Eight Times
Unlike the director, he wasn’t wearing brown work clothes—probably because the previous gardener’s uniform didn’t fit. It made sense; the man before him had been far smaller in build.
All of a sudden, the director and the man turned their heads in the same direction. Toward the left, where the main house entrance stood. Following their gaze, I saw the two housekeepers heading out with snacks.
The madam carried a tray, while Hee-yeon unni held two bottles of sports drink. The man stood and took the snacks from them.
The madam, Hee-yeon unni, the director, and the man sat facing one another beneath the large pine and began chatting in low voices. Before he arrived, snack time had simply meant handing things over and leaving. For the past few days, though, it had been like this.
Hee-yeon unni especially went out of her way to rest with them even when the madam couldn’t come because of work. The way she kept sneaking glances at the man made it obvious she was interested. The madam and the director seemed to know and were quietly encouraging it.
They looked about the same age, and Hee-yeon unni was a beauty, so they really did make a handsome pair.
Ever since I’d noticed the scene, I’d been watching with quiet interest. It was a small bit of gossip to liven up the dull days I spent shut in my room.
“…….”
When the madam said something, the man split into a broad grin. Handsome was one thing, but his face looked so pure it bordered on innocent.
Somehow it was completely different from my first impression. He looked far too wholesome to be a gangster…
Judging by how faithfully he showed up for work every day, he must have left that life behind. But a gangster turned gardener? Choosing such an unrelated job made me wonder if he had his own reasons.
I kept my eyes on him with that mild curiosity, only for him to suddenly whip his head around. Startled, I ducked behind the curtain. Peeking through the gap, I saw him waving a hand through the air—maybe a bug had flown at him.
Rrrr- Rrrr-
Just then, the phone lying on the bed began to ring. That was enough watching for today. I climbed down from the windowsill and picked it up.
Confirming Do Ha-jin’s name on the screen, I hit the call button. For a while the phone had sat silent with no one to contact, but lately, thanks to Do Ha-jin, it was actually serving its purpose.
“Yeah, Oppa.”
“What are you doing?”
“Just at home. Why?”
“Why are you always at home?”
His warm, laughing voice felt a little greasy. I didn’t answer and simply stayed quiet, so Do Ha-jin soon launched into a stream of talk. I listened in silence as he went on about what he’d done today and what he planned to do next.
Lately Do Ha-jin called at random hours and rambled at me. He probably thought he was doing it for my sake, stuck listlessly in my room, but honestly it wasn’t interesting. I had zero interest in the blind date he’d set up for some junior from the military, for instance.
“I’m hanging up.”
“Huh? Hanging up?”
Even though I’d cut him off mid-story, Do Ha-jin showed no irritation. Instead his voice grew even softer.
“Okay. I’ll hang up soon. Just one thing.”
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
“Oppa’s free for lunch tomorrow. Want to eat together?”
“I don’t feel like going out…”
“I’ll buy you something good.”
When I kept stalling, his voice turned pleading.
“Your dad’s really worried that you’ve been shut in the house ever since graduation. Come out for a change of pace, okay?”
“…….”
“I don’t think I can pick you up, so let’s meet at the city square. Around twelve, grab lunch, and if there’s time maybe catch a movie.”
“…….”
“Got it? Okay?”
I let out a sigh and reluctantly agreed. Only then did Do Ha-jin laugh, pleased, and end the call.
I tossed the phone roughly onto the pillow and flopped onto the bed. Annoying as it was, I had nothing better to do, so I might as well kill some time. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I absently rubbed my left forearm, then closed my eyes.
The ruby ring was gone.
I discovered it after my shower, sitting at the vanity and dabbing on lotion. I’d forgotten to check the jewelry box for a while, so I had no idea when it had been taken. I stared at the empty space for a moment, closed the lid, and finished rubbing the lotion into my cheeks.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. The phone beside the lotion vibrated in short, rapid bursts. It was obviously Do Ha-jin, so I left it alone and roughly dried my hair with the dryer. No need to be thorough—once I stepped outside in this heat it would dry soon enough.
I raked my fingers through the damp ends and called it done. Since Do Ha-jin would pay for everything anyway, I didn’t bother with a wallet, just grabbed my phone and left the room.
“Heading out? I just saw Driver Kim outside, actually.”
Hee-yeon unni, dusting the frames in the hallway, spoke up brightly. I glanced at her fingers out of habit, but of course the ring wasn’t there.
“It’s been ages since you went out. Have fun.”
“Yeah. I’ll be back.”
Leaving her to her cleaning, I went downstairs. The madam must have been in the kitchen; the living room was empty. I gave the desolate space a cursory once-over and headed for the front door, then paused as a thought struck me and flicked on my phone screen.
AM 11:23
At this hour the gardeners would be hard at work. I felt a little reluctant, but what choice did I have? As long as the same people were here, I’d run into them eventually. And after more than a week of secretly watching, the psychological unfamiliarity had eased somewhat.
I tapped the toes of my sneakers against the floor to settle them on, then reached for the front door.
Well-oiled, it opened smoothly. Sunlight seeped through the widening gap, a mild breeze drifted in, and the fresh scent of grass rose. Without thinking I sniffed the air as I stepped outside.
The pouring sunlight stung my eyelids; I shielded them with my palm as I entered the yard. Scritch-scritch—the sound of pruning shears reached me. Squinting, I turned my head and saw the director’s back as he trimmed the pine at the edge. A trot song played from the radio clipped at his waist.
The music must have covered my exit; the director just hummed and snipped cheerfully. I watched for a moment, then let my eyes wander. The man was nowhere in sight. Not by the flower bed opposite, not near the statue, not in any corner I checked.
Bathroom? The quiet relief that washed over me told me the lessened unfamiliarity had been an illusion. Better get out while I could. I quickened my steps past the statue—
Thud.
“Ah.”
Something suddenly shot out and I stopped short in surprise. Momentum carried me a half-stagger forward before I caught my balance and found a withered rose lying at my feet.
What? Puzzled, I looked in the direction the flower had come from.
Squatting behind the statue, wiping his forehead, the man turned and looked at me too. Our eyes met.
“…….”
“…….”
He held my gaze in that same crouch for a beat, then lowered his hand and rested both arms on his knees. The forearms revealed by his rolled-up black short sleeves were unusually thick.
“How many was it again.”
He spoke out of nowhere. Not to me—muttering to himself as he began folding his fingers. My hearing pricked up of its own accord. Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d heard his voice.
The low, rough timbre matched his sweat-dampened looks perfectly. In short, even his voice was handsome. I could roughly understand why Hee-yeon unni couldn’t take her eyes off him, but my first instinct was still to get away.
Among the household staff, Hee-yeon unni had the shortest tenure, and even she had worked here for three years. Whether it was because I hadn’t crossed paths with a stranger inside the house for nearly that long, or because I knew the man’s former job, it made me uneasy in more ways than one.
Just as I started walking again, he raised both hands toward me. Left hand fully open, right hand showing three fingers—exactly like the number eight. Sure enough.
“For now, eight times.”
“…….”
I stared at him blankly, wondering what on earth he meant, and then his next words stiffened my spine.
“I felt someone watching me.”
“…….”
“Know anything about that?”
His tone was oddly mocking. One corner of his mouth twisted, carrying a clear note of ridicule. The implication was that he already knew and was asking anyway.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t flustered at being caught, but watching the people working from my own room window didn’t seem like some great crime. And there was something else I needed to address first.
“Why are you talking down to me?”
I answered sharply, pushing aside the discomfort of speaking to a stranger. He folded his fingers again, planted both fists on his knees, and rose. His sudden height made my chin lift automatically.
He’d looked big from a distance, but up close the man was truly huge. His height nearly matched the statue, and his bulk filled my vision so completely that the director working behind him disappeared from sight.
“I heard this house’s little princess is younger than me.”
“…….”
“What, want me to wait on you hand and foot?”
He planted his feet at a slant and looked down at me steadily. I might have been imagining it, but his eyes were sharp. No—not just his eyes. His tone and manner were cutting too.
I looked him over for a moment, then turned away with a short sigh.
“Not even going to answer, huh.”
I ignored the click of his tongue and simply walked on.
When I opened the gate, the familiar white sedan and a man in a suit standing beside it came into view.
“How long has it been since you went out?”
“It’s been a while, Driver Kim.”
“Call me more often from now on. I was starting to think I’d end up buried at the factory.”
My personal driver, Kim, offered the friendly joke as he opened the rear door.
During my school years I’d at least gone to class every day, but after graduation I rarely needed a car, so in practice he had almost lost his job. He spent the free hours working at my father’s company factory instead.
“Where to?”
“Downtown.”
“Understood.”
The car began rolling along the wall.
Even as the house fell behind, I felt as though the man’s sharp gaze kept trailing after me, and I frowned to myself.