit… distracting for me too.”

Jisoo’s eyes bulged, her coughing fit turning into a stifled wheeze. Seeing her so red-faced and struggling, Juwon clicked his tongue lightly, frowning as if in pity. He reached behind him and pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket, holding it out. Jisoo snatched it gratefully, clamping it over her mouth.

Then he dropped the next line like a bomb.

“I’ll just say this now—I don’t want to waste time. I don’t know what you think this meeting is about, but I’m not interested. Sleeping with someone my mentor set me up with? That’s a line I don’t cross.”

He looked genuinely regretful as he said it, brows knitting faintly. Jisoo, handkerchief pressed to her lips, coughed and coughed, trying desperately to force her mind to keep up as a hundred tangled thoughts raced through her head.

“So just keep that in mind,” Juwon said flatly. “Deal with it if you want to keep this going—or you can just say I rejected you. Up to you, Jisoo.”

He said it so casually, like he’d had this talk countless times before. Jisoo, her coughing finally under control, managed to sputter out a protest.

“Excuse me? Why—why would I ever sleep with you?”

Juwon only shrugged, running a hand through his hair with infuriating calm.

“Eventually, sooner or later, you probably would. That’s all.”

Jisoo just stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. He looked completely at ease, lounging there like this was the most normal conversation in the world.

“It’s just how I am,” he went on, voice maddeningly casual. “Hooking up for fun? Fine. Anything serious? Absolutely not. I hate it. The last thing I want is messy strings and family drama. A fling that blows up later? No thanks. I’m not about to get stuck cleaning that up—or pretending I’d ever take responsibility.”

He rattled it all off without a flicker of shame, and Jisoo felt her face flush with heat, her voice trembling.

“Y-Your… ‘type’? What does that have to do with me? You’ve got the wrong idea!”

She snapped too late, but the man just let out a short laugh, a sharp grin flickering across his lips.

“What wrong idea? You’re the only one here right now, aren’t you?”

“I’m here to see Kang Susan’s work. That’s it. I have no idea what you’re talking about—why are you saying all this nonsense—”

“We’re basically on a blind date right now?”

He cut her off lazily, turning his head as if the whole thing bored him. Jisoo’s face went blank.

“…A blind date? A what?”

The hand that had been pushing back his hair froze mid-motion. Juwon’s eyes flicked sideways to Jisoo, his expression oddly blank.

“…The business trip was just the excuse,” he said slowly. “Didn’t you get a call from the old man?”

“Old man? You mean Mr. Kang Susan?”

Jisoo enunciated every syllable, and she could see the faint amusement drain right out of Juwon’s dark brown eyes. He started blinking, slow and deliberate, like he was just now realizing something had gone terribly off track. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Then, with a faint twitch, he lifted one eyebrow.

“Cha Hee-jung. My grandfather.”

“Never heard of him. Who even are you?”

Jisoo’s voice turned sharp in her bewilderment. For the first time since they’d met, Juwon’s mouth clamped shut. He just stared, blinking and blinking like he couldn’t process what he was hearing. An awkward, heavy silence fell between them. Finally, he let out a quiet, exasperated groan.

“Ah….”

A flush of embarrassed red crept up his neck to his ears. He rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand like he had no idea what to do with himself now. Jisoo could only stare at him, dumbfounded.

And then—

Click, click, click. The sound of someone punching in the door code. The front door burst open a second later.

“Goddamn it. I swear, if I drop dead on that mountain one of these days—”

A sharp, irritable voice rang out as someone kicked off their shoes. A cane slammed against the wooden floor, each strike echoing through the house.

“What the hell is with this heat, huh? Damn it, might as well drop dead out here at this rate. Christ—running ice cream errands at my age because of that damn old geezer. Says he’ll ‘wrap this up in ten minutes.’ Ten minutes, my ass…”

A stream of muttered curses trailed off as a hunched old man appeared, swinging a plastic bag.

“Hey. What’s all this?”

His snow-white caterpillar eyebrows bristled, his sharp eyes gleaming fiercely—just like the Medusa head plastered across his Versace T-shirt.

He was none other than Kang Susan, the master artist himself.