New Normal - Chapter 5

“The aroma is wonderful, sir.”

Jisoo gave a small, polite smile as she sipped her coffee.

“Of course it is. The beans were roasted fresh, you see.”

The old master, Kang Susan, nodded in easy agreement.

“You roasted them yourself?” 

Jisoo asked, her eyes widening a little in surprise.

At that, the painter shot her a sharp sideways glance.

“Would I bother, at my age? He did it all.”

He jerked his chin toward the garden beyond the wide glass doors.

Outside, Chae Juwon was standing with a garden hose, spraying water over the flowerbeds. Under the late afternoon sun, the water burst and scattered in a prism of droplets as it hit the ground, tiny rainbows flashing around the man’s tanned, muscular forearms.

Life was unpredictable, indeed. What had begun as an awkward business trip—an emergency replacement in a strange countryside studio, tangled up with this strange man—was somehow turning out better than expected.

When she’d first stepped into the garden studio tucked behind the house, Master Kang hadn’t looked pleased at all.

“You think you can just switch people without a word? What kind of museum does business like that, huh?”

He’d snapped exactly as she’d feared, irritation flashing in his eyes. Maybe something in his plans had been thrown off—that was the sense she got.

But thanks to Chae Juwon’s calm presence at her side, the old man’s mood had softened surprisingly fast.

Perhaps out of guilt for the earlier misunderstanding, Juwon had gone out of his way to help Jisoo with every detail since they’d arrived.

While helping out here and there, Chae Juwon naturally catered to Kang Susan’s mood. 

Whenever the artist, who didn’t have much stamina, showed even the slightest sign of fatigue, Juwon would deftly suggest a break at just the right moment. If a frown ever started to form on Kang Susan’s forehead during a conversation, Juwon would smoothly steer the topic away, defusing the tension so naturally it almost seemed like he had a secret technique for handling him.

She didn’t know exactly what else he did for a living, but he definitely seemed to have a knack for this line of work — offering useful suggestions when needed.

“When you install this later, I think you should really make use of the ceiling space. Since it’s a piece using the ink-wash technique, if you hang it slightly away from the wall, it’ll make the room feel bigger. The light will spread out behind the piece, adding depth. Also, it would be better to replace the frame.”

Thanks to him, Kang Susan’s gaze toward Juwon practically dripped with affection. Even during the lunch that followed the viewing, the atmosphere was so warm that Juwon’s gentle touches and the old master’s kindly smiles made Jisoo feel almost awkward just sitting there.

Seeing Kang Susan so warm and gentle felt surreal — it was enough to make one forget all the outrageous stories and his fearsome reputation. Because of this friendly mood, Jisoo even gained more than she’d expected from the visit. She got to see some unpublished works — and even the pieces currently in progress that weren’t on the list.

“He really is a good kid.”

When Kang Susan murmured this to himself, Jisoo paused for a moment — then slowly nodded. With Kang Susan, Chae Juwon seemed like a completely different person.

His tone was still blunt, but he never crossed the line of politeness. He managed to please Kang Susan without being servile, and though he didn’t speak unnecessarily, his presence was always felt. He read the room quickly, but it didn’t come off as sly — more like a quiet attentiveness. It was surprisingly reassuring, even impressive.

Was all of that just an act he put on in front of an elder?

“He’s like a grandson to me. I’ve known him since he was just a baby, back when he couldn’t even open his eyes yet.”

Jisoo, in the middle of sipping her coffee, paused with her eyes widening.

“You’ve really known each other that long.”

“You could say that.”

Kang Susan’s gentle smile looked so warm and grandfatherly that Jisoo couldn’t help but glance outside again, curious. If Kang Susan — someone who had watched Chae Juwon grow up — spoke so positively of him, maybe the version of Chae Juwon she saw earlier really was his true self. Or maybe he only behaved differently around women.

“I don’t sleep with people the old man sets me up with.”

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

Putting it all together, it seemed this man had come here planning to meet Choi Seyeon on a blind date arranged by his grandfather — and Seyeon had simply bailed. It made Jisoo wonder if Chae Juwon was somehow connected to why this sudden business trip had been dumped on her. Maybe Choi Seyeon knew something about him — something that made her run.

“Hooking up for fun? Fine. Anything serious? Absolutely not. I hate it. The last thing I want is messy strings and family drama”

No matter how blunt he was, saying things like that at a meeting arranged by elders was… something else.

“You’re actually better in person than I expected.”

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

“Your nape is really pretty.”

Saying things like that to a woman he’d just met — a bit too much, really.

…Is he just that promiscuous?

Jisoo watched him quietly as she sipped her coffee. She’d never really dealt with a man who was slick with women, but somehow she felt a guy like him wouldn’t bother with subtlety. He had that cocky air — yet when he was with Kang Susan, that vibe disappeared completely. It was confusing.

Which side is the real Chae Juwon?

Jisoo couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

“I’ll tell you something,” Kang Susan’s rough voice snapped her drifting thoughts back. Jisoo straightened her posture, realizing she’d been zoning out.

Luckily, Kang Susan wasn’t looking at her — he was staring quietly out the window at Juwon. The old man’s eyes lingered on the fresh, young figure outside with an oddly wistful look.

“You see, I like things that are alive to the point they’re horrifying.” he said.

“Things beating wildly like this heart here.”

Jisoo nodded earnestly. It summed up the essence of the old man’s recent work in a single line.

Just like most great masters in their later years, Kang Susan too had moved past his prime and settled into a solid, mature style with his own clear philosophy. But unlike other old masters, he was still trying out new things. Honestly, he seemed almost bursting with energy.

An eighty-year-old man with no kids or nephews — where did all that inspiration come from? Watching him now, Jisoo couldn’t help but wonder if that man had something to do with it. Maybe he was Kang’s muse. It made sense, seeing the way Chae Juwon radiated life and how the old man looked at him. They’d known each other forever, and you could feel the trust and closeness between them.

Out in the yard, Juwon was watering the garden like it was nothing, adjusting the hose — until the water suddenly blasted out at full force. The hose slipped right out of his loose grip, slammed against the ground, and sprayed him from head to toe. In a blink, his white shirt was completely soaked and clung to his skin. Beneath the wet fabric, the hard lines of his broad chest were on full display. Jisoo found herself staring, then swallowed without thinking.

And when her gaze drifted lower — she froze.

Was that… what she thought it was?

For a second, she doubted her eyes. Her mouth fell open at the size of it. The thin fabric clung tight around his thigh, leaving nothing to the imagination. It was so clear and so big she almost rubbed her eyes just to check.

Wait, seriously? Was he not wearing any underwear? Sure, the pants were thin linen, but could they really show that much? On top of that, the faint dark shadow of hair showed through the beige shorts like a smudge, and Jisoo nearly jumped in her seat.

Hurriedly tearing her eyes away, Jisoo found herself locking eyes with Chae Juwon just as he straightened up and slicked his wet hair back.

His face showed not a flicker of embarrassment — instead, he stared right at her, cool and steady.

The still, clear look in his eyes felt like a sharp flash of light, making her swallow hard.

Did he notice?

For a brief moment, their gazes tangled — but when his eyes deliberately drifted down toward her lower half, Jisoo jerked her head aside. She tried to act natural, but her face was already burning hot. She rubbed her cheek with the back of her hand.

“Sometimes, when I look at that boy, I realize why I’ve lived this long.”

Kang Susan’s gruff voice cut into her frantic thoughts.

“You care for him a lot, don’t you, sir?”

“I do. Just looking at him makes something ache inside me. He had to grow up too fast. He’s a pitiful kid. His family’s a mess too.”

“I see…”

“And yet he’s got this solid core* that never wavers. Kids like him — no matter how rough the waves get, they don’t break easily.”

“…A solid core…”

TL/N: *Meaning someone has an unshakable inner strength.

It was a sad story, but Jisoo could only half-listen. She tried to focus on Kang Susan’s words, but her mind kept wandering back to the man outside.

When she glanced over, the garden’s muscled man was nowhere to be seen.

Just as she wondered where he’d disappeared to, the front door creaked open — and there he was, dripping wet, flapping his soaked shirt as he stepped inside.

“Look at you, like a drowned rat.”

“I was sweating anyway. I needed to change.”

His lips curved into a sly little smile — easy, casual, annoyingly charming. He shot Jisoo a quick glance of greeting, then disappeared down the hallway without a care. Even then, Jisoo caught herself sneaking another peek at the dark shape near his pants, and she quickly rubbed her cheek like nothing happened, gaze dropping to her lap.

“Tsk, so careless.”

Clicking his tongue with mild annoyance, Kang Susan watched fondly in the direction the young man had disappeared. Then the old man slowly turned his head back to her and spoke up out of the blue.

“So, Ms. Shin— how old are you this year?”